Happy Hour: Cor-alatian (Life Plan)

HAPPY HOUR: Fridays AT 5:00 P.M.—Kick back after a hard week’s work and enjoy the intoxicating goodness of true love and wisdom without putting a dent in your wallet. It’s like free fast food for your soul. ~Enjoy!

 

Here is the plan I referenced in last week’s Happy Hour post. It’s the summation of verses from 2 Corinthians 8:10 and Galatians 6:10 (verses are listed at the bottom of this post). This is my doable Cor-alatian.

I had a need so I produced a way to meet my needs.

I’m married, homeschool my kids, minister to women in destructive relationships, suffer from multiple auto-immune diseases and other health issues, deal with the dailiness of life like everyone else, and…those are just the things I can publicly list.

Last year, after finishing our spring school semester I felt like my life was stuck in a rut. I wanted to be a more effective, purposeful teacher for my kids. I wanted to regain my strength and energy and not find myself sitting in front of the computer, once again, simply because I didn’t have the energy to do much else. I wanted to finish editing my memoir…and the list went on…

I used to be a highly organized, creative, energetic, administrative go-getter; yet even in my slowness, God still has a purpose for my life; personally, relationally, in the community, and for the Kingdom. I desperately wanted to regain a fraction of my former self and decided I needed to make a plan; a written plan. This would help me stay on track and would allow me to pull it out and read it as an encouraging reminder.

Please note that I did this on my own out of desperation. There are professional life coaches, counselors, and life planners who do this for a living. I’ve never used one; and they would probably get a humorous kick out of my little endeavor, but it’s working with my limited knowledge and my limited budget.

Yes, it is…it’s working for me! I haven’t arrived and I don’t live by it every single day, but it’s made a noticeable positive difference in all areas of my life.

COR-ALATIAN LIFE PLAN 

 

Am I satisfied with my life right now?

I’m know I’m not living to my fullest

 

What is going on in my life right now? What are my consistent roles in life?

• School teaching is lacking
• Writing book isn’t happening
• Blogging is sporadic
• Marriage – this should always be a mutually growing and serving endeavor
• Health is poor with auto-immune diseases, tiredness, aches, headaches, illnesses
• My quiet times with God are lacking and I know this is about my heart, soul, mind and strength condition

 

What makes me happy?

• Basking in God’s presence and hearing from Him
• Praying
• Listening to hurting women and helping people
• Writing
• Educating people about fraudulent personalities and validating hurting women married to these types of men
• Accomplishing a productive day in school
• Using time wisely
• Feeling healthy
• Being with friends
• Meaningful time with my family
• Working out

 

What are the drains?

• Destructive relationships
• Poor health
• My physical pace of life has slowed down and I can’t accomplish as much as I want to accomplish
• Internet – wasting time

 

What isn’t working in my life?

• Destructive relationships that I have no control over
• Health
• School schedule
• My schedule
• When I complain, lack self-control, or are negative I lose my strength for the moment and possibly for the day.

 

What would my ideal life look like? What would my future roles be in life? Future goals?

• Healed relationships
• Finish editing my book
• A larger platform for ministering to abused women
• A platform to testify to the power of prayer
• Respond to life from a place of love; not frustration or anger
• Change our state laws to better protect children caught in the middle of divorce from an abusive parent
• Change our state laws to include fault based divorce
• Succeeding with school schedule
• Using time well
• To feel fully engaged in purposeful living
• Know how to set a healthy boundary and consequence when the need arises

What do I need to do to get that life?

• Wake up refreshed; not tired and stressed
• Quiet time before I leave my room
• Breakfast
• Get ready/watch listen to podcast each morning
• Teach school
• Clean for 20 minutes
• Write/edit 1/2 hour
• Check emails/messages /social media while eating lunch
• Keep a list of internet work so I don’t get side-tracked when I surf the net
• Organize, decorate, create art or furniture, or purge 30 minutes
• Make healthy dinners for the entire family
• Go to the gym
• Return phone calls & messages
• Write 1 hour
• Have an office with privacy where I can keep my work accessible

 

What do I really want to accomplish in this life?

• Homeschooling
• Finishing my memoir and finding how God rewards me.

 

What kind of person do I want to be?

• Real…in relating to and serving others
• Faithful to God
• Prayerful
• Inspires others to pray

 

What is most important to me in life?

Now that my children have a relationship with the Lord, seeing them love the Lord, love others, and find godly mates to help them pass on their spiritual heritage. Serve others from a place of compassion, having purpose because of the painful things I’ve endured in life.

 

Why do I want whatever it is that I want?

There is nothing more important to me. I know I’m being obedient to God’s calling on my life.

 

How would I like to be remembered?

I sought the Lord with excitement. Listened well to others. Followed God with no regard to what others thought. Risked everything to hear and obey His voice. Lived with joy and purpose despite difficult circumstances and traumatic relationships.

 

What will my life be like if I never change the way it is right now? I will still be living a supernatural lifestyle to the glory of God. My kids will know I love them.

 

So then…

Seek hard. Listen well. Follow freely. Risk everything. LIVE NOW.

Galatians 6:9-10 says, “So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.” (MSG)

I love this passage in 2 Cor. 8:10: “So here’s what I think: The best thing you can do right now is to finish what you started last year and not let those good intentions grow stale. Your heart’s been in the right place all along. You’ve got what it takes to finish it up, so go to it. Once the commitment is clear, you do what you can, not what you can’t. The heart regulates the hands. This isn’t so others can take it easy while you sweat it out. No, you’re shoulder to shoulder with them all the way, your surplus matching their deficit, their surplus matching your deficit. In the end, you come out even.” (MSG)

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

This has produced fruit in my life. I’m calmer, more focused and purposeful, utilizing my time sooo much better, keeping a tidier house, I have an office (Yay!), enjoying more ministry, and the best changes are; responding from a place of love; not frustration or anger and  practicing self-control so I stay positive rather than slipping into the negative. My heart, soul, mind and strength feel so refreshed in these areas.

The only item I’ve utterly failed at is having my Bible study in my room first thing in the morning. I usually manage to wake up and talk to God, but Bible study happens sometime between breakfast and 2:00 p.m.

If this kind of  plan will help you, please feel free to copy, paste, and change what works for you.

I hope it brings you happiness and produces a better, more purposeful life!