"If you can hear me, and you are sitting still......"

          I had these big ideas of posting every other week, but guess what? It didn't happen. I did great for a while, then missed one Tuesday, thinking I'd make it up later in the week. But, I didn't, nor did I write one the next week to get back on track. Part of the problem is that something else always comes up that feels most important right then. Be it lesson plans, dishes, laundry, sleep, etc. Things have a way of feeling urgent, and we give in to that. And next thing we know, we're just busy, too busy for whatever it was we put off. In this case, this blog. One important task leads to another, to another, and another, until I'm just ...... busy.
     
 The irony, of course, is that the whole point of this blog is to stop for a minute and notice life. To escape the busy and the necessary and notice the important. I wonder how much of life slips by while I'm too busy or preoccupied to notice. This week especially, I'm really bad at being still. My car is currently having "episodes" where the engine will die if it's idle for too long at a traffic light, stop sign, in traffic, behind a school bus, etc. So I have been avoiding stopping completely and/or for very long. (Don't worry - I'm not running stop signs. Just praying really hard every time I stop at one.) And while, right now, that practice is necessary for my car's sake, in my real life it is not a good idea.
       
                      God has so much to show and tell us, but he can't if we're not still. We won't hear or see it unless we are quiet and un-busy. But being quiet and still is as hard for me as it is for a kindergartner! I need a grown up version of "123, all eyes on me" or a countdown from 10, with each number said quieter and quieter. Mostly I need to remember that when the Teacher is talking, I should be quiet and listen. But like so many kindergartners, I am too busy being "busy" to even register that the teacher is talking. I  really think that a lot of kids just don't notice that I've started talking.They're still carrying on their conversation, or doing whatever it is, completely oblivious to the fact that I am trying to get their attention. It is so frustrating!!!!
   
                I wonder if that's how God feels when He deals with me. Does He ever think, "Would she just stop for a minute and look at me?" Does it make Him as crazy? I bet it disappoints Him that I won't pay attention. It makes me wonder: What all am I missing? What great views, experiences, and conversations am I missing out on because I can't stop long enough to catch them? This week my goal is to keep my eyes open. Really open. And shut my mouth and still my hands as long as necessary to notice the things that are out there. And hopefully, once I do that, I will have lots of gems to blog about on here! :)

Off Day

I have discovered something that will not surprise you: I am bad at stopping. There, I admitted it. I am really terrible at not staying busy, and am completely lost without my to-do list. It is sad, really.

I had the day off yesterday, and had all these things that I needed to get done, but I didn’t make a to-do list. I didn’t want to be frantic, just very productive in a calm, relaxed way. But without my to-do list, I was like a kid who walks into Disney World with no one to guide them. I just looked around at the wonder that was my day, and did almost nothing with it. I had set my alarm for early enough but not too early, but when it went off I told myself, “You don’t really have to get up. There is nowhere you have to be today at any specific time.” So I went back to sleep for another hour. Then when I did get up, I ate breakfast, and sat on the couch, reading. I had no motivation, because I didn’t have my list dictating my next move. My day off had become an off day.

So that was my morning. Finally, near noon, I got it in gear and got ready for my day, ate lunch, and made a list. I know, I know…… You’re shaking your head that I made a list on my day off instead of enjoying my lazy day. But if I had continued with my lazy pattern, nothing would have gotten done, and I would have felt bad by bedtime. So I made a list. And my day went much smoother. I need to have things lined out for me, and planned out. Now, at one point, I did change my plan and came home for a nap to get rid of a headache. And when I woke up, I went back to my list and finished running my errands.

I guess today’s life lesson is this: Know yourself. If you are a spontaneous soul who is happy going where the wind blows you, then do that. And if you’re like me, and need a list to mark off, and guidance for your day, make your list. And don’t let yourself feel bad about. God made us all different, and guess what? He loves you just the way He made you. List and all. J

Stopped In My Tracks

           I got stopped for a funeral procession last week. I was driving along a major road, and noticed that all of a sudden traffic was stopped. I looked ahead to the traffic light, which was green, but then noticed a vehicle stopped in the middle of the intersection, between the two directions of traffic, with flashing green lights. I was a little puzzled at first, because I'd never seen the green flashing lights before.  I looked over to the other side and saw a long line of cars following behind a hearse. We were on the other side of a concrete median, so our side wasn't blocked off, but the cars on my side were at a stand-still as well.

            Admittedly my first thought was "Oh,man!" But then I lost the attitude as I remembered being in one of the cars following behind the hearse after my grandmother's funeral a few years ago. There were cars that didn't stop for us, and cut us off, and broke up our line of people. It was the very last thing we needed on that day, and it bothered me. Maybe it was a Northern thing that people didn't stop, or maybe they didn't know, or maybe they were being rude. It doesn't matter. What does matter is that it stuck with me. 

         I know there are probably many people who think that stopping for a funeral procession is an outdated practice. But I disagree. I think it helps us connect with humanity again. In the midst of our busy lives, I believe having to stop is a good thing. Especially having to stop so that others may go. I think it reminds us, at least it reminds me, that there are other people out in the world. And some of them are hurting. And if I can help in any one small way simply by stopping my car for a few minutes, then it's worth it. Because people matter, And though I may not know the people in those cars and I didn't may not have known the person that they miss, I respect that loss hurts. And I am sorry they have to go through that right now. So to the families in those cars that I saw last week: I pray that God will heal your hearts and comfort you. Because we all know that it stinks to be sitting in the cars in that line. And while the rest of us only stop for a few minutes for you, your pain continues for a long time after. So you are in my prayers. Whoever you are. 

With This Ring

           

       Like many women, I wear a ring on my left-hand ring finger. My ring is very special to me, and reminds me of a deep commitment. But unlike many other women who wear a ring, I am single.

        A few months after my 16^th birthday, I went with my dad to help pick out/try on a ring for my mom as an anniversary present. We found a small, simple gold ring with an amethyst (which is my birthstone, but Dad said Mom would love it) that fit me, so it would fit her, too, and was unlike any other rings she had. I was very surprised later when they both gave it to me as a purity ring.

            At first I was a little disappointed because I wanted a True Love Waits ring with the inscription, like other girls had, or a key necklace like some of my friends had, but I grew to love my unique purity ring. At first, that was all it was – a ring to remind me to stay pure.  Like many girls of my generation, I bought into the movement – wait til marriage, sign the pledge, wear the ring - It’s the right thing to do and is God-honoring. But we missed something. True Love Waits, but God’s love doesn’t. It doesn’t have to. I used my ring as a finger-warmer for many years, waiting until it was replaced with an engagement or wedding ring. (Side note – there is a great blog about this same type of thing called “I Don’t Wait Anymore” and can be found at gracefortheroad.com/2012/02/02/idontwait/). It feels like I all I did in my teens and early to mid-twenties is wait. And I don’t particularly like to wait.

            A few years ago, I began to wonder if I would ever get married, and what was the point of wearing a purity ring anymore, anyway? What was cool at 16 seemed lame and desperate at 26, plus after that many years, did I really need a ring on my finger to remind me to do what I believe is right? But I kept it on, partly because I couldn’t imagine not wearing anything on that finger. Then I realized something. I was wearing my ring for the wrong reasons, and after a good hard look at my heart, I changed my view about my ring. The whole idea of a purity ring is a reminder and a statement. The ring has not changed, but my purpose for wearing it has.

            I don’t wear it now to remind me what not to do, but to remind me that I am loved. It doesn’t make the statement of “I’m waiting” anymore, but “I’m taken,” because I am. I am God’s. He is the true love of my life. So I wear the ring, proudly, and love when people ask why I wear a ring if I’m not engaged or married. I used to answer, “It’s a purity ring,” but now I say, “It’s a promise ring,” and if they ask for clarification, I happily tell them Who I am promised to.

            So yes, 14 years later, the ring and I are still together. (Actually, right now it’s at the jewelers being repaired, so I am wearing a substitute ring.) And one day, I will take it off or move it to a different hand to make room for one with a diamond instead of an amethyst. Or I’ll wear the amethyst til I die, either way. Because I’m not waiting on true love anymore. I’ve found Him. 

First Things First

You ever notice how people are constantly advising you to start your morning right? Eat breakfast, drink the right coffee, call your mom, have your quiet time first thing, go running, etc. Now, some “1^st thing in the morning” advice is admittedly silly, and some is profoundly wise. But overall, it is true: we need to start our mornings wisely, because how we start the morning makes an impact on the rest of our day.      

               Take this morning, for example.  I was not thinking, and forgot to do my morning bolus insulin to cover my breakfast. I remembered about an hour later – oops! – and by then, my sugar had risen to about 350. Not good. I did a correction bolus, and, you would think that would be that. And in the afternoon or evening, that would have been it. I would have been good to go for the rest of the day. But, somehow, the body knows that mornings are the most important, and by committing that goof in the morning, it messed me up for most of the day. I have now spent the rest of the day checking my sugar more than usual, and treating the low bloodsugars that have followed my morning mistake. Stupid hurts. Literally –just ask my fingers L.

                But in all seriousness, take the advice. Get a good start to your morning. If you don’t, you will likely pay for it the rest of the day. So, whatever it is that you have trouble remembering or struggle fitting into your mornings – doesn’t matter what it is- do it first. Make it a priority. The day will go more smoothly when you do what you need to do to be at your 100% A-Plus first thing in the day. 

Option E - Not Enough Information

 This title was inspired by multiple-choice tests.
 It is the end of the school year, after all. J

Have you ever been in this situation: You think everything is going fine, and you are getting stuff done, answering questions, etc. Suddenly, someone tells you you’re doing it all wrong. Come to find out, you didn’t have all the information. They didn’t share that one pertinent piece of data that changes everything. And then they get upset at you for not doing it right. Has that ever happened? I hope it hasn’t, but chances are, it has. It happens to me on a regular basis. It is so frustrating. You do your very best, but when you are missing pieces, it is possible to get it all wrong, at no real fault of yours. It happens all the time, and never gets easier to deal with.

In life, we have to accept that we are never going to know it all. There will always be things that are mysteries. I don’t know what my life is going to look like in 10 years. I have to accept that. But I can make the best decisions possible now with what I do know.

What I find comforting about God is that even though He may not give me all the information right now, He will give me the information I need when I need it. (Isaiah 49:8, Ephesians 2:10, Hebrews 4:16) And, if I obediently follow Him, He will show me where to put my feet while I wait for the rest of the pieces. (Psalm 119:105) He has a plan, a good one, and He is determined for things to work out the right way. (Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28) And He won’t be angry at me for making the best choices possible with my limited information. I will upset Him only by not obeying Him and deliberately taking a path other than the one He has told me to take.

So when people let you down, and get mad at you when you’ve done your best, just remember: You’re living for the One with a Perfect plan, a Perfect method, and Perfect timing, who is Love defined. Just listen to Him, make the best choice, love Him, and follow His directions. You’ll be ok. Actually, you’ll be better than ok. You’ll be His. J

"Mind" your own business

  This weekend I had the privilege of chaperoning a girls retreat for the 7th-12th grade girls at our church. It was a wonderful 2 days of hanging out, playing games, talking, bonding, and learning God's Word with and from them. Honestly, I took so much away from the conversations and lessons! I hope they did, too, since they were the target audience. I love how God teaches us things when we think we are teaching others. :)

The theme was God Girls - belonging to Him, heart, soul, body and mind. I got to speak, along with a dear friend, about the mind. We focused on how Satan tries to get into our minds and keep us from seeing things God's way, causing us to make decisions that do not honor God, and pull us farther from Him. One of the things we talked about were the lies he feeds us - we're not good enough, we're not smart enough, we're not pretty enough, etc, and how as girls/women we are really good at criticizing ourselves. We encouraged the girls to ignore those lies, push away negative thoughts, and focus on positives instead. But right after the talk, what did I do? Immediately began a play-by-play of the talk in my head, deciding what went wrong or didn't come out the way I wanted it to, and how it was so awful. I gave right into Satan and did what I just told the girls not to do! 

While I always want to do a good job, and do my best, I will never be able to be perfect. So why do I get upset at myself when I'm fall short of perfection? So what if the talk felt disjointed? So what if the words didn't come out perfectly. God is in control, and He can handle it. It's not about me. It's His message. And I know He was guiding at least some of my words, because I said some things I had planned not to say. (But that I realize now were important to say, because I needed to hear them as much as, if not more than the girls!) And as for the other stuff, oh well! As long as I do my best, He'll handle the rest. My goal is to just try not to get in His way. :)

The Playlist

I like organization. I like things to have a predetermined place and be arranged in an orderly fashion. One look at my color-coded closet or multi-file-foldered computer will confirm that. I know – you’re shocked. J Anyway, my need to have things sorted, ordered, and filed carries over to my music as well.  I love playlists. I have one for almost any occasion: Workout and Cleaning, Praise, Happy Fun Songs, Car Songs, Praise, Morning Wakeup, etc. I used to have one specifically for the kids I babysit to listen to in my car. No matter what mood I am in or activity I am engaged in, I have just the right mix of songs for it. Ok, hit “pause” and travel back in time with me to the 80’s and 90’s. We had our own old-school version of the playlist then. We called them Mix Tapes. Sometimes a mix tape was random, and sometimes it was categorical. Sometimes we’d make a mix tape for someone else with songs that were special to them or us, or reminded us of them.

          I am truly convinced that God has a Jennabeth playlist. He knows what songs will resound with me and plays them when I need them. It is so cool to hear a song that is just what I need right then, or sums up my feelings completely. Today, for instance, I was reading my online devo and it was talking about resting in God, and giving Him your focus. That hit home for me because I’ve been guilty of being too busy to spend enough quality time with Him lately. So as I am praying and repenting letting busyness get in the way (How “Martha” of me!), my Pandora station switches songs and here comes “Strangely Dim”, one of my new favorite songs by Francesca Battistelli. How perfect! Once again, God hits play on the playlist right in time to get my attention and remind me that He cares and He’s here. And it is awesome. I just need to slow down enough to notice.

A note to my readers

I so enjoy posting on Confessions of a Martha! I hope you enjoy reading my words as much as I enjoy writing them. I hope God blesses you richly today and every day, and I hope I bring Him the glory He deserves with my words.
As I mentioned in a post in November ("Challenge Accepted"), I am beginning a 3 1/2 year challenge today, to do everything in and for Jesus, and make a difference in His world. To chronicle my adventures, I am beginning a new blog: The Difference. I will still post in Confessions of a Martha, but I will reserve it for posts and thoughts that come from taking a minute out of the busy to focus on the important things. So, basically, Confessions of a Martha will remain as it has been, and the new blog will be for my new adventure/challenge. You can check it out at www.threeandahalfyears.blogspot.com. I hope you will continue to read both, and live this exciting adventure with me!

Black Monday

            I hate Valentine's Day. Now, don't misunderstand me - I am not anti-love. I love love and I have a ton of it in my life. What I don't like is the focus on romantic love, and the side effect it has on unattached people. I don't like the way Valentine's is promoted and commercialized because it excludes single people, and makes them feel like something is wrong with them or that they should feel bad for being single. On top of that, my birthday is about a week and a half after Valentine's, so not only is it a reminder that I am single, but also that I am getting older. Whoopee.
          In college, a friend celebrated "Single Awareness Day" but I refused to participate. I am fully aware that I am single, thank you very much. And on top of everything, it spells "SAD." No thank you. So another friend and I created our own alternative holiday - Black Monday. (That year February 14 was a Monday.) It started as a an Anti-Valentines day, but over the years it has become something more.
           Black Monday is my way to celebrate love and life, with or without a man in my life. The biggest love out there is God - I mean, seriously, He IS love, and He loves me! How much more love do you need? There are so many kinds of love, and that is what I celebrate on Black Monday.
          I refuse to feel bad or hopeless, but instead dwell on the great things I have in my life. So, Happy Black Monday, everyone! Share the love. <3

What's in a name?

Shakespeare once asked, “What’s in a name? A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet.” While that is an accurate statement, it sends an incorrect idea. Names are very important. We have to hear and speak our name daily, and we want it to make a good impression, not a bad one.  When a friend is expecting a baby, we always ask, “Have you picked a name yet?” Parents spend a lot of time deciding on just the right name, weighing all options and variables. One of my friends and her husband didn’t decide 100% on their daughter’s name until she was born, to make sure the name fit the baby. I understand that completely! Choosing a name is a big deal. You want it to fit, be unique enough, sound good with your last name, etc. Most people also consider the meaning of a name and weigh that in with the other factors.  In the Bible, meaning was very important. Many times we read “so and so had a son, and named him such and such, because ……….” Often that name meant something relative to the child, parents, or circumstances.  That child’s name then gives us insight into their life, or allows us to view their life with perspective.

I have done a lot of research on names lately, as I prepared to legally combine the first and middle names given to me at birth. I have been called by both names together most of my life, and love the unique name they create, and I was ready to make it legal. After checking with my parents to make sure it was ok with them, I began to think about middle names. I decided I did want a middle name, and I wanted a good one. I took suggestions and looked up names and meanings on the internet.  One friend suggested making a list of words or phrases that described me (that I liked), and look up names that meant those things. It was such an interesting process! If you know me at all, you can imagine my lists and charts as I considered all the possibilities. I narrowed down the options, got input from family and friends, and finally decided on one: Irene. It was my grandmother’s name, and it means “peace”.  Now I don’t know if I am super peaceful, but I strive to be. And I love the connection to my grandmother, who passed away about 18 months ago.

I went downtown last week and filled out all the paperwork, and made it official. I love my new name! It makes me smile every time I write it. I hope I can be all it inspires: a peaceful, house of God, and a reminder of His graciousness.  I wonder if God would introduce me and say, “she was called Jennabeth Irene because…”  I hope so. On a side note, I also wonder if He changed the spelling in the Book of Life, or if it was already in there. Hmm….J As long as some version of my name is in there, I’m good. J

Oops... I messed up again

I did something dumb the other day. What it was isn’t important. Just something unwise, and sure enough, it came back to haunt me.  So now I am dealing with cleaning it up, which is always fun. L The other day, when it all blew up, I got fussed at, and I apologized. And then I waited for the further backlash I was sure would come. But it didn’t. I expected to get berated for it again the next day, but I didn’t. Everything was going fine until another mistake was made. This one wasn’t a big deal at all: I left something off a form I filled out. It was caught immediately, and was easy to fix. But it was treated like a big deal. Judging by the tone of voice used on me, you would have thought I gave away state secrets or something. And ever since then, every imperfect thing I have done has been treated seriously, and I’ve been blamed for things that I never even dealt with. Today, I finally couldn’t take it, and after (another) stern reminder, I started crying. I can’t help it – it’s my default. I am stressed, I am weary, and I am imperfect. So I cried. Just a few tears, but I was seen. “It’s nothing to get upset over. Just be very careful from here on out,” I was told. But it was something to get upset over, at least for me.  For three days, I’ve been reminded every time I do something less than perfect, which is a lot. But more than that, it’s almost like people have been watching me with narrowed eyes, looking for the moments I err, so they can call me on it.  How does that help? Honestly? It doesn’t. It just makes it worse, puts me on edge, and causes me to second-guess every word out of my mouth.

                You know, I got really upset over those people’s actions this week. But the worst part: I do that to myself, too. I notice a slip, and then start staring at my life with narrowed eyes, waiting for the next mess-up, which inevitably comes. That is no way to live. We make tons of mistakes, errors, and poor choices daily. We’ll only make ourselves crazy and afraid if we constantly yell at ourselves and others. I am so glad that God doesn’t do that! He removes my transgressions, “as far as the East is from the West.” Praise the Lord!!! His grace is sufficient. Now to extend that grace to myself, and the people around me, even if they don’t extend it back.  Have a “grace-full” week!

Family (and Friends)

             So, it is the Holiday Season. You hear a lot about spending time with family and friends. That phrase: “Family and Friends” is a bit of an inside joke around our house. J The joke goes that all Friends are family, so it is a rather redundant phrase for us. Now, it is a play on words, but it also reflects our attitude towards those closest to us. There are 6 of us in the immediate family, but our true family is much larger, stretching beyond the traditional extended family of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, to include several Aunts and Uncles, brothers and sisters of no blood-relation or official adoption. To this day, I still refer to them as Aunt Bonnie, Uncle Steve, Uncle Freddy, etc. and sign texts and cards to others “Love you sis!”

                They truly are family to me. With that comes a support system, unconditional love, and a network of people who care and that I can trust. I have been blessed with a wonderful family in all aspects, and maybe that’s why we so readily welcome others into the family. When you have a good thing, you want (or should want) to share it.  Most of the credit goes to my mom, who has always “taken in strays.” But in reality, she chooses people to incorporate into our family.  But just like being born into a family, once you are in, you are a part of it.   “Uncle Freddy” jokes that he was invited to come hang out with us 20 years ago, and said “Sure, why not?” He just never expected to be “adopted” and never let go. J He has been at almost every birthday, graduation, dance recital, and Christmas for the last 20 years, and hopefully for the next 20 +.

 There is a line in Lilo and Stitch that I absolutely love: “'Ohana means family, family means nobody gets left behind. Or forgotten.” You will never be given up on. That is how my family is, whether you were born into it, adopted into it, or unofficially added.

                I hope you have a family like that this holiday season. If you don’t, you are more than welcome to join ours! J

All I Want For Christmas

                I love Christmas music. I love all the old classics, the hymns, and the “poppier” songs about the season, though they are a bit of a guilty pleasure. My favorite guilty pleasure Christmas song is All I Want for Christmas (is you). It never fails to bring an impish grin and giggle to my face. I don’t know why. I just like it. There are many, many other similar songs. In fact, we seem to be inundated with secular love songs at Christmas - all holiday-themed of course, but still they are love songs.  Most deal with a want – usually a person, whether a current love, or a future or past one.  What is it about Christmas that makes us want a man? Yesterday the lyrics of one such song struck me particularly hard: ““Tell me my true love is here. He’s all I want, just for me, underneath my Christmas tree.” It got me to thinking, especially the “my true love” and “all I want” part. While I would like a special guy sometime, it’s not all I want. And as for the true love part, I already know Him. His name is Jesus Christ, and the upcoming holiday was named after Him. He loves me more than I can imagine, and provides everything I need. I don’t need to wish for something or someone to appear under a tree.  He’s already here. He arrived over 2,000 years ago in a stable on the other side of the world.

                I guess it is appropriate that we hear love songs at Christmas, because that’s what Christmas is all about.  Love.  When you think about it, most Christmas songs are about love. Either wanting love (the secular pop songs) or having already found it (Christmas hymns). While I enjoy the pop ones for fun, I truly love the others more, because they remind me about what is important. Not having a cute guy waiting under mistletoe or a laptop wrapped under a tree, but true Love. Family, friends, and Jesus. You can’t get much better than that. J

                No matter how you celebrate this season, I hope you truly have a merry Christmas, and that you are able to bask in love the Father has for you. He sent you the best present ever! Enjoy it!

Martha Martha Martha

            I have no idea whether Martha or Mary was older. But I always have imagined Martha as the big sister, and Mary as younger. Since I am a self-confessed “Martha”, I usually see things from her perspective, and haven’t given much thought to how it all looked to Mary. Bear in mind how Martha is in my imagination. (Check out my posts Confessions of a Martha from September and the more recent Mare-eeeee! for a peek into my mental picture.) So with a (presumably) big sister like that, how would Mary think? I’m not sure, but I would imagine she’d be pretty tired of being nagged by Martha to help. I picture an image of Martha wiping her hands and hollering, and Mary turning her head and rolling her eyes, as if to say “Here we go again.” Again, I am speculating. But I get the impression that Martha is usually touted as being responsible, and therefore right. So Mary would be very “over it” by now.

                I love The Brady Bunch. It was a great show. (If you’ve never seen it, go watch it.) I love the interactions between the siblings. Sometimes they get along unrealistically well, but sometimes they act more like real brothers and sisters. Especially Jan. Admittedly, I view it from an oldest sister perspective, but I’ve always thought they wrote her very believably as a middle daughter. I love the episode where she is so over people saying how great Marcia is, and she explodes, “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!”  

                Similarly, I can see Mary being annoyed with her sister. So I would imagine she loved it when Jesus reprimanded her “perfect” big sister. I can see a smug little look as Mary thinks, “See Martha? You’re not always right. I did the better thing here.” And I’m not discounting that she did the better thing there. (Go read “Mare-eee!” if you haven’t.) But the big sister in me screams for justice, and then balance, which I don’t see in Mary. Yes, Mary, you focused on Jesus, which is always the better thing. But if you always leave Martha with the brunt of the work, she will always see you as Lazy Mary, even when you are doing the better thing. We all need balance in our life.

 Things need to get done (Martha), but we also need to take a break from the to-do list and stop and acknowledge the more important things in life (Mary). I think that was Jesus’ point. But taking a break is only effective if the to-do list exists and is followed. So to all the Marys out there: We Marthas are glad you have your priorities straight. But please help with the other stuff, too, so we can more easily notice the difference between the important things and just not helping.

                Ok, I am done. Rant over. Whether you are a Mary or a Martha, I hope you find peace and balance in the craziness of the Holiday season. And of course, don’t forget to focus on the important things while that never-ending to-do list gets checked off!

 Merry Christmas!