DuAnneSeeley.com

Today I got my first check from a bookstore for the Living On Purpose day planner and organizer.  I was excited and even did a little impromptu dance for Todd when I came in with the mail.  Most have sold off my website but there is something about making a book feel validated when it is purchased from a bookstore.  Why is that?  I actually make a lower profit after the bookstore takes their profit for selling it for me.  But it feels more fun.  By the way, I wanted to let you know that any profit from our books go into the CrossBridge account to support the Church plant.  Don’t you love it when your purchase helps others and not just yourself? 

Everyone agrees that America is facing the greatest financial crisis since the Depression.  No matter what your financial status, the outcome will affect you in a major way.  These changes are going to rock your world one way or another.  This hit to the economy has the potential of stealing your security.  Think about this…”If your security is based on anything that can be taken away from you, you will constantly be on a false edge of security.”   I wish I could go on the news and tell everyone that if your values are properly established on biblical truth, if you are convinced of your security in God, you do not have to fear the outcome.  God is in control. 

Yesterday one of my boys had to stay home from school due to asthma related illness.  When the other son heard that his brother got to stay home from school he immediately said “I think I’m sick too.”  This son does not have asthma so I doubted.  He also loves to stay home from school and the asthma son loves school.  Do you follow me?  Todd and I had a busy day planned in addition to having 17 pastors come to our home for a day of prayer for Staten Island.  It was not possible to cancel the prayer day but with two boys home I could not imagine it.  Today I regret that I doubted my son was really ill.  Todd took him to school which is a 30 minute drive one way.  Right as he got home the school called.  My son was vomiting.  So his father drove back to the school to pick him up. Two hours spent now because I doubted my son was telling the truth.  Ouch!  Talk about a momma feeling low. I was quite low as we began our prayer time.

I adore my children.  My family is the greatest gift the Lord has given me.  I love being mother to my sons.  My heart ached for my boy each time he vomited 8 times yesterday.  I was up at 2AM with him this morning and so grateful that I have the privilege of taking care of him.

As I crawled back into bed at 3AM I made a mental note to be careful to give folks the benefit of the doubt, especially those you love.  The key is to look for patterns vs. a one time thing.  Ask has this happened before?  How many times has it happened?  And then pray for wisdom before making your decision.  Have any of you ever eaten this type of humble pie?

Since moving to NYC I have a deeper understanding on waiting.  I don’t think I have ever “waited” like I do here.  With over 8 million people you can imagine how crowded it is.  Daily I wait somewhere such as:  traffic, the bank, market, post office, school, a parking space, cleaners, doctor office, Staples, Starbucks, just to name a few. 

Sometimes when I’m waiting on God’s direction I feel impatient.  I might remind him several times about what time it is and often feel that he is late.  Of course deep down we know God is never late and that his timing is perfect. 

Have you ever waited on any of the following? 

• The right job
• Getting married
• Becoming pregnant
• Waiting on a child in rebellion
• Getting out of debt
• A relationship to be healed
• A ministry opportunity
• Physical healing

Proverbs 13:12 says “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”  If you have experienced the fulfillment of a longing, feel free to share your thoughts with us.

The fall schedule is in full swing and already I need to practice what I preach about reclaiming your schedule and living out your priorities.  How about you?  Are you on the busy treadmill going faster to nowhere?  Today I wanted to share some simple ways to stop the busyness that interferes with the your priorities.

1.  Pray about every request.  I don’t mean you have to pray for a month about helping out in kid’s church one or two weeks, singing a solo at church or attending a baby shower. I just don’t think life is that complicated.  What I am talking about here are the long term requests to do something or something that will take a lot of time.  When I speak at a conference it may only be a one hour keynote address or a seminar but I have to think about prep time (I may spend 20-30 hours or more  on one message) and travel time.  Also, what will I have to say no to if I say yes to that request?

2.  Use a calendar and set boundaries on  your time.  To keep your priorities you must guard the time you set aside for them.  We have weekly family time and I write it on my calender.  The same with QT, time with Todd and other things that I have determined are priorities.  If I don’t write stuff in when I get a request I may look more available than I really am.

3.  Watch out for those little things.  Lot’s of little things add up to many things.  It’s hard to say no to “little” requests but 10-20 of them in month add up to a lot.

4.  Give yourself permission to complete tasks imperfectly.  I am a perfectionist by nature and the negative to this is taking too long on too many tasks.  I don’t have time every night to cook a gourmet dinner.  What I have learned is that having the time as a family (dinner together is a high priority) is important.  The first week of September was an unusual week for us and we did take out two nights…pizza one night and Chinese another.  It was a decision we made to take some pressure off and this enabled me to have more family time.

5.  Delegate.  To live priorities one must learn to delegate.  I find in ministry that most people want to be involved and serve.  If a leader has a problem with delegation they often have problem with being a control freak.  Delegate it and the blessing of that is that a team will develop.

Too often people live by the tyranny of the urgent of someone else.  Without clearly defined priorities it will be difficult to beat busyness.  What have you learned that has helped you to take control of your schedule?

Most of America has been closely following Hurricane Ike in the past 48 hours.  Unbelievably it was reported to be almost the size of Texas…600 miles wide!  Ever found yourself caught in the storm of lif?.  Jesus was the Son of God and never sinned, but he was caught in a storm.  Demanding crowds, doubting friends and a roaring sequence of bad news.  Within a 24 hour period he faced some of the same pressure and fears that you and I face.  Waves of pressure, winds of anxiety and clouds of darkness.  Yet he remained calm and at peace.  How did he do this?  Is it possible for us to do this?  Here are 3 principles Jesus modeled:

1.  He knew when to withdraw and did so. 

2.  He focused on the big picture.

3.  He chose to trust and surrender to the Father’s will.

Someone wrote that God is heard best in a storm.  Do you agree?  Why or why not?

Today is a special day around America and more so in NYC.  In addition to the ceremonies at Ground Zero, most schools here will have an assembly or something special to remember the day the world changed.  Both Senator McCain and Obama will visit the sites and pay their respects to those who were slain by Islamic terrorists.  2,985 victims were slain and their names will be read one hour from now.  At sun down two light beams will be on at the site of the twin towers 7 years ago.  It is a day of remembering. 

At least 2,985 people died in the September 11th attacks, including:

• 19 terrorists
• 2,966 victims

All but 13 people died on that day. The remaining 13 later died of their wounds. One person has died since the attacks, of lung cancer. It is suspected to have been caused by all the debris from the Twin Towers.

There were 266 people on the four planes:

• American Airlines Flight 11 (crashed into the WTC): 92 (including five terrorists)
• United Airlines Flight 175 (crashed into the WTC): 65 (including five terrorists)
• American Airlines Flight 77 (crashed into the Pentagon: 64 (including five terrorists)
• United Flight 93 (downed in Shanksville, PA): 45 (including four terrorists)

There were 2,595 people in the World Trade Center and near it, including:

• 343 NYFD firefighters and paramedics
• 23 NYPD police officers
• 37 Port Authority police officers
• 1,402 people in Tower 1
• 614 people in Tower 2
• 658 people at one company, Cantor Fitzgerald
• 1,762 New York residents
• 674 New Jersey residents
• 1 NYFD firefighter killed by a man jumping off the top floors of the twin towers

There were 125 civilians and military personnel at the Pentagon.

1,609 people lost a spouse or partner on 9/11. More than 3,051 children lost parents.

While there were mostly Americans killed in this horrific attack one must mention (how ever small the group) that non survivors were from other countries

Where were you when you on 9/11?  I was on a K5 field trip to Papa Johns Pizza with Matthew.  Where were you on 9/11 and how were you changed after this event?

If you are alive in the world today you are aware of the effect that Gov. Sarah Palin has had in the political race for president.  This is one woman who has totally shaken things up in a big way to say the least.  From what I hear she has had the same impact in her home state of Alaska.  As I was thinking about her impact I also wondered how are we shaking up our community, schools, workplace and even churches.  Are we?  If no, why not?  One does not have to be on a national ticket to influence.  How are people around you impacting your world?  What are you doing?

Today on the way home from school the boys and I had to take an alternate route due to an fatal accident on the freeway.  We live in NYC on Staten Island and they attend school in NJ.  Driving the back way home to Staten Island is a trip through several small towns of which I never visit.  About half way through the half hour drive home I had a flat.  I pulled over and called our insurance auto service.  They immediately asked what city I was in.  I told the operator I had no idea! I knew I was in NJ on the way to Staten Island on Amboy Road but the city was unknown to me.  The boys and I were so busy talking that I was not paying that much attention. 

We had to figure out where I was before I could get the tire repaired and get going in the right direction.  Has that ever happened to you in life?  You’re so busy with things at hand that you are not paying too much attention to where you are. Before you know it weeks, months and even years pass by. Today was a reminder how important it is to evaluate where we are on a regular basis.  That’s why I love my Living on Purpose Planner, I am reminded to evaluate where I am in regard to the vision and goals that God has put on my heart. Do I need to edit?  Change the strategy?  This can be done with any type of planner.  What ever you use it is important to know where you are. 

No matter what party or candidate you support, 2008 promises to be one of the most fascinating elections we have ever seen.  Was up until almost 1AM last night listening to the speech given from Gov. Sarah Palin and then the reviews.  Wow.  What did you think?