Photos by: The Bearded Bousman Photo Co.

Hey guys! I hope you had a fun weekend and a good start to your week yesterday. It's shaping up to be a busy week for me, but I don't mind because I would rather be busy than bored!

Jordan and I had so much fun doing this photo shoot last Sunday. We met up before church and took these shots in the theater district of Denver. We had the whole day to be together. So I got to do an outfit change after church and we took so many more photos! It was a blast and I think we've really hit our stride!

Do you feel like you're hitting your stride some weeks, while other weeks just don't work no matter what you do?

Yeah, me too. Today I want to talk about how I identify when I'm not balancing my life very well, how I get back on track with my time, and the key I've found that helps me avoid those crazy weeks altogether.

A Sure Sign that I'm Losing Balance

There is one major effect when I'm not doing a good job at keeping my life balanced: My Relationships Go Down Hill.

This is the biggest RED FLAG that I have not been balancing my priorities. Jealousy, Resentment, and Anger start bubbling up. They come out against the people I'm closest to. I feel terrible and incapable of resetting my priorities once those feelings start.

List My Priorities

The first step to getting back on track is to list out your priorities. I'll list 5 of mine: one for each week day.

1. God - Resting and Filling Up

2. Me - Creating and Exercising

3. Family - Investing Time and Showing I Care

4. Friends - Investing Time, Showing I Care, and Having Fun

5. Work - Adding Value

Work Through My List

This is tough! Even as I write I'm feeling a little off-balance and I'm wondering where to begin cleaning up my time this week. Balancing doesn't happen naturally. After evaluating weeks that have flowed well, I have realized that I still had a part in orchestrating that flow.

1. I dedicated time to God in the morning and stuck to it.

BSF has provided a lot of structure to my mornings and I know I'm booked with God each morning until the school year ends! That's really nice and means I don't have to plan that time for many months.

IN THE MOMENT: If you've already missed a structured time with God, that's OK. Ask Him for help in the moment you need it, and He is there. Praise Him, and your heart will turn.

2. I had some creative projects in mind, or a podcast I really wanted to listen to.

I tackle a project or hop on the treadmill to listen to my favorite podcast when I get home from work.

3. I reached out to my friends and family or they reached out to me and we planned our time together for the week ahead.

Just this past week, my mom and I scheduled every Thursday evening from here on out to talk on the phone for a little bit. I'm really looking forward to time spent with her every week.

4. I had a game-plan for what my work time that week would be used for.

I do my best to minimize reacting to others' needs (maybe respond to emails for 15-30 minutes in the morning, check again at noon, and the hour right before the end of the day) and focus instead on tasks that I need to get done.

The Wrap Up

Have you asked God for help in your specific area of need? Have you planned time for well-being this week? Have you reached out to your friends and family to schedule meet-ups or phone calls for this week? Do you have a game plan for work this week?

If you feel like your week is already "up in the air," stop right now! Write out what the rest of your week holds. You'll find that there may be less on your plate than you think, and that you have time to accomplish a lot. You've just got to use your time wisely this week and in the weeks hereafter! I'm actually going to go plan out my time right now... It's just one of those weeks!

What are your priorities and how do you detect when your life is getting out of balance? I'd love to hear in the comments below!!

John 4: 13 - 15 "Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this (regular) water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”

We may have to re-prioritize our weeks often to make sure we are not losing balance in one area, but Jesus give us eternal life and says that it is Living Water than causes us never to be thirsty again. Come to Him daily to be reminded of the peace and life giving water of salvation.

Thanks for stopping by!