Part one of a three-part series by Patricia Tiffany Morris.

My shiny new bullet journal was missing. I searched everywhere. Under my sprawling stacks of papers. In the tax file box. And between each piece of research, every photograph, and dozens of character sketches. I couldn’t find my journal anywhere.

My heart raced. I combed the house and both vehicles. Paralyzing thoughts of unmet deadlines and missed appointments invaded my dreams. Although I had duplicated most tasks in my digital calendar, the smaller, more specific details resided in the pages of an artsy, bullet-style daily planner gone missing.

Had I elevated my bullet journal above my relationship with Christ?

This is the candid confession of an organizer motivated by the pursuit of the perfect planner.

I’m grateful God sees me and convicts me. He squashes my pride and replaces it with sufficient humility as I submit to Him, rely on His plans, and listen to His direction for my days. He knows me completely, and I love Him for encouraging me to change.

Perhaps my obsession—the obsessive-compulsive nature of control—gives the impression I don’t trust God. I hope and pray it’s the opposite. I don’t always plan with the purpose of glorifying God, but I’m learning.

If I don’t organize and manage deadlines, anxiety ensues, sometimes creeping into my life, and other times blasting into the heart of my existence. I can be crushed in the hustle and urgency. God is never glorified even if I complete every task or check each box in my bullet journal, unless I work in His presence. 

Years ago, I purchased a book on organizing. Checklist for Life by Thomas Nelson, 2002, rests on my bookshelf. The back cover reads: “Life’s so much easier when you’re prepared!” The small square box with a blue checkmark graces the top line of the text.

Within the pages, a little-known quote by Isaac Bashevis Singer states: “Life is God’s novel. Let Him write it.” I’ve never forgotten that sentiment, even though I’m tempted to create my own chapter or two unless I’m yielded to the Savior’s control of my life. Oh, wretched self. Oh, glorious Lord. 

Guess where I found my bullet journal?

I found it on my writing desk under a random assortment of to-do lists and project notes. I sensed God needed to teach me, again, to rely on His plans. To not make an idol out of this organizer. I might not have learned this lesson unless He hid my journal in plain sight.

My husband and I are entering the empty nest stage of life with extra aches and pains. I’m not able to finish tasks as quickly. I sense the slowing down of life. But, slowing down affords the added benefit of thinking before leaping. Intentional thinking before doing. Smart of our God, isn’t it? Helping us slow down so we can see His heart more clearly.

There’s so much to do and so little time. But today, I’m grateful. God gave me yet another opportunity to glorify and thank Him for helping me find my journal.

It matters not whether I check items off my bullet list of gratitude, write in my prayer journal, or scribble on sticky notes. I’m thankful to Him for His marvelous kindness, orderliness, and incredible creativity. For helping me slow down, find purpose in each activity, and intentionally choose to do all for His glory. 

*Part one of a three-part series by Patricia Tiffany Morris

An artsy Christian creative with a geeky-tech affinity, poet with three names, aspiring writer of fiction and picture books, and artist of alcohol-ink paintings, acrylics, mixed-media and digital art, she starts too many projects. Patricia graduated with two degrees in architecture in the 80's continuing personal journaling and creative ventures. She adores hashtags and Pinterest but finds Twitter quirky. A member of Word Weavers International, OCW, ACFW, WFWA, SCBWI, and loads of FB groups, Patricia Tiffany gravitates toward inspirational messages of hope in her art and life.

https://www.patriciatiffanymorris.com

https://www.facebook.com/PatTiffanyInks 

https://twitter.com/PatTiffanyInks 

https://www.instagram.com/PatriciaTiffanyMorrisWriter/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricia-tiffany-morris

Will we see you at the conference in October?

It’s hard to believe, but in less than four months, we will be

meeting in sunny Florida for the annual

Florida Christan Writer Conference!

Registration is open and the Earlybird deadline

for discounts and extras is coming fast. 

Fast, as in next week – July 1, 2020.

Payment must be made in full by July 1^st to take advantage of:

***$100 off registration, conference download,

20% bookstore coupon and the VIP Breakfast Fri-Sun***

We hope you’ll join us for some worship, learning, meeting other writers and fun!

Click the link below to register NOW!

https://kidslit.webconnex.com/fcwc2020 

When a tornado comes, we seek the MOST INTERIOR part of the house. Covid 19 is like a tornado screeching around the world. We are instructed to stay home, but what about your spirit and your soul. Our soul is our mind, will and emotions. The news of this virus howls with fear and threats against our health, our finances, our futures, our daily lives. Seek the MOST INTERIOR place in your being . . . your spirit where you hear God’s voice and instruction. Many have already read Isaiah 26:20: ‘Come, my people, enter your chambers and shut your doors behind you; hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the fury passes.’ In Ecclesiastes 3 we are told ‘To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven – a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing.’ We are in that time. But where is your heart? Are you full of fear or have you learned to cast all your cares on Him knowing He cares for you? 

When there’s a lightning storm, it’s important to be grounded. We are in that type of a storm when the crack of fear and new statistics light up the sky around us, followed by the roll of the thunderous forboding grief and sad news. GROUND yourself in your spirit – where is that? It’s in worship and it’s in the Word of God, the Bible. There is an abundance of worship music available online – spend some time there. Not just making a joyful noise unto the Lord (which is good), but entering into His presence, the place where he gives us the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness (Isaiah 61). In a recent loss, I found myself in aching grief – I didn’t realize how deep until I attended a worship service filled with His presence. I felt the spirit of heaviness lift off me. I never fully realized how much grief is a spirit of heaviness and the antidote is the presence of God in worship. GROUND yourself there. Many are experiencing this sadness, grief, heaviness at the isolation, the sickness that has stricken so many, the loss of jobs and finances, the loss of connection with others. We need the presence of God.

When the Israelites prepared to leave Egypt, they were instructed to anoint, rub in, the blood of the sacrificial lambs on their door posts, and to stay inside while the spirit of death passed over, hence it was called Passover. Can we do that today. We talk about pleading the blood of Jesus. We believe that His shed blood was what delivered us from spiritual death. He shed His blood in our place so we didn’t have to die for our sins, but we could be forgiven and live. Today we anoint our hearts with His blood by trusting in His salvation and we can anoint our doors with oil which represents the anointing. We plead the blood by speaking His truth and our faith in His protection over our situation.

May you know His presence, freedom from fear, protection from the virus. Find in this piece what resonates with you and follow it.

Judy DuCharme is an award-winning author who lives in Door County, Wisconsin. She’s an avid Green Bay Packer fan, hence, the Cheesehead Devotionals which take you to the game, introduce you to players and then present an inspirational connection to challenge and encourage you. Judy loves to hike, and her novel, Society of the L.A.M.B., is set in the woods of Door County at some time in the future. Winters in Florida sowed the seed for her historical Cracker Cowboy novella. And current political situations connected with Israel and their past laid the foundation for her most recent suspenseful novel Blood Moon Redemption. Judy has also written several pieces for Guideposts magazines and books after winning one of their contests. Lainey of the Door Islands, Judy’s newest novel, is scheduled to be released in late August, and tells the story of a young girl growing up in the lighthouses around Door County. She and her husband have two children and the cutest grandson in the world. Judy also enjoys jet-skiing and hiking.