Boundaries

I am a stay-at-home mom of four kids. With that title I wear a lot of hats and do a lot of different things. Let’s add the titles of student, small business owner, teacher. May is the busiest month of the year (I used to think it was December, then I had kids in school). The kids are finishing up the school year with concerts, awards ceremonies, basketball games (yes, basketball in May, weird) and graduation. My family is my top priority and there must be some give and take among the different responsibilities. I only get my daughter for a few more short months before she goes off to college and the next phase of her life.

My study for the week has revolved around developing boundaries for each part of life. One example given was a man that built his business around his kid’s schedule. There was family dinner, bedtime stories and one on one time. He worked on his business while they were at school and after bedtime. They never felt like business came before them. This is what I am striving for.

Something that I love about attending Brigham Young University Idaho is the way that the instructors incorporate a spiritual side of whatever topic you are studying. This week, we were reminded to not forget the Lord in our day-to-day activities. If we decline serving others because all our time is going toward building a business, the Lord knows where our heart is.

Since I went back to school, setting boundaries has been a hard thing for me. I have been squeezing schoolwork in wherever it fits in the schedule. I have been guilty of “not having time to serve.” Funny thing is though, the Lord makes up the difference when I serve anyway.

Boundaries are important!