“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”  1 Corinthians 10:13 “

I was reminded yesterday just exactly how full my plate is.  We don’t often realize just how much energy we’re spending on times of worry, anxious moments, care and concern for others, personal demands on our ourselves, and just the daily motions of living.  Wouldn’t it be nice if all that stuff burned a million calories a day?

I’m at a point in my life where friends are struggling through the process of aging.  My age group is concerned about health issues, which pill to take, what to do with their “free” time, how to make their social security checks stretch to the end of the month.  When we gather, we ask, “how are you,” which is a huge mistake, because there will be a litany of aches and pains, loss, anxiety, fears, depression and whether someone had a bowel movement that day.  Growing old is definitely not for sissies.

I write a blog every day with more than one post per day, which requires my mind to think and work hard.  That’s a good thing, because It keeps me awake anyway.  I also spend time reading other’s blogs and sympathizing with their writers.  I wonder how pastors and psychiatrists manage to make it through a day without falling apart.

When I was a young mother, my thoughts were for my children and making a good environment for them along with my husband.  Each day I expected way more of myself than I should’ve.  I became downtrodden, because when we set unattainable goals for ourselves, we’re definitely setting ourselves up for failure.

Later on, my concerns turned toward my students.  I took each one of under my wing and tried to assure them they had talent, purpose and were much more than they thought they were.  My concern for friends and family didn’t wane either.  Even when your children leave the nest, there’s no escaping motherhood.

Now I’m in a place where I still have doubts about my future – a future that’s already here.  I’m in it!  Through all this, I’ve been blessed with an amazing husband, who isn’t afraid to tell me to slow down and smell the roses.  I ‘ve become so regimented, it’s a hard thing for me.  I feel like the little engine that could, as I’ve traveled at high speed throughout life, trying to climb mountains and stop to help others along the way.

My plate is full.  I’ve got to cut down or I’ll explode.  That means, I must put some of that worry energy into positive thoughts and good use.  I will continue to write, because it is my passion, but I plan to slow down for a bit so I can recharge that little engine.  When I reach the top of the mountain, I’ll be able to coast … right into eternity.