Discretionary burdens

It has been a couple of days since I posted last. I haven't really had much to talk about. Life has been mostly quiet for us, but praying for lots of people in our lives that have been affected by lay-offs or sickness. I am just so thankful that we are able to provide a helping hand where we can.

One of the blogs that I read is an organizing blog. This blog is written by a professional organizer and she offers her services through her website called Clutter Diet. It is in my cool stuff list over on the right if you want to check it out.

Anyway...I totally digress. (this is a big problem for me, btw) Her last post was called discretionary burdens. I was totally intrigued. She quoted yet another blog from someone who had written a story about discretionary burdens. She talks about how she loves to carve pumpkins on Halloween, but on the particular day that she had planned to do it this year she had had a very full day and was looking at this activity as just one more chore. Here is a quote:

"There are all kinds of tasks and experiences that will take a certain amount of time no matter what our frame of mind: traveling to a business engagement, attending a community meeting, visiting an elderly relative, even carving a pumpkin.

But the nature of our experience depends on whether we approach it from an overburdened sense of duty and obligation or with a lighthearted sense of joy and service."

So today on the way to work I started listing the things I looked at as discretionary burdens:
taking the kids to school
picking up the kids from school
monthly bunco game
cooking dinner
making christmas gifts for people i love
reading trade magazines for work
posting to my blog (yes sometimes this feels like a burden)
playing games with the kids after a long day at work
my writing time everyday
my quiet time with the Lord

WOW! My challenge for myself this week is to start looking at things as a blessing instead of a burden. I get to do all of these things.

If you want to read the full article you can go to:
From the e-zine, 'PAUSE '. Copyright 2008 Patricia Katz, Optimus Consulting. (877) 728-5289 or www.pauseworks.com.

Do you have any discretionary burdens?