Sitting in my prayer chair one morning this week and the Holy Spirit downloaded this article (it's a little long but worth it I think) on stewardship to me.  Thankfully I have a recording facility on my GoogleKeep app which types to my voice.  I know it's for the next message I get to preach on a Sunday, but perhaps it's helpful to my readers here.  Stewardship has long been one of my 'passion' subjects too. 

Stewardship curates for the future, it multiplies and endeavours to create a legacy.  It provides for the future. It demands accountability from us for all that we have. It asks what is the wisest use of what I have available to me right now?. It asks how to use what we have now, including God's added provision, to build or provide for the future?. Stewardship is not about selfish personal use but considers the impact on others around us has in the way we use and curate what we have. Stewardship preserves purpose and carries a higher purpose than self. It is not wasteful and endeavours to make the very best of what you have regardless of how much or how little you have. ​

Somewhere on the airwaves the other day I heard someone say 'I've learnt to endure myself'
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I thought that was an odd thing to say but it really got me thinking. It got me thinking about how tough the last 7 years has been for my family and I as we have had various changes and difficulties to plow through. These included selling our business, going through burn out, buying/selling our house, seeing the first born leave home and other challenging issues.

'I Feel So Guilty and Stressed all the Time'

One of my first coaching clients came to me and said 'I really want to take on this new role I've been offered but I'm so busy already and I don't have enough time for my kids or my husband.  I feel so guilty and stressed all the time".

Together we worked on all the usual methods of good time management but it really wasn't working for her.  She said the inside of her head looked like a piece of paper with random words (all the things she should be doing, and needed to do, and wanted to do) written all over it but with guilt attached. That amazing woman went on to complete a Degree in Social Work, now works full time, is involved in an after school community programme and gets to spend time with family with a lot less guilt.
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When we really dug down deep, we realised her biggest issue was not how many hours she had in the day (although none of us ever have enough), but the value attached to all of the 'must do's, have to's and should do's in her life. Somehow we had to find a strategy that was going to work for her and enable her to fulfil her dreams and still be a great mum and wife.

Hubby and I have been working together now since 2009. In that time we have had some massive adjustments to make in our relationship to keep it in a healthy space. We had some doozy arguments over those years, and it took effort on both our parts to make it work.
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While these were challenges we had in our business life together, they did create a positive flow-on effect into our home life and marriage. Out of those years, and our current time working together we have tried to put all the points below into practice. We're still not perfect of course.  We still interrupt each other, have misunderstandings and get frustrated. The important thing is that we consistently try to do our best and always try to honor and respect each other.