Is being busy bad?
It certainly gets a bum rap in our culture.
There have been times when busyness wrecked me. I felt like it was bigger than me, like it was a bully.
My friend, Glynnis Whitwer, was on the bad end of busy and decided there had to be a better way. She shares how she did that in today’s conversation.
I believe this has the potential to help a lot of women. It helped me!
Grab your coffee. Grab a friend. Join in the conversation as Glynnis and I dig deep into this topic.
[bctt tweet=”Being busy isn’t the problem. Being busy in an unhealthy way is. #livingfreetogether #doingbusybetter @glynniswhitwer” username=”suzanneeller”]
Glynnis and I will be read your comments, and listening to your questions and stories about doing busy better — or the struggles you are trying to work through. We’d love to talk with you, and pray with you in your busy season.
Glynnis is offering a copy of her beautifully-written, oh-so-helpful book that just hit the #1 new release in time management on Amazon to one of you. Just leave a comment or question below. We’ll pick one lucky winner on Friday!
Suzie
Meet Glynnis Whitwer
Glynnis and her husband, Tod, live in Arizona and have five young-adult children. Connect with Glynnis at www.GlynnisWhitwer.com where she encourages women to live with margin and room to breathe while still getting things done.
About Doing Busy Better
In Doing Busy Better, Glynnis helps you examine your heart and your schedule in order to seek a healthy, holy, and enjoyable balance between work and rest. Most importantly, she shows you that your worth is found not in your accomplishments but in the love of the One who made you for work and for rest.
You can also download a sample chapter of Doing Busy Better, and if you purchase a copy, be sure to redeem your receipt to receive a FREE companion Study Guide. Get the details here.
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Oh Glynnis, you simply have no idea. Let me say first, I’m not up at midnight because of “busy.” lol I’m enjoying a movie night w/ my husband on his first day off for this week. 🙂 But I need to tell you, this message has been “pressed down, shaken together” and is “running over” my heart! For about a year now, God has been helping me discover that busy is okay. But He’s teaching me that I need to learn how to do it in a way that honors Him and brings the blessings into my life which He intends. A SPECIFIC message He’s been pressing on me is to honor the Sabbath! I’m busier than I’ve ever been right now. But you have to know, I have a long history of being afraid of busy – or believing I was able to handle much of anything, and quitting. It’s kept me from stepping out in faith, accomplishing dreams, and trusting God’s calling SO MANY TIMES. So stepping out in faith and trusting God with this season of busy has been huge! And it’s teaching me discipline, discernment, trust, and believing in His ability to use me in ways I never imagined. So I just want to THANK YOU for writing this book. It’s so needed, for so many of us! And lastly, I just wanted to share this verse that I think speaks so well to God’s stance on being busy. It’s from John 21:25 — “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” Wow! Jesus knew how to be busy – so much so that the whole world wouldn’t have room for the books about it! He also knew how to ALWAYS step away to rest and be alone with the Father. Amen! If busy wasn’t sinful or shameful for Jesus, it certainly isn’t for us. We simply need to do it God’s way. I’m so excited for this book. And how exciting that it comes with a study guide! Thank you for offering that to us. And thank you for taking the time to speak w/ us. Thank you, too, Suzie!
Rebecca, I absolutely love your big heart and your words of encouragement. Thank you for sharing John 21:25. I have never read that verse. I see a new energy in you, friend. Fly sweet girl. Fly. ❤️
Love you, friend. Thank you! Amazing verse!!
Glynnis~I cracked up in my bed listening to you talk about busy and being busy is not being a busy body. Haha. Even in good intentions I can get caught up in this role.
My take away is: soul rest=peace. When your soul is rested then God can move you forward. When your soul is rested you see your work through God’s lens of life. When your soul is rested you know God’s got it. Fear pauses me at times to step forward in the better busy life moments. Trusting God in all life paths is so key.
Thank you Suzie and Glynnis for your faithfulness and for taking the time to teach and help shift our thinking of what healthy busy looks like.
Your book sounds great! What if you have a hard time finding time to read?(Kind of joking) I work full time and have a side job in a direct selling com
⬆️ Continuing from above. Apparently I’m not really awake yet 😂
I work FT and do direct sales on the side. I feel like I try really hard to do great at both and be a good mom, wife, sister, daughter and fur baby mom. I would love to learn way to do this life better and smoother. I have a love for reading, any suggestions on where to squeeze that in? Do other ladies feel like they don’t have enough time in the day or is it just me?
Thanks for listening 😊
Thank you and bless you for sharing your knowledge💜
Darnell~I have a hard time sitting and reading. My focus tends to lean to other things. My heart desires to read but my thoughts run rapid at times. Honestly, I have the time but allow other “priorities” to step in front of my reading time. I am not sure if this helps you but wanted you to know I get it.
Darnelle…sorry I left the “e” out at the end of your name. 😬
Glynnis, I loved your previous book, so I”m sure this new offering will bring the same practical wisdom with it!
Blessings to you!
You two make a great team! Glynnis, I love the book! I’ll always be busy – BUT I’m learning to do it BETTER!
I love Glynnis. She’s kind and helpful. I love that she uses her platform to help us do what God has called us to do, but in the best ways possible.
A lot of people seem to want to be busy. I used to think that being very busy made you successful. Certain activities can be very rewarding, helpful, and can give lots of satisfaction. Sometimes it can be too easy to use it as an excuse for not doing something that you really to do not want to do. Thanks for writing a book that teaches us a healthier way to be busy.The Lord desires that we use our time wisely and have time for Him.
Hi Elsie, you won the giveaway of Glynnis’ book, Doing Busy Better. Please send your U.S. mailing address to us at doingbusybetter@gmail.com and we will get it in the mail to you.
Thanks and enjoy!
Kim Stewart
Ministry Assistant to Glynnis Whitwer
I love this book! I’m on Chapter 10 and so many times I’ve looked around wondering where Glynnis hid the camera in my house because it feels like she’s writing directly to me. I’ve often thought if I could do this, if I take on this, let me just add this to the list that people would like me, I’d make more friends and be accepted. There’s also been times where I’ve thought I needed to be busy to get God’s attention. This book is helping me to learn that we need rest and we need to learn how to be busy the right way. Thank you!
I keep hearing about this book and it sounds excellent! Thanks for offering the giveaway of it!
It sounds like I could really use a copy of your new book, Doing Busy Better. I stumbled on your interview with Kathi Lipp yesterday and today this appeared on Face Book. I have read Taming the To-Do-List which has been helpful, but I always need reinforcement. It’s so easy to fall back into old, unprofitable habits.
It seems Glynnis and I are cut from a similar mold. I love to work and find it extremely difficult to sit still and rest! I’ve been struggling for years with finding a healthy work/rest lifestyle, to the point where I’ve become paralyzed to do productive, deep work in my writing ministry, but still find little rest. Guilt is a constant companion and a sense of God having so much more for me.
Sabbath rest will be a start, but, oh, how I feel the tension already! And what does that look like? No digital at all? Is housecleaning a no-no? What about gardening or berry picking? Exercise? Household finances? When you love doing, should the Sabbath be only sitting and reading? I know it’s a heart thing but practically….?
This is one book it seems I must get my hands on! Thanks for writing it, Glynnis, and for this opportunity, Suzie.
Julie — Honoring the Sabbath is first on my list, as well. I heard a great sermon on this a few weeks back, and it was a breath of fresh air. Remember that the Jewish leaders made the Sabbath about rules — rules so strict they became chains, and they kept people from honoring God because they were too busy honoring the rules. Jesus showed that we can honor the Sabbath and still do work that is necessary and good. I think it is just a matter of saying no to those things that keep you busy during the other 6 days of the week. So maybe having a meal already prepared so you don’t have to cook. Having the house cleaned so you don’t have to be doing that. Saying no to digital things that can occupy our minds and time, like emails and being on the internet. And so on. Pray about it. God will show you what a day of rest should look like for you. I’m excited for this book, too! Have a blessed day!
I think that our tendency is to make it complicated. What if you rested in the fact that God wants rest for you? <3 Let it unfold naturally.
Hi Glynnis and Suzie. You don’t know how much I need this message. I’ve had the busiest summer in memory, jumping into a new role as a full-time freelancer. I’m also busy preparing entries for an illustrator’s contest at my local writing conference on July 15, and then my one-sheet and book proposal for She Speaks the next weekend. Also, I’m home with my three children ages 9, 11, and 13. I’m finding myself overworking, like you mentioned in the video, and the work never stops as a work-from-home mom. I need a time of rest to balance all this busyness. Looking forward to this Sunday, when I will set it all aside and dwell in God’s presence. P.S. Congrats on hitting #1 on Amazon!
My Sabbath is Monday. I don’t always get to take it, but I try very hard to make that day a sacred day. I love that Glynnis said that it’s not about what we do, but God’s provision. I wanted to shout at that when I heard it. I’ve listened three times, pausing there each time to let the truth soak in.
I struggle with “busy-ness”, even at home. I can’t seem to rest if I see something that needs to be finished or needs to be tackled. I’m looking forward to your book, Glynnis!
It’s so good, Stephanie!
Hi Suzie and Glynnis – I loved listening to you two beautiful ladies on the video. Oh my I need this book. I love it already! I honestly love being busy and productive, but I need to learn how to do it better and not feel guilty about it. I am hard wired for it.
Years ago I decided to honor the Sabbath in a new way. I was already good at taking the day off, but then our pastor shared about putting the electronics away. So I try hard to take an electronic break that day too. Okay, so if I am honest, I will have to admit I do take my iPod to church with me to use for my Bible and taking note. But then I try to put it away until 5 pm. So I try to start my Sabbath on Saturday night, and it’s over on Sunday at 5 pm when I put it into high gear and start the wash.
I can’t say I am 100% taking a rest, but I try, and I can say it makes a huge difference in my week.
Thank you for sharing about your book. I can’t wait to read it.
Maree
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