The Busier, the Happier??????

Everywhere we look- billboards, internet, magazines, ipods, stores, etc.- we get the useful information about how we can be richer, be happier, look better, attract a better partner and even reach self-actualization. All too often, I find it is so easy to focus on me. The busier I am, the more I focus on me. What do I want, need, deserve?? Hey- I take care of my famliy. How about a little "Matt-time"?

If only it was as easy as buying the right clothes, getting the right car, the best marketing plan for my business and reading the right self-help book by a mega-millionaire (fyi- it's amazing how much you can learn about life and happiness from reading a book written by God, in his best-selling book: The Bible).

We travel between working at our job, t-ball, dance, karate, pta meetings, church committee meetings, church services, work some nights, birthday parties and on and on. Then, there is mowing the yard, cleaning the house, eating, cleaning up. My wife stays at home with our 3 kids-she should be writing this blog. Maybe we would be happy with less quantity and more quality? In business and in church, I have found that it is better to be great at a few things, than to be rushed and barely ok on many things. Many times, it seems I am rushed and get stressed because of pushing too much into the schedule.

What do you think? Would you be happier, be closer to your family and God if your schedule was lighter????? Have you taken steps to do this??

Great Expectations- map for Disaster

As many of you know, I am a father of 3 great kids. Occassionally our 2 year old will choose to challenge the dictatorship I have established. A week ago, our family (me, the wife and 3 kids) all went swimming. We didn't set a time limit and ended up staying there for 1 and 1/2 hours. We got out of the pool around 12:30pm which meant we still had to do lunch.

Jen decided we should walk to the pool. So we walked home from the pool with the older kids whining from hunger and our 2 yr old screaming and kicking. I was very ticked off. I told the 2 yr old that she was in trouble and she was going to sit in the corner when we got home..... and go to bed early.... and not have her teddy bear.

Do you think I was realistic to expect my 2 yr old to be patient?????? We spent too much time at the pool. And, we got home after their normal lunch time. I reacted to a situation by focusing on how I wanted things to be. I wasn't realistic. I would like to drop 30 lbs in 6 weeks, have a wildly successful business, a perfect marriage, God-fearing-talented-caring children, friends who agree with me all the time, the ability to build a deck in a weekend.... Being realistic is not being negative. We can all learn, grow and set goals, and work towards them. God gives each one a gift. Maybe we would like someone else's gift. That may be our expectation- that God will give us a different gift. Maybe a gift that someone in the church with popularity has. I will never probably be able to preach like James Nored, but I can grow in my communication skills. I can learn to teach and lead small groups. Each part of the body is valuable.

Does some of the stress in our lives come from unrealistic expectations of how our life "should" be? Or our marriages,etc...