Toss out the scale: I heard a wise author and teacher answer the "how do you balance family and ministry life" question with this golden nugget: "I don't." She went on to share how she didn't believe there really was such a thing as having the scale perfectly balanced with family things on one side and ministry or work related-things on another. It's just not realistic - one day a child will need to be priority and another day a woman in crisis will need more time. I've felt tremendous freedom in throwing out my ideal of the perfectly balanced scale and just going to God and asking, "What needs my energy, focus, and time today?"

Now, just to be clear, I don't have this "work/life balance" thing all figured out. Some days I can juggle the demands of marriage, parenting, work, and friendships with one arm tied behind my back, while other days I can barely get out the door in one try. I guess I'm just an acrobat in training.