Category Archives: Control

7 Habits for Success

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In many ways, my life, what I do, is second nature to me. I don’t actively think about how I accomplish my goals while caring for my children and home and cultivating my marriage. But after three people—some with children, some without—within two weeks asked me how I was able to meet my writing deadlines while caring for three young children because they needed help achieving their goals, I then examined my life so I could share my habits for success. I:

First, have vision and understanding, but to see results I have (practice) the following habits:
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The Omniscient One

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He knew me before I was formed in my mother’s womb is what David tells us about God knowing us before any physical manifestation of us. He knows every hair on our heads is what Matthew tells us about God’s complete knowledge of us in our physical manifestation. And those who are dead in Christ will meet Him in the air is what Paul tells us, revealing God’s knowledge of us even after our physical death. This is the God who created humans, having full knowledge that we would sin against Him. Having that full knowledge He created us anyway and before creating us He had a plan to save us from the penalty, practice and presence of sin—salvation through belief in Jesus Christ and His resurrection from a death that paid the price for our sin. God’s all knowingness, His omniscience, is ever present and continually impacts our lives. I saw His omniscience at work in one major way while on break; God knew what I was in store for during the time of my break so I believe He had me take a break exactly when I did.

A friend of mine is experiencing the greatest challenge of her life and issues surrounding this challenge got deeper while on my blogging break in July but came to a head this month while on break from leading my discipleship group. God knew I needed to rest up in July and have my schedule free in August so I could be there emotionally, physically and spiritually for my friend. I have had the strength to cry with her, sing hymns to her, pray and fast for her, create bible studies for her, and walk with her through and hold her accountable to applying these bible studies. The time has been intense, but God’s omniscience equipped me for one of the biggest fights in my life on behalf of a dear friend.

Do you see God’s omniscience in your life? Yes, I know you have probably been in awe of His knowing you before forming you, that He knows every hair on your head and that He knows where to find and how to bring you to heaven. But have you stopped to think about his omniscience in your daily life? What is the implication of His knowing you before forming you and that He knows every hair on your head? How does God’s knowledge impact your life right now? God’s all knowingness goes beyond bible trivia and can help us take a broader view of and cope with what happens to us, especially when we don’t understand. His omniscience surrounding my breaks helped me see greater that His thoughts and ways are higher than my thoughts and ways and they give me exactly what I need.

Copyright 2010 by Rhonda J. Smith

The Mercy

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When I was on break, I reflected on how God’s mercy shined and helped me to be oh so grateful. Before my break, I pushed so hard that something should have attacked my body. I worked so intensely sometimes, that I missed when my children almost got hurt. At times I forgot to meet my husband’s needs. Phone calls went unanswered. I forgot a meeting or two. If it wasn’t for God’s mercy,

I would have been sick;
My kids would have been harmed;
My husband would have been mad at me;
Some friends may have left; and
Some contracts would have been broken and a host of other losses.

God’s mercy—not giving me what I deserve—is ever present and brand new every morning. I thank Him that His mercy begins with not allowing my home to be the hell He prepared for Satan and his imps. Jesus’ death and resurrection saved me from my certain penalty of hell and continues to save me today from myself. I praise God for his mercy seen in greater measure when considering how He kept me before my break.

How has God had mercy on you? Think about it daily and praise Him greatly. He definitely deserves it.

Copyright 2010 by Rhonda J. Smith

The Grace

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As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.—1 Peter 4:10-11

The other day a friend told me this: “There is no way for anyone who hangs around you to have any excuse for not getting done what they need to get done. You are so productive.” She is continually amazed at my daily activities of spending time with God, caring for my home and three boys full time, blogging three days a week, discipling five women and counseling countless others, meeting freelance writing deadlines and hanging with my husband and sometimes pampering myself. She is amazed. No, I am amazed, not at me but at the power through me. I clearly understand that what I do is because of God’s grace and understood this to a greater degree when I stopped blogging last month. Continue reading →

The Break

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My sister, Sharon, Me and our children


When I stopped my world stopped, at least the one that I had created in my busyness. No longer did I have to rise early and go to bed late to get it all done. My husband didn’t have to long for late-night dates nor did my children have to wait to play because “Mom, you’re always at your computer.” When my world stopped, I got out and the scenes changed immediately. I was now in those missing spaces and could see a lot better.

Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen.—Leonardo da Vinci, (1452-1519) Italian painter, sculptor and architect

My rest helped me reassess what needed to change so that I can renovate then rest on my perspective in three major areas: on God’s power; on my family’s purpose; and on my personal preferences. In short, I must have what I call the L perspective: Remembering that God gave me my family (a vertical extension), and they give me what God wants for me (a horizontal extension). If you sketch this reality, the vertical extension connected to the horizontal extension makes the letter L, thus the L perspective.

Though I knew some of this intellectually, my attitude displayed that the knowledge lived in my head, occasionally visiting my heart. I believe Jesus when He said that He came to earth that I might have life in Him, and not just any old life but one that is richly full (John 10:10). Yeah, that’s what I want and now have a better mind map to get me there. I pray that my revelations will inspire you to seek your own so you, too, will live the life Jesus Christ died for you to have, creating the same home in your head and in your heart.

Copyright 2010 by Rhonda J. Smith