Susan's Reflections

Charity is the Duty of the Church

Historically, charity has been the duty of the church, yet today much of that responsibility has been abdicated to the government. A large portion of the federal budget, and hence of the taxes we pay, is allocated to social programs, such as providing assistance to the poor. Yet, Jesus made it clear that caring for those in need is a primary responsibility of His church.

In Matthew 25: 31 – 46, Jesus talks about the end times. He tells His disciples that at the judgment He will separate the sheep and the goats. The sheep will be rewarded with eternal life and the goats will be condemned to eternal punishment. Who are the sheep? The sheep are described as those who have provided food and drink to the hungry and thirsty and clothing to those in need, those who extended invitations to strangers, those who cared for the sick, and those who have visited prisoners. The goats are the people who did not do these things.

This teaching taken by itself seems to indicate salvation by works. Yet, we know from a thorough reading of the Scriptures, that we cannot achieve salvation by our works. Salvation is a free gift bestowed on those who will accept it through belief in Jesus Christ’s redemptive work on the cross. We can never do enough good works to be ‘good enough’ for Heaven. Only if we acknowledge our sin and inadequacies and allow the blood of Jesus to pay the price for our sin can we be saved and receive the gift of eternal life.

What then was Jesus trying to tell His disciples? I believe that He was emphasizing how serious it is for His church to carry out His work of ministering to those in need. As a church, the body of Christ must: (1) feed the hungry, (2) provide clothing to those in need, (3) reach out to strangers and make them feel welcome, (4) care for the sick and lonely, and (5) visit those who are incarcerated. These actions are not voluntary; Jesus mandated them as the primary work of His people.

Jesus came to minister to those in need. When the Pharisees criticized Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners, Jesus told them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17) Jesus went out of His way to interact with those who were in need, whether the need was physical, financial, or spiritual. After their immediate needs were met, they were receptive to Jesus’ message of grace and redemption.

The church should do no less than Jesus did. Charitable outreach cannot be something we do randomly or haphazardly. It must be done regularly and with a plan. To paraphrase a popular saying “no one cares what you believe until they believe you care.” We will only be able to reach the lost, the hurting, the lonely, and the needy if we reach out to them with the love of Jesus and minister first to their physical needs. If the church truly fulfills this mission, sinners will flock to churches and many, many people will receive salvation.

I am happy to be a part of a church that believes in ministering to those in need. We do this specifically by providing food to anyone who calls us and asks for help. Most of the people we assist do not attend our church. We are happy to share Christ’s love through providing food for them. It is our prayer that many of these people will want to fully experience Christ’s love and will seek out a Bible-believing church to attend. We also visit visit the sick and elderly in the hospital and nursing homes. And, of course, many other churches in our community do their part to fulfill Christ’s mandate to serve the poor and needy. Still, there is more that needs to be done.

Each church needs to step up and take primary responsibility for the needy in their communities. If they did, the government could reduce or eliminate many social programs and the church would have the influence it should rightly have in the world.

What are you and your church doing to share Christ’s love with those in need?

Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

In Matthew 20:1-16 Jesus tells the story of workers in a vineyard. In the parable a landowner goes out to the marketplace to find workers for his vineyard. Those he chooses agree to work all day for a fair day’s wage. Later the landowner goes out and finds others who have not been hired. He sends them to work, promising to pay what is fair. Three more times throughout the day, the landowners returns to the marketplace and hires additional workers. At the end of the day, he pays them each the same amount–a fair day’s wage. Those who had worked the longest grumbled that they should have been paid more than those who had worked only a portion of the day. The landowner responds that he is not being unfair, as he paid them the agreed-upon wage.

Many scholars interpret this parable as having to do with salvation. Eternal life is promised to those who accept Jesus as their Savior, regardless of whether they make that decision early in their life, later in life, or at the very end of their life. As a parable reflecting salvation, I am thrilled that Jesus continues to offer the free gift of salvation to people throughout their lives, particularly as I don’t find ‘laboring’ for Jesus to be hard work. I find that living for Jesus makes my daily life rewarding, fulfilling, and more meaningful. I am glad that Jesus allows people to make the decision to follow him even up till the time they take their dying breaths.

Taken literally, however, I would be equally bothered as the first workers were. This parable violates our sense of fairness. If I’d been toiling hard for many hours, I would feel that I deserve more pay than someone who only worked for a few hours and particularly those who only worked one hour.

Yet, as Jesus pointed out, all the workers got the pay they agreed to accept when they were hired. The owner of the vineyard paid those who worked all day a fair day’s wage. He simply chose to be more generous with those hired later. Of course, this wouldn’t be permitted in our society today, unless the employer did it clandestinely. Those workers who had labored all day would file a lawsuit and the landowner would be forced to pay them more or those hired later less.

As I read this story this week, God opened my heart and I envisioned this story in the present day with the workers as unemployed people (and perhaps homeless) who have been waiting all day for an opportunity to work as day laborers. My attitude toward the workers changed. Many day laborers wait all day hoping and praying for the opportunity to work. Their need to provide for their families and pay their bills is no less great than the laborers who get hired. These men and women want to work and they want to meet their obligations.

So, how can I feel indigent if a kind employer shows mercy to them by paying them for more time than they worked?

Jesus demonstrated once again that God’s thoughts are higher than ours and that He cares deeply for each individual. I pray that as I study God’s word and spend time in prayer that I will come to see people through Jesus’s eyes. The world would be a much better place if we all worried less about what is “fair” in our own eyes and considered how we could show Christ’s love and compassion to our neighbors.

If I won the lottery…

Last week a couple in our community won the lottery in the amount of $217 million. They took a one-time payout of $135 million. I’m not sure if that is their before-tax, or after-tax, winnings. Either way, it is a lot of money. The husband and wife were reported to be planning to retire early, buy a large retirement home, pay off debts, and give money to charity. The husband bought a quick pick ticket on the spur of the moment as he was preparing to board a plane in Richmond to go on a business trip. It was certainly a fortuitous decision.

It got me to wondering what I would do if I were to win the lottery. It’s not going to happen, as I don’t play the lottery. However, it’s interesting to think about. I bet most of you have at least thought about how such a staggering sum of money, or even a mere few million dollars, would change your life. I think most of us would agree in general with the decisions this winning couple announced–early retirement, vacation home, debt elimination, and charitable giving.

But what would I do specifically with that amount of money? This is what I have come up with:

1) The first ten percent would go to my church and like-minded Christian ministries to share the gospel and love of Jesus Christ. God asks that we return a tithe, or ten percent, of all that He gives us to support the work of the church and spread the gospel throughout the world. A big chunk would go to my local church and to support Assembly of God missionaries. Another portion would go to the Assembly of God’s emergency relief ministry, C0nvoy of Hope, and to organizations such as Samaritan’s Purse. Based on the one-time payout of $135 million, the tithe would be $13.5 million. Let’s round that up to $15 million, leaving $120 million for other things.

2) A large vacation home at the beach would definitely be on my list. And perhaps a second vacation home in the mountains. I would love to have a place large enough for my children and grandchildren, as well as my parents and siblings to all gather together in one place. And, of course, with all those people in one house, I would gladly spend money on a cleaning service. It is hard to imagine spending $1 million or more on a home, but for the sake of this exercise, let’s budget $10 million on vacation homes, leaving $110 million.

3) Donations to my college alma maters would be another priority. It would be nice to give back in a substantial way to the institutes of higher learning that played a prominent role in my education My father taught at my undergrad college, now the University of Mary Washington, for 32 years. It would be very satisfying to donate several million dollars and have a building named in Dad’s honor. Let’s assume that $5 million goes to each institution, with $100 million left.

4) I would spend another large portion, perhaps the largest, to provide first-rate care for my mother-in-law. She is in a nursing home and, while she is more than adequately cared for, she longs to be in a real home of her own. However, she needs round-the-clock care and the socialization afforded her by being with other people. It would be very satisfying to provide her a warm, homey environment with the care she needs. I can envision spending $20 million to build a nursing home in which each patient would have a private room and a personal staff to attend to their needs. After building a nursing home, about $80 million would remain.

5) I would set up college funds for my grandchildren and a nest egg for each of our sons. Conservatively, these savings funds might consume another five million. $75 million remains.

Beyond these five expenditures, I think I would set aside a rainy day fund for Steve and I and would donate the rest to charities. Of course, it would be a chore to decide which charities to support. The Bible teaches us that “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded.” (Luke 12:48) I believe I would feel burdened to do the most good I could would the money. Therefore, I would target organizations that help the homeless and our wounded veterans to get back on their feet.

Winning such a staggering amount of money is really beyond my comprehension. While this couple is free to spend, save, and share this money as they wish, they have a moral obligations to use the money wisely. History has demonstrated, however, that many lottery winners frequently wind up broke or in debt in a few years. They aren’t prepared to handle such a tremendous sum of money and they spend it lavishly and donate to any and all groups that asks for a donation. I don’t expect that to happen to this couple. I hope that the money brings them happiness and that with this money, they help many other people to have better lives.

Have you thought about what you would do if you won the lottery? I bet you have. What would be your top priorities for the money?

February 26, 2013

Follow up to blog post: I just read a post about a couple who last year won half of the largest powerball jackpot ever. This couple, Mark and Cindy Hill, have remained true themselves and are generously using much of thei $136 million lump-sum payout to improve their community. The article states that this is unusual and that history shows that 70 percent of all lottery winners will spend or lose it all within a few years. To read the entire articles, go to http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/25/missouri-powerball-winner_n_2749795.html?1361825691&icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl3%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D275177

Letting Go and Letting God

The phrase “let go and let God” has been popular in Christian circles for many years. It simply means give your problems, concerns, and worries to God and allow Him to take care of them for you. It’s a catchy phrase–easy to say and easy to remember. However, it’s very hard to put into practice. More times than not, I find myself praying about a situation and then spending many hours or days trying to work out a solution on my own. A beloved former pastor of mine calls that “picking the problem up again.”

Yesterday I read a great blog post by Pastor Tim Burton entitled “Get Rid of Self-Imposed Limitations.” (http://readfreshmanna.blogspot.com/ January 7, 2013) Pastor Tim addressed this very issue and his struggles with “letting go and letting God.” In this post, Pastor Tim described a situation in which a friend confided to him before the Sunday morning church service that he had been laid off from his job and asked Tim to pray for him to find a new job. Pastor Tim agreed to pray for his friend and provided him with the name of a contact who might be able to assist him.

Pastor Tim had been supportive and offered his friend useful information. His sole responsibility at this point was to pray for his friend. However, as he tried to worship, his mind kept trying to come up with solutions to assist his friend. I could relate to Pastor Tim’s experience. Too often, I ask God to handle a problem and then begin working out the ways God could best accomplish the task.

Pastor Tim reported that he had come up with three possible solutions when he felt God reprimand him with these words, “You are trying to solve what belongs to me. Can you see how limited your thinking is? Stop your limited thinking and turn this over to me! There are no limitations for me and you could not figure out how I will be directing his life.”

To his credit, Pastor Tim immediately stopped interfering and stepped back to allow God to work. This simple story illustrated to me that when I spend time trying to solve a problem that only God can solve, there are two unintended consequences: (1) I waste my time and (2) I put limits on God.

Isaiah 55:8 says, “’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord.” This tells me that God has plans for me, or my friends, that I could never fathom. If I will get out of the way and allow God to enact His plans, the results will be far better than any I could come up with on my own.

I believe that this illustration will help me to truly be faithful in letting go of the problems I bring to God and allowing God handle them in the way that He knows will be best for me and will bring Him glory.

Do you find yourself asking God to help you and then not allowing Him to work? If so, I hope that Pastor Tim’s inspired words will bless you and help you to let go and let God.

A Life Verse for 2013

A number of years ago while teaching at a Christian high school, I was introduced to the concept of ‘life verses’. Basically, life verses are verses of Scripture that speak so powerfully to a person that the person’s life is impacted. The verses may supply encouragement, provoke a change of heart, bring correction, or provide instruction. I was already aware of Scripture verses that had impacted me in these ways, and I had written several of those verses in my journal. I had not, however, identified these verses as my ‘life verses.’

Since my introduction to the idea of life verses, I have made a habit of keeping my life verses close at hand. I write them on index cards and carry them in my purse, so they are handy when I need them. I read and ponder them frequently. One such verse is Jeremiah 29:11, “‘For I know the plans I have for you’, declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'” This verse sustained me during a difficult time several years ago as Steve and I considered a major change in our life. We were certain that God was leading us to make this change, yet nothing was working out. When I would become discouraged, I would recite this verse many times throughout each day. Eventually God set things in motion for us with results that were far better than if our earlier attempts had succeeded. God was teaching us to be patient and wait for His plan to be fulfilled.

Five years ago, God revealed to me that I should write a Christian novel. This idea seemed very foreign to me, given my background is in math and finance. Yet, God assured me that He would help me to accomplish the task if I would rely on Him. Two verses gave me the courage to step out in faith and undertake this task. I wrote them on index cards which I kept by my computer as I wrote. One was John 15:16, “You did not choose me; I chose you and gave you this work and I gave you this work to produce fruit.” This verse not only reminded me that writing a novel was God’s idea, but it also promised me that people would come to know God through reading the novel. The second verse was “If you see that the job is too big for you, that it’s something only God can do, and you trust Him to do it–you could never to it for yourself no matter how hard and long you worked–well, that trusting-him-to-do-it is what gets you set right with God, by God. Sheer gift.” (Romans 4:5, The Message) This verse encouraged me to continue to rely on God for the words to write. I was well aware that I was not up to the task on my own, and I needed to be reminded to trust God to do it in me and through me.

For the past few weeks, I have been pondering a word to choose as my ‘One Word’ for 2013. The One Word campaign encourages people to choose a word to focus on for the year, rather than making resolutions which are quickly broken. Last year my Word was ‘intentional’ and in 2011 I selected ‘delight’ as my word. This year I have not selected a word, but rather a new life verse. The verse that God keeps bringing to my mind is “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labors on what does not satisfy?” (Isaiah 55:2)

This single verse encompasses important principles of money management and time management. We should spend our money on things that sustain and improve our life, and we should be our time in tasks that bring joy and satisfaction. I believe that if this verse is foremost in my thoughts this year, I will be less likely to waste my money or my time. I will not clutter my life with possessions I will discard in a few weeks or months and I won’t fritter away my time in meaningless activity. So rather than making resolutions or even choosing a word to focus on this year, I have chosen a verse that I believe will impact me and the way I live my life in 2013 in very positive ways.

What Scripture verses have most impacted your life? Do you have a verse you will focus on during this year?

Broken Weather Promises

The weatherman broke his promise to me, again. Last weekend he promised a gorgeous, sunny weekend with a high temperature near 70. We got a wet, cold, dreary weekend, instead. I don’t mind an occasional rainy weekend, but not in the midst of winter when I’ve been promised a rare springlike weekend. It was a bit depressing. To add to our misery, the entire week has been rainy and cold.

Yesterday the weatherman promised us a change of weather in the form of snow. I love snow! One of my favorite children’s books is The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. That was the day I was expecting. I love to watch the flakes fall from the sky and cover up the dead of winter. It is particularly beautiful when it is deep enough that all you see on the ground is a solid blanket of white. I enjoy being out in the snow, but I am reluctant to go outside because I don’t want footprints to mar the pristine surface.

So, I was excited by yesterday’s forecast of snow. As I drove to work Wednesday, the weather reports said to expect flurries. Later in the day the forecast was changed to measurable amounts of snow, which increased from 2-4 inches, to 5 inches, to 8 inches with blizzard conditions expected by 5 pm. My heart soared with each new weather bulletin. Even if the weatherman was wrong about the snow fall totals, we should be in for a beautiful snowy day. If the weatherman was correct, not only would I likely miss work on Friday, but their was a distinct possibility of being sent home early on Thursday.

The Thursday morning forecast called for the first flakes to appear around noon, with snow continuing until midnight or so. Total snow fall predictions had been downgraded to 4-6 inches. Throughout the day, the snow’s impending arrival was pushed back and the predicted total were decreased. Yet I was still hopeful of getting a ‘decent’ snow. As I drove home, I saw a couple of snowflakes mixed with the rain that had fallen all day. It is now almost 11:00. No snow has materialized. No sleet. No frozen rain. The temperature has not plummeted to several degrees below freezing.

Alas, I must face the fact that the weatherman has broken another promise. There will be no day off tomorrow. It is highly unlikely that there will even be a delayed opening. I, along with thousands of local school children and a few other adults, am feeling disillusioned. I have friends who don’t like the snow and who are quite pleased that the weather man broke another promise.

How can the weatherman be so very wrong as to predict 8 inches of snow, when what we got was a sixth consecutive day of rain? Why do I always believe the weatherman when he promises snow? Why do I let my hopes soars, when there is such a high probability that this prediction is just another broken promise? I don’t know. Perhaps it would benefit me to become a skeptic–to doubt all the weatherman’s snow forecast, so that I am pleasantly surprised when the snow actually does come.

The forecast for tomorrow is for the sun to reappear. After the rain of the last six days, the sun would be a most welcome sight. Just the thought of seeing the sun in the morning is making me feel better, almost cheerful. Am I setting myself up for another weather disappointment?

My Take on Proselytizing

I grew up in a Christian home and have attended church regularly all my life, yet I was not familiar with the term ‘proselytizing’ until I was in my thirties and then I only heard it used on rare occasions. In recent years I have heard the term used more and more frequently, often as a criticism. The term is bandied about so negatively that I found it hard to believe it was an action I could be guilty of committing, so I looked up its meaning. Webster defines proselytize as ‘the attempt to convert’.

Christians are instructed by Christ to ‘go and make disciples of all nations’ (Matthew 28:19), which certainly results in an attempt to convert those who don’t know Jesus Christ as their Savior to Christianity. We don’t use the term ‘proselytizing’, however. Rather we ‘share the gospel’ and ‘evangelize.’ In Christian circles, these are viewed as positive actions. We are attempting to lead people into a relationship with Jesus Christ, because we are convinced that salvation through Jesus Christ is the only access to eternal life.

Of course, many people have a different and negative opinion of evangelism. The Atheist Revolution recently published an article entitle ‘The Condescending Nature of Proselytizing.’ The unidentified author discusses his disdain for those of any religion who proselytize. He quotes Rick Levy who finds this practice “rude and condescending because of its implication that the adherent’s beliefs are superior to those of other people’s and thus they need to be saved from the error of their ways.”

Interesting. I make no apologies for Christians believing that salvation comes only through Jesus Christ. Christ himself said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:60) In Acts 4:12, Peter preached “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” There are no alternative beliefs for anyone who truly is a disciple of Christ.

What I object to is the assertion that sharing our faith makes Christians condescending. We are not trying to present ourselves as superior, but rather as sinners saved by grace who want to give others the opportunity to share in this wonderful gift. We desire that everyone would experience the peace and joy that comes from knowing Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Recently quotes from an interview given by Penn Jillette in 2008 have been making the rounds on the Internet. Jillette, of Penn and Teller fame, is a very vocal atheist, yet he states “I don’t respect people who don’t proselytize…How much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize?” When I saw the video of this interview, it reminded me of the Seinfeld episode in which Elaine discovers that her boyfriend Putty is a Christian. She gets upset that he would let her go to hell rather than try to convert her.

Proselytizing, from a Christian’s point of view, is the attempt to share the most precious, valuable gift ever given to man–the gift of eternal life. Christianity is so wonderful that not sharing this good news is not an option.

If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior, I urge you to examine your heart. Do you have true peace? Do you know your sins are forgiven? Are you confident that you will spend eternity in Heaven? If not, you might want to open your heart and your mind the next time a Christian wants to share the gospel with you. You have nothing to lose and eternity to gain.

Christ is Born Today!

Wishing blessings to all today as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. May you have joy and peace today and blessings in the New Year. Praise God for sending his Son into the world that we might have peace, forgiveness, and salvation. Merry Christmas!

Good Christian Men, Rejoice!

By John M. Neale

Good Christian men, rejoice

With heart and soul and voice!

Give ye heed to what we say:

Jesus Christ is born today.

Man and beast before Him bow

And He is in the manger now;

Christ is born today,

Christ is born today!

Good Christian men, rejoice

With heart and soul and voice!

Now ye hear of endliss bless:

Jesus Christ was born for this.

He hath opened heaven’s door,

And man is bless forever more.

Christ was born for this,

Chris was born for this.

Good Christian men, rejoice

With heart and soul and voice!

Now ye need not fear the grave:

Jesus Christ was born to save;

Calls you one, and calls you all,

To gain His everlasting hall.

Christ was born to save,

Christ was born to save!

What Child Is This?

by William C. Dix

What Child is this, who, laid to rest,

On Mary’s lap is sleeping?

Whom angels greeet with anthems sweet,

While shepherds watch are keeping?

This, this is Christ the Kind,

Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:

Haste, haste, to bring Him Laud

The Babe, the Son of Mary.

Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Men

At Christmastime particularly, we pray for peace on Earth and we do our part to promote peace by showing goodwill not only to our loved ones and our neighbors but also to those in need. We put change in the Salvation Army kettles, drop off new toys at collection centers, pack shoe boxes with gifts for Operation Christmas Child, donate food to our local food banks, and try to spread love and good cheer to those we encounter. We pray that wars will end and the heroic men and women who defend our nation will soon return home and be reunited with their families.

Yet, as we look around us, we do not find a world at peace. Wars rage around the world from Africa to Asia to Latin and South America. Violence is escalating. Our news has been filled in the last few weeks with the tragic stories of the senseless murders of innocent children and holiday shoppers. We wonder what has gone wrong with our world.

The wish for peace on earth is nothing new. For as long as mankind has existed, there has been strife on earth. The first murder is recorded in fourth chapter of Genesis when jealously provoked Cain to kill his brother Abel. In Psalm 120:6 and 7, the psalmist writes, “Too long have I lived among those who hate peace. I am a man of peace; but when I speak, they are for war.” The poet Henry Longfellow addressed these themes in his poem, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” He recognized that God is still in control of this world and that one day He will set all things right.

God did not abandon mankind after creating us. However, He has given us free will and, unfortunately, many people exercise their free will in ways that lead to violence. God has promised that Jesus will return to Earth one day to rule and reign over it in peace. Until that time, however, we will only experience true peace on Earth when we turn our lives over to God and allow Him to give us the ‘peace that passes understanding.’

In these last few days before Christmas, I urge you to remember the true reason for the season, to celebrate the birth of the Son of God, who would die for our sins. Invite Him into your heart and allow Him to give you inner peace and true joy. Merry Christmas and may God bless you.

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

Lyrics by Henry W. Longfellow

Music by J. Baptiste Calkin

I heard the bells on Christmas day

Their old familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet the words repeat

Of peace on earth, goodwill to men.

I thought how, as the day had come,

The belfries of all Christendom

Had rolled along the unbroken song

Of peace on earth, goodwill to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:

“There is no peace on earth,” I said,

“For hate is strong, and mocks the song

Of peace on earth, goodwill to men.”

Then peeled the bells more loud and deep:

“God is not dead: nor doth He sleep;

The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,

With peace on earth, goodwill to men.”

Till ringing, singing on its way,

The world revolved from night to day,

A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,

Of peace on earth, goodwill to men!

Achieving Balance by Satisficing

When I was a graduate student working on my MBA, the professors worked to ingrain in us the principle of satisficing. Satisficing, a combination of the word ‘satisfy’ and ‘suffice,’ is the process of finding a solution which will sufficiently satisfy the requirements, without necessarily finding the best solution. It requires a balance between the needs and the time and/or resources allocated to meet those needs. It is a principle that applies in everyday life and the workplace just as much as it did in graduate school.

The process by which our professors endeavored to teach this principle was to assign more work than could be done in the allotted time if a student was continuously striving to complete each assignment to the best of his/her ability. If a student worked diligently, however, it was possible to complete all of the assignments satisfactorily. The professors recognized that most MBA students will work in very demanding careers and that they will need to learn to balance their work loads to achieve all that is asked of them. This will require some compromise–everything will not be able to be done perfectly, but everything can be done well enough to meet the needs. Those of us who learned this lesson early found ourselves graduating at the top of our class. Those who didn’t struggled to complete the program.

The principle of satisficing works well in many areas of life, although I’m certain there are some areas in which the best solutions must be found. I personally employed this principle in my home as the very busy mother of three young sons. My oldest son was only 19 months old when my twin sons were born. I was determined to be the best mother that I could be and so I worked furiously to keep my house in order, cook healthy meals from scratch, and volunteer in my church while caring for these three very busy little boys. Consequently, I was stressed and exhausted most of the time. It didn’t take long to realize that I couldn’t do everything to the highest standard and maintain my sanity.

I had to lower my standards to levels that would meet the needs sufficiently and satisfactorily rather than perfectly. My house was not ‘company ready’ all the time, but it was cleaned regularly and the boys always had clean clothes to wear. Sometimes I bought canned spaghetti sauce and boxed cake mixes rather than making them from scratch. Occasionally I rearranged the furniture to hide a stain I couldn’t get out of the carpet.

Satisficing is a good principle to employ at Christmas time. The holidays can be a time of great stress for those who become overly focused on doing everything perfectly. We can never achieve the perfect holiday and striving to do so generally results in creating stress and chaos. For many years I resisted sending out a newsy Christmas letter in my cards because I felt it lacked the personal touch. I spent countlesss hours each December writing long, handwritten notes to each Christmas card recipient. The process took so much time that I would get behind on my shopping and gift wrapping. I would find myself rushing through the mall madly scrambling for gifts, rather than enjoying the sights and sounds of Christmas. When I found myself dreading sending out Christmas cards, I knew I had to make a change. Since I began typing a Christmas letter, the cards get done faster and are no longer a source of irritation and I have more time to enjoy other aspects of the holidays.

This year I would encourage each of you to examine your holiday traditions. If something no longer fits your family or is causing too much stress, let it go. You can have a wonderful Christmas even if your house does not boast the best decorations on your street. Your holiday meal can be delicious and memorable even if you serve store-bought pies. No one will notice if your gingerbread house is slightly misshapen, or if you skip the gingerbread house altogether this year. You will likely never achieve the ‘perfect’ Christmas holiday but you may very well find a balance that will allow you to have a holiday that is sufficiently close to your ideal for you to feel a great deal of satisfaction.

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