to-do's Archives - Kristin Saatzer

Fill My Christmas Plate With People, Please!

November 30, 2022 By Kristin Saatzer 4 Comments

On Christmas Eve of 2020, we ate take-out Chinese and watched an online church service, desperately missing our extended family and our special holiday traditions together. Later, on that oh-so-strange night, I lay on the couch, tears falling, and told myself that I would never again take family and friends for granted. Or crowds, live church, in-person shopping, or in-person anything! Shoulder to shoulder, face to face, hand to hand. People.

These last few years have changed all of us.

In the curriculum called the Covid Years, I’ve learned an old lesson in a new way: relationships are vital. We all know this. And I’ve always felt this as fact but wow, was it drilled down in those weird times. I vowed then to intentionally make my loved-ones and Jesus my focus each holiday. Despite the oddness and sadness, there was a beautiful unfussiness in the 2020 holiday and life seemed slower.

Yes, responsibilities are important and necessary, and during the holidays, many of us juggle more than our typical load. So often, I struggle to get it all done while remaining present. There is a boost in my self-esteem, a feeling of value that surges when I am uber-productive. I’m addicted to checking things off my list to the detriment of my relationships. I love people, and I love God, but if I’m not careful, I’m swept up in my typical seasonal trap. Yes, most items on my list are others-focused (buying gifts, charitable giving, baking, cooking, house tasks, etc.) But I want (and need) to connect deeply in my relationships at Christmas.

Perhaps a bit of Patty (or Paul) Productivity lives in you as well?Continue Reading

Created to Conquer

October 20, 2019 By Kristin Saatzer 2 Comments

As I slide into the morning, a carpe diem outlook begins to brew (the assist goes to caffeine and oatmeal). God and I will conquer this day together I say to myself as I scratch out my to-do list. Possibility percolates as I ready my pen to check off my assignments. But here’s where it goes south. You see, I am an unrealistic list-maker. It would take me and a staff of ten to carry out what I intend to complete in a day. These twenty or so items on my fantasy-list waiting to be checked off after work, after driving my kid around, after I make dinner… are oh-so unrealistic. My self-measuring stick is a ruler lined with tasks.

I do believe I was created to conquer. But sometimes this belief lies in how much I can accomplish and when I come up short, I often deflate in defeat. As I shine a spotlight on this deflation, I find a woman whose feelings of dismay transcend beyond an incomplete list of to-does, to a place that whispers your value is based on what you accomplish.

The truth is, this is not the only area where I struggle with murmurs of self-doubt and a sinking self-esteem. My fight is long and storied.

I often peek at the people around me who seem to walk strong, not struggling with many downfalls, who appear accomplished. Still, they too may hear the whispers. The insecurity, brokenness, depression, addiction, financial yuck (among the list), may be the private backstory of their lives. A yearning to overcome, yet stuck in the mud of pain, sin, and secrets.

Are there hidden whispers in your hidden places too? Can I speak something to you? My friend, you were created to conquer.

A Summer Reset

June 24, 2019 By Kristin Saatzer 4 Comments

How did it get so late so soon?

Dr. Seuss

A Summer Reset

Dear Time, I give you permission to s-l-o-w down. Thank you.

Spring flew so swiftly. There was not a day when my calendar was not bursting, the days were filled with mostly good stuff (games, graduations, visits from family and friends, award ceremonies, banquets, parties, and end of the school year fun) and I am grateful. But the pace has caught up with me.

So, I need permission to halt, to reset, and get my bearings. My dad was in the hospital last week and thankfully he is recovering well. As I sat with him and watched the action buzz around me, I exhaled and realized that I had not stopped much in these last few months. I picked up my phone and clicked on my recent-past calendar, then marveled at the events and emotions 2019 has brought thus far.

So today is a day to unwind. I am nestled in my backyard as my sweet dog rests her chin on my foot. It is about 75 degrees, as calm winds coil the tall trees. Medicine for the soul.

Summer has officially begun; this year is half-cooked. I can already see 2020 preparing to rise in the skyline. I’ve come to learn in these years of living prayerfully and intentionally, that early summer is an excellent time to retune and reflect. To rest and breathe. To soak up the sun and beautiful breezes of this fleeting season. To talk to God about what was and what is to come.

Now, I invite you to get alone and join in on some self-reflection. So, let’s take a deep breath. And then another… as you think on what the last six months have held for you, and what you look to next, ponder the following. Continue Reading

That One Thing

January 30, 2018 By Kristin Saatzer 2 Comments

“But really, only one thing matters. Mary has chosen that one thing, and I won’t take it away from her.”

Luke 10:42 The Voice (VOICE)

Priorities. Goals. Resolutions. These words become almost cliché at the beginning of the year. Now that the end of January is here, how are you sticking to your resolutions? We are late in the month but early in the year, and I’d like to tackle the subject of “one thing”.

I am a goal/list/to-do list nerd. I have often spoken on this topic at women’s groups and walked with others in their journey. I am passionate about this area and love planning. Sometimes to my detriment. As the years pass though, I am finding a balance between gettin’ it done and sittin’ and enjoying. That’s why the story of Mary and Martha clicks with me. I empathize with both of these women.

If you don’t know this story, please go to Luke 10:38-42. For some of us who’ve been in church a long time, the story of these two sisters has become almost too familiar. Yet, there is a point made by Luke in this tale that I want to zero in on and unwrap today as we face this still New Year.

Martha was the worker bee, buzzing around and gettin’ it done. Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and enjoyed Him, and He praised her for it by stating that Mary chose correctly. She chose that one thing that matters. Wow. What Martha did was not wrong, especially for a woman of that time period. Yet, I surmise that these women had a choice that day (“Mary has chosen”).

I love this from Beth Moore in her book Jesus The One And Only: