Balancing It All: My Story of Juggling Priorities and Purpose by Candace Bure, Dana Wilkerson Page A

guide you where you need to be. He will help you reorder your priorities, evaluate your life, and create a sense of balance for you and those who depend on you.
    The fact that I am writing a book about balance does not mean that I always have it all together. I don’t. Sometimes I get too caught up in one aspect of my life and the neglect of others. It’s not uncommon for me to find myself putting work at a higher priority than it should be. Other times I get so busy that friendships take a back seat. But it usually doesn’t take long before I realize it or one of my friends or family members points it out to me. (You have to love accountability!) And if it takes me too long, something will happen that I just know is God telling me to stop and take stock of what I’m doing.
    When I recognize that things are spinning out of control and nothing is in balance, the first thing I do is pray and read God’s Word. Philippians 4:6–7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” I often feel like a failure when I realize that I’m not living the way God wants me to, but God always brings me peace, gives me the reassurance that He loves me, and helps me to think clearly so that I can begin to get things back on track. God doesn’t “magically” just make things okay, though. I have to work at it, but if I ask Him, He will give me the strength and ability to make wise decisions about where my priorities should be and how I need to keep things balanced for myself and for my family.

Chapter 9
    Home Is Where the Heart Is
    Trust in the L ord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.
    —Proverbs 3:5–6 ( hcsb )
    I f you want to start a fight and end friendships, initiate a debate about working moms versus stay-at-home moms in a room with a mixed crowd. There’s not much that can get a mom more fired up than to have someone tell her that her decision to work or to stay home with the kids is the wrong choice.
    I’m not here to try to win you over to one side or the other. I’ve lived on both sides, and I’ve loved and disliked aspects of both. When it came down to it, each decision was about evaluating our situation in that specific time and season of my life and figuring out what I needed to do in order to create the best sense of balance I could within my family. I’ve learned that with God’s help, I can always discover the best path to take. He will open and close the right doors if I trust Him and seek His wisdom and guidance.
    Some of you have already had to make that decision; others will have to make it soon, and still others may never have to make it. Whichever situation you’re in, I believe this chapter has something for you. Hopefully it will give you a better understanding of how the uniqueness of each individual and family is what drives their decisions in all aspects of life. We are all different, and we should make the wisest decisions possible and do the best we can with what God has given us.
    And Baby Makes Three . . . and Four . . . and Five
    Val and I made the decision to have kids while we were young, so in 1998, two years after we were married, Natasha was born. Just as she was in my womb, Natasha came out fighting after twenty-two hours of labor. But, my goodness, was she ever beautiful! She looked like a little porcelain doll with her eyes wide open. And still at fifteen years old, she can be as sweet and precious as ever, but she will fight to the death over whatever she’s after.
    Lev came along in 2000, cool as a cucumber with a scrunchy, pudgy face. He was a shocking difference compared to Natasha and I don’t know that he opened his eyes for a few days. It looked like he ate a sour