Marginalysis: Building Margin into our Busy Lives

By Karen Norton

Christian Author and Speaker, Karen Norton, has written Marginalysis "" Building Margin into our Busy Lives, as a window into her own practice of establishing healthy boundaries. She defines this creative term by saying, Marginalysis is all about self-care and how to build and maintain healthy God-honoring margin in your life. In fourteen short but power-packed chapters, Karen illustrates how to integrate this principle into key areas impacting the development of body, soul, and spirit so that stress is reduced and the pressure of life's demands do not prevent the blessings of deepening our relationship with God. For those who are struggling with finding consistent devotional time and managing the chaos of life, Karen's book will be a guide and inspiration to establishing margins that result in renewal and refreshing. Marginalysis is God's Word activated in every area of our life and ministry. I highly recommend it as a timely encouragement in stressful times. Dr. Gaylan D. Claunch Superintendent North Texas District Assemblies of God Karen F. Norton is passionate about helping people strengthen their walk with the Lord by knowing, loving, and living out God's Word in everyday life. An ordained minister, she served on a church staff for thirty years. www.karennorton.com

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 28, 2019
• ISBN: 9781644580196

Book preview

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Marginalysis

Building Margin into our Busy Lives

Karen F. Norton

Copyright © 2018 by Karen F. Norton

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.

Author photo by Barbara Havard and Oh Snap Photography, Lufkin, Texas.

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter One – Why Are Margins So Important?

Chapter Two – Prepare to Enter

Chapter Three – Begin Each Day

Chapter Four – Intercession

Chapter Five – Goals

Chapter Six – Personal Goals

Chapter Seven – Devotional Goals

Chapter Eight – Family Goals

Chapter Nine – Ministry Goals

Chapter Ten – Mental Goals

Chapter Eleven – Financial Goals

Chapter Twelve – Physical and Recreational Goals

Chapter Thirteen – Personal Accountability

Chapter Fourteen – A Final Note

Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this

(2 Tim. 2:7).

Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn

(Psalm 108:2).

Introduction

It looked good to me! I was sure Mrs. Justice would love my latest creation in our fourth-grade writing class! No space was wasted. Those vertical pink lines on each side of the page were suddenly invisible, hidden under hearts and beautifully decorated cursive. The story became immaterial while I focused on cramming the most content possible on a single page. Mrs. Justice would most certainly be impressed. She wasn’t. She graced my work of art with a big fat zero! I was heartbroken.

Later she talked to me about my assignment. I should only write on the blue lines inside the pink lines. She said those pink lines were there for a reason: don’t write there! I knew that. But why? Because it’s messy, confusing, difficult to read, and distracting from what’s really important. I had to learn how to divide a word properly when bumping against that pink line. Those pink lines protecting the one-inch margins on either side of the page demanded my respect and attention.

And so it is with the daily pages of my life. The margins are there for a reason.

Many roadways have shoulders. They are there for safety and emergency reasons, not to drive on continuously. If a motorist insists on driving on the shoulder, he will eventually run out of shoulder or could have a serious accident. Yet many of us live our lives on the outer edges.

All trees are sensitive to root disturbance. Construction and landscaping around a tree can affect the tree’s health. The effect of these changes on existing trees can be quite devastating and can take five to ten years to become fully visible. Damage is not always easily or readily detected when safety margins are repeatedly invaded.

When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you. I am the Lord your God (Lev. 23:22). The margin or edges do not belong to us to do whatever we want.

As you can see, margins are important in this life, and they are important to God. Then why do we live our lives as if there are no pink lines? Why are our lives always full-steam-ahead and overcrowded until every white space is unrecognizable? Are we accomplishing more for God this way, daily living life and ministry in such a way that we’re oblivious to His call for margin? Perhaps we’re following Satan’s design for our lives more than God’s.

The effects of trampling the margins around your life may not be evident immediately. Like the tree, damage happens ever so slowly and unnoticeably until one day. Wham! Irreparable damage manifests itself, and the tree topples.

Stop. Do you recognize yourself here? Are the margins in your life so blurred that you’re completely unaware of the danger to yourself, your family, your ministry? There is an answer: God’s way.

My prayer as you read Marginalysis is that God will teach you personally what you need to know to live fully within the boundaries He has established for your life in order to be healthy and more productive. Boundaries are not restrictive; they create long-term health. A quote from Clint Eastwood in one of his Dirty Harry movies sums it up pretty well: A man has got to know his limitations.

Let’s begin by looking at what Marginalysis is and what it is not. Margin is defined as the edge or border of something. Analysis is the process of breaking a complex topic or substance into smaller parts in order to gain a better understanding of it. Therefore, quite simply, Marginalysis is the analysis of margin. Specifically, it’s the analysis or study of margin in our lives. It is not marginalization which is the treatment of a person, group, or concept as insignificant. To possess a clear understanding of the intended margin God designed for my life and live life within that margin is extremely significant.

Marginalysis is a composite of life insights derived from the Bible and other books, my choices and experiences (good and bad), education, conversations, moments of epiphany, and people who have knowingly and unknowingly invested into my life over the years. It is a gradual morphing into my current spiritual life which will continue to change and grow until I see Jesus. I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Your margins may not look like mine. I know what God wants me to do, and I am responsible to do what He wants me to do. You know what God wants you to do, too. Step out in faith and obey Him. Perhaps baby steps at first. Build margin into your day and life. Your time with God won’t look exactly like mine or anyone else’s. God speaks to you every day. Are you listening, or are you rationalizing His direction and nudges right out of your life? Building and protecting margin in my life is healthy and God-honoring.

This book will give the reader access into the window of my soul, where I am today in my walk with Jesus, and how I got to this place. I know I still have work to do, and I’m not where I want to be with Jesus. Truthfully, I want more of Him in my life today that I had yesterday. So, take your time peering through this window into my innermost being as I expose my vulnerabilities. I invite you to analyze what you discover and claim as your own anything that will help you grow in your knowledge, love, and commitment to Jesus Christ, our precious Savior and Lord. Underline, highlight, and make notes as God speaks to you. Make this personal to you.

I don’t have to serve the Lord; I want to serve the Lord. I don’t have