A feeling of accomplishment and relief...tax season is over!!! Tax season is always more than just my job from January through April 15th; it never ceases to provide opportunities to work on myself. Tax season always begins the same for me. I get excited about the challenges that may lie ahead and my annual visits with our clients. It feels like the beginning of a race...my adrenaline is pumping. The office comes alive with clients constantly coming and going and the phone buzzing with clients calling for appointments and tax questions. The passion to help others and to help them feel comfortable about a mandatory task is one of the many responsibilities of my job that I love.   But about half way through the "race" my self needs begin to rear up. The intensity I held in the beginning starts fading away. Working six days a week takes it toll on my roles as a wife and a mom. The demand of my time and attention at work leaves me with little to give at home. I start mentally beating myself up for not being more patient with the kids, for not giving my husband the quality time he needs and deserves, for not having the desire to clean up and fold the clean laundry....I JUST WANT SOME QUIET TIME ALONE!!!!! NO MORE DEMANDS OF MY ATTENTION AND TIME!!!

Thankfully, each year brings about an opportunity for improvement and personal growth. A four month "appointment" to work on striking a balance between self, home, and work. This year was perhaps the best ever and I attribute it all to my deeper relationship with the One who is in control of all things. I found that spending some quiet moments with him every day was not an option but a necessity to survive. If the mornings were rushed, then I left the office for lunch and quiet time at the park. What a difference to align soul, body, and mind with God who provides the direction and fruits of the spirit that I desperately need. A recurring theme this tax season that ran through my mind was "When I am weak, then He is strong."  2 Corinthians 12:10

"My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:8

"I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit." Ephesians 3:16

"Now all glory to God , who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think." Ephesians 3:20

I am ever thankful that each tax season is different from the rest. Each year I learn something different about myself, but this year was the best yet. For I was able to draw upon the strength of my God to finish the race.