Over the short three and half years as a mum and five years in ministry doing what I love, I've come to dislike the term "balance."

I've heard it said numerous times that it's all about finding a good balance between family, work and ministry. What I have found is that one can never get the balance right. What I have found more life giving for me is the term "rhythm."

Rhythm is a regular sequence of events. Rhythm can ebb and flow as life changes. The rhythm of life is far more flexible and moving than balance. One of the rhythms of life that has been working for me lately is regular time with God each day through prayer and reading the bible, this has helped me to manage the stresses of life.

It's not about how long I do it for or what time of day, just that I spend regular time with God.

I say it's been working lately because, if I'm honest, it hasn't always been regular and that has been when I have struggled the most. Being a Christian is about a relationship, and like any relationship you need to spend time on it. The time I spend with God each day is one rhythm or pattern that I cannot do without.

One of the other things I think everyone could do more of to handle life's stresses is simply rest, but our fast pace of life and everything grabbing for our attention means we don't do it enough.

The Bible says "come to me all who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28). And that's what my regular time with God is about - resting in him, the one who promises to never leave or forsake us.

Find what works for you in your rhythm of life and find opportunities to rest - it's something Jesus modelled for a reason, so something we need to do too.