Meet Starla

I have always been a maker of lists: columns of things to do, groceries to buy, daily tasks. All I needed was a slip of paper and a pen. But after our second son was born, I felt like I needed more structure in my daily routine as a wife and mother, so I started using a planner. My first one was small, pocket-sized to be precise. The next year I purchased a larger planner, and started adding my menu ideas each week. Over the next few years I tried various brands and styles, finally realizing that what I really wanted in a planner was simply not available. So I took up the challenge, designed the layout of a brand new planner, and in the summer of 2008 The Time Keeper was born. That first year I relied heavily on word-of-mouth advertising as well as email sharing for sales.

We’re still a small company, and we cannot compete with large companies that mass-produce products, and have a large marketing team. The Time Keeper is a one-of-a-kind, self-published item, which means it won’t be found with the big retailers across the nation. Currently, we are not working on any additional projects or items to add to our inventory.

We are an ordinary family, living ordinary lives. When you email, I’m the one who replies. When you call, you won’t get a complicated message with multiple options and extensions to choose from. In fact, the phone may be answered by one of our boys (and he’ll sound like a boy instead of a professional), but we’ll get your questions answered to the best of our ability.

I am the marketing team, the sales team, and the publishing team all in one, but at heart, I’m a stay-at-home mom, and there’s nothing in the world I’d rather do. There are many things in today’s world begging for our attention, but there are three things that are of utmost importance to me:

1. My relationship with God. I recently discovered Isaiah 32:17:…the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. (KJV) Knowing that inner quietness is possible in this crazy, noisy life motivates me to strive for righteousness, which can only be found as I live for Jesus, my Savior, and pursue a personal relationship with Him on a daily basis.
2. My marriage. When I married Cliff in 1996, we promised to love each other for life. To me, that means that I make sure that he is an important part of my everyday living. God has given us a strong marriage, and I don’t want to take that for granted. I am blessed to be Cliff’s wife.
3. My family. Four boys, four personalities, four men-in-training…Time passes so quickly, and I’ll never be able to redo these years. While my boys are growing into men, I want to be all there.

Because these things take priority, I’m not on Facebook or Pinterest, or even blogging in this season of life. I work hard to manage my time wisely, and I know it would be even more difficult if I joined these fascinating sites.

I still make lists. When everything is down in black and white, I can prioritize and think more clearly. It used to be that when my To Do list didn’t have everything crossed off at the end of the day, there was stress. But life has a way of bending us, teaching us to be flexible. When our youngest son was diagnosed with leukemia in 2007, my perspective changed, and I could see what was truly important. I still find pleasure in crossing items off my list. But the list doesn’t control me anymore. What really matters is more clearly defined, and I have learned to relax and enjoy the ordinary days.