To God alone...

There are times in life when you feel you have it all together and all figured out. You may not know where you are going, but you know where you have been, and how God was with you the whole way, and you know He is with you now and always. There are so many uncertainties, but there is such a peace because you have given it all to Him.


The past few months have been an amazing answer to prayer for Dan and I. We were once challenged with a lack of relationships and belonging that we needed in our lives to grow personally and spiritually.

Compared to this time last year, the past few months have been filled with wonderful blessings for our family. We have made it through many trials and can clearly look back and see where God has provided and protected us through it all. Although we are by no means in the best position our family can be in, we see the blessings and know that God is going to continue to be faithful.

To God alone be the glory.

Perspective

Just when you least expect it, when you are in your “happy place” allowing yourself to enjoy things in life that God has blessed you with…the past creeps back in. Somehow, some way, out of some scattered recent events in my life it has brought up some challenges that I faced in my past that have been hurtful.


Although none of these situations were in any way related to those past experiences, it brought back memories of that pain. It hit me from nowhere; I thought those things were behind me. But the pain came back like it was just yesterday. I started the typical martyr mentality “Why me?”; “Why again?”; “Why now?”. Then I realized…why not? Obviously there is something that God is trying to teach me that maybe I didn’t quite get before? And so instead of asking why, I began to ask God “What”. “What do you want me to learn from this Lord?” I realized that the pain I was feeling was brought back for a reason. So whenever I found myself wallowing in the pain, I would stop and ask “What do you want me to learn Lord?”

Did He give me a straight answer and tell me exactly what I needed to know? Of course not, but in His own way in the last few days I can look back and see where He has inspired certain things to happen, to get my heart back in the right place.

1Peter 4:12-13 "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy."

Give Thanks

I have had a song in my head for a couple of days now. Have you ever had that? The song is in your head not because you heard it on the radio, or because your kids are constantly singing it over and over. I am talking out of nowhere; a song that you haven’t heard in ages just comes to mind, as if something or someone inspired it to be there.

Things have been feeling pretty good for us lately. We have had some answers to prayer that have been awesome, and we feel God working in our lives. It has been a great feeling considering the trials we have gone through for what seems like so long, and I have really been enjoying the answer to prayers. But the last couple of weeks have been rough for me. Recently there have been some situations that I have been in that have been awkward, confusing, and even painful.

Because each of these situations oddly brought back painful memories of my past I knew God was obviously trying to work me through something I didn’t know needed work. So I began to pray in each situation, each day “What do you want me to learn from this Lord?” It is a prayer I learned a long time ago that helps me work through what God is doing in my life. It opens my heart to what He is teaching me in these moments, rather than dwelling in the pain and asking “why me?”. So each day any time these moments of confusion, or pain would pop up I would stop, and I would pray…”what do I need to learn Lord?”. I can’t say that He answered me the way I expected Him to… or that His answer is even complete at this time. What I will say though is that He is absolutely at work in my life and answering my prayer, even if it is just one tiny bit at a time…and this is how…

I went to the Fry’s earlier this week to pick up a few last minute things for the holiday. Dan and I are coupon crazy people so I had my coupon book with me with some coupons for $5 and $6 off my order (and some others) and was waiting in line to check out. As I was waiting there, I saw all of the families shopping together, obviously for the holiday. Out of nowhere God inspired me to share. So, as I was waiting in line, I tapped a lady on the shoulder, and told her I wanted to give her a coupon, and to have a Happy Thanksgiving. She didn’t know what to think, took it, and said a meek “thank you”. That felt great! So, I did it again to the lady in the next line over…then again to the couple behind me. Each time the people looked so taken aback, and confused. I would tell them that I just wanted to share some of God’s blessings in my life and I hoped they had an awesome Thanksgiving. The reactions were priceless. You could tell each time that even as small as this gesture was, it was huge to them. It showed kindness, and maybe just maybe in a simple way they felt God’s love through me. By the time I walked out of the store after I checked out I was completely giddy!

From that moment on, things felt different to me. I didn’t feel like I was existing under this black cloud, or trying to swim out of a pool of sorrow. I was flying on top of the world, seeing things much clearer, and in such a positive light. The next couple of days I had were so simple, yet amazing to me. I watched a movie and colored with my 3-year-old Matty, tickled and read stories, and saw a beautiful sunset. Dan and I had fun re-decorating our living room, and we had an amazing visit with some old friends at our house as watched our boys play together. We listened to Christmas music, sang together in the car, and saw Christmas lights. I am more motivated to go out of my way to do things for my kids, and my husband because I want to, because it brings me joy…not just because I “have to”. Dan and I probably had tonight one of the best Thanksgivings we have ever had with family in a long time. All of these simple moments have brought me such joy and have made me feel so completely connected to God in a way that is even hard to describe. I am taking amazing joy in the little things that are so easy for all of us to take for granted.

I know without a doubt, that God is answering my prayer. Even through the awkward, confusing, and painful moments He is there. He has reminded me how life is not about what happens to you, or what you get from life. Life is about what you do for others, and what impact you can make in His name!

Usually around Thanksgiving I write letters to very special people that have impacted my life in very special ways. I didn’t do that this year. That is not to say that there are not some absolutely wonderful people that I am amazingly grateful for. It is to say that I am giving all of the Glory to who deserves it more than anyone, to our Lord and Savior. For without God, none of the blessings of people or things in our life are possible. Without God, our life is empty.

The song that has been inspired in my mind all week is a song I know very well. I sang it many times when I was part of the worship team at my last church, and it has a lot of memories. I don’t think it was an accident that God chose to inspire me with a song that I have a history with. I know that was God’s way of showing me that I need to be thankful for my past, as much as I am thankful for all of the blessings He has given us in the present. So I sit here on this Thanksgiving night, with this song not only in my mind, but in my heart as well.

Psalm 69:30 (NIV)
30 I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.

Tonight and every night I will give thanks, with a grateful heart.

Give unto Thee

My wife and I have been through some fairly difficult struggles the past couple of years that have lead us to “downsize”, and lead much simpler lives when it comes to finances. At the time they were not choices we would have made, if God had allowed us the choice. But He didn’t allow us that choice, and for that we are grateful. What it did for us going through those changes was it made us much more aware of 1. There is a greater joy found in life outside of “things”, and 2. There are many people in this world struggling that need the touch of Christ’s love in their lives.

I was thinking today of a passage of scripture where Jesus spoke of a farmer who had a plentiful crop. The farmer built new storage houses or barns to store his harvest and basically said to himself “I am prepared for life” and decided to take it easy. But God said …You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? (Luke 12:16-21).

It is interesting that Jesus did not say this man gave to the poor, help his local church, or give to the missionaries. So is this farmer’s greatest sin greed? God said in (Matthew 25:31-46) that whenever we give to the poor or people in need we do it in His name, or give unto Him. And yet we can never out-give God, for He even gave His only son.

What does this have anything to do with us as a nation all the way down to us personally? We are probably one of the most prosperous nations in the world, and what have we done with this? Some people say the U.S. gives more than any other nation in the world. But would our country be where it is today if that were true? Our nation was founded on Godly principles, but have we lost all of that due to greed and self-fulfillment?

The middle class is shrinking. The rich are getting richer, and the poor getting poorer. I believe we have lost our way. We need to turn back to God and acknowledge Him. We need to give unto others as Christ would have given, not wanting anything in return (2Corr 9:7-11). We are commanded to do so. Then the Lord will bless us just as He says He will.

So as Becky and I have been going through our own personal challenges we acknowledge that one thing is for sure, even though we have always given, we need to give more. No matter how little we have there are things we know we can count on. We can count on God always using what we give for His Glory, and always providing for our needs. In times like these it is easy for all of us to want to hang on to everything we have. But it is times like these that we should give everything we can.

Organization Maintenance

Fifteen to thirty minutes a day. This is all it should take to maintain an organized lifestyle, once you have your processes in place. Look at these rules as routines and habits that hopefully become as natural as the habit of brushing your teeth or drinking coffee in the morning.

Use a List to Stay Organized
Get into a routine of writing a list once a week of projects that need to be completed. If possible, break each project into smaller projects. Then get into the habit of crossing out completed tasks from your list. Most tasks are repeated every week, so create a master list with space at the bottom to add additional tasks, and then make copies. Make a goal to cross out a certain number of projects every day so that the list is completed by the end of your week. Remember to post the list in a visible place.

Keep It Simple
The smaller the task, the easier it will be to complete; and completing a task feels good. If time is an issue, keep in mind that it is better to do a small project compared to doing nothing, even if the project is to only organize the bottom shelf of the medicine cabinet.

• Make it a goal to complete one small project every day from your list that is outside of your standard "master list".
• Divide your standard list into doable daily projects and cross them out every day.
• Save larger projects for the weekend or any other day you have more time.

Put Things Away Immediately
Sometimes, instead of putting things back where they belong, items are placed on the nearest flat surface or in the closest drawer. This small form of procrastination can later end up being a large organizing project. Saving a couple seconds by putting something near you instead of back where it belongs can waste minutes later.

• Get into the routine of touching something one time. Put dinnerware in the dishwasher after use instead of on the counter. Put clothes straight into the hamper instead of over a chair or on a bed.
• Deal with things right away. For example, when mail is brought into the house, either take care of it immediately or put it in an inbox that you will deal with at a designated time.

Clean As You Go
Instead of having small cleaning tasks become a huge cleaning project, clean every time you use something. For Example: After you use the toilet, shower, or sink, quickly wipe it down. Make your bed as soon as you get out of bed.

and Finally......


Don’t Let Clutter in the Door!

Prevent clutter by asking these 5 questions before buying:
• Who owns this already and might share it with me?
• What do I already have that is like this?
• Where will this be stored?
• When will I have time to use it and maintain it?
• Why do I want to buy this?

Must Have Organizational Tools

What a difference a basket or container could make when it comes to getting organized. Here are 8 organizing tools that would benefit most anyone.

1. Checklists: A checklist is the best way to get organized for any event. Most of us make a grocery list before going to the store, why not make a list for everything else in life? The benefits greatly outweigh the time that it may take to make one. The more checklists that you make, the faster you will get at it. So what kind of checklists should you make?

• Household maintenance: Develop a household maintenance list divided into months. Check the list a few months in advance to see if you need to schedule specific maintenance people to do a job for you.
• Christmas preparations: This could include special dinner preparations, gift shopping, Christmas Card Mailings, etc. This will alleviate a lot of stress for you during the hectic holiday time.
• Packing list: Packing for vacation or for just going on a business trip can seem like a daunting task. Make a list of everything that you need to pack. Include on your list things that you need to arrange before leaving on vacation such as stopping your mail, giving the neighbor the needed information, turning down the thermostat, etc
• Weekly cleaning list: A weekly cleaning list should be developed and hung on the wall for everyone to see. Beside each job include the person's name that is responsible for the job that week (We had one that went on the refrigerator growing up, a great tool for parents!). Make sure they mark through the job when completed.
• Weekly To-Do Lists: This can include anything you need to action, or simply remember. It can include anything such as grocery shopping, making phone calls, paying bills, sending emails, etc.

Developing checklists for your life will go a long way in reducing stress. Having a list will also make it easier to delegate tasks to other people in your household. The great thing about these checklists is they can all be stored on your computer and printed out as needed. Or if you prefer, create a special binder for all of your checklists. Once you start making checklists, you will wonder how you ever lived without them


2. Notepads: These are wonderful!!

• Magnetic notepad - Always handy because you keep it on the side of the fridge. You can use it to write things throughout the week to build your grocery list. You can also use it to keep track of your to-do’s for the week. I do both!
• Small purse notepad – Ever been in a store and want to write down a website on a package, a quick recipe, or a phone number when you receive a call on your cell? With a small notepad always in your purse you can easily have a place to make these notes and know exactly where to find it when you get home!
• Journal/Bigger notepad – Part of a bible study? Maybe belong to a reader’s club, or a Ministry Team? Chose ONE Journal/Notepad that is strictly used for that project, or purpose. By having one book specifically for that area in your life, you have a collection of notes to reference, a history of events and to do’s for the group, and a reflection of your experiences all in one place.

3. 3-ring binders: These are perfect for keeping similar themes of paperwork together in one place. Three possibilities are:

• Home Decorating Binder: Add tabs to make a section for each room and insert blank pages to jot down tips you read, pages from magazines and furniture or art from catalogs that you'd like to order.
• Warranties Binder: Include all of your household warranties for furniture, appliances, games, tools and electronics.
• Recipe Binder: Do you have a ton of recipes that are scattered or in a pile in your cupboard or drawer and you always spend 10 minutes finding the one you need. Or if you were like me you bought one of those cute little recipe boxes and never used it, or your recipes were too many different sizes and did not all fit in the box. By using a binder for your recipes you can easily use tabs to categorize such as Desserts, Appetizers, Main Course, etc. You can also use Sheet Protectors and tape or copy smaller recipes onto blank white paper in case you want to keep the sentimental recipe that was in Aunt Mildred’s handwriting.

4. Pocket Calendars: Never again miss an appointment, or double book your time.

• Keep a purse size pocket calendar with you at all times, so you always have your appointments handy.
• They can be used to enter in events, doctor visits, deadlines, reminders, etc.

**Very Important Rule! – NEVER keep more than one calendar! It is inevitable that the calendars will not always match and it will totally defeat the purpose of keeping your schedule in one place to stay organized.


5. Plastic Storage Totes: What better way to keep a room or a closet organized, than with these essential tools. Try them for:

• Rummage Sale Stuff: Store everything you plan to sell at your upcoming rummage sales in these storage totes. Have one for each category, such as Clothes, Toys and Kitchen Items.
• Make a Rainy Day Box: Include toys, crafts and activities that your kids only play with when the weather is not nice enough to play outside. The contents will be more special because they're not seen on a daily basis.
• Holiday Kits: Get one plastic storage tote per holiday that you normally decorate for. Label each with the particular holiday such as Halloween, Christmas and Easter, or use more general categories if you wish, such as Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. Include your seasonal decorations in the appropriate boxes.

6. Baskets: Since these come in so many different sizes and shapes, there are baskets to fit every need and style. Three basket thoughts are:

• Sewing Repair Basket: Hold anything you need to set on a button, mend a tear or make a hem.
• Reading Basket: Hold bookmarks, your reading glasses, a dictionary and sticky notes to tag pages when necessary.
• Pet Toys Basket: Corral all pet toys for your furry friend in one basket so they're not lying all over your house.

7. Portable File Keepers: These containers with lids and handles hold your hanging file folders, so you can transport your important paperwork from one place to another. Three ideas:

• Office-on-the-Go: If you're regularly on-the-road to get from one business appointment to another, these can work nicely for you. You can keep anything from contracts, to proposals to price sheets organized and a cinch to locate.
• Student Paper Finder: Have kids who are always bringing home papers that need to be signed, notes about upcoming school events or weekly lunch menus? If you use one of these file boxes, you'll never lose another important school-related paper again.
• Event Holder: Keep all aspects of your child's birthday party, your parents’ upcoming anniversary party or your wedding contained in one place.

8. Shelves: Wall space is so often forgotten about, but if you use it properly, you can free up tons of space. Wall shelves help do the trick. Here are three uses:

• Display Shelves: Get your family photos and decorative figurines off coffee tables and dressers, and onto display shelves. They're less likely to get damaged when your friend's little angels come to visit.
• Shelf with Pegs: Display your kids' trophies and special awards proudly. Shelves with pegs serve double-duty. They allow you to hang caps, umbrellas and other essentials underneath the shelves.
• Bathroom Shelves: Add some pretty glass shelves to your bathroom wall, and you have the perfect place to keep a waterproof radio, your toothbrush holder or cosmetics.

The beauty of organizing is that you can use whatever you want! Be creative! One thing is for sure, use any or all of these tools and you will be well on your way to having a more organized, and peaceful environment!

Devotion of a Father

My parents were not what you would call “young” when they had me. We are a blended family. My dad had two daughters and my mom had five daughters when they got married. Instantly they were past the 3.2 kids that the “typical American family” has…and ALL girls at that. So you would think that at their age of mid to late thirties with already seven girls that they were done. Well, my dad loves my mom so much that he wanted just one more…with her. My mom thought he was crazy. He was…crazy in love. It didn’t take much convincing. About three years after they were married, I arrived. My dad was 34 when I was born, my mom just one month shy of 40. Sure, nowadays that is very common, people have kids in their thirties all of the time. But back in 1980, that was “old”.


I remember growing up and all of my friends parents were in their thirties…when I was in grade school and junior high. Most of their parents had them in their twenties. That was the proclivity at the time…the way it was. I grew up being very aware that my parents were different than all of my friends’ parents. Mine had been around the block a few times (7 actually), so they were more laid back, didn’t worry as much, many times just let things take care of themselves and didn’t over-react. That’s not to say there were not very clear rules, and consequences in our home growing up. In many cases I saw a wisdom and maturity in my parents that the other parents seemed to lack. Nothing wrong with being younger parents, I just saw the advantage mine had being “older” and “wiser”.

One thing was for sure and that was they brought me up to be very conscious of the world around me. My father was always very careful to point out that we each have choices to make as individuals that will impact our future. “If your friends jump off a bridge, would you?” was one of his many mantras. He taught me to be an individual, and be proud of it. I didn’t have to wear the certain clothes, hang out with the “in” crowd, nor do certain things that might have helped my peers perceive me as “cool”. My job as a kid was to find out who I was, be me, and be the best I could be.

My parents were great examples. They always made it very clear to all of us (kids) that their number one priority was our family. Everything outside of that was secondary. My father showed this loyalty by going to work every day, six days a week, many times for ten (plus) hours a day. He loves his job, but more importantly he loves his family and providing for his family. Working has gotten increasingly difficult for him as the years have gone by since his diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis. It’s a disease that slowly progresses through the joints in your body, limiting your mobility and increasing pain each day. I have watched my father throughout the years suffer, some good days, some not so good. But he puts all of that aside, thinking only of his love for his family and his duty to take care of them. He loves us so much that even in the last 10-12 years as his disease has in many ways crippled him, he still pushes himself every day, for those 10 hours, those 6 days, to provide…for his family. This past week my mother told me that my father has been talking about how proud he is that I am such a great mother. What an amazing example I have had in my life. To this day I see devotion in my father that just amazes me.

My father will be 65 this Sunday. More importantly, after many years of convincing, he has finally planned his retirement. January 8, 2011 will be his last day of work with a company he has worked with for over thirty years. In the last few months that he has been planning his retirement I have found myself concerned for him. He has made working for his family such a mission for his life, that I was worried he may find no meaning for himself in retirement. I have asked him how he feels, if he is going to miss the people, the job…if he will be happy. To my surprise he looked at me with a sense of accomplishment, and fulfillment in his eyes and told me “I am ready, and I am looking forward to it.”

His retirement has been an entire emotional process for me. We are all moving on to new phases of life. We are beginning a transition of a type of role reversal I suppose. No longer do they have to take care of and look out for me so much as I am learning to take care of and look out for them in their later years.  No matter how old they become, as a daughter I always want to think of my parents as young. He is no longer the young father who used to playfully toss us in the pool, just as I am no longer the young daughter who could sit on his lap. But I will always be daddy’s little girl.

TRUST in God

I know I don’t have to tell you that times are tough for a lot of people right now. There is a good chance you may even be one of those people. I talked to my Grandmother the other day, and she was telling me how she remembers the Great Depression. She told me she remembers her mother and father sitting at the kitchen table crying, trying to figure out a way to keep the family farm and not have it foreclose. As she put it, fortunately the President at the time, Franklin D. Roosevelt put through government programs that allowed them to save it.

What about us in today’s times? What do we have to look forward to? I won’t tell you I know the future. What I do know is that God is in control. The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the Philippians telling them just that. In (Phil 4:6) it tells us that we are to worry about nothing! Not only that, but worrying is a sin. What we are to do is pray and ask God for all of our needs, and to TRUST God for all of our needs. That is not all. After this He makes a promise (Phil 4:7) He will give us His peace which surpasses our understanding, and it will guard us.

What is most interesting in (Phil 4) is that He says Rejoice always….not just in the good. In our society we seem to think that in good times things will always be good, and in bad times things will always be bad. This down time is just that; only a time. Everything will come back. We MUST look to God in this, for He will provide.

Consider (Matthew 6:25-34). Even Christ himself says do not worry. He tells us to seek after God and His righteousness and He will provide all of your needs (Matt 6:33). These times will pass, and tough times will come again. The most important thing to remember is God is in control of all things, and he will take care of all of the believers needs as he sees fit.

So maybe all of us need to remember that if we are going through these times and there is something we lose or do not have we must not pine away. God knows what we need and He will provide, so if we are not getting it, then maybe we need to consider that it is not needed. After all, as long as we have our faith, hope, and love, everything else is just trivial.

Something Special

Something different has been happening this week. Beyond all of the daily happenings of diaper changing, baths, running errands, making appointments...something is stirring. It is like I am more aware of things. I find myself slowing down and enjoying the sound of my boys play and giggle together, I walk down the hallway and notice my husband tickling our 5 ½ month old and just something within me that feels so divine.


I just feel so connected. Reminds me of a song I used to sing with my worship team last year. LOVE this song…and Jesus!

Room By Room Organizing

Pick a room. Any room. If you're overwhelmed at the idea of organizing and de-cluttering your home, these 11 tips can help get you started. Step One: Don't be intimidated.

Feeling overwhelmed at the thought of organizing your home? Start on a smaller scale instead and it will be a whole lot easier. For example, instead of starting with the entire house, commit to starting with one room.


Follow these steps and you're well on your way to an organized home:


1. PICK A ROOM - ANY ROOM. Decide on what room to start on. Write it at the top of an 8 1/2 x 11 inch sheet of paper. This will be your Action Sheet.

Example: BEDROOM A

2. CHOOSE AN ENTICING REWARD. Designate an appropriate reward to give yourself on the Dumping portion of the job. The reward concept serves as your motivation, so be sure to choose something that you’d really enjoy! Write this reward on your Action Sheet.

Example: Treat yourself to a pedicure or go out for a nice dinner -- whatever it is that you love to do. Write it on your Action Sheet.

3. SET A DEADLINE. Set a specific Dumping Completion Deadline for this one room. Write it on your Action Sheet. Example: DUMPING DEADLINE: APRIL 30

4. SCHEDULE TIME TO DUMP. Schedule 3 specific dumping dates (one hour for each). Hopefully this will be enough to complete the dumping portion of the job. Write it on your Action Sheet. Then, post the Action Sheet in a prominent place where you are certain to see it every day, like your bathroom mirror. It will serve as a reminder of your goal, deadline and pending reward.

Example: DUMPING DATES: APRIL 18 from 8-9A, APRIL 21 from 8-9A, APRIL 24 from 8-9A

5. KEEP YOUR APPOINTMENT. When the 1st dumping day arrives, keep that appointment, just as you would any other important appointment. Bring a bunch of large garbage bags. Play your favorite music in the background.

6. TIME IT. Set a timer for 1 Hour -- one that sounds off when the hour is up.

7. SORT THROUGH IT. Pick up one item at a time, and start dumping. (If you come across items you want to give to charity, designate a special bag for those items) Whatever you are going to keep, just put to one side of the room.

8. DO IT UNTIL THE TIME IS UP. Continue doing this until the timer goes off. If you prefer to continue, keep going. Otherwise, stop and follow the same procedures for your next two scheduled dates. Don’t let the garbage bags sit there. Make sure they are thrown out now (or donated), or on Garbage Day at the latest.

9. CELEBRATE. Once you’ve managed to dump everything you don’t want or need in that one room, it’s time to celebrate . Take advantage of that reward you designated.

10. KEEPING IT ORGANIZED. Now that everything in that room that you wanted dumped is gone, you’re ready to begin putting everything you are keeping back in an organized manner. Be very careful not to put anything else in this room that you don’t want.

11. REPEAT. Repeat this process for each of the other rooms in your house.

Living Hope

What is hope? Is it a kind of unsure optimism? The idea or “definition” of hope is “to wish for, to expect, but without certainty of the fulfillment; to desire very much, but with no real assurance of getting your desire.”

In Scripture, according to the Hebrew and Greek words translated by the word “hope” and according to the biblical usage, hope is an indication of certainty. “Hope” in Scripture means “a strong and confident expectation.”

It is tangible, we can put our trust in, and it is what will happen. The type of hope we can put a sound faith in.

Hope, if biblical, makes us heavenly minded rather than earthly minded.

Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV)
19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Hope affects how we use our talents, time, and treasures in our lives.

1 John 3:1-3 (NIV)
1How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears,[a]we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

Hope gives us protection

Psalm 33:18 (NIV)
18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,

Hope gives us joy and peace

Romans 5:2 (NIV)
2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[a] rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

In summary, hope is the confident expectation, the sure certainty that what God has promised in the Word is true, has occurred, and or will in accordance with God’s sure Word.

Hope is one of the most amazing things that God could have provided us. It’s a promise from Him that we can be confident knowing His promises are true. Apply that to daily life and no matter what you are going through, you can live with joy, love, and hope knowing that everything is in God’s hands.

(Portions of this explanation of Hope was written by J. Hampton Keathley III, Th.M.)

Our Story

Just a few months ago marked the two year anniversary of something you would think my husband Dan and I would want to forget. Yet we both look back at it in awe of where we are now, coming from all that happened since then. I remember it like it was yesterday. Our first son was six months old at the time, and I had just settled into an awesome position working for a company that I had previously worked for, and was very excited to go back to. We were blessed to have a big increase in my salary when I went back to this company. I was finally adjusted to being a working mom, and life just seemed to be going pretty darn good. Then I got the call.

It was about 10:15am at work, and it seemed to be a typical day supporting a VP in the company as her Executive Assistant. I was sitting at my desk, and my cell phone rings. I worked in a very secure building, I NEVER get cell phone reception. For some reason this day I got cell reception just long enough to receive a call from my brother-in-law (my sister’s husband). My brother-in-law? My family is close, but not that close…something was up. I was confused at first, but now really nervous. You see my brother-in-law was in construction and by an odd coincidence just finished working on a job with Dan and the company Dan worked for the week before. The conversation was short, and to the point. He said to me “Becky, Dan had an accident at work. He is okay, but he asked me to call you and let you know that you need to call him on his work phone, because his personal cell got broken in the accident.” Accident? He worked in construction. This could be any number of things. Just a few weeks before he had to go to an Urgent Care because he sliced his finger on something and it wouldn’t stop bleeding. But wait, he broke his cell phone? My mind was wandering all over the place wondering what had happened, but I remember the entire time having this amazing calm and peace about it.

John 14:27 (NLT)

27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

Without even having to ask, God was right there telling me that this was exactly in His will, and everything would be fine. I just knew it. I called Dan, and he sounded okay. He proceeded to tell me that the ladder he had been working on buckled on him; he fell to a cement floor, and landed on his chest with his arms underneath him trying to catch himself. He was at the hospital with his work partner, and they were pretty sure he had broken his arm. Ok…could be worse. As quickly as I could, I let work know I had an emergency, and left to drive to the hospital. In my 30 minute drive there my nerves got to me. I started thinking what if it is worse than just a simple break? What if there was permanent damage? How long will this put him out of work?

Philippians 4:6 (NIV)

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

I realized what I was doing, and knew I needed to leave my worries to the Lord. So I prayed, then I started calling friends and starting prayer chains. For some reason at the time I felt I needed to ask for prayer of 3 specific things. I asked them to 1. Pray for Dan to be in little pain; 2. That he could have complete healing; and 3. That his injuries would not require any kind of surgery.

Here we were a young family settling into our dream house, enjoying our first born, being comfortable in our jobs and finances, and serving the Lord through a church plant with some friends. Life seemed great. Dan’s accident was just the beginning of our life about to be flipped upside down more than we could have ever imagined.

To our dismay, Dan’s ER visit was not the end of his injury, or our problems…it was just the beginning. Dan went through two surgeries, months of physical therapy, and a constant battle with workman’s comp. Dan and I always chose to be positive, so after Dan’s second surgery three months later we were optimistic about getting back to “normal” life and have him go back to work. He tried…it didn’t work. The doctor told us he just needed more time and put Dan back on full disability. A few weeks later (six months after Dan’s original injury) I got word from my company they were about to go through a big layoff. Out of five Vice Presidents they laid off two, and the VP I supported was one of them. This meant without the VP…there was no Executive Assistant position…so I was jobless as well.

From there things just seemed to pile on, one on top of another. It wasn’t just taking a financial toll on us, it was a huge emotional battle. We thought we had it all together, we thought we knew what it was all about. I mean, we were being responsible, providing for our family, serving the Lord! We had a huge heart for serving and were constantly coming up with new ways of ministering by outreaching and serving people. Why is this happening to us Lord?

We went through the motions for a while but when it was confirmed Dan has a permanent disability and the workman’s comp became a lengthy legal battle we began to face reality. The reality was that we were about to lose everything we had worked for in our married life. We already both lost our jobs, and now we were losing our home, our cars…our life as we knew it. Even some of our relationships suffered because no one could understand what we were going through. So almost a year and a half after that ER visit, and about a year after I was laid off we hit bottom. We realized that all along when we thought we had our life together, we thought we knew what it was all about…we felt lost.

Philippians 3:7-9 (NIV)

7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.


We knew that God was using these things in our life to teach us. Had we REALLY surrendered ALL to Him like we thought? It is funny how you don’t know what you need, or how much you really need it until God puts it right there in front of you. This began a whole new spiritual journey for us beyond what we ever thought God would take us through. Our whole lives we had a tug in our hearts, a passion to serve God, serve others, to share Christ’s love and spread the gospel…and yet the whole time without realizing it we were trying to do it our way…instead of HIS.

Psalm 51:7-13 (NKJ)

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

8 Make me hear joy and gladness,

That the bones You have broken may rejoice.

9 Hide Your face from my sins,

And blot out all my iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me away from Your presence,

And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,

And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,

And sinners shall be converted to You.

So here we are over two years since Dan’s accident. Most people would expect us to describe the last two and a half years of our lives as heartbreaking and incredibly trying. Dan was asked one time by an acquaintance who knew our story and watched the way we lived our lives “I don’t get it…after everything you are going through. You still have a smile on your face, you still have this joy. How?”… As I said to someone recently who heard our story for the first time “It has been an awesome ride”.

Why do we say this? How do we have such joy? Because we live with a hope that only God can give.

Hebrews 6:18-19 (NLT)

18 So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. 19 This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.

We have prayed and prayed each and every day that God would use this story for His glory, and that He would do a mighty work in and through us. There hasn’t been a day that goes by where Dan and I don’t see the Lords hands in our lives. He has been incredibly faithful in providing for our every need, even when we didn’t know what we needed or what to do next. We have completely surrendered all to Him, and because of that we know that no matter what happens it is in God’s will, and we are just along for the ride.

10 Ways to de-clutter your home.

Listed below are several ways of going about the process of de-cluttering. Of course, this process will not be done in one day, after all it took time to make it this way. Start slow and take the time needed to follow through. You will find that de-cluttering is not as hard as you thought it would be.

1. Cupboards - Go through all of your kitchen cupboards, one at a time of course, and you will be amazed at what you find that can be thrown out. When I cleaned mine out not too long ago, I had 10 coffee mugs and Dan is the only one that drinks coffee in our home. I also found spices that were about 7 years old eek (Don’t worry I NEVER used them, hence the age)!!

2. Bedroom Closets - The saying goes - If you haven't worn it in a year, get rid of it. I am not sure I agree with that statement totally, but it is a good guideline to follow. I am always amazed at the clothes I get rid of (and how many I still have) when I clean out my closets!

3. Bookcases - Now, I don't know about you, but I have a tendency to gather books. I looked them all over and got rid of the ones that didn't sound interesting. Also, go through knickknacks, papers, magazines, or anything else filling up those bookcases.

4. Kids Room - This is something that needs to be done about twice a year. Go through their clothes, toys, video games, etc and out goes anything they are no longer interested in. If age appropriate, get the kids involved and tell them your family will be donating these items to kids less fortunate. This is a great way to motivate them and teach them the importance of giving.

5. Bathroom - We know how cluttered and overflowing those vanities and medicine chests can get. Go through all those goodies and if it has hardened, softened or changed color, or of course expired, get rid of it!

6. Linen Closet - Towels, sheets, curtains, etc, are also things that need to be periodically sorted and tossed. I discovered that we still had 3 sets of queen sheets, but no longer have a queen bed in the house! Who knew?? I gave the sheets to my mother in law for the family cabin. I also took my old kitchen towels that no longer matched my décor or were worn and put them in the cleaning rag pile in the laundry room.

7. Under Your Bed – Personally I do not store anything under here, just a personal preference. But I do know for many people it can be very convenient storage for off-season clothes, etc. This part of the de-cluttering can be quite scary. Proceed with caution and always have a weapon, such as broom, vacuum cleaner or bug spray with you! Who knows what you will find under there, but I bet a lot of it can go.

8. Organize - There are so many great products these days that hold everything. Get some inexpensive plastic boxes and neatly store all your items that are not in display or not used daily. You can get small ones in the dollar stores to organize your CDs, use them in your pantry or cupboards, store odd and ends, letters, papers, you name it!

9. Throw Out the Old - One thing you must absolutely remember when de-cluttering is you have to THROW AWAY the NOT USED or WANTED. DO NOT just take everything out and rearrange!!! That is a temporary solution and is not sufficient!!!!!

10. Everything in its Place - Once you have everything de-cluttered and organized, get everyone to keep everything in its place and your home will remain organized and clutter free forever! Yea, right - nice dream, but we will be doing this very same thing in the not too distant future!

Go through this process about once a year. De-cluttering and organizing gives me a sense of control and achievement. This might not mean much to some folks, but think a moment......... if you can get control over this part of your life, maybe taking control of the big things will not be so hard! And you will have MORE TIME!!!

Small Steps

Start Small. Small, easy tasks will help you begin to feel the satisfaction of organizing/de-cluttering without getting overwhelmed.

1. Toss 10. Grab a trash bag. Find ten items in your home that you no longer need or want and put them in the bag. Toss the bag in the trash or put it in your donation box, and never look back.

2. Clear a surface. Find at least one cluttered surface, like a coffee table or dresser top, and completely clear it of all clutter, swiftly dumping any trash.

3. Toss old magazines. Go through your home and gather any old magazines or newspapers you've already flipped through. Recycle or donate them today.

4. Weed out 5. The thought of weeding out your entire filing system may seem daunting, but anyone can weed out just 5 file folders.

5. Pick through a junk drawer. Whatever you can't identify or is clearly junk (meaning you'll never use it) gets tossed.

6. Toss anything expired. Go through your fridge and medicine cabinet gathering anything perishable that has expired.

7. Dump junk mail. Quickly go through your pile of mail and dump anything that is clearly junk mail.

8. Put things away. While carrying a large shopping bag with handles, go through your home putting at least 8 things that are not in their correct place in the bag. Then, deliver those items to their proper homes

Try to complete one or more of these tasks each day and build up from there. This can help you feel accomplished without it being too overwhelming. In time, these will become habits and you will begin to be pro-active on avoiding clutter instead of re-active after the clutter builds up.

5 Energizing Ideas for Organization

You may ask, "What's the best way to get organized? How do I create the best system for myself? How do I know what to do with all this stuff?" Getting organized often loses steam at the first step. Instead, take a deep breath, match your rhythm to meet the challenge, put on some good music, and de-clutter your space. Does the thought of getting organized sap your energy? It doesn't have to. Here are 5 energizing ideas.

1. DECIDE WHAT WORKS FOR YOU. What feels most comfortable? Working small projects in small amounts of time? Or are you a get’r done kind of person that wants to get it over with on large projects?

2. TAKE A DEEP BREATH. Getting overwhelmed just looking at the clutter is one of the greatest excuses not to start. Take a deep breath and focus on one small area. Once that area is done, there will be plenty of time for the rest.

3. EARLY BIRD OR NIGHT OWL. There's no doubt about it. Organizing your home or office does take some energy. That's why knowing your peak energy level is so important. If you're an early bird and your energy level is very high in the morning, that's the best time for you to de-clutter. If you have more energy at night, organize during that time instead.

4. KNOW YOUR LIMITS. Some people are at their best when they work in long, marathon sessions. Others can only work for 15 minutes at a time. Determine your limits and set your organizing schedule within that timeframe.

5. EAT HEALTHY, GET ENOUGH REST. Not eating nutritious meals regularly, and/or not sleeping enough, both highly contribute to feeling sluggish and disoriented. Eat nutritious meals, and get at least 7 hours of sleep per night. You may be amazed at how much more you can get done if you adjust these two areas.

6. MEGA MUSIC. Listening to cheery, upbeat music when you're organizing can really get you moving, and keep you alert. Don't play it so loud so that it's a distraction. Keep it at an enjoyable, background level.



 

What is Organization?

For most of us it would feel absolutely wonderful to always be completely on top of things and always know exactly where everything is; but the thought of wading through the “stuff” in our life to get to the point of organization can be very intimidating, and overwhelming. Rest your weary mind - the time has come to reveal the answer to the meaning of (organized) life. Ready? Here it is: Things need to go where they need to go.

When something is "organized" it means simply that it's where it needs to be. Where is that? In a place that reflects what the thing specifically means to you. You are disorganized if you need something somewhere that you don't have it or have something somewhere that you don't need it.

Try this. Reach into your purses or wallet and see if there's something that doesn't belong there permanently and which has been there longer than a few hours (besides money). Almost everyone has at least one thing in that category - a receipt, a business card, a scrap of paper with scribbled notes, an old shopping list, or piece of mail. These are things whose location does not map to their meaning for you. If the item has no further usefulness, it is trash, but it's not in the trash. If it's something you need to do something about, it's not in a place to remind you to do it. There is a mismatch between what the thing is and where it is.

Lots of folks will say that their "stacks" are what they want and that's the best way to be organized. But most piles that people have around them have a blended mixture of stuff to read (actions when they have time to read), stuff to store away that they want access to (reference), stuff to throw away (trash), and stuff they still need to decide what they are going to do about. The background stress from those constipated stacks generates a mental callous - we stop noticing the piles, at least enough to really do something about them.

So why do so many people feel like they need to be more organized? Because most avoid deciding what so many things actually mean to them, which makes it impossible to know what to do with them. And what's even tougher is that even if they "get organized" according to this simple criteria, it is highly likely that they can become disorganized rapidly. Over time (and often not that much time) things change in meaning. The magazine is no longer the current issue, the project is no longer something we're committing to action, and the good idea isn't so good any more. So even if we get our ducks in a row, they wander of their own accord.

Being organized is a dynamic process, demanding consistent reevaluation, rethinking, and renegotiating the relevance of things in our physical and psychological environment.

 

Who I am

You could say that today is somewhat of a big day for me. It’s my birthday…..my 30th birthday. So 30 is not that big of a deal right? Well I am not having a mid-life crisis over it or anything…LOL. Though I can’t help but reflect on the last couple of decades of my life, and think of all of the memories. Do you ever look back on your life and think to yourself “Wow, this is not where I thought I would be at this point in my life”? That could be a not so good thing, or it can be a GREAT thing. The point is that life is un-scripted. We may begin a journey expecting for it to take us in one direction, and it takes us to a totally different place, on a totally different journey, sometimes leaving us wondering where to go next.


As I am sure many kids do, each time I reached a new point in my life I was excited for what was ahead: Junior High, High School, College years, and the journey into “adulthood”. Through these different seasons of my life I have had my fair share of triumphs and heartache. My twenties was that time when I expected life to be grand and to live on top of the world. I had that type of amazing ambition that nothing can stop me from being who I want to be, and achieving what was in my heart. Little did I know that God was just about to send me on the endless journey of finding who I truly was… in Him.

It is so easy to go through life and base who you are or your self-worth on your experiences. Coming from a family of 8 girls (yes I said 8 girls!) and me being the youngest - my whole life I have been known by all of these sisters as their “baby sister” or the “little sister”. No matter if I was 12, or 18 or…..29 and getting ready to have my second child. I was their “baby” sister. It was who I was in the family, my identity.

You see, with my oldest sister being 16 years older than me, and having 6 more sisters in between us, I always had someone to look to. I always had someone to watch their milestones in their life, and think wow…I can’t wait to be that age and be at that point in my life. It is easy to see others and look to how wonderful their life seems to be and think you want that.

Then you have different times in your life where you are just trying to find “who” you are. Typically people associate this with what they do, their “career”. Myself, (because of my health issues as a child) I thought I was going to be a nurse from the time I was about 10 years old. In high school I was even accepted into a magnet program that was basically a head start at a health career. I spent my junior and senior year starting school an hour before all of the other kids for lecture in my health classes, as well as doing several rotations at hospitals, nursing homes, etc. I even volunteered for several years at an extended care facility, and graduated from high school already having my CNA license (Certified Nursing Assistant). Life took a turn and God lead me away from my nursing ambition. I know why He lead me away, but sometimes I still even wonder what He is leading me to…

What I do know and that God has taught me even recently is that we cannot identify ourselves by what we do, what we have, or even what people say about us. I was the baby in my family, I was going to be a nurse, I “wanted” things others had. But NONE of that would have made/makes me who I am. God has created in us a heart that only His love can satisfy. Above all, who I am is a beloved daughter of Christ. We are seen as precious in His eyes and unique, there is no other like you. We all have a unique role to play in God’s story.

Dear Lord, I have learned enough to know now that I cannot expect any certain thing to happen in my life in this next decade and beyond. What I do know is that you are an awesome and amazing God that loves me so much that you have the hairs on my head numbered. Though this journey I am on is not painless, I know that you are right there leading and guiding me, because I am your precious child. Wherever you take me Lord, I will praise you, and I will seek to glorify you in all of my experiences!

Let's Get Started!

Work, kids, school, errands, shopping…let’s face it, life can be hectic. Many of us are all too familiar with the overwhelming feeling that comes with filling so many different roles in life. With all of the items on your to do list how is there ever time to be pro-active and organized? The question should be how can you afford not to?

Did you know?.....

• The average person spends less than 2 minutes per day in meaningful communication with their spouse or “significant other”.

• The average working person spends less than 30 seconds a day in meaningful communication with their children.

• In the last 20 years, working time has increased by 15% and leisure time has decreased by 33%.

• A person who works with a “messy” or cluttered desk spends, on average, 1-1/2 hours per day looking for things or being distracted by things or approximately 7-1/2 per workweek. “Out of sight; out of mind.” When it’s in sight, it’s in mind.

• 40% of working people skip breakfast. 39% skip lunch. Of those who take a lunch break, 50% allow only 15 minutes or less.

• 1 hour of planning can save 10 hours of doing.


Some of these facts can be quite sobering. Many of us are so busy getting life done, we are not living life. Who wouldn’t want the time, energy, and motivation to do more of the things we love. Spend time with family, start that garden, relax with a good book, or perhaps…begin pursuing that dream we placed on the back burner so long ago. Getting yourself organized can take just a few minutes a day. Before you know it you will be slipping into a new routine that will give you less stress, and more time in your day.

Out of necessity I have found, and developed many ways to organize, and simplify both my personal and professional life. It has somewhat become an unusual passion that I have. Over the years in both my personal and professional life I have been told by friends, managers, and clients that I have a “talent” for organization. The one thing that I find is one of the biggest challenges with organization is people get overwhelmed and they don’t know where to begin. So here I am ready to share with you many of the things that I have learned, and some strategies which I have developed myself that can make life a little easier. SIMPLY ORGANIZED is about helping you organize your life concerning family, work, and home so that you can get back to what really matters in your life.