Okay … a bit of honesty here, and maybe even a little cryin’ on your shoulder … I hope you don’t mind my sharing some struggles I’m having! I’ve been down, and a bit depressed … not feeling well over the past couple of days … much of the ‘battle’ takes place in our minds, and we have to learn to overcome all the thoughts that plague us in our day to day life! Here’s the story … first of all, I have to admit that I’ve not been the perfect housekeeper … for awhile now, in fact! I’ve had trouble getting our home back in the ‘organized order’ that it used to be in (I have pictures to prove it) … and we need to purge, and declutter things we’ve collected over the past few years, a lot of which we don’t use anymore … all that on top of the everyday upkeep we housewives are so well known for. I wake up with every good intention of beginning this purging process, but I look, around, and really don’t even know where to begin! I do a little here, a little there, but it’s never enough! I don’t know about you, or if you’ve ever gone through this, but it seems I just can’t get a start to even get ahead, these days! It’s also a real struggle coming to that point of parting with our ’stuff’! When I was homeschooling Ian, I used to be very organized … a place for everything, and everything in it’s place (like I said, I have pictures to prove it) … but since my life has ‘changed’, and I’ve let things ‘go’ … (I have pictures to prove that, too … not sure if I’d want to share those with you though – what would you think of me?) … well, dealing with all of this, or trying to at any rate, has just been overwhelming for me, and I find myself becoming depressed about it now. I see the photos of your lovely homes on here, and wish that I could get mine to looking nice again. Is there anyone else out there who’s ever felt the same way, or similar, about this subject of keeping a clean, and organized, home?! Much of the time, I feel alone in this.
I could go into other details about my situation, but I will say that we have an extra room, and it’s chocked full of Ian’s things, books, clothes, several groups of collections … ones I know he’d want someday for his own children. Well, when he does come home, he most likely won’t be coming to live here, and we do need to deal with it all. We would have to anyway, because he’s ‘outgrown’ a lot of it … his interests have certainly changed since he’s been gone. Also, I still have all of his homeschooling materials, as well … what do I do with all of that?! Much of it is outdated, and although it’s all in excellent condition, I’m not sure anyone would use them. I’ve tried selling it to homeschool booksellers, but they would only give me pennies compared to what we put into it all, because, they said, no one wants them. Seems everyone wants the new, and improved these days. I’ve started going through some of the books, and the work he’s done over the years, but when I look on all the things he did when we were homeschooling, well, I have to be honest … it’s extremely difficult for me! Bring me the box of kleenex!! I miss those years … each day was special for us … I really have to pray and ask for God’s grace to cover me when I’m in there … it’s an emotional time for me. And that’s just one room … he also has lots of things in the basement … I don’t think that bothers me as much as his room upstairs … more memories there! Why do some memories have to be so painful?! If he were home, I don’t think it would hurt so much … forgive me for ‘moaning’ … it’s one of those days! I have much to do around here to get my life in order …. and, I sure would appreciate your prayers … for the desire to get this cleaning and organizing done, for the wisdom to know what to keep, and what to get rid of … but most of all … for God’s grace to get me through it all! I know once it’s done, I will feel better … I just need that ‘nudge’ to get me in gear! And, you have my permission to ‘nudge’ away!
Well, other than that, it’s been a gray day here, but nice. We had about an inch of snow earlier this morning … I made a pot of chili soup, and now I’m getting those wonderful smells of my banana nut bread that’s baking up for a pitch-in we’re having at church tomorrow. We’re also having a video at church tomorrow by John Bevere … on breaking intimidation and how to overcome fear. One of my friends went through the course, and it changed her life. I’m looking forward to it … anyone ever hear of John and Lisa Bevere? They have some great teachings to learn and grow from! It’s quiet here tonight … hubby’s working away on his coin supplies for the antique mall … I’m doing laundry, and catching up here with you, watching the kitties sleeping here at my feet. Loving little critters! They’ve been quite entertaining today … they were both sitting in the window together watching the birds playing in the snow earlier … then a couple of squirrels joined in on the fun. I think they were thinking that they’d like to be out there with them … but being indoor cats, well, watching will just have to do!
Here they are … the Moosh & Pooks, watching those birds,
and squirrels, earlier this morning.
Here they are squeezing into some tight sleeping quarters … well, trying to anyway!
It was the first time the Moosh let her share … I was so proud of him!
He really is a pretty nice ‘guy’! I had to get this on film!
I’ll close for now … need to check on my bread … it’s smelling like its’ done, and hubby is asking if he can have a piece while it’s still hot. I made enough so we could have a loaf of our own, too! I couldn’t resist! Anyway, I’ll leave you with a devotion that I read yesterday which prompted this post on OrGaNiZaTiOn, etc. … it was encouraging to me … maybe it will be for someone out there, as well. Thanks so much for listening, and for your prayers … I’m praying you’ll all have a happy, and most blessed Sunday in Him!!
Hugs,
~ Deborah <><
From ‘Like a Warm Cup of Coffee’
~ By Sarah Mae
Do you ever wonder why it’s so difficult to keep up with your work?
Do you ever feel like no matter what you do things just get messy anyway so why bother?
Do you ever feel depressed and overwhelmed at the work that just keeps piling up –
whether it’s cleaning, meal planning, or projects?
There is a reason that the laundry keeps piling up along with dishes, projects around the house seem never ending, and in general with all of our tasks, everything just seems to tend toward chaos.
Two words: The Curse
Oh let me tell you about that little curse that God pronounced on our domains as a judgement:
“Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife,
and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying,
‘You shall not eat from it’; Cursed is the ground because of you;
In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life.
“Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you;
And you shall eat the plants of the field…” (Genesis 3:17-18)
Because of Adam’s sin, our domains rebel against us as we have rebelled against God. Our commands to rule, subdue, and be productive are all the harder to fulfill. Everything is heading toward decay, and we are striving against it. No matter how many loads of laundry we do, there will always be dirty clothes. No matter how many times we clean the kitchen, for as long as we live it will get messy again. This is all part of the curse. Work is not the curse, unproductive work is.
So how do we overcome the curse?
We have to keep our eye on the eternal value of our work. If we are in Christ, then everything we do not only has value here on earth, but it has value for eternity. We have work that was created by God for us to do, and we have the power, approval, and authority to carry it out. We also have to remember that the Lord is using our domains, and the struggles, to perfect us in our worship and service to Him.
because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete,
not lacking anything.” James 1: 2-4
How we take care of our domains is all about our response to God. He gave us our domains, He gave us, as women, the ability to give life to them! We have to decide what our response to Him will be. Will we respond grudgingly, and feel hopeless because it’s just another “rule” to follow, or will we accept our tasks with joy, giving thanks for all the goodness and blessings we have been given?
Remember, He knows our weakness, and He’s not looking for perfection. Taking care of our domains is something to cling to, to take joy and honor in, and ultimately is something that will lead us toward Christ like character and humility. And if you’re anything like me, we need all the grace we can get!
Now go clean something for the glory of God!
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