Give Away!

AFTER

To the right is the picture of my closet after it has been cleaned out. I know it is not perfect and I still need to give away more, but would you believe that I gave away almost 50 items?!!! Does a pair of shoes count for one or two items? I have been very blessed, so I have much to share.
Luke 12:48b, "Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required...."

Speaking of giving away items. I have an announcement to make. Congratulations, Diane N. you have won the Easter give away - Making Family Traditions by Gloria Gaither and Shirley Dobson! Contact me to claim your prize. Thanks for commenting on my blog. I love to hear everyone's input, ideas, and encouragement for other moms. Keep it coming!

My Closet is Not Feeling Well

BEFORE

No this photo is not morphed. My closet really is that skinny and it is not feeling well. It looks like it has thrown up!

I know some of you are disgusted not only by the mess, but by the abundance of clothes that I have. Let me defend myself somewhat by saying that in my teens and twenties one of my hobbies was shopping resale, so only about twenty items have been bought since I have had children and almost all of it was less than $10.

However, now it is time to reduce, recycle, and change out winter clothes for spring. Join with me as I purge (get it) my closet of unneeded items, and tackle my sin of hoarding.  My sick closet is really a sign of a sick heart. When you don't have much money or you are a cheapskate like me, it is easy to get in a bad habit of hoarding. This way you have a better chance of having what you need when you need it.  Instead of hoarding, I need to trust God more to provide for my needs.  He has always provided for me and my family in the past through generous friends and family. Hopefully my new generosity will bless others in true need the way I have been blessed.

"As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works,  to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasures for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life."
                                                                                                                           -I Timothy 6

Control the "Catch-All" - Mom Mondays

BEFORE

Ok ladies, I am going to get real with you this week! Almost every day around 4:30pm, I begin my mad dash to pick up the house, so the house is generally picked up but not very clean. However, I have one area in my house (not counting my children's rooms of course) that is almost always covered with clutter. To the left is a real picture of my kitchen desk counter that I took today. Do you have one of those areas that is a "catch-all"?

AFTER

The beginning of the month and spring time is a great time of year to de-clutter and clean. I don't know about you but when my desk is cluttered, my brain and my life feel the same way. Join with me in starting fresh. You will really be surprised by the picture of my closet that will be up next. Can any of you compete with this cluttered picture? Send me your pictures.

"But all things should be done decently and in order."  - I Corinthians 14:40

Cleaning Police - Teaching Tuesdays

          If there really were police that had the authority to fine or arrest me according to how clean my house was, I would be in serious trouble. I am scared enough of my husband who randomly confiscates things that are left-out too long. This does keep my girls in check most of the time, but I need to find a way to get them more involved in tidying up and keeping our home more orderly. Next time we are cleaning up, I am going to add some fun by letting them pretend that they are the cleaning police. I think if I give them the power to collect fines, confiscate items, and dole out prescribed punishments for people who do not do their chores or clean up after themselves, this may get them more involved in the process. If it works temporarily, I will experiment with this long term - giving them a designated room to patrol for a week. I will let you know how it goes.

         If you have any great ideas about getting children to practice orderliness, I am all ears.