When my husband and I were first married, we faced the decision of whether we would stay in the small town I was born and raised in, or if we would move on elsewhere. Well, some things kind of landed in our lap in this little town and we felt it was God's way of telling us to stay... for the time being.
Eleven + years and 2 kids later: we're still here! Being part of this town has so many blessings. Truly. People smile at you, even if they don't know you. They wave to let you through the stop sign first. It is very likely that you will run into someone you know (or who knows your mom) while you are out grocery shopping. The feeling of community is very prevalent here. People bring meals to those who are sick or who have had a baby. We support locally run businesses (the local coffee shop gals and owner know my name and my "usual"). We buy from the local fruitstands to support our farmers. Parents watch out for each other's children. If you run into someone you don't know here in town, just striking up a conversation with them will reveal how you are related to them or a friend of theirs. Or perhaps that you went to school with their brother or neighbor. And if you are looking for a referral on a housekeeper, electrician, painter, or piano teacher, all you have to do is ask at the library and they'll find someone who knows someone who does a great job at that. Or just ask my Mom. She knows just about everyone who lives here.
(Not that many of these things couldn't happen in a big city... it's just unlikely.)
My husband had to adjust to this life. People actually do "Sunday drive" on Sunday. And sometimes on Saturday... well, pretty much any day. The restaurants close by 9:00, if not 8:00 on the weekdays. It used to be many businesses were closed on Sunday. But the slower pace of life suits us as well as the lack of superficiality that we found in other cities. There are genuine people here, not interested in being better than all the rest, but who care about you and want to see you succeed.
Buuuuutttttt, on the other side of things: sometimes life in a small town isn't so grand. Somedays it's nice that everyone in the town knows you. Other days it's not so nice. When people know more about you than you know about yourself, that's a problem!
I was chatting with someone today who told me something that nearly broke my heart. Without going into detail, it was essentially someone accusing someone else of something they didn't do, because someone else said they did do it. (See how silly that sounds just reading it like that?!) Unfortunately, in a town like ours, Word Of Mouth (and I capitalize that because it's a big deal here) goes a long way. This has the potential to be great, if you are perfect and no one has any complaints about how you do your business. However, if you rub the wrong person the wrong way... watch out!
When situations like this arise, sometimes I feel like I really lack answers in knowing how to handle them. But going back to the Bible is always the best answer. I think this one really hits home for me because it not only tells us what not to do, but what we should do instead: "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Ephesians 4:29.
And on the other side of things: 'Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.' Romans 12:19. I'll admit, this one's hard for me because when someone I care about is hurt, the Momma Bear in me comes out. But instead, I talk it out with my husband and he lets me vent to him so I can let it go. And it's interesting, I have witnessed when family and friends have handled their difficult situations in the ways that God has laid out for us, He sets it straight. In His way, though; not necessarily the way we want things to go.
(As a side note: While doing some reading up on this post, I came across this little devotion from "Right From the Heart, Right To The Point". It defined Righteous Anger and then explained Jesus' purpose for it. It made me think twice about all the times I've been angry with someone and could have handled the situation without anger. A good short read.)
*And if you're wondering if any of the "someones" mentioned above are you, don't worry, they're not. :)
I'd love to hear about your likes/dislikes about living in a small town/big city. I've done both and am quite content to be where we are... for now.
KC
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
non-guilty resting
I made the mistake of sitting down and suddenly all that I still had left on my "to do" list was gone from memory! I'm usually a night owl. I can work on a project till midnight, or at least 11:00. Anytime in bed before then is an early night for me. Maybe, perhaps, that has something to do with why I'm not a morning person...
Today's Gift of Survival: allowing myself to go to bed. Early. Kind of early. Today was one of those days where I hit the ground running and didn't sit until the kids were tucked into bed. I don't even remember lunch, but I think it was in there somewhere. I know there were a few helpings of coffee, that's for sure. And tonight, as I think through all I still feel should be finished, I know I could re-motivate myself into getting these things done. I've done it before. But perhaps it would be better for myself (and anyone who comes into contact with me tomorrow) if I just went to bed. All those things will still be waiting for me tomorrow. So tonight I will issue myself a "go to bed on time with out feeling guilty" card.
Just a few reminders of "resting" from whatever you need rest from:
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
"I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8
"I lay down and slept; I awoke for the Lord sustained me." Psalm 3:5
"My soul finds rest in God alone, my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, He is my fortress, I will never be shaken." Psalm 62:1-2
"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:28-31
Praise the Lord for being our resting place and renewing our strength (physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual) each day!
KC
Today's Gift of Survival: allowing myself to go to bed. Early. Kind of early. Today was one of those days where I hit the ground running and didn't sit until the kids were tucked into bed. I don't even remember lunch, but I think it was in there somewhere. I know there were a few helpings of coffee, that's for sure. And tonight, as I think through all I still feel should be finished, I know I could re-motivate myself into getting these things done. I've done it before. But perhaps it would be better for myself (and anyone who comes into contact with me tomorrow) if I just went to bed. All those things will still be waiting for me tomorrow. So tonight I will issue myself a "go to bed on time with out feeling guilty" card.
Just a few reminders of "resting" from whatever you need rest from:
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
"I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8
"I lay down and slept; I awoke for the Lord sustained me." Psalm 3:5
"My soul finds rest in God alone, my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, He is my fortress, I will never be shaken." Psalm 62:1-2
"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:28-31
Praise the Lord for being our resting place and renewing our strength (physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual) each day!
KC
Monday, April 30, 2012
crumbling
This evening, my daughter revealed something to me once again. Here's the story: she had gotten out of bed while I was on the phone. She sat on the stairs during my short conversation even though I told her to go to bed two times during the conversation (fortunately, this conversation was with my sister-in-law who, with the help of her hubby, has raised a strong-willed daughter herself... and did a might fine job of it! But still, she was probably snickering as she listened to me scold my girl). (The two of them do that often: giggle at me and my husband. It's the "been there, done that, so glad we're through that," giggle). Getting back to the point at hand, I finished the conversation and told her that she needed to get back into bed or she would lose a privilege. I turned back to what I was doing and heard her slide down the stairs that she was supposed to be walking back up to get to her bedroom.
I turned back to her and defined rebellion for her: When you do something on purpose that you know you are not supposed to do. When you choose wrong instead of right, intentionally. I told her that when she does that she is not showing her love to God. I reminded her that she often tells me how much she loves God and Jesus and that it's difficult to believe those words when she purposely disobeys. The look on her face told me that perhaps I had laid it on a little too thick. Yikes. Immediately, her face crumbled. The tears sprang to her eyes and she was devastated. And the first words out of her mouth were, " I don't want to go to the bad place!" (We've had many "come to Jesus" conversations, she and I, including what hell is possibly going to be like, in as gentle of terms as possible for a child's sake.)
Oh my! It was worse than I thought! I had not only guilt-tripped her, but had scared her into thinking she was going to hell simply because she didn't get back into her bed when I asked her to! What kind of Mom am I?
Today's Gift of Survival: Forgiveness. I took my little girl by the hand and told her that we could make it right. I told her that she should do the right thing by going back up to bed and then we would have a conversation with Jesus about forgiveness. She slowly went back up the stairs and I opened in prayer with her, making her ask for forgiveness herself. She was in tears again and simply said, "please forgive me?" This opened the door for further conversation about forgiveness and truly being sorry for our actions. And, of course, it got me thinking about how I should be applying this situation to my own life. I'm always being taught through my daughter... (*sigh*)
I will admit that although I have been saved by an amazing Savior, sometimes I still intentionally make choices that He would deem as "rebellious." Maybe you don't, but I do. Sometimes I go with the "because I want to" attitude. It's not right, I know.
But how often do I crumble and fall at God's feet when I come face to face with my sinful choices? Not often enough. I'm not saying that I should be on my knees, begging for forgiveness all day long (even though I probably need to be). But the fact is this: God sent His son (if you've got a son, or a child, for that matter, you can imagine the agony of the Father) to die. For me. Because I make stupid choices. All the time. And in order for me to have any chance of getting into heaven, those stupid choices (aka: sin) have to be atoned for. So His son took ALL my sin, the weight of the whole world upon his shoulders so that I could be cleaned up all shiny and get into heaven.
And what do I do with that? I take it for granted.
Every once in a while, the weight hits me and I crumble. I don't take those "crumblings" lightly. I take those moments and tuck them into my heart that I might have them with me to remind me: Live a life of gratitude to God. He sent His son. Giving Him back my entire life is the least I can do for Him.
Oh my - that was heavy, wasn't it? So I'll end with one of my favorite corny jokes (and just so you know, I've got about 100 favorite corny jokes.)
What do you call a cow that has just given birth?
decalfinated
KC
I turned back to her and defined rebellion for her: When you do something on purpose that you know you are not supposed to do. When you choose wrong instead of right, intentionally. I told her that when she does that she is not showing her love to God. I reminded her that she often tells me how much she loves God and Jesus and that it's difficult to believe those words when she purposely disobeys. The look on her face told me that perhaps I had laid it on a little too thick. Yikes. Immediately, her face crumbled. The tears sprang to her eyes and she was devastated. And the first words out of her mouth were, " I don't want to go to the bad place!" (We've had many "come to Jesus" conversations, she and I, including what hell is possibly going to be like, in as gentle of terms as possible for a child's sake.)
Oh my! It was worse than I thought! I had not only guilt-tripped her, but had scared her into thinking she was going to hell simply because she didn't get back into her bed when I asked her to! What kind of Mom am I?
Today's Gift of Survival: Forgiveness. I took my little girl by the hand and told her that we could make it right. I told her that she should do the right thing by going back up to bed and then we would have a conversation with Jesus about forgiveness. She slowly went back up the stairs and I opened in prayer with her, making her ask for forgiveness herself. She was in tears again and simply said, "please forgive me?" This opened the door for further conversation about forgiveness and truly being sorry for our actions. And, of course, it got me thinking about how I should be applying this situation to my own life. I'm always being taught through my daughter... (*sigh*)
I will admit that although I have been saved by an amazing Savior, sometimes I still intentionally make choices that He would deem as "rebellious." Maybe you don't, but I do. Sometimes I go with the "because I want to" attitude. It's not right, I know.
But how often do I crumble and fall at God's feet when I come face to face with my sinful choices? Not often enough. I'm not saying that I should be on my knees, begging for forgiveness all day long (even though I probably need to be). But the fact is this: God sent His son (if you've got a son, or a child, for that matter, you can imagine the agony of the Father) to die. For me. Because I make stupid choices. All the time. And in order for me to have any chance of getting into heaven, those stupid choices (aka: sin) have to be atoned for. So His son took ALL my sin, the weight of the whole world upon his shoulders so that I could be cleaned up all shiny and get into heaven.
And what do I do with that? I take it for granted.
Every once in a while, the weight hits me and I crumble. I don't take those "crumblings" lightly. I take those moments and tuck them into my heart that I might have them with me to remind me: Live a life of gratitude to God. He sent His son. Giving Him back my entire life is the least I can do for Him.
Oh my - that was heavy, wasn't it? So I'll end with one of my favorite corny jokes (and just so you know, I've got about 100 favorite corny jokes.)
What do you call a cow that has just given birth?
decalfinated
KC
Sunday, April 29, 2012
i like bloggin' even when i can't
Believe you me, if there is not a post here, it is because I was either so
busy (like yesterday) or extremely tired (like yesterday... and pretty much every other day!) There might be other
reasons: family emergency, sickness, writer's block, or... something
else important that I just haven't thought of yet.
I guess my point is that if there is no post here, it isn't because I didn't want to write (lots of negatives there - a triple negative, actually!) You see, I enjoy writing this blog very much!! I've been blessed over and over because of it.
Sometimes I feel like Moses, that God would want to use me! Of what value could I be? I'm no "speaker of great words." And yet He chooses to work through me - what a humbling experience!
Other times I discover that my difficulties in life are inspiring or motivating to other people (really?! Little old me?) But I've said it before: if my trials in life help just one person, then it was worth it to go through it. There is always a purpose behind the trials we go through, we just don't always see them. Sometimes being able to see a purpose behind the difficult times makes them easier to bear.
And I've felt myself looking deeper for meaning and God's purpose each day that I might be able to share it. Goodness, you'd be amazed at where you can find God, but only if you are looking!!
This blog has also helped me to be accountable. Not that any of you are holding anything over my head... And my true accountability has always been to God. But the feeling is there - to hold myself accountable in various areas that I write about so that I might not be a hypocrite. (And yet, in the same breath, I am still working on all of the areas that I write about! I know... hypocrite.)
But thank you, each of you. You make me want to write. I feel that God has called me to do this, but you the readers, my friends, make me desire to sit at the computer for a bit (some bits longer than others) and pour out what God has placed on my heart for the day.
Thank you,
KC
I guess my point is that if there is no post here, it isn't because I didn't want to write (lots of negatives there - a triple negative, actually!) You see, I enjoy writing this blog very much!! I've been blessed over and over because of it.
Sometimes I feel like Moses, that God would want to use me! Of what value could I be? I'm no "speaker of great words." And yet He chooses to work through me - what a humbling experience!
Other times I discover that my difficulties in life are inspiring or motivating to other people (really?! Little old me?) But I've said it before: if my trials in life help just one person, then it was worth it to go through it. There is always a purpose behind the trials we go through, we just don't always see them. Sometimes being able to see a purpose behind the difficult times makes them easier to bear.
And I've felt myself looking deeper for meaning and God's purpose each day that I might be able to share it. Goodness, you'd be amazed at where you can find God, but only if you are looking!!
This blog has also helped me to be accountable. Not that any of you are holding anything over my head... And my true accountability has always been to God. But the feeling is there - to hold myself accountable in various areas that I write about so that I might not be a hypocrite. (And yet, in the same breath, I am still working on all of the areas that I write about! I know... hypocrite.)
But thank you, each of you. You make me want to write. I feel that God has called me to do this, but you the readers, my friends, make me desire to sit at the computer for a bit (some bits longer than others) and pour out what God has placed on my heart for the day.
Thank you,
KC
Thursday, April 26, 2012
who he's become
You ever get really frustrated with your spouse for the things they
don't do? Me neither. My husband's perfect. (Maybe I should end the
post right there, pat myself on the back, and not delve into troubled
waters. I'm pretty sure my husband reads most of my blog posts!)
But to be honest, yes, I do get annoyed with my husband once in a while (and you're lying if you deny this about your spouse). Today was not one of those days, though. So really, where am I going with this...
Today's gift of survival: appreciating your spouse for who they have become. This was a lesson my husband taught me pretty early on in our wedded bliss. Sometimes I would get pretty fed up with some petty little thing that he was not fulfilling in his "husband duties": "Well, why can't you read my mind?" and: "Did you really just leave your shoes in the middle of the room?" and even: "You ate the last piece of chocolate and didn't offer it to me?".
Sometimes these truly insignificant things would lead into hefty arguments about bigger and better issues. You know, the irritations that have been building up for days! Weeks, even!!
So here's the lesson from my husband: quit looking forward to the perfect man you want me to be and take a look at just how far I've come! And you know what? When you look at things from that perspective, it changes everything. Looking back on the 11+ years we've been married, my husband has grown immensely - not quite perfect, but he has matured in so many areas of his life. And I am SO grateful for the man God has made him to be!
Here's how I was reminded of it today: This evening he not only cleared off the kitchen table after dinner, but cleaned all the dishes. When I came back downstairs, the dishwasher was running, the counter and table were cleaned off AND he had swept the entire kitchen floor!!
And that gives me hope for our future. All those little irritations might possibly change - maybe he will become a mind-reader! Or maybe not. But I will say that he no longer leaves his shoes in the middle of floor when he takes them off. And I do admit that I have let go of most of the petty issues. Now we save our arguments for bigger things: "Must you always leave your empty coffee mug in front of the microwave door?"
But to be honest, yes, I do get annoyed with my husband once in a while (and you're lying if you deny this about your spouse). Today was not one of those days, though. So really, where am I going with this...
Today's gift of survival: appreciating your spouse for who they have become. This was a lesson my husband taught me pretty early on in our wedded bliss. Sometimes I would get pretty fed up with some petty little thing that he was not fulfilling in his "husband duties": "Well, why can't you read my mind?" and: "Did you really just leave your shoes in the middle of the room?" and even: "You ate the last piece of chocolate and didn't offer it to me?".
Sometimes these truly insignificant things would lead into hefty arguments about bigger and better issues. You know, the irritations that have been building up for days! Weeks, even!!
So here's the lesson from my husband: quit looking forward to the perfect man you want me to be and take a look at just how far I've come! And you know what? When you look at things from that perspective, it changes everything. Looking back on the 11+ years we've been married, my husband has grown immensely - not quite perfect, but he has matured in so many areas of his life. And I am SO grateful for the man God has made him to be!
Here's how I was reminded of it today: This evening he not only cleared off the kitchen table after dinner, but cleaned all the dishes. When I came back downstairs, the dishwasher was running, the counter and table were cleaned off AND he had swept the entire kitchen floor!!
And that gives me hope for our future. All those little irritations might possibly change - maybe he will become a mind-reader! Or maybe not. But I will say that he no longer leaves his shoes in the middle of floor when he takes them off. And I do admit that I have let go of most of the petty issues. Now we save our arguments for bigger things: "Must you always leave your empty coffee mug in front of the microwave door?"
just say no!
Over the past week I've noticed an increase in how many times I go upstairs only to have to come back downstairs to remember why I've was going upstairs in the first place! This brain of mine... Sometimes when this happens, I start to believe that I have early onset Alzheimer's. (I read a book once about a lady who had that and it got my hypochodriac radar up because I had some of the same symptoms, also known in my case as "Brain Loss From Having Children"). In all actuality, I just have too much going on in there and my brain is rebelling by choosing not to function at optimal levels. Not only am I forgetting things but I've been getting my words mixed up too. I'll say things like, "Can you tet the sable for me, gear dirl? It's just about dime for tinner." And I call things by the wrong name, or forget the name of an everyday item all together. "Put your dirty dishes in the fridge and the milk in the dishwasher, please. And make sure all your trash ends up in the... um... that thing you throw trash in!" My family starts to tease me or correct me and that just adds to the frustration!
When I look at the list of things I am involved in over the next few weeks, it's no wonder this brain of mine is rebelling! From boutiques to home parties to fundraisers and the prep involved for each; add that to the huge-mongous hole being built in the backyard and the normal busyness of everyday life with teaching piano lessons and t-ball practices and games and I am on overload! When I mentioned this to a friend yesterday, she reminded me of a very important word: "no."
Today's gift of survival: "Just say no". Ah, yes, the freedom of the word "no". The knowledge that it's okay to say "no". Even if it is for something good and wonderful. I had to pause to reflect on why I don't often say "no". Could be because I try very hard to be a people pleaser. It also could be that I genuinely like to help others. And the other reason is probably just that I don't want to miss out on anything exciting or a great opportunity.
So the next task is figuring out what to say "no" to. My brother recently reminded me to pray about everything! If I don't feel peace about a decision to do something, then chances are that God doesn't want me to do it. And he also reminded me that just because something is good and a worthy cause to volunteer for, doesn't mean that God has it in mind for ME to do it. Again, I need to seek His will in each decision. Another friend once discussed those times when direction doesn't seem clear. She suggested that perhaps those are situations where God will bless you no matter which way you go.
So, now to tackle the next couple of weeks... I think I'll start by saying "no" to laundry!
KC
When I look at the list of things I am involved in over the next few weeks, it's no wonder this brain of mine is rebelling! From boutiques to home parties to fundraisers and the prep involved for each; add that to the huge-mongous hole being built in the backyard and the normal busyness of everyday life with teaching piano lessons and t-ball practices and games and I am on overload! When I mentioned this to a friend yesterday, she reminded me of a very important word: "no."
Today's gift of survival: "Just say no". Ah, yes, the freedom of the word "no". The knowledge that it's okay to say "no". Even if it is for something good and wonderful. I had to pause to reflect on why I don't often say "no". Could be because I try very hard to be a people pleaser. It also could be that I genuinely like to help others. And the other reason is probably just that I don't want to miss out on anything exciting or a great opportunity.
So the next task is figuring out what to say "no" to. My brother recently reminded me to pray about everything! If I don't feel peace about a decision to do something, then chances are that God doesn't want me to do it. And he also reminded me that just because something is good and a worthy cause to volunteer for, doesn't mean that God has it in mind for ME to do it. Again, I need to seek His will in each decision. Another friend once discussed those times when direction doesn't seem clear. She suggested that perhaps those are situations where God will bless you no matter which way you go.
So, now to tackle the next couple of weeks... I think I'll start by saying "no" to laundry!
KC
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
just do it!
Yesterday was one of those days where I would have been content to just lounge around all day and do a whole lotta nothing. I woke up without any gumption or motivation. You know what I did? I got up and got going!
Today's Gift of Survival: the "just do it" attitude. I looked at all I needed to get done (on this day that I didn't feel like doing anything at all) and could very well have gotten overwhelmed. Sometimes when that happens, it is easier to ignore it all and just do what I want to do. But I have learned to just get started on one project and that gives me motivation to keep on keepin' on. So I started by emptying the clean dishes from the dishwasher and then moved on to laundry. I cleaned up breakfast dishes and got started on my grocery list. And on the day went. I managed to get a lot accomplished simply because I decided to "just do it!"
This weekend I had the opportunity to help do some rearranging of home decor at my dear sister-in-law's house. It started out with a shelf that we wanted to straighten out and by the time I went home, we had made our way through 2 rooms! I loved it. But taking on a project like that would have seemed HUGE if we had not tackled just one little area at a time. We set small goals for ourselves and stayed in one area until we were satisfied. Things got set aside for a garage sale, or to be thrown away, or to be put in a better place. We were so excited with what we had accomplished and couldn't wait for her husband to notice! And he DID!! Major brownie points for him!
Ah! And another motivator for me: small rewards for jobs done. It could be a piece of chocolate after folding a load of laundry. Or something bigger like heading out to get a special coffee after completing a huge project (like organizing my scrapbook supplies... which hasn't happened since we moved... 6 months ago). If I set a reward in my sights, I am more likely to keep working so that I can reach that goal sooner.
One last motivator for me is to strive to be the Proverbs 31 woman. Starting at verse 10, there is a description of a most amazing wife. I know that I will never be that woman (the "rising while it is yet night" is probably not going to happen), but it sets a guideline for me. Something for me to follow and refer to while I try to be a good wife and mom and whatever else God has in store for me.
But I'm thinking the Proverbs 31 woman never sleeps because her lamp does not go out by night and she rises while it is yet night. Does she nap? Because I could be okay with that!
KC
Today's Gift of Survival: the "just do it" attitude. I looked at all I needed to get done (on this day that I didn't feel like doing anything at all) and could very well have gotten overwhelmed. Sometimes when that happens, it is easier to ignore it all and just do what I want to do. But I have learned to just get started on one project and that gives me motivation to keep on keepin' on. So I started by emptying the clean dishes from the dishwasher and then moved on to laundry. I cleaned up breakfast dishes and got started on my grocery list. And on the day went. I managed to get a lot accomplished simply because I decided to "just do it!"
This weekend I had the opportunity to help do some rearranging of home decor at my dear sister-in-law's house. It started out with a shelf that we wanted to straighten out and by the time I went home, we had made our way through 2 rooms! I loved it. But taking on a project like that would have seemed HUGE if we had not tackled just one little area at a time. We set small goals for ourselves and stayed in one area until we were satisfied. Things got set aside for a garage sale, or to be thrown away, or to be put in a better place. We were so excited with what we had accomplished and couldn't wait for her husband to notice! And he DID!! Major brownie points for him!
Ah! And another motivator for me: small rewards for jobs done. It could be a piece of chocolate after folding a load of laundry. Or something bigger like heading out to get a special coffee after completing a huge project (like organizing my scrapbook supplies... which hasn't happened since we moved... 6 months ago). If I set a reward in my sights, I am more likely to keep working so that I can reach that goal sooner.
One last motivator for me is to strive to be the Proverbs 31 woman. Starting at verse 10, there is a description of a most amazing wife. I know that I will never be that woman (the "rising while it is yet night" is probably not going to happen), but it sets a guideline for me. Something for me to follow and refer to while I try to be a good wife and mom and whatever else God has in store for me.
But I'm thinking the Proverbs 31 woman never sleeps because her lamp does not go out by night and she rises while it is yet night. Does she nap? Because I could be okay with that!
KC
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