A special welcome to those of you visiting after reading my devotion on why I need to hang up my robe. If you didn't read it, please hop on over to Proverbs 31 and give it a glance.
In the devotion, I address an annoying tendency within me to not finish a task. Instead of putting clothes in a drawer, I leave them on top of the dresser. I've not made my bed some days because I'll just be getting in it again that evening anyway. Of course, I should just leave my pj's on the bed so they are handy. Right? Can you relate?
There are so many things that we rationalize not finishing. The problem is we develop habits of not finishing things. Small things lead to big things, then we wonder why we can't get anything done, as if it's someone else's fault. Kind of a vicious circle.
I believe this is actually a simple problem to address. I'm sure there are deep rooted issues for some, but for most, we can start to address this issue by simply hanging up our bathrobes every day. It's a habit. It becomes normal. Pretty soon, it starts to bother you that things are put up, and so you want to put things in their right places.
Then, you realize that you don't have a "right" place for something (which is why it's always on the dining room table), and you push through to figure it out.
In the devotion, I promised to list some of the common things women deal with on a daily basis that cause clutter - in our homes, offices and minds. Maybe if you pick one thing, you'll start to develop some finishing habits as well.
Here's what I have to tell myself to put away:
Magazines - buy cheap magazine holders and store them by year. Better yet, cut what you want out of them, file those items and recycle the rest by giving away or recycling.
Books - if you don't have room in your bookcase, either buy a new one or give books away.
Remote controls - Get a basket or box for them.
Mail - create a bill center, recycling center, and shredding center
Food - put away as soon as you have used it (don't wait til you are done cooking to clean up)
Clothes - buy more hangers, another dresser or have a yard sale to get rid of what you really don't want
What do you struggle with? What do you NOT know what to with so it gets left on your counter, bed, dresser, top of the refrigerator?
Leave a post with either your biggest struggle, or something annoying that you just can't figure out. From those posts, I'll pick a winner for a lovely key hook (so you know where to place those) and my book, "work @ home" where I share some tips on being organized.
I've also started a new blog called "Her Organized Life." It's not really up and running yet, but I couldn't miss this chance to let you know about it. I'm actually on vacation now and am working on a posts to start next week when I return. Hop over just to see what it looks like, then come back in a week to start getting simple organizing tips - many based on what you share today.
Here's one things I know for sure, even if you never pick up your bathrobe again, God still loves you and has a plan for your life. So don't feel down about it. But if this post inspires you to hang it up, then that's icing (or gravy) depending on where you live.
In His Love,
Glynnis
Friday, June 4, 2010
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64 comments:
Thank you for this. It helps me take a good look at myself in a gentle way. I am a procrastinator. Finish the task is such an easy reminder that I need to tell myself. I plan to do this everyday. I struggle with elementary children's papers that pile up and laundry never being finished. It stays in the dryer or sometimes it gets folded and put in a laundry basket to put away "later". Putting receipts in the computer to keep the checkbook balanced is another one. They pile up too. Wow, I'm a mess. Thanks again for the gentle reminder that finishing the task is something God wants me to do. I really needed to hear this.
I know that I struggle with clutter! The kitchen table is a huge struggle for me. It seems that every paper from the kids and piece of mail (and a hundred other things) get put on the table. I finally went downstairs and got a basket to put certain papers in and literally threw away a bundle of others. The whole table got cleared off and it looks great...now if it would only stay that way on it's own:) I do know that even though I really have to work to de clutter spaces in my house I feel better when things are cleared off and even my hubby likes it too! Thanks for the devotion and blog post. I can't wait for your new blog to be up and running!
Thanks for the reminder. I too am a procrastinator. I'm sitting here looking at all the stuff sitting around my computer - yuk. And to make it worse, I'm married to a perfectionalist minimalist who can't stand stuff being out of order. I think it has an effect on our marriage, honestly. I will try to make a better effort to finish the race!
Thanks for the devotional today! I've learned so much over the years, but still have a ways to go in the area of housekeeping. I needed this boost today :-)
Another thing I've learned over the years is to keep my time with God a priority. That's one place I refuse to stop short.
I loved your devotion this morning! Especially this line, "However, the discipline of finishing well is one that is woven through my life ... or it's not." Wow. Makes me stop and think about the habits I am weaving into my own life...things that seem small, but that are actually becoming a huge part of the tapestry of my life. YIKES!
I definitely could use some tips on organizing. Actually, one of my desires for this summer is to get my home more organized! Looking forward to checking out your new blog! And thank you for the fun giveaway!
Have a wonderful vacation!
Blessings,
Kimberly
What a struggle this can be for me, too. As a student, I have books and papers everywhere! And my house is continually cluttered. It doesn't take long to finish a task so I don't know what my problem is, but as a Christian woman, I do not want to let mediocrity take hold. I bought a pretty box from Bealls Outlet recently to put some of those papers so they're out of sight. I also took an entire morning to organize a shoebox-bill center, and a shoebox-greeting card center. Now I have everything in one place, and it's GREAT!
My biggest and most frustrating struggle is getting rid of things...because you never know when you might need 'em again, or it just might be a collectible, MAYBE some day. Keeping things has been very useful, but I'm so overwhelmed with all the keeping that I'm now working on the giving (and the trashing). Actually the giving is great, it's throwing away the things I might need...just in case. Because of my problem of letting material things go, I do many of the things you mentioned in your devotional, but I'm actively working on this problem now. I love the Lord so very much and desire to fulfill his command to provide hospitality...in other words, to bring friends into an uncluttered, comfortable environment, reflecting His peace. Thank you so much for today's devotional...I know the Lord was speaking to me through you...Baruch Hashem! (Bless His Name!)
This is something I've been working on a lot. I have five children and often things get messed up before they're done being clean. I've used that as an excuse to do things halfway.
Lately, I've been working on myself and my children to do our best--which includes getting things done properly and thoroughly.
Thanks for this great post. I always love your perspective and wisdom.
Arabelle
www.todhuntertastic.blogspot.com
Paper is not my friend!! It's everywhere - growing in piles and spilling over. My life is busy and I am the queen of procrastination. I tend to drop stuff and run on to my next thing. Now every room in my house has a clutter issue and that leaves my head full of anxiety and clutter as well. I know this is not the way God intends me to live and it affects my relationships, not only with my family that is trying to survive in this mess, but with friends that I do not invite into my home because of the clutter. God has given me the peaceful vision of what my home could be like, yet I am too overwhelmed to start. Am very much looking forward to tips and support on the upcoming blog. Bless you!
SHOES! they are the bane of my existance....(pretty dramatic, huh?). the closet i have by my front door is a pain in the neck--too deep and we are always "digging". i feel sometimes, too, that i am just lazy, plain and simple.
love your blog!
I am constantly trying to figure out how to stay organized! I have 3 kids under 4 so they keep me busy. I can't seem to schedule my day so that I have time to play with the kids but also work productively and actually get something done. I also have a hard time prioritizing so when I do actually have time to work, I don't always get the most important things done.
My biggest struggle lately is the office. I try to keep the kitchen and living room clean b/c that's what people see when they come in the door, but my husband can't stand having a messy office. He teases that we can't have another baby until I get the office organized...he thinks that'll get me motivated! ;)
I will definitely check out your new blog and look forward to helpful tips! :)
Wow, I just wanted to half read through your devotion today...... but couldn't!! You just got all up in my b'ness didn't you? ;) Especially delving into Spiritual and relational issues..... Hmmmm.... I guess that's the connection between my excellent ability to 'ignore' a pile a papers and my awesome skills of denial...... Not so awesome perhaps in God's eyes. Thank you for reminding me to be excellent in God's eyes, not in others or my own eyes. That is something to strive for.
My husband and I both are the clutterbugs in our home. I used to think it was our boys. Now after them being on their own for years, the house is still cluttered! My biggest unfinished job is the laundry..that last load usually stays in the dryer or stacked in a chair in the room next to the laundry(rm not used). Another problem I do relates to my own shoes. I make it to the closet to take them off, but don't put them away, ending up with a pile of shoes in front of the closet!! Help! look forward to your new blog.
Thank you, this is just what I have been dealing with. Only I get all excited about starting or reentering school (college) only for the air to get deflated and still haven't finished or started getting the degree I want. I get so excited about starting a bible study or course and never finsih it. Maybe I am scared of succeeding. Don't know.
Thank you for this wonderful reminder...this has definitely been a picture of my life lately. In fact, I came to the computer after putting one heap of clothes from the dryer and leaving the rest in there for "later". And I'm a normally very organized, clutter-free person!! Anyway, my biggest struggle right now is my kitchen island and random papers that find their home there. I find if I slow down a bit and take the extra one or two minutes to put them where they belong I feel so much better. Thank you for the reminder to do just that.
Oh boy...my family calls me the half painted room. It's a joke with us but it explains a lot about me. I can go into any office and organize and manage it but put me in my office at home and I don't have a clue where to begin. I know exactly what I would do if I had money, but I don't, so here is the mess. Oh what a tangled web I weave. Thanks for the devotional. I'm going to read it to my family today!
I struggle with all of the above. I try to stay organized, get a burst of energy (and time) and clean everything but it never stays that way. My two daughters (age 21 and 18) and my grandson are still at home and my biggest struggle is getting them to pick up after themselves. Frustrating. So looking forward to your new blog!
It still takes relying on the Lord daily, but several things have helped, including figuring out that the habit started when I was criticized as a child. It was easier to not be 'wrong', just 'not done yet'.
--One was finding a friend/prayer partner who faithfully prays - and asks how things are going!
--Another is that I paraphrase some verses into prayers that help: Philippians 4:7.."May the peace of the Lord guard my heart and mind through Christ Jesus", and 1 COR 14:40..."Let all things be done decently and in order".
--I also looked to see what things I could eliminate from life and use that time to do better at completing the rest.
I still need to work on completing the paperwork the is part of my consulting business, and this article has helped me to renew my resolve there! Thank you!
Thanks Gynnis! As I read your post, I felt like you had a webcam into my life!!! Some days are better than others in this life of trying to stay organized, but inevitably at least one room in my house is in disarray. Although I seem to be organized in my ministry, my home suffers greatly. I just want some balance! My main source of grief??? That corner of counterspace in my kitchen that I have organized a hundred times, and nothing seems to work. The paperwork still piles up, the filing pile gets larger, and the coupons never get clipped. I am ready for help! Praise God that He created me, gave me this personality, and knows my struggles. And He gives us people like you to help us!
Wow. God is really wanting me to get this message. I just talked to a trusted counselor about this very issue this very week. Her take on it was half finishing being a sort of self sabotage that gives us an excuse not to live up to God's potential for us. Basically, the constant half-done projects and chores allow me to be overwhelmed by "have-to's" that never get finished. And they have-to's work to keep me constantly busy, and are a justification for why I can't find time to do what really matters like take care of myself through exercise, commit to regular morning devotions, etc. All the things God would much rather I be doing.
Spoke to me! On point! Wow, I'm always amazed at how God uses this devotional to speak to where I am in my life.
Spoke to me! On point! Wow, I'm always amazed at how God uses this devotional to speak to where I am in my life.
I am usually pretty good about organizing things in my home, but my busy life with a full time job (with much responsibility!) two busy children and a house to keep up leave me with little time to keep up in touch with friends and family. I have had a 'get well' card in my purse for two weeks that I have intended to send. I rise so early in the morning for work that I have little time to do more than pray and then are too tired to concentrate fully on devotionals at the end of the day. You have helped me to realize that I am not alone in completing tasks that are important. Thanks for your encouraging devotional today.
Wow Glynnis, it's as though you were wearing my robe today! As I sit here and type this, I look around at the piles of paper that need to be sorted/recycled, the toys that need to be put away, and the never ending "stuff" that encirlces (chokes) me. The comment you made about starting off great and waning near the end fits me to a "T". For my semi annual report I got "Natalia would be unstoppable...if she would just follow through."
You have no idea how much you cut to the quick today. This is my thorn. It affects EVERY aspect of my life. I don't know if I'm not praying effectively about it, but it haunts me daily. I'm shaking right now, there is so much I want to say about this topic, but I'd be typing all day (then I wouldn't post my comment because then I'd have to re-read everything I wrote and well you know... ;)
Procrastination is my vice adrenalin is my drug. Quite frankly I don't know what to do anymore. There are times when I embrace it and succumb to "that's just who I am", other times it takes over my life and I spin my wheels. I think I'm making headway and things are getting done, but after looking around a day's worth of work and see I've barely made a dent, it's defeating.
I think I'll go back to Proverbs 31 and read your application steps. I couldn't read them earlier, my head was just spinning from the truths you unveiled today.
Thank you for writing this today.
Thank you for "listening" to my rant. If it's all over the place I apologize, but I'm not going back over it, if I do, I will never hit Publish your comment!
I ask you ladies for prayer for me today, and I pray that God gives me the strength to pick up my cross yet again today.
NT
Guess who has a 1/2-way painted wall? I certainly don't want THAT on my tombstone!
Thanks for sharing. It really hit home.
Wow your words have been so timely in my life. My husband and I began concentrating on discipline in our lives and we just hit a new level. Sometimes Satan tries to take truth and twist it to trip me up. When he does I start to think I am just busy and not disciplined but God has taught me the difference. Thanks for sharing your story. God uses simple things to astound the wise. Isn't he mysterious and wonderful!
Glynnis,
I had to come over from the Encouragement for Today to tell you how wonderful your devotion was. I can so relate. I have to make myself do the same thing. My problem is putting up the hanging clothes. I can fold all the laundry, but I make a pile of hanging clothes and they sit and sit and sit. This happens in my room and the kids rooms as well. Ugh! I wish there was an easier way, but I guess I just need to roll up my sleeves and get hanging!
I have struggles with clutter! I always lay my jeans on the bathtub, I never quite finish the laundry, the kitchen counter has papers all over it and the table has stuff on it too! It drives me insane yet I just live with it and think oh I will do it later. Thank you for some tips on finishing what I started! I am so thankful that God doesn't give up on me when I procrastinate and don't finish what I start.
This devotion hit home today. I too lay my robe across my bed (never thought anything of it), and had half painted walls for the longest time (a few places still have test spots of paint). My wonderful girlfriends rallied and helped me finish the painting task I felt too overwhelmed to complete on my own. (Small groups are amazing! I have learned so much from these women!)
I struggle with clutter and it drives my OCD (obsessive cleaning disorder) husband nuts. I don't think it has much more to do with the fact that clutter doesn't bother me - I live with it. It would be embarressing to have someone come over and see all the clutter in my kitchen and living room right now, and I always shut the door to our spare rooms because of all the clutter. Hmmm... maybe it does bother me, I just don't do anything about it when no one will be looking.
Through this blog, I realize I am not alone in my struggle. I thank the person who posted 1 corinthians 14:40. I'll be printing that out and tagging my refrigerator with it.
Thank you, thank you for this devotion today and for everyone with the courage to post so I know I am not alone in this!
Thank you so much for this blog. Trying to get my house ready for my son's wedding reception in our back yard has immobilized me many times in the past few weeks. Many issues involved here and God has been bringing them to the forefront in my mind. over and over again. Your wise words have given me a goal and instead of asking myself "Why do I do this?" I want to hang on to finishsing the task and finishing well. For me the not finishing has involved stubbornness and rebellion. "Why does there have to be dust...thanks Eve. OK so my mother thought that was important..... etc., etc., etc." Time to confess and grow up, be submissive to God's plan and get things done decently and in order. Thank you for the reminder or maybe insight for the first time that I need to honor God in all I do. Walking closely to Him makes that goal more achievable. Thank you.
Thank you for putting my "half-doneness" into perspective! I have all the organizing tools (bill center, baskets for stuff) but I still continue to dump and run and tell myself I will put it away later (and later never comes!). Right now there is a skirt in the bathroom, a sweater on the dresser, and shoes under the coffee table that are so close but still not quite put away. From now on I will be reminding myself to finish what I start because that's what Jesus did for me!
Who is it at Proverbs 31 that is spying on me?!?!?! LOL!! Seems like every day I read a devotional that was written just for me... today's more so than any other one. Through marriage counseling, I have found out that I have ADD... so half-completed tasks are extremely abundant in my life! Because of having a family, this issue not only effects me, but it effects my husband, and our two children. My goal in life is to learn to always complete my own tasks so that I can be a good example to those two little sets of eyes that are watching me so closely!! Thanks for what you have written!!
I am not alone....none of us are. Thank you for your devotional, and I plan on going to your new blog as well. I can keep things looking surface clean....but my closets, under the beds, the basement!! Hanging on to too much stuff! Papers piling up on the kitchen table, valuable papers mixed in with junk! Sometimes it's so frustrating because I can't even do one thing, set one thing down, whatever, without doing another thing, but another thing must be done first.....I know this doesn't honor the Lord or help me fulfill His purpose for my life, when I'm bogged down in procrastination, laziness, spending too much time on the computer, etc. Your comment about how small habits, not finishing what we start can become a huge pattern of our life....much to really think about. I know God wants us to have a disciplined life, so we do have the full, abundant life He wants us to have. So we do have time to reach out in relationships, to Him and to those around us, instead of constantly moving "stuff" from place to place. I should not still be dealing with this.....Thank you for what you've shared. You are an encouragement, and we can all help each other in having a balanced life.
My biggest problem is procrastinating about a project, first I wait until I have bought every last little thing I need to do it, and then it sits there, and sits there, and did I say...it sits there...waiting for me to start (right now it's painting the inside of the house) I have everything....it's just sits there.....
I am terrible about not putting away my clothes....you know, draping them over a chair in the bedroom thinking I'll wear them again in the next couple of days, then end up putting them in the laundry to keep from putting them in the drawer! Crazy I know! Went to your new blog site and it looks grat! Thaks for all you do and hope you are having a great vacation!
I'm glad I'm not the only one who struggles with this! Thanks for sharing and encouraging us!
So funny that you write about unfinished work. I, like you, find that clean clothes get folded... and by that time I am so done with the laundry because I have 5 to launder for... I don't want to put them away. Many times they stay in the laundry baskets fora couple days... the longest I have left it is a week. Hoping, praying, wishing that my oldest child or my husband would help by putting at least their clothes away.
I am at the point of not liking the laundry staying in the bins for long, and I too push through and just put them away... or at least out of my sight and in each persons room instead of in the living room! What a mess we are! BUT... I am so incredibly thankful that the Lord accepts us JUST AS WE ARE! What grace! Amazing grace!
Have fun on your vacation... hoping you have great weather and a clear mind to relax.
Glynnis, wow, your devo has said so eloquently, adequently, and amazingly what I've tried unsuccessfully to share with my 19 year old. I think it comes down to a spiritual thing as you have stated. I love "Finish What You Start" and will type that up and post on my mirror in the bathroom. I have difficulty with too much paperwork and books--where do I put them, what to throw away or keep. This devo is a keeper to remind me to stop, refresh, rethink priorities in discipline. It begins with drawing nearer to God and hearing His message for not only this area in my life, but all areas.
Thank you for your transparency. It inspires me into action and prayer for my family to finish all things God directs in each of our lives!
Blessings,
Donna
I can relate! The biggest reality check comes when you can't find something you really need, right? It's embarrassing and there is a temptation to let shame take hold. That's not God's will. Just take one obedient step after another; and enjoy the process of making a place for everything. I put drawers on my closet floors so I don't pile things in. I buy pretty covered boxes at TJ Maxx to coordinate bathroom and hall closets. I am comfortable passing things on to others now. I used to hold on to things too long. I also have found that I need to be less comfortable with unfinished projects. I need to pay attention to them. I used to think that having more options was a creative way to live. Now I realize that clutter is my enemy. I heard a tip in a magazine that Ingrid Bergman (Casablanca) had a habit of never leaving a room empty handed. She would look around and see what needed to go somewhere else. Once you are in the habit it's second nature. Thank you for your post. I really enjoyed it. I have a big pile of work I need to get to now!
Thank you so much for this devotional. I have been doing things "half" way for too long. I have spent my day doing the "other half" and I already feel such a weight off my shoulders. It's amazing what a little praise music and diligence can get done.
Thank you again.
Thank you so much Gynnis for the truth you have told today. God has been speaking to me about "finishing" lately and this is just one more way he has done that. So far I have seen the need for finishing in cleaning house projects, but more importantly, with my goals for a healthier body (which takes finishing a lot of daily work!) and finishing (or going the distance) in relationships. getting beyond the "hi How are ya" talk.
Thanks again!
Thank-you for your Proverbs 31 devotion today. I have just received 2 finished projects in the mail today - stretched canvasses and a calender I made for gifts. However, had they not been gifts, I know they would have gone onto the "unfinished pile", including unfinished painted walls, unfinished acrylic paintings, unfinished basement (that I need to help and encourage my husband with) - and unfortunately the list goes on!!! God has already been speaking to me about this area, thankfully ..... but I appreciate so much your beautifully written reminder. I think today, as multi tasking women, we tend to value more "how much we do" and not "how well we do each individual task". I believe God wants us to focus on more quality and less quantity. Bless you.
Wow! I have been struggling with this for so long. When I was a child, I had a messy room, but as a teen, I became a neat freak. Same in college, and as a young married. But as each child came along, it got harder to maintain. Now, three kids and several part-time jobs to help make ends meet, and guess what goes by the wayside? Yup. I can't keep up with it. And I hate the chaos! Papers and projects are the worst. I am afraid to file or put them away, b/c I think that then I'll forget about them and never finish them. Instead, I keep them out and never finish them b/c I don't have the time with the kids and the work. I have really felt in the past couple of months that I need to make some changes, and I am trying. I posted "house rules," about things like putting stuff away before getting out the next thing, but unfortunately I'm the only one in the house who cares what it looks like! Trying to enforce the rules has been hard.
Well nine years ago, before I got married, I considered myself quite organized. Now...well, let's just say my wonderful husband had helped me to change... unfortunately. My husband NEVER puts anything in the same place twice. From the dog leash to his keys, his wallet, the checkbook, well the list goes on and on. I often hear, "Sweetheart, do you know where my keys are?" My first answer now is, "Have you checked the door?" You guessed it...many times he leaves them in the door. At first I teased him about leaving his shoes all over in plain sight but the important things were always left in hidden, forgotten places. Now, I'm finding I'm getting just as bad as he is. I can honestly say my keys and purse are always put in the same place, but the current book I'm reading or project I'm working on could be anywhere in the house.
I am really getting upset with myself as I hate disorganization. My desk at work is always clean and organized. Home not so organized. Thank you for your blog today. I need all the help I can get.
Smiles & Blessings,
Cindy W.
countrybear52[at]yahoo[dot]com
My biggest struggle right now is with my bedroom. It's supposed to be a place to rest, but I can't seem to keep it clean. There are clothes everywhere in baskets. My closet is now the catch all rooms, so I don't even go in there unless I have too. I related so much to your devotion today. It's as simple as taking the extra time to finish the job. I do agree there may be a bigger issue. Possibly spiritual. I'm going to make more of an effort to finish the task.
Thank you for your insight and wisdom.
Blessings~
Missy
Thank you for your amazing post and blunt reminder about finishing well. I have also really enjoyed and have been struck by many of the comments left by others. One of the leaders at my church always talks about "finishing well," although the examples are usually larger and spiritual. I never thought about "finishing well" in the little things like putting hangers back in the closet instead of leaving them in the bathroom and pencils back in the pencil holder instead of leaving them on the desk. I can see how the little things easily lead to bigger things.
My husband is a neat-freak minimalist who hates clutter. I have realized for quite some time that keeping the house neat and clean is one of the ways I can honor him. With two small children at home that is not always possible. I often get tired and just plain lazy and say "later" way too much. I also tend to start projects with gusto and struggle to finish them. After reading your blog post I have new resolve and will definitely stop to think the next time I say "later"!
Thanks to all who have commented on your post. It is SO good to know that I am not alone in battling the don't finish or keep putting off syndrome. I have a two way tie for the number one spot in my life - my home office area which has so many piles of stuff around the computer that even I sometimes wonder "now where is that keyboard?". Maybe that is why I also put off posting those debit card receipts & making sure all the bills are paid on time.
Just today I went to my local office supply store and purchased a pretty ribbon bulletin board and a combo dry erase/cork board. Together with a framed dry erase calendar purchased two months ago, my goal is to begin to reorganize this space to make it more workable. Then maybe, just maybe, I will be more diligent to keep it that way! Your words today were a good follow-up to something God has already been prodding me about. For me, it is all about being a better steward of the time He has given me.
This is something I, too, have struggled with. There are a series of books on the concept, the first one being "Sidetracked Home Executives" which details how two sisters conquered this problem in their own lives. In addition, a woman has a website, flylady.net, which has similar guidance.
First of all thank you Lord for inspiring Glynnis to write this devo. Secondly, thank you Glynnis for sharing this with the world. You have opened my eyes and my conscience. I can identify with you in putting away things in their right places and oh yes it does play a huge role in mediocrity.I am making a conscious decision with the help of my Father to start doing things the right way and to finish my tasks. Thank you for pointing out that by doing these things we are practising spiritual discipline. You really break it down. The Word never fails, it is the small things that spoils or hinder our growth not the large ones. Once again, thank you.May God continue to inspire you so that you can relate to us.
I am a HUGE procrastinator .. or is it just lazy sometimes? I live alone, so it's easy to hide stuff that I do not finish. Plus I just lost my job in Aprl, and things at home have gotten worse, altho you woul think it would be better since I have all this "tme" on my hands to complete things.
Thanks for your gentle reminder that God wants us to complete what we start. Just think, if He had stopped on the day 5 .. what would our world be?
I so needed to feel not alone in this daily struggle I also have with clutter. I am a mom of two and just the other day my mother was over and left in tears because my home overwhelms her too! I don't manage my time well. Here is an example. One day my husband called me to tell me he was on his way home from work. He has an hour commute. I told him I better get off the phone so I could get dinner ready (no plan for dinner). Not only did I not prepare a nice meal in that hour but the hot pockets that I shoved in the microwave at the last minute weren't even done as he walked through the door! I think a deeper issue some of us clutterbugs might have is struggling with feeling good enough. If we never finish a task then no one can say it wasn't good enough. Because we can say "but I am not finished yet".
Thanks for the challenge to simply complete tasks- I needed to hear that!
Oh my! You have really hit me with this topic. I am loving the spiritual perspective of theissue and how it all ties in. I struggle with clutter and my hubby hates clutter so it is also a source of conflict between us at times. I say I'm going to tackle all the clutter but then just get overwhelmed and can't finish.
One of the main places of clutter that seems to wind up right back in the same condition is the kitchen table. I read my devotions and bible there in the morning, then check emails and do my blogging from there as well. I would love any tips you have to share.
I will for sure be putting your suggestion of "hanging up my robe" to work. Along with looking at finishing any task in a whole new light. Thanks again for this wonderful insight.
When I think through the things I don't "finish well", there are so many- (yikes!), but I can honestly say that I have tackled most of them, learned techniques that work for me, and then often backslid as I tackle another issue.
What that leads to is a mother who is always "too busy" for the fun stuff and too distracted to live in the moment with my family. OUCH.
I am so thankful for your devotional. I have never connected my struggles in home management to
my spiritual walk. Reframing the issue this way really helps me see why it is so important to follow through with the "little" things. It also reminds me that God does care about these things and I can go to Him for help as I learn to follow through consistently and become a wife and mother who isn't constantly entangling herself with distractions.
I am a professional home organizer and I love your devotional today. I am always telling my clients to just take the next step...it makes a difference! I, too, even as a home organizer am always ready to jump to the next thing and get bored easily so I have to be very deliberate about taking that next step at home and spiritually.
Thank you so much for your devotional and also to all the people who have posted comments, I can relate to so many of you. My home is a mess and I won't have guests visit as I am embarrassed to have them see the mess. My inlaws visited this weekend, and I managed to clear off the kitchen table and fold the laundry off their (spare) bed, but that was about it. I have never thought about this being a spiritual issue. However God has been dealing with me about self control, and I guess this is just another area that I have a problem with self control. I have a friend who said to me a while back "Has your house got to the stage where you just don't know where to start?" and when I agreed, she said "Well just start somewhere". I make far too many excuses for why I don't finish things, and my husband calls himself a "non-finisher" so that doesn't help. I will have to get him to read your devotion too!
A website I have found helpful is getorganizednow.com
I used to be such a perfectionist and everything had its place, but I have found over the past 10-15 years that I am not so much. I find that my family leave things laying around and quite honestly it has taken its toll on me and I find that I sometimes am leaving things laying around. Unfortunately, I have let their attitudes wear off on me. Thanks for the reminder an encouragement. I need to be doing all for God's glory and that includes the little things like putting things in their correct spots. I don't need to let others' attitudes dictate what I do.
Wow! Did your blog hit me close to home. I was so glad my sister shared it with me. I am procastinater because I have multi-tasked myself into a corner, and feel overwhelmed. I have so many home projects I need start or to finish. Then, I have a home-based business that I need to set goals for, but sometimes I can't tell where to start. I try to make sure that I put everything that challenges me in my life to prayer. It amazes me how I can see God show up in the smallest areas of my life once I share it in my prayers. How awesome he is! I love your blog and will be reading more. Thanks.
Hmm First time to the Proverbs 31 website. This was not what I was looking for when I googled studies on Proverbs 31 but God had something else in mind.
I spent 3 yrs in therapy for many reasons but one issue was I was so organized it overwhelmed me. So I learned let go. Now I need to go back and meet that organization somewhere in the middle.
I sat here ready this blog and looking over at my pile of laundry on dresser, along with my bathrobe and 1/2 of my shoes beside the bed.
Biggest issue I have is leaving bags or suitcases packed for months. Summer pool bag still laying there from last summer, businees trip suitcase still packed from 2 weeks ago.
Magazines and papers everywhere. Goodwill bags never make it to Goodwill because I just can't give things away. Thanks for you words today.
Thanks so much for this encouragement and reminder. I've always struggled with clutter and incomplete tasks. I've blamed my heritage - father - for this, he always covered every available surface and NEVER completed any task. Still, good to see this weakness from an Eternal perspective and be reminded of the Biblical word on it. I've been making a concerted effort recently, but needed this! Top tips I've recently grasped are 'if it takes 30seconds or less, do it now' and 'if you've only got a few minutes, do just 5 small things - throw out 5 things from a cluttered drawer, or 5 out of date items from the fridge, or pick up 5 toys' it CAN make a difference. Go girls and FINISH what you began! ;-)
I struggle with clutter too. I try to finish what I am working on but frequently find myself distracted by the kids or something else in the house. I am working on taking one room a month to complete gut & clean. So far that is going pretty good. The only problem is things are continuing to clutter up. I'm looking for ways to keep the everyday clutter from happening. Can't wait to see your new blog.
Thanks Glynnis,
I struggle with clutter, too! The biggest takeaway from your post was that it has to be a habit! You are soooo right! I work at home, so I used to beat myself up saying... "You really should be able to stay on top of things b/c you're a home all the time!"
Then, I read your post and realized... I need to make new habits! Just like people take 5-10 minute breaks at their workplace... I need to do that as well.
At my workplace (my home), I can take my short breaks and tackle clutter!!!
AHA!
Shelly
http://shellysc.blogspot.com/
I just reminded a friend this morning as we read a different devotional how funny it is that God speaks to us through devotionals. The funny thing is I was talking to him since that devotional seemed to speak to his difficulty with hanging on to the past. Now, here is God's message directly to me through your devotional today. Thank you Lord and thank you, too. I feel like I can't keep up and I say it over and over. I have school papers from my children, clean clothes in baskets waiting to be put away, vases on the counter cause I haven't put them up. I can't find my keys, the remote, two matching shoes for my daughter.... I feel like a mess most of the time but you hit the nail on the head. I get started but don't finish. Just this past Saturday I painted one section (almost completely) of my deck railing. I started because the deck really needs painting but I did not complete even that one section. I was interrupted, or I let myself be interrupted. Either way, who knows when I will finish that project. It does remind me of myself -- I know I am a work in progress with our Lord but I often get down on myself because I feel unfinished. The clutter at home leads to the stress I feel each morning trying to start the day for my children and head off to work. It is still there when I get home and leaves little or no time I tell myself to "be still" with God. I'm moving but it feels like in a circle.
I struggle with paperwork, mail, bills, etc. It's never ending and I just don't have a place for it all. Thanks for your insight. It was exactly what I needed today.
I just wanted to come by and give a prayer of praise and thanksgiving. Those of you who read my rant and prayed for me, thank you. After reading your post Glynnis, then reading my commment, I realized how hard I am on myself. That is definitely not how God wants me to live.
1 Corinthians 15:57
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
My name is Natalia and it's been 3 days since I've had dirty dishes in the sink.
Can't wait for the new blog to be fully functioning.
Have a Blessed day!
NT
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