Diligence & Day Two: An Organized Coat Closet

Dear Blog, I'm giddy with excitement to start this challenge, but 1st a word search of "diligent" in the NIV & NKJ. The scriptures vary in the way the word diligent is used (ie. diligent worker, diligent to obey God, etc) but the MEANING of diligent of course stays the same, which btw is:
Webster-Miriam definition - characterized by steady, earnest, and energetic effort : painstaking <a diligent worker>
Ok, so back to the word study... God has some pretty sweet rewards & benefits for diligent Christians! And because I love making a list, here are some of them:
Deut 28:1 ...diligently obey...God will set you high above all nations...
Prov 8:17 those who seek me diligently will find me.
Prov 10:4 ...diligent hands bring wealth.
Prov 12:24 Diligent hands will rule...
Prov 12:27 ...diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.
Prov 13:4 ...desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.
Prov 21:5 ...plans of the diligent lead to profit... 
This 1 jumped out to me, Prov 12:24 "Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor." The 1st part gives me a picture of calm & in control with continuous purposeful motion while the last part sounds like me leaving chores to the last minute then scrambling, struggling, getting stressed out & angry! The other verse that spoke to me is Prov 12:26 & I love the way the NIRV puts it "Anyone who refuses to work doesn't even cook what he catches. But a man who works hard values what he has." Lord, forgive me for all your blessings (food, possessions etc) that I've wasted cause I couldn't be bothered to get off my butt & do some work!


Whew, lots to think over today! But now onto the challenge!!! So Day One: Organizing with a Purpose about the WHY of doing this challenge & is a good post to read. Kelly writes "Organizing is so much more than just stashing things in pretty baskets.  It's creating a space that nurtures and welcomes and sets us free to invite people into our homes and our lives." That is my heart in doing this challenge!


Day Two: An Organized Coat Closet
Here is the BEFORE pics of our entryway/coat closet. I had recently did a mini re-do of this area & had DH install the upper closet shelf plus the 4 backpack hooks under the window, but it needs to be finished AND you can see from the pics that my kids kindly brought up the boot/snowpant boxes for me to sort thru & put out. (yes, all the trim & closet doors are missing! I don't mind that DH has moved onto to more important jobs like finishing my bedroom etc!)

 It's kind of organizied but there is LOTS of room for improvement! Kelly's tips for this:

• Have less stuff than you have space for. Leave some space and hangers for your guests coats.
• Include hooks,shelves and baskets to make the most of the space.
• Use labels to ensure everything gets put where it belongs.  This is especially important for bins that are stored above eye level because you cannot see the contents and are more likely to place items in the wrong spot.
• Use matching hangers for a more tidy appearance.
• Use a sturdy bin to collect items that need to go to the car such as reusable shopping bags, library books to be returned or packages to be mailed.

Run to WIN!

Dear Blog, Day 2 of my study on anti-laziness & I found 3 great scriptures! 

1 Cor 9:24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but [only] one receives the prize? So run [your race] that you may lay hold [of the prize] and make it yours. AMP

The laundry, dishes etc have to be done whether I enjoy it & do a good job or not, so why not RUN to WIN!

1 Thess 4:11  Stay calm; mind your own business; do your own job. You've heard all this from us before, but a reminder never hurts. We want you living in a way that will command the respect of outsiders, not lying around sponging off your friends. MSG

Ouch! Right to the point, eh? Thank-you Lord for your Word that is sharper than a 2 edged sword.

2 Tim 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. NIV

Like a child wanting to please her Dad, I so totally want God to say, "Yep, thats my girl!"

Ok, so now about tomorrow...I'm very excited...I'm going to start my very first CHALLENGE! There are literally hundreds, maybe thousands of housekeeping-cleaning-purging-organizing challenges out in blogland right now (although I can't seem to find any that started THIS month, go figure) & I finally narrowed it down to one! It's "31 days to an Organized Home" on the blog Imperfect Homemaking. I found both this great blog & challenge thru Pinterest. It officially ran thru Oct 2011. There is also A Bowl Full of Lemons' Weekly Cleaning & Organizing Challenges that I want to do but I'm waiting for my new print cartridge to arrive before I start that one. She has 13 challenges that started Jan 2011 so I'm a tad behind, but hey, better late than never!!

*picture from http://www.athleticsireland.ie/content/?p=17726

New Month, New Attitude, New Resolve

Dear Blog, so how does one start their very 1st post?? I guess by just diving right in! This a.m. is the start of a new month & new attitude & new resolve! The month is November, my attitude is Thankfulness & my resolve is to "do unto the Lord" (specifically housework!).
"And whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus and in [dependence upon] His Person, giving praise to God the Father through Him."   Col 3:17 Amplified
The new month is simply cause, well, it is! I love that God's mercies are new each morning & a new month is so exciting! You flip the calendar page & see an entire month just waiting to be lived.
The thankfulness comes in because God has been talking to me about my complaining & grumbling. A person can't complain when they are busy being thankful...for their kids, spouse, church, life in general!! Case in point, if while I'm loading the dishwasher I'm thanking God for blessing us with a dishwasher, I can't really in the next moment complain about how everyone piles their dishes ON TOP of the dishwasher counter instead of simply putting them INSIDE! My attitude of Thanksfulness will make for more Joy all the way around!
The resolve part is this: I'm LAZY. I do have my productive spurts, but overall, I'm looking to do the least amount of work & the easiest way out! Now mix that with a house, 4 kids, 2 cats, hubby & a busy life...what you get is a very messy, unorganized chaotic home! yuck! The Bible has a lot to say about laziness, here's a few of it's verses: Prov 10:5, Prov 10:26, Prov 12:24, Prov 12:27, Mat 25:26, 1 Th 5:6, 2 Thess 3:10. Reading these (+ about 10 others) has given me a nasty reality check. Laziness is a sin I want & will have *positive affirmation!* NO part of! Over the next while I'm going to do a Bible search/study on not being lazy & to start I need to know what I'm looking for. So a Google search of "the opposite of lazy" gives these results: diligent, hard-working, industrious, energetic, pro-active, ambitious, productive. Hmmm...this is going to be a long, hard road, BUT God has recently showed me (yet again) that He is soo faithful, give me nothing I can't handle while leaning on Him & provides more than enough grace.