Operation Organization--Week Two

Last week I decided to play along with Melinda and her Operation Organization challenge. I decided to do my baskets. (I'm doing small things at this point.) Can you believe my week flew by and I didn't get to it until this morning? Oh well. It's done! Here's the project in process:

You wouldn't believe all the garbage I had in there! I had restaurant coupons that expired in February. And Christmas cards we sent out that were returned because we had the wrong address. And field trip info for trips that happened long ago. So...toss, toss, toss. There were other papers in there that belonged somewhere else...so those got relocated. My treasure hunt also revealed a book I had wondered about, and two Target gift cards (too bad they were Pickle's, I like shopping at Tar-jay). I organized our bills (yes, I'm admitting we aren't very organized there--thank God for online bill paying). Random addresses saved from cards were inputed into my contacts. So, it might not look like I did much...but lots of info was weeded through. The baskets now:

I realized that I really should have opened my cabinet when I took the "before" photo--cause oodles of the papers I had to move went up there in my files. I cleaned those out too. I have files for each kid's school stuff, for medical stuff, bills, etc. The binder you see on the right is our family's operating manual (we don't really call it that, but we don't call it anything--will take all suggestions!!). That book contains daily checklists for each of us, chore lists, starter grocery list for each week, etc. and is a life-saver for my ADD-needs structure-pretty busy-family.

This next week's task should be easier. I'm going for the junk drawer. Seems like a good idea before school begins...this is regular task because it is a shoving-stuff-place just like those baskets are. So I will organize it again...so that it can actually be useful to all of us. Here it is today:

Can you believe we live like this? Just being real, bloggies.

Feel free to join us at Melinda's blog!

Gotta send ya...

So, sometimes life is hard. Things happen that we don't understand. Or like. Or think we can stand. Darkness threatens to overtake us. I know this from my own life and from the lives of those close to me. I am not in one of those dark times now. Maybe you are. I want to send ya (and when I say "ya" I am referring to you--the small handful of folks who for some reason find yourself reading this blog-o-mine) somewhere.

Today I read two blog posts that were awesome. I'll be honest, I wish I wrote this one by Missy. I am by no means the writer she is, but otherwise I could've written this post. The truths contained in her post are truths I've learned, yet still need to be reminded of regularly. Please go and read it. It will bless you.

The other post is one that was linked to from a few other blogs I read. It is by musician Shaun Groves speaking about how he is fighting back against depression. It is long, but so honest. If you or anyone you know is dealing with dark feelings, it is so worth reading.

That's all I'm gonna say. They said it better. Thanks for letting me send ya...

ps. The photo above was taken by my daughter, pickle. I love that the sky is gray but the bird looks calm. I'm also partial to the birds. :)

I like my job. really.

On Tuesdays I join with Emily and others at Chatting in the Sky and take time to notice something small we might have overlooked in the everyday and "unwrap the gift" that it is.

Maybe this isn't so small. But it is everyday. And I don't always think about it. Cause when things are everyday, we forget to think about them. But...I like my job. I really like it.

Two and a half years ago life looked different for me. Maybe not on the outside--married, two kids, same house, same faith, same neighbors. But my everyday looked different. My inside was different. I was four years into my own home business in direct sales. I won't slam direct sales--it can be profitable and is very flexible. It was a great option for me when I still had a little guy at home. And I loved it--great company, great people, great incentives. I won trips. I got lots of prizes. I got recognition. I got paid. I sought to honor God in my business, and got many opportunities to share Him with my customers. He was blessing my efforts. BUT, if I'm being honest, it consumed me. This is completely due to my overachiever, driven personality. Some are able to handle the achievements and still maintain a well-balanced life. I wasn't able to. I couldn't turn it off. I always wanted to do better and it was always there--always more I could be doing. I made my own hours, but I made a lot of them.

And I forgot how to relax. And I didn't spend much time being a friend. Or sleeping.

Sometime around January 07 I had a sense that something else was coming soon in my life. I had no idea what, but I prayed it wouldn't mean I had to give up my business... Then one day in April it came. It was a different job. The Children's Ministry's Director position was open at my church. It had been open for several months--with a dear friend serving as interim director. I knew I was not the one for the job for SO many reasons and told those who thought I should apply exactly that for months. Yes, I had a MA in Educational Ministries--but I always pictured myself with college students (did that for many years) or with high schoolers (did that for many years too) but not ministering to kids (other than my own, of course). Sure I loved kids, and loved VBS and had lots of ideas about Sunday School and church ministry--but I didn't want to be on church staff or in charge of the whole deal. It wasn't me. I mean, Children's Ministry Directors had sweet voices, kind smiles and wore denim jumpers with animals applique'd on, right? (no offense if you wear those--but that is not me!) Surely I wasn't the one.

Yet, I love God. And I want to live my life the way He wants me to. And I've told him that and asked Him to lead me. He did. The short version (I know you are wondering if I EVER have a short version, huh? I'm nothing if I'm not wordy.) is that in about a 8 hour time frame I went from telling my pastor that I wasn't the one for the job--thank you very much--to thinking maybe I was. God completely changed my heart.

It was nothing short of a miracle, folks.

It was like the fog cleared and I knew what I was supposed to do and I got all excited. We are talking heart-beating-super-fast excited. My hubby (when the initial shock wore off) felt really good about it too. Because I need all sorts of reassurance, I asked God to make it absolutely clear to me--and in another only-God-could-do-it moment on a women's retreat shortly thereafter He did. So I asked God to help me be obedient, and to help me be willing to give up my business (in a rare moment of clear-thinking I KNEW I couldn't do both jobs). I asked him to take away the pain of letting the business go.

I never felt any pain. There were some bittersweet moments, but the joy of knowing I was doing what God asked me to do outweighed any difficulties in letting go.

So, you see, I am as surprised as anyone that I like my job. But I have had no regrets. I love the great kids at our church. I love partnering with their parents to help them grow in their faith. I love leading volunteers. I love being a part of the bigger picture of our church's ministry. I love that I get to be the philosophical, theoretical me as I set direction for our programs and I love that I also get to be the hands on me--making vbs decorations, teaching baptism class, hugging preschoolers. And guess what folks? I don't even wear a denim jumper--apparently that is not required!

AND, I love the people I work with. We are in a transition time at our church--our pastor of 14 years felt God calling Him somewhere else--and we have been 7 months without him as we look for a new pastor. This could be a really hard time--working on a staff without our leader. And in some ways it has been. But the folks I work with are muy fabuloso. We work together well. We collaborate and support each other. We let each other have our grumpy days. We put up with each other. We tease each other. We laugh a LOT. We challenge each other. We point each other to Christ (most days, anyway). I love each one of them. And did I tell you that I work with my sister?? How cool is that??

Here is a picture of our church staff--we took it as a goodbye present for our pastor. It's supposed to be the rest of us caught red-handed ransacking his office. (that speaks volumes, huh?)

Aren't we just the funny bunch?

I like my job. I actually love my job. And that's nothing to take for granted. Can it be tedious at times? Absolutely. Are there frustrating moments? Of course. What job or ministry doesn't have those?

Yeah, this is everyday. But it's not small. I'm thankful for the gift of liking my job. I'm so glad I unwrapped it today.

Operation Organization! (my small version)

Well, I have had an organizational bug lately. It unfortunately hasn't morphed into actual organizing activity much...although the kids' bathroom vanity was attacked last week complete with new caddy for Pickle's ever growing collection of get-beautiful-stuff. It's mostly just been the desire. I don't know if it's the new school year looming or if it's just that it's gotten just-that-atrocious over the summer but it's driving me crazy. My new found blogging hobby has not only distracted me from the mess (just being real here--sometimes it just sounds better to sit with the computer and ignore what is bothering me) but has also inspired me with projects and ideas galore. But I won't let my inspired self go for any of those until I've got the place in working order--not perfect--but in working order. There are plenty of those behind closed doors places to be tackled.

And I hate it when we can't find stuff quickly.

I stumbled on a Melinda's blog today, and she is hosting an organizational challenge for the next 8 weeks, and I decided I'm gonna go for it. I am not going to take on very big projects (like my office/dump room) because the calendar shows much busyness in coming weeks. However, I think the motivation/accountability from this challenge is what I need to at least accomplish SOMETHING towards my working-order-home goal during this school starting season. Otherwise, I might use my hubby's laid-up-ness as an excuse to just sit around and keep him company (read here: let the mess sit longer).

So, I'm posting here for all 10 or so of you to see that I mean business. Just a little business, but business just the same. This week I am taking on my counter baskets. These cute little baskets were given to me by my mom 8 and a half years ago to house all of those papers that tend to clutter up the counters and dining room table. (I hope some of you relate just a wee bit to that? Please?) Well, I love them. But every so often they need to be cleaned out. And every-so-often hasn't happened since before school let out! Shame, shame, shame. And I'm noticing that my sweet daughter and loving hubby "straighten up" by dumping everything made from paper in those lover-ly baskets. Yesterday I found my journal as well as some catalogs in there! Here is what they look like right now...

Yes, I'm very proud. Look at them, they are overflowing! SO, I'm committing to it this week. I am supposed to have it done by Friday. Check back on Friday for photos.

(I know you will be holding your breath in anticipation.)

Thanks for indulging my need for this little bloggo-challenge to get me rolling a bit at a time. Feel free to join in at your house--check out Melinda's challenge here. And feel free to encourage me...I'm not the only one whose let it all get away from me, right?