Now that you've found me, you might be curious. Is this an organizational blog? A motivational blog? A mommy blog? A decorating blog? A marriage and parenting blog? A change-your-life blog?
Oh. Yes.
It's all that....and more. Scroll down for the daily Small Things: easy tips, tricks and tasks to help make your home a great place to be! Join us....we'd love to have you along.
Rachel Anne - {wife, mom, writer, dreamer, doodler, home keeper and friend}
I almost didn't choose Today's Small Thing because it is something that many people will find silly.
And, in fact, YOU may look at the computer screen blankly and wonder what on earth I'm talking about because this little task is something you never have a problem with.
I salute you.
For the rest of us, let's just say we have some hang ups.
See, when I walk into my (tiny) closet, there are usually one or two items that have decided to slide off their hangers and relax on the floor. They obviously don't have the strength to shoulder the waiting in there, so with a nonchalant shrug, they leave their spot on the rod for better times on the carpet.
There are also the clothing items that drape themselves over chairs, ends of beds and dusty exercise equipment because they are too tired to march themselves into the closet and retire to the hangers like good soldiers. It's pathetic.
And I have to get after the coats and sweaters, who, after a long winter, are finding it difficult to keep hanging on to their hooks. No matter how many times I scold them, they lack the willpower to stay put. I know it's because there are too many of them and they're feeling crowded, but it's as if they've given up and are ready to be put away for Spring. There are always one or two despondent items in a crumpled heap of despair on the floor. We dealt we these characters a couple of weeks ago, but you know how these guys are.
I won't even tell you about the clean-but-unsorted laundry that only WISHES it could be hung neatly in the closet. Day after day it sits, its wrinkles becoming set as the basket is dug through for the undies and socks that lie like buried treasures within its depths. The button-down shirts are particularly angry, but they've always got a bit of an attitude. So uptight!
So, for those of you Company Girls with no hang-ups to deal with, today will be an easy day. For the rest of us, we should do some personal therapy by handling our "issues" one at a time.
Today's Small Thing is to hang up the lazy, unmotivated or simply wistful clothing items that are laying around the house. Some of them need to be put in their place with a good talking-to, and others will thank you for the chance to hang with the big boys.
POINTS: 50 for hanging up what's laying around
If you don't have any hang-ups to deal with, take your 50 points and pat yourself on the back!
Where do your clothes like to hang out when not in the closet on hangars? Mine love the chair in my bedroom.
Sing with me!
This old man, he played one
He played a knick knack on my drum
With a knick knack paddy whack, give a dog a bone
This old man came rolling home.
QUICK! Can you name the rest of the things the old man played knick knack on?
Two - shoe
Three ........
Please don't hate me for getting this childish song stuck in your head, but I had to come up with a way to bring the words "knick knack" into a Small Thing.
Because "chotskies" didn't fit into anything.
Are you a collector? Do you drool over commemorative plates and Thomas Kinkade figurines?
Does your heart beat faster when you see Precious Moments people or Willow Tree carvings?
But maybe the Fitz and Floyd rabbit teapots and Hallmark ceramic pretties are proliferating and partying on the shelves when they should be posing in neat, dust-free groups.
Today's Small Thing is to tidy up the knick knacks, the bric-a-brac, the chotskies and pretties around your house. Give them a quick dusting to make them shine. Are your displays looking cluttered? Edit them and put out only a few things for awhile. Try rearranging what you have and see what a difference it makes.
POINTS: 40 for playing knick knack paddy whack with your decor today!
Do you collect things? I used to collect teacups but they suffered too many casualties over the years and I gave up. I'd love to hear what your collections are, or what decorative items you enjoy.
Have you ever found yourself begging and pleading with God for Him to show you what to do? You SO want to please Him and serve Him...but how? What does He want from you? What does He require? Sometimes it seems like all your questions go unanswered, and you wonder where to start to find His will.
Well, here is a perfect place to start: Micah 6:8.
Background photo: istockphoto, Ilena Simeonova
I won't spend much time on the background history here, but God used Micah to prophesy to His people, who had fallen away from Him (750-687 BC). There was corruption, idolatry, poor civil government, violence and the belief that personal sacrifice satisfies divine justice.
Much like today, in fact.
But even in the midst of impending judgment for their wickedness, God was reaching for the hearts of His people.
It's His redemptive thread. It's what He's always done.
For those of you who read my blog regularly, you know that my devotional posts come straight from my own life's journey and are usually fresh (sometimes raw) takes from what God is speaking to my heart along the way. And this scripture is no different. God is working this one on me and it kinda hurts. A lot.
See, I've been asking God to show me His Big Plan: the great unfolding of ministry or purposes that seem hidden from me. "Pleeheeheeeze, God!" And not surprisingly, God hasn't given me a clear vision of the future, just a clear vision of what He wants me to do today. Right now.
And I'm convinced that getting this verse right will lead me to the next step in His plan for me.
I think of Micah 6:8 as a "bottom line" statement that is repeated throughout scripture in different ways. It holds straight answers for those who really want to know how to please God. God is saying here, "look, you don't need a new word from me, I've already told you what I require." Let's take the three requirements and see how they might apply to our own situations.
1. Act justly: In other words, live according to justice and do what's right. Now before we happily skip on to the next part because we've got this one covered, let's ask a few questions.
I have to be honest and tell you that I was jolted out of bed at 5 am the other morning to make of list of things I needed to make right. I couldn't sleep. I owe someone a forgotten sales commission from 2004 and I need to pay it. I've said I would do something for someone and have not fulfilled my promise. I got a pretty good little list going. I know God can't bless me further until I obey His conviction to live justly today.
2. Love mercy: Some translations say, "love kindness."
I'm so aware that I don't LOVE mercy! I sorta like it when it's convenient, but I can't say that my actions reflect the heart of God in all circumstances. Being merciful and loving kindness should be my way of life, no matter where I am or what I'm doing. That's His will for me.
3. Walk humbly with your God: Live in complete dependence upon a holy, righteous and awesome God. He alone deserves glory.
Walking humbly doesn't fit too well in our culture. We now must tweet our every stellar action, and post photos of our accomplishments on our own websites. We're so aware of personal marketing that even parenting has become fodder for the "look at me" society. I fight the urge to look really spiritual and all put together for the people who frequent my blog. Do you struggle with this, too? I think all of this lops over into our spiritual life. I want to be willing to be nothing, if it means glorifying Him.
Finding God's will for your life is really pretty simple. It starts, and ends, with your heart. When you begin applying the paradigm found in Micah 6:8, you'll be amazed at how clear things become. As for me, I feel like I'm waking up in the middle of heart surgery...and although I'd like to jump off the operating table, I know my heart needs fixing. I want to embrace all that God has for me, and that means obeying what He's already shown me.
Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly.
Today's Small Thing is to print off (or digitally post up on your computer) Micah 6:8 where you can see it. Would you take some time to ask yourself some hard questions? Work through the things that God has "already showed you." Let this be a foundation for Him to build on, and I have a hunch that all the rest of His will for you will fall right into place.
POINTS: 50 for putting Micah 6:8 somewhere where you'll be reminded of what God really wants you to do.
How does this verse affect your life? Feel free to share.
NOTE: I just realized that the graphic doesn't look right in all browsers so I'm working on fixing it!
Two words: Hockey Season.
Since October, we've been "doing hockey," and I'm finding myself really looking forward to the end of a very long season. Here in Texas, our season lasts from the end of September to the end of March! And because my husband coaches the Junior Varsity team and my son plays on both JV and Varsity, that means double the practices and games. Our local rink closed down last fall, adding about 2 hours to each trip to the rink....and all of it adds up to evenings that are taken up with activities.
And evenings are when I write my blog posts.
Unfortunately, when I work on a Verse post, it takes me hours to write a 500 word devotional. Maybe it's not that important, but I always feel like every word counts: I think about my readers, who are at all different places in their spiritual walk, and try not to make assumptions when talking about scripture. And, being an artist, I labor over fonts and backgrounds to go with each scripture.
I short, I overthink it.
So I'm going to try and lighten up on my next verse. I'll try not to overthink it and just DO it! It is one of my favorite things to do...and it's nice to know it's something ya'll enjoy also.
And guess what? We just played the last regular season game last night! Now, on to the playoffs.....
Today is Company Girl Coffee day! Link up below for a fun opportunity to visit other blogs and invite people to your own blog! If you aren't a blogger, you can visit in the comment section by telling us about yourself and letting us know what's going on in your corner of the world.
I'm not sure how much headway I made on any of my work projects this week. I somehow feel like I didn't get many things crossed off my list...but I was still so busy all week! Doing WHAT, I ask myself....I don't know, spinning in circles I guess.
One thing I've come to realize is that there is rarely a moment that a person feels completely caught up, in control, on top and holding the world by the tail. I find that I often put off doing something enjoyable because there is work to be done, laundry to fold or errands to run. I don't pause to take a moment for myself when there are are so many other things that are more important.
That's why it's good to make a conscious effort to create little moments of pleasure every now and then. Why wait "for someday" to enjoy a little slice of heaven here on this earth? Sometimes the smallest things can breathe new life into our day and give us hope for even better days ahead.
Heavenly experiences are all around you:
Today's Small Thing is to carve out a little slice of heaven for yourself. Take a few moments to deliberately do something that speaks to your soul and makes you feel good. Really, it's OK! No one will do this for you, so you'll have to make heaven happen for yourself...one small moment at a time.
POINTS: 50 for enjoying a slice of heaven on earth...you can take all weekend to complete this task
What heavenly thing will you do for yourself? Please share!
Has it really been more than a year since we did this task? Well, it's high time we tackle it again. This is from last February:
The plumbers were here yesterday to fix the showers. I was ecstatic! Finally, a shower that doesn't shoot boiling hot water out the lower spigot while ice cold water dribbles out the shower head! Oh, heavenly delight.
We have a long list of plumbing issues, and I thought we were going to be "chipping away" at the fixes, with the showers being the only things on the list for the day. I'd scrubbed the tiles and cleaned up the tubs beforehand.
Suddenly, I heard one plumber say to the other, "Go ahead and pull the stuff out from under the kitchen sink, and follow the line to the refrigerator through all the lower cabinets."
Everything became blurry and I felt the blood drain down to my toes.
"NOOOOOOOO!" The scene went to slow motion as I sprinted to the kitchen, leaped over the counter and shoved the poor man out of the way. He didn't realize, as he opened that cabinet door, that his life was in danger!
You can't just spring, "Let's have a look-see under the kitchen sink," on a woman. You gotta give advance warning! There is no telling what perils lurk in the depths of the deep, dark space that houses the very trash of our existence. A person might dive in and never come out alive.
I saved. that man's life.
And you should have seen how fast I worked! As the plumber nursed his whiplash from being tackled, I filled an entire garbage bag of stuff that was toxic, and another with appliances (like an old coffee maker that didn't work) and miscellaneous things that took me 2 seconds to decide I would never use again. The terror of having a perfect stranger digging through my lower cabinets was greater than my terror of dealing with the menacing spaces that I'd long ignored.
Today's Small Thing is to summon your courage and plumb the depths of the cabinet under your kitchen sink. You will need to set a timer for yourself and work quickly, because any longer than, say, 10 minutes, will cause your flesh to disintegrate into chum and you will be eaten alive by horrible creatures that have been morphing off the cleaning products under there. You might consider tying a rope around your waist and having someone ready to yank you out when the timer goes off, just for your own safety.
This is not a big, heavy duty cleaning session. Simply pull out what shouldn't be under there, maybe straighten up the containers and cleaners, if you have them, and tidy it up. It feels great to know that the jaws of death have been defeated with a small amount of courage! You can do it. Oh, yes you can!
BIG POINTS today: 75! Hey, when you take your life in your hands, you should get a boatload of points for it.
Thanks for waiting on me to get this month's top prize ready. I hope you'll like it.
The Most Points Winner in March will receive this set of hand-painted canvas tiles, made especially for her with lots of love from me:
Here are the same tiles in different lighting, arranged another way.
I had some fun with these squares. I'm currently in love with a soft, robin's egg blue color, so I decided that should be the background to these doodly-good, happy tiles. I will sign each one and you can configure them any way your heart desires....but of course you will have to WIN them first! This set will be a perfectly charming touch for your sanctuary.
The Random Drawing Winner will receive Priscilla Shirer's newest book, One in a Million.
It just came out in stores this week and I already have my own signed copy. Now, you can't have mine, but I'll get you one of your very own - signed and everything. Because I know people. Well, I know Priscilla and she will be happy to sign one when I tell her I need her to do it because I promised. Anyway, I've started reading it and it is her best book yet. You will love this one.
So there you have it! March is already underway, and if you missed the first couple of days, don't worry about it. There will be plenty of opportunities to earn lots of points! Do you need a Tally Sheet? Here's one: Download Tally 0310
Here's to another great month of Small Things with the Company Girls! Scroll down for today's task in the next post.
An older gentleman friend recently passed away, and it was a true “home going” for a wonderful Christian man. Asa Holleman had come to know Jesus in his thirties and gave his whole adult life to serving him through his business and vocational life. He was 82 when he died, and he left behind a wonderful family and the great love of his life, Billie, his wife of 62 years. He sure knew how to love that sweet lady, and those two gave all of us something to talk about. They were still flirting with one another until the end.
Besides being known for how he loved his wife, Asa will always be remembered for being a snappy dresser. I think I’ll always picture him in his bright green sport jacket and cream colored pants. Not everyone can get away with an outfit like that, but he sure could. It went well with the twinkle in his eyes and the smile he always sported. He pulled it off with warmth and charm.
I’ve always kind of wanted to be a snappy dresser myself, but the truth is, the closest I’ll ever come to it is by HAVING a snappy dresser.
I’m talking about the one in my bedroom. It’s the one that is currently under a layer of dust, littered with receipts and loose change, and in desperate need of an overhaul. Today it’s more like a gauche dresser.
Today’s Small Thing is to clear off your bedroom dresser in a snap! I know mine will only take a few minutes to look dapper again. A light dusting, a quick removal of the miscellany and a deft straightening of the decor will have my dresser back in style.
POINTS: 40 for having a snappy dresser today
Oh, alright. How about 30 MORE points for BEING a snappy dresser today? Put something on with a bit of style! A necklace, a scarf, a bright blouse....who says heels are just for going out? Have fun...and then tell us: what will you put on that says "snappy?"
In honor of March...this Small Thing is a perfect way to start the month.
I love a good marching band! This song is one of my favorites...it's so catchy it kinda stays in your head. There's nothing like seeing and hearing a great university band, with the drum line and tubas marching in precision with the trombones and trumpets and clarinets. How do they do that without running into each other?
Well, for starters, there's always a director, high up on a stand, swinging his arms in gigantic motions so that everyone can follow his rhythm. Without him, it would be chaos on the field...a massive wreck of instruments, and people in really tall hats, all tangled up.
It reminds me of the rhythm that goes into making a household run. There are things that require a repetitive beat, week after week to keep things from falling into chaos. The laundry, the meals, the dishes, the picking up, the sorting, the bills, the errands. You can get real tired of the constant drum beat of things to do, but there is beauty when things work like they should.
I've got to be honest with you and tell you that I'm still working on finding my own beat. My schedule changes from week to week (that's my excuse) and I've dropped my rhythm more times than I've marched in perfect synchronization with my family's needs. Somehow this last weekend got away from me and I didn't get any laundry or cleaning done so I'll have to catch up.
Today's Small Thing is to find your rhythm. If you've fallen behind on the laundry or cleaning or groceries, why not use today to catch up on one thing? Instead of beating yourself up over it, just find your place and start marching! Before you know it, you'll be back in step and making music.
What are you catching up on today? We've had tons of new Company Girls this past month....why not leave a comment so we can start getting to know you!
Since I am posting Today's Small Thing so late in the day, let's have a bit of grace on the deadline. You may do today's task on any (or all) of the days this week to earn your points.
You know, some people are naturally positive and chipper. But if you are a parent, you know that other people are born with a "glass half empty" mentality right out of the chute. It's frustrating to deal with negative attitudes, especially in children. One of mine was particularly sure that the world was out to get him and that all the cards were stacked against him. Every day. All the time.
I really got sick of constantly pointing out the positive and insisting on contentedness as a character trait. We had to make a happy disposition a matter of obedience just to keep the spirit of glumness from overtaking our household at times.
But just like Galatians 6:9 says, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up," cultivating a positive outlook will have its rewards. I believe that seeing the glass half full is something that can be nurtured and trained, and we have certainly reaped a harvest of good attitudes in all our kids. I'm really proud of the way they are able to handle adversity and difficulties; even my "glass half empty" child has overcome his natural tendencies and sees life a whole lot differently than he used to.
Learning to have a positive attitude is a gift we can give our children...and is a gift we can give ourselves. Oftentimes, we grumble and complain about things that we cannot change, or things that grumbling and complaining about will not ever change. The words that leave our mouths do nothing to positively affect our situation, and only serve to bring down the whole house.
Today's Small Thing is to speak positive words. Alright, that's not exactly a SMALL thing, but practice clapping a hand over your mouth (literally or figuratively) when something negative threatens to pop out. Can you put a positive spin on things? Make a game out of taking a complaint and making it constructive. Try pulling your kids into the action and help them be aware of their own words.
POINTS: 50 for speaking positively. Can you make it a whole day without complaining? Maybe not, but you'll get points for trying. Think of it like learning a new skill: it takes time, but eventually you will master it.
