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Turn in November Points!

Did ya'll have a good Thanksgiving weekend?  Mine was really great...I will show you some photos from one of our family celebrations later this week.  I enjoyed taking a few days off from blogging, but as usual, I am pumped about a new month of Small Things and hanging with my Company Girls!

But first, it's time to turn in points from November.  Did you keep track this month?  If you didn't, don't worry.  You are still eligible for a random drawing...keep reading:

This month, the Most Points Winner will receive something I fell in love with online.  From Anthropologie, this crocheted ascot scarf is just soooooo lovely.

Won't you look absolutely enchanting with this draped around your shoulders?  You know you will.  It's you.

The Random Drawing Winner will receive "The Facts of Life and Other Lessons My Father Taught Me" by Lisa Whelchel.  Lisa is one of those few famous people that are really "real." You'll enjoy her story and getting to know her in this book.

Today's Small Thing is EASY, but there are two steps to it:

1. Email your point total to me.  Or if you did not keep track of points, just send me an email that says you want to be in the Random Drawing.

2.  Leave a comment, telling us what your favorite Small Thing of the month was!  It's always fun to see how different things helped different people throughout the month...and I love to read how the Small Things really DO make a difference.

Thank you again, girls, for keeping me company along this journey!  You are the best, and I can't wait to start another month of Small Things with you!

November's Verse: 2 Peter 1:3

I love Fernando Ortega's song, "Give Me Jesus." It's perfect for today's post...click play to listen.

 

Today, I will leave you with my meditation on a scripture that has been sinking down into my heart in recent days.  I'll be back on Monday, November 30, to collect this month's points and get ready for another fun month of Small Things!

I was asked to create a piece of artwork around this verse some time ago.  And as I chose the background, selected the font and placed the pretty doo-dads, each phrase began to float and slowly settle on me like a warm blanket.

Everything we need.

Everything we need, He has given us.

Through His divine power.

For life and godliness.

He has called us.

Through our knowledge of Him who has called us.

By His own glory and goodness.

With Thanksgiving on Thursday, I've become especially mindful of the incredible gift of Jesus Christ.  To be honest, sometimes I get so busy living the Christian life that I forget about the very person my faith is based on. I'm often so wrapped up in trying to do and say the right things, avoid sin and live righteously, that I miss the wonderful truth that is sitting in this little gem of a verse.

You see, the beauty of our faith is that it's not about what WE do for Him.  We can't earn, or finagle, or worm our way into righteousness.  We can't muster the goodness and character we need to obey His laws or meet His holy commands.  It would be a sad state of affairs if our standing with Him depended on our own efforts to be worthy.

It's really all about what HE has done for us.

By his divine power, He has given us everything we need for life and godliness. His grace, in the form of Jesus' sacrifice, is offered to us freely.  And when we believe in Him, He fills us with His spirit, giving us the power to live in a new way.  It's the same power that created the universe, causes the sun to shine, makes the mountains tremble and the seas roar.  It's the power that took that crushed human body, and raised it from the dead to be the King of kings and Lord of lords.

THAT's the divine power that gives us everything we need.

So if that power is there, why don't I seem to have any of it?

The answer is in the next phrase: it's through our knowledge of Him who has called us.

While I'm busy spinning around in my self-made circles, it's so easy to miss His tender voice that calls me to a deeper knowledge of Him.  I find myself exhausted and frustrated with my failures...completely overlooking the reality that if I would just stop.  Stop and spend time with Him. Stop and know Him, He would hook me up with the divine power I'm lacking.

I love this last phrase: Him who has called us....by His own glory and goodness.

Oh, what would it be like to see God's glory?  We have inklings of His glory when we see His handiwork in the heavens, or admire the perfection of a leaf, or feel the softness of a baby's skin, but these are only glimpses that hint at his radiant perfection.  And His glory is what draws our soul away from this dusty old world and toward a hope that is beyond us. It's his goodness that melts our decaying flesh and brings us into a holy relationship with Him.

His glory and goodness...to give us life and godliness. We are called by the very person of Jesus, who wants us to know Him and experience life through the power of His spirit.  

Will you think about this verse today?  Then allow God to do the work in you that you've been trying to do by your own power.  He has given you everything you need, now simply walk in it.

Download 2Peter1.3

POINTS: 40 for printing off and posting up 2 Peter 1:3 where you will see it.

Head Start Program

Are you ready for the holidays?

Me, neither.  Not yet, anyway.

But with a little head start, we'll be on our way...with a festive spirit!

Even though Thanksgiving is only a few days away, there are things we can do now to insure that the day will be a peaceful celebration, instead of a frantic rush at the last minute.

Today's Small Thing do one thing ahead of time.  Start by making a checklist of things to pack, things to purchase, and/or things to bake so you won't be running around like a headless chicken.

Ideas:

• Check your pantry supply for baking items.  I'm out of shortening and low on flour. 
• Purchase "extra" things like butter, eggs and milk for the extra pie or dessert you forgot to make. 
• Wash sheets and towels so they are ready to go before company arrives. 
• Wash sheets and towels so you have something clean to come home to from your trip. 
• Bake and store what you can, if you can keep from eating goodies ahead of time. 
• Clear out space in your freezer for leftovers. 
• Purchase storage containers so they are ready for duty after the Big Meal.  
• Assess tablecloth/centerpiece/serving dish situations: do you have what you need?  Last year, I realized I didn't have enough glasses because I counted them up beforehand.
• Polish silverware (or buy plastic ware)  
• Start a Christmas Planner  

Ticking even one item off your list will help you relax and enjoy the next few weeks.  I want to be joyful and grateful, in spite of our tight budget and time constraints, and being proactive will get me going in the right direction. 

POINTS: 60 for giving yourself a head start by DOING one thing that you're tempted to procrastinate

Share your ideas!  What can you do NOW that will make a difference later?

People Say We Monkey Around

Oh, there are some really great organizational blogs out there.  Blogs that will whip you into shape and spur you on to housekeeping greatness.  I can only dream of being so inspirational.

The truth is, I am not, and never will be, the Housekeeping Goddess of the blogosphere. Mainly because I like to have too much fun doing other things besides cleaning chandelier crystals with a Q Tip.  I truly enjoy playing in forts with small children and eating cookie dough at 11 pm.  I LIKE watching silly YouTube videos with my teenager, and reenacting Bourne Ultimatum fight scenes with him.  Darn it, I like doodling and daydreaming, too.

I've taken the approach that you've got to have a balance of work and play.  When I overdose on the "playing" part, my house falls apart and people complain of not having clean underwear.  When I focus solely on making the house a shining jewel of perfection, then all the fun gets sucked right out of the atmosphere and no one is very happy.

Today's Small Thing is to do a little bit of both.  A little work and a little play. It's a perfect way to spend a Friday!

Work Before Play is a motto we all need to adopt.  It's a good one to teach our kids.  It helps us remember that work comes first, but that time for play is important. 

Today, pick ONE thing you have been putting off and make a commitment to do it.  It can be as simple as scheduling a dentist appointment or filling out an insurance form that you should have done days ago. Or it could be like what I will do: put away the clean clothes that have been sitting in a basket for 3 days.  I also have a project for a client which will take several hours of dedicated time to complete. Make this the day you will cross something off your list. It feels great to complete a task that's been hanging over your head for awhile.

Then, reward yourself with a little playtime!  Go ahead, monkey around!  After your work is done, you should give yourself permission to do something fun for yourself.  You deserve to enjoy the fruit of your labor!  Read a book, watch a movie, play with the kids, have a cup of coffee, eat chocolate....whoop it up with freedom!

POINTS:  40 for doing some work before play

BONUS POINTS: 20 for sharing what you will work on, and how you will play today!  Leave a comment and/or a link to your blog so we can come over and see what kind of monkey business is going on at your house!

Company Girl Coffee 11.20

I feel like time is slipping dangerously away from me this month!  Do you feel that way too?  Maybe I know from experience that this week before Thanksgiving is the calm before the Christmas storm!

Some of you made November goals along with me at the beginning of the month.  I will report that I have made some progress on my goal, which was to finish up my Company Girl book....but I still have a ways to go.  I plan to use as much time as I can during the Thanksgiving week to  wrap it up, and I will let you know if I succeed or not!  Keep your fingers crossed for me. 

Now it's YOUR turn to share what's going on in your life!  Simply link up below (if you are a blogger) or feel free to leave a comment (if you are not a blogger.)  I want to point out that non-blogging Company Girl LydiaCate does a great job of participating through comments!  Those of you that don't blog, and who feel intimidated or shy about jumping in, just follow her lead and take the plunge!  We've enjoyed getting to know her this way and would love to get to know you, too!  Thanks, LydiaCate, for being a great participant and friend!

Dirty Phone Call

I'm really going to try and behave myself, what with such a tempting title and all today.  I don't want to scare off the new Company Girls :)  I can't have you thinking that you've joined a questionable group!

(snicker!)

Well, I am JUST old enough to remember having a "party line."  I'm pretty sure it was one of the last party lines in existence, because this was in the late 70's.  Avacado green and harvest gold phones were replacing the old black phones like crazy, but they all still had the rotary dials.  I hated having to dial a phone number with lots of 9's.

One day, a crotchety old lady got on the line in the middle of a conversation I was having with my friend Lisa, and chewed us out.  I remember being called a "snot-nosed kid" who "didn't know when to get off the line" by this wicked shrew, and being scared out of my wits!  I figured she was going to come and haul me off to her dungeon for having the audacity to chat on "her" time.  That was one phone call I'll never forget.  It was a dirty thing to do to two nice little kids. Meany!

Today's Small Thing is to clean up your phone.  Have you ever noticed how dirty phones get?  I'm always wiping makeup off my cell phone, but it's hard to get down into the cracks and crevices.  Home phones can get pretty nasty, too.  Check out the ear piece and tell me if you aren't grossed out.  Eww.

This will only take a few minutes but will inspire you to chat it up with a long-lost friend, text Dancing with the Stars, or send a spicy message to your hubby.  Hey, you knew I couldn't leave this title alone....

POINTS: 40 for cleaning up one phone

BONUS POINTS: 20 for cleaning an additional phone

Stop by and visit me over at Going Beyond...I'm talking about small beginnings today!

Stack Attack

I believe I've already shared that stacking is my personal organizational "style." My work table in my studio is a prime example of this: stacks of photos, stacks of art paper, stacks of drawings, stacks of individual projects, stacks of mail.  Oh, they are nicely lined up, but they are stacked nonetheless.

Moving around the house reveals more stacks: books by the bed, plates by the sink, junk mail on the counter, schoolbooks on the table.  I even have clean laundry stacked and ready to be put away.

The thing about stacking is that it gives me a slight feeling of accomplishment.  I've organized the chaos to a manageable point, patted myself on the back, and then moved on to more "important" things.

Today's Small Thing is to attack a stack.  Take your organizational prowess to the next level by dealing with at least one stack and whittling it down to nothing!  Let's make it funner by giving you points per stack:

POINTS: 30 for dismantling one stack

BONUS POINTS: 20 for each additional stack, up to 5 more

You could earn 130 points today!  Now that's a stack of points.

Which stacks will you attack today??

Big Foot - Sighted!

I was driving home and dusk had already settled in for the evening.  As my trusty old Explorer rounded the last curve of the gravel drive, my headlights caught sight of a large, lumbering Being - lurching across the road.

His arms swung wildly and his long gait was unmistakable. He looked over his right shoulder at me and staggered away.

Sasquatch!

 

Except that this one was wearing a blue highschool letter jacket.  It was my son, reinacting the famous sasquatch sighting, as immortalized by Buddy, in “Elf.”  He’d waited in the woods and then picked the exact moment to make his appearance, in a Big Foot rendition that almost made me crash, it cracked me up so bad.  That kid!

I slowed to a stop and rolled down the window. “Get in, you beast!” I said, and gave him a ride up to the house.

Today’s Small Thing is to take care of some big footwear issues in your house: sock drawers.  Are your sock drawers like the ones at my house?  I usually just cram clean socks into the mess that’s already in there...sorta putting a neat layer on top of the tangle of mismatched and “singles.”  It's not a very good system and I am ashamed.

Let's tackle at least one sock drawer or bin today.  Straighten, get rid of holey, outgrown or unmatched ones, and reunite the singles!

POINTS: 50 for one sock drawer or bin

BONUS: 20 for an additional drawer

Good Hair

It's always been my belief that good hair is more important than good clothes.  In fact, good hair was the whole reason I ever went into business as a decorative painter: to fund my hair obsession.  Talk about a great business plan!  My entire goal was to make enough to cover the cost of beauty so I wouldn't have to dip into grocery money to look good!  Unfortunately, it's STILL hard to fork over the money for hair beauty.

Priscilla is talking about good hair over on her blog today, and the quest that black women go through to get it.  It opens up a whole new world of processes I didn't know about!  Hey, nothing unites women like hair struggles, except for maybe childbirth.  It's the sisterhood of pain and it crosses all borders of race!  You'll have to stop over and join the fun conversation there.

Today's Small Thing is to straighten up your hair accessories and tools.  Easy!

If you have brushes, combs, hairdryers, mouse, clips, hairbands, barrettes, bows and bobby pins in disarray, you are not alone.  We are ALL there, honey.  Simply take a few minutes and organize your things into drawers or containers, and then collect your Good Hair points for the day!

POINTS 40

"Welcome" in any Language

Velkommen, Bienvenido, Bienvenue....every language has a word that means "Come on in!" 

But you don't need a translator to understand hospitality.  It's in a warm smile, a soft hug, a cup of tea, a motion to "please, sit down!"  Hospitality is an attitude of sharing and giving, and you can feel it as soon as you step inside.

Actually, hospitality is communicated before you even enter a home.  It starts outside, at the front door. 

Today's Small Thing is to take a look at your entryway and view it as a guest sees it.  Is your porch a home to spiderwebs and a pile of leaves that blew in?  Is is littered with newspapers, muddy tennis shoes and skateboards?  A few minutes to sweep and gather the miscellaneous stuff will give your home an instant facelift!

I love to see pots of flowers by the front door and I hope to get some planted this weekend.  My daughter, Lauren, spruced up her home's entry with some fresh marigolds and petunias and she's inspired me to get going on my own "welcome" pots.

So shake out the rug, tidy your stoop and throw your arms open to your world.  Say "Welcome" in a language everyone understands!

POINTS: 40 for creating a hospitable entry in a few minutes flat!