I loved reading everyone's emails last night.....your messages were so encouraging to me, and I truly cherish them. I'll announce August winners tomorrow, so bear with me one more day.
One thing I noticed in the comments and emails was a recurring theme: "I started out the month well, but got behind on the Small Things....." I sensed a little bit of discouragement and defeat going on, so I thought this would be a great day to bring out the Clean Slate.
Here you go, this is for you:
Go ahead, take it!
It's a NEW MONTH, the perfect time to let the past go - and start fresh.
See, at one point or another in life, everyone will find that they need to make a fresh start. Maybe you are frustrated with your lack of organization at home and need some proper tools to help you (ahem, *Home Sanctuary*), or maybe you figured out that you have a dead-end job and you need something that fits your life a little better. Or you might find yourself in a bankruptcy court, needing to start over financially in order to make it.
Those are major ways of beginning with a clean slate, and there is no shame in them. But everyday, smaller clean slates are important, too.
Forgiving a spouse for hurting you and giving your relationship a chance to rebloom.
Forgiving yourself for not measuring up to your own standards.Allowing a child to fail, again, and not berating him for it.
Going back to square one on a project that isn't going well.
Clearing a work space so that you can function better.
Bringing your sins to a forgiving God. (not so small)
Clean slates mean than you are erasing the past and starting fresh. It breathes new life into your situation and gives you a chance to see things in a new light.
For Today's Small Thing, we are going to find a little way to apply the idea of "Clean Slate." This doesn't have to be complicated. For example, before I cook anything, I like to clear my counters and dish area so that I can work on one thing at a time. The kitchen clutter needs to be moved in order to start fresh with dinner or baking.
Maybe you are working on a scrapbookking project and there are bits of paper, sickers, glue, photos and pages all over the place. Taking a few minutes to straighten it before you continue may give you a new rush of inspiration.
You could make a phone call to a friend, with whom your relationship has gotten awkward. Taking a step toward reestablishing your friendship is a great way of applying "clean slate."
A clean slate can be applied to people, things and situations. It can be little or very big. If you think about it, it's a bit like applying grace into your everyday life. I like that.
We all need that.
POINTS: 40 for finding a way to start something with a clean slate. Clear a counter, pull out crochet stitches, forgive......you choose!
BONUS POINTS: 20 for sharing your fresh start, either in a comment here, a blog post, a tweet, a facebook status or telling a real-live person in your life. Give your clean slate wings by sharing it!
Song of the Day: Back at One, Mark Wills
New Tally Sheet: Download Tally1009
