Update: Operation Declutter

Dining room - done.  It was honestly easy - not too much clutter gets stuck in there.  Although I did manage to clear out some Christmas pieces from the hutch.  And some linens.

Now I need to take care of the laundry room.  This will be the last of the easier rooms.  The others are going to be a challenge.  I need some motivation. Can y'all send me some tips that keep you going? How's your progress?  I know several of you are doing the same thing - how're you doing?

After the laundry room, I think I will take a break.  The very idea of cleaning out the storage room is causing me to break out in hives. So I need to get myself prepared for that.

Laundry room - here I come.  And I want to get you done by Valentine's Day.

Then I will reward myself with candy.

The Refugee Crisis: A Biblical Response

If your social media outlets are like mine, they are absolutely blowing up with opinions on the refugee crisis. Some are informative, but others are so toxic that I have considered disconnecting. I am all for open dialogue but let's be civil, please!

I digress.

That's not the point of this post.

What should our response be to this crisis? As followers of Christ.


I have very strong opinions about it. But I'll not share those so much. Instead, I have some recommendations for action.

And it's not to contact your Senator.

Let's look at some of the more popular passages that are currently trending on social media:

Matthew 25:34-46 - focusing on this: For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in....Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even to the least of them, you did it to Me.

Leviticus 19:33-34When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong.  The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.

What does obedience to these verses look like? What IS the Biblical response?

Like me, you are probably not in a position to affect what goes on with immigrants and refugees on the national level. This does not mean we can't do anything.

There are alot of "refugees" right in our own zip codes. People who are in need of compassion and assistance. People whose problems YOU can help solve.

In the Athens/Oconee area, there are numerous organizations that need help. Let's be mindful of taking care of the problems right here around us. You can donate money and/or your services and it can make a big difference. Here are some of the ones that I know of personally and can recommend you support:

The Sparrow's Nest      kimberlysbunting@gmail.com/www.sparrowsnestmission.org

Mercy Health Center  http://mercyhealthcenter.net/

Downtown Academy   http://downtownacademy.org/volunteer.html

Athens Pregnancy Center   http://www.athenspregnancycenter.org/volunteer/

Chosen for Life Ministries    http://www.chosenforlifeathens.com/volunteer/

Snows Mill Guest House   http://www.missionarycareministry.org/volunteer/

International  Friends  http://www.athensenglishclasses.com/

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If you have a compelling urge to do something on an international level, let me suggest Kupendwa Ministries in Uganda. This organization was founded and is led by a young woman from Oconee County - so  you can be both local and international if you help this group!  Send email  to: kupendwavolunteer@gmail.com for a current list of urgent donation needs! 

We might not know what the answer is to the immigration and refugee issues that our country faces. But that is not a reason to feel helpless. We can BE the answer to some problems here locally. 

Oh, and one more thing. I've talked to some folks who feel guilty because they haven't adopted a child from overseas nor turned their home over to a group of internationals. I don't think there is cause for guilt. Nor do I think God considers us "second class Christians".

 In Luke 10, where Jesus commends the Good Samaritan for showing mercy to the stranger who had been robbed and beaten and left for dead, we gain some insight. The Samaritan did indeed demonstrate compassion and he did indeed go out of his way. But the story doesn't tell us that he took the man to his home nor assumed absolute responsibility for his lifelong well-being. What Jesus does tell us here is that the man showed compassion, sacrifice and proactive concern for someone out of his circle.

We can do the same. 

It just might be that, if you and I take care of needs here in our area, and readers elsewhere take care of needs in their area, and the action spreads...well, you just never know...maybe there will be such an outpouring of love and help that the whole world begins to notice...

By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:35

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Clutter free piano room

Clutter free piano room!  Well, pretty much.  I would still like to streamline more files but I am not the only person who lives here. So I don't get to do everything my way. Drats.

He's worth it, though :)

I am thrilled to have some rooms completed. That really is so motivating. I have a hard time not looking at all that needs to be done, however. So I am trying desperately to enjoy the progress (maybe not the PROCESS!) and especially my new BFFs at Goodwill. If you live near Butlers Crossing in Watkinsville, I am telling you that these folks are the best. I took them gifts - seriously - but they said they were not allowed to keep them.

So I just hug them, pray with them, and give them stellar reviews when I submit my online tax receipts. It's the least I can do - they have been significant in my quest to conquer clutter!

I think I will put the dining room as next on the to-do list. But first, here's some tips some of you have shared with me:

Cindy combines ongoing declutter efforts with character building (really smart woman!!). At Christmastime, she has her children select 10 things to give away before The Day of Presents arrives. This gets rid of excess, helps her kids be involved in the process, AND trains their hearts to give to others. What a great idea!  And the really great thing is that she does it, not just thinks about it - score!!

Jennifer told me about a website that she subscribes to for a daily plan of attack
. www.home-storage-solutions-101.com/organized-home.html  She uses this info to clean and organize places we might not think about - like the drawer that holds plastic wrap and aluminum foil!  And it's totally fine to not do every task every day - it's just a guide to help you work through a plan.

Another source that I've benefitted from is FLYlady.http://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/    This website has an overall plan for cleaning, holidays, organizing, everything! I urge you to check out both these sites and see if there are some tips to help you along.

One of the greatest suggestions came from the hubbies of two of my friends. I was chatting with a group of guys and we were discussing what wives want husbands to do, especially when it comes to house stuff. Two of these fellas shared that they had bought a roomba and they love using it. I had been interested in these devices for quite some time so I picked their brains for all the details.

They were awesome and answered all my questions. So much so that I promptly went to Sams, counted out my Christmas money I had stashed away...and bought an iRobot !!!

This thing is SO.MUCH.FUN!!!  I am addicted! If you have thought about getting one, I can recommend the product.

But I will offer a disclaimer...Betsy says it really isn't saving us much time because we stand around and watch it work!!!

And  I may need a break before taking care of the dining room.  Like a big box of Milk Duds. Or a week at the beach maybe.

Operation Declutter continues

I love hearing about your progress in this quest towards a more minimalistic lifestyle!  Tks for the updates - keep 'em coming because it motivates me and holds me accountable. We are blessing our families by cleaning out our stuff. We are blessing others by giving some things to them. And we are blessing ourselves because we will feel less stressed in a decluttered environment, we will waste less time looking for things, and we will have more time to do things other than corral clutter!  Hooray!

So, the books have been reduced, the MB is clean and organized, and the half bath is as well. I needed this easy project after tackling the Master Bedroom!  It didn't take even half an hour to clean out the cabinet under the sink, stock it with necessities :), and swipe it til it sparkles. With extra room in the cabinet, I decided to put the Christmas decor I use in this room in that empty space!  And the seasonal candles that I change out fall and spring - instead of stuck who knows where in the laundry room!  That will make things easier to swap out later - score!



Next I will attack the piano room.  Instead of a formal living room, we have a "piano room". In here we have the piano (duh), lots of books, and a loveseat for a reading area (this is where I do my daily devotions).  This might sound like it will be as easy a project as the half bath...but this is also where we've decided to house our files. We rearranged some furniture, moved things from one room to another, and are consolidating files from three different places in our house. At least three.  Ugh.

All that to say, this will not be as simple as the bath I just completed. But not as arduous as the bedroom closet! And hopefully not as sentimental - whew!

Knowing my ACDD (attention to cleaning deficiency disorder), I will go about it in spurts. 15-20 minutes at a time. But it will get done if I keep at it. So, Jan 31 is my goal.

And I am not even going to think about the rooms that need attention next.

That laundry room and kitchen may be the death of me....

Crossing off that item on the list

Master Bedroom is done, y'all!

I am beyond excited - I am depleted.

Why I didn't anticipate what would happen as I went through some of those piles and boxes in my closet, I do not know.
I sobbed my eyeballs out after 20 minutes in the closet.

The baby items and the tshirts saved for the last two memory quilts to one day be made. The notes and pictures and various little mementos that evoked an avalanche of memories and emotions. The pj's which were the first thing she ever sewed by herself. The jersey he wore when he ran for a touchdown and spiked the ball in the end zone...and got the penalty. The AWANA cubbies vest and the Yellowstone Jr Ranger shirt and the tshirt from Jamaica. All those team shirts and camp shirts and vacation shirts that needed to be processed neatly into boxes, ready to be turned into wedding gifts for the last two kids.

Sure am glad the other two already have their quilts - I barely survived this trip down memory lane. If it had been doubled, I'd have needed medication for sure.

But it's done.

And I realized some organizational tips about myself.

1. It's better for me to declutter before I organize
2. I need to break the large tasks into small ones and attack them in separate assaults. Otherwise, the chore feels too daunting. I don't do well to assign myself one whole day and work til it's done - I am better off doing a step here, a step there until the journey's done.

Probably that is a malady called "ACDD" - Attention Cleaning Deficiency Disorder.

Maybe there is a group for that.

3. Now that I have my bookshelves done and the master bedroom done, I need something small and more manageable so that payoff is fast.

Hmmmmmmm ok so what's next?

The half bath on the main floor.

That will be quick and easy.

But for now, I will bask in my decluttered bedroom. If you come over, I'm likely to invite you to look under my bed. And I will definitely expose you to "closet envy".  At least on my half of it.

Just sayin