Into The Light - Organizer Extraordanaire

I LOVE to organize. I find beauty in organized things and comfort in knowing where to find something when it is needed.

So it is with consternation that I admit to you today that I HATE putting things away. I really want to just wiggle my nose and have things BE in their perfectly labeled places. I think this is partially why I have been feeling so overwhelmed by stuff. There is always something that has to be put away. Like all.the.time. Even for an organizing obsesser like me this can become a sheer battle of will. I want to win the battle. Also, I don't want to become completely crazy and get freaked out every time there is junk mail in my mail box or a stack of school papers that the kids have brought home.

The good news is that God is a god of order. Which means I am not left to my own devices, and I do not need to be crazy afraid of being overtaken by stuff. An example of this can be found in Numbers Chapter 2 where He lays out the entire plan of how the camping was to go down, who would be placed where and in what order. If the God of the universe took the time to help the Israelites get and stay organized, He will help me too.

And now...brought to you by the Old Testament book of Numbers AND Woman's Day July 2009 Issue....



I really liked this suggestion and will now share it with you, all my millions of readers...

"file it right. We really only need about 20% of the papers we file. Here's Lillard's method for weeding things out: Every time you retrieve a file, put it away in the front of your filing drawer. At the end of the year, the most frequently used files will end up in the front, and the ones you never look at will be in the back. Give those hidden ones a quick once-over and toss whatever is unnecessary."

Nuttastic

These are pecans harvested from our future home. We have about a dozen pecan trees. These are some of the leftovers from last year's harvest, and sadly - I have to throw them away because they have lost their shelf life. But not before I stopped filing to take pictures of them! Next year we know to freeze them ~ which will also kill the weevils. (I applied the kaleidoscope effect using Corel Paint Shop Pro X (trial version on my stand-in laptop))

Doing great on our tasks. Mostly the part that we're doing great at is not getting so wrapped up in getting the list done that we drive ourselves crazy and cease to enjoy life. The point is to keep a good house in an orderly fashion. The reason we desire this is because it makes our life more pleasant and relaxed because somehow, it feels easier to breathe when you aren't staring at an inch of dust on the mantle. And somehow, it feels easier to walk down the hallway when you aren't worried about breaking a leg on 14 pairs of shoes in your path. And as HisGirl has pointed out, it's nice to be able to say to someone, "Sure - come on in." Without having a panic attack for what they will think of how you really live and whether or not their immune system can handle the attack it is about to receive.

The filing is taking epically long today for 3 reasons. 1.)I am way behind so I have a lot to file. 2.) I have taken many breaks. 3.)I decided to purge files of old papers. The fun about living where we live, is that we don't need a shredder. We can just make a bonfire with our sensitive documents and save our identities for another day.

Needs to be done.

Having fun with my husband today who has baked me a really hilarious cake in honor of my impending birthday. Also seems to have left me the cleanup from said baking. We shall see.