I've been unable to blog as I would have liked - but then, life is a little crazy around here with basketball season nearing a blessed end. (four weeks and two days - not that I'm counting or anything)
On 1/24 Lance preached a sermon at church on working responsibly (you can listen here if you're interested). I was greatly convicted that I don't work in my home like I should. Because I have four young children, my time is pretty limited. Add to that homeschooling two of them and working full-time - you've got almost zero time to do anything. I was very guilty of using that as an excuse to be lazy rather than be diligent with the time I did have. I know I've blogged about my distress regarding the state of my house multiple times. However, this time - I have finally wrapped my head around the principle of how I am to work and why I am to work.
I'll be totally honest here: we got the public areas of our house and our kids rooms, cleaned up because I was having a Pampered Chef show. I'm a lot like a young child - I see all that is to be done, get overwhelmed and don't to anything...that's actually part of being diagnosed OCD...doesn't excuse the laziness, though! So, after getting everything tidy - my focus became keeping it that way - which was much easier for all of us; and I could work on my bedroom little by little. And God sent an ice storm! We couldn't do anything but...stay home and do laundry! By the end of the ice storm, I was down to three loads remaining! For the past week a friend of mine and I have been praying for one another to have diligence in our tasks for the day, to work heartily and for the Lord. It has made such a difference to me! To know that she was praying for me, that I was praying for her - and that she'd ask "How ya doing? Being diligent in your work?" - has helped me stay focused on my tasks (nothing like a little accountability, huh?) I've returned to making my To Do lists every day - knowing that most likely I'm not going to get to everything on it, but at least I have some goals.
I have had some monkey wrenches thrown in this week - and while I've been tempted to get discouraged about not being able to do what's on my list, I've been encouraged by my friend who put everything on hold for a few days to drive to NWA and help her family. Sometimes God has different priorities for your To Do list. One day this week, mine was to deal with a baby boy who had a particularly nasty cold and wanted his mommy to hold him pretty much all day. At the moment, I do have two loads of washed and dried clothes in baskets and I need to get to them - they were done by my sweet husband and I couldn't get to them right away because I've had to get the Parent-Baby Dedication done for church (long story about that but it boils down to corrupt drivers that required an upgrade of PSE). So - with that, I'm off to get these clothes folded, iron what needs to be ironed and put away as much as I can without waking children. Once I get to it on my list, I'll work on and share our "photos of the week" for Jan 30 and Feb 6 (and more if it gets pushed further down my list).Blogging wasn't on my to-do list but since I was sitting here -- I did it. I guess I should add "blog" to my To-Do list? I don't know, that seems a little "forced" to me...what kinds of things do you put on your to-do list?
Edited to add...thankfully the two baskets of laundry awaiting my attention were towels, PJs and whites...no ironing required!
3 comments:
I keep a small purse calendar with events in it (everything from piano lessons to doctor appointments to church events). I use that to update my weekly to-do list. I have one household chore to do each day (which is on my to do list) and then I add any other appointments or things that must be done that day. I also put down what I intend to make for dinner that night so I know when I have to start it.
I also keep an area on my to do list for "weekly" tasks. Those are things that need to get done that week but aren't scheduled for a particular day. (For example, this week that includes the Scripture Memory passage for the week and getting Hannah's Valentines ready for the party on Friday.) That way, if I find myself with free time, I know what needs to be done first.
Then lastly, I have an area for "long term" items. Those are things like sewing projects, scrapbooking, and household projects that take longer to complete but I don't want to forget them. I try to keep them in some kind of order so that I know which ones I wanted to complete first, but that is constantly changing.
And no, I don't put blogging on my list. That just happens when it happens (as you can see by the sporadic nature of my posts).
I've made the same goal for this year, working diligently to keep my home clean (and presentable so we can have guests over again). This has been a struggle my whole life, and I have that same perfectionistic attitude that gets in the way. This year, I'm doing so much better! I'll say part of the difference this time has been delegating some of the tasks (age-appropriate) to my kids, and getting help from DH.
Good luck with your goals, and if you need another accountability partner, I'm here! :)
You're doing a great job! I will email you to update you.
Post a Comment