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Renee Swope

Encouraging and equipping moms to parent with God's grace and confidence.

Read An Excerpt: Chapter 1 & 2

Getting & Staying Organized

I posted something short earlier, but God’s been nudging me to come back and invite you to be part of something He’s laid on my heart.

  • If you knew that having more order in your home would bring more order to your world – freeing up your time, emotions, thougths and spiritual gifts to do what God’s called you to do – would you make it a priority?

 

  • If you knew it was actually possible, would you take some small steps towards getting and staying organized?

 

After posting confessions of my cluttered counter tops, closets and cabinets, I worked for a few hours on the mess in my nest. And, I feel like I’ve lost 10 mental pounds! The feeling of freedom that followed my progress is amazing. I promise to post photos later this week of my “before and after.”

Today God reminded me of 1 Corinthians 14:33, “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” In the context of this verse, Paul is talking about order in the church. But in the context of our lives this truth also applies.

Order is part of God’s character and peace is the promised fruit of His spirit.

Our longing for order and peace is woven into our souls because we are created in God’s likeness. Our spirits long for a lack of confusion. The Holy Spirit has been showing me since last week that this is a big deal. We care about our homes and want to be good managers of our piles and files. As I read your challenges and honestly assessed how I’ve been feeling about mine, I sensed that our messes are not only piling up – they are weighing us down. Consider this:

  • When you see your organizationally challenged areas, do you feel a sense of peace or defeat? Do you get all irritated inside?

 

  • Does your life start to feel out of control when you think about what you need to do to get organized but feel like you have no time to do it?

 

Can I encourage you to give yourself the gift of bringing a little order to your world. A little peace to your heart and home. I want to gather some girlfriends to encourage and pray for each other this week, and commit together to tackle one of our organizational challenges. Will you join me?

And because we all need some incentive, I’m giving away another copy of Karen’s book “The Complete Guide to Getting and Staying Organized”, and some organizational pretties!

If you want to join in this quest, click on the word “Comments” at the end of this post and tell me what one area will you give an hour or so to this week. Your commitment will qualify you for the give-away. And will you pray for the person who leaves a comment right before yours? I’ll leave the first one. Then for a second chance to win, click here and get the encouragement you need to finish what you start.

On Friday, I have another P31 friend and author who is writing a book called, “I Used to Be So Organized” who is going to stop by to encourage, pray for and help us with some very practical ideas! And I’m working on having my before & after photos up then, too.

Don’t want to miss any updates?
I have a few places in my sidebar where you can stay connected via Google connect or Facebook, and sign up for email updates. By the way, I love having you along!

Comments

  2. I'm committing to organizing my kids clothes for the fall, with four kids it's almost a full time job to go through all of their clothes and figure out what fits and doesn't fit anymore, pack it up and bring out what clothes they are now ready to wear.
    I am really in need of help in the area of organizing. I try my best, we live in a three bedroom home and with six people there is only so much space, so it is key to be super organized in order for the house to run smoothly!
    Blessings to you, and thank you for the encouragement!

  3. I am committing to the paper clutter on my counter and (eek) desk. I'd like to commit to dealing with the basement but…I think the papers will take an hour if I do it "right". Praying for Team Tyndale, that you get your important papers all organized!
    -peace

  4. I am committing to cleaning up the piles in my room. We look like we sleep in a storage unit. Problem is there is no office in my home, no space, so a corner of my bedroom is the place I use, but it is a mess of boxes and papers and stuff! I teach and this is my storage unit! Not good! I wanted to do it today, planned to do it, then took my daughter to the doctor, got her medicine at the pharmacy and ran out of steam… But I will get at it! Mary B.

  5. I am committing to organizing all of our important documents. We have a two year old & four month old & I am embarrass to say I don't have all of our important paper work together, ie. Insurance, bills, will, etc.

  6. I am committing to the clothes pile in my room. It is a pile of all 7members of the family. I have sooo many hours and so many spaces. lol I would love to pitch it and start over but the money would be too much. LOL Praying for all that are undertaking this commitment and for the anonymous person who posted before me. 🙂

  8. thank you for your encouragement and prayers! i commit to clearing-out my kids outgrown clothes from their drawers~which will make room for the stuff that actually fits!
    in Him, diana

  12. I'm praying for you, Sonja! 🙂
    Mine would be organizing my craft room. We just moved/down-sized and I've worked hard to keep all the rooms and areas as clutter-free as possible–it's awesome!!
    I do have a dedicated craft space. I love to make cards of encouragement to send scripture or prayers to people who need a pick-me-up. BUT, I need my space to be super-functional, where I can quickly make something AND quickly put it away. I'd love it to be pretty and a nice place to be, too, and possibly even a spot where my friends can come "work," too! It's the last space in the new house that's not organized. It comes last, of course, because it's "mine," not a common area.

  13. Oh Renee what a tough subject for me. I have committed 8 hours on Saturday at work with my boss to get my filing caught up, but I will also commit an hour this weekend to get my laundry (all clean) put away. I'm great at getting it washed, dried and folded, but more often than not, it sits in the basket or on my bedroom floor and I just get dressed out of that. To compound that, I have a 9 year old daughter whose clothes are in the same pile. My piles of papers on my kitchen counter would require another commitment, and this is part of my life that I have been praying about and trying to get cleaned up. Please pray for my continued transformation. Praises to Sonja on cleaning up your office! Mine will hopefully be like that soon! God Bless. Julie

  14. I hopped over from Lisa Smith's page too… and FOR ONCE… I have a FINISHED product, my office just got the final touches and it is now organized and ready!! (Never mind about the closet.. that's coming too…):) The final touch was the window treatment and I wanted a white wood shutter on either side, to frame the window without curtains. I went to our huge flea market in Texas and bought 2 white wood shutters, BRAND NEW… this dealer had a load of rejects from Home Depot or one of those big stores, and they were ONE DOLLAR each!! They fit perfectly, and I am happy!! (Lowe's had already told me they would have to custom order the size – over $200)…

    Yes. I agree with you. Our lives are freed up when there is less clutter to contend with. God loves order, in my heart, and in my office!

    Great word here today Renee!

    Blessings!

    Sonja

  15. Found you through Lisa Smith. I will participate since I need to organize my house and my life.
    Although every room in the house needs help, I am going to start with my bedroom. A pile of papers have multiplied and taken over one corner. I am working a half day at work tomorrow and will dedicate the remainder of the day to FINALLY getting the piles cleaned up and put away before they multiply again.

  16. This is my 1st time visiting here, & How timely for me. Do you know that feeling? ….when the task is so overwhelming that you do nothing. That has been my thoughts lately.. My "stuff" is over-taking my life.
    You are motivating me to do something. I will start in my fabric room… & go from there.
    Thanks for the push : ) & the reminder that God really does want me to live in/with His Peace.

  17. Thanks Renee for such a great post. I need to commit to organizing our home so I can feel more at peace. This week I am going to work on the pile on my diningroom table and filing away the paperwork where it belongs.

    I am praying for all of you ladies.

    Have a great week.

    Deb V

  18. Marla, it will be easy to remember your mess, because that's mine, too. If my kitchen tabe is cleaned off, it's migrated to the dining room or desk – any flat spot will do. I know what I'd like to accomplish, but I don't know where to begin. And it seems like such a BIG project.

  19. I need to commit to getting through all my paperwork and get bills in order and cleaning off my kitchen table. My kitchen table seems to be the place where everything goes when we walk in the door. Everynight before dinner, I need to push things out of the way so we can sit down to eat. I really need to get these 2 things tackled. thank you for the support.

  20. I am committing to clean out my office closet. Why is it so hard to ask for help? I was going to post last night and changed my mind. 10 minutes later I am looking for my son's SS card and spent the next hour not finding it. Thanks for praying. Going back in to look some more.

  21. This is something I've been struggling with too. I've decided to tackle one area at a time, starting with my son's bookshelf of toys in the dining room and working my way around the house. Thanks for the inspiration.

  22. Hi ladies! I'm tackling my closet this week. I had already decided to do that so ya'll hold me accountable!! Next week's challenge is the piles of paper in my office.

    Renee, yes! Disorganization makes me feel all of those ways. This is a good word!!

    I'm praying for you all.

  23. I'm going to tackle the closet and seasonal clothing sorting dilemma in the room my two daughters share. I'm sure it will take me more than just an hour but that would be a good start:) Thanks for the challenge!

  24. Thank you so much for your authenticity in showing us that you too struggle with this.
    Today I was becoming overwhelmed by areas in our home and it was making me feel out of sorts. The enemy was sure doing a number on me. It just so happens that I have already started to do some things to get organized before reading your post. I am committing to organizing our family room and master bedroom.

    Guess what I found in my organization time? A little devo on cleaning out your closet. Guess He really means it is TIME He has begun a new work in me and I need to be obedient.

    Hugs n prayers for you all!!

  25. Just before cooking dinner I went in to my bathroom. When I opened the drawer where I keep my makeup- I was a little overwhelmed. I took abouyt forty-five minutes going through cosmetic bags and throwing old makeup away. Just that little bit of organization makes me feel better about going back into my bathroom. I need to tackle an area in my den where I have books, papers and cards sitting around.

  28. I've not had the time today to load my "afer" photos as I had promised so I'll post those tomorrow. It takes a bunch of time to load photos on blogger, doesn't it? They will be so fitting with what my friend is going to share with us tomorrow on organizing paper. And it's all going to motivate us to keep going.

    As I read through your comments today, I am praying again for each of you. I am so proud of you for taking time to do this. I want your hearts to be encouraged and united as one.

    This matters to God because we matter to God. He wants our best. Let's allow the guiding and wisdom of His spirit to establish our steps that lead to PEACE as we organize our messes and file our piles. Hugs and cheers. Don't give up!!

  29. I love what I call God winks…just spent this morning before work filing the stack of paid bills and assorted other paperwork, that had been piling up on my kitchen table for close to three months now. Can't believe how much better I feel knowing that I won't have that to look at tonight when I walk through the door. Thank you for the blessing and encouragement of your blog.

  30. We 'simplified' our decor and lifestyle a few years ago and love having less to care for, clean, sort, etc. 🙂 However, would appreciate your prayers as my parents moved to a retirement home this summer from a house on our farm ….. and the thought of sorting through the remainder of their things has been enough to keep me from starting the process!

    Thanks for the encouraging post, Renee. Praying for you and all the others who have commented.
    Sharon from Ontario Canada.

  31. Wow – this has been speaking to my heart since last week. A family crisis and ongoing stress at work have left me feeling very overwhelmed. As i am off work for the week, i determined that if I could just get things at home organized, it would help my stress levels. so, i am committing to cleaning out the storage room in the basement, so we can actually get to the shelves!

  32. Renee, you nailed it…my clutter is always hanging over my head. I am committing to going through the pile on my kitchen counter that has bills, receipts, and a ton of other things in it.

  33. I' going to organize my bedside table which doubles as a desk, bookshelf, snack area, you name it and it is probably on that table!!

  34. My bedroom is worse than a teenagers. I have small closets and don't have room for everything. I am short on time and so stuff ends up everywhere. I spend a lot of time looking for things. Pray for me.

    dora

  35. Today is my "pile of papers" day! I am sorting, filing and organizing. This is supposed to be my year of "organizing". All 3 of my children are in school full time for the first time and I have vowed make organizing/sorting and being a better homemaker my priority. I would LOVE to win Karen's book and I have appreciated your blog so much!! Peace. Erin

  36. Why can't a person ever keep the kitchen and/or kitchen table clean? It's amazing how much "stuff" a family collects: junk mail, craft items, toys, etc. That is my goal – cleaning up my kitchen and cabinets and keeping them organized!!

  37. Just about every room in our home needs some de-cluttering. I know that I would feel a sense of accomplishment and peace if things were organized. The area I will work on this week is the book case that is filled with school papers and a box of papers that need to be shredded. Thanks for the encouragement, Renee!

  38. I am committed to going through my dining area/ home office. I have piles of stuff(bills, flyers, remnants of an Avon business) lying around. I really struggle with letting go of things( material things and people). I am always afraid that I will need it/them later in life. I really feel that this book my not only help me to get my office area organized but possible to organize some other areas in my life
    Melissa @
    [email protected]

  39. I will work on my office and bedroom. Those two rooms are always the last to get organized. I've decided to actually purge these areas. I feel trapped by all the "STUFF". I have been feeling God's gentle nudging to tackle these areas, so that my mind will be open to his plans for my life.
    Thank you for encouraging us!

  41. I'm going to work on putting away my two-year-old daughter's new birthday toys and clothes that she recently received. I'm also going to write thank you notes for the items so that I can throw the cards away.

    I also want to work on teaching my daughter how to clean up after herself. I pray that God can help me become organized and disciplined so that my daughter won't be a messy like me!

  42. Oh my. After having a rough first five months with my sweet, now-happy son, the whole house is a wreck. But, the kitchen has finally become more manageable and the living room can be easily straightened if I just take 5 minutes each day to do so.

    The worst areas of the house right now are the office and our bedroom. I commit to an hour this week to work on one of those (whichever one I can get to!).

    My "happy clean place" in the house, where it is NOT allowed to get cluttered is the mantel above the fireplace. Such a small place, I know. But if everything else is a wreck, I can put blinders on and just look at that for a minute.

    One piece of advice I've heard several places is that if it takes less than 30 seconds to accomplish a cleaning task, do it right then. When I follow that, the kitchen and common areas definitely stay cleaner and straightened.

    Thank you for this post. I look forward to the guest post at the end of the week.

    As of the time of writing this, Mary is the person before me, so I'm praying for you and your "deep clean" and of straightened your room, Mary!

  43. Renee have you been hiding in my closet :-)? This post is exactly what I have been feeling! I have really been trying to get organized this year. I committed to taking 1 room a month to clean out & deep clean. So far it has gone ok but, I am beginning to lose steam and get frustrated. I have been focusing on my kids rooms lately and can't seem to make an improvement before they mess it up again. After reading your post I am going to focus on "my space". Once I take care of the chaos & piles of stuff in my bedroom then maybe I will be able to breathe again. My husband may appreciate it as well :-).

    Thanks for the encouragement & focus that I needed.

    Mary

  44. I am committing to working on finding some way to organize and sort all of my craft "stuff" that does not have its own assigned place. Since I am only a couple of weeks out from knee replacement I am not sure I will actually get the plan put into action but I atleast want to get a plan down so when I am able I'll be ready to dive right in.

  45. I am committing to working on finding some way to organize and sort all of my craft "stuff" that does not have its own assigned place. Since I am only a couple of weeks out from knee replacement I am not sure I will actually get the plan put into action but I atleast want to get a plan down so when I am able I'll be ready to dive right in.

  46. Oh, I'm so happy. Will you all take before photos, too? I am so excited about doing this together! Maybe we'll be able to share ideas, suggestions or organization tips we discover along the way. And maybe my guest poster/author friend will put us in her book :-).

    Two are better than one, and a chord of three strands can't be broken. God will be our 3rd strand!

  47. An hour to the unfinished basement will be my goal this week! Trying to establish a craft corner down there, but not sure how to make it baby safe so we can use it with her awake.

  48. I'm praying for you Renee as you tackle the mess in your nest. I am committing to the 'collection' I have in my master bathroom cabinet. Thank you for all of your encouragement! Pam

  49. I'm in. Since your first post about organization I've really been taking a look at how disorganized my whole life is. I'm going to commit to making an organizational plan. I'm going to start by making a list of household chores that each person is responsible for each day/week.

  50. I'm committing to going through one last pile of papers that were on my counter top, and to tackling the chaos under my bathroom sink. I haven't even shown you all that mess but I promise, I will. 🙂

    Can't wait to pray for the rest of you!