Organizing

 This past Summer you might recall that a friend and I started up a Homemakers group that met every week during the Summer to talk about Homemaking topics and encourage each other in that fine endeavor. As Emily and I plan the topics we thought of large variety of subjects that have to do with homemaking and organizing was certainly one of the ones we discussed. However when we started figuring out which topics we were actually going to address we didn't add organizing to that list because though neither of us would be classed as Unorganized (I don't think!) neither would the word organized be the first term generally used to describe us either - Creative quite possibly but probably not organized. Though we planned our get-togethers so that they would be interactive with everybody sharing their thoughts and we didn't claim to be experts in any topic we did want to at least feel fairly confidant about leading a discussion on the topic.

   So we planned to skip that topic, however.... The first week when we got together we had everybody share an area in homemaking that they really enjoyed and one that they found challenging. I don't remember what the statistics were exactly but a large number of women expressed that they felt challenged in the organizing category. Well we had left a week or two unplanned for the end of the summer specifically for the idea of addressing topics that were of interest to everybody and so we decided maybe we had better go ahead and tackle organizing.

   Since we decided that fairly early on in the summer we both started reading books on the topic and I decided (I got elected to lead the discussion - Emily had a very good devotional on the topic) that I had better try implementing more organization into our home as well.

   I have to say, the months since then as I have been growing more in this area, with God's help, have been a very big blessing to me. I am so thankful that we felt pushed to make an effort in this area so that we could try to help others. Since that time I have been thinking over and over about blogging on this topic but have had trouble knowing how to organize me thoughts (smile!), so I haven't. But I have decided to give it a go and share with you the things that I have been learning or the areas that I already did have organized and were working well in a series of posts throughout the months to come. I plan on taking it with just a very little at a time, sharing about a single method or tool each week. What I am doing (and what you could do if you desire) has not required me to buy anything but rather to use what I already have to grow more organized.

  Why did I want to become more organized and why might you?

• Being more organized can free up my time and my home to be more useful to God's service. Often disorganization can stop us from ministering to others in some way - that was convicting to me. I don't want my disorganization to ever stop me from inviting others into my home or make it so I don't have time to reach out to others (through letters, in person, giving or helping others).
• Organization will often help to relieve stress in your life in home. Stress is not good for your health or for your relationships and so if I can get rid of some stress that makes me very happy.
• Organizing can help to save your money. There are many ways I can better use my money other than to buy something that I already have but can't find or to go out to eat because I haven't planned ahead.

I will be trying to post about organizing every Thursday for as long as I have ideas to share. I hope you will join me! I would love to hear your tips and even your questions/problems (though I am not promising that I can help - but maybe somebody else can!). Some of the methods I have used and loved for years, others have been ones that I have found in the last year. I am still a work in progress and am very thankful to God for helping me to grow in this area and I still know that I have a lot to learn!