Hmmm....interesting that my last two titles have both had that word "CONTROL" in them! It's something I constantly have to work on, giving up trying control everything in life and giving it over to God.
But back to that other word...."CLUTTER". I started my "spring" cleaning during Christmas break. And by "spring", I am not talking about seasons. I am talking about years' of accumulation of stuff. Years as in we've been married 18 years and have lived in this house for 16.5 years.
I have finally gotten it straight in my head, though, where to put and store everything. And I am also taking great delight in throwing away and donating stuff. I have a concrete plan of where to store important documents, photos, greeting cards and correspondence, miscellaneous items, and my son's art work and school papers. I have even designated a spot for what I am going to call the "Crap Box" and this is where I will dump all the things that my son and husband leave lying around that I have no idea what to do with: tools, hunting equipment, batteries, mysterious cords, cables, and chargers, etc.
There is just so much to do. Even when you live in a tiny 1,000 square foot home. I wouldn't want a (much) bigger home (okay....1200 square feet would be the bomb!) because I know all those extra places would get filled with more stuff. I just want things to be neat and organized. And when things are neat and organized, that makes for peace and rest and calm. And I really desire peace, rest, and calm, not only for my family, but for my poor, disorganized, scattered brain!
Let's face it, though. Other than me, my family consists of two males, ages 38 and 13. A mess doesn't necessarily bother them. What does bother them, however, is how I react to a mess! Poor guys. You know the old saying, "When Mama Ain't Happy, Ain't Nobody Happy!" Very true here in our humble abode. :-)
So I have cleaned out two closets, given away 150+ books, given away a bunch of items for the church's next yard sale, and am busy throwing away useless junk and unnecessary paperwork, and sorting clothes to give away. My goal is to have this spring cleaning, which began in December, completely finished by May 31. Why that date? Because school is out for the summer beginning the next week and my son and I will have a much more pleasant time together if everything is tidy and in order.
Well, off I go. I have trash bags to fill!
What is YOUR spring cleaning like?
