Yielding

” Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21

About a week and a half ago, I was out walking my 7 pound Yorkshire Terrier, Miles, on a long lake walk. Almost every single morning, afternoon and evening when we take off for our usual stroll, Miles immediately will stop and lean in the direction of his choice, digging his paws into the pavement, until I go the way he wants to go. Stubborn little bugger.

It is such a perfect visual of how my relationship with the Lord is some days. He is nudging me in one direction, while I keep leaning and pulling in another direction. You too? This particular day, as Miles and I headed towards Lake Ivanhoe, I was insisting on keeping our little walk on the land side along the sidewalk. But Miles, all 7 pounds of him, kept pulling me towards to lake. The lake side has a lot more dog smells from his neighborhood friends. But I kept yanking him back to the safety of the sidewalk… until finally, I gave in.

No sooner than we had crossed the street and taken about 8 steps a HUGE BRANCH (I mean...HUGE!!) came crashing to the ground directly in the spot where we had been standing. If I had not given in to this little stubborn pooch, we would have both been crushed. I nearly jumped out of my skin, laughed out loud (I think I was in shock) and immediately praised the Lord for His protection.

How many times have I found myself in dangers way, because I did not yield to the voice of The One who has my best interest at heart? This Scripture above I’ve chosen from Isaiah to memorize this week is a reminder to this stubborn heart, to LISTEN more intently to the voice and gentle nudging of the Lord behind me telling me which way to go. More often than not, it's my own pride and self-centered heart that needs some humbling to get me walking in the direction and will of the Lord.

When we got home later that afternoon, I gave Miles a treat and crowned him My Hero!

Can you relate to the stubbornness I sometimes struggle with? Do you find yourself in compromising situations, relationships, financial struggles, or dead end roads over and over again?  Perhaps we all  need a"gentle reminder" to LISTEN more intently to the Voice of the Lord behind us saying.this is the way..and then to move with it!

Buy this house....don't buy that one....stay in this relationship....get out of that one....stop spending money.....save, save, save.....let go of clutter....be content....take this job.....don't take that one...stop "doing" so much, and just "Be"...and on and on and on. Can I get an Amen?

The past month I've been working with a client to help clean out his mothers estate.
She has been in an Alzheimer's facility the past 4 months and her husband had previously passed away. The family is ready to purge, share and donate her things and sell her home. However, the process to go from digging out to actually selling is taking months. To say hoarding is a problem is an understatement. This sweet woman, with all the blessings she had and the love she felt, had a real stronghold for "things" and shopping and collecting. Many many things with tags still on them. We have found numerous (too many to count) notes she wrote to the Lord as prayers, or to herself in her journal screaming for help to stop the madness of all the stuff she was buried under. Her husband was not aware of her struggle, her family enabled the situation, and so she kept on ignoring the gentle nudges from the Lord to make a change. For years she could not even enjoy what she had, because she didn't know what she had. She was crying out and crying out, but she wasn't listening to His Voice and taking the steps necessary to move in the direction of freedom.

Whatever your situation may be today, I am certain of one thing (as I have learned over and over the hard way some days and the right way some days), the more we know The One we follow, the easier it is to hear His Voice behind us saying...

..." This is the way; walk in it."

Just a gentle reminder to all of us, to spend the FIRST moments of our days this summer (and every day), learning from, listening to, yielding to and moving with The One that knows the way we should take!

And guess what? When you yield...you may avoid a huge branch from falling on your head.
Thank you Jesus for your grace and your gentle shoves in the right direction.

Listening. Yielding. And moving with His Spirit.

Joyful Summer to you all!

He makes ALL things "new"

“Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands." Isaiah 43: 18-19 The Message

Many years ago, when I was a little girl, our family went through a number of "new seasons", one on top of the other. My parents had separated and divorced before I was 10 and the years to follow meant a lot of change for all of us. In that process, my mom and my brother and I moved a number of times over a 5-6 year period. The Lord was giving us new starts and new neighbors and new perspective and new work to do for Him time and time again. It was a season of pruning, trusting and waiting. Even though much of that season was foggy and fast-paced and ever changing, the Lord was still working behind the scenes to heal, to provide to restore and to make all things new for each of us. 

There are a lot of things I don't remember, but one thing I do remember is the excitement that each move brought for me. A new space, with a new room to settle into, a new neighborhood and new friends to explore, brought joy for me in a season I could not control.

I am nester. I love to cozy up to a blank space and make it my own. And even though change was hard each time, and there was a lot of rebirth happening with each move, my mother reminded us of how faithful our God had been each step of the way, and that seemed to make it easier too. Broken cold winter seasons of life are hard, and heartbreaking, and change can be painful, but when our faith is in the "Change Maker" and not just the process, He makes all things new out of our fractured and disjointed lives and He gives us new eyes to see His plans and purposes in the midst of them.

The excitement I had as little girl embracing her new seasons and new spaces during those years, is the same excitement I get when winter is ending and spring has sprung! My soul starts singing new melodies, and my spring cleaning OCD kicks into high gear. I begin nesting and preparing for the birth of a season I have been waiting for. A season that has been dormant under harsh winter cold, but is now bursting forth with new color and new changes. We've had a long hard winter this year, some of us (northerners) more than others. And even in the cold, weary, long suffering months of winter, the Lord is still working and growing us.  

One early morning this past week as I was standing in my kitchen making the coffee, something beautiful caught my eye. For weeks and weeks the three Crape Myrtles in my front yard have been stark and naked and ugly. The gardener had cut all the brown and dying branches in early March to prepare them for a season of new birth. And even though I know this is necessary for the care and maintenance of the trees in my yard, I always hate it after it's done, because they look so small and sad and cold and barren. But this one particular morning I saw it. He was making it glorious again. New green leaves were clustering out of the stubs that had been chopped down in the winter months.  He was making all things new again and spring was coming!

Some of us have been in hard winters of our personal lives recently too. Many of you are feeling cold and pruned and forgotten. Marriages are under fire, our churches are under fire, the economy is still in a struggle, jobs are hard to find, grief has rolled in on some like a heavy burden and winter seems to have come to stay. But take heart sweet friends! A new season IS bursting forth. Don't doubt it. We serve a God of surprise, and we have a choice to stand at the tomb of our circumstances and rest hopeless, or we can anticipate new life to spring forth and Resurrection day to come!  And oh is it ever coming!! 

He will make "roads through your deserts and rivers through your badlands", and the gray of winter will turn to green and He will give you new eyes to see eternity in the middle of this big messy world that we live in. Changing seasons can be painful, but when we let the Master Gardener use our broken lives for His glory, He makes all things new. Because He is a good and faithful God and He loves you more than you will ever know.

Believe it and Press on sweet friends!

Loving Home Well

"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. " Luke 10:38

A few weeks ago I arrived at the home of a darling new client so eager to begin, so eager for change, and yet overwhelmed by the thought of the process to get from the mess to the victory. The internal battle was raging, but the glimmer of hope for something new was evident in her eyes. 

We met on a Tuesday, had a brief consultation walk through and then dove in.  After a few hours of tackling her young boys room, we stopped for a lunch break.  When we sat down to eat I offered to pray. I prayed over our meal, I prayed for the work of our hands, I prayed that our work would result in a home that was a safe and welcoming haven for her family to land in and live in daily. I prayed for all who would enter in as guests to feel the love and welcome of the Holy Spirit in her newly organized home free from the burden of years of clutter. And as I said amen, I looked and up and noticed that she was weeping.  

She said to me through a stream of tears.."I have been given so many wonderful gifts in my life. I have a part time job that affords our lifestyle and so many wonderful things, but I'm not enjoying them at all. In fact, I'm so burdened by the things in my home, I don't love my home either. Week by week, we tackled that mountain of years of clutter and unorganized living and began letting go of the excess, creating spaces that made sense, and spaces that said "welcome" and we talked about the importance of loving our home well.  

If Jesus were to knock on the door of your home, would you, like Martha, have the confidence to open your home to him? Would he be pleased with the way you are caring for the good gifts that he has given you?? Doesn't he own everything anyway? If so, how are you caring for HIS things?  Loving our home well is tough for so many people. Life is busy. Kids are messy. Husbands are messy. The temptation to NOT buy more is a struggle. How to manage the flow of stuff is a battle. When our hurried lifestyles collide with our immediate needs, and everything we need is buried under clutter, we buy more because we don't know what we already have. Thus the maddening cycle begins and we end up with a cluttered home and a life we aren't loving. And home that isn't being loved well.

The thief enters our homes to steal, kill and destroy. But Jesus came that we would have life and life to the fullest! (John 10:10).  When we invite him fully into our lives, and into our homes we are able to live well, to say "welcome" with confidence, to love others well and to breathe deep sighs of relief when he comes knocking at our door. He sends his helpers disguised as Professional Organizers to help set the captives free. He loves them in the middle of their mess, but he loves them too much to leave them there. 

You will be happy to know that the darling young mom has taken back her home, LOVES her home, is spending more time with people and less time dealing with piles and she has claimed victory over the enemy territory of clutter. Glory!

She opened her heart to change, she found some new courage, and she opened her home to Jesus. 

As Professional Organizers, we have a "shoe in" that many pastors and counselors do not have. When the door opens to our smiling faces, disciples disguised as "home changers", little do they know that they are also inviting Jesus into their homes.  I pray that they will know us by our love and by the gifting of the Holy Spirit we have been given to teach them how to love their homes well.

All glory to The One who loved us first. 

Amen and Amen

Happy 15 Years from ORGANIZE U!

   This month marks 15 years since the inception of  Organize U! When I stepped out in faith to start my own business I thought I was crazy to do so. Sometimes I STILL think I'm crazy. Being called to the mission field of clutter takes a lot of patience, strength, encouragement and prayer. But the past 15 years has proven to be MORE than I could have ever imagined. I truly consider all of my clients, friends (old and new). Serving the home and the workplace has blessed my life in so many amazing ways. And hopefully Organize U has been a blessing to you too! 

To thank you for the incredible journey these past 15 years, of clearing the way to bring freedom into your homes and your offices,Organize U is offering a $15.00 discount for every client who books an appointment before April 30th. 

I love my clients! Thank you for believing in the process to becoming organized, and striving to live with less so that you can focus MORE of your days on the things and people that matter most.

How do I love you?
 

Let me count the ways:

1. For believing in the service of organization.

2. For having the courage to ask for help!

3. For being excited and enthusiastic about change, for you and your family.

4. For doing your homework and maintaining the systems you were taught.

5. For asking for help, again, if needed!

6. For sharing your stories with others who also believed in
Organize U.

7. For learning that "stuff" is not what defines you.

8. For having the courage to Let it Go.

9. For opening your homes and hearts to more than just the tangible clutter. 

10. For recognizing the importance of teaching your children the importance of caring for their things and their space.

11. For recognizing the importance of learning for yourself that caring for your things and your space is important.

12. For having the courage to begin.

13. For encouraging me as a Professional Organizer.

14. For shouting out your victories after we have worked together.

15. For 15 years of challenges, changes, victories, freedom stories and lots of fun in the process!

Thank you for your business and your friendship these past 15 years!

Much love,

Kim B.

Pampering your Pantry

SPRING into an organized summer!  Let's begin this first week of summer with a fully stocked pantry for all those hungry mouths to feed, and an organized pantry too. Whether you are living in a cozy cottage with limited pantry space or have a huge walk-in pantry with enough room to dance around in, you still need a "system" that will help maximize and/or minimize your space so that it is easy to see what you have and what you are lacking.

 

Most pantries I have organized have the following problems:

1. Shelves are too deep to see the stuff in the way back.

2. There is not a designated area for "like" things. Everything is stuffed together.

3. The space is so big we don't know what we have.

4. The space is so small we can't see what we have.

5. Lots of product has expired because there is no system in place.

6. My family doesn't put anything back where it belongs.

7. I don't have a place for my Costco/Sam's bulk purchases, so I stuff it in the pantry.

8. I rarely purge or inventory the pantry space, so everything just piles up.

 

If any of these problems sound like you and your pantry, then it's time for a little pampering in the pantry department. Your pantry should be a closet in your home that is tidy, easy to see what you have and easy to inventory when it's time to restock. 

 

Here are some suggestions for making your pantry space "sing" and help you find some freedom in this very important area for you and your family.

 

CONTAIN IT

One thing I have found that helps organize messy spaces and helps me create space for more things, is by containing most things. If you are a family who loves "on the go snacks" you can regain much space by using baskets or bins to store all snacks together.  Purge boxes because they are bulky and dump all snacks into a bin. Boxes take up a lot of space in a pantry and when you have an open container like a basket or bin you can SEE what you have left and you will know when to replenish.

Also, containing pasta's and cereals and baking supplies in similar containers that stack well will help maximize your space and keep small things from getting lost in the way back.

 

ORGANIZE BY SHELF

Designate each shelf to a different category. This helps you know where to look when you are making pasta for the family dinner, or baking cookies for your Bible study.  Give everything in your pantry a "home" so that you know where it lives and where to put it back. Labeling your shelves is another way to remember where things live.

 

INVENTORY OFTEN

Your pantry (and your frig) are truly the "action central" of your kitchen.  These two areas should be stocked and ready for daily living, for last minute dinners and parties and for all those hungry mouths in your family.  When you have an organized pantry, and you inventory often, you know when and how much you need to replenish so that you are shop "ready" when it's time to visit your local grocery store. Also, when you inventory regularly, you save money and time. You won't be buying duplicates of items or find yourself running back to the grocery for that box you forgot. KNOW what you have and be prepared.

 

Pampering your pantry takes a little time and effort, but it's worth it to invest in some tools, some purging and some practice. ORGANIZE U (www.organizeuco.com) loves helping clients pamper their pantries. Give us a call today and together we will SPRING into summer with a well stocked and organized pantry.

 

Happy Organizing!
Kim B.

 

 

 

Perfection

 

Perfectionism is a twenty-ton shield that we lug around thinking it will protect us when, in fact, it’s the thing that’s really preventing us from taking flight.

Brené Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection

Organize U is here for YOU this Fall