Cured?

Almost there

It's the final day of the Apartment Therapy January Cure. I'm looking back on a month of riding twin rails: cleaning out used spaces and shedding things no longer used. In the middle of the tracks, I laid a month-long commitment to purchase nothing I don't eat or use up. The month shaped up as fun and worth the effort.

• Today someone came to buy our unused Robomower. I had hopes of a nicely cut lawn at the back when I bought it 10 years ago. My husband still weed-whacks the wild area bordering the forest two or three times a year. Goodbye mower! (and lawn idea)
• Someone picked up sewing supplies and asked for more. Their homeschool coop teaches students to sew. (Look, Mom! We're found a home for the stuff we'll clear from your sewing room!)
• A CL-er is coming for the K-NEX boxes our boys outgrew 2 decades ago.
• We donated bags of clothing, books, and unused household goods ... three times since New Year's Day.
• We Freecycled at least one item each day in January.
• Our adult kids claimed some family treasures we no longer use.
• I bundled up collectables ("Just the Right Shoe" and Hummels) for resale. The British teapots are next.

A focused being that knows its purpose

So, am I cured? Nope, but I feel like I've ripped off a bandage of storing things I'll never use. I am beginning to heal. Internally, I feel more space for considering new directions of work and play.

Lessons I've learned about tackling excess? How we can reevaluate our life and spaces?

1. Notice what you have. One minimalist challenged me to name every item in a room and say aloud what its purpose was. "No utility? No beauty? Not adding value to our lives? OUT!" I'm not quite there but I'm looking around. 
2. Be grateful for every opportunity represented in the stuff. Just don't feel obligated to be everything and do everything you thought you could or should when you brought it home!
3. Imagine the life you're called to and designed for. Go outside your room (office / house / garage, etc.), take some deep breaths, and maybe go for a walk. Dream about the life you'd ideally be living. Then walk back in your door as a "stranger." Ask, "What parts of my collected life reflects the life I want to live?"
4. Take out everything and refocus. Remove the contents of a box, a closet, a desktop, a room. Put back only things you really like or need. Trash, repurpose, or rehome the rest.



Focus, through a doorway
at Cambridge

5. Rejoice. With each decluttering accomplishment, enjoy the space, energy, and the time you've gained. (You'll need less energy and time for maintenance, cleaning, or rooting through piles of stuff.) Keep looking for ways to pare down. Follow through on giving away stuff ... without regrets. If one day you need that 10th extension cord, borrow one from your neighbor or run to the shop on the corner.

Quoted in Real Simple Magazine

This process works for life as well as spaces: notice with gratitude where you are. Pray for direction and focus.

Serve well. Many routines are imposed at work and home. Beyond that, schedule only things that align with your calling and strengthen your relationships.

Let the rest go. We know that you're not superhuman, but we'd love to see you less frazzled!

Read more:
*It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him. 1 Samuel 3:18

*And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest? Luke 12:25-2 

*Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!

“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. Romans 11:33-36 NIV

Moravian Prayer: Lord, you promised never to leave us nor forsake us. Forgive us when we become anxious about life’s issues. You know what is best for us; please strengthen our faith and trust in you. In Jesus’ name. Amen 

How-to motivate the working self

Moss, baby tears, and mulch from
the yard = a mini-woodland

The office lights are on, the moss tray on the desk gleams with mist. Its earthy fragrance fills the room. I don't mind water on the ground. It's when water plummets through the air, soaking me and making the dogs stink, that I object.

What to do? What to do with my long list of must-get-dones today? I promise myself a break after I research for an hour. "There will be fresh hot tea and breakfast," I say to the reluctant me.

How do we motivate ourselves when we don't feel like working? I'd love to hear your tips!

Happy in the office window:
tilandsia on bogwood

Here are a few of mine:

1. Deadlines are our friends. I'm more likely to persevere with a hard date for completing a task.
2. Break big jobs into smaller goals. Celebrate (or at least acknowledge) when you achieve even the smallest milestone as progress toward the finish line.
3. Intersperse tasks you don't enjoy with those you do. I dislike researching the pages of old writing but like reviewing the information I gather in my notebook.
4. Make your workspace a pleasant place. My office is light, bright, and filled with plants and art. I like coming to the space. I look at pictures of the last few places I worked: each of them made my heart sing when I walked in the door.
5. Work for rewards. If you're an employee, you work for money. Doing less than what you're hired to do means you're stealing from the company. If you're self-employed, your boss must make the job worth doing. For me, it's tea breaks, walks, and time off to read and write whatever I want.
6. Ultimately, God is your boss. Focus on his pleasure while doing good work.

Read more: (Thanks, Tillie!)
*Surely God is my salvation;
    I will trust and not be afraid.
The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song;
    he has become my salvation.”
With joy you will draw water
    from the wells of salvation.
In that day you will say:
“Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name;
    make known among the nations what he has done,
    and proclaim that his name is exalted.
Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things;
    let this be known to all the world.
Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion,
    for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.” Isaiah 12:2-6 NIV

Unexpected danger

Cat attack!

We got ambushed this morning. The dogs and I were walking along like usual when a cat ran across the road in front of us. Ziggy, who loves to trot behind me, is the heavier dog. He keeps Missy, who loves to run and roam, in line beside me. Zig kept Miss Missy from running after the cat, who disappeared ahead.

Except that -- oh ferocious feline -- pouncing -- hissing -- scratching -- THAT CAT jumped out from a fence and attacked my dogs!

Having had a cat, I automatically hissed and pulled the dogs away. The cat retracted the claws she'd caught in Ziggy's raincoat and stalked off, sitting in moody defiance by the roadside as we walked away.

First, I found some red leaves and
a hydrangea someone had tossed

I laughed to myself as we made our escape. Lucky us -- she could have put out an eye, torn up my beasties, and inflicted damage. A cat. Attacking dogs. Two dogs. On a leash with a person.

Who knew? It was a more dangerous morning than I'd suspected and we'd gotten away Scott-free. I celebrated by gathering a gorgeous bouquet of leaves and flowers from the sidewalk.

Sitting at my desk, I'm thinking about a job I had once. My manager would call me into her office and I'd skip down the hall, expecting kudos for a job well done. Almost without exception, I'd get slammed. "That was too small. Too big. Not enough. Too much. What were you thinking? Were you thinking at all?"

I'd leave her office, shaking my head, wincing at the unexpected blow. I'd go back to my desk and think about my lucky escape. I hadn't died. Hadn't been severely wounded even. I'd try harder, look around more carefully, and do my best.

Then I gathered wind-tossed needles, a mossy branch,
and three heads of clover

Eventually, the scratching penetrated my skin. I began to muddle, to second-guess my decisions, to retreat instead of advancing.

I've pondered those interactions. Here are a few things I learned about being a misfit:

1. Danger lurks in unexpected places. Even if you're walking along, doing the work assigned, surprises can jump you. 
2. Blows from a friend can be trusted. Hits from someone defending or defining their turf should be avoided whenever possible.
3. There's a time to stand. When my manager first started attacking, I went back to my office, rethought my ideas, and presented a better proposal.
4. There's a time to hiss back and shake off the attack. After a few unpleasant interactions, I returned to my desk, worked my hardest, and just ignored the lack of helpful input.
5. There's a time to walk away. When my strengths shriveled into defense mode, I quit. I shouted for joy the first morning I didn't have to go into the bunker. I gloriously changed my employment to something where God' gifts and calling reemerged and I could do good work. I bet my manager was as delighted as I.
6. It's important to reflect after a major change. Consider what God is doing in you, what he's teaching you, and how he's disciplining you by failure as well as success. Did you sin? Did you work from weakness rather than strength? Did you cooperate or resist good counsel? 
7. Don't move on without admitting your part in attracting danger. I've considered the weaknesses and flaws in myself that brought out aggression and frustration in my manager. And I've avoided such negativity and similar miss-fits for how God made me: I realized that I work best in a freewheeling, interactive environment where ideas and possibilities are welcomed and encouraged. If you feel thwarted and are frustrating others where you work, would YOU be a better partner elsewhere?
8. Know yourself and your strengths. Find complementary partners. I'm an activator, an idea person, and a resource magnet. My many weaknesses include maintenance and accounting. In fact, the "fiddling details" that go on and on or going round and round during execution of ideas saps my energy. While my guess-timates usually hit close to the bulls-eye, balancing accounts to the penny drives me wild. However, shifting colors, possibilities, and new connections feel concrete, energetic, and hopeful. 

Currently, I seek out partners who revel in management, who love to work out details, and trek along happily toward a goal. I may plan a fundraiser, but he asks for funding. I may design the table and bring the resources, but she tugs the tablecloth into perfect folds. I may find the cheapest U-haul and arrange pickup, but he drives the truck from A to B. I may write copy, but she edits the commas and semi-colons. Meanwhile, we're both ecstatic at doing our job well, working in our strengths rather than weaknesses.

The final bouquet: beauty on my desk

If God is pleased with us and he's our boss, we're happily using our talents, education, and previous experience to do His good work. How about you?

Read more:
*"Things are far more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD himself has raised his fist against me. … Don't call me Naomi," she responded. "Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. I went away full, but the LORD has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the LORD has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?" Ruth 1:13, 20–21

*He will bring me out to the light; I shall see his vindication. Micah 7:9

*Sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. Romans 6:14

Moravian Prayer: Light of the world, when we sit mired in darkness or distress, come again to us. Come to our aid, grant us your grace anew and be our morning star, our cheering sight! Amen.

You in your small corner ... and I in mine

The sun's out! Again! How I love the light-filled days, the warmth (70os is hardly "hot"), and the breeze-less air hanging in the forest behind the house.

"How do people keep up, working a full-time job?" My friend and I had tea together, mulling that puzzle this morning. Both of us have left previous 8-5 office obligations to do good work from home. Now we toss laundry in during the day, pause to finish chores as we walk by, and run errands when we feel like it.

And we get to visit! Social life was hard to prioritize when we were exhausted after a long day of working for others. I've had three "meetings" this week with colleagues and friends ... with three more scheduled this week and next. I'm no social butterfly, but catching up and maintaining friendships and networks is easier when I don't have to wedge lunches into an hour of "maybe Tuesday before I go to another meeting."

I'm so grateful for seasons in life. It seemed like good fun when the kids were young and homeschooling. The days flew by and we spent many of them in creative endeavors. Now I watch the young moms and feel worn out just watching them pack a diaper bag.

I loved working for Northwest University as Alumni Director, connecting students and former students, informing alumni and administrators, looking for artists for art shows, planning events, and writing e-news. Happily, someone else has the privilege now; like I did, he loves his job, while I'm happy to have moved on.

The bluejay outside my window is dropping pine cones from the gutter onto the deck. He's flitting about, busy at his work, designed by God for gutter-clearing and cheerful talk.

Each of us has a job to do, whether I'm a disabled vet praying for friends, a grandma nurturing the young ones, a professional giving a presentation, a track-hoe operator digging a hole, or a mom soaping stains off an infant's bib. God is pleased to applaud our work as we serve with all our hearts.

How can we do good work? Here are some ideas:

1. Do the task at hand. Serve at a big or small job as though God himself were your boss. (Um, actually he is.)
2. Look for ways to serve with excellence. Go beyond what you MUST do to what you MAY do.
3. Be grateful for work. Others wish they could do what you are called to do today.
4. Look for ways to make others look good. Lend a hand, point out a short-cut, or take someone new under your wing. 
5. Don't promote yourself beyond necessity. You don't have to brag about your accomplishments. Others will do that for you if you are an exceptional employee!
6. Pray for those around you. Be sensitive to the needs of coworkers and willing to be a friend. Someone may need to hear about Jesus' love or see your concern for them. Many people (especially in cities) have no one nearby whom they can trust to help or listen during stressful or difficult times.

 "Have fun at work," my husband says as he goes through the check-out at the store. He loves his job. I like mine. And we hope you enjoy yours today!

Read more:

*Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God. Psalm 95:2-3

*Jesus said, “Give to God what is God’s.” Mark 12:17 (NIV)

*All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. Ephesians 1:3-8 NLT

Moravian Prayer: You alone are good, O God. We give you all thanksgiving and praise! You alone are great, O Christ. We bow before you in humble adoration! May the joyous sound of grateful hearts never end as the strains of truth and trust resound in you, our Savior. Amen.

How to see with new eyes

Before: an office heaped by neglect
and drawers emptied to move a desk

What do you need to see with fresh eyes? What project or goal have you been putting off?

Most of us have old eyes. We look without seeing our habits, clutter, and destructive patterns because we recognize familiar patterns as norms. How can we see things with new eyes or fresh vision?

I walked through our front door Sunday night after spending two months in Montana. Before my sabbatical, I blocked out things around the house to focus on my dissertation and travels. One of the most exciting things about my return home (besides seeing the kids and our grandchild!) was getting a fresh look at the house.

Before: the other side of the table...

Yesterday I had an eye migraine which I suspect was caused by "good stress" and the elevation change. However, W got an early start today (6am) and I woke full of vigor. First, the dogs and I walked a few miles around the neighborhood. Then I unpacked food, clothes, and toiletries. Finally it was time for some real renewal of the house, which I'd been ignoring and putting off...

During: furniture begins its move into
place and the sorting begins.

I washed and de-spider-ed the conservatory before tackling my utterly chaotic, post-dissertation office. (Happily, Jonathan appropriated my "dissertation" desk while I was away.) I leveled a drafting table as my standing desk and re-purposed a glass table for my sitting desk. Some clutter waits to be sorted, but the bulk of my chore got done today. Hurrah! Hurrah!

So how can we look at things with fresh eyes so that we can renew ourselves or our spaces? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Leave your familiar environment and come back. Let things settle down while you think from a distance about new possibilities. I graphed a few ideas for my office while in MT before choosing a plan of action.

During: leveling the standing desk

2.  When you return, consider your priorities and who you are--before you restart routines. Priorities may require personal changes, spiritual renewal, or decluttering a physical space.

3. Make a list of what needs doing before the sheer mass of change bogs you down. I began to jot down must-dos and chores in a notebook, on the evening of our return. It took a couple of days before I had energy to begin. Those "little" actions I've notated may take months to complete, but I'll check them off as I go. The list helps steer next steps in the right direction.

4. Start small but don't quit until your energy runs out. Drift through the list, doing what is at hand and what pleases you. If you find yourself running out of steam, do something else. Then get back to the main task. (Between the two daunting jobs of the conservatory and office, I diverted to small chores on the check-list to keet energy high: I ran the dishwasher, washed and folded laundry, cut my hair, checked FB, and blogged.)

After: the sitting desk is ready. Time to blog?

5. Remember that things usually get worse before they get better. Don't get discouraged if everything feels like chaos. You don't have to finish what you started in one day!

6. Celebrate what you've accomplished. Take a photo of "before" and "during" so you can enjoy the "after." When I've finished my office, I'll post the final photos.

God is merciful. He made the world in six days rather than all at once. Afterwards, he rested and enjoyed his creativity. Let's give ourselves permission to do the same.

Read more:
*Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. Psalm 139:7-10 NIV 

*I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, so that they may keep my ordinances and obey them. Ezekiel 11:19,20 

*Jesus said,] "'I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father's hand. The Father and I are one.'"

John 10:28–30

*Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. 1 Peter 1:22

Moravian Prayer: Come replace our hearts with whole hearts devoted to you, Lord Jesus. Take away our love of sinning and burn away the impurities of our minds. Help us bring every thought, word and deed into captivity through our mutual love and ministry. Amen.