An ORDINARY MOM's Blog: My Life As a Baseball Player

"Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning,"

~ Luke 12:35 ~

I realized this morning that I (and we) need to live life like we play the outfield...

Here it is: the best batter on the team is up at bat, and those in the outfield have been savoring the taste of victory. They just want to win. However, this batter has the potential of hitting a grand slam. No matter! These outfielders are determined to catch this ball! So, they get in their ready stance, flex hands in gloves, focus their eyes on that batter, and make the decision that they can, and will, get this job done...

In the baseball game of life, I (we) play the outfield, and God is the batter. He is the sovereign King of the bat (which signifies everything He has created). He is always up at-bat, always swinging, always at work in the world. My job, if I savor my growing intimacy with Him, is to be willing and determined to catch what He hits. Every ball (which signifies a person or a situation) is an opportunity to be a part of what He is doing in the world. He could hit the ball to me, or He could choose to hit to you. No matter. Be ready to face what's coming with trust in the One who is at-bat, and the determination to win get through knowing you will be victorious: Romans 8:37.

Yes, this requires that we stay flexible, and above all, focused on Him. At first this may seem stressful, as we do not know exactly what will happen. But, know this: a sovereign God, whose love for you and me is passionately strong, will always work all things for good to those that love Him. This is a promise: Romans 8:28.

As for the feeling of fear, or lack of control, of what's next... Before we take the step of faith to just let go, it feels as if we can have our lives under control. This is a lie. After taking the step towards faith, we find freedom, and realize that the latter was actually bondage. I find this is the crossroads at the beginning of every situation I find myself in The more often I choose to let go, the more this trust becomes a stronger part of my character. Which road will I (you) choose today?

TIPS for ORGANIZING Your Space

The thing about my brain is that it thinks in boxes...The positive about this is that organiztion comes naturally for me. The negative thing about the way my brain functions is this: take me out of a routine, schedule, or box and I'm completely lost until I re-orgainize the change that's before me. So, for those if you who are interested, the following are the results of the positive aspect of how God created my brain:

TIP#1: Take an Internal Look
External order begins on the inside. Take a look at your definition of "order" or "neatness." This definition is your expectation of what the space around you should look like. Now, reduce your expectations. I don't mean that you should never expect the area around you to be neat. I just mean don't expect it to be perfect. Understand that order needs to be re-ordered. After much frustration, I have learned that the space I've organized will either: 1) stay organized for a limited time; or 2) need to be reorganized in order to adapt to the changes in my family.

TIP #2: Be Patient
Regardless of the point at which we each become frustrated with our lack of order, at some point frustration usually sets in. When that moment comes, instead of allowing that feeling to paralyze you, use it to motivate you.

TIP #3: Pick a Start Point
Take a look around your house, your closet, your desk - whichever area needs organizing. You may want to start small in order to avoid becoming easily overwhelmed.

TIP #4: Something is Better Than Nothing
I prefer to start only the projects I am able to finish, with no interruptions. I have learned that in motherhood, and often in life in general, this is an unrealistic expectation. After 2 years of living with a messy basement that started off in perfect order (until the day we moved in), I had enough. We had rented a dumpster for a home construction project, and I decided my basement would see order again by the time that dumpster was due to be returned. I accepted that I was only able to dedicate a short amount of time everyday to cleaning and organizing that area. I was surprised to find out that eventually, the job was done, and the basement was again, in order!

TIP#5: De-Clutter
The most important thing about organization is to minimize and localize your stuff. What do you REALLY NEED? Oddly enough, less is usually better. Take some time, (if your life is like mine it'll get done in spurts), go through your things, one closet or one pile at a time, and figure out what you NEED to keep. Then, throw out or give away the rest. In my house, when something is missing the first question I'm asked is: "Did you throw _____ away?"

TIP#6: Pick A Spot
If you're not reorganizing things in a specific area that already have a place, then pick a place in your home where you want these things to live. Do you need these things in a place with easy access, or can you store it away? Even if you can store it, will you need it again soon, in the distant future, or are they just memorobilia that you want to hold on to for when your children are grown? Do you need shelves? I have found that an area with shelves works best for me. I can fit more, comfortably, because I am able to store better upwards, with less hassle for getting to what is below.

TIP#7: Home Within A Home
Now that you have your stuff separate: 1) keep, 2) give, and 3) garbage; and you've picked a storage area; you can now figure out how you want your organized space to look like. Keep in mind that you will want to keep your things separate. This makes maintenance of your new order much easier. So, the next step is to pick what kind of storage bins to keep everything in... baskets? clear plastic containers? canvas bins? (I've found that the following 3 stores have the best selections and prices, depending on how decorative you plan to get: Wal-Mart, Target, or Home Goods.)

TIP #8: Final Breakdown
Break-down your "keep pile" into smaller, more specific piles, like: scrapbokking paper, construction paper, paints, gift wrap, etc., and seperate them into the storage bins you put aside in the previous step.

TIP #9: Final Step...you're just about done...
Now that everything is broken down into sections and put away into "homes", its time to put your containers into the area you're organizing. It is best to make this area neat (remember Tip #5!), and keep your containers labeled. The combination of both will make it easy for you to see what's what, and what's where.

TIP #10: Satisfaction acheived!
Now that you can stand back and feel like a load has been lifted, keep in mind Tips #1 & #2 in order to stay organized, and keep frustration at a minimum!

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TIPS for ORGANIZING Your Space

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