Organize This! Understand Before You Reprimand

By Stephanie Calahan (Calahan Solutions, Inc)

Do you have family members that are just not following the routine?  Maybe you have put organizing systems into place and you seem to be the only one that is trying to keep it organized?  You are not alone.  But, before you get too frustrated, listen to this story and see if it can help your situation.

A few years ago, I asked my son (who at the time was 7) to pick up his room and organize his desk. I had been teaching him organizing and “picking up” strategies since he was young, so I was not worried that the job would get done.  When I went into his room, his toys were all over his desk! I was frustrated. He had been instructed to put his toys away and instead I saw them all over his desk so random.

A long time ago, I promised myself that I would understand first. So, I held my irritation and asked him:

"David, we talked about organizing your desk. Can you please explain to me what organizing you have done?"

"Mom!" he exclaimed, "I did all KINDS of organizing."

Click to read more ...

Keeping Up With The Joneses

By Chuck (Sharing Compassion)

I am guilty! I admit it! It is just so easy to get caught up in the materialism of this world. I don't have the latest 4-G phone but the one I have is not shabby. I don't have a 54" plasma television but I do have a 28" high def version. My lap top may not be the best available right now but two years ago it was one of the better ones. Even recently when my step-daughter turned eighteen we new we had to get her something special. The problem is she has almost everything you could want. The other side of the family is not Christian and they have made sure that she wants for nothing. We ended up getting her an iPad. She has a laptop, an iPod touch and and iPhone....did she really need an iPad? We so easily get caught up in the trap. We see something and we want it. The Joneses next door get the next latest and greatest thing and we begin to wonder how we can do without it.

I have been to Mexico, the Dominican and Honduras. I have seen poverty and I have had my heart broken. In fact at one point I felt so convicted that we ended up downsizing from a four bedroom colonial to a more modest split foyer. I have come back from those trips feeling so changed. I see families of seven people living in a home the size of my family room. I have seen four adults sharing a bed. I have seen these people cooking over an open flame and I worry how long it will take to cook my dinner in the microwave.

Click to read more ...

Comfort From God

By Pat

"Whenever the spririt from God came upon Saul, David would take up his harp and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better and the evil spirit would leave him." (1 Samuel 16:23)

Do you ever feel the need for a comforting word from God? I know I do. In this scripture passage from 1st Samuel, Saul was being tormented by an evil spirit. But God provided comfort and relief for Saul in the form of David playing his harp.

What harps does God send us? My harps have shown up in various forms; a call from a friend, a timely song, the right passage of scripture, a word of encouragement (sometimes from a person I would not expect to hear it from). My harps have been the sound of a child's laughter to chase away the blues, or the soulful eyes of my beautiful dog. Whenever it's needed, God finds just the right thing to send my way at just the right time.

We all receive our own little personal, comforting touches from God. The question is do we recognize them as God's personal message to us? We must always seek God's touch, and strive to recognize it when it arrives. God sometimes uses very unconventional means to reach us. He knows exactly what to do! We must also allow God to use us to be a "harp" for someone else, and to obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit to reach out to others with a smile, a hug, a random act of kindness. Who knows? It could be just the personal touch from God, just the harp song that's needed! God always finds a way to reach us when we need to feel His touch.

"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion for the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me." (Isaiah 49:15-16)

Pat is a good friend who is passionate about her faith and her family. She works from home supporting a family business, and loves to read, write and garden when she can, and spends every spare moment with her grandkids.

God Is... Wisdom

By Jason S (Connecting to Impact)

People throughout history have attained a certain measure of wisdom. From the practical to emotional to the spiritual, I would say it's fair that the vast majority of us have no desire to be or appear stupid.

We chase after wisdom through education and experience. We gather as much as we can like trophies on a shelf. Wisdom is not a bad pursuit at all, but without the Author of wisdom, it is unfulfilling at best.

Solomon, arguably one of the wisest people and leaders who ever lived, devotes a whole book called Ecclesiastes to the idea that wisdom is not enough. In fact, it's oppressive apart from truly knowing the Creator who would give wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please Him anyway (Ecclesiastes 2:26).

All the wisdom we hold dear in the world is foolishness to God. He dismantles and destroys the wisdom of the wise so all the hoarding we try to do ends up in vain (1 Corinthians 1:19-21).

Click to read more ...

Organize This! Helping Your Child Let Go and De-Clutter

By Stephanie Calahan (Calahan Solutions, Inc)

Often when I am giving presentations or working with work-at-home moms, I’m asked this question:

Q:  Isn’t it easier to just get rid of a child’s toys?  If I see that they are not playing with them, what is the harm in just making them “disappear”?

Give a man a fish and he will have food for the day.
Teach a man to fish, he has food for a lifetime…

When my son was about 2 years old, we started teaching him how to make choices about his belongings.  He was very into picking toys, books, clothes, etc. that could go to another kid that did not have as much as he did.  He was excellent and empathetic, and we thought, "Wow, this is going to be easier than we thought."

At about the same age he was a complete and total Elmo fan. He had all kinds of Elmo things.  There was one in particular -- it was a simple stuffed Elmo.  Nothing fancy to him, but Elmo was his best buddy and went everywhere with him.

Well, over time, he of course, lost interest in Elmo.  When he was about 5 years old, we were in his play room in the basement going through his things.  Out popped Elmo.  Since he had not played with stuffed toy in at least a few years, I suggested that Elmo should go to a new home.  This is somewhat of how the conversation went...

"NO!!!!!"  he screamed, quite passionately.  "I don't want him to go...." he whimpered.

So I tried to reason with him first...

Click to read more ...