{Loving is When Im Organized}

At our last MOPS meeting we had the Simply Sisters come and talk to us about staying organized. This was totally up my ally. Most everything in my life is organized, and everything has it's place. When things are chaotic, or unorganized, I am stressed to the max. And one of the ladies said something that really struck me ... she said, "When I am not organized, I am not loving." I wrote it down really quickly on my pad of paper and came home to write it on the dry erase board. How true that statement is to me. I get so stressed, that I become snippy & unloving. To me, it just means going that extra distance to prepare ahead of time & keep things organized, so that I can be the loving mom & wife that I desire to be.

She also mentioned to "Sprinkle your day with prayer." If you're anything like me, just trying to get out the door in a timely manor can mean utter chaos. Usually leaving the house with laundry on every inch of our floor, breakfast left out & juice cups leaving puddles on our floor. One of the sisters said when you walk back into your house like this, you are automatically stressed out. Since there is a ton to put away and pick up, you tend to not be the friendliest either. Not only are you busy picking up, tending to the kids, etc. but you aren't finding the right amount of time to have a relationship with God. I have been struggling to find my relationship with him for some time now, it seems like life has got in the way. But when the woman said to "Sprinkle your day with prayer," what she was really saying was to find little moments, to talk with him. For instance, if you are picking up clothes around your house, just give thanks that you have clothes on your back to wear and keep warm. Of if you are cleaning up dirty dishes left over from that morning, just saying thanks for providing us with food on the table. I just thought that was a great idea.

And the last thing that she mentioned that really hit home with me was to keep unusual lists in your planner that you carry around. A list for "Gifts." So the next time you're out and about and you think "wow, that would be a great gift for mom for Christmas" but it's July, you can write it down so you wont forget. I don't know how many times I forget things like that.

SO, here are my "unusual lists" for my daily planner ...

Gifts
Funny Things Braeden Says
Funny Things Bayler Does
Books, Websites/Blogs or Movies to Check Out
Wish Lists

I'll think of more eventually, but that is a good start. Once I have filled the pages for Braeden & Bayler, I'll be able to put them in their yearly folder, so I will always have those memories. Did I mention my kids were color coded? Yeah ... I told you I was organized :)

If you are not apart of a MOPS group, I strongly recommend it. It's been a great resource for me!