Home Sanctuary

Fill in the Blanks

The story is told of a man who gave more information than necessary on a health insurance claim form.

Apparently, the man had broken his arm and was treated at the hospital with the necessary gamut of X-rays, and his arm was placed in a cast.  Faced with the claim forms, he dutifully filled in his name, address and policy number, hospital information, health history, relatives, blood type, attending physician and date of the incident.

Then he came to the blank which read:  Please describe the cause of accident.

He thought for a moment and then wrote his answer:

"Fell off dresser while trying to see my hemorrhoids in the mirror."

Today's Small Thing has to do with filling in blanks, but you might have to think a moment yourself as to which blanks to fill in.

Our lives are dotted with all kinds of forms and papers that require filling out information.  Bank accounts, health insurance forms, school permission slips, voter registration cards, subscriptions....well, you know what I mean.  I get writer's cramp just thinking about it.

Sometimes the tasks that I put off the most are the ones that aren't so much hard as they are tedious. 

• Like balancing a checkbook--LOTS of blanks, there! 

• Or updating information for a directory. 

• Or adding names and addresses to my contact list. 

• Or filling in family birthdays on the calendar. 

• Or making a menu plan.

Do you have a few minutes to fill in some blanks today?  Think about the stack of papers on your desk. Is there a subscription to a magazine that just needs your address and a stamp?  A car insurance renewal?  A rebate offer that's about to expire? Maybe today would be a good day to get some bills put online and all it will take is a few minutes to fill in the fields on the screen.  At the very least, you could fill in the blanks on your Home Sanctuary Tally sheet (see the "Welcome" post)  and get caught up for this month!

POINTS: 40 for filling in the blanks in your life...at least some of the ones on paper!

Hey!  take a picture of your blanks for tomorrow's "Coffee's On" meme!

How Do You Pick Up the Floor?

One of the best-loved characters in Children's literature is Amelia Bedelia, the housekeeper who takes instructions quite literally.  Who could resist a woman who puts sponges into sponge cake, or pitches a tent by throwing it into the woods?

I thought of Miss Bedelia as I considered today's Small Thing, which is to pick up the floor.

I wonder how SHE would go about it?

Picking up the floor, or should I say, "picking up what's ON the floor" is one of the fastest ways to make your home look presentable.  It sounds crazy, but I'll betcha if you just look around at your house, you'd find shoes, purses, backpacks, toys, socks, clothes, half-eaten sandwiches, wet towels, and papers, all just laying there to be stepped on and tripped over.  

Children's rooms tend to be the worst, not only because they have so much stuff, but also because they seem to be born with the inability to see anything below their knees.  

Sometimes, just scooping up the one or two items (or ten or twenty) left on the floor is enough to make it seem like you had a whole team of housekeepers clean up the place.  It's a miracle!

It's best if you can actually put the items back where they belong, but don't let the thought of organizing it all prevent you from zipping through the house on a mission to just pick it up.  You might try dragging a laundry basket around so you can dump stuff in it as you go, or you could simply stack the items neatly so they are ready to be organized later.  Don't over-think it, just do it.

POINTS: 30 for picking up the floor in one room

BONUS POINTS: 10 for each additional room, up to 5 more

80 points, max.

What's on YOUR floor?

Let There Be Lots

"Let there be lots," sounds like a prayer a shopper might whisper on her way to a mega-closeout sale of, say, a Linens N Things store.  YES, LORD!  May there be many placemat sets, designer comforters and bathroom rugs at rock-bottom prices so that I may glorify Thee with my thriftiness and shewcase the humble abode wherein Thou hast caused me to dwell.

But "let there be lots" is actually Southern-speak for a phrase in Genesis 1, in which God placed a "lot" to rule the heavens during the day, and "lots" to rule the "not". ("Not" is generally when it is dark out.)

Elaine, a dear Company Girl over at Mommahen, suggested a Small Thing about "lots" that naturally coincided with what I had on the docket for this week.  See, we Company Girls think alike.  We notice stuff.  We SEE things!

Elaine was doing a deep cleaning of her home before guests arrived and included wiping down the light switches in her preparations.  I was impressed, and I thank her for being such a fine example to follow!  I've been noticing my light switches (and the wall areas around them) for quite some time but have not followed through.  UNTIL TODAY!

Today's Small Thing is to damp-wipe around those grimy "lot" switches.  It won't take but a minute, I promise!  Start with the ones in the "guest" areas: bathrooms, entries, living rooms, and then work your way through the house.  This is an easy job because there shouldn't be anything baked on or ground in....but I can't guarantee that there won't be jelly or greasy fingerprints. 

You might think this is a silly job (especially when there are bigger fish to fry), but you will feel so ON TOP OF THINGS when you finish, that it will be worth it.  Go ahead...flip those switches for NO REASON AT ALL!  Celebrate your attention to detail!

POINTS: 30 for doing at least the ones in the main living/guest areas.

Verse corrections...

If you printed off September's verse and saw mysterious red dots underlining some words, I've fixed that and put the updated, dotless versions into today's post.  That's what happens when you stay up too late....red dots!  Simply download the pdf (or click on the photo of the verse) that is now in the post and it should be correct!

Who's Your Daddy?

Last summer, my donkey Flash (the stray who came to stay), decided to go looking for love among the neighbor's band of horses. I was unaware of his escapade until the local sheriff showed up at my door at 1:00 am.  Here's an excerpt from my post about it:

I hear two vehicles pull up:  one complete with flashing lights on top.  Two big guys in uniforms get out (starched shirts stretched taut around their middles, just what you'd expect), along with another guy in a truck.

"Ma'am.  Sheriff's Department." They flash a badge.  "You own a donkey?"

We had noticed that Flash was missing the day before, but just didn't have time to track him down.  I actually checked the sky for circling buzzards, thinking maybe his carcass was laying out there in the pasture, and when I didn't see any, I just kept movin' on.  Hey, I had a lot to do.

"Well, this gentleman says that your donkey has gotten in with his female horse, and uh.  Ma'am, he says ya'll are gonna have a baby MULE on your hands."

At this point, the man in the truck stumbles over, and says "Yeah, yore donkey here got up into my corral where I was keepin' her away from my stallions and by the time I got over to them, they was layin' down smokin' a cigarette.  The deed had been done."

The sheriff guys turn to me and say, "Are you going to pick him up tonight, or are you going to get him in the morning?"

Getting Flash home was another adventure.  But the following months went by with no sign of a pregnant mare and no phone call from my neighbor, demanding payment for vet bills or child support, so we breathed a sigh of relief.

That is, until late spring.  The neighbor's horses were put into the pasture next to ours and we noticed one mare who was decidedly pregnant.  Mercy, she was huge.

"You don't think....?" we speculated.

Naah, couldn't be.  Besides, that mare wasn't the mare we thought Flash had had his romp with.  This girl was much darker and taller than we remembered.  Flash's girlfriend was the other one, right?  But we kept an eye on her just the same.

And then in early August, I happened to be talking with another neighbor, the "Lagniappe" lady. 

"By the way, did you see the new baby horse next door?  He's absolutely adorable!" she said.

I gulped.  I counted back the months to the infamous affair and knew that the timing pointed suspiciously to my long-eared Don Juan.  But still, the fact that the mare's owner had two stallions on hand for just such services, and the fact that the dark beauty had gotten so enormous convinced me that Flash was off the hook on this one.

I ran to the fence to check out the new arrival.  And one glance told me all I needed to know.

Oh, baby.  I know just who your daddy is.  Those ears give it away!  

And your muzzle.

And those big ol' eyes, softly circled.

That "pinned-on" tail is the coup de gras.

Honey, you're a mule and your daddy is that smug donkey in the next pasture.

Which brings me to this month's devotional verse.

Ephesians 4:24

The new arrival's parentage is unmistakable.  As much as we had speculated and convinced ourselves that our own donkey could SURELY not be the daddy, one look at that darling foal was all that was needed to bring about the guilty verdict.

Our preposterous donkey, Flash, is indeed, the father.

And that sweet baby brought a spiritual lesson home to me.

You see, that little one can't help that his ears are awfully long, or that his muzzle is a soft shade of tan.  He's got those circled eyes and small hooves, and a tail that's just a bit odd.  His gene pool gave him the characteristics of his father, and you can't mistake him for anything but a product of the one who created him.

Take a small leap with me here, but isn't that how we Christians are supposed to be?  A reflection of our heavenly Father?  Unmistakably marked and absolutely convincing in our lineage?

Our verse this month is Ephesians 4:24. (New Living Translation)

 

This scripture reminds me of how we often encouraged our children to behave.

We would say things like, "Remember, we are the Ridges!  We don't run wildly in the store and knock people down."  We would remind our kids of who they are and how they should act as a result.

This is exactly what Paul is doing in this passage.  He is telling us that we are a new creation, made in the likeness of God our Father, and therefore should act like a member of the family.

It's both a promise AND an admonishment.  Let's look at the promise part:

"You are a new person."  When we commit our life to Jesus Christ, we become a new creation--spiritually.  All the old junk is gone and everything inside is newly formed and beautiful.  You are given a new nature and the power, through the Holy Spirit, to live in a way that reflects the character of your heavenly Father.  It is the gift of redemption and regeneration.

"Created in God's likeness."  Jesus said, "if you have seen me, you have seen the Father."  He was the earthly image of the all-powerful God.  His nature, his personality, his character...if you want to know who God is, then look no further than his Son.  And scripture tells us that we are in Christ and Christ is in us!  We have everything we need to reflect the likeness of Jesus (who is like the Father).  As we abide in Him, we will bear the fruit that reveals our gene pool.

And this verse tells us about God's likeness in us:  righteous, holy and true.

His character in you is not self-righteous, but the kind of righteous that is humble and merciful because we know that is how God has demonstrated his love toward us. 

It is holy, which means "set apart."  Consecrated and made pure. 

And the word "true" means "steadfast, sure, genuine and authentic."  I don't know about you, but I want to be an authentic Christian because I've seen enough spiritual fakery in my life.  Give me the true holiness that comes from living and breathing and knowing God! 

But what about the admonishment?  That's in the first few words:  "You must display a new nature."  It means that, even though you've got the right genes, you could be living in a way that brings dishonor to the family name.  This is literally saying, "put on the new man!"  It is an act of obedience to walk in the Spirit and access what is already given you through faith in Jesus. 

When you are tempted to be critical, judgmental, gossipy or rude, remember that you really CAN walk the walk because you've already got the ability to do what is right within you.  You really CAN live free of addiction, sin and bitterness.  See, YOUR ears and muzzle and eyes look just like your father's, and maybe you just need to take a good look in the mirror to see the power of God at work in your life.  You are a new creation!  Never forget that.

Ephesians 4:24 is a tiny microcosm of the Christian walk.  It is the picture of the faith, grace and good works that we are called to and created for.  This is a scripture that can go right into action!  So Today's Small Thing is to print out and put it up, or save it to your screen so that you can be reminded of the truth in it.

POINTS: 40 for putting the scripture somewhere that you will see it! Use this Download Eph4.24Apdf

Where will you post Eph. 4:24 and what does is say to YOU?

Book 'Em

Today's Small Thing may be used as a Weekend Small Thing, so when you read what it is, don't get defeated before you even start.  You've got plenty of time to do it.

When I did my bedroom makeover, I moved a very large bookcase into another room in order to paint behind it.  But when it came time to put all the furniture back, I hesitated.  The corner where the bookcase had been sure looked clean and nice without it!  And the room I'd moved it to temporarily had a spot that was just right for it.  So I began the task of putting all the books back into the shelves, and that's when I noticed how poorly arranged they were.

Tall books next to short books, books stacked haphazardly and magazines stuffed in there like book wannabe's.  It didn't look very "designed."  Or very neat.

I'd like to tell you that I arranged them beautifully right then and there.  But I was in a hurry to get back to my precious bedroom project so I hurriedly put the books back into the shelves "just for now" and...there they remain.  Frozen in their state of disarray.

Today's Small Thing is to straighten up your books.  If you have a bookcase or bookshelf, chances are you've crammed them full without a thought of what they really look like.  A simple lining up of the spines will add instant stature to your collection.  You could do that in just a few minutes and call it done.  I'd be happy with that and give you the day's points!

But if you'd like to REALLY earn some points, how about taking it a step further and doing some rearranging?  Here are some suggestions:

• Arrange by size, grouping like-sized books together
• Or, arrange by color.  Here's a cool idea!
• Remove some of the paperbacks to a basket or container
• Stack some of the larger books on their sides, creating visual interest
• Tuck in some decorative objects, staggering them so your eye will travel from one side to the other
• Try putting a small nightlight or lamp in there for a warm glow

Check out this article for a great "How-To."

If books are our friends, we should treat them with some hospitality and give them a nice place to reside.  They will thank you by being more than just great companions. They will provide you with a decorative flair and give your home an air of thoughtful sophistication.

POINTS: 30 for a simple straightening of the bookshelves

BONUS: An ADDITIONAL 50 for rearranging, primping and polishing your book case "look."  You can use the weekend to accomplish this!

(80 points max)

Next Friday, I will start adding a Mr. Linky post so that we can share the results of any recent Company Girl activities!  I will do this each Friday and see how it goes....so be thinking of what you'd like to share.  Thank you, Forgetfulone, for such a great (and easy) suggestion!  We'll discuss this more next week....

Visit me at Writer, Interrupted today

I've posted a little something over here, today.

Rachel Anne

Uni-tasking in a Multi-task World

I've never made any secret about my apparent lack of focus.  The effortless way I get distracted.  I make it look so easy, but it's actually taken a lifetime of dedication to leave so many projects unfinished, so many ideas half-baked.  My family has adjusted well to my condition, as illustrated by this little story.

My son and I were in a hurry to get out of Target on one of our school supply junkets.  He pulled me by the hand past the kitchen utensils, and as he did, he made an observation and issued a command all in one sentence:

"Wow, that cheese looks fake keep walking."

Man, I didn't even have a chance to glance around for the fake-looking cheese he was talking about!  It was disappointing because I really wanted to see fake cheese in that moment.  But no!  He yanked me along toward the check-out line without a shred of sympathy.

Perhaps you, like me, suffer from this malady.  I take comfort in reminding myself that Laura Ingalls Wilder never would have made it in this multi-tasking, dizzying world either.  So much is thrown at us every day: images, news stories, fashion do's and don'ts, children's activities, work, cell phones....is it any wonder that we are victimized by all the distractions?  Yea, even abused by them?

I truly believe that deep down, I am a uni-tasker, stuck in a multi-tasking world.  I function so much better when I can focus on one thing at a time...but really, when does THAT happen?  There's always so much going on around me, I often feel I am caught in a swirling vortex of diversions.

Today's Small Thing is to eliminate some distractions.  Don't worry, I'm not talking about doing it ALL DAY, although it would be an interesting experiment.  Turn off FOX News coverage of Sarah Palin's speech.  Skip having the TV as "background noise" for half an hour.  Mute the radio.  OK, you can mute my playlist, too, if you must. Take the ipod out of your ears and turn your cell phone to "silent."  Stop surfing the net.

You see, even though we might not function well with all the distractions going on, we've become addicted to them.  We're used to not being in control of what bombards us, and we're operating at half-effectiveness because we're thinking of (and doing) too many things at once.

Make a point of focusing on one task (or person) at a time.  You might even try setting a timer to help a child wait a few minutes for a cup of juice while you finish a job.  Or, let the job wait while you focus on the child's needs.  Instead of hopping from one thing to another, try and savor the process of working steadily at something.  Just for a little while.

POINTS: 40  Focusing is a skill that we can get better at if we practice!  I'm going to turn off the kitchen TV while I do dishes today, and I will try and savor the work that comes with the blessing of being a mom.

What will you focus on today?  How will you eliminate some distractions?

September Prizes!

I'm very pleased to offer a wonderful prize for the Most Points from a friend of mine.  Ann Margaret is a super talented jewelry artist who makes some incredible pieces.  She takes treasures, like sea glass that is found on a sea shore, and designs jewelry around them that is simply beautiful.  I chose this particular piece as a prize because it will go with any outfit and any style.  I know you'll love to have it for your own.  Ann uses fine sterling silver, makes each piece by hand and I like the modern feel to her style!

When I was talking with Ann about her jewelry, she told me that she can make custom pieces for her customers.  She can take a special stone, sea glass or found object and make a wearable treasure out of it.  I got excited because I know I've got a jar of things from my last beach vacation that is collecting dust in my closet.  How wonderful it would be to have a beautiful piece of jewelry made from a treasured memory!  One of her customers had necklaces made for each woman in her family out of sea glass found in the Dead Sea.

As a bonus to the necklace, the Most Points Winner will receive a bookmark like this:

This is jewelry for books, a fitting accessory for a Company Girl who is stylishly studious.  Thank you, Ann, for contributing such great prizes this month!  Stop over and visit her site and see what else she has over there!

For the Random Drawing, the winner will receive a signed copy of:

Ellie Lofaro shares from her heart and helps you embrace the life God has promised you.  Hey, I want THAT!  I met Ellie through my friend, Priscilla, and found her to be a warm, funny, outspoken woman that you instantly want to be friends with.  I left our brief acquaintanceship wishing for more, and her book will make you feel the same way about her.  I'm honored to offer her book as a prize this month. 

This is going to be a great month around here!  I am excited about September's Small Things challenges as well as finding new ways to connect with one another as we work on our home sanctuaries together!