I attended a funeral yesterday. It was for my close friend Debi’s dad.

For many people, funerals are not something they look forward to attending. The sadness; the loss; the feelings of emptiness; the reality that their loved one cannot be seen anymore.

Yesterday however, was filled with moments of ordinary holiness as I witnessed, through the pictures, the media presentation and the words of those left behind, a man who loved his friends, his community, his family and his God.

This funeral was an inspiration to me.

I came home determining that, when I grow up, I want to be just like Mr. H.

The medals and honors (from the service, Kiwanis, community), the gleam still in his eye for his wife of 62 years, the commitment to raise his kids in the way God instructs, the doting he did on his grandkids and great-grand daughter. The entire service spoke volumes of his simple, servant’s heart.

What hit me the most was that he did so much secretly. I wouldn’t call him a “quiet” man for he always had a joke or witty comment whenever I greeted him. But he gave quietly.

One-by-one stories emerged of the times he, unselfishly and without recognition, gave.

Sometimes it was shoveling a neighbor’s driveway without being asked.

Or taking them hot baked muffins.

Another time it was paying a churches’ tax bill of $1,000 quietly; a church he didn’t even attend.

Yet another story of the time when, for an entire year, he tucked a $100 bill into a struggling family’s mailbox every week, expecting no repayment except for the joy of knowing he was giving because God told him to.

Mr. H also was probably the most loyal husband I knew.

He stayed hopelessly and visibly in love with his dear wife of 62 years, caring for her quietly and lovingly through over 50 of those years with her medical condition that required countless hospital trips and stays, caring for his children alone during those times, and then administering home care for her in his later years, given by him  oft times around the clock.

He never complained.

He counted it a sincere joy to serve his sweet wife.

Amazing.

As I sat there weeping, I was struck by the holy moments he participated in on those seemingly mundane days of life.

So often we want thrill, excitement, recognition, purpose.

Mr H found purpose quietly serving the person standing in front of him.

With an audience only of One.

Now he is with that One forever, hearing no doubt the words of Jesus, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”

Mr H., through the 24 years I knew you, whenever I looked at you, I sorta saw you.

But mostly, I saw Him.

Afternoon Update: The winner of the organizing giveaway from over the weekend is: Jagette: timestamp Sept. 24 at 10:47 am. Send me your address at karen@proverbs31.org so I can mail out your prize! Congrats!

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I had fun catching up with your plans for the weekend. I hope it was all you’d hoped and more!

Mine was a whirlwind.

And it was also a blend of joy and concern.

Joy–Spending time with the fabulous women from Growing Women Ministries at gorgeous Lake Ann.

Concern– My decades long friend Debi’s dad lost his battle with cancer Friday, leaving behind a wife and so many who will miss him terribly.

Joy–Debi’s dad loved and served God for decades and is now with Him in heaven– whole, happy and FOREVER!!!

Concern– a friend who shared with me this weekend about her impending divorce.

Joy–My Mitch hurled one on the best games of his life against an elite travel team on Saturday. No walks. No men on base, not even a hit….except ONE!! Uggh!! Had it not been for that batter, he would have thrown not only a no-hitter, but what is called a perfect game and is very rare.

Concern– As always after a weekend away speaking, my Monday is packed full of unpacking, sorting books, going to the bank, doing school, getting my house around and other assorted hum-drum, yet somehow holy tasks.

Joy–Our daughter Kenna arrived home safely from her home in Charlotte, NC to stay for a month!! Todd took a Greyhound bus down there and accompanied her home so she’d have a traveling companion and second driver.

Concern–She needs to find herself a reliable but affordable car to purchase while she’s home because we need the car we’ve been letting her use back. It only has 109,000 miles on it compared to the 200,000 plus miles both of our other vehicles have.

Joy that had me a bit concerned– While teaching one of my breakouts in the rustic and stunningly beautiful chapel, surrounded by pines and field stones and God’s handwriting in nature, I glanced at the back of the chapel and one the other side of the glass doors stood a red fox! Since I have adult ADD (my diagnosis) I totally let it distract me and made the ladies in my session turn around to see it! Good thing there was glass between us!

Concern–Many items on my always-growing prayer list packed with the names of family and friends.

Joy– YOU and the upcoming topics planned here to connect over. I hope to spend time this week sketching out the topics and crafting interviews for the special guests who will join us.

Concern–Fitting all the topics in and keeping up with blogging without neglecting my family and my students.

Joy–The Life Links connection event at church last night. We recently changed churches, going from our church of 16 years just a minute or so down the road–that we love–to another one 15 minutes away (not a log drive in a big city, but in rural Michigan it means we drive to the next town) that we equally love. Change is never easy, but when you are certain God is calling you to action, it is always good! The event was all about getting in a life group (some churches call them small groups) with those in your geographical area (this church consists of folks from many small towns nearby as well as our state capital). The life groups….well, do life together as in the New Testament!  We are pumped!

Concern– the clock. I just looked up and realized I have to transport four Detroit area teens back to their mom soon and they, including my three, are still sound asleep! YIKES!!

I’ll hop back on later and announce the winner of the organizing giveaway from the weekend, so if you haven’t commented yet, scroll down. You can still enter.

While I’m gone, tell me…what joy or concern did you discover this past weekend?

Happy Monday!!

Hi all–

Not a lot of time to post today. I have one of those jam-packed weekends. All good—-but full of activity.

~My boys are having four friends from Detroit over for the weekend.

~My hubby and daughter are headed here from NC. (She’s coming home for a month.Yippee!!)

~I leave for a speaking event at the wonderful Lake Ann Camp Saturday morning (being put on by the fablous gals at Growing Women ministries.)

~Mitch has a double-header Saturday morning.

~The annual Davis Harvest party is Saturday night—hundreds of folks for an old-fashioned-hay-riding-donuts-and-cider eating-bonfire-and-square-dancing grand ole’ time. (My kids love this day almost as much as Christmas!) Todd will be taking the troops there for a fun-filled outing.

~More teens join us (Kenz’s friends) Saturday evening for an overnight, bringing the total count of people in our home to over 17!

~More of the Weekend Magazine radio spots I’ve recorded will run on Focus on the Family this weekend. If your local radio station doesn’t carry this program, click here to listen in!

~I will return home Sunday, hopefully in time for church, but very tuckered out!!

So today’s post is a simple giveaway. Hop on over to my P31 sister Renee Swope’s site where she’s featuring an interview with me about my book The Complete Guide to Getting and Staying Organized. She is giving away a signed copy along with a $10 Target gift card to buy some fun and functional organizing stuff and a box of chocolates.

I am doing the same exact thing! (Mine includes some dark chocolate!) Sooooo…….two chances to win! Simply leave a comment on either (or both!) sites. Your name will be entered.

In the mean time, enjoy your busy–or not-so-busy– weekend.

I’m totally gonna have me one of those next weekend!

In the mean time, please comment telling me what YOUR plans are for this weekend! Your name will be entered in the giveaway. Winner announced Monday.

See you next week. Got some topics to tackle you won’t want to miss! Happy Weekend.

Comment away………

Note: If you are a Weight Loss Wednesday gal, please click here to locate our cyber accountability group now called His Weigh Wednesdays and lead by Lindsey Feldpausch. New comers always welcome!

ALSO: GIVEAWAY ALERT!! Visit here Friday when I’ll be offering a giveaway in conjunction with my Proverbs 31 sister Renee Swope. My book The Complete Guide to Getting and Staying Organized will be featured on her site and we are both offering giveaways based on it. Two chances to win!!!

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So last time, we chatted about knowing when to let God divert us from our ‘plan A’ ( our ‘to-do’ list for the day) to His ‘plan B’. These are those times that He sends a sick child, a hurting friend, a lonely neighbor or a needy relative to us.

However, the trouble is…how can you tell it is always God?

What about  those people in our lives (we all have them) who are habitually ‘needy’; not because they are in a tough stage of life or have an illness or tragedy they are dealing with, but because the have, well…’situations’.

You know situations that they themselves have created.

They are in crisis due to a lack of planning on their part and now have a fire to put out. Now, they could do the hard work of putting out their own self-made fire but instead, they call the local fire department: YOU!!

Or perhaps they come to you out of laziness.

(I once had a woman call me for a phone number; one I knew she had in the church directory just as I did. When I told her the number she was seeking was clearly listed there, she said, “I know. But I’m in the basement and it is on the second floor. Can’t you just go get yours and read it to me?” She never asked how far I was from my church directory. I was one floor away.)

Being a person who for much of my life has been addicted to the approval of others, this has been a great source of headaches and heartaches for me.

People call with their crisis.

I answer.

They dump their crisis in my lap.

Their crisis now becomes my crisis.

I happily (most of the time) rescue them.

But behind the scenes, I fuss and fume and stress myself plum out.

All over something THAT I NEVER CAUSED!!!!

So what’s a gal to do?

I have some thoughts, but would like to hear yours too.

One thing a wise mentor and friend told me was to use the phrase “Help me to understand…”

As in “Help me to understand why, when you forgot to make cookies for tonight’s PTA meeting, I should have to switch days with you an hour before the meeting? I don’t have time to make treats today or I would have signed up for today!” (Said with kindness and a smile, of course!)

I’ve also gotten caller ID on my phone. BIG help there. If someone calls who I know will expect me to interrupt my day and resuce them right now, I can return their call.

Tomorrow.

I also have been told by  a few straight-shooting, caring friends that I am an easy mark. “You come across as so friendly, inclusive, approachable and helpful. (Good…good. I think God wants us to be that way.)

So, women feel they can ask you to do them a favor or even do their work for them. But in reality, you are doing them no favor by rescuing them. You are enabling them to continue to be needy, lazy (ouch!) and overly dependent on others rather than on God. Actually Karen, at that point, you aren’t being a very good friend. You are being a bad one.”

Gulp!

I don’t want to be a bad friend.

How about you?

Okay…so let us know: How do you handle people who habitually ‘suck your time’ (as my husband calls it)? (He tells me often, “Honey, if you aren’t intentional in filling your time, there are dozens of people out there willing to fill it for you!”)

Oh, and feel free to comment anonymously.

I don’t want one of your friends calling you and saying….”were you referring to me?”

Oh well… I guess you could always check your caller ID before you answered, right?

Blessings,

We return to our little discussion about managing our time. I apologize again for the diversion. It was important. (If you missed the post I am referring to, click here)

So many of you have contacted me to say you are praying for my former neighbor’s family and for us.

Thank you.

What a wake-up call for us all. And, it actually ties in to what I wanted to talk about next.

Last week we talked here about making a list; actually about splitting your list in three so as not to frustrate yourself.

However, what about those times that you are frustrated trying to get even the very basic “must dos” of your day? After all, making a list and following it is such an effective time management, “get-it-done” tool, right?

Right!

What I want to caution you against again is letting that list be your master, and allowing it to dictate your mood as you see each day what you have and have not crossed off.

And remember, although the list serves as a guide, there are times when God will be diverting you from the tasks on paper and asking you to perform something more important for him. The key is recognizing when the interruptions in your day were sent by God for you to respond too.

Perhaps he wants you to walk away from your list and tend to something he feels is more important. When I have had days like that myself, I have trained myself to do the following. (Hang with me on this one!)

When I have not gotten to the items there in black and white on my list because God sent a sick child, a wounded friend or lonely neighbor to my side, I have actually, at the end of the day, taken a red pen and in large letters written “Hold a sick child, comforting him and supplying him with Popsicles  ALL OTHER TASKS TEMPORARILY ON DIVINE HOLD.”

I try to imagine it as the hand of God. He is diverting me from my lowly plan A to his perfect plan B for my day. I trust that the time to finish what I wanted to do (or thought I needed to do) will be given later. More often than not, I am actually pleased with the way things turn out.

Perhaps I had set aside and entire six hour block to write while my boys go to their friend’s farm for the day to hunt. Instead, Spencer wakes up with a spiked temp and the coughing, creepin’ crud.

Now, I could fume and fuss and let it entirely ruin my day.

Or I could choose instead to say, “Thank you Lord!! Must be you knew I’d have writers block today. What time I almost wasted! Even though I planned to write and had really looked forward to it—just me, my laptop, a Weight Watcher’s pizza and a pumpkin spice cappuccino—, I’ll trust that for today, you have reason for me to care for my child.”

Now please, sometimes the above sentence is not uttered in the sweetest of tones. But I have learned over the years that it does no good to stew all day about the loss of my time. As my husband will say, “It didn’t surprise God!” He knew what interruption would come, what delay I’d experience and truth be told, he allowed it for my good.

So the answer to the question, “Should I make out a list and follow it carefully?” is yes and no. Use it as a guide, but know when to set it aside. (No, I didn’t mean to rhyme!)

We have our lists, but God sometimes has a better “Plan B” for our days.

Watch for those divine interruptions.

Then, quiet your heart, and willingly embrace them.

Tune back in Wednesday when we’ll discuss the flip side of this concept; how do you deal with people who are not divine interruptions, but habitual interrupters who want you to rescue them from their current self-created crisis? Oh buddy…..

I apologize for not talking about managing our time today as I’d said I would. I’ll return to that topic sometime next week. My plans were shifted by shock. Read on:

She lived nine doors down.

In the two years we’ve lived in this subdivision, I’d seen her on my walks.

Perhaps she was rolling her trash out to the curb. Or in her front yard watering her flowers.

I’d smile and said “hi”, just for a brief second.

After all, my neighborhood is big; my life is busy.

So I’d pop my Ipod earbuds back into my ears.

And I’d keep walking.

Nine doors down.

Just nine doors down this past week flashed lights and sirens and all things alarming.

A fire? I thought as I turned into my sub, returning from  an errand-running venture.

My mama heart raced. My son was home alone. Had he burnt some toast and set the smoke alarm system blaring?

Or worse?

Had a car caught fire or a power line fallen?

As my car crept closer to home, I saw it was not my house. Relief for my soul. And though the rescue vehicles were parked in front of her house, no fire appeared to be blazing at my nine-doors down neighbor’s house either.

“Must have been a false alarm”, I reasoned to myself.

It was two days later when I heard the awful news.

No fire. No smoke. Just a saddened soul.

You see, nine doors down, something happened in the soul of my nameless, flower-watering, ‘smile and say hi’ fellow human being; something told her this life was not worth living anymore.

So she made sure she stopped living.

Her heart no longer beats.

Her flowers still grow, but she can’t water them anymore.

I can still walk by her house, lost in the Jesus-music blaring on my Ipod.

But there will be no more waves. No smiles as I stroll. And no more thoughts of, “I should stop and find out her name. I haven’t really met this gal yet.”

But the conversation my husband and I have had for the past year will continue. Perhaps with greater urgency now.

In our old neighborhoods (there have been three) we’ve made it a goal to offer a Bible study. A low-key, doesn’t-matter-if-you’ve-ever-gone-to-church-before, short and simple meeting of folks who all happen to live in the same development.

Todd does this at work too. Men and women meet on their breaks to gather round and meet Jesus. Many for the first time. Their curiosity is piqued when they are handed a flier announcing the short, you-don’t-need-to-know-nothing-”Jesus-y“-to-attend  study.

Others in his factory throw the flier in the trash.

Yes, right after Todd hands it to them.

In our neighborhood, we’ve not yet passed out fliers. Is it too soon? We haven’t held a Christmas open house to meet everyone yet. We’ve baked bread and pulled weeds for those real near by. But haven’t struck a friendship with too many others.

So we’ve pondered, is it time?

And do we have time?

So far we’d answered no.

Now, nine doors down, no flier is needed for the single gal who is no more.

Would things have been different if she’d gotten an invitation? Or would she have rolled it out to the curb with the rest of her trash?

God only knows.

I cannot beat myself up; but I can do something.

So can you.

We can stop, permitting God to tap us on the heart,  gently interrupt, and rearrange our day.

We can go deeper; beyond a “hi!” to an authentic “Who are you?”

Will you do it?

Will you at least try?

Then, leave the results up to God.

Results are His job.

Obedience is ours.

And trust me, it is AWFUL to get to know your neighbor through the tales and tears of her relatives as she lies lifelessly nearby in a coffin.

“Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” James 4:17

May we all respond to those taps on our hearts today and not ignore them and keep walking. God just may use us as He saves a life.

After all, remember…..

It isn’t a far walk.

It is just nine doors down.

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If you hear God tapping too, will you respond? Will you think of one person whom you see often but have never gotten to know? Then, do something.

Ask them their name. Thank them for bagging your groceries faithfully for ten years. Hand them a thank-you card if they are someone who serves. If it is a neighbor, invite them for coffee or soda or sweet tea. Offer kind words or a hug. Anything to show God’s love. Who in your life is just ‘nine doors down’? I’d love to know.

When I was a grade school girl, I was rather dramatic.

A skinned knee was cause me to wail as if I’d been mortally wounded.

A tiny spider would set me screaming and send me running for cover as if I’d seen a tarantula.

If a friend were mad at me, I’d worry and pout and get a pit in my stomach thinking my social world had come to a complete end.

My antics often found my mom saying this to me, “Oh…you’re making a big “to do” about nothing.”

I never understood what that meant.

And she kind of pronounced it “ta do” not “to do”. What was up with that?

In college as an English/Speech minor, I studied Shakespeare. It was then I discovered he wrote a play called Much Ado About Nothing. Perhaps over the years that phrase had morphed into my moms cliche’. Who knows?

All I know is I am faced with a big “To Do” as of late…..as in “TO DO LIST”.  You know, the kind of week or month where just making the “to do” list takes the better chunk of an hour.

Then, you are almost afraid to read what you wrote, surmising that perhaps, if you ignore it, it will go away. Kind of the opposite of the whole “If you build it they will come” thing.

Can I get a witness?

Well, this week, let’s talk about making a big “to do”. Here are some tips I’ve learned over the years:

~ Do NOT make just one “to do” list. If you write down 23 things and then, at the end of the day, you’ve only been able to cross off 5 items, you’ll feel defeated.

~Split your list into three categories: Today; Soon & Someday. The first list is what you have to do. The second is what you want to do if there is time and the third list holds those projects you may never get around to but would feel oh-so organized if you ever did!

~Beyond just prioritizing by splitting into the three lists, prioritize each list. By that I mean even the things on your Today list will need to be in order. You can either write them in order of importance. (That usually takes me a couple of tries and involves scratching or erasing and frustration.) Or, make the list and then wield a bright colored highlighter. Highlight only the first thing or two you must do. When they are done, cross them off and highlight something else. It doesn’t matter this way if they are in perfect order.

~Use a legal pad or top-bound spiral notebook. I put my fun and funky colored top-bound spiral notebook on my clipboard opened to my Today list. It is down the left side of my page. My Soon list is down the right side of my page. My Someday list is on the very last page of my notebook and I keep adding to it as I think of projects.

~Also use a clipboard that opens up to reveal a compartment for papers and pens. By having it on a clipboard that holds papers and my pen and highlighter, I can toss in any items that must be dealt with today; an overdue library book notice, a bill that must be paid asap, a permission slip that needs to be filled out and returned for an activity, etc… Make it a habit to check in your clipboard before nightfall and deal with any papers there.

~If you want to get even more specific, split your Today list into three categories: To Call; To Do and Computer. This helps me to see my work in chunks. Do I have lots of computer time work to do like answering and sending emails, writing or ordering items online? How many phone calls must I make for that project at church or for my son’s baseball team party?

This way, I can tell when it is best to do those tasks. If I have a half hour of calls to make and my son needs to be at his game 45 minutes before it starts, I can drop him off, whip over to Micky D’s or Biggby Coffee (depending on how much change I can rustle up from the bottom of my purse ) grab a coffee, go back to the ball diamond, position my lawn chair where I’ll get a good view, and make my calls until the game starts and I have to start hollerin’.

(Yeah… I’m one of those moms. And I will not stop. I’ve had too many of my sons’ teammates tell me, ” Mrs. E, When I was up to the plate, I heard you yell, ‘You can do it! You know you can! Come on now, give it a ride!’ And I thought, “I can do it ” The next thing we heard was the crack of a ball on a bat! I like to think it is due to the encouragement they heard and not due to the fact that the opposing team’s pitcher just lobbed it in there. So I say yell for those kids. Only positive things now…. This concludes this unplanned editorial.)

Okay…now your turn. How do you make your “to do” list? Or how are you frustrated in this area? Please share! One  I-want-to-get-my-act-together-in-this-area gal will win a $10 Walmart card to buy herself a compartmentalized clipboard and a fun notebook or pack of legal pads to go with it.

And of course if time is tight due to your ever-growing to do list, just say, “I’m in!”

Speaking of winning, congrats to the winner from the scrapbooking post with Heather Vanderlaan over the weekend. She is Gina beckwith; timestamp Sept. 10 at 1:14 p.m. Send your home address to me at karen@proverbs31.org.

Okay ladies….leave your comments! Winner announced Wednesday morning!

REMINDER: I am currently gathering a group of women who will be my cyber circle of friends who will help my ministry by praying for requests I send them and by being gals off of whom I can bounce ideas or ask for feedback on book titles, stories or examples that go with my content. It will be done by email.

If you are interested, please send an email to karen@proverbs31.org with the words “Cyber Sisters” in the subject line. The actual email can be blank if you are in a hurry. I’ll be contacting you all real soon! Thanks!

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A few weeks ago, I asked what your greatest procrastination project was; that one task you wish you had time to tackle.

As I read the comments that came in, I saw a common theme begin to emerge. So many of you were frustrated with your scrapbooking projects.

Well, since I have ZERO talents in scrapbooking (bought the start-up kit, worked diligently at it for one summer, got frustrated and gave up!) I decided to call in the expert.

She is a woman I originally met through a speaking engagement at the moms group she coordinated. When I was asked back to speak again, we got to know each other even more. Then I spoke there the next year too. And on, and on…Yep Grand Ledge Baptist holds the record for “church I’ve spoken at the most”. I think it has been 8 or 9 times so far! I LOVE those gals at Moms and More!!! And I love the talented, fashionable, fun and yet deeply spiritual Heather Vanderlaan.

Now, I’ll share her with you. Meet my friend Heather:

I have had a life-long love affair with pictures.  I still remember the thrill I felt at owning my own camera.  Many cameras later and thousands, if not tens of thousands pictures later…my love affair continues.  However I still haven’t figured out a good way to get in any of the pictures.  I keep joking that our grandkids are going to think I never did anything because there are so few pictures of me.  Finding a picture of me for Karen to share with you was tough because I just don’t have that many of me.

One of my very first albums that I completed was my wedding album.  I married my husband Jeff 14 years ago and would marry him again in a heart beat!  I loved doing that album!  It still is one of my favorite albums.  I have also done several albums for each of my kids (Jackson-7th grade, Ainsley-4th grade, Olivia-2nd grade).  I don’t put every picture in their albums, just the highlights.  I figure it isn’t fair to saddle them or their future spouses with 18+ albums so try to fit at least 3 years in an album.

I am a teacher by training and got to teach for about 6 years before Jackson was born.  I was able to stay home after he was born but realized that I wasn’t going to be able to support my scrapbooking habit on one income.  I started my own business with Creative Memories almost 12 years ago, teaching and consulting with women on their scrapbooks and have had a ball doing it.  I love getting to build relationships with women and laugh and cry and share in their lives and their stories.

I am a firm believer that God takes the pieces of our lives and makes them in to a complete picture.  All the things I have done in the last few years and all the opportunities to speak to women’s groups, to lead a mom’s ministry, to facilitate Bible Studies, to sub at my kids school, to lead our church’s Children’s Christmas Musical, to be a wife, to be a mom and to teach about scrapbooking are all pieces of a larger picture.  My hope and prayer is that the bigger picture reflects my Savior.

Now, tell us Heather, how did you get started scrapbooking?

I started scrapbooking formally 13 years ago but truthfully began when I was in grade school.  Like I mentioned in my bio, I have always had a love affair with pictures and the stories behind them.  My packing list for camp or vacations always included my camera and film.  I loved capturing moments and memories on film.

I put those early pictures in peel and stick albums along with notes of who was in the picture and what we were doing.  As I refined my skills I began cutting out words from magazines and using my favorite stickers to “jazz” up the pages.  I

n college I heard a presentation on “scrapbooking” and began incorporating more of my story in to my simple pages.  Then 13 years ago I went to my first scrapbooking “party” and was hooked.  I quickly moved my pictures to more photo safe albums and have been scrapbooking the highs and lows of our lives ever since.

Okay. I am a scrapbooking dropout. I just found it so hard to keep on top of, although many of my friends soared through albums with ease. What are some ways women can simplify their system and stay on task without stressing out?

I think one of the biggest things we can do for ourselves is simplify what we are doing.  Don’t make it so complicated!  Use the same color of paper all the way through an album.  Create simple pages that aren’t super fancy…maybe ones that don’t have any stickers on them. (I know at least one of you just gasped.  Trust me!  It’s okay to not put stickes on a page.)

Use only your best pictures and don’t include every single picture you ever take.  It is okay to use just one picture from an event.  I know for some that is sacrilege but seriously you don’t need 10 pictures of your child on the slide…no matter how cute they are, you don’t need them all!

How do you build scrapbooking into your schedule?

Just like we do everything else in our busy lives.  We schedule it in!  We find the time for the things that matter to us.  We find time to go to Bible Studies, Moms Groups, doctor’s appointments, and school events.  And yet it seems to me that scrapbooking often gets a back burner.  And truthfully there are times that it should.

However I have found that most women that are consistent with their scrapbooks have found the time to do it and have scheduled it in to their week.  I am right there with all of you as I look at my fall schedule.  Where in the world am I going to fit scrapbooking in to my busy schedule?

So here are a few things that are helping me as I try to “fit” scrapbooking in to my life this fall.

1. What is my motivation for doing my scrapbooks?

We all have stories to tell of what God has done in our lives that need to be passed on to a future generation. I want my scrapbooks to not only be a record of the events in our lives but also a celebration of the places and people we hold dear.  I want to share with my children and their children about who God is to us so that they will know Him and praise Him.  Figuring out your motivation gives you purpose and helps you stay on track.

2. How much time do I have in this season of my life to devote to my scrapbooks?

Maybe it’s daily time.  I had that when my kids took naps each afternoon.  Maybe it’s weekly.  With the season I am in right now weekly is going to work best for me.

I have picked out one afternoon a week that I can concentrate on my scrapbooks.  Maybe it’s monthly and you can commit to a longer time frame.  Maybe it’s quarterly.  I do at least two weekend getaways with friends that allow me to work on my albums for longer periods of time.  Or maybe you only have 10-15 minutes here or there. If this is you, then be sure to read all the way to the end.

I have a great tip about doing Power Layouts toward the end. You have to figure out what works for you.  I can’t tell you that this way or that way is the perfect way.  Only you can decide what works for you right now with where you are at in your life.  It has to be an intentional choice though.  Trust me you will never just happen to have “the time” to scrapbook.

3. What is your style?

What kind of scrapbooker are you?  Do you love the creative process?   Do you enjoy spending time creating unique works of art?  OR Do you want to get more enjoyment from your pictures? Do you want to spend minimum time for maximum results?

There is no right or wrong way to scrapbook but your style will determine some things.  If you answered yes to either of the first two questions you may need to embrace a more simple process so that you can complete albums.  More often than not this kind of scrapbooker has loads of pictures but very few completed albums.  One of my favorite sayings is “Simple and Complete is better than Fancy and Far Behind”.

If you answered yes to either of the last two questions you may need to quit feeling guilty for not doing “fancier” pages.  You may need to focus on the gift you are giving to your family by completing albums.

Here is a great story that I love to share.

Let’s pretend for a minute that we are sitting face to face.  In my hands I am holding 2 albums.  They are both done by someone who is very dear to you who is no longer living: someone who holds a high place of honor in your life.

In my left hand I am holding an Album that is a beautiful work of art.  It is gorgeous and would hold a treasured place in anyone’s home.  Each page is carefully thought out and very well put together.  The paper all matches perfectly.  The letters are placed just so.  The pictures are placed on each page with care!  It is beautiful and obviously represents hours and hours of work.  It has very little writing and there are many pictures that you are unsure of where they were taken and who was in the pictures.

In my right hand I have an Album that is very simple.  It contains very little paper and very few stickers.  Each page is filled with lots of pictures and lots of writing.  The writing, done in your loved one’s handwriting, is full of anecdotal notes and quips.  It has dates, people, events and gives you a very complete picture of their life.

Which would you choose?  For most, it is a rhetorical question.  Most would choose the album in my right hand.

The fancy album is beautiful but is almost meaningless because much of the story is missing.  The simple album then becomes a treasure of great worth!!  Which album do you want to do for your family?

4.  Are your supplies organized so that you can easily work on your albums?

As in any project it is tough to work if your supplies aren’t together.  For instance, if you are baking a cake and your supplies are spread all over the kitchen then it takes twice as long.  In the same way you need your scrapbook materials organized so that you can work efficiently.  It is daunting to even begin a project when the supplies are scattered or unorganized.

It becomes important to take stock of how your supplies are organized and see if some changes need to be made.  Are your supplies all in the same room?  Are they stored so they are easily accessed?  Are there supplies that you haven’t ever used?  It might be time to purge.  Do you have an area in your house that you can repurpose and use for your scrapbooking supplies?  Think about where you like to scrapbook and then see how you can get organized somewhere in close proximity to that space.

5.  Do you have scrapbooking goals?

Are they doable?  If I say I want to lose 25 pounds you would say that it is a great goal.  But if I want to do it in two days you would say that is impossible.  In the same way if I say I want to get the last 5 years of pictures in to albums, that is a great goal.  But if I want to do it in one session that is impossible.

The goals you set need to be realistic and doable.  If I want to get the last 5 years in to albums then I need to set a reasonable timeline based on how much time I have to work on them. If I am working once a week on my scrapbooks and have roughly 12 weeks until Christmas and I am doing my albums in a simple way then I might be able to get that much done by Christmas.  However more realistically I probably can get that much done by Spring Break.

Any tips for ways to physically organize supplies and such?

The very first thing I would recommend is to get your pictures organized.  Both your printed and your digital ones.  I have found that when my pictures are spread all over the house (in drawers, boxes and frames) it is easy to miss some.  When they are all in one place it makes it a lot easier to find them and use them.

One of my favorite organizing tools ever is a Power Sort Box.  In fact it is what I am giving away today. I just love it!  I keep my pictures sorted in the box chronologically and it makes such a difference in being organized.  I also use these boxes to store my duplicates or pictures I didn’t use in my albums.  My kids are always needing a picture or two for projects so I send them to the power sort box first.

In the last 10 years most everyone has gone to digital pictures and have scads of pictures all over their hard drives, on CD’s and thumb drives.  It is really important that you get those pictures organized too.  Whether you do it on your own by just putting them in files by date or perhaps using a organizing software.

I use a program made by Creative Memories called Memory Manager that allows me to store and edit my photos quickly and easily.  I have done it both ways and have found the program to be a lot more superior than my feeble attempts at organizing my pictures in files.  I found I could never find anything and then was doing double the work by having to transfer them in to an editing software.  So I much prefer the Memory Manager Program.

The next thing I would recommend is organizing your supplies.  You can spend a lot of money on organizational tools to help you.  Some are worth it and quite honestly some are not.  Often there are things around your house that you can use.  Cups for pens, baskets for paper, little jars for small doo-dads, egg cartons for small pieces.

One tool that has worked well for me in organizing my paper is an accordion file.  Mine fits 10×12 paper (when I got it I wasn’t  using much 12×12 paper but there are larger ones on the market) and each opening is labeled by color.  I can fit my full sheets of paper in there as well as scraps. I often will sit it on my lap while I am working so I can easily check for the right paper.

I found I use up my paper better this way and am not wasteful.  Another tool that works well for paper or projects are clear folders made for this purpose.  Several companies make a variation of this.  I have used these for my 12×12 projects that had matching paper and stickers and accents.

Stickers can be quite messy.  I meet so many people who have them spread all over their  bags and never quite sure what they have.  You can use an accordion coupon file.  You can also use a 3 ring binder filled with clear plastic sleeves used for baseball card collecting.  You can organize the stickers by type and easily see and find what you have.

Put idea pages in page protectors and store them in a 3 ring binder.  It is easy to find an idea and easy to use.

Space can also be an issue. Ideally it is great if you have a space you can devote to your scrapbooks.  I am fortunate to have an area in my basement that I can leave my supplies and incomplete projects out.  I have not always had that luxury and maybe you don’t either.

Can you leave a card table up for a while?  In your bedroom or an unused room in the house?  Can you repurpose a closet or shelves where you could leave your things accessible?  Go to the library and check out some of their scrapbooking magazines.  There are many great ideas to be had for free!

One of the best ideas I have ever done with regards to scrapbooking is a Power Layout.  I take some time (2-3 hours) to lay out 20-30 pages complete with pictures, paper, stickers.  Nothing stuck down, just laid out.  Then I stack it all up and as I have time, I work on a page or two.  I get my supplies out once to do the lay out and then put them away and just keep out my adhesive and pens.

As I have 10 or 15 minutes I will work first on adhering the paper and pictures with my adhesive.  When all the pages are secured I will move on to the next step of journaling.  As I have a few minutes here or there I will journal a page or two. I like to do this step in the time I spend waiting in the car pool line, sitting at swim lessons, watching a tv show with my husband or kids, and talking on the phone.  It helps stream line the process and actually helps me got a whole lot more accomplished that I would otherwise.

One summer I took on vacation my adhesive, pens and box of laid out pages and completed 108 pages in less than a week.  I use this process on almost every album I do now and have taught this class to many women.  Every single person that has taken this class says that they will never do their albums another way!

Any other words of advice to women who want to do this but can’t seem to get their act together?

Oh how I wish I could sit and talk to each one of you who fits this category!  I would love to ask you questions and hear your story so that I could try to help you figure out what is keeping you from doing it.

Is it because it all seem so overwhelming?  If so, I am giving you permission to simplify!!  Trust me your children and grandchildren are not going to care if you were able to create works of art!!  They are going to appreciate your simple pages!

Is it because of the expense?  I am right there with you and I even get a discount on my supplies.  However I have figured out what is important to me and then have invested my money as I can to purchase those things.

Is it because of time?  You need to schedule this in to your week and quit feeling guilty for doing so!  You are blessing your family!!!

Is it because you are afraid?  Pick a current project.  Something you are excited about doing and do just that project.  Maybe a vacation from this summer.  It will keep you motivated and will give you the success and confidence you need to keep going.

If you answered yes to any of these questions you might also consider doing your albums digitally.  There are a lot of different programs available. The beauty of a digital program is that you don’t have to have stickers, paper and printed pictures and you will always have your pages ready to work on each time you turn on your computer.  You can either use pre-designed pages that allow you to drop and drag your pictures (QUICK) or you can create your own pages (CREATIVE).  I am partial to a free program by Creative Memories called Storybook Creator. I have used it and love it!  (Here is a link for a FREE download.)

You are offering a giveaway to our cyber sisters. What is it?

I’ll be giving away a Power Sort Box like I mentioned above. It will help one fortunate reader get her act together!

Thanks, Heather!

Okay gals, to be entered in the giveaway, leave a comment on any aspect of  scrapbooking or tell us how many pictures you’ve taken this past month. Your name will be entered in the drawing. You have until midnight Sunday PST. Winner will be announced Monday.

Speaking of winners, the winner of the Spilling Sweet Tea giveaway is: Tina; timestamp Sept. 6 at 9:50 a.m. Congrats! Send me your home address at karen@proverbs31.org.

Have a great weekend everyone! Go sort those pictures and get scrappin’!!!

Wednesday Update: Please forgive my lack of a new post here. (And if you haven’t commented on this one below to enter the giveaway, you still can ’til Friday morning at 6:00 a.m.) The story is I have come down with the coughin’, creepin’ crud and I am, unfortunately, severely allergic to cold medicine. So, I am spending quality time with my saline sinus rinse bottle, slathering on the Vicks and trying to get school done with my boys. Not much energy left for anything else.

However—tune back in Friday when we’ll have a guest post and a giveaway. I noticed when I asked a few weeks ago what your biggest procrastination project was, many of you said ‘scrapbooking’. So, since I have ZERO skill on that topic, I’ve asked my friend Heather Vanderlaan, the scrapbooking diva to hop on over and give out some tips—and offer a cool giveaway. See you then!

Also Note: If you are a Weight Loss Wednesday gal, please click here to locate our cyber accountability group now called His Weigh Wednesdays and lead by Lindsey Feldpausch.New comers always welcome! See ya over there! __________________________________________________________________________________

“A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.” Luke 6:45 (NLT)

”She is a big-city Southern gal who just happened to be born in a tiny town in the Midwest.”

Those are the words I use to answer people who question why our 19-year-old daughter chose to move from our little Michigan village and take up residence in Charlotte, NC to attend cosmetology school. Ever the adventurous type, she opted for moving in with gracious friends and attending school where she knew no one over staying home and playing it safe at a nearby, salon school where  girls she knew studied.

Ever since the first time Mackenzie traveled with me as a pre-teen to a speaking engagement in the south, she was hooked. She loved the food (especially Chic-Fil-A which we sadly don’t have in Michigan), the weather, the big hairstyles, (usually the weather results in the big hairstyles!) the ocean being nearby, and the regional accent (Yes, she now refers to our family as “ya’ll”). But most of all, Kenz couldn’t get enough sweet tea!

Today, when she is cruising around Charlotte in her tan 1999 Buick, she often has a glass of her beloved beverage nestled in her cup-holder. She can sip her tea at long red lights or while waiting in the carpool line to pick up the kids she is watching for the afternoon. However, when she is driving and has to turn a sharp corner, she must hold onto her beverage cup. Even though it sports a travel lid, her car’s cup-holders sometimes malfunction, sending the glass flying off on the floor.

Now, let me ask you a simple question: When she forgets to secure her cup at a corner, or if she were ever suddenly bumped from behind, what would spill out of her travel mug?

Yep. Sweet tea.

It wouldn’t be old, cold, bitter coffee leftover from three days ago.

Nor would it be nasty, sticky and syrupy Mountain Dew with a fly stuck in it that one of her brothers forgot to dump out the last time he road in her car.

It would be sweet tea; it could only be what is already inside the glass.

When I am “suddenly bumped”, the above verse illustrates this very concept. What is inside of me will spill out.

If I react to my husband with harsh words when he disappoints me; if I snap at a co-worker for no reason apparent to her; or if I answer my kids’ calling “Mom!!” for the 27^th time with a harsh, angry and witch-like “Whaaaaaaat!!!!”….. I am simply spilling out what is already inside.

Read the verse again slowly, allowing its words to penetrate your soul. “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.”

“The treasury of a good heart”.

One definition of treasury is “A place where valuables are collected, managed and disbursed”. Does that not perfectly describe our hearts!? We collect thoughts, manage our emotions and disburse reactions all through the treasury of our heart.

While I may make excuses for my hideous behavior, reasoning that my pestering kids “made” me snap at them with ugly words and a caustic tone, really my response to their question or their conduct just reveals what is already in me.

A glass of sweet tea, no matter how abruptly it gets bumped, is incapable of spilling out anything but the sugary, delightful drink.

Let’s purpose today to fill our heart’s treasury to the brim with the sweet, not the bitter; to store up God’s words to us in this verse, asking Him to bring them to our minds BEFORE we answer with our mouths in a way that might be awfully ugly.

When we are suddenly or perpetually bumped, jarred or shaken, let’s all transform into Southern gals and spill ourselves some good ole’ sweet tea.

Sound good, y’all?

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Okay ladies…in honor of this last holiday of summer, I am giving away this “tea-themed” gift. It includes:

~A box of tea-to-go mix ins for bottles of water. The flavor is sugar-free green tea with honey. It is sweetened with Splenda.

~A fun and funky travel mug, so you won’t spill your sweet tea!

~A green tea & white pear candle from Bath & Body works. I LOVE the fresh smell of this candle!!!

Leave a comment on this post to be entered in the random giveaway. Either comment on any aspect of this post or tell us what your favorite cold drink is.

Mine is Diet Cheerwine soda–which also sadly I CANNOT get in Michigan!! So, I only drink it about twice a year.

Oh…and I almost forgot! The winner of the giveaway from over the weekend of the two Target Card bundles is…….Michelle Kelly; timestamp Sept. 4 at 5:18 a.m. NOW…you must report to us what happened when you gave away the second bundle to a stranger, okay?

See you Wednesday, everyone!