A Few Random Ramblings

I have been looking forward to reporting in again on my 28 in 28 progress, but I also have a few other things that I want to blog about, so rather than write out three separate posts, I'll just combine them today.

28/28 progress: I've been chipping away at clutter. This is day 5. Most days are split between trash (I LOVE throwing junk away), donate, and pack. Today I'm going to dig in and sort my linen closets. I have two of them. A small one upstairs, and a larger one downstairs in our guest bedroom. I am obviously working in two different zones today, but I wanted to get all my linens done at once.

We've set up some new "screen time" rules: Screen time in our house involves tv, wii, playstation, leapster 2, computer, and watching other family members on those things. We had to add the last rule because I was finding that even though I limited my kids' time, they would watch each other and we have five kids. You get the idea. That's a lot of hours that can build up! Mom and Dad are cutting back too. I think I got on the computer all of twice yesterday, only for a few minutes at a time. It felt good!

It's puzzle season! Around this time of year my husband always seems to go puzzle crazy. He went to the store with my daughter and picked out a 1000 piece "I Spy" puzzle on Friday afternoon. It was all put together in less than 24 hours. I suppose that's not too impressive with 7 people working on it, but it sure was a lot of fun!

This post actually took me two days to complete because I've been cleaning, packing, and we've had company over. My Mother-in-Law is here to visit. We're going to church this morning to hear my husband speak for his last time at our church. Then we only have two weeks left there...but I'm trying not to be sad about it. I know God has new and exciting things for our future!

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans." -Proverbs 16:3

28 Bags in 28 Days - Day 1!

"The greatest wealth is to live with little, for there is never want where to mind is satisfied." -Lucretias

Hello! I'm super excited to say that I began my 28 day challenge today! I divided my house into zones, and my zones into areas, and today I tackled the entryway closet. Believe it or not, I filled a large kitchen trash bag with items to donate that were outgrown or simply not being used. I straightened the shoes and threw out trash that mysteriously makes its way into the closet. I also went through the scarves, hats and mittens tub and found a few items to give away. My "to donate" bag will go right out to my van when I head out to pick up my kids from school.

Yesterday, I was so excited that I couldn't resist getting a little jump start on purging. I began by cleaning out our craft drawers in the dining room and sorting crayons, markers, and other art supplies. Yes, I sorted my kids' crayons by color. I divided the loot in half and put some back in their crayon bucket and some in a travel size container. The markers found a nice home in a used Pirouette tin. I love reusable containers! I also filled our kitchen trash can with old coloring books and other papers and projects that didn't make the "keep" cut.
That's all I have to report today. I probably won't post every day, but I wanted to get off to a good start.

You're welcome to join in the fun this month. I look forward to reporting my progress, and the great feeling I'll have when it's all done!

Siesta Scripture Memory Verse 3

It's a new month, so that means it's time for a new memory verse! I can hardly believe one month in 2011 is already in the past. It means we are that much closer to Spring, and that much closer to opening our new business. Only two months to go before we open the doors to our new store.

I've been reflecting a lot this past week on Genesis 12:1-7. To sum it up, God asked Abram to leave his country, relatives, and father's house to go to another land that He was going to show him. So Abram packed up his wife, nephew, and all their belongings and headed out until he reached the land of Canaan, where God then promised to give the land to Abram's descendants.

Hebrews Chapter 11:8-12 commends the faith that it took for Abram to make this journey. Because we are on a "faith journey" of our own right now, I have chosen Hebrews 11:8 as my third SSMT verse in 2011.

"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going."

He obeyed and went. That is what we intend to do. By faith, as God leads us every step of the way.

Following His lead,
Melissa

28 Bags in 28 Days

Good morning! And welcome to Company Girl Coffee! I'm on my second cup this morning, as I didn't get a very good night's sleep last night. It was one of those nights where I had way too much on my mind to sleep. I thought about blogging, but it may not have made much sense at 4:30am. I am not much of a morning person!

We're nearing the end of January. For me, January is a month of getting back on track with routines and schedules. Kids are back in school and I find myself thinking about a little early Spring Cleaning. This year, the "urge to purge" has hit me very hard, since we will be moving in June. I've come up with a little February Challenge for myself that I think will be a lot of fun.

I call it 28 bags in 28 days. I know, not a very original name. I'm not going for idea of the year here though. Actually, I can't even take credit for the idea. It's a combo of several things I've tried over time. I've taken cues from FLYlady and divided my home into zones. The idea to do a certain number of bags in a certain number of days came from my friend over at Clover Lane who did this challenge herself last year during Lent. As suggested in several organizing books that I've read, I will be using the "give away, throw away, and put away" method. I picked February because of a fun contest Org Junkie did last year with one space in your home.

28 days, 28 bags. Four weeks of glorious purging. Doesn't that sound fun? After all, I can't take it with me to heaven, so might as well slim it down to the bear minimum to move. I'll be sharing it right here as I go, so stay tuned for more excitement! :)

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." -Matthew 6:19-21

Have a great weekend all!

~Melissa

The God of All Comfort

Five more Sundays. That's how many we have left at our church before my husband steps down from his job there. I have to be honest. I am a little sad. In the 16 years of our marriage there have only been three times that my husband has not served on a worship team, whether he was on staff, or not. I am going to miss that voice of his leading me and the rest of the congregation into worship every Sunday.

Don't get me wrong. I am excited to begin our new adventure. And I trust that God will help us find the right church for our family to attend together. I am looking forward to worshiping by my husband's side for a season. I can't help but wonder if it's going to be difficult for him to allow someone else to lead him in worship. I'm sure that will be very different for him, to say the least.

Yes, things are going to be very different. We will be living in a smaller town, with family nearby, and a brand new business to build. We are official part owners of a building, that we will fill with merchandise and open doors sometime in April. I can't wait to see what God has planned for this new chapter in our lives.

Still, today, here and now, I am a little sad to think about leaving our old lives and our church behind. I don't think God minds. He knows my heart and I look to Him for comfort in the middle of change and uncertainty.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." -2 Corinthians 1:3-4

How has He comforted you recently? I'd love to hear.

Blessings,

~Melissa

Siesta Scripture Memory Verse 2

It's time to choose my second memory verse of 2011! The first verse was so clear in my mind, I just knew it was the one I needed to store up in my heart. It clearly speaks to me about my future and the fact that God is planning something beyond my wildest imagination.

See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness,
and streams in the wasteland.
-Isaiah 43:19

Funny thing, I was actually a week into memorizing before I realized that the reference to this verse is Isaiah 43:19, not Isaiah 43:9...a little typo on my part when I first copied it! Remembering the reference is actually the hardest part for me, so this year I am memorizing that part first, before I even start in on the words.

Anyway, when I was praying about what verse to choose this time, nothing special came to mind. That is, until I brought up the LPM blog and read Beth Moore's suggested verse.

"Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done,
And your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count."
-Psalm 40:5 (NASB)

Perfect! As I pray about our future and place it in God's hands, I can recall the past and the many wondrous things He has already done for us! What a great way to start off the year. Two verses...one that focuses on the future, and one that praises God for what He has done in the past.

God's Word is so amazing to me. I pray that it comes alive and practically jumps off the pages for me in 2011. I am following a Bible Reading Plan with my oldest daughter (9) this year. She has so many wonderful questions and it is a great way to keep me accountable to my reading. The joy that she finds in the Word as she is reading a lot of it for the first time warms my heart and gives me a new found joy of my own.

What plans do you have to be in the Word this year? If you need a little encouragement, I would suggest reading this post, over at Priscilla Shirer's blog. You will find a lot of good suggestions and tips there.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you have a great weekend and may God bless you as you pursue Him in His Word.

~Melissa

Sanctuary in the Middle of Change

I've been thinking a lot this week about my Homekeeping Mission Statement for 2011. The first time I wrote one, was back in 2008, when I joined the Company Girl fun and dove into Small Things.

Back then, I had a one year old, a three year old, a four year old, a five year old, and a six year old! Needless to say, I needed that mission statement to keep me sane! Today, my children are a little older, and four out of five of them are in school. Though the wording has changed some, the main statement (in bold) has stuck with me.

HOMEKEEPING MISSION 2011
I want my home to be, peaceful, simple, and cozy. I will value my relationships with my husband and children by showing them unconditional love and acceptance. I will maintain a reasonable housekeeping schedule and designate chores to keep clutter at bay. I will decorate tastefully and affordably, creating a relaxing environment for my family and all who enter my home.

Do you recognize the three elements in the beginning? They may be different words, but they are still the same three legs of an old reliable stool. Peace, Order, and Beauty. You can find the origin of this story on Rachel Anne's Blog.

And now for my big announcement:
My family will be moving to a new location in June of 2011! We have the opportunity to begin a new business adventure in my husband's home town, where his parents still live. I will be blogging more about it in the future, but today I simply wanted to share the good news with you over coffee.

Over the next several months, I will be living out my Homekeeping Mission Statement while I pack, organize, and slim down our belongings. I'll be honest with you. Maintaining sanctuary in our home while preparing for the big move will be a challenge. Hopefully, with a little patience and a lot of prayer, this Company Girl will be able to keep peace, order, and beauty alive in the middle of it all. :)

May all of your homes be blessed in 2011!
~Melissa