Finally..........Part THREE of Spring Cleaning Your Heart and Your Home....

Goodness, I am so sorry I have taken so long to get back on here to get to the good part of this message!!!

I took a fall and the effects of such a blunt force to my body with this fibromyalgia has taken a toll. My husband reminds me that maybe I should stop and let my body heal instead of continuing on as if nothing ever happened.

Hmmmm, what a thought! hA!!! ;)

Soooo.....onward to the message of Spring Cleaning!!!

You have gotten your household Spring Cleaning done, right!?

I decided to follow my own advice and finally dug in and got my own Master Closet done tonight! I have someone I want to give my goodies to and that pushed me to get it done.

I am contemplating taking a photo of the heaping pile I still have to deal with. ;)

Our HEARTS......

The process is much the same to Spring Clean our hearts.

We must first set aside the time.

EMBARK

Ah, but this time it is even more important that we have some time all to ourselves.

A little seclusion and quiet time is best.

Do what works for you.

For me, I LOVE to get away, somewhere in nature is my personal ideal.
However my favorite chair in the living room works fine too.

The whole point is to set aside the time and get still before the Lord.

EQUIP

We need to GATHER OUR TOOLS.....

For cleansing our heart the most important tool of all is the WORD of God!!

The Word of God is the thing we need to use to weigh everything up against.

"A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of."

Luke 6:45 NIV

The other tool I like to have is my journal.

That way I can jot down the thoughts that I have,
those things I feel like God is speaking to my heart as I seek Him.

Now it is time to EMPOWER.....to PRAY.

Just like I stood at the door to my closet and prayed for God to lead me and direct me,

I will do the very same thing before I begin the process of digging deep into my heart.

I will pray for God to shine His light onto the dark places,

the nooks and crannies, the hidden, dark places where some things have been hiding.

Some things have been in there a very long time,

I have grown accustomed to them being there,

so much so that I do not even notice that I am tripping over them again and again.

There are things that are "cluttering" up my life, my heart,

keeping me bogged down and heavy laden.

EXPOSE

I need to un-earth these things,

revealing what it is that is cluttering up my heart.

My soul house.

"Eliminate physical clutter.More importantly, eliminate Spiritual clutter."

~D.H. Mondfleur

What are these things for you?????

What are those things that are hiding in your heart?

Those things that have been buried deep and not dealt with for a very long time?

These are the things that you have decided are not worth dealing with,

or it was simply too hard to do,

or you just keep pushing it back in hopes that they would just go away!

Let me help you identify them.....

I have created a little list,

as you read it be thinking about your own "clutter"

and which of these things might also be yours.

Be open to God's still small voice and what He is speaking to YOUR heart to deal with.

Shame Bitterness Anger Resentment Pain Rejection

Fear Regret Condemnation Insecurities

Lack of Self-Esteem Grief Anxiety Worry

The feeling of not being good enough, never enough..........

Mull this over.......

Pray about this.

Seek God in your quiet place and I will be back to share more.

Hopefully tomorrow!!!!

Love & Blessings!!!

XO

Spring Cleaning Your Heart and Home...Part TWO

Awwww...so glad you are back! :) I bet you came back because I told you that there are surprises awaiting you IF you do return....if you ENDURE!!! So, you took your little break, got a breath of fresh air and you are back to finish the process of spring cleaning. As you have encountered many things that you need to put away, give away and throw away you will also find a few surprises. Those things you might have forgotten about. Things that have great meaning and yet they have been buried amongst the rubble. I am going to tell you about the treasures I found in my own closet. Just recently I thought I would love to begin a collection of old Bibles. One of the customers we have decorated for has one and I was so impressed with it, that I thought I would like to have a collection of my own. Lo and behold...as I was cleaning out my closet I came across two precious Bibles I had forgotten about. One is a little hardback, black Bible that was given to me when I was only seven years old at a church that some family friends had taken me to. That was the only Bible this little girl ever held. What a treasure!!! The other is a white leather Bible, with gold imprinting bearing mine and my husbands names. It was a gift from my mom and dad on our first wedding anniversary....which was 33 years ago!! Another priceless treasure indeed!! Had I not dug through the old, the yuck, the clutter...I would have never found the treasures that were buried in there. I wonder what YOU will find? What treasures are lurking in YOUR closet??? EMBRACE those treasures!!!!! They are gifts from God! Well now that you have cleared out the junk and found some precious treasures, it is time to EMPLOY your organizing tools and begin putting these things back into your closet using a little creativity and a sense of order. Use some baskets to house all your beautiful scarves; shoe shelves for your shoe collection; organize your hanging clothes by color and type to make things so much easier to find. There are so many things you can do that takes little or no money and will create a pleasant environment that you will encounter on a daily basis. Ahhhh yes! It feels so good to have accomplished this task. It was hard work, and now you can stand back and admire the end result of all your efforts. But, you cannot expect it to remain that way without further effort. You are going to have to ENFORCE some maintenance habits to keep it that way. Remember some basic rules that will help you keep it that way. Things like; "Don't put it down, put it away." My own personal rule of thumb is, no matter how much I do not want to, I MAKE myself hang everything back up when I am trying on outfits when I am done. Some days I just don't want to, I want to leave them lying there on the floor, but I won't let myself do it, because I know I do not want to face that mess at the end of the day AND I know how big the pile will become if I do not keep it in check. Come up with your own rules, a maintenance routine to keep your closet looking so fabulous. Now your closet is so inviting and fresh and open.... Hmmmmm................just think about how your HEART is going to be!!! Our hearts take just as much effort as our physical houses do & the process is very much the same, AND the reward is just as amazing!!! I cannot wait to share that part with you...it is my favorite part of this message, but it will have to wait. Stay tuned!!!!! XO

Spring Cleaning Your Heart and Home....Part ONE

For over fourteen years we lived in the mountains where I gained a better understanding of the whole "spring cleaning" phenomenon.
You see, most of us here in (mostly) sunny California have no real idea of why spring cleaning is necessary. Yet, after living in the mountains for over 14 years I have a much better understanding. As many of you who live in even colder, more isolated climates could possibly explain even better to me, I experienced how much grime built up after a long winter of fires in the fireplace. When the house remained closed up for months on end, it would be in dire need of a good airing out. Opening the windows and letting the fresh air in became vitally necessary once the warm weather arrived.
Think about our closets, cupboards and drawers, how we let things build up and become such a mess. There are things lying on the closet floor that we keep on tripping over, clothes that no longer fit us, stuff that needs to be thrown out. There are things cluttered all the way into the nooks and crannies.
It gets so out of control that we feel like it is just too much to deal with, so the mess continues.
Let me offer a plan of attack for Spring Cleaning Your HOME and your HEART!

Beginning with our homes.....

First of all you must get a plan. Set aside some time to conquer the task. Get out your calendar and figure out when is the best time for you to EMBARK upon the task of doing a little spring cleaning!! Figure out what you want to accomplish first, for me it is my Master Closet.

Next step; Gather your tools: EQUIP
Gather whatever cleaning products you will need for the project at hand. In addition, get 3 large trash bags; one marked THROW AWAY, one marked GIVE AWAY and one marked PUT AWAY.

THROW AWAY: is pretty self-descriptive. This is for the trash and junk you will find as you dig in. For those paint pants that are now more paint than pant, ditch them!

GIVE AWAY: is for the things that you no longer wear/need but it is still in good condition and can bless someone else. I usually think of a specific charity I can give to. Some examples I have given to are: Teen Parents (new moms who could use some clothes/shoes/purses/etc), Teen Challenge (women and men who are in a recovery program and probably have limited ability to gain clothing and such. I have also given to Women's Shelters (where women have fled abusive situations and often have had to do so with only the clothes on their backs). There are many more...these are just some of what I have been associated with.

PUT AWAY: is for the stuff that has made it's way into your closet that belongs elsewhere in the house. I actually use a laundry basket instead of a trash bag for this category sometimes so it is easier to see what I have.

Okay you have set aside your time, you have gathered your tools and now the day has come...it is time to get to it.

The first thing you do is: EMPOWER.

I literally stand in the doorway to my closet and say a little prayer. I pray that God will direct me, that He will shed His light onto the nooks and crannies to every little bit I need to dig out and clean up. I pray He will give me the endurance I need to get the job done....

Now it is time to dig in and begin to EXPOSE all the stuff in my closet. To begin pulling things off the shelves, off the racks....

Then you will EVALUATE each item. Is it something that you cherish, definitely keep it. If it is a sweater that you just keep on passing up in the closet and not wearing, then it is time to let it go. If it is something you never did like...it's time to say bye-bye to it. If those flip flops from last summer have seen their day, just toss them. The process will continue as you pour over each item in your closet. You might come across some things that you just cannot decide about..that happens! Set it aside, you might have a trusted friend come and assist you in making those final decisions. It is always easier for someone else to see objectively what is junk and what is not. I usually ask my daughters and they are honest with me about what I need to let go of.

ENDURE!!! It is an exhausting process.
At one point you might need to stop and take a break, re-evaluate, sip a tall glass of iced tea, get some fresh air.....

BUT don't stay away long or you might not get back to it....and you need to come back...there are some surprises waiting for you!! Which is where we will pick up next time........................................

I haven't forgotten.....

I hate neglecting my sweet little blog here....I actually LOVE to write on here.

I feel bad I have not been around lately.....

I have been doing lots of writing... just not here....

I was asked to speak for a Women's Fellowship meeting in a couple of weeks so I have been diligently digging deep, coming up with what I hope to be a very meaningful message.

I actually HATE to speak in public!

It totally freaks me out!!!

BUT.................

When God puts a message on your heart and you have been asked, well then, you do what you can to share that which God has placed in your heart.

The very things I have learned and grown from are the very things that I can and will share with others. I do so with the hope that I will be used to bring them closer to God and their walk with Him.

The topic of my message is: "Spring Cleaning Your Heart and Home"

It is perfectly fitting for this time of year.

Thanks to Daylight Savings time our days are longer, the sun is warmer (when it does shine!), the trees are budding, flowers have begun blossoming, the beauty is everywhere to behold. There is a fresh feeling in the air and it is something that we long to bring inside with us, into our homes.

The premise of my message is that we ALSO need to bring that freshness into our hearts.

We need to do some deep cleaning in both our hearts and homes.

If you think of it, could you please say a prayer for me that I do a good job presenting my message, that I speak eloquently and effectively.

Once I have spoken I will work my message to a written form and post it on here to share with all of you.

In the meantime let me leave you with this scripture (the theme of my message).

"Create in me a clean heart, O God;

and renew a right spirit within me."

Psalm 51:10

Love & Blessings to you!!

XO

Shake It Off....

You know those phrases...."Shake it off" or "Let it roll off your back"?
We should let "it" be like water on a ducks back and let it just roll off.....
Don't let it stay with you....

"It" being something that is bothering you, something someone has said that hurt you, something you did wrong a mistake you made...etc.

I struggle with doing this. I realize it when I find myself crippled by the effects of the things that trouble me. I think I have always done this. I think many of us do.
Do you??

I watched a word picture. a lesson of sorts, play out before me last weekend when I went to watch my teenage grand-daughter at Cheer Competition.

There were many well practiced, skilled, incredible girls doing their cheers, dances and stunts. Not many mistakes were made (errr...noticed!).
I saw one girl make a little fumble in her flip, she briefly fell to the ground, but she was UP on her feet with her smile just as big as it was before. I kept on watching her to see if she was gonna be "off" from this little falter. She was NOT. She kept on going like nothing ever happened! I was so impressed. I am sure deep inside she was feeling like "bummer! I fell" but NOTHING showed on her face! She was definitely letting it roll off her back, she definitely shook it off immediately, and carried on.

Later I saw an opposite episode take place. Once again there was a falter, a fall...but this time the cute little cheerleader did not seem unaffected. In fact her face wore the episode all over it. She looked fretful and her smile was completely gone. She seemed to be shaken and off one beat the rest of the routine, as if she just could not make up for that one mis-step. It completely consumed her and affected her every move.

I sat there thinking what a great visual that was for this issue I have been dealing with; NOT shaking it off, not letting it roll off my back. Instead I tend to keep on falling all over myself for the ONE mistake I made, or the ONE problem I am having, for the ONE time someone hurt me.
Instead of it owning ONLY that ONE moment it happened, I am allowing it to own SO MUCH MORE!

I have mentioned before that I am taking a Soul Restoration Course (see side bar for more info..they are offering more classes coming up and I HIGHLY recommend them!!!). In this class we are referred to as "Brave Girls" (that is the name of the group that puts these classes on). So I have begun telling myself "You are BRAVE...you CAN do this!" You are not that one thing, that one moment, that one infraction.
Move on.
Carry on.
Put that smile back on your face.

If you let it roll off your back right away it will not bottle up and build up and become something far more than it should be in your heart and life. Otherwise it can fester and build up and become a deep infection within you causing you more pain and suffering than necessary.

Let me be your reminder today to; Let it roll off your back.
Shake it off and carry on!

Here's to shaking it off, even when we fall before HUNDREDS of spectators, and carrying on in God's strength!!!
When you find yourself falling this week, I pray you remember to pick yourself up and carry on. Take it to God and be released from the stronghold it can keep on you.
Remind yourself that YOU ARE BRAVE!!!

Have a happy and blessed week full of BRAVE moments!
XO

LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE

Don't you just love it when several things come together to reveal to you a message!?

Over this past weekend while I was visiting my son and his precious little girls I was teaching them the Sunday school song "This little light of Mine".

Do you know it?

"This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine,

this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine,

let it shine, let it shine, let it shine"

Then the little ditty seemed to stick in my head and I found myself humming it to myself on my seven hour drive home.

THEN....Once I came home it was time for Soul Restoration class.

What an amazing thing to discover Melody was talking about

how our lights shine and make a huge difference in the world.

How even one light can make a difference in the darkness.

About how amazing it is that we can light another's light

without taking anything from our own.

I was touched by the message,

the video and the very thought of how

each one of us women in the world

are a light

and when we allow ourselves to shine before men

we make an amazing difference in the world we are a part of.

Okay...THEN........

I opened up my art journal to do some of the art part of the lesson (a few days later)

and found that I had written something in there a couple of weeks prior.

"Dear Brave Girl, Don't ever doubt your strength, the power within. It is God IN you. With HIM all things are possible and He wants to shine through you!!!"

Apparently God is sending me (and others) an important message..........

and I wanted to share it with you!

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16

I believe God wants you to know too that

YOU ARE A LIGHT!!!!!!!!

That He made you wonderfully, perfectly and that you

have a specific light that you are to SHINE!!!!

What is it that God put in your heart?

He put it there for a reason...for a purpose.

It is up to you, a responsibility,

to use it and to be a LIGHT for others to see.

It is our light that will lead others to HIM!

So, my question to you is this...

Are you letting your light shine?

I have to tell you something..........

I have found myself with my own light buried so deep

that no one could ever see it if they wanted to!

No one would even know it was there,

because it was buried under the mess of life.

I would allow the issues and overwhelm of life to darken the light.

Are you doing the same???

Let me encourage you to release the junk of life

to the only one capable...GOD Himself.

To trust HIM with your troubles and trials

and in the process your light shall SHINE

I hope the little ditty is ringing in your heart now

and you will go around singing the song to yourself as a reminder to

LET YOUR LITTLE LIGHT SHINE!!!!!

Lots of love and blessings to you!
XO

In Honor of VALENTINES day....

I hope that you are able to celebrate LOVE in some way today.

It is different for each of us and it is even different for us in the various seasons of life.

There once was a time when this day would have been filled with class parties,

homemade goodies, love notes left on pillows for my kiddos,

there has even been Valentines days when I did not feel like celebrating...

but I always did,

because I KNOW that LOVE is always worth celebrating!

No matter where you are in your life, in your walk, in your heart....

you must know that there shall ALWAYS be LOVE!!

God loves you and that is a love that is unconditional and comes no matter what

you have or have not done!!

It just IS!!

It is such a powerful love that God GAVE us the ultimate gift of all.

HIS SON!

I hope you KNOW that love today and that it fills your heart!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I also want to share about love and marriage!

You see today is the day I fell in love with the love of my life

and we have been on this journey now for 34 years!!

It is a journey like anyone else's,

it has not been without troubles,

sacrifices, trials, JOYS, hopes and misery alike.

We are no different than any other couple.

I want to talk about the things

I believe have helped us to get this far in life and in our marriage!

I want more than anything to encourage any of you wherever you are in your life.

If you are married and miserable or married and blissful!

First of all....

you must know, and remember....

marriage does NOT come without great effort!

It is a lifetime of give and take.

One of the greatest realizations for me is that

it is NEVER a 50/50 endeavor.

NOPE.

It is ALWAYS a 100/100!!!!

If you figure that out, you have made great strides towards marital happiness!!

Another thing I KNOW has been beneficial is that

"IF YOU TREAT HIM LIKE A KING, HE WILL TREAT YOU LIKE A QUEEN!"

Oh how I have loved this one!!!

Nothing melts my heart more than to hear my husband call me "his queen"...

I mean, really, who does not want to be the Queen of their life/marriage?!?!?!

My husband and I happen to be in the "empty nest" season of our lives.

The focus has shifted from pouring out on our little ones who are now all grown up...

to being able to focus once again on one another

(oh and of course our precious grand-angels).

It is a fabulous time of life!!!

For all of you out there with children afoot...

KNOW that this is a season to look forward to and enjoy.

YET, let me warn you of something.

IF you do not nurture your relationship NOW,

you will have NOTHING when you find yourself home ALONE with this man you married. Looking across the table at the stranger that you fell in love with

but have failed to nurture a relationship with.

I want to urge you to take the time....

let me re-state that,

MAKE the time to spend and enjoy the love of your life.

I know it is not easy, I have been there...

BUT, once again......it is vitally important!!

It will make all the difference in the world, in your marriage!!!

One of the greatest gifts you can give your children.........

and this is a PRICELESS GIFT....

is to love one another and to be role models to them of what a loving relationship looks like.

No doubt, not every moment will be loving and easy to model

(that is when you postpone the discussion

til they are in bed and you can hash things out without them as an audience).

I am thankful...I KNOW that God brought my husband and I together

in a way that was divine.

(not that I knew that THEN!)

I am also acutely aware of the sad realities of broken and distressed relationships.

(our own little family has suffered it's fair share).

It all begins and ends with HIM!!!

HIS LOVE is amaZing!!!!

He will never leave you or let you down!

He is the only person you can fully rely on....

Until you figure that out and quit hoping your spouse will fill all those voids,

you will be disappointed and dismayed!

Truly...I know how easy it is to think that a PERSON

should and can fill all those empty places in your heart.

But it is not possible, for ONLY GOD can do that!!!!

So no matter where you are at today in the name of marriage/relationships,

I pray that it is a day filled and overflowing with great LOVE!!!!

For my love and I, in this empty nest season...

we are going to have a quiet dinner out tonite and celebrate our 34 years....

surely the conversation shall turn to our kiddos and our grand-angels...

and all that would have never come into existence

without the love we share with one another!!!

Here's to LOVE and wishing you a day filled with

amaZing LOVE!!

XO

Sherry