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Friday, August 3, 2012

Routines

Is it not surprising once again to read the daily reading this morning and feel God is still talking to and encouraging me!

3rd August  Was titled Doing God's Will and starts with  a reading from Psalm 40 

1 I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my fee on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.
4 Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.
5 Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.
6 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced; burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.
7 Then I said, “Here I am, I have come— it is written about me in the scroll.
8 I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”

Often when we're starting out, we dream of doing earth-changing things and the thought of tackling them intimidates us. That is yet another reason to start small. Don't try to help everyone, just try to help someone! 
Do that, and in time you may find yourself living what Francis of Assisi described when he said, 
'Start doing what is necessary; then do what is possible; and suddenly, you are doing the impossible.' Even if you never get to do big things, you can find great fulfilment in doing right things. No act of kindness is too small to be worth doing.
John Maxwell writes: 
'Little did I realise when I started with a desire to add significance to others, that it would add significance to me! Now I understand. We should not receive anything without giving, and we cannot give anything without receiving.'  
The truth is, your dream isn't worthy of your life if it doesn't bless others. President Woodrow Wilson stated: 
'You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.'
There's an old Middle Eastern blessing that says, 'When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. May you live your life so that when you die, the world will cry and you will rejoice.'  
 
This encouraged me to share more with you...

One of the things I have used over the past few years is the Fly lady website. (Finally Loving Yourself)

At first I tried to do everything she said but I found I came across aspects of it that were not for me. 
It is American based so things were done a little different because of the different cultures and seasons. However Marla (the lady behind Flying) taught me ideas and ways to ‘gain control’ so to speak.

She talks about routines and I started with what she does and tried to do the same. I soon found it wasn’t working so I adapted it to suit me. 
It was funny as I thought I had to do it her way but realised in time I was actually fighting over it and so relaxed and used the tool for me rather than being used by the tool!
And this is actually one of the things she talks about; feeling we had to measure up to some expectation when really anything done in the home is a blessing.
 
I start my day with a cuppa that Harry brings me and do my bible reading and write in my diary. Then its time to get up and start my my morning routine.
It’s divided into four parts just as Fly lady does but I have reduced/combined mine.

1.      Getting started
a.      Get out of bed and make it.
b.      Shower and get dressed, fixing face, hair and shoes.
c.      Swish and swipe. (wipe the bathroom basin and sink, and swish the toilet bowl)
2.      Moving on
a.      Start a load of washing.
b.      Get something out for tea.
c.      Check the calendar for appointments.
3.      Breakfast
a.      Eat some breakfast
b.      Fill my water bottle
c.      Take my tablets
4.      Finishing off
a.      Dishes (either unpack or finish packing and start the dishwasher)
b.      Hotspots* (this is a Fly lady expression and explained below)
c.      Animals ( feed, check for clean water and let out)

For me I have worked the routine out to be four lots of three things which made it 
easier to remember them, but now they have become so routine I almost do them automatically. I find that sticking to these gets me ready for the day. 
When I do them in order I know that when I leave the house not only am I ready, 
but I am leaving the house in order and a place that is a welcome to come home to.

*Hotspots are explained by Marla the Fly lady as a place where clutter or mess build and soon become an untidy mess. It’s the sort of place, where if it is kept tidy or clear, it will look good. But as soon as something is placed there, that shouldn’t be, it seems to attract more and so soon becomes an out of controlled mess. She suggests you keep working on these places keeping them clear. If it is cleared daily it won’t combust into a “burning mess”.

I find that the bench in the kitchen, the dining table and coffee table are all areas where this can happen so I try to keep them clear and tidy.

All scripture is from (New International Version 1984)

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