This post is the first of a series meant to chronicle my attempts (with God’s help) to better manage my life. The last year and half have been wonderful and trying on many levels. With the addition, work, growth and success of GNOWFGLINS eCourse, some parts of my life fell into varying levels of disorder and mismanagement.
In addition to my eCourse work, last December we added a milk cow to our homestead. Because of her temperament (irritable), it was no simple thing to add cow milking to my life, not to mention keeping up with the volume of milk and cream coming in and out of the kitchen on a daily basis. Then, about three months ago, I contracted to write a book for a publisher. (I sent in the complete manuscript last Friday and will be working with the editors for a bit more to polish it up.) This added another dimension of stress to my life; first, just to complete the book and test the recipes and second, because I had to put off my desire to re-organize my life. The latter was very hard for me. I like to get to fixing things right away! 
Yet — I’m thankful for what the last year and a half, and especially the last three months, have revealed. I learned that God doesn’t want me always working, working, working, working. He doesn’t want me to be the only one in my house who can cook and clean and take care of things. I need to be more diligent in training my children. I learned that I can’t love God, others or myself very well without downtime for rest and reflection. I learned that living under stress makes other things more stressful.
“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” —Matthew 11:38
As well, I’ve done some personal exploration of my strengths and weaknesses. How revealing! I don’t want to go into all that here, except to mention that I believe God will use what I’m learning to help me improve my relationships with Him and others, and to better manage the tasks He puts in my care.
So, what’s next in this series? In the coming weeks (and for however long it is useful), I will share personal reflections, practical steps I’m taking to schedule and manage my life and household, tools I’m using or discovering to help me manage my household and business, and Lord willing… results!
If you want to follow along, please subscribe to receive new posts (via email or RSS) — we can learn together. I’ll be grateful for your feedback and encouragement will be very appreciated, too.
This is such good advice, and such a great way to look at training up our children to help. This has encouraged me greatly today! Thank you!
Dear Wardeh,
You must know that I just read “Project: Life Organized” and I can identify 101% with you and what you have been going through for the past year and a half… I’ve also gone through major changes in my life: my oldest daughter started college, and I went from a part time job to a job that requires 10 to 12 hours of my day, 5 days a week. Weekends are for shopping, cooking ahead and freeze, plus trying to keep up with my family’s demands. Like you, I’ve also come to a conclusion that I need to get better organized.
In spite of all my efforts, and attempts to get myself organized, I still feel like I’m running in circles sometimes… I feel it will be very interesting to follow you on this new project, and share with others ideas, tips, etc… so we can all learn together.
Thank you! – Claudia
Wardeh, I am subscribed so I can follow along with you and find good tips to help me with my own daily struggle to stay on top of things! By the way, I love that cute picture of you.
Love, Kel
Thank you for addressing this issue in your life and choosing to be public about it…it’s something I know I struggle with! I pray your transparency will be a blessing to many and that you will reap a rich harvest as you endeavor to hear God’s voice and obey it.
Thank you, Wardeh! (I like the photo of you outside of the kitchen!)
I am excited to follow along. I am always need help organizing my life.
I was so happy to see an email there was a post under Such Treasures where I first found you! I, too, have had a very different last 18 months and will follow along with you as we trust God and take a look at ourselves.
First, congratulations on the completed manuscript and book contract! You are an inspiration. Second, I am right there with you! I am taking steps to organize my life as well and am eager to learn from you.
I am on board. Looking forward to your inspiration.
Wardeh, I have so missed you all summer! But as a grandmother who provides care to 4 grandchildren whenever school is out, I had to put the joy of your classes on a back burner. But tomorrow, school starts.
The point I’m trying to get to is that I have been learning more and more of exactly this thing of which you speak…REST. There are times when we simply cannot…time commitments, etc…But when we can, I know God wants us to…and sometimes when we think we can’t, we need to evaluate the reasons why and ruthlessly cut out activities that keep us from rest. I am NOT a ‘rester’, so I know first-hand the difficulties involved in slowing down. I have found that I even tend to stop some activity only to fill it with something else besides real rest…talking to my Father, reading His love letters to me, or just plain taking a cat nap!
I believe our loving Father is speaking to many with this same message…I very rarely write of personal things on my own blog…I try to keep it food-related, but I know He placed it on my heart to write about rest yesterday. And it came out of my sinful worrying that I wasn’t doing enough in the healthy eating category…and this after dealing with Hurricane Irene and 6 days without electric power…and right smack-dab in the middle of that, my husband and I taught our first CPR/First Aid class together for our new business! The storm revealed a leak in our bedroom ceiling that required part of the ceiling AND part of the wall be removed…and the carpet will have to be replaced. (In the midst of all this, there were many small miracles, and I want to be sure to state that because God is so very faithful.)
But the thing is, I found myself fighting guilt over ‘slacking’ in regard to nutrition. And that is the reason I found myself writing a post unusual to my norm.
So, here’s the thing: Within an hour, I had a reply from another woman who said she cried with relief when she read it. Later, she wrote me a letter and told me how difficult and overwhelming things had been for her during the hurricane. I don’t have a large number of followers, but if God used that post to soothe just one tired soul…You know I am supremely blessed!!
It was our Father who prompted me to write what I wrote, you know…(I know you know)…so I won’t take credit for it. But I stand amazed, again, at how His Spirit runs from coast-to-coast, bringing comfort and rest in stressful times to all of us because He knows that even though He told us not to worry, we worry. And instead of beating us over the head and saying, “I TOLD you not to worry!!”, He embraces us, calms us, and reminds us He’s got it all in His very capable hands.
I can’t wait to read whatever you share about getting things in order. And when your book comes out, put me on your ordering list! You are my favorite teacher of nutrient-dense cooking and that’s as much because of your gentle, godly spirit as anything else. Thank you for sharing so much of yourself with us.
Many Blessings,
Cindy ‘Clee’ Hailey
Hi Wardeh,
Check out FlyLady.net It’s about house cleaning, I would like to tell you more, but Lyme has affected my brain so much I can’t find the words. I guess I could say she helps develop cleaning routines, but it is so much more than that. It’s a daily help with scheduling and… Sorry, I tried. Just check it out.
jan
Yay! You’re back! A book??? Congratulations! I know what you mean about sort of putting a lot of ordinary life housekeeping stuff on hold when you are working on a major project, or a major life change. But it’s worth it, and things tend to settle again and find a new balance when you’re done. Looking forward to more posts!
Michelle
The Lord has been speaking to me about a Sabbath rest. I believe Jesus is my Lord and thus my Sabbath is in Him, however, a day of rest in my very busy life is also appointed by God. It has been three weeks now since I decided to rest on Sunday and the difference in me is noticeable.
I just subscribed and am looking forward to receiving Such Treasures emails!
I am not naturally an organized person and have been praying for God’s help in this area for a long time!! What’s really neat is when you just know that an “out of the blue” idea that totally helps in this area came from the prayers you prayed!
Toni — I love answered prayers, too!