Monday Blog Hops!

  

 

Organize Your Life!

Bonnie over at House Of Grace has issued a challenge that I am going to be taking part in. It flows along quite nicely with what I'm doing here at Clutter-Free Me and with FlyLady.

Bonnie is starting a weekly Link-Up Party which will be focused on the book Organize Now by Jennifer Berry.

The party will be every Thursday and each week, Bonnie wiill be sharing goals and tips for the week as well as a weekly challenge!

Now for the best part!

Jennifer Berry has graciously offered to give away a copy of Organize Now! to one of the bloggers who follows along!

Want to participate too?  Head on over to House of Grace and grab a button and link up with us!

Bible In 90 Days - Days 13 through 20

Day 13 Reading: Num. 32:20 - Dt. 7:26
Day 14 Reading: Dt. 8:1 - 23:11
Day 15 Reading : Dt 23:12 - 34:12
Day 16 Reading: Jos 1:1 - 14:15
Day 17 Reading: Jos. 15:1 - Jdg 3:27
Day 18 Reading: Jdg. 3:28 - 15:12
Day 19 Reading: Jdg. 15:13 - 1 Sa. 2:29
Day 20 Reading: 1 Sa. 2:30 - 15:29

Whew, that was a lot of reading.  I fell behind and caught myself up in just a couple day's time. I think will begin to read ahead when I am able so when something happens I will not be under so much pressure!

All in all, this has been a very interesting experience so far. I have been going through so many 'things' that I did not forsee and which have been trying to take over my mind and fill it with fear, doubt and discouragement. Continuing with my reading has helped immensely.

Bible In 90 Days - Day 12

Reading: Numbers 21:8-32:19

What a long time of wandering in the desert.  What a lot of complaining! Interesting how often the Isrealites ended up losing faith and complaining and speaking badly about God and Moses.  How many times? God asked that often, too. 

I wonder how many times He has wondered that same question about me?

It's A Sunny Saturday!

Since I am not at work today I am free to link up to a great blog hop hosted by Linda's Lunacy!

(I couldn't get the button for the Blog Hop to work!)

Bible In 90 Days - Day 11

Reading: Numbers 8:15-21:7

I absolutely LOVE the Lord's sarcasm.  I LOVE IT!  MEAT?? You want MEAT???  I'll give you MEAT! Till it comes out your NOSTRILS!  (See Numbers 11:18-23)

OK, but I have another Issue here with Numbers 12:1-16.  Aaron and Miriam BOTH oppose Moses.  So, why does Miriam get the skin disease and not Aaron??? HMMMMMMMM?????????????

And the Isrealites just amaze me with their whining and unbelief.   It's no wonder God got so frustrated with them.  I mean, He was right there with them every day!  He fed them and gave them water every day!  They could SEE his works EVERY DAY!

It's no wonder he says:

Numbers 14:11-12 (New International Version, ©2010)

¹¹ The LORD said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them? ¹² I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they.”

Bible In 90 Days - Day 10

Reading: Leviticus 26:27-Numbers 8:14

OK, I have some issues with something in this reading.  

Look at this Test for the Unfaithful Wife found in Numbers 5:11-31.

I mean, come ON!  What about the Test For The Unfaithful Husband??  Shouldn't HE be made to drink a potentially poison liquid that will make HIS private parts shrivel and shrink??  I'm a little offended here.

However, I do like:

Numbers 6:24-27 (New International Version, ©2010)

 ²⁴ “‘“The LORD bless you
   and keep you;
²⁵ the LORD make his face shine on you
   and be gracious to you;
²⁶ the LORD turn his face toward you
   and give you peace.”’
 ²⁷ “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

Falling Off The Flutter-Wagon

Doesn't it always seem that when everything seems to be going along smoothly, you're feeling good about things and your accomplishments that the devil has a way of throwing a wrench in the wheel of life?

Well, that's what happened to me yesterday. 

I accomplished so much on Monday.  I felt good.  Got my whole bedroom clean and comfortable.  It was such a task!  But, I did it!  With the help of my friends over at the FlyLady Facebook Page.  8 hours straight of calling FlyLady Bingo and then a couple hours afterwards and I had amazing results:

I went to bed that night feeling very good about myself and my home and my family. It had just been a wonderful day.  The kids were home from school, I was off of work, nobody had fought or fussed.  It was just all good.

The calm before the storm, I suppose.

Yesterday I had a bomb dropped on me and I am struggling through the debris of my life once more. Someone hurt me and hurt me deeply.  I feel a million things right now.  Betrayed, Unloved, Unattractive, Angry, Disillusioned... these are just a few of them.  My head and my heart are at odds. I'm trying to keep to my routines.  I'm trying to be Thankful in the Midst of the Storm, and I am.  It's just that the thankful feelings are gettind drowned by my tears that just refuse to stop.  God talks about the wellsprings of the heart.. well, mine are coming out my eyes.  *sigh*

My motivation is miniscule.  My home and emotions are in cahoots and have exploded all over the place.  I have to get up and get moving, but getting out of bed and putting yesterday's clothes back on was an accomplishment in itself.

There are things to be thankful for.  I need to concentrate on those.
There are sinks to shine. And I can do anything for 15 minutes, right?

I did manage to make my bed this morning.  I did manage to make the boys' their breakfast. I did manage to get my coffee on.  I can do this.  I will do this.

Please, God, HELP me do this.

The Joy Of The Lord Is My Strength.
All Things Work Together For The Good Of Those Who Love God.
He Knows The Plans That He Has For Me ...
He Leads Me Beside Still Waters...

No matter who does NOT love me... My GOD LOVES ME!
Their loss.

Excuse me, I have to catch that Flutter-Wagon.  It's time for me to start FLY-ing again.
(FLY - Finally. Loving. YOURSELF!)

Bible In 90 Days - Days 8 & 9

Day 8 Reading: Leviticus 1:1-14:32
Day 9 Reading: Leviticus 14:33-26:26

Since being snowed/iced in all week and the kids home from school, I had little time to read. So, when the house got quiet I read the entire book of Leviticus last night.  I have to admit that at times I found myself dozing and may not have retained everything I've read, but at least I did it.  I will apply the rule of 'Progress Not Perfection' here.

Not only that, I spent 8 straight hours calling FlyLady Bingo yesterday as I de-cluttered and cleaned my bedroom.  Probably where the dozing came in afterwards!



 

Bible In 90 Days - Days 5, 6 & 7!

Day 5 Reading: Exodus 1:1- Exodus 15:18
Day 6 Reading: Exodus 15:19- Exodus 28:43
Day 7 Reading: Exodus 29:1- Exodus 40:38

I had to play a little bit of catch-up this weekend as I didn't get to read ANYTHING on Saturday.  But, I'm all back on track now. 

I'm finding it pretty neat that I keep coming across different things that relate to the reading I've done.  Like This Podcast and the Movie Abraham was on TV tonight.  And I was able to explain the movie to my children who watched it with me!  Whoohoo!

Bible In 90 Days - Day 4

Today's Reading was Genesis 40:12- 50:26, which I did at work during down time.  I just couldn't get myself up and going in the morning.  I start getting so tired half-way through the work week!

But, I did it and enjoyed it.  I'm not sure I have a 'Go Back To' list for this one. 

Starting Exodus tomorrow!

Bible In 90 Days - Day 3

Genesis 28:20 - 40:11

I did my reading today in bits and pieces.  Some at work, some at church and the rest before I went to bed. But, I did get it done!

My 'Go Back To's' for today are:

1.) 

Genesis 30:37-45 (New International Version, ©2010)

 ³⁷ Jacob, however, took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond and plane trees and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches. ³⁸ Then he placed the peeled branches in all the watering troughs, so that they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink. When the flocks were in heat and came to drink, ³⁹ they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. ⁴⁰ Jacob set apart the young of the flock by themselves, but made the rest face the streaked and dark-colored animals that belonged to Laban. Thus he made separate flocks for himself and did not put them with Laban’s animals. ⁴¹ Whenever the stronger females were in heat, Jacob would place the branches in the troughs in front of the animals so they would mate near the branches, ⁴² but if the animals were weak, he would not place them there. So the weak animals went to Laban and the strong ones to Jacob. ⁴³ In this way the man grew exceedingly prosperous and came to own large flocks, and female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.

What on earth does peeling tree branches and makingmating sheep face them have todo with getting multi-colored sheep??

2.)  Genesis 31:42
If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you.”
&

Genesis 31:53
May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob took an oath in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac.
Why is God called the FEAR of Isaac??

Bible In 90 Days - Day 2

Genesis 17:1 - 28:19

OK, I had to give up on that bible with the teeny tiny print.  I just can't see it.  So, Im going with my Yearly Bible & reading it according to the 90 Day Schedule!

I woke up in a horrible mood since I got woken up an hour earlier than planned by someone who will sleep till 1pm. Grrrr....

But, I did my reading at 6am, curled up in my chair with my coffee.  I must say that doing my Bible reading in the morning has given me a lot of food for thought all day AND the desire to read more.

My 'Go Back To' today is this:

Abraham and Sarah waited TWENTY FIVE YEARS for God to fullfil his promise of giving them a son.  Man, that's a long time.  Granted, they had their moments of doubt and 'taking it back', but wow, 25 years...

Bible In 90 Days - Day 1

Genesis 1:1 - 16:16

Today was the first day of the Bible In 90 Days Challenge.  I got up early and did my reading at 6am with my coffee at hand.

I have to admit that I got a little perfectionist on myself when I saw that the recommended Bible was a Zondervan NIV.  I have a gazillion bibles in my house and do you think I could find a Zondervan NIV??

I actually did find one.  My Women Of Faith Bible.  But, it is a huge, soft, paperback and hard to get comfortable with, so that wasn't an option.

Eventually I found a cheap dollar-store variety NIV Bible that will have to suffice.  The only problem with it is that the print is so tiny that I can barely read it.  *sigh*

I do have a Yearly Bible that is NIV, however it is not by Zondervan.  I may end up using that one.....

I know, I know.... I'm too worried about the type of Bible I will use.  I know that the TYPE of Bible is not as important as what is written inside.

So, anyway, I did the reading first thing in the AM.  Now, I know this is not a 'bible study', it is a 'read-through'.  But, I also saw on one of the MomsToolbox posts to make a 'Go Back To' list.  So, here are a few observations...

1) Genesis 1:20-23 (New International Version, ©2010)

 ²⁰ And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” ²¹ So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. ²² God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” ²³ And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.

OK, God spent the entire 5th day of creation on fish & birds ONLY?? Was this just an 'easy day'? Or are birds and fish special in some way that they were devoted a whole day's attention?  I mean, God made ALL the other animals, including HUMANS on day 6...... (??)

2.) Genesis 9:18-29 (New International Version, ©2010)

The Sons of Noah

 ¹⁸ The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) ¹⁹ These were the three sons of Noah, and from them came the people who were scattered over the whole earth.  ²⁰ Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded^[a] to plant a vineyard. ²¹ When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. ²² Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside. ²³ But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s naked body. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked.
 ²⁴ When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, ²⁵ he said,
   “Cursed be Canaan!
   The lowest of slaves
   will he be to his brothers.”
 ²⁶ He also said,
   “Praise be to the LORD, the God of Shem!
   May Canaan be the slave of Shem.
²⁷ May God extend Japheth’s^[b] territory;
   may Japheth live in the tents of Shem,
   and may Canaan be the slave of Japheth.”
 ²⁸ After the flood Noah lived 350 years. ²⁹ Noah lived a total of 950 years, and then he died.

Why was Noah so angry at Ham?  Was it because Ham should've just covered up his father and kept his mouth shut?  Maybe Noah was embarrassed because he got caught being a naked drunk??

Bible In 90 Days Starts Tomorrow!

In an effort to de-clutter my mind, I have signed up for the Bible In 90 Day Challenge!  It starts tomorrow!  I'm so excited!