Today I have the pleasure of welcoming two groups to my blog. The
first is my faithful group of new friends who are de-cluttering their
lives through my 15-Day Clutter-Free Challenge. We are on day 7 and we
are going to take a look at paper clutter. I’m also welcoming Encouragement for Today devotions
readers who read “She Stands Alone” today.
CLUTTER-FREE DAY 7
Next, I’ll address our paper
clutter. One would think given the digital age we live in, managing
paper wouldn’t be a problem. But it is! Organizing stacks and piles,
papers and files is an ongoing challenge for women. Especially those
of us who grew up pre-computers.
Years ago I saved anything I thought might be handy in the future.
Especially information on paper. I saved every bill, receipt and
magazine. For years! My approach was filled with “just in case” and
“what if” thoughts. Because maybe, just maybe, I might someday need to
know how many times we changed the oil in our vehicle. Ahem.
(probably not)
It took years before I realized the paper I was trying to manage, was
really managing me. I was over-cautious, overly sentimental, and much
too optimistic. Plus, sometimes I just didn’t know what to do with all
that paper, so I postponed making a decision. And the piles grew.
Maybe your reasons for amassing paper are different. But whatever
the reasons, too much paper affects our productivity, creativity and
causes underlying anxiety from the visual clutter. So today we’ll start
addressing the paper-based items in our homes. Remember, we aren’t
going to focus too much on organizing, just de-cluttering. Although
I’ll throw in a few of my favorite tips here and there – I can’t help
myself.
I’m dividing this topic into three days due to the amount of
different types of paper we all have. Today I’ll talk about what to do
with informational content like books, magazines, brochures, and the
like. Tomorrow I’ll address the types of paper we tend to file, like
bills, receipts and reports. Finally we’ll talk about miscellaneous
things like children’s schoolwork, artwork and phone numbers on little
pieces of paper.
Before we get started, I want to remind you of something. As I go
through the next steps, please know I don’t expect you to do all this in
one day. This could take weeks. My hope is that by breaking down the
tasks, you can work on de-cluttering your paper as you have time.
Okay – enough introduction. Whenever I start trying to de-clutter
paper items, it helps to have some supplies handy. With paper, a
recycling bin is critical. So get something big enough or you’ll be
frustrated fast. You might also want to get some plastic tubs or boxes
to carry things out of the house.
Once I’ve got my supplies handy, the second step is to sort items
into similar groups. Pick one area of your space to tackle. This might
be a kitchen counter, your desk or the table by your bed. I don’t
recommend trying to address your entire house at once. But if you are
up for the challenge, pick a room.
Then, sort all the paper into like stacks. For instance, books in
one stack, bills in another and bank statements in another. You could
have five, 10 or 20 stacks depending on the variety of papers you have.
As you do this, put paper you know you don’t need (old newspapers,
envelopes, etc) in the recycling bin. Do not recycle anything with your
name, address or account number. Tear off that section of paper, and
shred it. Then recycle the rest.
If you are overwhelmed with paper, this approach may not work for
you. You may want to just pick one item to sort at a time. This will
keep this process simple and focused. Maybe you are only going to gather
bills right now and that’s okay. Do what works for YOU!
Once you have like items together, you can start de-cluttering. That
might start with putting things where they belong or throwing damaged
items away. I think you’ll have great ideas now that you’ve broken down
the problem. But in case you need some help, here are some tips for
what to do with a few common items:
Books – Books were made to be read. If you have extras, please share them with someone else.
* Donate to local library
* Sell used books on Amazon to make some money
* Sell at a used-book store
* Host a used-book sale at church to raise money for a mission project
* Donate children’s books to a homeless shelter or school
Magazines – Do I really need years of Victoria Magazine? Really?
* Donate to local elementary school for art projects
* Clip things you want to save like recipes, decorating tips or craft
projects and put in an “idea” notebook. I use a three-ring binder with
plastic page protectors. Then donate the rest to a school.
* My library accepts donated magazines and sells them. Check with yours.
* Take them to your next family or friends get-together and give them away.
Brochures/Menus/Ideas
I created a “Family Fun Book” to keep track of papers I wanted to
keep, but didn’t want to file. Using a three-ring binder with page
protectors and tabbed inserts, I keep things like takeout menus,
brochures, ideas for family activities, movies to see and more all in
one handy place.
I know this is just a small portion of what causes paper clutter, but
I hope the idea of sorting first makes this more manageable. When I
take the time to sort, it’s so much easier to make decisions. Plus, I
see how much I really have. Tomorrow I’ll address more types of paper,
including what you really need to keep and how long.
Heavenly Father, some days it feels like I’m drowning in paper. I
have so much anxiety of how to manage it and what I need to keep. Help
me to take this one step at a time. I want to be a good steward of my
time, energy and space and I know that means addressing the paper in my
life. Help me release my grip on things that others could use. In Jesus
name, Amen.
Finally …
SHE STANDS ALONE
In my devotion today, I shared about a bold woman I saw standing firm
for what she believe God called her to do. I can still see her little
figure standing there holding a Bible, her head lowered.
Her devotion to her beliefs challenged me to look at myself and my
commitment to stand for what God has called me to do. No matter how hard
it gets. No matter how much I question myself. In my devotion, I
promised to share a personal challenge. I hope that by doing so, you’ll
be encouraged in your own hard place.
Six and a half years ago, my husband and I heard God clearly call us
to adopt. We already had three biological children, but we knew God
wanted us to care for orphans. And it shocked us when God told us our
daughters were waiting for us in Liberia, Africa. This hadn’t even been
on our radar screen.
But we obeyed and brought two little sisters in our hearts and
homes. It didn’t take long to realize our daughters had suffered
greatly from their upbringing in a war zone. We knew they would need
tender care, but the depth of their cognitive and emotional damage was
challenging – especially since they each have unique issues.
There have been many times in the past six and a half years when I
have felt like I was drowning in their complex needs. I have felt
unqualified to help them overcome the hurt and scars of their past. And
my husband and I underestimated the cost we would pay to care for these
precious children. Let’s just say that no one is lining up to make a
movie about our great success story … at least not yet.
In spite of the daily, often painful, challenges we face, nothing
else in my life has driven me to my Heavenly Father like this calling.
My utter helplessness to heal their brokenness has made me dependent on
God like never before. And we are learning the power of the name of
Jesus to still the storms like we never did in the calm.
Years ago a friend shared this quote with me: Don’t doubt in the dark what you know to be true in the light.
This is what I know in the light:
* We were hand-picked to parent our daughters.
* God knew their brokenness.
* God knew our limitations.
* He never planned for us to do this alone.
Are you facing a mountain that seems too big to climb? You were
never meant to climb it alone. But you are meant to climb it. Will you
join me in putting one foot of obedience in front of the other? Will
you join me in asking for God’s help when we feel too weak to take
another step? He is faithful. And I can testify that you will
experience the reality of God like you never have before when you turn
to Him for help.
Thank you for joining me today. And if you want to join me on this
clutter-free challenge, please sign up to receive my blog updates by
email or RSS feed. You can read last week’s posts by clicking on
“Clutter Free” in the categories.
Grace & Peace,
Glynnis
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