Here, let me give you the tour.
Living Room
Master Bedroom
Glory's Room
Jonah's Room
Kitchen
Kitchen "Mantle" (still in Valentine's mode)
Now, all of these pictures may not seem too impressive, but take a look at the before and after pics of Jonah's room:
Before.............................................After
Yeeeeah.
And if you could just picture every room in the house looking like the "before" pic, that would be an accurate portrayal our our house a week ago. It was pure chaos. It was overwhelming.
Another interesting thing that has been going on this week is that we decided to get firm with our 4 year old about sleeping in his bed. Believe me--I know all the bad things about having a kid in your bed. I've had one in mine for 4 years! We have tried on numerous occasions to make the transition, but in the end it has just been easier to let him in our bed and get some sleep, quite honestly.
With these things being at the forefront of my mind this week, I eventually came to the undeniable realization that I am having to do a major overhaul in nearly every aspect of my life. The examples are too numerous to list here but just to highlight from this week:
- I am losing hours of sleep each night trying to make up for something that could have easily been established years ago with a little persistence and dedication.
- I had to spend 2 WHOLE days just to get my house picked up because it was so messy while I could have been doing a little each day thus never having to do the marathon pick-up week.
- And for the crowning touch on my epiphany, I recognized that my weight is part of the pattern too.
The question: Why do I let things get out of control?
Hebrews 12:11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.
There it is. Painful. Discipline. Who likes those words???
Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Ahh. There's the focus. That's why discipline is a good thing. It produces a harvest of righteousness, not a reoccuring requirement to fix what's been let go. This chaotic and opressive way of life is not God's will for any of us!
I need Him to help me here. There is no way that I can change habits that have been in practice in my life for 30 years. But He can... and that's my hope.
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19 comments:
The house looks awesome! I love Jonah's new bed. I hear you on the letting-everything-get-way-out-of-control-before-fixing-the-problems realization. I'm so there!
I forgot to tell you -- next time there is a Wednesday night conflict, give us a call. Patrick can watch the kids for you.
Wow! That is indeed a huge difference. I can't imagine getting all of that done in just two days! Maybe now that Jonah's room looks so nice,he will want to stay in it. :)
The Scripture you quoted spoke to me, too.
God gave me a dream about Hebrews 12 many years ago that was had a significant impact. He often reminds me of that chapter. :) And,now, so did you.
You know, the odd thing is that in all of my pondering over that chapter, I mostly focused on the besetting sins (that so easily entangle and coil around your ankles) and the consuming fire.
I focused on how to conquer those vines so I could get the harvest!
Somehow the discipline part evaded me. Uh-hmm. sigh. You know, the part that said how the harvest happened. chuckle. groan.
Seriously--> The Lord has used you to unlock the key to that chapter for me. After all of these years. It's not about fighting the vines--it's about submitting to discipline. It would take too long to explain...
I'm headed for my Bible now.
Thanks.
Deb
I cannot get my 6 yr old out of my bed. it is impossible. I actually think it is making me yell during the day at them because I am so grouchy about it. It is annoying to no end, but she wont budge. I know it is my fault, but what a mistake that was. She was my first, so I wanted her with me. Ugghh. I feel ya on it!
what a beautiful home and epiphany and verse!
and i think that's the beauty of changing something big in your life- coming to terms with the fact that, on your own, you can't do it. i know to the world that sounds like giving up. but with God, what you couldn't do, you can. and it makes THE difference.
The house looks GREAT! I am unfortunately doing the overhaul pickup this weekend. My dishes were so bag I kept gagging and had to put klenex in my nose so I couldn't smell them. Um, yeah. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that verse. I need to keep it in my mind all the time. Good luck with Jonah. I'm sure it isn't easy AT ALL. Love his new bed though. Love ya! Maybe we can get together soon. If life would slow down. Fingers crossed. lol.
Great job on all your hard work around your house!
I really need to do the same and am in the same boat as you as far as discipline and gaining control of my life. Thank you for the inspiration.
Love the chalk board in your kitchen!
I ADORE YOUR BLOG. . .YOU HAVE SO INSPIRED ME TO WORK ON MINE. I STARTED ONE BACK IN JANUARY, BUT I QUIT AFTER A WEEK. I THINK IF I WOULD KEEP UP WITH IT, AND KEEP ADDING THE PICS. . .I'LL SEE THE CHANGE, HENCE COMPLETELY HELP ME. . YOU KNOW?
ANYWAYS. YOU ARE INSPIRING AND I LOVE YOUR LITTLE GIRL'S ROOM!
Keelie, great work!! Having our yard sale last weekend really helped with the clutter, but my son's room is a very sore spot with me. He's 8 and an absolute tornado. I try to tell him that if he'd keep up on it every day it wouldn't be so bad for both of us. I'm doing a blog post about it tonight! HA!
I know exactly what you mean. I spent sooo much of this freaking out because I forgot to calculate something into my budget and had to work double time to make up for it. I'm sick of this being the pattern in my life. With work, with housework, with myself. I'm determined to change it. In fact, I think I may blog about something similar this very evening. As always, thank you for the inspiration.
P.S I love your house.
First, Your house is too cute! My son has backboard paint in his room too. I wish I had a girl so she could have a girlie bed like hers. Second, I started to clean up around my house a little today. I notice how life gets so crazy when the house is crazy. Third, I miss reading your blog. I promise to get back on track this week with mine.
WoW! your post sums up exactly what I have been thinking all day. And actually, what I am planning on blogging about on Tuesday! I LOVE your shabby chic decorating style. I often try to make my house look like that, but it never does because it always looks like a disaster. Sometimes I am worried the people from Hoarders are going to come over and ask if they can film a Hoarders house from start to finish... :) BTW - I love your blog. This is the first time I am posting, but I have been lurking for awhile. I love all of the pics!
And once again, you were there just when I needed you! Thanks Keelie!
These words were needed. LOVE THE HOUSE! Beautiful!
Allison
gorgeous house! looks like a magazine! :-)
You have a beautiful home :) I find my life and clutter issues similar. Thanks for having such a great relatable blog Keelie.
I have been decluttering as well for my move to a new apartment in a few monthes. So excited :)
really nice home!
discipline - does - great - things.
Oh Keelie, yet again we are on the same page girl! It is slightly eery sometimes. I was in the midst of this epiphany last week and was fighting feeling extremely overwhelmed by it. Leaving on vacation felt like running away from it. But reading this helped me take a few deep breaths and now I will push forward. Time to make some lists, prioritize and start getting more disciplined in the other areas of my life. Thanks!
That discipline thing is hard. It's easy to maintain some areas of your life some of the time but all areas, all of the time? Not so easy. Hard, maybe impossible!
I agree that doing a little bit at a time is easier but sometimes you've got to grab the bull by the horns and just tackle the whole darn mess. You've done it and it looks great!
Your children are young but not too young to learn to be responsible for their own rooms and messes they create. Let them help you. It's more work now but less work later.
Hang in there with your son. If you've backed down before it's going to take a while for him to understand that you really mean it this time. Can you make up a chart and keep track of his successful nights of sleeping in his own bed with a reward that he would love to earn? I know that rewards are not always the answer but maybe this big new thing would be worthy of a reward. Let him put the sticker in the box and maybe, just maybe he'll be motivated to learn this new skill of sleeping on his own. Try to love him throughout the change, he'll need it.
Blessings to you!
You have such a cute house!!! LOVE the decor!! When I get my house, maybe you could come decorate it for me!!! =D
so maybe I'm 9 months later in reading and commenting on this post-- but not really. I'm exactly on time. for you see, i was reading another health blog who put up a post about how positive you are. So I came to your blog and saw you were positive, funny, and you loved Jesus. Then i scrolled through some of your stuff on here and was very inspired. THEN i saw a post that *I* needed to read bc it had scripture that *I* needed to hear. So then i've been curious about your journey and have stayed up for the last 1.5 hours reading your blog from start until this post. and what do you know? AGAIN, GOD SPEAKS TO ME through your blog!
God told me he wanted to discipline me. i... do.. NOT.. like discipline. i call myself a wild horse. and wild horses will kick if you try to tame them (or so i tell my city-slicker self who has never really been around horses that are being ... uh.. broken?). So i'm fighting God today because he wants to discipline me and then God tells me that with my personality, no one can discipline me, bc I cannot be disciplined bc i'm that stubborn. I told God to just DISCIPLINE ME and god said, "NO!" That i had to CHOOSE to be disciplined bc if God just disciplined me, He would break me in a not good way.
So I'm struggling with God ALL DAY. and what calms me down and helps me to obey His will to discipline me? YOUR BLOG!!!!!!!!!! This post was exactly what i needed to read.
You are officially my favorite. Officially. ;)
Don't be surprised if you find more random comments throughout the existence of your blog. that's just me reading your entire life in one sitting. bahahaha. oh okay, just kidding, I'll read it tomorrow... ahahahahaa.
=)
Leila
www.healthyshelah.blogspot.com
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