Responsibility

How much more talk of this bad economy can we endure? It seems like all we hear is negative, and the word "economy" has been used more this year than I can ever recall hearing in my lifetime. There is A LOT of focus on the negative. My personal focus has been being drawn to the positive.

If you live in the United States in a homeless shelter you are still better of than countless people in less fortunate areas of the world. Even at our worst we still have it better than many. The question is, though, do we even realize it? Or, are we just too spoiled?

When it boils down to it our minimal requirements to survive are food and clothing, and doesn't God promise to provide them for us? Would we know how to be happy if those basic needs were met, and we had nothing else? How would we spend our time? Has it ever dawned on you that Jesus was a homeless man when he walked the earth? His disciples and those he ministered to cared for him. He did not have a home. Others provided him food and shelter as he spread the gospel and served his fellow man.

I have found myself thinking on these things a lot lately, as I feel so very blessed. The conclusion I have come to is that with blessing comes responsibility. If God has blessed us above and beyond what we need, food and clothing, it is our responsibility to share what we have with others. We should not hoard our surplus for the future. God promises to provide. We should share what we have.

Here in Michigan our economy and jobless rate is worse off than anywhere else in the country. We are surrounded with those that need. It seems like thousands lose their jobs ever day, and the prospects for those that are unemployed are very bleak. The playing ground has changed, and old ways of dealing with things are ineffective. One must really be aggressive in order to make anything happen, and even then the situation is not promising.

I have found myself conversing with God in regard to how he has blessed me and my family. My husband is a transmission mechanic. Praise God, his business is not suffering with the economy. It is staying steady due to the economy. People are fixing their cars and driving them longer. This is a blessing to us. He will be going back into business for himself, Lord willing, this September. Our decisions, prayers, and focus all point in this direction, and we are quite confident that this is where we are being led. However, we are open to His guidance should this not be His will. There is peace here, and I am finding that responsibility comes with that. My prayer has become, "What would you have me do to serve others, Lord?" I find myself looking for opportunities to give back to my community. There is so much we can do. Here is a list of ideas:

Volunteer at a local soup kitchen or homeless shelter.
Plant a garden, and donate the surplus to a local food bank.
Volunteer at a local food bank sorting food.
Mentor a young person.
Adopt a grandparent at a local nursing home or senior center.
Prepare resumes for free to those that are out of work.
Donate food and clothing to local charities.
Instead of a yard sale, donate your items to Purple Heart or another local charity.
Volunteer for Meals on Wheels.
Host a Bible study in your home for young people.
Provide transportation to and from church for those that have no way to get there otherwise.

The above is just a very short list of possible ideas to make a difference. It is my hope that it has gotten your creative juices flowing, and you can come up with something that works with your skills and the special needs of your community. If you have food and clothing, praise the Lord, and bless those that you can around you.

Repurposing

It seems that with every transition comes the need to repurpose our space. That can be a rather challenging, and time consuming, feat! It always amazes me when I look back and remember that there used to be NINE of us living in 800 square feet. Can you imagine?

We had seven children in one bedroom. There was just enough space to walk sideways through the two sets of bunk beds that we had in there. Then there was another bed with a mattress that got pulled out from under it when it was bedtime. Also, the kitchen was so small that we couldn't all fit around the table, so Pat and I always ate in the living room; not the best way to teach your children table manners, trust me!

The the upstairs was complete, and the kids all moved up there into the four new bedrooms. We had to be conscious of who shared what space with whom. With that many people we definitely had our share of personality styles. It really could be challenging. You know? The one thing that Pat and I have always found interesting is that we all got along better when we were crammed together in that little space. I can remember thinking that things would get so much easier once we all had some breathing room. WRONG! Things got tougher, and we weren't as close to each other. I think there's something to that, really.

Then we entered the stage of children moving out and moving back in. That was interesting! Nothing like a little upheaval every-so-often to keep you on your toes. Spaces got repurposed on a much too regular basis for a little while there. Now, the four older ones are permanently out barring some unforeseen catastrophe; God forbid.

It has become more easy to downsize and maximize our space now more than ever before. The thing of it is that you look around and wonder just how on earth did nine people ever live in this space? And more so, how on earth did nine people ever live in half of this space? Talk about mind blowing!

The room that is currently the office/music room, after it's recent repurposing, used to be our bedroom, just an office, and a space for transitioning children. Now, it is just the office/music room. It is still "under construction" so to speak. My musically minded son wants me to move the piano in there, too. It has resided in the living room ever since we acquired it several years ago. It's easy to move, but there are two shelves of books that need to be relocated in order to make room for this music maker. Then, there's the empty wall in the living room to deal with, and just where do we put the two bookshelves?

This type of re-purposing is fun, too an extent, and rewarding. There is also another type of re-purposing that is not quite as fun and rewarding. In our corner of the earth it always happens in the garage.

Initially, our garage was a place for bicycles, lawn mowers, gardening supplies, and my husband's tools. Over the years it has held cars in need of repair, quarter candy machines that need to be placed in businesses, the belongings of more than one person in transition, extra furniture after children moved on, now it houses all of the tools and equipment from our closed transmission shop that we are selling. One can only guess how long it may be before we can actually walk through our garage again and for just how long we will continue to be able to pass from one door to the other.

I am afraid to think of just how many hours I have spent reorganizing and cleaning that space. I do know that I will NEVER have a garage sale again. Freecycle and Purple Heart, plus the occasional friend for family member, will be the ongoing recipients of my castoffs. Last year my mom came down to lend a hand, THANK GOD, and we spent 10 HOURS in the garage going from one end to the other sorting, organizing, and setting aside things for a garage sale. What a job that was! We made a couple hundred dollars, and I gave what was left to the church for it's garage sale and some furniture to a young family that just moved in across the street, but it was so not worth the effort. Thanks anyway! I'll just donate it and take the write off at the end or the year, thank you very much!

Being organized pays in so many ways, and giving is really rewarding. So, what do you have to repurpose? What space have you been neglecting to spruce up? Is there a corner somewhere that could use a little love? Do you have things that you haven't used in years? Maybe someone else can benefit from your repurposing. Also, if you have a creative edge and would like a new project visit The Repurposing Roundup for some cool ideas. Give it a shot! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

After note: Since originally writing this post, we did repurpose our space, and I cannot tell you enough how happy we are with the results! The whole energy changed in both rooms. They feel more spacious, welcoming, and useful. It's amazing how much difference so little effort made.

Keeping on Track

I have been moving at a steady pace. Christmas preparations have been relaxed and uneventful. That is a good thing. I don't get too many things in my life that are relaxed and uneventful!

I had one round of baking last week. My best friend of 27 years came over with her six children. We baked dozens of cookies. It was a blast. This Sabbath will be my second round of baking. My mom, daughter and two oldest grandkids will be coming over to bake more holiday goodies. This time I will be baking treats that I plan to give as gifts.

The gift making is going well, by the way. I am certain I will spend hundreds less than I ever have when going the commercial route was all I knew. It is such a wonderful feeling to plan, shop and create a special gift for each friend and family member that is near and dear. The boys have been helping me.

Today we made 11 jar mixes for the younger kids to cook with their moms. I know they'll love it. We've also made suet feeders on string for hanging in trees or near windows to attract and feed birds throughout the winter. They are sure to bring a smile or two to the faces of those that receive them as they watch the birds from the warmth of their homes. There are other things on my list that still need to be made. I'll be sure to post pictures and descriptions after Christmas so as to not spoil the surprise should a gift recipient stumble by.

Tomorrow the boys and I will be getting a tree. We changed around the living room to accommodate the chosen evergreen. Personally, I do not like real trees. I would love it if it were potted, but we always have to have a real one that goes in a stand. I am the one that has to care for it, and it's such a pain. Until my husband and I got together I always had a four-foot artificial that I put on an end table covered with a white sheet. It looked so pretty, and it wasn't difficult to deal with. I cannot convince him on the artificial. For him, it's just not Christmas without a real tree. Not to mention, I did some reading. Apparently it is more eco-friendly to get a real one than it is to have an artificial tree. Again, I am defeated!

I am looking forward to finishing the decorating tomorrow. I'll go through my decorations again and donate what I no longer want. I do this every year thinking I finally simplified, and every year I am amazed at how many decorations come in from the garage. I like to donate using Freecycle and Purple Heart. They are both great since all you have to do is put the items on your front porch, and someone will come pick them up. You can't beat the simplicity!