You can do it! ;0

I very much enjoyed this WOF email that I got yesterday, and happen to have just read this am.  The reason is that I've had SO MANY projects lingering for some time now.  I've been pretty tired and during Emma's naps I'd really only been able to keep up on 'HAVE tos' not 'WANT tos'.  But, I'd actually been embracing it :)  


Anyhow, Monday, I was barely home running all the errands I had to do.  I returned this there, I picked up that there.  Felt great to be so productive!  Yesterday, once I realized Emma was OK to play on her own (she's been EXTREMELY clingy over the past few weeks) I popped open the laptop and continued on until I hit EVERY project!  Today all I have to do is put them all together!  I'm sure you're wondering what my wonderful projects are ;0 I had to print pics and arrange frames for my sis' Diane's new house (she's had the house since um March/April?! she's been on hold for a while), finishing up Emma's frame with pics of each month through the first year, printed some letters for a banner I'm going to make for an upcoming photo shoot for a one year old....and on and on :)


SO, this brought a smile to my face and encouragement to carry on another day!  Thought I would share and pass along the encouragement :)

Project: Closet
by Luci Swindoll

It all started with one of those Martha Stewart books on organization.
I was glancing through it, ooohing and ahhhing at her beautifully arranged crafts, drawers, shelves, etc., and in the enlightenment of the moment, I decided to clean out that closet. THAT closet is the one I’ve not touched since I moved in here years ago. It’s just off my bathroom and has all my clothes in it. Crowded, unsightly and embarrassingly messy, I was about to lose my mind! A week before, in fact, I thought about blasting it off the end of the house just so I wouldn’t have to look at it anymore.
But, one vulnerable day…with the fortification of a pot of coffee under my belt and Scriptures like “I can do all things through Christ” and “with God, nothing is impossible,” I decided to take matters in hand. I became the ant mentioned in Proverbs 6, where she does one thing at a time, then another. Then another…on and on, until it’s all done. I tackled it in sections: the NE corner. Then the NW corner. Then the SE corner…and so on until everything was straight. I tried on clothes; selected those I wanted to keep and put the rest in bags to go to Goodwill. I even dug through two cedar chests, full of really old belongings. Oh my gosh…you wouldn’t believe the fun I had.
First of all, I worked steadily but not hurriedly. Some days I’d spend a couple hours then stop until I had more energy. Others, I’d put in four or five, and then completely skip the next day.
Secondly, I celebrated along the way. I ran across stuff I hadn’t seen (nor thought of) in years – old letters I had won in the Phys Ed Department of high school back in the 40’s (for basketball, swimming, volleyball and modern dance). There were ticket stubs to my performances in the Dallas Opera in the 50’s and 60’s, which brought back delightful memories. I ran across notes written by my father in the 70’s, after Mother died. I even found a hooked rug I had made from scratch and a beautiful weaving done by a friend who died years ago. Every day, I came upon hidden treasures! I’d yell, talk to myself, cry, read aloud, and carry on. (I won’t mention the laundry bag I had misplaced about six months ago. Maybe you heard me laughing when I threw it all in the wash.)
And now my friends―the closet’s done. Every time I go in there, I make a 360-degree turn and stare. It pleases my heart and lifts my spirit. Those ants do it right: “…watch them closely; let them teach you a thing or two.”
And you know what’s really neat? I so enjoyed that little project I decided to paint the house. The living room ceiling is now red. I’m lovin’ it!
Enjoy your life. It’s a gift…and you only get to live it once.