Try to designate an area in your home for gift wrapping. Keep everything you need including scissors, gift wrap, gift bags, tissue paper, gift tags, pens and ribbons in one place.  Many stores, including www.containerstore.com, have storage solutions for all your gift wrapping needs.

Image via Wikipedia

Happy Holiday Organizing!!

Utter, complete dependence on God. {Psalm 70:5}

The finite nature of our life.  {James 4:14}

How our bodies are designed to need true Sabbath rest.  {Isaiah 58:13-14}

That everyone has a thorn in their flesh, mine happens to be dressed up as lupus.  {II Corinthians 12:7}

Knowing all of these things doesn’t make the excruciating pain go away.  It doesn’t remove the bone deep fatigue that plagues my day.  Knowing doesn’t help me remember appointments or be less distracted.

But, knowing helps me maintain perspective.{Colossians 3:2}

And being grateful for the everyday little things {like the opportunity to sneak in a nap} and the miracles {I’m still alive} keep me focused on what is truly important.

Seeing the good can be hard through the dark lens of illness.  It requires a conscious effort to look for the positive and maintaining a connection to the Vine.

I had the privilege of being interviewed on the Family Health Matters radio show about living “Chronically Well” today. You can listen below:

This post is linked here:

It is my favorite time of year and Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.

Sometimes, we are in danger of losing the celebratory nature of this holiday in the there-are-only-SIX-weeks-until-Christmas madness that accompanies this time of year.

I fight that temptation hard in our home.  A posture of gratitude is crucial to living a happy and fulfilled life. What better place to start than the holiday named Thanksgiving?

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For his mercy endures forever. ~Psalm 136:1

Here are some things we do to commemorate this holiday and make it a special time for our family:

• Decorate the house. Yes, I bring out the Thanksgiving decorations for a week and then put them away until the next year {every year my husband thinks I’m crazy when I tell him it’s time for the Thanksgiving decor. I think he hopes I will forget}.  A lot of work but a tradition we enjoy.  Some of the decorations are homemade each year, like oranges with cloves in a glass vase and painted gourds and little pumpkins.  Indian corn and raffia can make for cute door decor as well.
• Create together.  Every year, we make turkey cookies {this year I found a new idea on Pinterest that I want to try}


Source: ourbestbites.com via Toni on Pinterest

Even now that my boys are older they still enjoy making little Thanksgiving treats with mom.  We sit up late into the night, watching home movies and assembling turkey cookies.  I hope it is a memory they will treasure as much as I do.

• Share gratitude.  One year, we made a thankful tree with leaves made out of the boys hand prints.  Another year, we made a journal with wax paper and dried leaves, yarn and a sharpie.  However we choose to list the things we are thankful for, there is power in the list.  There is joy and laughter and even tears in sharing the things that make the thankful list each year.
• Eat well and eat together.  I just finalized the Thanksgiving menu for this year and drug my hubby through the grocery store, painstakingly checking my list to make sure I didn’t forget anything.  Some recipes are the same each year {hello sweet potato casserole} and some I switch up {trying pumpkin chocolate chip bread this year}. But, getting around the table, filling our bellies and our hearts is one of my favorite times of the year.

My friend, Teri Lynne, posted about a wonderful tradition she includes in her Thanksgiving festivities.  It is such a cute idea! I may even steal the idea for our celebration this year!

What are some ways you prepare for and celebrate Thanksgiving?  I would love to hear!

Unsatisfactory grades from the lanky boy who can do better.

Cranky moments from a teething and first-time-ear-infection-suffering Sweet Pea.

Breathe In. Breathe Out.

Sanctuary filled with God’s people, lifting up one voice in a cacophony of praise.

Teaching a class about the power of communicating with Elohim through prayer.

Breathe In. Breathe Out.

Deadlines loom, some pass unattended.  Life seems to be quickening the pace, or is it me? Why can’t I keep up?

Breathe In. Breathe Out.

Encouraging email arrives.  Confirmation through a text that God is at work.

Breathe In.  Breathe Out.

Don’t want to waste a single breath on worry, anxiety or doubt.  Don’t want to miss a chance to practice gratitude for the good, the God.

Casting my cares.

Breathing in, breathing out.

I have been a busy bee this week!  I wanted to let you know of a few places you could find me:

I was honored to be interviewed by LaTara Ham-Ying about the Bible study I recently wrote, Cutting Through Money Clutter on her blog talk radio show.  You can listen to the show anytime by clicking here.  I would love to know what you think.

I also am continuing my monthly series, Tackling The Talk, over at The M.O.B Society this week.

Then, I never thought I would do this EVER!!! but I joined Sarah Mae’s Frumps to Pumps challenge.  For 31 days I am going to get up and get dressed {for myself, for my husband and to see if it increases my productivity}.  I have to admit I spend way too much time in yoga pants and sweatshirts.

So, just for your viewing pleasure {and accountability} here is what I wore for the last two days

Monday 10/17/11

and day 2:

Tuesday 10/18/11

So, that should catch y’all up!  What is going on in your lives?

Peruse the internet for a while and you will find many blogs, articles and even books on how to simplify your life.

We live in a fast paced, activity filled culture.  Our time is full of activities, even our church calendars are jam packed with fun, family friendly things to do.

Most of what we fill our days with are good things.

But good does not equal God.

• If your to-do list makes you want to pull the covers back over your head, you may be too busy.
• If you give up sleep time to get more accomplished, you may be too busy.
• If you are stressed out and irritable, you may be too busy.
• If you cringe when the phone rings, you may be too busy.
• If you think you will lose your mind if one more thing gets added to your plate, you may be too busy.

And you are not alone.  We live in a society that values accomplishment and results.  I wage this war in my own heart often!

Busyness can easily be used by the enemy as a distraction tactic.  Few things are more useless to Kingdom work than an unfocused, buzzing all-around-but-rarely-landing-on anything busy-bee believer.

Have you ever said “yes” to something or made a commitment without taking the time to ask God if you should?  Oh, my have I learned this lesson the hard way, friends!  Here is what the Bible warns us in Proverbs 20:25:

“It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider his vows” (NIV) and I really like how the Message version says it– “An impulsive vow is a trap; later you’ll wish you could get out of it”.

I am sure we can each recall times that we let “yes” roll of our tongue, knowing daggone well that we didn’t have the time, energy or desire to add one more thing to our list.

There are many good things bidding for our time.  If we spend our days filled with good things {activities, charity, etc.} yet neglect our relationship with God and/or the things He has actually called us to do, we are in danger of missing the whole point of being in relationship with Him.

It is like shooting arrows and narrowly missing the bulls eye.  We think we are shooting well because we are so close, yet in reality we are far from where God desires us to be.

How can we keep good from getting in the way of God?  Here are a few things I try to keep in mind:

1. Is this obligation {activity, recreation, commitment, volunteer opportunity, etc} in line with God’s Word?  Does it pass the Philippians 4:8 test?
2. Have I prayed about this?
3. Do I have peace about my decision?
4. What will the impact be on my family?
5. Will the world end if I say no?

You may laugh at number five but there was a time in my life when I thought that I had to take on everything because if I didn’t who would?  This is a trap of the enemy, based in pride.  What I realized was that by saying “yes” to every good thing that came my way, I was actually  getting in the way of someone else doing what God had for them to do. Stealing their blessing, in a way.

It is okay to say no.  To simplify the family calendar, the work schedule, the volunteer duties is to clean the heart.  And, a clean heart hears the whisper of the Holy Spirit much clearer than a cluttered, busy heart does.

Our time here is a gift.  We only get 1, 440 minutes a day.  Spend those minutes wisely.  Spend them on God things.

What is a good thing that may need to be cleared out of your life to make room for God?

**this is day 10 in the 31 Days to a Clean Heart series.  You can catch up by clicking the link for each day: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9.**

Sometimes I let good things get in the way and to be honest and transparent, I have not written {nary a word} in my personal journal or for my manuscript in almost three months!!!!!!!!  Teri Lynne is going to get me =)

But God!

He knew months ago when I bought my ticket that I would be headed to a place of refreshing and renewal for my writer’s heart this very weekend.

He knew when I bought my ticket that I would be in this place of competing commitments and neglecting my gift.

He knew when I bought my ticket that my soul is thirsty for the water that writing provides.

And, so I am headed to Relevant.  At exactly the right time.  Isn’t God cool like that?

I am leaving my laptop behind *gasp* and taking pen to paper this weekend and waiting, asking, yearning to hear from Him.

Will I see you there?

I will never forget how excited I was the first time we bought a new refrigerator {with an ice maker}!

I also know that with the economy and threats of lay-offs looming over our household, I am praying that our appliances keep on keeping on for the time being…

OR

I could win a whole new set of appliances from KitchenAid.  And so can you!

Here are the details:    

Submit a photo of your old kitchen appliances and you could win a new suite of appliances from KitchenAid® (worth $7,000), Service Live Credits toward remodeling (worth $1,000), and a phone consultation with Susan Serra, our kitchen design expert (worth $200)! Entries are submitted from 10/5/10 – 11/2/10.  Click here to submit a picture, review the official rules and learn more about the sweepstakes.

How simple is that?  Submit a picture of your current appliances and be entered to win new ones! 

I am off  to grab my camera!!

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Sears/KitchenAid sweepstakes through Mom Bloggers Club.  I am posting this for the benefit of my readers (and going to enter myself). 

This is an actual letter I wrote after an interesting and eye opening experience with one of the teen moms I mentor.  Names have been left blank to protect privacy.

August 13, 2010

Dear Judge ________,

I had my first encounter with the family court system on August 11, 2010 when I accompanied ________ _________ to a hearing to extend an emergency protection order filed against her mother’s boyfriend, ___________ ________. 

I wanted to share my takeaway from the experience with you in hopes that I can provide you with a different perspective.  I can only imagine the dysfunction you see in your court room on a daily basis.  As a resident of this county, as a woman and as a mother I appreciate all that you do for families in our area.

However, __________ left the courtroom that day feeling marginalized and defeated, despite the fact that you did rule to extend the order to keep her and her daughter safe.  The reason for her feeling this way is that her mother, ____, took the stand, told you half- truths and outright lies and you seemed to believe them.

I encouraged _______ when we left that it doesn’t matter if you weren’t able to obtain the full story, at least she has the ability to keep herself and ________ safe, at least, until November.  But, I also sensed that this is exactly why it is so difficult for us (our organization and others that work with these girls) to get them to file charges in the first place.

In most of the cases we deal with, we certainly encourage and facilitate the relationship between the teen mom and her family.  But, in cases like ________’s, safety and healthy relationships are more important than biology.

This is not the first instance that Mr. _________ has been physical with ________.  He has also been physical with her mom and the charges filed by ________ are his second offense domestic violence proceedings.  ________ would have been unable to call 911 that day if our agency had not provided her with a cell phone, as her mother and Mr. _______ gave her no access to a land line or a cell phone and severely limited her access to the internet and other forms of communication.

________ has four younger brothers and sisters that have been in the foster care system for several years due to _____’s instability and history of drug and alcohol addiction.  When _________ referred to ________’s “running away” on the stand, she was actually making reference to a time when ________ had to go and stay with her mother’s friend because Mr. _______ had been physical with her during her pregnancy and they were pressuring her to obtain an abortion that she did not want.

I am not naive and realize that often teenagers embellish and exaggerate stories to make themselves look good and their parents like the ogres.  However, this is not one of those cases.  We carefully examine and research the girl’s in our program so we know how best to help them.  We know _______’s past and the obstacles, including her mother, that she has had to overcome to be where she is today–safe and with hope for her future.

_________ just graduated with honors from __________ High School, in spite of her home situation.  She is scheduled to start a technical program at _________ Community College in February.  She is an excellent mom to her 9 month old daughter.

I share these facts with you in hopes that in the future, when a frightened young woman comes into your court room, that you will objectively provide her with the benefit of the doubt and an opportunity to deflect the insinuations and dishonest testimony of a woman (even if it is her own mother) protecting an abuser.  Due to the fact that _______ nor I had any experience with family court etiquette, neither of us felt it was appropriate (or that we were given the opportunity) to speak up and correct the errors her mother was sharing on the stand and provide you with these facts.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.  I do not envy your job and wish you all the best!

Sincerely,

Melissa Smallwood

The Lord foils the plans of the peoples: He thwarts the purposes of the peoples.  But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations.  Psalm 33: 10-11

I am pretty sure that God sits in heaven, watches me make my plans and laughs.  Not just a chuckle, but a deep belly guffaw. Yup, He finds my insane desire to “have a plan” hilarious and uses the changing of my plans to grow me on a daily basis.

Allow me to illustrate:

There were several blogging and  writing conferences as well as other trips I wanted {and planned} to attend this year.  Blissdom was fabulous in February and apparently on God’s agenda too.  It has all been downhill since then.

The next was EVO ’10.  I was excited about that one.  Not only because I won a complete site redesign for my organizing site {to be revealed soon} but because the location was beautiful!  Alas, at the very last minute {and have I mentioned that we [recovering] Type A personalities do not deal well with last minute changes?} I had to stay home to deal with an issue with our oldest son.  I was beyond bummed.

But, I had the Savvy Blogging Summit quickly approaching and was totally pumped for that as well.  Not just to soak in the incredible knowledge from the speakers and take my blog/ministry to the next level but to see so many of my online friends in person.  Yeah, you guessed it.  Last minute….middle son gets horrific ankle infection and mama couldn’t go. 

Har-dee-har-har, God!

Then there was She Speaks.  I had the most amazing experiences at She Speaks last year and could not possibly believe that it wouldn’t be God’s will for me to go again this year.  After all, I had my appointment with not one, but two publishing companies confirmed, when I learned that God had other plans.  I really grumbled to God about this but there was a local ministry opportunity that I am so glad I did not miss!  God does know what He is doing.

That brings us to Young Lives camp.  As most of you know I work with pregnant and parenting teen girls as a mentor.  I truly love this ministry and the camp they put on for the girls every year is ah-mazing!  Ever the optimistic one about my physical limitations I was looking forward to attending the week long camp with my girls and seeing the transformation that God has in store for them firsthand.  They left for that camp this morning- without me.

That would be my husband’s fault.  He mentioned to my MS specialist that I was planning to go to a {mostly outdoor} camp experience in August {heat and MS don’t mix} and asked my doctor’s opinion. {I was going to go the route of not mentioning it to the doctor}.  Of course, the doctor said it would NOT be a good idea for me and my husband nixed my plans =( {yeah, yeah..I know he loves me..blah, blah, blah }  I was totally upset about that and felt like I was letting the ministry and my girls down.  But God!  He provided and they are on their way to have a blast and will tell me all about it when they return.

And what will I be doing while they are gone?  Funny you should ask.  I will be going to the one conference I didn’t have any desire to attend {except for the opportunity to see my friends}.  BlogHer ’10 is happening in NYC this weekend and tomorrow I will be on an Amtrak train with my friends going to stay at the Hilton in NYC and having a grand ole time!  I won a ticket from Global Influence {a wonderful network that I write for} and then got lucky enough to be on this #smores #roadtriptoblogher train. 

BlogHer ’09 was not my cup of tea.  Except, again, for forging real life relationships with my online friends.  I know that God obviously has something He wants me to get out of this trip as He so masterfully executed my attendance.  And, how lucky am I that I will be rooming with the fabulousness of @scrappinmichele, @reallifesarah and @carissarogers? 

I think I am going to have a great time, whether this was my plan or not!