Saturday, January 21, 2012

Random thoughts and DtD Challenge #10

When you have kids, you can't help but think (almost at every moment) what they will turn out like. You pray for their future and who you would like them to be, but you really don't know what kind of people they will be. My Mom told me today that all throughout my teen years, she worried about me. This isn't news to me for a few reasons. First of all, she is a worrier. Big time, and when I say big time, that is putting is mildly (love you, Mom!). Secondly, there was definitely a reason to worry about me. I lived by my own set of rules, no one could tell me what to do, and I had no remorse for anything I did. I thought it was the only and best way to live. And not only was it totally unfulfilling, it took me down some dark roads. So, yes, I knew my parents worried. But this is the part that sort of surprised me. She said she never worried about my step-brother Mark, she never worried about my sister. But she did worry about me...and a lot. Was I really that worrisome? I never thought much about that, but I guess so, when I think about how I used to live.

Fast forward to today. I am no longer that girl. I have been brought back to life. I am blessed beyond belief with a wonderful family and life. Life is not always peaches and cream, in fact, quite the opposite, but I have a hope and belief in Jesus that has given me joy and purpose. And I am so grateful for my parents, who showed me what a real parent's love is like. One that is accepting, forgiving and encouraging to no end.

I think of my children, how they are now, and how they will be when they are grown. And then I think of who I was, and who I am now. I'm not perfect, or even close, by any standard, but I am definitely different than how I used to be. It makes me stand in awe of how powerful God's grace is, and how much He cares about me to not let me stay that person forever.

On another note, I realized that I never wrote about my Duties to Delights challenge; I've been falling behind on my posts these days. (I haven't forgotten about my photo challenges either!) Blame it on my new-favorite-show-that-I'm-completely-obsessed-with Downton Abbey. So, I said last week that I would choose something from those household tips books to try. I liked the Heloise book better, but the Good Housekeeping book made me realize one thing: My kitchen is very disorganized. Is anyone that knows me surprised by this statement? Because I was not. :) I am not a naturally organized person, so this was kind of like a "duh" statement. But when I really started to look at the specific ways in which this was true, I noticed something had to change. I had several places that had pots and pans falling out every time I opened the cabinet. My baking ingredients were scattered in several different locations. There was a billion things on top of my fridge (which isn't a bad thing, it just looked cluttered and I didn't like that). So, I reorganized a few things, and cleaned a few cupboards up, and I have to say, I like it much better. When all your cooking items are in the same place, when things are easier to pull out of the cabinet (and put back), when your kitchen looks less cluttered, it just makes life a ton easier. I still have a ways to go, my kitchen still needs a lot more attention. But I've gotten a good start on it, and that makes me happy!

So, if you have a disorganized and cluttered kitchen, I encourage you take the time today to declutter and organize. There are so many things in our kitchen we have stuffed in the cabinets or drawers that we don't use anymore, or that often. You will feel lighter, somehow, and may even view cooking as more of a delight than a duty.

Up next week: I found this awesome homemade bagel recipe on Pinterest, and I want to try it. Wish me luck!
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