Why Cleaning Your Plate Isn't Enough

Pursue righteous, faith, love and peace, 

along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

2 Timothy 2:22

Clean your plate. It was my mother's 11th Commandment. Obedience to this order came with big rewards...and I'm not just referring to an expanded waistline.

Cleaning your plate meant you got to eat desert.


Cleaning your plate meant favored child status.


A clean plate was a happy plate and I delighted to make my parents pleased. Today when my plate gets full, my first reaction is to clean it. A clean plate is a happy plate. 


We chase joy as we whack activities from our schedule.


We dart after peace as we organize our desk or scrub our floors.


We hunt contentment as we slash responsibilities from our life.


As we clean our plates, we take the first step toward freedom from over commitment. In the elusive quest to get more out of life, cleaning our plates is not enough. An orderly life gives us a framework to honor God but it does not draw us closer to His heart. 


We need to step out of our busy schedules and into the presence of God.


When we pursue Him, joy chases us.


When we pursue Him, peace darts into our hearts.


When we pursue Him, contentment hunts us.


There is a bigger reward than cleaning your plate.


If you stepped out of your busy schedule and into His presence, what do you think you'd experience?

Find Your Keys; Lose the Stress

For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.

1 Corinthians 14:33

Where are my keys? I was sure I'd placed them in their home base of my purse but in my hurry I couldn't feel them in there. A trip into the house and a bit of stress later, I realized they'd been in my purse all along.


In that moment, I blurted out to God to expand my time. "Maybe it's not more time but more order," was the gentle return in my heart. I was reminded of a book I just read, The Get Yourself Organized Project by Kathi Lipp. Before you run screaming for the door, let me confess I don't typically care for organizational books. I need no extra guilt in my life and those type of publications usually leave me feeling less than in every possible way.


If you're like me and your heart longs for organization not to win the Martha Stewart Homemaker of the Year award but because you desire more time to invest in your family, Kathi wrote this book for you. It's written for mere mortals who need quick, easy ways to declutter and destress.


To celebrate her new book, she's hosting a challenge today called the National Clean Out Your Purse Day.

Interestingly, my purse is one of the places for me that pretty much stays cleaned up, so I provided my personal purse contents for you here:

1. My Coupon Organizer - No I'm not an extreme couponer but I do keep some restaurant, grocery and other coupons handy that I know I'll use.
2. My Slimline New Testament - I'm a bit old fashioned. Even though I know I can read the Bible on my phone sometimes I like to hold the actual thing. Of course reading required use of #5.
3. My Keys
4. My Hand Lotion (Clara gave me a new bottle for Mother's Day)
5. My Reading Glasses
6. My Pen Pouch - I keep pens and pencils handy for check writing, homework, taking notes in church or anything else that comes up.
7. My Sunglasses
8. My Brush
9. My Lipgloss - A girl can never have too many!


That is everything in my purse except a couple items in the inner pockets - my business card holder, my pics of my kids, items for "that" time, gum, mints and my phone, my ear buds and of course my wallet. It makes finding what I need super easy! None of these are hard and fast rules, just a suggestion of what works for me.


I'm also posting a picture of my new purse (it's so cute I couldn't resist.) I only carry one so it matches my hair color. A great tip I got from Shari Braendel. 

Want to join in the fun? Kathi has tons of great prizes for participants on her webpage. With her easy organizational tips you'll find your keys and lose the stress!