Tags
budget, General Conference, House of order, orderliness, organization, Routine, scripture study, sensory diet, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
“Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God” (D&C 88:119).
A house of order, my house is not!!!! I so want it to be. It is what Chase needs (he thrives in supremely organized and structured environments), but I’m just not there yet. When I decided to begin my Personal Goal Challenge I realized that one of my most important improvements for myself personally and for my family happened to be Orderliness. I started working on this goal on November 26th and thought it was about time that I posted some of the things that I have been working on, so here goes:
I originally posted here that my original definition of orderliness included housekeeping, creating and maintaining routines, and de-cluttering. In little over a week it has totally evolved! I have come to realize that it means so much more. The dictionary definition describes orderliness as being “free from disorder, neat, systematic arrangement, adhering to a method or system, methodical, devoid of violence or disruption – peaceful” it also means “adherence to a logically and carefully planned succession of steps” in other words it means creating structure and routine.
From this point I started my study of the term. The first place I went to was the the November issue of General Conference. General Conference is where members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meet twice a year worldwide via broadcast/web/satellite/in person to listen to various people, including our leaders, speak on topics that have to do with our spiritual growth. The first talk I came across was “The Windows of Heaven” given by Elder David A. Bednar. I listened to this talk as I drove into the city, and I was struck by his words, “In the financial operations of the Church, two basic and fixed principles are observed. First, the Church lives within its means and does not spend more than it receives. Second, a portion of the annual income is set aside as a reserve for contingencies and unanticipated needs. For decades the Church has taught its membership the principle of setting aside additional food, fuel, and money to take care of emergencies that might arise.”
I had thought that organization would be the only thing that I would take away from my study – but I was wrong. Having a house of order not only means an orderly and organized house, but one that lives on a budget and within our means.
The next talk I read was “The Key to Spiritual Protection” by Boyd K. Packer. “Make scripture reading a part of your regular routine, and the blessings will follow. There is in the scriptures a voice of warning, but there is also great nourishment.” I wanted to laugh. Here I was thinking about creating daily routines for my son Chase and now I knew that I needed to create my own regular routine that included personal prayer and scripture study (as well as family).
Within a week of study my goal has morphed. It has become HUGE. In a small way a bit overwhelming with its scope. In essence, while working on one attribute I am truly working on 6 goals.
- Organize and de-clutter the house
- Create a budget and spend two days a week talking to my husband about where we are and where we need to be.
- Create daily routines which include chores, scripture study, Family Home Evening etc.,
- Create a Sensory Diet for Chase
- Create a routine for Emma on Kindergarten readiness activities.
- Finish Christmas projects.
It has been kind of fun sitting down with my husband (and stressful too) and discussing finical and spiritual needs, individually and as a family. I spend at least 15 minutes working on a zone in my house (FlyLady is my best friend). Knowing that I only HAVE to do 15 minutes has made it easier for me to actually spend much more time and I love how it is whipping my house into shape. I created a spreadsheet of the Christmas Projects that I have left and when I need to have them completed. This has helped me be ahead of the game. As I work on the basics, the others will come into place, right??????
Now you know where I am, what are some routines that you are working on? I have loved finding FlyLady, what are some sites that you have found that have helped you put your house in order? Any good sites for Sensory Diets?