In January I, like many other people, decided that I would try to start out the new year by getting organized. Now in our large, unfinished home with our large and messy family of eight, this is a monumental task! I try to stay motivated, really I do. I read all kinds of books, subscribe to FlyLady (which is helpful to a certain degree for this family!) and print off forms from organizedhome.com. I think that there comes a point where I just need to realize that I probably won't get completely organized until (a) my children are grown and gone and (b) my house gets finished.  Focusing too much time and energy on the "perfect" house means that I miss opportunities. For instance, the other day my three year-old wanted to paint. To keep the house clean (well, and some of my sanity!) I might have said "no!" But I didn't. I patiently got out the paints and let him just brush away and make a mess. It ended up being fun, and I got some cute photos for his scrapbook...even if the kitchen did end up a little messier than need be. And then I gave two of the older children a cooking lesson -- with the expectation that they would clean the kitchen after the lesson was finished. I think sometimes my children don't understand me when I'm speaking, but I've heard that happens with pre-teens and teens. I don't want to cultivate or excuse that in the house, so we're working on a better system. However, despite the fact that I did try to organize the pantry shelves and made a list of things I wanted to accomplish by the end of the day --- Somehow I am still very overwhelmed -- by the clutter in my house, my thoughts, my life. That's when I figure I need to sit and really focus on the Master's plan...After all, God organized the universe so precisely, even though - sadly - some people will not believe that.