One Drop at a Time

I am on a roll, man.  I mean, when I get the fire, you better just step outta da way.  I found some folks to take the rest of my children's books.  I have a teacher friend who told me that a lot of her students do not even own one book.  That makes me sad, but it also makes me happy because she always makes sure that those kids get their very own books to keep!  I loaded her up with two boxes of nice books, and it makes me smile knowing that this gift will make her students smile too. 

I have another box waiting for one of Mollie's friends who is in Girl Scouts.  The Scouts are scouting children's books as a part of a literacy project. And I STILL have an entire floor to ceiling bookcase full of wonderful children's stories.  All together with the books I gave to other places, I gave away two huge book cases worth.  Can we all say: excessive?  I am a book hoarder.

I turned one empty book case into a craft storage area and it looks cute as heck.  It looks very Pintresty.  For goodness sakes, I dotted the lettering on the lables on each container of "paint" or "glue" etc.. This provided the solution to the baskets that were always spilling over under the baby grand piano.  Who stores things under their pianos?  Don't do that.  It's ugly, and I cannot tell you how many mini concusions we've suffered from going under there to find the glue gun.  I've created SPACE in my life, and prevented any future brain damage.

The other book case is in my teenage daughters' room.  Now they can display all their dumb crap.  Don't really get me started on that.  They decided to paint their bedroom this summer and that meant I had to endure all their stupid stuff being hauled haphazardly into the playroom for more days than it would have taken a one legged, no armed house painter to do the job.  Just call me grace, but trying to get across the playroom to the laundry room has put forty- five bruises on body parts I did not know I had.

I also tackled the other basement closet... the one across from the scary one under the stairs.  This closet was originally a "Game and Puzzle" closet, but over the years, it evolved into something much more "special."  It became somewhat of a mystery because you couldn't even SEE the shelves for all the stuff that was piled up to the ceiling infront of it.  Don't ask me how it happened unless you have five children, and you were nursing your fourth when you got pregnant with the fifth, and you stroked out after the baby was born, and were pretty useless doing chores for a year.  Things just got thrown into closets, and I guess it was so fun that we made it a habit.  For six years.  Bless our hearts.

I need to start uploading the before and after pictures of all this awesomeness.  I text the pictures to my little sister every day.  She does it too.  We do at least ONE thing a day to get rid of our excess and try to find ways to give it away in a good way.  We send the proof so we can be accountable.  It's so much fun.  It's unbelievable what we hold on to in our drawers, on our shelves, in our closets, under our beds, etc...  It really makes ya think about whatcha really need in this life.

I gotta a long way to go, but I have taken many steps in the right direction.  I don't have to do this whole thing at once.  Each step feels good, even if it's a baby step.  And it's one step closer to GLORY!

You can fill a jug just one drop at a time.  --Buddha

Dear Heavenly Father,
I thank Thee for always providing what we need.  Please forgive me for teaching my family to be so gluttonous, taking way more than our fair share of books, clothes, toys, food, and things.  I thank Thee for the gift of the Holy Spirit who fills my heart with joy each time I empty a drawer or overhaul a closet, finding people who need the excess I've been holding on to.  Help us let go of our attachment to things.  In the name of the One who was a king without riches, Amen.