I drew much insight from this Upper Room Daily Devotion so I wanted to share….

(Compliments of Frieda Yang, 1/30/17, Upper Room) “When I clean out the clutter I make room for the Holy Spirit”

My daughter wanted to redecorate her room, which was cluttered with souvenirs and childhood toys.  As I helped her get rid of the stuff and decorate with color-coordinated curtains and bedding, my spirit was lifted by such as clean and orderly room!  Her desk now had room for flowers and a Bible, and I hoped that her eyes would be drawn to beauty and her heart drawn to God.  A sense of well-being came over me.

Inspired, I tried to clean the rest of our home myself.  I discovered that while it was easy for me to get rid of my daughter’s clutter, it was much harder for me to get rid of mine!  But my collection of what I thought were keepsakes not only occupied physical space but burdened my mind and weighed on my spirit.  Similarly, social media and other activities can occupy my mind, leaving little room for me to store up spiritual things.

When we make room in our days for scripture reading and prayer, then our spirits can be strengthened with treasure from the Bible.  God’s wisdom and guidance will help us in our relationships and in our service to God and God’s people.
 
 

That’s right!  If you sign our contract after we meet for your consultation, you will get your money back!  Here’s how it works….you call or e-mail us your information (name, e-mail address, situation, etc.).  You can do this simply by going to the “Contact” page here on our website and filling out the form.  Once you hit submit, we receive the information and will contact you back......OR pick up the phone and call us direct at (614)-655-7678.
 
By phone or electronically, we will exchange information and set up a time for us to come to your place for a consultation.  The purpose of the consultation is to assess your situation and give you an estimate of time it will take to complete the job.  We do not provide ideas on solutions until we come back to work with you.  The charge for the consultation is $25, which can be paid by cash or check on that day.  If you decide to sign the contract for us to come back and work with you on organizing, we will refund you that money at our first session.  If you decide not to go with our services, you have only spent $25.

​I hear this a lot!  It’s hard to get motivated to do things inside when there is yard work and flower planting to do outside….and it’s SO nice outside!  Ok, so let’s move outside to get some organizing or cleaning out done.  Summer is the perfect time to get that garage cleaned out!!  Do you have a garage that is stuffed so full you can’t get one or two cars or ANY car in it? 

Wouldn’t it be nice to put your car in the garage this summer so it’s not 150 degrees and beastly hot when you get in?  Or be able even to get it in there so you’re not scraping windows in the winter?  No matter what time of year it is, it’s nice to be able to use a garage for what it was built for – to put a car or two in it!  So, don’t dread the inevitable or put it off any longer.  Call us to come help you get that garage cleaned out and use it for it's practical purpose once again!

​Are you having trouble gathering all of your tax documents from last year?  This is a common problem with many people because throughout the year they don’t keep a good record of their expenses.  Having a hanging file or three-ring binder with pockets is a good place to store year-round tax documents (this includes 1099’s, donations, estimated payment information, property taxes paid, etc.).  If you put these processes in place all year long, when January – April comes, it’s not such a chore trying to find everything!  It doesn’t take that much effort to get organized and in the long run, it will save you time, stress and aggravation!  Make it easier on your tax preparer by having everything in one place and less stressful on yourself by being prepared.  Oh, and just so you know…..you should generally keep five years of tax documents (actually seven years if anything tax related reflected a loss).  

​That’s right!  You can purchase a gift certificate for $150. (or more) for that person who has everything but maybe needs some help around the house with de-cluttering or organizing.  Just send us a note on the “Contact Us” page and we can make arrangements to meet and surprise your loved one with your purchase.  Don’t just buy an unwanted gift, buy something that is useful and practical.  We not only come in and help de-clutter/organize but we teach our clients how to “stay” organized with tips and tricks that work!

Funny, I was reading my devotions yesterday and I found it related to what many of my clients face.  I wanted to share the story, with all credit given to writer Carol Kuykendall (Guideposts, April 2, 2016) –

“I needed clothes and you clothed me…..” – Matthew 25:36

“Not that one!” my husband said as I pulled a well-worn, down filled blue parka out of the hallway closet.  We were trying to decide which of our many coats to give to the church clothing drive for the homeless in our community.  “Each of our kids has worn it to feed the horses in thirty-below weather!” he told me, as if I didn’t remember.  Our closet is not a museum,” I answered, not admitting that’s what I’d been telling myself as I went through my own closet.  The fact is I, too, felt sad at the thought of giving away “Big Blue.”  You know you’re in trouble when a coat has a name!
                “I’ll take a picture of it and send it to the kids to see if anyone wants it,” I decided.  First, our daughter Lindsay answered quickly. “You can’t give away Big Blue!” This is what her sister Kendall said:  “No way!  Big Blue is better tucked away in the back of your closet than keeping someone else warm.  Just kidding!  A little sad to part with it, but it has served us well and now can serve others.”
                So I cleaned up the coat and added it to our giveaway pile.
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Lord, you have so richly blessed us.  May we bless others with what You’ve given us.

​As you’re working your way through your home this spring to clean, be observant as to what items in each room you haven’t used in a while.  If you find certain rooms are becoming cluttered, consider putting items aside for a garage sale or just to give away to charity (remember to keep a record for tax purposes anytime you donate items).  It might even be a good idea to take a trash bag around with you to dispose of any items that are not worthy of selling or even giving away.
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Any items you wish to keep, consider a better way of storing them.  Should they be in a closet hidden and/or should you purchase some shelves/bins to store them?  There are so many different storage options available nowadays that you can literally store just about anything conveniently.  If you use bins for storage (unless they are clear), it’s a good idea to label the bins so you can remember what the contents is.
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Have fun this spring, don’t just clean – Get Organized!!  

First off, you should have separate places to put paper (such as recycle, shred, bills, checks, etc.).  These places can be bins, tubs, folders or trays, whatever storage method works for you.  When you get the mail each day, go through it right away.   Sort each item into it's appropriate place.  If you stay on top of it on a daily basis, it won't become so cumbersome in the long run.  If you get the newspaper or neighborhood papers, once you have read them, they can be recycled.  There are plenty of places to dispose of your recycled paper around the city.