When I was still a new mother a friend told me about the website FlyLady.net. As I understand it, it is all about taking control of your life through self-discipline and organization. Though it sounded intriguing I never visited the website. My sister discovered the show Supernanny after the birth of her first child several years ago. She was so impressed with the "techniques" for raising healthy, happy, well-adjusted children, techniques that focused on being disciplined, organized, and consistent, that she bought me the Supernanny book (by Jo Frost) for my birthday one year. I read it and, though I did not agree with everything I read, I did see value in many of the suggestions. Last summer, a group of my fellow home schooling moms and I read the book A Mother's Rule of Life (by Holly Pierlot) and discussed it, in order to encourage each other in our quest to be more self-disciplined and organized in our roles as mothers, teachers and home makers. A few weeks ago, yet another friend brought up the subject of FlyLady.net to me. She told me how it has helped her to keep her house clean and running smoothly in just a little time a day.
As I think back to all my wonderful and well meaning friends and the helpful advice and encouragement they have shared with me over the years I wonder why my life continues to be so disorganized and chaotic. The advice is great, my friends are inspiring, the approaches they've shared seem sound and are proven, the explanation couldn't possibly be... that I have failed to take the advice! I have really great intentions but....though I spend way too much time on my computer each day, I still have not made the effort to visit FlyLady. Though, I read both the Supernanny book and A Mother's Rule of Life, and went so far as to write out the daily schedule both books stressed as being essential to a peaceful, happy home, I have not truly attempted to follow the helpful guidelines they laid out. Though, I keep planning to clean up the kitchen junk drawer, the closets, and the top of my dresser, I haven't quite got around to any of it. In fact, I am so undisciplined and unorganized I do not even know where to start in order to take control of the chaos and clutter that surrounds me. I sure wish I could find that old schedule I wrote out last year, or was it the year before? It is probably still here somewhere buried under all the junk mail and children's drawings! If only I could find a minute to look for it in the midst of corralling the kids, trying to figure out what I did with the bills that came in today's mail, and listening to the ten old voicemail messages on my cell phone!
I sure wish I could just call up FlyLady in person and have her come to my crazy house and organize for me! Wouldn't it be nice to have someone come in and take care of all the menial and tedious jobs that crop up in the midst of raising our families and eliminate the need for self-discipline and organization? I'm pretty sure with enough money that is an option actually.......hmmmmmmm, maybe......
Sounds tempting, very tempting, but is it truly the option God would want me to take? Unfortunately for the state of my house, the answer is clearly, No. First of all, I have never and will never have the money for such a luxury. Second of all, the need for self discipline and organization is not a need that will go away with a phone call and a visit from a cleaning lady or “professional organizer”. No, the truth is God wants me to be the wife, mother, and homemaker He has called me to be. He has chosen me for the task of raising, educating and caring for my family. He has given me the gift of this life and this vocation so that in it and through it I can be brought to holiness. No one ever said holiness would be easy, but I must trust in God. Through prayer (which I need to be disciplined enough to start with everyday!) I know even I can truly be strengthened. Through God’s goodness and the guidance of His Holy Spirit even I can be more disciplined and organized! With God’s grace, maybe someday I will even be orderly enough to become a “Supermommy” and a “flylady“!
Just going by the "feel" I get from you in your post, you would probably really enjoy the FlyLady way of doing things. The basic premise to her method is that if you love yourself and your family enough (and are willing to spend a couple of 15-minute time spurts a day) you will "bless your family" by making progress and keeping it up. Her methods are very uplifting and if you take it step by step as she asks you to do, it won't overwhelm you. Try it out... give it one month, and if you don't 100% love it, either adapt it or drop it :) I think you're likely to love it :)
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