Cleaning out a closet.....

So now that the outside of our house is MOSTLY completed, Ken and I have been talking about the INSIDE of our home.  Yes, it needs as much work as the outside did!  Thirty seven years is a LONG time!  And certainly, raising two children here was also hard on the house.  So now it is time to bring this place out of the 1970's and into 2015!  Yes, I am being realistic and know that the work will not be done until 2015 at the earliest.  There is certainly enough to be done right now.  Ken and I began the clear out this afternoon.  We tackled one closet.  I know that is not very much.  But to us, it seems like a big deal.  This picture represents the items that will be going to Goodwill next week. (Gwen will be especially glad to see that very ugly framed hook rug leaving the house.  It used to scare her when it hung in the hallway near her bedroom!)  And I am happy to say that we filled one garbage can and one recycle bin.  I actually condensed the items from three large plastic tubs into one tub.  So I was able to take other items that had been stored in cardboard boxes and move them into the now empty plastic tubs.  We now have a very organized closet in Ken's photography studio.  The hope is that the closet in the scrapbook room will be pared down just as much and we will have organized space in there also.  Alas, we ran out of steam today so that will wait until another day.

I was thinking about how messy everything looked when we were in the middle of this clear out today.  Every room in our upstairs was filled with STUFF.  Even the hallway was almost impassable.  It was necessary to make a big mess in order to really clear out and organize.  Isn't that what happens when we start to deal with those really hard issues that our buried deep inside of us?  You know, the things that are buried way in the back of that dark closet that we would prefer to not open.  Sometimes you just have to pull out all of the junk and deal with it!  Yes, it is messy and there might be stuff all over in every area of your life.  But doing the work, sorting through those issues, throwing out the stuff that just doesn't belong, taking the time to appreciate and save and preserve the things that DO matter.  And then making sure that you can find these treasures when you want them.  I have been through this process many, many times.  And I confess, it is painful.  But the good news is, you feel so much better once you do the hard work!  The biggest reason for this is that once all of this junk is brought out into the light, Satan can not use it against you anymore!  Honestly, it is always the things that we are trying to cover up, that Satan whispers in your ear.  Once you do the work, get rid of the junk, deal with the stuff, and then keep whatever is really useful and good, there is nothing left to torment you. The best news about this process is that you are not doing this alone.  The Holy Spirit always stands with you and Jesus will lead you through the process.   I said that I would be blogging a bit more about Spiritual Warfare, and here is the first installment.  Getting real and dealing with your issues is the most proactive, offensive thing we can do to fight those attacks of Satan.  I really think this is just as important as putting on that armor.  We just can't leave anything hidden that can weaken our spirits.

One more confession tonight.  I did NOT sleep well last night.  My dreams were filled with scary and troubling images, mostly associated with Halloween.  Normally this stuff doesn't bother me.  But I realized that I had not been surrounding my thoughts with prayers of protection.  And I had been just letting the things of the world sort of seep into my mind and my spirit.  So I turned up the tunes in my head, brought a flood of worship into my spirit, and prayed!  I can feel that I am much more settled today, so I expect to sleep well tonight.  But this is just a reminder that  we need to be on guard and not be OVERCOME by the things of the world, but overcome the darkness with the light that is within us.

Jesus, thank you for these reminders today.  Help us all to search our hearts for those hidden things that might cause us trouble in the future.  Holy Spirit, thank you for speaking to me after troubling dreams.  You are always right there to help us when we face situations that unsettle us. What an amazing counselor you are, walking with us as we deal with difficult and sometimes painful issues.  Thank you Jesus for your light that\ eliminates the darkness.  Thank you for times of refreshing amid the work!   Amen