Organizing for Peace and Joy

Today is dedicated to what I hear the most; How do I get the Peace & Joy that is promised in the Bible? First we must know that we are talking about the ONLY book where every promise has come true and is still coming true. We’ll take the odds of one out of a million for the lottory and “hope” as we buy tickets but we sometimes overlook the sure fire method for Peace & Joy – and here’s the key… money isn’t the way to peace and joy anyway. I’ve been there with the extremely high paying job, title, travel, prestige blah blah blah, but I had no peace. Now the Peace & Joy are 10,000 times better! There sure are a lot of miserable people out there, don’t be one, they make a choice and are miserable ON PURPOSE.

So how do we get Peace and Joy that is described in the Bible? And it is described as something that “transcends all understanding” – don’t you want that? I find it funny when people just can’t get why I’m so happy “for no apparent reason” – and by the way, this method works for everything, no matter what you want:

You start with your desired result in mind. You work BACKWARDS from a goal.Make your daily decisions ON PURPOSE, for a reason, for your GOAL.

Ok, in my home I have 2 small children, a husband to take care of along with many pets, I work and have many “things to do” like everyone else who lives in America. So if you want Peace & Joy, you have to let others know your expectations and BE FIRM. I didn’t say harsh, I said firm.

How do you be firm? By NOT MOVING. People need to know what to expect! Be firm, set the rules and do not waiver. Employees and children alike can sense the lack of confidence that comes from wavering. The Bible speaks very negatively about wavering. This is where the “Act as if…” comes in. Make a prayerful decision and a plan, with the desired result in mind. If you would like a short “preview” of “Act as if…” just e mail me at holly@a1organizing.com to let me know and I’ll e mail a couple of chapters to you!

Take some time to plan this out, stress will kill you so do this whether you feel like it or not, because if you don’t, you could have a heart attack whether you feel like it or not.

Giving in now may be easier NOW, but you will pay for it LATER. Remember to “Act as if…” first, because feelings follow. Just like the sowing and reaping principle in Genesis 8:22

Again, it is a habitude and although now most of my attitude is of habit, it is still what I practice; hey none of us are perfect. But what are we practicing? What are we doing over and over? Are we practicing being consistent or unsure? What does that say about who we are? And what are we teaching others as habits?

If you have children over 4 years old, THEY SHOULD HAVE CHORES. What is the end result you want for your children? Responsible adults who can take care of themselves, right? So by putting chores into place you get two desired results, you have help for more peace and they get to “practice” being responsible and create the habits that you desire in them. And believe me, it’s a true joy when seeing your children do their part!

How? Again be FIRM. Why did I listen to my kids moan and groan about emptying the dishwasher – certainly I would have been better and faster…. Ah, but I was looking at the end result… not “in the moment”. When they whine, and they will at first, simply remind them that you can help them out by not letting them eat so much. Oh yeah, that keeps them quiet. These are great moments to teach the sowing and reaping principle to your children or grandchildren! Let them know how much they eat is DIRECTLY related to the work that comes afterwards! And how blessed they are to have so many dishes – which means so much food!

How do I get my children put their clothes away? And in their closets on hangers??? By reminding them when they whine about it that I have the power to make it easier for them… by NOT BUYING ANYMORE CLOTHES! And this is where obedience and self control are learned (on both sides!) Better a little whining now, than when they are 30 and still living with you and still whining! This is our JOB and our PURPOSE as parents!

You will get your rewards (good or bad) from the seeds you plant TODAY. Who cares if you blew it yesterday, today is new day and even if already blew it today, that’s what so cool about the Bible, your grace and mercy are new each day!

And as ends in Genesis 8:22 “shall never cease” You are always planting seeds and receiving a harvest – it never ends. So… are you just tossing the seeds that are the closest and easiest and what feels good at the time? Or did you pick the type of garden (goal) you wanted long term, THEN PLANNED OUT the seeds you wanted to plant?

Until next time, have a super day, you can plan on it… I do!