Help for “The Change”

I’m just going to lay it all out there today. In the past couple of years, I’ve gone through a major transition … though it seems I was basically unaware of said transition until quite recently.  I suppose I thought the moodiness, inability to sleep, lack of focus, ongoing procrastination, and being hot all the time were just a normal part of my 30s.  Duh.

Doesn’t every woman go through this?  Isn’t “the change” a part of life for we XX chromosome types? The doctor put me on some pills and reminded me that “at this age” I needed to start being mindful of exercise and adequate sleep as well as good nutrition.  I just figured I was finally a grown up.

Until … I found out not everyone experiences this in their thirties.  In fact, some people are born like this and some people never get to this.   AND it’s not just a woman thing!!

Oh, you thought I was talking about another “change of life” for women.  Sorry … I’m talking about “It’ll Be There Tomorrow Syndrome” {heretofore referred to as IBTTS – not to be confused with IBS because that’s a whole ‘nother thing there, buddy!}.

IBTTS can have the following symptoms:

• Inability to complete a task without caffeine.
• Perpetual list-making followed by loss of said list
• An overwhelming sense of being overwhelmed {which results in …}
• Making a list of what needs to be done
• Multiple projects in process simultaneously
• Multiple projects set aside for completion at later date
• Multiple incomplete projects forgotten
• Consistent use of time on things other than housework
• Multiple tweets, blogs, and status updates about urgent need to do housework
• Feelings of ineptitude, self-degradation, and uselessness
• Prone to outbursts of frustration and hostility toward those in the home
• Guilt and despair

Can anyone relate? Has your kitchen ever looked like this:

or this:

 

Maybe your laundry gets like this:

Or you have piles like this:

Good news, my friends!  Very good news. {No, Merry Maids isn’t coming for free.} My friend Sarah Mae has written a great ebook called 31 Days to Clean:  Having a Martha House the Mary Way. {And, so you know, my sweet sister Beth came up with that amazing subtitle!!!}

I could write for a week about how incredible this book is.   But the one thing I want you to know is this:

Sarah Mae has successful merged the practical how-to with the divine why-to and given us a resource for our homes, hands, and hearts.

A few of my favorite things:

• RESOURCES! Throughout the book are lists and ideas and suggestions for all sorts of cleaning and homemaking tasks.  {Especially I loved the List Plan It tools.}
• CONTRIBUTORS! From Sarah Mae’s sister-in-law to Kimba from A Soft Place to Land, this book is full of wise counsel for cleaning our homes and our hearts.
• FORMAT. The format is easy to follow and each day’s reading is easily completed in  15 minutes or so.    Filled with practical information and an encouraging tone, 31 Days to Clean will surely become one of my favorite go-to places for ideas and hints.
• CHALLENGES. Every day, the reader is offered a Mary Challenge for her heart and a Martha Challenge for her hands.  I love this … as we seek clean hearts before the Lord we learn to offer our clean homes as a gift back to Him and to our families.

Obviously, I think this is a resource well worth your time and money!  Available for Kindle and Kindle apps and as a download – for less than $5! – I promise you will not regret purchasing this ebook.   AND, the 31 Days to Clean Challenge is starting Sunday, May 1st.  I’ll be gladly joining in … and would love for you to join us as well!

My favorite quote from the book is this:

Let grace cover the areas you cannot change.  Don’t beat yourself up or think you aren’t doing enough.  God knows where you’re at; His grace is sufficient.

Thank you, Sarah Mae, for sharing with us what God is showing you!

What is the hardest place to keep clean in your house??