It originally started out just to be something that would help me get little annoying things done around that house that always seemed to get put off.

And it did.

But it turned into so much more than that.

I learned  a lot about myself.

I realized just how short this life is, and that the time to be busy about the Lord's work is now.  I don't want to hang my head in shame when I meet the Lord and have to apologize for all the time I wasted.

One very huge life-goal that my husband and I saw come to fruition was the production of our first CD.

We realized that we could keep saying forever, “We really need to do that,” but that it would never actually happen unless we…you know…did it.

We knew it would be an expensive and time-consuming project, but it was a good thing we didn't know just how expensive and time-consuming it would be, or we might have continued to make excuses for putting it off.

Right away, I took the first step and booked an appointment with the recording studio so that there would be no backing out or changing our minds.

Then the real work began.  I'll spare you all the details, but I will say this – if you want to do anything for God's glory, don't try to keep it a secret like we did.  Both my husband's parents and mine have always bugged us to record a CD, and we thought it would be special if we could keep it a secret and give it to them as a Christmas gift.  The problem was that as soon as we embarked on this project, the devil did everything he could to stop us.  From scratchy voices the week of recording, to a broken down van when it was time for us to make the 1 hour trip to the studio, to lots of red tape with copyright permissions, there were a lot of obstacles to overcome.  I wished people knew about our project so they cold help us pray about it!

Anyway, I'm so thankful it's finally done now!

We had only one goal in mind when we recorded this CD – to use our talents to bring glory to God.  100% of the proceeds will go directly toward expenses for our next recording.

We'd love for you to  purchase our CD for yourself, give it away as a gift, and help us spread the word about another resource for Christ-honoring music.

We pray it will be a blessing to you!

The post Results of My Anti-Procrastination Year appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.

I have thought many times about baking something and taking it over to them, but I was afraid they might not want to eat it.  (You know how it is – you don't particularly want to eat something that came from a kitchen you've never seen either.  You don't know how clean it is in there, or whether the person licked the spoon and then kept stirring with it.)

I couldn't think of any other way to get over there and let them know that I cared about them, though.  I finally thought, “Who cares if they don't eat it?  I have to do something to show them I care about them and ultimately to show them the love of Christ.”

So I headed to the kitchen and baked up some pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.  The kids and I wrapped them up and walked to both of the neighbor's houses to hand deliver them.

One neighbor told me that his wife doesn't like pumpkin.  The other neighbor told me that everybody had gone to the beach for the week and might not get back in time to eat them before they went bad.

But you know what?  That really didn't bother me.  I wasn't worried about the muffins.  I just wanted them to know I care about them.

What can you do to reach others with the love of Christ?  This is one thing in which I believe we all procrastinate.  The devil wants to make sure we will always have some kind of excuse.

Stop procrastinating.  Get to baking, write a note, or just plain get over to your neighbor's house and say “Is there anything you need?  I'll be happy to help you with something or let you borrow something you need.”

Jesus is coming soon, and I don't want to be ashamed when He asks me why my neighbors never knew about Him.

If you’re just joining the Anti-Procrastination challenge, be sure to subscribe to email updates or follow me on Facebook so you won’t miss a thing!

The post Anti-Procrastination: Reaching Out appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.

We people like to focus on the negative sometimes, don't we?  When a restaurant gives us poor service, we take the time to write them an email or call to complain.

We will be sure to let others know what they did wrong, but sadly it's not nearly as often that we take the time to tell someone “Great job!”

If we're willing to take time out of our day to complain about something, let's make the time to be an encouragement to someone.

Find someone who does a lot of thankless, behind-the-scenes work at church or work, and let them know you've taken note and appreciate what they do.

Encourage someone who may be in the spotlight and everything they do is under scrutiny and is often criticized.  Build them up with your words while others may be tearing them down.

Seek out someone who is suffering through a trial and let them know that you're praying for them.

There are so many opportunities to be a blessing that we tend to overlook.  I challenge you to find one person today that you can be a blessing to through an encouraging word.

If you’re just joining the Anti-Procrastination challenge, you can take a look at all of the previous challenges I've posted here.  You may also want to subscribe to email updates or follow me on Facebook to receive each new challenge!

The post Anti-Procrastination Challenge: Encouragement appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.

I'm sure that for a lot of you, putting up fall decor is not something that would cause you to procrastinate.  There are so many talented people out there when it comes to that kind of thing, and you enjoy it so much that putting it off is not even a temptation.

I'm a little different.  I love looking at the pretty decor, but I hate the process of actually putting it up.

I have a hard time figuring out how to make stuff look good in the first place. Then there's the matter of the messes the kids are going to make while I'm fiddling with decorating, the laundry that needs to be folded, the dishes that need washed (again!), and the diapers to change.  If I start decorating, all the other work is just going to pile up and I'm not even going to enjoy the decor because of looking at all the messes.  See?  I get overwhelmed just thinking about it.

But,  like I said, I do love getting to look at the pretty decor, and I get really sad whenever I realize that a season has just passed and I never even got out my decorations.  Since hiring someone to come decorate for me isn't exactly an option, what am I to do?

I figured I would start with something simple.  Candles are easy, as well as wreaths if they're already made.  I also keep ready-made faux floral arrangements for the different seasons so that I can just set them out.   I may not be able to arrange a mantle (or fantle), change out all the pictures on the walls, and put fall accents in every room of the house, but I can do a few quick and easy things that will still make a difference and set the mood for the new season a little bit.

I've already been burning a fall candle every day, and today I pulled out my wreaths and hung them up.  That took all of 60 seconds!  Yup.  I have no excuse to procrastinate on that one.

If you're a little like me and don't really enjoy the actual process of decorating, my challenge to you is to think of at least one thing that you can do that's quick and easy.  You'll be glad you did!

If you're the type that loves to decorate and could do it all day long, I've got a different challenge for you.  But make sure you clear your schedule because it involves coming over to my house. 

If you’re just joining the Anti-Procrastination challenge, you may want to subscribe to email updates or follow me on Facebook to receive each new challenge!

The post Anti-Procrastination Challenge: Fall Decorating appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.

Something struck me last night as I was thinking about this Anti-Procrastination Challenge.  Part of what makes it so easy to procrastinate is that the only person to whom I'm accountable is myself.

If I need to get the refrigerator cleaned out, but I don't get to it, it's no big deal.  I tell myself, “I'll get to it tomorrow,” and go on my merry way.

If there's something that needs to be done, and I've made a commitment to another person about it, I am much more likely to get it done, lest I be embarrassed about breaking my promise.

I started thinking of all the things that I have really given my best effort to do without procrastinating, and, for the most part, they all have one element in common: a commitment to another person.

Part of the reason I decided to publicly blog about my personal challenge of anti-procrastination was to give me more motivation and give me a little extra push to stop procrastinating.

I've been trying to brainstorm ways that I can make even more commitments to help myself get even more done.  One of the easiest things I have done that I need to keep in mind in the future is to tell my kids of my intentions.  If I tell my kids that I will take them to the playground, they will not let me forget.  If I tell them that I need to defrost the freezer, they will be sure to remind me.  If I tell them that we're going to invited someone over for dinner, they will make sure I remember.  (Better yet, if I'm going to invite someone for dinner, I need to go ahead and make the commitment with the person I'm intending to invite.  Then I'm definitely forced into following through with my intentions of being more hospitable.)

I'll be trying to think of more ways to help myself be even more productive by determining ways to make myself more accountable to people.

Maybe that sounds like a crutch to self-discipline, and maybe it really is, but I realize that's what it's going to take to help push myself to get more done.

If I want to do something for someone, I'm going to go ahead and tell them I will.  I'll be pushed to follow through or face the embarrassment of breaking a promise.

I'm going to tell my kids of my plans for the day more often; the persistent reminders will help me carry out those plans.

What about you?  Will a stronger level of commitment to others help you be more productive?  Try to think of some ways you can help yourself get more done by being accountable to others more often.

If you’re just joining the Anti-Procrastination challenge, you may want to subscribe to email updates or follow me on Facebook to receive each new challenge!

The post Anti-Procrastination Challenge: Commitment appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.

I saw on Pinterest forever ago that if you rub waxed paper over your faucets it will keep the faucets from getting those ugly water spots on them.

The post Anti-Procrastination Challenge: Shiny Faucets appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.

Do you ever use psychology on yourself to help you work more efficiently?  I do all the time.

For instance, yesterday I worked really hard and got a lot done.  That was easily proved by looking at my to-do list and taking note of all the things that had been checked off.  But at the end of the day I was discouraged.  I felt like the house was a mess and I got nothing done.

This morning I knew I had to think through what it was that was discouraging me and come up with a remedy for it.  If I'm discouraged I do not work well.  I feel like my house is a hopeless case and wonder why I should even bother trying to clean it up.

In reality, it's never as bad as it feels like it is.

I have to use psychology on myself to encourage myself not to give up.  If I give up things really will get bad and it will be an absolute nightmare to catch up.

I have two choices when I'm starting to feel discouraged about the housework.

1. Start with the easiest things first (like I do on Mondays.)  When I do the quick and easy things first (like putting things where they belong as opposed to deep cleaning the bathroom), I can see immediate results and I realize things really weren't as bad as they looked.  I am then encouraged enough to finish up the rest of the housework.

-OR-

2. Get the hardest thing over with right away.  This was what needed to happen today.  I really needed to clean out the refrigerator, to be exact.  I thought about the reason I was discouraged at the end of the day yesterday and realized that although I had gotten a lot of cleaning done, I hadn't accomplished the one thing that was really bothering me.  Knowing how icky the inside of my refrigerator was was messing with my head.  It was making me feel like everything was dirty.  So I broke my rule about getting the dishes done first and started in on the fridge first thing this morning.

As soon as it was done I immediately felt better.  My mind became clear enough to see that the rest of the cleaning could easily be finished up.

Don't worry about the weird container in the back.  The fridge leaks water and we have to keep a container in there to catch it.

What is holding you back from being more productive?  Do you need to do something that will help you see some quick results?  Or do you need to dig in and work on something that's been hanging over your head and discouraging you?

Our emotions affect our productivity more than we realize.  There are no rules that says a house must be cleaned in a certain order.  If you are struggling and feel like you are never going to get it all done, try to figure out what will help you feel better. (Sorry, chocolate doesn't count!)  Take the time to identify what is dragging you down emotionally and work with yourself, not against yourself.

If you’re just joining the Anti-Procrastination challenge, you may want to subscribe to email updates or follow me on Facebook to receive each new challenge!

This post is linked to Time Warp Wife, Above Rubies, Thankful Homemaker, and Growing Home.

The post How to Help Yourself Work More Efficiently appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.

You may be wondering what this business about the Ebenezer is all about and what it has to do with my Anti-Procrastination challenge today.

In the Bible, an Ebenezer was a stone of remembrance.  In I Samuel 7:12, Samuel set up a stone “and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.”  In Joshua 4, the Israelites were commanded to take 12 stones out of the Jordan river (one for each tribe) and set them up when they reached the opposite shore.  The purpose of these stones was to serve as a memorial to the children of Israel that would remind them and their children of God's power and deliverance all the way from their leaving Egypt until the point when they reached the Promised Land.

I believe that we as Christians should set up “Ebenezer stones” as reminders for ourselves and for our children of how powerful our God is and how He cares for us.  When discouraging times come, we can look at those memorials and remember what God has done for us in times past.  It is so encouraging to look back and remember specific prayers that received specific answers.  God has done miracles large and small on our family's behalf.  I don't want to forget those things.  I don't want my children to be ignorant of those things either.

“Ebenezer stones” for me come in the form of a journal.  I like to keep track of things we're going through and how God overcomes those situations.  There are so many times that God has obviously been at work in certain situations.  If I don't write them down they will go unnoticed and forgotten throughout the rest of  history.  If I do write them down, I can look back on them and be blessed.  I can show my children what a big God their Mommy and Daddy serve and teach them that they can trust Him too.

My journaling lately, though, has been sporadic at best.  The more kids I have it seems the harder it is to fit it in.  But I have to make time for it.  God commanded the children of Israel to set up those stones because He did not want them to forget who He is and what He had done.  He doesn't want me to forget either.

I may not be able to spend an extensive amount of time every day, but when the Lord has worked in my life in a specific way, I'm going to make it a point to find the time to write it down.

If you're a Christian, I believe you should be keeping a memorial of God's working in your life too.  (If you don't know for sure that you're a Christian and on your way to heaven, please don't let this day pass without making sure you know!  You can find out here or email me for more information.)

Your “Ebenezer” may look a little different than mine.  Maybe it will simply be a prayer list on which you record the specific answers that God gives you.  Maybe it will be a detailed journal.  Maybe it will be an index card file on which you write down one line a day of God's blessings, answers to prayer, or what He has taught you.

Whatever you decide – make the time!  Not only will it be a blessing to you personally and be a tool for you to teach your children, but ultimately, as God said in Joshua 4, “That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever.”

The post Anti-Procrastination Challenge: The Ebenezer appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.

This Anti-Procrastination challenge has helped me identify so many of the excuses I make for not doing things.  The excuses are many and varied, but are usually such things as “I don't have enough time”, “It's too hard”, or just plain old, “I don't feel like it.”

Today I identified yet another excuse, and I realized yet again that all my excuses are pretty lame.  This time the excuse was that the thing I needed to do was too simple.  Sure, I wasn't verbalizing it in those terms, but when it was all boiled down that's all it amounted to.   Isn't that just stupid?!

What I (we as a family actually) have been neglecting for way too long is to pray for missionaries around the world.  My husband and I both pray for missionaries in our private prayer times, and we as a family will pray for specific needs of missionaries when they are brought before us.  But regular prayer for missionaries as a family has been…well…this sounds so harsh, but it's true…nonexistent.

The reason we kept neglecting it is that the process was just too simple.  We've had a simple system in place for a very long time, but we have never once used it – just because it seemed too simple.  We felt guilty because we should be praying together for more than just missionaries.  We felt like we needed an elaborate system to make sure we were covering all of our prayer bases.  Because we felt like we couldn't do it right, we weren't doing it at all.

A couple days ago I finally pulled out our simple system and just started using it completely impromptu with the kids at lunch.  And while I do hope to eventually come up with something a little more elaborate, at least we're praying for missionaries together a whole lot more than we used to!

Here's the “system”, if you can even call it that!

It's a cheapo 4×6 photo album with missionary prayer cards inside.  We pray for one missionary at each meal.

Sure, I'd like to keep the prayer cards perfectly updated.  I'd like to have a way to list out specific prayer needs for each missionary family instead of relying on our memories.  But for now, our missionary friends are being prayed for by a little family of five on a regular basis.  The kids are so excited to see who the next missionary in the album will be.  They keep very accurate records of whose turn it is to pray, and ask what exactly they should prayer for in regards to that particular missionary.

Okay, now, you know what I'm going to ask you.  What have you been putting off because it's just too simple?  What are you waiting to do until you come up with a more elaborate system?  Just make do with things the way they are.  You can always expand your system later.  It's better for something to be done too simply than not at all!

If you’re just joining the Anti-Procrastination challenge, you may want to subscribe to email updates or follow me on Facebook to receive each new challenge!

The post Anti-Procrastination: The Simple Things appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.

Whenever I hear myself saying, “I need to…” or, “I really should…”, I know I have a great candidate for an Anti-Procrastination challenge.  Instead of just saying I need to do something, it's time to actually do it!

One thing I find myself saying often is that I need to email or call one of my friends.  I made so many good friends in college, but now we've all moved on to various parts of the country and even the world.

Staying in touch with them is not my strong point even though I miss them and think of them often.

Instead of just saying that I need to call or email somebody, I'm trying to actually do it as soon as I think about it, (or at least pencil it in on my to-do list for the day so I don't forget later.)

I just finished emailing a good friend before I starting writing this post, so now it's your turn.

With whom have you been saying you need to get in touch, but just haven't found the time yet?  Make the time today to keep your friendship strong!

If you're just joining the Anti-Procrastination challenge, you may want to subscribe to email updates or follow me on Facebook to receive each new challenge!

The post Anti-Procrastination Challenge: Getting in Touch appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.