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January 2006 ETC Corner
Get Organized!
Create a Family Notebook
Shredders, filing systems and other organizational tools have become big business for a good reason---- paper pile-up! Use this simple solution for getting your family's daily information in a usable format.
Start the New Year off on the right foot by making your home more orderly and efficient. The Family Organizer, also called a Household Notebook is a great way to keep important information in one convenient location.
It's as easy as 1-2-3!
Step One: Gather Supplies
Here's what you'll need to get started:
A 3-ring binder
Clear page protectors
Tabbed dividers
3-Hole Punch
Paper
Step Two: Decide on categories for your dividers
You may want to divide your notebook up by category as suggested below, or simply have a tab for each member of your family and one or more for other general information.
You can divide your family notebook in any way that seems logical to you, but here are some suggestions for dividers:
Planning /Calendar Section
Insert a blank calendar to write on, school calendars, sports schedules, church activities, work schedules etc.
Phone Lists
This section includes phone numbers for school, work, take-out restaurants, babysitters, church and club directories etc.
Home/Auto Maintenance
Include a cleaning schedule and maintenance reminders for cars, heaters, air conditioners, major appliances etc. You may want to also include information on warranties and insurance carriers.
Meals and Menus
Utilize this section for creating weekly or monthly meal plans, grocery lists, favorite recipes, etc.
Budget
Create a monthly list of bills to be paid that you can check off as you go. Include account numbers, amounts and how to pay each bill i.e. online, via mail or in person.
Travel/Vacation Planner
Include reservation information and ideas for future trips.
Step Three: Assemble Your Notebook!
Punch holes in existing lists, calendars and schedules and create any new lists you may need. Slip them into page protectors, file them under the appropriate tab and you're done!
Persevering in Prayer
By Cheri Fuller
Are you a busy woman who still longs to put God first and know His will? Many of us face this agonizing dilemma, but Cheri Fuller brings us help! Read this article for practical ideas that keep seeking God first in our hectic lives.
Write it down.
One thing that helps me continue in prayer is a five-by-seven index card where I write the names of those on my VIP list: my husband, our adult children and their spouses, our five grandchildren, other family members and friends who have health problems, and several young men serving in Iraq. I jot down their names with either a word to remind me of their greatest need or a Scripture verse I am praying for them. Then I tuck the card in my Bible so it is before me every day. Each month before I make a new card, I write "thank you" next to individual names to express gratefulness to God for how He's worked. I'm amazed as I review cards from past seasons how many of my prayers God has answered!
Pray with others.
One of the most dynamic things we can do to persevere in prayer for a long-term need is to gather other women to pray with us. We don't have to be Lone Ranger pray-ers. God gave us one another to strengthen and encourage us to stay the course. Your prayer partner(s) can come from any number of places. It could be a group of friends, your husband, your mom, daughter or your whole family. You can pray together in person, or even over the phone. Our burdens are lightened when we pray about them with others. And as we gather, we impart staying power and strength to each other so we can P-U-S-H (Pray Until Something Happens).
Pray God's Word.
You'll never run out of things to pray if you dig into God's Word and pray according to Scripture. God can give you new direction in praying for a person or a situation that will give you a second wind in the marathon of intercession. Praying God's Word will dispel your discouragement when you're in the "waiting room". Verses like Hebrews 10:35-35 encourage us: "Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised." We are reminded to not give up but keep trusting God to bring His will to bear in our lives and the lives of our loved ones.
Purchase A Busy Woman's Guide to Prayer: Forget the Guilt and Find the Gift from Proverbs 31 Ministries.
Staff Meeting with God
The Boss, Jesus himself, wants to meet and talk to you every single day! Are you ready for your Staff Meeting? Print out this form for a simple way to record this most important of all encounters.
Click here to print form (.pdf version)
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