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May 2007 ETC Corner
Make Your Home Office Functional
By Glynnis Whitwer
Does the thought of the piles in your home office make you groan? Glynnis Whitwer gives simple tips for whipping your workspace into a more productive and pleasant room.
Having the proper office supplies is more than half the battle to begin and successfully complete a project. For the home worker, there isn’t normally a supply cabinet from which to retrieve extra staples, tape and pens. Nothing is more frustrating (besides telemarketing calls) than needing a file folder and not having one.
Organization is the key to making your workspace functional. I find that order refreshes my creativity and productivity, while clutter drains. Investing time setting up an organized office will pay off exponentially in the future. Statistics reveal the average executive spends 150 hours a year searching for lost documents, and a moderately disorganized person loses about two hours every day due to disorder. This inspires me to pursue greater functionality and order.
One key to creating order is by investing in an efficient filing system. This could be your strongest tool for staying on top of your workload. I find that my piles of paper grow, because I don’t know where to store what’s in them. A good filing system is the answer.
As space allows, purchase the largest and sturdiest filing cabinet you can. Make sure it has at least two drawers, and stay away from the cheapest option. The glides may work now, but envision it filled with files.
Then, purchase a large supply of hanging folders and manila file folders, and keep them in the front of your filing cabinet. Productivity expert David Allen recommends adding a label maker to your office product list. In his book “Getting Things Done” Allen writes, “Typeset labels change the nature of your files and your relationship to them … It makes it fun to open the drawer to find or insert things.”
One philosophy of filing is to group like-files in broad categories. Label the hanging folders “Insurance,” “Equipment,” “Current Projects” and so on. Within each category, alphabetize your files. Or, you can avoid labeling the hanging folders all together and just put files in alphabetical order.
Once you’ve decided on your system, keep from over-stuffing your file drawers. Jam-packed drawers will discourage you from daily filing or creating new files. Consider your files as an integral part of your home office, and invest in additional ones when necessary. Purging your files every six to 12 months is a good practice.
If you have files you use every day, you might want to buy some decorative file folders and put them on top of your desk in an attractive holder. That way, you can add a touch of your personality and style to your desk. Plus, pretty things just make me smile!
Glynnis Whitwer is a speaker for Proverbs 31 Ministries and the editor of the “P31 Woman” Magazine. Glynnis is also the author of “work@home: A Practical Guide for Women Who Want to Work at Home,” released this past March by New Hope Publishers. Glynnis and her husband Tod (who also works from home) have five children and are the owners of Rose Lane Cottage, a web-based home business. Coincidentally, they sell decorative file folders and charming freestanding file holders for the top of your desk (www.roselanecottage.com).
My Granny’s Hands
By Renee Myers
In this touching tribute to her grandmother, Renee Myers encourages us all to take time to honor the godly women who have influenced our lives.
When I think of you, Granny, I think of your hands,
Hands that have worn well with time.
Hands that show loving, serving and giving,
Hands that have often held mine.
I distinctly remember them wiping my tears
When I was just two, maybe three,
They found handy a tissue and held me close,
They calmed and gave comfort to me.
I always felt special when your hands held mine,
Or patted or gave me a squeeze,
And through the years I’ve come to find
Your hands are more precious than ever to me.
Your hands have shaped cookies, made biscuits, stirred gravy,
Snapped beans, peeled potatoes - they’ve never been lazy!
They’ve patched, washed and pressed, sewn buttons, fixed hems,
Gathered food from the garden and eggs from the hens.
Your hands have held books and babies and Bibles,
Reached out warmly to guests upon their arrivals.
Your hands have served others, and helped many needs,
Giving testament to your kindness through their many good deeds!
And the music they’ve made! Finding songs on the keys
Of the piano at church and at home with family.
Now at 93 years your hands have earned rest.
They’ve served and they’ve given, always doing their best.
They’re larger and older than they used to be,
But they’ll always be beautiful and special to me.
Yes, they’ve worn well with time and survived life’s demands,
When I think of you, Granny, I think of your hands.
“Her children arise and call her blessed…”
Proverbs 31:28
This poem was written as a tribute to a true Proverbs 31 woman, my grandmother Peggy McNeel who is 93-years old. She resides in a small farm community in West Virginia where she lived most of her life as a hard-working farmwife and mother. She was active in her church and always willing to help those who were in need. She is affectionately known to many as ‘Granny’ and is proud to claim three children, nine grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren.
I think of Granny often when I’m studying the Bible, because she’s a wonderful example of how Christ taught us to live. When I read through Proverbs 31:10-31, I’m amazed to see that each verse describes her in some way.
Granny lost most of her eyesight recently and is now unable to do many things that most of us take for granted. However, instead of becoming depressed or resentful of her situation, she called upon the teaching of the Serenity Prayer and gracefully accepted her fate. She expresses praise for the life she has lived and is grateful for all that she has.
If you knew Granny, you would love her, and she would love you, too.
May God bless the mothers and grandmothers who make a difference in our lives, and may we ‘rise up and call them blessed’, not just on Mother’s Day, but always.
Renee Myers is a wife and mother, active in church and leads Disciple Bible Study. You may visit her blog site at: www.rmyers.wordpress.com
The Serenity Prayer
May God give us the grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things that should be changed,
and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.
Make the Moms in Your Life Feel Loved and Appreciated
Mother’s Day is May 13, 2007
Think a little outside of the box when you choose a gift for Mother’s Day this year. Your mom will truly “feel the love” when you take her personality and preferences into consideration.
What makes your mom, grandma, or other special ladies in your life feel loved and appreciated? Based on the Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman, here are some ideas for Mother’s Day.
Words of Affirmation
Sometimes a simple “thank you for all you do” speaks volumes. Consider telling your mom that you love her verbally, in a hand-made card, with a poem or by making a video.
Quality Time
What does your mom like to do? Spend the day with her doing a hobby, going to a movie, going out to lunch or dinner, or getting a pedicure. The key here is to give her your undivided attention.
Receiving Gifts
Some moms appreciate visual symbols of your love. Consider giving her something beautiful that reflects your appreciation (no vacuums or irons please). Traditional choices include flowers, jewelry, ceramic or crystal home décor items, etc. More personalized choices include a special photo in an attractive frame, a collage of family photos or a small scrapbook/photo album.
Acts of Service
For some moms, nothing says love like having someone else clean the house and cook dinner. Consider taking mom out of the house for a while during the cooking and cleaning so she won’t be tempted to help.
Physical Touch
Ahhhh… how about a good old-fashioned hug? Your mom might also enjoy a foot massage, shoulder massage, manicure or pedicure (given by you of course).
Summer Activities for Families
Summer vacation is right around the corner. How long will it be before you hear those dreaded words “I’m bored!”? Here are some ideas from other moms on how to keep the doldrums at bay:
• Purchase an activity book like “Summer Bridge Activities” that reinforces what they’ve learned during the school year. The Summer Bridge series has a specific workbook that bridges between grades, for example 4th to 5th grade. Set goals and offer rewards for daily completion of their work.
• Plan field trips to local libraries, museums (ask about free admission days) or parks.
• Get a large appliance box from an appliance store (call ahead for availability) and have the kids turn it into a fort.
• Start a family or neighborhood newsletter, online or in print.
• Help your children write a play or puppet show for friends and neighbors.
• Sign up for swimming or diving lessons/teams.
• Inquire with your city’s parks and recreation department about summer activities, classes and sports teams.
• Plan a water play day with sprinklers, squirt guns and relay games using buckets and sponges.
• Do a “virtual vacation.” Pick an exotic destination and research food, attire, and language online or at your library. Then, plan a dinner where you speak the native language, eat native food and wear appropriate attire.
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