To Rule and Subdue

My friend, Monica and I are starting a new series today! I am so excited about this and hope that you will join in.

Monica is one of my kindred spirit friends. She and I went to high school together and have kept in touch as we have walked different avenues of life. Now, we both have little kids and share in the ups and downs of motherhood. Last week we were talking about managing clutter - and thus this series was birthed!

Each week (we'll alternate) one of us will post an area we'll be working on de-cluttering, organizing, purging, etc...and then later in the week we'll post photographs and have a Mr. Linky for you to join! It is so much more fun to do this kind of thing when we are doing it together and have the encouragement of one another.

So, here's my thoughts and heart about the clutter. Right now, with two little children, clutter seems to overtake everything. It is something I have been working hard at since January. I have seriously made three or four Goodwill trips a month. And guess what? I am nowhere near done! It seems to be like an onion - layer after layer I find more stuff and more reasons for it all to go.

I have been seeking a lot of advice and instruction in this area - as it is one that I seriously struggle with - and want change! And it seems, the more clutter, the bigger the mess, meaning the more time and energy I put into trying to keep an orderly home. I hope to share some of my discoveries as this series progresses.

When I was single and right before I met my husband, I went through a Bible Study called the Five Aspects of Woman. One of the aspects is called Mistress of the Domain. In recent weeks I have revisited this concept - and it has helped me tremendously as I attempt to bring order into my home. The concept is taken from Genesis 1:26-28
"Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.

God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

God has given us the authority and he has also commanded us to rule and subdue that which has been entrusted to us. I find such power in this idea. I have the authority to rule over my home and the stuff that's inside. But, I have also been instructed to do so. The study defines these two verbs as:

RULE - "To rule means to make authoritative decisions regarding a matter's course and destiny."

SUBDUE- "to bring under control by conquest and keep under control by diligent maintenance."

(taken from the Five Aspects of Woman Bible Study by Barbara Mouser)

These definitions help me as I conquer the areas of my house that need attention. I want to rule over the clutter, rather than the clutter rule me and my home. I want to be diligent by developing systems that will help in subduing it. And finally, I desire to produce and home that is welcoming and peaceful. However, let me be the first to say that these are my desires - and boy do I have a long way to go!

I am excited that we can work on this together. See my post below to see the area that I'm going to rule and subdue this week. I hope that you'll join in and come back and tell us about your ruling and subduing at the end of the week. We can do it! As a little incentive, I am going to be offering a giveaway for all who participate. Check back on Friday to see what it's going to be...

Okay, Ready? Set? GO!!!