Not Martha Stewart? Read this!

I wasn't going to post anything today, but I ran across this fabulous article by Nancy Wilson. Made me think of my favorite song by Caedmon's Call, "Sacred," that opens with the line: "This house is a good mess; it's the proof of life."

Here's a tease:
Where do we get this notion that being organized is next to godliness? I’m
pretty sure we get it from magazines and ads in those magazines. And though they
really may be great magazines full of super recipes and ideas that inspire us,
they can also set us up to start laying guilt trips on ourselves. Something like
this: “If I was really together, my closets would look like those featured in
Martha’s Living, where stacks of sheets are tied with color-coded ribbons.” Just
a little reminder here: Martha has fleets of housekeepers who wash and iron
those sheets and keep them tied up with ribbons. You, on the other hand, do
not.

Thanks, Nancy! Read the rest of the article here.

Comments

Wendy said…
Thanks! I, too, love those magazines and sometimes I do walk away thinking I need to be more this or that. This was a good perspective. Thanks.
August 10, 2008 at 9:11 AM
Cathy said…
Martha Stewart also does not have a house full of wonderful, sticky, loud, funny, busy, hungry, lovely children. I'll take the living entropy over the empty, perfect home even on my worst days!
August 10, 2008 at 8:40 PM
Kate said…
Nancy quotes Proverbs 14:4...my all time favorite verse for perspective on living with a houseful of children.

Thanks for the link. Great article. And I agree with Cathy's comment wholeheartedly.

Kate
August 14, 2008 at 9:38 PM
Andrea said…
I purposely don't look at those magazines - they just get me thinking about what I don't have. I love living with kids, even with the mess and noise! :-)
B.t.w. I finally got to your tag over at my place....
Andrea
August 18, 2008 at 4:49 PM
Kate said…
I stopped getting or looking at any home magazines because I suffered from discontentment in a big way. I shift that focus by looking at our sponsored children's pictures and am reminded of how immensely blessed I am to have a roof over my head and a couch to sit on, and a bathroom with a door...it's humbling I tell you...
August 19, 2008 at 9:05 AM
Melissa Lester said…
I agree with those other comments too. I realize I do need to work on the areas of housekeeping and organization, but know that I don't need to allow the state of my house to become my yardstick for measuring my worth as a Christian or a mother. Happy hearts and a full life sometimes mean a messy house!
August 19, 2008 at 3:26 PM
Anonymous said…
I loved this post!! I am one to get easily overwhelmed by a messy home, and I know a certain amount of order and tidiness is necessary for the sanity of the 7 of us in a 3 bedroom apartment!! But I always know I have crossed the line when I start yelling and complaining that "no one helps me and this place is a wreck!!!" I have to step back and remember that my goal is "take care of the people first, then the place!!"
August 24, 2008 at 2:05 PM
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