Saturday, March 6th, 2010
Digging out of chaos — I have a study
It’s time for the big update you’ve been waiting for (if you’ve been with me long enough). I’ve dug out of the chaos in what was “the den” and is now “my study.”
My study is beautiful and, most important, I can use it for something besides a walk-in junk drawer. I used to stand in the doorway (because it was unsafe and unhealthy to walk any further) and toss stuff onto the pile. Now I can walk into the room and sit down at my desk and work at my computer.
A visiting grandchild can sit opposite me on that little stool and work at the desk with me. And there’s room beside me for Talitha to pull up a chair so we can look at school work together.
Or I can sit in my armchair and read my Bible or just do nothing.
AND now I have something I’ve never had before–a place especially for my sewing machine. And even better, it’s a fold-away shelf, so it’s out of sight when I’m not using it.
I am so thankful for the gifts God has given our son Benjamin, who took my ideas and wishes, worked with what was left in the room after I emptied it, got creative with Ikea pieces to make them fit with existing shelves, and coordinated the project.
I know I may not be entirely objective, but there are plenty of others besides me who think Piper Construction is pretty great.
Digging out of chaos — previous posts:
Lovely office! Here’s something you can keep in there to do with your grandkids. I just saw this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jXSR1xdcPE) and thought of you and your grandchildren playing this together…. Not sure if it’s because I can still hear your introduction of Helen Roseveare and your voice saying “Democratic Republic of Congo” :) Blessings, sister!!
Intimidating kid! Great idea for the children here. I did plan ahead some for the grandkids. They’re enjoying School Zone workbooks, crayons, & colored pencils that live in the basket on the counter just behind the chair.
It’s beautiful, Aunt Noel!! :) Enjoy!
Wow, congratulations!
Oh, Wow! I love it! I also checked out your “walk-in junk drawer” and got a hearty laugh…mostly at myself in my own “junk drawer”. Good job. I am motivated.
Looks great!
I hardly can imagine you sitting in your chair “just doing nothing”! :) Your lovely, accommodating study makes me wonder if we can expect more children’s books in the future…or adult books would be fine, too. :)
Ah, but you don’t know how lazy I really am.
Kudos! What a lovely and inspiring space. :)
I think I can, I think I can – thanks for the inspiration!
It’s beautiful! Where is the gorgeous map desktop background from?
I looked around online and found it at http://www.latitudesmapstore.net/womapdemamop.html
If I wanted just a desk pad, I could have found one for less, but I especially wanted to have a map in front of me. If you enlarge the photos and search, you’ll find other international/world items.
Dear Noel,
Wonderful, wonderful work! SO glad you persevered, the study is simply beautiful and is worth all of the work you put in, as well as all of the things that you learned along the way. I was especially inspired by your LIES post from your cleaning days, and since the Lord has been taking me on a journey in the last few months, changing my attitude towards food, I have been compiling my own list about lies about eating that I have previously believed.
This very day I plan to write a post about what the Lord has taught me, but here’s a sampling of LIES I believed that kept me indulging myself when it came to food: 1. I don’t want to waste it, and there’s only one left. I might as well just finish it off. 2. I need a little something sweet after a meal, even though I’m already full. 3. Who cares? We’re celebrating! (the trouble is we’re so often celebrating something! It can’t be a license to indulge!) 4. Someone else put time and effort into making this for me, and it’s so good, I should eat more than I need to show them I appreciate it. 5. I don’t get to eat this food very often, I should eat more. And perhaps the most destructive of all: My eating habits don’t affect my spiritual life. Oh, how the Lord is showing me that in fact, they do! Indulgence in my fleshly desires regarding food is NOT the self controlled, alert, thankful person characterized by the fruit of the Spirit!
The Lord has been very gracious to slowly, surely reveal these lies to me as I’ve been seeking Him about it these last months. And better, He is changing my heart and desires and attitude towards food.
You may not believe it, but a lot of this began when I read your posts about your walk-in junk drawer, so I want to thank you for being so transparent and sharing this with us! Praise the Lord!
Blessings to you, and enjoy your new study/sewing/work/enjoying place!!
Sincerely in Him,
Rachel Wind
For me, the chaos lies and the eating lies are pretty closely intertwined. The connection is expressed well (beginning with the title!) in Peter Walsh’s book, Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat.
Way to go, Noel! I am sitting here laughing as I picture you standing in the doorway of your former “den” and just tossing things onto the pile because it was “unsafe and unhealthy to walk any further”. It looks great, and even better, much more useful!
I have a straight path to my computer from the doorway, but behind me lurks a little project that would make coming in here more pleasant. Thanks for the inspiration!
Congratulations to you, and kudos to your son! I only know you through your website but appreciate your honesty in describing this process. I’ve been trying to deal with ‘clutter’ of various sorts in my life and bring a degree of discipline into my thinking, and can verify a ripple effect into other areas of my life, for which I’m thankful.
Yippee, you go girl! It’s BEAUTIFUL!
This is great. Enjoy the open space :-)
I LOVE that space!! what a blessing!
[...] Mahler, Brahms, Saint-Saens, Dvorak, Borodin, Bruckner . . .Excuse me while I lean back in my new armchair in my new study and close my eyes and listen–for a few minutes at least–before I finish turning [...]
I thank God for this grest victory Noel, thanks for sharing it all along the way and may God use this new space to His glory and your good. Its an awesome story of his goodness and the goodness of His people in your life. I have shared it with clients who have clutter or hoarding or collecting issues. Now i just wish i had time and money and support for ME to do some of my own projects and to transform a room for my own. Very motivating! I miss you and our talks, will be praying earnestly for the 8 months ahead, what a gift for you, Noel and for your husband and family. May God Bless you,as He has blessed so many through you, faith j
Thank you, Noel, for sharing your journey with all of us. The end result looks wonderful, warm and welcoming. I need Piper Construction to help me too! :)
I thought I’d let you know that this set of posts and tweets was a part of the inspiration for what I wrote for the guest post at the Fighter Verse blog.
http://fighterverses.com/2010/03/31/giving-up-your-hand-for-joy/