My bedroom was one of the areas that I wanted to tackle. I began the process, took everything out, took this picture and then for the rest of the week I didn’t make much progress. I found other things to do. I needed to work on my art, go running, teach school and read books to the little kids. I was making excuses and wasting time.
Why am I posting this picture and why am I telling you this? Because if I didn’t you wouldn’t know. Blogging allows me to show you my best side. You get to look only at what I choose to show you and I am able, if I so desire, to create a persona that is not real, but I want you to get a real glimpse into our family and home. I am amazed by what God has done and want you to be amazed also, not at our success, but at God’s mercy and power. “God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.” (1 Corinthians 1:27)
I want you to remember that I am a real person who struggles to get it all done, to be kind and patient with my children, to be respectful toward my husband and to be faithful in the calling that God has given to me. Anything I get right is because of Christ in me and because of God’s gracious power in my life.
My prayer is that this blog will encourage you to love your husband, serve your children and manage your house even when it gets hard and even when you fall short. I want you to know that our family struggles just as your family struggles and our wonderful and merciful God still uses us all for His glory. “For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:14)
God has chosen us and is pleased to use us, frail and imperfect as we are. He will be glorified through us, even when we fall short. “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” (2 Corinthians 9-10)
My life should reflect, must reflect Christ’s love and mercy toward me. I am no longer living for myself. “Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
I’m not perfect but He still uses me, He still loves me and I belong to Him. Nothing can change that. “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39) It’s not about me, it is about Him.
Praise God that He can use someone like me and someone like you. Keep on keeping on!
Sermon over!
An easy way to purge clothing is to turn all the hangers around so that the hook is facing out. Then each time you wear an item you turn the hanger around. At the end of the season any hangers that are still hook side out should be donated. Or you could do what I did and simply fill 4 large kitchen garbage bags with clothes and take them to the Salvation Army. Be ruthless. 
Yesterday, I finished in our master bedroom. It is wonderful to have a place to retreat and relax again. 
Other posts in this series:
- The WHY and WHAT of simplifying
- Simplifying with little ones
- Maximizing small space – Project: Master Bath
- The HOW of simplifying – Project: Art closet
- Project: Laundry area
- Encouragement in decluttering we all fail – Project: Master bedroom **You are here**
- Simplifying tips for the kitchen and discretionary areas
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Hi, I'm Kimberly. 
Wow…that is amazing. Remember there is always another room waiting :p
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Oh, it looks so nice! It’s amazing just how fast it can pile up! Praise God he loves us even when we are a mess! I hope you and your family have a wonderful Easter!
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Thanks for being real…I was getting worried!
Our master bedroom can easily turn into a dumping ground. Not only is it our bedroom, but also the baby’s room, Jeff’s recording studio/office for his home business and a dumping ground for all of the children’s clothes that are too small and need to go up in the attic (whose access is through our bedroom) I have been sl…ow….ly cleaning it this week and need to have it finished today. Company is coming tomorrow and will need access to our bathroom. I am usually too embarassed for anyone to go in there!
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I’m a bit green over the size of your room! Wow! It looks great…and peaceful!
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You made me tear up. Life IS so messy.
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I have no idea why Jonathan’s photo shows up?
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Way to go, Kimberly!
Praise God for His grace and mercy!
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WOW! You did a lot of work and it looks great! (Our bedroom is also the dumping ground.)
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Kimberly,
Your bedroom does look great, but I want to comment on your desire to show those who read your blog the “real” you. You are correct that blogs can allow people to show only that which they wish others to see. Thanks for allowing your readers to see that you aren’t perfect (through this post and especially your Not Me Monday’s) and that you depend on God’s grace and mercy each and every day.
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Thanks for sharing some very real before pictures!
But, wow — that bedroom looks fabulous! Love it!
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Thanks for sharing! I have the very same struggles. My storage room STILL looks like it did in my recent blog pictures…and I only shared the “best” of the messy pictures. With the egg hunt behind me, hopefully I can at least carve out 15 minutes a day to tackle that room. I may need a u haul to carry off all of the “get rid of” piles!
I tell myself over and over again…people before things! Oh, and I love the color blue in your bedroom. My bathroom is painted a similar color. Our bedroom is white with a pale blue ceiling!
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Thanks all. I did not want to post that picture, but it isn’t about me. Thanks be to God!
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Wow…. I am kinda at a loss of words beyond that. First off, THANK YOU for that way needed reminder. Secondly… you did an AWESOME job on your room. I need to make ours look like that too. I think my before pic would be a bit more scary than yours even. EEEK! I am currently working on the boys room. I should have taken a before pic of that closet. WOW what a project I have gotten myself into!
-A
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I have been very encouraged and inspired by your blog. We have 4 kids and homeschool too and life is not easy. Thanks for being real and all the encouragement you posted in this post. I am forwarding it to my best friend, we all could use some encouragement.
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Kimberly @ Raising Olives Reply:
February 12th, 2010 at 5:34 pm
Thank you for taking the time to let me know this post was encouraging to you. It’s easy to look good by posting only the positive, but we all have those messy bedrooms.
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I really like it that you show what being a wife and mother is really like, It is hard work, but worth it. I like the photos too. Gives me hope for our room.
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Thank you so much for your encouraging pictures and testimony. You give all of us mothers, wives, sisters, aunts and daughters hope in Christ Jesus to be better and inturn be their hope! That’s changing the world, one heart at a time for the glory of God!! Keep it up! Now, I’m going to go clean up my bedroom!
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These pics are very inspiring. I just came upon them after a day of decluttering and let me tell you I still have a long way to go with our master bedroom. I feel refreshed just looking at your before and after pics. I know I’ll feel even more that way once I get our room where I’d like it to be. Thanks!
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I am about to start cleaning out/organizing our master and came back to read your post for encouragement!
The mid-wife reminded me that my room needed to be clean before the baby is arriving…how embarrassing!
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Kimberly @ Raising Olives Reply:
May 26th, 2010 at 3:07 pm
I just recently had to re-do our bedroom. It’s so lovely and relaxing when it’s tidy, but it can so quickly get out of control.
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Thank you for this post. I am in the midst of a whole house declutter preparing for our friends and their baby to move in with us for the next two years while the Husband finishes school. I am being ruthless, but have been quite overwhelmed to say the least! Thank you for showing me that I am not the only one who struggles in this area! I just prayed for you and yours!
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[...] Since tomorrow’s 4 Moms, 35 Kids open house area is bedrooms (you are going to link up, aren’t you?), I thought I’d share some of our tips to make it easier to keep large family bedrooms tidy. I’m no expert in this area. Although I’ve had 15 years experience managing bedroom cleanliness, the master bedroom has still been known to get out of control. [...]
Excellent! Glad you got it done. I’m in the process, too, of decluttering. One of my major struggles has been paper. 10 children, 25 years of homeschooling leads to stacks of stuff. This summer I came up with a filing system- 1 folder per child per year. It’s taken hours, but I can now find things and put things away quickly. Also, I’ve begun saving and organizing photos, memories, etc. electronically. I am using Legacyit.com. They save everything in several places, have an easy to use format, protect privacy, and the first 50 items are free. They even have a time line, so as I file letters and photos, I can view them in chronological order.
One other tip is that I always put clothes I just wore to the right of my closet. Periodically I look at what’s to the left and can give those unused items away.
God bless! Laurel
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Thanks for sharing. I have been struggling with keeping up with my house work. Just the other day I was looking at your pictures and I thought, if she can keep an organized home why can’t I. My house isn’t dirty, but with 7 of us there is always something left lying around. I needed to see that you are human and so am I!
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Kimberly @ Raising Olives Reply:
June 9th, 2011 at 5:01 pm
There is always something left out here also, very human!
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Thank you for being honest and real. Your room looks awesome now!
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Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing this! I have been trying to dredge up the courage to even face my bedroom – and also to blog about it. I am always most encouraged when others are open about such things – but it doesn’t make it easy. Thanks.
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