Karen Ehman - The Complete Guide to Getting and Staying Organized: *Manage Your Time*Eliminate Clutter and Experience Order*Keep Your Family First

They call me Obsessive Compulsive Miss Order so I really thought I knew it all and more when it came to organization. Now, thanks to Karen Ehman, Im even more obnoxious than ever! Im also more peaceful, sane, and clutter-free. When it comes to managing your home, whether youre a neophyte or a sage, there is much to learn within the pages of this life-enriching book.

L ISA W HELCHEL, AUTHOR ,
C REATIVE C ORRECTION AND
T AKING C ARE OF THE M E IN M OMMY

Reading a Karen Ehman book is like sitting down with a girlfriend over a cup of tea and solving lifes problems. Shes honest, fun, down-to-earth, and incredibly practical. Karens unique twist is that she doesnt try to get you to do it her wayshe helps you find your unique organizational style!

J ILL S AVAGE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ,
H EARTS AT H OME, AND AUTHOR ,
G OT T EENS?

This book will stay front and center on my resource shelf as the go to book to getting and staying organized. Thank you, Karen, for being the organizational mentor Ive always wanted.

L YSA T ER K EURST, PRESIDENT ,
P ROVERBS 31 M INISTRIES, AND AUTHOR ,
G ODS P URPOSE FOR E VERY W OMAN

Karen gives you what you need to become a woman on top of the organization pile. She answers your dilemmas about how to declutter your life and home.

E MILIE B ARNES, AUTHOR ,
M ORE H OURS IN M Y D AY AND
101 W AYS TO C LEAN O UT THE C LUTTER

On occasion, my ducks have not only not been in a row, but someone has stolen them! Karen Ehman skillfully, realistically, and delightfully explains the good news that all of us can organize differently with assured success while arming every woman alive with humor and a doable plan.

C INDY S IGLER D AGNAN, AUTHOR ,
W HO G OT P EANUT B UTTER ON MY D AILY P LANNER ?
AND C HOCOLATE K ISSES FOR C OUPLES

Busy moms rejoice! Karen Ehman offers you guilt-free, custom-designed and family-friendly organization that really works! Karens book gave me, a work-at-home mom of five, the ability to laugh at my own organizing disasters, encouragement to find solutions, and inspiration to be better prepared to answer Gods daily call on my life.

G LYNNIS W HITWER, AUTHOR ,
WORK@HOME: A P RACTICAL G UIDE FOR W OMEN
W HO W ANT TO W ORK AT H OME

Karen Ehman rescues the overwhelmed by offering creative solutions for calming the chaos. Brimming with realistic and practical home-management ideas, readers are sure to find encouragement, avoid stress, save time, and enjoy more meaningful moments with loved ones.

G INGER P LOWMAN, AUTHOR,
H EAVEN AT H OME AND
D ONT M AKE M E C OUNT TO T HREE

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

EUGENE, OREGON

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Verses marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Karen Ehman: Published in association with the literary agency of Alive Communications, Inc., 7680 Goddard Street, Ste 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920. www.alivecommunications.com.

Cover photos Dex Image, PNC/Digital Vision, Yo/STOCK 4B-RF/Getty Images; Digital Vision Photography / Veer

Cover by Dugan Design Group, Bloomington, Minnesota

THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO GETTING AND STAYING ORGANIZED
Copyright 2008 by Karen Ehman
Published by Harvest House Publishers
Eugene, Oregon 97402
www.harvesthousepublishers.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ehman, Karen

The complete guide to getting and staying organized / Karen Ehman.

p. cm.

ISBN-13: 978-0-7369-2074-2 (pbk.)

ISBN-10: 0-7369-2074-9

1. MothersReligious life. 2. HomemakersReligious life. 3. Christian womenReligious life. I. Title.

BV4529.18.E36 2007

248.8431dc22

2007005542

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America

08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 / BP-SK / 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To my oldest and dearest friend, Kelly Hovermale.

Heres to 25 years of helping each other get and stay organized
from planning our colleges homecoming celebrations to
now being moms to seven children. Through it all youve offered
me ideas, encouragement, and the needed atta girls to keep me
plugging away and pointing toward God. I treasure our friendship.
I covet your prayers. My life is sweeter for knowing you.

To my sisters (and some brothers) in Christ, both at Hearts at Home and at Proverbs 31 Ministries: Thank you for the avenues you provide for me to speak, write, act, and serve, but most of all, to eat dark chocolate!

To Jill Savage, Mary Steinke, and all the women on the publications team at Hearts at Home, and to literary agent Beth Jusino of Alive Communications: Thanks for your part in the creation of this project.

To the fantastic folks at Harvest House publishers: Thank you for believing in me.

To graphic designer Amber Fuller and Web site creator Vicki Hughes: How God dropped you both into my life is astonishing. Your work is top-notch, and you go above and beyond the call of duty. I am forever in your debt!

To Paul Precious White: You are our familys biggest cheerleader, and your thoughtfulness does not go unnoticed. Hang in there, buddy.

To dear friends Steve and Eileen Feldpausch: I appreciate your willingness to let the boys hang out at your farm on those occasional weekends that Mackenzie and I have a speaking engagement and Todd has to work. (And with eleven kids, Im sure you dont mind two more!) You are a wonderful example of a godly and gifted family both in music and in ministry.

To my mother, Margaret Patterson: You are an amazing example of an intentional mom, and I have learned so much from you. Seeing you rely so heavily on God made me want to have a relationship with him too. Thanks, Mom. Youre the best.

To my prayer team of Pastor Tim, Kelly, Suzy, Debi, Marcia, Mary, Marybeth, Marielle, Amber, Patricia, Tammy, Dorothy, Heather, and Dr. Jennifer: Thank you for covering my family and my speaking engagements in prayer. I feel and see the fruit of your labors constantly. I would never attempt this without you!

To my children: MackenzieThank you for working on this project and serving as my personal assistant when I speak. I love watching you discover the ministry God has for you. MitchellThanks for hauling my books in and out of the van without complaining. I always wanted a long-haired, guitar-playing son who loves Jesus. Now Ive got one. SpencerWhat a boring place our home would be without you! Your song-singing, joke-cracking, impersonating, story-telling personality makes Dad and me crack up! Thanks for my lucky writing sweater. Im wearing it now! Although you all are normal siblings with the usual rivalries and occasional fights, you are also crazy about one another. It makes me smile.

To my husband, Todd: You quietly serve. You wordlessly love. Daily you model for our family what it means to be a true follower of Christ, even when no one outside of our four walls is looking. And after nearly twenty-five years, I still think youre hot!