On Saturday...

I did not wake up with a renewed temperament or attitude because I was up too stinking late the night before being beaten at canasta--twice!--by my dad and my husband! Eeeeegads! It was ghastly! The cards could not have been worse. Every hand contained the Old Maid.

So I went to bed peeved and annoyed with myself for being peeved over a silly card game and peeved that it was so late and extremely annoyed with myself for being peeved that it was so late because I was peeved over a silly card game....yada, yada, yada. It was after midnight and this Christmas elf should have been in bed long before.

Saturday morning was my only hope for sleeping in and instead of my alarm waking me (I'd taken care of that by turning it off!) I awoke to the sounds of two future greats, not being so great, quarreling over a Lego piece.

Well, it almost went downhill from there and for a time it did go downhill because arguments over toys around here almost always result in stuff reduction--their stuff. I had them open every drawer, storage box and cabinet; every shelf, closet nook and cranny and under the bed was searched for errant, improperly stewarded toys.

"Organization will rule!" was the decree from snappish, haven't slept off the peeved feeling yet mom. And the games of stuff reduction began. First step is putting all like things together. Second step is throwing away broken and incomplete pieces, sets, etc. Third step is establishing the give away pile. Fourth step is reorganization of storage for remaining pieces. Fifth step is hauling the trash away. Sixth step is wiping the blood, sweat and tears that ensues from the melee.

Actually most of it occurred without too much harangue because all three were evidently aware of the connection between the wrapped parcels downstairs, their names on gift tags and mom's temperament. Delicately, delicately they worked.

And then I let them eat breakfast.

But before I went to eat breakfast I had to go to the closet and confess my peeved attitude, ask for forgiveness and most of all, for help to behave in the Spirit the rest of the day. God was faithful in answering. The rest of the day was extremely productive, beyond my wildest dreams in that my mom and dad accomplished mucho organization in the library, schoolroom and boys' bedroom.

That type of cleaning will do much for renewing an attitude and temperament. But prayer does more.

Psalm 51:7, 10 "Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me."