As you know, I have been doing the 31 Days to Clean challenge and have been sharing each day with you all. I am excited to announce that from now till 12 noon EST tomorrow you can download it for just $1! That is a savings of $3.99! YOU TOO can jump in and join me. True, you will not be on the same day as I am but you will still get the amazing benefits of clearing out the clutter from your heart and your home as you go through each day of this e-book.
~Day 11~
Limitations
Boy did this chapter speak to me. Sometimes I forget that I can’t do everything…that I DO have limitations. I have had the thought before that if I could just function on an hour less of sleep each night then maybe I could get more done. Well, that is not healthy. My body requires a set amount of sleep and when I don’t get it, my health (mental & physical) is affected. Thank God for His grace that covers me. Even on days when I don’t get the dishes done, the clothes folded, the toilet scrubbed, it is ok. I can not beat myself up over these things. As long as I am able to do a little at a time and things are getting done, we are good.
~Day 10~
Feeling Overwhelmed
Boy have I ever felt overwhelmed! As I mentioned in my last post, when I keep putting things off and then try to do what should be done (and should have been done long before!) I am very overwhelmed by all that I need to do.
I did learn from the Fly Lady years ago that “You can do anything for 15 minutes” so I will set a timer and do a little quick clean up for just that short amount of time and it really makes a difference.
This chapter mentioned getting rid of stuff and focusing on the “big picture”, you know, how things will look when you get it all under control. I do frequently get rid of stuff. We take stuff to Goodwill almost weekly. I do picture my end result in my mind and will hopefully have it all the way I want it soon.
The Mary Challenge – Relax and envision what you want your home to be like. Come up with a big picture and ask God to help you create that.
The Martha Challege – Clean the living room window treatments and the inside of the windows. (I didn’t realize how nasty those things could get! WOW!)
~Day 9~
Overcoming Laziness
I used to be a lot more diligent about getting things done but for the past two years or so, I have been guilty of being lazy. I find myself not wanting to do what needs to be done and thinking that I could just do it later but then would be overwhelmed by the amount I would have to do when I actually would finally get around to doing it. I think it all started when I wasn’t feeling well due to my gall bladder and then after surgery to remove it, I had a hard time recovering and went through a little bit of depression because I wasn’t able to do what I needed to do. I have been trying to get back on track recently by setting reminders in my phone with alarms telling me what to do each day.
The Martha Challenge for the day was to pray for God to give me a spirit of diligence every time I felt like saying “I will do that later” instead of just doing what needs to get done and then doing it with an obedient heart.
The Mary Challenge was to sweep, vacuum and mop the kitchen floor and then brighten up the kitchen with fresh flowers. I did it all but get the flowers.
Day 8 ~ Overcoming the Curse
Yeah, sometimes it seems as though we can’t overcome the curse…but we can! We have to make sure it doesn’t control us. If our homes and the mess in them become overwhelming and causes us stress, we have to turn it around and take control over the situation. Yes, we may feel like we are fighting a losing battle sometimes because we don’t see a reward but we have to remember, our reward is NOT here on earth. We are working toward a much higher level reward than can ever be obtained here. I remember a few years ago when I was in a women’s Bible study, my leader was talking about finding joy in everything you do…including cleaning the toilets, wiping noses, even scooping the litter box…JOY in that??!! Well, it does say in 1 Thessalonians 5:16 to REJOICE always…ok, well I guess I better! And what about what it says in Colossians 3:23-24? Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Did you read that??? It said WHATEVER I do…Yep, that includes that nasty job of cleaning out the litter box. Taking care of my home, my family, my life is something that I DO take joy in. Yes, there are some days that I don’t feel very joyful but I know that I am doing it for the Lord so I keep on keeping on.
The “Mary” Challenge was to think back to a time when God refined your character through difficult circumstances. There was a time in my life when I was very bitter and didn’t like certain people. One morning, I was watching Joyce Meyer and she mentioned a quote about holding grudges being like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die…that really hit home for me. So, I prayed to forgive those who I was holding grudges against and started to have a more compassionate heart towards them. It really has made me a much happier person.
The “Martha” challenge was to clean out the kitchen drawers…check!
Next stop, day 9!
Day 7 was about THE CURSE…no, not the womanly curse we deal with monthly, the other one where we clean one room and walk out only to come back and it looks like a tornado has hit. Why is that? Well, according to our author, it is because of The Curse. In the Bible it says that God told Adam that because he didn’t obey, he would have to work to make things happen. Oh and yes, we do. I know I do. I can’t just sit around and little magical creatures clean my house and cook my meals. I have to do it or it won’t get done.
Sara Mae challenged us to read Romans 8:20
and think about our hope in the Curse. It gives me hope all right! All of these things I am doing here, even though they make me tired, will soon be gone and I will be in a place where I won’t have to clean anymore and all will be glorious.
The Martha challenge was to clean out and organize my pantry. I am proud to say that this was already done so I didn’t have to do much. Which was a good thing since I slept a lot on the 7th since I had been at Relay for Life all night!
This chapter tells about using “The Six List”. This is writing down each night a list of six things you want to accomplish the next day. She tells about how she started doing this when she was involved in a direct sales company and learned about it through her training. I also learned a lot during my years in direct sales. I use many of the things I learned through the many conventions and meetings I attended over the years in my current business as well as in my ministries.
The Mary challenge was to print out the “Six List” and use it for six days in a row. Instead of printing, I will be using the Cozi app on my phone.
The Martha challenge was to clean out & organize my kitchen cabinets. Since I was getting ready for Relay for Life, I did not do it today but will take care of it on Monday.
This chapter was about priorities…something I have been trying to get in order lately. As a wife and homeschool mom, I sometimes find myself overwhelmed and buried by things that I am involved in. When I start feeling like this, I have to stop and re-evaluate my life to see what needs to change. A friend of mine once told me that any good fruit tree must be pruned regularly in order to bear good fruit. So, occasionally I need to prune, cut back, things in my life.
What are my priorities?
1. God – He is my top priority. My relationship with Him is so important. I have “Coffee with the King” each morning and if I happen to miss it, I feel lost. I want everything I do throughout my day bring honor and glory to Him.
2. Husband – I want to honor him and make him proud to have me as the one he is with for a lifetime. I want him to want to come home to me and know that no matter what happens during the day, he has me to be there with an open mind, tender heart and loving arms when he walks in the door.
3. My children – I want to be there for them anytime they need me to be. To listen to them and not judge and criticize them. I want them to feel safe talking to me about anything. I want to teach them how to love everyone through my example.In our homeschooling, I want to make sure they are learning academics that will help them succeed in life.
4. Home – I want my home to be a safe, nurturing environment for all who enter. I need to get back on track and get things organized so I can accomplish this.
5. Ministry – or should I say ministries…I am involved in so many and I love them all but I know that I can not allow them to come before God, my husband, my children and my home. It took me awhile to realize this and sometimes when I notice that things are out of whack, I have to stop and put all the pieces where they go to get my little world back on track.
6. Business – As a home based business mom, sometimes work seems to take over. I find myself telling my kids “I can’t play with you right now because I have to finish this job”, which is ok sometimes but when it starts to be all the time, something is wrong. This is where I have had to seriously readjust my priorities lately. I have gone back to having “work hours” and it is better for me. I have less stress and more time to make sure that priorities 1-5 are taken care of first.
7. Personal – No, I am not putting myself last. This category includes my personal hobbies such as reading, writing, Bunco, hanging out with my friends, etc. I DO take time for these but not over everything else.
So, there you have it…my priorities list. Sure, sometimes it gets mixed up and I have to fix things but when these are all lined up properly, life is good 🙂
Be blessed!
This chapter was about making your home a comfortable place for people. A place that isn’t so “perfect” that people don’t feel welcome. She says clean is not just about getting rid of clutter but also about making a place where people feel welcomed and loved…isn’t that what I said I wanted in my day 1 post?
I remember when I was a young mom and I didn’t think that I could be a good hostess because my house was too small, too cluttered, my dishes didn’t match…heck, my furniture didn’t even match! Fortunately, I had some great mentor moms who I met through MOPS and through the W.O.W. Bible Study at Crosspointe Baptist Church in Millington. These women taught me that those things didn’t matter.
The Mary challenge for today: Invite a friend over. I didn’t do it today…It is hard this week with my schedule. I will try for next week. But, you can ask anyone, I love to have people over so this challenge isn’t going to be hard to do.
The Martha challenge was to clean out the microwave and oven. I did the microwave last week so it was still ok. The oven just needed to be wiped out.
In this chapter, Sarah Mae’s sister in law, Renee, gave us a list of 10 things that bring life to your home. Things like the way we speak to each other, accept each other, love each other as well as how things are organized and decorated.
We honestly show love to our families and ourselves by how we care for our home. The Mary challenge was to find out from my family what makes them feel the most loved when it comes to caring for my home. The Martha challenge was to dust the tops of refrigerator and cabinets and to clean the outside of doors and cabinets. I didn’t take a picture…sorry.
Christie Jarvis Connects 