Making our Homes a Haven: Cleaning

With homekeeping being my focus this week I thought I would share my daily/weekly cleaning schedule, the picture wouldn't work so here is the schedule...


Home Management Schedule:
Daily…

Morning
Swish and swipe bathroom
Make beds and put clothes away (where they go)
Clear sink
Light candles
Fold & Put away clothes

Evening
Vacuum, sweep & Mop
Shine Sink
Straighten House
Plan & Set up next school day
Wash Clothes

Weekly…

Morning
Playroom (Monday)
Bathroom (Tuesday)
Kitchen (Thursday)
Livingroom (Friday)

Evening
Hallway (Monday)
Boy’s Room (Tuesday)
Girl’s Room (Thursday)
Master Room (Friday)

Wednesday is a “Clean-Free” Day!!
Saturday is set aside for Outside & Window cleaning!!


I love it, it works for me and if I don't find the time to clean in the morning it is just added to the evening which is a little after 4:00, usually. And I love my Wednesday's being free :0). Monica is encouraging us to get busy and focus on Cleaning our home in our attempts to honor Him in Making our Homes a Haven, yesterday was Tidy Up(my update is coming). Today as I work diligently to balance being a teacher, mother and homekeeper I will find my strength from Christ who is my hope and my joy. It can becoming very overwhelming at times when I am being called to be all three at once and it is in those moments that I must focus on this idea of making my home a haven for my family.

This morning I had a brief moment of communion with the Lord before I drifted off to sleep on my couch. I woke praying again and then took some time to meditate on His word with a cup of coffee. The words that I will carry with me today are from Matthew 16:25 "Whoever loses his life for Me will find it"along with the thought of Elizabeth Elliot, "The only escape from self-love is self-surrender."

My list for today looks like this...

*Family Meditation and Dedication time
*School from 9:00-12:00 (Clean the Playroom when I find a chance)
*Lunch (Clean the Floor, moping and scrubbing)
*Reading Time for Littles ( Clean Living Room)
*Family Art
*Rest-Bible Study and Prayer with Superman
*Clean Bathroom
*After Rest and Bible Story/Snack time take time to Clean Boys room
*2 Loads of Laundry: washed, folded and put away!

For dinner we will have our favorite: Homemade Pizza with a Salad.

Something extra that I will hopefully have time to work on today is a Praise and Thanksgiving Jar for us to focus our heart each day.

JOYfully in Him,

Making Home a Haven

"Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.... Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?" Matthew 24:42,45

When I read this verse I reflect on my calling as a servant of God... wife, mother and homekeeper and how faithful and wise I am? I am serving Him in complete consciousness or just unconsciously all the while. Am I just going through the motions or is my whole heart in it, my hands are moving but what about my heart? is it following closely behind or is it no where to be seen? The Lord has called me to serve Him wholeheartedly with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength... and that can not be done unconsciously.

When speaking about the Lord coming back I don't think of serving in fear but more in anticipation and joy of His return! When He comes, like a thief in the night, will I be ready as the wife of His servant, the mother of His children and the keeper of His home? Each day that He so graciously gives me is another opportunity to prepare for His possible coming. Can you imagine your beloved being gone for years and you know that he could return at any moment, in your sincere love for him you would keep your heart and mind pure and your hands and feet busy at his unknown coming. This is how we, I think, should live in our callings as we wait for His unknown coming. We are the bride of Christ awaiting His arrival, hopefully soon.

Practically when I walk around my home thinking about what this means I turn to the Proverbs 31 example, the image of a woman who was conscious in her daily high and holy calling. She was the woman that Titus spoke of when he told the older women to train the younger women... we can read that text of scripture and then see an example of what God was talking about in Proberbs 31. She is our ultimate vision as women living out His calling on our lives and she is the vision of a woman who lives in joyful expectation of her Lord.

This week at The Homespun Heart, Monica is encouraging us in one area of our calling which greatly reflects on the other 2 of being a wife and mother... Making Our Home a Haven. (HT to my amazing and encouraging friend Amy, thanks!)

To me - it means being intentional about investing in my home. The actual dwelling, those who live there, time together, and of course, others who will enter. Being focused on God in light of our responsibilities at home creates a precious view of our homes and our families.

Monica's personal reflection on what haven means to her above encouraged me to think about what it means to me. For me it is simply the dwelling place of our heart, a place where Christ is alive, where His peace reigns and provides shelter from the world that surrounds us, it is the place of launching His righteousness through our lives and children, it is the place where we are not only loved but loved, accepted and embraced even in our quirky-ness and where His grace is supreme. Making our home a haven means being conscious, staying awake in this highest and holliest calling of being a keeper of His home! A home is not always these things, but a haven is. A home is often fleed by its dwellers, a haven is the place we flee to. A home is not always safe, secure and sacred but a haven is... a haven of His righteousness always is. That is why our homes are not only havens for the indwellers but also the passerbys and daily visitors as some of them will flee their homes to dwell under the refuge of His righteousness found in the haven's we consciously labor in love for our family but mostly for our Lord.

This week I am going to be focusing on being a home keeper for the Lord... seeking Him in this calling... devoting myself to ways to improve and enhance my home keeper duties. Being a home keeper is not all about just keeping our homes clean, there is much more involved.

Today's challenge is to Tidy Up!!

(I will update tonight hopefully with pics)

JOYfully in Him,

Morning Devotion

This morning I woke up only half heartedly ready to devote my day in service to the Lord. It is the beginning of a new week but I still feel somewhat hung over or burnt out from last week's busy and exciting schedule. These are the moments when I must simply walk obediently in faith... in discipline not so much desire and motivation. Sitting here on my couch looking out the window at the leaves softly and silently falling to the saturated ground from last nghts rain I feel calm and peaceful but I know that if I sit here to long I will begin to feel slow and lazy...

A Beautiful Life

I can not help but think about how beautiful life is or how beautiful it could be if we could but learn how to be free... and live simply in our Father's love... forsaking the cares of this world.

Steven Van Kranenburg meets his sponsored child

May COMPASSION burn with us drawing us closer to His heart.

A Very Special Day

Today we celebrate Reformation day, the day Martin Luther nailed the 95 Thesses to the Roman Catholic church. We celebrate Halloween, the day we simply enjoy dressing up and getting candy while trying to be lights in the dark places of this holiday. But around here it is mostly the day we celebrate the day God gave us our first born, Superman. The BiG: 8. Only... 2 away from double digits and 3 away from a teen.

Superman was given to us 8 years ago today... I am amazed at the boy that he is becoming and overly proud. He gives us such JOY each time he walks in the room.

Happy Birthday my "Superman" ELI

Then...

Now...

JOYfully in Him,

I Saw what I Saw ~ Sara Groves

Abandon Tradition

Jessica Leah Springer - "As John 4:23 says, Its time, as worshipers of God, to give him all we have. For when he is exalted, everything about me is decreased. So many times we stand in the way of really stepping into the secret place of worship with God. Just abandon tradition and the "expected" ways of Praise & Worship and get lost in the holy of holies with the sole intention of blessing the Fathers heart."

JOYfully in Him,

Natures Lesson

I am so drawn to the colors and beauty of Autumn. This season never ceases to amaze and captivate me. To listen to the leaves celebrate joyously above and below as they fellowship in the trees and dance along the pavement. To watch them gently and silently journey through a frozen moment in time to a place beneath them I can not help but feel His peace and His grace. Observing His wonders of nature my heart is softened and gratitude and joy rejoice from with in me and the cross becomes clear in the moment and the so called trials of life are brought into a Christ centered and God gloryfied vision.

Everyday we face our own personal set of trials and struggles that if we look at them with out the lens of Christ will appear hopeless and pointless but with Christ they are seen in a new light, a God honoring, high and holy purpose to bring us closer to the image of His son and to bring about His purposes. Life has a tendency to become overwhelming and hopeless and can at times be extremely painful so it is important for us to keep our perspective clearly focused on God, His word, His Son, His Spirit and His holy purposes and goodness.

JOYfully in Him,

By Your Side

You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverence. Psalm 32:7 NIV

JOYfully in Him,

His Will

Have you ever feared what the Lord's will for your life was? I am at a place where I fear selfishly what His plans are for me personally... am I ready? am I strong enough... mentally... physically? is my faith where it should be? I don't fear that His will is not good, for I trust that His plans for my life whether I agree or accept them right away are good and perfect and better than mine could ever be! I just fear that His will for me is going to be hard...

I long to say with my whole heart what Mary said to the angel in Luke 1:38 "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." Oh the JOY of complete surrender to His holy will.. how I long to throw my hands up in the air releasing all my plans and ideas up into His hands.

In this moment where my inner flesh cries out in pleas of mercy from the possibility to come of the hard work that will cause sweat and tears... I pray that the Spirit will grant me peace and faith in whatever His plans of hard work for my future may be... only to Him be the glory!!

JOYfully in Him,

Full Attention Part 2

Ignore the video images and just listen...

JOYfully in Him,

Full Attention

Oh there are so many things that the Lord has spoken to me lately that I want to share with you but I don't have the energy or desire to type them all out. Life around here is getting crazy... a little sooner than I had expected. I realized the other day that I don't reveal much about my personal life as a seminary's wife soon to be full time youth ministers wife. The Lord has been continually faithful and present in our journey and I must acknoledge Him and give Him all the praise and honor. The last 4 years have been amazing in seeing God work in our lives so personally and specifically. When I look back on His providential hand I am just amazed, where He brought us from and out of and how. Oh, he is so GOOD.

One thing that He has taught me through the years is for one to TRUST Him even when things seem impossible, TRUST Him. I believe in a soveriegn God who has complete control of everything, of me and my life. In every place light or dark, sun shining or cloud hovering place in our journey He has always been faithful and worked everything for GOOD. But another thing that I have learned as I have walked this journey of faith... to give Him my FULL ATTENTION. When deciphering His will we naturally seek godly advice from trusted men and women and they always do just that but I believe it to be important that we don't give their words our full attention forsaking the voice and will of God. His voice should always ring louder than any mans voice no matter how godly and spiritual he is. You see when we seek advice from godly people we must stand guard that we only take it as far as it is in tune with the voice of God and in order to hear His voice loud and clear we MUST give Him our FULL ATTENTION in the word, in prayer and in our personal meditation times. His will and direction for our life will be clear... just listen.


JOYfully in Him,

Only by His amazing GRACE...

"There is no more lovely, friendly or charming relationship, communion or company, than a good marriage." Martin Luther


Today is the day that we were joined in covenant with eachother as husband and wife, oh what a glorious day! It has been 8 years and I am still just amazed at where we have both come from, who we have become and the family that we have made all because of the Amazing Grace of God... the death of His son and the work of His Holy Spirit.

I am so overwhelmed with gratitude when I realize that God made us specifically for eachother... to live out His perfect specific purposes... overwhelmed.

Well... anyways... Happy Anniversary to US!

JOYfully in Him,

Record Keeping the Essentials!!

Do you keep a grade book? Does your state require attendance sheets or a portfolio? What are some of the best methods of organization that you have found to keep up with all of the school records for the year? Are you an organizational expert or do you find it to be a hassle? What about online forms--can you recommend some good sites to others? Share with us your greatest successes and your greatest flops in this area!

Okay, so before I say anything on this subject I must point out that I am organizationally challenged... but am slowly getting better! I have been thinking about it lately and how I need to find something that works for me. In Texas we are a private school and not required to report anything to the state however I want the benifits from record keeping and in years to come I may need records from our first years of homeschooling considering we live by the command of God and go where He calls us, which could be anywhere :0).

I will be honest, record keeping and organization alone scare me and quickly overwhelm me. I was not taught how to be organized and so I struggle. So let me tell you what we do right now: when Superman finishes a project he hole punches it and puts it in his subject folder and any art of his he files in his own art folder. I keep my own little records on a little calendar where everything is written down as to what lesson we are to be on each week. Last year I made a Year at a Glance and will eventually get around to doing it again this year but we really just try to enjoy the whole process of living and learning and so not all of that can be "recorded". One way though that I am keeping records is to Weekly Reports which is working out great for me personally.

I am looking forward to reading Record Keeping the Essentials from other teachers!

Vist me at my Homeschool blog: Growing Minds of Wisdom

JOYfully in Him,

The Benifits of Excercises

Sometime soon, I encourage you to take some time to dissapear in some amazing thoughts by Ann Voskamp at Holy Experience, you will be drawn in closer in your personal walk with your holy Father as you experience the joy and love in just knowing Him through her words .

JOYfully in Him,

Welcome!!

Today... is the official first day of Autumn. I felt it's presence last week when we were blessed with cool breezes that past by each morning. We left the doors open and enjoyed each cool passerby. These last days have been warmer, a lingering Summer. Today I say... Fall... Leaves... Fall.

Falling Leaves

Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away;

Lengthen night and shorten day;

Every leaf speaks bliss to me

Fluttering from the autumn tree.

I shall smile when wreaths of snow

Blossom where the rose should grow;

I shall sing when night's decay

Ushers in a drearier day.

Emily Bronte 1818-48

JOYfully in Him,

Our week in pictures

Last Friday we, as a family enjoyed a local highschool football game. The littles of course loved it. It had been 2 years since our last appearance as a family to a football game. I enjoyed the thrills of watching the game and my children.

Here is a little peek into our week along with some quotes that encourage and express the struggles of my heart right now:

Trust in yourself and you are doomed to disappointment;....but trust in GOD, and you are never to be confounded in time or eternity.

Dwight L. Moody

If I cannot hear "The sound of rain' long before the rain falls, and then go out to some hilltop of the Spirit, as near to my God as I can and have faith to wait there with my face between my knees, though six times or sixty times I am told "There is nothing', till at last there arises a little cloud out of the sea, then I know nothing of Calvary love. (Read 1 Kings 18:41-45)

Amy Carmichael

"Stand still" - keep the posture of an upright man, ready for action, expecting further orders, cheerfully and patiently awaiting the directing voice; and it will not be long ere God shall say to you, as distinctly as Moses said it to the people of Israel, "Go forward."

Charles Haddon Spurgeon





Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;

Psalm 37:5-7a

Contenment on Fire

"Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God."

Jim Elliot

JOYfully in Him,

The Boy and His Ramp

Sometimes in life as a mother you encourage your children to seek victory over things, usually things that have some serious significance in their life and sometimes you just sit back and allow them to find it themselves. It is always an amazing blessing afterwards to experience their personal victories and to see their eyes lit with accomplishment.

Superman has always been a very determined young boy in the things that grab his interest, if he puts his mind and heart on something truly on something then it is certain that at some point he will have victory over it, on this day it was his ramp that he has had for almost a year. And right now he is busy at his desk conquering Classically Cursive, he has been there for over an hour and done over 20 pages! As his mother I didn't push the ramp and was pretty nervous as I watched him but I knew he was determined and ready or else he wouldn't have done it. He really amazes me... here is the video of his very first jump:

Ignore the loud overly excited momma behind the camera!

JOYfully in Him,