AT THE WELL...keeping the home

CHELSEY is leading us in the discussion of "keeping the home "over AT THE WELL today. Chelsey is stepping on our toes here this week. No doubt the discussion will be varied and interesting as we all share our take on keeping order in our homes. Come check out what everyone has to say about this topic, click HERE!

THE DISCUSSION...

do you keep a neat and tidy home? ~If so, what do you do to keep on top of this? Schedules? Routines?

If you have children at home, do they get involved?

If you are lacking in this area, why do you think that is?

Give any practical hints or advice that work well in your home and that might could bless someone else! :)

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

I am the worse critic when it comes to asking myself if I keep our home neat and tidy. First of all, for you readers that do not know me personally, there are two things you must know about me.

1. I own my own business...yep, you guessed it right ... a CLEANING SERVICE business!
2. I have been typically described as a OCD person ...that is over compulsive disorder!

So when it comes to cleaning - let's just say...I could do it 24/7 and it would never be clean enough! (I know - I'm working on letting up alittle on this ...)

You would not find my home "spotless", but you would find me working like a busy little bee trying to get it all organized and clean to my satisfaction. When I go on one of my little cleaning spells, my kids will say to me, "Whose coming over?" (why does someone have to come over in order to have it clean I ask??)

ROUTINES, SCHEDULES?
The only routine and schedule we have at our house is DO IT everyday! That thought may seem like a dream come true for all of you clean freaks like me. But face it, life happens. We get busy.

ballgames...meetings...school projects...weekend retreats...overtime at work

If we could only eliminate all of the distractions....I believe that we could all have impeccable homes. If we lack in the area of good housekeeping, most likely one of the reasons is distractions!

In the book of Luke, we see another woman who was distracted by many things...Martha!

LUKE 10:38-40 "Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. (39) And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. (40) But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me."

I am very much like Martha! Because I am a detail/detail/detail person! Did I mention how important details are to me?

ORGANIZATION...now this is an important characteristic to have, because I do not think that Christians should be in total chaos or disorder. But being consumed with details, such as Martha was, can mean that important things will be missed. In this case, Martha missed out on spending time with Jesus...

LUKE 10:41-43 " And Jesus answered and said to her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. (42) But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."

When I read this passage, I had to look twice, I thought for sure my NIV said "Laurie, Laurie, you are worried and troubled about many things!"

ARE YOU LIKE MARTHA...and miss out on important things?

Since I am my worse critic, I decided to have my family critique me in this area of keeping the house in order. I wanted to be sure I was not missing out on "important things". Here are some of their responses:

1. "It is not solely your responsibility to clean the house"
2. "Sometimes I wish you would practice ball with me instead of cleaning"
3. "On a scale of 1-10, you score a 1000"
4. "Being a nurturer ...which you are (physically and spiritually) is more important than having a clean house"

It is so easy to be like Martha and miss out. I believe there is nothing wrong with being like Martha (aka... Laurie) but there are steps I believe that can be taken to make sure important things remain important...

a. PREPARATION...I believe Martha could have enjoyed more of Jesus like her sister if she had initiated some preparation. Prepared the meal before hand...even simplifying it.

What preparations do you initiate in your home?

• Do you plan your meals ahead of time...
• Do you lay out clothes the night before...
• Pack lunches the night before...
• Do you have a chore list that everyone can help with weekly...

b. PRIORITIZE...Martha could have been sitting at Jesus' feet as well if she would have made priorities. If Jesus' was at my table...I would most definitely want to roll out the prime rib and the best cheese cake ... would He be impressed with this or impressed that I took time for Him?

What are your priorities in your home?

• Do you spend enough time with the kids?
• Do you make special time for your hubby?
• Do you make unfulfilled promises..."I'll help you when I'm done with the laundry."
• Are you a good "time manager" in your home...do you do household chores before getting on the computer, is the laundry done before you turn the tv on, are the beds made before you play solitaire on your laptop?

Our homes should be a "safe haven" for our families. I believe that our homes should be orderly, organized and clean. This would take away so much stress that families may feel. Stress of "I can't find my shoes Mom!!!" "I have to leave in five minutes and I can't find my keys!" If you are a woman who is feeling overwhelmed in this area of keeping your home clean - you may want to initiate some help...if your family will not help then consider budgeting a cleaning service.

PSALM 51:10 "Create in me a clean heart, O god, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."

• The kids will grow....
• the ball practices will end...
• the chaos will slow down...

When I polled my family in regard to my role as keeping order in the house ...One of my son's answers really ministered to my heart. His answer says it best when it comes to what is most important, and what will be remembered most...

"Nurturing us physically and spiritually is more important than having a clean house".

HOW CLEAN IS YOUR HOUSE?

~spiritually speaking~