Keeping it Real

Ok, so I am sure that some of you wonder how I am going to achieve all this.  Well, honestly I know that I am human, and life happens.  Therefore, I also know that I will have days where everything might fall apart around me, and the schedule will be a wreck.  However, that is not the point of this challenge.  The point is to create new habits or revive lost habits within myself.

I remember being a very meticulous person when it came to the appearance of my bedroom, post 4th grade.  I say post 4th grade, b/c before that time, I shared a room with my sister, and yes we had a disaster of a room at times.  However, I also remember many times that I would clean my stuff up, then I would try and section off the room in two halves using string, tape, clothing, chairs, what ever I could find.  Generally the split room thing wouldn't last long, b/c someone would need to get to the closet, or to bed, or just needed to get by, so I would have to take it down.  However, once we had our own room, my room generally was kept very neat and organized.  I did have few spots in the room that would also have issues, but hey we all have junk drawers.  Even in middle and high school I kept an amazingly clean locker, book bag, etc.  In college, minus the "junk drawer,"  I would keep a very neat and organized room.  After my husband and I married, it was easy to keep a 600 sq ft. studio clean.  There wasn't much to tidy up, there were no kids, and we only had one bathroom.  We didn't have a washer/dryer hook-up, so laundry day was every Saturday, and since we only had one couch, the laundry couldn't easily sit around for long.  5 loads of laundry takes up tons of space.  So we generally folded and put it all away in one day.

So, what happened?  Inside, I am still meticulous, I just haven't been exerting the self-control to get it done.  We have two kids now, which means we have double the dishes, double the house, and double the laundry.  Unfortunately, I have let things get in the way from me keeping up with it.  Our house isn't huge, and it doesn't take all that long to clean.  I just don't do what I should.


So, how am I going to keep it real?  First, I will not fret if it doesn't get done.  Second, I will only schedule and plan what I think is attainable,  Last, I will trust in the Lord to help me get it done.

Proverbs 3:5-6

King James Version (KJV)

 ⁵Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

 ⁶In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Until Monday,
~Erin


Sunday is a day of rest, so I will not blog on Sundays..  God bless you and your family as you seek Him in all things!

The School Bell

From the time you enter the kindergarten, until you graduate from college, your life is ruled by the school bell.  Be there on time, move to the next class/lesson, exercise, play, practice, everything that is involved in a day at school is ruled by the clock and bell.  Even when you get into to the work field, you have certain times to be there, or do things.  Well, as a SAHM (stay at home mom), there is no bell.  There is no office to go to.  There is no governing body over you to tell you to play now, clean now, eat now.  In fact there are several days I don't eat lunch until nearly 2pm, because I forget that I haven't eaten anything since breakfast.  

Temperance or self-control is one of the Fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians.  Usually, when we discuss self-control, we talk about restraining ourselves from something ungodly, or immoral.  However, this morning I received an email from another blog, the Time-Warp Wife, in it she discussed the following verse, and how the virtuous woman used self-control to run her home.

Proverbs 31:15

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁵She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.



She woke up early to take care of her household...something that takes much self-control to not hit the snooze button and roll over.  Throughout the day we need to set our own school bells.  We need to develop self-control to get up, do dishes, do laundry, clean the toilets, play with our kids, spend time with our spouse.  All these things need self-control!  

So as part of my challenge I am using an appointment calendar to break my day into 30 minute increments.  I am creating a very detailed schedule for myself to live by.  I will either set the oven timer, or my cellphone to go off every 30 minutes to remind me that it is time to go to the next thing.


Until tomorrow,
 Erin

What I am doing and Why.

Over the last few months, I have read some books, read some blogs, and heard some messages that have challenged me personally to look at my life, and evaluate certain aspects.
1.  How is my relationship with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?
2.  How is my relationship with my Husband?
3.  How am I training and investing time in my children?
4.  What condition is my home in on a daily basis?
To sum it all up, what am I doing with my time?

Recently our family has been on a decision making roller-coaster.  My husband has been trying to make a major job decision.  With this decision, comes other decisions, do we send our daughter to Private School, if so, how do we pay for it?   Do I home-school, if so will I be disciplined enough to do the best job possible.   Do I return to work, if so, what do we do about our son?  Do we stay here, do we move?  All of the questions have been spinning in our minds for weeks and months.  With decisions, comes evaluation.  Am I ready to give up a not so structured life to return to work, or home-school?  Am I really a good wife, mother and homemaker?

The last question of the previous paragraph sums up what 31 Days to a Happier Home is all about.

31 Days to a Happier Home-A Self-Challenge to be a better servant of God, Wife, Mother, and Homemaker.

I don't expect to be perfect, or to force anyone else to do this challenge.  I am designing it for my self.  The goals I have for the 31 days are as follows:

1.  Memorize an insane amount of scripture.
------The whole purpose of this challenge is to rearrange how I am living my life and doing things.  So FIRST I must make God my priority.  I have chosen Proverbs 31:10-31.  That's right, 21 verses in 31 days.  YIKES!  I better get started, oh wait, I can't start until May 1st.

2.  Become a Better Wife
------I haven't really heard many complaints from my hubby, but I am not pleased with how I handle certain situations, or how my house looks to him, or how my time "with" him is spent.  Many days our time together is spent watching TV, while one of us is on the computer.  So in reality we really are "with" each other.

3.  Become a Better Mother
------Ok, so I have been given the best job ever.  To take care of my kids.  Not just feed and clothe them, but train them, and teecach them to Love God.

Proverbs 22:6

King James Version (KJV)

 ⁶Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Deuteronomy 6:5-7

King James Version (KJV)

 ⁵And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
 ⁶And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
 ⁷And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

4.  Become a Better Homemaker
------So what, the dishes aren't done, the laundry is piled up, the carpets aren't vacuumed, the bathroom isn't clean, sue me!  Isn't this the attitude many of us have when it comes to our home.  Yesterday, I was thinking about the fact that this IS my job, and if I were the boss, I would fire myself.  I should be proud of my home, and it should be a reflection of how I care for my family.

Bonus:  Actually have real ME time.
------So many days I spend countless hours on the computer, or watching TV.  I am not talking about doing important work, like filling invoices, or making the nursery schedule.  I am talking about Facebook, Pinterest, Craigslist, Google searching whatever.  5 minutes turns into 30, which turns into an hour, which turns into scrambling at 5:00pm to get all the laundry done, dinner prepared ( if I know what I am going to cook), getting frustrated with the kids b/c they want attention, but I wasted all of my time, their time, and work time, looking at pictures or doing whatever.  So when working out the schedule for the next 31 days, I will build in time for exercise, scrap-booking, FB/pinterest, all of the ME stuff that I complain about not ever having "time" to do....I don't have time, b/c I wasted it on non-essential computer time.


Until Tomorrow,
~Erin

Proverbs 31:27

King James Version (KJV)

 ²⁷She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness