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