Php 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
...I think he hit the nail right on the head. I think that being content in WHATEVER
It's a daily DECISION that one makes!!
Now-a-days with all the Beautiful things/furniture we see in stores, ideas we see in Magazines, Billboards, Pinterest, etc. I think it's easy to get dissatisfied with what we own and always want more.
Now you know me, I LOVE finding new ideas in My BHG magazine or on Pinterest...but I try to take WHAT I HAVE and make that new idea work.
I don't have a written out cleaning schedule (yet) but I'm going to list some things here that help me manage the never ending process of laundry, dirty dishes, cooking meals, etc.
I'd LOVE to hear ideas from YOU as well. =)
~As I told y'all earlier, My Moma taught us to NEVER go to bed without knowing what you are going to serve for your main meal the next day. That way you can put the meat in the 'fridge to thaw, etc.
~I like to Mix up cookie dough and only bake part of it, so that I can store it in the 'fridge for homemade cookies later that week.
~I'm trying to make sure my dishes are all washed up the night before, so I don't have that mess facing me when I go to make breakfast the next morning.
~After each meal our kids pick up their own plate, bowl, utensils, glass, garbage, etc. and take them to the kitchen. If there's time, they each wash their own dishes. If they are in the middle of the school day and there's not time to wash their own dish, then they at least helped me by clearing off the table and putting their things in the sink.
~After each meal I try to wash up dishes, wipe the table, and sweep the floor, so that if someone comes, my house looks presentable. (If for some reason I don't have time to do the dishes right then, I at least put them in the sink, so that my table looks nice and clean. =)
~Like I mentioned in my laundry post, I try to do at least 2 loads of laundry a day. (You have to realize that I have NO DRYER...so I have to CARVE out an extra 30 - 45 mins. to HANG the first load before I can start the second.)
~Each night I try to make sure that my living room and dinning room are straightened so that if I have a surprise visitor in the morning I'm not mortified. =)
~I try to vacuum, clean bathrooms, and dust once a week. Some ladies can do it more often, but with homeschooling 3 children and keeping a 2 and 4 year old entertained, I don't have lots of extra time on my hands. =)
It's easy for me to wish I were in the USA...or at least had the conveniences I could have if I were there.
Like a DRYER for instance...rather than having to find time to hang up EVERY. LAST. SOCK I just washed!
A Dishwasher, rather than hand-washing Everything (And most of the time by myself during the day, for my girls are busy studying.)
And a CAR that I could just jump into and run get my groceries, rather than walking a MILE one way dragging a cart behind me to go grocery shopping.
However, I don't think that would be being CONTENT in whatever state I find myself in.
My white kitchen floor in this rental home may appear Gray-ish some of the time, and my SPIRAL stair well walls WHICH HAVE NO HANDLE may be covered with little fingerprints...as my babies hold on for SAFETY going up and down...but I know that my sweetheart LOVES me, yummy home-made smells are coming from my kitchen, and my kids are happy...so I'm content! =)
I LOVE to swap ideas with other ladies. =)
13 comments:
Well, #1? "Cooking and scrubbing can wait 'til tomorrow,
For babies grow up
we've learned to our sorrow!
So, quiet down cobwebs,
dust go to sleep,
I'm rocking my babies
and babies don't keep!"
~ Or in my stage: I've been up all night comforting a hurting little boy, or mending/making a special garment for my little girl, or laundering something special for my other son...so this mommy who used to THOROUGHLY clean her house every week, wash all the windows and screens every other month, etc, etc? Jesus gave her a new set of values. Someday my children will be gone and other younger ladies will take over Junior Church activities and Homeschool Field Trips and making the visitor treats...then I'll get my house perfectly clean and...? Meantime, it's a "lick and a promise" here and there and "being there" for my family as my priorities. You're doing a good job, Heather! Keep doing what you're doing and one day Jesus will say, "Well done, good and faithful servant! Enter into the joy of your Lord ~ and here's a clean, perfectly decorated mansion to enjoy for eternity!"
Love, Aunt Nesi
I'm afraid I don't keep this up now that my children are all gone, but when my home was filled with children and so much to do, I tried to always do one little thing each day that didn't have to be done again for a month or more. It seemed to help me stay on top of keeping the home tidy and not allowing chores to bog me down. Also, I've always made it a habit to never procrastinate folding a load of laundry. Piled up clean laundry just makes more tasks as it gets all wrinkled and can even get scattered around and soiled. Which means more laundry to do. Ugh! Having a menu for the week with all necessary groceries on hand helps even when there's just hubby and me to cook for now.
Man alive Heather!!
I'm looking at a MOUNTAIN of clean clothes to fold and put away and another MOUNTAIN to wash and dry. My couches have books, book bags, clothes, yarn and shin guards on them. The front door is littered with shoes. The kitchen is filled with dirty dishes and I will not even go into what needs to be done in the bathrooms. And here I sit!
I am amazed by you. You are my hero in so many ways. Mostly for your love of Jesus and your family.
Love you,
Aunt Libby
Looks like you have a real helper, Mary,. I'm so glad my kids are grown, I remember having to juggle everything. I am spoiled now. You are such a neat example of Christ!! It is the devils job to try to get us in an uncontent state but I'm glad Jesus can help us no matter where we are. Love you so much.
Hi, Heather! Thanks for stopping by my blog (I seem to forget it for weeks and weeks!) :) I've been thinking of you all and love it when you post! I would love to be able to visit with you, so it makes it seem like that when I read your blog :) Love to you all! Hope you have a wonderful weekend in Jesus!
I love your ideas, Heather! I, too, like to have all the dishes done each night - my hubby still can't figure out why I can't sleep if there's dirty dishes in the sink! =) And it has been such a help now that the little ones are getting big enough to have their own jobs - they each clear their place at the table after meals, they put away their own laundry, take out trash, etc. They like to help, and it helps me, too! Our biggest challenge right now is keeping the floors cleaned - we have a lil guy that wanders around the house with a cracker in each hand, and trails of crumbs following him ;) I, too, have noticed how easy it is nowadays, what with blogs and pinterest and all, to become discontent and to want for more. But when I really think about it - we have SO MUCH! And we have ALL we need, so I refuse to give in to discontentment :) Thanks for the great reminder!!
One thing I need to learn these days, is to get to bed before the alarm rings to get up for the new day of duties. So here I am at the computer, and it's almost time for dad to jump out of bed for the day. With no children at home, and with my Fibromyalgia I just try to do the best I can with a 'weird' schedule of being awake half the night. And I am so thankful when we have no overnight visitors because that way, I am free to roam the house all night. When we have company, I have to stay in bed, so our guests won't be disturbed during sleeping hours. Smile.
I must confess, I am so blessed to have a little cottage of my dreams, I get to stay home in my own United States, I have all the accumulated 'goodies' an older woman could ever hope to have, and I have my own 1st husband that is as handsome to me, as he ever was. But although all of it is delightful, I still look forward to seeing Heaven. I know it will surpass all the contentment I am experiencing in this life. And to finally get to see Jesus, who is our 'invisible' King in this life, will far surpass my dear husband's charms. "I'm going higher, yes, higher some day. I'm going higher, some day...." But I've rambled on and on!
I love hearing about all your daily duties and chores, although it makes me really tired to ponder all you are required to do to keep up with a family of your size in a country such as Colombia. And on that note, I'm closing this comment and jumping in bed just as fast as I can! I am TIE-ERD!
With love, your mother-in-law
Amen to your post and to the comments! Contentment comes from within for sure. I put into practise many of the things you suggest...it keeps us organized, not so stressed and smiling at each other throughout our days! Thanks for this post. Love ya lady...Carla
This is absolute Child abuse! You have us reading this post and praising you . . . until we got to the pictures and saw that it is really that Baby Mary who is making you a success! Your post was absolute darling and I loved it's every word and of course the pictures! :-) Love a "contented Moma and Gram, thanking Jesus for a blog that can help us see your dear family in Colombia. And thanking Jesus that He chose to use You!
Dearest Heather,
I LOVE this post!!! Wow, you stay VERY busy! I love all the ideas! My goal is to make my home as clean, and neat, as I can with as few unnecessary steps as possible! I figure we may not have the nicest things, but we can clean what we have. Cleaning the bathroom fast everyday saves a nasty job. I don't get it done everyday, but I don't have to feel bad it will get done tomarrow or the next. I do the 1-2 batches of laundery a day this helps me sooooo much. Well, NEED to get some sleep! Love and Prayers, Hannah Klunder
Glad Mary "Learned" to be Content by that last pic! Seriously, as I go about my cleaning, working, baking I often wonder if the song that's in my heart is on my face too!=) Love you and my daily prayer as of late is: "Lord, give me a contented heart!" Much Love, Laura
P.S. Sorry, I missed this post somehow and for some reason!=)
Oh, Heather, I admire you so very much in all that you do for your family. Jesus gave you a lot of talent and you use it every day in caring for them and others.
Since the advent of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue sometime in the 1990s, I struggle everyday to keep my home in order, even now when it's just me most of the time, unless the grands are here (usually a couple weekends a month).
But one thing I make a point of doing is always cleaning the kitchen before going to bed and also to keep the toilet bowls clean as it only takes a minute. After I brush my teeth I clean the sink. I don't do a good job of keeping the bathroom counters neat and orderly, though.
My biggest struggle is sweeping/mopping floors and vacuuming as they take strength and energy--Uncle Dan has done those chores for me for years. Luckily I usually only have to do that after the grandkids have visited now so that's only a couple times a month.
I procrastinate on laundry since it's only me now but one thing I don't do is let clean laundry sit. Because I dislike folding wrinkled towels and ironing wrinkled clothes, I immediately fold or hang up on hangers. They don't always get put away in closets and drawers though...sometimes they hang in the laundry room or sit on the couch, although neatly folded and readily available if needed.
These days even going to a church service is tiring for me so I try to conserve my energy for important things such as going to church. Some people don't always understand why I don't go more places, do more things, but Jesus knows and that's what counts. :)
I love you guys and pray for you every day. Hugs to all, Aunt Ellen
Thank you, Aunt Ellen, for this nice comment. Thanks for these good tips you shared! It sounds like you do a good job keeping up with your housework what with all you suffer physically! I'm SO SORRY! Phillip and I try to pray for you every day.
Yes you are right! Jesus knows what each of us can handle and do for Him! Keep encouraged in Jesus.
Consider yourself (((hugged))),
~Heather~
Post a Comment