31 Days To Clean Challenge Days 11&12

Sorry I missed yesterday! I was busy putting Josh’s office back together after taking it apart to paint, and cutting out sod in front of our house to make a flower bed 🙂
Day 11 was about Limitations.
And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
2 Corinthians 12:9

Life is hard, and sometimes it gets in the way of our plans. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made plans for little projects around the house and been excited to start them the next day, only to have Josh apologizing and asking if I could help him at work that day instead. (He’s a sweetheart… He always feels bad taking me away from my work to help him with his, but I love working with him!)
Sometimes things happen that get in the way of our plans and mess up our whole day, but instead of stressing about what you can’t change, pray about it and let it go. The world won’t end if you don’t get it done that day. 31 Days To Clean suggests that if you are feeling overwhelmed and life is getting in the way of your good intentions, just do one thing that brings life to your home. Vacuum, or put flowers on the table, de-clutter the living room, wash a few windows, or even just make the beds! Just something that makes you feel good and like you accomplished something. Recognize life’s limitations and don’t kill yourself with stress.

Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?

Matthew 6:26, 27

Day 12 was about Imperfection
Nobody is perfect. Even your perfect friend that has the perfect life isn’t actually perfect. I have one of those friends, and she would laugh if I told her how perfect her life is. 😉 We’re not perfect, and that’s ok! God doesn’t expect perfection, He just expects us to do our best.
Here’s and excerpt from 31 Days To Clean:

And now I must go get busy 😉 Today things are going to plan so far. Thank you Lord! 🙂 I’m planning to make the pillows for our couch today! I’ll share pictures later. 🙂

31 Days To Clean Challenge Day 9

Day 9 was about Laziness.

I used to be a very busy person. I had 5 cows to milk, horses to feed, calves to tend, chickens to care for, meals to cook, laundry to wash, and schoolwork to do. Then I got married. We moved into a small apartment with no yard. I would do nothing all day, and then an hour before Josh was coming home I could sweep the floors, make the bed, clean up the bathroom, and have dinner ready by the time he walked in. Eventually Josh suggested I start a small business which I could run from home, which is how Mountain Creek Soaps, Candles & Gifts got started. But the first couple of years of our marriage formed a habit of laziness I had never really dealt with before. Let me tell you if you don’t already know, laziness is a hard habit to break! So this subject was relevant for me.
The Bible has things to say about laziness. This verse has convicted me many times because my desire is to be the kind of woman described in Proverbs 31:
She looks well to the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.
Proverbs 31:27
Ladies, laziness is a sin, and in God’s eyes all sins are equal. We get upset about what we see as bigger sins, like murder, stealing, lying, adultery, but laziness? It’s not such a big deal right?
Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, So is the lazy one to those who send him.
Proverbs 10:26 NASB

The way of the lazy is as a hedge of thorns, But the path of the upright is a highway.
Proverbs 15:19 NASB

Laziness casts into a deep sleep, And an idle man will suffer hunger.
Proverbs 19:15 NASB

She looks for wool and flax And works with her hands in delight. She is like merchant ships; She brings her food from afar. She rises also while it is still night And gives food to her household And portions to her maidens. She considers a field and buys it; From her earnings she plants a vineyard. She girds herself with strength And makes her arms strong. She senses that her gain is good; Her lamp does not go out at night.
Proverbs 31:13-18 NASB

I think it’s a bigger deal than we think it is, and it’s certainly not what a godly woman looks like. From now on, whenever I feel lazy, or want to put something off, or feel like scrolling Facebook instead of doing dishes, I am going to pray, take those lazy thoughts captive, ask the Lord for diligence and strength, and not give in. Will you join me?

We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.
2 Corinthians 10:5, 6

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13

31 Days To Clean Challenge Days 7 & 8

The Curse and How To Deal With It

Days 7 & 8 focused on why our houses are continually getting messy and dirty and disorganized. Have you ever thought about that? Some days I feel like I’ve washed dishes ALL DAY. And I sweep and vacuum and dust and wipe, and the next time I turn around there’s more dust and cat hair and dirt and I have to do it over again. I organize a cabinet and a few weeks later it’s a mess again. And don’t get me started on the laundry!! Do you ever feel like it’s useless? You just keep doing the same things over and over and when you finish, you have to do it again. Ever wonder why that is? As the 31 Days To Clean book says, it’s The Curse. (Thanks Adam & Eve!)

“Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:17-19 NASB)

At that moment, our world went from a perfect sinless place with no death or anything unpleasant, to being in a constant state of decay and death. That is the result of sin. Here is an excerpt from 31 Days To Clean.

So, what can we do?

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4 NASB)

Our work has eternal significance. We have been given this work to do by God and we have the ability and the authority to overcome. Our endurance will make us stronger, bless our families, and bring glory to God. We can choose to complain about the constant stacks of dirty laundry and sinks full of dishes, or we can choose joy. Thank the Lord that you have clothes to wear and dishes to use, and family to use them. You are doing battle against the effects of sin as you scrub that toilet, and conquering your domain is what God has commanded you to do. These verses and commands are applicable to every part of our lives, but we usually don’t think about them pertaining to housework. So keep this in mind, and let it motivate and inspire you.

Here is my Battle Plan Six List for today 😉

I’m working on the painting now, just stopped for lunch and decided to do today’s blog post while I was at it 😉 Have a wonderful day!

31 Days to Clean Challenge Day 4

Day 4 was about making your home welcoming. A place to put your feet up. While I want my home to be clean and clutter free, I don’t want it to be SO clean and perfect that people are afraid to mess anything up. To me, a big part of making a home inviting is letting it look lived in. It’s clean, it’s lovely, but people aren’t afraid to get comfy on the couch with a throw blanket and put their feet up on the coffee table.
I am not naturally one of those clean people that has everything organized and in it’s place and everything arranged just so, however, when I decide to change something (like my housekeeping habits) I tend to go too far the other way so this was a good reminder for me.
So what are some ways to make your home an inviting relaxing place? The first suggestion in the 31 Days to Clean book made me laugh.

“1. Don’t, under any circumstances have plastic coverings on your furniture. Nothing says uncomfortable like plastic under your behind.”

Some other suggestions are to have throws and pillows (but not too many) on your couches and chairs. To many pillows are uncomfortable and get in the way but sometimes people need to put one behind their back. I have a dear friend who is 9 months pregnant, and she likes to have some back support when she sits on our couch. Unfortunately we have NO throw pillows though so she ends up using a folded throw blanket. It works but it’s not the most inviting and welcoming thing, is it!

Pillows are moving to the top of my list. 😉 (Right above getting or making a piece of artwork for that wall! Yikes!)

Also having tea and coffee ready when guests arrive and having tea ready to be made for surprise guests is a very welcoming thing to do. Yesterday I made some Red Rooibos and Orange tea sweetened with honey and put it in a pitcher in the fridge. It’s yummy 🙂 If I keep something like that all the time Josh and I can drink it whenever we want it and I’ll have something to offer the occasional friend that drops in. 🙂 Just making the tea made me feel like a good hostess. lol

The Martha challenge for this day was to clean the oven and microwave. We don’t have a microwave so I cleaned the oven and our toaster oven, which really needed it! While I was at it I wiped down the breadbox (which is currently full of seeds for my garden instead of bread). It feels good to have little things like that taken care of since those are things that sort if bug me but I never take the time to clean. 😉

31 Days To Clean Challenge Day 3

This day was all about how to give life to your home. How to raise your family’s home life above the level of mere existence. There were a list of 10 ways in the 31 Days to Clean book, but I will just share a few of my favorites
1. Retrain our tongues to give words that encourage, comfort and edify others.

2. Make our homes a place of grace where mistakes and sins are not met with anger but with love and hope.

3. Decorate our homes to make home a place of jewelry. Beauty raises life above the level of mere existence.

4. Play praise or worship music to lift everyone’s spirits. (Even king Saul in the Bible, when the Holy Spirit had left him, was refreshed and calmed by David’s worship.)

5. Ask the Lord, “What areas of our home are causing stress or bringing spiritual/emotional/mental deadness? What can I do to bring life to those places instead to make them a place of refuge?”

What are some other ways you can think of to “bring life” to your home environment?

The Martha challenge was to dust the top of the refrigerator and shelves, and clean and shine the kitchen cabinets. I never think to dust the top of the fridge!! It’s especially important for me to so though because my husband is tall enough to see the top of it every time he walks by. I can’t see it unless I stand on a chair. lol. I don’t want him to see that dusty mess all the time though so I’m trying to remember to keep up with it.
31 Days To Clean Challenge Day 3.

31 Days To Clean Challenge Day 3

This day was all about how to give life to your home. How to raise your family’s home life above the level of mere existence. There were a list of 10 ways in the 31 Days to Clean book, but I will just share a few of my favorites 🙂

1. Retrain our tongues to give words that encourage, comfort and edify others.

2. Make our homes a place of grace where mistakes and sins are not met with anger but with love and hope.

3. Decorate our homes to make home a place of jewelry. Beauty raises life above the level of mere existence.

4. Play praise or worship music to lift everyone’s spirits. (Even king Saul in the Bible, when the Holy Spirit had left him, was refreshed and calmed by David’s worship.)

5. Ask the Lord, “What areas of our home are causing stress or bringing spiritual/emotional/mental deadness? What can I do to bring life to those places instead to make them a place of refuge?”

What are some other ways you can think of to “bring life” to your home environment?

The Martha challenge was to dust the top of the refrigerator and shelves, and clean and shine the kitchen cabinets. I never think to dust the top of the fridge!! It’s especially important for me to so though because my husband is tall enough to see the top of it every time he walks by. I can’t see it unless I stand on a chair. lol. I don’t want him to see that dusty mess all the time though so I’m trying to remember to keep up with it. 😉

All Natural Air Freshener

Thanks to Pinterest, I was recently reminded that I can make my own all natural air fresheners for our home. My dad used to sometimes use orange peel, cinnamon sticks and camphor leaves, or a similar concoction and simmer it on the stove when we were having company. It always smelled AMAZING. So why did I need Pinterest to remind me? I don’t know. But I’m glad it did! Today I used tangerine peels, ground cinnamon, vanilla and rosemary sprigs to make our camper smell like heaven. Or at least, smell like I imagine heaven might. I can’t wait to use it in our “new” house when we move in next month!! Gotta love the wonderful fresh smell without loading our lungs with toxins from room sprays or artificially scented candles. And bonus! It’s cheap and I can make a different scent every day if I want. 😄