Zechariah 4:6

I struggle with keeping my house clean. Really, I struggle with being consistent with anything. But housekeeping seems especially hard. I don't have the energy or I don't have the motivation or I don't have the time or I don't know  where to start or... or... or... I have a lot of excuses.

But here's what it boils down to... I have no excuses. I am indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and as such I have the power through Jesus Christ to do all that He has commanded me. The Spirit that lives within me is the same Spirit that created the world! And so it is foolish of me to make excuses for why I cannot run a household that is glorifying to the Lord, just as it is foolish for me to try to accomplish the tasks He has set before me by my own strength.

My largest struggle seems to be with self control, in many areas. But we have two natures - one is the sinful nature that we are born with, and the other is the nature of the Spirit we are given by Him. The first nature, the old nature, the sinful nature, seeks selfish ambition. But the fruit of the Spirit is self control. They are contrary. (Galatians 5)

And so, it is not by my might, nor by my power, but by His Spirit that I seek to follow Him and complete the tasks He has given me. My selfish ambition tries to run my home in a way that is pleasing to me, that demonstrates my creativity and ability to run a home. But it's not about me or my ability. And I have well proven that my ability is not sufficient for the task He has given me. So if I am to exercise self control, it will have to come from the Spirit, as fruit of His work in my life.

It's not about me.

There. I said it. So, if my house begins to fall into order, if I begin keeping up with the tasks at hand, you will know that it is a testament to the power of the Holy Spirit. May the Lord be glorified in my home!
 

Getting SOME stuff done, at least....

I may be moving slowly today at getting things done, but I'm at least getting SOME things done. I hung a curtain in the doorway to the wrapping center / seasonal storage area in the basement, and I hung skirts around the wrapping table and the utility sink to hide some of the clutter and tie things together down there. I think that looks pretty nice now! I am also doing laundry, which means I have one load in the washer, one in the dryer, and another that needs to go in. I also have a couple loads from last week that still need to be put away.

Ellie's watching a video right now, so hopefully I'll be able to get some of that laundry put away in the next 30 minutes. I'd really like to make my bed, too... the bedroom is a disaster.

Monday again...

Why is it that on Sunday night I am so excited to get everything back in order and then on Monday morning I just can't seem to make myself do it? What is up with that?

Weekly Decluttering Tip

This came in my inbox today, and I thought it was good to remember:

Declutter first. Buy containers second.

When it comes time to get organized, is your first step a trip to your favorite store to pick up storage bins? If so, and if you haven't always been satisfied with your organizing efforts, tuck this tip into your back pocket:

Declutter first. Buy containers second.

Here's why:  When you declutter you let go of things you no longer use, need, or love. This gives you a better feel for which items need to be stored and where to store them, leading to smarter container selection – and happier end results!

Monday, Monday...

Tomorrow is Monday.

A new day.

A new week.

I don't have anything planned as far as places I need to be, and I'm thinking Monday and Friday always need to be stay at home days. So... Monday. I suppose if I want to maintain my routines, I should start by just doing them. That means tomorrow's routine is...

1. Morning Routine
2. Change Sheets / Towels
3. Laundry - wash sheets and towels
4. Weekly Home Blessing Hour (10 minutes each)
1. Clean toilets / showers
2. Dust living room, bedrooms, office, bathrooms (Ellie can help dust)
   
3. Sweep kitchen, bathrooms, entryways (Ellie can "sweep" too)
   
4. Mop kitchen, bathrooms, entryways
5. Vacuum carpeted rooms
6. Clean mirrors, windows, doors
5. Musical Monday!

That should get my week off to a good start. If I have time for other things after that, I'll tackle other projects, but for right now I'll stick with trying to get through my Monday routine. Well, and unpacking from my trip the rest of the way and putting away laundry. That's my list!

I never thought I'd see the day

But I just emptied the last two bags of bread flour and wheat flour into the containers in the house. I'm also completely out of all purpose flour. I'm actually going to have to buy flour! We've had a store of flour in the freezer for so long I was beginning to think we would never run out. Guess we have!

Pizza Night

Ellie requested pizza for dinner tonight, so I guess that's what we're doing. Today is a stay at home day (which was planned anyway, but especially with all the snow and icy roads!) so we'll be making the pizza together. It should be fun! Maybe we'll make the crusts together during the day and bake them, then let everyone put their own toppings on for dinner. That sounds good!

Now I guess the question is... what do we have for toppings? I haven't done a survey of the pantry/fridge since I got home from TX, so...

Toppings:
* Spinach
* Feta
* Greek Olives
(Those sound like they'd  make a good pizza for Leif!)
* Frozen peppers
* Canadian Bacon
* Onions

I really wish we had some pineapple! But alas, the pantry has none. I guess it goes on the grocery list!

So maybe Ellie and I will have Canadian Bacon pizza and Leif can have a yummy Greek pizza. I'm not big on spinach on my pizza or I'd have it too. I will puree some spinach and "hide" it in the sauce, though! =D