Simple Homemaking for Christian Women - Proverbs 31 Woman, Homemaker, Hygge, SAHM, Decluttering

Have you ever turned around and wondered where in the world has all that laundry come from?

Have you asked yourself, "How will I ever get all those dirty clothes washed?

Do you get tired of washing, drying, and putting away clothes endlessly or, if you do finish, you get discouraged because, in just a few days, you must do it all over again?

Yep! Me, too. 

However, through the years, I discovered a few tips to help streamline the entire process of gathering, sorting, washing, drying, and putting away all the clothes, sheets, and towels.

Come with me while I share with you:

We will all want to wear clean clothes, of course, so we may as well learn to be creative in getting them that way! Instead of being a dreaded chore, "doing the wash" can be one way we serve our families, putting it in the category of "good works that were planned for us before the world began".

Here's to moving that mountain of laundry!

References:

Thieves Soap by Young Living

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Revelation 3:5. He that overcometh the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.

Next Steps

If this episode encouraged you, please consider sharing it with other Christian women who may benefit from "Simple Homemaking for Christian Women"?

Also, I invite you to leave me a review on Apple Podcasts to let me know how I can better serve you.

Have you ever just started to wake up--you know the time when you're coming out of sleep and your eyes aren't even open yet?--and, before you can stop them, the thoughts come rolling in.

"I'm already behind!"

"What am I going to do wrong today?"

"Why can't I get a handle on all this?"

If you have, this episode is for you.

Today, I briefly review Part 1 of "3 Unexpected Faith-Based Mindset Shifts for the SAHM":

     #1. REALIZE when condemnation hits.

     #2. RECOGNIZE that, for the believer, condemnation is from the enemy.

     #3. REFUSE to compare yourself.

You'll also hear about:

No more, my friends, do we have to wake up dreading the day. Starting right now, leet's move into tomorrow knowing we are loved, equipped, and prepared to face the day the Lord has made for us.

Do you have trouble waking up with a positive, cheery attitude?

Do you wonder how in the world you could be in a bad mood even before you open your eyes in the morning?

Have you ever "dreaded the day" because you knew you would be facing battles all day long, and you simply didn't feel up to the fight?

If these questions sound familiar, I'm so glad you're here. Help is available, my friend! 

Today I share with you how the way we think affects the way we behave--and the information might be some you've never heard before. This is a complex subject, so we're breaking it into two parts.

In this episode, you'll hear: 

So many of us experience these thoughts and yet we dare not voice them to anybody. Then they simmer in the back of our minds all day long, only to erupt before the dawn. Let's address this dreaded way of thinking, my friend, and make a battle plan.

Scripture References

Romans 8:1 [There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so [is] he...

Ephesians 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace...

Colossians 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power...

Next Steps

1. Follow "Simple Homemaking for Christian Women" so you don't   miss an episode. 

2. Share this episode with another woman who may want to know more about simple homemaking and trusting God.

3. Ask the Holy Spirit to remind you of His love for you.

Connect

I invite you to leave a review in Apple Podcasts to let me know how I can better serve you. 

Have you ever looked at a horizontal surface in your home and you couldn't even see the table top? The counter top? The top of the dresser?

Have you told yourself, "I'll clear that off soon!" And then "soon" never comes?

Do you ever "look away" from some of those piles, just so you can look at something that doesn't seem to shout to you, "Fix me! Fix me!"

I have, and I didn't like it. Those horizontal surfaces seemed to be a magnet for everything, and yet I didn't want it that way. Everything seemed to "just grow".

Today I share with you 4 tips that helped me finally gain visual peace within our home--and all that, without decluttering!

Now I realize that decluttering is all the rage right now, and for good reason. Many of us simply have too much inventory to effectively maintain. And minimalism is also a topic that has its place in our world today, for sure.

But today we talk about how to gain some visual peace without having to make any decisions about "throw away, give away, or put away". Today I offer you 4 ways to help you toward the end result of looking at an area of your home and just visually drinking in peace.

You'll hear:

And I give you a few examples of each of these tips to incorporate into your own home.

Remember, we are made in the image of God, the best Creator ever. Instead of berating ourselves every time we see a pile of things on a table top, a mantel, or a bathroom counter, let's choose to say, "How can I create some visual peace here for me to enjoy?" 

Let's start there, and we'll call it "good".

References:

Genesis 1 & 2 The story of Creation

James 3:16 "For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work."

Connect:

I invite you to leave me a review at Apple Podcasts. This lets me know how I can serve you well.

"Why can't I get everything DONE?!" Is this the question that rolls around in your mind most days?

Do you go to bed at night discouraged that you didn't measure up once again on the "Good Mother-and-Wife chart?

And, if you had a good day and you crossed off 90% of the things on your to-do list, do you still hammer yourself about the 10% that didn't get done?

If so, welcome to my world--my past world. My used-to-be world. My not-to-be-repeated world. Sometimes I wonder why I ever thought that I--alone, all by myself, without any help--could get everything done.

I mean, I did have help, of sorts. I was training the help, right? The children. And they did help. But, at the end of the day, if I didn't delegate it, didn't inspect it, or didn't do it, it didn't get done.

And then I went to bed doing my best to justify to myself why I put "people over things", and why the house was still a mess.

Today I share with you:

I hope that for you, just like for me, this mindset of condemning yourself becomes a thing of the past. We homemakers and SAHMs have so much to do! Yet, peace awaits, my friend.

Let me introduce you to hygge.

References:

Genesis 1 & 2  The story of Creation

Ephesians 1:3-4  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ; According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love...

Connect:

I invite you to leave a review in Apple Podcasts; this is the primary way you can let me know if I'm serving you well.

Ever had your day all planned and then--poof!--something unexpected happens and your schedule goes out the window?

What about those days when you look at the clock and you just feel behind. All. Day. Long?

Do you ever look at your schedule and wish that, just once, you could check off every single item before you fall into bed at night?

Friend, this was me! I would be in the office store, just staring at the planners and calendars, and I would think of how wonderful it would be to be organized with my time--like other women seemed to be. But I usually hesitated in purchasing anything; I knew from experience that I would often start a planner, filling in all the dates and times of the day with great expectation that this time, I would get on top of things. 

After all, I was supposed to be a home manager, wasn't I? I was a "domestic engineer", right?

But this scheduling thing! I had such a hard time with it, and the planners usually ended up as scratch paper.

Finally, I settled on what worked for me, and I'm sure it may very well work for you, too.

Today, you will hear:

So, come along with me on my love/hate relationship with schedules; I'll show you a better way.

References:

John 16:33 "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

Psalm 139:16  "Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them."

Connect:

I invite you to leave a review of "Simple Homemaking for Christian Women" on Apple Podcasts; this is how I know if I'm serving you well.

Are you the homemaker who is often in a panic at 4pm, wondering what to fix for dinner?

Do you get weary of all the new recipes you've been trying--the ones with some particular seasoning or ingredient you'll most likely never use again or forgot to purchase in the first place?

Does your emotional temperature rise when you feel that you--the SAHM--is the only one who ever has to prepare, cook, and clean up dinner? 

If these questions sound familiar, you're gonna love today's episode!

Most of us are used to that age-old question that's been around since the beginning of time: "Hey, Mom! What's for dinner?" And, if we aren't careful, we won't have a ready answer.

Today, I'm sharing with you an easy meal plan that served me well for years in our family of ten. It's so simple you can memorize it!

In this episode you will hear about:

I'm excited for you! By considering a new way to plan meals, you're one step closer to making your life simpler and easier. And who doesn't want that? 

Congratulations. Here's to simple and easy!

Do you ever wonder if what you’re doing in life now will affect you later?

Do you ever say to yourself in a difficult season, “This is pointless—and hard! Why do I need to learn this?”

And, of course, we all used to say it: “When will I ever use this information again in real life?”  I know that was in my mind, especially when I took Algebra II in high school.

Today, I share with you how those kinds of experiences lined up in my life over decades of growing up, growing out, and growing older. Most definitely, what I was learning in one season would prove useful—almost imperative—in another season, especially in being a homemaker.  And what began in my life as a few pieces of unconnected yarn here and there eventually became a unique tapestry that testifies to God’s grace, mercy, and continual presence throughout my days.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

This is a short take on my story—I’m hoping you can relate! Homemaking doesn’t have to be difficult or distasteful. We don’t have to care for our husbands and children out of duty and obligation only. Don’t we all want homes filled with love and laughter, hugs and high-fives?  By faith we can have a bird’s-eye view of our circumstances that helps us to trust that the everyday work we do is meaningful and memorable. We can remember that same high view when life gets hard. And I found that, indeed, sometimes life does get hard.

But hard isn’t bad; it’s just hard.

And it’s always temporary.

In the midst of growing a marriage, having babies, and dealing with emergencies, the daily tasks in our homes still need to be done and, if those tasks can be simplified and performed with a loving heart and a sincere smile, then we can move more freely in peace with those in our own homes.

Welcome!

Here’s to Simple Homemaking for Christian Women and how it began.

If you resonate with my story, I invite you to leave a review with Apple podcasts.

Welcome to Simple Homemaking for Christian Women! Glad you're here.