What is your annual budget for cleaning supplies? Even with the help of coupons or purchasing the products at a warehouse club, the total cost by the end of the year can be hefty. One way to save money is to use resources already found in your pantry or medicine cabinet and make them do double duty as cleaning agents. This blog post was created to help you identify which products can replace some of the pricey name-brand products. The natural products are also safer and healthier to use.
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My mother was the original Martha Stewart! Our home was always a special blend of comfort and cleanliness. She firmly believed the statement that “cleanliness is next to godliness!” As an only child I “shadowed” her daily as she made our home a haven of order and peacefulness that was a refuge from worldly chaos and disorder. When her arthritic condition placed perimeters around the tasks she could perform I was able to assume many of the household responsibilities. Entering college as a Home Economics/Family and Consumer Science major I then learned the management strategies that aligned with my existing skills.
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When I lived in Southern California I enjoyed visiting a lusciously landscaped outdoor health spa. I only visited it in the summer when the plants were at their peak of their beauty and the gentle sunshine created the perfect climatic conditions. I always returned home refreshed and revitalized. Though I recall with joy those few leisurely days they were an exception to my normal lifestyle. Knowing how refreshed I returned from the spa days I seek to daily revitalize myself in my home by creating a spiritual health spa. It is simple and low budget!
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Does adrenalin or spiritual vitality propel your household management?Do you plan your tasks so they can be done “decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40) or do you rely on adrenalin to motivate your attention to them?
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The neighborhood cat came for her usual visit on the evening my friend and I returned from a brief San Diego vacation. As she bounded through the front door, rather than making her normal fast trip to the kitchen, she paused at the tea cart, placed both front paws on the serving tray, and began to gently bat the lace runner. Unusual behavior, I mused, until I realized that the lace was moving. The cat had discovered that a mouse was hiding on the tray. It had managed to sneak into the house as we were unloading luggage.
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It’s spring and the time our homes frequently receive a thorough cleaning. We know that the cleaning process separates the dirt from the item being cleaned and results in a sense of renewal.As we use cleaning routines in our homes to sanitize them, it is helpful to multitask and use the time for personal spiritual cleansing. First John 1:9 teaches, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” As we become proficient in our cleaning routines, let’s direct our minds to the spiritual cleaning we may need to accomplish rather than allowing them to dwell in mental emptiness. This intentional action allows us to honor our Lord in even the most mundane tasks (Colossians 3:16-17).
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Aunt Joan isn’t attending the family reunion this summer because last year she was offended by a remark John made about her “famous deviled eggs.” After moving to her son-in-law and daughter’s home and funding the construction of her own granny flat Ellen moved out four years later. The root cause of both scenarios? The failure to grant the principle of unending forgiveness taught in Matthew 18:21-35 and Luke 17:3-4.
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How beautiful is your tongue - or have you never really considered your tongue in terms of its attractiveness? You normally don’t check it in the mirror multiple times during the day, go on shopping trips for it, schedule appointments for it at the tongue beautician, or purchase cosmetics for it. Yet, it is the tongue, more than the shape of your face or the dimensions of your figure or your theological knowledge, which determines your beauty.
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It’s spring!! The trees are budding, the grass is greening, flowers are bursting forth with color, and allergies are afflicting those who are sensitive to pollen. Several years ago, as a new Texas resident, I experienced allergies for the first time. I did not care for them but I do love spring and summer! However, each season has its beauty and challenges just as the seasons of mentoring possess unique qualities. Last month I shared with you the biblical mentoring strategies outlined in Titus 2:3-5 and encouraged you to view your home as your primary venue. The Titus passage provides the biblical foundation for understanding the mentoring relationship. The book of Ruth presents us with a real life example of how mentoring should work. This week I am excited to share with you the seasons of mentoring.
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Do you dream of your living space whether a dorm room or a large home being a clutter-free, pleasant environment but simply do not know where to begin? If so, then The Everyday Homemaker’s Blog Posts are just what you need to move the dream from fantasy to reality!
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Do you feel that if you are a stay-at-home Mom your ministry opportunities are severely limited? I am excited to share with you that by opening your front door and welcoming a mentoree you can fulfill one of the most important ministry assignments given to women—the Titus 2:3-5 directive!
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February ushers in the commencement of the holiday season focused on expressing love. Billed as the “season of love” the days spanning February 1 to February 14 can be delightful or disappointing.Statistics suggest that when disappointment settles in Satan’s fiery dart of discouragement embeds itself in our hearts.Choosing to detonate discouragement during the “season for love” poises us for a Christ-centered celebration!
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The silence deepened in the already attentive class as the young widow, with tears gently flowing down her cheeks, raised her hand and asked if she might share a thought with the students. A native of West Africa, she traveled from her homeland to pursue professional training as a Home Economics teacher so she could support her elementary-aged son. Her youngest brother, comparable in age to her son, also made the journey with them. She was the guardian of both boys.
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A recurring question that the women I talk with have is, “What is the most important ingredient for a happy home?” I am amazed that they anticipate a deep theological or intricate management strategy to come forth from my lips. However, my response is generally something like, “the key ingredient, regardless of your marital status to a happy home, is found in 1 Peter 3:4—we are to do whatever is necessary to cultivate ‘the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.’” Gentle is actually ‘meek or humble’ and quiet describes the character of her action and reaction of her husband and life in general. Such is precious not only to her husband, but also to God.”(1) Extensive bible or management strategy study may yield solid facts. However, the information gleaned is only cold, hard facts if a “gentle and quiet spirit” is not the cornerstone of their application.
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Do you know the birthplace of evangelism? Since the twenty-first century church has cultivated highly sophisticated procedures and tools for evangelism—training sessions, videos, seminars, manuals, and methodology books—it seems logical that the church was its birthplace. However, a study of church history reveals it was the home, not the church that served as the center for evangelism in the early expansion of Christianity.
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A new year is upon you filled with numerous opportunities to deepen your relationship with your heavenly Father and to increase your ability to fulfill the special plan He has just for you! You have a better opportunity to fulfill that plan if you are spiritually and physically fit. How are you beginning your this new year—are you approaching it with a solid understanding of the nutritional requirements necessary for spiritual and physical vitality or are you randomly starting it without a deliberate dietary plan?
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As you approached 2014 were you thinking about changes you wanted to make in your life? Was one of the changes to become more organized? Perhaps frustration immobilized this resolution because you didn’t know where to start. Perhaps you have already abandoned it. Did you know that being organized is closely related to how we use our time? I have learned that the use of my time must begin with a spiritual focus rather than strategic management.
Read MoreThe events on Wall Street in the fall of 2008 reminded us that no investment in this world is ever secure. Regardless of the safeguards and the supposed guarantees, the economic climate can change in an instant. Like the falling autumn leaves that characterized the season financial portfolios dropped significantly in 2008 leaving individuals of all ages asking the question,
“Does a gruesome lifestyle lie ahead?” Economic uncertainty can evoke a myriad of negative responses—especially for the individuals whose trust is in money rather than God. The believer, however, should have an entirely different response if their dollar theology is sound.
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I am delighted to welcome you to “The Art of Homemaking” blog. It was officially launched following the “Art of Homemaking Conference” that was held on the Southwestern Baptist Seminary’s campus October 25-26 and co-sponsored by the publisher of The Christian Homemaker’s Handbook, Crossway. It is my prayer that this blog will inspire you to daily focus on making your house a home regardless of your marital status.
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As the days shorten and calendar pages are turned thoughts of holiday celebrations begin to occupy our minds. Amidst your planning may I pose a question—who will comprise your holiday guest list this year?
Before you respond, consider these thoughts:
Holidays can be painful times for those without extended family in the immediate area.
It was October of my eighteenth year of life when my Dad stepped into eternity. As a college freshman I not only had to deal with my own grief, I also was faced with the responsibility of helping my mother adjust to a new lifestyle.
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