My Tip for Keeping a Clean Bathroom

Point #3 on my "Never Getting Around To It?" post was to gather your materials. Having this in your bathroom cabinet -



- is a terrific way to keep a clean bathroom!

This is a simple $.99 empty spray bottle from Home Depot filled with plain vinegar. The wipes are old t-shirts cut up into rags. We only have one bathroom, but if we had more than one, every bathroom would have these two things in it. 10 reasons this works so well:

1. When surprise company drops in, I can excuse myself to the restroom and do a wipe down in about 1 minute.
2. I can use vinegar to clean the entire bathroom.
3. No toting around buckets of cleaning supplies.
   
4. I always wipe down the bathroom while the littles are in the bathtub. It's an efficient use of my time, and I clean the bathroom more often!
5. Cleaning up "accidents" is fast and easy. We have little boys. Enough said, right?
   
6. I like to use child safe cleaners. The littles can drink the vinegar and it won't hurt them! They can also help mama clean at a very young age and I don't have to worry about calling poison control.
7. Vinegar smells bad, but the scent dissipates as it dries leaving things fresh and clean.
8. The old t-shirts don't leave lint on the mirror.
9. This is very cheap! Much cheaper than lysol wipes!
   
10. It's "green". Washable cloths made from recycled clothing... non toxic cleaners that do not leach bad chemicals into the sewer system... It's being a good steward of God's creation.
    

Wednesdays with the Word: Rest

<sup>Psalm 55:6 - So I said, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest."

Can you tell that I have had a tough couple of weeks? This is all that I can think about right now... REST! I may not find much rest here on this earth, but if I serve the Lord faithfully, He has promised it to me! The very thought keeps me going when I most need it.

Matthew 11:28-29 - Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

And this is one of my very favorites. Not to sound morbid, but I truly find it encouraging when I am the most weary:

Revelation 14:13 - Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, "Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them."

These thoughts bring peace to my soul.

Psalm 23:1-3 - The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.</sup>

Never getting around to it? (Part I)

Here you go!



(My thanks to Laura Staley for the use of this image.)

I feel like I struggle a lot just trying to make things happen. Sometimes I feel like I'm just spinning my wheels and never getting anywhere. I get frustrated when I am continually sidetracked. Do you feel this way too?

I do not feel like an expert in this department, but I will share some of what I have learned in finally getting "a round tuit" and making things happen. Big task or small, it works for them all - give it a try!

• Make more than one list/Prioritize
  
• Understand the task
  
• Gather the materials
• Set aside a block of time
• Get past fears - JUST DO IT!
• Finish the task!

Make more than one list/Prioritize:
I used to just keep a to-do list. Then I had children. :) Everyone has to find a system that works for them, but what helps me the most is to keep several lists. I keep my lists in a single subject spiral notebook that I call my Housekeeping Notebook. You could also call it my brain as I am unable to function without it. I keep a to-do list for each week and a separate long term to-do list. I plan on trying to accomplish one, maybe two, tasks each day in addition to my regular load, and this helps me stay productive and focused, while preventing me from becoming overwhelmed. Not all tasks are created equal. Some things truly can wait, but I don't want to forget about them. Writing them down on the long term to-do list helps me remember what needs doing, while freeing up my mind to focus upon other more important tasks.

Understand the task:
Read the directions, do the research, have an understanding of the time, materials, effort, space, etc... that each task will require. Knowing ahead of time what each task will require will help you budget your time, money, energy, and all of your other precious resources. It will also save you much frustration later.

Gather the materials:
This is the biggie for me... Having the materials on hand, in a convenient location, ready to go will make it so much easier to finally getting a round tuit! This is a big deal with minor household chores - if the cleaning materials are right at your fingertips, the job will be almost effortless. If the vacuum is in the basement in the back of a closet and every time the door opens, you have to rearrange the contents that fell out, how often are you going to vacuum your floors?! But if it is nice and handy and you can just roll it out on the main floor, isn't the task so much easier? Having a space in your home that is dedicated to your projects is also helpful, such as a sewing table where your machine is always handy, or a desk where you can leave out an unfinished repair job. Space is precious, especially in small homes like ours, but dedicating this space will really increase your ability to make things happen.

Look for the rest of my tips in the coming days:

• Set aside a block of time
• Get past fears - JUST DO IT!
• Finish the task!

So, my readers... how do you get a round tuit? Please share!

Hymn: Let the Beauty of Jesus Be Seen in Me

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me,
All His wonderful passion and purity.
May His Spirit divine all my being refine
Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.

When your burden is heavy and hard to bear
When your neighbors refuse all your load to share
When you're feeling so blue, Don't know just what to do
Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in you.

When somebody has been so unkind to you,
Some word spoken that pierces you through and through.
Think how He was beguiled, spat upon and reviled,
Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in you

From the dawn of the morning till close of day,
In example in deeds and in all you say,
Lay your gifts at His feet, ever strive to keep sweet
Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in you.

Oh-So-Easy Drop Biscuits

ANYONE can make these biscuits! You don't have to practice for years to be able to make biscuits that turn out perfectly light and fluffy, just make these easy drop biscuits instead.

Mix

• 2 c. flour
• 1 Tbs. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt

Add in

• 1/4 c. melted butter
• 1 c. milk

Scoop these out into a 13x9 pan, bake at 450* for 10-12 minutes.

Variations:

• Mix in 1/2 - 1 c. grated cheddar cheese
• Melt 3 Tbs. butter and mix in 1 tsp. parsley flakes, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning. Brush this on top of your biscuits after they bake.
• Use the two above variations AND add in 1/3 c. fresh or canned crab meat and you will get the simply amazing Red Lobster Biscuits at home in your own kitchen! Try not to eat the entire pan in one sitting. ;)
• Melt 3 Tbs. butter and mix in 1 Tbs. honey. Brush on top of your biscuits after they bake.
  

Ok, I've got to stop now or I'm going to DIE if I don't go make some and EAT THEM ALL! :)

(And if you are trying to make this recipe healthier, substituting half white whole wheat flour (King Arthur sells a nice version) will help just a little bit and it tastes just as good. *wink* No one has to know!)

House Rules

I received a beautiful wall hanging as a gift recently with some "House Rules" on it. I thought the Bible verses were wonderful reminders, so I thought I would share them here:

Love God and each other.
1 John 4:7 - Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

Be generous with hugs and warm words.
Psalm 133:1-2 - Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!

Be patient and respect each other.
James 1:19-20 - Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Practice forgiveness.
Matthew 18:21 - Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?"

Be kind and tenderhearted.
Ephesians 4:32 - Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Pray often.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 - Pray without ceasing

Live with a thankful heart.
Psalm 111:1-2 - Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them.

I Am Resolved...

Happy New Year!!!

I am not sure what it is about this year, but I have such a strong sense of starting with a clean slate and writing upon it the choices that I make in the way that I wish to live. I can chose to walk in purity and righteousness serving my heavenly Father. I can chose to speak with "the law of kindness on my tongue" (Proverbs 31:26) at all times. I can chose to be patient and devoted to training up my children in the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6). I can chose to cherish my husband for the man that he is each day. I can chose to laugh and sing and live joyfully despite the circumstances in my life. The past matters not, I chose this now.

Normally, I don't do New Years Resolutions. I try to live in such a way that I am constantly reflecting upon where I am and what I need to do to improve - character, habits, all of the essentials. My life's motto is from Longfellow's Psalm of Life, "That each tomorrow finds us further than today." This year though, I have one project that I wish to particularly focus upon, and that is hospitality. Specifically planned hospitality.

A while back I joked with Preacher Man that we are too busy being hospitable to be hospitable. We do very well with impromptu hospitality and casual gatherings. I wish to be more purposeful though, and this will require self-discipline and planning on my part. There are many families with whom we need to have a better connection, and having people into our home is a great way to do this. I may be doing some posting on the subject from time to time as it will be wonderful motivation for me. In addition to what we are already doing, I am now making the specific goal of opening our home at least once every month for Sunday lunch.

For some excellent ideas for resolutions for the upcoming year, see The Common Room for some good, nearly century old advice. Remember, there is nothing new under the sun!

May the Lord bless you and your family in the coming year as you work in His kingdom!