Recently, I set down with my 6 year old son. We talked about his room and how he might “steward” his stuff better. He confessed he doesn’t like to throw stuff away and likes to keep it all under his bed. As I have watched him hoard things from small little papers to candy from previous holidays; I have noticed the boy needs some patient and firm training in organization.

Organization naturally flows in you or not. Those that have it see life in orderly categories and “stuff” as a positive challenge to organize. Others, don’t get it, are frustrated by it, and or resist it. Many learn the skill and have to discipline themselves to stay on top of organization, or the chaos is overwhelming. Organized or not, we are image bearers of God, meant for reflecting Jesus. We can all learn from one another and worship in our strengths and our weaknesses.

Practical project:  My second son needed some guidance. We brought 3 opened paper bags into his room. We pulled all the stuff off his shelf, under his bed, and in his drawer. Facing a mountain of items to process, I helped him see how to approach it. I showed him to consider each item quickly. Then- place it in one of the 3 bags. 1: trash (obvious junk- don’t need to keep). 2: Not sure (ask mom about) 3. Keep (and find a home to put it) He processed the pile and asked me to come back in the room. It took him about 30 minutes and he had successfully filled the trash bag. We discussed the 2nd bag and found homes for the 3rd bag’s items. He saw the order in the project and seems delighted to do it. I complemented him on being “teachable” and willing to learn from momma, we exchanged warm affection at the job we did together, and I believe he felt loved by the learned skill. I talked to him about stewardship and how when we take care of God’s stuff, we are showing him a thankful heart.

Heart lesson for me from little lesson with my son: Motherhood sanctifies me. It takes God’s strength to lovingly and patiently teach my children. They are gifts from God and I have the immense responsibility to steward them. As I was setting on my son’s bed with him chatting about organization and stewardship, I had a beautiful moment of practical love from the Lord. As I teach my children how to steward God’s varied grace, I am stewarding the child (a gift from the Lord).  I tremble with the weight of this responsibility and praise God that I get to love and steward these children.

We have been here 9 years last month and have certainly gotten acclimated to the climate, the dreary days, and have become what we mocked when we first arrived. When we first got here, we snickered in disbelief for the pacific northwestern behavior when the sun peaks out. The tank tops and flip flops appear at the hint of 65 degrees and sunny. Now, I am one of my fellow city dwellers with no shame.  WE love the weather and really don’t mind the dreary days or drizzly rain.

As Spring has arrived in its fickle, teasing, rebellion against consistency, the warmth appearing then leaving. I am antsy. It isn’t about the weather as much. This isn’t a weather talk. The weather more REPRESENTS the wave of inconsistency in my heart. The weather is like a mirror to see how I respond to circumstances.

As the darker days become more lit with the promise of the sun and flowers start their beautiful blooms and people eagerly garden and lay on the grass, my heart is anticipating. My heart races at the plans of all that I want to do in these next short 5 months!

Spring Fever is a cue for me to see how fickle my heart is. I am as inconsistent in my worship as Seattle is with sunny days. I am so quick to put my hope in all MY plans, not God’s.  The calendar and lists thrive in the spring. The productivity meter goes way up. My heart is eager to grow things, teach things, filter, organize, and make changes.

Spring Fever pokes at my restless desires, thinking that by accomplishing anything, peace is the reward.

God is my reward. Spring time fun, projects, and thoughts can be purposeful in my heart to connect to Jesus. He is to be worshipped when I dig in the dirt, worshipped in the mundane raking of constant pine needles in our lawn. He is to be praised in the planting of vegetables and acknowledged for His miraculous creation. Whatever my hand finds to do, whatever my heart craves this spring, I am admiring God.

Spring Fever is ok, I think if it draws my desires in to Jesus’ desires. Passion Redeemed. Restlessness stilled. And Work becomes Worship.

Check this super helpful video out:

Steps for closet organization: (thanks mom for being the clean closet queen; she taught me all of these)

1. Get better quality hangers and have only one kind of hangers. Looks nicer. (I think black plastic looks best)
2. Purge clothes that you haven’t worn in 6 months.
3. Is your closet large enough to have all four seasons of clothes? If not, put out of season clothing in clear containers to simplify the closet to the season you are in. (containers for under your bed?)
4. Zone your closet. Sections for shirts: short sleeve to long sleeve. Dresses- pants. Dark to light. Solid to pattern.
5. Shoes on shelves or shoe cubbies and zoned
6. Scarves and hats, gloves and other accessories in clear containers
7. Purses all together on shelves or drawers.
8. Keep empty hangers in a section of their own, hung up.
9. Keep dirty clothes hamper close by, so that no piles start to form.

Happy Closet Organizing!

As Spring approaches, it is an excellent time to think about what areas of our homes need extra attention. What projects have been put off or need attention? A few questions come to mind as I ponder this topic:

1. What projects can I give an hour a day to that would help my home and family run more smoothly?
2. What spring and summer memories or events are typical for my family and what steps can I take to plan those?
3. What areas outside or inside my home are being avoided because it is too overwhelming to clean, organize, or decorate?

Spring Cleaning is just a name that our society has come up with for a temporary motivation to organize with an extra measure of social pressure.  It is really nothing more than surveying the home or workplace and taking inventory.

Inventory by room by room. Each room should be maintained daily, weekly, and monthly. Clutter, clean, and deeper clean. Spring cleaning can be an extra time to re-decorate, put an organizational system in place, or re-arrange for a more effienent space. 

Spring Cleaning Inventory (the List)

• organize the list by room
• scan the room: what do you not like in the room?
• assign your name or someone else’s name to each task
• write down items to purchase
• what needs to be thrown out, given away, sold, etc.
• what doesn’t work about the space? brainstorm solutions
• budget any changes and talk thru it with your spouse, get ideas, look thru magazines for ideas, get help, share resources
• plan time to give to the tasks/projects
• enlist kids and or family members to have fun with the project

After each room gets this inventory, priortize the rooms in order for your time and attention. Look at your life schedule and set aside a reasonable amount of time for these extra jobs. They are in addition to our daily stewardship of our home. Spring projects are great opportunities for communities/groups to take turns helping each other with as well. I have heard of groups in our church, once a month serving a family in the group on a Saturday with Spring outside projects. What a great way to serve and be served.

I love Spring. I am reminded as the green stuff starts appearing of the newness of life and the character of God. It is so amazing that God created seasons, months, weeks, and days. I find that with each new day I feel a fresh start, new motivation to love God and others more.  

As I start my list for Spring Work, I am intensely motivated to worship God in the ”before and afters” of projects!

In theory, systems should make work flow easily.  Systems are the various methods in which to organize your life, stuff, and sometimes relationships.  A trash can is a system. A fridge is one. Anything that collects things and has a purpose. Closets, cars, drawers, email, moleskines, dressers, shelves, cabinets, and even your home is a system. In it contains things to organize and steward. IT is either chaotic or has some sort of order, which is a system.

Some systems work. Some don’t. And systems change according to their function over time as the needs change. For example, my toys are organized in to a system.  I have bins for categories of toys. Balls, dress up, characters, legos, puppets, cars, etc. Having toys streamlined in this system keeps our family organized with the toy clutter. The toy that the eager child is searching for (hopefully) is always in the designated place. This is helpful to parents as well. How many times have you been asked to help search for the lost toy?

Paper systems are WAY more difficult for me to maintain. We have a mail inbox, every day the mail goes in and once a week it is gone through. Coupons and paper reminders go in either my moleskine for shopping list or the junk drawer. Sometimes they go on the fridge. I have a difficult time keeping up with the flood of paper and toys in the house, van, purse, backpacks, mail, etc. The systems that don’t work for me are the things that I don’t see. Like my garage for example. Out of sight out of mind.

Your child comes home from school.  Another thing to “process”. The lunch box gets emptied and put away for filling it the next morning. The papers in the folder: looked at and complemented, some tossed, some saved. The saved ones go to the “child saved papers” bin in my office area. The homework gets done and put back into the folder. Then, the notes from the teacher or fliers to be saved, all processed. If they aren’t, you have your self piles of stuff.

Systems take the guess work out of where things are. If you don’t keep up with your systems daily, then they really have lost functionality. You can find yourself guilty and overwhelmed real quick! Your email is a system. In Getting Things Done, Allen talks about the 2 minute rule.  Answer each email right away if you can do it in less than 2 minutes. If it is a deeper, more heart felt email, requiring you to think more, flag it and come back at a designated time to answer the flagged emails. If you do this each day, you can reasonably keep your inbox empty.

Processing your inbox, putting clean clothes away, clearing counters, keeping up with your lists, and projects, are all examples of maintaining home systems. Not maintaining systems gets you in house work debt.

I need a better system for laundry. I have to do 2 loads each day, or I am in over my head with laundry debt.  I dream of a laundry shoot and envy my friends that have one. I lug two hampers down the stairs to keep my system going, but surely there is a better way! Once the clothes are in the laundry room, I sort.  I usually have at least one pile of dirty or clean clothes on the floor at any given time.  Any thoughts on laundry sorters or containers for laundry rooms?

What systems are not working for you in your home? What systems would help you be able to steward your home more effectively? Do you resist systems?

I would love your thoughts!

When do you work and when do you engage with those around you? Do you struggle with resentment when trying to be productive and a relationship presents itself? When do you choose to  play or relax when you should or need  to accomplish something? Are you more lazy or are you too busy with work? These questions should poke at you! If you have been reading this past year at all, you know that I am more likely to work than play.

For me, I am more likely to obsess over a clean and orderly home than chill out and take a break from work. Repentance isn’t always the opposite of my behavior, however.  Tasks can easily become more important to me than people. Change doesn’t mean that I abandon tasks and instead sabbath all day, everyday. Change is having a soft heart (awareness of God directing my actions and emotions) and know each day, each action, what is the better thing. Change is slow for me, and over time I am beginning to see my work not just tasks, but also relationships. Worshipping Christ in my work is also recognizing the people around me in my life as I work!

Here are some examples of straightforward tasks:

• Cleaning
• Cooking
• Errands
• Budgeting
• Shopping
• Email: calendaring, projects

Here are some examples of relationship moments:

• Time with God, reading, journaling, praying
• Dates with the kids
• Playing with them: toys, sports, boardgames
• Dates at home or away (full atttention) with spouse
• Emails that communicate encouragement or affection
• Out with a friend
• Phone call
• Serving someone in need of mercy
• Urgent prayer in person or on the phone

When do tasks merge into relationships? Can relationships become tasks? Is it OK for me to “accomplish” or be “productive” with a relationship? Can I put relationship time on my “list?” Is it cold to think of a person as a task? Can I do work items with my husband or child and “kill two birds with one stone?” I have done this a lot while talking on the phone while the kids are napping. I will clean like a mad woman while catching up with a friend. Multi-tasking is great! Yet, I miss it if I am more interesting in the task than the person present with me.

Hmm. I think as long as I step forward in repentance to worship God in my work, this is one layer to the journey! As I continue to grow in humility, by God’s grace, I am finding that there is NO FORMULA!  Shoot! Humility and maturity for me right now is growing moment by moment, being led by God, letting go of control, and moment by moment discerning like Mary (in Luke Chapter 10) what the Greater Portion is.

For your own pondering and conversing:

• In your daily routine, what gets the most attention?
• What thing that you can’t get to during your day, triggers anger?
• Do you give some people more heart attention than others, why?
• What do you avoid?

I guess I am officially a productivity nerd. I love this GTD model/method for work so much that I printed the above diagram and put it in the front of my moleskine. Organizing your flow of work is key for productivity.

This isn’t just for the workplace! It is an effective tool for home management. If you find that your lists are everywhere around the house, try out a moleskine notebook keep it all together. There needs to one place where most of your thoughts, ideas, lists, prayers, tasks, plans are together.

Mike and I use outlook for social calendaring and appointments. However, for tasks, lists, projects, relationship goals, menu planning, etc- it is good to have a location for all of that. If you are really geeky, like my husband, Mind Maps are effective. If you have an IPhone or other PDA, you can put those there.

Getting Things Done has transformed both Mike’s and my productivity for 5 years. Say goodbye to “open loops”. Capture those tasks and free your brain and heart space. GTD is a method for stewardship. Stewardship is the principle. Godly stewardship is prayerfully considering the practical ways in which God would have you take care of the gifts He has given.

Practically speaking, this method/model helps streamline your thinking not just your productivity. Remember- “open loops” are those thoughts, reminders, tasks, list items swirling around in your brain, uncaptured? Capturing those loops helps you focus more on what is in front of you. Open loops are unfriendly. They create chaos, stress, and keep your productivity stifled.

Yay for GTD! Yay for organization!

For a few years, I have talked about a woman named Margaret. She is a fictitious woman I’ve made up, trying to understand the Martha and Mary story in Luke 10. I jokingly call the blend of both Martha and Mary “Margaret,” assuming that there must be a gal that is both a hard worker and a worshiper. My tag line in the Margaret story has been: “Sure, Mary had it right–setting at the Lord’s feet listening to his teaching–but hey! JESUS had to eat!”

But I am starting to grasp that Margaret isn’t the answer. I am starting to understand what Jesus meant when he said, “Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken from her.”

Martha:

All of my Christian life, I have heard about the differences between Martha and Mary. Often it is suggested that Martha is the stressed out sister concerned about tasks. She can’t relax because “there is much to be done.” Martha works hard but seems to lack the peace and worship that goes with working heartily unto the Lord. When God himself is a guest in her home she can’t even handle the pressure to perform the tasks. It seems as though that is all she is concerned with–the preparations.

Check her out:

Luke 10:38-42 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Martha is distracted.

Distracted. Hmmm. Who does this resonate with? Me! For sure. I often find myself BUSY with much serving. Distracted from what? Why was Martha, or any of us, distracted? We think that what we’re doing is most important: the tasks and preparations. Jesus told Martha that she was anxious and troubled about many things. What was she troubled by? I can answer for myself. When I am like Martha–when I am not worshipping in work but JUST working–I am busy, frustrated, fast, and resentful. I resent it if my husband is in the room and not helping out in some way. My heart is troubled by the tasks yet to be done. I’m ticked that I have to do it all. Maybe I’m trying to enjoy the preparations. Yet inside my heart I’m looking for any opportunity to complain that I am going it alone. How foolish and self-focused I can be.

Martha is a tattle teller.

My kids do this all the time. They get frustrated and sin in their anger with their siblings because some offense has been done. Most of the time the other sibling has not sinned against the tattler. The tattler just wants their way. Can’t you just picture Martha quietly working, yet raging in her heart? Her rage got the best of her. She wanted Mary to help her! Mary just sat there and listened to Jesus. Martha may have started out with a pure heart. She may have had a desire to be hospitable to the Lord, make him food, serve him. So when did her desire to serve turn to sin?

Again, imagine yourself, imagine me. I am working in the kitchen. I start preparing, and my heart is delighted that I have all the ingredients to make a delicious dinner for my family. I am chopping and peaceful. My husband walks in, kisses my cheek. He goes about his business. My kids start getting loud in the living room. I stop chopping and attend to their arguments. Then the baby cries. She needs to be breastfed. The preparations for this amazing meal have to stop.

Enter my depravity. Why can’t I just get that done? Why do these kids need me too? Oh, but I love my children… Why does it take so long to make a dinner! I wish I could just focus. I say a prayer while nursing my baby and another riot breaks out among the other kids. My husband deals with that one. Thank you! Ok, back to busy preparations. I turn on some music to lighten the attitude in the air, denying the war in my heart. The kids start dancing in the kitchen. I take a break to dance too. They see this opportunity to ask me for a snack. Can’t they see I am making an amazing dinner!? If I could just finish it, they would be happy! I would be happy! Why?

Question — what God am I serving?!

The war that was raging in me suggests that the god I am serving is The God of Accomplishment and Tasks. I am worshipping the God of self — me.

Martha was worshipping herself, not Jesus.

At some point, Martha transferred her worship from God to Self. God was actually in HER LIVING ROOM. I can’t believe her! How could she do this??? She could’ve set at His feet too and worshipped him, yet the war in her heart raged. She thought serving busily was the right thing to do. She eventually resented her sister. This sin developed because Martha’s heart wasn’t worshipping in work.

As I just shared, I do the same thing. I tattle-tell in my heart. I complain to God for the people in the house that take me from the more important things, the tasks. Martha complained to the Lord in person. But I do it too–in my heart. I have the same divided heart, tattle-telling while thinking I am serving with a pure heart.

The easy and false remedy for this heart issue would be simple behavior change: abandon tasks and enjoy relationship. Just throw preparations and work out the door and “Let the Good Times Roll!” Chill out, play, enjoy one another, read all the time, listen to preaching, sing worship songs, and give affection to everyone all the time, without doing tasks. I don’t think that is what Jesus is saying.

Martha didn’t choose the good portion.

Jesus told Martha, “but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” He was saying Mary made a choice. This is huge.

It is common to make this about Mary’s personality, thinking of her as “relationship gal.” She sets at Jesus’ feet and she probably is the kind of gal that loves people well. It is easy to imagine the stereotype of a good time gal that works when it is necessary, but has a lot of friends and would choose going out on the town to party instead of getting five loads of laundry done and the floors mopped. We will talk about Mary later, but my point is that Martha could’ve made a choice. Do I make the right choices?

I am not promoting a legalistic work model for a woman, here. By confessing my own sin, I desire to provoke other hearts to see. To provoke hearts to see how double-minded we are when we work.

Martha had an opportunity to worship in her work. JESUS was actually in her house!!!! I so wish the story went down in Luke like this:

“Martha was busy with many preparations as she listened to the Lord. In her heart she worshipped him for His enabling her to enjoy her work as an act of service to him. Martha offered the fruit of her work in her heart and the Lord ate and was satisfied. Even as Mary sat at the Lord’s feet, Martha was not resentful but grateful to have this opportunity to serve the Lord Christ. She worshipped with her hands, with her heart.”

But alas, the Lord saw fit to have another story — the true story of Martha’s heart — her battle with work. It is my battle too. I long to worship Jesus in my work. The Reminder of Grace is that my Lord is slow to anger and abounding in love for me. He knows my struggle. He knows my personality tendencies. He is loving me graciously in revealing to me how to work hard to His Glory and not to my own.

What does a peaceful home feel like? Are you peaceful? Does your home promote peace?

In the past few weeks, my thoughts have been tuned to the tasks and atmosphere of my home. It is important to work as worship in our tasks, and the atmosphere of our homes is an outward expression of our stewardship. Yet, if our home is clean, orderly, yummy food is prepared, and we are productive, we miss the POINT it if we aren’t worshipping Christ in it.

God has graciously reminded me that even as I mature in outward stewardship, my heart will continue to reflect Christ’s peace. He is refining, sanctifying, and loving me intensely as I reflect Him. My home is the primary place where that inward peace will be seen.

So, it occurs to me to insert a heart thought in the middle of all this practical home management study. Jesus is my peace and THAT is the most important ingredient in a home that glorifies God. A well managed home without the peace of Christ is just a well-managed home.

Colossians 3:15And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Ephesians 213 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility

Yet, stewardship flowing from a heart at peace is a sweet aroma of the pleasures of Christ! Peace is an aroma of the home. My kids sniff out anxiety like a burning pot. My time with God and the peace that comes from walking daily in prayer is foundational to my management of my home. Stress is inevitable. Burdens are daily. Temptations to sin are constant. Yet, does peace reign in my heart?

Do my children, do my guests experience peace?

So, with this reminder of what a peaceful home is, please remember as you steward the resources God has given you, first pay attention to peace. Do you have a peaceful heart? Do others experience the peace of Christ in you? Does your home reflect that peace?

My prayer is that all of us would walk in the daily peace that Jesus Christ offers, calming our fears, bringing us to repentance, increasing our joy, and causing us to work hard to His glory!

Great home organization tips: http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/ah_organizing_storage

Great website on home organization: www.organizedhome.com

 

An important part of stewardship involves food. At the end of the article is a special request. I need your help!

Planning is everything with meals in our family. I can’t afford to go to the store every couple of days with four little children. If you live in an urban center or have a small place, it does make sense to shop for your meals every couple days. But, for our big family, every two weeks I set down with my cookbooks and three sheets of paper. I have about 30 meals that I know my family will enjoy. I have my newspaper ads and coupons on the table. Depending on the top deals on meat, pastas, vegetables, or seafood, I incorporate those items into the menu plan. On the first sheet I write down 10 dinners. Eight are a variety of meals. One is leftover night and another is breakfast dinner. As I write down each meal, I write down the ingredients on the other paper for either the Costco, Safeway, or Trader Joe’s lists. I go to Costco every two weeks, Safeway once a week, Trader Joe’s once a month and Double D meats (great place for a huge variety of nitrate free deli meat $3.49 a pound) once a month. I used to schedule the meals on the calendar, but I have realized over the years that we sometimes aren’t hungry for what is planned. So, I post the list of meals on the side of the fridge and occasionally check in with my husband to see if he would like to choose the dinner based on the list. In addition to the 10 meals, I add 2 desserts on the list. One for our family and another for hospitality; either us taking a dessert to someone or for our dinner guests. Lunches and breakfasts also go on the lists. I don’t plan those, I just always have 3 or 4 options for the kids for either breakfast or lunch. I buy produce once a week, because we go through so much fruit and veggies every day. 

Tips for “thinking ahead” with food preparation:

1. Brown 2 meals worth of hamburger at a time, freeze the second portion.
2.  When making chili or a casserole, or baking bread, make 2!
3. Freeze one or take dinner to a friend!
4.  If you have children, have them do the fun things. Crushing graham crackers in a ziploc? Have them stomp on them. Anything that requires shaking, crushing, rolling, etc. My kids love to help in the kitchen. They are too young to work with the stove or cutting food, but there is plenty to do with them.
5. If there are items in your cabinet or fridge that someone may munch on and you need it for a recipe. Label it “for recipe”! This has happened to me a lot, until I realized I can just label those few items that can’t be eaten!
6. Love leftovers. If you don’t like leftovers, then stay away from casseroles and large portioned food, which will waste your money. If you do like leftovers, think about what can be reused. For example, if we have leftover flank steak, I like to use it the next day in corn and cilantro tacos.
7. Have fun recipe ingredients on hand: special desserts, soups, drinks, snacks to fill in the menu gaps!

 I have a friend who has taught me a lot about being a Godly planner. She has developed a great resource for our church and taught it to many ladies who are starting out with meal planning.  The following content is from her:Meal Planning:Experts say that planning meals can cut grocery budgets by up to 20% (going back to the Proverbs – that’s profit.)  Here’s my step by step plan to menu planning.   If this is new to you, just start with one week.    Review what you already have on hand – no sense in buying it if you already own itLOOK at the Ad’s – don’t throw them out.

1. Circle the items that your family buys regularly
2. Circle items that you would plan a meal around
3. Review your recipes.   Look at your master list and match it up with what’s on sale this week.   Be flexible. If you can plan around what’s on sale you will cut your budget by more.
4. Get out your menu planning sheet and write in your family’s personal commitments for the week.
5. Now write out the menu plan.
6. If you are on a budget, you will want to limit meat main dishes, and learn to stretch meat portions beyond one meal.
7. Plan to use seafood and fresh veggies closest to your grocery shopping day.
8. Learn what the longer lasting veggies are.

Grocery Shop with a purpose! Time to make a list.   Many of you may have shopped with a list in the past but if you have not built it off of a menu plan, your list is useless.   You still find yourself at the store more than you wanted and forgetting items that you needed.   Take heart! This experience will be different because you are prepared.Here is a step by step process for list making:

1. Review your menu plan and write down the items you need to buy.   Remember to check it against what you might already have on hand.
2. Organize your list – this will lessen the backtracking through the store.
3. Write down what you’d be willing to pay for that item, add it up.   You’ll know where you are at the end of your list:  under budget or over.
4. Head to the store on a full stomach, and try and go at the same time every week. 
5. Get to know your butcher and produce manager.
6. Stick to your list.   If this has been hard for you in the past, try shopping with cash and leave the cards and checkbook home.  

Tips:

• Buy items with versatility; simpler, one ingredient items. 
• Make a list of  “staples” for reference – what does this look like for your family?
• Watch the prices on items you buy regularly by building a price book.
• Only use a coupon for items you would normally buy. Store brands are almost always cheaper than name brands with a  coupon.
• Check your receipt in the car.
• Which is the best store the one that you can find that works best for your family needs?  

Shopping Costco/Sam’s without breaking the budget: 

• Make a date to just go in and shop without buying.  Write down the prices of the items you will be purchasing on a regular basis.
• Costco is great for large families but their prices can be beat by in store loss leaders.
• Not everything is a good deal; Bigger doesn’t always mean cheaper.
• Skip the non-food items 

 Other:

• double cooking  
(one for now, one for the freezer)
• buying meat in bulk
• cooking club
• hospitality cooking – planning for guests, budget
• produce co-op in the summer, if it is right for your family
• bread stores

I hope that this is inspiring to you and you believe that God is faithful to show you how to steward what He gives you. Plan, Plan, Plan!!!!

What are you top 3 recipes? Recipes that people always ask for? Also, any websites for recipes that you really like. Email trisha@workandworship.com and I will compile and categorize the recipes and publish them in a few weeks. Also, if you have food allergies, I would love to have a category for gluten free and dairy free meals. Fun!!

Cleaning can be overwhelming. Seeing each room as a daily, weekly, and monthly chore is challenging. Yet, if we see the mundane tasks as worship, I believe we all can grow in this area. To clean to God’s glory, because we WANT to steward well what He has given us.

My friend Keisha wrote the following content a few years ago. She is in my opinion a cleaning queen. I have been blessed many times by her expertise and am thrilled to pass on her knowledge.

Building a Groundwork
In order to get a home to the point of manageability, there needs to be an entire deep cleaning of the home from top to bottom, room by room.  Without this done, you are just hitting the surface each time making it more difficult to keep on top of things from week to week.The time it takes to get a home to this level is based upon many things.  How much of the home is just the usual dirt to be cleaned or is there clutter that needs to be organized and gone through?  These are things to be discussed and taken into consideration.  The best possible result is based upon individual needs discussed between the cleaner and clientele. Like with most things in life, this will be a work in progress and will take time.  Try to be patient with yourself as you work to achieve your personal goal.  This will look different for everyone.

Tips For Cleaning
Have one area for all your cleaning supplies to be stored.  From that area, create a basket of supplies to take with you around the house while cleaning.Materials Used:
• Flexi-Laundry Basket (oval shaped with handles) can be found at Target or Wal Mart.
• Mini dust pan w/ attachable duster
• Feather Duster
• Large extendable ceiling duster
• Step stool
• 2-4 packs of white bar rags (found in car cleaning sections of most stores)
• A couple of non-terry rags (the dish rags that are non-absorbent)
• 1 Medium sized bucket
• If you prefer to use a mop, the Limberman (I call them Tampon mops) work the best. You can replace the heads every couple of months.
• Covered toilet brush
• Sponge with scrubby sideCleaning Products Used: (Sorry, I am not a Green Cleaner…)
• 409 for multi-surfaces, toilets
• Windex for mirrors and glass
• Lysol Toilet Cleaner for toilet bowls
• 2 T Palmolive in a bucket with hot water (used for most everything) See below
• WD40 for stainless steel
• Orange Oil for Wood
• Murphy’s Oil Soap for hardwood floors that don’t require special treatment
• Soft Scrub Orange for sinks
• Soft Scrub w/ bleach gel for tubs and showers
• Scrub Free or Comet Spray for shower doors

Cleaning Hints
For the Kitchen, I first make a bucket of 2 T Palmolive and hot water.  Using a rag and ringing it out good.  I use this mixture for all counter tops, cupboards, microwave, refrigerator, appliances… I basically wipe down everything with this changing the water when necessary.  I use this method first, and use 409 on the tough areas, wipe down again with the rag and then buff areas with a dry rag.  I use Soft Scrub in the sink area and buff with WD40 on stainless steel sink and other appliances with stainless steel.  For linoleum floors I use this same Palmolive mixture (unless it is a heavier job requiring something stronger) For the Bathroom I first wipe down the mirrors with the non-absorbent rag with Windex, moving to the sink with soft scrub and buffing with a dry rag (especially the chrome area) I used the damp rag to buff the sink for the toilet.  First I spray 409 all over and put Lysol cleaner in the toilet.  I use the toilet brush for the toilet and then wipe up the top, seat and base with the damp rag used from the sink.  Flush and your done.  I use Soft scrub bleach gel in the shower/tub area and buff it all down with a dry rag to make it shiny.  Before cleaning the sink I usually soak a rag in water and ring it out, putting it on the door handle for later and then using it at this point to wipe down light switch plates, cupboards and towel racks etc. buffing as you go.  Then I clean the floor with the Palmolive mixture.For dusting I use a combination of feather dusters on picture frames etc. Windex on the mirrors and glass, a bucket of the Palmolive mixture with a tightly rung out rag for any areas that won’t be damaged by water (light switch plates, non-wood surfaces, window sills etc.) and finishing with the orange oil spray for wood areas.Tips on Organizing
List of Supplies Needed:
• Sharpie Pen & Labels
• Various sizes and shapes of Rubbermaids, Baskets & Nice Boxes
• Throw-away boxes
• Give-away boxes
• Garbage Bags (large heavy duty black bags)
• Boxes/Bags for recycling

The importance of Piles:
As you go through each room, there needs to be a pile for:
• Garbage
• Recycling
• Give Away Pile #1 (to Value Village etc.)
• Give Away Pile #2 (to Friends, family, those in need)
• “Don’t know yet” pile (for things you just can’t decide on that you may need to ask hubby)
• Selling Pile (Consignment, Ebay, Craigslist) *Don’t make this too big or you will be overwhelmed.  Only do items that are worth the time and effort.
• Paper Pile (all pictures, artwork, bills to be filed, cards, letters, e-mails etc. go in a large rubbermaid or box and set aside to go through at a later time.  Perfect for a rainy day project and out of your way for the time being).

Order of Events:
• In each area that you are to begin, have your piles & supplies ready.
• When you step into each room start with the door and work your way around the room from right to left (out the door) DO NOT SKIP OVER ANYTHING.

Things To Remember:
• Any doubt, throw it out.  If you haven’t used something in a month it’s time to go.
• The less you have, the more free you will feel.  Clutter weighs you down and cuts into having order in your home.  The less there is the easier it is to manage.
• Pray if there is a hard thing that needs to be tossed.  Pray all the time through the process. At the end of each day of organizing have a place to put your piles until next round and our of your sight (like the garage or basement for example)

Cleaning & Organizing Schedule (Sample)
Each room is broken down into 4 groups.  I suggest sitting down and creating your own list of your home to get started.  The “house projects” category is just a running list of things that you need or would like to get done in the future so fill it out according to your own needs.The sample below is based on a 5 bed / 3 bath home.Bathrooms: Master, Kids, Main Floor
General Clean (Weekly)
• Wipe down mirror
• Wipe off light switch plates, towel bars, sills, etc.
• Wash Sink/Counter, outside of cupboards
• Clean Toilet bowl, top & base
• Clean Shower
• Empty Garbage
• Vacuum/Wash floors

Organizing (Monthly)
Starting from the door work your way from the left of the room to the right discarding items and organizing:
• Bathroom Closets
• Drawer’s & Cupboards
• All visible items on counters, tub, shower or sills

Deep Clean (Monthly)
• Use tall duster to dust ceiling and corners
• Wipe down smudges on walls, baseboards, and doors
• Wash all surfaces (inside & outsides of all cabinets/shelves)
• Wash Shower Curtain & Hanging Shower Racks
• Clean Light FixturesHouse Projects List
• Touch up paint

Upstairs Hall Closets/Laundry Area
General Clean (Weekly)
• Wipe down appliances
• Wash Sink/Counter, outside of cupboards
• Empty garbage
• Vacuum & Wash floor
• Re-stock cleaning basket, wash dirty rags

Organizing (Monthly)
Starting from the door work your way from the left of the room to the right discarding items and organizing:
• Go through all cupboards & drawers
• Go through all visible items in room
• Go through all upstairs hall closet spaces

Deep Clean (Monthly)
• Use tall duster to dust ceiling and corners
• Clean light fixtures
• Wipe down smudges on walls, baseboards, and doors
• Wipe down appliances
• Wipe down inside and outsides of cupboards

House Projects List
• Touch up paintPantry/Desk Area/Downstairs Hall Closets
General Clean (Weekly)
• Wipe down shelves
• Wipe down outsides of cabinets
• Clean Sink
• Organize shoes, pick up
• Put away papers on desk
• Empty garbage
• Vacuum & Wash floor
• Re-stock cleaning basket, wash dirty rags

Organizing (Monthly)
Starting from the door work your way from the left of the room to the right discarding items and organizing:
• Go through all cupboards, drawers & baskets
• Go through all visible items in room
• Go through all downstairs hall closets

Deep Clean (Monthly)
• Use tall duster to dust ceiling and corners
• Clean Light Fixtures
• Wipe down smudges on walls, baseboards, and doors
• Wipe down all surfaces
• Wipe down inside and outsides of cupboards

House Projects List
• Touch up paint

Kitchen/Dining
General Clean (Weekly)
• Wipe down outside of cupboards
• Wipe down counter tops & outside of appliances
• Clean Microwave
• Clean sink
• Wipe down chairs, bench & tables, Polish
• Go through refridgerator, discard old food and wipe down if necessary
• Empty garbage and recycling
• Vacuum and wash all floors

Organizing (Monthly)
Starting from the door work your way from the left of the room to the right discarding items and organizing:
• Go through all cupboards
• Go through all visible items, clear counter tops and put items away

Deep Clean (Monthly)
• Use tall duster to dust ceiling and corners
• Clean light fixtures
• Wipe down smudges on walls, baseboards, doors & light switch covers
• Wash insides of windows and window sills
• Wipe down inside/outside of cupboards
• Clean inside refridgerator/freezer
• Clean Stovetop/Ovens
• Clean inside of Dishwasher
• Wipe down all countertops/appliances
• Wipe down chairs, bench & table, Polish
• Wipe down light fixture
• Vacuum, edge and wash floors

House Projects List
• Touch up paintLiving Room/TV Room & Guest Room

General Clean (Weekly)
• Dust all surfaces, polish as needed
• Windex mirrors, smudges on windows
• Wipe down obvious smudges on walls and doors
• Empty or remove garbage
• Vacuum & wash flooring

Organizing (Monthly)
Starting from the door work your way from the left of the room to the right discarding items and organizing:
• Toys in living room boxes
• Inside Cupboards
• All visible items

Deep Clean (Monthly)
• Use tall duster to dust ceiling and corners
• Wipe down smudges on walls, baseboards, doors & light switch covers
• Wash insides of windows and window sills
• Dust all surfaces (inside & outsides of all furniture)
• Vacuum under/outside of cushions on sofa/chairs
• Wipe down light fixturesYearly
• Windows Washed (Professional)
• Carpet Cleaned (Professional)
• Touch up PaintingHouse Projects List
• Touch up PaintingKids Bedrooms/Closets

General Clean (Weekly)
• Dust all surfaces
• Change linens, make up bed
• Pick up items and put away
• Wipe down obvious smudges seen on windows, walls, light switch plates, doors
• Empty garbage
• Vacuum & wash flooring

Organizing (Monthly)
Starting from the door work your way from the left of the room to the right discarding items and organizing:
• Closets (organize clothes, shoes, accessories)
• Go through all drawers, cupboards, desks etc.

Deep Clean (Monthly)
• Use tall duster to dust ceiling and corners
• Wipe down smudges on walls, baseboards, doors & light switch covers
• Wash insides of windows and window sills
• Dust all surfaces (inside & outsides of all furniture)
• Wipe down light fixture
• Wash quilts, mattress covers, bedskirts
• Vacuum, edge and wash floorsHouse Projects List
• Touch up paintPlay Room

General Clean (Weekly)
• Dust all surfaces
• Wipe down smudges seen on windows, walls, light switch plates, doors
• Vacuum & wash flooring
• Empty Garbage
• Put away toys, blankets & pillows

Organizing (Monthly)
Starting from the door work your way from the left of the room to the right discarding items and organizing:
• Finish organizing toy bins, discard unwanted toys
• Organize Art Area

Deep Clean (Monthly)
• Use tall duster to dust ceiling and corners
• Wipe down smudges on walls, baseboards, doors & light switch covers
• Wash insides of windows and window sills
• Dust all surfaces (inside & outsides of all furniture)
• Vacuum under/outside of all items
• Wipe down light fixture

House Projects List
• Touch-up paintMaster Bedroom/Closet
General Clean (Weekly)
• Dust all surfaces
• Change linens, make up bed
• Wipe down smudges seen on windows, walls, light switch plates, doors
• Empty garbage
• Vacuum & wash flooring

Organizing (Monthly)
Starting from the door work your way from the left of the room to the right discarding items and organizing:
• Walk in Closet- Discard unwanted shoes, clothing, accessories
• Go through any drawers, bins, under bed etc.

Deep Clean (Monthly)
• Use tall duster to dust ceiling and corners
• Wipe down smudges on walls, baseboards, doors & light switch covers
• Wash insides of windows and window sills
• Dust all surfaces (inside & outsides of all furniture)
• Wipe down light fixture
• Wash quilts, mattress covers and bedskirt
• Vacuum, edge and wash floors

House Projects List
• Touch up paint Garage

General Clean
Just make sure things don’t pile up in there every week, go in and skim to make sure items haven’t been left out, if so, put away.Organizing
Starting from the door work your way from the left of the room to the right discarding items and organizing:
• With spouse go through his items, discard unwanted items
• Organize and re-arrange, bring items in the house to store or decide what to keep out there

Deep Clean
• Vacuum cobwebs
• Wipe down all surfaces
• Sweet/vacuum ground
• Spray off ground with water

Projects List Yard
General Clean
• General up-keep of yard (raking when leaves are falling, wedding in the summer, watering, etc.)

Organizing
• Get rid of any unwanted items in front & back yard

Deep Clean (To be done 1-2 times a year)
• Window washing of all outside windows
• Spraying down the house
• Gardening, up-keep
• New door mat when the other one is older
• Vacuum areas right outside door to keep from tracking things in (making sure everyone takes their shoes off at all times will eliminate dirt)

Deep Clean (To be done 1-2 times a year)
• Window washing of all outside windows
• Spraying down the house
• Gardening, up-keep
• Wipe down patio furniture
• New door mat when the other one is older
• Vacuum areas right outside door to keep from tracking things in (making sure everyone takes their shoes off at all times will eliminate dirt)

 If speed cleaning is your style, try this or this. Fly Lady is great too! Have fun!

This is the beginning of a home management series that I have been thinking and praying about doing. homeWork is a double entendre, here. “Homework”, as in the supplemental work to further your learning AND secondly, work in the home, which is an outward act of worship to God. This will be a series on stewardship of the home as a worshipful response to God’s blessings. I will spend more time on the practical side of things, giving tips and research on home organization, help with menu/meal planning, and balancing career and relationships, while maintaining our homes. This will last a couple months, just in time for the upcoming holiday season.

I am not an organizational expert, nor am I a perfect example of being “busy at home”. I am passionate about seeing work as worship, so that none of us would be lazy or work through a self-sufficient arrogance. I pray that this would be an exercise in growing in wisdom in our work, and learning more ways to be busy at home- as worship.homeWork: a Stewardship Issue will look at ways that we all can improve (by God’s grace) in the way that we order our home. Stewardship is a humble acknowledgement of what we have and who gave it to us, with a response that worships the giver with steadfast and faithful management of the gift. One disclaimer is that this will be an effort in understanding tips, tasks, methods, and areas that we all can grow in. My aim is not to be legalistic but to embrace many styles of home management that honors Christ in stewardship, with freedom. I am excited about learning with whoever joins me! Get ready for lots of information, resources, and most of all, join me in the journey to worship Jesus with our work. My passion for order will come through, but please take heart that my desire is to not make you like me! My prayer is that my passion to influence for the gospel is a louder message, and that these methods will be a fun and lighthearted attempt at growing in practical theology!

So, let’s put on our latex gloves, pray for soft and teachable hearts, and get to our homeWork!

Titus 2:4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.  (ESV)

titus 2:4 Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. (NIV)

This must be important, since God would speak to it. So, when a woman is at home, what does being Busy at home, mean…

I would venture to say that there are two types of busy at home

1. Frantic busy: last minute shopping for the last minute meal, last minute phone calls, emails, and trip to the store to get diapers or dog food, because your baby is wearing the last diaper you own. This kind of busy is the gal that is out of breath because she is running in circles, like a dog chasing its own tail. This busy gal is not ever getting time to rest or to enjoy those she loves or she does do those things and lets everything else fall apart around her. She isn’t really busy at all, she creates chaos by not managing/stewarding well, then has to urgently respond to the chaos- which can mask as busyness. Does she enjoy her life creating chaos? Maybe, frantic is fun? She is a busy gal, but she doesn’t seem to ever get it all done. She is urgent driven/minded.

2. Smart busy: planner and sabbather. She menu plans and reads to her kids. She makes love to her husband and has time to play a board game with her family. She is super busy, but is working smart and hard, sometimes fast at working, like during naps when kids are not needing her attention. This smart busy gal is ready for the impromptu visit or call. She is busy at home, but in a different way than the frantic busy gal. She may not get everything done, but smart gal seems to be focused not chaotic.

So, when do each of these busy gals read their Bibles? How about exercise? hmm. Those are good tests for me personally when I can tell my heart has veered over to frantic or urgent driven work. God in his grace offers opportunities for me to get back on track with stewardship of time and resources and doing more smart busy work.

Busy at home is not an “of course.” I could work myself in to a sweat and “miss” those moments that God has called me to, like playing with my children, affection, words, tenderness, laughter, all in exchange for a folded load of laundry? No, thank you!

God wants me to fear Him with my busyness, that I would be motivated primarily to work for his view not for others, that he would teach me to be smart in my labor.

I have to do two loads of laundry every day. If I don’t, I have a pile of clothes that could reach the ceiling in a few days. I am totally serious. There are the dishes, the floors, the bathrooms, the cobwebs, the dust, the pine needles in the entry, etc. If I don’t a little every day- balance withdrawls happen. Then, the house Work becomes so accumilated, it is like DEBT. It takes a whole day of work to get back up to zero.

I enjoy making the deposits- so that I don’t have debt. Yet, sometimes I do it to control my work, so it doesn’t control me. IS that good stewardship that leads to worship OR is that controlling work so I am in control? I believe that it is both. Most worshipful opportunities for me -are both. My drive to accomplish to my own end (glory) for self and the other side is to truly steward my life to God’s glory.

My aim is to see Jesus in my laundry. Not literally speaking. But, to see that He cares about the way that I do my laundry. He cares about how I steward what He has given me. Keeping busy to the glory of God. Not rules driven, but a tender submission- that says, the work never ends- and I am thankful I have the clothing and the hands to work with it.

Titus 2:5 says: -to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

HouseWork Debt is inevitable. Worship is stewarding these resources to God’s glory. Thanking Jesus that He is providing for me. God has called me to keep processing all of that, so that the people in my inbox, the clothing, the dishes are stewarded. Working hard and busy, smart and patient, making deposits to avoid debt each day looks like this for me:

• 3 (15 minutes) time slots for processing email
• start load of laundry before kids wake up and fold and put away during nap (30 minute job)(older children fold and put away their own clothes)
• load dishwasher after dinner and run it during nighttime
• empty dishwasher as I make breakfast
• 5 minute clean up in kitchen after every meal (children help)
• 1 room a day to clean and organize (30 minutes)

Tips for making houseWork fun and teachable:

1. Put on music and dance with the kids when putting up toys
2. Make organizing projects with the child fun craft time!
3. Let your children try to help with jobs- encourage their work ethic!
4. Read to your child while they do a house job
5. Game with Laundry: “Who can find the most clothing items that our yours,” or matching socks, or sorting.
6. Have kids dishes stored low in the kitchen, so that they can easily take and put away their dishes.
7. When a child is taking a bath, talk to him or her and clean out your drawers! (this takes only 10 minutes!)
8. Have a bed linen day, where everyone brings all of their bedding to the laundry room, and at the end of the day, everyone helps make beds (I do every other week)
9. Lay out clothes for the next day for your child
10. Make working rewarding, by talking about it. Encouragement and thankfullness for trying and doing is great!

Happy houseWork Debt Consolidating!