Keepers of The Home Testimonies
After the last Keepers meeting I drummed up a little chore schedule for myself. Things were getting done fine, but everyone is kind of freaking me out with the new baby coming, that I'm going to sink to the bottom basically. So I thought if I practiced a chore schedule now, it'd be in better place when the baby comes.
It worked awesome for an entire week!!! Then I got off for half a week, and now I'm back on strong. The funny thing about it, is that when you stick to it, you never spend an immense chunk of time (per day) doing housework, it's quite manageable, and it is very freeing to see that if I feel the carpet really needs vacuumed, and I start to feel bad about it, then all I need to do is look at the schedule and see that vacuuming is on the schedule for tomorrow. I am able to just relax, knowing that tomorrow is vacuum day and I can rest that it doesn’t need to be done today.
Before I would see ALL the cleaning that needed done and feel that it should be done right away. This would stress me. Scheduling my chores out, doing a little every day helps me to be purposeful, but to also relax and not feel so stressed by what needs done. A schedule helps to keep my home always relatively neat and clean. And allows plenty of time for my family and the relationships that are most important to me.
Love,
LeAnna
The only way I am able to have a really good day is if I am up with the Lord in the morning. Otherwise I don't have the patience and love to show my children that I would like to. When I don't have my quiet time I can be down right rotten, which doesn't help our day at all! (And if I am rotten it makes it really difficult to train my children not to be!!!) It is so frustrating when you look at what your child just did or the attitude they have and realize it is you right then and there it is you staring back at yourself with your attitude. It is very humbling. I love it when the Lord shows me in that moment what I need to work on, although I really don't want to admit it.
I started praying more and asking the Lord for help to wake up. Before I knew it I would wake up as soon as my alarm went off (not normal) I was able to wake up and not be groggy (really not normal) but I had to make a choice.......obey or snooze. I have been a snoozer since I was in Jr. High, it has never been easy for me to wake up. But it has been worth it every time, I have never regretted waking up and spending time with the Lord!
God is so patient and so forgiving, He loves us so much and He will wait for us to make the right choice. He won't give up on us!
Love you,
Carol
I have found out that if I get up in the morning and have my devotions (time in God's Word) before the kiddos get up my day seems to go so much better. It was really hard to try it, but when I did God was so faithful! Some how or other he seemed to add time to my day. It was amazing!
Joyfully,
Kim
I just wanted to say "thank you" for a great keepers meeting on Monday! I always come away with such a refreshed and inspired attitude!! I needed the "talk" on chores and daily structure....I love it every time I hear you talk about it, and even though we are already doing a lot of what you have suggested over the years, each time I hear it I get new ideas and new motivation to keep it going!! Thank you! Also, I LOVE the basket idea...carrying it to each room and finish cleaning one room before moving to the next! I started it immediatly on Tuesday morning and LOVED how it kept me focused and purposeful to finish one thing before running to the next room to put something away and then never coming back to the room I started in! Great tip!
Have a great day!
Amy
I put off my quiet time for months, kept saying "I'll get to it" or made excuses like "Grace gets up too early", blah blah blah. But I want you to know that just over the past month, I have made a strong commitment to get up about an hour before she wakes up and read God's word, pray, and prepare myself for the day. Not a surprise, but it has been such a HUGE blessing to me, Doug (my husband) and my family. Giving God our first fruits, preparing our hearts, seeking His wisdom and guidance and provisions for the day, asking Him to be in the middle of our training, asking that His presence walk along side of me ---- is so RIGHT on. Thank you for constantly talking about it, telling us to do it, giving us Biblical examples and reasons as to why to do it. God was nudging me each time you mentioned quiet time and I kept nudging back. Finally, I have embraced it and am a changed person because of it.
Thank you so much!
Love,
Michelle