How did it go last week? Did you see the first post in this series? Were you able to do the challenge? It is ok if the answer is "NO" on both those last questions. You can pop over and read up or just pick-up from where we are at today. Preparing Home and Heart isn't a race or 'yet another thing' to add onto an already long to-do list. My hope is that it can be a spot of encouragement to filter into whatever you already have on the slate for the purpose of easing the burdens and perhaps challenge you to forgo the ever gnawing procrastination bug!
So. Let's keep these short and sweet because I am willing to bet you have more to do with your Monday than sitting here reading a blog!!
(If you haven't read the most recent two posts, then a quick tidbit: I am pulling from and updating some old posts from my previous blog....)
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
It is time again for our Preparing Home and Heart message. Did you get to last week's? I would love to hear your progress.
Drawing from Bible Study the idea of how and where activity and growth happen in our spiritual lives (heart transformation) made this week's challenge an interesting one for me. It sparked memories of our homeschool reading Courage to Run by Wendy G Lawton and Harriet Tubman's ambition to live each day and work out each task with the deepest gratitude and reflecting on God instead of grumbling...
Home and Heart challenge this week:
What area of your home is the most high-traffic and most seen spot in the house? Maybe your house has a few of these areas so you can either pick just one to do or share this task with other family members: Clean it! Clean it good and deep. Not the quick run-through you might do on a daily or weekly basis. No. A deep-down, company-is-coming kind of clean. The catch? As you scrub each corner and polish each part to shine, reflect on the areas of your life which have been scrubbed clean and shiny through study in God's Word. As you straighten stacks of papers or put pillows just-right, consider how God's Word has helped you to straighten out the untidy areas of your life when you didn't know how to put it in order but God helped and led the way. After each reflection, thank Him for each point!
If you are new to the faith: pray for guidance and revelation into areas of your life you feel need cleaning up and straightening out. Lift bad memories or wrong doings up to God and toss the baggage like your clean room's trash!!
I pray this challenge will help you unlock deeper gratitude for how transforming God's Word is!
Waiting till the week of celebrating to get these tasks done will not only crowd your mind but can also steal your joy in the process.... yes, there can be joy in the process of cleaning your home! Deep cleans ahead of time with just a quick touch-up on week-of, will make light work when the time comes. Knowing this, DON'T pick an area like the kids' playroom or your living room... somewhere which will be quickly mussed up again. Rather, pick a transition area like a mud room or entryway and clean it deep then develop a patter of maintaining tidy.
May you have a joyful heart as you prepare your home this holiday season!
Grab your FREE Thanksgiving planner here:
And visit last week's post, "Preparing Heart and Home: Week 1" for some tips on using the planner.
also
Looking for a gratitude study for the month of November? Grab your FREE download here:
This study is great for private Bible time OR it works just as well for the whole family. It can even become a part of your November homeschool curriculum!