Clearing out the Clutter

Spring and Early Summer is a natural time to do some housecleaning.  You can open up the windows, get some fresh air circulating, and clear out the clutter in your home.  I love this type of day!  I love that I can spend some time tossing the papers and boxing up to give away the things that are just taking up room in our home and making a clear, clean, new slate.

Our lives are a lot like a house that has been closed up for the season.  We take in the good that happens to us, but we also acquire a lot of things that are not beneficial to us.  We have anxieties and fears lurking in the dusty corners of our being, bitterness, jealousy, and hate that has taken root, selfish negative desires, broken hearts, and overwhelmed souls.

However, it is the season to fling open your spirit to the wonderful healing God wants to do in your life, in your marriage, in your family, and in your home.  What is cluttering your life, and what is getting in the way?  Give it to Him.  He can make all things bright and shiny, even better than Spring Cleaning, but it is a process. 

Just like you can't likely completely declutter and deep clean a two-story house in only one day, our lives often have lifetimes of toxic build-up.  So, start to clear out your spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental clutter, and if you need help, seek it out.  Friends, family members, clergy, or a Christian coach or therapist can help you cleanse yourself of the broken things which no longer work for you and help you to grasp on to the brand new experiences and freedom which God has for you!

P.S.  If you need help with relationship/marriage issues or self-esteem issues, (or questions :-) don't hesitate to post here, and I will answer, or visit our website for coaching services at: www.marriageguyandgal.com

Blessings on your day!

--Michelle

For God and Husband (or Wife)

You know what I am thinking about alot today?  Going back to basics. 

What are the things that absolutely must be in place to keep things running smoothly in life?

Dishes?   Laundry?   Doctor Appointments? 

Yes, any of those things can be necessary to home efficiency and health.  However, if you are married, there are even two more primary relationship basics that I am thinking need to have priority over any of the three (although the dishes and laundry certainly can't wait too long, LOL!)

1) How is your relationship with the Lord?  2)  How is your relationship with your husband?

As I have been personally seeking how to make all the business of life fall into place and to grow closer to the Lord, I realized that God hasn't changed or moved.  If I am not feeling close to Him, then, as in human relationships, I need to talk with him and listen to Him.

Interestingly, when I began to intentionally take time to pray at the beginning of the day, I began to feel closer to Him (and I certainly pray any time, but intentionally starting the day is a recent thing in my life--not that I've not done it before, but busy-ness got in the way, ya know?)

The same thing works in marriage.  If we feel that we are drifting apart, we can choose to commit to talking...even better: communicating.  Carving out direct time each day to both speak and listen to our spouse.  In that, relationship grows, and we grow closer.

Finally, I am also recognizing that I want to make another commitment....making the choice to pray for my husband intentionally each day.  Wow!  Communicating with God on behalf of my husband...A Definite Win-Win!!

Today, I prayed, really prayed for my husband, and I am so glad I did.  Men carry a lot of weight on their shoulders, and if we wives can help them through practical ways and prayer, it is our privilege to do so.

Have you prayed today?  Have you talked with your spouse today?  Have you prayed for your spouse today?

No matter your answer, no matter if you have been doing so for years or never thought of it, we can both be intentional to do these things today!  Join me?

Rest and Rejuvenation

Do you ever just feel like you want to pause the world for awhile to catch your breath?  I know that my husband and I do.  We would love to be able to pause time to spend even more time together and with the kids, to get caught up on household tasks, and to get caught up on work, and errands! 

While that type of situation isn't likely to happen, (unless we have enough vacation days, but on vacation days, who wants to work?) there is a built in day for relaxation each week.  Do you take advantage of it?

In the past year or so, I and my family members have taken the concept of Sabbath a bit more seriously than we had.  We don't make it specifically a Saturday or a Sunday, but we do try to make it one or the other, simply because they are the ones most likely not to have work scheduled into them.  I suppose that a Sabbath could easily be a Monday, Wednesday, Friday, or the two days I left out, without it really changing the importance of setting aside a day for God as well as rest and rejuvenation.  In the Bible, we are told that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath, so I take that to mean that we don't have to be religiously strict about what we do or do not allow ourselves to do on our Sabbath but that it would make sense for it to be refreshing to our spirits and our bodies.

Sometimes, I am tempted to make my Sabbath a day for getting caught up on the things that there didn't seem to be time for during the week, but (since that "pause button" does not exist) I remind myself that God intentionally planned for us to have a day each week that is set-apart for Him and for our good.

Turns out that once I determine that a certain day is my Sabbath, I forget about the chores on which I need to catch up, and I happily choose to relax.  Again, beneficial choices become easier the more and more we practice making them.  Often, this means church, a nap, a movie with the family, and a meal out at a restaurant, but it could mean a walk in nature, praising the Lord in song, Bible reading, and eating a hot dog with your favorite toppings.  I'm pretty sure that it is the concept that God was wanting us to grasp, that life is about Him, and that He grants us peace and rest. 

How about you?  What do you enjoy about the Sabbath, and if you don't take one, why not start today!

Blessings,
Michelle

Seek Ye First...

We all carry a lot on our shoulders each day.  There are always meals to make, clothes to clean, and a myriad of other "to-do" items on our agendas.  So, for Day 2 of 30 days of posting on growing for God, Home, Health, and Work, I want to share about something that I have found to be a great help to me when I feel overwhelmed with house duties, homemaking, homeschooling, and the juggle of it all with work and the need to eat right. 

Wow, just that sentence makes me feel overwhelmed!   

I have decided to take God's Word as truth, and as such, I have found that practicing Matthew 6:33, which tells us to seek God's kingdom first and all these things shall be added unto us, is very helpful to getting the day off to a great start and keeping it going along well. 

What this often looks like in our household is me choosing a Bible verse to share with the kids, saying a prayer for the day, and praying for my husband.  It has also been me crying out to God that I need Him to show me what to do, because I am overwhelmed and don't know where to start.

While I don't always remember to start the day right, or more likely, something calls for my attention before I even get a chance to get out of bed, I have found that the days that I dedicate to God through prayer, and ask for His direction in living, are the days when I am most relaxed, accomplished, and peaceful.

Maybe this is something you already do?  But, if not, I hope it inspires you to give it a try!  God's Word is a great place to learn how to take care of ourselves, our lives, our homes, and our families!

How to Handle the GLITCHES of Life

Today is Day 1 of my 30 days of posts on topics to teach and encourage us as we seek to grow closer to God and to improve our lives in regard to Home, Health, and Work.  So, wouldn't it just figure that on Day 1, I am having internet connectivity issues? 

While I am certainly not delighted at this situation (and am definitely not as focused as I would like to be while blogging at a restaurant with a chatty older man next to me, tons of conversation around me, and three kids who are ready for me to take them home already....did I mention that I lost my original draft of this post because of connectivity issues at this said restaurant, ugh!!!), I am choosing to look at this as an opportunity to post on somethings that I have found helpful to remember and practice when the unexpected occurs. (I will blog on what I had originally thought I would post on today tomorrow, unless something else unexpected occurs :).

Things like the internet modem being outdated and going berserk when I need it most, or getting lost on the way to take my kids to the first day of an activity when we were already running late can make the frustration and stress level go through the roof.  So can losing my keys, misplacing the cell phone, getting low on gas at the wrong time, and any host of other "unexpected glitches." 

Here is my run-down of what keeps me sane during such times (and believe me, I have a LOT of them!)

1) Take a Deep Breath, and Remember to Give the Situation To God and Pray for His Direction

2) Recognize that the Glitch will likely not impact you past the next day or month.  Will it really matter in a year from now?

3) Choose to think of the positives of the situation.  Perhaps, God wanted that traffic jam so that you would not be in front of a drunk driver at a time when he would have swerved into you if you had not been delayed.  When else do you get uninteruppted time alone with your kids in one place together?

The more we accept that things don't always go as we expected or planned, the more we can choose how to react when the glitches occur.  After all, if we give in to the frustration and stress with screaming or complaining, we are hardly making the situation better.  But, by keeping our wits about us, we can pass on to our kids or those around us, the wisdom to take life as it comes and make the best of it.  What does it benefit us to stress over the glitches anyway?

May your day be blessed, and I not loose this before it is posted successfully.  See you tomorrow for Day 2!