make disciples of all nations
31 Days to Clean Having a Martha House the Mary way
Day 4 - A Place to Put Your Feet Up
Mary Challenge: Invite over a friend and allow them to “put their feet up.” Don’t worry about making everything just right, instead, enjoy their company.
I haven't had the privilege of doing this yet but hope to get to have someone or a group of people over SOON! This is already a custom in our home so I feel I'll fair well, even with a drop in!
Martha Challenge: Kitchen - Clean your oven and microwave.
Mary Challenge: Ask your family what makes them feel the most loved when it comes to you caring for your home – ask them to be specific so that you can begin (or continue) to give life to your domain.
My 3 babes under 3 just stared at me... hehe
My sweet, amazing, encouraging hubby told me it makes him comfortable, (and I guess) feel loved when he comes home every afternoon and the house (mainly the living room) is picked up. He also said that this makes him more aware of cleaning/keeping things picked up daily and when he's watching the kiddos for me. *Bonus! He also appreciates it when he comes down stairs, from his nightly routine of putting the girls to bed, to find I've done the nightly load of laundry and dishes as well as picked up any stragglers from the girl's game of "clean up" for bed. YAY!
Martha Challenge: Kitchen - Dust tops of refrigerator, cabinets, and shelves. Clean and shine the outsides of drawers and cabinets.
Well, that's my excuse anyway ;o) Not cleaning them well a year ago when we moved in was a real contributing factor but hey, I was prego and exhausted...yeah, I know, another excuse ;o)
31 Days to Clean Having a Martha House the Mary wayDay 2 - Created to Give Life
Mary Challenge: What can you do today to bring life to your home, your children, your husband, and your sphere of influence?
Ugg, I am still working on this...
I feel like I'm ok at Decorating, preparing meals, hospitality
BUT I am a giant FAIL in the areas of using my words creating an atmosphere of peace and breathe life into (but not limited to) my family. I have a tendency to be a pessimist and have a hard time encouraging anyone over the age of ~5. I just feel silly. Totally wrong, just being honest. Feel free to post advice in this area. I'm also learning to be teachable.
Not sure how I stack up in the areas of: education – to yourself, your children, or others, church – using your gifts, socially, culture and the arts, heritage and traditions – enriching the lives around you
Martha Challenge: Kitchen – Clean out and scrub down the refrigerator and freezer.
I thought this task would be simple because I had resently cleaned out my fridge one Sunday morning while I was the only one home from church with a sick baby...but I was a little wrong.
I forgot I'd run out of time before I hit the disgusting freezer. I forgot to snap a shot of the horrific trays in the door.Can you can "can of frozen grease"? bluck!
Glad you have come to visit my quirky little slice of the world wide web. Hope you enjoy yourself!
In the past year I have moved to a new town and set up camp in a new domain. I am raising my 2 darling daughters ("3 in June" and 16 months), and our newest addition, our baby boy (4 months). I am continually learning to be a better help-mate to my hubby (7 years in May!), BUT the most exciting thing that has come in the last year has been to discover where and how God wants me to grow. This is fun! God has been moving in new ways and through new venues! I have been attempting to read His word more often, be open to His guidance in everyday situations, find more Christ-based resources, and follow the leadership of my godly husband. Because of this obedience (and even in spite of a lot of disobedience), God has sent me through some TOUGH growing!
Just one of the Christ-based resources God has used is the blog (blogs are a definite God send for crazy moms like me) likeawarmcupofcoffee.com by Sarah Mae. Recently she has released her newest e-book, 31 Days to Clean Having a Martha Home the Mary Way. Because I read her inspiring blog often I was excited to see what this (CHEAP, $4.99) book had to say. I'm always up for a challenge (raisinghomemakers.com is leading the 31 days challenge which began May 1st) and helps on maintaining or enhancing my "domain". Each day has inspiring thoughts, a Mary challenge, and a Martha challenge. Check it out and join up today!
All that being said (I'm hoping to get better at this), I am going to start a series about each day's progress going back to day 1.
31 Days to Clean Having a Martha House the Mary way
Day 1: Why Clean?
Mary Challenge: Make your “mission statement”. Mine states:
"I want my home to be a comfortable place to live;
where my children have fun throughout the day,
my husband is relaxed,
as a family, we are free to host guests at any time without feeling embarrassed about the condition of my home,
as well as be a good steward of what God has so richly blessed me with.
I want to Want and Love to live in my HOME."
My inspiration comes from a passage in the Old Testament every time I think about how I want to go about this hospitable thing:
My goal is to meet the needs of my family but right along side that to also create an atmosphere where any and everyone feel welcome, loved, comfortable and a desire to hang out at any hour of the day (this gets us in bind some days, hehe)! I also want to meet even the simplest needs: The text version, a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp, equates to our family providing a guest room (even if that means my kids will always share rooms), uncluttered space to bring in their things and/or a place at our table to eat, plenty of seating for conversation, and practical items: Extra toiletries, quick-fix food, etc.
Martha Challenge: Make your mission statement pretty and place it somewhere you can see it daily then organizing supplies.
I edited a picture (which I LOVE doing) of my home and typed out my "mission statement" on it, printed it at Wal-Mart and bought a CHEAP frame, then I gave it a home, with this yummy candle, on my kitchen counter between the sink and the stove. Just the place to see it (multiple times) daily! I feel kinda silly posting all this but I am hoping to hear Your stories of "why" you clean!To read more about the Shunammite woman, Elisha, and her reward for hospitality, click here.
The Valley Church was planted on Easter 2013. Our church was NOT destroyed by the tornado because the church is a people not a building. Our meeting space may be gone but we will continue to be a light for Jesus in this community!
Clicking the image above will take you to our fundraising site. 
