Trying a New 'Do

For a church Christmas dinner tonight, I got the urge to just do something different. I like it and out was very simple. I just pulled my hair back into a regular claw clip and I just french braided the rest and tucked and pinned under the leftovers. Turned out nice, I think;)

New 'do

Or at least a new look. If there were any humidity or if I were running late this is what you might see if you ran into me on the street. Fairly au natural most days. This is my natural curl. I didn't know how much I missed it. But I did and now I'm loving it again.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless Phone

How Young is Too Young to Train Our Daughters to be Homemakers?

I have owned this (as well as the companion boys' book) for a few years now.  I haven't used it as much as I hoped I would have by now, but I keep at it.  I read through topics here and there to keep things fresh in my mind regarding training up our daughters.  It does mention in this book that the earlier items in each chapter are for the younger and then they increase in appropriateness with age.    This seems to be true.

  I wondered today how young is too young to train our daughters to be homemakers?  Is it when they are able to handle tools with safety?  Is it when they can actually get the clothes to stay onto the hanger?  Or what about when they are able to organize a menu and shopping list fairly regularly?   

Oh, I know!  It must be when a young lady looks like she's ready for work and training and is strong enough.    No.  Maybe it will work when she keeps a budget and is responsible for her schedule and much of her own education. 

The longer I am in this role, the more I am convinced that being a homemaker has less to do with the tasks at hand and more to do with my heart.  A house is a building.  We would all like for it to be clean most of the time.  The 'home' of our hearts is more important, though, so that we provide a  welcoming temperament for the Holy Spirit to take up residence. ?  Just my own questions for myself.....I'm just thinking out loud here..but I think that my daughters' future homes depend on what I live out for them.  And that begins with the state of my heart.

Am I training them in the tasks they need in a purposeful manner? Do they feel encouraged and uplifted in their endeavors?  Do I honor their efforts and gently guide them in corrections (not always).   Is their work appreciated when they've done it with a  good attitude?  Are they seeking wisdom?  How is their spiritual life going?  Am I modeling what I desire to see reflected?

This is one of my Intentional areas this year..making a lovely home..inside my heart and beyond.

Baby Steps - A Lesson From the Flylady

It's the Flylady's mantra.  I believe it might be on nearly every page of her website.  It's probably on every single email that comes flooding into the inbox.  Baby steps.  Baby steps.  Baby steps.  When I first discovered her website and method, I was not only on the wagon, I drove it.  It made me feel sooo in control.  (I'm sure that's a problem)  I didn't regularly get behind on anything, as can happen these days.  Most areas of our home stayed in  company-ready-in-15-minutes condition. It made soo much sense.  If you're on top of things, they don't get bad enough to get you all worked up and then you find yourself on a cleaning frenzy (and therefore, neglect other areas as well).  These days, I have a somewhat blended method of homekeeping that allows for more, shall we say, balance.  But that binder is  not what this post is about.  The Flylady is on to something when she gets on those fits.  It works so much better my heart than it does in my home. 

Yes,  you read that right.  I am enjoying the day having had that thought streaming across the eyes of my heart again and again.  If we get things done as the junk begins to seep in, we won't be as likely to find ourselves in an all-out conniption. A little pride here, a  little selfishness there, bitterness is always looking for a corner to sink into.  But, if we keep it cleaned up in baby steps and leave no area untouched, we keep our hearts constantly hospitable to the Holy Spirit. When there's even a splinter of unforgiveness, greed or vanity hanging around in there, the Holy Spirit is quenched in my heart.

 My husband and I heard a teaching on the principle of short accounts a while back.  We began using it to keep check on anything that might be said or unsaid between us.  Just the daily (actually many times each day) looking into each other's eyes, even if we're busy, and asking, "Are we OK?".  Now that is probably annoying to some, but we know what the other one means by the phrase.  We are conveying that we want to always be willing to hear an issue that may come up in the other's heart that might need some "housekeeping."   Usually if nothing's amiss, a smile comes to our faces.  But if the other one looks down or away, or tries to busy themselves, there needs to be some quality heart-to-heart ministry time.  Those times are wonderful!  Think of the smell of lavender in a freshly cleaned home with the breeze blowing in.....the accomplishment--of a clean heart.