Cleaning Schedule: Day #5

Jim and I have our own offices, so on Friday's, I get those cleaned along with the breakfast patio, front porch and back patio.

Well, that's my week of cleaning. It doesn't take long at all when I do a little each day. As I said before, if I'm going to have a full week, I will clean the entire house in one day. I've even cleaned the scheduled rooms the evening before and that way, I don't have any cleaning to do during the day. I do that when Jim and Nate are busy with projects where it won't bother them if I'm cleaning. :)

As I get some decorating projects done, I will post those, but for now, I'm brain dead in that area. Where is Candice Olson!? She is my favorite designer on HGTV.

Cleaning Schedule: Day #4

Thursday is the day that I clean the entry way, hallway, living room and family room. I'm still working on the decor of these rooms. I haven't found the right furniture for the family room. The walls have been hard for me to decorate. Maybe someday I will get it done and be satisfied. :)

Another tip is that every evening before you go to bed, make sure everything is in it's place. That way the next day, you don't have a mess on your hands. One of my favorite verses,

"Boast not thyself of tomorrow for you don't know what the day may bring forth." Proverbs 27:1.

This is a verse that I try to live by. You never know what could happen tomorrow, so be prepared today! :)

Cleaning Schedule: Day #3

Wednesday is the day I clean bedrooms. We have four of them. Nathan's room is also his home office, so he has guitars, amps, cords, pedal boards plus office items. I just dust and vacuum for him, he does everything else. :) I didn't take a picture of his room, I figured he might not appreciate that. The same for his bath. I do clean that for him. He is a very neat and tidy person, I just have a hard time around all the cords, guitars, etc.

We've been in our house one year this month. I'm still working on the decorating for the bedrooms.

Cleaning Schedule: Day #2

Tuesday's are bathroom cleaning day. We have five bath's and it doesn't take me too long, so it is an easy cleaning day. :)

We have lived in our house one year this month. I'm still having trouble in the decorating area of the bathrooms. Is it just me, or are bathrooms really hard to decorate. Suggestions accepted, if you have any. :)

I usually do my laundry on this day as well. We send all of our wearing clothes to the cleaners for pressing etc. so that makes it very easy. Except for Nate, he likes his wrinkly and fresh out of the dryer. I've actually tried to take his things in for a good pressing and found out that was a no-no. Sorry Nate. :)

Cleaning Schedule: Day #1

The best part for me in cleaning certain rooms each day is that I have more time to stay on top of the organization of drawers, closets and cabinets. When I clean all in one day, I don't have the time it takes to stay on top of the little things that need tending to.

Cleaning Schedule

I've had several ask me about how I clean my house. Some of you have asked for pictures of my house as well. So, I thought I would give my cleaning schedule each day and then show pictures of the rooms as I go along.

I clean my own house. I've had people give me an estimate before, but I thought, I would rather do other things with that money and clean my own house. It's sort of strange, I know, I like cleaning. Even though, sometimes, I think that I would love to have someone come clean my house each week, I get over it once I get my cleaning done. When I clean my house I get a sense of accomplishment and I love to make things sparkle and shine. Who knows, maybe someday I will give in and have it done and then do something with all the time it takes.

Each day, Monday through Friday, I have a portion of the house I clean. That way my house seems to always be clean. I think it's a mental thing. If I'm having a full week, I clean all in one day.

Monday is my laundry room, dining room and kitchen day. It is also my grocery day.

Interview with Elisa Morgan

What is the premise behind your new book, She Did What She Could?

Most of us care deeply about the needs around us – poverty, injustice, everyday concerns of those in our families and in our offices and in our neighborhoods. But faced with the challenges of getting food on the table and children to and from activities and keeping up with our jobs etc, we feel more than a little overwhelmed. Who has the time or the energy to start another nonprofit or to participate in yet another celebrity-help-the-world-athon? We conclude we have to do something BIG to make a difference. Not true. We don’t have to do something BIG to make a difference. In a Bible story where Mary of Bethany anoints Jesus with a beautiful gift of perfume before his death, Jesus applauds her action saying, “She did what she could.” We can make a difference every day by simply doing what we could in the given moment before us.

When did the idea for this book/movement come to you?

I’d been reading what I call the “Girl Stories” in the gospels – stories where a woman is the main character. I was stopped in my tracks by Mary’s acting out her love for Jesus and by his pairing her action with the gospel. Mary lived loved. She acted out her faith by doing something with who she was and what she had in a moment that mattered. At the same time I was reading that story, I was suddenly overwhelmed by issues in our world like the HIV-AIDS pandemic and poverty and needs everywhere I turned. I began to think about the power of one of us acting and then another and another. I began to prayerfully wonder – what if I did what I could – just like Mary did? And then each of us did what we could? The whole world could be changed!

What percentage of church members are active in ministry?

It’s reported that 20% of the people do 80% of the work.

What reasons do you think members have for not serving?

Lots of folks don’t participate due to the busyness of life and the perception that unless we do something BIG it won’t make a difference. We feel guilty that we can’t do MORE. We feel inadequate because we aren’t more godly - or because of something hidden in our past. We feel incompetent because we aren’t trained. We’re tired and overwhelmed. And then there’s the fact that lots of us aren’t even “members” of a church. We’re not sure what to do with church – even though we love Jesus. We have a million struggles that keep us from “doing”. SDWSC gives a bite-size offering to everyone to participate in living out our faith and making a difference.

Do you feel that many church members are intimidated by those who are very involved at church?

You bet. If you’re not in the “in crowd” or gifted with public gifs like teaching or are marginalized in some way, it’s WAY intimidating to step up and say, ”Hey, I’d like to help.” SDWSC welcomes ALL to join in and act. It refreshes those who are weary in well-doing as well.

In the book, you point out that this message of everyone doing what they can is Biblical. What story are you referring to specifically?

The story is told in Mark 14 but is also told in Matthew and John as well. Just before Jesus’ death on the cross for the sins of all humankind, Mary of Bethany took a jar of nard, a very expensive perfume, and poured it on Jesus – as a symbol of anointing his body before his death. In a moment when the gesture would mean the most to him. You get the impression that Mary hadn’t really planned out this action. It seems more spontaneous. And while the nard was expensive, that wasn’t the main point. Mary acted out of her understanding that Jesus really was the Christ and he really loved her. She wanted to give back. She took what she had – nard – and acted with it in a moment that mattered to Jesus and to the world. She did what she could.

You’ve shared your message with the MOPS organization. What has the response been so far to the SDWSC (She Did What She Could) movement?

Moms are passionate about being the best moms they can be. They’re also passionate to make a difference in their world. They know that they may not be able to do something GIANT in the day to day of raising children. SDWSC gives them a methodology for acting in a way that matters in their daily lives. With a neighbor or a coworker. With a child. To care for the earth. To reach out to someone who has less and needs more. Moms have pasted the SDWSC flare on their Facebook pages and are telling the SDWSC stories, encouraging others to do what they can as well.

How do you hope churches and ministries will use your message to mobilize their members?

Those who’ve never served can be invited to join in with the practical – doable – message of SDWSC. And those who are weary in well-doing can be encouraged that Jesus doesn’t ask us to do EVERYTHING or ALL we could but rather WHAT we could do.

How do you hope readers can change their lives with your message?

She did what she could (SDWSC) is a mantra that rules my days as opportunities come before me. I run each through the grid of SDWSC. Is it something that I can uniquely handle? Is it a moment that matters NOW? Will I make a difference if I do WHAT I could – not ALL or EVERYTHING I could? I hope and pray that readers will do the same. She did what she could. When I do what I could and you do what you could and we do what we could – we can change the world. We can be the body of Christ in action, on the earth, demonstrating individually and together what it means to live loved.

Elisa Morgan is a nationally recognized speaker and the author of more than fifteen books, including the best–selling What Every Mom Needs and Mom's Devotional Bible. Elisa has served as CEO of MOPS International since 1989. She is also the publisher of MomSense and FullFill magazines and is a frequent contributor to Christianity Today. Elisa is married to Evan (vice president of strategic development for RBC Ministries, known internationally for Our Daily Bread, and founder of christiancourses.com). They have two grown children and one grandchild and live in Centennial, Colorado.

Goodbye Branson

Goodbye beautiful view at Chateau on the Lake! On the way out of town we had to hit my favorite store one more time, Secret Garden. Fortunately, I didn't find anything that I had to have. :) It was a nice drive to Edmond. We did find a spot in Joplin called Sandstone. It was in the middle of no where and looked like a huge mansion. It was filled with home decor and had a bistro. We didn't eat there because we were supposed to eat in Oklahoma City at Jenny's favorite spot. We got to town, had dinner and then settled into the Two Hearts Inn Bed and Breakfast. This time we stayed in the Tuscany room. It was beautiful and so comfy. Tuesday, we had lunch in the Inspirations Tea Room. My friend Donna and Karin joined us as well as Miss Abbie, the tea room owner's daughter. We got to visit with Tammy who owns the Bed and Breakfast and the Tea Room. Then, we hit the mall on the way out of town and got home late Tuesday night. What a treat to be able to go and enjoy so many nice things. So nice to be home too! :)

Day 3 in Branson

We enjoyed the brunch at the hotel. The food was delicious as usual. We then went to the Branson Landing which is a outdoor mall on the river. Shopped until it was time to get on the Sunset Dinner Cruise for sight seeing on the river plus, you guessed it, more eating. We saw a beautiful display of what they call Fire in the Hole while the Star Spangled Banner played. On the way back to the hotel we had to stop at a diner for a Cherry Lime Sprite. :)