Just One Thing…………….

What one thing could you do to improve your life?

Is there one thing you could do to improve your walk with the Lord? (to make it closer, more committed, more regular or more joyful) What one thing will enable you to have a better relationship with the one you were created to have fellowship with?

Is there one thing you could do to improve your relationship with your husband? (to remove tension, create love and honour the man God gave you to look after and be a helpmeet to) Think about the things which come from your mouth which can tear down your husband instead of building him up - what one change will make the biggest difference?

Is there one thing you could do to improve your relationship with your children? (to make them safer, more secure, better trained or just to remind you that they are a blessing and not a curse) - what one thing is their greatest need?

Is there one thing you could do to improve your home? (to make it better, cleaner, more organized, more welcoming, prettier or more homely). Look around - if you were about to have visitors what one thing would you want to do before they arrived - what one thing will make the biggest difference?

Is there one thing you could do to improve your organization? (to make things run smoother, better, easier and with less stress) What is the one thing that you know makes your life easier - but you still do not do regularly?

Pray Without Ceasing...Coffee With Papa and Tea With Mama

As I said in my last post about praying always having a special time with God is very helpful in making sure that it happens regularly.

Sometimes though we need to find creative ways to encourage ourselves to do this.

One of the things I have found to help me is to do what I would do with my other friends. Often we enjoy having a good cup of coffee or a relaxing cup of tea together, so why should it be any different with prayer!

Early in the morning I like to have my first cup of Coffee With Papa. It commits my day to Him while I wake up and reasures me that my life is in His hands. Usually at this time I go through my planned bible reading for the day, I don't tend to do too much praying at this time, apart from general hello, I love you kind of stuff.

Then in the afternoon when I am flagging I have Tea With Mama. This is when I say My Rosary.

Mommy Homework: What are Your Secrets to Productivity???

Know God - with out this first step you may think and feel you are being productive - but it will only be as filthy rags!!

Know yourself - evaluate your strengths and weaknesses - then you can use them or deal with them.

Know your situation - don’t try to do things the way someone else does remember that your family and situation are unique. Make what you do to fit. You can indeed get ideas from others and put them into practice but remember to customize them to fit.

After getting to grips with these three steps this is what I came up with -

I took (and continue to take) it all to God in prayer. I realised that if something is not on a time table I tend not to get it done.

So I built a timetable which includes all of the things our family needs to get done and fits in round my husbands working hours. This includes quiet times, shopping, house keeping, homeschooling, meals, bath times, times to get up and go to bed, church and outside meetings. There are also times blocked off just for family time and time with my husband. This is not so much a minute by minute timetable - but there are certain things which will happen at a certain time - such as my husband leaving for work so I started with these and then filled in the blocks of time in between. Also I have not filled in every space to allow margin for the unexpected.

The other thing I use is note books which I have designed for different purposes. I have:-

A Virtuous Woman One with sections for A) Calendars and schedules. B)Housekeeping - chores lists and zones the house is divided up into C) Meal making - Menus, shopping lists, inventories and weekly meal plan with clip off shopping list. D) Child training with details of what we are currently working on. E) Devotions - at the moment this is Create in me a clean heart ( a devotion available on the internet) F) Bible - Life verse and ones for the year and Lists of verses such as once which show “who I am in Christ” - also bible reading plans and a list of all the studies I have available to do - I have a space to fill in start and finish dates. A list of the symbols I use for marking my bible and a list of study tapes I have available to use. G) Inspiration - 30 day husband encouragement challenge and inspiring quotes and stories. H) Goals - long and short term. I) Plans - for ideas I want to try out. J) Fellowship - with contact details and notes on anything people need help with. I also keep a couple of plastic wallets in there to hold my colour coding pens and some prayer cards.
A Homeschooling One - This is where I keep my lesson plans for future use as well as scope and sequence details and notes of how to teach and lists of recourses.
I have one for prayer with the details of all the things I feel lead to pray about and one to make notes in about different kinds of prayer and methods of prayer.
I usually keep diary pages in the Virtuous Woman one but have found it was getting to fat to use so this year I am having a separate diary instead I opted for 2009 Stormie Omartian Daily Planner for Women. I have put it in a floral needlepoint bible cover together with my ESV Compact wild rose floral design bible which I think is the prettiest bible I have ever seen and for me that adds a little something extra to my bible reading moments.
I have my mobile phone in the bible cover’s outside pocket so that I can set the alarm to ring to remind me to do the things.

But most of all what helps me is knowing that I don’t have to do it alone - I always have Jesus to lean on.

Mommy Homework: Procrastination Attack!

One of my newest ways of avoiding procrastinating over tasks is to pick the “right” time to do something:-
The right time to read the bible with my boys is right after breakfast - so it can renew their minds all day (if its before breakfast it is harder to hold their attention). Also if something comes up and something has to be left out it wont be God’s word!
The right time to clean my family room is on a Monday afternoon - why because my husband is in bed after completing his 4 night week. Then when he gets up the place he will spend most of his free time on his days off is in good shape.
The right time to plan my menus and shopping list is on Monday evening - why because I can do it while I relax with hubby and the boys as they watch a movie or something in the family room.
The right time to do the shopping is Tuesday - why because my hubby is off work (and not asleep) and most of the local markets are on that day! Also I go to a prayer meeting on Tuesday evening and because I have been shopping I am already dressed for the great outdoors (You have to have done homeschool in your pj’s to get that one lol).
The right time to do the laundry and lesson preparation is on Wednesday - why because that is everyone else’s day off!! (my boys have Wednesday and Sunday off from school work).
The right time to do the bedrooms is on Thursday - why because if I am going to be husbandless in the bedroom for 4 nights then it should as least be as pleasant as possible in there!!
The right time to clean the bathroom (minus tub) is when the little one is playing in the bath.
There are so many thing which are easier if you just find the right time to do them.

Have visitors come and see you often………….if possible have regular days when people come and see you - it is very inspiring when it comes to fighting the dust bunnies.

Have pretty things………… I don’t mean expensive things just things you like ……….you will want to do your housekeeping so that you can see them properly!!

Treat your self to some me time when you have completed a dreaded task - for me that is bible study, sewing and reading (the me time that is not the dreaded task hee hee).

And last but not least next time you tackle a “dreaded task” write down how you felt afterwards………..then next time whip it out and read it ………….because you WILL want to feel like that again!