I do have a relatively good handle on the day-to-day of my household in that things run smoothly most of the time. It's definitely not by chance, but in good planning. Good planning does require sacrifices of some kind.
The sacrifices I had to make were sleep. I go to bed as soon as my daughter goes to bed. This is about nine at night. I get my teeth brushed, face washed and contacts out when she is getting ready for bed. After she is put down in her crib, I do some kind of small devotion, set my alarm for about an hour and a half before the baby gets up and I go to sleep. Sacrificing time with friends and being away from the house is also a must. Family is first and keeping a home is a full time job with many obligations.
These same guidelines can also help single women too. Keeping a house ready to serve and be hospitable is something important as a Christian woman in that we can serve others and our families as well.
In the morning, devotions usually come first. I get my breakfast made, latte steamed and get the necessary materials out for study: Bible, pen, journal and the current book I am reading related to theology/doctrine/or other biblical study.
I do prayers first and I write everything down. It takes me longer and it makes it more intentional. That way I am not easily distracted as I am praying. I make categories: Praise, adoration, thanksgiving, confession, Thom, Belén, salvation, healing, marriages, babies!, comfort, provision/supplication (personal), and general.
Praying for your husband is crucial. Rather than nagging and telling him how to do things, run to Jesus, the Author of Life and present your requests to God. Pray for their daily protection, spiritual and secular wisdom, safety to and from work, health, financial provision, etc.
Pray for the salvation of your children; pray they know Him at an early age.
Pray for the salvation of the children in your church.
Pray for family members who do not know Him.
Pray for all of the marriages in that they glorify God, whether in your church, friend circle, etc.
Pray for healing for those who are sick.
Pray for expectant mothers and their babies.
Pray for daily provision: food on the table, clothes to wear, bills to be paid. Thank Him for the groceries you were able to purchase because of his mercy and grace!
Memorize a book in the bible. I am currently memorizing Ephesians. Every week I learn a new verse and recite everything I previously memorized. Sometimes I do this while I am cleaning.
I read a commentary on the Davidic psalms. I am currently studying psalm 22.
All this takes me around 20 minutes. I like to get a base-line done and then spend more time in the Word throughout the day while I am not busy with the baby.
After devotions , I clean up my dishes and wipe counters. As I do this, I plan for the breakfasts for the rest of my family to be made. I prep the French press for Thom. I get my daughter's coconut milk ready. I put dishes away from the night before.
I make a to-do list for the day and for the week. I prep any veggies to be used that day and get things ready for lunch if I have time.
Belén, my daughter wakes up. I get her breakfast ready. She eats, and I clean up immediately. My husband wakes up. I leave to go to the gym. I am usually gone for one hour.
The rest of the day, I clean as I go. If I am walking into another room, I grab something that was left out in the living room that needs to be put away in the bathroom. Keeping a neat home doesn't have to be hard. It's definitely more difficult to spend hours cleaning after messes pile up.
Try to be busy all day. It's important to take breaks but make sure your time is not consumed with a lot of time on the internet, watching TV or other things like that, especially if you haven't spent time in the Word.
If you're not getting everything done-if your house is always messy, if you never have time to cook, if you always forget to ___________, ask yourself if your time could be better spent, and if certain 'activities' could be done away with. Again-I am simply trying to help. Sometimes I know that having people over or going to people's houses can really eat up one's time. Staying home is OK. Our homes are places of ministry and they are very important. You aren't missing out on much if you only make one play date a week.
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Black Bean Brownie Recipe
Black bean brownie recipe...this is a great one, courtesy of my sister-in-law. It's gluten-free and easy to make...and relatively good for you. If you don't have children or have very small children, don't ever find yourself saying, how come I can't get my kids to eat healthy? It's probably that there has been too many opportunities for children to not eat healthy. Make eating healthy the norm so that vegetables are seen as a staple, even in 'desserts'.
1 can black beans
3 T oil
3/4 cup sugar (I used 1/4 of that honey)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa ( I used dark)
1/2 t baking powder
3 eggs
a pinch of salt ( I don't use if my beans have salt added)
about a t of vanilla
Put everything into a food processor. Make sure you drain the beans. Add 1/2 of the chocolate chips. Pour into a baking dish of some kind-I use an 8 x 10 metal dish. I also oil it with grapeseed oil. Bake 350 for about 35 minutes. Add the remainder of the chocolate chips on top before baking. ENJOY:)
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