Working your plan...

My Grams always said, "plan your work and work your plan." But I didn't always do that well. Yesterday, I talked briefly about Making A Plan (you can read it here). Today I'd like to tell you about the benefits of having a plan...

As I've said before, I've been poring over Proverbs 31, trying to drink it all in. The world would have us, as homemakers, feel that our calling is less than desirable.

But God has dedicated part of his book of wisdom to describing a Godly wife and mother. That, in my mind at least, means that God believes this is a noble calling - a calling worthy of His attention.

What is clear from the verses in Proverbs 31,  it is God's plan that a wife look after the affairs of her home.

She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Proverbs 31:27

When I was not planning our days, our home wasn't running well. Even right-brained me was frustrated that our days lacked peace and order. Making dinner was a major undertaking because I hadn't planned ahead - sometimes I didn't even have the right ingredients on hand to make much of anything...

Thankfully, as I've undertaken to look well after the ways of my household, things run much more smoothly in our home. That does NOT mean that every day is blissfully calm and predictable. What it does mean is, when the day's plans are derailed, it isn't catastrophic.

My pantry is well stocked, and while I still sometimes struggle to plan all meals every day, I'm doing much better. Eventually, my goal is to have a posted meal plan for all 3 meals we eat together. I'm taking baby steps toward this goal and have seen lots of wonderful meal planning ideas online.

Over the weekend, I try to do some make-ahead meals. I'll make bread or pizza crust to freeze for a later time. I break bulk items into meal-sized portions. One of my favorite new ways of saving time is to put marinades right into the freezer bags with the meat. When I pull meat out of the deep freeze, it marinates as it thaws in the refrigerator. Two steps in one!

We've also started to schedule our school days a bit more. We start promptly at 8:30 most mornings with our Bible time. This has helped the children tremendously! Previously, I felt that I spent the whole morning nagging them to get chores done and get ready for school. Now that there is a definite start time, they have learned to be responsible for being ready - they'll even help each other out if someone is struggling to get done on time. What a valuable lesson!

I've learned that laundry can be done and folded while I give them their spelling words or while they are reading. Floors can be swept and or mopped while the children are getting ready (then no one is under my feet either!). Lunch can be prepared while they retell me their history lesson, or while we practice Spanish. Nap time is an excellent time to chop and prep for supper and it also is a great time for me to finish up laundry or clean a bathroom.

When things go wrong, as they sometimes do, we've learned to be flexible but it doesn't ruin our whole day as it may have before.

Plan your work and work your plan is sage advice from my Grams. Becoming more like the woman in Proverbs 31 has drawn me closer to the heart of my Heavenly Father. It is a noble calling to tend to your home.

What are some of your best tips for organizing your day?


Find more inspiration here:
Women Living Well: Living Well Wednesday
Deep Roots at Home: Encourage One Another Link Up
A Wise Woman Builds Her Home

Haven...

Right inside the front door - 3 smiling faces.

Yesterday, I posted about the Proverbs 31 Love Letter that God wrote for those of us called to keep our homes. (the link is here in case you missed it!)

Today, I want to share with you what is, for me, one of the most important aspects of homemaking...

Making my home a haven...

The dictionary definition of haven is a place of shelter or refuge. That is how I see my home.

my favorite spot for devotions

I want my home to be a place where ideas are shared,
dreams are dreamed,
prayers are prayed,
wings are strengthened before leaving the nest...




But most of all, I want it to be a place of safety and beauty.
A place where God's presence is experienced, and his love given hands and feet.

That's a pretty tall order, don't you think?

I want people to be comfy here!

No amount of decorating or painting or furnishing can do that.

My husband is the head of our home, but I feel called to be its heart.


And if my own heart isn't full to overflowing with the presence of Jesus, then my home will feel less lovely, less safe to those who spend time here - despite my efforts to beautify my home.

I suppose what I'm really trying to say is, it's not the decoration that makes our homes lovely,

it's us. 

Each one of us who has answered the call to be a wife and mother has the awesome task of creating a home for her family.

And how we decorate it is much less important than how we adorn our hearts and minds.

I've been in perfectly lovely homes with lavish, expensive furnishings and have felt uncomfortable and empty. I've been in humble homes with toys strewn about and dirty dishes in the sink and felt completely at home.

When we, as keepers of our homes, walk in humble obedience to God, with willing hearts and busy hands, our homes will be lovely.

Haven...

What does it mean for you?

Find more encouragement here:

Our Simple Country Life: Hearts for Home Thursdays
Raising Mighty Arrows: Proverbs 31 Thursdays

Proverbs 31...A Love Letter

My heart is drawn toward Proverbs 31 lately.

And I'm prayerfully trying to live out the woman that God has placed there in the Proverbs. Proverbs are all about wisdom not of this earth, and it would be unwise to ignore her example.

But I know it's not about my efforts,

it's all about my willing heart.

My efforts will be flawed, or sometimes self-serving. But my God can work through even my feeble attempts at obedience and he will be glorified through them.

You see, I want to be more like her. I want to open my mouth with wisdom and have kindness on my tongue. I want to look well to the ways of my little home, and capture my husband's heart.

My home is where I spend 99% of my time, and I want this home and my homemaking to reflect my Jesus.

But it's not even about me. It's about the author of this proverb. I've asked God to instruct me to live my ordinary life in an extraordinarily different way.

My longing is to be happily, blessedly living out my calling as wife and mother.

I wish I could share a success story - of how I embody all the attributes of the ideal wife and homemaker...but, well, his power is made perfect in weakness.

But isn't that the point?

The Proverbs 31 Woman is an ideal...

and I am frail and weak and, thankfully, dearly loved.

With a willing and humble heart God can do big things!

God put her story there at the end of Proverbs to teach and instruct - to call us higher. Not to condemn or demean our efforts.

To gently tell us, "there is a more excellent way, sweet daughter."

Proverbs 31 is a love letter - written by our loving Heavenly Father to all his daughters who keep their homes.

photo courtesy of Simon Howden
freedigitalphotos.net

Will you answer the call?

Linking Up:
Domestically Divine Far Above Rubies




A Holy Experience