Thoughts From my Quiet Time

"He did this so that all the peoples of the eath might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful..." Joshua 4:24a. Passage Joshua 2:15-24.

The memorials we make influence not only those we bring up but everyone around us. When people see Scripture verses on our walls and feel love in our homes, they can put two and two together. They know that the difference is that of being connected to the vine, the Lord Jesus Christ. But if we do not have Scriptures on our walls (or other signs) they will not know what to be looking at, or for. If the atmosphere is not one of joy, love, and peace, then the memorials become little more than signs of hypocracy. And if we do not show hospitality to those around us then they will not get to see that we are different. All three need to come together to make a powerful statement about our God.

There is much that I need to change, both in my decor and in my heart.

Kitchen Tip Tuesdays: Dish Space

Who doesn't have enough space for your dishes? Okay, maybe just me. But I never seem to have enough space for the washed-up dishes to drain, especially if I am wanting to do some more cooking.

I found a solution. Put the drainer over the sink. Hey Presto! More space!

I have a double sink, so I don't move the drainer away at other times, but the principle is the same.

Ignore the fact that I need to scrub my sink.

Making Your Home A Haven: Smaller Projects

Well, with this week half off, my morning routine is effectively not happening this week. But for other stuff, I have more time. Yay for time!

1. Set a timer for 15 minutes and work on cleaning or organizing in an area that you dread getting started on.
I worked on the kitchen. Washing up done, a few bits and pieces put away, and general tidying up done. No photos - the kitchen is still pretty hideous.

2. Do something you've been procrastinating about.
As I wasn't due into work until 11, this meant... da-da-da-duh! The banks were open! I had two cheques which I banked!

3. Clean up or organize a pile. A pile of dishes, a pile of laundry, a pile of papers... whatever needs your attention most urgently! :)
I went through my tax papers. Not quite all done, but 95%. Now, to get to the last 5%... This actually cleared 3 piles - the tax papers, the old financial papers, the newer ones... my bedroom floor is quite a good deal clearer, which I really, really love.

4. Spend some quality time with your family.
It's my birthday today, so this is going to be happening. I'm hanging with friends now - hey, I'm gen Y - and will be seeing my mum tomorrow and the rest over the long weekend (i.e. from this Friday onwards.)

Now to eat cake!

Making Your Home A Haven: Evening Routine

Mostly I've been successful with going to bed on time - though not at church camp the past few days.

It does make a big difference in how I function the next day if I go to bed on time. And I much prefer functioning well ;)

This week's challenge is to create an evening routine.

1. Tidy living room
2. Make lunch for tomorrow
3. Tidy kitchen
4. Clean face, brush teeth etc
5. Bible reading
6. Lights out

Making Your Home A Haven

This week's challenge is making a bedtime. I need to be up at 6AM, and I do need plenty of sleep, especially as winter is coming that for me that's going to mean meltdown. At the same time I have several things on during the evenings of the week, and there is a need to get bits and pieces done at home once I actually GET home.

Consequentally, my aim is to be in bed (lights out) by 10PM, with a cutoff time of 10:30PM - the only exception being Friday night, as I have Scots which doesn't even finish until 10:30.

ARRRGH! Less than 3 hours before bed!

Making Your Home A Haven

Okay, I'm a little late with this one. But I have been meaning to do this, and here it is!

This week's task for making our home a haven is to come up with a morning routine of the same things that need to be done every day. Now, I used to have a great morning routine, but since getting sick again that's kind of disappeared.

So, my morning routine.

1. Exercise DVD (15 minutes)
2. Drink juice
3. Piano practise (10 minutes)
4. Harp practise (10 minutes)
5. Put away dry washing up
6. Check email (IF TIME)

Looking forwards to the next challenge for Making Your Home A Haven from Tammy's Recipes.

Domestic Warriors

I'm in the book of Judges at the moment, and one of the things that struck me was how women were instrumental in the defeat of the enemy. Everyone knows about Deborah, but less people are familiar with Jael or with the unnamed woman who dropped a millstone on the head of an attacking warrior.

The thing is, Jael and the unnamed warrior defeated their enemies using domestic implements. Jael used a tent-peg, the unnamed woman a millstone used in the kitchen to grind grain into flour.

It really struck me how the most powerful ways we can take on the enemies of God is with domestic implements - with cooking, cleaning, bringing up our children. It isn't in taking part in the 'mans world' or in having our own careers. It is in being women who work hard, in their own homes, looking after them, and using the tools at hand to defend them if necessary.

LORD, help me to be such a woman!