“Believe in Blessings” Mini Course Day Two

Although, I know I should not worry and trust that God is looking out for me. I should try to fear not and keep the faith. It is wonderful to read, study and talk about the Bible, but it is even better to be a living example as a great role model by doing good work pleasing to God and keeping all the commandments. 

You should be ready to answer questions or direct others to helpful resources about your faith. You can use your God given skills to help others. Your actions could encourage, inspire and motivate people. 

“Do your utmost to show yourself true to God, a worker with no reason to be ashamed, accurate in delivering the message of the truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 

Share your God given knowledge and skills. Maybe you could even teach Sunday school, if you are qualified. Remember to never brag or boast about helping others. Always show kindness, patience and gratitude. Don’t gossip, argue or criticize people. Use tools that God made available for all your jobs. 

“Therefore, as God’s people, consecrated and dear to him, clothe yourselves with tenderness of heart, kindliness, humility, gentleness, forbearance; bearing with one another, and, when there is any ground for complaint, forgiving one another freely. As the Master freely forgave you, so you must forgive one another.” Colossians 3:12-13

I mentioned so many ways to help others, but now it is time to take good care of yourself! Homemakers and working moms devote their time to meal prep, groceries, cooking and cleaning. God wants us to take care of ourselves. Make time for yourself to rest up so you have enough energy to do your everyday responsibilities. 

Try to routinely get restorative sleep, good nutrition, relaxation, fresh air, sunshine and exercise. Read books, do hobbies, study, write journals and use planners. You may want to rest on Sunday’s, if possible. 

“Come to me, all you who toil and are burdened, and I will give you rest!” Matthew 11:28

“Believe in Blessings” Mini Course Day One

My two favorite things to write about are professional home organizing and most importantly my faith. I am eagerly writing a mini course for each topic. I will be posting both courses on my well-established blog. I am happy to begin with my “Believe in Blessings” mini course first. Then, I am planning to be presenting my “Organize Your House” mini course. Hopefully, many busy moms may enjoy both mini courses. 

Author of “Believe in Blessings” Mini Course:

Deborah is a licensed registered nurse. She has several college credits in psychology, sociology, anatomy, physiology, chemistry, microbiology and additional health care administration courses. 

Deb’s work experiences include years of hospital patient care as an RN in the medical-surgical area. She also worked as an RN at a large university teaching hospital college of medicine. 

She developed and taught online medical-related courses for a junior college and continues to have a great passion for writing and her faith in God. The scripture quotations are from the Open English Bible.

DAY ONE

My mini course “Believe in Blessings” includes many helpful tips for busy homemakers interested in learning to live according to God’s teachings. The mini course mentions my own personal thoughts and insights that came to mind while reading through my Bible. 

I have been faithfully trying to study the Bible every day for quite a long while. I read a passage of scripture and then think about how I can apply the knowledge to my everyday life as a mom and a homemaker. My goal is to continually gain knowledge about living a Christian lifestyle that is pleasing to God. 

It might be best to start with developing a consistent every day routine to personally communicate to God with the method of your choice. I want to feel like I am developing an ongoing friendship with God. 

For myself, I always look for the very best resource tools when it comes to learning something new.  My own favorite faith tools include the written bible, devotionals, bible apps, bible videos, reading plans, bible studies and online worship services.

Routinely, I enjoy reading and studying written scripture to learn all about God when I have extra time in the evenings. Some people prefer the morning hours to read scripture and pray. It all depends on your own daily schedule, but it is important to be consistent with your faith studies and praying. 

I know some busy moms set their alarm clocks one hour earlier before their whole family wakes up so they have some quiet time to reflect on what is important to them, such as reading and journaling. I think this type of daily routine can be a healthy inspiration. I use a written daily/weekly planner to write all my important to-do lists. I schedule my time to study my Bible every single day. 

I will add some of my favorite Bible verses for you to reflect on today. 

“Great are the things that the Lord has done, worthy of study by those who love them.” Psalm 111:2 

“Forever, O Lord, is your word fixed firmly in the heavens.” Psalm 119:89 

“Whatever was written in the scriptures in days gone by was written for our instruction, so that, through patient endurance, and through the encouragement drawn from the scriptures, we might hold fast to our hope.” Romans 15:4 

“All scripture is God-breathed: helpful for teaching, for refuting error, for giving guidance, and for training others in righteousness; so that God’s people may be capable and equipped for good work of every kind.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 

“And therefore we, from the very day that we heard this, have never ceased praying for you, or asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of the will of God, which comes through all true spiritual wisdom and insight.” Colossians 1:9 

“After dismissing the crowds, he went up the hill by himself to pray; and, when evening fell, he was there alone.” Matthew 14:23 

“The Lord is near to all who call him, to all who call upon him in truth.” Psalm 145:18 

“Therefore, my dear friends, stand firm, unshaken, always diligent in the Lord’s work, for you know that, in union with him, your toil is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58 

“The earth, Lord, is full of your kindness; teach me your Statutes.” Psalm 119:64 

Helpful Time Management Tips

Are you an individual who just feels as if you can never catch up?  Do you feel like you can’t get everything that you need to do done?  If so, it is important that you take steps to correct the problem.  Poor time management is often associated with the workplace, but did you know that your personal life can be negatively impacted as well?  It can be.  As for how poor time management can have a negative impact on your personal life, you may be surprised just what it can do.  

For example, if you have a poor sense of time you may find that your relationship with your spouse, family, or friends may suffer.  Those who have a poor sense of time are often stressed, frustrated, and unorganized.  This is likely to put a significant strain on otherwise healthy relationships.

Despite the fact that time management can have a negative impact on your personal life, there is good news.  That good news is that there are ways that you can prevent your poor use of time from becoming too much of a problem.  The biggest way to prevent this from happening involves learning how to make better use of your time.  To help you get started, a number of personal time management tips are outlined below.

An easy way to learn how to make better use of your time involves creating and relying on to do lists.  If you have everyday tasks that have become a part of your routine, like getting your kids ready for school or going to work, you do not necessarily have to include these items on your list.  With that said, other non-daily tasks should be added.  These tasks may include running an errand before work, attending a child’s sporting event, helping your child with an important school project, going for a medical appointment, and so forth.

Learning how to prioritize is another important component of being able to properly manage your time.  It is important to remember that the day and its time is limited.  If you have a family and a fulltime job, you may find it difficult or downright impossible to get everything done.  If that is the case, be sure to prioritize.  You can leave the lesser important tasks, such as dusting your house as opposed to doing laundry for later or the following day.

The use of time management tools is another easy way that you can go about making better use of your time.  There are a number of tools that you can use to your advantage.  A to do list was sited as an example above.  Other tools that you may be able to benefit from the use of include alarm clocks and daily or weekly planners. There are also wonderful time managements apps. Since most time management tools are affordable, already in your home, or free to create, you should use them to your advantage.

One of the many reasons why people end up wasting time is because they are easily distracted.  If you feel this the main source of your time management problem, you will want to determine what your biggest distractions are.  For example, do you spend too much time socializing with coworkers after work or with the neighbors?  If so, you don’t have to completely eliminate this contact, but try to limit it.  The same can be said with television and internet use.

Laundry Room Logistics

All laundry rooms at one time or another probably have been guilty of massive piles of unsorted dirty clothes, laundry products strewn about, and a feeling of disorganization and chaos. When this feeling sets in, it can make tackling an overrun laundry room an even more difficult chore. But with some work, creativity and commitment from other family members, this room can become an organized oasis. 

The first step is to develop a routine in your family for making sure their dirty laundry is delivered to the laundry room on a routine basis. If you’ve established Wednesday and Sunday as laundry day in your home, then laundry needs to be delivered to the laundry room no later than Tuesday and Saturday nights. Each person in the family that is old enough should be taught to sort laundry into designated hampers in the laundry room. 

Maintain a laundry basket or bin for each family member. Once clothes are washed, dried and folded, place them into each basket and deliver them to their bedrooms. Older children should hopefully be capable of putting laundry into drawers and on hangers themselves.

Make it a habit of keeping on top of the laundry supplies. Make sure there are always plenty of laundry soap, and fabric softener available. Nothing can be more aggravating than finding no laundry soap available when you have six loads to be done. 

Make sure your laundry room has a separate and clearly labeled bin for items that need to be dry cleaned. Make sure that this bin is emptied as often as needed and that items are delivered and picked up from the dry cleaners promptly. Have another bin set aside for items that need to be repaired or that need buttons replaced. Tackle this bin at least twice a month so that it does not become overwhelming. 

Keep Your Kitchen Or Dining Room Table Clutter-Free

Kitchen or dining room tables can easily become a catch-all for everyone’s belongings. Mail, school books, car keys, pens, pencils, and other miscellaneous items can quickly appear, and at dinnertime, end up in a large pile of clutter somewhere else in your household. 

To curtail this habit, try organizing a central area for everyone’s belongings right inside the door to your house. A bench or short shelf can be placed in that area for clearly labeled catch-all bins for each member of the family. 

This will also help during the course of the day when picking up around the house. Items found around the house can be placed in these bins, and each family member should get into the habit of making sure items are emptied from the bins and properly put away each evening. 

If your kitchen table doubles as an arts and crafts studio or location for your kids to do their homework, make sure that there are bins, shelves and containers nearby that neatly organize school, office and arts supplies, and keep them within easy reach. Help establish good habits in your children by ensuring they are held responsible for putting these things away as soon as they are done using them. 

Make sure snacks are kept on plates and drinks are kept on coasters to ease cleanup time. A nicely decorated table spread is also an ingenious way to keep the table from becoming cluttered. Spread a nice tablecloth and place a large centerpiece on it, or even set four or six formal place settings on a dining room table that is not used for meals each evening. Your family will be less likely to lay things on these tables since they can see there are already things there. You’ll also be ready for company at the last moment this way.

Coordinating Your Busy Family’s Schedule

If you have a busy family that seems to be traveling in different directions constantly, you know how challenging it can be to coordinate everyone’s schedules. Between projects and deadlines at the office, meetings with your children’s teachers, after school activities like soccer practice and troop meetings, not to mention the household chores, it can be a confusing task. 

But if each family member is committed and communicates effectively, the task of creating a combined family schedule is a manageable one for you. The first step is to commit to weekly family meetings. Make it essential that each family member is there so that the schedule can be discussed and organized. This should also double as a great opportunity to schedule quality family time together, so make sure it’s held at a time when everyone is able to attend. 

Next, design a schedule that can be easily accessed by all family members, so that everyone knows where everyone else should be at any given time. This can be done by designing one yourself using materials such as poster board, markers, pushpins and index cards that can be pinned to the schedule, allowing for changes that can occur from week to week. 

It could also be designed on your family computer and saved onto the desktop, so each family member can readily access it and make changes if necessary. Have family members get into the habit of indicating on the schedule specific addresses or contact telephone numbers if the activity is new or changes from week to week. 

Be sure that care providers for your children such as grandparents and babysitters are familiar with your scheduling system and know how to use it. Again, with a commitment from each family member and open lines of communication, the family schedule can be a useful tool for everyone.

Turn Your Junk Drawer Into Your Neat Drawer

We’re probably all guilty of having at least one junk drawer somewhere in our house. This is the drawer that started out as a helpful drawer that kept all the handy items in one place like tape, pens, buttons, safety pins, and so forth in one central location, but turned into the drawer where other things manage to accumulate when people don’t know where they go or don’t feel like taking the time to put them away properly. Get this drawer (or drawers) back into useful mode again by using a few simple steps to bring things back under control. 

First of all, in order to clean it out, you’ve got to empty it out. Remove everything. Place a piece of paper or tea towel down to protect your countertop or table surface. You may want to make sure all items are placed on this protected surface. Once the items are out of the drawer, they need to be sorted. 

Group all similar items together, and if you can’t determine what something is or if it’s needed after consulting with others in your family, you may decide to get rid of it. If there are things in this drawer that belong in another location, be sure they are put away promptly. You can clean the drawer completely and wipe dry. Afterwards, you may want to lay a fresh drawer liner or contact paper inside. 

The next trick is devising a simple, workable organized system that everyone in the family can use. Ice cube trays, small boxes or even 35-mm empty film containers work well to store small things in. If you cannot see into it to determine its contents, make sure it’s clearly labeled. 

Most importantly, encourage your family to keep the drawer organized and neat. If it’s properly maintained, there should be no need to shuffle through the drawer looking for things, creating an even bigger mess to clean out yet again in a few months.