The Joy of Submission

The first church was established for the beginning when God created Adam and Eve to have fellowship with each other and God. Satan has been trying to tear down the marriage relationship from the beginning and is continuing to do so today. Adam blamed Eve for his sin (Gen. 3:12) “the woman who you gave me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” He blames Eve for his fall and in the process blames God for the trouble he’s in. I’m sure Eve thought to Adam’s statement was something to the effect of  “I was just being helpful, you didn’t have to eat it, you could have stepped it up and been a man by telling me no! And now you blame me??!!”  Man fell into sin. Woman fell into sin. Since then Satan’s antics to destroy the family have continued – Cain vs. Able, Esau vs. Jacob, 11 of Jacob’s sons vs. Joseph, David and Bathsheba’s adultery. Fast forward to today, and now we have over a 50% divorce rate in ”Christian” families.

Just as Christ has redeemed us from our sin, so has He redeemed marriage. Ephesians 5:22 says “Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord.” How do you submit to the Lord? By seeking His guidance, by respecting His authority, hiding in His protection, and giving you life to Him. So, just as we submit to the Lord this is how we need to submit to our husbands. Submitting is not a command it is a choice to put yourself under someone’s authority. If someone is demanding submission out of you it no longer means submission but it becomes a directive. No longer a choice, but an order. In addition, Paul also directs submission “to your own husband” rather than to anyone else. As a woman you are not under the authority of any other man besides your husband. This is where society feels the Bible views women being less than men and feminist reject the Word of God because they feel God has said woman have no value. That is a falsehood; if God did not value women He would not have created us to be so impactful and instrumental in this world. Verse 23 “For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.” Through Christ’s death we are saved and when we accept and claim Him as our Savior we become one with Christ by being a part of his body.  This is why marriage is used as an example and picture of our relationship with Him. As we choose to claim our husband or wife we are saying we are going to be one with him or her. Your head is just a part of your physical body it has a very specific purpose for you to live. The husband being the head simply means he has a role in the relationship to lead, to be accountable to God, to plan the big picture for his family. The wife is pictured as the body and as the body of Christ she has a purpose, too. Each relationship finds that role separately, in my marriage the roles my husband and I have we agreed upon for me to be the manager of our home. Taking care of the day to day management, decisions, monthly budgeting, etc. This isn’t to say my husband isn’t a part of this, but he doesn’t have to worry about it because he trusts my judgment. Even though his focus in on the long term that doesn’t mean I’m not in on the process but then I don’t have to worry about it because I trust him. To think about this in other terms, the corporate world has structures of hierarchy: Board of Directors, CEO, Vice president and staff. Each level has a different level of accountability and responsibility, but without each level the company could not function long before dissolution.  If there were two CEO’s no one below them would really know who to follow. So, think back to marriage. The Board of Directors is God just as the CEO is accountable to the Board of Directors the husband has the same to God. If the husband is the CEO then the wife is the Vice President, who directs the staff to do what the CEO has set, to give counsel and to support the husband/CEO. When a company first starts out there isn’t a lot of staff if any, but the staff of this illustration is the children of the home. 

Verse 25 states “husband, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Verse 28 states “In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.” I find it interesting that so many people read this passage of scripture and only see the word “submit” and think of being enslaved or subservient it’s so negative or “old-fashioned.”  But they don’t see that “submit” is only used twice but husbands are commanded to “love” their wives three times, as well as being commanded to give up everything for her (vs. 31) I’m so grateful I have a husband that loves me, cherishes me, and scarifies so much of his life to better mine. Just as Christ has done for me. When you have a husband who loves you like Christ, it makes it so much easier to picture Christ has your groom and to want to seek His will and His purpose for your life. In other words, submit to Christ.

Paul ends Ephesians 5 with this statement “let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” Respect, what does that mean? I feel God explained that back in Ephesians 4:25, “let each of you speak the truth with his neighbor…(32) Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you.” Also in Proverbs 31:11-12, “The heart of her husband trusts in her and he will have no lack of gain, she does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.” I show my respect to my husband by honoring him with my life, being honest with him, and being forgiving towards him (not making a list and record of his faults) just as Christ’s blood has covered my sin and forgiven me I should forgive my husband. Respecting also means doing the best for my husband my whole life. As a reward our husbands will be able to trust us and will show us the love we need. Submission is a scary word until you understand the order and perfection of God’s role in your submission. When we willingly give our will over to God he blesses us and frees us. The same holds true with the husband when I willingly give all myself to my husband, he blesses me with unconditional love, trust, and he willingly listens and values my opinions. He strives to meet my needs and desires. It’s a beautiful, wonderful, blessed cycle which creates a great lasting marriage. Which in the end of my life I pray and strive to hear two phrases one from my husband “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” (Prov. 31:29) Then my Lord Jesus saying “Well, done good and faithful servant you have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” (Matt 25:21).

Hidden Veggie Lean Meatballs

O.k., my son won't eat his veggies but he loves his meat, so I created this recipe to sneak some into his diet. 


1 pound ground turkey
1 finely shredded carrot
1 finely chopped green onion
1 cup finely chopped spinach
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons ground flax seed
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sriracha hot chili sauce 
1 egg


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. spray baking pan with olive oil cooking spray. roll meat into balls. Bake in oven for 25 min. Half way through turn the meat balls over. Serve with mashed potatoes and gravy, brown rice, spaetzles, or use with you spaghetti. They even can be a great starter or make a meatball sub. Recipe makes about 20. 

Made 10/25/2010 by: Kristina Beal

Organic Information

What does it mean when it says "USDA organic"?

I was doing some research on organic vs natural and Organic Valley has a great website so I copied and pasted there information to make is easier for you to read. I found it so interesting. I think I'll be a better shopper now. Not everyone can afford to buy 100% organic products, but for me I'd rather feed the best to my family. Eggs are always an area I try to buy only organic there are some great coupons out there to help subsided the cost. Find the brands at your store, go online, then print them off. Milk is another area I try to only buy organic I read a study that took place in England half the girls in the study drank only organic milk their whole like and the other half drank "regular" milk. The half that drank the "regular" milk developed and started their menstrual cycles 2 to 4 years before their mothers did and the half that drank organic developed close to the same age as their mothers. Interesting huh?! Well, I haven't found a study on boys yet, but it all the female hormones are effecting girls then how is effecting the boys. Makes me wonder enough to not take chance I'm sticking to organic for my son. 

http://www.organicvalley.coop

1. Nutrient density.

Organic farmers nourish the soil that feeds our food. Research shows that organically-produced foods are higher in antioxidants and other nutrients than their conventional counterparts. more

2. No persistent pesticides or synthetic fertilizers.

Designed by intent to kill living organisms, persistent pesticides can be harmful to wildlife and human health, especially as they contaminate our food, air and water or accumulate in our cells. Synthetic fertilizers require large quantities of fossil fuels to produce, and contribute to soil degradation and ocean dead zones. more: pesticides fertilizers

3. No synthetic growth or breeding hormones.

Avoiding synthetic hormones (which are frequently given to conventional dairy and meat animals to alter reproductive cycles and speed up growth) means less stress for animals, and reduced human exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals. more

4. No antibiotics.

Overuse of antibiotics in farm animals leads to the development of dangerous antibiotic-resistant infections. Organic farmers instead rely on natural measures to promote and maintain animal health.  more

5. No GMOs. 

Genetically engineered crops are a relatively recent technology with potentially devastating impacts on ecosystems and human and animal health. Organic regulations forbid the use of genetically engineered seeds or animals (including clones). more

6. Animal care.

Organic philosophy means raising animals in harmony with nature. Quality animal care keeps animals healthy and productive, naturally. As we like to say, happy cows make the best milk! more

The Natural Hoax:
Natural Does NOT Equal Organic 

Some manufacturers want you to think “natural” is better than organic. Don’t be fooled.

Organic agriculture always starts from the ground up — building living soils as the foundation of a healthy planet, healthy animals, and healthy people.

Organic foods are ALWAYS third-party certified to comply with strict, far-ranging USDA organic regulations. “Natural” foods are NOT.

Don’t be fooled by the “natural” label.

If your personal health, the environment, and a more sustainable future for everyone are important to you, look for the organic seal.

Coupons for Organic Valley Products

Coupons for Stonyfield

Information for Bob's Red Mill
Coupons for Horizon Organics
http://www.localharvest.org

Kristina's Asian Salad

Baby Spinach
Carrots
Cucumber
Green onion


Dressing
1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
Orange Zest from the whole orange


Blend dressing in food processor or blender 


Sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoon of sesame seeds

Ephesians 4:30-32

“And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”

Today, as I woke up “on the wrong side of the bed”. I’ve been full of rage. Galatians 5:22 “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness…” has not been a part of my mind and heart today. As I finally got Kaiden down for his nap, took a hot shower and got some time to reflex on my heart – I knew I needed to sit and read some of God’s word to get myself back on track. I hoped my notebook and it was there, BAM!, like a sword into my heart  “Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you” As, I’m writing this sentence I’m being tested on my kindness towards my son. He just got up again when he is to be down for his nap... Ok, now he’s back in bed so let’s see if I can get my heart and head clear again. My pastor Michael Fletcher says God gave us marriage to kill you and what’s left of you will be done away with by your children. I’m really feeling that right now. More than anything in the world I want to sleep for about 20 hours right now, and then go to the gym, get a pedicure, go shopping by myself, and then hang out with my best friend over a cup of tea and scones. But I have laundry to do, work to prepare for, dinner to make, and a very moody two and a half year old to tend to today.  I just remember Luke 9: 23- 24 “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it” and of Proverbs 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharps another.” My life is not for me but for Christ. I have given my life for Him. God has given me my husband and Kaiden to give me greater understanding of His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and goodness.  I’m reminded now of all Christ has done for me and all the grace he has given me. My life should always be an outpouring of what I have poured into me. Today, I’m going to put away my old self once again and say good-bye to all bitterness, rage, harsh words, and slander. Instead, through the aid of the Holy Spirit I’m greeting with open arms the spirit of kindness, being tenderhearted especially to my son, and most importantly forgiving, because I have been forgiven so much.

Lord, thank you for your word, thank you for the conviction of your holy spirit, and thank you for your never-ending forgiveness! Jesus I have been angry and full of rage today please take that out of my heart and mind bind those spirits away from me. And replace them with kindness, a tender heart, forgiveness, and love!  Please work in the hearts of my family to forgive me where I have failed them. Thank you Lord for your love you are such an amazing God who I do not have the words to praise enough.

It is amazing and it may be hard to believe, but I can not tell you how much my spirit has changed in the last 25 minutes of sitting down to read and write my thoughts out to God. That's why I really had to share my heart on this. I don't really like to share my weak points but I felt like God was telling me I needed to share this one today.

Cranberry Tea Time Scones

5 cups all-purpose flour

1 cups softened butter

2 cups whole milk

3 eggs

3 tbs baking powder

2 cups craisians



1)      mix flour and baking powder

2)      add butter mix until crumbles

3)      milk eggs and mix until dough forms

4)      fold in cransians

5)      roll dough to 1 1/4 " think

6)      cut out with a round cutter and place on a baking sheet

7)      chill for 30 minutes

8)      egg wash the top of the scones and bake at 325 for 25 min

Serve with butter and jam, flavored butters, or devonshire cream. Also they are not just for tea they are great for breakfast with coffee, too.



I made these scones for my sister-in-law's bridal tea 9/30/10



Family Night

We all make excuses not to spend quality time with our family. “I’m tired”, “I had a hard day at work.”, “We don’t have enough money.”, “I have things to do around the house.”, “My favorite show is on.” You know you do it! We all do. I do. Come on I would rather check my Facebook account then play with cars, but I should play cars with my son.  Since, I work in the evenings after my husband gets home from work we don’t get a lot of time together. So, we created family night. We turn off the computers, TV, cell phones, and the rest of the world and for one evening a week we have family night. We try to do something different each week. It doesn’t always have to cost money. We have dinner at home we try to cook and clean up together, which our 2 year old now loves to “cook” & “wash” dishes (standing on the step stool next to us). That’s what it’s about though - just being a family without the rest of the world tearing us apart. This month we painted our pumpkins we picked the week before. (Painting because the thought of a 2 years old with a craving knife not such a smart idea.) I encourage you to make a family night. We have Wednesdays - I have scheduled my life so nothing else can be scheduled on that night. It has become a precious time that I cherish and protect. Pick a night that works best for your family and seize that time for your family. Remember you never hear someone on their death bed say “Man I wish I spent less time with my family.” Here are some Family Night Ideas, if you have more please share them, I get stumped sometimes.

1) Make homemade pizza together

2) Go to the park play on the toys and bring a picnic dinner

3) Monkey Joe’s indoor bouncy house

4) Have dinner at home then go to McDonald’s play on the toys and have ice cream off the dollar menu

5) Play hind-and-go-seek in the house. (Kaiden can count to 10 b/c of this game)

6) Have dinner at Sonic’s and play on the toys

7) Bowling

8) Make scavenger hunt in the backyard

9) Play a game

10) Make cookies then give them to your neighbors

11) Volunteer at a retirement home, animal shelter, or homeless shelter
12) At Christmas time go sing Christmas songs and hand out cookies at your friends house.
13) Make a craft project with things from the recycle bin.
14) Watch a movie together (not too often because of the lack of interaction).
15) Go on a walk or hike.

October Family nights. Picking Pumpkins then painting them the following week! It was so much fun!

here are some websites you can get some ideas for things to do together:

http://familycrafts.about.com/ ( fun craft projects mainly for preschoolers)

http://familyfun.go.com/ (games, recipes, projects)

http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/spiritual_growth_for_kids/family_mealtime_devotionals.aspx (devotional and bible stories, great way to bring God into the family)

http://www.pluggedin.com/movies/ (A review of movies that's more from a biblical perspective)

Making Love from Afar

Love according to I Corinthians 13:4-7 says

 ⁴ Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud ⁵ or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. ⁶ It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. ⁷ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

The key part that stands out to me is that love endures through every circumstance. I believe that every day you need to wake up and choose to love that man every day.  Being a military wife you are tested every moment of everyday on how much you love your husband. You have to be extra patient, kind, faithful, and hopeful! It’s a tall order but that’s our duty as a wife of the military man.

Being a military wife it’s not a question of if you’ll face separation, but when. How do you keep a marriage going when your husband is always on another deployment or another training cycle? I have a friend who just celebrated her 5^th wedding anniversary with only 2 years together living in the same house. Every time our husbands leave we have good-bye sex and when they come home we have great welcome home sex. Some times when we get back together it awkward and you have some funny moments, which we can’t stress about you have to laugh through those.

Love making doesn’t have to be a feast or famine experience though. I have some tips to keep the love making alive even when the psychical loving making can’t happen. First things first verbal loving making - No I’m not taking about talking dirty, but letting your husband know how much you love him. “I love you!” is so wonderful to hear but it can also just sound like three words. Let him know the meaning of why you love him.

·         Write a list of you top 10 favorite things you love about your husband.

·         Mail a care package once a month.

·         Mail a card once a week.

·         Make a point during each phone call to stop the ‘business’ conversation let him know how much you miss him physically.

·         Share with him how much you long to share your bed with him again.

Words are powerful tools you have at your disposal. Just like with have your breast and booty to shake to entice our husband into bed, while he is gone we have our words. Usually we think about how words affect women to build us up, we need to do the same for our husbands. They work long hours, in bad conditions, away from everyone they love. You would not believe how building up my husband has come back to benefit me. This last deployment my husband realized maybe he was neglecting me and he felt bad that I was supporting him so much. He wrote me a list of 100 things he loves about me. I can’t tell you how love that made me feel. It’s always good to go by that “Golden Rule” – “Do unto others as you would have done unto you.”

Words are great but they can’t do everything to keep you husband’s mind fully on you. Visual! This is where is can get fun. There is a disclaimer here though if your husband is struggling with pornography then some of this section you might not want to use. Pray about it and if you feel it is safe then go for it, otherwise please use your discretion.  God never said it was a sin to lust after your own wife, just another man’s. I make a point to never give the opportunity for my husband to turn his head toward the “other man’s”. Buy yourself a new piece of lingerie or pull out an old favorite of his, then grab you digital camera, turn on the automatic timer and get on your sexist pose ever.  Take a picture looking at the camera with that “come hither” look. Get a good shot of your cleavage. Let him know you are home wait for him to take you in his arms and ravage you. WOW! Will be the only words from his lips when he gets those pictures. My second disclaimer for this little project is either emails these pictures to his personal email not his military (AKO) account or print them off on your home printer so the pictures are for his eyes only. You don’t want anyone lusting after you besides your man.

Another way you can visually ‘make love’ is to take care of yourself. While your husband is gone let him know you value yourself. Don’t let your body go. Hit the gym, eat right, get good sleep, limit the alcohol intake, and still ware your make-up. No man wants to leave his wife and come home to a less attractive woman then he left.  Our first military separation, I lived on fast food I did not want to cook. Lucky for me I was so busy working that I did a good job burning it off, so I only put on a couple of pounds. My husband didn’t say anything, but it made me feel less attractive and sexy so it did end up affecting our ‘welcome sex’ a bit. I don’t know if it works for you like this but it sure affects me I have a much better time when I feel better about me. Sometimes I think the whole point of lingerie is to get me in the mood. So, take care of yourself. It’s not selfish it honoring you husband and God by taking care your body.

How else can we make love from afar, well we can take care of our homes. If you work full-time, part-time, or stay at home, you still need to take care of your home. Apartment, house, or a room for rent it is still you home. (I’ll go into more detail on my house keeping tips in a later chapter.) No one feels good in caose and disorder, so pick up the house. If nothing else make it a goal for yourself to at least have the dishes done before you go to bed every night. I’m a little more extreme than most in taking care of my home. I love to decorate and I love power tools. While my hubby was gone I remodeled our master bath and redid our bedroom. My goal was that when he got home it would be our statuary from the rest of the world and it is. If you are going to do this type of project though keep him in mind it is his room too after all. Also, know your budget don’t tap yourself out. You won’t believe the cool things you can find make your home beautiful at yard sales, dollar stores, and give-a-ways from friends. Proverbs 31:22 She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. And verse 27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. The woman is Proverbs 31 is not unattainable, she sets a high standard, but we can all be women of virtue and our home is the place where that virtue can shine the brightest. Proverbs 10:4 Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. Bring wealth to your marriage and let you husband know how grateful you are that he provides for you, by taking care of that home. It’s so easy and I’m speaking to myself as well, to turn on the TV and let the dishes sit in the sink, the laundry stay in a pile on the couch, and the mop to sit in the bucket unused, but girls this is your job you are your own boss. Find the motivation, get a friend to check on you, set goals for yourself, reward yourself, whatever it takes simply put get you rear off the couch and take care of business!

If you have children you have another opportunity to love you husband while he’s gone. Love through his kids. One time my husband told me sometimes I feel like I’m paying child support. He gets to pay for their needs but not experience their lives. However, as the mother we get to experience everything without a break and we want to help and support of our husbands. Social network websites have opened up an amazing opportunity to easily share photos and videos with our husbands. When I post a new video or photo to my page my husband gets to see our lives. It takes time but it is all so worth it to hear the comfort it is bring my husband and it keeps him connected to our son. Have the kids to art project to include in your care packages and if it’s available to you get on a web cam as a family keep that connect alive. Talk to your children about their Daddy let them know how much you love and respect him, children live as we live. When my husband calls I try to make it a big deal. Saying “Whoo whoo it’s Daddy calling, best part of the day!” or “hey Buddy that’s your daddy calling isn’t that awesome?!” which at 2 my son replies “yea Daddy!” Bingo – the perfect response Daddy is someone to be celebrated.

I believe in a three way marriage with God being the third person. If you and your husband are saved then you both have a direct line to God. So, if the email is down, the phone calls are few and far between, snail mail is well SNAIL mail, you can always pray. I highly recommend reading “The Power of the Praying Wife.” It has given me the words to pray for my husband when I wasn’t 100% sure what to pray myself. Whenever you pray for someone you can’t help but love them deeper. God’s love is the deepest love ever and when you pray for your husband you will not only love him as you love him but with the love of God. It is a beautiful thing, something that can’t be put into words but once you experience that type of love you’ll never love the same again.

Ladies, I honestly don’t have all the answers to loving your husband each man is different, each marriage is different, but I challenge you to find ways to wow your husband with your love for him. No one can ever be loved too much.

Whole Wheat Healthy Pancakes

If my picky son loves them you will to! :) They also freeze great to you can pop them in the toaster for a quick breakfast later in the week!

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground flax seed

They might not be perfect but they are yummy!

1 tablespoon wheat grem
1 tablespoon & 1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 beaten eggs
2 cups milk
4 tablespoons oil

Mix all dry ingredients
Then add all others
mix well
lightly grease the griddle on medium heat

variations: For Apple Cinnamon pancakes: Add 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon and 3/4 cup graded apple or for Banana Oatmeal pancakes: add one mashed banana and 1/2 cup oatmeal

Fall Recipe for the week

Cabbage Soup

Half a large head of cabbage chopped

2 medium onions

2.5 tablespoons minced garlic

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cans chicken broth

1 ½ cups carrots

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 cup chopped celery

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon white pepper

2 tablespoons dried parsley flake

1 tablespoon sea salt

2 cans of water (rinse out the left over tomato juice)

First sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil until they are browned and tender. Add all ingredients to a large slow cooker or stock pot. Cook in slow cooker for about 4 hours until carrots are tender and cabbage has cooked down. If you’re cooking in a stock pot boil for about an hour on medium heat. You might have to add more water if you cook in the stock pot. I think the slow cooker is the best way to do it.

This is a large portion but I keep half of it out for dinner then the other half goes in the freezer for night that I need dinner in a hurry. Freeze in a zip lock bag or plastic ware its good for about 9 months. Make sure you let it cool before you put it in the plastic container and then freezer.  To thaw out it into your sink in warm water then reheat on the stove or microwave.

It's great to sever with corn bread or dinner rolls. For an added twist add sliced spicy sauage to the left overs for a whole new soup.

About Me:

If you are reading this you might want to know who I am. Well, I’m Kristina I was born in California, spent my grade school years in Arizona, and teen years in Washington. The west coast will always be ‘home’, but I’ve spent almost 7 years of my adult life on the east coast. My parents have been married for 32 years and I’m the second born of 4 children. I have to say my childhood was overall great my parents have always be in love, which has inspired me to have a loving marriage as well. I believe in the one true God and saviour of my soul Jesus Christ. My life goals are Matthew 25:21 "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master." and Proverbs 31:29 "Many women have done excellently but you surpass them all." I love my husband dearly he is my best friend and hate being apart from him. We have a beautiful little boy you has taught me so much about love, life, patience, and God. I love to scrapbooking and go on dates with my husband. We also have a dog named Molly who is so special to me. Life isn't always easy, but it is always blessed. My life verse is Ecc. 3:1 "To everything there is a season and a purpose under heaven." I decided to write a blog because one of my friends told me I should write a book, but I don't think I'm qualified enough for that venture. I do have a heart for women and marriage. I want all women to live full lives and feel like they can do what they are called to do by God and their husbands. I feel called to raise my son and be the best wife I can be to my husband. My family is my #1 ministry. This blog is to share my heart and my skills with other women who want to be the best wife and mother they can be. I'm not perfect I have areas i'm working on, but this is going to be my outlet to share what I've learned. Enjoy the reads and thank you for finding my words of interest.

Keeping House

I was blessed to have an involved mother, so this post is dedicated to her. She made it her mission to make sure all four of her children could cook, clean, do yard work, and whatever else she could come up with before we left her house. To be honest I hated it growing up and I often claimed my parents only had children for slave labor. However, now that I’m an adult I’m so grateful for the skills my mother bestowed upon me and the patience she had with my never-ending attitude.

Keeping house is easier said than done for some, but it doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task. What works for me is to have the house hold chores split up throughout the week. This gives me the time to still go to the gym, hang out with my friends, and not be embarrassed any time someone drops by my house. Grated my house is not perfect all the time, but I really do try. Here is my sample cleaning cycle.

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Bathrooms	Kitchen	Laundry	Bathrooms	Bedrooms	Wherever needs it most	Day off
File Bills/paper work	Deep mop the floor	Dust main rooms	Wash Bed linens
Vacuum	Vacuum	Vacuum	Vacuum	Vacuum	Vacuum	Day off

Of course, every day I have to pick up the toys, wash dishes, & make beds.  I love a clean floor, so vacuum everyday it’s an easy way for the whole house to feel clean. If you don’t have a good vacuum buy yourself one, it is one thing that I believe is worth the extra money. Things need done every day to keep your home in order, but it doesn’t have to be all at once every day. This isn’t the 1950’s anymore I don’t think many of us wake up every morning, put on our pearls and heels, and then whistle a happy tune as we clean all day. If you want to do that though be my guest, I’d rather go get a cup of coffee with my girlfriends.

Bathrooms

Bathrooms are my specialty I know that’s a weird area to brag about, but when I clean a bathroom it’s just so rewarding for me. In college I was what was called a hall girl, meaning I cleaned while the rest of the dorm dreamed. I had forty minutes every night to clean two sinks, four toilets, and seven showers. I put my heart into that job and I wanted every girl that lived on my hall to wake up in the morning to a clean bathroom. I had to bust my hump to get it that way everyday but I had so many girls tell how much they loved my work and girls form other halls coming to use my bathroom because it was so clean. I took ownership of that bathroom, so I encourage you to take ownership of your home as well. It will reward you even if you are the only one how sits on that throne; rule it by keeping it clean.

It’s not that hard. I promise. Twenty minutes is the most is should take when you are cleaning at least once a week. First let the products do their job, I start by putting the toilet bowl cleaning in to set in the bowl before I move the rest of the bathroom. Make your way to the tub/shower use a liquid cleanser i.e. Softscrub, while you have the product out drop some into the sink that way you don’t have to pull it out twice.  Then scrub it down, personally I use a sponge that has a scratchy side that way I can scrub it done really good. Then I rinse out the tub. The next step is to spray the shower walls with a shower cleaner there are several kinds out there I like one that is going to kills germs and mildew. If you want to go ‘Green’ there is also several wonderful products to use. Don’t forget to spray down the shower curtain or doors as well. To keep your shower easy to clean try using a daily shower spray or an automatic shower cleaning system, they are easy and save you time in the future. After the shower/tub is completed, move along to the toilet using a toilet brush give it a good scrub. Then clean the seat and outside of the bowl. I like to use a disinfecting wipe for this job, I don’t have to spray anything and I can throw it away, which makes me happy. Then I scrub the sink; remember I already have my drop of cleaner in the sink so it’s a quick step from toilet to sink. Just a note here never use the same rag you used on your toilet on anything else then the toilet. Gross! The next steps are easy clean the mirror and take out the trash. I like to clean my floors by hand it feel like it’s too hard in a bath to get a mop or equivalent behind the toilet and such so I use a spray bottle of an all purpose cleaner and wipe the floor with a rag. If you don’t like that method then sweep and mop. Taa daa we’ve just cleaned you bathroom in 20 minutes. Writing this out took more time than it actually takes me to do it. The first time might take you longer, but cleaning your bathroom on a regular schedule will make it easier. Once a month I like to give a little bit more time to the bathroom and give it a ‘whiteglove’ cleaning, which includes wiping out the cabinets, dusting out the vent, and whatever else I see can use some extra attention. This only adds maybe ten minutes, but I’m not doing it every time and overall it makes the bathroom always feel a lot cleaner.

Kitchen

The kitchen is a haven for germs. It is also the heart of most homes. I use my kitchen door to go in and out of my house the most, I make meals for my family, and I visit with friends in my tiny kitchen. Raw meat, shopping bags, children’s hand are all full of germs. The kitchen should be kept clean. Daily cleaning of the kitchen is making sure the dishes are clean, the counter tops are wiped down, sweeping the floor and the food is put in its proper place. Deep cleaning the cleaning I try to do at least once a week this includes a little more work. I clean out the microwave, pull out the food that has gone bad in the refrigerator, clean out the shelves and drawers of the refrigerator, clean the stove top, if needed clean the oven, wash the coffee out, wipe down all the appliances, sweep and mop the floor, and wash the window. I know that seems like I long list but if you are keeping up on your kitchen it doesn’t take too long my kitchen is small so it takes me about 30 minutes, sometimes more and sometimes less.

Some notes on cleaning your kitchen don’t cross contaminate. Use one rag or sponge in the same area or use a paper towel so you can throw it away. For cleaners look for a kitchen all in one and one that cuts grease and can disinfect.  Have a clean kitchen will keep pest out of your house and make your food preparation safer and healthier for you and your family. I want to think if a health inspector came to my kitchen what grade would I receive? You definitely wouldn’t want to be shut down.

Bedrooms

Well, bedrooms should kind of be picked up every day; laundry in the hamper, toys in the bins, shoes in the closet, bed made. When I clean the bedrooms this is when I dust, clean the windows, tidy up any loose ends, and I’m out of there. The day you focus on the bedrooms should be an easy day for you if you are keeping up with the daily pick up.

Other aspects of keeping house

Now that our homes are clean that’s not the only aspect to keeping house. There are also fun things like paying bills. We’ll take about budget in another chapter, but just keep this in mind. We also get to make our homes beautiful by decorating it. This is my favorite part of keeping my home. If you don’t have gifts in this area ask a friend to help you. I love to help my friends make their homes beautiful. It’s a great way to visit with your friends and work on your home as the same time. It’s easy to pick out things we like but always try to keep in mind the colors and tastes of your husband.

Meal preparation is another area of keeping house that is highly important. Find time to read about how foods work with our bodies. What’s the old saying “You are what you eat” then we should all be mindful of what enters out bodies. Plan ahead I try to think about what I’m going to cook ahead of time so I can buy in bulk, this saves money and trips to the super market. I honestly try to only go to the market once every two weeks. I do have to go a couple more times for more fresh items but these are quick trips and I’m not wasting my time wondering around trying to figure out what I’m going to cook every day. I recommend getting a good cook book or watch Food Network cooking shows I’ve learned so much from that channel. You can even get online and watch videos from aspiring chefs, grandma’s who are sharing family favorite, and people who just love cooking on YouTube. The information and tools to develop you into a cook are out there you just need to utilize them. If you are a good cook, then have you friends over have them cook with you it’s a great way to spend time with them and keeps you eating good meals even while your husband is away. Also if you’re not a good cook don’t be afraid to ask for help from friends I’m sure someone will be willing to teach you a couple of tricks.

Take pride in your home. Let it us be women of virtue and follow the example of the woman of proverbs. I’d love to have said of me “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." (31:29)

                                   

Extras:

I love Seventh Generation Cleaning products they have coupons you can print off their website every week. http://www.seventhgeneration.com/coupons

Green Works are some other great cleaners that are safer for your family and environment. http://www.greenworkscleaners.com/