The Art and Science of Being on Time

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I've never been a person who was punctual--aside from being born on my due date. That's the last time in about thirty years that I arrived on time.

I believe it was my tenth birthday that my parents gave me "my very own alarm clock!" Like they were trying to make it all exciting about getting myself out of bed on time. This was no ordinary alarm clock. Oh, no. This alarm clock was special. Because in order to wake my ten year old self, you pretty much needed a fog horn. And that's what this alarm clock sounded like. A fog horn. And I still managed to sleep through it. (Much to my sisters' vexation.) I would have a dream that I was getting out of bed and turning it off. And then keep on sleeping. And then be late, again.

As I grew older, I was late for church. Babysitting appointments. Jobs. College classes. And so on.

Now, you add in the variables of a husband and small children and you've got a recipe that's bound to keep the tardiness going till the end of time.

Except. Except I learned that I didn't always have to be late. Apparently there isn't really a tardiness gene. I know. Can you believe it? I always though that, too. That I was just late, because that's the kind of person I am. Nope. Punctuality isn't a talent or a gene or a cute little skill to put on one's resume. It's simply a habit--a habit that anyone can develop.

Here's what I learned on my way to being punctual:

1. Stop stealing.
Most of us wouldn't go into the Walmart and put something into our purse without paying for it. *Gasp!* That's stealing! Well, when someone is waiting for you, and you show up late, you're stealing their time. Yup. And time is one thing a person can never, ever get back. So, it's disrespectful, rude and dishonoring to be late.

2. Learn time currency.
I'm convinced that those of us who are perpetually late lack a sense of time "intuition". For instance, I don't think we're really aware of time passing as much as those who might seem to be naturally punctual. I don't think we're aware of how much time it really takes to do something. We need to become time aware--or learn how to use time currency.

Get a stopwatch and start timing how long it really takes you to do certain things. How long does it really take you to get ready in the morning? To get your children dressed? To eat breakfast? You get the idea. Start wearing a watch. Try to look at it every once in a while so you know what time it is.

Don't play time "tricks". Someone in my house likes to play time tricks. The six foot tall dark haired man will remain nameless to protect his reputation. He sets his alarm clock fifteen minutes fast in an effort to help him be more timely. Whether or not that works for him is not the point. If you're like me and you lack a sense of time awareness, these "tricks" will probably backfire on you. You'll end up telling yourself, "Oh, I have fifteen more minutes, it's OK." And you'll still be late. I say set your watch to the correct time and learn to interact properly with real time.

3. Plan ahead.
This one should be a no-brainer. But I rarely, if ever, planned ahead. Now I know to look at my appointment book to see where I need to be on a certain day. I write down what I'll need to take, what time I need to be there, and what time I need to be in the car. That last factor was a key to helping me be on time. As a person unaware of time currency, somehow travel time was meaningless to me. Like somehow I'd magically be able to travel a twenty minute distance in five.

4. Build systems that work.
Systems are basically habits you build into your life to make things work more efficiently. As a naturally tardy person, getting to church on time--especially with little ones in tow--was the biggest challenge. So I developed a "get to church on time" system.

Every Saturday night, I gather everything that will need to go with us, and put it by the door--Bibles, diaper bags, purse, etc. I lay out clothes for me and for the boys. Sunday mornings I do things in a certain order and a certain way--every Sunday morning. Getting dressed, getting the boys dressed, taming their crazy hair, eating breakfast and so on. I've even managed to fit in fixing a travel mug of tea! Now that's something I never would have had time to do before!

5. Build in margin.
I take a two pronged approach here. First of all, I try to plan for the unexpected. With three small children, there's bound to be something unexpected, right? Someone who's got to go to the bathroom after you buckle them into their carseat. A two month old who wants to nurse again or spits up all over his clean clothes. Or a car that won't start because someone (the short, long haired woman will remain nameless to protect her reputation) left the reading light on in the car the night before. So, I plan for it. I don't know what it's going to be, but it's probably going to happen.

The second part of this is to avoid trying to fit in "one more thing" when I think I'm ahead of schedule. Let's face it--I'm still somewhat impaired when it comes to knowing time currency. Deciding to curl my hair (if I don't usually do this) at the last minute is a recipe for disaster. It will probably take longer than I expect, and I'll use up my margin that I needed for getting out the booster cables later.

6. Enjoy the peace.
I'm tellin' ya. There's just nothing like pulling out of the driveway with five minutes to spare, happy children, and parents who aren't agitated and irritable. Nothing like it. Being on time was such a novelty to me that it felt fun! Walking into a place five minutes early was exhilarating. But besides just being on time, the whole process of getting there was more peaceful. Kinder. Gentler. Sweeter.

Punctuality--you can do it!

The Baby Plan

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I'm about to have a baby.

I. Am. About. To. Have. A. Baby!

Ahhhhhhh!!

Deep breaths, deep breaths...

OK, in case you can't tell from recent posts, I've been feeling a little overwhelmed of late. I'm fatigued and emotional. I feel awkward and...heavy. My brain has a serious case of fogginess it seems--probably due to fatigue.

I've been trying to take good care of myself by eating relatively well, drinking lots of water, taking my Floradix, etc. But my daily walks have fallen by the wayside and my much, much needed time with the Lord has gotten pretty lax. Sleeping in will do that to you.

So, I'm feeling the need to put a plan--a concrete plan--down on paper. I've had a few plans throughout my pregnancy, but I'm feeling the need to simplify and change it up even more. I want to have a plan for these last few weeks leading up to birth time, and a basic plan in place for afterward as well.

My To-Do List:
Declutter and organize house
Clean, insure and move carseats to Buick (a bigger car to fit all five of us!)
Stock pantry and toiletry cupboards
Redecorating
Get all old pictures organized and made into photobooks
Sell items on Ebay and Amazon
Labor plan for little boys
Organize boys' clothing
Wash baby's diapers and clothes
Paint hallway (This is getting knocked off since Keith says there's just no way we can do this right now. Whew.)
Stock freezer with baked goods and dinner meals
Have garage sale (And this is getting knocked off because I'm seeing the light. Who was I kidding?)
Pack bags for me and for boys
Write series posts ahead of time

My Pre-Baby "Crisis Management" Plan

1. Sticking with the basics every day.
I do need to keep on top of some simple things like my menu plan, making very simple dinners, completing at least one load of laundry a day, a quick tidy, and doing the dishes. I've learned the hard way that letting these items get out of control is disastrous for me. These are my "sinks".

2. Making time with the Lord a priority.
Instead of saying, "Oh, I don't have time for this right now!" I need to say, "I'm so tired and overwhelmed, I must find time to spend with the Lord!" It's really my greatest need right now.

3. Mini-tasking the bigger items on my to-do list.
Some of the things on my to-do list might not get done, but I've got my to-do list tasks spread out and broken down into smaller items if necessary. This way I don't feel so overwhelmed. This approach actually helped me finally get my digital pictures organized and put into photo books. I've had this job sitting on my to-do list since my first son was born. He's four and a half now!

4. Calling in reinforcements.
I just might be calling in some young girls from church who can play with the boys for a day while I finish up some of my cooking and baking.

5. Giving myself grace.
I'm trying to do this, though not always very well. I have a bit of a driven nature, so it's hard for me to allow myself to not be "up to par".

6. Loving my family well.
It's really easy for me to be snappy in my fatigue and discouragement. But the one thing that really matters most right now is for me to love well. For my children to feel secure and loved--even if our house isn't always in the condition I like it to be. For my husband to have a smile in his direction instead of a frown.

My Post-Baby "Crisis Management" Plan

1. Just focus on the basics.
I'm hoping to have lots of food in the pantry and freezer so that I won't have to do very much cooking. But I'll still need to try to do at least a load of laundry every day, keep clean dishes, and do a quick tidy each day. These are things that I know Keith will help me with. (I love you, sweetheart!)

2. Make time with the Lord my biggest priority.
I don't think I've ever taken time to spend with the Lord on a regular basis after the birth of a baby. I was just too tired. But as I just mentioned, when do we need this time most? When we're tired, overwhelmed and discouraged. All things I usually experience after a baby is born. I'd like to be able to say in a couple of months, that even when I did nothing else all day, I found time to rest in the Lord.

3. Call in reinforcements.
My mother-in-law will help me as much as she can, my husband will also do what he can to keep us is in good shape. I may be able to have some young girls come in once in a while to do a quick and basic clean of the house.

4. Doing absolutely nothing that isn't absolutely necessary.
When Caden was born, I got back into the swing of things almost immediately. I thought I felt great! But I crashed soon afterward. I ended up struggling quite a bit with a case of baby blues that lasted longer than it probably should have. When Levi was born, I had learned my lesson. I did my best to follow the above rule, and while I still had some postpartum "downness", it didn't last as long or get as deep as with Caden.

5. Focus on healthy patterns.
Since I'm prone to postpartum depression, I really need to focus on getting adequate sleep, eating nutritious food and getting some activity when it's appropriate.

6. Giving myself grace and loving my family well.
Just as above, it's more important for me to be a source of love and security to my family even if the house is in a bit of chaos for a while. And it's so important to remember that I live under a gracious God! Life will gain a normalcy and pattern once again.

Whew. I feel better having just written down these things that have been floating in my brain. Time to actually put it into practice.

Planning and Scheduling Blog Posts

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So, the week before last I took a vacation. Actually, it was a staycation. A much needed break. Not only did our family need some time to chill--I really needed some time away from the techno world. So, I unplugged. At least, moreso than I usually do.

But I still had a few blog posts pop up through the week. And this is where my Works For Me Wednesday tip comes in.

Planning and scheduling blog posts ahead of time.

Truly, I would never survive as a blogger if every day I had to sit down and come up with something new to write about. I just couldn't do it! So, here's what I do:

1. Anytime I get an idea for a blog post, I jot it down in my planner.

2. I keep a rough schedule for my blog posts at least a couple of months ahead of time.

3. When I have a spare moment, I write a rough outline for a blog post.

4. I gather all of my pictures a week at a time.

5. I usually have a theme for each day (Monday is my series post, Wednesday is WFMW, etc.).

6. Just about every Saturday, I write almost all of the blog posts for the coming week.

7. I schedule my posts in Blogger so that they post without me.

Voila!

This saves me so much time, energy and frustration! This might not work for everyone, but it totally and completely works for me!

Anybody else out there a pre-poster? Got any other tips to share for efficient blogging?

Crisis Management: When You Just Need to Hang On for Dear Life

So, last week was a tough go.

It happens to every family--times when things get rough and rocky and it's all you can do to just survive. Deep cleaning? Hah! These are the times when the children are lucky to be eating soda crackers and cheese for dinner, and your husband should be grateful if he's got even one pair of clean underwear left.

Can I get a witness?

These times of crisis can be caused by any number of things. A new baby, illness, a time of grief, moving--the list goes on. Crises can be positive or negative events.

Crisis: a dramatic emotional or circumstantial upheaval in a person's life.

I've got a crisis of my own coming up in the near future. I'm going to be having a baby in two months or so. This is my third little blessing, so I've got an idea of the kind of topsy-turviness that can follow the birth of a new baby. Sometimes, you can see the storm clouds on the horizon, and you can do a bit of planning ahead for the coming crisis. Sometimes, life catches you completely by surprise, and you're thrown into the crisis without the least bit of warning.

Here are some ideas to help you weather the storm whatever the case:

1. Figure out ahead of time what the basics in your home are.
The basics are the necessities. What would need to be done in your home every day just to make you feel like you've got your head above water? For me, I'd need my laundry done, dishes cleaned, and something to eat for dinner. We all need clean clothes, something to eat off of, and something to actually eat. If I had to pare it down to the absolute minimum, this is what I would focus on. What are your basics?

2. Figure out ahead of time what your sinks are.
Don't have any idea what I'm talking about? Here's the post that explains the concept of "sinks" more fully. In short, a "shiny sink" is a task that either motivates you as a homemaker when completed or debilitates you when left undone. If you are able to complete the basics and still have energy left, the next step would be these sinks. For me, this would include making the bed and clearing my counters. It is also connected to my basics, since having a pile of dirty dishes or 13 loads of laundry staring at me seriously debilitates me.

3. When crisis actually strikes, use your energy wisely.
Focus on the basics first. If this is all you can do, it's all you can do! Period. If you've got enough energy left over, maybe focus on some of your "sinks".

4. Call in reinforcements.
This is the time to be asking for help if you need it. And during a crisis, you probably do. Who are your reinforcements? First would be your family members. Your husband and children may need to take on more than they usually do. Hopefully, your children already have some responsibilities anyway--but this may be a time when more is expected of them. What if everyone is sick or your family is grieving? Then it might be time to call in extended family or members of your church family. This is not the time to be proud. Let people help you when you are in need of it. The Lord will give you the opportunity in the future to serve others in a similar way. Please don't be afraid to accept meals, or to let a friend wash your dishes, do a load of laundry, or even clean your toilet.

5. Give yourself large doses of grace.
Times like this happen to everyone. Everyone. It's just the way life is! It's not OK to bang your head on the wall and feel like a failure. Give yourself some grace! And remember this:

But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
II Corinthians12:9

Amen!

Do you have any tips of your own for dealing with homemaking during a season of crisis? I'd love to hear them!

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The Power of Habit--It's a REAL Job! Series #9

Image by kevindooley

Whew. This past week was one of those weeks. In fact, as I type this post, our family is having one of those days. Ugh. Days when all the planning falls apart, we all feel cranky, and disaster waits around my every turn. (Levi, could you please stop dropping every single alphabet cookie cutter on the floor? Do you know there are 26 letters in the alphabet? That means 26 cookie cutters...)

This is so completely not surprising to me. I've shared with you before that most of my life I've lived in chaos. So, when our family hits a bumpy spot in the road, it's quite easy to see the chaos return. It's been my default mode for so long, I think it feels like the path of least resistance. Although, ultimately, you know...it's not.

But something that has been so encouraging to me over the past year is seeing that when we get derailed as a family and things feel crazy again, the time it takes to recover seems to be getting shorter and shorter!

Want to know why? God has been helping me build a new default mode. He's been graciously teaching me new habits.

Habit: An acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary.

When you build the power of habit into your life, you've got a, well, powerful tool working for you. It used to take me an incredible amount of mental and physical energy to complete laundry, dishes and dinner each day. But because I've been training myself in small habits to get these items done every day, I've amazingly found them easier to do! AND I feel like I have more time for other things as well. I don't really have more time in my day, but since these tasks have begun to be second nature to me, it feels as though I do.

It also doesn't take me as long to recognize when we've gotten off track--where before we might have lived in chaos that grew increasingly worse with passing weeks, now it might only be a day, a few days, or a week at most.

Have you ever heard of Charlotte Mason? If not (and especially if you're a homeschooling parent), you should read up on her. She was completely brilliant in my opinion. She often likened habits to rails. The things we ride upon to get us through life. Here is one of the many things she had to say about habit:

Each of us has in his possession an exceedingly good servant or a very bad master, known as Habit. The heedless, listless person is a servant of habit; the useful, alert person is the master of a valuable habit.

In short, we are all people of habit. The only difference is what habits we've chosen to develop. Let me tell you--if I can begin to learn new habits after being a servant to bad habits, anyone can!

Habits. I now have a set of rails that, for the most part, guide our family through life smoothly most days. Every once in a while we do get derailed. Things get crazy, chaos seems to be reigning again. But when a train gets derailed, the tracks are still there. It can take some extra effort and energy to get back on the tracks--but certainly not the same kind of energy it would take to build an entirely new set of rails!

Once you've got the momentum of habit working for you, it's a beautiful thing. So, try it! What is one new, small habit you can start building today? By His grace, anyone can learn to run on a new set of rails. If He can do such a thing in my life, I believe He can do it in yours, too.

Flylady's Room Rescue

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Flylady. You either love her, or...you don't. I think I love her. It's just that we have a fundamental disagreement over the value of shining the sink and wearing shoes inside. I can agree to disagree.

But she does have some super-de-duper ideas. I think.

Here's one of my favorites:

The 5 minute room rescue.

Here's a description from Flylady's site:

This is a reminder to spend just 5 minutes clearing a path in your worst room. You know this area of your home: the place you would never allow anyone to see. Just 5 minutes a day for the next 27 days and you will have a place you can be proud to take anyone.

I mean seriously. Five minutes. Five minutes, people! Who can't handle five stinkin' tiny minutes? We can all do this. And it is such a tiny step. And it is so easy. And if you keep going day after day...eventually you see amazing results.

I've reached the point (by God's grace!) that I have a relatively clutter free and orderly home. And I still use the room rescue. Not only is it a key to climbing out of chaos, but it's a key to maintaining order.

Try it! Take just five little itty bitty, teeny tiny minutes. Set a timer and work as fast as you possibly can in one area. Betcha it looks worlds better in just that five minutes. Betcha.

Try it!

It definitely works for me!

A Relatively Clutter Free and Orderly Home

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I was considering how to begin this post. The title could definitely be misleading.

So, here's my disclaimer: I do, indeed, live in a relatively clutter free and orderly home. By God's grace. And God's grace alone. This post is not to brag (except on Jesus!). This post is to thank Him for working in my life in a measurable way. Wow. Sometimes I still can't believe I live here. (And then there's the days when it all falls apart, and it all looks familiar!)

As I was thinking about what to write for this Gratituesday post (I love Tuesdays--these are some of my favorite posts to write!), I looked around and said, "Wow." It hit me all of a sudden. In my mind's eye, I could see my home the way it used to look on a regular basis. (Or at least in between my sporadic fits of "I've gotta clean this place up!") And my heart overflowed with gratitude to my Lord as I recognized the vast difference between then and now.

He has somehow miraculously, patiently taught me how to live more simply. How to do things now instead of later (read: never). How to develop a routine and a basic schedule. Folks, this is nothing short of miraculous. Really. Ask my mother. Ask my sisters. OK, don't do that. Because I'm sure they'd tell you more than I want you to know.

And the results? Because of His work in this area of my life, we experience more peace as a family. More calm. Did you know that peace, love and joy are fruits of the Spirit? Yes, because of HIM, my home reflects more of the character of His Spirit.

This...this is totally a God-thing. Wow.

Thank you, Lord, for my relatively clutter free and orderly home. May You be glorified.

For more thankful thoughts, please visit Heavenly Homemakers.

5 Ways to Improve and Expand Your Skills: It's a REAL Job! Series #8

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I remember one day a few years ago, I was at my mother-in-law's house. Sitting on her desk was a flyer for an upcoming training seminar she was required to attend. "Learn How to Communicate With Tact and Finesse". Interesting. My mother-in-law is a pretty darn good communicator and I'm confident she didn't need this class, but one of the things most employees can expect over the course of a job is required training.

Generally speaking, employers don't want their employees to stay at the same level of competence and skill forever. They expect to see growth!

Here's my question for you today: Are you growing in skill and competence as a homemaker?

Girls, we are definitely all at different places as homemakers. Different seasons of life, different circumstances, different levels of skill. But one thing is the same for all of us. There is always room for growth! That growth will look different for the baby stepping beginner than for the seasoned homemaker. But there is always, always somewhere to go with this job! (I figure this will either excite you or intimidate you. Let it excite you!)

Here are five ways you can become a better home manager no matter what stage or season you're in:

1. Know God's Word better.
The riches of His Word--you can delve into them till you're 93 and still have more to learn! He will always teach us more. More about Himself. More about ourselves. More about our world. More about His kingdom. As we grow in knowledge of God's Word, we'll become more like Him. As a result, our homes will reflect His character and glory more and more.

Oh, Lord! Make me a woman of Your Word!!

2. Fine tune your strengths.
Sweet sister, God has made you in a special and unique way. You have talents and strengths He's given just to you to be used for His own glory. Maybe your strength is in your heart (creativity, affection, nurture), or maybe your strength is your spine (organization, order, steadiness). Whatever God has given to you, what could you do to fine tune it? Even in our strengths, there is always room for more growth and godliness.

3. Boost your weak areas.
I don't know about you, but it's a lot easier for me to think of my weaknesses than my strengths. Let's see. Inconsistency. Lack of discipline. Pride. Believe me--there is plenty of material to work on in my life. With God's help, I've been trying to focus on small areas of change in positive ways. In the past, I would decide (in my own strength) to just change completely all at once. You can probably guess how well that went. Yeah. So, spend some time asking God what He wants to focus on and where He wants you to start.

And may I remind you--weakness can be a very good thing. (I don't mean sinful rebellion can be a good thing, by the way.) But acknowledging our weaknesses sends us to the feet of our Savior. It forces us to rely on Him--and that's they way it should be.

4. Branch into a new area.
Is there a new skill you'd like to learn? Would you like to learn how to sew, cook, upholster, paint, write, organize, plan, garden, use medicinal herbs, decorate... There is no end to the things a homemaker can learn about! If you're anything like me, this may be an area in which you need to exercise caution. It's easy for an information gatherer like myself to spend an inordinate amount of time flitting from one new idea to the next. But if it's controlled and well-managed, learning a new skill can be fun and functional!

5. Get training from good sources.
In my Embrace the Process post, I mentioned some good sources for training. The best place to find good training is from a woman who's gone before you. This is the way God designed training to work! On the whole, we women aren't doing a very good job of teaching the next generation and it can be hard to find a mentor. Ask God to provide you with a woman who can give you instruction, insight and encouragement. He knows what you need and will provide it.

There are also plenty of excellent books for learning more about homemaking as well as some top notch blogs on the subject. A word of caution again! (Coming from this total information junkie!) It's easy to waste time on books and definitely on the internet. Don't let these things steal you away from your responsibilities! (As I wag my finger at my very own self.)

I'd love to hear from you! In what ways are you improving and expanding your skills?

A Handy-Dandy Tool for the Home Manager

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I've posted about time management quite a bit already--I've talked about efficient grocery shopping, using a feed reader, the art and science of planning ahead, and most recently iGoogle. But for me there will probably never be enough learning about time management. Because I really, really stink at it.

If you've come to know me a little bit by now, you know that I'm naturally disorganized and absent minded. I've lived most of my life in a state of chaos. Although I'm learning about planning and organizing, I'm still (and probably always will be) quite absent minded. So, I need to rely on tools that help keep me on track and jog my memory about really, really simple things.

My right-hand "man" is my planner. I'm sure I'll write about that in the future. Today I'm going to write about my left-hand "man". My left-hand "man" is my sports watch.

I really love beautiful things, and this watch is not really a thing of beauty--except in the sense of what it does for me. Many people have written about the beauty of using a timer for home management tasks, but my sports watch is definitely a step up!

Here's why:

1. It has it's own timer. And it's strapped to my body.
My dad used to say to me when I was a kid, "Brianna Joy, you'd lose your head if it wasn't screwed onto your shoulders." And, well, he's probably still right. I don't always hear my kitchen timer, but it's pretty hard to miss the beeping when it's connected to my arm. Actually, I've even done that a time or two, but certainly not as often as I would otherwise.

2. It has an interval timer.
This is super useful when I'm doing laundry. I usually have it set to beep in a cycle of drying and washing times. This way I have far fewer incidents of soured clothes sitting forgotten in the washer. You would not believe how many times I've rewashed loads of clothes without my watch to remind me! Plus, it keeps me moving in a cycle from one load to the next on the days I have more than one load of laundry. Without my watch, I'd forget to keep it going.

3. It has multiple alarms.
I would never remember to give my son his allergy medicine if I didn't have an alarm set every single day for 5:00. I also have an alarm set for bedtime--I need that little push about an hour before lights out to start turning my thinking in that direction, or I don't make it into bed at a decent hour. Any time I need an extra reminder for something, I set my alarm.

4. It has a stopwatch.
To keep myself motivated, I often make a task into some kind of game. One of those games is to see just how fast I can complete a certain job. Enter the stopwatch--let the race begin!

5. It tells me the date.
When you live in the world of absent mindedness, you're pretty much never aware of what the date is. This comes in handy at the doctor's office when I'm dating a paper I'm signing, or at the bank when I'm filling out that deposit slip.

6. It tells me the time.
Obviously. But without my watch, I'm much more likely to be late, to get distracted, to lose track of time, and to come home to a harried husband who is wondering where the heck I've been for the two hours the kids have been screaming.

Using a sports watch. It definitely works for me.

Do you use a sports watch? Any other tips for me?

Time Management Tool: iGoogle

Image by Tazmany

Hi. My name is Brianna Preston and I have a time management problem.

I've improved with God's grace, but it will probably always be a bit of a struggle for me to say "yes" to the best, and "no" to the merely good, mediocre or even downright wasteful.

One of the biggest time suckers in the history of the world has got to be the Internet. (I can hear the hearty agreement echoing as I type.)

It's a fabulous thing isn't it? The Internet, I mean. A marvel, really. At the tips of my fingers I have access to any amount of information. Truth be told, I'm a bit of an information junkie. Information about marriage, parenting, healthy living, recipes, medical research...the list goes on forever.

I'm a reader and a researcher. The Internet fuels my habit. Plus, I love the ability to keep in touch with my family (who all live far, far away from me) via Facebook. I'm just wetting my feet in Twitter (how fun!). I can do all my banking online. I can check the weather, the news, my portfolio and the sports scores! Actually, I don't have a portfolio yet and I care nothing about sports. But the fact that I can do those things thrills me. Oh, and don't get me started on all the blogs I love to read and the message board I'm part of--a wonderful small community of Christian moms.

You get the idea. And many, many of you are with me. You have an inner Internet junkie, too. Right? It's a very, very common problem.

Well, I don't remember how I discovered it, but there is a tool that has really, really helped me to manage my online time.

iGoogle.

I know. Some of your eyes are widening. "Goodness. She was really living in the dark ages."

But I'm thinking that if it took me this long to discover it, there must be someone else out there who doesn't know.

So, my quest and mission are simply to share this with others like me. The sadly uninformed who are still missing out!

Here's a quote from the Google people themselves to explain:

iGoogle lets you create a personalized homepage that contains a Google search box at the top, and your choice of any number of gadgets below. Gadgets come in lots of different forms and provide access to activities and information from all across the web, without ever having to leave your iGoogle page. Here are some things you can do with gadgets:

• View your latest Gmail messages
• Read headlines from Google News and other top news sources
• Check out weather forecasts, stock quotes, and movie showtimes
• Store bookmarks for quick access to your favorite sites from any computer
• Design your own gadget.

These are the tools I use on my own iGoogle page:

• Gmail (here's the link from simple mom that convinced me to make the switch to Gmail)
  
• Remember the Milk (the above link references this, too)
• Google Reader (if you're a blog reader and you're not using a feedreader, you definitely should be)
  
• TwitterGadget
• Facebook Gadget
• Blogger Dashboard
• Sticky Note
• FoxNews.com
• The Weather Channel
• Date and Time

There are SO MANY options to choose from! Customizing your iGoogle page will mean that you don't waste your time hopping around to a million different sites to "check" on them. You'll have all that information at a glance. Very cool.

If you haven't already, I highly recommend setting up a Google account and utilizing this tool. It totally works for me.

Are you an iGoogle user? Are there other online tools you recommend for increased productivity?

Getting Motivated--It's a REAL Job! Series #6

Image by mandj98

Homemaking. It is a real job.

So far in this series we've talked about:

• Creating a Job Description
• Dressing for Success
• Embracing the Process
• The Difference Between Homemaking and Home Management
• Developing the Skill of Planning

We've covered a lot of ground, and I don't know about you, but I've found it pretty encouraging to write out all of these thoughts and share them with you.

But what about when you hit one of those days? If you're a home manager, you don't need an explanation. You know exactly what I'm talking about. One of those days when you're completely dragging, everything feels like a chore, and you just feel like escaping. You have zero motivation.

Sometimes it isn't just a day or a few days strung together. It's a season. A season that doesn't seem as though it will ever pass.

What to do then?

You don't have a boss. No one is going to fire you. There's no paycheck waiting for you at the end of the week. You're home with only your children to observe you. What is there to push you to do your job properly--the way you know it should be done?

Here are some ideas (from the heart of someone who has struggled big time with this) on how to handle these days and seasons:

1. Remember that, actually, you do have a boss (and, in a sense, a paycheck).
He's not sitting in the office down the hall, either. If you are a Christian, your life should be mainly about living to serve Jesus Christ. Honoring and glorifying Him in all you do. He's the one who has entrusted your home and family to your care. Colossians 3:23,24 says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

2. Ask your husband to hold you accountable.
The two of you are a team! Work together on your job description and ask him to gently hold you accountable for the things you've agreed are your responsibilities.

3. Ask a friend to hold you accountable.
If your husband's anything like mine...he doesn't scare you much. Let me clarify--I don't mean that our husbands should scare us! But while my husband is strong and manly, he's also very kind-hearted and gentle. He's always very gentle with me--even when I really need a kick in the pants. So, the thought of him holding me accountable doesn't push me as much as it should--just the honest truth. For me, asking a friend to check in on me does a lot more to motivate me. So, I have a few dear friends who I "check in" with for various areas of my life.

4. Make it into a game.
One of the things I love about Flylady is how she is always making something into a little game. Things like her 5 minute room rescue, 15 minutes of decluttering, 27 fling boogie, fridge boogie and car boogie really float my boat. (For descriptions of some of these, click here.) I know everyone is different, but if things like this get you moving, go on and have fun with it! Set your timer and play!

5. Reevaluate.
Ask yourself why you might be feeling unmotivated. Perhaps you just need a quick break. Some quiet time with the Lord away from everyone. Or a trip to a coffee shop with a dear friend while your sweet husband stays with your children. Or. Perhaps you're doing too much. In the job description post and the planning post, I mentioned that we should only be pursuing the things God is calling us to do. Do you have things on your to-do list that He never asked you to put on there?

6. Pursue excellence while living under grace.
God wants us to pursue excellence. To do all for His glory as we serve Him and not men. He also wants us to remember to rely on Him completely. John 15:5 says, "I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

Another jewel about grace is found in II Corinthians 12:9--"But he said to me. 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Amen and Amen!

In the weeks leading up to this post, I came across two great posts about motivation that also might prove helpful to you:
Question of the Day: How Do You Handle Lack of Motivation? @ Organizing Your Way (Be sure to read the comments--that's where some good tips are.)
Tune-Up Tuesday: Down Days--Where to Focus? @ Beautiful Calling

So, what about you? Do you struggle with feeling motivated? What ways have you found helpful in overcoming that lack of motivation?

Developing the "Think Ahead" Skill--It's a REAL Job! Series #5

Image by Hey Paul

As I've mentioned before, I'm not naturally organized. Naturally, I'm a last minute kinda girl. A Procrastinator of the Highest Order. A half-way, half-hearted, "let's hope this just works out" sort of woman.

But as I found--especially when I got married and even more with each child added to our family--this approach simply doesn't work long-term. The fact of the matter is that in order to be a successful manager of any kind, one needs to develop planning skills.

Generally speaking, highly successful CEO's do not run highly successful organizations flying by the seat of their pants. They just don't.

As home managers, we too must realize that in order to operate our homes successfully we must become planners. No matter how it goes against our grain or stretches our capabilities, it's simply a skill we must obtain.

There is so much that could be said about the art and science of planning, but I'd say it's primarily about developing a "think-ahead" mindset.

Since this blog is written from the heart of someone who had no clue, I'm going to gear this post to someone like myself. For those of you who were planning your life from inside the womb--just read along for fun, OK?

So. Let's start with the basics. For the totally uninitiated.

1. Write your job description.

If you haven't done this already, here is a post about the hows and whys of writing your job description. A job description answers the questions "What am I here for?" "What are my priorities?" "What is God asking me to do with my time?" This valuable tool will act as your planning filter as you break down your time into weeks, days, and hours. Anything that isn't part of your job description doesn't need to be on your plan.

2. Have a WEEKLY planning session.

Set aside the same 30 minutes each week for a planning session. It might take you more than 30 minutes at first, but once you get the knack it won't take so long.

Here are the basics to cover during your weekly planning session:

• What will we eat? For ten good reasons not to plan a menu, read here.
• Where do we need to go? (Errands, appointments, playdates, etc.)
• What do I need to do? These are definitely items you need to make sure line up with your job description. Be reasonable about what you think you can accomplish in one week. Then cut it down. Those of us who don't have a clue are notorious for underestimating how long things are going to take.
  

Now take all these things and divide them up into your next six days. Leave one day pretty much free. God instituted a day of rest for a good reason!

3. Have a DAILY planning session.

This is where the rubber really meets the road for us totally clueless planners. Without a daily check-in to fine-tune our plans, we probably won't be very effective. The daily planning session should be about 15 minutes long, max. It's purpose is to reacquaint you with your plan for the day, and to give you the opportunity to reevaluate your plan. You might realize once you reach Wednesday that the plan you made last Saturday is no longer adequate. Perhaps you had a sick child, or you overplanned, or something else came up. This is the time to tweak.

Here are the basics to cover during your daily planning session:

• Note what you're making for dinner. Do you need to put prep steps into your day?
  
• Remind yourself of appointments. What time do you need to leave the house and what do you need to take?
  
• Note which items on your list are your priorities with circles or stars or whatever works for you. As your day goes on, if you need further tweaking, you will remember to focus on the things that matter most.
  
• Sort your tasks and appointments into loose time slots. It works best for me to be pretty flexible here. I decide what I'll do in the morning and in the afternoon, but I don't have fifteen minute time slots.
  

Here are some additional resources I recommend for planning:

• The Homeschool Mom's weekly planner and menu planning sheet (One of the sheets I currently use for my weekly planning session.)
• Simple Mom's Daily Docket (I use this currently for my daily planning.)
• Graceworks Purpose Planners (I'm actually in the process of switching some of my planning sheets over to this beautiful system. It's more expensive, but so beautiful!)
  
• Shopping for Time (I highly, highly recommend this book as a more thorough introduction to planning and time management. What I love about it is that it's focused on God's plans for you and how the Gospel should be part of your planning.)

I'm tellin' ya, girls--if you aren't a planner already, these things will revolutionize your life! I know they did mine. Developing a "think-ahead" mindset has definitely worked for me.

The Anatomy of a Chief Home Officer--It's a REAL Job! Series #4

Image by ayumina

So, perhaps you've noticed. Have you? I mean, have you noticed the fact that it's common for me to mention home management and homemaking in the same sentence? Are you thinking I really need to work on my writing skills, and, for Pete's sake, stop being so redundant?!

Well. I'm here to tell you that, of course, naturally there's a reason I use both of those terms at the same time. Naturally. Because everything I do is thought out and orderly. (Ahem.)

But, really, this time there is indeed a reason for the seeming redundancy.

I see these two terms as being descriptive of the two sides of my role--separate but complementary pieces. Think of the CHO (chief home officer) as having a spine and a heart. The CHO needs each of these to be successful. You can't really have one without the other and each part needs special attention.

Are you following?

Let me explain some more.

When I think of home management, I'm thinking of the spine of the chief home officer.

The home manager is all about making the home a place of order. The home manager is resourceful, enterprising, organized, and prepared. She sets goals. She evaluates. She's in charge of making things run smoothly. She holds things together--hence the anatomy term spine.

The Proverbs 31 woman is our model for home management in Scripture:

She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls. She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night...When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet...She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come...She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
--From Proverbs 31

When I think of homemaking, I'm thinking of the heart of the chief home officer.

The homemaker is all about making the home a place of beauty. She's the nurturer. The one whose gentleness and care make her family feel secure. She brings creativity to the home. She creates an atmosphere of peace. She knows that she is the one who sets the tone for her home and family. She is the heart of her family.

Here's some examples for the homemaker in Scripture:

Then [the older women] can teach the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.
--Titus 2:4,5

He makes the barren woman abide in the house as a joyful mother of children. Praise the LORD!
--Psalm 113:9

Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife.
--Proverbs 21:19

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.
--I Peter 3:3,4

We really don't want to be spineless hearts. Our nurture and care is important, but our homes and families need order, too.

And we most definitely don't want to be heartless spines. Ouch. Taskmasters who never smile. No good.

I find that at different times, a particular piece of my anatomy becomes unhealthy and needs attention. Sometimes the order falls apart. And sometimes the beauty and grace need a comeback.

Today, evaluate which of these needs a little attention. Your heart or your spine. Ask the Lord to help you honor him with each piece of your chief home officer anatomy!

Embracing the Process--It's a REAL Job! Series #3

Image by Randy Son of Robert

Admittedly, I don't know much about the military. However, I've seen enough movies to be able to call to mind the image of a long time marine. He's disciplined, orderly, and tough. He approaches his duties with focus. He knows exactly what is expected of him and carries it out to the letter. His military career cannot be separated from his personal life. It affects his relationships with his wife and children. He even folds his t-shirts a certain way. He IS the marines.

Can you picture him with me?

But was he always like this? At one time, not so many years ago, he entered training. To begin with, he had no idea what he was doing. They taught him how to stand like a marine, how to respond to someone of a higher rank, how to do a thousand push ups, and how to make his bed like a marine. He got yelled at. A lot. It took time and effort to come to the place where he represented the marines in every aspect of his life.

Likewise (and contrary to popular belief), homemaking is a job that requires training and skill. No one is born a good homemaker or home manager. Sure, some are more naturally gifted organizers or planners. Some have a knack for creative endeavors. Some gravitate to home more easily than others. But none of these things makes a woman an excellent homemaker.

Becoming a skilled homemaker is a process. It is so easy to become discouraged with our efforts. To look at our home and family and feel that we are failing at our jobs. Don't let discouragement rule you! The truth is that most of us came into our roles with a serious lack of training to begin with. I know I did. I didn't really have any idea what it meant to run a home well or how to create a sanctuary for the ones I loved. I am still learning every day.

Can I just say this? It's OK. It's OK that you're still getting there. It's OK that you will never "arrive" at perfection. Our Lord doesn't ask us for perfection. He asks us for obedience. I love what Flylady has to say on this topic: "Jump in where you are!"

To use some Southern speak, I think it's mighty freein' to acknowledge that homemaking, just like any other job, takes time to learn.

Here are a few tips to help you along the process:

1. Seek instruction.
Do you have a friend who seems to have more skill in homemaking than you? An older woman who can share some wisdom? Why not ask her to share her insight with you? God already designed training to happen this way--unfortunately, many of us have just lost sight of it. There are also many wonderful books, articles and blogs written by women on the topics of home organization, beautifying your home, loving your husband and children and so on. Some of my favorite books are Houseworks, Feminine Appeal, and The Hidden Art of Homemaking. You can find some of my favorite blogs on the subject in my "Links" section.

2. Persevere and push yourself beyond your limits.
Homemaking is hard work. Sometimes I feel like I'm not getting much of anywhere in "the process". This is when I have to remember, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9) I also need to remember not to become satisfied with the status quo. There is always something more to learn, something new to improve. Push yourself a little from time to time!

3. Periodically look back to see how far God has brought you.
What a blessing it has been to look back and realize what a work God has done in my life! Wow. I do have a long, long way to go and so very much to learn, but the things He has taught me about managing my home and loving my family. . .well, my current life just doesn't much resemble the life of my twenty-two year old newlywed self. Praise Him!

I have compared the process of homemaking to the process of becoming a marine--hard work and training that results in a role performed by a skilled individual. Can I point out one huge difference?

We don't have a drill sergeant!

Instead, we have a gracious and patient God who is leading and teaching us. Look to Him as you pursue the process.

Shining Your Fill-in-the-Blank

Image by scalespeeder

Ah, Flylady--that venerable icon of hope to the cluttered and disorganized masses. I owe a lot to this woman, I really do. She has a good thing going and she's sharing her good thing with thousands (millions?) of others.

But I do have a few beefs with Flylady. (Is that OK?) I wrote the other day in my post about dressing well, that I rebel at the mandate of wearing lace up shoes in my home each day. I feel confident that I can manage my home well in my slip-on shoes, or even (*gasp*) barefoot.

I digress.

My biggest beef with Flylady is this: Shining my sink does nothing for me.

I know, I know! It's near sacrilege to say such a thing! I fear, however, that were the truth known, we would discover many, many women who feel likewise. (Speak up, girls, if you feel likewise!)

But here's the thing: I've come to the conclusion that the sink is a principle rather than a dogmatic rule. We've all got things that motivate us in interesting ways. For some it's that gleaming sink that pushes them to new heights in organization. For others, it's something else that has the power to propel them to further action.

The key here is figuring out, "What is my sink?"

How to discover what your sink is:

1. Ask yourself if there is some task, when completed, that gives you satisfaction and motivates you to do just a little bit more in your home.

Personally, I actually have two things that fit in this category. The first is a bed that's made. I believe it's Flylady herself who points out that a bed takes up about 80% of the room. If I take sixty seconds to make my bed, I've just improved the look of my room by at least 80%. It definitely motivates me to pick up the surrounding stuff.

The second is clear kitchen counters. A kitchen with cleared off counters is such a launchpad for me! For some reason, my brain interprets a clear kitchen counter as a sign of a well-ordered home, and it is so much easier for me to get on top of other things if I see those wide open spaces.

2. Ask yourself if there is some task, when left undone, that leaves you feeling debilitated.

This might sound like it's the same question, just asked in a different way. But I find that there are a couple of things that don't necessarily propel me to greater motivation when they are completed, but they definitely make me feel frozen when they aren't.

Let me explain.

Seeing an empty laundry basket does not make me feel motivated to move on to the other things on my to-do list. But piles of laundry that will take seven loads to catch up? Ugh. I cannot even begin to express how horrible this makes me feel. If I have laundry piled up, I can feel my gears churning to a complete stop.

The other thing that can debilitate me is a stack of dirty dishes that has been piling up for a few days. This is connected to my clear counters, but it's a little different again. Having cluttered counters doesn't disable me like stacks of dirty dishes.

So, I actually have a few "sinks". I find that if I make my bed, clear my counters, keep up with laundry and dishes that I'm in good shape! Managing these "sinks" works for me. For some reason, these rather small tasks are the keys to good home management for me--they are the things that keep me on track. I really believe that each person has at least one thing that makes or breaks the general health of their home management.

What do you think? Do you agree or disagree? What are your "sinks"?

By the way, don't forget to enter the Marie-Madeline apron giveaway, if you haven't already!

Making Grocery Shopping Work for You

Image by KitAy

Ah, grocery shopping. The bane of my existence. At least, it used to be the bane of my existence.

Can you hear the hope infused in those words? Used to be.

Listen. I stink at plenty of things when it comes to home management. I'm still such a work in progress. So, don't hate me when I say that this is one thing I've figured out how to do well.

Today I'm going to share my secrets for successful grocery shopping. I should probably make a fancy infomercial, and sell these secrets on late night television for big bucks, but because I'm such a generous gal I'm going to let you in on my strategy for free.

This post isn't really about saving money at the grocery store--although some of the tips I mention will have that as a side benefit. This is really about how to take the headache out of grocery shopping and get it done quickly and efficiently. One trip to the store--no darting in and out all week long. Arriving with a plan and getting the job done instead of wandering the aisles aimlessly. That's what I'm going for here. Are you ready?

1. I start with a menu plan.
OK, I know that for many of you, this is a total no-brainer. You may find it hard to imagine that I, along with other naturally disorganized and scatterbrained home managers, would actually go to the grocery store and just put random things in our carts hoping it all works out in the end. But some of us do operate that way. And that's how I used to shop! But no more.

Every Friday (or occasionally Saturday morning), I sit down and plan every single meal for the week including snacks. I figure out exactly what ingredients and supplies I need for every day and put it on the list. I think about events to which I might need to bring a dish, guests we might be hosting, etc. No stone gets left unturned here.

2. I keep an ongoing list.
Any time I see that we are running low on something, I write it on the grocery list immediately. Sometimes I try to trick myself into thinking that I'll just do it in a minute, but for the most part I know that if I don't do it right that second, I'll forget about it. Generally, this is how I keep up with staple items in the pantry.

Secondly, if there is anything that I can't find or can't afford at the grocery store that is on my list, I make sure to transfer it to my next week's ongoing list. Since I started shopping with cash, I find that things can be a bit tighter, and sometimes I find myself needing to put something back that I don't absolutely have to have for that particular week. But I make sure to transfer it over, because if it's a staple item, I'll probably need it for sure the following week.

3. I schedule the time that works best for me.
Part of what I used to hate about grocery shopping was the difficulty of taking my small children with me to the store. Inevitably, I would end up going when they were tired or hungry. Tired and hungry children do not mix well with grocery shopping. (I think I hear a sister shouting "Amen!" from somewhere in Internetland.)

So, now I plan to go Saturday mornings when my husband is home and can stay with the littles. This ensures a faster trip, greater ability to focus on the task at hand, and more fun time with my family in the end. I've also found Saturday mornings to be surprisingly less crowded. Plus, I find some of the best markdowns at my particular grocery store on Saturday mornings.

Now. For the tip of all tips. This one coming up is really the one that has saved me more time than all the others combined. (This is the one that's infomercial worthy.) Can you handle the suspense?

4. I mapped out my store.
I had experimented with various online shopping lists that had categories for certain food items. Produce, baked goods, meat and seafood, frozen foods, etc. But I found that I still ended up wandering back to an aisle or two looking for something that was out of place or didn't fit on the premade list. Frequently, I would spend an inordinate amount of time looking for something that didn't seem to be anywhere! Then I would spend more time looking for an employee (why do they all disappear when you need them?). Finally, I would find the taco shells with the Matzah bread.

So, I took matters into my own hands. One day when I had lots of time (and no children), I took a notebook to the store and walked every aisle. I recorded every single item I typically buy and the aisle on which it was found. In fact, I even wrote down what order these items appeared on the shelves as I was walking through. This took quite a bit of time initially. Oh, but the time it has saved me since!

I now have a master grocery list on my computer for this particular grocery store. I print off several at a time to keep in my home management journal. Each week I transfer one to my active list spot, check off the items I need throughout the week, add to it when I make my menu, and then BAM! I speed through the grocery store like a Nascar driver.

My present record is 45 minutes. That is I'm gone from my home for 45 minutes. I walk out the door and 45 minutes later, I walk back in with all my groceries. Pretty cool, huh?

Now, I realize that some of you are multiple store shoppers. That simply means that this could take you that much longer to put together. But, it also means that it will save you that much more time in the end. Occasionally, I do shop at another store in town that I haven't mapped out. And when I do. . .the misery and despair hits me afresh. So, try it!

And that, my friends, is how I made grocery shopping work for me!

My Job Description

Here it is. The moment you've all been waiting for with bated breath.

The moment I share my job description.

(Ha!)

Here goes:

Brianna's Job Description

Title: Home manager and homemaker of the Keith Preston household

Responsibilities in order of importance and focus:

1. To serve the Lord wholeheartedly and to live with a focus on His eternal kingdom purposes.
2. To love and serve my husband by seeking to be his helper, meet his needs and be his best friend.
3. To train, love and nurture my children as God my Father does with me.
4. To build a home that is a sanctuary for my family that reflects God's eternal characteristics of order, beauty, peace, love, harmony, diligence and faithfulness.
5. To watch over my home by a) planning for the future, b) managing our finances, and c) taking care of our health with nourishing food and preventative measures.
6. To minister to those God places in my path using my home as my launchpad for service.

And there you have it! You can sleep well tonight. Please join me again next Monday as I continue the It's a REAL Job! Series.

So, what about you? What's on your job description?

Create a Job Description--It's a REAL Job! Series #1

Image by sergis blog

Something that every good employee and employer can benefit from is a job description. A job description clearly outlines the responsibilities of the worker and can be used as a helpful evaluation tool. A job description can help eliminate confusion, distractions and inefficiencies.

So, why not a job description for us--home managers? As home managers, we can be especially prone to distractions--can I get a witness? It's so easy for us to use our time on all sorts of things--but are they the things we should really be doing?

As I mentioned in my post about managing time from an eternal perspective, there are many good things we can be doing, but are they the things God has asked us to do? A job description can help filter the good from the best! And, boy, could I use that kind of help!

Every home manager's job description will look a little different. Each home is different and each family is different. You may be in a different life season from me. But I think there are some basic steps we can each use for the development of our own personal job descriptions.

Here's what I came up with when I was thinking of going about this process for myself:

Seek out the wisdom of your Heavenly Father

Not only does our Father know us and our families best, but the creation of the role of home manager was His idea! Start with prayer. Ask Him for His help and wisdom with this exercise. Then seek out what He's already said on the topic! There are a few key passages that have informed my thinking about my job description--namely, Titus 2 and Proverbs 31. Go to His Word and write down all that you can find about what your responsibilities should be as a godly woman.

I want to point out here that I don't believe the Lord is going to ask every woman to do everything the woman in Proverbs 31 was doing! There are some things I think are pretty black and white in Scripture concerning the responsibilities of a wife and mother. Then there are other things that require you to sit very quietly and still to hear from the Lord. "Do you want me to teach that Bible study class?" "What about this home business opportunity?" He might say yes to one woman, but no to another. Listen in humility.

Ask your husband

I think that Genesis 2 makes it pretty clear that as wives, we are to be our husband's helper. What is important to your husband? What does he need you to be doing? What does he prefer you to be doing? Maybe home cooked breakfasts are really high on his wish list. Maybe he wishes you'd spend more time watching football with him instead of cleaning. Maybe he's frustrated that he never has clean socks. (Ahem. I've been there.) Let him know that you value his input in forming your job description. He might not have a whole lot to say on the topic, but you also might be surprised that he's delighted you asked and has a lot to say about it. This part might be pretty hard. Again, listen in humility.

Consider your present life season

Maybe you are the mother of young children, like me. Or perhaps you're a homeschooling mother with several older children. Perhaps you're a newlywed, and you don't have any children yet. What if you're an woman who doesn't have children or whose children have left the nest? Each life season will call for different priorities and opportunities. For me, my children are way up there on my priority list. I have to be careful to give their needs the proper time and attention. But maybe another woman has more room for ministry to those outside of her family. You get the idea--size up your own personal family needs.

Write it down and use it!

Once you've sought the Lord's wisdom, your husband's input, and assessed your life season, you're ready to get this thing down on paper! I think it's worth saying that continuing to seek the Lord throughout this process is important.

Why write it down? I suppose you could just keep these thoughts in your mind, but will they be as effective as a hard copy that you can pull out, look at and use for evaluation? In fact, mine was mostly in my head until I started thinking about this post. I feel confident that having it written down will help me be more mindful of what my priorities truly are. I'm planning to pull mine out during my weekly planning sessions to act as a reminder and evaluation tool.

There you have it--my suggestions for writing a job description for yourself. Tomorrow I'll post what I came up with as my own job description. It's pretty basic, but I think it will really help to keep me on track.

What about you? Do you have a job description? What kind of things do you or would you include in your own job description?