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Simply...Home, Simply...Living For Him

When Things Go Unexpectedly Wrong…


Photo By Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum via Wikimedia Commons

 Sometimes God really has a sense of humor. I had an enormous mountain of laundry to tackle this week. I was dreading it as the pile in my boys room grew bigger and bigger. I finally decided to tackle it, and as the last load was in, and the clean clothes were put away, I was feeling rather accomplished. I was feeling great!

Then as I walked downstairs and I saw water spilling out onto the floor from the laundry room, I knew I was in trouble. Opening the laundry room door, there was about an inch already of water covering the floor and spilling into our hallway. There was water coming out from underneath the machine.

By God’s divine grace, my husband had just pulled in. I was panicing, immediately thinking of bills and cost, and the machine that was full of water…how would we empty it..how will we clean this up, what’s wrong with the washer, etc. He calmly took over, as He always does, and got our shop vac (which pics up water- I had no idea!) The kids had been outside with our neighbors and they grabbed every towel in the house as we quickly worked to get the water up around our furnace and hot water heater.

Afterwards, the floor was dry and we were left with an enormous amount of sopping wet towels! The kids and the neighbors got fans and started wringing out the towels on the deck and placing them on the fans (genius!) They were also having a blast trying to run around the yard with them to air them out.  They were too wet to put in the dryer yet, and the washer was still full of water. A very light hearted time in the midst of panic. Much needed. Grateful for the innocence of children…

Not long into the situation, probably because of my husband’s calm, I became very calm and peaceful. I knew this could be worse. It was a washer, not a child that was broken. The kids were laughing and making the best of the situation….It was OK. It was OK….

I have been known to go into panic mode in the past. Yet this time, I relaxed and saw the situation with calm eyes, knowing the Lord is in control of every detail of my life…even overflowing washers.

He cleanses. I can’t help to think He uses situations like these to grow us. The water that could have destroyed actually helped me to in the moment, rely on Him.

Isn’t it amazing that the God who created the universe still cares about us in the small things? Because the washer over flowing really is a small thing in the grand scheme of things. Oh, how it could have been a huge thing. Yet, it wasn’t.

Simple things matter. And this time, a simple washer taught me more lessons that day than I could have ever imagined.
So when trouble comes, stop and relax and keep your eyes on Him. He takes us through the situation whatever it may be. 

© copyright 2012 – All rights reserved

SimplyLivingforHim

April 24, 2013 by
Simply...Family, Simply...Home

If My House is Messy…


( I am posting this from the archives..just because sometimes I need to remember this too 🙂

I composed this post this morning as I was frantically cleaning my house, and realizing sometimes a mess speaks volumes…


My house has been a wreck, yet it has been such a busy few weeks, some things just don’t seem that important anymore…


If My House is Messy…

If my bed is unmade…
It’s because of the little ones sleeping with me at night, comforting each other ,while daddy was away…
sleeping in, cuddling close…

If there’s toys scattered about…
it’s because children are playing, exploring, and just being kids…enjoying their toys…

If my furniture is dusty…
it’s because I just didn’t have time to dust…I was too busy building a fort, playing in the yard, and coloring with my 2 year old…

If my floors are sticky…
it’s because we enjoyed lots of treats together…had company in and out…letting my home be a place of comfort and hospitality…

If my stove is messy, and there’s still crumbs on the counter…
it’s because my kids were busy cooking up their own recipes in the kitchen, and we have an abundance of ingredients…
how grateful am I, not to be looking at an empty pantry…

If my house is messy…
yes, it’s because we LIVE in our home…
LOVE in our home….
and those are the things that matter most…

Sometimes we just need to change our perspective,
and not focus on the mess…but how the mess was made…

© copyright 2012 – All rights reserved

SimplyLivingforHim

March 4, 2013 by
Simply...Home, Simply...Living For Him

Simple Hospitality {Part 2}

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This is a repost from a few months back. I pray it blesses you…

Yesterday I shared about simple hospitality, and how I want my home to be a place filed with people and with love, not just things.
Today I am going to share a bit more about what we fill our homes with and how they can be a reflection of God’s love.  
When we focus on using our homes as a reflection of God’s love, we need to understand what that looks like.  It actually has nothing to do with how it “looks.”
Just like when we use our homes as a tool in our curriculum, and let our homes be an atmosphere of continuous learning, our homes are also a tool used for witnessing God’s love.
Having lots of “stuff” and perfect decor can easily become an idol. We chase after what our homes look like, when what people really care about is how they feel in your home.  To be honest I am more comfortable in a house with dust bunnies and mismatched curtains, than one of perfection. It means the people that live there are real. 
I want my home to have God’s love felt from the moment someone walks in. Quite frankly I do not want to portray this perfect home, because I am not. 
Come in and see my mess, see my struggle.  
See me. And see God’s love in action. He loves me anyway. He makes me better. But most of all our family loves the Lord and you will see that in our home.
Showing hospitality is an act of love. And not just when we feel like it; when everything is “company ready.” No, an open door in the middle of the day for a spontaneous cup of coffee is an act of love and service. Putting others’ needs first. Building relationships with people. Your home will be the home that people think of when they hear the word “hospitality.”  It’s a place of always welcoming…just like Jesus does for us. He always welcomes us.
I was never a neat kid. I was never by nature orderly or organized.  I was a mess. Over the years I have had to work at keeping up house and keeping things organized;  God has worked, but I will never be categorized as a neat freak. So the less stuff I have in my home, the easier it is for me to take care of what I have. The easier it is for me to have more time for people.
We take nothing material with us when we leave this earth, so why, oh why, do we spend so much time on these things? Searching stores, internet, and catalogs. It is fruitless. Why do we let our minds be fixed on achieving what is fruitless?
“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
Colossians 3:2

Walking with God and letting people in your home to see what that looks like-that bears fruit.  Storing up eternal treasures, bears fruit.

So I encourage you, even when it is hard, open your home and let it be a place of comfort, peace, and rest to all who enter. Most of all a place where they can meet Him.
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6:20


© copyright 2012 – All rights reserved

SimplyLivingforHim

February 27, 2013 by
A Simply Homemade Clean, Simply...Home

A Simply Homemade Clean- Review


I haven’t bought many traditional cleaning products in years. For the most part, all of my cleaning is done with homemade cleaners. They are non-toxic, extremely frugal, and often clean even better than the chemical laden traditional products. I use a vinegar and water based spray for much of my daily cleaning. I also use baking soda and lemon juice for scrubbing stains in the kitchen. I just love using simple homemade cleaners!

I was given the ebook A Simply Homemade Clean by Lisa Barthuly and I am thrilled to share about it here! It is a wealth of information about cleaning products that are homemade and safe. I am now going to expand my usual cleaning with even more homemade concoctions.
From Homestead Originals:
Would you like to rid your home of commercial, toxic products but don’t want to pay the price for the ‘all natural’, ‘organic’ products that line the shelf? Learn to make your own! Create everything from your own laundry soap, to homemade dryer sheets, antibacterial spray cleaners, potpourri blends, fabric softeners, calendula salve, homemade ‘Vaseline,’ handcrafted Eucalyptus Chest Rub . . . even tips for the outside of the homestead and much more! 

A must have for those looking not only to simplify, but to cut that grocery bill down, create a healthier environment for our families, and revive the art of making our own!

I loved reading about adding essential oils and how they date back to biblical times:

Essential oils are the heart of herbs, plants and trees; God’s gifts to us for His way of healing and caring for thesebodies He created. Dating back to biblical times, oils were used for anointing and healing the sick. Scientific clinical research studies of today even confirm and reveal thatmany oils contain very high levels of stimulating immune system properties and a host of healthy benefits for us.

There are lots of resources and recipes included in this ebook. The wealth of information is a treasure. I know I will be referring to if often as I further my addition of more homemade cleaners. I just love that Lisa closes with:

Our Heavenly Father has provided so many amazing herbs, natural compounds and such, not only for wonderful medicinal and culinary uses, but to keep us clean and healthy! By creating our own home and body care products with what He has provided, we are being good stewards of the resources He’s given us.We are making a choice each day. God is the giver of all good things, he takes care of us, gives us what we need; He is the Creator and Giver of Life. We can choose Him and what He gives . . . life.
This book is so much more than simple homemade cleaning products, in that it points to the Lord.  Using what God has already given us to keep our  homes clean and healthy. Amen! 

A Simply Homemade Clean can be purchased here:
Amazon.com  or at A Simply Homemade Clean

© copyright 2012 – All rights reserved

SimplyLivingforHim

February 23, 2013 by