How to keep a tidy home in the busy

What if keeping a tidy home didn’t mean we have to get rid of everything or make our families miserable because we don’t want our homes to appear lived in?

Keeping a tidy home has felt like the story of my life.

We have five children ranging from ages 2-17. Some of us have medically diagnosed adhd. This affects our everyday life, not limited to staying focused but also knowing what to keep, what to give away. When to work and when to rest.

I want to invite you on a journey of peace, with practical simple everyday steps you can take to help you declutter your home of the excess that is not benefiting us but robbing us from living a more simple life.

The house God built

When The Lord builds a place He is inviting us into Holy ground. Every good cleaning session must first begin with prayer.

In everything we do, whether we are eating or working lets make every effort to invite The Lord into the process.

We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, from the beginning of time.

Small steps to successfully keeping a tidy home:

The one thing in, one thing out rule has been one of my favorite rules to implement. Simply put when you purchase something new, get rid of something you are not using.

Also for fun, what if you went on a spending freeze?

Not purchasing any unnecessary items for the next month? I love to do these challenges periodically, they help me so much.

We moved into our home almost two years ago in August and because there are so many of us and life has been so hard the process of getting rid of things has been much harder.

However, not impossible. When I ask The Lord what should take priority, He shows me.

Today, declutter books.

Tomorrow, toys. And so forth.

Because my brain needs simple I create silly memory games to help me remember.

Mondays I clean mirrors, on Tuesday I tidy closets, on Wednesdays I wipe down windows.

In our home we have many sets of French doors and no short supply of tiny hands who love to touch said windows. I don’t always get to this, it might be once a month, but I am mindful of it.

Thursdays I collect all of the trash and clean out the fridge. In our home trash day is on Friday, so to prepare for this we do our best to start the day before.

Let me be real, most Friday mornings we are running around trying to finish gathering the trash, but a girl can dream. I hold my plans loosely, and trust The Lord to help us with the work.

The beauty and truth is that when you invite The Lord into your sacred space He will help you to find a rhythm that will work for you and your family.

I love to take one corner at a time. One tiny space at a time. I pray over these places. Asking The Lord to fill our home with His Presence and His love. His peace.

I want to put in your hands a sort of manual to dream with God. I want to remove the pressure and sometimes unrealistic expectations we place on ourselves because of social media.

The Peace that never leaves

There is a peace that never has to leave, that peace is a gift from Father.

I have moments of pure overwhelm and anxious thoughts that cause my heart and mind to race.

Because I invite The Lord to help me. He will quiet my mouth, my heart and mind when I am running full speed ahead to get onto a child for making yet another mess. His peace in me is then restored.

Even if the mess hasn’t been. When we start from a place of abiding in God than it is His peace that leads us.

Even as I type I am looking at all of the cozy pillows and blankets my youngest daughters left piled on my bedroom floor.

Their fort they called it.

Will I miss this one day? I believe I will, but today I am bothered they didn’t follow instructions and left a mess on my floor. Because I want a tidy space.

I want to be honest with you, because when we tell the truth to one another and to God we can then walk in freedom.

I don’t want to mislead you, the truth is we do operate at a better capacity when our homes are tidy, but we don’t always have control over this and that’s okay. Continue to trust The Lord in the process, He will help.

I wrote a post several months back on knowing our season. This has helped me keep heaps of turmoil and anxiety at bay.

When I felt overwhelmed or upset that I wasn’t further along, I would ask The Lord what He saw.

I also asked myself these simple questions, “What does faithfulness look like today” How can I be faithful with today Lord?

I then would ask Him to take the lie and to replace it with His truth. To give me a sound mind. To help me remember to put on the full armor of God.

I want to invite you to do the same. Ask Him. You might be surprised by what He reveals. He is kind sisters. He wants to help us! Truly, He does.

Even while my littles scatter their toys all through out our home.

I realized a few weeks back when one of my daughters took a marker and ran through our home writing on about 20 different spaces in our walls with acrylic markers that she was only trying to bring beauty.

While I was angry over the marker stains on our creamy white walls, she was overjoyed over the game she had created for her sisters.

A seek and find, oh my! It took more than a couple weeks to find all the spots she had marked and believe it or not, even longer to take off.

Surrendering our will over to The Lord has helped me to stay in a place of peace. He knows how He has formed each of us.

He knows I am easily motivated and will start organizing and decluttering, and making life around me beautiful, so much so that I have to set timers for myself, otherwise, I will not stop until the task is complete.

Which may very well take all day.

Because we have families to care for you understand why this could be problematic. Our families need us.

The compound affect to a tidy home:

John Maxwell has helped me so much in this. Years ago I read one of his books, it spoke of small actionable steps.

Because the truth is, it isn’t the giant steps, or big changes we make that often stick, but it is the small every single day, seemingly insignificant steps we take that can help us to become the people we want to be.

It reminds me of how The Lord works alongside of us and in us to accomplish His plans and purposes, rarely is it done overnight. Much like flowers, they take time to grow, first deepening roots into the ground.

If we were to dig up the seed to see if it is growing roots we would damage the future of that flower, possibly ending it’s life cycle.

The Lord wants us to trust Him in the unknown, in what we cannot see. I share more about the hardships that have helped to make me into the woman I am today here.

Set a timer!

This process of setting 15-45 minute timers has helped me so much. Not only to stay focused on one task at a time but to also realize how much can be done in short periods of time.

It is such an exciting feeling when you realize how much can be accomplished in a short period of time. The dishes that have been staring you in the face may very well only take 10 minutes to finish, you can do it!

Even if no one thanks you, because sister let me just tell it to you straight, you will more than likely not hear a thank you from your family. Not because they don’t love you, but because being a keeper of the home is often a thankless job.

I work hard to train my people to live in gratitude and do my best to set this example for them. However, I had to learn years ago, I cannot do it for their thanks.

That is when I read this verse that changed everything,

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

colossians 3:23-24

This verse helped me to see everything I do is for Christ. He sees your hard work. When no one else sees, He does!

Sister, this has helped me so much, and I pray it will bless you too. It frees us up to just love our families.

Let’s recap, tiny steps for keeping a tidy home:

One tiny corner a time.

One dresser.

One drawer.

One closet.

One counter at a time.

Making my bed everyday is such a gift and it looks so beautiful. On the days when I don’t do it my room looks much messier.

One thing in, one thing out.

Clean as you go. This is my favorite way to cook, I don’t like for dishes to pile, so while I am waiting for the food to cook I will soak the dishes and put away what I am no longer using.

This helps cut down on my cleaning time, which is such a gift.

One load of laundry a day. If you have a large household like mine, this is a must. As best as you can, wash, fold and put away. If you have a smaller household like my little sisters doing laundry once a week works perfect for her.

Invite The Lord, see what He will show you!

Listen I love baskets more than most people, but they can also hinder us from actually putting the things away. So empty the beautiful baskets, unless its books or Lego’s than they work great!

Everything has a home. If it doesn’t have a place in your home than maybe ask The Lord if you need it. I know He will show you as He does me.

You’ll find that if you follow these simple steps each day, a week, a month from now, you will have less to organize and your home will keep tidier.

For Mamas with littles:

Mama’s I know how overwhelming all the toys can be. I know The Lord will provide His grace.

Weekly evaluating what the kiddos are playing with.

Getting rid of broken toys or puzzles that have missing pieces.

Switching out toys can keep better engaged and help to cut down on the mess.

I invite my little girls to help me with this sometimes, when they are in a good mood.

I simply say, “Hey are there any toys you don’t play with you’d like to share with another little girl?”

Did you know goodwill gives 20% coupons you can use at their store? Just bring in a donation!

I will often have a basketful of toys to donate and the little girls will each get to choose a little something new from there.

I hope this list is helpful to you as you invite The Lord into the process.

I want to invite you to follow along.

Visit my Facebook page where I share short inspiring videos to help us navigate everyday life.

Bringing beauty to our hearts and homes.

Over the next few weeks I will share with you the simple habits that have helped me to bring more beauty into my home, even while we navigate learning what tidy looks like in this season.

Speaking of videos, I am still working through tech difficulties on my Youtube channel, truthfully though, I am trusting The Lord in the process and asking Him to help me to be faithful with today. Please go ahead and subscribe and when I do start sharing you will be the first to know about it. I cannot thank y’all enough for continuing to read what The Lord places on my heart each week.

Thank you so much, Thank you! As always, if this message has encouraged you would you please share with your people and leave me a comment. I love hearing how this message blessed you. I pray it is helpful as you continue to navigate life.