From Chaos to Calm: Day Thirty-Six

Mopping the Floor and More

Scripture Memory: “Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” Luke 15:8-10

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In the parable of the lost coin, Jesus reminds us that no matter how far we walk away from Him, He is always and will always seek us out. Like the woman who rejoiced when she found her lost coin, all of heaven rejoices when on of God’s children repents and finds his way home.

Sometimes, even believers have moments of weakness and regrets. I know how hurt I feel when I realize I was not in line with God’s will. It pains my heart to think of how little my faith can be at times! If it is God’s will for me and you to be keepers at home, caring for, and providing for our families, we are sinning if we are not doing those things we should be doing.

I am not talking about those days when nothing goes right or everything seems to work against you. I am talking about day in and day out. God knows what is in our hearts. If we are not keepers at home within our hearts, there is no use in pretending otherwise. We should be rejoicing at the opportunity to serve and minister to our sons and daughters and our husbands.

I am sure you have been working hard this week to get your kitchen clean and fresh smelling just as I have. There is nothing like waking up to a clean kitchen in the morning! I want to stress the importance of going to bed with a clean kitchen. It will start your day off right!

Today, we will be cleaning the walls, the cabinets, and the floors. If you have children, this is a good day to incorporate them in your tasks. So, get your buckets out, fill them with sudsy water. My favorite all purpose cleaner is Mr. Clean. I use this to mop the floors and scrub walls. If you have wood finishes in your kitchen you will want to use a product such as Murphy’s Oil Soap.

Begin with the cabinet doors and the walls. This is a perfect job even for the littlest helper! My favorite product ever for cleaning walls is the Magic Eraser. If you have not yet tried it, you need to! It is even perfect for the two year old who drew crayons on the wall. You can teach a lesson while having your child actually clean the mess!

Before mopping the floor you will need to clear the floor of shoes, chairs, baskets, etc. and sweep really well. You can pre-treat stuck on spills with a spray all purpose cleaner. Older children can help mop the floors. The best clean is done on hands and knees. However, you can use a mop. I prefer the Libman mop myself, although, my children often scrub floors for me and I do not let them use the mop. If you are looking for a creative form of discipline try scrubbing floors! The kids will be able to serve their “time” and help with the cleanliness of the house.

After each meal, remember to tidy the kitchen. Before you go to bed tonight, put away all clutter, food, and wash any leftover pots, pans, and dishes. Start the dishwasher if it is full.

Sanitize your sink and change your dirty kitchen linens for fresh ones. Soak your sponges in the sink with hot water and a little bit of bleach.

Make this a part of your nightly routine. If you are new to doing this on a regular basis, you may find you struggle some with making it a habit, but have faith! If you tidy up after each meal, this should only take a few minutes. I have never had to spend more than 15 minutes in the evening preparing the kitchen for the morning if I have kept up with it during the day. If you plan to bake muffins or pancakes or biscuits in the morning, you might want to prepare the batters before turning in for the night as well.

Spend a few minutes praising God for the simple pleasures of a job well done and His faithfulness for seeing you through.

Click to ListenHow are things going at your house? Have you seen improvement over the last month? I’d love to have you visit with me today!

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