Is your home a haven?

Okay, I am going to try this but if it starts lightening again, I will have to cut it short.


Today I want to talk to you about your homes. Maybe this is on my heart today because mine is in need of a little TLC ;) I just want us to take a minute and think about our homes. Is your home a place your family enjoys being or would they rather be anywhere else but home? Is your home a nice, relaxing environment for your husband after a long day at work? Do your children feel comfortable in your home or is more like a museum where they aren't allowed to touch anything because you don't want them to mess anything up? I feel our homes should be a nice medium between the museum home and the tornado stricken home. Where does yours fall? Maybe your home is up to your standards, but what about the rest of the family's standards? Does your husband prefer a clean and orderly home, while you can tolerate a little clutter here and there? What about your children, do any of them function better in an organized environment? This is something that is different for every family but I encourage you to make sure your home is a haven for your family. For me, I like things picked up and put in their places at the end of the day but the dust can accumulate for awhile and not bother me. Luckily, my husband is the same. As long as he can find his stuff, has food to eat and clean clothes to wear, then he is happy. Okay, so he wouldn't like it trashed all the time either, but he doesn't expect a spotless home, praise the Lord. I have also learned that having a cluttered and messed up home effects my mood greatly. I can just function better in a home that is in order. Now, don't get me wrong, my house is not completely organized, nor is it spotless - far from it actually. I try to keep the main areas picked up and that keeps me happy. I go through the children's room when it gets to the point I can't stand it anymore and well, my room is another story. It seems to be the catch all for everything that doesn't have a home. It does bother me and everytime I try to get it cleaned up, more stuff finds it's way into my room. So, my plan for this afternoon is to spend at least 15 minutes decluttering my room. I already did the children's entire room today. Okay, I am digressing here. I just want to encourage you to make certain your home is comfortable for your family and isn't causing more stress in your life. Does your famiy spend wasted time looking for things because nothing is put where it belongs? Do you spend wasted time ironing because you had to dig it out of the laundry basket instead of the closet? Do things get torn up or broken because they aren't put in a safe place? Do you find you have two of certain things because you had to go buy one when you couldn't find the original? Or let's think about the opposite end of this for a minute, although I don't know many women like this, I know there are some of you out there :) Is your home so spotless that your family is afraid to sit on the furniture because they might mess up the pillows? Are your children afraid to play with their toys because you will get upset at the mess they have made? Are you spending more time dusting and sweeping than your are playing with your children? If so, I encourage you to think about your priorities. The dust will be there tomorrow, your children may not be. If they are still alive tomorrow, they will remember that you cared more about how your house looked than you did about them.

Okay ladies, let's take a look at our homes and ask God to open our eyes and reveal any areas we need to work on to us. Let's make our homes a haven for our families. Let's make it a place they can rest, relax and have fun. Do we need to spend a few days or so decluttering first? Let me know and I will make my posts focused on decluttering. If not, I am going to move on to special touches that make our homes welcoming. So, let me hear from you ladies. If you have trouble commenting, then feel free to send me an email.

Blessings,
Rashel