
Good Friday Morning. It is a beautiful morning here. The snow continues to fall and it is so peaceful.
Before I go any further I was hoping that some of you ladies would pray for a dear friend of mine. She flew to her father's bedside in an intensive care unit last night. He is very ill. He and his family all know the Lord. Please pray for God's perfect will...pray that God would be glorified...pray that any that do not know Him would clearly see Christ amongst that family and feel the very presence of God. Thank you so much...
We Christians can easily get caught up in selfish prayers. We usually don't mean for them to be that but oftentimes, they are. We pray for our laundry list of items that we want or want to happen.
"5And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 6But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 7But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. 9After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11Give us this day our daily bread. 12And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." ~~Matthew 6:5-13
Sometimes I have to stop and think upon how much I love my own children. I love them with all that I am. I want THE BEST for them, not just something good but THE BEST. I want to watch over them and allow trials and pain if it helps them to grow and to learn. I want to spend time with them every day and all day so that we may know each other and love each other more and more. I want to correct them when they are wrong because it will save them frustration and even agony later in life. Our love for our children gives us just the slightest glimpse of the Lord's love for us.
Our lives are like a tapestry woven by the very hand of God. If we submit to Him and wait on Him, then it is His perfect plan woven into the tapestry. When our humanness and sinful nature take over and we step forward with our wills, our selfishness, our anger...any of our sins...the Lord takes our decisions and continues to weave for He promises "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." in Romans 8:28.
Our lives and our hearts are amazingly intricate. He knows and sees all that we are and all that we will become. I am human and I will sin but I deeply desire to see the tapestry that contains each strand of His perfect will instead of the tapestry that Our Heavenly Father can weave with the discolored and broken threads that I give to Him.
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If you are just arrived today, this post is Part 4 of 4. Here are the links, in order, of what we have been up to around here:
Praising, Thanking, Working & Playing Together
Time To Tidy Up, December 26th, DAY 1
Time To Tidy Up, December 27th, DAY 2

Our laundry is already in process. I do laundry once each week. It is wonderful! We spend the day getting it done and then don't have to think about it again for a week. Once a more scheduled school time started, I tried to do a load of laundry each day but I always ended up with a sour and/or wrinkled load. So...schoolwork simply migrates to the laundry area when necessary. It works well for us.
I always do the towels first because the morning is also filled with schoolwork. That way if the load in the dryer happens to sit for a half hour, wrinkles aren't a concern. I start the first load before anyone wakes so the water is finished running before my beloved is up for a shower. I have to set my oven timer for the duration of the wash cycle so that I don't get busy and forget that a load is washing.
So...if you haven't started already...
- separate your loads;
- start the first load;
- go set your timer (30-45 minutes).
We will take care of our usual morning routine:
- breakfast, breakfast cleanup (as a family), brush teeth & hair, dress, make all the beds...
We do all this morning routine as a family. I have found that if I send a child down for dressing then she most certainly will get distracted. Same for bed-making...
By that time, we can rotate the laundry. Bailey is five and she can take care of the towels from start to finish. She likes to race the clock and can usually get a load of towels folded and put away in less than eight minutes. Kennedy is just learning to fold washrags and she does a fine job. Addison likes to put clothes into the washer and then she likes to shove them into the dryer.
After morning chores are done then we will get our house clean. Join us if you like...
"See" you soon...
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- Let's get that first load folded and then rotate wash to dry and put a new dirty load in to wash...

I sure am thankful for an indoor toilet! How about you? Let's clean the bathroom first. It is quick and easy and for those of you that don't like to clean the bathroom, you can get it out of the way.
Now in my house...here is the conversation that just took place:
Mommy: Okay girls...who wants to clean the toilet?
Bailey: I do! I do!
Kennedy: No! Me! I want to clean the toilet Mommy!
Bailey: Oh Kennedy, we can both do it. We have two toilets.
Kennedy: Oh yea. {giggle} You can clean the downstairs and I will clean the upstairs.
:0)
So...fold, put away, rotate the laundry and go clean your bathrooms and I will meet you back here in a little while.
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Bailey (age 5) is working downstairs. I pour the chemical into the toilet and then she is fine from there. She has become quite proficient at cleaning the bathroom. She will clean the toilet, the countertop and sink and empty the trash. We will clean the shower stall after Addison wakes up. We always save the floors in the entire house for last.
I came upstairs to find Kennedy (age 2) wiping the toilet.
I clean alongside as I teach her how to clean the toilet. I do my best to NEVER criticize as the girls work. Instead my goal is to be a good example. With Kennedy she is just learning about cleaning toilets so I will simply teach her the order: clean the entire top of the toilet first, then the top of the lid, then the bottom of the lid, etc. Teaching her the order will prevent her from cleaning the icky parts and then putting the rag to the not-so-icky-parts. Also good hygiene is discussed and the importance of handwashing. With Bailey I might say something like, "When Mommy gets in a hurry I often miss spots. Are you working at a good pace or are you getting in a hurry?" If she is in a hurry, she recognizes it and corrects it.
After all the cleaning, the girls sit down for a snack...
I will take five minutes and go to check their work and clean any spots that they have missed. If I notice something that Bailey needs to improve on then I will mention it next week. 'Thank you for being such a good helper by cleaning the bathroom. Last week I think you forgot to put the cleaning supplies away. When we do a task, it is very important that we do it completely and do it well. If you need help getting the supplies put away, just let me know.'
Sometimes I fail miserably and criticize and become to harsh with my words. This is always a mistake. I am learning that self-control is a tremendous blessing...a blessing in my life and a blessing in the lives of others. I am also convinced that controlling one's tongue is not possible without the hand of the Lord...

"He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls." ~~Proverbs 25:28
"16This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 19Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another." ~~Galatians 5:16-26
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Let's get the next load of laundry folded and rotate again.
Oops...don't forget to get that clean laundry put away. There is no reason for mountains of clean and folded laundry to stare us in the face at the end of the day! And there is certainly no reason for Momma to squawk at the children when they knock over a stack that could have been put away from the beginning. (Been there, done that...not the best way.)

We are going to dust now. Our furniture looks like a herd of zebra came through and left all their dust behind. ;0)

Then we shall stop for lunch.
Smile Momma... Swish, dust, fold... Have fun as you care for the home that you have been blessed with... If, by chance, a spot of grumpiness or impatience begins to creep over you...this is what I do: STOP, DROP & PRAY (Aloud! Our children need to learn how to talk to the Lord.). Then I ask my children to forgive me for (whatever my hideousness was) and let them know that my example was not a good one and tell them how I could have handled myself.
I am so thankful for God's grace...I sure do need it...
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We had an extended lunch! Our neighbor called at the last minute and invited us over. She is so sweet! She even sent us home with cookies and candy.
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Back to the laundry...

Unload dryer, rotate the loads, fold and put away...

We will vacuum quickly before putting Addison down to nap and then sweep and mop.
WE ARE ALMOST FINISHED!! Yippeee!!
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Well...I think all we lack is the tub and shower. Have everyone put on their swimsuits over their sweaters and give everyone a brush, sponge or paper towel ... turn on some good music and put in a good 10 minutes of elbow-grease and we will be all done!!
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I am glad that so many joined us in getting our homes back in order. Have a blessed weekend.
posted by Mrs. Klause
December 28, 2007
Music: Lord of the Dance