I am participating in the Clean Heart Clean Home Challenge.  Here's a recap of my first week. 

The first day (Monday) I had been all set to get to work cleaning out our minivan when I looked out the window -- pouring rain!  Had a rough time with the kids during our devotional time, took all 4 kids to the grocery store (yes, in the rain).  We got home and I had the kids rushing to bring the groceries into the house while I brought the baby in. 

By the time I got in, they had placed all the groceries right in the doorway and EF was stepping all over the bread.  I asked them to move them all the way into the kitchen while I changed the baby's stinky diaper & clothes that he had blown out on the trip home.  When I came back to check on their progress, they were chucking the groceries from the doorway into the kitchen.  I got to clean up broken baby food jars and eggs.  I wish I could say that I patiently pulled them aside and explained kindly why this behavior was not helpful to mommy, but I admit I lost it.  Later in the day, I rushed around trying to get dinner on the table b/c BW only had a limited amount of time in which he could eat with us.  The girls were in the bathtub because they had gone out in the rain and gotten soaking wet & muddy and proceeded to dump water all over the bathroom floor.  I then received a phone call from my husband telling me that he would not be coming home for dinner after all.  The evening didn't get much better after that.

By bedtime, I found myself apologizing to the kids for all the yelling and asking for their forgiveness.  I told them that they needed to work on obeying me, but that was no excuse for my behavior.  As I prayed with them in their beds, I asked God to help me to become the mom these children needed.  Then it was CJ's turn to pray.  She prayed that God would help her to obey me and her daddy.  Then it was AK's turn.  He prayed that God would help him to not be selfish and share with his little sister.  As I got up to leave, CJ stopped me.

CJ:  Mom, do you know what the best thing is?

Me:  What's that?

CJ:  Tomorrow is a brand new day.

I had tears in my eyes as I have told her the same thing so many times when she has had bad days and here she was counseling me. 

Instead of telling myself that the bad day  wouldn't get me down and moving on to some other area, I wallowed and allowed my mind to give me a pity party I haven't allowed myself to have in quite a while. 

By Wednesday I was starting to get back on track.  I woke up, spent time with the Lord and was ready to tackle the CHCH challenge again.  It was still raining off & on & outside wasn't an option so I started in the living room.  I was amazed at  how much I accomplished!!!  I always thought that if I was going to do some spring cleaning, I would have to get rid of the kids for a week.  During the small ones naptime I was able to dust shelves and wash windows.  Later in the afternoon I put on the Magic Schoolbus and went through some of their toy bins.  Wednesday. Thursday & Friday morning I finished the Living Room  by doing 15 min here, 10 min there. 

I have realized that I do have more time in my day than I'd like to think.  During my quiet time, I had to face up to the fact that I am lazy and often idle.  I came across this passage:  When God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work -- this is a gift of God.  Eccl 5:19NIV .  God has certainly given me wealth just by the fact that I live in this country and live in a house rather than a hut like most of the world.  I often get so caught up in the fact that we don't have as much as others that I forget to be thankful for what he has given me.  I have spent the last 5 years since becoming a stay at home mom learning to accept and find joy in the "lot" God has given me for my life.  The NKJV translates the second part of the verse as and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor.  So I have been praying that God would help me to rejoice in my work and to see it as a gift from Him rather than a burden I must endure.  I spent time in the Word the rest of the week.

Thursday afternoon the sun came out and I let the kids play in the front yard while I cleaned out the van and the front porch.  It is so amazing how something so simple can make me feel so good!  I think being out in the sun helped a lot too.

So here is what I was able to accomplish by the end of the week (not to brag.. well maybe to brag a little, but more as an amazement of what God could do when I give my day to Him:

Living Room - dusted shelves, cleaned out toy bins, cleaned the windows, dusted base boards, cleaned wall hangings, put out Easter decorations, organized drawers in the secretary, cleaned out EF's drawers(since 3 kids are sharing a bedroom her drawers are in the LR being used as the TV stand), vacuumed

Vehicle - cleaned all inside windows; cleared out all the trash, food & other disgusting stuff; cleaned out cupholders; made up a bin for emergencies w/extra wipes, diapers, change of kids clothes; dusted dash board; vacuumed.  I didn't actually clean the outside b/c there is still a chance of rain tomorrow night. 

Front Porch - swept, cleaned mailbox, cleaned window, knocked down the cobwebs, cleaned light fixture 

HomeSchool - FIAR'd Mike Mulligan and the Steam Shovel.  CJ created a picture of a machine she invented that would help her to clean her room.  During devotion time we talked about good stewardship, trusting in God during times of worry or stress, and memorized "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you." Mt 6:33.  CJ did great with her spelling words and read the entire Little Bear Treasury that I borrowed from the library last week. I introduced AK to the Handwriting w/o Tears wood pieces.  Finally, I found a unit study that we will use next week to prepare us for celebrating Easter. 

So there's the recap of my first week.  God is definitely cleaning out my heart as well as my home.  "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him and I am helped." Ps 28:7a.

-J