Even in HOMEMAKING. . . GOD is enough.

I was telling a dear blessing today that I have the hardest times with balance some days. Some weeks. Some months. As a matter of fact, I have such a time that the days turn into weeks and lapse into months before I usually even know it.

So many women are just SO much more awesome than me! I see and hear from and read about women every single day who keep themselves beautiful, make time for reading, lead Bible studies, take kids to all kinds of activities, bake unbelievable cupcakes and cake balls and marzipan delights by the dozen.

There are women who have cozy and clean homes so well ordered and run that it is like the auto pilot Flylady often speaks of when explaining the goodness of routines.
Some women do all of the above without batting a lash and on top of them run 5-10 miles a day and volunteer at charity events and actively particpate in schools their children attend.

Anyone who knows me or reads what I write knows I'm not one of those women.
The good Lord in heaven knows I've tried to be. I've tried to the point of tears, pain and feelings of failure for never even coming close. You know what?

That isn't where my efforts have to be to find true success.
It isn't wrong for me to not be as organized or talented as just about every woman out there and I should not spend my life feeling guilty for not being.

I like a clean house. I actually love a clean house. I am a better, calmer and kinder person when things are just so and I feel brand new when they are. Right now... it is that way when I sweep a corner of time clean enough for it. My home doesn't stay in a state of clean and coziness. Sometimes those two co-exist and sometimes . . . they don't. My husband always says that one day everything will be that clean all the time . . . and we'll wish it back to now. Now when we have an active boy keeping us from sitting down very often, teen girls gathering in our kitchen and baking up all kinds of movie snacks and grown children bringing grandchildren to shake smiles, laughter and goodness all over the place

The thing is --- I do laundry and dishes every day. I sweep, clean after meals, tidy the bathroom, make beds, and do something with paper work every day. Some days I get music turned on and windows flung open (well, around here, kind of forced open with all my might) and all kinds of polishing and scrubbing and scenting goes on. Other times? I have to push laundry baskets back from the door to let people into our entry/pantry/laundry room.

Often I have extra things on my counter or work table and the clothes for family members to put up are left folded on the dryer.
There are lots of things but I know I usually do the best I can. I seek God each and every day and pray for His help. I read my Bible and pray and love the people in my life and anywhere near it with all I've got.
God is enough. My efforts in His name are enough.

I stack so much on my many to do lists that it often takes me a long, long time to reply to emails (but by the grace of God, I do reply!) and I have planned to write this post since a few months ago. Two posts have come since then by Melissa at Contemplative Joy and they really spoke to my heart. I think the words she shared here in July and here in August are shared thoughts with women all over the world. . . every day.

Around here yesterday . . .

Yet again, I have no computer but I can thankfully use my husband's laptop!
Lots of work is going on around here and I need to *work* to make some time for relaxing before the hurried life of school starts back.

Yesterday, I got an early start in the garden and wished I hadn't let so many days slide without going out there. My husband does the nightly watering unless he isn't home and he gathers the new day's harvest each morning. I hand weed little areas at a time, every so often help check for produce ready to be picked and make sure everything we bring in gets eaten, preserved, processed and/or stored properly.

I was concerned about my basil plants (sweet and cinnamon) bec they have done SO well but are the ONLY things surviving from the area I planted them in. It is here, in front of my writing window and has formerly been an herb garden, a flower garden and a place for miniature roses. Now? It seems to be doomed for any healthy plant growth! Well, the confederate rose thrives here .... bigger than any we've ever seen every single year. . . the heirloom roses do just as well. Morning glories are fine but doing even better on the other side of the porch and the basil are making it. The parsley, cilantro, wild flower seeds, cucumbers, dill, and whatever else I planted here are all gone or almost gone. I got all the weeds away from my basil and will plan to mulch it in the next few days.

My jasmine is getting surrounded and almost covered by weeds! These are hard to pull so my husband has agreed to try the Roto-tiller around those, our green beans (can't even get to the beans!) and the edges of some of the other little gardens.

We surveyed each plant before having our morning coffee yesterday morning and there are things getting ready to bloom or blossom all over the yard!

Once back in, I made our coffee, took my thyroid medicine, did quiet time and started the laundry. I got about five loads done and should finish the other three up today!
It isn't backed up laundry --- we just have to wash sheets and blankets way more often than some bec I cannot stand pet hair on them and we have two indoor beagles and two indoor cat with a six month old cat I've been trying to keep OUTDOORS.

I washed and trimmed a HUGE bowl of radishes from our garden and cleaned our fridge! Took everything off the door shelves and took the door shelves out to soak in hot, soapy water while I went through all the bottles and smaller items to see what to keep and what to throw away.

When that was all done, I cleaned the rest of the fridge ...shelf by shelf. Got it all scrubbed and wiped down and all the drawers cleaned in the sink, dried and put back in their places. It was wonderful to SEE the produce drawers and to have everything organized again. I have a thing about refrigerators being neat and clean an d every time ours isn't... I dread getting it back that way. DEFINITELY not my favorite household chore!

My daughter helped cook yesterday (recipes and food journal at http://www.nutmegnotes08.blogspot.com/ ) and had dish duty all day along with helping to clean the counters, helping with laundry and a few other things. The youngest (seven years old who thinks he is at least 32) cleaned the cabinet fronts, made one of the beds, and cleaned the toilet inside and out.

I ended up with no computer for the better part of the day so I did some Bible studying and journaling and even took a short nap!
There is our little catch up for the time...smile.

Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, teh Son of the Father, in truth and love. 2 John 3