The Joy of Giving with a Servant's Heart

 

One of the best gifts I ever remember receiving from a friend is a clean bathroom. Really.

I was taking care of our newborn, our two-year-old, and our six-year-old and my husband, who had left a few months before, was remaining steadfast in his resolve for a divorce. I was falling to pieces in more ways than anyone even knew.

My friend came to my house and spent over an hour cleaning my bathroom. It was a huge bathroom... and she covered every square inch. She scrubbed the toilet, the tub, the tile and even the carpet where the cat had gotten sick (probably weeks before) and I had halfheartedly cleaned it up.

The love I felt from her when she gave with a servant's heart was so uplifting. I still remember that as the best gift I've ever received and will tell people so when a related topic comes up from time to time.

Giving a gift to someone who has had a new baby or is recovering from surgery is an automatic thing for some people... "Let's send flowers." It doesn't mean they care any less, and the gift receiver loves it as well... but caving to the automatic response can take the joy away from the gift giver.

I want to challenge you to put the JOY back into your giving.

Know that when you are giving a gift, it is something that is truly given with the receiver in mind. If you can't afford a gift that needs to be bought, consider what you can do for that person.

Offer to rock the new baby while the new mom takes a nap.
Offer to take the older sibling(s) to the park for the afternoon.
Make dinner for a family who is experiencing an illness.
Clean their kitchen.
Fold the laundry.
Or, don't even go in their house... just mow the yard.


Obviously, as a small business owner, I would encourage everyone to give a gift certificate for cleaning, cooking and errands from Hire A Housewife    ;-)  But really, everyone has the ability to do something meaningful for their friends... bless someone by having the heart of a servant.


You could even clean their deep freeze.

What is the best gift you've ever received? Leave a comment and let us know!

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. Galations 5:13

On Memorial Day...

It's easy to post sparkly pictures that say "God Bless America" before we head off to our cook-outs. It is simple to take a moment of silence during the parade to remember those who fought for the freedoms we have today.

But when you think of those who fought... and how each one was an individual... a father, a son, an uncle, a brother, a mom, a daughter, sister, cousin... each one mourned by countless people... it is hard to grasp the full measure of what they gave... and how many have given...

The most recent full count of the number of US troops who have died in war was from 2007 and was a number totaling over 1.2 million.... and that was 6 years ago...

Most died before the battle they were fighting was over. They died because they believed in the cause and they believed that our country and our freedoms were more important than their own lives.

This poem, written by Walt Whitman after the death of President Abraham Lincoln, reminds us of those things...

O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN!

by walt whitman

I. 

O CAPTAIN! my captain! our fearful trip is done;

The ship has weathered every rack, the prize we sought is won;

The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,

While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring.

      But O heart! heart! heart!

           O the bleeding drops of red!

                Where on the deck my captain lies,

                       Fallen cold and dead.

II.

O captain! my captain! rise up and hear the bells;

Rise up for you the flag is flung for you the bugle trills

For you bouquets and wreaths for you the shores a-crowding;

For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning.

      O Captain! dear father!

           This arm beneath your head;

                It is some dream that on the deck

                     You’ve fallen cold and dead.

III.

My captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still

My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will.

The ship is safe and sound, its voyage closed and done:

From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won!

      Exult, O shores! and ring, O bells!

           But I, with silent tread,

                Walk the spot my captain lies

                      Fallen cold and dead.

Honor their sacrifices by remembering.

O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done, The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won, The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring; But O heart! heart! heart! O the bleeding drops of red, Where on the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead. O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells; Rise up- for you the flag is flung- for you the bugle trills, For you bouquets and ribbon'd wreaths- for you the shores a-crowding, For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning; Here Captain! dear father! This arm beneath your head! It is some dream that on the deck, You've fallen cold and dead. My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still, My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will, The ship is anchor'd safe and sound, its voyage closed and done, From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won; Exult O shores, and ring O bells! But I with mournful tread, Walk the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead. - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15754#sthash.l6TOcWRv.dpuf

O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done, The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won, The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring; But O heart! heart! heart! O the bleeding drops of red, Where on the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead. O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells; Rise up- for you the flag is flung- for you the bugle trills, For you bouquets and ribbon'd wreaths- for you the shores a-crowding, For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning; Here Captain! dear father! This arm beneath your head! It is some dream that on the deck, You've fallen cold and dead. My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still, My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will, The ship is anchor'd safe and sound, its voyage closed and done, From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won; Exult O shores, and ring O bells! But I with mournful tread, Walk the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead. - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15754#sthash.l6TOcWRv.dpuf

O Captain! My Captain!

  by Walt Whitman

O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done, The ship has weather'd every rack,
      the prize we sought is won, The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
      While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring; But O heart! heart! heart!
      O the bleeding drops of red, Where on the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead.
      O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells; Rise up- for you the flag is flung- for
      you the bugle trills, 
                                  
         For you bouquets and ribbon'd wreaths- for you the shores
             a-crowding,
          For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;
             Here Captain! dear father!
               This arm beneath your head!
                 It is some dream that on the deck,
                   You've fallen cold and dead.

          My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still,
          My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will,
          The ship is anchor'd safe and sound, its voyage closed and done,
          From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won;
               Exult O shores, and ring O bells!
                 But I with mournful tread,
                   Walk the deck my Captain lies,
                     Fallen cold and dead.

- See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15754#sthash.l6TOcWRv.dpuf

O Captain! My Captain!

  by Walt Whitman

O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done, The ship has weather'd every rack,
      the prize we sought is won, The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
      While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring; But O heart! heart! heart!
      O the bleeding drops of red, Where on the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead.
      O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells; Rise up- for you the flag is flung- for
      you the bugle trills, 
                                  
         For you bouquets and ribbon'd wreaths- for you the shores
             a-crowding,
          For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;
             Here Captain! dear father!
               This arm beneath your head!
                 It is some dream that on the deck,
                   You've fallen cold and dead.

          My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still,
          My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will,
          The ship is anchor'd safe and sound, its voyage closed and done,
          From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won;
               Exult O shores, and ring O bells!
                 But I with mournful tread,
                   Walk the deck my Captain lies,
                     Fallen cold and dead.

- See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15754#sthash.l6TOcWRv.dpuf

Getting Rid of Lime Scale and Rust

Does this look familiar? 

There are three products that will take it off almost immediately... 

and they aren't the ones you are thinking about already! Better yet... they are under $3 each!

 Bar Keeper's Friend comes in a powder at most local stores. Get the surface wet, sprinkle this on and then use a wash cloth to wipe it off. It is that easy. There is a downside to this. Because it is a powder, it is really hard to spread on a vertical surface, like your shower door. Their website says that there is a liquid version... but I have yet to find it anywhere except online. 

This is "The Works" toilet bowl cleaner. This should only be used in a VERY well ventilated space or with a mask of some sort. Squirt this on the shower door and watch the lime scale run off. There is also an occasional "smoke" that rises from the product while it is working. I haven't figured out why it does this yet. This works great, but make sure that you wear gloves as it tends to irritate the skin, and don't inhale! It will leave you feeling breathless and coughing. 

This is my favorite of the three products. I call it "Lysol Black." It just sounds awesome, right?
This is the ONLY type of Lysol toilet bowl cleaner that will work. It has to be in the black bottle specially marked with "Lime & Rust Remover." This goes on more thickly than "The Works" and isn't as breathtaking if you accidentally forget to flip on the bathroom fan while you are using it. Still, don't use it without gloves. You will likely need to spread it on with a scrub brush or a wash cloth, but you will not have to do any actual scrubbing.



That's all it takes to clean your shower door and make it look almost like new!

Lifting Each Other Up...

One thing that is important to me as a Christian is helping to promote other Christian businesses and causes. That is why I am proud to share that Hire A Housewife, Peoria is a supporter of family friendly radio station WCIC 91.5FM

Even if you aren't near a radio, you can download their App or listen on their website www.wcicfm.org

Or... try clicking on this logo!

If you listen on Sunday mornings, you might even hear them tell Hire A Housewife thank you for being a supporter!

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

God Uses the Strangest Things...

This morning, as I was rushing around getting ready to head to volunteer at the Community Harvest Food Pantry in Morton, I realized that my deep freeze had been unplugged for an unknown amount of time.

The stuff I reached in to touch was obviously already thawed. With no time to do anything this morning, I decided that when I got home this afternoon I would have to cook everything salvageable. Sounds like a lot of fun, right?

I desperately wanted to take a nap when I got home, but instead I trudged over to the freezer with a handful of garbage bags and a very little bit of hope, and started pulling things out.

Peeps from 2 Easters ago.... trash.
Broken open bag of rolls... trash.
Homemade lasagna... to the oven.
Homemade baked spaghetti... to the oven.
Uncooked Chicken strips... to the oven.
Chinese dinner in a bag... to the stove top.
Thawed steak stamped June 2011... trash.
Ice cream sandwiches (now soup)... trash.

Then I got to the box of deer meat. My heart hurt a little bit... I did not want that all to go to waste! I was not looking forward to browning 15 pounds of ground deer... I didn't even realize I had that much left! Amazingly, the deer meat wasn't thawed. I checked out the things under it including a turkey and a few other things are found that the bulk of the actual meat in my deep freeze was still frozen solid. Praise the Lord!

That's when I noticed something else. The inside of my freezer was gross. Some things had obviously been spilled and refrozen in the past. Other things were frozen into a 3inch sheet of ice on the bottom... like the container of pureed pumpkin that I remember putting in that freezer in October of 2011... (trash.)

I decided that even though it wasn't going to be fun, I had better go ahead and clean out the deep freeze. Some of the rolls from that broken bag had rolled to the bottom and were soaking up water. There was a no-longer-frozen pumpkin pie leaking into the mess as well. It was all kind of disgusting!

I think God can use things like this to teach us lessons. Especially those of us who are constantly on the run. You know who you are... how often do you stop to pray or read from a devotional or your Bible and fall asleep before you are done? When my kids were 1, 3, 5 and 9 I used fall asleep in church EVERY Sunday... because it was the only time where I had no choice but to sit still and stay quiet!


So as I'm cleaning out my freezer I hear myself say, "This freezer is a metaphor for my life!" I laugh at myself... but then I start to dissect it... I love it when I have a "Wow God" moment while I'm doing something I don't want to do! So here it is... and I think I'm sharing this because it is true for you too...

Now, I wouldn't have even looked in that freezer this weekend if it hadn't come unplugged... in the same way, I have a habit of neglecting something in my life or an area of my life until it is brought to the forefront for some reason. If I am willing to put in the work, God shows me what is worth saving and what to let go. It is a lot of hard work... it doesn't matter if you are cleaning your freezer or your friendships! But in the end that area of my life becomes more calm, more clean and organized, and not only contains good things I forgot I had... but now has room for more good things that God has in store for me.

This is one of the reasons I CHOOSE JOY... because even when the lesson is hard, even when the work is messy, even when I think I'd rather just quit... I KNOW that God has something SO MUCH BETTER in store for me... 

Just think about it...  What parts of your life would God love to make better for you, if you would only give it over to Him and commit to doing the work necessary?



ISAIAH 55:8-13

⁸ For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
⁹ For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

¹⁰ “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
    and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
    giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
¹¹ so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
    it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
    and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

¹² “For you shall go out in joy
    and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
    shall break forth into singing,
    and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
¹³ Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
    instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the Lord,
    an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”


PS I took a picture of the inside of the freezer before I cleaned it... I'm not posting it. You're welcome. :-)

It's Okay...

 It's Okay...

It's okay to mop the walls sometimes
It's alright to the vacuum the bed
But don't use anything for the toilet
That has other uses instead

It's okay to Windex the kitchen sink
It's alright to skip swiffering the floor
But it's always worth your time
To clean the glass front door

It's okay do what works sometimes
It's alright to get it done fast
Your babies need you with them today
And days like this won't last

Copyright 2013 Kindall Nelson

<vent>You know which wall I'm talking about... that wall behind the garbage can in your kitchen? I know you don't want to scrub yours any more than I want to scrub mine... WHY can't the kids get the trash IN THE CAN!?! </vent>

And this is what would necessitate vacuuming the bed....

I'm sure there is a post coming soon about the front door... a clean glass door is welcoming to friends and family and lets in sunlight. I'm stopping there or I'll write it now!

My point is this... do what you need to do to live comfortably and then spend the rest of your time loving your family. Helping others. Taking the kids (or grand kids) to the park. Praying. Doing things you love to do.

And when you realize that all of those things are more important to you than spending your time cleaning and organizing... call us! Let us do the not-so-fun stuff so that you can have fun!

 

She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. Proverbs 31:25

Hanging a Picture Collage

 Have you ever looked at the home decorating magazines and wondered,  

"How in the heck did they make that look so beautiful?"

 

 I can answer that... professional designers, professional lighting and Photoshop!

Still, some things from those magazines can be accomplished if you have a plan of action. 

Today, I'm sharing my photo collage secrets....

It isn't easy... but it is worth it!

First of all, it is not a good idea to just start putting nails in your wall. It might seem like you can just pick a favorite picture to be the focal point and start placing other pictures around it. 

I promise you will end up with a lot of holes in your wall and a mess of pictures.

 What you need is a plan...

MATERIALS LIST:

Paper

Tape

Pencil

Tape measure

Level

Measure all of the frames that you want to hang and make a piece of paper that matches the measurements for each frame.

Take the paper and tape to the wall and hang the papers as if they were the frames.

Here is the first try I made at a client's house last week (pictures used with permission)...

 

 

 It wasn't quite right, so I moved a few of the papers around until I found a good balance...

 I used my cell phone to take several pictures as I rearranged things and flipped through them until I found the best one. 

Next, you pick a paper rectangle and put in your first nail. 

Nail? Yes. Nail. What about those nifty Velcro strips they make these days?

In this case, they would have been a disaster.

 Apparently, standing on the stairs while arranging pieces of paper on the wall, confuses your sense of balance and direction a bit.

Those papers were actually hung at an angle...

Thankfully, once I put a nail in the wall and hung the first picture, gravity straightened things out for me... and the rest came together quite nicely.

I was so happy with the finished product that I took this picture before I cleaned all the tools and papers off of the steps!

*TIP: Take a look at the bottom, right-hand corner of the five bottom photos. Using a ruler and level,

 I measured 14" up from the hand rail and drew a line in pencil all the way up the wall. 

Making the angle of the bottom of the collage match the angle of the staircase really 

enhances the overall look of the finished product.

"And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.” 2 Samuel 7:28-29 ESV

Special thanks to the client who let me use these pictures for my blog post!

How to Know if You Are a Good Mom

So how do you know if you are a bad mom?

This can be a tricky question for some people. I could give long, winding answers about things a good mom does or does not do. I could talk about how your kids dress for school. I could talk about how much of a balanced diet your child eats. I could talk about what time they go to bed and how long it takes them to get up in the morning... but none of those things are the deciding factor on whether or not you are a bad mom... I have that... Are you ready? Do you want to know?

Are you sure?

Are you waiting on the edge of your seat to find out?

If you answered "Yes!" when I asked if you wanted to know... here is your answer...

You are not a bad mom.

Only good moms would read the title of this blog post and then stick around to read the rest.

Only good moms care enough to keep reading to find out if they are good moms.

You are not perfect. You may make mistakes. Your SuperMom cape might have gone missing in the piles of laundry a long time ago. None of that matters...

You care. That is what matters.

As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem. Isaiah 66:13

Choosing Joy...

 

I'd like to say that choosing joy is easy.

It's not.

I'd love to be able to tell people that there is 

a pressure point or a yoga pose 

that will bring it to them peace and joy. 

There isn't. 

I'd like to tell you that choosing to feel joy inside your heart 

when your heart feels like it is breaking into a million pieces is simple.

How could it be?

What I can tell you is this...

Having true JOY inside of you comes from knowing the One who created true joy.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13

How's that for an introduction to this blog?