Easter is a favorite holiday for many of us and will be spent attending church followed by a big dinner with extended family. They’ll be good food, laughter, shared memories and…the potential for family stresses. Let’s face it, whenever people come together, problems can happen and feeling can get hurt.

For some it’s hurts and angers that have built up over the years and festered with no restoration. With others it is clashing personalities that cannot see eye to eye. Still others are fresh wounds. Is it possible to forgive the one who has hurt us over and over again? Can we love the one who insists on rubbing us the wrong way?

Yes, I believe it is possible and Jesus shows us the way!

This Easter, as you gather with extended family and all that includes, you can extend grace and love and forgiveness to those who have hurt you by remembering the example that our Savior gave us so many years ago. Betrayed, deserted, beaten, and crucified by those who should have worshiped, honored, and served him, Jesus responds with a simple prayer:

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

Lately I’ve felt strongly led by God to take hard looks at my level of giving. I’ve done a lot of soul searching about what I do give versus what I can give. I’ve been working hard to open my hands completely to God and let Him take whatever would benefit His Kingdom. Not that I have achieved it, mind you. I said I am working on it.

This week there was a situation where we were asked to help out in a certain area. It happened to come on a day when I already felt overwhelmed and tired. Instead of coming away from my own harried schedule to meet with God to gain encouragement from the Bible and strength in prayer, I sat in my harried-ness (new word!) and wallowed in growing annoyance. “This is too much, I feel taken advantage of, haven’t I given enough?” Pride, annoyance and bitterness threatened to take root. “I am just not appreciated. No one has even noticed what I have already given.” That looks even more unattractive in print… The kicker is that it was a very small thing that I was being asked to do. It wouldn’t take long, it wouldn’t cost much. But, it sure provided a strong wake up call that prideful sin was lurking just below the surface of my heart and would bubble up at the first unguarded moment.

What happened? Well I think that serving God was beginning to precede seeking God and that is always dangerous. Once that happens I am out there running on my own strength. I had unplugged from my power source and was driving myself instead of being led by the Spirit. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Once I had unplugged myself, even for a moment, from God’s truth and enabling, deceit took root. “I guess I have to do EVERYTHING. If it is to be it’s up to ME. Can’t anyone else do anything?” I quickly forgot that God really doesn’t need me but I need Him. God says in Psalm 50: 9-10, “I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.”

So how did this situation end? Fortunately God convicted me of my sin, I repented, and in the end when I told my husband of my exhaustion he quickly offered to help me. The simple little thing that it was, got done, easily and quickly. It was there more for the lesson to me than for the doing of the thing. I learned I still have quite a ways to go in my changing and growing to be more giving and ultimately, more like Jesus. I am so thankful for God’s grace and forgiveness and His patience to let me keep trying!  

“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:21-22

In our busy lives, it can be very hard to take the time to Spring Clean. Life just doesn’t always easily slow down so that we can get such a large task accomplished. Most times, we have to lighten the load in other areas to accommodate for so much time spent cleaning.

I find roasting meats to be a great time saver for meals since you can throw all your veggies right in the same pot and have a one-pot, healthy, homemade meal. This week I found whole chickens on sale. I bought two small ones and roasted them together. One we had for supper, and one I saved for chicken soup. As my week is too busy to make my own stock I substituted my favorite store bought stock.

Often I’ll use my favorite store bought stock and 2 cups or so of gravy to give it that homemade flavor. (I add equal parts water to the gravy.) At that point I either throw in leftover veggies or spend 5 min. cutting up fresh ones. Once the veggies are tender then I add chicken, salt, pepper and maybe some parsley. I wait to add the chicken so that it doesn’t all fall apart. And voila…15 minutes maximum prep time with very little mess and then it’s just a matter of cooking until it’s done! (Check out Sylvia’s recipes for more options for roasted chicken here: http://christianhomekeeper.org/?s=chicken+stock .)

Another point not to forget is to include the kids in your spring cleaning plans. Many hands make light work!! Sylvia also has some great articles concerning our children and chores here: http://christianhomekeeper.org/?s=children+and+chores .

It wasn’t until I herniated 2 disks in my back that I really got serious about including my children in ALL of the household chores. I had to teach them from a bed as I was unable to get up for weeks. It was certainly not an ideal time to be training my kids on running the house. However, they arose to the challenge in a big way!

Before that time, they had their own chores but I took on all of the deep cleaning. Honestly, it just seemed easier and quicker to do it myself. It was a big lesson for me to learn the hard way. Since then I am so thankful that my kids are able to not only help around the house, but could take over completely if the need arose. We have more time to spend enjoying our day and doing fun things because we can divide up the work load. I also feel more at ease about having friends over knowing I’ll have that help. I feel good knowing my kids will know how to care for their own houses when the time comes.

I also think it is so good for them to know they are valuable to our family and that our home would not run nearly as well without them. It shows them they have purpose and gives them satisfaction of a job well done. As attractive as it may seem that would kids could “play” during all of their “non-school” time I really think too much free time leaves them restless and discouraged. Work is good for the soul!

Yes, spring cleaning is a challenge. But, it can be made much easier if we ask for help from our families and go a little easy on ourselves in other areas! I pray each of you are able to accomplish your goals in the home this week!

     I thought you all might enjoy this picture of Rachel, my daughter and writer for Christian Homekeeper, when she was young!

I have been thinking about the number one piece of advice that I would like to give the mother of young children.  It would be this: Be Gentle with Yourself. We live in a “you can do it all and have it all” world. This exhausting pressure can be particularly exasperating to the mom of young children, who sometimes (or most times)  feels she must keep up with the pace others “seem” to be able to keep. Often times, this pressure is no lighter in and among the church. Moms are trying to be at every church meeting and volunteer for numerous church ministries while juggling the needs of their families.

I remember that pressure well, though I must admit that most times it was self inflicted. My all time favorite verse from that time (and yes, even now) is Isaiah 40:11 which says:

“He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.”

My dear moms, don’t be harder on yourself than God is! He is “gently” leading you. If he can treat you gently, surely you can treat yourself gently. Remember that those feelings of wanting to put your babies, your husband and homekeeping as a big priority in your life is God leading your heart. Your home priority is God’s idea and directive (Titus 2:3-5). You should not feel guilty when the needs of your young family keep you from spending coutless hours outside of the home. You should, rather, embrace that time.

As a mom of a soon-to-be homeschooled high school graduate, I can tell you that the time will fly by. You’ll be so happy that you spent time rocking your babies, listening to toddler babble, answering 5000 preschool “why” questions, and waiting on the finishing of another childish fantasy. Those patient, loving face-to-face interactions earn you the trust of the struggling, sometimes deeply hurting teen. You’ll be rewarded with your child’s attentive ear to hear the gospel of Jesus, their watchful eye to see how it is lived out in your life.  Not only will you have more time as they grow older to spend in ministry pursuits, but you can multiply your pursuits by potentially raising another generation of loving servants of the Most High God.

Moms have a huge ministry in their family. Of Timothy, Paul said:

“I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” 2 Timothy 1:5

I want to be like Lois and Eunice, who apparently were faithful in taking the time to teach and train up their children in the Lord.

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” 3 John 1:4