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September 2007 ETC Corner
Aiming High
By: Lynn Bowen Walker
Mission statements can be a valuable tool. Many businesses have them to keep employees on target. A family mission statement can do the same- remind everyone to aspire to a higher standard.
At one point in early motherhood, my goal was simply to keep my boys alive until they reached the age of two. By that time, I figured, their most foolhardy years of investigating electricity outlets and leaping off tall buildings would be over and I could consider my mothering a success.
Eventually the days passed where the job of raising my kids made roping steers look like a staid occupation in comparison. Though my general goal of raising a great family didn't change, the specifics of my job certainly had. It was time to come up with new goals, goals that went beyond mere survival of the species.
It was at that point I read the advice to come up with a family mission statement, to put into writing a specific picture of how we wanted our homes and families to look. While our homes may not live up to the ideal, we might be "hitting the target more often than we're missing it because we're aiming at something," says author Kathy Peel.
Here's the family mission statement I came up with: "I want my home to be a welcoming, comfortable place that reflects Christ and meets people's needs to be loved, nurtured, and listened to."
Welcoming and comfortable -- meaning I want to achieve some degree of beauty and order, yet not the spic-and-span cleaning standard I know I could never maintain (if I could even achieve it in the first place). Reflecting Christ -- bringing glory to Him in our family's words, actions, and attitudes, so we might "shine like stars in the universe" to a "crooked and depraved generation" (Philippians 2:15 NIV). It's a tall order, I know, and one which I'll shelve by dinnertime if I count on my own abilities. But God can do miracles, and I can trust Him and hope for a miracle beginning in my own sinful, selfish life.
In spite of my and my family's shortcomings, we "press on," in the apostle Paul's words (Philippians 3: 12, 14), not giving up as we keep our goal in sight and pray for God's help to get us there.
Why don't you try writing a mission statement for your home? Keep it brief -- a sentence or two should do it -- and see if it doesn't help you clarify just what your goals are for your home, and for yourself as homemaker.
As Louisa May Alcott once wrote, "Far away, there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations; I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead."
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This article is excerpted from Queen of the Castle: 52 Weeks of Encouragement for the Uninspired, Domestically Challenged or Just Plain Tired Homemaker by Lynn Bowen Walker (Thomas Nelson ).
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Make School Mornings Less Stressful
With These Easy Tips
September marks the beginning of Fall and all the hustle and bustle that goes along with school, sports and extra-curricular schedules. To get your day off to a great start, try these tips:
It's as easy as A-B-C!
A- Appetites- Lunches and snacks
If lunches or snacks need to be made, make them the night before and keep in the refrigerator. You can also make sandwiches ahead of time and store them in the freezer.
Do your children buy their lunch? Make sure they have lunch money in their bag or money in their account at school.
B- Book bags and Backpacks
Double check that homework is done and put backpacks and book bags by the front door.
Find out if forms need to be signed or library books returned.
Review any activities for the next day- practices, special activities etc.
C- Clothing
Have each child lay out their school clothes the night before, complete with shoes and socks and jackets or sweaters.
All out of clean clothes? There's still time to wash them.
Even better… lay out clothes for the whole week on Sunday night.
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Organize and Beautify
By: Vicki Norris
Once the public spaces of your home are sorted out, organizing expert and author of
Restoring Order to Your Home Vicki Norris suggests taking the next step toward a
guest-ready home- beautifying.
"Organizing is the first critical step to increasing the functionality and enjoyment of your
home. After you've put in the effort to make better use of your space and establish
systems, beautifying your home can be an incentive to maintain your newfound order."
The following are Norris' four favorite finishes, along with her organizing advice.
Fab Finish #1: Flowers and Plants
According to Norris, flowers and plants are two elements of décor that do not actually
create new clutter. Not only do they uplift and warm a room, they also prevent clutter
from building up, when they are placed on surfaces and tables to avoid accumulation.
Finally, Norris suggests sending flower arrangements or potted plants as gifts to help
brighten others' moods and spaces.
Fab Finish #2: Family Photos
Not only are photos of loved ones cherished, but they can be neatly displayed in just
about any public area of the home. You can de-clutter surfaces by arranging frames on the wall instead of propped on tables. Photos give a sense of history, belonging, and
fellowship and can brighten any hallway or room.
Fab Finish #3: Marvelous Memories
Nothing personalizes a room better than a collection of family heirlooms. Items such as
antique vases, musical instruments, or teacups that have been passed down make great
conversation pieces and add personality to any room. The key is to display your
collection artfully and with simplicity.
Fab Finish #4: Everyday Extraordinary
Even ordinary items like purses can be organized in a way that maximize access and add
beauty to the home. Norris herself displays her own handbag collection on vintage hooks
in her closet. Her daily purse contents can then be easily transferred to any purse of her
choice to compliment the outfit of the day! Norris recommends that as you organize your
everyday belongings, you think about those interesting items (like handbags) which you
could display for enhanced enjoyment and ease of use.
About the Expert: Vicki Norris is a professional organizer, business owner, speaker, television personality, and author who inspires people to live out their priorities. She is author of Reclaim Your Life™ © 2007 and of Restoring Order™ to Your Home, © 2007, a room-by-room household organizing guide, both published by Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, OR. Norris is a regular on HGTV's nationally syndicated Mission: Organization, and is a recurrent source and contributor to national lifestyle publications including Quick & Simple magazine, Better Homes & Gardens, and Real Simple magazine. Vicki's books and products are available now at www.RestoringOrder.com.
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