Around the barnyard #4

I mentioned in my first post about our barnyard, that in order to find success within your vocation of keeping house... you must find the joy in it. If you can't, then I would say that it will be next to impossible to maintain a clean - clutter free - happy home.

So how do you find that joy? Well, there are lots of places and ways. There are countless books out there that can help you, that can teach you, and that will encourage you! You can always find blogs and websites that help focus you on your tasks.

For me it comes down to prayer. Let's face it, our days are busy... filled with enumerable things that need to happen, and the one thing we should be doing more than all other things is the one thing that we shuffle to the back of the list and never actually get to. PRAYER!

Instead of 'whistle while you work'... pray while you work!
--Pray for your kids with every set of socks you pair up, and every shirt you hang. Think of it like blessing each of those items.
--For every shirt you iron for your husband, pray that his work environment will be stress-free... or that he can better deal with those stressful times.
--As you cook the meals, pray that this meal will help nurture your family and provide them with the healthy bodies they need in order to be successful.
--While working on bathrooms, give thanks for your childrens safety... thank their guardian angels for all the effort they make each and every day to keep our littles one safe and in our arms.
--Pray the rosary... it is easy to keep track when you are vacuuming or mopping... and there's no harm in losing track :-).
--In all things, ask the Holy Spirit to help you be a joyful homemaker! Ask and ye shall receive... right?!

I enjoy pondering the life of Mother Mary as I work. In my mind's eye I can see her doing the same kinds of chores that I do daily. When I'm baking bread, I think of our little Lord Jesus and how excited He must have gotten to get a nice warm slice... just like my boys. I unite my chores with the work she did for her little one, and what she does for us each and every day to make our lives more clean when we allow her to work within us!

And on top of all of that, I've found certain things within my day that actually please me (this will definitely be different for everyone). My most favorite thing is a made bed. Every morning I get up and make the bed (on the weekends sometimes this includes making it while my dear spouse is still in it :-).

There is just something about a made bed that says... "I'm ready to go for the day!" This morning was a prime example of how much I like my bed made. I woke up feeling AWFUL. I could hardly speak, or swallow... my throat seemed completely closed up. While Daddio got ready for work, I made the bed, got a cup of coffee, and then back to our room to relax for a little while. While my throat didn't feel any better, my perspective on the day had completely changed. I went from... "I have no idea how I'm going to school the children or do anything else"... to... "I feel crappy, but hey, I can get through this!"

I encourage you to look around your home and find the thing that pleases you the most, and helps you go through your day!