The breeze of autumn is coming through. Can you feel it? Oranges and browns are taking over the greens. All of nature is drying and becoming a bit more crispier. It is our favorite time as a family to gather around the bonfire out back. To sit around sharing stories and telling jokes. Roasting hotdogs and melting marshmallows. Counting stars and seeing who can find the space station first. Examining our hearts and seeing how small we are and how great He is. As I’m writing this my heart is anxious with excitement for those upcoming memories to be made this very night.

I want to share with you how we made our firepit in our backyard so you, too, can enjoy family bonfires. It was one of those projects where at the end we asked each other,  “why didn’t we do this sooner?” The entire pit costs around $100. I will try my best to include all the instructions. I promise, it’s really not that difficult to do.

The items:

landscaping wall blocks {Make sure you ask at the store if a certain stone can take the heat of a firepit. The ones we chose can take the heat, but I guess some just start to crumble after a couple of fires as they can’t take the constant heating and cooling.}

gravel/stones {NOT river rocks}

sand

a strong hand willing to do all the work

First you’re going to want to get all your measurements. How big do you want your fire pit? Take those measurements and determine how many blocks you’ll need, how much sand and how many stones.

Fair warning, the blocks are very heavy and will make your car connect with the road. Be very careful.

Then dig a six to eight inch deep circle. Fill the hole in halfway with gravel and then with sand. We then topped it off with nice rocks. Do not use river rock as the heat from the fire will cause the stones to EXPLODE! You don’t want that happening while you’re making smores.

Next, start arranging your blocks. This part can get a bit tricky with spacing. We only went three levels up and that seems to be the best height for us.

And you’re done! Easily completed in an afternoon and you’re now ready to sit around with loved ones and enjoy a chilly evening together.

For much more thorough instructions check out this youtube video.

While outside encourage your children to admire the stars and talk about how amazing our creative God is. Ask them how many stars do they think there are? How far do the skies reach? How big is God? So many fun and thoughtful conversations to be had!

Blessings!

If asked to choose what the one thing that consumes my mind more than anything else during the day I’d have to honestly answer….housework.

Oh my heart sinks at that thought. I know that I want to develop a deeper relationship with my creator, but the floor is covered in something sticky. Oh and look, somebody opened a box of diapers and threw them all over the living room. Why are there clothes lying up and down the hallway? Has anyone seen my keys? I can’t find my sunglasses….again.

For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.(Romans 7:15 ESV)

There are so many well intentioned books and websites dedicated to helping us take care of our domains. To be the mothers God created us to be. But I can’t help but feel like those well intentions are driving me to be a Martha. Why all the focus on a practically-perfect-in-every-way house? Why is it we choose to find time for Bible reading in between chores? It should be the other way around! If we can run a load of laundry after reading Titus then great! Vacuum the cheerios up after the Noah’s ark activity with your toddler. Go through all the mail after you disciple your daughter who is dealing with peer pressure. We need to stop choosing the ways of this world. Pray for discipline in this area. I need reminded every single day, every single hour, that this life isn’t all there is. It’s so easy to be consumed with the here and now and with earthly beauty.

This is definitely more of a mental challenge that needs to be overcome. However we can take small steps on our journey to becoming a Mary. One way to help us in that direction is to have less to clean.

How much do we really need in our houses? Surely you’ve noticed that little ones would rather have one toy {or box} to play with than a whole room full of toys. Grab some bags and boxes and begin removing the things from your house that are keeping you away from basking in His glory. If the Lord were to ask you to give away everything you owned think of all the time you would have to spend with Him. You wouldn’t be bogged down with loads and loads of laundry and dishes. No more hair supplies and old make up to rummage through. There is something beautiful about ‘less is more’. Less of the world and more of Him. That should be our hearts desire.

So let me encourage you that there is more to this life than chores. As mothers we certainly have special tasks, but our focus should be guiding our families and ourselves closer to Him. Leave the crumbs at the table and seat yourselves at His feet. And please, the next time I visit do not pick up on my account, I’ll just know you’ve been busying working for the Lord. Joyful messy work!

Blessings!

Of all people to give housekeeping advice, I should not be one of them. With five children, a husband who coaches and a dog…well, I barely have time to change diapers let alone keep a spotless house. However, I still want to share my tips on how to keep your house from being condemned. Fair enough?

I have two forms of cleaning house. The first is my favorite. When we moved into our first house they gave us one of the floor plans that the original builder had used. {Example below}

What I do with the floor plan is make many copies and keep them all in a folder. Once a week I pull our a new sheet and tape it to the wall. As the rooms get cleaned I take a marker and cross out the completed room. It’s easy and the children love to each pick a different colored marker and see who can cross off the most rooms by the end of the day.

Using a floor plan is especially humbling when considering the homes of many across the globe are only the size of one of our rooms {if that}. It is a good reminder that ‘we’ are the rich that is talked about in the Bible.

“How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!

For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

{Luke 18:24-25 ESV}

The above video is from a post at Inspired to Action. A beautiful reminder that the ‘stuff’ keeps us from living real life.

One way we get the kids to help us clean is by taking photos of the clean rooms. Sometimes we show the photos of the clean rooms to inspire us all before we begin our cleaning day or we have a contest and every time somebody cleans a room they get their photo taken in said room. Whoever has the most photos at the end of the day gets a special treat. For example everybody will get a bowl of ice cream but the winner gets a topping {chocolate, nuts, fruit, etc}.

The children don’t enjoy cleaning. Obviously, right? Whose kids do? Almost every single time I hear “can we please donate some toys?” How can I say no? They know they too will enjoy life more with less. If ever your children ask this simple question don’t hesitate! Encourage their selfless, giving hearts. And join them in helping others.

Blessings!

Confession: I am not a clean person.

Anyone who knows me I’m sure would strongly agree. In fact, I know so. I’ve had friends come to my house and ask to bring their husbands over so they can see that “not everyone has a spic and span home”. In one respect I enjoy when friends feel comfortable over here and not like they have to worry about their kids getting fingerprints on anything. But on the other hand….wow….I really need to take better care of what the Lord has so lovingly given our family. A nice home. Food to nourish us {not to stick to the table tops or floors}. He’s clothed us {I’m sure not wanting us to leave said clothes all up and down the hallway}.

If you looked through my bookshelves you’d see countless How-To books on keeping house. But none have helped like 31 Days to Clean. I didn’t need to be told “how” to clean, I needed to know “why” I should. And author, Sarah Mae, has helped open my eyes to the “why”.

I desire to be used by the Lord to be hospitable to others. To hold small groups in our living room. To be able to help a friend by watching their children. To have others over at a moments notice. The monotony is worth it because I never know when I’ll be called to serve. Perseverance is the word. And what a great lesson to teach my little mothers in training.

I have printed out 31 Days to Clean and created an organizational binder. I want to share a couple links with you of other sheets that I keep in there to help in other areas of family life.

First is our weekly menu plan. Now if you follow the link there is a wonderful sheet you can print off! I did end up making my own version and adding “snack” on there but it still is the same basic layout.

If you blog you’ll love this Printable Blog Calendar! I think the design is enough to keep me encouraged to blog.

One of my favorite parts of 31 Days to Clean is the Six List print out! I know Fly Lady has her ‘you can do anything in fifteen minutes’ mantra {which I love} but there is something about this six list that really strikes a beautiful chord in me. Maybe it will in you, too? Do yourself a favor and download this incredibly helpful book! And make sure you not only read and act on her Martha challenges, but make sure to not pass by the Mary challenges. Those are the words and actions that will change your heart.

Blessings!