Each Thursday is Floor Day—Clean your hard surface floors. Having daily and weekly task lists helps you to pace yourself. When we arrived home from Michigan I wanted to launch into a full scale cleaning. Instead, I have forced myself to do my weekly tasks on their normal day. My pace is steady but calm. I am busy but relaxed.
The Area of Focus from the 15th to the 21st is our Bedroom, En Suite Bath, and Closet. 
Today the focus is on the closet. In order for you clothes to hang in your closet without being squashed together you need to limit the clothes stored there to what fits comfortably in the space. Traveling so many weeks this summer I realized that I could dress nicely with much less clothing. My one large suitcase with less than 50 pounds of shoes, clothing, toiletries and a few other things worked for every occasion from caring for the boys (2 and 5) to church to lunch in the garden for my birthday to Summer and Paul’s workplace picnics (2 picnics) to working out at the gym. I did not repeat the same outfit at church over the almost 4 weeks and did not wear a couple of things I took because of the difference in weather between Utah and Virginia. The same was true of our trip to Michigan.
- Release any clothing that does not fit or give yourself a solid deadline to fit in those clothes
- Repair or get rid of any clothing that is not in good condition—zippers, buttons, hems.
- I am almost sure there is some clothing in your closet that is really nice but you do not feel good in it. The color is not right for you. The size is right but the cut is wrong. This may be the reason some clothes still have the tags on them. The item is beautiful but just not right for you. Take it to a consignment shop, donate it to your favorite local thrift shop, give it to someone it is right for.
- Each item in your closet needs to earn its place by really working for you.
- Some people turn their hangers around and then return the item to the closet after they have worn it. After a set period of time they remove any item with the hanger still hanging in that backwards direction.
- My favorite means of finding out what is being worn to buy a box of tags with strings at an office supply. I put a tag on each hanger. When I wore the item I took the tag off the hanger and put it into a box. After a couple of months I went through the clothes for that season and either removed the item or gave myself two weeks to wear it. Again, use it or lose it.
- The same is true of your husband’s clothing. His clothes need to fit, be clean, and in good repair. Be aware that there may be some clothes that you do not love that he does. Be your husband’s friend and don’t try to fix him. Let him wear clothes he feels comfortable in.
- Don’t overbuy clothes for any family member, including your children. If you do laundry (and put it away) regularly, you can live with fewer clothes. Work with your children to put their clothes away until they know where and how. That’s a process. First give substantial help and gradually move to where you are inspecting their work. Inspect, don’t expect and be generous with praise and gentle with criticism.
Considering Titus 2—older women are not to be given to much drink.
This principle is not just about alcohol but about being controlled by the Holy Spirit instead of alcoholic spirit, or drugs, or anything you use to zone out and disconnect. This is a challenge for many people including me. While I am conscious of not being a slave of alcohol or drugs, I have often used the computer, games (Candy Crush, Gardens of Time, Words with Friends, and others), to distract me. My sufficiency was not of Christ but whatever could distract me from my frustrations. Jesus was enough for me as long as I did not have any challenges. I was in a good mood as long as nothing bothered me. I was good with everything as long as no one said or did anything that displeased me. That is not a Titus 2 woman or one who expresses love as 1 Corinthians 13 describes it. Did I remain kind while being patient? No, people just needed to understand that I was stressed. So before I even started I was failing. So where is your hiding place—a bottle of wine, a pill, a computer? Can you lose hours online just surfing or playing games? Where is your hiding place? God wants you to trust Him and find refuge in Him. He can take your honest desperation. He can transform you into a woman of strength and character who relies on His strength and character. In my desperation now, I put on music and begin to praise Him. I cry out to Him for strength, and grace to make it. I hide His Word in my heart so that I will have it with me when I might not have a Bible on me. Choose carefully where you find refuge, some places are deceptive and will pull you away from the true answer—Jesus.
Hugs,
Mary
Tomorrow—Wrap Up Your Week by Cleaning Out Your Car, Cleaning Out Your Purse, and Vacuuming Your Traffic Areas, Titus 2—Able to Teach What is Good
My Heart is at Home 