Wednesday, December 20, 2006

On being a homemaker: schedules

I love having things to do. I love having people to meet and places to go. There are occasional days that I love having nothing to do too. Making a schedule has been one of the most important aspects of being a homemaker. One schedule does not work for every woman and it could easily change with each new season. Being a homemaker is a wonderful job and I wouldn't trade it for anything. But just like any other job, I need to make sure I'm doing what needs to be done and making my home a workplace for myself.

There is great freedom in making your own schedule. I advise you to truly consider a few things before making your final schedule:
*Pray about things that the Lord would have you do on a regular basis. (volunteer, meet with friends, bible studies)
*Make time for yourself each day.
*Be consistent, but be flexible.
*Think of what you do now and how you could be more efficient.
*If you make dinner, allow time for prep and then cooking.
*Are you making time to take care of your body such as working out?
*Make time for the Lord...whenever is good with you. I like mornings best.
*Be willing to spend a few weeks trying the new schedule and "tweak" when necessary.
*Holidays and/or parties can get in the way of your "schedule". Work with your schedule and around it.

There are so many ways to do things and so many good ways to do them. There is certainly no right or wrong schedule, but there may be a right or wrong schedule for each person. I really enjoyed the week day schedule I had before we moved to PA. I am hoping to adjust it a bit and jump back into that schedule, but I know that may not be possible right now.

This was my schedule:
Monday- Plan week (meals, grocery, list, meetings, appts.), workout, Laundry, grocery store, home group
Tuesday- cleaning day! Meet with Joyce for lunch
Wednesday- Ashley day! Work out, Meet with Jessica, Run errands. (target, walmart, hair cut, post office, etc)
Thursday- Work out, volunteer, finish cleaning that didn't get done on Tuesday, Run errands that I didn't get to on Wednesday. Date night.
Friday- Workout. Plan according to Patrick's schedule. (he had every other Friday off, so what I did depended on him being home or not)

Making a schedule helps you to be efficient and keep you on track. You know what responsibilities you have and what needs to get done. A schedule also helps you prioritize throughout the week. There is, however, a season for everything. Including a time to have fun and move things around. If you've had a hard week, don't worry about not getting things done on Friday and take a fun day. Don't be hard on yourself. Whatever you do, make sure that you're doing it with excellence and with a humble and selfless heart. I struggle with this and many days are filled with needy prayers to the Lord. But I'm confident that the Lord is pleased with my desire to care for my home and my husband. This verse (and my added note) is on a note card, taped to a cupboard:
"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all (cooking, cleaning, running errands, volunteering, serving Patrick, caring for Piper, reading, watching TV, working out) in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are an amazing person...

Anonymous said...

This is awesome. You really could write a wonderful book. Are there any Christian books about the real nitty gritty tips and how-tos for being a homemaker (with or without kids). It would be such a wonderful combination of your passions (home and writing!). This is wonderful encouragement for me!
Erin C.