Baby Steps Day 18 - The Simple Home Planner

Two weeks ago, while in St. Jean de Luz, France, I sat on the beach and began to journal in my Simple Home Planner as part of my Baby Steps to Becoming a Purposeful Home Keeper.

On Day 13, I mentioned one of the reasons why it’s good to begin, create and use a Simple Home Planner. The front of the inside says this:

On the first page I wrote this:

Master Stewardship Map

The Big Picture - WHAT I want my home to look like and to be . .

As I journaled - I continued with . . .
A sanctuary of peace and tranquility, yet full of life and joy where good and growing memories are made . . .

A place where yummy meals around the family and friends table are anticipated and remembered . . .

A fragrant place of beauty and order one that is clean (sparkles) and is free of clutter . . .

A place where children and grandchildren can’t wait to come “home” to, friends long to come to and my husband is proud of and knows he’s the king. . .

The next section in my Simple Home Planner is titled

“The Serving Centers of the Ledner Home.”

I like to think of those different areas of a home as a center - a serving center. Our master bedroom serves us - it has a purpose. Our dining room serves us - it has a purpose. The laundry areas serves us and it has a purpose as well. And, as our biblical job description would have it - we have been given the assignment to be the keeper of those centers (Titus 2:3-5)

So, what I've started to do is to list the different serving centers in our home. Then what I've done is to think about and write down what the key purpose of each of those centers is. My reasoning is - if I don't define the purpose - and how it's to function then how will I know if it's fulfilling the purpose then I have to ask myself: will I be as effective as I can be stewarding or managing that center.

Makin' it real . . .
OK, I know to some of you this sounds kooky - but let me tell you - there are SO MANY women in their homes that don't have the first clue about managing the home or keeping it or guarding it.

I meet women - regularly who have never had any training, have limited skill on caring for their homes let alone cooking dinner for their husbands. They waste their time watching TV, spend too much time on the computer, their children are untrained and they rule the roost and desperately need mommy's attention and nurturing.

These moms are lazy, undisciplined, don't do much cooking, keep a filthy, cluttered house - which by the way is so UNHEALTHY and then expect the husband to either come home and do "his share" of keeping the home and to be "happy" with his unkempt, depressed, desperate housewife.

HUH? You're kidding right? Nope, I'm not.

Because I really care for these women and because I take my older woman role seriously and because I want a willing woman who wants to change to GET IT, I wrack my brain how to paint a picture of the reality of our homes and what we'll answer to God for - in a picture-like form with baby steps so that the women I get connected with - to somehow grasp what this home keeping stuff is all about. I am desperate for women - to GET IT - but I can't be more desperate than she is. She has to WANT it and be willing to change - even if it's ONE BABY STEP AT A TIME.

OK, I'm done and off my high horse. Phew. Do I still have friends? I'm sure I have stepped on some toes - oh, well.

Listing the home centers
So, what I've done and I hope you will too is to make a list - in your Simple Home Planner of all the different centers in your home.

Then, really think about and ask God to talk to your soul about HIS purpose for each of those centers. Look at your home differently - look at your home according to God's purposes.

Taking a step back, looking at and evaluating the purpose of the HOME and those spaces/places within the home can help a woman not only clarify what it is she is doing, needs to do and change, but it can help her become more purposeful as a (biblical) Home Keeper.

I’ve started with the Hub of our Home – my favorite place – my kitchen (which by the way, it's the primary place I blog from - but I did get to blog in my head from here the other day!)

I think that the key purpose of any woman’s kitchen (and this is what I wrote down) is:

To prepare and provide daily,

regularly scheduled NUTRITIOUS meals to the family

and to be ready to provide the same for others

through a heart of hospitality.

Then, I wrote these thoughts about this serving center:

It’s the center where LIFE flows in and out of most.

It’s the center – that will center me.

It’s the place/space where I plan, prepare, pray and play (I needed a ‘p’ word for create).

It’s my key center of service to my family and to others.

After writing that (above) I wrote the word “functionality” and penned this:

The functionality of a woman’s kitchen (MINE)

and how it’s set up and

with what kind of simple equipment will partly

determine how I will carry out its purpose.

Attitude is everything.

How my mindset is toward ANY Serving Center will all be a determining factor in WHAT the center ends up looking like.

I don’t think the P31 Woman could have had a “bad” or attitude of indifference and been “like a merchant ship bringing her food from afar and getting up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household AND plan the day’s work for her servant girls - OR-my words – planning how to train her daughters to love serving from the kitchen.”

What are the attitudes - in regards to THIS Serving Center that please God?

Baby Steps Day 18 - The Simple Home Planner

http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2008/07/baby-steps-day-16-simple-home-planner.html