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It’s Your Year to Shine {The House}

Cleaning Encouragement· New Years

11 Jan

Panic seized my heart. Please, no, I thought. Not now. I just need a few more minutes.

But there it was again, taunting with a sing-songy voice:

Ding-Dong!

Desperately looking around, I rapidly crammed a few more things into a corner then lifted a shaky hand in attempt to smooth my hair. Embarrassment flushed through me as I opened the door.

Never again, I told myself, stepping aside to let them in. I will never again be this embarrassed of my home.

Clutter may feel like a normal part of life, but it always comes with a cost.

Clutter induces stress, drains our energy, steals our time, and can rob us of our joy.

But we don’t have to live that way.

This year, let’s be proactive instead of reactive. We no longer need to panic when the doorbell rings. We can stop spending hours searching for lost items. We will take control of our laundry mountains.

Because when we regularly cultivate a clean environment, we’re not only caring for our homes and ourselves, but we’re also telling our loved ones:

“I love you enough to create a calm space for you. I love you enough to gently teach you how to care for your own things. I love you so much that I’m going to keep trying, over and over again, for as long as it takes to learn this well.”

This is our year to shine {the home}. Not for one huge, exhausting day or event, but for the entire beautiful year. Because when we’re taking good care of our homes, we’re not only offering the gift of clean – we’re giving the gift of calm.

If You Need A Gentle Nudge…

I’d love for you to join me in the Chaos to Clutter-Free challenge that begins anew in the private Tidy Up Facebook group every January.

I must warn you though, this is no ordinary challenge.

Determined people band together for encouragement, motivation, and inspiration as we declutter every square inch of our homes together. It’s going to be tough. We’re going to sweat. We’re going to cry. We’re going to want to scream and shout and give up and forget about the whole thing.

But we’re committed to pushing through together.

And when we’re finished, we’re going to cry and shout and jump up and down again – this time not in frustration, but in victory, because we’ll know that we did it. We’ll know that we pushed through the frustration, discouragement, sickness and fatigue, we kept going, we refused to give up, and we made it.

It’s going to be the hardest thing many of us have ever willingly put ourselves through. But when we’re finished? It will be glorious.

Here’s How to Shine {Your House} with the Tidy Up Friends:

  1. Join the Tidy Up Club on Facebook – while this particular challenge is specific to the winter months, encouragement & motivation are fresh all year long!
  2. Leave a comment on this post, send me an email, or introduce yourself to your new Tidy Up Friends so we know that you’re joining in.
  3. Dust off or purchase your copy of Chaos to Clutter-Free.
  4. Clean your house! Bonus if you take before & after photos to share with your Tidy Up Friends!

ChaosToClutterFreeCoverkindle2

If You’re Fighting Discouragement

Please remember that our value is not found in the cleanliness (or lack there-of) of our homes. Our value isn’t in the stuff we have or the meals we prepare. We’re valuable because God loved us enough to give us life. We’re treasured because He loves us so much that He allowed His Son to go to the cross on our behalf. That, my friend, is the greatest hope and gift of all.

“How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand…” Psalm 139:17-18 (NKJV)

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8, (NKJV)

Do you believe you’re valuable enough to live in a clean home? Are you ready to shine? If not, what’s stopping you?

Make Your Home a Haven

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    During our time together, I'll teach you how to implement specific processes and systems so you can make immediate progress.

    If you want to stop feeling stuck at home so you can be ready for whatever God has in store for you, sign up now.

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    2 Comments

    « Housekeeping Tip #5: Look Ahead
    Show Love with Clean »

    Comments

    1. Margie Hendricks says

      January 11, 2016 at 2:07 pm

      Can’t wait to start- ordering my e book now. Thank you! Margie

      Reply
      • Davonne Parks says

        January 11, 2016 at 2:16 pm

        I’m so glad you’re joining in, Margie!

        Reply
    2. Ronda Rosenbalm says

      January 11, 2016 at 2:56 pm

      Looking forward to this!

      Reply
      • Davonne Parks says

        January 11, 2016 at 2:57 pm

        So am I Ronda! I’m glad you’re joining us!

        Reply
    3. Debbie says

      January 11, 2016 at 4:33 pm

      Oh my…..what’s stopping me is my clutter. I have way too much junk, literally junk and then way too much stuff. Trying to desperately go through and get cleaned up and get rid of stuff. I think I hold onto everything because my grandmother did so…..well not I just don’t like to part with stuff and I will never be the size I once was so a lot has to go.

      Reply
      • Davonne Parks says

        January 12, 2016 at 5:34 am

        Debbie, I’m so glad you stopped by. It can be so hard to let go of sentimental items. I think you’ll enjoy this article about five steps to an organized basement. It tells how to go from completely overwhelmed to completely clean, and it includes links to other helpful articles that talk about handling very specific types of clutter (paper, clothes, etc.): http://davonneparks.highpcs.com/5-steps-organized-basement/

        Reply
    4. Carla says

      January 11, 2016 at 5:45 pm

      Ready for 2016 to be the year that this problem finally gets solved. Ready to let go and move on into a more peaceful, less piecefull, existance.

      Reply
      • Davonne Parks says

        January 12, 2016 at 5:06 am

        That’s an incredible attitude, Carla.

        Reply
    5. Amanda Panik says

      January 11, 2016 at 7:28 pm

      This sounds like exactly what I need! My name’s Amanda and I constantly struggle with my house.

      Reply
    6. Amanda Panik says

      January 11, 2016 at 7:30 pm

      I’m a busy homeschooling, babysitting mom/Aunt who always had trouble keeping my house clean.

      Reply
      • Davonne Parks says

        January 12, 2016 at 5:06 am

        I’m a homeschool mom too, Amanda! I’m so glad you’re here.

        Reply
    7. Steph says

      January 13, 2016 at 5:35 am

      Yep, I need this. Lord willing and His strength, we can get it done!

      Reply
      • Davonne Parks says

        January 15, 2016 at 11:03 am

        So glad you’re here, Steph! He’ll give us strength!

        Reply
    8. s says

      February 9, 2016 at 3:51 pm

      I’m in! I am not on facebook; so I will have to follow along on the blog or go on my own, but this is what I need to do! Thank you for sharing! 🙂

      Reply
      • Davonne Parks says

        February 12, 2016 at 3:32 pm

        Thank YOU, S! You may also enjoy this 30 Days to An Organized Life Series that’s happening right now (my post for it will be up Sunday!): http://hiphomeschoolingblog.com/how-to-organize-your-life-in-30-days/

        Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Show Love with Clean says:
      March 20, 2017 at 11:23 pm

      […] This year, let’s love our families well. Let’s stop playing the part of the martyr and start welcoming our loved ones’ interruptions – and their messes – with warm hugs and gentle words. […]

      Reply
    2. Top 10 Posts on My Blog in 2016 says:
      May 1, 2017 at 6:12 pm

      […] 2. It’s Your Year To Shine (The House) […]

      Reply

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      A Note from Davonne

      Hi! Are you weary from accomplishing the same, seemingly invisible tasks every day and wondering if what you do really matters? I was. If you need to believe, deep in your soul, that your role at home is valuable, then you've come to the right place. Read More

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