Thankful Homemaker: A Christian Homemaking Podcast

We are already nearing Christmas Eve and plans that I had to bake or buy or clean haven’t all been finished.  There are gifts I wanted to purchase or send that didn’t happen.  There are cookies I wanted to bake that I didn’t get too and areas I wanted to tidy at home that I didn’t even get close to doing. But I want to share with you today reminders that I’m talking to myself about what I am choosing. I’m hoping to help us keep our focus on the main thing this Christmas season. You can read the full podcast here, but my hope is you will sit with me for just a few minutes of your day and listen in to the podcast and let me pour into you a bit.  Thank you for spending your time with me today - I am blessed by each one of you. Thank you for your prayers, for your sweet notes of encouragement to me and for supporting this little ministry here at Thankful Homemaker by listening in to this podcast. I’ll be taking a break for the next week to enjoy family time. I will see you all next year back here at the blog and podcast. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year my dear friends. Find the full show notes for this episode at ThankfulHomemaker.com Follow ThankfulHomemaker on Facebook, Pinterest & Instagram Subscribe to the Podcast on Your Favorite App Subscribe to ThankfulHomemaker.com

I am a calendar and planner lover. I love lists and making goals and seeking to make the most of my days. I’m also aware of how easy it is to become overwhelmed, miserable, and exhausted when I don’t have a good plan in place to make the most of my days. I want to share today a system I’ve used for years on planning my spiritual priorities for the year. It has helped me to focus and build my choices in light of biblical priorities. It comes from a great little resource called Shopping for Time: How to Do It All and NOT Be Overwhelmed by Carolyn Mahaney. This resource crossed my path several years ago and challenged me in the area of spiritual goals for the New Year. I realized if I didn’t plan and spend time in prayer of how I was going to grow spiritually not much growth would take place. For several years now I have spent time planning areas of my spiritual life where I would like to see growth. Spiritual Priorities PDF Planning Guide For more information and the show, notes visit www.thankfulhomemaker.com

As the busy Christmas season is upon us we can find ourselves all wrapped up (literally wrapping too) in planning, cooking, cleaning, shopping, decorating, ministry activities and a multitude of other tasks that seem to come about during the Christmas season in addition to just the normal activities of life that we are dealing with. I personally can lose focus and need to continue to pray to the Lord to remind me to have the heart of Mary and not get caught up with the attitude of Martha in all that needs to be done. I’m a very task focused person, and it’s how my mind works so I need to be intentional and prayerful to not miss the wonder of the Christmas season. The Christmas season can be a time – a reminder to us to refocus - to again to think deeply about the realities of who Jesus is and what He has done for us. For more information and the show notes visit www.thankfulhomemaker.com

I'm going to cross into a sensitive area but I'm hoping you will hang in here with me today and ponder some of what I'm sharing. This is an area that has been on my heart to talk about partly because I'm convicted by it when I see this sin in my life but also because I know the damage it can to in our churches and amidst our relationships with other Christians. I'm addressing today when we have a critical or judgmental spirit against others. What is the spirit of the Pharisees that we want to avoid? It is that of a self-righteous spirit. It's when we look down on others whether inwardly or express it outwardly. We may despise them or look at them with contempt or annoyance. It is being a fault finder.  We're going to be working through the text of Matthew 7:1-5 open your Bibles and join in with me today as we ask the Lord to help us do battle with our critical, sinful spirits.  You can find resources and complete show notes at www.thankfulhomemaker.com

My quick cleaning method I'm going to share with you has been serving me well for many years. I appreciate being able to make my family feel comfy and well cared for along with those we shoe hospitaltity to so I use this list for an occasional quick clean up for my family and company too. Listen in as I share today my top ten cleaning tips in preparing for company. 

Self-discipline is essential to spiritual growth and it is useful in our lives in so many ways. Living lives that are disciplined means saying, "yes" to God in every area of our lives. Jesus is our ultimate example of what it looks like to live a disciplined life. He chose both dependence and obedience to His Father. As Christians we too are called to dependence and obedience to our Father. Self-discipline is primary to our spiritual growth. In 1 Timothy 4:7 we are called to discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness. It means to exercise control over one's self. It's the ability to keep ourselves under control.

As believers in Jesus Christ kindness should characterize our lives. Paul says in Titus 3:3-4 what change his life was the kindness of Jesus. Let's dig into God's Word together to see what God tells us about kindness.

Being women I know we are all interested in the topic of friendship because we are all relational creatures. There is something in the heart of every Christian woman that desires meaningful, intimate, godly friendships. My hope today is to point us to the Word of God and what He says about godly friendships.

My hope is to encourage you today to be thankful to the role the Lord has called you in as a keeper of the home. 

Do you ever find yourself having "gospel amnesia"? Gospel amnesia is when I can find myself forgetting what the Lord has done for me at the Cross and I find myself sinfully complaining about difficult life situations.