By Mandy Kelly, Contributing Writer

Here we are- 2014! If you are like me- your goal list has been made! As a wife, mom, and homemaker- that meant a lot of goals for my home! I believe that my home is the outpouring of my families ministry- it is home base for us!

My kids all go to public school- and we treat them as mission fields that they travel to each day- the same is true for my husband, who works at a public university! Out of everyone in my home- it is me that gets to stay in its safety the most! However, I feel like it is my ministry to look well to the ways of my household (Proverbs 31: 27 ESV )

I know the Proverbs 31 woman gets a lot of slack these days. She isn’t modern, some would say. However, when I look at her, I see so many things that we are doing each day as wives and moms, and keepers of the Mission. This year, I have found several scriptures that I have made my goals. One of them is Proverbs 31:27:

“She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.”

I don’t often find myself feeling like I am being very idle. With a husband, three kids, church ministry, preschool, and online ministry – I feel like there are times when maybe a little idle time might do my brain good! However, it is the first part of that verse that is hitting home for me this year- looking well to the ways of my household.

As a woman, I feel like I have been given the gift of marriage and children. God doesn’t give those gifts to everyone- I got mine a little later in life then others! They are my MOST PRECIOUS gifts outside of my salvation. However, I don’t always feel like I look well to them. Do I look into them at all? Do I do it well? So, this year, I have made a few goals off of this verse. I want to share this challenge with you, and I hope that you will find it to be some things that will do well by your house.

My Goals for This New Year

1) Spend Time in the Word Each Day

Every blog post I write- I write about this. There is nothing more important. I can not look well to my house if I am not spending time with God each day, drawing my strength from the Living Bread and Water. I have found, especially through the holiday season, that the busier I got- the less time in the Word I spent- the grouchier and snappier with my husband and kids I became. Give your family the gift of living well– and eat daily and wash daily with the Word of God! (John 6:48-50, Ephesians 5:26)

2) Organizing your home

My goal is to spend one day a week on each room of my house. I have gotten some great ideas for cleaning schedules from Women Living Well  and The Time Warp Wife.  The second link even has a printable schedule! I have revised the one from there and made it more to my schedule- but it will give you a great idea on how to do this.

I also do one load of laundry completely each day- although I know many who have whole days devoted to laundry! (It happens to be my least favorite task- so spreading it out makes it bearable and gets the whole task accomplished!) I also will spend one week a month deep cleaning a room. Closets, cleaning carpets, windows, dusting fans, etc. This allows me to get the small, weekly task done in about 20 minutes- and then spend the other time I have working on the bigger task!

3) Getting Fit

If you saw the presents under my Christmas tree- you would have thought my whole family was telling me I had eaten too many Christmas cookies! However, it was what I asked for! New running shoes, an exercise ball, some weights, and yoga pants were part of my Christmas list. This is because of one of my goals for 2014- and even though it may seem more personal- it’s not. I am going to spend some time getting fit this year. My verses for this is Hebrews 12;1-2 and Romans 12:1. I want to be able to run the race God has set before me- so each day, I am going to live like a living sacrifice to Him. This will give me more energy to do the task set before me!

I know this may not have seemed like your typical “Get Organized” article- and for that- I am praising Jesus! I feel like the best way to look well to your home and to get your home organized is to give your home to Jesus. Let him guide you, as He did me, in getting some goals in place…. and then, through His strength, and with His help- accomplish them!