We all are looking for new ways to organize. I hope these few tips help you!

• Get rid of cereal and snack boxes by placing them in airtight glass jars.
• Replace wire hangers with matching plastic hangers.
• Take clothes that you haven’t worn for one year to Goodwill.
• Throw away old makeup. Replace mascara every three months…replace foundation and concealer each year…replace lipstick, eye shadow, and blush every two years.
• Throw out old spices. You should replace most spices once a year. Test…smell the spice…if there is no scent, there will be no flavor.
• Throw out last year’s Christmas cards. Be sure to record any addresses to your phone or computer before you throw them away.
• Throw away any canned goods that are past their expiration date.
• Avoid using folding closet doors for young children’s rooms. Hang Curtains with tie backs over closet area and place dresser with drawers inside closet area so that children can easily get their clothes.
• To help children stay organized, use clear storage for small art and craft supplies.
• Use shoe boxes and bank-check boxes (both lids and bottoms) as drawer dividers.
• Place all your instruction manuals in a three-ring binder.
• Use one shelf in your linen closet for party essentials, such as candles, place cards, napkins, and vases.
• Put things where they work for you: vitamins by the juice glasses, coat hooks in the garage by the car.
• Keep a small basket on the coffee table to keep TV remotes.
• Store sheet sets in the same room as the bed. If you have limited closet or dresser space, put sheets in a box under bed.
• For children, keep a light-weight wicker basket at the foot of their beds to hide blankets and extra pillows.
• Place a small whisk broom and dustpan in each bathroom for a quick pick-up.
• To help keep track of children’s shoes, place a shoe basket by the front door.
• To help children stay organized with their dirty clothes, keep a two-compartment hamper in their room. This helps them learn to separate the darks from the lights when they undress.
• Use a mini flowerpot with drip tray near the sink to stash sponges, steel wool and food scrapers.
• Always have a spare set of car/house keys in another place.

Unless you attempt to do more than you are now doing, you will never achieve all that you can do. Aim at nothing, and you are sure to reach it. Setting goals helps you keep your eyes focused on something bigger than your problems and adversity. Remember, being average is just as near the bottom as it is to the top!

Here is sample of some simplified goals:

Physical goals: Lose _____lbs by December 2015. Consciously drink more water and eat more fruits and vegetables; exercise at least 3 days a week.

Mental goals: Memorize 5 verses every month, take an on-line class, begin to learn another language.

Spiritual goals: Read/listen through the Bible, keep a prayer journal, fast one day a week, pour yourself into a new convert.

Family goals: Pray diligently for family members, have consistent family devotions, Say “I love you” more.

Financial goals: Consistently give tithes and mission offerings, cut down on frivolous spending, don’t charge anything this year, save $____by the end of the year.

Church goals: Pray more diligently for your pastor, your church leaders, and your church families. Send cards to the discouraged, shut-ins, and children; Look for opportunities to give alms (benevolence causes) Pass out more tracts and don’t pass up any soul-winning opportunities.

Although hospitality today seems to be a lost art and not considered to be a true ministry, the Bible still commands us to use hospitality and not to complain about doing it.

Romans 12:13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality…
1 Peter 4:9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging.

The stresses of everyday living can be very demanding to God’s servants. We must lift up our eyes and see the needs of those hurting around us. We must look for opportunities to provide special times of relaxation for the discouraged and weary.

Many times in this self-centered society, not only unsaved women, but also Christian women, make excuses for not opening their homes and exhibiting hospitality. Today very few people invite you to their homes for a meal or just fellowship. Maybe it is because of the fast paced lifestyle people live. People become so wrapped up in their own lives that they don’t seem to have the time to reach out to others.

What are some of the excuses women use for not practicing hospitality?

My home is not good enough.Through the years, it has not been the women who had gorgeous homes or who prepared  lavish meals that made the greatest impact on me. It has been the women who genuinely loved the Lord and offered me simple gestures of friendship and love  by offering me simple acts of hospitality. One of my fondest memories goes back many years ago when my husband and I were in Bible College. On weekends, we drove back and forth to Arkansas to minister in a small church. We stayed in the home of a widow woman named Mrs. Medlin. Although she lived on a small pension, she loved God’s servants and wanted to be a blessing to them. Many Sundays, our dinners consisted of only oxtail soup. Even though those were just simple meals, she made them seem like feasts. She willingly shared what she had with us. She did not try to impress us; she just wanted to make us feel special.

It is just too expensive. Hospitality does not have to be costly.

• Invite someone over for just soup and salad or just coffee and dessert.
• Invite several couples for dinner. Ask one lady to bring a dessert, another to bring a vegetable, another to bring a potato casserole, and you provide the meat.

It takes too much time and effort. Hospitality does not have to take a great deal of time and effort. We have time to do exactly what we want to do. We have time to shop, to watch our favorite television programs, to garden, to craft, or even to read good books.

• Stick to meals that are easy. Make things the day before, such as lasagna, and then put it in the oven.
• Forget complicated recipes! When you make a dinner for your family, make a double batch and stick the other one in the freezer.
• Use your crock-pot.

My house is just not clean enough. People are not coming to your home to inspect the dust bunnies under the bed or do the white glove on your furniture.

Here are some simple tricks to practice to always have your home ready to minister.

• Don’t go to bed at night until you have made sure your living room and bathroom are picked up.
• Always put your dirty dishes in the dishwasher instead of the sink.
• If you have children, assign a various job to each child.
• Keep a designated play area, other than the living room, for the children to play.
• Do designated morning chores every morning. (Empty bathroom trash, make beds,  put clothes away, and put dishes in dishwasher)

If you do not  set any personal goals or deadlines, it can rob you of  your time and keep you from being productive.

• Decide on areas of your life where you want to be more productive and write out some goals.
• Keep your plan simple. Do not want waste valuable time updating charts.
• Set definite and obtainable goals. Write down a plan of action to achieve that goal. (I want to lose 50 pounds this year—I will join a gym)
• Set a deadline to reach your desired goal.
• Set a goal to organize seasonal  and party items: (Buy nine large plastic boxes that you can stack. Store boxes in a closet, basement, or attic. Label boxes according to your needs)  The following is a sample of labeling:

1. January-February (winter decorations)
2. March-June (spring decorations)
3. July-August (Patriotic decorations)
4. September-October( fall decorations)
5. November (Thanksgiving decorations)
6. December (Christmas decorations)
7. Birthday party decorations
8. Gifts (small gifts when you need a quick gift for birthday, shower, or anniversary)
9. Tea party books, pots, and dishes

                 Miscellaneous Organizing Tips for Your Home 

• For a large family, color-code children’s items. (toothbrushes, towels, and file folders)
• De-junk! Give away clothes you do not wear, broken toys, and kitchen gadgets you do not need.
• Rule to control clutter: One item comes in; one item goes out. (Give to Goodwill or to a friend)
• If you have limited space for storage, rent videos and books instead of purchasing them.
• Keep a file drawer or box in the kitchen with each person’s name on a different colored folder. Put coloring papers, notes from school, and future homework assignments in assigned folder.
• If possible, do all house chores in the morning.
• Do quick bathroom wipe-down of tub, shower, toilet, sinks, and faucets with disposable cleaning wipes.
• Make your bed as soon as you get out of it. (It only takes two minutes to make a bed)
• Teach children to make their own beds. Instead of  children having to struggle using many sheets and blankets, make it easier for them by using duvet covers. (To make an easy duvet cover, use two flat sheets. Place sheets back to back and sew around the edges, leaving a 1/2-inch seam opening at the bottom. For the closure,  make two ties or use velcro tape around  inside edges)
• When preparing meals, fill sink with soapy water and wash preparatory dishes before sitting down to eat.
• Immediately do dishes or place them in dishwasher.
• If you have small children, keep a basket handy to pick up small items such as small toys, clothing, and clutter.
• When picking up the house in the mornings, give yourself a deadline.
• Pick up the rooms that visitors will see first.

GOOD RULE TO FOLLOW: LEAVE YOUR HOUSE AS IF YOU ARE EXPECTING GUESTS!

A few years ago, a group of seniors from our Christian school invited us to join them for dinner at a nice restaurant. They had hired a limousine for the evening. After they had eaten, they had a few hours to spare. Since they wanted to stay together, I invited them to our home. If I had said, “Oh, my house is not clean enough,” those teens would have missed out on having a fun time together and making a great memory.

Although Elijah had been one of the most victorious prophets, he came to a point in his life when he felt like he just wanted to quit (I Kings 19:4).

Have you ever been there? You might be a Sunday school teacher, a youth worker, a pastor’s wife, a Christian Counselor, or even a parent. You begin to feel like Elijah and begin to think, “What’s the use?” Satan begins to make you doubt God’s purpose for your life, and he tries to convince you to quit ministering for the Lord.

Sometimes events come into your life that make you to want to “give up spiritually”.

• You begin to sense that you have too much to do, and you do not have the ability to say “no”.
• You begin to have stresses in your personal life and stresses in your family.
• You begin to have challenges with relationships in the church.
• You begin feeling as though your gifts and abilities are not being used to their fullest.
• You begin to experience physical health problems and begin to think that you are worthless.
• You receive little support or communication from supervisors.

What should you do when you begin to feel like giving up?

1. Get alone with God and pray. Many times we begin to vent to our friends before we go to the Lord with our complaints. Prayer is our personal communication with a sovereign God. He is the only one that can change circumstances and people.  Isaiah 64:4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.
2. Focus on relationships with family and others. All relationships are part of ministering! Family relationships must be a high priority. Of course, we cannot spend so much time with our families that we lose focus on all other ministries. One important element in building relationships is to not focus too much on trying to make others “do” what we want them to do but focus on helping them to “be” what God wants them to be. This single principle will help build better relationships with family and others.
3. Contemplate why are you doing what you are doing? Determine if you are doing this task for life, or is it a short assignment from the Lord? Consider the result of quitting, “If you fail to do this, will you feel dissatisfied and incomplete for the rest of your life?”
4. Recognize that your gifts and abilities have limitations. Doing what God equips you to do will give you the energy you need to minister. Past training and experiences equips you to minister in ways that others may not be able to minister. When you align your strengths with ministry requirements, it gives you the strength to minister.
5. Exercise your mind and body. Plan a daily time to exercise your body by walking or visiting a gym. Exercise your mind by reading Godly devotionals and biographies. Memorize portions of Scriptures and inspirational songs or poems.
6. Teach others how to minister. If you are a leader in a church, plan various ministry training events through the year. Invest in resource books and materials for Children’s Ministry, leadership training, and new ministry techniques. Ask experienced people to teach and mentor others.

Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Great Idea for Pastors’ Wives!

I am staying in the home of Pastor and Mrs. Farinella in Washington State.  As she and I were visiting, she has been sharing different ideas with me.  She shared something with me that will save you as the Pastor’s’ wife much time.  It is a great website to help you organize meals for your members when they have hospital stays, births, funerals, or general illnesses.  You or a staff worker will be the administrator of the website. Your ladies can get on this website and sign up for meals.  Diana said that she sends an email to all her ladies at once informing them of the need. She then gives them the password in that email.  If some of her older ladies have a problem getting on the site, she tells them to call her. After the phone call, she then immediately goes to the website and logs in their information. Check this out!

www.takethemameal.com

Tips To Help Save Yourself Work

Use heavy duty mats at your front and back door to catch the dirt before it comes into the house. (Don Aslett, American’s number one cleaning expert says that if you invest in good mats it can save 80% of the dirt before it enters the house. This alone can save you time and work).

Spray shower down with shower cleaner. Do something else for 15 minutes. Let the cleaner work for you. Then rinse.

If you have more than one bathroom, keep cleaning and paper supplies well stocked in each each bathroom.

 Check vacuum bags periodically. Remember as the bag fills, the suction becomes less powerful.

Keep a laundry bag in closet to store items that need to be dry-cleaned. Next time you have to do errands, you won’t have to search for clothing that needs to be dry-cleaned just grap the bag.

My son tells me, “Many hands make light work!” When there is work to do, he gives his four children different assignments. It amazes me how fast he can get things done with everyone pulling together.

 Enlist others to help!!!

Teach your children to clean out the car once a week. Even toddlers can clean the garbage and toys out of the car. Older children can help wash the outside of the vehicle.

Delegate certain daily chores to various family members. Example: Empty dishwasher before you go to bed.

Children who are 2-4 years of age can do simple chores such as putting their toys away and putting laundry in the hamper.

Children who are 4-7 years of age can do larger chores such as setting the table, making their beds and putting the dishes in the dishwasher. They can also to some outdoor chores such as watering plants, pulling weeds, and raking leaves.

Children who are 8-10 years of age can do larger chores such as washing the car, washing dishes, dusting, and vacuuming.

Children who are 11 years of age and older can do more difficult chores such as preparing dinner, taking out the garbage, mowing the lawn, and shoveling snow. At this age, they are old enough to vacuum the entire house.

Don’t expect children to help in the right way, if you haven’t shown them and taught them. Once you have taught them, don’t complain or nag if  their jobs are not done perfectly! When you nag and complain, your helpers will  give up helping. They will get the idea that they can never measure up to your standards.

 Ministries for Women

As a pastor’s wife, here are some seed thoughts of how you might begin a women’s ministry in your church.

Special Note: Be sure to check with your husband before you begin any women’s ministry. Be sensitive to his desires. Some pastors prefer that there are no women’s ministries in the church.

It is very important that all of your ladies have a place of service. Your women want to feel like they belong and have a place to serve in the church.

Decide on a name for your ladies’ ministry. You could take suggestions from your ladies and together think of a name.

One church named their ladies’ ministry group Women’s CARE Ministry.

 C-coordinating  A-available R-resources for E-evangelism and E-encouragement

A purpose statement could be:

 We, as the women of ___________ Baptist Church, desire to glorify God by working  together as one body to evangelize and encourage other women. 

1. We will establish God’s Word in our lives by having daily devotions.
2. We will pray for our church, its leaders, and its ministries.
3. We will have a teachable spirit and be willing to take criticism.
4. We will serve others by appreciating and supporting others’ suggestions, knowing that by doing this, it will motivate them to use their strengths.
5. We will delegate to others when necessary and we will be realistic about our own limitations.
6. We will keep in check unloving attitudes such as jealousy or envy.
7. We will respect, cooperate, and submit to those who are in authority over us.

Ideas for Various Ministry Coordinators

Counseling Coordinator: She could be a woman in the church who has had some counseling training. This coordinator could enlist another woman to be in charge of training altar workers to pray with women at the altar.  She could also enlist another woman to organize discipleship lessons and Bible studies to encourage the women of the church to grow spiritually.

Encouragement Coordinator: She could be the woman who enlists other women to begin encouragement ministries. There could be a ministry to send cards. This coordinator could choose someone to be in charge of sending birthday, anniversary, and get-well cards. This coordinator could enlist someone else to be in charge of organizing visitation calls to women in the hospital or nursing homes. She could also enlist someone to be in charge of getting meals together when there is a death or serious illness in the church.

Ladies Meetings Coordinator:  She could be the woman who coordinates and plans monthly ladies’ meetings and ladies’ retreats.

Events Coordinator: She could be the one who enlists other women to help plan seasonal banquets, bridal and baby showers. This coordinator could be the person who organizes meals for various fellowships.

Nursery and Beginner Coordinator: She could be the one who enlists new workers for the nursery and Beginner Department. She oversees the maintenance of nursery and beginner departments. She could enlist other women to do bulletin boards and cleaning projects for nursery and beginner departments.

Sunday school Coordinator: She could be the woman who is in charge of getting curriculum ordered for elementary Sunday school classes and coordinate teachers for classes. She could plan and coordinate times of training sessions for the Sunday school teachers.

Building Beautification Coordinator: She could get others to help her care for the flowers outside. She could also enlist someone to be in charge of the seasonal flower arrangement in the auditorium. (Notice I said-the arrangement) Don’t go overboard with flowers in the auditorium. Men will not appreciate your decorating if the auditorium looks like a woman’s bedroom. It would be better if  the auditorium looked more manly than feminine). This coordinator could be in charge of organizing special cleaning or beautifying projects for the church. (Paint, paper, and seasonal cleaning)

Missions Coordinator: The purpose of this ministry would be to enlist other women to help promote missions in the church. The purpose of any ladies’ ministry is to get everyone involved and to encourage other women to use their spiritual gifts for the Lord. One woman could be in charge of the missionaries’ letters. She could read each missionary letter carefully and write down all the special prayer requests of the missionaries. She could then give those requests to the church secretary to put in church bulletin or pass out the prayer requests to the other ladies. Another woman could be responsible for maintaining bulletin boards to help promote missions. The coordinator could enlist other women to encourage missionaries by sending them birthday cards,  anniversary cards, and  periodic emails.

Hospitality Coordinator: She could be the woman who helps prepare for special guest pastors and missionaries. She could enlist a woman to prepare fruit baskets for the rooms of the guests. If the church has a Missionary apartment, assign a woman to check the apartment for cleanliness and make sure there are a few snacks, bottled water, etc. in the apartment.  If your church has to put a guest pastor or missionary in a motel, have someone prepare a fruit basket for his motel room. One church that we visited, the pastor always made sure that the visiting pastor or missionary was presented a gift from the pulpit. (Usually a tie) One woman could keep a calendar of visiting pastors and missionaries and make sure that there was a welcome gift in place near the pulpit ready for the pastor to present.

 Encourage Each Woman to Get Involved  in a Ministry

Ideas for Various Women’s Ministries 

1. Teaching Sunday School
2. Teaching an afternoon  children’s Bible Study
3. Teaching a preteen or teen girl’s charm class
4. Visitation: hospital, newcomers, elderly, soul winning, absentees
5. An audio ministry. Taking  CD’s of sermons to shut-ins  each week
6. Deaf ministry
7. Choir ministry
8. Do secretarial work—typing or filing
9. Writing for church bulletin, writing Christmas plays, writing ladies’ programs
10. Corresponding with missionaries
11. Ministry of sending birthday and anniversary cards
12. Serving as church hostess to coordinate fellowship dinners and after-church fellowships
13. Organizing ladies to provide meals for sick or deaths in the church
14. Directing plays or pageants for church; designing and making costumes and sets
15. Giving dramatic readings and poems for church functions
16. Puppet Ministry
17. Children’s Church Ministry
18. Nursery Ministry
19. Developing  a loaning library for the church in consultation with pastor
20.  Make scrapbooks with church activities
21. Taking photographs a special events and special days
22. Counselors for church camps
23. Making decorations for banquets and parties
24. Sewing baptismal robes for home and for mission field
25. Arranging the program for special events at church
26. Laundering the sheets for the church nursery
27. Cleaning the church
28. Praying in a private way for church leaders
29. Offering to help the pastor’s wife—baby sitting for her when she is under pressure—helping with house cleaning projects once a week.
30. Designing and arranging floral arrangements for the church

 After you have decided on a ministry, ask yourself these questions:

1. Do I believe this is God’s will for me or am I yielding to the pressures of others?
2. Is my husband willing for me to be involved in this ministry?
3. Do I believe that this ministry will help me grow as a person and make good use of my abilities?
4. Will this activity hinder my responsibilities at home?
5. Do I have the physical stamina and energy to be faithful to this job?
6. Will this activity build up Christians or influence the lost in some way? Will it count for eternity?
7. As I pray about it, do I sense God’s approval and peace?

This is a ministry for teen girls to help prepare them for the Lord’s work.  This preparation could be for working full time in the  ministry  or  for assisting the Pastor’s Wife with her duties.

Grace Hardy presented this ministry at a ladies meeting that I just attended.  Results of her intensive training with the girls that she trained were phenomenal. Grace was gracious enough to give me the notes that she used for her presentation.

Girls With Grace Ministry
After serving as a pastor’s wife for 30 years, there are many things that I don’t miss about the position. However, there are some things that I do miss and one of those is what I’m about to tell you about. It was not until my last few years at Eastland that I formed a group of young ladies between the ages of 15-18 years of age who showed an interest in ministry. The girls chose to name the class Girls with Grace.

Theme Verse: But grow in grace in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:18

Goals: To develop personal growth in their lives and to help them see the beauty and joy of ministry.  My personal goal for them is to develop a love for the ministry, whether it be serving full time in the ministry or serving alongside their pastor’s wife.

Format:
·  Met for 2 hours the first Saturday of each month
·  50 minutes for Biblical teaching or training. I used this time for to teach or for the girls to present a lesson.
·  20 minutes for fellowship and refreshments provided by 2 girls working together. The girls were to decorate a small table with a theme and to provide refreshments. They were not allowed to just throw refreshments on the table, but they were required to make a pleasing presentation of the food.
·  50 minutes of practical training
Cake Decorating
Floral Arranging
Theme Dinners
Serving Refreshments
Organization
Time Management
Hospitality in the home
Hospitality in the church
Coordinating Weddings
Ministering at Funerals

Ministry Preparation:
1.    Public Speaking with evaluations
·         Practice tongue twisters-fun
·         Scripture Readings-reading the Bible aloud with feeling
·         Public reading of poems or special readings
·         Prepare personal testimony and present it in class
·         Chose one aspect of Proverbs 31 lady, prepare and present the lesson
·         Prepare and present a lesson (Choose target audience, primary, junior, teens, adults)
2.    In Service Training
·         Nursery
·         Devotions at Ladies’ Meetings
·         Junior Church
·         Helping on Ladies’ Retreat Committee
3.    Study
·         How to study the Bible
·         A book study-I used some of Elizabeth George’s books
4.    Relationships
·         Working with people in group projects
·         Leadership skills for working with women
5.    Guest Speakers
·         Ministry wives
·         Missionary wives (question answer time during Mission’s Conference)
Theme Song:
Lord please make us sanctuaries
Pure and holy, tried and true
We’ll be a living Sanctuary
Lord for You!
Results:
·         4 Missionaries
·         1 Evangelist’s Wife
·         2 Church Secretaries
·         Music Director’s Wife
·         Pastor’s Wife
·         Several are not in fulltime ministry, but they are heavily involved in the ministry of their churches.

Ways To Help Make Your Husband Become Your Best Friend

It is important that you not usurp your husband’s  position of leadership. Your husband wants to love you, but if you take over his leadership, he begins to compete. When he begins to compete, he loses his feeling of love for you. Show him that you respect and admire him. Don’t make him feel that you can do things just as good or better. Begin to really listen to him and give your advice sparingly. Pro 18:13…don’t answer a matter before you even hear it. As wives, we are emotional beings and have trouble listening. Listen to him with your eyes; it is a clear sign that you are interested in what he has to say.

Do some fun things together. Walks, hiking, metal detector, exercise, etc.
Think of ways you make your husband’s life better. Don’t put off doing things he asks you to.
Keep organized! When he needs to find something, he will be proud of your organization skills.
Keep laundry done.
Work at keeping his time at home relaxed.
Treat him with courtesy.
If possible read the Bible and pray together.
Don’t make him feel guilty if he doesn’t come up to your standard of spirituality.
Don’t allow yourself to become stagnant. Become aware of world news and events. Keep yourself fresh by remaining an interesting person.

Go to 1 Corin 13:4-7 and substitute the word love with the word wife.

A wife is longsuffering. A wife is kind. A wife doesn’t envy or boast. A wife is not proud. A wife is not rude. A wife doesn’t always seek her own way; A wife doesn’t get angry quickly, A wife doesn’t keep tract of wrongs. A wife always trusts, hopes, and perseveres.