Making My House a Home

I've been working very hard these past few months on myself. My physical, emotional and mental health for the most part. Now that my kidney stone (or fibroid) is gone, I've received a small bit of freedom back. Freedom to go to bed at night. Freedom to sleep a little less during the day. Freedom to make little changes around the house in order to really get my life back in order.

My house as of recently has been an absolute disaster. Boxes everywhere, giant plastic storage bins in each room holding everything from 6 month old bills and random useless wires, to garbage and mismatched socks. Clutter was eating us alive. Dirt was eating us alive. And I was beyond overwhelmed.

Then a wonderful, miraculous thing happened . . .

My Visiting Teacher called yesterday and insisted that she would be coming over and helping me.

In The Church, Visiting and Home Teachers (along with the Relief Society Presidency, Elders Quorum and Bishopric) always say, "Is there anything we can do for you?" And this is a question that is so difficult for me to answer. Because I know the general answer they are looking for. If there is something needed, it's usually something like a priesthood blessing, meals when you're sick, help with finances or employment, etc.

My answer is always, "Not that I can think of."

And that's because I don't know what they can do for me. I really don't. How do you express complete and utter helplessness and hope that perhaps someone else will understand what you need, when you don't?

But my Visiting Teacher (and one of my closest friends) figured it out.

"Having compassion on those who are hurting for whatever reason and then translating the response of the heart into the needed act is truly ministering as God would have us do. We must recognize that life is a precious gift, that trust and tenderness are fragile, that we must love and serve one another, must encourage one another, forgive one another – all this not once, but over and over again. Then perhaps we shall be remembered among those on the right hand of the Lord when he shall come in his glory."

I am so lucky to have a Visiting Teacher that embodies this quote.

She came over this morning (after I did some pre-cleaning, haha), and we immediately went to work. We cleared off my porch, vacuumed the living room, did two loads of dishes, swept, mopped, cleared out a whole closet, and she personally carried down AT LEAST 5 large bins of boxes and garbage, including perhaps 2 or 3 garbage bags.

And even after she left, I kept going because she took some of the weight off my shoulders. My house is company clean, and now, I can even start Spring Cleaning, digging in deep and getting into all the corners of my home. I can start de-cluttering.

Most importantly, I can start making my house a home. I can start adding accents, being creative again, and when people walk into our house, they can easily tell who lives here.

My house is a place where God can be now.

The idea to the left was something I got from another craft blog (that I can't seem to find right now.. Grr! - Update: Pretty sure it was from Keeping it Simple.) Those aren't frames. They are boxes that have been nailed to the wall, and then I decorate the top part of the box and put the top back on. It makes it easy so if I want to change the look, I can just change the top of the box!

To the right is a picture of our wedding at the Salt Lake Temple and The Family: A Proclamation to the World, with 'Nothing Else Matters' vinyl wall letters from Inspire Your Walls. "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica is one of our songs and it's been one of our family mottos since we've been married.

Nothing else matters. 

Our family and God.

So today, I am grateful for a clean home, beautiful moments in life, the fact that my seedlings for my container garden are sprouting, a sweet and wonderful husband, and of course . . .  for visiting teachers and friends.


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