Baby Steps: Cleaning My Heart and Home – Day 3

So sorry I’m getting this out so late in the day. We’ve just been having a lazy, sleep-in and relax sort of day and I just really didn’t feel like getting online earlier. But now down to business: Here is what we are already doing:

Read your Bible each morning.

Shine you sink

Get dressed to shoes

Day 3 – Read Flylady Messages

Flylady has a group on Big Tent that you can access here: Big Tent Group. On this webpage you can read the Flylady news, get the different control journals (we’ll learn more about those later) and receive messages from the Flylady crew along with several other things. I personally just signed up for the daily email that has testimonials and instructions for the day in them. I have heard from different people who used to do the flylady system that they were bombarded by emails several times a day. Well, thanks to “Big Tent,” that is no longer the case just one email a day and that’s it!

I had a little bit of a hard time putting a spiritual application on this step but then I realized that the emails or the Flylady group have different helps to keep you motivated, tips for cleaning and even things to aid in scheduling. Its all good solid reading material. I know for me personally, when I go to my Bible, there are things that I don’t quite understand so I use a study guide, when I need guidance in a certain area of my walk with God I find a book, written by an author I know and trust, to give me another view or helpful thoughts on that subject. Obviously I think the Bible is the most important book there is out there to read and should be given first priority over anything else we could read but we can also benefit greatly from another persons wisdom.

So today I wanted to recommend a couple things to you and would love it for each of you to list in the comment section any recommendations that you would like.

Life Management for Busy Women – Living Out God’s Plan with Passion & Purpose

By Elizabeth George

 

This is the book I am currently reading and it has been very enjoyable and thought provoking. I like this book not because its a “self help” book but because she starts out by showing you that you need to develop a habit of being in God’s word before you can take care of the rest of your busy life. One of my favorite quotes from this book is from the first chapter:

“So, do you need wisdom? You’ll find it in the Bible. Do you need encouragement? It, too, lies on the sacred pages of Scripture. Do you need strength? Just reading God’s Word infuses you with strength – His Strength – for today and hope – His Hope – for tomorrow. Just pause, pick up your cherished volume of the Bible, and do the best thing you can do with your time – behold the Word of the Lord!”

 

Grace for the Good Girl – Letting go of the try-hard life

By Emily P. Freeman

I have not personally read this book but it has recieved great reviews from some friends of mine.

Holly at Moments On Our Journey wrote a review on this book that really hit home to me back in September that made me really want this book!

More recently Nicole, at A Living Sacrifice wrote  an update on her family and a snip-it about some books she’s been reading, Grace for the Good Girl being one of them :)

I had asked for this book as a Christmas present but I guess I just need to get online and buy this book for myself!

Revive Our Hearts

My last recommendation is something that my Sister-in-law, Andrea and my Mom-in-law, Sherry, do (at least I think they still do this) That is to listen to “Revive Our Hearts” radio. This is a women’s ministry that, I believe, was started by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. She teaches on different topics throughout the year to women all over the world. I don’t follow the daily radio/podcast things but I do go back in the archives of their lessons and read the Proverbs 31: Counter-Cultural Woman series, along with that I take the Proverbs 31 challenge to read the chapter of Proverbs 31 everyday for 31 days and see what God shows me. I did this the month before Kenny and I got married and plan to do it again before our anniversary every year, its just that good!

So how about you? Any books, study guides, or authors you’d like to recommend to others for spiritual growth? Please feel free to leave a comment telling me about each one :)