I may or may not have a clean kitchen for days.

It is what it is.

Pausing to say this post is a little 🙂 While I do think you will enjoy reading the words and viewing the photos, I know that sometimes we are short on time. I recorded this audio for those who get the secret message that this post exists 🙂

You can listen by clicking on the link below.

SECRET PODCAST – LESSON #2

Still reading? Okay good… let’s get back to it…

The boys are home, and they are hungry non-stop. When I add to their voracious appetites all of the special holiday food I’ve been in the kitchen whipping up, the kitchen has been and still is a disaster.

Of course, I plan to clean it up, but I’m also giving myself lots of grace over here to clean things up gradually.

We typically have a three-day Christmas. On the eve of the eve, we spend time with my husband’s family. On Christmas Eve, we go full out for our nuclear family’s celebration. On Christmas Day, we head over to my sister’s house and join our extended family for more family fun and, of course, more food.

​
On Christmas Eve, after our children and grandchildren opened their gifts and were wonderfully distracted by their new things, I decided to lie down and rest. I’d made waffles, cheese eggs, candied bacon, fruit salad, sparkling orange juice punch, coffee, and hot chocolate with whipped cream. The kitchen looked like a bomb had gone off.

Yes. I know that you are supposed to clean as you cook.

I did.

It’s just that I didn’t start with a clean kitchen and no matter how hard I worked to clean as I cooked, I just couldn’t catch up.

Yes. I know my children can help clean the kitchen.

They did.

It’s just that it was also Christmas Eve so they were very distracted and I only had so much energy to keep yelling at them to come back to the kitchen.

Yes. I yelled a little on Christmas Eve.

But it was done with total joy and holiday spirit.

So ya’ll, when I grant myself permission to lay down and rest because the kitchen was clean or things were “done”. I granted permission to myself because…

  1. Energy is required to clean the kitchen
  2. Sometimes a solid reset requires a marathon, not a sprint.
  3. I deserved rest on Christmas day too

In full disclosure, after I hit send on this email, I’ll be headed back into the kitchen. There is still work to be done. However, can I just be honest here?

Sometimes, I think, “girl… your grandmother would have NEVER had a kitchen as out of control as yours has been this year.”

Truth? Keeping a clean kitchen is only the start. There are a lot of things I don’t do as well as my grandmother.

My maternal grandmother lived life to the full.

She was also a meticulous homemaker. Her home was always clean and neat, and there was always something good to eat. If it wasn’t already warm, she’d ensure it was warm and served in just a few minutes.

Grandma was always R-E-A-D-Y.

I know Proverbs 6:10 so well because Grandma quoted it so often… “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest — your poverty will come in like a drifter, and your need like an armed man.”

She believed in hard work and staying busy. She offered her best at home as an act of obedience to the Lord and as a gift to her family. Even when she worked outside the home, she always had overflow for her household.

But if I only told you about Grandma’s clean kitchen, I’d only be telling you a part of the story.

My grandmother did two other things that helped her to operate out of overflow.

She prepared, and she rested.

Grandma would regularly set the table the night before for breakfast the next day. She laid out her clothes and set items to carry with her by the door. She shopped way in advance of special occasions. She believed in arriving on time and made sure to ready herself early enough so she wouldn’t have to rush.

My grandmother believed in preparing in advance for what she knew was sure to come.

My mother was one of eight children. This means my grandmother was busy and often had her hands full. My grandfather traveled a lot for work, so Grandma was virtually single-parenting many days. So when Grandpa came home and planned to be home for an extended period of time, when the opportunity presented itself, my grandmother would go on sabbatical.

That’s a nice way of saying… SHE LEFT! She made time to catch up with herself, get some rest, hear herself think, and care for her soul. She loved tea and made time to sit down and drink it.

Now she wasn’t gone every weekend nor did she take extravagant vacations. However, she did make time to stop the hustle and bustle of the every day and see about herself.

She made room for preparation and rest.

I’m so glad I have my mother’s mother as an example to follow. Many of the things I know of her came from first-hand experience. Some of them come from my own mother telling me details of Grandma’s story over the years.

No matter how I’ve been blessed to know her personally or through the eyes of others, I’m glad to know the whole story – she did many things well, partly because she prepared and rested.

As 2023 approaches, I’m very mindful of these two things. I want to give myself the gift of being as ready as I can and also the gift of having the energy I need to do whatever needs to be done in the next season of my life.

This year, we have this nice full weekend-to-weekend stretch between Christmas and New Year’s Day. I truly want to make the most of whatever downtime I have. Whatever I can’t stop doing, I hope to slow down the pace at which I do it.

Why? Because I believe my life is a marathon, not a sprint. So I want to develop the habit of preparing in advance for what I know is sure to come.

There are so many things I learned from my grandmother – too many to count in fact. I still have a handwritten letter from her sitting next to me on my nightstand. Her words of wisdom still warm my heart, nourish my soul, bring me comfort, and teach me lessons I need to be reminded of again and again.

​A few days ago, I shared a lesson my Aunt Louise taught me; I talked about the importance of making room for joy – even tickling the keys on the piano every now and again if that’s your thing.

Now, as we hang between the balance of 2022 and the start of 2023, this is the next lesson that stands out. And this is the lesson I want to share with you.

Make room to prepare and to rest.

If there is one thing I know for sure, the world won’t adjust automatically to the speed you need for success. You have to advocate for yourself, identify what you need then make space for it in the world.

And right now there is nothing more that I want for you than for you to make room to prepare for 2023. I personally want to take time to look at the things I’ve written down and the pictures I’ve taken on my phone to remember where I’ve been and to prepare for where I want to go in the new year.

I also want to rest and live at a sustainable pace.

Today, that means I clean my kitchen gradually.

Tomorrow that means, I do my laundry and in between the changing of the loads, grab a fiction book I’d like to finish this week.

In the coming days, even as I work and care for my people, I plan to listen to my body, slow down, or sit down when needed. I’m not normally a “napper”, but I’m hoping to catch a few of those too between now and New Year’s Day.

Whether we are ready or not, the new year is coming. The good news is that it’s not too late for you to decide who you want to be! It’s not too late for you to identify what you need in order to make adjustments in your world.

I’m excited about the things stirring in my brain that I plan to share with you this week, but today I’m thinking of Grandma and her life well-lived. I’m thankful for the lessons she taught me. And I’m grateful that I can share these lessons with you.

Make room to prepare. Think ahead. Dream a bit. Give yourself a longer runway.

Make room to rest. Slow down. Go to bed earlier. Grab a cup of tea then sit down to drink it.

Make room to B-R-E-A-T-H-E

Before you fill your week with everything that needs to be done, take a moment to ponder where you are going and how you can be rested and ready when you arrive.

Happy in-between week 🙂

 

 

Other Stuff to Check Out…

JOIN ME IN PERSON! – On January 6th and 7th, I’ll be sharing more about how to Make Room in your life for what matters. I’m so excited about The Sister Circle Live Event and would love to invite you to come in-person or attend virtually. Space is limited so whether you will be joining me in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, or joining me via livestream, don’t delay! Grab your seat today!  CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE!

 

OWN YOUR LIFE – One of the best ways to prepare for 2023, is to “Own Your Life” by writing down the dreams, plans, and desires you have in your heart. If you haven’t already purchased The Full Circle Planner, they are selling out fast! GRAB YOUR PLANNER TODAY!

 

Stay Connected

If you don’t want to miss more great content, be sure and sign up for my email newsletter.

Interested in supporting the content I create and enjoying extra special benefits?

Learn about becoming a co-producer!

On social media? So am I! Connect with me Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, & Twitter