Come...

I shared this elsewhere, as I do a lot of my personal writing. But I keep feeling like it needs to be shared here as well. If you are reading my blog, you probably know my story. I am pretty open and honest about the fact that I am still in the process of growing and changing, working to become more like the woman God created me to be. 

It's all a process. Everyone has room for improvement. Everyone is on their own journey. I just happen to be more open than most when it comes to sharing my journey to become that woman...

God made me a pretty smart girl.

I have some good ideas from time to time.

If a good idea in a willing servant is God-inspired,

there is very little that can keep it from becoming reality.

As much as I try to be a willing servant

so many "good ideas" have fallen apart for me 

when I tried to take action on them.

Even the ones that I thought would bring Him

the glory He wants and so richly deserves. 

Don't You see that I am trying to do something amazing here?

When people see it, they will give You the glory!

This will prove to so many that it only takes

faith to move mountains. 

Then it doesn't work out, and I am heartbroken.
Tired, depressed, angry, irritated, and unmotivated.
Pray? Why bother? (As if I'm punishing Him.)
Read? I don't feel like it. (As if somehow He will cave to my sulking.)

I'm reading a book, The Extravagant Fool by Kevin Adams. Here is an incident he related in this book between him and his daughter that floored me, probably much like it did Kevin when it happened...

At age four she came bouncing from the bathroom, dripping wet with tears in her eyes, to ask, “Daddy, didn't you say that anything is possible with God if you just believe hard enough?”

“Sure, sweet girl. Absolutely.”

“Well, Daddy . . . I’ve just come from the bathtub, and it was filled up to the top.”

“Uh-huh.” I suddenly imagined myself backhanding the floating chairs, toilet seats, and toothbrushes half submerged in Bathroom Lake.

“Daddy?”

“Yes, sweetheart?” I’m now reluctantly reaching for the bathroom door, with her close behind me.

“Well, um . . . I’ve been trying and trying to walk on the water the whole time, and I just can’t do it. I’m really sorry, Daddy. I believed I could do it with God’s help, but I can’t — and I’m really sorry.”

With profound silence, I looked at her curious little face and hoped for a routine word ...

... But all I had to offer this time was a hug — one I couldn’t let go of without a little extra help from above.

Help me, Father. Just one thought that gently brought the next one:

Anything is possible with Me, but not everything is useful to Me. Peter only walked after I said, “Come.” 

“Sweet girl,” I said on the heels of that thought, “it is possible for you to walk on water, but only if it’s something God wants you to do. Did He tell you to walk on the water?”

“No, Daddy, He didn’t. I just wanted to.”

Before I could finish that brilliant thought, though, she was on to the next subject.

It doesn't matter if I have the best intentions or the worst intentions. It doesn't matter if my end goal is selfish or if I want it to work for His glory. If it isn't His will, I will ultimately fail.

I can tell God I want to make a relationship work, I want to write a book,

I want to grow my company into something huge in His name,

I want to bring people to Him with the story He's given me

I want to teach teen moms their self worth and help them

break free from the negative patterns in their lives,

I want to walk on water.

The reason why doesn't matter.

Whether trying to bring glory to my name or His.

None of what "I want" means anything...

If I don't first listen for Him to say "Come..."

And He said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

~Matthew 14:29

Learning Experience

People often ask, "How long have you been in business?"

My standard answer is May, 2012. I'm also quick to point out that I didn't know I was starting a business at that point. I was almost an entire year in before I realized what God had created. In these last 26 months, I have learned more than I ever imagined and I am so thankful for all that God has done. As with any learning experience, knowledge brings some changes. While there are many in the future, here are a few that are happening right now.

HaH Rates
I'm going to be honest here (as I always am!) and share that I have now learned how expensive it is to have employees! Besides the cost of their salaries and the employer taxes associated with them, my employees are covered with General Liability insurance, Bonding insurance, Unemployment insurance, and Workers' Comp insurance.

Because of these things, new customers will be charged $18per hour beginning August 1st, 2014. If you are already a regular customer at that point, we will continue to serve you at our current rate for now, and that won't change in the future without 30 days' written notice.

Employees and Training
Another thing I've learned about having employees is that I can't make all of them care about the business as much as I do. I tell them all at interviews that if they are only in this for the paycheck, they will probably not last very long at this job. You have to love serving others.

I have made several personnel changes and am in the midst of revamping our training processes yet again. It is important to me that all of our customers are more than satisfied with the service they receive from Hire A Housewife.

Answering Your Questions
What else have I learned? Personally, I have learned how much I love connecting with people. I love being able to help others on many levels. One way I'd like to be able to do more of that is through the Hire A Housewife blog posts. 

As I've said before, like any good housewife I have an opinion on just about everything.... I'd like to share it with you if you are interested in hearing it.

So, I want to know what you want to know! Give me something to post about! Have a question about gardening, cleaning, or organizing? Just ask! Maybe you want a recommendation for a good Bible study or have a question about raising children, or even owning a business... Send your question through the "CONTACT US" form on our website or through Facebook. 

If you are wondering something, then there is a pretty good chance that someone else is wondering too!

Have a blessed day and I look forward to hearing from you!

More than just cleaning...

I've always said I do more than just cleaning, but every now and again I like to take a moment and SHOW you the possibilities...

This is a photo of the outside of my apartment from about a month ago when I started planting flowers in the beds down the side of the house...

This is a photo when I had that bed planted and was trying to decide what to do with the barren mess closer to the left side of the photo.

This is what it looks like now. There are some close-ups of the blooms below. 

The whole area will be blooming with pink and red roses before the summer is over, 

and they will continue to come back every year!

A few hours of work
Two trips to the home improvement store
30 bricks (Sale price .58 each)
12 bags of rock (Sale price $2 each)
  1 roll of weed block ($9)
  4 new rose bushes ($14 each)
  2 transplanted rose bushes that aren't taking off yet (free)

I did the work and my landlord split the costs with me.
Overall I'm pretty happy with it! I love pulling into my driveway and seeing blooming flowers!

These are the flowers my youngest gave me for Mother's Day, planted around a small ornamental tree that my son is growing from a cutting off of a tree in my mom's yard!

The roses in the front are called Double Knockout Roses. Almost impossible to kill, easy to care for, and absolutely gorgeous!

Here is the newly planted Double Knockout Rose Bush just a week after planting.

The blooms are beautiful!

The red foliage on these plants is new growth. These bushes can grow to three feet 

wide and high if now pruned back periodically.

Have an idea for your yard but no time to execute it? How about a yard and some time, but no ideas?

No problem... you can Hire A Housewife for that too!

The words don't matter

I do some of my best praying while I'm scrubbing a floor on my hands and knees. Prayer doesn't just make the time go faster, it gives me an even more precise sense of purpose for the task at hand. I'm not just scrubbing a floor, I'm asking God to be present, however He is needed, in that home.

I encourage all of my employees to pray for each of the families they serve. My hope is that, if and when they do so, they will be blessed by what happens in their lives as well as the lives of the families they serve.

If I have cleaned your house, I have prayed for you.

One day this week though, my prayers for one client didn't go as usual...

She greeted me with a teary smile. She had a scary newly diagnosed health problem with no answers yet. Just waiting. A little teary myself, I gave her a hug and told her I would be praying for her... and went about my routine.

As I scrubbed the kitchen floor and started praying, I knew I hadn't quite said what I was supposed to. I wasn't supposed to pray for her. She needed someone to pray WITH her. I continued to clean and pray, all the while thinking, maybe I could come up with something else. Surely I can't just come out and ask her if I can pray for her... and do it... right there in the living room. What if she says no? Maybe I'll send her a card... or just give her an extra hug on the way out.

To be honest, I wasn't worried that she would be offended. I knew she wouldn't say no. Which means I would have to pray for her, out loud, where I could be heard, and where she might hear me stumble over my words, misquote a Biblical reference, say the wrong thing, mostly just mess it up...

As I was getting ready to leave she again brought up her fear of what might happen... and I knew I had to.

The prayer wasn't long. I asked for peace and healing for her and knowledge for the doctors and thanked Him for being in control of the situation even when it seems like nobody is. Then I gave her one more hug, and I left for my next house.

I always have two worries when it comes to praying out loud. First of all is the fear that if someone hears me pray they will hear the mistakes and the stumbles and the way my mind works faster than my mouth and how I confuse myself, forgetting to say things I should and repeating things I've already said. The second fear is just that general fear of unworthiness... who am I to be praying for others?

But as I was driving away, a thought occurred to me. The prayer that had just been said in that house had very little to do with my words... it had very little to do with me at all.

God used me to remind her that she is loved and He is in control.

When it comes to prayer, the way the words came out aren't important. The words themselves are not important. The people are important, those who are willing to do as He asks and those they are ministering to. The obedience is important. The love is important. The faith is important.

And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these.” ~Mark 12:30-31

I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ. ~Galatians 3:5

~Mark Batterson

Loving Our Kids is Hard Sometimes...

Recently I spoke to my church's mom group, RC WOW, about how loving our kids means disciplining them. I would love to share it with more of you, so I thought I would type it up and post it. Feel free to leave comments.

I will be the first to tell you that I am no expert in the area of child-rearing. I've learned a lot of what I know through trial and error. As you'll read, even those results aren't conclusive. Still, I know how much it can help to know that there are other parents out there, going through the same struggles.

The love that I am talking about here is not the connection most people feel to their babies. It isn't the empathetic tears we get when they cry or the automatic smile we get when they laugh. Love is a verb. Love is something we do for them in spite of what we want to do or what would be easiest for us to do. Love is discipline.

The verse I was given to speak about was Proverbs 31:28. 

"Her children arise up and call her blessed..." 

I have to tell you, I have always believed that if we went back to some of the early manuscripts of Proverbs, we would see that someone left a word out in translation. That word is EVENTUALLY. Because, let face it, if the children arise in the morning and call me blessed, I am in the wrong house! My first clue isn't even the blessed. It says they arise. There is no mention of dragging them out of bed kicking and screaming and whining and moaning.

 I decided to do a little research.

Strong's Concordance defines the Hebrew version of Arise that is used in the this verse means "to be established" or to "take a stand." In other words, when her children grow up, when they become established, they will look back on their mom and call her blessed.

So let me start off by saying, YES our goal is for them to call us blessed... eventually. To get there we need to love them... and part of the way we do this is through our discipline.

Proverbs 13:24 (NLT) says, "Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children. Those who love their children care enough to discipline them."

What love means is different for every child. Raising them to grow into the people God wants them to be takes a lot of tough love, but "tough" is different for each child. It is rarely easy.

By the time I got to child number four, I had the trip through the grocery store without whining down. Every child had thrown fits at some point. Every child had been dealt with the same way. When they started to throw a crying fit in the store, I told them they couldn't act like that with me. I then left them standing there and walked away.  

I would get no more than 20 feet before the howling had turned into sniffles and they were walking with me again through the store. They were not only scared to be without me, but also not happy about the looks they were getting from strangers.

Not number four. Lauren and I were walking through Hy-Vee when she was three or four and she started throwing a fit. I tried to use the same strategy I had used with the others. I was about fifteen feet away when I turned around and saw her, flanked by three strangers who were asking her if she was okay and glaring at me. One of them attempted to buy her candy! Lauren was not only, not afraid of strangers, but she was instantly thriving on the attention.

I'd love to say this was an isolated incident, but it has happened again and again… even as recently as last summer. Strangers are drawn to my youngest when she cries. 

One day last summer I did something rare and took all of the kids inside a fast food restaurant. They all started arguing, so I told everyone to get back in the van before an order had even been placed. They were shocked. 

Lauren started sobbing on the way out the door and a woman coming in squatted down to Lauren's level and started trying to get her to stop. Then Lauren managed to get out that I wasn't letting them have any food. That's when I got that look that I have come to know so well. The other kids were mortified that I was making them leave the restaurant without ordering. and even more embarrassed that I told a stranger on the way out the door. Lauren was soaking in the attention.

What would have been the easiest thing to do in the Wendy's situation? I could have just gone ahead and ordered and glared at them all through dinner. Disapproval will honestly affect one of my four. The other three would have been un-phased. Lauren, obviously needs to be disciplined in a way that does not garner her any attention from strangers.

Instead we left. They continued to fight in the car about whose fault it was that we left. So, while I showed some grace and went through the drive-thru when they were finally repentant (and frankly, it was my birthday, which is the reason we went out), our evening out was over.

Ecclesiastes 8:11 says, "When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong."

While many people will debate actual punishments and methods for discipline, the Bible shows how God used three main steps when loving His children through discipline.

Loving Our Kids Means.

1. Telling them the rules

2. Telling them the consequences

3. Sticking to those consequences

It's hard. But God gave us this example right in the beginning of the Bible.

He told Adam and Eve that if they ate the fruit from the tree they would die. They did. He didn't say, "I know I told you. Why didn't you listen? Lets have a time-out and then you can come back and try again." He kicked them out of the garden. He immediately made them accept the consequences for what they had done.

My older two children have their own cell phones.  They both got them when they turned 11. They are smartphones, but when they received them we also gave them a long set of rules and consequences that went along with the responsibility of keeping a phone. These include making it clear that they could have to hand over their phone for inspection at any time and that texting history/browsing history would be verified with the phone bill/known usage to make sure things weren't being periodically deleted before we saw them.

Just before my oldest turned 15, her father checked her phone and found some questionable emails from a boy as well as some texts to someone she wasn't supposed to be talking to. He called me and we made a decision. Alexandra immediately lost her phone and internet access indefinitely.

Did I want her to have a phone? Very much so. As a single mom, it was hard on me for her not to have one. We did not have a home phone, and as my babysitter that summer, it was difficult to communicate at times. She also wanted to be involved in school activities, but it means planning way in advance if she needed a ride home or if she would be gone while she was supposed to babysitting for me. Their father uses the phones to stay in touch with the children as well. It was hard to get a hold of them at times. Still, my ex-husband and I stuck to our decision and made her earn it back by showing that she could be respectful and follow the rules. It took 7 months for her to get her phone back. It took several more months for her to earn back her iPhone apps. She didn't have access to an internet browser for almost a year.

Taking the phone away and sticking to it was hard. But we proved that we love her over our own inconveniences.

Your challenge this next week is to 1.) Find the place where setting a boundary for your child is hard for you. Something that it is easier to ignore than to deal with. Something that you have let slide 1000 times, but something that you know will make them a better person if they learn the boundary.

You can’t all of the sudden come down on them with a sledgehammer. But saying “I’m not going to tolerate --- anymore. The next time you do it, this will be the consequence, no matter what.” in ONE new area is fair.

The second part of that challenge is 2.) Pray that God shows you the areas where you need to love your children more in this way, so that they can grow up to be the people He wants them to be. This is not easy. 

Remember that you asked God to show you, but you can't tell Him HOW to show you. So, when your mother-in-law says, "It drives me crazy seeing him get away with that." or your best friend says, "She shouldn't be talking to you like that." don't get angry or frustrated with them. Take it as an answer to your prayer for direction and do something about it!

We do want our children to eventually arise up and call us “blessed” … but sometimes, for today, we have to be okay with growling, grumbling, glaring, and an occasional declaration of "I hate you." If we do what is right, it will all work out in the end.

Bring joy to your home in just 15 minutes a day

What horrible, nasty, exhausting, awful things might you be willing to endure if you thought that the end result would bring something good into your life? REALLY... Think about this!


I don't know about you, but I didn't think childbirth was that fun. At least none of mine were! But, you know, I kinda liked that ending part where they handed me a baby!

What about exercise? Well, if I could quit the second I felt too tired and still get the benefits... but I can't... so that goes in the "not fun" category as well. Now, 70lbs lighter than when I started, I'm pretty happy with the benefits.

Today my pastor posted a picture of himself in our church dumpster after he had to go in to look for something thrown away by accident! Unplanned dumpster diving? Yuck! But what was lost has been recovered. :-)

(Thanks for some inspiration Pastor Chuck!)

But what if I told you that if you were willing to endure something that is likely not as bad as any of those things for a small amount of time... it could drastically improve your home? I'm serious.

You have one of those in your home, right? Just about everyone does. If not, you likely have something similar. Microwave timer, cell phone timer, neighborhood dog that barks every five minutes? Surely everyone has something...

What if I told you that this timer could solve a large portion of your clutter problems?

It can.

And it doesn't have to be difficult either. Are you ready for this amazing, mind-blowing plan?

Pick a spot in your home that has been overwhelmed with clutter. Maybe it is a bookshelf. Maybe it is a closet. Maybe you have an entire guest room full of stuff that you have been intending to deal with "later."

Set your timer for 15 minutes.

Get to work.

What!?! There is no magic involved? There is no secret trick?

No. You actually have to go through it and decide to trash, recycle, donate, or keep everything you touch. But don't get discouraged, because while thinking about that mess, you might have forgotten something.

You only set the timer for 15 minutes.

So what are you supposed to do when it goes off? Whatever you want. Drop what you are cleaning/organizing/sorting and walk away. Don't touch it again today.

I know that your initial reaction is going to be, "But Kindall, how is that going to help?" I know you are already rolling your eyes about this plan. I know that the amount of work that needs to be done in the space you were thinking about is enormous compared to the amount of time I told you to spend there. Think about it like this... at the end of a week, at 15 minutes a day, how much time have you spent on your problem?

Almost two full hours.

Before you put this plan into place, how much time had you spent on that problem in the last month?

Imagine, tackling project after project in just 15 minutes a day until your house is clutter-free?

Now, is it likely that you can keep your entire home clean with just 15 minutes of work a day? Probably not. But so often, it isn't the daily housework that gets us bogged down. It is the clutter that has built up over time, or the boxes that were all moved in at once and never opened again that make us sign when we catch a glimpse of them.

So, if I am running a business that specializes in organizing and cleaning, among other things, why would I tell you this instead of just telling you to hire us and let us handle it for you?

I shared this because what I care about most is bringing JOY into your home. Of course we will come in and clean and organize and do anything you'd like done! But I want you to know that, even if hiring help is out of budget for you right now, there is hope! 

Given the right tools, you can do this!

Today, the right tool is this...

 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.

 Each day has enough trouble of its own.  Matthew 6:34

 For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7

Working with Hire A Housewife

Hire A Housewife is growing and we need more help!

Please check out our website, Facebook page, and blog to learn more about us and decide if you might want to be a part of our team!




It would especially be a good idea to read this blog post:  Avoidable Mistakes Job Seekers Make

You Must:

Have your own vehicle
Have a friendly, positive attitude
Have a professional appearance
Enjoy making other people happy
Be prompt and dependable
Have a clean criminal record
Pay attention to details
Clean well!

Benefits:

Enjoy the freedom of being an Independent Contractor
Set your own schedule
Set your own service area
Paid training
$10 per hour
Tips possible, although not guaranteed.

Check us out at www.hireahousewifepeoria.com

Interested? Please email us with a resume and a cover letter. Please tell us why you think you would make a great team member for Hire A Housewife!

Our email address is [email protected]

I look forward to hearing from you!

None of this belongs to me...

Have you checked our prices recently? Compared them with others? Wondered what we are doing differently that we can afford to charge $16 an hour to clean houses? I have an answer for you!

Yes, I do know that many local companies charge as much as double our current $16 an hour rate.... and still pay their employees the same or worse than Hire A Housewife. So if I could make more money doing the same job, why wouldn't I try?

Honestly, this isn't about the money.

Yes, I definitely want to be able to support myself and my children, and I love that I can employ women who need the work and help them support their families... but what I really love is dealing on a day-to-day basis with people that Jesus loves. (Yes, you.)

He did not give me this company so that I could get as rich as possible as quickly as possible.

He did not give me this company so it could be just another cleaning company.

He gave me this company so that we could serve you... 

I know that there are families that we serve who could not afford more than the $16 an hour that we charge right now... And even at that, some who can't afford a visit more than once a month. We are perfectly okay with that... we understand where you are and we want to serve you.

I also know that their families that we serve who could afford more than $16 an hour... and I think that's great. I always want to encourage those people that if they feel like an excellent job is being done at their home to go ahead and tip the housewife who has come out... that money goes directly to her family not to the company... which is another reason I keep prices low... so that you can feel free to tip if you want to and KNOW exactly where that money is going.

Hire A Housewife is about serving people in a friendly and loving way that honors Jesus and brings joy into your home... and I know that cringing when you write a check does not bring anyone joy... even if you're appreciative of the work done.

I may be new to the art of being a business owner, I can say with confidence that God would not have given me a business if I couldn't run it and honor Him at the same time.

Every payment is on the books. Taxes are being paid. I'm even tithing off of our profits. Do I tell you that so that you can give me a pat on the back? Absolutely not... I am telling you all of that because it is important to me that you know that my goal is to honor God with all that He has given me.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.                                                                          Colossians 3:23

Praying About Housework?

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God... 

1 Thessalonians 5:16

I was having a conversation with a friend who was encouraging me about prayer. He reminded me that there is nothing too small to talk to God about. Should I make this appointment for this day? Should I wear this outfit? Should I reply to this email?

I thought about that for awhile because I really do have conversations with God all day. (I'm even learning to listen every once in awhile! Ha!) But there are some things that I hadn't really thought to pray about... the friend's examples were all "Should I" questions... but I started thinking about "Please help me" prayers. How often had I asked for help on big things. If God can do that, He can probably help with other stuff too, right?

As a single mom of four busy kiddos who runs a business, as well as a million other things... you can imagine that I can get pretty exhausted.

So this week I asked God to help me get my house in order. Help me cook a good dinner for the kids. Help me get up when the alarm goes off at 5:01am instead of "snoozing" every 5 minutes until 6:15... and as other little things have come up, I have asked God for help with those as well.

Monday evening, as I was preparing for the kids to come from their Labor Day activities, I looked at the unused "Chore Chart" on the wall and went over and erased the old chores and wrote in new. Only this time, instead of writing particular chores, I divided the apartment into sections and gave them each one. I showed them how, if their section happened to already be clean on a particular day, they could organize a shelf or straighten a cabinet.

The kids came home AND WERE EXCITED about having their own sections. They liked not having to ask every day what their chore was. Really? That was way easier than I thought it would be... then I remembered... I prayed about this.

Tonight, for the second night in a row, I had dinner ready at dinner time... without exhaustion, without wondering how much they will whine if I declare it "cereal night", and without running through a drive-thru. Is it particularly because I prayed for help with dinner? That would be a hard question to answer. But I do know that as I have started this week praying about everything... so many things have fallen into place. Including dinner.

Now, did that keep my two youngest from missing the bus this morning after I was already gone to work? Nope. This is still life and life isn't perfect or fair or easy... but when I pray about something as simple as housework and realize that the new plan I came up with is an answer to my prayers, it makes it pretty impossible to argue with praying through everything.

There is ALWAYS someone will to pray for you if you are in need of anything. You can email me here at [email protected] if you would like me and/or the other housewives to keep and your situation in our prayers. You can also visit a place that I love to go when I want to pray for others or when I have a prayer request myself... WCIC PRAYER CENTER

I had a wonderful lunch today...

Today I met Doris Symonds, a successful businesswoman from Peoria, for lunch. We ate and discussed our pasts and our futures. We came up with some plans for collaboration on a project. She gave me some great advice for expanding Hire A Housewife as well as moving into the next level that God has planned for me personally... public speaking, finishing my book, and so much more...


We had not been sitting long when she said to me something I have heard over and over in the last several weeks from many different places... "You have it in you already."

I have been reading these books... 

ever since I heard from and met the author...

at the Women of Faith conference last month.

Her book is where this picture came from...

So, I can say that I have been a bit hard-headed in the past. I'm sure there have been times when God has done a major face-palm when He's sent me a message that I've wavered about. I've felt the uneasiness in the pit of my stomach when I've made a decision without praying through it first and God has said, "Oh, so you want to do this the hard way... no problem."  But, in this particular case, I am pretty sure that God really is trying to tell me something. Maybe I already have everything in me that I need to do what He has planned...? 

Any thoughts? I'm probably correct on this one, right? Do I need MORE confirmation? lol

Some of you might need to remind me of this though, 

next time I start to worry that I am in over my head!

On a side note, the food at Sazani's Steak and Pasta House on Galena Rd in Peoria is FABULOUS.

I had the Sazani Salad with Salmon and the Minestrone ($6.95 lunch special) and while we were not in a hurry today, I did notice in their menu that they guarantee that your lunch will be on your table in 15 minutes or they will pay for your entree.

In case you don't want to take my word for it, you can also find a review here. I will definitely be going back!

While we are waiting...

I started writing a book a couple of years ago. God started writing it LONG before that. Recently, the need to write is being stirred again... and blog posts alone aren't the answer for me!  I have a lot more than this finished, but as I read through it this morning, I couldn't wait to share it... God is SO GOOD! We just have to open our eyes and see that He is everywhere.
 

“Everything will work out fine in the end. If it hasn’t worked out, then it isn’t the end.”

How patient are you? Are you good at waiting for God’s promises? When you are waiting on God to answer a prayer, how long do you wait before you begin to get discouraged?  A day? A week? Two years? Seven?

You might be surprised to know that patience isn’t my strongest asset. If you know me, then you probably laughed just now. That’s okay. I like to make people laugh.

There are days when I have confidently told others that God has perfect timing, only to crawl into bed and cry while telling God that I can’t wait any longer for what He has promised me.

There have been times when I have tried to take matters into my own hands. I have tried to HELP GOD. It’s nothing new… plenty of people in the Bible did the same thing. They proved it is never a good idea… but we do it anyway. It never quite works out right.

So what do we do while we are waiting? How do we keep from becoming discouraged? We need to look and see what God IS doing... to give us the strength to wait. God is doing miracles EVERY SINGLE DAY. For you, for me, for people all over… but if you stay focused on what you don’t have, you’ll never see what’s going on around you.

17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[a] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. Ephesians 1: 17-19

Nothing Says "I Love You" Like...

I'll be honest here, I have a weak stomach. Many of my friends can attest to their own giggle fits while they say things that make me gag... sometimes even running to the next room with my hands covering my ears and humming loudly so I can't hear or think about what they are saying... so I'm trying to sensitive to the fact that others might be too...

I tried to look up appropriate euphemisms  for this topic... bad idea. So, don't worry... just keep reading... you'll get the idea.

You know that helpless feeling you have when someone you love is sick? I don't mean with the sniffles... I mean the sickness... cramps, nausea, um and you know... that comes with being pregnant... or having the stomach flu... or worse, chemo and radiation...

You just want to know what you can do to help, right?

I can tell you this: Sticking your head in the bathroom and asking "What can I do to help?" while someone is trying to fight nausea... is not the way to go.

There is one thing that you can do. I learned this lesson a long time ago, and have used it and shared it many times... always with great results.

Nothing says "I love you" like giving them the ability to do what they need to do in a CLEAN toilet. Seriously. That's it. That is the big secret.

I had terrible nausea with all four of my children. I even had to be hospitalized at one point with my son. There were times when I would be so sick that I would literally lay down on the bathroom floor after one wave passed to wait for the next one to come... and rumor has it, I'm not alone.

When my kids have the flu, the first thing I do is go scrub the toilet (and then pray they make it in there!)

P.S. Cleaning the inside is important! But don't forget to use a couple spritzes of Windex and wipe down the outside too!

I am in my 40...

No, I'm not in my 40's... lol. I have several years before that! This is a different 40.

Ever since I heard a sermon about Jesus' temptation during his 40 days of fasting, I have been thinking about how I am in my 40...

Jesus fasted for 40 days, the Hebrews wandered the desert for 40 years, Noah's family watched it rain for 40 days... Each case was something that was for a reason and, in the end, brought growth to those who experienced it.

This morning I woke up to a devotional in my email that brought me tears.

41 will come.

Jesus' fasting and temptation ended on day 41. Goliath was struck down by David on day 41. The rain stopped falling on the Ark on day 41. The Hebrews entered the promised land in year 41...

I am spending my 40 being faithful. I am spending my 40 learning from my mistakes. I am spending my 40 becoming a better person... the person God intended to me to be. I have been patient. Much like the Hebrews, I know I not only earned my 40 through my own choices... but I need it to strengthen me. I have been rejoicing in my sufferings... thanking God for the thorn in my flesh... because I know that in my weaknesses He is shown to be strong...

But reading this morning... that assurance that it won't last forever... the "you're doing a good job, but don't get discouraged... there is a light a the end of this tunnel" just melted me. I don't know any other way to describe it.

I've been so focused on what I am supposed to learn in my 40. That journey is rough... sometimes exhausting... but I keep going because I know it is what I have to do. Don't misunderstand... God is still doing amazing things for my family and me... but we are still waiting for so many things.

In the midst of all of that... I totally forgot 41 is coming.

I am so excited to hear this sermon series and read the book that is coming from it...

If you live in the area, I encourage you to come check it out..

Most of all, I want to encourage you today the way I was encouraged... YOUR 41 WILL COME TOO!

Run Your Own Business? 5 Reasons You Should Call Hire A Housewife!

While it goes without saying that everyone would love to have a little more JOY in their lives... 

Organization
     You can never be too organized. Whether you are completely neat and tidy right down to the last labeled tote or you have an "I know where it is, I just have to find it" kind of system... having an outside eye come in and show you what you could be doing better it always going to be helpful. Sometimes letting someone else deal with it for you for a couple of hours gives you the break you need to re-energize!

We Can Be Tax Deductible
     That's right. Having someone come in and clean your home before your Mary Kay or Tupperware party or reorganize your office can be written off at the end of the year as a business expense. Who couldn't use a bit of a tax break coupled with the calm and focus that come with a clean and organized workspace!
     This doesn't just apply to an actual office either. We organize inventory, run errands, or... if you are really just too dedicated to your work to get to it yourself, we will even organize your Pinterest boards... I don't think that one is tax deductible though. ;-)

Small Businesses Help Each Other
     Hire A Housewife's growth over the last few months has completely surprised me... but it hasn't surprised God a bit. He knew how excited people would be about a company who wants to bring JOY into the lives of people every day! One of the things we will have very soon (Hopefully in August) is a company newsletter. Full of positive, uplifting information and tips, there will also be some space for advertising. I am excited to be able to offer these spaces to those who also support Hire A Housewife through using our services first!
     Small business promotion is a side project of mine. Sometimes I just donate my services to failing businesses in an effort to help get them on the right track. I have a lot of great ideas for small business promotion and cross promotion between businesses. Even if you aren't a current customer, stay connected with us to make sure you know when opportunities arise... they will!

Connections
     In business and in life, it is often said that success is "all about who you know." The more connections you have, the more potential you have to reach future customers. For me, I know that the most important "Who I know" is Jesus... and the ways that God has constantly and consistently put all of us in the lives of others at just the right time for one reason or another has been mind-blowing. Whether you are a Christian business owner who is relying on God to make those connections for you, or you would like to know some business owners who are... this is a connection you need! 

You Need Us!
     We know better than anyone how difficult running your own business can be! Never-ending to-do lists, long hours, meals on the go... give us a chance to bring JOY into your daily life and your business! This isn't just about the physical work that needs done, but it's also the positive attitude and and extension of grace that we bring with us.

Give us a try... you won't be disappointed!

Because Too Much Can Never Be Said on God's Timing...

I am so grateful for the Lord's protection and provision.

If you read this blog regularly, you know I was in a car accident a couple of weeks ago and my vehicle was totaled.

Neither I nor the driver at fault were injured... which was a huge blessing. It could have been so much worse!

The problem for me was that nobody wanted to discuss financing another vehicle because my business isn't yet 2 years old. While my credit continues to get better as I work on it each month, I still have some work to do.

After some false starts at a few other car dealerships who lied to me multiple times in a couple days' time... I ended up at Mangold Ford in Eureka. I would 100% recommend this place to anyone in the area who is looking for a vehicle. They did not show my one vehicle that wasn't mechanically sound. The prices weren't inflated either. The finance guy there worked very hard to find me a loan. When he got it, he called it a "miracle loan".  Why? Well since my main source of income was my own business that is less than two years old, he convinced them to give me the loan with no proof of income... something that NEVER happens anymore these days.

Now, because of this, I did have to put a large down payment on the vehicle... here is where the reminder about how perfect God's timing is really timing hit me...
 
Remember how I thought I had found our house and didn't get it? Had I used all of my savings to move to a new place, I wouldn't have had anything to put down on this badly needed vehicle (without which my business would have fallen apart quickly).

Please continue to pray that God helps us find a better place to live soon. In the mean time I am ever thankful for His continuing mercies on us... and His timing, even when we think it's off!

By the way... here is a picture of my new van... Feel free to wave if you see me in it! :-)

I love being able to share with everyone how good God is to us... even when we don't think He's listening, He is... and he has a better plan!

Listening to God is Difficult

It's funny how we can believe we have heard God's clear and present voice in something... and still have it not work out. You can have the verses and the feelings and the faith to back it up... and yet nothing comes of it. Just a few weeks ago, that's where I was. I knew that the house that I looked at was ours... yet just a couple of days later is was listed as "Sale Pending." I was stumped.

Friends have given me explainations meant to make me feel better about why God didn't give us that house... maybe God has something better in store for us... or maybe He was just showing us what He will do for us in the future. But the truth is, I am not upset about the house. I am upset that I was so focused on what I wanted that I wasn't listening fully.

I could have just pretended that I never wrote that post. People forget. I could have deleted it altogether so nobody could prove I ever wrote it. But, I know that I am not the only one who makes this kind of mistake. Sharing it with you might encourage you the next time you believe for something that isn't to be or it might make you listen more carefully next time you believe you are hearing God's voice.

Once again and still, I am in a place where I need to be listening to His voice.


A week and a half ago a woman turned left in front of me while I was driving down the road and totaled my van. The fact that nobody was injured was a HUGE blessing. Then, the fact that my van's value and the pay-off were close enough to each other that the place I was buying the van from agreed to just "settle" for the amount the insurance company was sending was another huge blessing.

Here I am though, with two days left in a rental-car before I have to give it back and unsure of what I am going to be able to find for us, worried that I'm not listening... and I've shared in the past where not listening got me before!

On top of this, I am hiring again... something that is wonderful, but scary as well because the wrong employee could cause so many problems.

And... I still need God to find us the right place to live.

Not to mention all of those other smaller daily decisions I have make.

This is going to take A LOT of listening... 
 
The Amplified Bible says: Be careful therefore how you listen. For to him who has [spiritual knowledge] will more be given; and from him who does not have [spiritual knowledge], even what he thinks and guesses and supposes that he has will be taken away. Luke 8:18

This is going to take a lot of CAREFUL listening... not thinking and guessing and supposing.

My prayer tonight is that we all will take time to listen to God this week. Whether He is pointing down a life path, helping us with daily decisions or just simply reminding us how much He loves us. God is so good. He deserves the time it takes to stop and listen, and we all benefit in the process.

I believe that one by one each of these things will be worked out, and worked out for His glory... and when that does happen... I will let you know. :-)

Sharing at Trinity Church in Morton on Sunday

For those of you who haven't made the connection yet, I am the woman that Station Manager Dave Brooks is talking about in the latest WCIC "Things are not business as usual" radio spot. I have told God that if he is going to give me a story, that I will share it... and He is making sure I keep that promise! :-)

I attend Rock Church in East Peoria, but I also volunteer at the Community Harvest Food Pantry in Morton. Community Harvest and Trinity Church have asked me to speak for about 5 minutes this Sunday about Community Harvest and my testimony.

Since most of you will not be there to hear it, I thought I would share with you what I am going to tell them...

My name is Kindall. I am a single mom of four. I could talk to you for hours about how amazing God is… but I only have 5 minutes… so here’s what I want to tell you today!

My children and I used to live in Galesburg, but I began to feel that God's place for us was the Peoria area. I knew that I was supposed to move us here... but instead of waiting for God’s direction; I took the first avenue I saw open. Seven months and one unhealthy relationship later, my four children and I were homeless... living in an RV at a local campground. We were stuck there for nearly six months. My son was 10, and my daughters were 6, 8 and 14.

Shortly after that I started coming to the Community Harvest Food Pantry regularly. I had been once or twice before, but it never meant so much to me as it did after we became homeless. Everyone was so welcoming and friendly. I remember tearing up the first time someone loaded food into my van and telling them that they had no idea what a blessing they were. I also prayed several times with volunteers. When I didn’t, I still wrote my request down so that someone would pray for me during the week.

Trying to find work was difficult. I have my degree in Elementary education, but I had let my license lapse and couldn’t go back to teaching unless I went back to school. Besides that, what school was going to hire a homeless teacher?  Instead I decided that a good start would be to get a part time job doing some housekeeping, and put an ad on Craigslist. In an effort to make my ad different than all of the others, I titled it “Hire A Housewife” and listed off all of the things I could do that your average cleaning lady would not. Cooking, organizing, pet care, event planning… whatever was needed.

The first person to hire me truly took my ad literally. He and his boys didn’t just need the house cleaned. They needed food cooked, decorating taken care of, errands run… everything. I started working at their house five days a week. Over time I built a relationship with this family…

Thanks to some help from some friends and some people who believed in me, we were able to get into an apartment in September of last year.  Shortly after that, I started volunteering at Community Harvest. As much as it touched me to be served through the program, being on the other side of the registration table has touched me more.

I try very hard to make sure that people who come in do not feel like a number. I work on remembering their names. If I see a new haircut or something else that has changed, I comment on it too… because I know what a difference it makes to know that someone sees you as a person.  I have watched miracles take place over and over at Community Harvest. Food nobody expected, a vehicle that was badly needed, most importantly people who come in in pain… physical, emotional, spiritual… and leave with hope and healing.  I love everyone that comes through the doors at Community Harvest… but different circumstances that people have, will always affect volunteers differently.

My heart goes out to the ones who come in and, eyes looking at the ground, tell me they’ve never been here and then start explaining what happened… more than once I have had someone tear up at the registration table and say the words, “I’m sorry… it’s just embarrassing to have to be here.” That’s when I have the opportunity to say, “I understand, but you need to know that this is what we are here for… and if you look at the people who are working here… there are very few of us who haven’t stood in your shoes. Things will get better. In the mean time, we are here for you.” I get to give that peace and encouragement now because Community Harvest gave that to me.

Between my Saturdays at Community Harvest,  I worked a couple of other part time jobs here and there, but when I was working as a “housewife” I was doing something I loved.

When I decided to take on a few more clients, I started a Facebook page… and then a web page, and a blog. As interest picked up, I had a logo designed, filed with the county as a business, and even took a couple of classes through the Small Business Association. 

In the last four months, my business “Hire A Housewife” has gone from working with just two families to needing to hire three women part-time to help me with the workload. .. and while it is work, we are building relationships and bringing JOY into people’s homes every day… and who could ask for a better job than that?

I am here today because I wanted to share with you what God has done for me over the last year and a half and I wanted to tell you how Community Harvest was part of that. Community Harvest is not just about giving hungry people food, just like Hire A Housewife isn’t just about cleaning. In both cases we are building lasting relationships with people who Jesus loves... Whether they already know Him or God is putting us in their paths so that we can show them who He really is… the reach is so much bigger than we can even imagine… and it is all for His glory.

Homemade Laundry Soap Powder

We all know that you can't have a blog in America today that is in anyway related to household matters and not include a recipe for Homemade Laundry Soap.

I'm guessing you are thinking one of three things...

1. Homemade laundry soap users are crazy. It's not worth the time/money/energy. Just buy it at the store.

2. Well OF COURSE I know how to make it... I wouldn't survive without it!

3. Oh yeah... I was going to try that once. I lost the recipe and haven't taken the time to look for it again.

This post is for you!

What you need:

Cheese grater (get a cheap one from the dollar store for just this purpose)
Large air tight container
Fels-Naptha bar soap (Found in the laundry section at your local store... try Kmart or Target if your grocery store doesn't have it.)
Washing soda
Borax

Nearly every recipe I've read has the amounts a little bit different for each ingredient. I made mine like this because If you don't like the amounts I have listed, mix in amounts that work better for you.

Grate one bar of Fels-Naptha laundry soap and mix it in the air-tight container with one 55oz box of Washing soda and half of a 72oz box Borax. (Save the other half for your next batch.)

Mix well and use a small scoop... a tablespoon or two for each load.

The lemony smell from the Fels-Naptha freshens any load of laundry... you will be amazed if you've never used it before.

 This is especially true if, like most busy people, you have a tendency to leave the laundry sitting for half a day before switching it to the dryer... it doesn't make the clothes mildew-proof... but you can rest assured that starting the washer before you head out to work with the intention of switching it after you get home will not leave you running the load a second time!

Have a blessed week!

Waiting on God...

Earlier this year I went to a women's conference. Speaker Maureen Gray had a message about giving up control... and I thought, "I know who this message would be good for..."

Let me tell you... ANY TIME you think that about a sermon... you need to be listening more closely. Once I started listening, I heard the speaker talk as though she had been given that message for me.

She talked about how people in the Bible received promises from God and then, in an effort to "help" Him along... they took matters into their own hands. It never ended well...

Take Sarah and Abraham for example...

God promised Abraham that he would be a father. But he was old. He knew Sarah was old too. Sarah took matters into her own hands and gave him a servant to have a child with. Sarah eventually gave birth to Abraham's child as well. We all know how the descendants of Isaac and Ishmael have fought over which one is the rightful heir to Abraham ever since...


What about Judas?

Judas didn't hate Jesus. He didn't sell Jesus out because he wanted to get rid of Jesus... Judas KNEW that Jesus was the Messiah and he wanted everyone else to believe too! He thought Jesus would avoid the arrest to prove to everyone who He was... bring His kingdom to Earth. You can imagine why his life ended the way it did... believing that he had betrayed Jesus instead of proving who He is.

There are so many other examples in the Bible where people received the promises of God and tried to "help" that promise come to life. Have you ever done this? I know I have... and it never turned out right. 

I used to live in Galesburg, but I didn't want to stay there forever. I knew that God's place for me was the Peoria area. I knew that I was supposed to pick up my family and move here... but instead of waiting for direction, I took the first avenue I saw open. Seven months after that, my four children and I were homeless... living in an RV at a local campground. We were stuck there for nearly six months. Why? Because I didn't do what I was supposed to do the way I was supposed to do it...

I saw this yesterday...

Ouch. Okay, maybe not "stupid"... but impatient...

The speaker at the conference said something that was a "light bulb moment" for me... She said, "You have to stop putting your faith in the PROMISE and put your faith in the PROMISE MAKER."


What a statement... it is something I've been trying to live by ever since. Knowing God's direction is a priority for me now. I constantly pray that if God doesn't want me to take a path, He closes the door... and that if He opens wide the doors to the paths that HE does want me to take.


I have been praying for a new place to live for quite awhile. Our current apartment is in disrepair and unsafe on so many levels. I knew God had a better place for us than this. I kept my eyes and ears open for all possibilities... and I would read about places that were available, but I never went beyond that. Then last week I felt a nudge to go look at a house. So I did.

It is perfect for us. As I walked through it and was surprised time and time again by something else I saw, God said, "See? I know what you need..." The price is amazing. The location is wonderful. There is so much room!  

I have a feeling that the realtor is even annoyed that he took the time to show me the house since there is no way I would qualify for a loan on it at this point. He probably thinks I'm crazy. When he asked about price range and number of bedrooms I am looking for, I told him, "No, you don't understand. THIS is my house. I don't want to look at any others." I even told him that I have been praying about this house. I didn't really get a response to that other than a blank look.

On one hand I have told myself that I should be quiet about this. I should try to find ways to figure out how to buy the house without making a big deal about it... you know... just in case I'm wrong and it doesn't work out to be mine.

On the other hand, I really feel like I need to share it with people. I want others to have no doubt WHO is responsible when it works out. 

In the mean time... do I hit every bank and call every relative in the mid-west to see if they can help? I already emailed a man who deals with investments in real estate and offered to pay a ridiculous APR on the house (knowing I'll be considered credit-worthy within a year) if anyone is willing to invest... but I knew after I sent it that it was not likely the way God was planning on taking care of this for us.

God is asking me to wait. God is telling me not to worry that someone else will swoop in and buy it out from under me. God is saying, "Did I promise this to you? Do I EVER break my promises?"

This is the thing I am waiting on right now.

What is that GOD is asking you to wait for? What promises has HE made you that you can't see right now? Feel free to ask for prayers about it in the comments below.

I'm letting you know that I am standing here in faith with you. Whatever it is. Don't try to help HIM. Don't put your faith in the promise. Put your faith in the PROMISE MAKER and stand back and watch...

SOMETHING AMAZING IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN.

Stealing the Show...

Two of my girls and I went to Winter Jam this year to see performances by Toby Mac and Matthew West, among others. Toby talked about his new song "Steal My Show" and how his son was confused about what it meant and why any artist would want his show stolen...

The song itself is specifically about Toby Mac and going on stage and how people don't come to see him... they come to feel God's presence. He tells God...

 "If you want to steal my show,

I'll sit back and watch you go.

If you've got something to say 

Go on and take it away.

Need you to steal my show 

Can't wait to watch you go-oh-oh-oh 

So come on and take it away!*" 

Toby Mac even says I need you to steal my show, Can't wait to watch you go... He knows that without God, he nothing...

As I met with some mentors from the Small Business Association last week, they asked me a lot of questions. I went in looking for advice on how make sure that I run this business in a legal and responsible manner... and they were very helpful. But one of the questions I was asked was about goals. 

"How much money do you want to make? How much is too much? Is there such a thing?"

And my first thought was, "Money? Like, a specific number? What does that have to do with anything?" When I didn't have a good answer, the mentor told me it was something to think about, so that I could set goals. 

I have been thinking about it, and it's funny. I figured out why I was baffled by that question. 

Sure, I would like enough personal income to get a used van that isn't falling apart. I would like to live in a place where I feel safe and where everyone has a bedroom (even if they have to share)... maybe even buy a house again someday. I would like to pay bills without worrying that a check is going to bounce before the next deposit makes it in the account... But however the business works out... I know that God will provide for my family and me.

So, what are my goals for this business? I want to help individuals and families. I want this business to be known as one that brings JOY with us when we come. I want every part of this to be done as if it were for Him. I want His glory to shine through everything else...

I want Him to steal my show...




*Steal My Show, By Toby Mac can be found on his album "Eye On It" and is often played on 91.5 WCIC FM... Family Friendly Radio