Merry Christmas From lávame clean

From our family to yours, we pray you experience a very blessed Christmas season.....

and a wonderfully joyful year when all things become new!

Autumn Deep Cleaning Party Continues!!!

I'm using three exclamation points in my title because at this point, frankly, it takes a bit more than a singular exclamation point to keep me going.  It's truly been a great day, and I have certainly gotten loads of exercise in along with the cleaning!

Stacks of sunshine-dried throw blankets rest neatly atop our couch, and the house is straightened.  We're still plugging along here though, and will continue with the deep cleaning through the evening hours.  Keep checking back for more updates!

The laundry bins heaved a deep sigh of relief as they are finally emptied and resting snugly back on their shelves.  Empty.  It's a good feeling for all of us.

Deep cleaning and organizing, purging, de-cluttering; they all take a good bit of elbow grease and energy, but the end result is certainly worth it.  And we are looking all the more forward to enjoying our expected company!

Enjoy today,

P.S. You are welcome here! Thank you for stopping by for a visit. Feel free to join the conversation by leaving a comment and sharing your thoughts.

Autumn Deep Cleaning Party!!!

1.  First things first.  Today's Autumn Deep Cleaning Party is fully underway.  Posts updating our progress here will be fast and furious, but come they will. 

So, what do we do first when getting ready to scrub it all down?  The fundamentals, of course.  We nourish our souls {top priority} while nourishing our body.  A chapter out of the book of Proverbs and prayer time, with coffee and whole wheat oatmeal breakfast bars.  Fuel for the day.

2.  Set our helpers to work.  The children are all outside helping their daddy prep the yard for lawn mowing.  Freshly ground whole wheat bread ingredients are in the bread machine for our lunchtime sandwiches.  I saved our extras from our plates at last night's church fellowship dinner and will chop up that chicken for chicken salad sandwiches.  The slow cooker is filled with meat and veggies for dinner tonight.   

The more we plan ahead with our meals on cleaning day ~ the less we have to stop and prep and think through.  Keeping our bodies filled with nutrient-rich foods means we have the energy to accomplish our necessary tasks and also helps us all to stay cheerful!

3.  Daily Morning Routine.  Before the true deep cleaning kicks in, I quickly knock out this list each morning.  It sets the rhythm of our days here.  I have this list inside a sheet protector in a binder and cross them off with my dry erase marker as I go. 

4.  Of course, can't forget the music!  We pump out the worship music around here as we clean and invite God to fill our hearts with His presence.  We love the Passion worship station found on Pandora.

So, get ready, get set, GO!  What are you waiting for?!  Let's get cleaning!

Enjoy today,

P.S. You are welcome here! Thank you for stopping by for a visit. Feel free to join the conversation by leaving a comment and sharing your thoughts.

Just Another Monday ~ Or Is It?

I've always been a sucker for Mondays.  I love 'em.  So much possibility there ~ a fresh space in which to dream, imagine, grow.

I mean, really.  You have a whole week ahead of you!  Seriously?  It's like New's Year's Eve every Sunday all over again.

You can totally kick it in ways this week that you didn't the previous week.

So what's it going to be?  What are you going to do differently this week from the last?

There's an old quote roaming around out there that says, "Do one thing every day that scares you." {Disclaimer, because I love disclaimers:  Obviously I am not promoting anything harmful, immoral or otherwise toxic in any way.  We're talking more of the "climb a tree" variety.  Or, goodness, sport some purple nail polish.  I don't know.  Whatever it is for you.}

In any case, get out there and try it.  It's Monday, for goodness' sake!

Enjoy today,

YOU are welcome here!  Thank you for stopping by.  Feel free to join the conversation and leave your thoughts.

To Hold On

I cherish each moment I get to spend with my little ones; because the fact is, they won't be little for much longer.  There aren't many more years I will even be able to use the phrase "little ones" in regards to my three.  I may be wearing out its welcome already.

But isn't that what mothers do best?  We hold on. 

During a time in our history when now, more than ever before, childhood slips away all too quickly, I think a bit of holding on is a very good thing indeed.  

These moments look different for each of us in our different situations and seasons.

For me right now, it means a giggly nine-year-old girl with long locks whipping my cheeks as she snuggles on my lap during a big brother's football game.  It means a seven-year-old boy who still says I'm the prettiest woman alive and kisses me multiple times per day.  And it means an inquisitive dreamer of a 10-year-old who shares his ponderings and innovative ideas with me at random moments throughout the day.

What does it look like for you?  What moments are you gifted with by God to cherish and treasure?

Maybe they involve your children.  Perhaps your own brood is grown and gone and you are now treasuring grandchildren.  Or for you the treasuring looks like loving a spouse and laying yourself down for them.  Or perhaps it is laughing with your co-workers, or growing with your church family.

Be whatever it is for you in this moment, in this specific frame of time; embrace and enjoy it to the full.  These moments are God's gifts to you.  

Enjoy today,

P.S. You are welcome here! Thank you for stopping by for a visit. Feel free to join the conversation by leaving a comment and sharing your thoughts.

The Heart Of Our Mission

When lavame clean was still in the dreaming, hoping and planning stages, I continually sought the Lord regarding how much soap we should give away.  Questions cycled through my mind as we hashed out all of the pros and cons.

Many of these questions were answered quite concisely when the Lord placed the vision statement for our company in our hearts: "For every bar sold, another will be donated on your behalf to an impoverished person who may not otherwise have access to soap."  Our bars we donate are not just passed out randomly at whim.  We pray about each donation, actively seeking out missionaries who are spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We pass the bars to be donated along to the missionaries; and they, in turn, gift them to people in need they are ministering to.  Our operation takes place on a person-to-person, hand-to-hand scale.

Because of this very specific set of criteria we employ, we rest assured that the people receiving a bar of soap are in desperate need; and more importantly, are receiving it in the name and love of Jesus Christ.

The soaps ~ all-natural and hand-crafted ~ are but one more small tool we believe God can use for His glory to share His message of love and grace.

Thank YOU for being a part of this journey with us!

Enjoy today,

P.S. You are welcome here! Thank you for stopping by for a visit. Feel free to join the conversation by leaving a comment and sharing your thoughts.

6 Lessons Learned on the Weekend Football Field

This past Saturday I had the joy of watching my oldest son play his weekend tackle football game.  With the amount of heart and soul those young guys pour out on the field, I can't help but feel inspired each time I take in a game.  Captivated by their gusto, I jotted down a few observations from the sidelines which I found applicable to many areas of life.  Here they are:

1.  Listen to the coach.  There are a thousand voices clamoring from the sidelines begging for your attention.  One is important:  the coach's.

2.  When you're on offense, push forward with all your might and gain yardage.

3.  When playing defense, hold your ground.

4.  The play isn't over until it's over.  No tackle is complete until your opponent is on the ground.  {Disclaimer:  clearly we're talking football here.  If you apply this to other areas of life, this is a figurative and not literal statement.  Tackle your circumstances, not people, please.}

5.  Never underestimate your opponent.  Never be found lacking in your delivery.  Bring 100 per cent to the field unconditionally.

6.  Show up ready to go.  Arrive 15 minutes early to the game.  Sprint on and sprint off; no shuffling of feet.

7.  "Your effort is what makes you different."  As quoted by one of our wonderful assistant coaches.  Your skill level and circumstances may be similar to a thousand others out there in any given area, but your effort will be the tipping point.  Don't give up.

Enjoy today,

P.S. You are welcome here! Thank you for stopping by for a visit. Feel free to join the conversation by leaving a comment and sharing your thoughts.

You're Only As Strong As Your Snacks

I just finished my morning bike ride and head straight back to the garden for a quick snack.  Plucking a ripe cherry tomato off the vine, I next visit my basil.  I tear off a few tender leaves and wrap one singular leaf around each cherry red orb.  

Then I bite.  And, oh, that full summer flavor explodes in my mouth.

Last week our church family had the honor of framing out two houses to be given to two separate Virginia-based families in need of homes.  The temps soared to the high 90's as the sun beat down upon us.  I took a few extra trail mix packets and bottles of water from the snack bin our dear senior saints were passing out and walked around encouraging others to eat and drink some as well.

"You're only as strong as your snacks".  I repeated again and again.

Sure, it sounds a bit funny.  But true, right?  {Physically speaking, of course.  We could get into a whole spiritual analogy here; but that's another blog post for another day.}  We lead busy lives.  We have full schedules.  We can only expect to be able to move forward in full energy if we are fueling our bodies with good stuff ~ the nutrients that it requires to complete the tasks you are asking it to do. 

You wouldn't pour sand in your gas tank and then expect your car to run at premium efficiency, would you?  Our bodies are designed to work optimally when they are filled with the fuel they were created to process ~ food, real food.  

So go ahead and get yourself a snack.  Something real.  Something your body can run on.

Enjoy today,

P.S. You are welcome here! Thank you for stopping by for a visit. Feel free to join the conversation by leaving a comment and sharing your thoughts.

At Last

It hasn't rained here in days.  Whenever that happens mid-summer, it feels as if the earth reaches a point of just dry, hard-packed ground.  Okay, I know I'm being a little melodramatic here, but in the heat of summer when the temperatures soar high in the morning and don't come back down...it just starts to feel like the desert. 

I think I heard my garden audibly sigh as the sky cracked open and the first gush fell.  Forty-five minutes later, it's still coming down.  That sweet soaking summer rain. 

The chickens all ran for cover under the nesting box, waiting the storm out.

The rain will pass and the earth will dry out again.  But for now, the soil is back to that beautiful rich brown humus ~ and the dusty garden beds are a thing of the past.

Embrace the moment.

Enjoy today,

P.S. You are welcome here! Thank you for stopping by for a visit. Feel free to join the conversation by leaving a comment and sharing your thoughts.

CORD for dinner!

We like to keep it simple 'round here on Sunday evenings.  After a good-sized lunchtime meal of pot roast or something similar in the slow cooker, what do we enjoy for Sunday dinner?  CORD! 

Or to put it more simply ~ Clean Out the Refrigerator Dinner.  I am not the originator of this brilliant acronym; but my children are so much more excited about CORD than they are when "leftovers" are announced.  Don't ask me why, but there is something about the silliness of spelling it out that makes them giggle and gets them excited to see what will end up on their plates.

Tonight's featured plate of CORD?  Peanuts, apple slices, cherry tomatoes, ants on a log (peanut butter in a celery stick with raisins on top) and tortilla pinwheels (cream cheese spread on a whole wheat tortilla, topped with spinach, roast turkey and pepper jack cheese). 

This gives me the opportunity to get the leftovers out and tidy the fridge for the upcoming week, and the kids a chance to be surprised on their plates.  A perfect match in my book.

Enjoy today,

P.S. You are welcome here! Thank you for stopping by for a visit. Feel free to join the conversation by leaving a comment and sharing your thoughts.

Celebrating Summer!

Summer is in full swing around the U.S. ~ and we love it!  Our black-eyed-susans are on the cusp of bursting forth in their golden goodness, the kids are all sucking down homemade apple-kiwi-strawberry Popsicles in the backyard humidity and dragonflies and bees swirl through our garden in their flight.  Beauty. 

Soak it in!  God's beauty and gifts are all around you.

Don't yearn for the next season or look wistfully on the past one that is gone. 

Open your eyes and look around you.  What sorts of beauty do you see?  It's there.  It's always there, waiting to be spied.  Once you see it?  Thank God.  

Open your heart and hands to receive and give His blessings and goodness today.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."  ~ James 1:17

Enjoy today,

P.S. You are welcome here! Thank you for stopping by for a visit. Feel free to join the conversation by leaving a comment and sharing your thoughts.

Compelled

It's 9:39 p.m. and I am making soap.  From scratch.  In my kitchen.

I'm not going to lie.  There is a huge part of me that would rather be in bed asleep or preparing for tomorrow morning's Sunday services:  ironing and laying out clothes, brushing teeth and setting out Bibles.

So why are my purple rubber gloves pulled up to my elbows as I slosh the dishes in the sudsy water for yet another round of soap making?

Because I am compelled to not forget.

I visited a tiny slum village in the heart of Colombia, South America two summers ago to the date.  I met people there with smiles as wide as their hearts.  People with seemingly no earthly possessions to speak of, just a shack of a cobbled-together "house" behind them.  Frankly, I have seen people in America spend far more money on a chicken coop than these shacks of corrugated tin and plywood would have cost. 

I am compelled to remember their richness of soul and poverty of earthly needs.  

The sanitation in this area was desperately lacking.  There simply was no money, no jobs, no resources.

And so here, after all three of my children take their 30-minute long Saturday night bath with a tub filled with hot clean water and soak to their hearts' content, I bring out my supplies and make soap to send to those in desperate need.

Because I want to always remember and never forget.  

There is always something you can do to help.  

Enjoy today,

P.S. You are welcome here! Thank you for stopping by for a visit. Feel free to join the conversation by leaving a comment and sharing your thoughts.

Six Tips For Getting The Most Out Of Summer

The summer action is running full-throttle around here, and I'm guessing that things are probably similar in your neck of the woods.  We love summertime here at www.lavameclean.com. 

Summer is one of my favorite seasons of the year.  Disclaimer:  If you have known me for any length of time at all, you know by now that I say that about every season.  Ha!  In any case, I am a big fan of the heat, the sunshine and garden goodness explosion; and most of all, of the many opportunities to get together with friends and family.  Love.  It.

That said, it is of extreme importance that we remember to take care of ourselves during busy seasons.  It is oh so easy to become overwhelmed and exhausted to the point of sickness.  Here are a few quick tips to staying at the top of your game in the summertime:

1.  Get a good night's sleep.  Put yourself to bed at a decent hour and rise at an equally decent hour.  Don't let yourself become run-down by skipping out on the rest your body needs to recover each night.

2.  Rise early and meet with the Lord.  Nothing starts the day off right like humbling yourself before your Creator first thing in the morning and fixing your eyes on Him.  Ask the Lord to forgive your sins and purify your heart; and again place every ounce of your belief in Him for the day.  He is enough for each day.

3.  Fuel your body with good things.  Fresh fruits and veggies abound this time of year in the farmer's markets and at roadside stands.  Stock up once or twice a week when you pass by and keep them handy in your fridge.

4.  Keep up your exercise regimen.  It's hot.  That's a fact.  But you're going to feel much better when it's crazy hot knowing you've been moving your body to stay healthy each day and feeling your muscles firm up.

5.  Laugh.  Heartily.  Often.

6.  Take a break!  This is, after all, what summer is famous for.  Slip your sandals off, wiggle your toes in the water and breathe.  

Enjoy today,

P.S. You are welcome here! Thank you for stopping by for a visit. Feel free to join the conversation by leaving a comment and sharing your thoughts.

Stories Without Dragons Are Boring

 

"Stories without dragons are boring."  So says Jon Acuff, author of the book, "Start."
He goes on to write,
"You don't get 'happily ever after' unless at some point it was in doubt, unless the whole adventure was in question.  Success was anyone's guess.  Survival was up for grabs."

True, right?  Are you up against crazy odds in some endeavor in your life the Lord has called you to?  Don't stop.  You will face dragons.  You will have to face seemingly insurmountable odds and scale the highest of walls.  Press on.  The end is always worth it.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."  ~ Hebrews 12:1-2

Enjoy today,

P.S. You are welcome here! Thank you for stopping by for a visit. Feel free to join the conversation by leaving a comment and sharing your thoughts.