Women's Focus Ministries

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain:
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life,
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But Lord, 'tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

This hymn was written after several traumatic events in Spaffords life. The first was the death of his only son in 1871 at the age of four, shortly followed by the great Chicago Fire which ruined him financially (he had been a successful lawyer). Then in 1873, he had planned to travel to Europe with his family on the SS Ville du Havre, but sent the family ahead while he was delayed on business concerning zoning problems following the Great Chicago Fire. While crossing the Atlantic, the ship sank rapidly after a collision with a sailing ship, the Loch Earn, and all four of Spafford's daughters died. His wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram, "Saved alone." Shortly afterwards, as Spafford traveled to meet his grieving wife, he was inspired to write these words as his ship passed near where his daughters had died.

Bliss called his tune Ville du Havre, from the name of the stricken vessel.^[1]

The Spaffords later had three more children, one of whom (a son) died in infancy. In 1881 the Spaffords, including baby Bertha and newborn Grace, set sail for Israel. The Spaffords moved to Jerusalem and helped found a group called the American Colony; its mission was to serve the poor. The colony later became the subject of the Nobel prize winning Jerusalem, by Swedish novelist Selma Lagerlf.

AN INSPIRATIONAL STORY

It was one of the hottest days of the dry season. We had not seen rain in almost a month. The crops were dying. Cows had stopped giving milk. The creeks and streams were long gone back into the earth. It was a dry season that would bankrupt several farmers before it was through. Every day, my husband and his brothers would go about the arduous process of trying to get water to the fields. Lately this process had involved taking a truck to the local water rendering plant and filling it up with water. But severe rationing had cut everyone off. If we didn't see some rain soon... we would lose everything.

It was on this day that I learned the true lesson of sharing and witnessed the only miracle I have seen with my own eyes. I was in the kitchen making lunch for my husband and his brothers when I saw my six-year old son, Billy, walking toward the woods. He wasn't walking with the usual carefree abandon of a youth but with a serious purpose. I could only see his back. He was obviously walking with a great effort...trying to be as still as possible.

Minutes after he disappeared into the woods, he came running out again, toward the house. I went back to making sandwiches, thinking that whatever task he had been doing was completed. Moments later, however, he was once again walking in that slow purposeful stride toward the woods. This activity went on for an hour. He would walk carefully to the woods, run back to the house. Finally I couldn't take it any longer and I crept out of the house and followed him on his journey (being very careful not to be seen...as he was obviously doing important work and didn't need his Mommy checking up on him).

He was cupping both hands in front of him as he walked, being very careful not to spill the water he held in them...maybe two or three tablespoons were held in his tiny hands. I sneaked close as he went into the woods. Branches and thorns slapped his little face but he did not try to avoid them. He had a much higher purpose. As I leaned in to spy on him, I saw the most amazing site. Several large deer loomed in front of him. Billy walked right up to them. I almost screamed for him to get away. A huge buck with elaborate antlers was dangerously close. But the buck did not threaten him...he didn't even move as Billy knelt down. And I saw a tiny fawn laying on the ground, obviously suffering from dehydration and heat exhaustion, lift its head with great effort to lap up the water cupped in my beautiful boy's hand.

When the water was gone, Billy jumped up to run back to the house and I hid behind a tree. I followed him back to the house, to a spigot that we had shut off the water to. Billy opened it all the way up and a small trickle began to creep out. He knelt there, letting the drip, drip slowly fill up his makeshift "cup," as the sun beat down on his little back. And it came clear to me. The trouble he had gotten into for playing with the hose the week before. The lecture he had received about the importance of not wasting water. The reason he didn't ask me to help him.

It took almost twenty minutes for the drops to fill his hands. When he stood up and began the trek back, I was there in front of him. His little eyes just filled with tears. "I'm not wasting," was all he said.

As he began his walk, I joined him...with a small pot of water from the kitchen. I let him tend to the fawn. I stayed away. It was his job.

I stood on the edge of the woods watching the most beautiful heart I have ever known working so hard to save another life. As the tears that rolled down my face began to hit the ground, they were suddenly joined by other drops...and more drops...and more. I looked up at the sky. It was as if God, himself, was weeping with pride.

Some will probably say that this was all just a huge coincidence. That miracles don't really exist. That it was bound to rain sometime. And I can't argue with that...I'm not going to try. All I can say is that the rain that came that day saved our farm...just like the actions of one little boy saved another.

I don't know if anyone will read this...but I had to send it.... To honor the memory of my beautiful Billy, who was taken from me much too soon.... but not before showing me the true face of God, in a little sunburned body.

And in the end, its not the years in your life that count.
Its the life in your years.
- Abraham Lincoln

The weak can never forgive.
Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.
- Anonymous

I have enjoyed life a lot more by saying yes than by saying no.
- Anonymous

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-----------------------------------------------------------------------------THE MANY USES OF SALT

Place silk flowers into a large bag
and pour in one cup of Morton Salt.
Shake vigorously. Remove.
And voil!
Your flowers will be clean.

There are sooo manyamazing uses of salt that I decided to give you a link for you to use to discover the wonders of the salt that the little girl with the umbrella brags about. Hope you find some useful hints.

Little is known of Patrick's early life, though it is known that he was born in Roman Britain in the 4th century, into a wealthy Romano-British family. His father and grandfather were deacons in the Church. At the age of sixteen, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken captive to Ireland as a slave. It is believed he was held somewhere on the west coast of Ireland, possibly Mayo, but the exact location is unknown. According to his Confession, he was told by God in a dream to flee from captivity to the coast, where he would board a ship and return to Britain. Upon returning, he quickly joined the Church in Auxerre in Gaul and studied to be a priest.

In 432, he again said that he was called back to Ireland, though as a bishop, to Christianise the Irish from their native polytheism. Irish folklore tells that one of his teaching methods included using the shamrock to explain the Christian doctrine of the Trinity to the Irish people. After nearly thirty years of evangelism, he died on 17March 461, and according to tradition, was buried at Downpatrick. Although there were other more successful missions to Ireland from Rome, Patrick endured as the principal champion of Irish Christianity and is held in esteem in the Irish Church

Originally, the colour associated with Saint Patrick was blue. Over the years the colour green and its association with Saint Patrick's day grew. Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in celebration of St Patrick's Day as early as the 17th century. He is said to have used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagan Irish, and the wearing and display of shamrocks and shamrock-inspired designs have become a ubiquitous feature of the day. In the 1798 rebellion, in hopes of making a political statement, Irish soldiers wore full green uniforms on 17 March in hopes of catching public attention.The phrase "the wearing of the green", meaning to wear a shamrock on one's clothing, derives from a song of the same name

According to legend, Saint Patrick used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pre-Christian Irish people

The Chicago River is dyed green each year for the St Patrick's Day celebration, shown here in 2005.*******************************************************************

THIS 'N THAT...3/6 - 3/13/2011

Freedom and I have been together 10 years this summer. She came in as a baby in 1998 with two broken wings. Her left wing doesn't open all the way even after surgery, it was broken in 4 places. She's my baby.

When Freedom came in she could not stand. Both wings were broken, her left wing in 4 places. She was emaciated and covered in lice. We made the decision to give her a chance at life, so I took her to the vets office. From then on, I was always around her. We had her in a huge dog carrier with the top off, and it was loaded up with shredded newspaper for her to lay in. I used to sit and talk to her, urging her to live, to fight; and she would lay there looking at me with those big brown eyes. We also had to tube feed her for weeks.

This went on for 4-6 weeks, and by then she still couldn't stand. It got to the point where the decision was made to euthanize her if she couldn't stand in a week. You know you don't want to cross that line between torture and rehab, and it looked like death was winning. She was going to be put down that Friday, and I was supposed to come in on that Thursday afternoon. I didn't want to go to the center that Thursday, because I couldn't bear the thought of her being euthanized; but I went anyway, and when I walked in everyone was grinning from ear to ear. I went immediately back to her dowl cage; and there she was, standing on her own, a big beautiful eagle. She was ready to live. I was just about in tears by then. That was a very good day.

We knew she could never fly, so the director asked me to glove train her. I got her used to the glove, and then to jesses, and we started doing education programs for schools in western Washington. We wound up in the newspapers, radio (believe it or not) and some TV. Miracle Pets even did a show about us.

In the spring of 2000, I was diagnosed with non-hodgkins lymphoma. I had stage 3, which is not good (one major organ plus everywhere), so I wound up doing 8 months of chemo. Lost the hair - the whole bit. I missed a lot of work. When I felt good enough, I would go to Sarvey and take Freedom out for walks. Freedom would also come to me in my dreams and help me fight the cancer. This happened time and time again.

Fast forward to November 2000, the day after Thanksgiving, I went in for my last checkup. I was told that if the cancer was not all gone after 8 rounds of chemo, then my last option was a stem cell transplant. Anyway, they did the tests; and I had to come back Monday for the results. I went in Monday, and I was told that all the cancer was gone.

So the first thing I did was get up to Sarvey and take the big girl out for a walk. It was misty and cold. I went to her flight and jessed her up, and we went out front to the top of the hill. I hadn't said a word to Freedom, but somehow she knew. She looked at me and wrapped both her wings around me to where I could feel them pressing in on my back (I was engulfed in eagle wings), and she touched my nose with her beak and stared into my eyes, and we just stood there like that for I don't know how long. That was a magic moment. We have been soul mates ever since she came in. This is a very special bird.

On a side note: I have had people who were sick come up to us when we are out, and Freedom has some kind of hold on them. I once had a guy who was terminal come up to us and I let him hold her. His knees just about buckled and he swore he could feel her power coarse through his body. I have so many stories like that.

I never forget the honor I have of being so close to such a magnificent spirit as Freedoms.

The local newspaper recently asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are this year's winners:

1. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding a stupid person that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

2.Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.

4. Sarchasm (n): The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

6. Karmageddon (n): its like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.

7. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

8. Dopeler effect (n): The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

9. Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

11. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

12. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a grub in the fruit you're eating.

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You had to learn to be self-reliant. There were no Wal-Mart or Home Depot stores to run to when you had an emergency! You were on your own, and you simply made do.

That's when these household hints and tips came in handy. Innovative solutions to problems were often passed down from parents to children. And now these same old-time solutions can make it possible for you to solve some of your household problems too.

Whether it's driving off your dog's fleas, preventing rust, learning how to make a rag rug, or discovering how to destroy roaches, you will find the answers here in this collection of old-time household tips and tricks.....

A heavy chalk mark laid a finger's distance from your sugar box and all around (there must be no space not covered) will surely prevent ants from troubling.

Boil three or four onions in a pint of water and apply with a soft brush, let dry.

Lamp chimneys and glassware for hot water are made less liable to break by putting in cold water, bringing slowly to boiling point, boiling for an hour, and allowing to cool before removing from the water.

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This 'N THAT ...2/21/2011

Once there was a farmer who owned an old mule. The unfortunate mule fell into the farmer's well. The farmer heard the mule brayng - or whatever mules do when they fall into wells.

After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together and told them what had happened...and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.

Initially, the old mule was hysterical! But the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back...it suddenly downed onthe mulethat every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back...HE SHOULD SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP!

This he did, blow after blow, "Shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up!" he repeated to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows, or distressing the situation seemed, the old mule fought panic and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP!

Of course, it wasn't long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall of that well! What seemed like it would bury him actually blessed him...all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity.

"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak (Isaish 40:29)

"Have I not commanded you? Be stong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not de discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9)

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This'N That...2/7/2011

PLEASE READ ALL THE WAY TO THE END AS YOU MAY WANT TO COPY AND KEEP IN A CONVENIENT PLACE FOR REFERENCE!

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Clorox vs. peroxide

Clorox vs. Peroxide VERY interesting and inexpensive. This was written by Becky Ransey of Indiana (a doctor's Wife), and I want to share it with you. She was over recently for coffee and smelled the bleach I was using to clean my toilet and counter tops. This is what she told me. 'I would like to tell you of the benefits of that Plain little ole bottle of 3% peroxide you can get for under $1.00 at any drug store. What does bleach cost?

Most doctors don't tell you about peroxide. Have you Ever smelled bleach in a doctor's office? NO!!!

Why? because it smells, and it is not healthy! Ask the nurses who work in the doctor's offices, and ask them if they use bleach at home. They are wiser and know better!

Did you also know bleach was invented in the late 40's? It's chlorine, folks! And it was used to kill our Troops. Peroxide was invented during WWI in the 20's. It was used to save and help cleanse the needs of our troops and hospitals.

Please think about this:

1. Take one capful (the little white cap that comes with the bottle) and hold in your mouth for 10 minutes daily, then spit it out. (I do it when I bathe.) No more canker sores, and your teeth will be whiter without expensive pastes. Use it instead of mouthwash.

2. Let your toothbrushes soak in a cup of peroxide to keep them free of germs.

3. Clean your counters and table tops with peroxide to kill germs and leave a fresh smell. Simply put a little on your dishrag when you wipe, or spray it on the counters.

4. After rinsing off your wooden cutting board, pour peroxide on it to kill salmonella and other bacteria.

5. I had fungus on my feet for years until I sprayed a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water on them (especially the toes) every night and let dry.

6. Soak any infections or cuts in 3% peroxide for five to ten minutes several times a day. My husband has seen gangrene that would not heal with any medicine but was healed by soaking in peroxide.

7. Fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and Water and keep it in every bathroom to disinfect without Harming your septic system like bleach or most other Disinfectants will.

8. Tilt your head back and spray into nostrils with your 50/50 mixture whenever you have a cold, plugged sinus. It will bubble and help to kill the bacteria. Hold for a few minutes, and then blow your nose into a tissue.

9. If you have a terrible toothache and cannot get to a dentist right away, put a capful of 3% peroxide into your mouth and hold it for ten minutes several times a day. The pain will lessen greatly.

10. And of course, if you like a natural look to your hair, spray the 50/50 solution on your wet hair after a shower and comb it through. You will not have the peroxide-burnt blonde hair like the hair dye packages but more natural highlights if your hair is a light brown, reddish, or dirty blonde. It also lightens gradually, so it's not a drastic change.

11. Put half a bottle of peroxide in your bath to help get rid of boils, fungus, or other skin infections.

12. You can also add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to a load of whites in your laundry to whiten them. If there is blood on clothing, pour it directly on the soiled spot. Let it sit for a minute, then rub it and rinse with cold water. Repeat if necessary.

13. I use peroxide to clean my mirrors. There is no smearing, which is why I love it so much for this.

14. Another place it's great is in the bathroom, if someone has been careless & has wet on the floor around the toilet & it's begun to smell of urine. Just put some peroxide in a spray bottle & spray. In the blink of any eye all the smell will be gone & the bacteria eliminated!

I could go on and on. It is a little brown bottle no home should be without! With prices of most necessities rising, I'm glad there's a way to save tons of money in such a simple, healthy manner! ' This information really woke me up. I hope you gain something from it, too.

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Here is an amazing video for you to look at...ENJOY...

http://www.simpletruths.com/movie_landings/landings.php?banner=lvac&us=1506&ca=272&au=395&intl=316

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Daily Rules from God for 2011

1. Wake Up!!

Decide to have a good day. "Today is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalms 118:24

2. Dress Up!!

The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance; but the Lord looks at the heart." I Samuel 16:7

3. Shut Up!! Say nice things and learn to listen. God gave us two ears and one mouth , so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking. "He who guards his lips guards his soul." Proverbs 13:3

4. Stand Up!!... For what you believe in. Stand for something or you will fall for anything. "Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time , we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore , as we have opportunity , let us do good..." Galatians 6:9-10

5. Look Up!!... To the Lord. "I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me." Phillippians 4:13

6. Reach Up!!... For something higher. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart , and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways , acknowledge Him , And He will direct your path." Proverbs 3:5-6

7. Lift Up!!... Your Prayers. "Do not worry about anything; instead PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING." Philippians 4:6

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God answers Knee-Mail!

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When I found the one I love,
I held him and would not let him go"
(Song of Solomon 3:4).

The Rose

As I thought about my love

My heart began to stir

So I stopped at the corner store

To buy a rose for her.

I stepped into the doorway

And saw but one rose, fair

I smelled it's gentle perfume

That lingered in the air

And as I bent to take it

A child ventured near

He came a little closer

Then whispered in my ear

"Please mister, could you help me?

I need this rose, you see

I know I shouldn't ask you,

And It's very rude of me"

"Could I please buy this rose, sir?

I know there are no more

But I hear mommy cry at night

Since my daddy went to war"

"She says when he was home, sir

He brought one every day

But I hear mommy cry at night

Since Daddy went away"

Tears were flowing heavy now,

Both down his cheeks, and mine

I placed it in his little hands

And how his eyes did shine!

He went to pay the owner

Then skipped out through the door

And called over his shoulder

"She won't be sad no more!"

A smile spread across my face

As a thought occurred to me

And I took out the photo

She'd sent across the sea

Although the snap was yellowed

And I only had but one

There was no mistake about it

That child was my son

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We wish you love in any language.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

from

Patty and Corinne

Every February we celebrate Valentine's Day by giving flowers, candy and cards to those we love. We do this in honor of Saint Valentine. You may be wondering, "Who is St. Valentine"? Time to brush up on your Valentine's history!

Legend has it that Valentine was a priest who served during third century Rome. There was an Emperor at that time by the name of Claudius II. Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those that were married. With this thought in mind he outlawed marriage for young men in hopes of building a stronger military base. Supposedly, Valentine, decided this decree just wasn't fair and chose to marry young couples secretly. When Emperor Claudius II found out about Valentine's actions he had him put to death.

Another legend has it that Valentine was an imprisoned man who fell in love with his jailor's daughter. Before he was put to death he sent the first 'valentine' himself when he wrote her a letter and signed it 'Your Valentine', words still used on cards today.

Perhaps we'll never know the true identity and story behind the man named St. Valentine, but this much is for sure...February has been the month to celebrate love for a long time, dating clear back to the Middle Ages. In fact, Valentines ranks second only to Christmas in number of greeting cards sent.

How Do I Love Thee?
By Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace,
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints,-I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life!-and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge:
Advice is like snow; the softer it falls, the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper it since into the mind.

Benjamin Franklin:
an investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.

Just because something is common sense doesn't mean it's common practice... Unknown

This is an eyewitness account which happened in the city of New York, on a cold day in December sometime ago. A little boy about 10 years old was standing before a shoe store on Broadway, barefooted, peering through the window and shivering with cold.

A lady approached the boy and said; " My little fellow, why are you looking so earnestly in that window? " Nope

The lady took him by the hand and went into the store, and asked the clerk to get half a dozen pairs of socks for the boy. She then asked if he could give her basin of water and a towel.

By by this time the clerk had returned to the socks. Placing a pair upon the boys feet she purchased him a pair of shoes and tying up the remaining pairs of socks gave them to him.

She patted him on the head and said," My little fellow, do you feel more comfortable now?"

As she turned to go, the astonished lad caught her by the hand, and looking up at her face, with tears in his eyes, answered the question with these words, "are you God's wife?"

A tip for all those girls out there who occasionally lack the oomph to open screw-top water/juice bottles but are too proud to ask nearby guys for help... If you are at home, a rubber glove or bottle gripper will give you the power you need to get into the stickier ones. However, these are usually in short supply at work in the office, so carefully wind a rubber band snugly around the lid and try again... Magic!

The best way to get rid of candle wax stains is not to get them there in the first place, there are a few simple ways to avoid them.

1. Buy better candles, cheap candles have lots of additives in them that cause them to stain worse, try a candle that is nothing but paraffin wax, scent, color, and stearic acid (the acid helps the candle wax burn away so there is little to no dripping.)
2. even dripless candles drip if there is a draft near where they are burning, make sure they are not near any open windows, fans, or heater vents.
3. make sure that the candle holder is big enough to hold any spillovers.
4. never blow out your candles, use a snuffer, if you don't have one a shot glass or juice glass over the wick until the flame is out works great. and
5. if you have just put a candle out don't move it until the wax has solidified again.

Candlewax Removal.
I got candle wax on my windows when my husband blew out the candles at christmas, tried everything until a friend told me to use WD40, it worked like a dream. I am going to use an iron and some newspaper now to get some more out of the carpet!!

Candle Wax Removal -- If there is a puddle of wax to remove, aim a blow dryer set at its highest level to melt the wax, then dab it up with a paper towel as it melts. Stubborn little drops embedded in a carpet can be removed quickly by dabbing them with dry cleaning spirit which has been soaked into a paper towel.

And guess what everyone spring will be here before we know it. So this gives you a chance to plan ahead. AARGHHHH Here are some pointers

If cleaning involves moving knick knacks and furniture to clean, from the ceiling to the floor, scrubbing every surface until free of dust and dirt. Ceiling fans, corners of ceilings, tops of doors, windows, window sills, furniture, and baseboards should all be cleaned with furniture polish. And Spring Cleaning is the top to bottom cleaning that is done two to three times a year.

This cleaning involves moving knick knacks and furniture to clean, from the ceiling to the floor, scrubbing every surface until free of dust and dirt. Ceiling fans, corners of ceilings, tops of doors, windows, window sills, furniture, and baseboards should all be cleaned with furniture polish.

The sheets him should be removed from the beds after the cleaning is done. The floors are vacuumed and things are put back. In bathrooms the walls, tubs, toilets, sinks and floors are scrubbed and the floor mats are removed and washed. In the kitchen, the tops of cabinets, cabinet fronts, counters, applainaces, refrigerators and floors are scrubbed and the oven is moved and cleaned behind.

The general weekly cleaning is the upkeep of the spring cleaning. It involves dusting, sweeping, mopping and vacuuming. The bathroom toilets, shower, sinks and floors are cleaned and in the kitchen the counters and floors are cleaned. The weekly cleaning should be done one room at a time, focusing on the cleaning and putting any organizational projects that are encountered along the way on hold until all the cleaning is done. This ensures that you won't get distracted with a new project and not finish cleaning. This is why cleaning seems to take all day, we get distracted with smaller projects within the rooms.

Start at the back and top of the house and work your way down to the front of the house. This will help you focus on your goal of cleaning the entire house. If you start at the front, you may become tired and not reach the back bedrooms or bathroom. Do not do laundry during cleaning. Simply pile the laundry near the laundry room and work on this project later, or the next day!

Cleaning can be accomplished quicker by enlisting the help of your family, even small children can be given a cloth to wipe off a table or the tv, that will hold their interest and the tv will sparkle. Use the right tools, a clean rag or sponge can be used in all rooms. Vacuuming the floors as well as the carpets saves time on sweeping. If you have small children, concentrate on their area, the floors and baseboards and everything in their eyesight, on their level.

After you finish cleaning, put your feet up and enjoy the fruits of your labor. With a little hard work, concentration, organization and "elbow grease" the house can be cleaned quickly and to your satisfaction. Enjoy!

Okay, I didn't write this, I just found it online. It is kind of bizarre. I don't know if I know a single-family that would get behind the spring cleaning effort happily. For those of you who have such a family I am impressed about your family as I type this. I cannot even remember the last time I actually did spring or fall cleaning. My method has been that every once in a while I will pick a room and really clean it. That works for me, but the result is that the house is never ever all clean at the same time.

A LITTLE OF THIS AND A LITTLE OF THAT

AN INSPIRATIONAL STORY

THIS 'N THAT...3/6 - 3/13/2011

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This 'N THAT ...2/21/2011

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This'N That...2/7/2011

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