Spring Cleaning

Greetings RAWC Stars! Happy Monday to each of you AND Happy May!! This is the time of year when many of us embark upon the ritual of “spring cleaning”! I myself have gone into "purification mode” as I prepare to clean up, clean out, de-clutter, organize and prepare for the new season upon us. As we enter into May we are also quickly approaching Mother’s Day (this coming Sunday!) and what better time to refresh, revamp and realign our homes and living spaces in honor of our wonderful mothers and mother figures who constantly reminded us to clean our rooms!! LOL Now this year is a bit different for me personally because at this time last year, I had much less “space” to clean, occupying an apartment with my youngest brother and son. This year, as I’ve moved back into the family home, although familiar and comfortable it appears that now there is more responsibility in cleaning this space that I now share with my other younger brother and son. I must admit that when I lived here as a youth with my parents, the house was much more organized and the rooms appeared so much more spacious and orderly but now as an adult and mother myself, it appears that the rooms have “shrunk” and I have more stuff now than ever before!!! Geesh!!! So what I realize is that in order for me to maintain a certain level of contentment, I MUST be sure that I maintain my living space just as much as I maintain my blogs, my book calendar and any other thing that pertains to career and job. It is quite a balance but what I find is that “spring cleaning” is not only about what is before me in the natural. Of course I will take this opportunity to put away all the sweaters and boots and make sure all of the seasonal items are packed away accordingly but this year, “spring cleaning” has taken on a different meaning. As I “de-clutter” my home, I also want to focus on de-cluttering my mind and my thoughts. As I rid my home of any junk, I also want to make sure that I’m not carrying the “junk” around in my mind and spirit. When I say “junk” I actually mean harboring such things as bitterness, unforgiveness, jealousy, bad attitudes and even bad habits. I must admit that I am a “Clutter Queen” and I realize that the bad habits that I’ve carried with me this long, have made my task even more complicated than what it really could have been had I taken the steps to maintain my living space on a consistent basis. Instead I’ve let magazines, papers and mail pile up out of control and instead of getting rid of things I will probably never use, wear or read again, I have allowed them to accumulate and mix in with the newer things. One thing that God definitely has impressed upon my heart recently is that I must become a better steward over the things He has already blessed me with. Being content in addition to being satisfied also means being grateful and appreciative not just with our words but with our actions. So this week as I humbly embark upon my “spring cleaning” marathon, I invite you all to join me as we prepare for newness of life! Cleansing and purging is absolutely necessary in order to prepare for the new seasons of life that will spring forth as we uncover lost items that are now found, as we uncover hidden emotions and issues of life that haven’t yet been fully dealt with. This concept is how I’ve been able to motivate myself into taking upon what could otherwise be a daunting and unpleasant task. I must admit that I consider myself to be more creative than domestic but I am willing (and with the strength of the Lord!) to make an effort to improve. I’ve got my Mr. Clean, Clorox, Pledge, Mop N Glo, PineSol, Lysol disinfectant spray, rags, bucket, mop, cloths… Let’s do it!!! But not just cleaning on the outside but from the inside out! Matthew 23:27 reads “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.” So….. Are we ready? As we clean and start throwing old things away and I leave you with the following scripture of encouragement!

Isaiah 42:9
Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.






Joy & Blessings!