One of the best ways to open up your life to God is to create a warm and inviting home. Not just for you and for your family, but for God as well!

Remove Clutter

Chaos surrounds us everywhere! Not just outside of our home, but also within our home. If your home has been feeling cluttery and chaotic then it is best to try to clean and organize it so that there is a new and fresh aura surrounding your most precious space!

You may be surprised to realize that once your home has been purged of items that have become more of an inconvenience than a benefit, you may feel more open and free! This may lead to more opportunity to hear and connect with God.

Any items that you are not making use of, but that you are not ready to get rid of yet, simply box up and move to the basement or attic for now.

I will be honest in saying that I have challenges with getting rid of items that I do not really need or that do not really serve their purpose anymore because I tend to attach a sentimental value to them. I get rid of what I can, but if I am not ready to part with an item because it was something that, say, my mother gave to me, then I place it in a box, label it and then put it away.

Later on, you can come back and review if you want to keep the item or not. Right now, the idea is to greatly reduce the amount of items in your home that are just laying around.

Reorganize and Label

Creating a warm and inviting home requires organization! Once you have been successful with reducing the clutter in your home, you want to keep that clutter from returning! Much of the reason why we develop chaos in the home is because of lack of organization.

For mail or advertisements, I dedicate a basket in the laundry room for the most important pieces (such as personal letters or bills) and a basket in the garage for newspapers and advertisements. I do not even allow these into my home!

I found that my mail was creating chaos in the kitchen because I continued to place it on a small kitchen counter when I first walked in the door. Before I knew it, there would be a crazy, mixed-up pile of papers and bills that I had to look at everytime I entered the kitchen! It actually created an anxiety that I did not know existed until I got rid of the madness!

I make certain to go through the baskets as soon as possible. Once the baskets are full, that is my cue that I am overdue!

For closets, I tend to simply toss everything into them in order to make the rest of the house look cleaner. Don’t do this!  Make certain to dedicate specifc places for items and a place for items that have yet to be given a space. For example, after writing out bills (yes, younger generations, I am old fashioned this way! Checkbook and all!) I use labeled bags to organize bills that have been paid. At the end of the year, I place the bags into a box labeled for that year and move it to the basement.

The kitchen is one of the most popular and most frequently visited areas of the home. It is also the area that our food comes in contact with. You will want  to make this area as clean as possible! Be sure to clear any extra items that you do not need from countertops. You will be amazed at how much neater this looks!

Clear a draw space for larger spoons that you may have sitting in a container on the counter. Place potholders that are hanging on a wall to the drawer under the stove. Blenders and toasters can also go into a cabinet or (if you do not have much space like me) place them into a far corner of the counter neatly so that they are not clearly visible when you walk in.

Clean up as you go along! I learned that if I do the dishes and wipe down counter tops while I am working on cooking food, I do not have to worry about soaking dishes in the sink later and staring at a pile of them after eating, say, dinner.

Redecorate By Removing

Chaos can also consume other living spaces that we may not recognize, such as walls and furniture. If you have too much furniture in the home, see if you can move some pieces to another room or donate pieces you rarely use or need.

My other home once had so many pieces of odd furniture, that every wall space had something to it and there was little room to walk! Once I moved into my new house, however, I purposely made attempts to allow as little furniture into my home as possible. Infact, I do not even own a kitchen table! Some people bulk about it, but I have found that it was the best decision for my son and me because we typically eat in the living room anyways and now we have more space! The home also feels more open and welcoming!

Most people choose to hang pictures on their walls and to hang pictures of their children and loved ones. This is perfectly fine and everyone has their own take on what makes a home a home to them! Sometimes, though, too many pictures make walls look cluttery and wild….

For me, I prefer to have as few pictures as possible and the ones that I do have hanging are ones that contain reminders about God and Jesus. The Ten Commandments and a small picture of Jesus (one that my grandfather painted) hang on my wall in the dining room/kitchen area. In the hallway, I have a picture of Jesus with a scripture written on it. In the living room, a cross with a saying hangs warmly on a small wall. I have found that DaySpring has some nice, simple items that serve as reminders of His presence.

What you may be surprised to hear is that I do not hang or display pictures of my son and me nor any family or friends. This may seem mean, but there is no ill intention at all with this in my heart. For me, the cleaner the walls, the better. The subtle reminders of Our Lord lightly pearched around the house is what makes me feel at home and reminds me of His presence.

Please don’t get me wrong, I deeply value pictures of my son and friends and family, but I prefer to have these pictures printed and placed into photo albums so that I can stow them aside, yet pull them out often to look at them. This greatly reduces the number of items on the walls. I will share that I prefer printed pictures in photo albums (the old fashioned way) because they are more tangible and seem to have more meaning than looking at them from a screen or a printed photo album. I like to review these often with my son.

The general idea here is less is more. When I walk into each room of my house, I feel a warmth from each room – not an anxiety. The warmth gives me a closer pull towards God.

Air-Out Your Home

Open the windows and let fresh air in! Even on freezing cold days, you can let the cold air in for a bit to remove any stuffiness and to help kill germs. Don’t forget to adjust your thermostat, though, so that you do not waste heat!

Whenever you mop or clean bathrooms/kitchens, it is a good idea to open the windows to release the smell of chemicals from your home. I like to use more natural products when cleaning because they contain less toxins and seem to have a more naturally clean smell.

A warm breeze blowing into your home may allow for a few moments to connect with God. There is something magical about a breeze and if you can just find the time to stand still in it for 2 minutes, you can feel His presence weaving gently through your hair….

Peaceful Surroundings = God Closeness

You will be amazed at the difference creating a warm and inviting home will make in your attempts to connect with God! If you set up your home so that there is less chaos and clutter and more freshness and newness, then you will feel more open to receiving and hearing God’s words to you!