The summer I began to tackle the issue of time management in my diffracted life, a seminarian lived with us throughout those warm months. And, I blush even now to think what a continual gripe I was throughout that summer. In fact, I was a literal grump for the first six months of my fourth pregnancy.
I ordered myself around, tackled the ramshackle closets and drawers, marched children in and out of how-to-clean sessions, drew up a daily schedule, and, with teeth gritted, forced us all to stick with it. I had to be mean and angry in order to motivate myself! By 9:00 a.m. rooms were to be straightened, everyone dressed, breakfast over, and the kitchen clean.
From 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. the children owed Mommy one hour of work after which they disappeared to play. I continued to struggle over the baked-on mess in the oven, or the mountainous pile of ironing, or the upholstery project I had started months ago.
Through all this we carried on our usual open house. I particularly remember because of the maternity hostess gown I wore. However, I began to practice some noticeable simplifications, abbreviations which were good lessons to apply toward the even busier days ahead.
Soon summer was over, the seminarian had departed, the older children were off to school, and just in time, as I was nearing the end of a rough pregnancy. For the last three months there was no hospitality. I had all I could do to scrape a meal together. And finally, David took over even this detail.
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Karen Mains has long had an interest in Christian hospitality and is the author of the best-selling book, Open Heart, Open Home.
An award-winning author of several other books, Karen continues to write content for her Christian blog, “Thoughts-by-Karen-Mains.” In so doing, she desires to touch the lives of Christian women and men and help them find ways to walk closer with the Lord Jesus Christ. In addition, through silent retreats, spiritual teaching, women’s retreats, Christian vacation opportunities, and other ministry activities, Karen helps each Christian woman and man receive vital spiritual food.
For decades, Karen Mains and her husband, David, have served God through religious communications—radio, television, and print publication. The are the co-authors of the Kingdom Tales Trilogy: Tales of the Kingdom, Tales of the Resistance, and Tales of the Restoration. To find many valuable resources for pastors and churches at the Mainstay Ministries main website, please click here.
In addition, pastors will find special resources to help them create effective, life-transforming Sunday sermons by visiting David Mains’ website by clicking here.
Through her Hungry Souls ministry, Karen serves as a spiritual coach to many Christian women and men, and teaches a mentor-writing class. And, through the Global Bag Project, she is working to develop a network of African women who sew exquisite cloth reusable shopping bags. This microfinance women opportunity helps provide a much-needed sustainable income for struggling African families. For more information on this critically important project, please click here.
