Hey GDQ,
Ah thank God for another post this week. I am really being intentional about being productive this season even though it is a fuller home and I have less quiet, but hey, we keep moving
Ok so this scripture came alive to me today and I knew I had to do a post.
I woke up today just plain out of sorts. I was tired but more mentally and emotionally. I wanted to go back to bed but a 5am prayer meeting kept me up. Plus I heard the Holy Spirit say to me ‘Eziaha, take your own advice. Worship while you work’.
Right after the prayer meeting, I spent time with Jesus and entered the kitchen to get the day started with worship filling the atmosphere
Slept with dirty dishes as I really was too tired last night to bother. So there were dishes, breakfast and more to do
Was amazing how God just started to speak to me about a few things I had been seeking answers to. It was a NORMAL EVERY DAY MOMENT of washing plate, but it was enough for God to invade and make completely extraordinary
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him….Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out….
Romans 12:1-2 MSG
So I wanna share a few more very practical tips to help you thrive and not be overwhelmed, joyless and/or depressed during these #COVIDays.
If you have something else you would love for me to talk about, feel free to let me know
1. Worship while you work.
This bears repetition. Please don’t let satan fill your mind without you fighting back.
God’s high and holy praises fill their mouths, for their shouted praises are their weapons of war! Psalms 149:6 TPT
Worship is really warfare and I want you to FIGHT BACK with worship. It is amazing the strategies God can give you even while doing something as mundane as washing the toilet.
Like the scripture in Romans above says, PRESENT IT ALL TO HIM AS AN OFFERING, then watch what He does with it.
Some worship songs I love in this season are
Tasha Cobbs Fill me up and This is a Move
Jenn Johnson’s Lord I look to you
Nathaniel Bassey’s Hallelujah eh, Onise Iyanu
Elijah Oyelade Spirit Pray
Surrounded by Micheal Smith
Dunsin Oyekan’s Open up and the latest Fragrance to fire
And almost everything from Fountain worship
Ok so, there are two ways I download songs. If I need audio, I go to tubidy,mobi on my phone and search and download
If I need video, which I prefer most times, I go to savefrom.net, then put the YouTube link, then download. Be sure it is on MP4 on that tab for download so that version can play on your screen. I use a laptop for this one because I then take it to my flash and connect my flash to my TV at the back. Just check for USB ports behind the TV then go to menu, and follow the prompts. That way, I have my worship playing from a louder bigger device and the entire house is saturated with worship.
This is not the time to say I dont have data or money. No, sis. When money was an issue but i needed to be online and getting all my content for personal development, I would take money from the family good budget, happily go without some extras like meat or eggs, sticking to only the basic so I could afford data which then was 7k cos I hate to manage data please. I see it as an investment in me, so find a way to get these songs abeg
I hope these help. Keep worship going
2. Switch up the family meals
So typically because the kids are home all day, there is a tendency to be constantly feeding, but you don’t have time for another feeding session at 10am when breakfast got done at 9.30am.
Typically most of us do cereals or bread in the morning. I do oats 4 of the 5 weekdays and golden morn on Wednesdays, but in this season, I am increasing their oats portion and leaving off GM and bread from breakfast. I am feeding them heavier in the morning. Yes, breakfast like lunch abeg. So if oats, I do a larger portion. But I am doing more potatoes and pap, moimoi and custard, plantain and egg and the likes.
Something that would keep them going till at least 1pm. Of course, you must also keep them engaged, not only cartoon. Screen time breeds hunger, so give them written and reading work too. Then play activities. Keep those light cereals for dinner abeg
If hubby is around, give him a heavier breakfast too.
Started doing that this week and I have seen it work for me. No too much “Mummy I’m hungry “
Get back your morning hours without spending it constantly feeding
Above all, please feed them just enough and no more. Let them drink more water. Dont overfeed.
And speaking of water, if your kids are young and can’t serve themselves, fill a bottle of water per child and keep it where their hands can reach so they can always go drink by themselves. Getting up every time to give someone water is tiring
Just these little things buy you some time and help fight the overwhelm that may be lurking
3. Rise before the rest of the house
Sis, this is so important. If you wake up before hubby and kids, first you get some quiet time to spend with Jesus, then you can plan out the day, and even get a few things done before some little feet come and invade the day.
Even if you don’t do housework then, you can read a book, workout, watch a video and do things that are YOU centered and free from interruptions before you start the work of giving yourself to your family. Don’t just say you are tired, fight to make this happen even if it means sleeping with a dirty kitchen so you can sleep early. Dont waste time on mindless social media scrolling at night. Sleep early and start your day CENTRED before it gets pulled in all directions.
If you rise with everyone, most likely you will just go with the flow till 3pm and you wonder what you have done today.
This is particularly key for me as I don’t have the luxury of any free or alone time during the day anymore. Hubby and kids are 247 at home and siesta hardly happens here so my mornings are million dollar hours or minutes
Remember I already told you here not to waste time on unnecessary chats. No time please,dear
I wanna throw in two more mini tips that can reduce laundry for you lol
1. Wipe spills more with wipes and tissue so you can dispose. If you are like me and hate dirty rags, then use more stuff you can dispose of, if not I spend time washing rags
2. If your kids still bed wet, while we are praying and doing what we can, accidents still happen. What this means is that I find myself washing bed sheets almost daily cos I hate keeping urine smelly stuff. Now I have decided to take the bed sheets off their beds and leave only the mackintosh abeg. Until we completely win this wee-wee at night battle, I am saving myself the stress of washing bed sheet on days we have accidents
Ok, I will write more as the Lord lays on my heart. If you have a topic you want me to write on, or have a question, drop a comment and if I have an answer, I will get to it
All the best in this season mami, and I am praying for you.
Love
Eziaha
God’s Domestic Queen