A hazard for high-achiever women!

August 13, 2025Squadron of Sisters (Debbie Chavez) Leave a comment

Hello. My name is Debbie Chavez, and I’m a list-aholic. Yes, I admit it. I love being super- organized, and I love “accomplishing” a lot every day. It makes me feel good about myself. In fact, my compulsion to accomplish tons of stuff everyday is so bad…..if I do something that was not on my list, I actually add it onto my list so that I can scratch it out!

There is nothing wrong with completing many tasks each day, and there is certainly nothing wrong with being organized, but when we become a slave to our lists, we have a problem. How about you? Are you a list-acholic? Here’s what I’ve been noticing lately. When I become a slave to my to-do list, I am not a very peaceful woman. I become a driven person, and I’m not flexible enough to respond to new situations or needs in my family. Perhaps we need to meditate on the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:40-42. Martha was busy bustling about with tasks, while Mary sat peacefully at the feet of Jesus. Jesus gently rebuked Martha in verse 42 saying, “Martha, Martha…you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed, or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better…”

So, maybe you and I should stop being neurotic about our lists! I am still making a list each day, but unless something on that list is absolutely critical, I’m allowing myself to skip some of the items in order to respond to my family or friends if I can see that they could use my help or encouragement. If you’re a wife, I believe this adjustment could make you more like the 1 Peter 3 wife. She is described as having a “gentle and quiet spirit”. I don’t think she could be quiet and peaceful if she was running around like a chicken with her head cut off! She obviously wasn’t a slave to a long to-do-list. The question is: Do you need to re-evaluate your lists?

2 tips to keep your house tidy!

August 26, 2024Squadron of Sisters (Debbie Chavez) Leave a comment

Many women struggle with keeping their house organized and tidy. This is no surprise. After all, many women are juggling so many responsibilities. They may have several children, hold a full or part-time job outside the home, try to fit in regular exercise to keep their bodies healthy and trim, and of course, try to keep the passion burning with their husband. It’s no wonder that they don’t have time to keep the house tidy! But the Bible indicates an excellent wife will manage her household well (Proverbs 31:27 “She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.”)

So what’s the overwhelmed wife to do? Well, there are two simple things you can do to help you keep your house picked-up and tidy. 1) Purchase plenty of inexpensive bins, or boxes or containers of some kind. It’s extremely difficult to keep the house tidy if you don’t have a place to store things! If you have children, make sure you have enough storage containers for their toys, shoes, school backpacks, etc. If you find Sunday school papers and projects strewn around the house, buy a bin just for those things and ask the kids to always put those things in that particular bin. Have a container for everything!

2) Pick a time every day (perhaps after dinner or 30 minutes before bedtime), and tell the family that everyone is going to spend 15 minutes putting everything where it belongs. This means picking up clothes off their floors and putting dirty clothes in the laundry bin. This means picking up toys and putting them in their proper containers. You will find that if the whole family spends 15 minutes picking up every day that the situation will stay under control and you won’t be overwhelmed with a house that looks like a tornado tore through it!