The Nester
About the Author

Myquillyn Smith, The Nester, is a home stager, redesigner and design school drop-out. Her last home (a rental) was featured in Better Homes & Gardens, Cottages & Bungalows, Ladies' Home Journal and in her upcoming design philosphy book, The Nesting Place: It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful....

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
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(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
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Comments

  1. Love this! That was my house last night! But only because I chose to play with my kiddos during the day! πŸ™‚

  2. This is deep. “Dear Father, give me the strength to always choose to look to You in the midst of unwashed dishes, dirty toilets, a messed up room and even when work overwhelms me. Amen.”

    Thanks for the post!

  3. Thank you for this. Even the title of it spoke right.to.my.heart. I knew God was speaking to me as I had just felt some envy in my heart regarding someone else’s situation today. My focus needs to be straight forward, with eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith. Thanks for the reminder!

  4. Beautiful! Beautiful! Beautiful! Thanks for seeing with open eyes and hearing with open ears. Take notice of the world around you and you will see He loves you just the way you are…laundry done or not done….it doesn’t matter. LOVE looks at the honest beauty of mismatched clothes, slobbering dog and lost shoe and laughs with joy because it’s abundant life. Good Job! Nester, good job.

  5. Thanks Nester! This post was enough to reel me in from the pit of self pity that I was getting ready to dive in. We’re closing on a lovely house on Monday and I just found out that we need to bring more money to settlement then expected. I sure did have plans for that money… I was going to knock down a wall, paint, install a shower and possibly drywall before we moved in. When I let my eyes look directly forward I can see that we will have a beautiful new house. We have enough money for closing and by faith everything I would like to have done to the house will be done in His time and not mine. Whew. Thanks for helping me get a grip.

  6. Sooo grateful for this practical reminder that laundry not put away is still done! My 17 year old son and I say Thank You!!!

  7. Love this! I’ve been ‘training’ my 18 y/o (today!) teenager to do his laundry – let’s just say it’s a work-in-progress. Just “turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face; and the things of this earth will grow strangely dim (especially that laundry!), in the light of His glory and grace”. ;D

  8. Thanks, thanks for the beautiful picture which caught my eye, thank you for the simple but important truth. Thank you for the fresh breath of pure air you gave me trough this post.
    Be blessed wherever you are, Nester.

  9. Love this!! Great reminder. Live the pictures to go with your devotion. Perfect way to describe it!

  10. Thanks! Every mom needs to think about this every once in a while….get priorities in line! Thank you for the ‘gentle’ reminder! #Blessings! πŸ™‚

  11. I actually worry about things like tags and folds on the towels. And the towels are placed behind a door where no one but me cares where the tag is within the pile.
    Great reminder to let the little things go and let tomorrow worry about tomorrow.

  12. Awesome perspective. I, too often, focus on how well done a job is rather than it being done & rejoicing I the freedom I have.

    Thank you for the reminder to look up & not around!

  13. Thank you for this. I love what what you say about laundry not put away still being done. I will choose to look at my house differently too!

  14. Oh Nester, These few words are like a salve to my soul! Last night our little church completed VBS with me acting like I know how to be a director…it’s been weeks of prepping and a full week of playing & teaching little ones about the love of Jesus! And as I walked away from our closing celebration last night, I walked into my home and could only see the utter disarray of my house. That tricky enemy wants me to see the mess around me, but your words this morning remind me of the precious children who gathered all week to sing praise songs & learn the wonderful stories of Jesus! Their favorite song? Choose Jesus! That’s what I’ll choose today too!! Thanks for reminding me…

  15. And would I even *need* to ask the Lord for heart help if things were perfect?! That is the gift of imperfection, to be content in our weakness.

  16. “DONE” is so good! Often I find myself focusing on those very things you mentioned–crooked folds, tags hanging out… It does NOT matter! It’s truly a control issue. And we are not in control.
    It definitely helps me to focus: on the BIG picture and then on one area and one thing at a time. Today I’m just working on the computer. The other stuff will get done eventually–or not. I remember my precious mother saying, “The next time around I’m going to take better care of myself and let the house take care of itself.” I do have to monitor that approach, however, because I veer from being so messy (not dirty, just m.e.s.s.y.) since I’m easily distracted to being a control freak. Thanks for the reminder and the visuals.

  17. “In the scope of life, laundry done all wrong is still done. Laundry not put away is still clean.”

    YES and Amen! This is what I keep trying to tell my hubby… πŸ˜‰ In all seriousness though, I think that many of the expectations we have, we put on ourselves. There is so much grace when we keep things in proper focus.

  18. One of my favorite quotes from Abraham Lincoln:

    “Do we complain because rosΓ© bushes have thorns or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses?”

    Rejoice!