Melissa Michaels
About the Author

Melissa Michaels is the NY Times Bestselling author of Love The Home You Have and The Inspired Room book. Her blog, The Inspired Room, was voted Better Homes & Gardens Readers' Favorite decorating blog in 2014 and 2015. Melissa is a church planter's wife and a mom to three human kids and...

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
Find more at DaySpring.com
(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
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    • I love to read Psalms every 30th chapter for that days date and Proverbs and Jesus Calling and/or Daily with the King and/or Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgen or sing a favorite hymn.

  1. Melissa,
    When I get a case of the grumbles, I really do need to look around my home and replace it with an attitude of gratitude. As many have said, It’s not I “have to” take care of my house, but I “get to”. When I’m tempted to complain, I do need to take inventory of all the blessing around me – including a roof over my head. Starting each day in His Word also sets the tone for my day. I do want to get back into journalling. It doesn’t have to be long “here is my life” entries, but simple prayers, prayer requests, jotting a scripture that struck me, observations of creation, etc. Thanks for a timely reminder.
    Blessings,
    Bev xx

  2. I love that this list is a medley of the “sacred and the secular,” the tangible and visible sinks and the intangible and invisible heart of gratitude that changes the way you view the world. This points to the amazing way that Jesus’ incarnation has invested everything (all of His creation!) with significance. I’m happier just reading about it here, so thank you, Melissa!

  3. Thank you for sharing your list. I do need to improve my daily prayer time, I do also make bed everyday, and try to shine sinks everyday. I do like the idea of sending little notes to friends and taking time to meet face to face. It seems like with the social media and being able to catch up with friends and family that way, I don’t do as much face to face meetings.
    I plan to add a couple of these to my list. Thank you!

  4. Taking a walk. Just getting outside for awhile always seems to help refresh my mind and restore to me the list of blessings I might forget if I’m home, bent over my desk, absorbed in a never-ending pile of paperwork. I think regular breaks, in any form, cultivate happiness. Most of the time I take them in the form of a cup of tea, each afternoon, and, when I have time, I will even bust out the teapot with a cup and saucer to do it well. <3

    • Totally with you there!! Taking a walk always makes my day 🙂 and I love using that time to talk to the Lord!! I just seem to have my perspective reset by being outside in nature seeing God’s beautiful works He did for our pleasure. Always reminds me of how much He loves me no matter what 🙂 .

  5. Thank you for this elegant article. Your perspective resonates with my heart, whose throne belongs to Him…

  6. I am right there with you on so many! 🙂 I like to create atmosphere, too, with decorative items – in fact, I am changing up some art today! I, too, find making the bed helps my mental state. Two other things I do are to spend some time listening to worship music each day, often while I cook dinner, and to light candles often!

  7. I love that you show how something as simple and everyday like making the bed every morning can set one’s day on the right track. My routine is that while I am drinking that first cup of coffee of the day, I spend time walking around the house looking at the family photos I have displayed. They bring memories of when and why the photos were taken and the reasons I have to be grateful for who and what I have.

    • Ellen, I love this! That would be a good reason for me to put up more photos (that I’ve been meaning to get to for just, oh, a couple years!) and could be a fun way to pray for them, too. Thanks for the idea!

  8. Your article was a refreshing surprise, Melisssa… Thank you. Seasonal decorations help me: snow & pinecones in winter, followed by spring flowers, birds & fruit, then sea shells & sand. Fall is my favorite and Christmas is easy. They dont have to be elaborate (bird salt shakers on my kitchen window sill) but they stir gratitude for the unique season I’m in – physically, emotionally & spiritually – and help put time in perspective.
    (On a friend’s recommendation I just ordered the book Make Your Bed and wondered if that’s where your suggestion came from.)

    • Hi Barbara! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I actually started making my bed routinely decades ago, I believe it was at the prompting of Fly Lady! I’ve shared my success with bed making in my own books (Love the Home You Have and also in Make Room for What You Love). Making my bed has been such a motivating way to start the day. I recently heard about the Make Your Bed book and would love to read it. Sounds like he has some great wisdom for all of us!

  9. Thank you for the encouraging ideas! One thing I do to encourage others (which then encourages me!) is send out part of my daily devotion with a verse ~ to my husband, children, and other family members and friends each day for encouragement.

  10. These are awesome ideas.. Ive found strength in humble heart attitudes and allowing God to fill me with His purpose and healing and attitude instead of mine.. The other tip of the day I use is Music and even reading my old hymnal as I pray and ask God to use it to encourage me . Quite often God will remind me of a song at the perfect time.. because God is God..:)

  11. These are all great, Melissa. I love #6 and am currently working on building an encouragement group of sorts. I like the idea of extending our times together by sending notes of encouragement or through social media.

    What habit changes my day for the better? Emptying the dishwasher. I used to grumble and complain about that chore until a wise woman (she’s in her 90’s) whom I love dearly once told me I should be thankful for the food that dirtied those dishes. It was the smack on the head I needed. Now I may not always look forward to doing it, but I remember to be thankful for the food AND the dishwasher itself! I also find myself talking to God, singing my off-key Christmas songs (all year long as my daughter rolls her eyes), and dancing around and sliding on the floor in my fuzzy socks while I’m at work. This helps me feel like I’ve accomplished a simple goal while dancing a jig with God in our kitchen…and catching glimpses of Him in my heart, smiling and laughing a little with me, always makes the day so much better!

  12. Love your suggestions, Melissa! I’ll add my AMEN to Kathy Holmes’ comment about candle-lighting. Another blogger (wish I could remember who) suggested a year or two ago that we remind ourselves Jesus is the Light of the world as we touch flame to wick. It’s HIS glow in a home that creates the warmth, coziness, and contentedness we crave.

  13. Melissa thanks for sharing. I work some from home and some times out of my home. My days flow much better after my dovation if I shower and dress myself as if I am ready to leave house, even on days when I work from home.

  14. I saw somewhere on Instagram – wish I knew who to credit – “Word before world”. Sometimes my activities for the day aren’t wrong, just disordered. When I start with God’s word (love Seeds music – scriptures set to music), even listening to a song as I get the kids ready for school, it uplifts my spirit and nourishes me for the day ahead. Thanks for starting this conversation, Melissa! I appreciate your ideas (I need to work on a sink or two around here!) and those expressed in the comments.

  15. All very good suggestions, I like the low light. The sun hits my front door in the afternoon and it is hot, even closed for an hour it is bright across the floor. While I love light, there is a peace and quiet to lighting also.

  16. Melissa,
    I really enjoyed this post, thank-you so much for your ideas.
    Blessings to all,
    Penny

  17. Melissa,

    I keep several prayer lists on my computer. Each time someone here at In Courage, church or elsewhere needs prayer I write their name down & the need. Also pray 16 things over my husband. While going through my day I simply talk to God about these people. Discouragement can come at any time for me. When that happens I simply make a “thankful list”. Big & little things are included on that list. My latest list has 248 items on it. Each time I look at it I’m reminded of how many blessings God has given me. Item #3 reminded me of a book “Make Your Bed Little things that can change your life…and maybe the world.” Admiral William McRaven writes that by making you bed daily you have accomplished one task. It can lead to many others through out the day. Should you have a bad day-you can come home to a nicely made bed & realize you did something right. Each & every day I try to encourage someone. It might be a Wal-Mart worker who needs a smile or a hug. Smiles and hugs are given frequently along with nice e-mails or texts. Great ideas.

    Blessings 🙂

  18. Melissa,

    Thank you for the easy and simple to do list. I am going to implement the app, and I often have lights on through the day around my home. Instead of looking at my lights as a waste of energy, I will know look at it as Jesus shining light.
    I love doing random acts of kindness as well, something as simple as saying Hello and smiling when I am out walking with my dogs. (Kind of like the elevator, people in elevator look down instead of smiling and making eye contact)

  19. Dear Melissa,
    This is perfect for me. I have so many overwhelming discouraging issues in my life with months or years of backlogs in every area, I am functioning so slowly and poorly. What you said gives me a wonderful focus and plan to help me.
    Thank you so much.

  20. I loved this article!!! I agree with each daily habits for sure. I’m learning to live in a constant state of gratitude every day, all day, and find the silver lining in whatever happens. I find though I work at a very busy store, I’m always in prayer – it makes all the difference in the world!! Thank you!

  21. Hi, Melissa. You and I are kindred spirits! Everything you’ve said, I have been doing. And you are right; gratitude is the key to peace! Thank you!

  22. I love this list, Melissa and five of them are things I have in my daily routine as well. {The one I don’t do so much is intentionally shining my sinks, although I think this is a great addition. 🙂 } It’s amazing the power of positivity wields. I don’t hit the mark perfectly every time, but these little things really DO make a BIG difference!

    Thank-you for sharing.