How Clean Is Your Home? Do You Have Nasty Secrets Hiding That You Aren't Aware Of?

Today a lot of people seem to think that Spring Cleaning is old fashioned and not needed anymore. After all, we have these modern homes with modern cleaning appliances and gadgets, special cleaning agents, and our homes are so different from years ago. Our heating and cooling systems are so much different than in bygone times. We don't need to Spring Clean like people used to.

My response to that is...Think again!

Today, just as much as years ago, we still need to super clean our houses every so often and Spring is one of the best times. It's a great way to start off the warmer seasons of the year.

But seriously, why? Why do we need to Spring Clean?

Our houses are much more airtight, comparatively speaking than house were in the past, but they also can’t breathe because they are so airtight. They’re full of chemicals and gases, from floor wax to the microfibers of carpets, that our ancestors never knew of or used. You'd be surprised how actually dirty just your walls are and you are breathing it all in!

But there are other and even more serious things that may be lurking in your homes and I know that from personal experience. When we first were married we bought a lovely old farmhouse that was built in 1875. We loved that house and stated renovating it right away. What we found was not fun. All through our house we had something that can cause a very serious cancer called Mesothelioma. The thing we had in our home from previous renovations and additions was Asbestos!

What's asbestos?

Asbestos is a heat-resistant fibrous silicate mineral that can be woven into fabrics, and is used in fire-resistant and insulating materials. it has been used in homes and businesses for over 100 years.

wrapped pipes                                         flooring

ceiling insulation                          cement board siding

We discovered that not only did we have pipes covered with an asbestos based product, several of the rooms in the house had flooring that contained asbestos. To say the least I was concerned and we sought out experts to help us deal with it. Checking your home for asbestos is a very important thing to do. The majority of homes built before 1970 have asbestos in them in many different forms which could include linings around pipes, insulation in walls, ceilings and attics, roofing, siding, and vinyl flooring. Any and all asbestos in your home can contribute to the possibility of you or one of your loved ones contracting Mesothelioma.

So how do you go about Spring Cleaning and checking for asbestos? It's actually pretty easy. I've been using the same system for almost 30 years and it has worked really well for me and lot of other people I have shared it with. You can read more about it in a couple of my past blog posts HERE and HERE!

But you can also receive some very helpful information from the Mesothelioma & Asbestos Awareness Center. They have provided this fantastic graphic that you can copy and paste on to a paper for reference in helping you Spring Clean your home while being aware of things to look out for.

Cancer is a horrible disease and Mesothelioma is one of the worst forms of it. Make sure your home is safe for you and your family by checking for possible asbestos. Get help from an expert if you are concerned by checking with HomeAdvisor.  They can connect you with an expert in your local area that can help you identify, remove or treat problems you might have with asbestos in your home.

Don't wait! Now is the best time to give your home a good healthy cleaning. Your health and the health of your family will benefit from it in more ways than one!

Have you ever found asbestos in your home. Tell us about it in the comments below!

This is a public service post brought to you from the Mesothelioma & Asbestos Awareness Center. No compensation was giving for the sharing of this information.

I Pray My Response Some Day Will Be "And It Was Beautiful"

For me, reading this book was an encouragement. Kara dealt with so much in her last few years on this earth and now she is rejoicing with her Lord. But while she was here, she spent time thinking about what was really special in her life and the grace that God so abundantly gave her. I was touched by her honesty and faithfulness in telling her story. I myself am not dealing with the physical problems of a disease, but my husband is and helping him as he walks this path has been a struggle. There are times I question if I am really doing what I should for him, am I really seeing his as I should through eyes of faith? Seeing Kara's honesty has helped me remember it is a day by day thing we walk, even a moment by moment thing. We are fighting a sin nature that does not want to give in and it will be a struggle. It's important to hang on to the things that will truly last and are important. My focus has shifted and I am thankful for that.

This is a book that will inspire you, encourage you, make you cry a little, and learn to remember how God showers us with blessings even in the midst of pain and suffering. it's a very good read!

About the book:
"I was here. I saw beauty. I embraced it." -Kara Tippetts

How do you live out extravagant love in the everyday moments? How do you celebrate grace when your life turns out differently than the one you dreamed?

Kara Tippetts discovered how to find joy in the small moments of life. She learned how to hold tight to hope even while battling intense physical and emotional pain. And she lived out the truth that God can redeem any story.

In her final book, Kara offers gentle reflections on living and dying well. She invites us to cultivate soft hearts even when we face great disappointment. Her ideas for living are hard-won, wrestled with in the crucible of family, illness, and faith. And her constant reminder is that whether we are in the midst of dark days or mundane moments Jesus is always there, life is surprisingly beautiful, and God is forever good.

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1QVAvgz

About the author:
Kara Tippetts was the author of The Hardest Peace and the co-author of Just Show Up. She blogged faithfully at mundanefaithfulness.com. Since her death in March 2015, her husband, Jason, has been parenting their four children and leading the church the couple founded in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

 Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

This reviewer received the product free or at a discounted price in order to bring you an honest review. No other form of compensation was given. All opinions are those of the reviewer.

This Book Really Spoke To Me and I Highly Recommend It To You

This book really spoke to me in a very special way. Although I have never gone through cancer, I have gone through tremendous hurt and difficult situations; serious illness, betrayal, the near death of my husband on four different occasions, the rage of an abusive father. I remember receiving pat statements about how I should deal with things, quotes from Scripture to help me feel better and to think about, lectures on what I was doing that was wrong. It was horrible! it wasn't what I really needed.

But I also remember a few special friends who just listened, who just sat and held me while I cried, who came to the house and washed my dishes, who loved on my children when I could not. They did what the title of this book said, Just Show Up.

This book is about embracing friendship in all aspects, the good, the bad, the ugly and the really ugly, as well as the glorious times. It's about clinging to God and relying on His grace and mercy through being His child in all aspects. So many of us strive to give and do, and we forget that sometimes we need to be quiet and receive. As a part of the Body of Christ, each of us has a significant part and each of us needs to build up and sometimes to be built up.

I love this book and how it is very, very real! I understand the emotions and pain, as well as the joy and love expressed in the pages! I highly recommend this book to you!

About the book:
Just Show Up (David C Cook, October 2015) Kara Tippetts's story was not a story of disease, although she lost her battle with terminal cancer.

It was not a story of saying goodbye, although she was intentional in her time with her husband and four children. Kara's story was one of seeing God in the hard and in the good. It was one of finding grace in the everyday. And it was one of knowing "God with us" through fierce and beautiful friendship.

In Just Show Up, Kara and her close friend, Jill Lynn Buteyn, write about what friendship looks like in the midst of changing life seasons, loads of laundry, and even cancer. Whether you are eager to be present to someone going through a difficult time or simply want inspiration for pursuing friends in a new way, this eloquent and practical book explores the gift of silence, the art of receiving, and what it means to just show up.

Purchase a copy: HERE

About the authors:
The late Kara Tippetts was the author of "The Hardest Peace" and blogged faithfully at mundanefaithfulness.com. Cancer was only a part of Kara's story. Her real fight was to truly live while facing a crushing reality. Since her death in March 2015, her husband, Jason, is parenting their four children and leading the church they founded in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Read Kara's blog.

Jill Lynn Buteyn is the author of "Falling for Texas," an inspirational novel, and a recipient of the ACFW Genesis Award for her fiction work. She has a bachelor's degree in communications from Bethel University. Jill lives near the beautiful Rocky Mountains with her husband and two children. 

Connect with Jill: website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

This reviewer has been compensated with receiving the product free in order to bring you an honest review. All opinions are those of the reviewer.