Only the Home can Compare with the Temple in Sacredness

Conference this weekend was wonderful. We didn't have a chance to watch the saturday sessions, but we did get to watch the Sunday sessions! I was so happy we did!
One talk in particular really made an impression on me. Not sure who it was but he talked about temples, and our homes. He had us take a "virtual reality tour" of our homes... wow. Talk about a kick in the butt from the Lord! I think it is the kick I needed to get myself in gear and get my house in order again.

Shall we all take it? Imagine that you are opening your front door and walking inside your home:

What do you see, and how do you feel? (a mess, stressed, helpless)

Is it a place of love, peace, and refuge from the world as is the temple? (It is a place of love, but there is not really much peace or refuge for me, it is constantly making me feel inferior and unworthy of my calling as a mother and wife)

Is it clean and orderly? (nope, it is chaos in raw form, it smells, there are flies, nothing is clean, nowhere is orderly)

As you walk through the rooms of your home do you see uplifting images, including appropriate images of the Temple and the Savior? ( There is a statue of the temple in the living room, as well as a tile picture of the Savior, but nothing in other rooms. I don't think any of the images we have are not uplifting though)

Is your bedroom or sleeping area a place for personal prayer? (t is a place of chaos, and preayers aren't said nearly as often as they should be)

Is your gathering area or kitchen a place where food is prepared or enjoyed together, allowing uplifting conversation and family time? (Nope, I haven't cooked in it since December, and it hasn't been fully cleaned since then. I cannot go in without vomiting, so there is little room for conversation, uplifting or not.)

Are the scriptures found in a room where the family can study, pray, and learn together? (I can never find my scriptures, and I don't think I have ever read a scripture outside of church to my little Ryan)

Can you find a personal gospel study space? (Nope, if you can't find your scriptures it is hard to have a study space.)

Does the music you hear, or the entertainment you seek offend the spirit? (I try not to listen/watch anything that would be offensive to the spirit, but I am sure there are things in my home that would)

Is the conversation uplifting, without contention? (Most of the time, though the cleanliness of the house puts me in a sour mood, and when Dom promises to clean and doesn't it causes contention)

Honestly, my home is not much of any of these at the moment... it could use some great improvement...

I have decided to start with the physical aspects of the virtual tour. If my house is more orderly and clean it will greatly improve how I feel about myself and my family, which will make it easier for me to focus on the spirit in our home and making our home a place of refuge and contentment. This is a gigantic task, and it looms before me like a mountain of hardship... but I need to do it. If you want something done right you got to do it yourself, right?
I'm going to start by trying to do the flylady system again. I tried it last summer for a while and it seemed to work well for a while, I just need to have the gumption to stick with it and make my home a more inviting place.
Wish me luck!
Holly