They

A great post today at Coffee Tea Books and Me.

Sunday Afternoon Tea

What are "they" telling you?

Frugal Luxuries - Caretaker of Happiness

From Frugal Luxuries by Tracey McBride

Part II: Food

Chapter 7: Every Day a

Feast

Caretaker of

Happiness

"You are the caretaker of your own happiness. As such, you must discover the positive pleasure in performing the tasks that enhance the essence of life

itself:

• Collecting, preparing, and preserving food

• Feeding an empty stomach with wholesome tasty, nourishing fare

• Relaxing in a thoroughly cleaned home (preferable your own)

• Settling to sleep on sweet-smelling sheets that are freshly laundered

(I just got the best smelling linen water from Scentennials. I love spraying a little spray over the sheets when the bed's made. Very summery smelling to me.)

• Awakening your senses via working in your vegetable or herb garden

• Learning an interesting, useful skill"

I also got some new scented drawer liners for my new vanity from Scentennials as well. Hopefully pictures will be up soon. I'm in the middle of painting my bedroom and swapping out furniture...

The True Test of Homemaking

I read a beautiful post today about homemaking and thought you might like to read it. It is taken from A Wise Woman Builds Her Home and is titled...


(I've posted from A Wise Woman Builds Her Home before, she has so many great writings, you must check her out)


The True Test of Homemaking

before we can say that we have realized the ideal of a true Christian home, we must prove its spirit. What impression would our home and its like make upon a pure and simple-hearted child?

We may build a palace of marble. We may fill it with the rarest beauties of art. We may adorn it in the most luxurious fashion. We may furnish it in the most costly manner. It may be perfect as a gem in all its appointments, a piece of art in itself. Then our home-life may be as stately as royalty itself. There may be the most perfect order, the loftiest courtesy, the utmost precision of movement. Each member of the family may fulfill his part with unfailing promptitude.

Bring in the child and ask it what it thinks of your home. "It is very beautiful," responds the little one. "It is very grand. It is a palace. Does a king live here?"

You turn away disappointed. You have failed to make such a home as you wished. You have piled up grandeur; you have made a splendid piece of art; you have succeeded in setting up a model which all will admire; but you have not made a home of love, of tenderness, and of praise.

You begin anew. You do not seek this time for grandeur. You build your home with taste and thought. You put into it as many lovely things as you can afford. You set up your household life and fill it with the spirit of prayer, of love, of gentleness, of unselfishness. Again you call the child. She moves up and down, in and out. She sleeps under your roof; she eats at your table; she tastes of your pleasures; she mingles in the life of your household. You ask her what she thinks of your home and she replies, "I think Jesus lives here!"

It is not the grandeur that impresses her now, but the spirit that dwells within; not the stateliness, but the affectionateness, not the courtliness, but the sweetness. She finds love everywhere---love that shows itself in tone, in act, in look, in word and in countless little manifestations of thoughtfulness and unselfish tenderness. It impresses the untaught feeling of the child as a home like that in which the Master would live.

This is the true test of home-making. It matters not how little or how much of grandeur, of luxury, of costly adornment there may be. Money and art can do many things, but they cannot make a home. There may be more of the spirit of a true home in a lowly cottage or in the one room where poverty finds a shelter, than in the stateliest mansion.--

JR Miller, The Family

This is so my prayer today. Life can be overrun with things - dishes, clothes, lists, chores, noise, appointments. That Jesus may shine in our homes!!! What better goal in a homemakers life?

Our new washer and dryer

Yeah!!!! I have a new to me washer and dryer!!!

Artie and I made a commitment several years ago not to go into any more debt. (Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; Romans 13:8a)

It has been a hard but very rewarding journey. It's funny to see what you can do without if you choose. God has so honored our choice. When our tax money came, we were able to pay off our last credit card - which we have not used but have been paying on for several years!!

Our dryer broke a couple of months ago. It didn't break all at once. It would just tease us often. Sometimes it would work - sometimes not!! So, we just did the best we could. I have a big five line clothesline, so when it didn't work, we just hung out all the clothes (we go though an unbelievable amount of clothes!!!!).

About a month ago, it totally quit working. We knew we were fixing to get our taxes back, so we weren't too worried about it and planning on buying one then. Just waiting and hanging (which I do enjoy very much now). Anyway, the day before we got our tax money back a friend of Artie's in Charlotte got a new washer set and asked Artie if I wanted his. Of course!! So, Artie stopped by after work yesterday and picked them up. He gave it to Artie for some work he did on his air conditioner. God is so good. By not running out and going in more debt, we ended up getting one for free.

Troy helped Artie bring the old ones out and the new ones in this morning before he left for work. After Artie left, Troy changed out the power chord on the dryer and got it all set up for me. The dryer is running now!!! I can't wait to have hot clothes coming out in just a few minutes!!! I do love my clothesline, but I love the lint filter in the dryer too. Clothes seem much cleaner to me when they go through the dryer. Don't worry, we still have plenty enough clothes to keep the dryer running and keep haning out on the clothesline as well!!!

My new griddle

This is one of my favorite Christmas presents. We take a present to Artie's family's Christmas and play a Chinese or White Elephant game. I brought a small griddle and wanted to come home with it. I was hoping to exchange it for a larger one. I ended up with a large one in the end anyway. Artie's sister Kathy brought one too. I think his other sister Carolyn got the one we brought.

(Artie got a cool flashlight that you shake to get to work - no batteries - and a small pocket knife)

We've cooked bacon, eggs, sausages, and now hamburgers on them. I think they will be great for pancakes too. Maybe next week???

I just read the best article at Domestic Felicity. Thought some of you might to check it out.

http://ccostello.blogspot.com/2007/11/go-out-there-and-help-poor.html

Go out there and help the poor!

"If you want to be a godly woman, you should go out and help the poor and needy, instead of spending your days polishing the bathroom sink."

***

This, my friends, is the first time I get such a scorching remark in response to a post about cleaning and home organization; a milestone! Most of the negative comments I receive come as a reply to my posts about feminism, masculine leadership and the role of women.

But, as I already said several times, while I have no intention to allow a hostile spirit in my comments section, even personal insults can be a blessing if they cause me to stop, think, and double- and triple-check my attitude, which is precisely what I'm going to do now.

Not to brag, but just to clarify, I will say that I definitely support – and practice – helping others and extending the hand of fellowship to those who need it. As someone who experienced the overwhelming kindness of strangers, how can I not? In the past few years, I volunteered in the local community center; tutored a sick child without receiving any payment, for many months; baked for charity events; collected and donated used clothes and other items; no, I'm not saying I do enough – but one never stops growing, isn't that so?

However, here's something I have a problem with: the idea that it is acceptable (or even encouraged) to neglect the needs of our most loved ones, the people closest to us, the ones God entrusted us with – our family – in order to go out and do something 'for the greater good'.

This might ruffle someone's feathers, but I think that if my home is dirty and messy, meals aren't provided on time, the refrigerator is empty, the dirty laundry hamper is overflowing, and I haven't spent quality time with my family, or neglected my spiritual life, for a while now – this means something is wrong! I'll even tell you what: from the best intentions, from trying to do as much good as I possibly can, I end up doing harm.

Please note that I'm not referring to emergencies. If I see an injured stranger who needs a ride to the hospital, I'll drop my grocery bag or brush and mop or whatever I'm doing at the moment, and I will help. But if, for instance, I volunteer in the local elders club, while my Grandma stays home alone, her needs unattended, I just don't see how this can be right.

I remember this story I heard once, about a man who was asked, 'what does your wife do?' to which he replied, 'she takes care of unwanted children'. Some nodded approvingly, but then his honesty got the better of him and he added: 'the children are our own, and well, if she didn't take care of them, they would be unwanted!'

Don't get me wrong; if you can fit volunteering (or any other activity) in your life without your immediate duties suffering and without living in a hectic, crazy pace, that's wonderful. But if you have a family, you have obligations – a daughter to her elderly parents, a wife to her husband, a mother to her children; for them, you are irreplaceable. Without taking care of those who need you the most, you cannot have peace and order in your life. And if you don't have that, how can you bring it to others?

Jotted down by Anna S



This was written by a young girl names Anna.

"I'm a grown-up daughter, living at home, delighted to take care of my family. I enjoy my years as a single and do my best to make them useful and productive, learning, growing and preparing to become a virtuous and joyful wife, in God's perfect timing. I invite you to join me on this exciting journey! "

Wow, what a head start she has on life huh?

Words of a Housewife

This is a beautiful poem by Chelsea Peterson posted on LadiesAgainstFeminism - http://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com/artman/publish/Biblical_Womanhood_and_Christian_Living_14/Words_of_a_Housewife1003009.shtml

Words of a Housewife
By Chelsea Peterson
Nov 21, 2007 - 11:11:03 AM


Words of a Housewife

God, I want to do great things for you,
And speak to all the nations!
God replies:
That’s well and good,
But for now
Fix your children’s complications.

Lord, I want to straighten up the world,
Feed the hungry and fulfill someone’s wishes!
God says:
Fine, but for the present,
You need to wash the dishes.

Lord, I want to preach, proclaim your name
And bring salvation to the earth!
God says:
Good! Then teach your children
And preach my name to those you’ve given birth.

At the end of the day,
I think of all I’ve done.
But as I look it seems,
I’ve accomplished nothing for the Son!
God I had no time to witness one on one,
I couldn’t join my church group,
They said I missed out on lots of fun.

My household is the only thing
That managed to be cleaned,
My neighbor is the only one,
Besides my family I could feed.

The only ones I’ve read Your Word
Are those within my home.
God I’ve done so very little
And I feel so all alone!

God says:
I’ve seen the way you cleaned and cooked
And taught your kids My name.
Tomorrow morning at eight o’ clock,
I’ll watch you do the same.

The work you do at home,
Though no one really sees,
Is helping to raise little ones
To grow and worship me.

My ways are not your ways,
I don’t expect you yet to see,
But the precepts that you’ve taught your children,
Will help others bow the knee.

Your children will reach out to others,
Your example in their mind.
They’ll do great work for Me
And their children will respond in kind.

The hand that rules the world,
Also rocks the cradle.
Because of you, your children love Me,
All their hearts are stable.

Though your house is your domain,
Your tasks seem rather plain,
Your efforts will reach the multitudes,
Though from humble work they came.

My Clothesline

One of my favorite joys - hanging clothes out on my clothesline!! I love my clothesline. I am trying to teach myself and Brenda to hang out like the Amish do - all like things together and by size. She thinks I've flipped my lid and am gonna run off and become Amish!! It looks so pretty when it is all hung neatly though.

(Beside the tree, behind the clothesline you can see Artie's horseshoe pits - that was his father's day present last year. And then the children's fort is coming off the side of our pecan tree.)