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• Pressed flowers…these are the easiest, cheapest and prettiest things to use on your homemade cards. Now is a great time (if you have black-eyed susans in your area, or other wild flowers) to pick flowers, stick them between the pages of a heavy book (between tissue paper), and press for use a few weeks later. Ferns in the summer make good pressed decorations as well. Be creative!

• Lightbulb packages (with the ribbed back) make great adornments! Just tear or cut a small square or rectangle of the package, glue on the front of a notecard (or cut a card out of cardstock), and then glue a dried flower over the ribbed piece!

• Glue leaves on your cards. Even once they die on the card, they usually look really neat!

• Punch holes in the top or sides of the card and tie a raffia bow.

• Buttons make cute decorations.

• Look around the house…and think outside the box!

For more frugal tips, check out Biblical Womanhood.

“What I would like to see discussed(as opposed to “debated” I guess) is what do you do when you have come to these convictions once you have older children in the household? My oldest two daughters are 17 and 13 and unfortunately are fairly “worldly” as opposed to my younger children. My oldest has already been accepted to a college two hours away…she is a very talented softball player and will be playing at a D1 level…something she has worked very hard to achieve. While I am very proud and happy of her accomplishments, I wish she was content to remain at home. My DH supports me being at home but wants our daughters to be able to go to college then once they are mothers themselves, stay at home. I believe that is setting them up for some major conflicts down the road. How do you change course midstream when you’ve been encouraging and supporting your child to do something that now you feel isn’t right? And what if your DH doesn’t fully support yuor position?”

Blessings, Kim

Some friends of ours are undergoing, in my opinion, a shocking and frightening experience at their church.

Our friends have chosen to keep their children with them in the worship service (as opposed to sending them to children’s church), and they have opted for their teen aged daughter not to go to youth group (a decision she is in agreement with). Most Sunday nights, they meet at a Bible Study with some other like-minded, homeschooling families rather than attend the night service.

Problem? The pastor and church leaders are irate. In fact, he has requested that they step down from their teaching a Sunday School class, and has had several meetings with them to plead that they not deprive their children. He has also expressed his displeasure at their “sin” of missing Sunday evening services. Yes, he called it sin.

The father of this family is a godly man, and the spiritual leader of his home. Despite their humble appeals and explanations about their choices, the pressure has only intensified. The pastor even recently preached a whole sermon on the sin of missing Sunday night church, and not participating in the church’s programs.

I don’t know how this strikes you, but this scares me silly. When a pastor feels the authority to usurp a father’s authority, insisting that he involve his family and children in activities that the father has chosen not to participate in, something is dreadfully wrong.

I know we’ve discussed youth group and children’s programs before, but this goes far beyond the discussion of church programs…this is the supplanting of fathers as the head of the home, the encroachment of church leaders onto the family, the uninvited arm of bureaucracy imitating government policies within the church of God.

It should be made clear, I am in favor for true, biblical church discipline–an element lacking in in most churches. But disciplining for sin, and trying to force families to participate in optional, extra activities, are on opposite ends of the spectrum.

Your thoughts?

Part of the crew!

She’s in baby heaven!

Does it get any sweeter?

Mallie loves being a big sister now!

We’ll just let him keep thinking she’s kissing him 🙂

Alexa could do this all day!

Avi loves the snuggles!

A middle school in Portland, Maine passed a proposal to allow the dispension of birth control pills to kids ranging in age from 11-14 at the local Middle School.

I’m almost speechless, except it makes me so angry I cannot remain silent! Of course you know the argument…”kids are going to have sex..better that they don’t get pregnant in the process.”

Consider this quote from one of the school’s nurses:

“It will provide a means of making sure you don’t get pregnant and ruin your school career, and limit yourself in the future.”

Did you get that? Children losing their virginity, living with a complete disregard for moral purity isn’t going to affect them…isn’t going to “limit them in the future”…are you believing that?

By the way, the parents DO NOT have to be notified!!!

Amy cleverly paralleled this line of thinking: why not dispense clean hypodermic needles for those kids who are “just going to use heroin anyway”?

For an ABC debate on this issue, click the link below…prepare to be nauseated.

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3740096&affil=katv

None of us remembers, but once there was a society of people, Christian and non-Christian alike, who would have stood at these “gates of hell” in protest for their children and the value of the family…how did we get here?

The home should be the center of productivity…

The home should be a place out of which love and service flows to our families, and to those all around us.

The home should be a place of industry, where our resources are conserved, and sometimes income generated.

The home should be a place of security, comfort and beauty to our husbands, children and guests.

The home should be a place where mom is at the center, helping her husband fulfill their family vision, nurturing her children, being there to meet their daily needs, learning and educating herself to better meet the demands of her role.

“Remember that your little toddler will grow up! And your involvement and work in his little life now will have profound implications on the man he will become!”

This last post in the series will discuss the practical ways in which a mother must train her children, both in character and in the daily responsibilities of home. Of course the father has a vital role in this also, but since mom is usually the one spending the most time with them, much of this task falls on her.

In my opinion, the neglect of the early training of children accounts for one of the main reasons our youth culture is in such a mess; consequently, too, why there is whole wave of adults in a mess, and therefore a large number of families in a mess.

The importance of training children has been so underestimated, that parents don’t really give it much thought. As long as their little ones are being taken care of during the day, they deem it sufficient. What a tragedy!

Our little ones are being molded and shaped daily, into what they will become as adults. To neglect this crucial time of shaping, is to cast aside their importance, and to abdicate our biblical responsibilities. We will be held accountable for the time and energy we devoted to training our children! Remember that your little toddler will grow up! And your involvement and work in his little life now will have profound implications on the man he will become!

So what does it look like, on a daily basis? The first thing to remember is that even the youngest of children are soaking in behavior, learning from us and from their surroundings how to respond, react, and engage in the affairs of life.

• Are we teaching them basic responsibility and work ethic? This is best done by giving them age-appropriate duties. It is very important that they see the family as a unit, of which they have a vital role.
• Are we helping them develop self-control…this is a biggie. If the foundations of self-control are not established in a child, that child will grow up at best to be indulgent, perhaps struggling with materialism, debt and relationships…possibly divorce. And at worse, becoming criminals. Our prisons are overrun with men and women who simply have the inability to control themselves!
• Are we training them to put others first? Another biggie! It is the mind of Christ…”let each esteem others better than himself”…and few children are growing into adults with such a spirit.
• Are we teaching them basic manners? Manners are really just an extension of putting others first. Manners are not to make us look good; they are to show considerations to others. And it takes work and practice! Courtesy is becoming extinct!
• Are we engaging them in conversation that will develop their biblical thinking and analytical skills? This may seem like an “extra” thing to throw in, but think about how we (as a society in America) are being swept away by every whim and doctrine of man? It is crucial that we raise children who have a biblical world-view.

This list could go on for pages….but I’ll stop here. Feel free to add to the list.

As we look back over this series, it becomes clear that being a keeper at home is a FULL time job! It involves all our energy, time and effort. If we grasp the vastness of our role, the implications of our efforts, then it completely changes our outlook on what the world deems boring and unimportant.

It should be obvious that the world’s view of motherhood is upside down; isn’t it clever of Satan to get to the source of human development and create a breach between mother and child?

I challenge and encourage you to review your role in a new light…ask God for guidance and strength for the task before you. Let’s build godly homes to be beacons of light…let’s be wives who are crowns to our husbands…let’s raise children who will change the world for God…let’s be women of humility and valor, leading a new generation of younger women to embrace their callings!

As Part 1 explained, being a keeper at home does involve some plain, ordinary work, just like any other job does. And viewing that working through the light of the Christian duty, we find a wealth of opportunities to serve our families. But that is only a part of what being a keeper at home is…there is so much more, although the “so much more” has been lost!

The picture of staying home is so marred by feminists influences, that most women truly don’t understand the plethora of activities, opportunities and freedoms that belong to a true keeper at home. I believe if it ever got out, women would come home in droves!

Homemakers have been painted to be bored, incapable of real achievement, and even enslaved in their homes. Enslaved? As opposed to the woman who must be at work at the time prescribed by another, spend her whole day doing work prescribed by another, taking breaks and lunch only when allowed by another, always enslaved to the demands of another?

Feminists lies! Home brings freedom to a woman…freedom to thrive as God intended her.

In a nutshell, home once was, and I believe should still be, a center of productivity. In essence, we should be making stuff–all kinds of stuff! One of the greatest fulfillments belonging to a person, particularly a woman, is that of creation. For when we create, we reflect the image of our Creator, and that reflection points the world to Him.

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and godhead, so that they are without excuse…” Romans 1:25

We are part of “the things that are made”…we are a walking illustration to the world of the power and attributes of our Creator!

And before you wave your arms in protest saying, “But I’m not creative, or crafty, or whatever…stick with me.

When home is the center of productivity, and can only be such when someone is present at its center, the mandates of Scripture are naturally fulfilled. Husbands have complete helpmeets, children can be nurtured in the Lord, widows can be visited, the afflicted can be relieved…so many things that we are seeing neglected in this culture.

The Proverbs 31 woman gives us a clear picture of the productive home. Was she bored? Was she incapable? Was she dull-minded? Was she weak? NO WAY!

So, what does a productive home look like? I can only offer a glimpse, because your gifts and talents will vary from another’s, and there is too vast array of activities to mention. But depending on your strengths and interests, it could include a number of the things below:

(BTW, we need to “bridge the gap” in a generation where so many homemaking skills have been lost. If you do not sew, learn how! If you cannot cook, learn how! Do it for your family, and especially do it for your daughters so that they might far surpass our efforts!)

• Making good meals for our family–and often making them beautiful. Sometimes it may just be soup and crackers, with the soft glow of candlelight. But meal time is a crucial time for families to connect, bond, and weave a lifetime of sweet memories together. Don’t let it get swept away in the rush of life.

• Making meals for other people–a new mom, a sick neighbor, a tired friend. What a sweet way to serve and to teach our children the importance of loving others. Too busy for a meal? A plate of cookies or a loaf of bread still communicates love and service. One friend of mine often leaves cookies in her mailbox for the mail person…recently the mail lady wrote her a note expressing her overwhelming gratitude for such a gesture. She was having many trials in her life and the cookies were a expression of love to her.

• Making the most of our resources…there are so many ways to help our husbands by saving money. When we are at home, we have the time, energy and ability to find creative ways to stretch the budget.

• Making gifts…everyone can learn to make simple gifts. This is a huge money-saver! And homemade gifts are such a blessing to people as opposed to store-bought ones. Again, your children are reaping the benefits of watching you use your resources wisely AND be a blessing to those around you.

• Making curtains instead of buying them (or some other item of the home)…OK, this one is over my head. I am not a seamstress, although I am determined one day to be! I have begun to do some simple sewing projects, though.

• Making flower arrangements to sit in the bathroom, or on the kitchen table, or beside the bed, or to take to a neighbor. I just went outside and picked a large bouquet of black-eyed susans, put them in a cute sunflower vase that I bought on clearance last year, and took them to my neighbor for her birthday. The younger children helped me arrange them. Who knows…maybe one of them will start a flower-arranging home business for weddings one day???

• Making memories with our children…this simply requires lots of unhurried time that being at home affords us.

• Making our homes lovely with the simple touches of candles, soft music or a fresh smell…when families are rushed, divided, and running in and out of home just for showers and sleep, the home is merely a house. Let’s make our homes a haven…a resting place, a place of comfort, security and love. Our husband’s need it, our children need it, and we need it! Furthermore, guests who come to visit will sense the warmth and love of home and long for it too!

• Making ourselves presentable to our children and husbands…if we take the time to “fix up” for strangers, how much more should we bless our families by maintaining a neat appearance?

• Making phone calls to check on a burdened friend…anyone can do this. It is a ministry within itself! Sending cards or letters also fall into this category. Let your children help you.

• Making bread, even if it’s just to fill the house with a warm, wonderful aroma…make cookies with your little ones…make anything! Try a new recipe.

• Making babies ;-)…

Do you get the picture?

PLEASE do not feel overwhelmed by this post. Understand that you may do only one of these things a week, or a month. You may start with one thing and add to it. You may be in a busy, difficult season of life, where the only thing you may find time to do is turn on some soft music. If so, then just turn on some soft music!

Do what you can, when you can. Relax, enjoy, learn, add, and pray for ways to be productive. We were wired to find our fulfillment in creativity, and beauty. Start looking for the simple ways to bring delight to your family. Don’t let it be a burden. And as you thrive, your family will thrive. And that joy will shine as a testimony to the world!

You know by now how strongly I feel about the importance of wives and mothers being at home. There are myriads of reasons why I believe it is important, and there are just as many factors behind why so many women simply don’t want to be at home.

This week I’ve been thinking a lot about one of those reasons.

Over the years, the “picture” of what a keeper at home is, or should be, has faded into one of drudgery, where a dull-minded, incapable woman fulfills her endless, boring duties of cleaning toilets, washing dishes, and vacuuming, reaping no rewards or satisfaction. She has a few children, which makes her job even harder, and the best she can hope for is the day they start school. This picture is being constantly promoted, and it has had devastating effects on our culture.

And if this is the true picture of being a keeper at home, who in their right mind would want to be one?! Not me!

But this is not an accurate picture. And due to the lack of older women teaching us otherwise, we need to rise to the challenge of painting another picture–a true picture of the fulfillment that is ours when we understand our role.

Over the next few days, I hope to offer some glimpses of what I believe a keeper at home should be. I have taken it for granted so many times that Christian women already know this stuff, and then I’m thrown for loop when a woman says to me, “But what am I supposed to do all day? I’d be bored out of my mind!” So many women really don’t have a clue about the joy and richness of this staying at home business!

The first thing we must understand is that part of our job DOES involve simple hard work. What worthy job doesn’t? But understanding how that work looks in “the Kingdom Realm”, will greatly change the way we view it.

Washing dishes, cleaning toilets–all those not-so-glamorous things we must do, are filled with the blessed opportunity to SERVE–to daily exemplify our Savior with our hands and hearts. For what was His last act on earth, but the most humble of duties, washing the feet of His disciples, His “family on earth?”

Our understanding of what God has called us to, as Christians–“I beseech you, therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy , acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service”-will radically change the way we view our work.

If we can grasp the heart of our mission here one earth–serving and loving others–then we will be thrilled with the realization that God has put us in a place so rich and full of opportunities to carry out this mission!

It will also help us understand the seriousness of neglecting our service to our families. We begin to see that cooking meals, sweeping the floor, and the thousands of other tasks are not optional if we desire to serve the Lord. Because if He has called us to love, serve, tend to the needs of others, etc., then to bypass our family in order to go out and serve someone else, is a grave offense. There are many noble things in the world to do; but if we do those things to the neglect of the basic service of our family, the nobility is lost.

In the next few days, I’ll discuss some of the more “exciting” aspects of being a keeper at home. The lost art of homemaking, if you will. The feminist movement wants desperately to keep this side of it undercover. They tout nonsense like “women being slaves in their homes”, and “being robbed of freedom to pursue their own interests”…when nothing could be so opposite of reality!

Stayed tuned for the most joyous freedom and opportunity to exercise your own interests that ever a women had!