Home: The center for ministry, productivity, outreach, and evangelism
Megan commented on an earlier post and asked:
Whatever happened to home being the center of the family, a haven of refreshment, a thriving metropolis of productivity?
Instead of homes, we have elaborate McMansions that are devoid of life. They might look pretty to the observer (Thanks to hired maids and interior decorators!), but they are usually just houses, not homes. They sit there empty and lifeless while the occupants live a hectic, frenetic, 100-mile-an-hour life in the fast lane--trying to get ahead, trying to get to the top of the corporate ladder, trying to squish in as many activities as can possibly be had outside the home.
We don't have to follow along in this madness; our families deserve something better. Let's make the sacrifices and take the effort to give our families a beautiful, welcoming home which is the heart of the family and the center for outreach to the world. Maybe our home isn't furnished very expensively and maybe it isn't very big, but we can do our best to recapture the nobility and rightful place of home in our society--beginning with our own home.
Mrs. Stanley Sherman says in her article titled "Plenty to Do At Home":
Being a "keeper at home" does not imply a woman is chained to the kitchen sink and never steps foot beyond her doorstep. Instead, it illustrates a beautiful picture of one of the most important things a woman can invest her life in--glorifying God by nurturing the culture of her home.
As Lanier Ivester says in her article, "I am a Stay-at-Home Wife":
We have the incredible opportunity to bring glory and honor to our husband and to the Lord through how we use our time at home. Take a few days and study Proverbs 31:10-31. What an example of productivity, frugality, and abundant, fruitful living this woman was! Spend time reading through each verse and make a list of the various pursuits, ministries, and activities this woman was involved in. By the time you are finished with this exercise, you'll probably realize that there are a world of possibilities available for a stay-at-home wife.
When we are home full-time, we have more freedom and energy to be able to better help our husband and be a powerful asset to him:
We can become a skilled home economist--stretching the resources we have as far as they can go, becoming more knowledgeable concerning finances and investing, keeping track of budgeting, bill-paying, and record-keeping, perhaps even investing some of our time into entrepreneurial ideas to further contribute to our family's income.
We can become an efficient home manager--setting up a household schedule, overseeing household repairs (or completing some of them ourselves), redecorating the home using yard sale finds, cooking nourishing and wholesome meals, making our home a haven of hospitality and evangelism.
And when our home and priorities are in order, we can begin looking for opportunities to minister from our home--praying for those who are struggling, lodging missionaries, making meals for needy families, organizing ministries to the poor, reaching out to our neighbors, writing letters of encouragement, teaching young women, helping busy moms, ministering to the elderly and widows... the possibilities are wide open and endless!
Personally speaking, I was a stay-at-home wife for about two years, before we had Kathrynne. I had no lack of things to keep me productive and useful. It was so wonderful to be able to devote the bulk of my time and energy to helping my husband and easing his load--especially while he was enduring the rigors of law school.
By being home, I had time to plan menus, shop frugally, and make nutritious meals for my husband. I was able to make sure he had his shirts ironed and clean socks to wear. I was able to research out the best buy on items and make phone calls and run errands for him. I was able to take the time to make a nutritious sack lunch for Jesse to take to school or work everyday, saving us hundreds of dollars in food bills.
Not only was I available to meet my husband's needs, but I was able to expand his ministry. With school and work, he didn't have much extra time to be able to help and serve others, so I could do things as his "ambassador".
I was able to go and help other families in their homes with their laundry, cleaning, cooking, and homeschooling. I made meals for needy families and took care of the details of our home so that we could practice hospitality. I also spent a great deal of time reading, keeping up with current events, writing, and studying in order to help facilitate interesting discussions around our dinner table.
It was also during these two years that I was able to learn how to start and run a business. One of my husband's dreams was for us to have a home business and through this time I had at home before children, I was able to make his dream a reality. If I had been out pursuing my own career, I never would have had the hours to devote to this.
So, Megan, let me encourage you: there are a thousand things one can do from home to glorify God and bless others. The most important thing is that you seek to make your home a God-glorifying place and you devote yourself to doing everything you can to make your husband successful. Focus on these two things and you'll never run out of things to do. And I can imagine your husband will not be disappointed either!
I'd love to hear from the rest of you: What have you done from home to glorify God, bless your husband, and minister to others? Tell us about it. What encouragement do you have for Megan?
(Note: Some of this post was taken from Recapture the Nobility of Home--a post I wrote in July of 2006.)
I have a question though that I can't seem to find much information on, and I'm hoping you can help. I currently do not have children but will be coming home to be a SAHW in the fall. I'm worried that I won't have enough to do, especially since kids will not be involved. Any help/ideas?In our current culture, home has become so neglected that many people haven't the slightest idea what its purpose is outside of a place to sleep, relax, and sometimes eat. Home has lost its noble place in society so much that people can't imagine what there is to do there all day long. Any woman who dares consider staying home full-time is made out to be a unintelligent woman living with half her brain tied behind her back.
Whatever happened to home being the center of the family, a haven of refreshment, a thriving metropolis of productivity?
Instead of homes, we have elaborate McMansions that are devoid of life. They might look pretty to the observer (Thanks to hired maids and interior decorators!), but they are usually just houses, not homes. They sit there empty and lifeless while the occupants live a hectic, frenetic, 100-mile-an-hour life in the fast lane--trying to get ahead, trying to get to the top of the corporate ladder, trying to squish in as many activities as can possibly be had outside the home.
We don't have to follow along in this madness; our families deserve something better. Let's make the sacrifices and take the effort to give our families a beautiful, welcoming home which is the heart of the family and the center for outreach to the world. Maybe our home isn't furnished very expensively and maybe it isn't very big, but we can do our best to recapture the nobility and rightful place of home in our society--beginning with our own home.
Mrs. Stanley Sherman says in her article titled "Plenty to Do At Home":
When you make a determined decision to dedicate yourself to marriage, home, and family, the list of things to do at home is endless.I concur. Although children are a wonderful addition to the home, children do not make a home, nor should children be the only reason for staying home. If your husband wants you to work full-time outside the home and he is not open to any creative alternatives, by all means do it. However, I think most men would readily give up the relatively small amount of extra money brought in by a second income to have a wife who truly embraced her role as a "keeper at home".
Being a "keeper at home" does not imply a woman is chained to the kitchen sink and never steps foot beyond her doorstep. Instead, it illustrates a beautiful picture of one of the most important things a woman can invest her life in--glorifying God by nurturing the culture of her home.
As Lanier Ivester says in her article, "I am a Stay-at-Home Wife":
According to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, the word "keeper" means literally a guard, a stayer at home, one who is domestically inclined.I believe with all my heart that home is about so much more than scrubbing floors, washing dishes, and bathing babies. Although those are definitely usually parts of our duty as homemakers, we need to look beyond the day-to-day activities and see the bigger picture.
We women are gatekeepers--no matter what battles are raging in our culture, we have been entrusted with the culture of our own homes, a culture within which tremendous ministry can take place, both to our families as well as the ones God brings into our lives. And for me, even though He has not blessed us with children yet, that is a full-time job.
We have the incredible opportunity to bring glory and honor to our husband and to the Lord through how we use our time at home. Take a few days and study Proverbs 31:10-31. What an example of productivity, frugality, and abundant, fruitful living this woman was! Spend time reading through each verse and make a list of the various pursuits, ministries, and activities this woman was involved in. By the time you are finished with this exercise, you'll probably realize that there are a world of possibilities available for a stay-at-home wife.
When we are home full-time, we have more freedom and energy to be able to better help our husband and be a powerful asset to him:
We can become a skilled home economist--stretching the resources we have as far as they can go, becoming more knowledgeable concerning finances and investing, keeping track of budgeting, bill-paying, and record-keeping, perhaps even investing some of our time into entrepreneurial ideas to further contribute to our family's income.
We can become an efficient home manager--setting up a household schedule, overseeing household repairs (or completing some of them ourselves), redecorating the home using yard sale finds, cooking nourishing and wholesome meals, making our home a haven of hospitality and evangelism.
And when our home and priorities are in order, we can begin looking for opportunities to minister from our home--praying for those who are struggling, lodging missionaries, making meals for needy families, organizing ministries to the poor, reaching out to our neighbors, writing letters of encouragement, teaching young women, helping busy moms, ministering to the elderly and widows... the possibilities are wide open and endless!
Personally speaking, I was a stay-at-home wife for about two years, before we had Kathrynne. I had no lack of things to keep me productive and useful. It was so wonderful to be able to devote the bulk of my time and energy to helping my husband and easing his load--especially while he was enduring the rigors of law school.
By being home, I had time to plan menus, shop frugally, and make nutritious meals for my husband. I was able to make sure he had his shirts ironed and clean socks to wear. I was able to research out the best buy on items and make phone calls and run errands for him. I was able to take the time to make a nutritious sack lunch for Jesse to take to school or work everyday, saving us hundreds of dollars in food bills.
Not only was I available to meet my husband's needs, but I was able to expand his ministry. With school and work, he didn't have much extra time to be able to help and serve others, so I could do things as his "ambassador".
I was able to go and help other families in their homes with their laundry, cleaning, cooking, and homeschooling. I made meals for needy families and took care of the details of our home so that we could practice hospitality. I also spent a great deal of time reading, keeping up with current events, writing, and studying in order to help facilitate interesting discussions around our dinner table.
It was also during these two years that I was able to learn how to start and run a business. One of my husband's dreams was for us to have a home business and through this time I had at home before children, I was able to make his dream a reality. If I had been out pursuing my own career, I never would have had the hours to devote to this.
So, Megan, let me encourage you: there are a thousand things one can do from home to glorify God and bless others. The most important thing is that you seek to make your home a God-glorifying place and you devote yourself to doing everything you can to make your husband successful. Focus on these two things and you'll never run out of things to do. And I can imagine your husband will not be disappointed either!
I'd love to hear from the rest of you: What have you done from home to glorify God, bless your husband, and minister to others? Tell us about it. What encouragement do you have for Megan?
(Note: Some of this post was taken from Recapture the Nobility of Home--a post I wrote in July of 2006.)
Labels: Home Management and Organization, Making Your Home a Haven, Marriage
posted by Crystal Paine at 8:33 AM
28 Comments:
Amen! :)
Crystal! What an incredible post you just wrote. Thank you so much for it--I'll be saving it and referring others to it often.
One of the benefits I've discovered as a homemaker who doesn't have children yet--I'm able to learn how to be a better homemaker and helpmeet before our chidren come along.
I can't imagine how hard it would be to be in the workforce, stay there until my third trimester, and then try to figure out how to keep the home AND take care of an infant.
Also, we have more money now than we did when I was working outside the home. That's because we're spending less and we're stretching the dollars we have better.
Finally, we're both more relaxed, and can enjoy evenings and weekends together, rather than scrambling to play catch-up every week. It's win-win all around!
Before my kids came along these are some ways that I kept busy and ministered:
*Babysat once in a while for visiting missionaries
*Worked on decorating and arranging our little apartment
*Taught Sunday School with my husband
*Worked on the church's Missions Committee
*Practiced lots of hospitality and having other couples and families over for meals
*Was actively involved in a wonderful women's Bible study
*Ministered to neighbors and unsaved co-workers (it was necessary for our funds that I work part-time)
*Grew in my homemaking skills
*Developed relationships with my new in-laws
What a great post Crystal! I'm going to share this with my sister who is a SAHW who longs for children and has to stand up to the, "What do you do all day" comments often.
Just as the Proverbs reveal, the home is the highest place of any city...it's an honor and a place of tremendous worth to be called a Keeper at home (that is a loving wife and/or mom who guards HOME!)
Bless you!
Sheila
Here here Crystal!
I wrote a similar post to the thoughts of what is really going on in these huge ritzy homes with everyone working to pay for them
Big, Beautiful, but sadly empty
Crystal, this post was so beautiful it brought me to tears. It is what I long for myself, to be a keeper at home. At this point, I have to submit to my DH's decision for me to work outside the home. But my prayer is that the Lord will "give me the desire of my heart" without me nagging DH about it. In the meantime, I have decided to pray and prepare myself for that time. Thank you so much for encouraging us to fulfill our God-given role.
This is such a delightful post! It is so important for Christian ladies to see the endless opportunities in the home. Nancy Campbell of Above Rubies ministry has really opened my eyes regarding the power of the woman in the home.Even if children are not present in the home, there are so many ways that a woman can walk beside her husband and help him. Keeping up with one's husband's laundry, meal preparations, and errands are wonderful ways to be a blessing to him. Beautifying the home so that it is a lovely haven, can be a great blessing to him. One could paint and decorate in a beautiful way, plant a variety of lovely flowers, or even a vegetable garden.I am sure that any man would prefer coming home to a clean, beautiful home (however humble), where his sweetheart is waiting for him, rather than a very large domicile, lacking life and vitality.A wise wife in the home can be a great blessing. May God give us His wisdom, as we seek to be pleasing wives to our husbands.
Crystal,
This post is a gem. I only wish I had that kind of wisdom when my hubby and I were married nearly 13 years ago. We waited 7 years before having babies, and from a money perspective, we did everything backwards! Once those kids come along, the expenses increase, and the demand for frugality begins to apply more sharply. Any woman who has the privilege of learning to be a keeper of the home before the children come will be at a great advantage, as long as she is growing in wisdom from the Lord.
To springboard off of mrs. jo, a SAHW can minister greatly to those who are mothers and learn by observing the good, the bad, and the ugly. Personally, my family and my husband's family are about 3,000 miles away, and having someone who would help babysit or fold laundry would be a wonderful practical ministry. In return, she might learn how to cook (something many young women are clueless about), pay bills, sew, whatever, and it becomes a reciprocal ministry and friendship!
"The center for ministry, productivity, outreach, and evangelism":
For many of us, the last two on that list seem to be of least importance when push comes to shove, unfortunately. We can delight in serving our fellow believers, and feel a sense of accomplishment for getting everything done on the chore list, but if our hard work ends there, it has little or no eternal fruit when harvest time comes. And sadly, when a woman is away from home a lot(whether due to a job or a frivolous distraction), the ability to minister within the body of Christ or to the neighbors suffers for it, and the gospel is never preached.
This is a good reminder to me to get up from this computer and get back to my job as a keeper of my home!
May the harvest be bountiful for Christ's sake,
Merrilee
Crystal, Wow, thank you so much for spending such time and effort on following up my question. (I'm practically blushing). Thank you for the encouragement. I had never thought about the bills/finances idea, since my DH does that (plus he's a finance major), but that could be something I could do, to free up time for his own use. :) I am looking forward to being able to do lots more ministry with church members as well as outreach. In addition, a home business is something I've been pondering about too. I would love to be able to utilize my creative/crafty skills in a way to generate some small income. So basically in writing this comment back to you, I'm realizing there's actually quite a bit to do :) I'll be sure to read the articles you also mentioned. Thank you so much again!!!
To Kacie,
Thanks for the point about learning to be a better homemaker and preparing for your first child BEFORE they come with plenty of time to do so. :-D I'm already doing lots of research into pregnancy, birthing, parenting, etc.
To Jenny M.,
I pray that your DH will understand that being a SAHW would be a great benefit to your home and to him! You also made me realize what a blessing it is to have a husband who supports that value as well. Hang in there and continue to honor your husband!
The book of Timothy has a lot of say about roles of women. The woman who becomes a widow sure did a lot of things in her younger days so she could be qualified to be a widow indeed. Check that list, it is thrilling.
The role of homekeeper is indeed a noble one, with or without children.
Yet being a working wife is not always a bad thing. When my husband and I married, I was earning twice his salary. We lived on his income and used my income for investing, saving, remodeling our home. When we did finally become parents, we were used to living on a smaller income, had all major home projects taken care of, and had a sizable nest egg already in place.
This was a beautifully written post, and I can certainly see your heart here, but maybe I have a thick head, and don't "get it". Please understand... my tone is not meant to be argumentative. When my husband and I first married, I worked for a temp agency. This simply required that I get up get dressed, show up for work do a good job and then I came home with a paycheck. I do have a degree in teaching, but I chose not to teach because that was a job that was mentally draining for me and I KNEW that would not be best for our home and family. Looking back, I still did everything that you mentioned because our lives were extreemly simple. It was just the two of us. I know that the paycheck I brought home meant more peace of mind to my husband than me engaging in things that can be more so considered as domestic hobbies than actual necessities to a beautiful home life. Again, I don't want to be argumentative here, but I'm still not sold on the stay at home wife concept. Today, I am a joyful mother of 2 darlings, and I'm happy to be home with them.
LM
LM: I'm not advocating that a woman should never work (though I *do* believe that a woman should never put work above her home and family--and I also believe it is almost impossible to nurture young children in a God-honoring fashion and work outside the home full-time), but I *am* advocating more women see the incredible potential they can have by turning their hearts towards home.
I was trying to go back to older posts to find the one referred to at http://highergroundtoday.blogspot.com/2008/01/my-life-for-yours.html
and can't figure out how to get to posts older than the one on this page. I'd appreciate help from somebody who reads this and knows how to get to the older posts :D THANKS.
I've been a SAHW for a year now, and I don't think you could pay me enough to go back to the workforce outside the home. Like Kacie said, we have more money now than when I was working outside the home. We've learned how to be frugal and I've learned the art of coupons and CVS - all things I didn't have time for when I wasn't a SAHW. I love spending relaxed time with my husband, not having to catch up on household chores after a day at work. Our relationship has strengthened so much in the last year too because I am able to concentrate 100% of my efforts on my husband - not 50% on work and 50% on home.
My mother was a SAHW/M for 35+ years while my brother and I were growing up. One day a week for about 25 years, she volunteered as a librarian at a local Christian school (she continued this long after my brother and I went off to college). She also managed our church's bookstore for about 10 years. And she was always available to extended family if they needed help with something or just wanted to visit. Mom also taught herself how to sew and made me (and my dolls) tons of clothes when I was in elementary school. My father had a good job (one that he was at for 40+ years before retiring) and made decent money. We weren't rich but we weren't necessarily poor - we lived on a budget and didn't spend frivolously. Because they valued the quality of our education, my parents put both my brother and I through 12 years of Christian school plus four years of college without going into debt and without scholarships - probably considered a miracle in today's world esp with a SAHM.
I am so thankful that I had a stay-at-home mom and had that example for being a SAHW. :)
Crystal,
Well put! I do believe that was from the Lord. I've been a keeper at home for nearly fifteen years and have baby #6 on the way. I always have plenty to do with children, but I was always able to keep busy before they came as I took care of my home and husband. I did some part-time work, sang in a chorus, ministered at a nursing home and raised sheep when hubby was in the Navy and gone for months at a time. I knew what God had called me to do. That being said, I struggled sometimes because of family and well-meaning friends that thought I needed something to fall back on. "Maybe you should further your education", like a bachelor's wasn't enough! I needed to do "something" else besides staying at home! God provided the confirmation I needed that I was following Him. Through the Lord, I've been able to reach out to many, but also to devote time to my first ministry...my husband and my children. None of us will ever regret devoting our lives to them. As a close friend of mine always says,"There are only two things that last...the Word of God and the souls of my children." You can add Hubby, too! :)
Crystal, Thank you so much for this post. It has been such an encouragement to me. I just recently became a SAHW. I have been married for 8 yrs but have always worked full time. I always thought that I would quit when I had children, but oh God had something else in mind for us. We have not been able to have children and I was pretty much about to give up on alot of things including my faith. When I finally surrendered to doing what God wanted me to do and not what I wanted He renewed me in my thinkings. I love staying at home and serving my husband for the glory of God. I have never been happier and I know my God will give me the desires of my heart if I seek His Will for my life. I just wanted to say thank you because I did not realize how many other women felt this way. As women we are not encouraged to do this in the day and age that we live in now, and I just want to thank everyone that has posted on this subject.
I've been a SAHW for 4 years now. There is so much that I do. I've never stopped learning new things. I've taught myself how to sew, crochet, be frugal, cook healthy frugally (I have a condition that requires a rigid sometimes expensive diet), and probably tons of other things that I can't think of right now. I cook everyday something that I couldn't do when working for a physicians office. I'm no longer so tired in the evenings that my DH gets put on the back burner. God may never bless us with children because of my condition, but I have learned that my highest calling isn't to be mother (which I would love to be) but to be a complete helpmeet to my hubby. I don't do a lot of out side of the home projects because we live about 30 minutes from the city and church. I've figured out that I work "harder" at home than I did in the workforce.
Crystal, this post was fantastic! I too was a stay-at-home wife (for almost 3 years except for one part time job I had for 3 months to help out a friend) before we had children and don't regret it for a minute... the only difference between then and now is that I had a lot more outside activities, was involved in several more ministries with our church, and did abundant volunteering, etc. But, I strongly believe that as you said so beautiful, "The home is and should be the center for ministry, productivity, outreach, and evangelism!"
Megan, you are making the right choice in coming home.
Megan, what an exciting time for you! I enjoy being at home so much, and wish I had been able to do this before my son was born. I never run out of things to do. I have spent time knitting, reading books (not dime-store novels, REAL books), right now I am working on my cooking and menu planning skills. I also want to take up gardening to have fresh veggies to feed my family. Learning frugality is an on-going study. The best part is that I am not constantly exhausted from work outside the home, and I am able to give DH the time and help he needs. When he does not want to leave the home to go to work, and is eager to come home after work to see me and DS, I know I am doing more valuable work than I ever did in an office.
Crystal, thank you for this wonderful post!
Thank you so much for the encouraging post; what a blessing to my heart. I've been a SAHW for almost 3 years. It gets discouraging when people look down on you for "throwing your life and education away", even from SAHMs. It made me feel guilty. However, God's ways are better than mine.
Being a SAHW has allowed be to learn skills that will save us money now and when we have children, like coupon shopping and sewing. More importantly, I am free to serve the Lord when any need arises. I also find ways to help my husband in his ministries.
The Lord has graciously met our needs on an one income budget and has allowed us to honor Him through our service in return.
Thank you so much Crystal, I really needed to hear this. I am often discouraged as a stay-at-home-daughter because so few people see it as a meaningful pursuit to stay home in my single years. Just this week the Lord has opened many opportunities for me to serve other families and people in our church as well as keeping our home running while Mom works on her new website.
There is such a void in our culture of women willing to serve and be available to the needy. I hope that when I am needy there will be women available to serve. Many Blessings.
Thank you for this post. I too am a SAHW with out the M :( It is so hard to go into society and say I'm a housewife, and no I don't have kids. Everyone looks at you like you are some spoiled, rich, freeloader. Or maybe it just feels that way. I have taught myself to sew, embroider, and knit. I have also spent many hours learning to CVS and shop frugally (thanks to MSM.com :) ) And I have been able to give my time freely to volunteering.
I know all these things are in preparation for children, but sometimes it is hard to face a condescending world. On those days I'm so thankful for the internet and people like Crystal.
Megan, we are blessed to be able to stay at home, whatever the world tells us. I'm sure you know this but have no fear God will send you lots of things to do. :)
I am a stay at home Momma of four beautiful girls...I stayed at home for three years before God chose to bless us with these children! I am also a Pastor's wife so it is and was important for me to use my home as a tool for God's Kingdom and for His Glory. Before motherhood, I felt it was easier to really help my husband in his ministry because of the obvious reason of time on my hands! Now, I have to be really creative in they way that I can use my home to support my husband's ministry! I decided just recently to use Monday as a ministry day (this is of course after I've made my home a haven :)! After the work is done, I head to the kitchen to bake up some loaves of quick bread. I take a quick moment to write a note to one of the ladies in our church and then I load up the girls after their nap/rest time, and we hand deliver the bread and the note. I leave the girls in the car and just take it up to the door, ask them how I can pray for them and then leave! It lets them know that I am praying for them and that I care for them. I am slowly making my way through the entire roll of ladies at our church. It will take a very long time, but I believe it's worth it! My husband loves that I can do this simple task and support his ministry in a big way!
Thank You!! What a great post! And an encouragement to me as I am constantly struggling with getting myself over-involved outside of the home, then realizing the need to say "No" to more things so that I am completely available to care for my family and home.
Thank you for giving such a concise explanation of what we as wives are called to do. This is not how the world works! How thankful I am to be in the world but not of it.
Thank you so much for this post. I always love it when others feel as passionately about staying at home as I do.
I would like to recommend a book called "Creative Counterpart" by Linda Dillow. It is all about the Proverbs 31 woman and how to get your priorities in order. God, Husband, Children (if any), Home, Yourself, Outside the home. It has made a huge difference to my life when I get these in the right order. Things fall into their God given place.
On a very practical note: I have started trying to find small practical things I can do to help my husband. One is making the tea in the morning (He used to do this). Another is making sure the drying up is put away in the morning(something else he used to do and a job I hate!). These seem really small but he has told me how mush of a difference they make to him and how much they bless him.
I wish you great joy in your new role. God bless
Amy. (UK)
Crystal, this comment has nothing to do with the post, lol...I was wondering, do you have a post on creating a budget/bill book or notebook? For the first time in my life, I must do this (I'm now a single mom of 3), but I have no dea where to start! I want it neat and organized by month with all needed info listed under each bill. However, when I actually try to do that, I get overwhelmed and feel physically ill.
Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated!
I met with two Iranian women yesterday and as we chatted about life, being women and the home, I knew that God was building a bridge from my heart through His to theirs. The subject at hand was HOME and the need for women to create what I call sanctuary in the home. It's my passion and one of the themes I write about here: http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2008/01/simple-home-what-is-simple-home.html and here http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2007/12/steps-to-create-sanctuary-in-home.html.
One of the women - Rosie said with passion, "We must make it "warm"...we must make it "warm." My response to both was, "Yes, and I'd love to have tea with you to talk about this in your homes and I in mine."
I love building bridges and seeing how God uses the subject of home (which is so His heart) to build bridges between women - for His sake. blessings on you...lylah
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