An Art of The Past

Long ago there was a time when women had to sew everything for themselves. They couldn't go to the stores and buy what ever they wanted because there were no such stores. Women probably thought it would be crazy to have a store that sells just clothes. Because they had the ability and time, ladies young and old made their own clothes, curtains, sheets, and blankets. I wonder if they would have felt lazy or unlearned if they payed someone else to do their sewing? (That's just a thought.)

A few years ago there was a reality show that aired for a few months called, "Pioneer Days." In this show three ordinary families were selected to live in Canada for 3 months just like people use to live in the pioneer days. They had no electricity, no running water, no indoor pluming, and no grocery store within 5 minutes. During those three months these ordinary families put a lot of work into their homes. One family was placed on some land with a house already built, another family had to finish a half built house, and the third family had to build theirs from the very beginning. They also had to build fences for their animals, lean-to's, furniture possibly, and barns. They grew their own garden and cut their own fire wood. It was hard work, but they had to do it because they couldn't buy these things that were necessary to live a fruitful life.

After the three months were over they had to leave their "home" out in the woods. They were all sad to leave because they had put so much of themselves into their houses and land. They were able to take pride in what they did and truly say, "I did that! I built that house, I grew that garden, I sewed that dress . . ."

Look around your house. Is there a treasured quilt lying somewhere that your grandmother had sewn years ago? Are their curtains in your home that remind you of the day that you and your mom sewed cloth together to create decoration for your windows? Do you have a dress that you spent hours making and still proudly wear only on special occasions? Are their embroidered pillow shams decorating your bed that you had made just the way you wanted them? There is no doubt about it, home made things makes a house a home. They bring back memories and have a value that cannot be replaced. There is no satisfaction when you can name every store where you bought your curtains, bedspreads, pillows, etc. But when you or a family member has spent their time in making something special, the love shines through for everyone to see!

Even in this area of life we need to remember to do everything in moderation. Every thing in my house is not home sewn, but the things that we did put our time into will always be treasured. Even if you have little sewing skills you can still make things to put in your house such as aprons, pillow shams, kitchen curtains, or a table runner. These small acts of love will bring more satisfaction to your home along with a testimony of being someone who loves their family enough to spend time giving her best! Believe me . . . it's worth it!

Last Pictures:: The first one is me writing in a journal waring in a dress I made. The second is Bethany crocheting wearing a dress I made. The last is of my second quilt.

Thoughts of Soups and Comfort

This morning I woke up at 6:15, content to stay right where I was - on the couch by the fire place under my warm blanket. Yes, I have my own bed, but the warm living room with cozy flames burning in the fire place was just too inviting. Thus I slept on the couch! As soon as I got out from underneath my covers I got a cup of fresh coffee to warm my insides. Coffee never tasted so good! As I got ready for work I picked out a long sleeve shirt and a long thick skirt hoping that they would do their job of keeping me warm.

As I worked away in our office at the hospital I couldn't help but notice how slow the day was going by. Maybe it was because I knew I had to face the piercing winds after my work day was over, or maybe it was because I couldn't wait to be home with all it's comforts. Every one that came through our department was wearing a long sleeve shirt or sweater . . . a sure sign that winter is on it's way!

This evening I drove home a little tired. As I walked inside my home I was welcomed by warmth and smells of mama's chicken noodle soup. As I ate supper with my family and talked of the day's events I realized just how blessed I am to have such a family. Ah, it is good to be home!

Winter always seems to give me warm feelings about my home. If I had come home to a cold house with only smells of the dryer linen and cleaning supplies I doubt I would have felt the same way. Those good smells that linger in our house and warmth that fills the air gives me a sense of security and reminds me that I am taken cared of and loved. Having experienced this after a long day at work makes me see how my future husband will feel when he comes home from an exhausting day earning our living. It makes me look forward to being able to make our home a happy, comfortable, inviting place that my hubby will look forward to coming home to. Though actually he should want to come home because he knows I will be there! What more could he ask for? (Just kidding!) Ah, the comforts that only winter can bring!

Discovering God's Way to Raise a Home Part 4

After supper was over, the women got busy cleaning up all the sauce covered dishes.

"I love your plates!" Shelby complemented. "I once wanted to do my kitchen in apples too, but I decided to go with strawberries.

"Thank you! Jeff got hose for me a few years ago. I like having pretty things in my kitchen. Before then I had some really plain plates I found at the grocery store. You know, the ones that don't sell well, so usually get put on the clearance shelf?"

"Oh, I know. But some times they're actually nice."

"Yeah, they have had nicer ones lately." Alice responded.

As they loaded the dishwasher in silence, Shelby's mind went back to the conversation they had at the supper table. Why couldn't she get it off her mind? Shelby knew why. She had to talk about it or her mind would never have peace again.

Alice, do you ever worry that your children wont be very smart. I"m not implying that your not smart yourself . . . I just mean . . ."

"Oh, I know what you're talking about. I've had many people ask me that same question. Ad yes, I do worry sometimes, it's natural for all home schoolers to worry. We all want our children to be well educated and if their not, we can't blame it on a school system. It's all on our shoulders. But I think they'll do fine. Stacy scored real high when she took the tests at the Education Center. And if you look at the facts, it does look like they are learning more than if they were in a public school. Instead of reading 7 pages on the Civil War every year out of the text books, we can read 7 books that are just on that topic."

"Wow, I never thought about it that way."

"They also do projects or crafts together that help them remember it. So when I look at it that way, I feel a little better."

"I'm sure you do."

After a long pause, during which Alice let Shelby think on what they had just talked about, her guest had some more questions.

"Does your husband like working for the Rail Road?" asked Shelby.

"Yes, he really likes it. The best part about it is he gets plenty of vacation and sick days. We're thinking about taking a vacation in a few months."

"We've been trying to find time to take one too, but Tom and I can't seem to get he time off work at the same time, plus the children have to be out of school. But y'all probably don't have that problem, do you?"

"No, I see that as one of God's blessings for following his will for our family. I"m thankful God has provided a way for me to stay home with our children."

"Jeff's job must pay really well," Shelby commented.

"It pays pretty well, but with six kids, it's not he best. I've had to learn to be frugal with our money and to trust God to meet our needs. He always does." Alice said with a smile.

Shelby couldn't help but marvel at her dedication to her family. This woman gave up an opportunity to make her own money and now has to be careful how he spends the little bit her husband gives her, just to spend all her time taking care of her husband and six children. But yet she didn't feel sorry for her. Alice was the happiest woman she had ever met. She could feel her happiness and contentment from the time she walked in the door.

She stopped wiping the counter for a moment and looked into the living room. There were their husbands talking and laughing about the pranks they've seen pulled at work. When she listened closely she could hear the children in the other room laughing and telling jokes while they played Monopoly all together. Every body seemed in their right place. What was even more was everyone seemed very happy. For the first time, Shelby saw that she was not the mother she needed to be. It was her job to make a happy home for her family and she had not done the job very well. She felt a pang of regret in her heart for all the years she had wasted working while her children were away at school.

Her husband looked up at her from the couch where he was sitting and smiled a knowing smile. Her husband had seen the difference in the two homes as well. Joy started to find it's way into her heart and fill her with a sense of peace that said, "It will be alright. It's never too late to start anew."

With an energy that she hadn't felt in a long time, she desired to make her home a place of happiness, to be the mother God intended her to be, to teach her children herself instead of letting other women do her job, and to run her home the way God intended.

The End

Discovering God's Way to Raise a Home Part 3

"Shelby, did you talk to your boss?"

"Yes, I asked him if I could take a half day off Wednesday and the rest of the week off as well, but he said he can't spare me. Two other employees have already asked for a vacation that week." Shelby pulled the covers right around her neck. "Maybe we could take a vacation the week after that."

"No, we've got a really important meeting at work that Thursday. Something about a new way they want us to hang the electrical wires. What about the next week?"

"Remember, that week is revival at our church," she said in a dismal voice. The more they thought about it the more it seemed they wouldn't be able to go on their vacation any time soon. They wanted to take their children on a trip to the mountains one more time before their son Steve started college. They knew that once that happened it would be even harder to schedule a vacation. Shelby was glad she and her husband had decided not to tell their children about the trip until it was final. Now it looked like there would be none.

"It's just so hard for us both to get off work at the same time," Tom complained, interrupting her thoughts.

"I know, and I was really hoping to get away from my job for a while."

"Did you have another bad day?" he enquired.

"It was very hectic. I didn't think it would ever end. I can't wait till the weekend."

"Oh, that reminds me! I saw Mrs. Alice and Jeff Davis at the store today and they invited us out for supper Saturday. She said they're making pizza and spaghetti. She meant to ask us at church Wednesday, but didn't have a chance. She said to give her a call."

"Oh, that sounds like fun. I'll call her tomorrow and ask her if she wants me to bring a dessert. With six kids of her own she would probably appreciate some help."

"Alright. Goodnight Shelby."

"Goodnight."

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`

"Hello Noles family! Come in," invited Mrs. Alice in a cheerful voice as she held the door open. "We're so glad y'all could come today. The kids have really looked forward to it. Some are out back on the tire swing and the others are . . . here they come."

The three older children walked out of the school/game room to greet the guests. Soon both families were seated at the large table arrayed with spaghetti and several varieties of pizza.

"Mm, mm! Everything looks delicious!" commented Tom.

"Thank you!" chimed in Jeff, mockingly. "I taught my wife everything she knows."

"Oh sure!" several said among lots of laughter.

"Alright, lets say the blessing before the food gets cold. These kids look pretty hungry." said Alice.

After Jeff said the prayer they all began to eat and fellowship.

"Alice, how long have you been home schooling?" asked Shelby.

"Twelve years, and I don't regret it one day. Jeff and I wont gave our children at home forever, so we want to be with them as much as we possibly can. I think the children feel the same way too. They like being home schooled."

"Oh, we do!" chimed in Stacy, one of the Noles' Children. "We're not bound to a schedule, so if we need to go somewhere or if the weather is nice and we want to play outside, we can take the day off and do extra school later."

"Yes, and mama said we can study any thing we want to!" little Jacob exclaimed. "I'm learning about animals and George Washington!"

"You might notice he wont mention math or writing." Alice pointed out. "Those are his toughest subjects. Hailey is really good at writing though and Mark likes math. They're all different."

"It must be a lot of work teaching six children all at one time," said Shelby.

"It can be a little tough at times, but for the most part it goes pretty smooth. After years of home schooling I finally came up with a schedule that works really well. But you know, even if it was hard I would still teach them because I believe that God commands me to."

"Do you mean he commanded you in a personal way? Like in a vision?" asked Tom.

"No, there's a verse in Deuteronomy that we think implies that we should keep our children at home. It speaks of teaching them in many situations," replied Alice.

"Mama, can we say it to them?" asked Jacob who was proud of himself for memorizing the three verses.

"Sure, honey."

All six children began to quote the scripture. "Deuteronomy six, verses five through seven. And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest. up."

"Very good!" complemented Shelby, not knowing what to say next. She never heart that verse like they described it. But when she thought about it, it did make sense. The verse commanded to the parents to teach their children, and to teach your children best, you need to be around them all the time. That one line kept ringing in her ears, "and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house." But could they really afford to home school their children?

"Stacy, what grade are you in? asked Margaret.

"Actually, I"m not doing school at home any longer. I'm studying at the Adult Education Center in town to prepare me for the GED test."

"Oh, I thought you were sixteen."

"Well, I just turned 17. Mama and daddy let me finish early so that I can get a head start in technical college. I'm going for Medical Billing and Coding. It's a career that I eventually can do from home, maybe even while I'm home schooling my children. That is, if God blesses me with any." Stacy explained.

"We've had people look down on us for letting her finish school early, but we're just trying to run our home the way God wants us too. Not the way our neighbors would like. Believe it or not, there's even been some Christians who think we shouldn't let her go to college either. They think that women should only be taught how to cook, clean, and take care of children. We do strongly believe those are the most important things they should be taught, but in the day we live in, we think it's good for women to also have some kind of learning. You never know when her husband might leaver her or even die. So we're trying to teach our girls that their most important job is to be a mother and wife, and that their career is only a back up, or something to keep them occupied till they do get married and have children." Jeff told them.

"Makes sense," said Tom. "Looks like y'all have it all figured out," he said in slight amazement.

"It didn't come to us all over night," Jeff joked. ''It took a lot of studying, prayer, and just plain old common sense.''

"I bet it did," commented Tom. "I bet it did."

To be continued . . .

Discovering God's Way to Raise a Home Part 2

Just then her kids, Steve and Margaret burst through the door letting the cold air in. Excited and lively, they both began talking at once filling their mother in on their day at Faith Academy.

“I made a 93 on my math test mom! When I saw the score I was so relieved! I thought for sure I had done awful” Margaret, a spirited 15 year old said proudly. Steve however, was more enthused about his friends new 4x4 truck. Like most 17 year old boys, vehicles were one of the things at the fore front of his thoughts day in and day out.

Shelby listened and responded with all the enthusiasm she could summon, but still felt absent minded and weary. The day had taken its’ toll on her and all she wanted was a few minutes to lay down in peace and quiet.

As she finished supper her husband, Tom, walked in from his job with the power company.

“Hey I’m home! What a day . . .”

“Oh, I’m so glad you’re here!” Shelby interrupted. “Will you please put supper on the table while I fix the glasses?”

“I just . . . okay.”

“Thanks Tom,” replied a very tired mother.

As they all sat down and ate their evening meal, they all talked about their day’s events and the people they came in contact with. It was the first time they had all been together that day – as it usually was.

“Dad, do you and mom want to play that new game Grandma sent us?” asked Margaret?

“I’ve had a hard day at work darling, I don’t feel like playing a game,” replied her dad.

“Yeah, me too. Why don’t you and Steve play it together?” their mother suggested.

“We need four players though. And besides, we wanted y’all to play it with us. Y’all use to play games with us all the time,” spoke up Steve.

“But that was before I started working overtime and your mom got this new job. Just wait until ya’ll get a job, then you’ll see how hard it is. But maybe we can find time on the weekend.”

“Sure,” Steve mumbled.

To be continued . . .

Discovering God's Way to Raise a Home (Fiction)

“Ugh! What a day this has been! I believe if one more thing goes wrong I will lose my mind!” Shelby Noles, thinking about everything that tried her patience that day, set her purse and keys down on the counter with a loud thud. She remembered all the complaint calls she got from the Alltel customers who were not happy with the way their cell phones were working.

“I don’t see why they have to be so rude about it. Yelling doesn’t fix things. And I didn’t cause their phones to drop their calls in the first place.”

She pulled off her long coat and bumped the thermostat up. Noticing what time it was she started cooking. She would have been home earlier had her computer not have crashed 30 minutes before quitting time. IT took a whole hour to get all her documents back in order, making her arrive home 30 minutes later than usual. Now she only had half an hour before her children would be home from school.

Once she got supper going she walked down the long hallways to empty the over flowing laundry basket. Feeling as exhausted as a baseball player after a big game, washing the laundry was the last thing she wanted to do. But she never felt like doing her house hold chores, so why should today be any different. However, she knew the clothes wouldn’t get done on their own so she bent down to pull out the clothes wondering when the last time was that her back ached so much from sitting all day in an office chair.

Once the laundry was in the washing machine, she was back to work cooking over the hot stove. The meal tonight was spaghetti. The same meal she cooked for her husband the day they got home from their honey moon. She had taken such joy in preparing that meal then, and was delighted over his hearty appetite and complements. “Life was so wonderful then,” she thought. “And so easy. What has gone wrong?”

Yes, she still loved her husband just as much as she did then, maybe even more, but she no longer had time to enjoy those small services and ‘gifts’ she gave to her husband each day. The question echoed in her mind, "What has gone wrong?"

To be continued . . .

Emotional . . .

In a few weeks I will be going to Pennsylvania for an eight day trip with some friends from my church. Already I am thinking about what I need and want to bring. I don't want to pack too light, because after all, I will be gone for eight whole days! Of course their are some necessary items that I will need - such as clothes and washing things - that will defiantly go in my suitcase. But then their are some other things that I could go with out . . . yet I am inclined to take them just because! Things that I might think I need, yet they might just be more weight to carry around. They might also get in the way when it comes to how much space I have for souvenirs!

In life we carry around a lot of things. I'm not talking about physical luggage. I'm talking about emotional luggage. Feelings are often more heavy than any item you could fit in the biggest suitcase. Feelings of hurt, anger, regret, fear, and grief. There are also feelings of happiness, confidence, peace, and love that will make our journey in life so much more enjoyable and glorifying to God. But the question is . . . what emotions are we going to hang on to for the rest of our life time? I'm afraid we don't spend as much time thinking about this as we do thinking about what to bring on our vacation.

What kind of luggage are you going to carry with you into your marriage? There are some people who think that once they are married their spouse can help them out with their troubles. This may be the case, but think about the strain that it might put on them if they feel it is their duty to help them overcome their burdens. Read the following example by Max Lucado*, but in my owns words.

The groom walks down the isle about to marry the woman he loves. In his arms he carries luggage of gilt, anger, arrogance, and insecurities. As he stands at the alter about to say his vows he thinks, "Finally a woman who will help me carry all my burdens. She's so strong, so stable, so . . ."

Now the bride is walking down the isle. She is very excited to be getting married to the man she's always dreamed of, yet her mind goes back to the bags she is carrying. Loneliness, disappointments, and hurt. She thinks about what is about to happen. "Just a few more minutes and I'll be married. So long discouragement and worry. I wont be seeing you anymore. He's going to fix me."

Does this sound familiar? Do you see the problem? Their are both expecting the other to work miracles that only God can do. If two people are carrying heavy burdens, how can they help carry even more? Marriage is about giving everything of yourself to your spouse. This will be hard if all we can think about is what we are going to get and how we are going to benefit from the marriage. One would be very disappointed to find out that our spouse cannot take away all of our burdens.

So what is the answer? Are we to carry our burdensome luggage on our own? No. Even though our husband may not be strong enough to carry our load, our Lord is always able to take our burdens away. He is the one we need to go to when we realize that our luggage of harsh emotions is too much for us to bare. Don't be loaded down with emotions that only keep you from living more freely. Let God carry your luggage!

*Disclaimer: I have not read much of Max Lucado's writings so I am not sure if they are doctrinally sound. I do know some of his beliefs are not the same as mine.

In a Child's Eyes

Tonight I found myself craving hot chocolate again. I doubt it is good to give into such unhealthy cravings, but it had been a long three weeks since I had a cup! (I think.) So I wandered into the kitchen and set a pot of water on the stove. As I waited for the water to boil, I scooped the hot chocolate mix into my cup . . . with extra big scoops! Topped off with a spoon of cool whip and the rich chocolate drink was delicious!

I was reminded of a time when I was a little girl and had spent the night at a friends house. Before bed we got some milk as we always did. My friend told me that I could put as much chocolate syrup as I wanted in my milk. I was amazed! I thought that was the greatest thing ever! I went home and told mama about it and found out that I was allowed even at my own home to put as much chocolate as I wanted in my milk. For some reason, I had the impression that we weren't allowed such privilages.

Now I look back and think about how silly it was of me to get so excited over chocolate milk! At the same time I am reminded of how easy it is to make a child happy. Simple things mean a lot to them.

So . . . when I have children of my own one day I am going to let them put as much chocolate syrup as they want in thier milk! (And big scoops of mix in their hot chocolate!)

Planning Ahead

I use to think that those who always ate whole wheat bread, salads very frequently, only drank water and bought fresh vegetables were overly concerned with their health. I had no appreciation for nutrition whatsoever. This mindset was probably inherited from my parents who use to let us eat whatever we wanted - to an extent. In the past few years however, mama has made a full turn around!

When mama started to have problems with her health she looked for natural ways to heal them. She started reading article after article and many books on healthy eating. Now she is grinding her own wheat that she buys from Bread Beckers and cooks everything in it's most natural state as possible. We eat brown rice, homemade wheat pasta, and very little fried and processed foods. At first we didn't like some of the changes she made, but when she got the recipes just right we loved them! For instance, mama doesn't make our bread with strictly wheat because it is too heavy and has too strong of a wheat flavor, so now she adds a little bit of white flour.I can honestly say that I wouldn't want to go back to white rice, white bread and other foods that are made with strictly white flour. Most foods have a better taste when they are in their most natural state and haven't been bleached and deprived of their nutrition.

Now when it comes to snacks . . . lets just say we don't go without them! Store bought ice-cream still finds it's way into our house . . . pretty frequently! But we try to make our homemade deserts as healthy as possible by using wheat flour, natural white and brown sugar, natural cinnamon, and honey sometimes. Again, if we don't like a particular dessert with all wheat, we will add white flour to the recipe. The same rule goes with honey. Too much of it often makes the dessert taste more like honey than anything else. Mama has found ways to make them a little healthier without substituting taste for nutrition. We all love our desserts.

Now that we eat right and take care of our bodies that God gave us, we feel better, aren't sick as often, and have more energy. I realize that mama has made these changes in our diet because she loves us and wants the best for us.

As I get older, I begin to think more about what I will do one day with my family. Three years ago I didn't give nutritious food any thought except for knowing that I should make my children eat their vegetables (out of the can which is not nourishing). Now I am planning on keeping my precious family healthy. I want them to feel good, (which will put them in a better mood) and live with as few health problems as possible. Because of mama's decision to change our eating habits I will now be able to start my family off right . . . and so could you!

What Lies Within My Hope Chest

Here's a poem I wrote in 2006. Enjoy!

In my bedroom you will find,
A Hope Chest made of wood,
Within I place house hold trinkets, nick-knacks,
And living room furniture if I could.

This chest is not just filled,
With pots, and pictures of kitchen themes,
But with many hopes, great desires,
And cherished life long dreams.

Hopes of a beautiful, cozy home,
Where all feel welcome and warm,
Where my family that I will love so much,
Will be safe from the storm.

My desire is that one day I’ll,
Be blessed with a husband of my own,
With whom I’ll share my joys and sorrows,
And not be left alone.

I dream of having many children,
Who’ll fill our house with noise,
A joyful place where girls can be girls,
And boys can just be boys.

But as for now I’m truly not, yet,
The wife and mother I long to be,
No home or family of my own,
As you can clearly see.

So to my Hope Chest I’ll faithfully go,
With table cloths and home decor,
And fill it with such earthly things,
Till it can hold no more.