Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Western Morality

Woman Reading
 
I see some women dressed in veils go by,
And next to them, some women barely dressed.
I contemplate this contrast, and ask why,
Our western girls are eager to divest.

Yet once our ladies were much better dressed,
They wore fine hats and clothes from head to toe.
They went to church decked in their Sunday best;
They walked with grace wherever they would go.

Those ladies knew their place and had respect,
For gentlemen and everyone around.
The men in turn, did honour and protect,
Those ladies, whose good name was safe and sound.

Detail of Dancing Couple from Le Bal a Bougival

What happened to this modesty and grace,
That ladies used to have in years gone by?
What evil has so cursed the human race,
That such fine female modesty should die?

The devil offered Woman that old fruit,
Of knowledge and of freedom and of power.
And since the sixties this has been the root,
Of decadence, the loss of Woman’s flower.

And just like Adam, Man must share the blame,
For he stood by inactive, when the flow,
Of sexual immorality became,
As filthy and as strong as we now know.

And some men, full of lust, to their delight,
Abuse the girls who think that they are free,
Who think that being equal is their right,
But equal to the worst that men can be.

Seated Woman with Bent Knee

Now chivalry and modesty are spurned,
As women prize equality and force;
And many noble gentlemen are burned,
As they encounter women tough and coarse.

I know that not all women are like this;
There are still modest ladies on this earth,
Who've never listened to the serpent’s hiss,
Who know their source of grace and inner worth.

Lighthouse Walk at Biarritz, c.1906

For God the loving Father made us pure,
All men and women special, not the same;
In His eyes, we are equal, to be sure.
Our holy lives will glorify His name.

Good Christian men and women, listen up!
Fulfill the role that God has given you.
And if you do, we shall all drink the cup,
Of love and joy and harmony anew.

– Emile Joseph

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Woman Reading
Claude Monet
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Saturday, January 24, 2015

Good Morning Hugs

Mother Gives Her Little Child a Big Hug

Sometimes when we get up in the morning, it is so easy to scramble to get to our daily tasks.  Oh, and there are those same old people we always see in the morning.  We may not even notice the rise-and-shine sleepy heads as they come out of their rooms.  But this should not be so.

I've been making it a point to greet each one of my blessings with a good morning hug and kiss every day.  It sets the tone for the day--a tone of, "I love you.  You are not a burden, but a blessing."  I want to remind them, and remind myself, that this is the day that the Lord has made.  Let us rejoice and be glad in it.  Let us take comfort in each other and in being together.

I think my children love their morning greeting from Mama.  They always return the hug and kiss and "Good Morning", and let me know if I didn't give them their greeting yet.

Thank you, Lord, for our children.  Our Blessings.

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Friday, January 23, 2015

I Don't Want to Sell You Something

The Young Fruit Merchant, about 1670/75

I don't want to sell you something you don't want anyways--that's for sure.  I know this blog, or any other homemaking blog, can seem a bit "commercially" if we go on and on about the latest this-or-that that you should buy...I've seen it happen, and I've done it myself.  The truth is, I've wanted to share certain things with you because they were great deals...and in the hopes you would buy something.  Or at least somebody would buy something...because it helps when I can earn a little money from this blog.

But I don't want to annoy you with a sales pitch today.  I love homemaking and I love my readers.  I am thankful that you come here to read, find encouragement, leave comments, and maybe sometimes learn a thing or two.  I don't want to sell you something you don't want to buy.  But I will briefly, if I may, mention that if you are a crafty type of person, or if you would like to be, or find time to be...Or if you're a person who is interested in decorating your home, or taking photographs...I just want to let you know...in case you're interested, that there is a sale going on right now.  Yes, one of those huge bundle sales that includes tons of ebooks, course, etc. for one low price.  This is one is a brand new idea. It's called the Ultimate DIY Bundle, and from the looks of it, has a lot of great material for those who like to create.  BUT, I'm not going to post all about that here.  I don't want to bore you if that's not your cup of tea.  I don't want to feel like a saleswoman...So I will just make this brief mention, and you can go check it out if you like.  If you see that you might enjoy the materials and decide to purchase through my link, yes, I will get a small commission, and yes, it will help our family.  I thank you for that, and I hope you enjoy your learning materials if you get the bundle.

The Young Fruit...
Bartolomé ...
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Either way, I hope you have a blessed day, and ask your forgiveness if I've annoyed you with "Bundle Posts" in the past.  I'm sure it can get old after awhile.

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Wednesday, January 21, 2015

A Cold & Dreary Day

Old English House, Moonlight After Rain, 1883

I had a laundry day today.  Laundry is really my favorite homemaking task.  I love to take the dirty clothes, sort them, and place them into the washer.  Then when they are done, they come out clean!  Drying them is simple too.  Some clothes go into the dryer, and some get placed on our drying rack.  I love the feel of warm laundry right out of the dryer on a cold winter day.

Yesterday was surprisingly warm--so lovely and sunny.  We enjoyed some outside time, and Cherished of God began making a soil mixture with our compost for our upcoming garden.  We even did some of our schoolwork outside.  Today was quite the opposite of yesterday.  It was cloudy and cold--the heater even had to run a few times during the day.  We got some rain and even a little bit of snow.  How wonderful it is to have a house to protect us from the elements.

In the afternoons, I often feel the urge to take a nap, but I know my children need me, and I have things to do.  I am hoping if I get to bed earlier, I will not feel tired after lunch and instead will remain alert and full of energy.

My little boy has been very snuggly.  He offered to help me remake my bed today.  He has been showering me with gifts--little pieces of paper he draws on and then presents to me.  I never want these days to end.  How children grow so quickly.  How I wish they didn't.

What an awesome task I have--being a mother to so many children.  They are each unique, and have different needs in some areas, and different things to work on.  How I need the Lord's help to guide them in His ways.  How I pray I don't fail at the job.  How I pray to be patient and kind, even when the children have been naughty.  May my life point always to Him.  May God give me grace when I fail.

I had to spend quite a bit of time comforting one of my children after bedtime who was worrying about me.  I feel blessed because she treasures me so, but I want her to not be afraid.  We talked about trusting in the Lord--how we must all trust in Him.  Now I must get to bed soon.

I hope you all are well.  Many blessings...♥

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Tuesday, January 13, 2015

How to Save Money and Stay Warm This Winter

La Cheminee, 1869

I am at Raising Homemakers today sharing some money-saving tips for your winter heating bill that will also help you stay warm.  Please join me there!

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Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth

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Saturday, January 10, 2015

God's Beautiful Creation (As Captured by My Daughter)

Hello Dear Readers,

How are you doing today?  I hope well.  We are getting over a cold.  My children are coughing this morning, so we're mixing up some homemade cough medicine, and later I will sit down with each one of them and find a suitable homeopathic remedy for them.

If I haven't published your comment recently, I am just behind and will try to get to it soon and then pay you a visit!

Today, I just want to share a few pictures with you that Cherished of God took back in the late summer time.  She enjoys taking pictures and has taken some beautiful shots of God's marvelous creation.  A few of them are a bit blurry because the camera isn't that great.  I hope you enjoy them.











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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Disclosure: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. Please note, I only endorse products that are in alignment with Blessed Homemaking's ideals and I believe would be of value to my readers. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

15 Resolutions for Parents

The Marquis of Granby and Lady Elizabeth Manners, as Children

While I don't necessarily agree with all of these resolutions, there are some good things to ponder.

(Originally from an article by John Rosemond)

Given that this is the first column of a new year, I'm proposing a number of parenting New Year's Resolutions for my readers to consider. The list is by no means comprehensive. It's just a good beginning on what is probably a much-needed family revolution:

1. We will not throw expensive "event parties" for our children on their birthdays. Instead, we will confine all birthday celebrations to our family, including extended family. We will keep it uncomplicated: a special dinner of the birthday boy or girl's favorite food, a cake, the song, and a few simple gifts, mostly clothing or other useful things.

2. We will spend at least as much time helping our children develop good manners as we do helping them get good grades in school, which means we will cut back significantly on the time helping with the latter (in consideration of the fact that good manners, which are expressions of respect for others, will take one further in life than will good grades). Each week, we will work on one specific social courtesy, such as saying "excuse me" when you walk in front of someone. Taking two weeks off, that's 50 courtesies a year!

Polite Manners
3. We will show our love for our neighbors by properly disciplining our children, insisting on proper behavior, and reprimanding immediately (even if that means in front of other people) when they behave otherwise, and on those occasions we will also insist they apologize appropriately.

4. If we have not already done so, we will assign a routine of daily chores to each of our children (at least those who have reached their third birthdays) and we will insist that the chores be done, and done properly, before they engage in recreation or relaxation.

Illustration of Children Helping with Chores

5. When our children ask us for cell phones, we will tell them that they may have cell phones when they are able to pay for them as well as the monthly bills.

6. When our children complain that they are the only kids who don't have cell phones (and do chores), we will tell them that learning how to be different is character-building.

The Frugal Meal
7. Our children will not be able to order customized meals unless we take them to a restaurant. At home, they will eat what we are eating, and they will sit at the table until they are finished. We will do this so that when they are invited to eat at someone else's home, they will be the best of guests.

8. We will surely bond with our children, but we will not bond with them in the marital bed, nor will we bond with them in their beds.

9. In keeping with number 8, we will put our marriage first and our children second, for their sake as well as ours. They will revolve around us; thus, they will not grow up thinking the world revolves around them.

10. If I am a single parent, I will take good care of myself for my sake as well as my children's. I will have an active, adults-only social life. I will take plenty of personal time to simply relax and do those things I like to do. I will do all of that so that my children will not ever think the world revolves around them.

A Quiet Read

11. We/I will put our/my children to bed early so that we/I can end each day reconnecting as a couple or relaxing as a single.

12. We will eat as a family around our own table at least six nights a week.

Crumbs from a Poor Man's Table, 1868
13. We will keep after-school activities to a minimum, and let them enroll only in activities that do not prevent us from delivering on number 11.

14. Instead of buying our children expensive things, we will help them develop hobbies and take them to museums and on trips.

The Necklace
15. We will do all of the above so that when they grow up, they will have wonderful memories of their childhoods and raise our grandchildren in a manner that honors us.

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/01/04/897541/15-resolutions-for-parents.html#storylink=cpy

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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Disclosure: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. Please note, I only endorse products that are in alignment with Blessed Homemaking's ideals and I believe would be of value to my readers. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------