Distractions and Fear Mongering

I don't know about you, but I am so sick of hearing about coronavirus.  I think a lot of it is fear-mongering to distract us from other things.  When doing my shopping this week online, I was barely able to get deliveries scheduled--no doubt because a lot more people are having their groceries delivered instead of going out to get them.  One store's website kept having technical errors, perhaps due to too many people on it at once.  And then, when I went to purchase toilet paper because we are running out, I could hardly find any to buy!--all because people are giving way to this fear the media is spreading like wildfire.  People are being completely selfish and stockpiling things they don't need.

We, as Christian homemakers, may just need to turn the news off until this passes.  We should be focusing on our homes and families and doing what we can for their health--feeding them healthy, home-cooked meals, for one.  It is processed foods and white sugar that harms our immune systems.  Also, as time permits, learn about treating your own family's health.  In the past, I have learned about essential oils and herbs, and then came to learn about homeopathy.  Homeopathy is my favorite.  We use it all the time for both acute and chronic conditions, and I am prepared with remedies, should the need arise.  Most importantly, we know that the Lord is in control, and as we obey Him, we need to trust in Him to take care of us through all these trials.  You may find this earlier post I have written, helpful ~ Protecting Your Mind as a Homemaker

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I don't want to live in fear, but one thing that does bother me is the things those in high places are trying to do while we are distracted by this virus.  For those of you interested, I'm copying some information on what the government has been up to, below.

Copied:

In case you haven't noticed, while everyone is distracted by all the coronavirus fear mongering, THIS is actively happening👇🏼🙄😧

SIX states across America are now in violation of the constitution and have stripped their people of their rights, removing exemptions for vaccines - medical, religious and philosophical. Some of these apply to homeschooling children as well or will eventually as new bills are passed.


👉MISSISSIPPI, CALIFORNIA, WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY AND MAINE.👈

➡️ Last month CONNECTICUT passed a bill to remove religious exemptions.

🚫 COLORADO has bill SB 163 going into Senate that removes exemptions and discriminates/mandates review of those choosing not to vaccinate or delay them.

🚫 ILLINOIS has a couple bills, one is to mandate HPV, another bill SB 3668 is to remove religious exemptions and allow for minors to consent on their own to vaccines.

🚫 FLORIDA has a bill SB 64 That would remove religious exemptions and restrict medical exemptions.

➡️ HAWAII passed bill HAR 11-157 that goes into effect soon that mandates the CDC schedule from childcare through college, adding additional vaccines/boosters including FLU and HPV and more for college entry.

🚫 IOWA bill HF 206 is out to remove religious exemptions

🚫 MASSACHUSETTS has a couple bills to remove religious exemptions, get approval from the government for medical and religious exemptions, mandate HPV and allow minors to consent on their own.

There will be more - in your state and added to these states. For homeschooling, for mandates, for consenting minors, for workplace mandates without exemptions, for public notice of vaccination status, for adult vaccine mandates.

IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU ARE FOR OR AGAINST VACCINES - THIS IS ABOUT FREEDOM, choice and the overstepping of the government officials who are in violation of the oaths they took and the Constitution that SAYS this is not legal.

Take a stand, join the fight, raise your voices, put them on notice. Please, before we lose all of our personal and parental rights.

https://www.nvic.org/Vaccin…/state-vaccine-requirements.aspx

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National Vaccine Information Center is a reliable source of information.  I know some women hate the talk of vaccines and never look into it themselves and have even accused me of being "political" when I post something about them.  But this is not "political"--this is to be informed for the sake of our family's health, and also our freedoms.  Surely this is something important for mothers to do.  No one should be forced to put anything into their children's or their own bodies against their will.

Also, it has been shown that there is a connection between receiving a flu vaccine and being susceptible to coronavirus.





“Receiving influenza vaccination may increase the risk of other respiratory viruses, a phenomenon known as virus interference.”

“Vaccine derived virus interference was significantly associated with coronavirus...”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/31607599/
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Letting Teens Get a Job is Not a Good Way to Keep Them Busy

When children become a certain age, some Christian parents think it would be a great idea to allow them to get a job to "keep them busy" and earn some money.  Not only is this popular for boys, but also has become popular for teenage girls.  Why parents want to send their teen daughters out into the world to earn money is beyond me.  It is not in a young woman's nature to hold a job, and certainly doesn't prepare her to be a wife and homemaker.

My parents did this with me, and I had several jobs before I was saved.  One summer before I was even old enough to hold a paying job, they sent me to a camp to be a camp "counselor in training" to "keep me busy", and they even paid me to do it since it wasn't a paying position.  All of these places of employment did me no good and actually caused much harm.

Before parents consider allowing or even encouraging their teens to get a job outside the home, there is much to think about Biblically, especially with concern for their souls and how a place of employment might affect their future.  Jobs outside the home hold a lot of danger and temptation for young people who still are not mature.  It is very similar to sending them off to public school.



Consider the following:

At a job, teens are exposed to and cannot get away from

• Their boss.  They are at the demand of their manager to be available to do what he/she wants at whatever time he/she wants (though with some restrictions due to their age).  This boss most likely won't care about things like your teen keeping the Lord's Day or having convictions about not doing certain things.
• Their co-workers.  Co-workers can be the worst "companions" which your teen will naturally have to be around and cannot get away from in the workplace.  If you send your teen off to a job, do not be surprised if they are exposed to filthy language and jokes, drug use, alcohol use, people fornicating, along with the more subtle views of their coworkers that are prevalent in our society, such as feminism, environmentalism, evolution, etc.  Teens are still very much in their formative and immature years and will find it hard to be the only one standing against such evils in our society.
• Wicked music.  Often in places of business, raunchy, inappropriate music is played, and your teen will have to listen to this all day and cannot get away from it.  Co-workers may also play their own music which your teen may be exposed to.
• Customers.  Depending on the type of job your teen has, there may often be customers that your teen has to interact with that expose them to things you wouldn't want.
• Sexual advances.  It is a sad fact that if you send your daughter off to a job, you can expect that someone will at some point act inappropriately toward her.  And in our backwards society, even young girls feel emboldened to make sexual advances towards young men, so you can expect this if you have sons as well.  If you want to keep your children pure until their marriage, sending them off to a place of employment is not a very good way to do it.
• Technology.  Co-workers these days most likely have smartphones where they freely show other people porn or other wicked photos and videos.  Are you ready for your teen to be exposed to this?  Also, would your teen have other access to computers or other technology where they could search for or even accidentally stumble upon some of the wickedness that is on the internet?  The temptation for teens is very real in this area, and once seen, these things cannot be unseen.
• Immodesty.  Many places of employment will expose your teen to high levels of immodesty that they wouldn't have to deal with at home.  This is especially problematic for teen boys who are trying to keep themselves pure in thought and deed.
• Your teen most likely will be asked by coworkers to "hang out" at other times other than the workplace. Don't be surprised if your teen forms an attachment to the people they are around at work, wanting to be around them instead of their family.

There are many dangers of sending your teen out to work in our modern world, and loving, Christian parents would do best to seriously consider these.  Even homeschooling parents who have foreseen the dangers of public school, sometimes send their children out to jobs where they will be exposed to many of the great evils they were seeking to avoid at school.

Even if you send your teen to work at a place that you are familiar with, or even to a place of employment where the owners are professing Christians, you will run into many of the same issues.

What is the solution then?

For young women, I see no reason for her to ever need "job experience", as the Bible has made it clear for what young women are to be concerned with.  

The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. ~Titus 2:3-5

There is no reason for a daughter from a Christian home to get a job outside of the home.  Let her learn beside her mother, the many and varied skills of home-keeping while she has the time on her hands!  It makes no sense for her to wait until she is married to learn these needed skills.  There are always more things to learn, and before she is married, she has the ability to become very good at these things. Older daughters at home can be a tremendous blessing to their mothers.  Daughters at home should be learning contentment within the home sphere and to not be led by selfish desires.

For young men, it is a bit more difficult.  Obviously, young men need to at some point learn to be providers.  At what time this occurs and in what way will greatly depend on the individual young man, his walk with Christ, and his maturity.  But do not be fooled into thinking that your teen boy is beyond being tempted or lured away from his faith by the above mentioned dangers.  Even if he is not led away into a snare, if he's working at a place of employment, he will be exposed to things that will most likely leave an impression on his young heart for the rest of his life.  That's why we must be ever so careful and wise in our decisions.  It would be best if his Christian father had his own business that his son could get involved in.  That way his father can still be with his young man and guide him as he steps out into the working world.  Other options are if your teen son can have his own "business" doing yard work or other such things for neighbors where he is still close to home and has a sense of accountability.  If he has a brother or even his own father to come alongside him, even better, as they can provide each other accountability.



Other ways to keep teens busy are to have a family life that is busy with regular family dinners and family worship.  These are important duties that should be happening every day, and many teens start to miss out on them if they are at jobs in the evenings.  Families can also minister together to other people in many ways, as well as share the Gospel.  Don't forget family walks, outings, and other enjoyable leisure activities.  Doing things together as a family is so beneficial for all family members, and prepares our young teens to one day have their own families and spend time with them instead of leading their separate lives.

Even though this may seem "different", don't cave into the pressure of those around you to do what everyone else is doing or what seems right in their own eyes.  What is most important is our children's souls, and so we must always have their spiritual wellbeing in mind.


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Wise Words as Children Return to Their Studies

We school year round, taking breaks when it suits our family.  Our family enjoys the sense of order and direction this gives us, as well as keeping the children from forgetting too much while taking a long summer break.  We also can take vacations or time off whenever we feel like it--one of the beauties of homeschooling!

As some children are about to start back up into a new school year, we have some very wise words to glean from.  Please join me at Raising Homemakers for the rest of today's post.

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Stay at Home Mothers of the Past

Christian families have changed their viewpoint quite a bit over the past several years.  Instead of embracing women as being keepers at home, we often hear excuses about how it is too hard to do this.

Only about forty years ago, it was normal for mothers to stay home. People didn't have nearly the expectation of lifestyle that many do today. They didn't have computers or cell phones, etc.  Families had one landline, and they had to be very careful to call long distance only during the "cheap" times.  Families had much smaller, less luxurious houses.  Some families lived in an apartment or trailer until they had been married for several years and had a few children before they finally were able to buy their first house. Families bought clothes from secondhand, cheap places.  It was a luxury to go to Walmart and buy something new, like for a birthday or Christmas.  Families were very frugal in many ways.  Instead of women going to work to bring in money, they sacrificed financially for a husband to go to school to get a degree if it was necessary.

We need to rethink our priorities.  Our priorities should not be to have more money or more "stuff".  The priority should always be for women to be the keepers of their homes and for men to be the providers, like the Bible says.

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Are You Taking Your Marriage for Granted?

A marriage from the Lord is something to be preciously guarded and upheld.  It can be destroyed if husband and wife do not take care to maintain the sweetness and uniqueness of the marriage bond.

Husband and wife should be best friends.  There should be nothing they cannot or do not want to share together.  Intimacy is not just a physical union. If you have left becoming "one flesh" at just physical intimacy, you are really missing out on what one flesh means.  It is a joining of spirits and sharing thoughts and dreams, being vulnerable to one another, in a way that is not done with any other human being in the world.  (Song of Solomon 8:6-7)

Hearken back to the time of your courtship and engagement, and remember how there was nothing you liked better than to spend time with your husband- or wife-to-be.  You talked together, shared your feelings with one another, made plans together.  You included each other in whatever you could because you loved to be together.  You couldn't wait to tell them what was going on in your life and to share news with them.  You shared about what happened in the time you'd been apart.  There was no one that could replace this person, because you had eyes and heart only for them.  These feelings of love and oneness should only increase during marriage, not decrease!

Husbands and wives would do well to involve each other with extended family relationships.  Once a man and woman are married, they should endeavor to keep each other involved in the news of each other's families.  Sometimes, husbands and wives maintain separate relationships with parents or siblings that have absolutely no involvement with their spouse.  When we marry, we are told to leave our families we grew up with and to cleave to one another (Genesis 2:24).   This does not mean that we cut off ties and communication and visits with our parents, siblings, etc.  But it means that we have begun a new family wherein we always put our spouse first, and keep each other involved with our family.  Too often, wives go with complaints to their mothers about their husbands, or wives have long, deep conversations with their mothers or sisters about things that they will not share with their husbands.  I daresay this happens with husbands too.  Sometimes extended family members will try to pry into the couple's private relationship and make suggestions or inquiries into what should be private domestic life. This is not conducive to the "cleaving" we are supposed to be doing in marriage.  I knew a couple who kept each other involved with their extended family by having "catch-up" calls with each other's family when they were both on the phone.  This way, they each knew about what was going on and were part of the conversation, and the husband and wife maintained a united front.

We should not keep secrets from our spouse or hold back information.  We should be upfront about things that have happened during the day and struggles we are having.  Wives would do well to share with their husbands what has happened in the home during the day.  Husbands would do well to share with their wives about the goings on at his place of employment.  Our modern era has us spending much of our time apart, so to keep our relationships strong, we must make the effort to speak to one another.

Wives are mainly protected in the home, which is a wonderful place of shelter.  She may go out to do the shopping, but shouldn't she share with her husband if another man was showing interest in her?  In the same way, husbands must carefully guard their hearts in the workplace.  Because of our upside-down society, men often spend their working days with other women.  They are having conversations with these women and often spend more time with them than they do their own wives.  Husbands may come home from work having talked all day to other people, and may hardly have a word for their wives.  This will not lead to a fruitful marriage, nor strengthen the marriage bond.  Husbands would be wise to tell their wives about the people they work with, keeping an honest and open account with their one-flesh partner.  This will bring a great element of trust into the relationship, and also build accountability.  There are many adulterous relationships that begin in the workplace that never were intentional, but a bond was built between two people who spent much time together in the day-to-day.  Remember that adultery begins in the heart, and often starts with seemingly harmless conversation.  Wives, though they may be tired by the end of day, should take an interest in their husband's work and happenings at his place of employment.  After all, he has been at work all day to provide for her and the children.

We must remember, that though the Lord has first place in our hearts, we are to very much be about pleasing our husbands (and husbands to please their wives) once we are married (1 Corinthians 7:32-34).  Let us not take our marriages for granted.

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How to Read the Bible as a Family

Family worship time is so very important.  The Puritans of old completely understood this and made it a great priority to have time in God's Word together as a family.  If you are not doing this already, I would greatly encourage you to start now.  Ideally, the husband would lead the family devotions, but if for some reason he is absent, unwilling, or not a Christian, than you, as mother must do it yourself.  God will help you.

If you do not know how, here is a resource that I just came across today that will be quite helpful.  We do not make it our goal to get through the Bible in a year, as my husband prefers to take the time on each passage to bring out the deep, spiritual meaning. However, I think this article provides a lot of good information for having your own Bible time as a family.

Another way to have family Bible time ~ How to Have Family Bible Study

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Keeping Celebrations Christ-Centered

Thanksgiving is now over and the Christmas rush has begun.... 

Whatever the holiday, whatever the celebration, as Christian mothers, we have a great duty and privilege of keeping our families' thoughts Christ-centered.  Please join me today at Raising Homemakers for my thoughts on keeping our celebrations Christ-centered.

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Phone Etiquette

Some mothers at home have a problem of receiving phone calls all throughout the day.  This can cause a great interruption to a busy day of homeschooling and homemaking, so what is a mother to do?

First off, we must realize that we shouldn't expect others to be available every time we want to get a hold of them.  Our modern conveniences of telephones, cell phones, email, social media, etc. have left some people very impatient to have an immediate reply when they want to speak to someone.  But we must be more considerate.

Just because a mother or housewife is at home and not employed outside the home, does not make her completely available to everyone who wants to reach her.  There is much to get done during the day, and especially if she is spending time with her children or husband, she shouldn't be expected to drop everything when someone rings.  While a housewife does have a great deal of freedom with her time, that does not mean that she has time for every interruption.  A housewife's schedule and responsibilities should be respected by others.

Of course, we know that sometimes we will have interruptions, and we must deal with them graciously.  But to always have them coming into our day is not helpful or conducive to accomplishing what is needed in the home. 

There are things a housewife can do to help with these interruptions.  If you have Caller ID, you can see easily if the phone needs to picked up.  If not, most households have an answering machine or voicemail that can be used to screen calls for an emergency.  Phone calls can be returned at a set time that won't interrupt the family's day.  Another polite way to contact people is email, as an email can be answered when the receiver is able.

Unfortunately, some people are pushy and not understanding about a homemaker's time, and still expect to be answered immediately.  You may have to graciously explain that you are unable to answer all the time, but that you will respond when you are able.

In the same vein, it is really impolite to break off in the middle of a conversation with someone to answer a text or phone call from someone else.  It is like allowing a person to pop up in the middle of you and the person you were having time with, who starts talking about something completely different.  This is a major problem in our modern technology age, but we should be considerate of those immediately around us, and remember that a message can always be checked, and a phone call returned at a more convenient time.

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Keepers at Home {Sermon}

"The difference between the traditional Christian interpretation of “keepers at home” and the modern version is considerable. While the traditional interpretation established the home as the sphere of a married woman’s work and calling, the modern understanding says that the term does nothing of the kind. While the traditional interpretation defined a married woman’s “career” as homemaking, the modern view teaches that a married woman may pursue a career outside of the home as long as she does not neglect homemaking. While the traditional interpretation calls the woman to focus her energy, time, and talents in the home in the service of her family, the modern view says that she is not so “restricted” and may go outside the home for her employment. Which is the correct understanding? It is our belief that the traditional interpretation is the correct one. This sermon defends this view by appeal to the meaning of the Greek word translated “keepers at home,” and on the wider Biblical teaching on the roles of the wife and mother."

This helpful and enlightening sermon can be listened to here.

A wonderful testimony from one of Blessed Homemaking's readers:

"Great article article. Thanks for standing on truth in this "modern day " when truth is anything but popular. We were the family that couldn't wait until the kids were in school full time so I could go back to full time employment. We needed the money of a second income. When our goal came to fruition it tore our family down. The second income still wasn't enough, meals weren't being made, the house wasn't being kept up and we didn't have time for the kids. My full time employment brought our family to the brink of divorce. The only explanation we have is that the Holy Spirit knocked us up along side the head and woke us up. We discovered that both me and my husband were tearing our family down. He asked me to quit my job and we would step out in faith for once and let God provide for our needs. We have seen due to our obedience, God did open unexpected doors for us and we are now flourishing financially-all on my husbands work, while I keep the home. A year after I quit my job we brought the kids home too and are now homeschooling them. We could go on and on explaining how wonderful it has been since we fully put our trust in the Lord, but not everyone wants to hear or trust. We now see that this is a very basic principle that is at the heart of why our society is failing and why it will continue to fall down the rabbit hole. Found this link that is a text version of this sermon you shared.http://darashpress.com/articles/keepers-home "

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Enjoying the Everday

Hello Dear Ones,

Do you find it easy to get bored, distracted, annoyed, frazzled, etc. with day-to-day life at home?

If so, take a step back and look at your at-home life in the long run.  What is your purpose there?  Is it to be a maid, a cook, a teacher of academics?  Most likely, you do cook meals, clean the house, and hopefully, if you have children, you teach them about the Lord.

However, you are not those above mentioned things.  That is not your title.  Those are things that you do to bless your family.

Instead of thinking of homemaking as a chore, or something to get done so that you can get on with other things, remember that is the Lord Who has put you in this role.  It is Him that you are working for.

Accept that there are some things about homemaking that you do not particularly like, but just do them anyways.  And in all that you do at home, strive to do it cheerfully, and with thankfulness.

Thankfulness that you are at home, looking after your children, and making a lovely home for your husband.  Even if you have no children at home, you are still a housewife and meeting your husband's needs.  How?  By keeping a lovely home for him that is a retreat away from the rest of the world.

Begin every day with time in God's precious Word and prayer.  There is nothing better than this to put your mind in the right spot to serve your family throughout the day. Return to the Lord in prayer throughout the day whenever you feel discouraged or need help.

Do what you are doing at home out of love for your family, and most of all love for the Lord.  What you're doing is immeasurably important!  Don't let the enemy of your soul discourage you or distract you from what you should be doing to bless your family.

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Charles Spurgeon on Sunday School

"Nowadays, the world has in it, alas, so few of Christian mothers and grandmothers, the church has thought it wise to supplement the instruction of home by teaching held under her fostering wing. Those children who have no such parents the church takes under her maternal care.. . . They endeavor to perform the duties of fathers and mothers, for God's sake, to those children who are neglected by their own parents; and therein they do well. Let no Christian parents fall into the delusion that the Sunday-school is intended to ease them of their personal duties. The first and most natural condition of things is for the Christian parents to train up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

~Charles Spurgeon "The Child Timothy and His Teachers." Come Ye Children.

Perhaps this is one of the Church's grave errors in our modern times.  Many Christian parents are guilty of doing just what Charles Spurgeon long ago warned parents against.  They are neglecting their duty to train up their own children, and instead leave it to the church, Sunday School programs, and send them off to school during the week.

But whose job is it to raise our children?  Who will bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord?  Who knows our children best and will stand before the Lord in accountability?  Exactly whom the Lord gave the job to.  Parents.  No one is better suited.

Sunday School is a wonderful thing for children who have no Christian parents, just as Charles Spurgeon states.  But Sunday School was never meant to replace the family altar, the parents teaching their children the truths of the Bible.  Let us never be guilty of neglecting our duty.  Let us never do something just because others are doing it, even in the church.  Let us remember the purpose of Sunday Schools, and remember it is our own duty to teach our children.

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Against the Proletarization of Women ~ Antonia Cunningham, 2003

Until the latter half of the nineteenth century, the American family was viewed and regarded as a legitimate sphere of powerful economic and influential government, complete with land, an armed defense, a covenant head, and that covenant head's subjects. (The word "economy" literally means the law of the home.) Christian men often held positions as statesmen and justices in the civil sphere as well as ruling positions in the ecclesiastical sphere.

However, as men became influenced by the Jacobin, egalitarian philosophy of the French Revolution and began to follow Unitarian religious philosophy rather than the Calvinism of their eighteenth century Puritan heritage, the family began to be much less influential. Biblical covenantalism and federalism gave way to anti-biblical democratic individualism.

The doctrine that a woman's place is in the home was as recently as 50 years ago held by most Americans, not just Christians. It was only challenged when the humanistic Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s began to influence our nation.

Marriage is an economic institution. God has created the woman to be the helper of man, not to be a provider. The woman is an object of provision - otherwise the man's role as provider is meaningless. If the husband is not providing for the home, he should be severely rebuked and disciplined by the Church, until he demonstrates that he is providing for his wife. However, it is just as wrong for the wife to provide physical food for the home in response to her husband’s abdication as it would be for women to provide spiritual food to the congregation if male elders are teaching heresy. It was Adam who was given instruction to till the ground and provide.

As politically incorrect as the biblical view for the woman's place in the home is today, the biblical mandate on this issue (as any other) must be upheld, and God's Supreme Law-Word must be obeyed over the rules of men (Acts 5:29). When the Bible gives examples of women working, this work is always home-based. Some examples are Dorcas (Acts 9:36–42), Lydia (Acts 16:14,15,40), and the woman of Proverbs 31.

A married woman who works for another man is literally forced to obey two economic masters, and is consequently unable to be subject to her husband in everything as the Lord commands (Eph. 5:24). The husband also disobeys the Lord when he gives his wife to another for economic support. He is no longer providing for his wife. Instead, another man is now providing for her, and she is in his charge. On a collective level, this abdication leads to the tyranny of socialism and statism, a phenomenon that is increasingly prevalent in the United States as biblical, familial, ecclesiastical, and civil federalism and localism continue to be eroded by antinomian pietism, secular humanism, and mob rule.

As shown in Marx and Engels' Communist Manifesto, one of the first objectives of socialism is to seize private property that God has authoritatively and graciously given to mankind through the positive sanctions of His eighth commandment. One of the ways a socialist society is built is through taking the woman out of her biblical, natural sphere of the home and placing her in the workforce alongside the men - all in the name of an economic and social egalitarian, utopian ideal.

It is already clear at this point that the emancipation of woman, her equalisation with man, is and remains impossible so long as the woman is excluded from the productive work of society and remains restricted to private household work. The emancipation of woman first becomes possible when she is able on an extensive, social scale, to participate in production, and household work claims her attention only to an insignificant extent. And this for the first time has been made possible by large scale industry, which not only admits women’s labor over a wide range, but absolutely demands it, and also strives to transform private household work more and more into public industry ~ Friedrich Engels, co-author of The Communist Manifesto

I believe there is a direct correlation between feminist careerism and the high property taxes that are forced upon property owners today. Unemployment skyrocketed in the 1960s when women left the home and men were forced to compete with women for employment. Herein lies another reason why I believe a woman should not leave the sphere of the home to work. We cannot, in good Christian conscience, be employed in jobs that men need for the support of their wives and children. 

A married woman is employed in the most important job in the world. She works in her and her husband’s home - under their vine and fig tree, on their land, under God's primary and her husband's secondary federal and economic authority. No firm can pay a woman to care for children or an elderly parent. No business can pay a salary worthy of a woman praying with a hurting sister over muffins and coffee at 11:00 a.m. on a Tuesday. No president of a company can pay a wife to give her husband a much-needed foot massage after a good, hard day's work. No CEO in any corporation can pay a woman to make a home-cooked meal for her family or for a bedridden brother in Christ.

During the War for Southern Independence 140 years ago, many black Confederates fought for the freedom to be stewards of their own land and that of their masters, refusing to be subjected to the tyranny of a coercive, centralized Unitarian State in the name of emancipation. In the same way, let us, as married women, contend for our God-given right to be full-time housewives to our husbands and servants to other members of the Body of Christ, forsaking the world's current administration of centralized government, socialism, and statism.

To be sure, I am in no way saying that a woman should be confined to the home or that she cannot make money from the home. Indeed, this is the hallmark of the Proverbs 31 woman. I believe that as long as it does not interfere with the work of the home, the wife is also free to work in her husband’s office or with him in a partnership situation (such as a legal or medical practice). I teach and have taught piano lessons from our home for some time in order to earn money for the household. However, this is not meant to be provisional income (as our role as women is that of helper and not provider), but income used for the improvement and beautification of the home. I am under deep biblical conviction that this economic arrangement serves not only to protect women from their usurping, independent, sinful tendencies, but also protects the man from his sinful tendency of abdication. This type of administration also collectively fulfills the dominion mandate, since it helps to benefit society as a whole and strengthen familial government. 

It is no wonder that so many evangelical Christian women today are entering seminaries with what I believe is mostly a sincere desire to provide spiritual nourishment to starving, backslidden, or apostate congregations; this same generation of women has been told the lie that it is their responsibility to provide economically for their own households. It is inconsistent to tell women that they may not have a career in the pulpit or in the armed services (this includes combative roles) if we as a Church are unwilling to specifically tell women that their role or "career" is to be their husband's helper as keeper of the home. Egalitarian roles in the powerful and influential sphere of the family will inexorably create a secular humanistic state, leading to both spiritual and economic slavery and tyranny (1 Sam 8:1-18; Isaiah 3:1-12). The only way to avoid this tyranny is for married women to be keepers at home, that the Word of God may not be blasphemed (Titus 2:4).

I would give a woman not more rights, but more privileges. Instead of sending her to seek such freedom as notoriously prevails in banks and factories, I would design specially a house in which she can be free. ~ G.K. Chesterton

© Copyright 2002-2009 by LAF/BeautifulWomanhood.org

Used by permission from the author

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Purity and the Christian

As Christians, we must have a high standard of purity.  We must be pure in our speech, pure in our dress, pure in our relationships.  All of this stems from a heart desire to please the Lord and become more like Him--He Who is completely holy and without blemish.  We must not let anyone dissuade us from living a life of purity.  This is why it is so important to be careful what company we keep, not only with friends, but also what books we are reading, what we watch on TV, and what we read and look at on the internet.  Impurity and immorality is all around us.  We must be careful to guard our hearts and minds from what would draw us away from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Sexual immorality is a huge problem in our culture, even among those who profess Christ.  Single Christians must be careful to live in chastity and live a sexually pure life.  Singles must remember that the only legitimate outlet for urges and feelings of this sort is marriage.  The Scriptures state, "It is better to marry than to burn" (1 Corinthians 7:9).  Scriptures do not state, "it is better to give in in a 'committed relationship'" or "it is better to indulge one's feelings" by committing what some would term "self-love".  I could use another word, but I won't here.  If you don't know what I mean, send me a message.  I would say that most people are not gifted with singleness.  I believe the Lord created most of us to be in a marriage relationship.  You probably know who you are.  I would urge you singles, while you are awaiting the Lord's perfect timing to bring you a spouse, that you keep busy in serving your families and also busy about the Lord's work in ministry.  There are always people who need help, and there are always people who need the Gospel.  Just don't completely neglect your family at home (they probably need your help too), to go and serve others.  Be busy about the Lord's work.  And use your time of singleness to grow closer to the Lord.

Married Christians must also keep a high standard of purity.  Sometimes when people get married, they let go of previous convictions in favor of new experiences, forgetting the former boundaries that kept them on the straight and narrow.  Purity is still very important in marriage.  The marriage bed must be kept pure and undefiled.  Only pure things should take place there, and we also must be careful to guard our relationships with our husbands (and of course, husbands should do the same for their wives.)  It is probably unwise for men and women (who are not husband and wife), to ever be alone together, or to have close friendships with one another.  We must observe that most adulterous relationships began with two people who never initially had that intention.  Keeping some boundaries is wise and helps preserve the sanctity of marriage, and also avoids the appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22).

I will leave you with Matthew Henry's commentary on Hebrews 13:4:

To purity and chastity, Heb_13:4. Here you have, 1. A recommendation of God's ordinance of marriage, that it is honourable in all, and ought to be so esteemed by all, and not denied to those to whom God has not denied it. It is honourable, for God instituted it for man in paradise, knowing it was not good for him to be alone. He married and blessed the first couple, the first parents of mankind, to direct all to look unto God in that great concern, and to marry in the Lord. Christ honoured marriage with his presence and first miracle. It is honourable as a means to prevent impurity and a defiled bed. It is honourable and happy, when persons come together pure and chaste, and preserve the marriage bed undefiled, not only from unlawful but inordinate affections. 2. A dreadful but just censure of impurity and lewdness: Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. (1.) God knows who are guilty of such sins, no darkness can hide them from him. (2.) He will call such sins by their proper names, not by the names of love and gallantry, but of whoredom and adultery, whoredom in the single state and adultery in the married state. (3.) He will bring them into judgment, he will judge them, either by their own consciences here, and set their sins in order before them for their deep humiliation (and conscience, when awakened, will be very severe upon such sinners), or he will set them at his tribunal at death, and in the last day; he will convict them, condemn them, and cast them out for ever, if they die under the guilt of this sin.

I also want to encourage you, if you have been involved in some impurity in the past, that the Lord is willing and able to forgive your sins.  There is no sin too great for the blood of Jesus to cover.  If you are guilty of some sin of impurity, repent and turn away from your sin.  Turn to the Lord for His forgiveness and cleansing.  He can give you new life in Christ.

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Protecting Your Family from Foxes and Wolves

From time to time when raising a family, you may notice that little foxes try to come in (Song of Solomon 2:15), or even wolves (Matthew 10:16).  This may come in the form of acquaintances, false teachers, family members, or forms of entertainment such as music, videos, etc.  Whatever the form, we must take care to guard our families.  Especially when raising children, we cannot allow them to fall prey to those people or things that would lead them away from the paths of righteousness.

If we are striving to instill certain beliefs into our children--those that honor our Lord Jesus Christ, then it is unwise to purposely let other influences into our children's lives that will contradict what we are trying to teach them.  Of course, we know that our children will always be around sin, to some degree, because we are living in the world, but we should not intentionally expose them to what is harmful to them--because this will harm their souls.  First and foremost, we must be thinking of our children's souls.

Of course, we should always try to live at peace with everyone, whether they be our relatives, neighbors, fellow church members, etc.  We should treat these people with kindness and respect, whether or not we agree with them on things.  However, we should never compromise our beliefs and convictions if they want us to do something against our better judgment for our children (of course, for ourselves, as well).  A mother is called to be a gatekeeper of her home, and a husband is to lead his family into what is good and right and true.  If we let the foxes and wolves through unhindered, it is very likely that they will devour our children, or at the very least, take them captive.  Are you willing to take that risk?

Love does not conquer all in every situation.  We must be careful to give our children instruction in the right paths whenever possible, so they are well familiar with the Lord's narrow way.  But sometimes we have to put up boundaries for our children's sake.  This is unfortunate, but our first ministry is to our families, and we must be looking out for their welfare at all times.

“This is the thought that should be uppermost on your mind in all you do for your children. In every step you take about them, in every plan, and scheme, and arrangement that concerns them, do not leave out that mighty question, "How will this affect their souls?” 

~J.C.Ryle, The Duties of Parents

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Linked to:

A Warning for Our Modern Times

Dear Mothers and Housewives,

 I have a warning for us all today.  Please join me at Raising Homemakers to see what it is.


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10 Reasons to Not Plan Your Family Size

1. 
    The Lord, in His holy Scriptures, calls children blessings.
2.  He calls them a reward.  Why would we not want a reward from the Lord?  Would we refuse any other reward from Him?  A bigger house?  A newer car?
3.  There are no Scriptures supporting the use of birth control.
4.  The only mention of any sort of birth control (deliberately preventing a child from being conceived), follows with the Lord killing the man who committed the act.
5.  We see many Scriptures that describe how the Lord opens and closes the womb.  He is in control.
6.  If we claim to believe in the sovereignty of God, how can we deny His sovereignty in the life He creates in the womb?
7.  When we have children, we have little disciples around us all day in the home, whom we can teach in the ways of the Lord.
8.  What better way to spread the Gospel than by sending forth shining lights from our own homes?
9.  When we have the attitude of not wanting another baby because "circumstances aren't right", "finances are tight", or "it's just too hard", we are having the same attitude of people who kill their children in the womb.
10.  Up until the early 20th century, the Protestant church was completely opposed to couples using birth control and considered it sin.  Why has this changed?  I suspect a couple of reasons.  Firstly, the church, at large, has become more like the world and has adapted its values in many areas.  Also, I believe birth control became more readily accepted so women could go out to work outside the home--something else that is not Scriptural.  With couples being able to "choose" when and how many babies to have, it freed up women to go out into the workforce, therefore weakening the family with mothers away from home.

Let us pray that the Lord's church will return to His ways of family life and strengthen our families so we can bring Him glory through our home life.

Recommended resources:

The Way Home
The Bible and Birth Control
Children are a Blessing
The Bible and Birth Control audio recording

This article was published in issue #132 of The Christian Home Magazine.

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Repost: So You Think You Should Go to Work

Today, join me at Raising Homemakers where I share an old-y but good-y post from a few years ago on Blessed Homemaking.  It's an encouragement for all of us homemakers!

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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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Today I'm at Raising Homemakers: Adjusting to a Growing Family Size

If you've trusted the Lord to decide the size of your family and how many children to give you, He may very well give you an increase in this area.  If so, there are some things that will help you in preparation and ideas to help you adjust to a growing family size.  I am guest-posting at Raising Homemakers today, so come visit for the rest of the post!


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The Telephone

Today my phone has been ringing, ringing, ringing.  I lost track of how many phone calls I have gotten.  It is usually not this bad, but today it has been.  I see many, but not all, of these phone calls as interruptions to our day.  I have only answered one of them today so far.

When we are busy with our homeschool day, I want to devote my attention to my children.  That is why I am so thankful for an answering machine!  I can let those calls go through to the answering machine, and I can return them at a more convenient time.  If you do not have Caller ID, you can let your calls go through to the answering machine to screen them.  That is much better than being interrupted all day by people who are either a) solicitors, or b) can wait.

Maybe some people won't understand why you can't answer the phone all the time, but as homemakers, we have to prioritize our time and use it wisely.

How do you deal with phone calls during the day?

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