Family Freedom
“But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.” Jeremiah 31:33Archive for Keepers at Home
7 Systems for Kids and Chores – Part II
This is the second in a series of articles reviewing effective systems for kids and chores. Click here to read the first article.
I’ve already shared my chore system with you, and so I wanted to follow up by sharing some of the chores that my kids do around our home. Review my chore system so that the following list makes sense. Read the rest of this entry »
7 Systems for Kids and Chores – Part I
Lord willing, I hope to write a series of articles reviewing effective systems for kids and chores. The following is my first entry.
Do you find yourself constantly reminding your kids to do routine chores around the house? How about routine tasks such as brushing their teeth, or picking out clothes for the next day? It hit me when we had our third baby, that it was time for my nine year old daughter to manage her chores herself, and to help manage her brother’s chores (age two). No longer did I want to ask, “Did you get your brother’s clothes ready for tomorrow?” or remind her to practice her piano. For help, I turned to Managers of their Chores by Terri Maxwell, a homeschool mom of seven. Building on her ideas in the book, as well as her chore packs, I developed my own system. Here’s how you can create yours. Read the rest of this entry »
A Quick Note on the 5.7 Alaska Quake Today
Bob got a good jolt at work today, and actually stood up at his desk at work when it happened. I didn’t feel it at all, which is usually how it goes. Funny story, though. The national media went crazy about the quake, while here locally it gets a brief mention. Relatives were trying to call, and we have dialup internet right now. I was online, so everyone thought our phones were down from the massive, gigantic earthquake they were hearing about. We’re okay, everyone, it’s just part of life in Alaska.
The “Marriage” Folder
My computer conked out the other day, and I’ve been putting off fixing it for a while. Finances are a little tight, so yada yada, etc., etc. Anyway, it’s still conked out, so I’ve been using my wife’s computer for all my writing, blogging, and other work. It’s slow and it’s older, but no big deal.
At any rate, it’s been a great excuse to see some of the things that she’s been working on. One of the things I admire about her so much, is her diligence in studying Scriptures. As the priest and leader in my household, she always lovingly submits to my will and my teachings. Yet she is also like the noble Bereans, and always checks up on what I teach, and wrestles with the Scriptures as she strives to be a wife who is pleasing in the sight of God. Long story short, she always has multiple links and websites bookmarked, and multiple pages of notes saved on the desktop of her computer. Topics can range from debates on futurism vs. historicism to different interpretations of a particularly tricky verse, to kitchen and sewing advice from other Christian ladies.
She has dozens upon dozens of bookmarks on her computer, storing these things up until later, so she never loses anything. There are literally hundreds of bookmarks stored on the machine, ranging from the writings of early church fathers to the Puritans, to Sermon Audio and other multitudes of things. Alphabetical folders. It’s a pillar of organized thought like nothing I could ever approach. This is all fine and dandy, until I found the “Marriage” folder.
She has folders in her bookmarks for things like sewing. Cooking. Proverbs. Housekeeping. Homeschooling. Finances. Tithing. Hymns. On and on and on. Some of these links are to things that she’s struggled with throughout her walk with Christ, resources that she has used to help mortify her flesh and help her to come to a greater understanding of God and His Law and His holiness. But a “Marriage” folder?
I have to admit that my heart skipped a beat when I saw the title of that folder. It’s the type of folder that she would create when she’s struggling with something, some deep inner problem that she’s been wrestling. I thought to myself, “What could be wrong?” Our marriage seems to be going well. We haven’t had an argument about… well, about anything in close to a year now. We have another baby on the way, and everything is great. So what could this “Marriage” folder be?
With no small amount of trepidation and fear, I clicked on it to see what sort of advice she had been seeking from the blogosphere or the “internets”, and…
The folder was empty. I love my wife’s sense of humor.
Feeding My Family for less than $35/Week
A friend of mine forwarded an article that was recently posted on msn.com titled “Can a family eat on $100 a week?” The opening sentence states, “Feed a family of four for $100 a week — no coupons, no backyard garden or mystery meat.” In an upcoming post, I will explain how we were able to grow fruits and vegetables in container gardens on an apartment deck. From our harvest (still ongoing of course), we’ve canned veggies and jellies for the winter, and we eat fresh salads. Growing a garden (whether you live in an apartment or house) is a crucial skill that any woman seeking to glorify God must learn. It will also prove to be valuable in this collapsing economy. That aside, the menu below does not include coupons, a backyard garden, or mystery meat.
Remember, the goal should never be to cut back, just for the sake of cutting back. The goal is to be a faithful servant of Christ, who uses His wealth to give alms to the poor and needy, to lodge strangers, to practice hospitality, to abstain from debt, to provide for His ministers, to help the widow and the fatherless, to stay home and train up a godly seed, and to use your savings for anything else that will help advance the Kingdom of Christ in time and in history. Knowing that frugality in this area is about seeking first the Kingdom of God will help you joyfully eat peanut butter and jelly rather than go out to eat. Read the rest of this entry »
Children are Curses While Debt is a Blessing?!
I found this quote on puritanismtoday.wordpress.com:
“The Bible calls debt a curse and children a blessing; but in our culture, we apply for a curse and reject blessings. Something is wrong with this picture.”
Doug Phillips, Unknown
Isn’t that the truth!
Open Your Pantry to the Poor and Needy
“She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.” Proverbs 31:10
First, I’ll share a commentary on the verse and then propose an idea for you to try in the New Year:
Matthew Henry Says Wait for God’s Blessing- Not Debt!
“She also plants a vineyard, but it is with the fruit of her hands; she does not take up money, or run into debt, to do it, but she does it with what she can spare out of the gains of her own housewifery. Men should not lay out any thing upon superfluities, till, by the blessing of God upon their industry, they have got before-hand, and can afford it; and then the fruit of the vineyard is likely to be doubly sweet, when it is the fruit of honest industry.” Matthew Henry Commentary on Proverbs 31:16
Homemaker…Are You Evangelizing or Too Busy?
Forgive Me God, I Had No Time
The year slipped by and time was spent,
And all the good things that I meant
To do were left undone because…
I had no time to stop and pause;
But rushed about, went here and there,
Did this and that, was everywhere.
I had no time to meditate
On things worthwhile. No time to wait
Upon the Lord and hear Him say,
“Well done, My child, you have shown the way.”
And so I wonder, after all,
When life is o’er and I am called
To meet my Savior in the sky,
Where saints live on and never die,
If I can find one soul I have won
To Christ by some small deed I have done.
Or will I hang my head and whine,
“Forgive me, God, I had no time”?
- UNKNOWN
Whose Slave are You?
Whether you’re rich or poor, you can be enslaved to money. If you’re in debt, you already are:
“The borrower is servant to the lender.” (Proverbs 22:7)
Christians are called to be enslaved to no one (or thing) other than God:
“But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” (Romans 6:22)
“No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”(Luke 16:13)
I recently heard an excellent sermon by Paul Washer called “God’s Will for Slaves.” I encourage you to humbly listen to and hear the Word of God in this broadcast. Prayerfully, examine your hearts and answer the question…whose slave are you?
