Homemaking Mondays: Homemaking Visits

"Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality."

- Romans 12:13

^"As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith."

- Galatians 6:10

I have been pondering this very thing called a homemaking visit since I read about it once by another christian lady.  

So what is a homemaking visit? 

This would be a visit in which you would go and help out with homemaking needs as you visit with someone.  Things like doing dishes, vacuuming floors, washing windows, caring for children, cooking meals, doing some laundry, or doing any odd job that needs doing around the home.  This may even include taking children for a walk or to the park so the mother can get some extra rest.  

So you can go to visit, and as you chat you can be doing things with or for them around the house.  You could take them some needed items if they're short on them or unable to make it out to the store.  You could bring them something extra like baking or some new crayons and a colouring book for small children.  You get the idea.   

Why would you have one? 

Well, in this role of homemaking it can get a bit overwhelming at times.  Especially when one has a new baby, or small children, or is ill, injured, or elderly. This gives a helping hand in the role of homemaking to those that need it.  It is wonderful to have people visit, but to share a burden in this area is very needed.  It seems old fashioned now, but when full-time homemaking was the norm this happened often.  I think pride has stepped in and has caused people to think that it was a shame to have help in this area. You know since everyone seems to think they need to be capable and competent at everything all the time.  Lets be real!  Lets take the time to step into each other's homes and give the gift of homemaking. 

Who would receive one?

 Like I stated above, those that have new babies, small children, those that are ill, and those that are elderly.  But really... anyone can use those visits!  

As I have been reading through some scriptures on caring for one another, it has really struck me in this area that we need to be also making homemaking visits a part of our lives.  We need to make time for others in this way as well.  Hospitality doesn't need to just be in our own homes.... it can extend to others in many ways.  

"Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."

-Philippians 2:4

Do you know someone that could use a homemaking visit?  
Have you ever had a homemaking visit?

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Summer is Full

Hello!  I thought I'd share a bit of our summer with you.  

It's been cold and rainy for most of the time, but mid July changed to hot and sunny and it's lovely!  

To deal with the heat (which we're not used to),

we've been spending time around the water, and in the shade. 

We have a sweet shallow spot just up river from us that we enjoy cooling off in. 

Life jackets are nice to put on the boys as just off to the right of the picture 

is a very fast moving main river.  Here my one daughter splashes away with her brothers. 

We also like to go to a small shallow lake close to home.

It is perfect for the kids to practice paddling and boat safety.  

This last week we stood around in the water for a long time and watched the massive schools of minnows pecking away at our feet and legs.  

At first it was startling but then it turned to fits of giggles as they descended on us. :)  

Each of the boys had a paddling lesson at the front of the boat, 

next time will be in the back and they'll learn steering. 

The boys brought their goggles and watched the minnows in the water instead of going swimming. 

It was such a lovely day!  

A mix of sun and cloud and a gentle breeze. 

The flowers in the yard and garden are blooming so beautiful and it's so cheerful to wander about watering and weeding. 

Our little fireweed forest by one section of garden has erupted in blooms 

and is often a buzz with our neighbour's honey bees.  

Yes, you can see a frost blanket/ row cover over some of the plants.  

It's still mighty cold here during the night for growing things.  

So I cover them up to give them a little added boost.  

Thanks for dropping by!  

I hope  you are enjoying the lovely summer days! 

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: Beauty in the Details

Esther 1: 20

" And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire, for it is great, all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, both to great and small."

Today I'd like to share about beauty in the details.  

As I read the above passage (read the whole passage of Esther 1) about the dealings of the King Ahasuerus of Persia and his Queen Vashti.

I thought of how very important it is to respect the requests of our husbands.  No, we may not always feel like doing as our husbands ask, but we need to submit ourselves to them and honour their requests.  It is a sign of submission, but also of deep respect, yes honour.  

It is very common for wives to be publicly disrespectful to their husbands.... just stand and watch sometime when you're out in public.  How do you think this makes them feel?  

I know that I have not always been perfect in this area, and I am ashamed of that.  I now seek to always do so.  How very important it is, not just for your marriage, but for the witness of the Lord.  

This goes back to what I previously wrote on regarding Titus 2: 

"To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed."

We need to always  remember that all that we do needs to be for the glory of God.  This includes how we treat others, and for us wives especially our husbands.  If we are disrespectful to our husbands in the sight of others, they will not think too highly of us, or the God we serve.  

No, we will not always agree, or feel like doing some things. 

But really that doesn't matter....we are only responsible for ourselves, and we need to use self control so that we don't say or do things that are displeasing to the Lord and disrespectful to our husbands. 

There is beauty in the details.  Just following our husbands requests, creates a peaceful, loving environment for you both, and your family, and those you are around.  

We need to welcome requests from our husbands,

for we are their helpmeets, and it's good to be needed!

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: Home Sweet Home

 Isaiah 32:17-18 

"And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.

And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;"

This is the desire of the Lord for our homes, and it is a work of Him through us.  

To have peaceful dwelling places.

Psalms 127:1

"Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."

Hebrews 3:4

"For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God."

Many would ask...how is this done?  It is simple.  

Give the Lord the pre-eminence in your home.  

Let His word guide all that is done and said. 

In Webster's 1828 dictionary the meaning of pre-eminence is laid out. 

Precedence; priority of place; superiority in rank or dignity.

That in all things he might have the preeminence. 

Superiority of power or influence.

Practically this plays out in making sure that as a family you are in the Bible each day. 

It is good for the father to lead in family Bible times, and then through the day the mother can spend time with the children in reading the Bible and teaching from it.  

In homeschooling, our family starts our lesson time with reading the Bible and talking about it before heading into our other subjects.  I have the children write out verses from our study each day and that helps with their writing skills and memory of what has been studied.  One little tidbit of info is that the King James Bible is perfect english and is very useful in teaching children how to read and write clearly.  

Deuteronomy 6:5-9

"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.

And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates."

This was written to Israel, but we as believers in the Lord Jesus also serve the same God, for there is just one God.

In the home we need to diligently teach our children the word of God. We need to talk about it wherever we are all though the day.  It is so helpful to have scripture printed out and set up around our home for us, and for those who come into our homes. 

When we give the Lord pre-eminence in our homes, His peace, His guidance ,His direction creates a home where righteousness dwells and He is glorified!  

As we go about the art of homemaking, we will do so in a manner pleasing the Lord.  We will be gentle, helpful, patient, thoughtful, and hard working. 

We will see things through the Lord's eyes, and in light of eternity even scrubbing our floors and preparing meals for our families will become a joy not a burden. 

Yes, it is though the work of a woman's hands: We can create a home that is a peaceful haven from the world, or we can bring the turmoil of sin in and see our homes fall apart. 

Proverbs 14:1

"Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands."

Proverbs 24:3-4

"Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:

And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches."

We get all this wisdom and understanding from the Lord through His word...that is why it is most important to have the Lord first in our homes.  Christ Jesus is the Rock on which our homes need to be built for them to truly be Home Sweet Home.

Matthew 7:25

"And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock."

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

The Making of Rose Water

Hello!  

Today I'd love to share with you about the making of rose water. 

There is regular rose water (or tea) and a hydrosol.  

I would have like to do a hydrosol, which is a distillation of the rose water...but my lid didn't cover well enough to keep the moisture in and drip into the bowl.  

So, all is not lost!  We just strained the water and will use it like that. 

Firstly we picked the wild roses from around our yard.  

Then plucked off all the petals and put the stems in another bowl.

They kinda look cool still without the petals.

Then we put the petals in the pot with a bowl in-between them.

Filled up the pot with water until the petals were even with the bowl rim.

Set the pot to heating and waited for the steam. 

When we were all done, like I mentioned above.  We strained the petals out and were left with this very fragrant and golden water!  

Do you make things like this? Do share! 

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Bundle of Joy in a Blanket

Hello!

Today I'd like to share with you a baby card and a blanket that I made.

For the card, I dug through my stash looking for just the right papers, and these two patterned ones seemed to be just perfect. Then I added a little watch of feather paper and some lace ribbon.  

I looked through my stamps, and this one I thought was perfect for the card.

Then it was still missing something and I found this cute little dress in my chipboard collection.

I wanted to make a baby blanket as well for my friend, and wanted also to try a new pattern. 

I found this pattern called the Six Day Kid Blanket online HERE.

At the back of the pattern pdf, there is a chart to modify the size, and so I made mine smaller. Very simple and fun to work with. 

I love to look at yarn in the store, and it's even more fun when it means I can buy some to bring home to work with. :)  

I chose some yarn from the Bernat Softee baby collection.  Pink, Antique White, and Flannel.

Then it needed a brighter colour so I added into the mix the Happy (pink) from Red Heart Baby Hugs collection. 

It took me a bit but I got it finished, and I put an edging of a couple rows of single crochet around the outside to finish it off.  You can see it in the bottom of the picture. 

Well, now it's all tucked away for when I see my friend. 

I love doing these little simple things for others... just so they know that I care.

Love and Prayers,

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: With All Thy Might

Hello!
Welcome to Homemaking Mondays!

Today I'd like to share with you some scriptures that have been on my mind. 

"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest."

- Ecclesiastes 9:10

"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ."

- Colossians 3:23-24

There is such joy in serving the Lord Jesus and our families in our homes. 
I am asked often...what do you do all day?  As if there was nothing to be found to do around one's home to keep them occupied for countless hours.  
Sometimes I feel like issuing a list of things I do....but then I hold my tongue back and just say that I find plenty to keep myself busy with.  
Sometimes there are lulls in the day.  Resting is ok!
 If you went to a full time job somewhere else, there are mandatory breaks.  
Sometimes we just need to be creative with our time.  Like start a crafting/ yard project, or clean some odd thing like mouldings or under the kitchen sink?
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do. 

Do it with thy might!
Make what you do meaningful.  
It's not just a chore, but apart of the big picture of keeping a home. 
Give your home your attention, for when you don't, it shows!  

 "And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing."

- 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

Study to be quiet....minding your own business. 
Sometimes when you don't keep busy, you can be tempted into getting involved in other's affairs when you ought not to.  
When one is busy with their own needs they don't have time to look around them. 
This goes for also the lust of wanting what you see in other's lives/ homes and not being content with what you have in yours.  
When we work hard in our own homes, it keeps us from being in need or want.

"For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies."

- 2 Thessalonians 3:10-11

This verse is one that I have pondered on many occasions.  
It's one that people like to throw out there when they look at someones life and think they aren't doing what they think they ought to be doing.  
Firstly... the verse states that if you would not work!  neither should he eat. 
It does not say if you are unable to work. There are many people out there with disabilities or limitations that we cannot always readily see.  We do not know what they go through in all the hours they are not present with us.  
In our homes, we often judge ourselves too harshly when we aren't able to keep everything showroom quality all the time.  
Yes, we aught to try our best to keep a good clean tidy home, along with all the other needs of our homes, but sometimes it really is beyond our control, and that is ok!  
I have met some people who would not work... who refuse to do so.
That to me is not ok.  In the home, we as homemakers should give our best whenever we can.  But it is not up to others to know what our best should be.  
There are somedays where I can only handle doing the bare minimum maintenance in my home (which includes meals).  Then there are other days when I am blessed with great strength and get so much more done.  There is an ebb and flow that happens in all homes.  

Like it states above in verse 11, that there is a tell tale sign when someone is capable of working but doesn't...it can easily lead to being a busybody.  

May we keep our minds and strength focused on our own homes.

Love and Prayers,
Jennifer

Give a Boy a Hammer!

Hello! 

Would love to share with you a great summer project my boys tackled. 

I gave them some nails, some scrap boards, a saw, and a hammer.  

Then I stood back and watched them create.

They sawed and hammered away.  

Then presented me with their projects. 

One made a garage for his trucks with an over hang for other things. 

The other made a train station. 

I loved seeing them practice with the tools.

Sawing straighter edges and hammering in straighter lines to. 

Below my son was sawing away with both feet on the board....I held myself back and waited, and then as the board got a bit wobbly at the end, he stepped off to finish.  

Whew...thought there was an issue waiting to happen.

Do you ever just give your kids stuff and let them create?  

I think that sometimes it is better for them to figure things out on their own, then for us to present a pre-fabricated project for them. 

Now the boys have things to play with in the yard that they made..

and let me tell you...they're built to last! 

Thanks for dropping by! 

Jennifer

Homemaking Mondays: Called to be a Homemaker

As we in previous posts looked at God's take on a role of women in the home, there are so many practical ways to do this. 

Often people refer to the Amish or the Mennonites as models of  homemaking.  While they are good homemakers, it is because they are just full time traditional homemakers, not because they hold some secrets that have to be discovered by the rest of us.  

The role of women in the home is ordained by God and if we truly accept this, our homes become a special dwelling place.  We give it our time and energy, prayers and attention.  

This said, each home will be different as there are different people who live there.  Some will be modern and some old fashioned.  Some will have more homemade items and some more store bought.  Some will have fresh garden produce in their fridges while others have more packaged food...depending on how the family eats and if they have a garden or not. I love to have a garden and eat fresh food, but others have different tastes, and that's ok.   Each women has different talents, skills, and interests that are reflected in her home.  The home will also change with the seasons in life that the occupants go through.  

There is the basic: cooking, cleaning, laundry, childcare, homeschooling, hospitality, and so forth.  It is how we go about these tasks that make a home...and the diversity of that.

So many these days have taken on the world's perspective of homemaking...that it is a drudgery and demeaning. To demand the husbands do their fair share because it's partly their mess anyway!

No, we need to fight against this discontent.  We need to see and know the joy and contentment that is found in all the stages of homemaking.  There is a great sense of accomplishment to be found in this role, and  really it's all in perspective.  Are we looking at homemaking through the worlds's eyes or through God's?  Yes, even through our own eyes. We all have expectations, sometimes we just need to change our perspective.

Colossians 3:17

"And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."

Love and Prayers,
Jennifer