Monday, October 27, 2008

Contentment

Evening at Home
by Edward John Poynter
1796-1886
Contentment must first be learned first at home. If a girl is not content at home, she will not find contentment for very long in any one place. It is not Contentment is having a deep, abiding sense of well-being and happiness, even when things around you are not ideal.
One way to gain the ability to be satisfied with life, is to have a steadiness of purpose. Although it may rain when you wanted it fine, you are able to quickly find a substitute activity that will be useful and beneficial. Contentment sometimes depends upon your ability to be resourceful, a trait which can also be learned by substituting things when you do not have what you need. Being resourceful means finding different ways of doing things when other plans fail.
Steadiness can be achieved by sticking to something until it is completed, even if it cannot be done all at once. If this is not practiced, it may be more difficult to stay dedicated to other kinds of duties which require more commitment. Many women are restless and unable to understand that there will be an end to some trying times in life, and they will not put up with any inconvenience or any boredom or any hardship. If they learn at home, they are much better prepared for life's ups and downs, and can be content, even when others around them are undependable, disloyal, rude, or ungrateful.
Maiden's Meadow
by Dwayne Warwick
Contentment also means being able to accept where God has put you in your life. Are you a daughter, a wife, a mother, a grandmother? Do not run away from it and try to alter your life unnaturally. Contentment means to make the best of whatever you are, in whatever place in life you are.
Discontentment brings on uneasiness and instability. Discontent makes it difficult to settle down or concentrate on worthwhile things. Contentment means waiting out the boring or sad times, but staying to the same course you set out on. Many people, in moments of discontent, abandon their families or their interests, and go off in pursuit of happiness. Happiness is achieved by getting through those times when your life does not seem to be "going anywhere."
If you will learn contentment, you can save yourself and your family a lot of grief. I know some young ladies who live at home with their parents, and they are a great help to them. Although they have friends who are always changing addresses, changing room mates, changing mates, changing jobs, and in general living a life of continual turmoil, these girls can always be dependent upon to be the same.
Although they reside in the home of their childhood, these grown daughters are by no means uninteresting. They find interests in many different things, such as helping the elderly, letterboxing when they have free time, rearranging the furniture at home, and decorating seasonally for their mother, entertaining, sewing and cooking, all which take enormous amounts of time. They have no want of money, because someone is always gifting them for a service they provided or for making something for them.
One of these girls raises sheep and collects the wool for felting. Her felted projects are so colorful and it is interesting to watch her do it when she visits us. These girls have learned to do so many things and sometimes take on new interests, but their basic relationships remain the same. They have a stable and predictable family loyalty that they will not violate by being discontent.
Some of their friends are restless girls who do not know what to do at home. They would be better off to be content and help their parents, who put a lot of effort into raising them, than to spend so much time and money pursuing things that are worthless and bring no tangible results.
Here are some scriptures that define contentment:
Philippians 4:11 - We are to be content in all circumstances, both when we have abundance, and when we do not.
First Timothy 6:6 - Godliness with contentment is "great gain."
First Timothy 6:8 - Two things we should be content with are food and clothing.
Hebrews 13:5 - Be content with what you have.

I think we can easily say, that these verses show that contentment is pleasing to God and that he blesses us even more when we are content. When we are content, we are careful with our posessions, careful with our bodies, careful with our relationships. That brings manifold rewards, in due time.

Being discontent is being out of step with the creator and the creation. Discontent is a false leader and has led many people away from the stability of their families. A foolish woman is discontent, and can cause the loss of her own home.

One reason that some daughters do not want to stay home and apply themselves to becoming creative home keepers, is that they have not learned contentment. When they do not learn how to be content, they become restless, and unable to take home living seriously.

Contentment has to be developed by good training. A young woman can train herself to be content, by finding a need and filling it. She can look around and see many things that need to be done, and do them in a beautiful and personal way that reflects her love and her creativity. Gradually, as she learns to do things that make home life happy, she will develop contentment. As I was
If the outside world is constantly tugging at her and she is listening to the voices of those who say that she cannot be fulfilled at home, she will become discontent. Once she begins spending more time away from the responsibilities of the home, or from her family, she becomes even more restless and detached. She will attach herself to other people and other things not meant for her.
Contentment is productive. It finds things to do that are constructive and not destructive. The discontented person is also destructive in that they waste time, waste money, waste talents, waste personal possessions, and waste life. The best thing to do is to become oblivious to the voices that call us away from the important work of the home and concentrate on the tasks available to you.
When young women develop contentment, they can have satisfied minds, free from disturbance and inner conflict. Women who sew or cook or putter around their homes, crafting and creating, tend to be more content at home.
Here is a simple craft for young people that illustrates this lesson. Materials needed are pencil, scissors, glitter glue and extra glitter, and a regular size piece of card stock.
Fold the cardstock (any color, any pattern you have) in half.
Cut it in half.
Then fold one of the halves in half again, and stand it up.
With glitter-glue, write the word "contentment" and shake some
extra glitter on it. The folded pieces stands up on a ledge or shelf as a reminder.
As an alternative, cut around the word and tape a piece of ribbon (the kind you use to wrap gifts) onto the back of the sign,and hang up somewhere--over a mirror, around a cupboard knob, over the edge of a picture or on a piece of furniture. I am sure, with imagination, a lot of different embellishments could be applied to this piece to make it beautiful. The camera did not catch the glitter, but it is very shiny.
printable word to use on cardstock in your printer, or use for embroidery on a small pillow.
Contentment is found in noticing and mentally drinking in the natural things in life: the sunset, a raindrop on a leaf, the smell of spring, white clouds in a blue sky. Contentment is also attained by appreciating the simple things we use daily and caring for our belongings. From setting a table attractively and appreciating the china and the tablecloth, to dressing carefully in something clean and pretty, we can find contentment. Discontentment comes when our minds have been distracted by the world. Contentment comes from concentrating on things at hand. A contentment notebook would be a very good way to make a young person aware of things that bring contentment. By writing little things in it that are of nature or daily life, a sense of contentment can be created.
Someone asks, "What about boys and men. Should they be content at home?" Yes, they should, but to a large degree, their contentment at home is dependent upon what kind of a home their women make for them. If the women are humming like busy bees, making the home clean and comfortable, putting good smells in the air with food cooking, making sure clothing is clean and pressed . sewing a new tablecloth or curtains, making dresses, and having happy little hobbies that express contentment, the men are going to sense that something important is going on in that home. Young girls at home need to learn to make a home for a future husband and children, that will bring them contentment.
A summary of contentment:
" A contented mind is a continual feast." CONTENT, v.t. 1. To satisfy the mind; to make quiet, so as to stop complaint or opposition; to appease; to make easy in any situation;
CONTENT, n. 1. Rest or quietness of the mind in the present condition; satisfaction which holds the mind in peace, restraining complaint, opposition, or further desire, and often implying a moderate degree of happiness.
Contentment:
-Is not restless.
-Does not abandon the protection of the family.
Does not condemn the home or scoff at home life.
-Seeks to aid the family members in being successful with their own talents and work.
-Is undergirded by an awareness of blessings.
-Does not run away when things get difficult.
-Finds things that need to be done.
-Is productive.
-Is creative.
-Is resourceful.
-Blooms where it is planted.
-Has stability.
-Makes the best of things.
-Shines in hard times.
Contentment has similarities to love, in the 13th chapter of first Corinthians, in that it always hopes for the best and endures all things.
This is a small pillow simply made with muslin

47 comments:

Sue said...

This is such a wonderful post! So many times we women strive after happiness, but God does not promise us that. He does ask us to be content in our circumstances, though doesn't He? Oh, how much difficulty I could have avoided if I had understood that sooner. Thank you for this wonderful encouragement.

Thank you also for the reminder to purposefully teach this important truth to my daughter.

Ace said...

Another great post Lady Lydia!
Many Blessings :)
Ace

Mrs. Anna T said...

What a lovely article. Just what I needed to hear today.

Anonymous said...

Dear Lady Lydia,
Thank you for this lovely message.
God bless you,
Ana

ladyakofa said...

Thanks Lady Lydia!

You're so practical about being productive and resourceful even in all seasons, including 'interrupted' seasons. I've found that by being purposefully busy in God-given pursuits I can be truly by satisfied and content even if things don't go as always planned.

Truly enjoyed reading this post.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this encouraging post, and for the specific details that add so much depth and richness to it! Looking forward to "practicing" contentment today with my children; and also encouraging others beyond our home.

June Fuentes @ A Wise Woman Builds Her Home said...

Excellent post and timely for many, I am sure. Thank you for taking the time to address these important character issues. If we cannot learn them ourselves however will we teach them to our children?

Many blessings...

Little Missy Homemaker said...

Great post. I needed to hear this now. We move around so much and it has been extremeley difficult for me in this home. I really need to just step up and forget all the unpleasantness, these are things my husband is dealing with anyways, I really have no desire to go back and forth with a builder or to hire a lawyer. I have been focusing on Halloween crafts and baking with the children and so this week has been very good. I need to keep it up even after Halloween. I may come back and read this post again if I start slacking off!

KTHunter said...

This is a very meaningful post. I want to read it again. I'm also tempted to do a cross-stitch of "contentment"... it's such a pretty word.

I finally sat down and started gathering my financial stuff into a binder last night (the way described here and on noblewomanhood). I'm not done yet; it was a much larger task than I thought it was going to be! But I feel amazingly better knowing that I have some of that information together in one accessible place. I took a look at the mortgage balance and realized that we are further ahead than we thought we were! And I never would have known that if I hadn't taken the time to organize.

Thank you so much for all of your posts and frugal suggestions. I do feel more "content" today now that some of the things nagging the back of my brain have been settled. I have a few more to tackle, but this is a great start.

Susan said...

I really enjoyed reading your post, and heartily agree! I believe it's one of Satan's tactics to make girls and women discontent. I have 3 daughters, so this is very practical and helpful. Thanks for sharing your wisdom and thoughts! I love your "old-fashioned" (that's a positive word) and Biblical values.

candy said...

Hi Lydia!
I enjoyed this post. I love the little pillow. I think I may make one of those myself.

Candy :)

Anonymous said...

One of my favorite quotes is from Laura Ingalls Wilder...


"“It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.”

Oh, if only more people would realize that!

Thank you for another wonderful and thoughtful article.

~ Ann

Gail said...

Hello, LL, great post. Coincidentally, I just did a post on my blog yesterday with the same subject, from a slightly different angle. I am convinced that the present financial mess that both the nation and its individuals find themselves in is the direct result of not being content (mainly because of a faulty relationship with God and feelings of inadequacy), and therefore the unbridled drive to fill lacking selves up with MORE.

Anonymous said...

I really love this post.

Thank you! I will pass it on to my 16 year old daughter.

Anonymous said...

Lady Lydia thank you SO MUCH for this post! It really encouraged me today, just when I was needing it most.

Mary said...

Thank you so much for this great post. I really needed this today. I am a 17 year old mother of two and one on the way. I don't think that I have ever really learned contentment. I often get very restless in my life, and can make things more difficult for my husband. I am trying harder to stay busy, and keep my children busy. I don't notice much discontentment this way. This post was really meant for me, thank you!

Mimi said...

Great post.

Jessica said...

I really needed this today! Thank you for such an insightful and encouraging post!

Anonymous said...

So much could be said about contentment. I learned early on as a young mother and wife to be more flexible, which doesn't come easily to me. Young people, girls and boys alike, have so much thrown at them from the world that parents need to purposely teach them to be content and happy with simpler things. I have taught my daughters that the kind of young women and girls they are today is what they will be in the future. Their lives are a building block of the present to the future. If they are discontent now and try to satisfy their appetites through things outside the home, they will be discontent when they have a couple of children they must tend to at home and a house to take care of. Learning contentment is so very important.

Cynthia Berenger said...

Dear Lady Lydia,

I so appreciate your gentle strength as conveyed through your writing. Today's post truly touched my heart and inspired me.

Agape always,
Cynthia

Lynn said...

Beautiful and very timely. I have been considering contentment & inner strength a lot lately. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and beautiful crafting.

Mary said...

I just noticed that on my comment above I said that I was 17 years old. That was meant to be 27 years old. I just wanted to straiten that out. Thanks!!

Anonymous said...

This really is quite beautiful, Mrs. Sherman. Contentment seems to be that elusive "quality of life" characteristic that we chase after. We call it happiness, but what we really want is contentment. I implore other women, whether younger or older, who are reading this: please consider carefully what you think you want. Observe others around you who are pleased & happy with their own lives, & you may be surprised to learn that their attitude toward life, their appreciation of what some would deem insignificant, their awareness of the Creator's love & presence in their lives, all are because they have cultivated contentment in their hearts.

I pray that many will heed your words, Mrs. Sherman. Bless you for posting this.

most sincerely,
Brenda

Anonymous said...

Dear Lady Lydia,
I have one older teenage daughter and a younger daughter close to becoming a teen, a 14 year old son. Every school day, after our studies, we have a Bible reading and a verse, sometimes with tea. I hope you don't mind that lately,I bring my laptop to the table and read some of your blog articles to them. I read this one on Contentment yesterday.
I have also been sharing with them some pieces on your "Guard the Home," blog.
Your blogs are a real blessing to me. I decided to share them with my children.
Thank you for your instruction and admonishments in these subjects.
Sincerely, Denise

Danae said...

I haven't been here before (as far as I know! I read so much that I can never be sure!)but I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed this post. It made me think a lot about my own life, and what I need to do to breed contentment.

Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Hello,

This is a bit off topic (though I loved your post, and I think infectious discontent is one of the most harmful things in the world today), but I had a question for you and I couldn't get your email address to work.

My question is this: I agree with everything you say about homemaking, and I so want to do a good job at this, my new job. My problem is that I have an 11 month old and another one on the way (thank God). I am so happy to be a mother, but really, most days I do not have a chance to shower, let alone do my faceor decorate anything. I usually have to have my husband watch the baby so I can cook dinner. I have finally gotten to where the laundry is running on track most of the time, but I feel like I am working at full steam just to keep us fed and in clean clothes. I guess I am wondering what you did when your kids were this little to get your shower, etc.? I should mention my baby sleeps in our room and wakes up whenever I do, so getting up before her doesn't usually happen. I am hoping you have some words of wisdom for me, since most housekeeping advice for women with young children is either "get a babysitter" or "get your children to help you". She can help me once she can walk a little better, but for now neither option is an option. I really hate having to have my husband watch her, btw, while I cook dinner, but if I stick her in the high chair while I cook, she goes berserk and bothers him more than she does if she plays on the floor while he watches the news, etc. Any suggestions about this would be welcome as well.

Sheesh, this is a book. I'll stop now. Thanks in advance for your help.

Raven

Anonymous said...

Thank you, Lady Lydia. Many of my life's problems and disasters could have been averted if I had learned to be contented in whatever circumstances I had to face. I believe that this is one of the most important lessons anyone can learn.

Anonymous said...

I just want to say how much nicer your blog is to visit now, with the background color and header changes. Very nice.
Thank you so much for the time you spent figuring out how to do it.
:)

Lydia said...

It is a lot easier on the eyes. My "staff" does it for me. I've had no hand in it.

Lillibeth said...

Raven,
I found out with my four children-who were very clingy babies- that I had to just put them in a good safe crib or playpen and go and do what I needed to do, be it shower, laundry, dinner, etc. My husband wasn't always able to hold the baby even after work, and he would just go and let them cry it out in the crib while I made dinner. I am very sentimental and always feel like I must be holding the baby at all times, and would be upset by that, but I too have become tougher and just put them down in the crib or playpen. I used to think it was neglectful but I go and fetch the baby when I am done with whatever it was I have to do, so it isn't like leaving them alone in bed all day, which would be neglect. It also is a safer place in some instances (like when you are cooking at the stove) than being where mommy has to be for a few minutes.

It is surprising how often fussiness is really tiredness, even when it isn't a regular nap time, and the baby falls asleep pretty fast once he is put in bed.

I don't have a crib anymore, but I have to take some time out to train my little girl to stay in her toddler bed when she gets too fussy and I need to go and cook, etc. It can be done.

I might also add that I have noticed that my children behave differently around me than they do around other people. Other mother's have told me the same thing with their toddlers. For instance, mine will be really quiet and good when my husband watches them, but they tend to be more noisy around me. I think they know that my noise tolerence level is higher:) Maybe as your child gets older he/she will behave well for Daddy so that it is no bother for Daddy to babysit while waiting for dinner.

My second child used to prostrate himself in front of the bathroom door when I was in there and weep until I got out, so I know what you are going through!

And that is my book!
-Lillibeth

Anonymous said...

I can't remember who wrote about this, but one mother said she would train her younger children to sit quietly in a chair within eyesight while she was cooking dinner. This proved to be a tremendous help later while in public, when there were times when the children needed to sit still and be quiet. She started the training with just a few minutes at a time in the beginning. The child could look at books or play quietly but had to stay in the chair until time was up. If I were doing this, the first day's training would just be to establish that the child is to sit when told. Then progressing over time to sit and stay for a few seconds until told to get up; then very gradually increasing the sit time, to a reasonable length of time.

Unknown said...

Another lovely post with pretty craft ideas! I will read this post again and again, I think. It is a timely reminder in a world that is so chaotic and stressful. Thank you, as always, Lydia, for taking the time to write such a helpful article.

My tip for keeping a baby happy while mom cooks is to put them near you in the high chair and let them play with the measuring cups and spoons. By the time they are around the age of one, they can begin using a little bit of water in that play. My children loved to measure out the water, back and forth from each sized measurer. This is a very handy tip for babies that need to have more fluids also. You will find that they will start drinking the water off the measuring spoons or out of the cups. I've used this for ill or dehydrated children in order to assure that they take in their fluids. Tots who "hate to drink their water" will sip it right up during water play.

A variation for the ladylike small girls ( I had little ladies at a VERY early age ) Give them a little plastic tea set and begin to teach them to play tea party. You can add water for an older one and watch them pour it back and forth. My girls AND my boys loved using the little tea sets during high chair play.

You can put a large towel down under the high chair to quickly press around with your foot to keep the floor dry and a dishtowel on the high chair tray contains most of the spills. If baby is right there near you when you cook, you can talk to them about their measuring and "cooking" and even play a bit with them as you go back and forth.

I add different cooking utensils as the time goes by and take away some to keep it interesting for them. But all my kids favored the metal measuring spoons on a ring. I think those must rate as one of the best all time "toys" to my children from their entire childhood!

If I did put my kids in the play pen, I tried to keep it near where I was working and I kept special toys for use in there. Don't put in too many toys at one time, and take out ones that they seem to tire of. Don't play pick up for them either. If they start throwing out things, those things stay out. You can offer a couple of new items every 10 or 15 minutes.

I also made it game for BABY to pick up their toys at the end of playpen time. I'd encourage them to toss the toys into a small box either in the playpen or to toss the toys over the side, into a box on the floor. I'd encourage them while doing it saying "Oh aren't you a good helper! Look at you picking up your toys and putting them away!" Don't leave a box in your child's play pen. Even really small children soon figure out a box makes a great escape "stair" in a play pen. The point is to keep them IN the playpen. Not to allow them escape or injury by climbing over.

When I didn't have a playpen, I used to put a blanket in a sturdy laundry basket and put it against a wall and then put a toy or two in their lap. They loved being in the laundry basket and usually THAT was the toy. You can help them to make it into a little "house" by draping a blanket over the part of the top. These are play ideas that you can take part in between stirring, chopping, etc.

A tip about getting showers. I took mine at night after the baby was asleep. I washed my hair in the sink in the morning if it just HAD to be washed again. Lay out what you want to wear the next day before you go to bed and jump into it as soon as you get up. In the earliest days with my babies I wore pretty robes in the morning to make nursing easier and put on my nicer day clothes during the first nap. I put my makeup in a little zip bag and carried it to the closest bathroom once baby was up and then could put on a bit of lipstick the first time I was in there. It only takes a minute or less to put on some lip color. More makeup can be done in increments instead of all at one time. I just learned to do nice things for myself in tiny snips of time all through the day. It helped me feel good about myself and I didn't feel so overwhelmed or like I was neglecting myself that way.

Hope that helped some of the younger moms. You do a VERY hard job but the older mothers know how hard you work. All that you do, you are doing as a work for your Lord, so don't be discouraged by the often repeated tasks. All you do means a lot in the heavenly picture!

Warmly,

Kimber

Anonymous said...

I LOVED this post. Thank you for taking the time to write such a lovely, heartfelt piece. So true. I love your LONG posts!!! I will re-read this many times and I am planning my little pillow for my chair. God bless you and yours.

Deanna Rabe - Creekside Cottage Blog said...

Thank you Lady Lydia, for this great post.

I am going to print it out and read it to my girls. I have been purposeful in training them, and this is a wonderful addition to my resources!

Thanks again!
Deanna Rabe

Anonymous said...

Hi Raven,

If you have an exersaucer, you can put the 11-month old in it when you shower. I used to put my daughter in hers and leave it by the door of the bathroom, so she knew where I was, but she was also safe. She wasn't happy, but I could at least get clean! If you don't have one, you can probably easily find one at Goodwill or Craigs List. I'm forever seeing these available.

You can also just do a spit bath a few times a week and take a shower only when needed. I have three young children including a 14-month-old, and I find it almost impossible to get a shower during the day. I will either take one at night after all are in bed, or I grab a moment when everyone is busy and locked up in our living room. We have gated off the hallway and kitchen, so they can't get into too much trouble for the 5 or so minutes it takes me to bathe.

It doesn't last forever, so just try to enjoy the time.

Country Victorian said...

Lydia,

Another whatsoever is lovely, true and good report!

Those pillows are very edifying.

I hope to see you soon!

Lisa

Caroline said...

I am just going to sound like a shallow echo after such descriptive comments have already been posted which so accurately describe my feelings upon reading this post. It is full of such valuable information; I saved it in a Word document so I don't lose it. Thank you for the encouragement and useful tips!
Your blog is such a blessing to me!

Anonymous said...

Dearest Lady Lydia,

Indeed, another fabulous post yet again. How often I would have saved myself so much upset and anxt if I had learnt this valuable lesson in my youth.

going through the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, the prayers and meditation for individuals and families (from print page 136-140) in, for instance, its noon 'devotional' places great emphasis on quiet and peaceful return to meditation upon our Heavenly Father and what He has done for us.

these times of prayer and meditation I have found most valuable in helping me draw away from the day (especially if it is a hectic rush) and ' following the Psalm's exortation to 'Be still and know that I am God'.....

Just the act of starting the day in prayer and quiet worship, setting aside time in the middle of the day, early evening and last thing at night is beautiful and helps bring quiet and contentment and gives me time to reflect on God's goodness to me throughout the day. These little sessions, if one chooses to follow the BCP, take only a few minutes and would make fabulous starters for parents coming away regularly before god in prayer and bringing their young families into this sacred space also, spreading prayer and study of God's word thoughout the day.

If readers need the BCP in Braille, it is available through 'Forward Movement'

http://www.forwardmovement.org/showbook.cfm?prodid=1266

All their contact details are on the website and this is their principle work, along with providing a devotional magazine in Braille. the BCP will set you back $100 US which, for Braille, I can assure you, is a reasonable cost. For anyone who knows even a little about Braille production, they will realize its cost means that prices such as this are commonplace.

Just a few thoughts on tying contentment in with prayer, study and Faith plus some practical ways that have worked for me in a truly blessed way.

Keep up the good work,

Blessings,

Mrs. E.,
Australia.

Fiona said...

Thank you so much for another lovely post Lady Lydia. I hope you realise how much you give to others with your writings. I often re read some of your posts which I have printed out (Contentment the latest) and without fail feel peaceful, satisfied, relaxed and yet motivated to carry on! You have a real gift. Thank you again.

Dulce Domum said...

Hi Lady Lydia (this is a comment to help Raven)

I remember those days really well and they are exhausting, but they don't last. I used to think that I'd never have time for the more pleasurable side of homemaking, but as soon as children get a little older (perhaps 2 1/2 or 3) then you'll find that gradually you can become more creative in your home.

I think sometimes we feel in a great big rush to do everything and be perfect, but we are given times in our lives to do each thing. When we are young mothers babies are our focus and it is very usual, normal and proper not necessarily have time to be very creative in housework, cooking, decorating or crafting. The time for this will come a little later, and you may find that you will have great bursts of creativity WITH your children when they are older (such a lot of fun).

If you are keeping on top of meals, laundry, basic cleanliness and having a shower every other day then you are doing a very fine job and are really on top of things. Sometimes the key to contentment is patience, staying in the moment, living each day for God and not worrying too much about what other women are doing. You sound like a fine mother, and I bet in two or three years time you'll be amazed at what you're fitting into each day.

God Bless

DD

Anonymous said...

Hi all,

Thanks so much for the encouraging comments and good ideas! I have had a stomach bug for the last few days or I would have replied before now. It is discouraging that I can't keep the house as nicely as I did before I had babies, but you have helped me put it in perspective. Thanks so much,

Raven

Lydia said...

Raven, when you get a chance earlier in the day, get dinner ready and then all you have to do is take it out of the fridge and put it in the oven. You can also get it ready in the morning and put it in the oven and cook it ahead of time. That kind of cooking lends itself to soups and stews and roasts (you can even roast vegetables wrapped in olive oil, in the oven) that don't mind long cooking times. That way, during the crucial dinner hour, all people have to do is go to the stove and help themselves from the pan.

Anonymous said...

Reading this with my 18 yr old daughter in mind. I'm emailing it to her. thank you. Lovely new header you have. Best one yet. Sure do appreciate all you write!

Country Victorian said...

Lydia,

I love what everyone has said to Raven. What a wonderful community of Titus 2:5 women! Kimmer could write her own book as what she said was so helpful. It is like in the days of old when the women gathered at the river and happily chatted while washing their clothes. What an incredible support system and this is what the Lord wanted for us to do! *not to beat on our laundry on wet stones...but we who have gone before...have experienced marriage, children and "living out" being "Keepers at Home" really understand the difficult early years. We can support those just getting started, share practical "tried and true" ideas and in turn bless each other!

You ladies are are so giving, helpful and amazing!

Love~Lisa Hollinger

Anonymous said...

Please offer some encouragement. Again too many Christians stayed home and did not cast their votes. Not even protest votes. GOD please bless and protect our country!!

Lydia said...

I am getting ready to do that.

Unknown said...

Lisa, just to say, i have been blessed by your comment. The ladies at Home Living Blogspot(HLB) are very giving indeed! Not to mention Lady Lydia herself. I enjoyed this one. Thanks for posting. Contentment is trully a subject to ponder and act out in our daily lives! Blessings,
Barbra from Uganda