Friday, January 18, 2013

Jesus, Lover of My Soul

Light House Cove
by Carl Valente

I enjoy this arrangement of the song "Jesus, Lover of My Soul" and I think you will find it a soothing background inspiration for any homemaking that needs to be done. You can listen to more on my playlist here.




My house is currently in  disarray from rennovations, and that is the reason I have not posted in awhile. People are so kind to me, phoning and skyping me even from other countries, when they have not seen me online for awhile.

I hope to have something more uplifting to post later!

And if there are any subjects currently on your mind you'd like me to address, just leave a comment, and though I cannot guarantee that I can always find a perfect answer, I will try.

Love to all,

Lydia

17 comments:

Tricia said...

Dear Lady Lydia,
I was beginning to wonder if everything is ok! Glad you are well and I am looking forward to your next post!

Tricia

Anonymous said...

Glad to know all is well in your world...despite the upheaval of your current renovation project. I hope you'll be able to share whatever it is you're having done, once everything is settled. :o)

Brenda

Anonymous said...

Dear Lydia,

If you have a chance to post about inspiration for being a homemaker in spite of less-than-ideal circumstances (having a husband or parents who are sympathetic to homemaking), that would be appreciated.

Any suggestions for finances and staying home for the unmarried woman would be appreciated.

Also, if you have a chance to post more about feminine dress, I always enjoy those posts. I work at an elementary school and am appalled by the way the girls are allowed to dress, particularly because they are too young to understand their own vulnerability. Does modest feminine dress really have an impact? (And yes, I would like to leave work as soon as I can.)

I enjoy posts about why women are suited to keeping home and why it is so important for them to be there. Those posts are always inspiring to me.

I know you have already posted on these topics, but if you have any more thoughts or a new take on any of these topics, they would be appreciated.

I am an unmarried working woman, and I am so tired. Sometimes I just feel that I cannot carry this burden anymore. It is interesting because the culture around me says I should be doing this-- not only doing this, but doing more of it. I am exhausted and am looking for a way out.

Anyway, thank you for your posts. They are always an inspiration.

Anonymous said...

Hello Lydia! One thing I have always struggled with is keeping the appropriate boundaries in place in my life. For most of my life I haven't been able to discern when they are being violated. It always feels wrong to say no to someone because it seems to against the teachings of Christ. I have begun to be able to set limits in the outside world but am having the hardest time with my husband and grown children. My husband had allowed grown children who have moved back home to engage in immoral behavior here, and is silent. or else in defense mode when I raise these issues and try to effect changes. And he is a Christian and goes to church! I really want my boys to act like grown -ups now and to sink or swim on their own, especially since my husband had to take early retirement due to back problems and our financial and physical resources are being stretched beyond the breaking point. He is also feels it is entirely right and appropriate for me to find full time work in order to keep us going. I guess what I would really like you to discuss is what do you do when your husband does not want to live the same way you do? And do I have any right to not submit to his desire to further enable these young adults and his wish for me to be out there pulling the plow in order to keep this whole thing going?

Anonymous said...

I am glad all is well with you and appreciate your offer to answer questions.

One thing I am wondering about is how to decorate a home frugally without it looking like a mis-matched mess. I have several nice pieces of furniture from thrift stores but don't know how to put them together in a way that looks good. Buying all new matching pieces aren't in the budget right now. I like a country look. Do you have any ideas? Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Hi cousin,

Maybe you could write your perspective on helping someone outside the household. I am currently helping a friend, sharing her story on my blog. She left a cult and everything hit the fan. She came to find some things out and FBI is involved in a sting operation because she has helped them with much evidence. I'm sharing her story for prayers. These are very dangerous people and believes sharing the story is her safety until they capture the people responsible. She has been in an ongoing battle for almost a year and a half since she left the cult.

God bless and can't wait to see the pictures of the renovations. :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Lydia,

so good to see your posts. They are so much appreciated with the beautiful artwork you put up, the music and the helpful hints. Anything you post is much anticipated.

I personally enjoyed the posts you did with the sketch boards you made of drawings of dresses and plans for sewing for the seasons. I don't remember what you called them or how you did it, but sure enjoyed them. Maybe you could do another post of those again.

Blessings, Mrs. J.

Stephanie said...

I am thankful you are doing well :) And thank you for sharing this precious song with us.
Have a lovely weekend!

Hugs and blessings,
Stephanie

Anonymous said...

Dear Lady Lydia,

I love your blog. I appreciate and enjoy your posts. I have downloaded and saved dozens as pdf files. I have also printed many of them so that I can read them whenever I need encouragement and do not have internet access or my computer.
I would really appreciate advice on how to handle differences in priorities between husband and wife with regards to money; i.e. husband thinks it is fine for him to hide money and spend it on unneeded, expensive hobby equipment while his family does with out necessities.

Thank you

Anonymous said...

I also want to let you know how much your blog is appreciated, I check every day to see if you have posted anything. Like some others I would like some posts about helping your husband see that you need to be at home, I actually just tried to talk to husband tonight about how much stress I am under working and taking care of 5 other people and he said to try not to let it get to me-he just doesn't understand!!! thank you for the work you are doing!

Lydia said...

I do not see why you couldn't say, "I just am not able to work outside the home anymore." Then take your territory back. Reassure him that it will work out, just as our fore-mothers did so long ago. Even the very poor women were able to stay home.

Lydia said...

...and do not spend a lot of time explaining it; just indicate confidence and say that a woman knows these things about herself. No one can decide for her that she must go to work outside the home. She has a choice. She can take on the Biblical role if she really wants to bad enough and is willing to endure the ridicule and pressure at first. People will settle down after they realize you mean business. Its when you ask them if its "okay" that they start thinking they are in control, instead of God's word being the guide.

Lydia said...

...and do not spend a lot of time explaining it; just indicate confidence and say that a woman knows these things about herself. No one can decide for her that she must go to work outside the home. She has a choice. She can take on the Biblical role if she really wants to bad enough and is willing to endure the ridicule and pressure at first. People will settle down after they realize you mean business. Its when you ask them if its "okay" that they start thinking they are in control, instead of God's word being the guide.

Jackie from NYC said...

Glad to see you writing again Lady Lydia! I enjoy ALL of your posts but my favorites cover the topics of the importance of being a homemaker, why it is so wonderful for us (perhaps to encourage those who are thinking of coming home. I am already a SAHM but I suspect many working moms may stumble on your site because they are pondering the decision), frugality, and home decor.

Lydia said...

I have read all your suggestions and will include these ideas in the future on this blog. Thank you so much for your input. It gives me an idea of people's needs. In the meantime, check out the Christian homemaker sites on the sidebar blogroll. Some of them have very encouraging posts.

Anonymous said...

Cousin Lydia,

I made a post on my blog for you and anybody else who was curious how I'm faring with homeschooling. It was good of you to ask because I needed to gather my thoughts about it and put it in writing. ;-)

Click here to see post.

Deanna said...

Dear Lady Lydia,
I am trying to follow your blog and will email subscribe to this lovely blog!

I am so very thankful for Christian women that have beautiful and enriching blogs such as yours!

God bless and I look forward to reading more of your post.
d