Thanksgiving

Cups and Saucers With Pink Flowers

by David Kols

We are celebrating Thanksgiving Day by being thankful for the the things that we have. We are cooking food that we like, not necessarily the typical dinner, but the foods we really enjoy. We are wearing what we want to wear today, including costumes from the 1600's when the Pilgrims first landed in the new world.

We are doing what we want to do and enjoying being at home. Later on, we will have hot tea, (Yorkshire Gold from Taylors and Harrogate) and hot punch (cranberry apple with cinnamon and cloves). We have no specific plans for other activities, but I know some will want to catch up on reading, others on sewing, and others on work that this day gives them time to do.

We are supposed to be thankful every day, but this is a day to remember that special historical event so long ago. There are now numerous false stories that undermine the purpose of the Pilgrims, but the truth will always win. I hope everyone enjoys this day in a special way.

I have already been up early this morning and dressed up, then set about getting rooms cleaned up and the kitchen especially organized to make the day more pleasant. I have had my cup of tea. I am going to post soon about some things that people can do at home without spending money, and still help others.

I would like to thank Lena in Odessa, Ukraine, for her Thanksgiving e-card, and all the women in Europe, Australia and Africa who have wished us a happy Thanksgiving Day. It is interesting how this day has not just been special for Americans, but how the event and the story has impacted people around the world. I don't think I ever send greetings to holidays for their special holidays in Europe, but I'm always impressed that these people always remember American observances and send us greetings!

Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. (written approximately A.D. 62---which may have been around the time of Nero)

Happiness and The Domestic Scene

Together Tonight, by Dennis Patrick Lewan

Home is a place we should be drawn to; a place that we would not want to leave. There have been times when my house looked as though someone had taken every posession I had, from books to clothing to kitchen items to papers and home decorating accessories and thrown it all in a huge pile, taken a giant spoon, and stirred it up like a tossed salad. I learned ways of dealing with this that helped me keep my composure and inspired me at the same time. Because our homes are used and lived-in, there will always be times like this. No real home stays in perfect order.

If the tossed salad description defines your house, you might enjoy having a few tips that will alleviate the stress and help you have a pretty home.

Grace Cottage by Susan Rios

Your first thought may be to get some kind of professional help, but maid service is expensive. If you will do it yourself, the money can be used for some needed or luxury item for your home. When cleaning the bathroom, you might notice it is really time to get some new towels or soap. Take advantage of this hard work and reward yourself with something nice for the room, even if it is a pleasantly scented bar of hand made soap.

Go to Sleep Early

It is easier to look forward to a difficult task, if you are well rested. It is more difficult if you just can't get going because of a groggy, sleepy feeling. The next morning, get ready to put a plan in action by doing the following:

Get bathed and dressed, fix your face and hair, add a light scent and put on nice shoes.

This action gives you a feeling of being prepared and put-together. If someone comes to the door, even if your house is a wreck, at least you look like you are in control. If you have to go to a store or meet your husband somewhere, you will be ready. No one in the public will have a clue that your house is a mess. When you are dressed up, you look like you came from a beautiful home. Make sure your clothes are ironed if necessary, and that you don't look like you "had your clothes thrown on with a pitchfork."

Enlist the Help of the Children

Children should, from a very young age. Most children start trying to help, and even asking "can I help?" as young as 18 months. It makes it a little slower, but it is certainly worth it for mothers to at least let them think they are helping. Later on when there is a big burden of a disorderly home, these children's help can really make a difference. Some two year olds are very smart, and can take some item and put it in a particular room for you. They love to fold towels and washcloths at 3 and 4. Five-year-olds love to vacuum. Two year-olds can actually put their own clothes away. It takes time to teach them but that little bit of extra help, makes a big difference. Young children like to stand on a chair near the kitchen sink and help dry dishes. Older children and those in the teen years, are capable of cleaning and arranging an entire room themselves.

Clean the living room or front room, or room nearest the front door, first.

You may find that this is the best thing you will do. It is the place people will see first, and it is the place you will return to just to look at, when the rest of the rooms are still disrupted.

This is the room that will greet anyone that comes to the door. If you rarely have company, then just think of the scene that will greet your husband, when he comes home from work, and try to make it cheerful.

To clean this room, put everything in piles:

books

papers and any related items like pencils and pens

magazines

cloth items: clothing, blankets, towels

toys

accessories that do not belong

This is where your children will be the most help. They can take the piles to designated places, to be dealt with later. Send the books to be set near a bookshelf, the clothes to the laundry or to various bedrooms, but do not worry about putting them away. Just worry about the room you are working on.

Make sure the floor is bare and the furniture is bare, with the exception of decorative accessories such as pillows or rugs.

Vacuume this room.

Wipe dust off surfaces of tables and shelves.

Reward yourself.

There are two things you can do. Put something interesting in the room by either making a display on a shelf or corner, or hanging a picture, or lighting a candle. I use the battery operated tea lights. Put on some soothing music and get your nice tea set out and make some of your favorite tea and put it on a tray.

Do the rest of the rooms and spaces, in order of importance, this same way.

When you have done the labor of the room, give yourself a reward by doing something to the room that is appropriate: the kitchen can have something you like to smell, in the oven, such as a favorite muffin or soup. A laundry room, a bedroom, a dining room, can all have something in them that give the family pleasure and a feeling of home.

Take time out between long jobs to refresh yourself.

Checking your hair and brushing your teeth or grooming yourself in some manner, seems to give a little more significance to the jobs at hand.

Invite someone over, even if it is your sister or mother, and make it a week ahead. This is often a very motivating way to get your house clean. Serve tea and scones. If you do not like tea, but still want to use a tea set, I have a nice tea recipe:

Heat water in a kettle to a rolling boil. Put a few strawberries, blueberries, or any kind of fruit, into a sauce pan and mash it up. Add the boiling water and let it set a few minutes. Strain it through a strainer into your tea pot. When you serve this, the color will be beautiful and the scent will be soothing. Honey tastes great in this, but milk and cream will curdle. Another kind of tea you can make is with your favorite spices in your cabinet: put a fourth teaspoon of ground cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, etc. together in a tea pot and add boiling water. Just choose the flavors you like best, including things like vanilla. This type of tea tastes well with milk or cream or just plain.

Even when you have moved on to another room, you need to go back to rooms already cleaned, and check them.

When the children see you picking up any little thing: paper, a stray shoe, books, etc., they will eventually develop the same habits. After a room is done, if you are in the room, be alert to the clutter-crime and get after it immediately. I have explained before about a friend I know that, even while sitting in a chair and relaxing, will look around the room and reach over to a side table to straighten something or remove something. Once it becomes a habit, it will not be necessary to have a regular cleaning day.

Keep your mood on the upside.
Even if you feel aggravated about the whole thing, force yourself to disguise this, and make a happy atmosphere for everyone. If you really believe women should be home, then show yourself, your family and the world, the beautiful results of it.

I have discovered how powerful it is just to dress up and get the front room clean. It somehow gives me a starting place, and a place of reference for doing the rest of the house when things look like they got stirred up with a great big spoon.

Brown Paper Bag Crafts

The December 1890 Ladies Home Journal has been a great source of creative ideas for me this week. It gives me an idea of the kinds of things women made for their homes, that were both useful and beautiful.

This is a photograph of one of the projects illustrated in this magazine. It is made from some kind of board and satin ribbon, but I made one using brown paper bag material. These projects work with the heavy grocery bags that we get in America. This craft is longer to finish, mainly due to drying time, but otherwise, it goes together quite quickly. I think the more advanced crafters could really adapt this idea into something outstanding. This is just a sample of what could be done.

There is no tutorial for this one, because I was not sure what I was doing. I just cut a side of the bag and folded it in half, leaving a bit more on the back layer. I used the crepe paper that comes in rolls for streamers, pleated and glued it between the two layers, holding it with clothespins until dry. Ordinary school glue or white liquid glue works, but if you did not have it, you could make up a paste of flour and water, in a bowl, like we did when we could not buy commercial glue. The heavy brown paper takes craft paint very well. I used Folk Art paint, and let it dry.

Then I added any clippings I could find from magazines, and stickers, with ribbon trim. It is also painted with another layer of glitter paint.I punched holes in the back layer and threaded wired ribbon through it for hanging. It looks great on the wall. Click on the photo for a more detailed view. I like this craft, because it gets the mail off the desk and leaves me a little more space to write.

This one is much, much easier. It just requires the large side of the heavy brown grocery sack, and some clear tape. Roll it into a cone and tape it in various places.

With a hole punch or a pencil, punch a hole on each side. Thread wired ribbon, curly ribbon, or any kind of thing you like through it. Even jute rope or piece of fake ivy might look good. Bring the ends of the ribbon around to the front and tie into a bow.

I added dots of silver glitter on it, to match the silver edges of this wired ribbon.

This cone holds fresh leaves and branches and would also be great for a gift. Stuff the inside with tissue gift wrap and then load it with things to eat or bath products, pencils and art materials, sewing things, or whatever would make a good gift. The mail pouch could also be a great gift holder.

These heavy paper bags can be used for many things, which I hope to illustrate some day.

The Formal Home

There has been a strong effort in the last couple of decades, to casualize the home. The purpose of this, I suppose, is to make people who would otherwise not feel comfortable in your home, feel at ease.

The disadvantage of creating a more casual environment in the home, is that it ceases to be the protective refuge from the stress and influence of the outside world. People who would not normally want to sit at a cloth-draped table and share a cup of tea with scones and jam, will visit, as long as the host has the things they like: plenty of soda or beer, pizza, chips and snacks of all varieties. A big screen will allow them to view the sports and movies of their desires. Casual furniture makes it easy for to lay down instead of sitting up. Since the fridge is stocked with the things they like, and the house is full of the kinds of games and toys they prefer, they can feel more comfortable and will stay longer. Maybe they will be so comfortable, that they will ask to stay the night.

There are people who remember a time when it was a thrill to be invited to someone's house, for a visit. These visits were by the standards of the time, quite casual, but by today's antics, they were formal. Formality had the upper hand, though, where socialization was concerned. Formal people didn't attract the kind of people who were disrespectful or who wanted to "hang out" or lay around someone's house and watch a game.

In the 40's and 50's , the houses were getting smaller, and people no longer hired household help. Meals were mostly eaten in the kitchen, where you could reach over and get hot rolls from the oven. Folks washed their hands before meals, and combed their hair. They waited to eat, until the blessing had been asked. They ate with utinsels, although it was only one fork, one knife, and one spoon. It was rude to burp, or do anything disgusting at the table. Boys had to remove their baseball caps before eating. We thought all that was very casual. Today, it is made to seem formal. This formality kept out the people who did not want to conform.

When we first entered a home, there was a place to remove caps and wraps and hang them up. In the main room, the place where people sat, were tables with doilies and cloths on them to protect the furniture. Chairs were covered at the head and the arms with crocheted squares, which were removed regularly to be cleaned and starched, and then replaced. These kept the chair from being worn out sooner in some places than in others.

When you visited someone, the younger ones deferred to the older ones, for the best seats. Even if you were 30, you never took the most comfortable chair if there was someone older in the room. No one left the dinner table without first excusing himself. A person did not walk out the door without announcing that he was leaving, and saying goodbye. At the time, such things did not seem formal at all. Today, things are so much more casual, it makes those simple things look incredibly formal.

Families respected the posessions in the home. People did not make frequent trips to the kitchen. Food was generally eaten only at meal times, and not on foot. It was considered very rude to sit all over a chair with legs askew, wrapped all over the arms of the furniture. Families valued their posessions and their homes to such an extent, that they took photographs of themselves standing outside, with the house in the back ground. They were proud of their homes. They guarded them. There was (by today's standards) some formality observed. Routines and rituals were so common, that we hardly knew we were doing them: sitting down for a meal, conversing in the living room, getting ready for bed, rising up in the morning, and dressing up. Now, we are made to feel self-conscious about such normal things.

The formal home can be a good thing. This does not mean that the family is uncomfortable there, but that other people feel uncomfortable enough to behave themselves when in that home. A formal home is actually a good protection for a family.

This isn't just about imposing informality on the home from the outside. It it is also imposed by those inside the home, through disrespect of the parents, not caring for clothing and posessions, and not having a place for things. People inside the family can break down the true meaning of the home by mocking and scoffing at meal times, talking over the parents, loud music and movies, friends who do not respect the family, etc. When the family becomes more casual, the stability of the home is threatened. People who would normally be uncomfortable, whose values would corrupt the family, will then be able to feel comfortable, and gradually break down your values. Some people won't be happy unless the home is more like a college dorm, with lights and noise and no structure at all.

As you can see, this is a continuing article: I don't know if anyone out there remembers that there were homes that were unoccupied or abandoned, which we could go into, as they were rarely locked up. Some of them were only occupied during the summer working season. When we went for walks, we might come across one of these houses and go in. People didn't mind if someone used their home if they needed temporary shelter or food, but visitors left the place in perfect order.

I can remember reading some of the books left in the bookshelf, but always putting them back, and always leaving a note of thanks on the table. Sometimes we even cleaned up dishes and things that the owners had left in the sink, and swept the floor. Never was anything destroyed or disrespected. As time progressed closer to the 60's, people began to ransack these places, and they had to be padlocked. They had to put a stop to people moving right in and leaving the place filthy, with trash and clothing strewn all over.

Previous to this, there was a basic respect for the house, because the house is where a home existed, and where a family's precious spiritual values were formed. When you entered it, even when it was empty, you felt their presence and respected them. There were visitors to our house also, who used the water from the well or left a note that they had been there, when we were away. Sometimes they did go in the house, and maybe they lit a fire and got warm. This may seem informal but in retrospect, this kind of intrusion much less threatening than the mental and spiritual invasion of our homes which breaks down human dignity. That is what the current casualness is doing.

What do you think we were most concerned about if someone happened upon our house when we weren't home, and went in? Not that they would damage anything, or steal, but that they would think we were fine, upstanding people, from the evidence of the house.

Finally, to seal my point about formality being a protection for homelife, a quote by author Grace Livingston Hill:

...."You know formalities are good things sometimes. They are like fences to keep intruders out and hedges to keep in the sacred and beautiful things of life."

Between the School Room and the Altar, by Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1850-1919)

Alresco Afternoon by Charles Zhan

I am normally not a very outwardly emotionally expressive person, nor am I "verbally religious." However, when my daughter began reading this essay from an 1890 edition of "The Ladies Home Journal," I was quite enthusiastic. Many daughters who are at home will agree with this piece, and many mothers will say "I could have written that, myself." Ella Wheeler Wilcox was the author of many inspirational poems, and this article is the most inspirational of all. Feminist may claim her as a champion of their cause, but here, she urges young women to aim for a pure character and success in the home. Try reading it aloud and seeing the effect it has on the hearers. This will be added to the "Theme Article" section on the side of this blog.

Springtime by Charles Zhan

"Ofte the most memorable time in the life of a woman is that period which lies between the schoolroom and the altar. It is the time toward which every school girl looks with eagerness, and to which many a matuere woman casts a backward glance of regret. It is the hope-land of youth, the memory-land of age...

"When the girl enters the world after her education is "finished," she does not always find it what she expected. The school room is one thing, the world another.

"She may hve been popular with her teachers because she was a diligent scholar, and carried off the honors of the school. But she finds that book-knowledge does not make her popular or successful socially.

"Some of the most intellectual people I have known have been among the most disagreeable. A woman whose intellect is aggressive, who parades her knowledge before those of inferior intellect or education, is an object to be dreaded.

"Mere learning in a woman is never attractive. It is, on the contrary, offensive, unless coupled with feminine graces. School learning should sink into the character and deportment, and only exhibit itself as the perfume of a flower is exhibited--in a subtle, nameless and unobtrusive manner.

"A woman's knowledge of grammar should not maker her talk like an orator in daily life--it should simply make her conversation gracious and agreeable.

"Mathematics should render her mind clear, and her judgements true; her geographical studies should teach her that the world is too small for falseness to find a hiding place; and history should impress upon her that life is too short for unworthy ambitions.

Rose Bay Cottage by Charles Zhan

"The time between the schoolroom and the altar should be not a mere harvest time of pleasure, but a sowing time for all the seeds of kindness and benevolence which alone can make her a successful wife and mother.

"The young lady who comes out of school realizing what an expense her education has been to her parents, and resolves to repay them in sacrificing some pleasures for their ske, and strives by self-denial and cheerfulness to lighten their burdens; that young lady is seldom found later in life in the divorce courts, a maryr to marital incapability. The good and thoughtful daughter makes the good and thoughtful wife, as a rule; she does not expect the man she marries to be a god and her slave in one; she has the patience and tact to cultivate in him the qualities she desires, and to keep his love and respect.

"I never see a petted, pampered girl who is yielded to in every whim by servants and parents, that I do not sigh with pity for the man who will one day be her husband.

"It is the worshipped daughter who has been taught that her whims and wishes are supreme in a household, who makes marriage a failure all her life. She has had her way in things great and small, and when she desired dresses, pleasures or journeys which were beyond the family purse, she carried the day with tears or sulks, or posing as a martyr. The parents sacrificed, and suffered for her sake, hoping to finally see her well married. They carefully hide her faults from her suitors who seek her hand, and she is ever ready with smiles and allurements to win the hearts of men, and the average man is as blind tothe faults of a pretty girl as a newly-hatched bird is blind to the worms upon the trees about him. He thinks her litte pettish ways are mere girlish moods; but when she beocmes his wife, and reveals her selfish and cruel nature, he is grieved and hurt to think fate has been so unkind to him.

"I once heard a man complain of the stubborn selfishness of his wife in small, daily matters, which completely ruined his home life. I asked him if he had not caused this trait to develop through some carelessness on his won part. "Oh, no," he said, "I knew her from her early girlhood, and she was always terribly selfish with her parents; her will ruled fatehr and mother in all things, and she always had her way in everything."

"then you were the blindest of men tomarry her," I said, "for while I have known one or two selfish sons to be trained into fairly good husbands by excellent wives, I never knew a selfish and thoughtless daughter to make a good wife."

"Every girl dreams of the time when she will become a loved wife; but how can she expect to be loved if she is not loveable? Every hour of the time between the school room and the altar ought to be used by her in cultivating a spirit of usefulnes, kindness and devotion to relatives and friends, which will enable her to display that constant self-sacrifice, and thoughtfulness which marriage demands daily of both husband and wife.

"Fannie Edgar Thomas, a gifted writer and a bright, earnest young lady, made a remark to me the other day which I thought was full of truth. I feel that I ought to give her name and credit for the words, because the open up a world of meaning to every thoughtful young woman. She said: "While I meet many charming and delightful women, I am constantly surprised that women are not grander. It seems to me the consciousness that they are to be the mothers of coming generations would fill them with such awe and reverence that all frivolity and selfishness would be frightened out of them."

Yes, indeed! If our girls would but realize that their daily thoughts, impulses and habits are forming their characters as certainly as the strokes of the scuptor's chisel for a statue, and that those very characteristics are to be repeated and amplified in their children and grandchildren, how noble they would become

Charity Begins At Home

This is a requested article about the function of young women at home.

There is a story of a happy family, where the mother was trying to teach her children to be unselfish, to be careful of their actions, and to be helpful when they saw something that needed to be done. She spent a lot of time teaching them to clean up after themselves, keep their possessions put away neatly, not make messes all over the house, and keep their bedrooms in order.

One day she said, "Children, today I am going to do the laundry. Please bring your clothes to the washing machine and help me. It is a sunny day outside, and I would like you to also help me hang out the clothes. I would also like you both to wash the dishes and clean up the kitchen. If you help me, I can make the chores shorter, and be able to do some other things that I would dearly like to do today, such as sewing and letter-writing."

As the day commenced, and the children were just beginning their tasks, the weather became more pleasant. The two children, ages 12 and 13, asked their mother if they could ride their bikes to the home of a friend, who had children their age. Even though she needed their help, they pleaded with her to let them go, so she gave her permission. She indicated a specific time for them to leave to come home, hoping there would still be time to help with the work at home.

During the day, she washed clothes and hung them on the line, and then washed the dishes and put them away. She swept the floor and cleaned up the house so that it was pleasing and presentable. With the help of her children, her tasks would have been shortened, making more time for her to make dinner and catch up on her letter-writing.

As the day progressed, the mother began to look down the road to see if her children would be returning at the prescribed hour. They were late. As she was hanging out her last line of wet clothes, she finally saw the two bikes at the end of the road, coming home much later than expected.

"Oh mother! " her daughter said, excitedly, "We went to see our friends but their mother wanted them to work before they were allowed to play with us. So, we helped them put the clothes on the line to dry. Then we helped them wash the dishes and put them away. After that, we helped them clean up their rooms! It was a good feeling to have helped someone!"

Their mother said to them, "I would like to show you something." She took them to their rooms, and opened the doors. With a serious voice, she said, "Look inside."

Her son opened the door to his room and looked. He had been in such a hurry to leave that morning, that he had not made his bed, nor put away any of his clothing. His books and papers and toys were strewn everywhere. There was also old food and drinks sitting around, where flies were visiting.

She then showed her daughter her room. The daughter knew what what was coming, so she expressed more dismay. Inside, her room was, to say the least, a "shambles." Her curtains were falling down, and dirty laundry was piled on the floor, because she had not taken it to the washing machine. Her drawers were all open, with things cascading out of them like a waterfall. There was dust on the surfaces of the window sills and shelves. Shoes and clothing and personal things were on the floor in disarray. Her books were jumbled up with papers and pens and toys.

"Children," pointed out their mother, "It is all very well and good to help someone else do their laundry and clean their rooms, but charity begins at home. If you do not do your work at home, first, then you are being a hypocrite. A hypocrite is someone who says he believes something but does not do it. It is nice that you helped Mrs. M. to hang out her clothing, but you did not remember that I was home hanging out the clothing by myself. No neighbor children came to help me. I also washed all the dishes and cleaned the kitchen myself. Someone else's children were not here visiting, to help me. She had her own children to help her with the chores, but I had no one to help me."

Lakefront Home, by T.C. Chiu

This story is not necessarily about keeping a clean bedroom. It is about the purpose of charity and piety. Charity is described as "any act of kindness, or benevolence" , and, "In a more particular sense, love, kindness, affection, tenderness, springing from natural relations; as the charities of father, son and brother." (Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

If charity (kindness, love, benevolence, help) is not present, it is like a "sounding brass." (Ist Corinthians 13:1). To say you are inspired to become a minister or a missionary, and not have love toward your home and your parents, is like make a lot of noise.

If charity is not present, even if you claim to have a great faith and a great deal of knowledge, it amounts to nothing. (Ist Corinthians 13:2)

People can be skilled in the arts and sciences, and be considered "smart," but still fail in true charity, the kindness and affection that springs from natural relations.

Even feeding the poor and becoming injured or dying for a cause, avails nothing in the absence of charity. (1st Corinthians 13:3)

These children always remembered the lesson of being charitable at home, first. After that, working at home brought the same sense of accomplishment that they had felt when helping their friends. Charity at home brings double joy. It is always "more fun" to work for someone else, and receive the accolades from people outside of the home. To be benevolent and kind and helpful in the home, seeking the best for everyone in the family, takes a lot of thoughtfulness and effort. Charity at home is an expression and action of true Christianity.

Bench at Worcester by Bolton

There can be a great temptation to neglect our work and our love at home, while giving our time and our love to people outside the home. Certainly, such benevolence must be included in our lives, but we can not forget that charity begins at home.

Piety is another important Christian act, which must first be shown in the home. Piety is "Reverence of parents or friends, accompanied with affection and devotion to their honor and happiness. " (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

One verse warns women to reject "wives tales," electing to exercise "piety" instead:

1Ti 4:7 and the profane and old women's fables reject thou, and exercise thyself unto piety... Perhaps today's "old wives tales" are the sayings the world throws at us that lure us away from home; sayings like, "are you fulfilled? What are you going to do with your life? What about your future?" We know the Bible approves of women being rulers and guardians of the home. We have to be careful not to listen to too many fables, which cause confusion and unrest.

One verse specifically mentions that piety be shown first in the home:

1Ti 5:4 But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God.

This lesson of charity (kindess and benevolence)-- and piety (reverence for loved ones, devotion to duty), in the home, is directed particularly at young girls, and young women who are living at home with their parents. It seems that from the time they are in their teens, and sometimes earlier, people are tugging at them, with many attractive offers and lures, to get them away from their homes, where they are most needed.

As a result of this pressure, young women begin to doubt that they have any purpose in staying home and working for their parents. They do not think they are "making a difference," or "making a contribution." Doubts are sown in their thoughts, when others ask them about their future, with questions like, "What are you going to do with your life?"

It is natural for a young person to feel he wants to help humanity, make a contribution, or save the world. Even children have within them the natural instinct to be helpers. These feelings, however, should be properly schooled. There is work to do at home, and if they neglect charity and piety (the respect and honoring of parents, and the affection for their brothers and sisters) at home, then all the "saving the world" that they do, lacks credibility.

Time does not allow me to list the many tragedies of broken homes where the parents thought that saving the world was more important than personally ministering to their own children, or where mothers thought that being a great actress or professional, was more important than nurturing their own children. Time does not allow me to cite the many sad stories of young, single women, who wandered from their homes in order to "make a difference" but came back home hostile to their parents and less inclined to marry, have children, and keep house (II Timothy 5:14).

Before we get lured away from our homes for some great cause, let us look at the great cause before our very eyes: the home. It is the most neglected mission field their ever was. It is the most neglected ministry. Everywhere you turn, people are complaining about "dysfunctional homes," broken homes, and unhappy homes.

There is a great need to restore the home and to minister to it. Young people can contribute a lot to establishing happy, productive homes. It is here that their talents are learned and developed. It is here that they establish their habits. It is here that they are creative. It is here they show hospitality and reach out to others in need of cheer.

If the work in the house is complete, there is always something to do outside the perimeters of the property on which the house sets. If that is done, charity can be extended to one's own neighbors, and then within one's own local church, and beyond that, the town in which a person lives. There are many great needs in our own sphere, and while young people go "somewhere else" in an effort to be helpful and personally fulfilled, the work at home falls doubly to others or is totally neglected. There are local churches that need helpful young people to visit the shut-ins, or help young mothers.

There are homes that are left behind when young women skip town and go off to some adventure that pleases them. These homes lose something quite special when daughters do not think that homemaking and housekeeping and teaching little children is "making a contribution." They do make a difference and help humanity in their own homes. The world does not recognize this as any kind of accomplishment, but the Lord of all, does.

If girls do not think there is enough to do at home, they are not looking around them. Maybe their mothers are so good at housekeeping that all the laundry, cooking, cleaning, dish washing, sewing, and yard work is done. I find it hard to believe that girls are so bored at home that they sit their idle day after day, thinking they will be more useful somewhere else. In many ministries that girls are persuaded to join, they simply do the same things (cook, wash dishes, share their talents) that could be done at home. If young ladies do not think they "have a purpose" at home, or are "making a contribution," here is a list that can serve as a reminder that charity and piety begin at home:

1. Have you cleaned your room and accounted for all your possessions? Is the floor clean, the windows, the curtains and the bedding? How long has it been since you changed your sheets or cleaned your closet?

2. Are the bathrooms that you use in the house, spotless? Do you have a good knowledge of sanitation and cleaning for such things as sinks and tubs? Is the bathroom also decorated with attractive things that make it a pleasant part of the house?

3. Are the books in your home put in in some kind of order on the shelves, say, the decorating books together, fiction, non-fiction, magazines, art, and so forth? Are the books and shelves dusted and cleaned, and books repaired where needed?

4. How many meals do you prepare yourself, for your family? Are you able to shop for and prepare meals with ease? Do you know how to set an attractive table? Do you ever pamper your parents with special meals? Do you ever take over the kitchen, or other rooms in the house, and make them your own, to give your mother some time off? How much burden do you take off your mother? Are you helpful in any way to your father?

5. Have you taken time to learn how to garden around your house, seeing that flowers are planted, grass is trimmed, weeds pulled, and in general, creating an attractive frame around the base of the house? Have you grown any vegetables or fruit that you can serve your family?

6. How much charity have you extended to those within your closest acquaintance: the church, your neighbors, people you know, and relatives? Have you taken a basket filled with comforting things, to anyone, lately? Have you offered your help for free, to anyone? Have you ministered to the local church by making cards and sending out encouraging words to the members? Have you hosted any church members for tea lately? Have you sewn any clothing for anyone? If you have a car, have you offered to take anyone shopping, to appointments, or to tea? Do you have any kind of craft or skill that you use personally to minister to others?

I know of one girl who grows wonderful flowers in summer. She gathers them in bouquets and puts them in vases that she decorates herself, packs them in her car, and delivers them to people on her list that she wants to bless. Another girl I know takes laundry home from the house of a young mother, and washes it and presses it, and takes it back. It is a tremendous help to the woman with small children.

7. In the world, there is a great need for teaching on keeping house and having contented families. If you really want to "make a contribution", why not have a blog or website, which will reach hundreds? In it, you can describe the way you serve others and share your personal knowledge. With a blog, a young lady can extend her hospitality all over the world.

I have only listed 7 areas where a young woman at home can be helpful, but there are many more. Before our daughters become convinced that they must go "somewhere else," we should allow them to carefully analyze Ist Corinthians 13, and ask themselves if they have been patient and kind and overlooked the faults of others in the home. This "charity chapter" can apply directly to the home, which is our very first practice at life, and our first experience with other people.

The painting at the top, is called "Seafarer's Vigilent Sentry" by Nicky Boehme, and is available as a 250 piece jigsaw puzzle at most Dollar Tree Stores around the country, for just a dollar.

Ist Corinthians 13

13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I have become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. 1Co 13:2 And though I have prophecies, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so as to move mountains, and do not have charity, I am nothing. 1Co 13:3 And though I give out all my goods to feed the poor, and though I deliver my body to be burned, and have not charity, I am profited nothing. 1Co 13:4 Charity has patience, is kind; charity is not envious, is not vain, is not puffed up; 1Co 13:5 does not behave indecently, does not seek her own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil. 1Co 13:6 Charity does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth, 1Co 13:7 quietly covers all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1Co 13:8 Charity never fails. But if there are prophecies, they will be abolished; if tongues, they shall cease; if knowledge, it will be abolished. 1Co 13:9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 1Co 13:10 But when the perfect thing comes, then that which is in part will be caused to cease. 1Co 13:11 When I was an infant, I spoke as an infant, I thought as an infant, I reasoned as an infant. But when I became a man, I did away with the things of an infant. 1Co 13:12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall fully know even as I also am fully known. 1Co 13:13 And now faith, hope, charity, these three remain; but the greatest of these is charity.

Scrap Cards

Cards made from magazine clippings are economical and very beautiful. These are made from a home decorating magazine. This project works best if the magazine has high quality pages that are not too thin, and are glossy. These pictures are from a German magazine.

The slogan on this card came from another decorating magazine called "Country House." I use the

Altered Boxes

Click on the above vanilla box for a more detailed view. This is a very easy project for children, but must be supervised.
I thought the small vanilla bottle box would be interesting to cover, and I liked the tea box because the lid was attached. Both are made of cardboard.

The paper I used is called Construction paper, from the dollar store. It is easier to glue, but any kind of papers you have on hand, will work. I saved myself a lot of trouble just by outlining the shape of this box as I rolled it across the paper on its sides, including the bottom and the flap.

Then I cut it out and folded along the drawn lines. The drawn lines will go on the box so that they will not show on the outside.

The glue stick works fine to place the paper around the box. I put a piece on the inside flap, also. A colored printed paper would look nice there.

With a contrasting color piece of construction paper, used shaped scissors to cut decorative borders.

Glue them around the top edge and lower edge of the box. Dot with liquid glue and sprinkle glitter over it.

To make paper roses, just tear a piece of tissue wrap and cut a piece of green construction paper.

Cut the green piece into a shape with five points, for the leaf, and glue it down to the box. Then, scrunch the piece of tissue with your hand and roll it into a ball. Glue the underside to the leaf. Dab some liquid glue on the edges of the rose, in various places and sprinkle with glitter.

The only thing that remains to be done with this wee vanilla box, is to find something to put in it. At the moment, the best thing I can think of, would be to cut a long piece of paper slightly smaller than the box, write a letter on it, and put it inside, for a friend. It would be such a thrill to open this little box and pull out a long letter.

(more to be posted later)

Government Needs Training From Wal-Mart

Wall-Mart vs. The Government






1. Americans spend $36,000,000 at Wall-Mart every hour of every day.



2. This works out to $20,928 profit every minute!



3. Wall-Mart will sell more from January 1 to St. Patrick 's Day (March 17th) than Target sells all year.



4. Wall-Mart is bigger than Home Depot + Kroger + Target + Sears + Costco + K-Mart combined.



5. Wall-Mart employs 1.6 million people, is the world's largest private employer, and most speak English.



6. Wall-Mart is the largest company in the history of the world.



7. Wall-Mart now sells more food than Kroger and Safeway combined, and keep in mind they did this in only fifteen years.

8. During this same period, 31 big supermarket chains sought bankruptcy.




9. Wall-Mart now sells more food than any other store in the world.



10. Wall-Mart has approx 3,900 stores in the USA of which 1,906 are Super Centers; this is 1,000 more than it had five years ago.



11. This year 7.2 billion different purchasing experiences will occur at Wall-Mart stores. (Earth's population is approximately 6.5 Billion.)



12. 90% of all Americans live within fifteen miles of a Wall-Mart.



You may think that I am complaining, but I am really laying the ground work for suggesting that MAYBE we should hire the guys who run Wall-Mart to fix the economy.



This should be read and understood by all Americans Democrats, Republicans, EVERYONE!!



To the President and all 535 voting members of the Legislature,both parties. It is now official you are ALL corrupt morons:



a. The U.S. Postal Service was established in 1775. You have had 234 years to get it right and it is broke.



b. Social Security was established in 1935. You have had 74 years to get it right and it is broke.



c. Fannie Mae was established in 1938. You have had 71 years to get it right and it is broke.



d. War on Poverty started in 1964. You have had 45 years to get it right; $1 trillion of our money is confiscated each year and transferred to "the poor" and they only want more.



e. Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965. You have had 44 years to get it right and they are broke.



f. Freddie Mac was established in 1970. You have had 39 years to get it right and it is broke.



g. The Department of Energy was created in 1977 to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. It has ballooned to 16,000 employees with a budget of $24 billion a year and we import more oil than ever before. You had 32 years to get it right and it is an abysmal failure.



You have FAILED in every "government service" you have shoved down our throats while overspending our tax dollars.





AND YOU WANT AMERICANS TO BELIEVE YOU CAN BE TRUSTED WITH A GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM ?? YOU THINK YOU CAN RUN THE AUTO INDUSTRY.... THE BANKING SYSTEM?????



MAYBE WE OUGHT TO KICK YOUR EGG-HEAD BUDDY BUMS OUT OF OFFICE AND HIRE WALL MART TO RUN THE GOVERNMENT ???



WALL MART SEEMS TO KNOW HOW TO RUN A BUSINESS.......WHY DON'T YOU GUYS JUST ADMIT IT'S WAY BEYOND YOUR PAY GRADE, AND QUIT?





Folks, keep this circulating. It is very well stated. Maybe it will end up in the e-mails of some of our "duly elected' (they never read anything) and their staff will clue them in on how Americans feel.





"You can't fix stupid, but you can vote it out."




(One thing this failed to mention was that Wal Mart has resisted, for many years, the control of unions. Instead of requiring employees to join a labor union, the give their employees other privileges, including for some, shares in the company. Unions are known to have strong communist connections, and their presence in any company or store can drive prices up and drive business into the ground. Wal-Mart's refusal to embrace unions is one of the reasons there is so much prejudice against them. John Stossel speaks in a film about Wal-Mart, in which he investigated many of the ridiculous claims against them and came to the conclusion that a lot of it was based on jealousy. K-Mart, Dollar Stores, Sears, and many other major companies sell things made in foreign countries, yet dont get half the amount of criticism as Wal-Mart does, yet month by month, new attempts are made to break down this company.)

Tea By Post

These are stand-up cards that can be sent to someone for a tea-time moment. When your friend receives the card, she can put it aside until she has time to sit down with a real cup of tea. Inside this card will be a tea bag. Include a letter to read while she sips her tea. Then, when you answer the letter or card, put a packet of tea in it for her own tea time.

These cards stand up and hold a tea bag.

For the tea-time label on the cup at the right of the above photo, I cut out the words from an advertising card that came inside of Tea Time Magazine. Other cards are outlined in glitter glue with added glitter, and a clippings from card catalogs and seed catalogs.

After tracing the template on card stock, bend up the pedestal on each one.

Put a very thin layer of white glue around the sides and the handle, and the lower edge where you made a fold. Glue sticks do not work as well as white glue.

Fasten it with clothespins for a few moments.

This is the template. Just glue it on to something heavier and trace around it.

Some of the cards and letters are quite creative, using all kinds of scrapping and card ideas. Here is a stand up tea cup card that holds a tea bag, that you can make with cardstock. I used the parchment paper in pastel colors, but any kind of heavy paper will work. It holds a tea bag and stands up like a cup. If you fold the pedestal section up, it should fit in an envelope.

The Citizenship and Kingdom of the Home

Our citizenship in the home, is where our own dear kingdom exists. It is here where we are free to rule ourselves according to heavenly principles. The home is where our attention to duty and honor will determine our future.

In this kingdom, a men and women rule their own houses. They are not there because of the amount of votes they got. They are not the rulers because they were elected. They are there by divine appointment. God created the home, the first kind of government there ever existed. The home suited the spiritual, social, economic and physical needs of its own citizens, and it still does.

The nation of the home is so important that it cannot be put out of office by popular vote or law. Whatever the current trend or rage is, the home remains the same. The home is a husband and a wife, even if they have no children. It can be a mother or father that have, through sad circumstances, been deprived of their mates, but still have their children. This is still a home. A home can be a widow living alone, but it is still her home and can be ruled by her own beliefs, with no interference from other kingdoms or governments.

Although our position in the home as mother or father or child is not voted on, we do cast a vote daily in this kingdom. We vote for strong marriages by our loyalty. We vote for good children by the way we train them. We vote for a future government in our land by the what we allow our children to be taught. If we turn them over to someone else to train their thinking, their judgement and their knowledge, they will vote for things that will tear down the kingdom of the home. If take the responsibility to teach them ourselves, they will stand by the old paths, where is the good walk, that will bring peace to our little kingdoms of the home.

In these kingdoms, there is more freedom than anywhere else in the world. It does not matter who is elected or who is king in any other country, because in our own homes, our rulers are servants as well. No one can legislate how clean our houses will be. No one can legislate how we will develop our talents and skills or how much we can learn at home. No one can interfere with our clean air laws in the house. No one can limit our potential in anything we put our minds to. The home is such a wonderful place, that great artists and composers and architects of the past developed most of their work from their own homes.

In a kingdom, an election

To "elect" means to pick out, to choose, or to prefer. As women who guard, guide and rule the workings of the home, we can elect to do the following:

Elect to have at least one place that is orderly and lovely. This is one reason that I admire the idea of the Victorian parlour so much. It was a place set aside to be lovely and orderly for things that were special. Jane Austen wrote many of her novels by listening to parlour conversations. Visitors left their calling cards in the parlour. The parlour was furnished with the family's best.

Elect to be organized. This is a difficult one, but it can be accomplished if the citizens of the kingdom understand long-term goals and how to reach them, little by little. Some things done today, and some things done tomorrow, will add up to completed goals. Set aside a few minutes each day to eliminate some clutter and simplify.

Elect to correspond more by post. There is something about sitting still and putting pen in hand and writing words that the mind directs, that is very calming. A racing mind can be settled down by spending some time writing letters and sending out hand made cards.

Elect to be creative every day if possible. Try making something this year, whether small or large. Creativity is essential to reasonable thinking. When you feel rushed, or foggy in the mind, just make something or make up something. I love to sew and work with cloth, but I find paper crafts give quicker results, and that is kind of a warm up to something more creative.

Elect to straighten up the house before you retire at night. This is so refreshing the next day and makes you feel renewed.

Elect to eat foods that God created, as close to their natural state as possible. These real foods increase health and mental ability.

Elect to dress beautifully, every day, not just for special occasions. The kingdom in which you dwell, has other citizens which can be inspired by the way you look.

Elect to have someone over for tea this month. Keeping the teatime ceremony alive is essential to civilized life. I have been doing teas for a long time and have never had a rude guest. Tea parties tend to refine people and draw hearts closer together.

A citizen is a dweller or inhabitant of a place. Those who obey the gospel are citizens of a better country and they serve a higher king. In doing that, they ultmately will be good citizens of any earthly country, and better dwellers at home. Children who obey their parents and honor them are good citizens of the kingdom of the home. If they cannot be good citizens at home, they will not understand how to be good citizens anywhere else.

Citizenship is the state of being invested with the rights and privileges of a citizen. As citizens of the home, we have the right of arranging it as we like and conducting our families the way that is the most convenient for us. Those who have become citizens of the kingdom of Christ have the privileges of blessings bestowed from the One whom they serve, but they must obey His written will. As citizens of a country, we have the responsibility and right to make our elected servants obey the Constitution, which is the law of our land.

Citizenship, like love and service, begins in the home. It is here that the most important issues of life will be developed. That is why the home must be attended to and not abandoned or neglected. Women are needed at home. There is no career that will give them the fulfillment and love that will last through the generations, like the work of the home.

To those who were pleased with the results of the election in their district, please remember to be vigilant, and pray for those in authority * that we may be able to mind our own business and be free from interference.

The prophet Elijah did not shrink from admonishing Ahab, the king, to do what was pleasing to God. Remember Jonah, whose warnings turned an entire country to God, and the King humbled himself. Daniel refused to participate in unholy things in his country and the king was so moved by him that he declared that only the one true God would be served. Paul taught King Agrippa, and in like manner, we need to keep our elected officials hearts tuned to God's will by reminding them to do what is right so that we can be safe in our own country and in our homes. When Mary, Queen of Scots, was often urged by a preacher to do what was right in the sight of God, she said, "I fear the prayers of John Knox, more than an army of 10,000 men." Be sure to remind our elected officials whenever they are about to make a decision, to do what is right in the sight of God, so that we may have the liberty to exercise our faith and do our duty.

To those who are unhappy about the outcome of the election in their district, God knows how you voted, and He will honor that. You will have abundant blessings in your life if you did the right thing by the choices you made on the ballot, even if you did not choose a "winner." You are citizens of a greater country and you can make your calling and election "sure" by working the work of the one who sent you. In the home, you have greater power than you realize, for homes create countries that love their homes. The home must be restored. It is the highest office of the land. It would take another long post to explain it.

*1Ti 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 1Ti 2:2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 1Ti 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth

Fugal What-If's

There will always be times when you cannot get the things you need, even when you have money to spend. I was discussing with a friend different ways that we used to make things last, or substitute things, for the things we needed. Here are some "what ifs" and some imaginative ideas for making-do.

What If:

-The price of gas gets so high, you cannot afford to fill up your tank as often.

-You love to sew, but there is no available fabric store. You can't even find a zipper or buttons.

-You need to do some sewing but you don't have a sewing machine.

altered pumpkin

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