Beautiful Homemakers

    Biblical Womanhood Dear Young Women, Several years ago, a good friend’s teenage daughter was taking a weekend retreat where each girl would have her own cabin and was to use the time to seek the Lord’s face and His wisdom for her life. No phones or other electronics were allowed. Mothers and Christian women friends were encouraged to give life advice in a letter. I thought I would share my letter, because it pretty much sums up everything I blog about. Dear Gina, I’m thrilled you are on this path to seek Christ’s will for your life! In homeschooling, we have a saying, “Heaven, not Harvard.”  We want our children to do well in life, and go to college if that is right for them, but our life goal for them is not going to an ivy league college, having a high paying job, and being happy.  Our life goal for them is to have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and to do His will.  We want our children, ...

  I’m going to tell you a little story I wrote, based loosely on a woman I met 30 years ago, in the early 1990’s.  She was in her 80’s, and her husband was in his 90’s.  They were an extremely cheerful couple who would always wave to me on my morning walks to the beach.  They lived in a little one-story apartment, and their deck was raised just above sidewalk level.  Most days I couldn’t chat with them for more than a few seconds because I had to get either to college or to work, but this was a Saturday, so I stopped to talk.  I’ve thought back to her many times over the years, and I know I’ve confused some of what she told me with embellishments of my own making.  So here’s the story, take of it what you will. May God bless you as you develop a meek and quiet spirit. Janine

I encourage you to now to listen to this entertaining – and convicting – 12 page short story by Grace Livingston Hill called, “An Excuse for Christ.”   It was written in 1895, yet it is just as relevant today as when it was written.  If I hadn’t told you the date, you would think it took place today! “I can’t make it to church because….” – will you be able to give that excuse to Christ? May God bless you and lead you to your home church. Janine  

  Gatekeepers of the Home This sermon is just as applicable today as when it was written about 80 years ago. In fact, it’s even more applicable, because we can see the chaos and devastation around us today that Peter Marshall warned his congregation about. Listen to me read it while you work around the house. Transcript and links to books and movies are below. From an early age, Peter Marshall decided that he would become a missionary to China. To earn his living he had to work in the coal mines of Scotland by day, and then he took evening classes by night.  As you can imagine, his educational progress was very slow.  In 1927, a cousin who believed in Peter’s ministerial calling, offered to pay Peter’s way to the United States where he could receive proper ministerial training. He graduated from Columbia Theological Seminary in 1931. His first pastorates were in Georgia, and there he met his future wife, Catherine Woods. They had one so...

  Gatekeepers of the Home   “At night across the mountains when darkness falls and the winds sweep down out of the hollows, the wild things with their shiny eyes come to the edge of the clearing.  At such an hour the house seems safe and warm, an island of light and love in a sea of darkness….the vision of a mother’s face, a father’s deep voice, the aroma of fresh baked bread, sunshine in a window, the muted sounds of rain on a roof…the cry of a newborn babe, and voices calling ‘goodnight.’  Home, an island, a refuge, a haven of love.” This excerpt of Home was John Boy’s epilogue of Season 1, Episode 15, “The Actress,” from The Waltons (affiliate links).  These words evoke such peace to me!  John Boy and the Waltons are fiction, but they were based on some truth from Earl Hamner’s life. I used to watch a lot of old t.v. shows searching for that feeling of peace.  I believe that many of the “o...

  We are the Gatekeepers of the Home This is a post I never thought I’d write about.  I’ve always wanted to turn away and pretend that this abuse doesn’t exist.  It is such a disgusting subject, and for too long I felt that there wasn’t anything I could do to help, so why read about it?  But we as a society have been burying our heads in the sand for too long.  We’ve looked the other way.  We didn’t know what to do so we did nothing.  Thank God for the women and men braver than I who have spoken up and learned to help victims.  As a “storybook” mother we don’t want to think something horrific could happen to our children, but we need to be informed and help put an END to pornography.  We must hear the truth so that we can help those in bondage know that the truth of Jesus can set them free. The other day I saw a headline that I didn’t want to click on, but decided that I m...

A short story by Grace Livingston Hill. This story is as relevant as when it was written in 1895.  If I didn’t tell you the date, you may never have guessed it. I think you will enjoy it! Happy Resurrection Day! He Lives! May God bless you as the good news of Easter fills your heart with JOY! Janine For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Romans 6:4 (NLT)

  According to the Pattern From the link: According to the Pattern is one of Grace’s early books and it’s “off the beaten path.” The first chapter is entitled, “The Fallen Idol” and sets the scene for the rest of the story. Mrs. Winthrop, out in the park with her little daughter, suddenly comes upon her husband who is out with another woman. Not quite the usual GLH romance, is it?  Pick up a copy and share her struggle to live “according to the pattern” despite what’s going on around her. Sounds a bit like it could have been written today, yes? An interesting departure from the usual novels. 1903 All Through the Night 1945 Amorelle 1934 The Angel of His Presence (includes Gabriel the Acadian by Edith M. Nicholl Bowyer) Wonderful! A picture of The Last Supper given to a worldly man for his den changes a man’s life. 1902 April Gold Excellent! A well to do family is thrust into poverty upon the father’s death.  How will they "m...