Finding joy in the everyday

I am starting something new this year and I have to thank Mary for this brilliant idea!!  I will be using a word generator to pick a word to write about.  If you would like to try it yourself, here is the link to the word generator that Mary recommended.   Todays word is Castle. ***** Castle:   a large building, typically of the medieval period, fortified against attack with thick walls, battlements, towers, and often a moat. Usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble. My home is not as big as a castle and it isn't surrounded by a moat (which of course would be heaps of fun but rather impractical), but I do like to think it is a place that protects us from attacks and shields us from the worlds violence and sadness. However this is becoming much more difficult. There was a time when  our homes provided all the  defence  we needed against outside intrusions and influences. We could locked th...

"Home was intended to be so much more than just a place of bare essentials" Sally Clarkson To make our home truly beautiful one must have God as the centre of all activities. Guest must feel welcome and there is an air of generosity, peace, calmness and love. Your children will grow up to remember their home as a place of warmth and kindness, where all those who visit felt comfortable to gather and talk about things that mattered to them. In all likelihood, these children will grow into adults who will create the same sort of home. A beautiful home must also be free from influences that can pollute and disturb the tranquility — today this is much harder than yesteryear as we are surrounded by bad influences such as television, trashy magazines and social media (via our phones and computers). People today recognize the damaging effects that television and social media have on impressionable children, and, for that matter, on teenagers and adults.  Neither the t...

Domesticity   "home or family life"  "life inside a home" "the atmosphere is one of happy domesticity" Biblical domesticity Creating a home were God is the reason for all things done She watches over the ways of her household  (Proverbs 31:27) Homemaking or biblical domesticity is a noble calling that we should feel honoured that we have been given this privilege which allows us to create a beautiful place for our families.   However, homemaking is either glorified as the ultimate womanly calling or hated as a contributor to the suppression of women everywhere. The funny thing about homemaking — we all need to do it if we choose to live in a home, otherwise we live in a hovel! So whether we like or not, we still need to do it. But — biblical homemaking is different, its done with a different attitude, a different mindset, a different purpose.  Its done with God at the centre.  * We need to " build o...

Whilst searching for blogging stories during my break I came across a story on Danish parenting and families which to me encapsulates all that we as homemakers are trying to do, but perhaps the Danes have the best word for it:  HYGGE The word hygge dates back to the 19th century and is derived from the Germanic word "hyggja" which means to think or feel satisfied. There is no English word for Hygge (pronounced "hooga"), but here is one explanation of what it means: “the absence of anything annoying or emotionally overwhelming; taking pleasure from the presence of gentle, soothing things” .  Hygge relates to cosiness, homey, snug, comfortable, togetherness, family, connectedness. It is about creating the right atmosphere in the home where families and friends come together, leaving the dramas of the world behind, including family feuds and disagreements to create a safe, warm place for all. In short it is a drama free environment from the outsi...

How well do you know your neighbours? Do you chat often? Do you help each other? I live next door to an elderly woman who lives alone. A few weeks ago my husband helped her when her front door got stuck and she couldn't open it. Last weekend I did her annual tax return as she finds the computer to difficult these days. I often chat with her when I am watering the garden in summer and we share DVDs and books and I have even given her a cup of sugar when she had run out!! She is a lovely kind lady and we get on very well. If we meet at the local shops we stop and have a chatter, sometimes quite long.  If she goes away we collect her mail and water her garden. She does the same for us.  I read in an article the other day that only 52% of Australians would invite a neighbour into their home and 50% would recognise their neighbour if they met their on the street. Most people don't even know the name of their neighbours. ( source ) There was a t...

One can waste years of their adult life wanting something they don’t have — we only have one life on this earth, make what you do count . I read over and over again from women who are either desperate to return home and become full time housewife or angry that their husbands are forcing them back into paid work. In their mission, they hate their jobs, they are miserable about their situation, they are not happy at home or with their husband’s decisions and their children are picking up their discontentment and sadness. To make it worse, other women keep reminding them of “ how tough their life must be ” and " you must return home quickly " only adding to their discontentment. Life is short — make the best of what you have , be thankful that you are well and healthy and stop focusing on the negative.  To be blunt — stop complaining and feeling self-pity and look at the positive because maybe, God is teaching you something.  I work. ...

Who is a time waster? Lets be honest with each other? I am and I am sure you are to.  I am very good at checking my mail, popping onto Facebook to say hi (I am a friendly gal), visiting Pinterest (someone might have posted something new), reading the next chapter of my book, day-dreaming, talking to Ruby (the cat!), wandering around the garden all because I don't really want to clean the bathroom.   I know every trick in the book to avoid doing something I don't want to do and I doubt I am NOT alone with this one.  Wasting time doesn't always mean I am not doing something - it just means I am doing something  else instead of what I should be doing! I am finding other more interesting things to do to avoid doing the ones that aren't very exciting i.e. cleaning the bathroom!! Sewing instead of making dinner.  Reading instead of vacuum-cleaning.  Surfing the net instead of  dusting. Watching TV instead of cleaning th...

But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:40-42) Mary and Martha welcome Jesus into their home for a meal, Martha does what so many of us would do -  jumps right into the kitchen to prepare the meal - not any meal, something special as she has a very special visitor to feed. How many of us would do just the same? And how many would complain that Mary wasn't helping. All of us if we are honest!! How many us worry and busy ourselves 24/7 thinking we are doing the right thing, to only find that we are neglecting the very people we should be concentrating and spending time with. And far more, not spending enough time with God ...