{ Taking care of the home and lots of snow }

 

The home is the heart of the family!

Have you ever met anyone who does not appreciate a well kept, tidy, comfy and warm home to retreat to at the end of a hard day?

Homemaking and homemakers are often met with a bit of judgement.  There are those who will never understand why there are so many of us homemakers, who love being home, who have chosen this job over an outside career.  Yes, there are also many women who have to work outside the home, and would love to be able to stay home instead.  I'm not talking about those women, I'm talking about how homemaking in general tends to be looked down on.

I'm not going to go much deeper into that, because I've talked about it many times before, here on the blog.

Today, I want to focus rather, on the importance of caring for our homes, or the importance to ME at least, of caring for my own.

So come on in, and sit with me a little, let's have a chat.

Your family comes home from work and school at the end of the day, and they have a warm home cooked meal waiting for them.

They take their showers, open their dresser drawers and find neatly folded clothes.  Those things didn't appear out of thin air, behind them is a wife, a mom, a homemaker who spent her day making sure her family has everything they need.

Taking care of our homes is so much more than just cleaning a house, although that is certainly important, but it is also about providing a safe and cozy space for your family.  About creating memories, traditions, stories that will no doubt be passed on from generation to generation.

 

I sometimes sit and reminisce about my childhood.  I remember watching my great grandma Ema in the kitchen, her apron tied around her waist, and the front pockets filled with random bits and bobs that she would gather throughout the day.  It would hold her handkerchief which she would randomly pull up to her nose, and then quickly stuff back in the pocket, or tuck it into the sleeve of her cardigan.

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit
dries up the bones.
Proverbs 17:22

There is nothing like laughing and smiling, and having a cheerful heart.  Those moments that you spend sitting around the table eating dinner, are moments that will forever be ingrained in your children's hearts.  

Housework never ends.  There is never going to be a time where you look around and say, that's it, all done, won't have to worry about that for at least a week.  Because, there will always be more laundry waiting to be washed, more dishes piled in the sink.

 

 

She looks well to the ways of her household

and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Proverbs 31:27

In this verse, it is clearly talking about the Proverbs 31 woman, and it focuses on how important it is to take care of our homes, and to not be lazy or avoid doing the work.   Sometimes as homemakers we feel that the invisible work we do, has no merit, no impact, no importance.  But that is so far from the truth.

Just as I mentioned last week in a different post, everything we do, even those jobs around the house that we think are trivial or mundane, are to be done with a happy heart and devoted to God.  Worship, remember?  

But housework is not the only job we have at hand, that needs to be taken seriously.  As homemakers it is imperative that we take time to worship, to pray, to spend some time with the Father in conversation.

I used to have a really hard time praying, I couldn't understand why some seemed to have that talent of just opening their mouths and words flowing out smoothly, beautiful words of adoration, and prayers that would leave me wanting to be just like them.   It wasn't easy for me, I seemed to hit a wall the minute I uttered "Father in Heaven".....all of a sudden, there was nothing else I could think of to say.

All these thoughts racing through my mind, things I needed, things I was worried about, or friends and family I wanted to pray for, but the words seemed stuck somewhere within me, not quite able to release themselves into the Lord's hands.

 

Then I realized that it all comes with practice.  The more you speak to God, the more you interact, and spend time in praise and worship, the easier it gets.  Nowadays, I open my mouth and it just comes pouring out, it's a conversation between close friends, but one where the other party knows me intimately and knows everything I need, want, worry or have questions about.  It's a glorious feeling!

And so as a homemaker, my job becomes also about teaching my children the important of prayer and time with the Lord.  They're certainly not going to learn that outside our home.  

 

These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.   Impress them on your children. 

Talk about them when you sit at home and 

when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Deuteronomy 6: 6-7

Show God's love in everything that you do.  Pray for your home, pray for your husband and children, and show grace when needed and warranted.  Not everything needs to be a battlefield and you don't always have to be right.  Understanding, compassion and second chances go a long way in making a happy family.

Your work as a homemaker is important, for God sees the invisible work we do.

I hope these words remind you to think, about what it means, to keep a home for your family.  

As I sit and type these words, the snow continues falling outside.  Just like much of the country right now, we are under a winter storm, receiving tons of snow and ice.  It is beautiful, but it is cold!

Which means, tons of hiding under soft blankets, not just us but our sweet Elliott too.  Is there anything sweeter than a beautiful cat snuggled under a blanket?

I know most people prefer summer, and can't stand the snow, but I for one love snow.  It's cold but it turns everything into a wonderland, at least in my eyes.  

Everything has practically shut down, Curt is home today and possibly tomorrow too.  The snow keeps falling but the roads are extremely icy, which make driving really dangerous.  And so we stay inside, drink copious amounts of coffee, eat yummy food, stare out the window watching the beautiful scenery and the animals coming by to eat.

 

I'll end this post with some photos of our deer, we have about 23 that come by our yard looking for food every day. 

 

 

And even if it's snowing, we still tend to them, and the other animals in the neighborhood that seek food and shelter on our property. 

Hope you enjoy these photos, I for one love watching them come by, watching them eat. It's the only time I get to be up close and personal with these beautiful animals. 

 

If you're also dealing with this snow and winter storm, stay safe and stay warm. I pray God protects you and your family.