To Every Thing There is a Season...

"To every thing there is a season,

and a time to every purpose under the heaven..."

~ Ecclesiastes 3:1

Dear reader, the time has come for me to step away for awhile. I don't know the length of my departure but I feel it is necessary at this time in my life. In order to practice what I preach (for I shrink at the thought of being a hyprocite!), I am going to take a rest from this keyboard. 

"a time to speak..." (Ecclesiastes 3:7)

Thank you for all the kind and encouraging words that you have shared with me over the recent years. I have really enjoyed the online fellowship and it was a balm for me during the past 5 years when a large change had come into my life. Another season is now brewing and my home needs 100% of my attention... As the late Jim Elliot had summoned up brilliantly, “Wherever you are, be all there!"

So for the present, it is "a time to keep silence"... (Ecclesiastes 3:7)

Until next time! -- Happy Homemaking!

With Love, JES

Titus-2 Homemaking Lessons Inspired by Jane Austen

According to her great nephew Edward, Jane Austen was "a good daughter, a delightful sister, the most perfect of aunts, what better record could there be of a single woman? Her literary work never stood in the way of her home duties..." Perhaps her "home duties" isn't what comes to mind when we think of dear Jane, however, she shares much on the subject through the beloved books she left behind. Today we highlight five Titus-2 lessons which are inspired by Miss Austen!

#1. Practice Makes Perfect

"Catherine would make a sad, heedless young housekeeper to be sure," was her mother's foreboding remark; but quick was the consolation of there being nothing like practice."

~Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

Though many of us were not brought up to be homemakers, you can take heart that practice does indeed make perfect! The key is in developing the proper habits.  Author Elizabeth George speaks of being intentional about homemaking. She said she "loved reading, brooding, and watching TV. But one evening I heard a Christian woman I admire say, "I don't do anything sedentary!" I thought about that statement for days, and I finally made a pledge to be more active, to keep moving..." 

A few things my mother impressed upon me which I think are priceless, are in fact very simple concepts. They just require follow up ("moving" so to speak) and are in regards to the kitchen. As it is the center of the home, it requires the most maintenance. If we can focus on keeping our kitchen orderly, our entire home will function more efficiently.

• Number one, do not go to bed with dirty dishes in your sink (sorry, I know you didn't want to hear something this blunt and obvious!). You will be creating an un-pleasant domino effect for the remainder of the week that will affect the whole household and throw it off balance. A clean kitchen means a fresh start to each day and a promise for a more manageable one!

• The second tip is to clean as you cook. If you take out the tub of sugar, put it immediately away. If you barely use an item, give it a quick rinse and place it directly in your dish rack (I always keep my dish-rack out on the sink for this very reason -- it is the catch-all for the cleaning as you cook method). Leaving piles of mess in your kitchen is very overwhelming! It is much more manageable to maintain as you go along.

• The third concept is to fix your bed and dress every morning. Your bed makes up the bulk of your bedroom and with that being tidy, it sets the stage for "neat" in your home! With you being "tidy" every morning, it sets the stage for wanting your home to be "neat".

If you are interested, you will find a few more simple priorities here along with some list-making motivation here. Remember, practice makes perfect!

"Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

~ Phillipians 4:9 (NIV)

#2. Live Within Your Means

"Imprudence or thoughtlessness in money matters would be unpardonable in me."

~ Jane Austen, Pride & Prejudice

"They must retrench; that did not admit of a doubt... She drew up plans of economy, she made exact calculations, and she did what nobody else thought of doing: she consulted Anne, who never seemed considered by the others as having any interest in the question. She consulted, and in a degree was influenced by her in marking out the scheme of retrenchment which was at last submitted... Every emendation of Anne's had been on the side of honesty against importance. She wanted more vigorous measures, a more complete reformation, a quicker release from debt, a much higher tone of indifference for everything but justice and equity."

~ Jane Austen, Persuasion

In Persuasion, we see the heroine (Anne) attempting to remedy the financial stress her widowed father and sister incurred in their lavish lifestyles. And here also, Jane Austen shows us the example of a crowned and honorable wife! For "while Lady Elliot lived, there had been method, moderation, and economy, which had just kept him within his income; but with her had died all such right-mindedness, and from that period he had been constantly exceeding it". A wife's frugal endeavors do make a difference and can make or break a home! I have seen many with a hefty paycheck lose everything and those with meager funds are able to maintain what they have because of good stewardship. Should you like to discover a lifestyle of reform and "retrenchment" (as it is alluded to in the regency era), here is our guide to Prudent Living the Pretty Way.

'“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’"

~ Luke 14:28-30

"...a prudent wife is from the LORD."

~ Proverbs 19:14a

3. Mothers Matter

“A mother would have been always present. A mother would have been a constant friend; her influence would have been beyond all other.”

~ Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

Here we see the sorrow of Miss Tilney, to grow up without a mother! How many children today have them and yet still grow up without them? You make a difference dear mother. Your presence makes a house a home! It is your arms that a child finds comfort, it is in your words that a child finds instruction and it is in your actions that a child learns the ways of the Almighty. Your motherly investment of time and energy will not go void. According to the Holy Word, these are beautiful raiment for your child. 

"... do not forsake your mother’s teaching. 

They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck."

~ Proverbs 1:8-9

"He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children.

Praise ye the Lord."

~ Proverbs 113:9

4. A Wife is a Good Thing

"Lady Elliot had been an excellent woman, sensible and amiable; whose judgement and conduct, if they might be pardoned the youthful infatuation which made her Lady Elliot, had never required indulgence afterwards.--She had humoured, or softened, or concealed his (her husbands') failings, and promoted his real respectability for seventeen years; and though not the very happiest being in the world herself, had found enough in her duties, her friends, and her children, to attach her to life..."

~ Jane Austen, Persuasion

Dear, precious, homemaker and wife, you are a good thing, a crown, and a jewel in God's eyes. Although Lady Elliott "had been an excellent woman, sensible and amiable; whose judgement and conduct, if they might be pardoned the youthful infatuation which made her Lady Elliot, had never required indulgence afterwards", we see in the quote above that she had made the best of her poor marriage circumstances. Like the Proverbs 31 woman, she did her (in this case) unworthy husband "good and not evil all the days of her life". I would like to think that she did so unto Him who created her (Colossians 3:23). Let us all do the same! 

"Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD."

~ Proverbs 18-22

"A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband:

but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones."

~ Proverbs 12:4

5. There is No Place Like Home

“Ah! There is nothing like staying at home, for real comfort.” 

~ Jane Austen, Emma

"Nothing was so likely to do her good as a little quiet cheerfulness at home.”

~Jane Austen, Persuasion

There are many interesting places in the world to see, many wonderful outings to be had! But in the end, where does the heart crave to rest the weary body? Home. It is the place where we nourish our loved ones, practice creativity and cultivate comfort and love. It is assigned to women by the Almighty to keep and to guard (Titus 2:4-5). There is no place like it when it is filled with His sacred presence and our care and devotion.

"And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation,

and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places..."

~ Isaiah 32:18

Thank you for visiting with us today! If you enjoyed this article, you may also be interested in reading Titus 2 Homemaking Encouragement Inspired by Louisa May Alcott and Frugal Homemaking Lessons from The Great Depression Inspired by Janette Oke. In the meantime, I will leave you with a final bit of inspiration from Jane... 

"Give us grace to endeavour after a truly Christian Spirit to seek to attain that temper of Forbearance and Patience, of which our Blessed Saviour has set us the highest Example and which, while it prepares us for the spiritual happiness of the life to come, will secure to us the best enjoyment of what this World can give. Incline us Oh God! to think humbly of ourselves, to be severe only in the examination of our own conduct, to consider our fellow-creatures with kindness, and to judge of all they say and do with that charity which we would desire from them ourselves."

~ Prayer Written by Jane Austen

All the fine print. This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Good Morning Mondays,  The Scoop, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop,  Wow Us Wednesdays,  Coffee and Conversation, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Our Simple Homestead, Awesome Life Friday Link Up and Create, Bake, Grow & Gather. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these. This post may contain affiliate links (which are merchant links that help to support this site at no additional cost to you if you purchase an item through them).

Benefits of Mother Reading Aloud to Her Older Children

"My son, hear the instruction of your father,

And do not forsake the law of your mother;

For they will be a graceful ornament on your head,

And chains about your neck."

~ Proverbs 1:8-9

As mothers, we feel like we are always teaching, preaching and lecturing (and rightly so!). However, I wanted to share a more peaceful and enjoyable approach to instilling values into our children. What I have found to be very beneficial, is saving some of my "little sermons" for our special reading time together.  For once you enter that world of literature, much instruction from mother can take place in a natural and non-invasive way. The bonus is all those wonderful memories being shared together with wonderful books which also imparts a broader knowledge of vocabulary, history and human nature. And please don't forget that a cup of tea always nurtures a cozy and peaceful atmosphere which sets the stage lovingly.

Radient Morning by Lisa Auger

I am not merely speaking of children who can not read but more specifically, those that do. Older children have a lot of physical, emotional and spiritual needs which reading time with mother can help to nurture.  Reading a variety of literature, inspirational and instructional books help to place experiences and ideas in front of our children prior to them experiencing them in the "real world". This is so helpful because we can not follow our children around all through their life (though some may want to!). They are eventually going to be unleashed and left alone in this wicked world. We may wonder if we taught them enough? Are they prepared for what is ahead or what situations may lie in their paths? This is where the beautiful bonding of reading together comes in!

Through the pages of noble books, we are placing thousands of different scenarios in front of our dear children and, we are available at that moment to offer gentle instruction in a "should this happen to you, sort of way". We are placing a scene detailing the importance of honesty, purity, mercy or perhaps even safety before them! We are watching a character from a book being introduced into a potentially harmful situation. Or, perhaps the girl in the novel is facing a spiritual dilemma. Now, at that point, we can discuss the appropriate way to handle the obstacles that are placed before the main character in the book. What does Scripture teach about this certain situation?  This would be applicable for all ages and reading, whether it be picture books, chapter books, classics or instructional books. We have the perfect opportunity to share the wisdom of God to our children through carefully chosen literature.

Reading by James Shannon

For example, in the book, Dear Princess: A Book for Girls by Mary M. Landis, the author places some girls in a situation where they are alone, walking on a country road when a car of strange boys drive by and start to interact with them. There are many safety lessons at that point that can be discussed with your daughters. What would they have done in a similar situation? What would you suggest is a good approach to their predicament? You are able to place the seed of safety into your young maiden's heart prior to experiencing something on her own. She is that much more prepared and wise for the outside world.

When reading Beautiful Girlhood by Mabel Hale, the "Dreams" chapter beckons us to ask our daughter's to share their dreams. Have they changed since she last spoke of them?  Are they godly goals? If so, what preparations can be made in order to facilitate them? If they are lacking in noble direction, your motherly instruction described in Proverbs would be in order.

Another example would be, when reading something as pleasurable as Anne of Green Gables together, we can stop at the chapter when Anne loses her temper and hits Gilbert over the head with her slate. We can ask our daughter casually, "what would you have done?" We can talk together about a more "fitting" way to have handled that test of patience and we can laugh about how we may have wanted to handle it like Anne!

A Story Read by James Tissot

Reading together gives you the opportunity to see how your children react to certain circumstances. It is the perfect time to talk about situations hypothetically instead of waiting for something to happen in "real life" when you may not be available to help them. Discuss different scenarios with them so that if they ever experience it in "real life" they have your loving insight to fall back on should the need ever arise.

As I don't have a son, my examples are geared toward young ladies. However, it is worthy to mention that the same concept applies to your young men. Books can foster the development of character of a true, godly, courageous, noble gentleman who will one day lead a home of his own in honor to God.

Mother and Daughter by George Goodwin Kilburne

"My son, keep your father’s command,

And do not forsake the law of your mother.

Bind them continually upon your heart;

Tie them around your neck.

When you roam, they will lead you;

When you sleep, they will keep you;

And when you awake, they will speak with you."

~ Proverbs 6:20 - 22

Dear mothers, this message of "teaching" is written TWICE in Proverbs which only stresses the importance of passing knowledge down to your children. What better way than by your example, the influence of good and proper books and the Scriptures to guide you through life's lessons. It prompts the question in your child's mind, "What would Jesus do?" and by God's grace and your diligent instruction, the Holy Spirit will strengthen them to do it!

All the fine print. This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Good Morning Mondays,  The Scoop, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, The Homesteader Hop, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop,  Wow Us Wednesdays,  Coffee and Conversation, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Our Simple Homestead, Awesome Life Friday Link Up, Five Star Frou Frou Friday, and Shabbilicious Friday. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these. This post may contain affiliate links (which are merchant links that help to support this site at no additional cost to you if you purchase an item through them). This article has been slightly adapted from our original article here.

Greetings, dear ladies! For the new few months, I will be sharing a few pre-scheduled posts (and round-ups) as I prepare for and enjoy a wonderful extended visit with out-of-town family. With that being said, I will not be able to do much online "visiting" and commenting but would still love to hear from you in the comments should you desire to share. Thank you for understanding and have a lovely week!

Love, JES

Envying the "Easy, Care-Free" Life of "Everyone Else"? {Repost}

"All things are lawful for me,

but not all things are helpful;

all things are lawful for me,

but not all things edify."

~ 1 Corinthians 10:23 NKJV

There are many moments in our Christian walk where we can feel isolated. We must pass on going to certain events that "everyone else" is attending. We are compelled to exclude ourselves from different activities, inappropriate clothing and media that "everyone else" is doing, wearing and watching. It happens when we believe (through our actions) the inspired words of the Scriptures and "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5).

However, loneliness can creep in. The crowds can be captivating. It can all look so easy, so carefree and without worries. It can be tempting to dive in and join in the "fun", to be like "everyone else" without the constant concerns… Please continue reading the rest of this article at Raising Homemaker's where we are guest posting today. This is a repost but I know that these kinds of reminders are important for me and perhaps they are for you too...

"For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things,

though you know and are established in the present truth."

~ 2 Peter 1:12

All the fine print. This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Good Morning Mondays,  The Scoop, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop,  Wow Us Wednesdays,  Coffee and Conversation, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Our Simple Homestead, Awesome Life Friday Link Up, Five Star Frou Frou Friday, and Shabbilicious Friday. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these. This post may contain affiliate links (which are merchant links that help to support this site at no additional cost to you if you purchase an item through them).

Four Safe Essential Oil Blends for Baby ~ Printable Gift Kit

"You shouldn’t think about using an essential oil on a baby until it is at least twenty-four hours old, and then there has to be a good reason."

~ Valerie Ann Worwood, The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy

Beautiful babies! It seems these last few months have been filled with these precious little bundles! A few women in our community have recently given birth and here is the wee-gift-set I prepared them. I am hoping these will be nice and convenient for the new mothers. I am also sharing the recipes and printable I made for this little project in case it is of any interest to you (though I printed the exact ingredients on our bottles, I removed it to make it customizable and more generic to your blends).



How to prepare the blends:

(1) First and foremost, a carrier oil should always be used and the essential oils should be diluted heavily for the tender skin. Sweet almond oil and fractionated coconut oil would be the gentlest of choices. The conservative ratio I used was 1 drop of essential oil to every tablespoon of carrier oil. Using the safe list of essential oils which I found for baby here and in this book here, I prepared these four blends which I thought would be the most useful. While I haven't seen an exact age in which you can safely administer essential oils to baby, I would personally (and I am not a professional) suggest waiting until at least 3 - 4 weeks old (and that is at an as needed basis only*).



(2) I reused our empty essential oil bottles (15 ml size) from ones that were safe for baby (such as my discarded lavender and chamomile bottles; never re-use strong oil bottles like peppermint or eucalyptus on baby as any residue oil will absorb into the blends and will be too harsh for them). I didn't wash them out first since I didn't want to introduce moisture, I simply emptied every last drop from the bottles knowing that if a bit remained, the oil inside wasn't harmful. Once the bottles were filled, I pasted on my instruction labels. I also placed a piece of tape over the labels to protect them from oil drippings and/or wet hands, etc. The inexpensive roll-on bottles would be perfect for this project too!

Note: Each 15 ml bottle holds a scant 2 tbsp. of oil blend.

(3) Prepare the recipes.

Cold and Cough ~

• 2 tbsp. carrier oil (fractionated coconut oil and/or sweet almond oil)
• 2 drops of lavender essential oil (tree tea or lemon may also be used)

Colic ~

• 2 tbsp. carrier oil (fractionated coconut oil and/or sweet almond oil)
• 2 drops of dill essential oil (lavender oil may also be used)

Constipation and Diarrhea ~

• 2 tbsp. carrier oil (fractionated coconut oil and/or sweet almond oil)
• 1 drop of dill essential oil (Roman chamomile may also be used)
• 1 drop of lavender essential oil

Fussy Baby ~

• 2 tbsp. carrier oil (fractionated coconut oil and/or sweet almond oil)
• 1 drop of geranium essential oil (Roman chamomile may also be used)
• 1 drop of lavender essential oil

Directions ~

Add essential oil drops directly into a 15ml essential oil bottle, fill the remaining with carrier oil, cap firmly and label. Alternatively, you can cut the recipe in half and store in a 10ml glass roll-on bottle.

The reason I like pre-made blends is that in the heat of the moment, rare-a-mother has an extra hand (or second) to walk to the cabinet, find the right oil for the right problem, dig up the proper carrier oil and steadily measure out the exact one drop increments. Usually it is a frazzled moment that needs quick action! If you are interested in preparing these, you will find our printable {here}. Happy blending!

* Disclaimer: I am not a certified herbalist, aromatherapist or doctor but a homemaker interested in the arts of natural healing. While I do seek scientific confirmation of the safety and effectiveness of the herbs and remedies I use, remember that using remedies is a personal decision. Nothing I say on this blog is approved by the FDA or intended to diagnose, treat or prevent disease. All things on this blog are my opinion or the opinion of others. Also, if you have a medical condition, are taking pharmaceutical drugs, or are pregnant, please consult your physician prior to taking herbs or using essential oils.

"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee..."

~ Jeremiah 1:5a

All the fine print. This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Good Morning Mondays,  The Scoop, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop,  Wow Us Wednesdays,  Coffee and Conversation, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Our Simple Homestead, Awesome Life Friday Link Up, Five Star Frou Frou Friday, and Shabbilicious Friday. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these. This post may contain affiliate links (which are merchant links that help to support this site at no additional cost to you if you purchase an item through them).

When You Feel Like You Have Nothing Left to Give...

It happens throughout the day.

Piece by piece, you are being stripped. You are being taken. You are being pulled apart.

That one quart of kindness.

That one ounce of patience.

That one spark of energy to complete a task.

And when you feel like you have nothing left to give,

your husband comes home.

He needs a piece of you too.

And when you have drained your last drop and place your head on the pillow at night, you wonder if there is anything left of "you"...

And before you begin that sorrowful story in your heart, before you begin that party of pity, let us recognize the biblical truth.

That this-- dear reader, is a moment of glory.

That this-- my weary pilgrim, is a time of triumph!

For you have been living in service to Him! Yes, finally, dear friend! There is less of "you", more of Him. Less of that fleshly "me", and more of Him!

"He must increase, but I must decrease."

~ John 3:30

"I have been crucified with Christ;

it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me..."

~ Galatians 2:20a

"Hereby perceive we the love of God,

because he laid down his life for us:

and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."

~ 1 John 3:16

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,

that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,

which is your reasonable service."

~ Romans 12:1

This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Good Morning Mondays,  The Scoop, Titus 2sdays, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop,  Wow Us Wednesdays,  Coffee and Conversation, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Our Simple Homestead, From the Farm Blog Hop, Front Porch Friday Blog Hop, Awesome Life Friday Link Up, Five Star Frou Frou Friday, Simply Natural Saturdays and Clever Chicks Blog Hop. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these. Painting by Jules Emile Saintin.

Thoughts on Strong and Courageous Woman ~ Not Prone to "Fainting Fits"

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear;

but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

~ 2 Timothy 1:7

If you indulge in reading old Victorian novels, you will notice the female characters would come to a stressful situation and simply "pass out". Apparently, they convinced themselves that they weren't strong enough to handle it. Unfortunately, I don't think this is what a Proverbs 31 woman stands for. She is strong and capable (Proverbs 31:17). She is not afraid (Proverbs 31:21). In a nutshell, she is not prone to "fainting fits".

There is a difference between "weak" and meek.

There is a difference between being spineless and being spiritually sturdy.

Please don't misunderstand the verses in the Scriptures to mean that women are a frail and fragile gender! We may be second in command (Ephesians 5:23), we may be physically less capable (1 Peter 3:7), but we can and should be just as spiritually strong, fearless and fierce (in a feminine way of course) when it comes to spiritual battles (Ephesians 6:13)!

Ladies, we must maintain a gentle but an enduring strength.

Think of the courageous Esther and the heroic Abigail. There were no fainting fits there. Though they were damsels in distress, they did not get distressed.

There was no fear or timidity but only purpose when that woman thought "If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole."

There was no sign of cowardice when Abigail met the rugged and revenge-filled army of David and "said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid."

There was no feeble and weak-kneed Esther when she declared "Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish."

Even the mild hearted Mary greeted the Holy Angel with complete composure when she said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." There was no hysterics or panic attacks, there was only trust in the One who sent him.

This earthly life is a battle and the believing woman needs to be spiritually strong (Proverbs 31:25). We have an adversary and need to be prepared for spiritual warfare and dressed in the sturdy armor of God. This can be accomplished by reading the Scriptures, believing what God says and applying it in our lives. To completely cleave to the faith that His promises are true and that His ways will conquer!

And finally, we must always be active in powerful prayer!

"On some such night as this she remembered promising to herself to live as brave and noble a life as any heroine she ever read or heard of in romance, a life sans peur et sans reproche; it had seemed to her then that she had only to will, and such a life would be accomplished. And now she had learnt that not only to will, but also to pray, was a necessary condition in the truly heroic. Trusting to herself, she had fallen."

~ Elizabeth Gaskell

Dear reader, when I was but nineteen, my grandfather told me a sad story and I cried. To my surprise, he told me, "you gotta toughen up".

Why I thought? -- Just because tears flowed at his tragic tale? My young, tender heart thought him to be rough and I was hurt. However, throughout the years, his comment has haunted me...

When tough decisions were required that I just couldn't "bear" to make, I thought of those words. When following my husband's lead proved to be too hard for my "fragile heart", I thought of those words. When I needed to correct or protect my children from worldly ways but felt "sorry to", I thought of those words.

Perhaps what grandpa meant to say was "grow stronger". Truth be known, many of us are in some dire situations where the raw and rough words "suck it up!" need to be said (forgive the crude language). In the heat of battle, we must march on! We must adorn ourselves with the sturdy armor of God, we will require skills in the weaponry of the Word and we will draw our power and strength from the Holy Spirit. We will choose to fight with all our might and valor against the forces of evil and we can prevail like the godly women before us!

For our husbands may simply need a smile and reassurance when all we want is to shed tears. Our children need endurance and stability when all we want is to give up. The sisterhood needs encouragement and support when all we want to do is hide ourselves away.

I once witnessed a scene at a hospital of an elderly couple. The aged man was bending over his dying spouse. He told her, "when you thought you were leaning on me all those years, I was leaning on you." I was deeply moved when I heard this. I don't think either one of these faithful believers felt the weight, because both were leaning on God. Both had been relying on His strength. And this same powerful source is what will make us strong and not be prone to "fainting fits" when the going gets tough in this earthly battlefield called life.

"And let us not be weary in well doing:

for in due season we shall reap,

if we faint not."

~ Galatians 6:9

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear;

but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

~ 2 Timothy 1:7

For other posts on "girding our loins with strength", visit:

Embracing Ma's Practical Pioneering Spirit During Lean Times
The Blood that Runs Through These Veins ~ Brave Strong Women
The Homemaker's Armor ~ Girding Your Loins with Strength

This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Good Morning Mondays,  The Scoop, Titus 2sdays, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Roses of Inspiration, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop,  Wow Us Wednesdays,  Coffee and Conversation, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Our Simple Homestead, From the Farm Blog Hop, Front Porch Friday Blog Hop, Awesome Life Friday Link Up, Five Star Frou Frou Friday, Simply Natural Saturdays and Clever Chicks Blog Hop. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these.