Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Gentle Homemaking Inspiration ~ Proverbial Homemaker Series

"The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed."
~ Titus 2:3-5

There are so many negative views in this modern world of homemaking that this little series was born. It shares the romantic side which hopes to encourage and inspire you to love your home and embrace your daily tasks. We are sharing all our past prose in one place so that you can make a visit when/or if the battle of the "homemaking blues" sets in. My hope is that some of these brief articles and sweet sentiments will be a blessing to you!


“It’s amazing how lovely common things become,
if one only knows how to look at them.”
~ Louisa May Alcott


{titles shared below are linked}










"O dear mothers, you have a very sacred trust reposed in you by God! He hath in effect said to you, “Take this child and nurse it for Me, and I will give thee thy wages.” You are called to equip the future man of God, that he may be thoroughly furnished unto every good work. If God spares you, you may live to hear that pretty boy speak to thousands, and you will have the sweet reflection in your heart that the quiet teachings of the nursery led the man to love his God and serve Him. Those who think that a woman detained at home by her little family is doing nothing, think the reverse of what is true. Scarcely can the godly mother quit her home for a place of worship; but dream not that she is lost to the work of the church; far from it, she is doing the best possible service for her Lord. Mothers, the godly training of your offspring is your first and most pressing duty."
~ Charles Spurgeon


"There are many women who know how to keep a house, but there are but few that know how to keep a home. To keep a house may seem a complicated affair, but it is a thing that may be learned; it lies in the region of the material; in the region of weight, measure, color, and the positive forces of life. To keep a home lies not merely in the sphere of all these, but it takes in the intellectual, the social, the spiritual, the immortal."
~ Harriet Beecher Stowe


"Her children arise up, and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praiseth her.
Many daughters have done virtuously,
but thou excellest them all.
Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain:
but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands;
and let her own works praise her in the gates."
~ Proverbs 31:28-31

42 comments:

  1. What a wonderful collection of "good reads" ... and I can't wait to take some time to read through...when I can. This is a whole area that I can grow in... for sure!

    I love that Louisa May Alcott quote, too. Simply so true!!

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  2. JES, I love the way you've put all of these articles in one place...and how we can come at our leisure and enjoy one or two at a time! Thank you so much! I will be back when I have a bit more time and begin my adventure.

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  3. Stopping by from Titus 2sdays. Thanks for posting your link there. I am pinning this post so I can go back and read the individual articles. The selected quotes were very encouraging to me today. Thank you!

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  4. Thank you for sharing all these!

    Some days that drudge bug hit me, and seeing sites like yours help bring homemaking/housekeeping back to perspective. Thank you for the inspiration!

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  5. I will certainly keep these wise and wonderful quotes of inspiration for the homemaking/housekeeping tasks that await me, one of which, the biggest and most daunting, is reorganizing my basement of boxes - cardboard skyscrapers that need to be opened, examined and edited! Thanks for sharing!

    Happy Valentine's Day!

    Poppy

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  6. I love that you are addressing this subject... homemaking and housekeeping are much maligned in our culture.... they are not respected pursuits.... and yet they are so important. It is easy to do them because we are supposed to... but I love having the attitude of creating beauty.... and that it is truly important. Thank you for your work on this beautiful post. :)

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  7. The quote you shared from Charles Spurgeon surely puts our role as mother and the weight it bears in perspective. I've always loved being a homemaker and worked a mere two years (financial difficulty at the time) outside of our home. Around that time I had a friend from church who couldn't understand how I could "stand staying at home all the time". I think it's the perfect way to keep a home running smoothly. Have you ever seen the BBC film about the Amish family that allowed themselves to be filmed? The mother answered a question posed to her by one of the journalists about her role in the family just brilliantly. It's a precious film if you haven't seen it.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtNXvE_rLoE

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  8. This post just brought a smile to my face. What wonderful pictures and such wonderful explanations underneath each one. Lovely!

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  9. Hi Jes, what a wonderful post and series. I love it all the inspiration it gives. What a blessing it is to be a woman and take care of our homes and family. I would not trade my journey for anything.
    Your photos and verses are beautiful. Thank you for sharing and also for stopping by and your kind comment. Isn't is amazing how fashion and home decor go hand in hand when it comes to appearance.
    I have so enjoyed my visit!!
    Hugs and Blessings, CM

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  10. Beautiful pictures, sentiments and words!

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  11. Awe... this was the perfect post for today. There are so many moms out there that struggle with this very thing. It's so encouraging to read this.There is indeed a lot of training for those young moms and moms to be out there that need to know how to be a good keeper of their homes. Love it!

    I'm going to share this with my homeschool group today! Thank you, Jes!

    Have a wonderful day and a Blessed Valentine's Day too!

    Blessings,
    Amy

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  12. This was such a nice post and I loved the photos! I bet that homemade jelly you made it awesome!

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  13. I feel very blessed that I was able to stay home to raise our daughter and now that she is grown she thanks me for doing it...

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  14. I love this gentle encouragement. I need all I can get today. Praying for you, dear one. Will you also pray for me?

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  15. Hello dear Jes
    A beautiful post which makes me think.
    We have so many household aids today compared to what our grandmothers and great grandmothers had, which means we now have more time on our hands to enjoy being gracious homemakers and go the extra mile!
    Your beautiful images portray a sense of calmness that seems to have been lost in today's world - sadly.
    Inspirational thank you Jes!
    Hugs
    Shane

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  16. Thank you for sharing this with us Jes, it's a beautiful post with a lot of things to reflect on. We do learn these exact same things in church and I always love it. I feel it's my most important task here on earth, to be a mother and wife, but I must say that it's so easy to let life get in the way. So, thank you for reminding me what's most important in my life. Wishing you a beautiful day ~ Wendy of Apple and Apricot (visiting from Roses of Inspiration)

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  17. What a precious collection of spiritual good for us as wives, mothers, and homemakers to refer to! You are such a blessing, JES. God has placed you in all of our lives "for such a time as this". God bless you and prosper your work here. Much love and gratitude to you.

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  18. Hello Jes! It's been a while since I've visited and it's so nice to be back! This series is just beautiful. All of the images stir in my heart such a longing for the simple things of home. All the quotes and scriptures remind me of the importance of what we do! Thanks for sharing with us. I hope you're well, have a beautiful day!

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  19. Dearest JES...it is always such a delight to read your beautiful and touching posts! I may not yet have a home of my own, but it is my greatest desire to raise my own family in a warm, comforting home where the Lord is honoured in every little detail...
    Thank you for sharing these lovely quotes too - I love the one by Spurgeon - wasn't he such a great man?!
    Blessings to you!

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  20. *sigh*....such gorgeous, moving reminders! Thank-you for posting this! I know where to go the next time my housekeeping/homemaking/housewife-ing/stay-at-home-homestead-mama-ing isn't feeling so fancy. It truly is important to remind ourselves just how important our role is! Pinning for future reference, thanks again Jes :)

    Erin
    www.yellowbirchhobbyfarm.com

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  21. Thank you so much, Jes, for sharing this. It's very inspirational !
    and beautiful pictures.
    I'm following now.
    Found you via Stephanie's party, that I'm joining too.
    Blessings to you,
    Wilma. Shabby Royale.

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  22. Your posts are always such an inspiration to me as I grow in my role of a future homemaker. Though we may not have a house of our own yet, I do what I can to keep house and make a home in our tiny apartment.
    May I ask where you get your pictures from? They are always so beautiful!
    Thank you!

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    1. Hi there! I am glad you like the images. They are basically old paintings that are no longer copyrighted (I try and use pre-1920 ones to be safe). If I use a newer painting, I give a photo credit but will never "write" on it. They are found via Google/Wikipedia searches (under Victorian Home Life Era Paintings, etc.) and some clip art is from The Graphics Fairy. Hope this helps! :)

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  23. Lovely pictures, quotes, and thoughts, JES. Our perspective matters so much and you are wise to draw our attention to the positive elements of homemaking. Have a blessed week,
    Gail : )

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  24. I love the quote by Spurgeon. I think too often mothers put church and "ministry" ahead of their children when the reality is that our children are our ministry.

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    1. Amen! And there is no harder or rewarding work!

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  25. This was such a pretty post. Perfect pick me up for a Monday. Thanks for sharing the goodness!

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  26. The photos are just beautiful and so is the encouragement to treasure our position as wives, mothers and homemakers. Thanks for sharing at Good Morning Mondays. Blessings

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  27. You always write such beautiful posts.


    Blessings,
    Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage

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  28. Very inspiring! I love vintage art. The title of one caught my eye - "Works of Our Hands" - because I have a similarly titled post that I just linked up on Raising Homemakers and Wise Woman blog parties. http://virginiaknowles.blogspot.com/2015/02/maryland-through-my-lens-3-works-of-our.html

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  29. So happy for your posts here Jes. Love the graphics, and the inspiration to keep my home in a pleasing way. ~ Abby

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  30. You always remind me that this is indeed a calling.

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  31. Thanks so much for sharing. What an awesome task we face as wives and mothers. The biggest CEO of a Fortune Five Hundred company doesn't equal us in our role of homemaker. I'm so glad God (with lots of help from Him) trusts me in that position !!!

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  32. Great reminders of why I keeping a "home" is important. Far more important than other items on our lists. It requires more than just cooking and cleaning. Thanks for the reminder!

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  33. This is an stunning site , with wonderful pictures , only I wonder if you are a christian .Dear Jes you are a christian ? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnated?.
    Thanks for read.

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    1. I am a follower of Christ and strive to serve Him with all my heart, soul and mind! :)

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  34. I'm so happy to have found your blog! I homeschool my 3 children and needed this encouragement.

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    Replies
    1. I am so glad this is helpful! God bless you in your homemaking and homeschooling journey!

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