Questions to ask yourself as a parent....

1. Do you have a clearly defined biblical vision for the convictions you want your children to possess when they are grown? Are there any cultural values you are prone to be influenced by which undermine biblical values when it comes to childrearing?

2. What are you doing to help your children avoid being moralistic with a thin veneer of Christianity when they are grown? Are there subtle ways in which you have emphasized good character (being self-sufficient) over holy living (being Gospelcentered)?

3. Do your goals and example commend a love for the local church? Are your children demonstrating they hold this value?

4. There are two tendencies or pitfalls that parents can fall into. One is when a parent tends toward fear, believing that a child's spiritual well-being is all up to the parent. The other is when a parent tends to minimize their God-given responsibility to train. Which is your tendency? Remedy for the first – trusting God, remedy for the second – fearing God.

Thoughts on modesty

Richard Baxter (writing 400 years ago) had this advice for how we as women should relate to men in the area of our dress:

"And though it be their sin and vanity that is the cause [of lust], it is nevertheless your sin to be the unnecessary occasion…You must not lay a stumbling-block in their way, nor blow up the fire of their lust…You must walk among sinful persons as you would do with a candle among straw or gunpowder; or else you may see the flame which you did not foresee, when it is too late to quench it." (qtd in The Look by Nancy Leigh DeMoss)

Motherly Affection

A Heart ….

That prays

That provides

That is happy

That gives

Of fun

That celebrates

That gives preferential treatment

That is focused

That is present

That is quiet

That is available

I serve my family before I serve others. I don't give my family the leftovers of myself after I've served others. I give my best for my family.

Pull-ups even past potty training?

Pull-ups are great for even potty trained kids when they are sick with diarrhea. One of the times my kids were sick and had this problem I thought of the leftover pack of pull-ups I had from when they were getting potty trained. The biggest size fit my skinny kids for quite a few years (I think up till about 6 years old. This worked awesome because up to that age they had a difficult time getting to the toilet in time. It was also a lifesaver one time when we were camping and they came down with it. It made clean up easy when I didn't have a washer and dryer. No more feeling bad that they couldn't make it to the toilet when they were sick. This solution made everyone happy, the kiddos and the mama!

Home Management

Create an atmosphere for growth spiritually and physically

Build a refuge (make your home a place of refuge and relaxation)

Avoiding the negatives (create the atmosphere with your attitude-avoid negative attitudes)

Understand that the role as helper, guard, worker and watcher is God's plan for me.

Watch over your home (difficult to do if you are rarely there)

Eliminate idleness (telephone, tv, computer, reading, sleeping)

Manage the home well (cleaning, cooking, laundry, decor, schedule, etc)

-Plan in detail

-Deal with today

-Value each minute

-Keep moving

-Develop a routine

-Exercise and healthy diet

-Use a timer

-Do the worst job first

-Read up on time management

-Say "No" to yourself and others if it's not part of Plan A for the day. Change to Plan B only if that is what God is calling you to do.

-Begin the night before

Tidy up before bed

Prep laundry

Run dishwasher

Layout everyone's clothes

Prepare for meals

Purpose as a married woman....

My primary purpose and role each day is to help my husband, share in his responsibilities, to respond to his nature, and to wholeheartedly cooperate with him in God's plan for our life together.

Submission

"Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as unto the Lord." (the answer of 'how' to submit is 'unto the Lord' -submit to your husband the way you submit to the Lord)

Thoughts on homemanagement

How would the Lord, my husband and my kids rate my service, my meals, the accommodations and my management?

Once I have shown myself to be a faithful manager at home, I am free to run out the door and do the work of ministry outside my home. First things first.

If I neglect those closest to me to serve others I will look back with regret.

What do people see when they enter my house? Do they find calm or chaos? Peace or panic? Palace or pigpen? Evidence of preparation or procrastination? Diligence or laziness? Care or apathy?

Live as though you will be held accountable for the condition of your home and the use of your time because you will.

Thoughts on Singleness

Regardless of our marital status, we were made to glorify God and to reflect Him to our world.

God has made women to be bearers and nurturers of life—we can do that whether or not He chooses to give us husbands and physical children.

If a woman has a contented, grateful heart, she will experience joy, regardless of her circumstances (or marital status). If she does not have a contented, grateful heart, there is no circumstance (or marital status) that can make her happy.

Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Disciplining Children

"Far better that children should cry under healthful correction, than that parents should afterwards cry under the bitter fruit to themselves and children, of neglected discipline."

Charles Bridges 1846

Homemaking

"Few women realize what great service they are doing for mankind and for the kingdom of Christ when they pour their energies into maintaining a shelter for the family and nurturing their children--the foundation on which all else is built...No professional pursuit so uniquely combines the most menial tasks with the most meaningful opportunities."

Dorothy Patterson

Homekeeper

"The job of keeping a home is an honorable one.There is a difference between a housekeeper and a homekeeper. A hired housekeeper will keep the home clean and do the duties as expected of her employer, but a homekeeper does the duties in her home from her heart. She does it out of love for her family. She looks upon her duties as the most important job in all the world. It takes a lot of patience, skill, commitment and love to be a keeper of your home. Be faithful; in due time, your family will rise up and call you blessed. I am honored to be the keeper of my home."

Martha Greene

Homemaking

Homemaking — being a full-time wife and mother — is not a destructive drought of uselessness but an overflowing oasis of opportunity; it is not a dreary cell to contain your talents and skills but a brilliant catalyst to channel creativity and energies into meaningful work ... it is neither limitation of gifts available nor stinginess in distributing the benefits of those gifts, but rather the multiplication of a mother's legacy to the generations to come and the generous bestowal of all God meant a mother to give to those He entrusted to her care.

Dorothy Patterson

the art of hospitality

“The ultimate act of hospitality was when Jesus Christ died for sinners to make everyone who believes a member of the household of God. We are no longer strangers and sojourners. We have come home to God. Everybody who trusts in Jesus finds a home in God.”

John Piper

pro-marriage and pro-family decisions

Make "pro-family" and "pro-marriage" choices for your family. When big decisions in life have to be made measure each decision by whether or not it is a pro-family and pro-marriage choice. Many men (leaders of the home) and wives (jointly) today make decisions for their families (jobs, house, location, church, investments, vacations, schooling, purchases, etc.) that are not "pro-marriage" or "pro-family". They choose things that do not promote their family life or the growth of their marriage, but rather hinder and burden their marriage and their parenting. With each decision ask yourself "does this help our marriage or put a strain on it?" and "does this encourage our family life or effect it negatively?"