What makes a classic?

What makes a book a classic?

Is it because so many people are forced to read it, or is it because so many people simply LOVE it?

What do you think? What's your favorite classic?

What hospitality looks like

I love having people in my home. I enjoy playing the role of "hospitable hostess" and caring for others needs in basic ways. Last night we had a friend over for a little while. Andrew, one of our good friends from church, needed a place to wait out the storm before continuing on his journey home. We invited him to stay here for a little while to avoid driving straight into one of the several severe storms we had last night. But this little story isn't really about Andrew, it's about me and the lessons I am trying to learn.

You see, (or you actually don't, which is probably a good thing right now...) our house is a MESS. After a much-more-hectic-than-normal weekend, my house looked like IT had a tornado tear through it.

So I did what most contentious hostesses will do in those circumstances. Apologize. and apologize again. and act really flustered. 

Then I remembered. You see, I've been reading the Reluctant Entertainer's book. More specifically the chapter titled "Overcoming the Pitfalls of Perfectionism." :) And I remembered her advice - that when you make a big deal over things being not perfect, you can tend to take the joy out of the evening.

I told Andrew and Mark what I was supposed to be learning and we all had a good chuckle. I quit apologizing and we enjoyed our Sunday evening snack: Crackers and cheese, grapes and popcorn, oreos and pop. We laughed and visited and tracked the movement of the storms online. And when there was a big enough break in the storms, Andrew made a run for it - oreos and root beer in hand. :)

Like it says on my dining room wall:

I really should remember that - I worked hard enough getting that quote up there! :) 

So what does hospitality look like?
It certainly isn't a perfect house.
It isn't perfect food.
Hospitality is helping others weather the "storms" of life (literal or figurative).
It is offering a place for others to pause and refresh before continuing life's journey.

(And now I'm off to do some damage control around here!) :) 

Have you mailed yours?

Today is the day!

to find out more:
Red Envelope Day

Getting out the word.





Many of you may already be aware of the new law inacted by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. Starting February 10 of this year, all producers of children's products will be required to have expensive testing done before selling products. This testing would make many small businesses/crafters unable to sell their products: anything from diapers to hairbows, lunch boxes to wooden blocks, dresses to knitted hats. This basically does away with the free market on which our nations economy should be founded, at least in children's products. (I really wish government would keep its nose out of the economy, but maybe that is my uninformed opionion.) Anyway, there are several sites that go into more detail. Here and here are a couple of really good ones with links on how you can make a difference.


Lightening Up.

So last night was a little depressing... I hope everyone is adjusting. God is still in control! This hasn't taken Him by surprise. Psalm 52 was encouraging to me last night:

"I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever."

~~~~~~~~~~~
So anyway, I thought I would post a few things just for fun.
LOL Cats and LOL Dogs are hilarious!
(I am not endorsing all the content on these sites.)
Here are just a few pictures.... enjoy the smiles!

see more puppies


see more puppies


more animals


more animals


more animals

ETA: Just for the record, McCain won in our election with 87% of the vote!!! :) (my blog poll)

A Past Epistle

My Dear Friends,

I venture to communicate this evening in a manner that I am not accustomed to writing and, I dare say, that you are not accustomed to reading. However, I feel that when you have discerned the nature of this communiqué that my motivation for the manner of speaking will become clear to you.

I am sure that many of you are familiar with the writings of a certain author, namely Jane Austin. I have, within the past few years become acquainted with a few of her writings especially those novels Sense and Sensibility, Emma, and Pride and Prejudice the later two of which I have read and now have as a part of my extensive literary collection.

I have also become familiar with an author of a similar nature and time, Elizabeth Gaskell. Although I have not been so fortunate as to add any of her works to my collection, rest assured, I will when such might become available to me and as expenses allow. I first became familiar with her works through the writings of a certain commentator who writes by the pen name Lady Lydia. I have seen moving picture stories of the titles of Wives and Daughters and Cranford. I also, when convenient, have ventured to listen to an audio adaptation of the former.

The merits and virtues of these authors and the subsequent adaptations may be familiar to you, but please allow me the privilege of recounting them here.

The manner of conversation is most refreshing. The mode of speaking is gentle and shows no lacking in education. This speaks of an age in which people spent time enriching their minds, instead of inundating themselves with senseless media and constant entertainment. There is a lack of the coarse language that is so prevalent in today's society.

Not only are the chosen words of merit, but the manner in which they are spoken as well as the manner of conduct is most admirable. Kindness and gentility emanates from the characterization of both heroes and heroines of these works of fiction – although as familiar
as these characters are, they hardly seem to be works of fiction at all, rather accounts of historical events. But I have been diverted. Their methods of conduct are most gentile to even the most deplorable of humans as well as to those in their immediate familial circles. The
heroes are gentlemen in most every respect, but especially so in their dealings with the fairer gender. How we are lacking in these aspects in today's society. We are often unkind even to those we love, perhaps not so much intentionally as through lack of thought – the latter, I fear to have been guilty of myself from time to time. Not only is there a lack of kindness, but I also observe that chivalry is today gasping for breath amongst those that should be reviving it. I feel this is in part brought on by the anti-female group often referred to as "feminists." This "liberation of women" has done much to lower the character and respectability of many an unsuspecting female.

My purpose in this missive is not to have bored you. I sincerely hope that has not been the result – although if you have read thus far you must have been moderately amused which as I am sure you have realized, was entirely my intention in using this manner of speech. Although the content, I hope, has been edifying. I hope you will take time, if you haven't already, to delve deeper into the works of the authors that I have listed here. I hope, at a later time, to address myself in more detail to these works. Although it isn't likely that I should use this manner of speech – one can only take certain things so far.

Until then, I remain ever truly yours,



~~~~~~~~~~
Pictures compliments of:
www.jasa.net
www.anotherthink.com
Wmagazine.com
wikipedia.org

Monday Meanderings

Happy Monday, everyone! :) I am trying to start my Monday off on the right foot. I have a list (almost) a mile long that I would like to get done today.

I don't always write to-do lists, but I do find that when I do, I tend to get more done, or at least feel a greater sense of accomplishment. (And the pretty paper helps too!) :)

Mom and I got some great deals at Hobby Lobby on Friday. Here is one:I've had my eyes on this duck for months! You can't help but smile when you see her! Maybe I should name her! Any suggestions? :)

Here is part of my little mint patch. A sprig of this is wonderful in a glass of iced tea! The perfect way to cool off on a summer day! Come on over and share some with me!

I've already crossed a few things off of my to-do list as you can see. One was to sweep the front porch. The entrance to a home is important and the first thing a person sees when visiting. I love looking at the entrances to other homes and comparing how welcoming they are. It doesn't take a lot of effort to make a welcoming entrance. (Another blogger, Lady Lydia, has some tips for improving your entrance. While you are there, do a little looking around. Her articles are great inspiration for Keepers at Home, I especially liked the most recent one. If only I had read it when we were first married, but it still applies.)

Another thing on my to-do list was to write another Time to Bloom post. Ripples and Wildflowers is now up for your reading pleasure, and for food for thought. :) I would love to hear more of your thoughts on the topic.

Well, that's all of my meanderings for now... I hope everyone's week is off to a great start!

Blessings!

Why I blog

Blogging has become a favorite pastime for many of us. (I use the term us assuming that even if you don’t have a blog, you have an interest in blogging because you are reading this.) But why do we do it? What is the motivation? Why do we return to blogs again and again? To answer this question, I must think of my reasons for blogging.

One of the main reasons for me is that blogging is a form of hospitality. My blog has become an extension of my home. Because many of my readers are too far away for an afternoon visit, my blog for me is a way to connect with you. To sit for a while and visit with friends I haven’t seen in years. To connect with new friends that I have made through my blog that I probably would never have met in person. To share a virtual cup of tea or coffee and some banana bread or scones. This is one reason why I’m here.

Closely related to hospitality is another reason for blogging: keeping up with life events with friends and family. For some, this is the main or only reason they have a blog. Extended families of today are so spread out that it is sometimes difficult to keep up with those we love (and it is difficult to cram a whole year of life into the annual Christmas letter!) Blogs certainly fill this need. On the other hand, friends and family that read your blog already know what has been going on in your life and have seen the pictures… what is there to talk about at family reunions? And with friends you haven’t seen in a while? :) I noticed this when we got together with some family and friends recently. When I started to speak of something that had been going on in my life, they already knew all about it! But seriously, it works out well… you don’t have to spend as much time playing “catch up” and you can pick up right where you left off the last time you saw them. (and anyway… you only blogged about 10% of the pictures, there are so many more to show!)

When one of my friends encouraged me to start a blog, my excuse was that I don’t have children, what do I have to blog about? :) Well, I started and I have enjoyed it. Blogs are so versatile, and mine certainly has been. (Besides, I just blog about other people’s kids and it fills the void!) Blogs are also a place where we share ideas and viewpoints. We share decorating and other household tips. I like to share about the books I have read, my thoughts on being a Keeper at Home, and other various and sundry topics.

Blogging is also a form of creativity. My blog design is a reflection of me, and even my blog title reflects my name. I know many of you enjoy designing your blog; adding pictures or widgets. Creating this blog design is an art form, if you will. I enjoy decorating this site, much as I enjoy decorating my home. The actual writing in the blog is also a creative outlet. I don’t know that I would classify myself as a writer, but I do write now and then. Sometimes thoughts come to my head and I need to write them down. Sometimes they end up here, or on my other blog. Another form of blog creativity is in the posts. I like to post about my knitting projects or different creative things I have done around our home with decorating. Others post about sewing, quilting, you name it. Not only is this showing individual creativity, but it is an inspiration to others to be creative.

Many bloggers are an encouragement to me. They have written about things that encourage them, or even some of their problems. When I read these, it helps me to know that I am not alone. I like to read blogs that encourage me as a keeper of our home. I like to read blogs that are uplifting and cheering, and I endeavor to create a blog that has those virtues. I like to post things that have been an encouragement to me spiritually. These posts usually end up on Time to Bloom, a blog that I have dedicated more for that purpose.

However, in all those reasons for blogging, it is important to keep blogging in balance. It is easy to keep reading about life on various blogs so much that I am not actually “living.” Michele at Cherish the Home puts it this way in her post today, “I realized that I need some balance in this area so I am going to try and approach my blogging/e-mailing as I would a visit with friends: Something you enjoy in moderation but not for hours a day, every day.” I think balance is definitely the key. Too much of a good thing can be not good, right? :) One way I keep my time to more of a minimum is by subscribing to my favorite blogs using Google Reader. This way, I know when a blog has a new post, and I don’t have to go down my list of blogs. (So what if I have 72 subscriptions? Who’s counting?) :) Balance is really key to every area of a Christian’s life.

Well, if you’ve stuck with me this far, thanks for reading. I hope this has given food for thought. Everyone has their own list of reasons for blogging (and for not blogging, for that matter!) Thanks to each of you that come again and again to visit me here at my little blog home!

Blessings!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Images courtesy of:
AllPosters.com

ETA: This post has been linked to Talk to Me Tuesday over at Tip Junkie! If you're visiting from there, thanks for stopping by and you are welcome to check out my more recent posts - you may like the pumpkin story! :)

Knitting Identity

Certain crafters have a certain identity. Or to put it another way, there is a certain stereotype of people identified with certain crafts. If you think of certain crafts, a certain type of person comes to mind: scrapbooker... quilter... painter... However, it is not so much with crafts anymore, and especially with knitters. (Of which, I of course am one!) One of the main reasons for this is of course due to the surge in popularity of the craft. And the boldness that goes along with it. Stephanie, a well known author in the knitting world, calls this "Inexplicable Knitter Behavior" in a recent post. (Disclaimer: I am not promoting her blog.) Not many crafters will take their craft along with them to a coffee shop, or a doctor's office, or a concert. (Scrapbooking isn't exactly portable, anyway.) And not many crafters take finished objects along looking for photo opportunities! Case in point: your's truly this weekend!

A Sock in progress photo. (Yes, I'm finally on the second sock!)

Knitting at a concert. (a little side note: my purse size has grown larger. Guess why? To accommodate my knitting, of course!)

Another progress photo, I know it's not a very good shot, but it proves my point! (I embarrassed my mom taking this one. She doesn't know my behavior has been diagnosed! but Mark is holding it for me, so I guess he is resigned to my "knitterhood.") :)

Oh, and we knitters take opportunities to get great pictures of the finished product! Natural lighting is best, and there are limited opportunities in our own yard! (This one was taken earlier this spring, I featured it in an earlier post.)

Hey, you never know when you are going to need it! I now feel a little funny if I leave the house without something to knit on if I have a couple of free minutes! Another blogger described this phenomena in a post in January. (You never know when you are going to need it!) I love the name of her blog, by the way, "A Friend to Knit With." I need more of those! (Melissa has joined me... any others?) :)

** Note to other knitters: I've discovered I need to take pictures of my finished projects, or I won't remember what all I have done. Ravelry is also a great way to keep track, of projects, yarn, patterns in queue . I encourage fellow knitters to join up... and if you have let me know what your name is there so we can be "friends!" Mine is "Charitree" ...no surprise there!**

Keeper at Home: Guarding the Gate

The Keeper at Home has many responsibilities - feeding her family, keeping things in order, teaching God's Truth and many others. One very important job that she has is to watch the gate of her home. She is in charge of the day to day choices of what (and who) comes into her home. More specifically, she is in charge of what media is allowed. The things that we allow into our homes set the tone of our house.
The things we allow - books, magazines, radio (and other audio) and dvds etc... - have a large influence over us, sometimes without our realizing it. Just like we tend to pick up the mannerisms and cliches of people we are around, so we tend to unconsciously react to different media. What are you allowing to influence you as a person, and your home. Elizabeth George, in her book, Loving God with All Your Mind, states it this way:

I encourage you to take a moment to consider the kind of input which may be influencing your attitudes, expectations, and approach to life. If we're spending five minutes with the Bible and five hours with the television talk shows and soap operas, our values, our standards, and our views on life, marriage, and the world may not be God's. We may instead be thinking the way the world thinks and, consciously or unconsciously, responding the way the people in those programs respond.

Therefore, it is important to choose only the media that reflects the values that you want in your home, and the values that you want to instill in your children. It is important to discuss these values with your husband, to set up guidelines that you both agree to. What are the values that you want? (a good start is with the Fruit of the Spirit: Galatians 5:22-23 and also Philippians 4:8, whatever is true, lovely, pure, honest, just, etc..) What boundaries will you have for what you allow? Psalm 101:3 states: "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes..." There may be some things that your husband would be uncomfortable with that doesn't bother you and vice versa. You need to be able to come to an agreement and the best choices will be those things that are not a stumbling block to anyone in your household.

Children are especially vulnerable when it comes to influence from different media. Young children have difficulty distinguishing what is real and what is imaginary. (For a brief overview of stages of development click here.) Something that may not be frightening to an adult, can create fear in a child. (For example, when my sister was two or three, she gave Mom her Peter Pan book because she was afraid of "Captain Crook.") It is also important to teach your children the guidelines that you have set in place, so that, as he grows, he will be better able to make media decisions on his own based on the reasoning he has been taught. It is vital important to training of children, for them to have a basis in God's word for the decisions they will eventually have to make. Media choices should have a basic foundation in the Word of God.

Don't assume that because something is for children, that it is safe. Satan will attack God's children anyway he can and he isn't above using children's books, stories and videos. Watch what your children are watching, read what your children are reading, listen to what your children are listening, and know what is being put into your children's mind. Children's media could be called a hobby of mine, I love children's book and have quite a collection! There is a popular publisher of girls books that has published books under historical fiction with bad language and topics not suitable to young audiences especially. (Some of their books, I recommend, others I strongly oppose to the point that I wrote a letter to the publisher. Let me know if you want more specifics.) There are so many wonderful options in Christian literature, but it is still necessary to use caution in this realm as well. When it comes to your child's heart, is it possible to be too careful? Proverbs 4:23 "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." (emphasis mine.)

It is important to use wisdom in your media choices. Different media are suitable to different people at different stages of their lives. Something high action films, that would not be suitable for young children, may not be wrong for you and your husband to watch, for one example. Also, sometimes you have to follow your gut feeling. There may be something that you don't feel comfortable with, but you really can't spell out why. This is called female intuition. :) Learn to trust your senses. Also read reviews, especially of films, before you allow them into your home. (Two good online review sources that I often use are Plugged In Online - gives an excellent breakdown of positives and negatives, and ChristianAnswers.net's Spotlight on Entertainment - gives good overviews and reader reviews.) And PRAY for God's guidance in all the choices of your life. James 1:5, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God... and it shall be given him."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As I said in my last Keeper at Home post, if you have got this far, Thank you very much for taking the time to read! These are some of my thoughts on the subject, I can't wait to hear from you. Later today, I will (hopefully) be posting a list of my recommendations below.
Blessings,
Charity

ETA: My list posted here (link)!
Credits:
A Printing Press
PublicDomainPictures.net

Keeper at Home: Part Two

What it the purpose of a Keeper at Home? What is a Keeper? In my mind, I picture a Keeper as one who guards the door to a castle. As the Keeper of your home, you are in charge of keeping peace inside and keeping certain things out. Part of keeping peace inside is keeping an atmosphere of orderliness and cleanliness. But an important part of being a Keeper is guarding the gate and taking care for what is allowed into your castle, she is a protector of her home.

Gina got me thinking this morning with her post over on Clutter Pundit. She is speaking specifically of a comment forum on Ravelry. (Read her post here.) Unfortunately, some of the comments made over there reflect the attitudes of many other people, knitters or not. The attitude is this: "It's all about ME." This is not an attitude unique to today's society, it first started in the Garden of Eden. Many people feel that their "rights" should come first and they should be able to do what they want to do. This attitude is called being selfish and it is in conflict with God's Word.

My purpose in keeping our home is to have a home that is orderly, where people feel welcome, a place to relax, a castle for my husband, and above all to reflect Christ in our home. Often, in order to accomplish this, I have to put some of my desires aside. Maybe I want to sit and knit or read or whatever, but the laundry needs to be done, or the dishes or anything else. But isn't the putting aside of self what living the Christian life is all about? Jesus, Others, You spells JOY, right? :)

Is it always easy? No. And I know I have it easier than most - no kids yet. I work outside the home a couple of days a week, but my main job is keeping our home. For a while, after I finished college, I felt that I needed a reason (kids) to be able to stay at home and not work full time. I admit, today's society had me a little warped, but God has been straightening me out, teaching me about patience, and helping me to learn about keeping a home.

A perfectly clean home isn't always my highest priority. (You're thinking, "She's contradicting herself!" Just hang with me a minute!) Sometimes people have to come first before the clean house. Face it, the house just doesn't STAY clean! It has an annoying habit of getting dirty all over again! So what about the times when you need to have someone over, or someone needs a place to go, or the kids just need some mommy time? Be there. Be open. Be willing. Be giving.

There are also times when the Keeper just needs some TIME. After giving and giving of herself, she needs time to refuel and to relax. Every now and then, it's ok to take some time off. It's ok if the sink is full of dishes or the floor needs a good vacuuming. Go take a break - before you break. It is important to the serenity of your home that you, as the Keeper, are not overly stressed or stretched. So take that break! I give you permission. :) Then you can be ready for a fresh start.

I hope you have enjoyed my thoughts today. If you got this far, thanks for reading! :) I don't consider myself a big authority on this topic, but I hope something I have said is a help to someone. Many blessings!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Images Courtesy of:
Allposters.com
Publicdomainpictures.net

Giver or Taker?

New Post on Time To Bloom!

Order

I found this post today at Home Living on Order in the House. I thought it was very timely. One of my goals for my home is to make it a retreat, a place that is peaceful and relaxing to all who enter. One of the most effective ways of having a peaceful home, to me is to have a home that is orderly. I don't always meet this qualification, but it is something that I want to strive for. Our homes, especially those with children, tend to disorder constantly. It is a big job to keep things in an orderly way... a place for everything. This, to me, goes along with the Company Girls (see button at right.) Here is a great quote from Order in the House:

Homemaking is not just keeping house. It is paying attention to the over-all effect that each corner, each space, each nook and cranny has on you, the homemaker, and those who enter into it. A husband or father may not be able to tell his wife exactly why he likes it there so much, and may not even notice some of the details, but the combined effort will create a whole. This whole will be what everyone feels when they enter the room.

On another note, I have posted some devotional-type material on my other blog. I have geared Time to Bloom for younger ladies (teens/early college age), but I think that hopefully, each of us can benefit from some of the thoughts. Many of the things that I post are things that God has been helping me with or situations that I have been dealing with in my life. I'm no theological guru, but if something has helped me, maybe it will help someone else as well. I just wanted you all to know that you are welcome over there, and welcome to share your thoughts on what I post. :)

Now I'm off to bring a sense of order to this house! Shovel, anyone?? :)

@ Home for the Holidays

Happy December, everyone! I can't believe that it is already the last month of the year! Christmas is quickly on it's way!
With that in mind, I thought I would review a Christmas fiction book. I bought this book at the book sale a few weeks ago. The book is @ Home for the Holidays by Meredith Efken. It is quite different from most fiction books. There are no chapters, it is entirely made up of emails from one character to another and to those in the Stay-At-Home-Mom (or SAHMs) email loop. The format took a little getting used to for me, as well as the fact that it is a sequel and I wasn't familiar with the characters, but I adjusted and really enjoyed the book.
Speaking of characters, Meredith does an excellent job with hers. At first they seem a little far out, but they are actually representative of different personality types and different personality extremes. Probably, a reader will find a little of herself in each character. The polarity of the characters adds to the humor.
And the book is quite humorous! I found it to be very enjoyable. The format is more lighthearted, and is a rather quick read, despite the book's almost 400 pages. However, Meredith does deal with some serious topics, such as marriage problems, adoption, and over commitment.
One of the points that the author is making through this book, is her opinion of the War on Christmas. I'm sure you have heard of different aspects on this topic. Such as, how some stores no longer use the word Christmas in their holiday advertising.

I am too tired tonight to wax eloquent, but I did want to pose a question... What do you think about the War on Christmas? For the perspective of Meredith Efken click here. I had heard more of the opposing view to hers, but what she has to say did make me think. It is important to keep all things in balance. As for me, I want to wish someone a "Merry Christmas" and to put "Merry Christmas" on my Christmas cards, because that is the day that I am celebrating. I will probably be more likely to shop stores that support the celebration of Christ's birth. But is this "war" something to get so bent out of shape about? What do you think?



Faithie says that it is a great book to read before going to bed... just cuddle up in some nice warm jammies and grab a sippy cup of milk! :)

A Keeper at Home

How often have we read Titus chapter two and thought that it only applied to mothers? Yes, I believe it is very important for mother's to be in the home! But I have been thinking and reading some about what culture has done to womanhood in general. Think back fifty or so years... basically before World War II... the line was often said "The woman's place is in the home." Men didn't want their wives to have to work outside the home. Men wanted to be able to provide for their family and they didn't want their wives to have to work. But with the attack on Pearl Harbor, men were needed to fight and women took up the slack in the factories - enter Rosie the Riveter!

Today's society has placed a stigma on these women at home; for the woman put on a pedestal is the "career woman." She works the nine-to-five job in her suit and high heels, perfectly coiffured and manicured, never frazzled or bedraggled. She has a college education, probably in business, but other degrees are acceptable as long as she uses them. Oh, and of course, she is trim and physically fit, probably at the gym at five every morning. She always eats healthy foods, but must have the requisite cappuccino in hand from her favorite coffee shop. She enters her office juggling a briefcase with a laptop, a bagel with low fat cream cheese, the cup of coffee, the morning paper, her cell phone/pda, and her designer purse. She is always composed, never ruffled or emotional. She might be married with children, but if not that is ok, after all she is a career woman.


The woman at home? According to the new feminist view, she might be up at five - fixing breakfast for her domineering machismo husband. Her hair is frazzled and she is pictured in an old robe and bedroom slippers until about three in the afternoon when she dons another frumpy outfit. She has never finished her education, after all who needs an education to know how to be a wife? She doesn't know what is going on in the world around her, and depends on her husband for all her information and decisions.

Ok, enough of the feminist view!!!! What is career woman really like?? I think she probably really wants to stay home. She would love to be the one watching the baby take his first steps, but society dictates that she earn a living to pay for the large house, designer clothing, and fancy car. She would love to read to her toddler, but she has to be at the gym keeping up her image. Because to stay at home is not acceptable!

What about the woman at home? The world wants us to view her as I have pictured above, but what is she really like?
Does staying at home mean that she doesn't have an income? Not necessarily, there are many projects she might undertake and the internet has opened up a myriad of possibilities of sales and design.
Does it mean she is not physically fit? Of course not, who said one has to pay a fancy gym for exercise? what about gardening, cleaning, or just plain walking and meeting the neighbors?
Not only does the woman at home have time to keep her home, but she is available for others. She has time to plan the Sunday school classes, or help the people in need, or just to be a friend.

She has time to BE, not bound by schedules or appointments or the priorities of others.
She can BE THERE for those in her world who need her, her children, husband, family, friends, and those that need someone to care.
She can BE CREATIVE. She can focus on the interior of her home, and making it truly a home - not rely on a designer that she has to pay because she doesn't have the time herself. She can focus on her talents and how she can use them for others whether in crafts, cooking, music, or even electronics/computers.
She can BE FREE. Free to be herself, not bound by the world's ambitions. Free to be who God desires for her to be. Free to be a wife and mother, as God created her to desire to be.
She can BE SATISFIED. Satisfied with what she has. Satisfied without the latest styles or fads. She can be satisfied with her smaller home and modest vehicle. She doesn't have to have every flashy new thing-a-magig on the market. She is satisfied and she is thankful.

In saying this, I don’t think it wrong for a woman to work. I hope nobody misunderstands my intentions. I know some women have to work to make ends meet, even if there are children in the home, or they simply choose to work. Everyone has different circumstances. My point is that God’s design is for women to mainly be at home. Of course our obvious example is the woman described in Proverbs 31, and a woman’s role is also described as I said above in Titus 2. The antithesis of the Proverbs 31 woman is described in Proverbs 7, in verse 11 she “abide(s) not in her house.”

I have also come across a variety of other information on that topic from various sources. In this book, published in 1986, Dr. Dobson comments on the new view of womanhood,

Thus in the period of a single decade, the term housewife has become a pathetic symbol of exploitation, oppression and – pardon the insult – stupidity, at least as viewed from the perspective of radical feminists. We can make no greater mistake as a nation than to continue this pervasive disrespect shown to women who have devoted their lives to the welfare of their families. (page 41)

An article from BBC news wonders “What became of the Housewife?”
And in this article from Forbes, men are urged “Don’t Marry a Career Woman.”
(These articles don’t necessarily represent the opinions of this author in entirety; they are just some interesting culture opinions.)

If you have gotten this far, thanks for reading all of this!! :) I know it is probably by far my longest post. However, these thoughts have been rambling around in my head for a few weeks, and I needed to get them out and organized.

Pictures courtesy of:
www.montgomerycountymd.gov
http://honors.umd.edu
www.allposters.com