Homesteading: A Woman's Journey

My newest writings

11:23, Wednesday, September 24, 2008 .. Posted in Study Parlor .. 0 comments .. Link

Recently, I began to submit informational & tutorial articles to Associated Content. So far a couple are publish with 3 more to be published any day. If you are interested in reading them you can find my page at http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/307970/prairie_mom.html . These are different from my bogs as they are not the "chit chat" type of writings. These are meant more for the purpose of teaching or sharing ideas for how we are doing things here at the homestead. I will be writing mant more articles as inspiration dictates. My focus is in helping others to learn how to live a more simple lifestyle that is conservation minded as well as saving money.

Breakfast with the Lord

11:42, Thursday, July 31, 2008 .. Posted in Study Parlor .. 2 comments .. Link

This week, I have been having breakfast with the Lord. Each morning, after my Beloved has gone to work, I have about an hour or so of quiet time before the kids start waking up. I get a cup of coffee, a muffin, and the Bible and have a quiet leisurely breakfast with the Lord.

While I am feeding my body with that muffin, I am also feasting on the Word and nurturing my spirit. Those precious times of prayer and spending time with my Lord are some of the most blessed moments of my days.

I notice a difference in how my days go when I do this. I am calmer and the little things that bother me normally are not so much of a problem. It is as though by starting the day with prayer and the Scriptures, I am more conscience of the Lord and His Spirit guiding me. The little irritants of life are viewed more in their proper perspective and not as "important" as I, in my human-ness, can sometimes make them out to be.

I am so grateful that the Lord is so patient with me. His gentle guidance shows me where I need to be working in my life. As I follow the path the Lord has for me and let go of human desire to be "in control", I am finding that life goes along much smoother than if I keep trying to do things the way I want to.

What a blessing the mornings are becoming. Some days are more of a challenge to read than others. The Lord provided once again though when I was having difficulty reading the Bible even while wearing my glasses. I came across a small magnifying card (looks the size of an ID and is made of plastic) that I am using now on the days when my eyes are not as cooperative. I didn't know that we had one until I came across it while cleaning. What a tremendous blessing it is to have it. Such a little thing, but what a difference it makes.

Submission in Marriage

08:38, Thursday, August 31, 2006 .. Posted in Study Parlor .. 1 comments .. Link

My beloved, Joe, is a member of a yahoo group that has lots of debates on the topics of relationships. He loves to debate, which is sometimes fun to watch him do, but not something that I would enjoy doing myself. Today, he sent me a copy of a message he posted to the group in regards to marriage and the issue of submission. Before he wrote his response to a group member, he and I talked about it on the phone. It seems that there are many who believe that submission of a wife to her husband is a way a man abuses his wife through controlling her. Something that those who truly understand the topic of submission know is very far from the truth.

In our studies, Joe and I have found the command of submission to be a great blessing to a marriage. In Ephesians 5:22, it says: "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands as unto the Lord." Most Christian couples understand that this does not mean that the wife is to be a meek little doormat always jumping to her husband's every command. Unfortunately, however, we also know that there are those who use this directive as a license to bully and abuse their wife in the misuse of their authority in the home.

Early in our relationship, when we reached the point where I knew Joe's heart and that he would be faithful in his authority, I began to follow the directive of submission. At first, alittle to test the waters. Because of my past, it was a great leap of faith for me. One that Joe understood and, I think, he took very seriously. As time went on, I began submitting more and more. What a blessing. I found that by following the directive to submit to my husband, I was being freed to become the kind of wife that I wanted to be.

What a joyous blessing. By allowing myself to submit to my beloved's authority, I am able to see him become the husband and father that the Lord wants him to become. There is great wisdom in following the Lord's guidelines for marriage. Men, by nature, are much more decisive. They do not allow emotion to drive their decision making process. Women, on the other hand, are emotion driven. The man and woman together form a perfect balance if they work together. Each is able to influence the other. If a mother is facing a situation and is emotional, the father is able to step in and offer another perspective that is made without all the emotional mess. Not that they don't have emotions. Men just have a better control over them. Likewise, if a father is making a decision and is being too direct, the mother can gently intercede and maybe bring to the father a different perspective. I have never envied men their position of head of the household. They have a great burden on their shoulders. If there is an immediate decision to be made and the couple do not agree, the man must make the decision that is best for the family. His word is the final authority. What a horrible responsibility to carry. To know that the decisions that they make will have a direct impact on the family. In a good Christian marriage though, the times when the man makes the decision alone would be few. I have told Joe and others this analogy: "The man may be the head of the home, but the woman is the neck who can turn the head." Women have the ability to influence the decisions of their husbands....thus turning the head.

The way that Joe words it, when it comes to things within the house, I am in charge. He trusts my judgement as to the needs within the home. He never questions me when I tell him that I have to use a specific amount to stock the pantry, or I need something for Abigail or the home. He also trusts my judgement in regards to the setting up of our homestead. Though we both grew up in rural areas, he knows that I have more experience with farm animals. So, when it comes to the choosing of animals, size of our garden, care of the homestead, he lets me take the lead. He has lots of suggestions and we implement them also. We have equal say in it. Only difference is that he does differ to me if the idea needs alittle "tweaking" to make it something that would work.

When it comes to decisions that are about everything else, he is the final authority. He has authority over the homestead decisions, also, but by his own choice he lets me take the lead in it. I differ to him in all the decisions which are his authority to make. One thing that I have found is that it takes alot of pressure off of each of us. We both have our areas of expertise and we recognise that in each other.

I am so grateful to have a husband who uses his authority in a faithful manner. I trust in him completely that he will never use the authority in an abusive manner. I have seen the way he treats situations that we have faced and know that any decision he makes will be for the family's best interest. He makes his decisions after much thought, discussion between us as a couple and also prayer. Just as I do with the decisions that I make.

I pray each day that when Abigail grows up, she will be blessed as I have been, to find a good faithful Christian man who will treat her with the gentle loving respect and care that my beloved shows me. As a mother, you always want the very best for your child. I know in my heart that the best for my daughter would be a man just like her father.......my beloved, Joe.

Inspiration Notebook

12:38, Friday, August 25, 2006 .. Posted in Study Parlor .. 2 comments .. Link

After writing about my Household Notebook, I wanted to also write about my Inspiration Notebook. This is a notebook that I am keeping about my Bible studies, prayers, inspirational stories, etc. Here is a brief description of what I have in my notebook:

Bible Study: Each day, I am recording the passages read. I also write any study notes about the subject or passage. Questions that I may have, new things learned. Cross- reference information.

Inspirational Poems & Stories: Here I journal about stories I have read. I also may include printed out articles such as the ones I find on the Ladies Against Feminism website. Little reviews or notes about a book I have read.

Reading List: A list of the books that I want to read. I am able to check them off as I go along.

Prayers: This is where I keep my prayer list. I also journal about things I have prayed about and received answers to.

Inspirational Webpages: A listing of websites that have stories or articles that are inspiring. I journal about the things learned from those webpages and also do mini reviews of them.

There is alot more that a person could add to this notebook to customize it to your needs. Hopefully, this will give you a starting point to work from.

A Change of Style

10:34, Friday, July 14, 2006 .. Posted in Study Parlor .. 2 comments .. Link

Sometimes it amazes me the changes that one goes through as they study God's Word and draw closer to Him. I keep thinking back on a scripture that I found in my reading. Deuteronomy 22:5 states that "a woman should not wear that which pertains to a man and a man should not wear that which pertains to a woman." I have always felt more comfortable wearing long skirts or jumpers. My usual preference being no shorter than a mid-calf length. Prior to going to truck driving school, I only wore jeans on a rare occassion. Climbing in and out of a semi however, is both difficult and unsafe in a skirt. There is always the risk of tripping on the hem and falling. Being a SAHM now, I am able to start wearing the skirts again. Finding the scripture in Deuteronomy just strengthened my desire to dress in a more feminine way. I also read in 1 Corinthians 11 the Apostle Paul's words about a woman wearing a head covering. While there is much debate among believers as to whether or not the woman's hair is her covering, I have found numerous references to the fact that in the original Greek translation, there were 2 different words used for the word "covering". One means hair, the other means veil. There is alot of debate as to whether the directive given by the Apostle Paul was simply speaking of a cultural practice of that time or if it was something actually required of Christian women. I read what our church, the Worldwide Church of God, had to say about the topic and while they do not feel a need to require it, they wouldn't disapprove if a woman chose to cover. I, personally, have felt the need to cover. Not because I feel it is commanded of women by the Apostle Paul, I don't have enough information yet to no if that is the case. I choose to cover for a variety of reasons. Wearing a head covering is not something new to our generation. Though it is not as common as it once was, there are still women in the Catholic and Jewish faiths, for instance, who still observe this directive. The Apostle Paul said that a woman should wear a head covering when in prayer or prophesying. Since we are also told to "Pray without ceasing" (see 1 Thessalonians 5:17), it says to me that a woman should wear a head covering during her waking hours. Some women also choose to wear a different cover at night. I do not follow this practice. My covering is a simple triangular scarf. I have 2 of them. One is large enough that it covers my neck also. I sometimes wear it when I am working outside to protect my neck from sunburn. I also wear it when my hair is drying after being washed. I have another that is smaller that I wear at other times. I am making a small scarf that more closely matches my hair color to wear when I am away from home. Though I enjoy wearing the scarves, I don't like drawing attention to them.
There are other reasons also why I am beginning to cover my hair. One being that it is an outward expression of my respect and love for rmy beloved husband. 1st Corinthians 11:3 describes the line of authority in the home. Christ is the head of the man and the man is the head of the woman. Not a popular opinion in today's feminist society. I have always felt that it is God's desire for the man to be the head of the household. The wife, as his helpmeet, has equal say as to what goes on in the home, but the responsibility for the decisions of the family rests on the husband's shoulders. I remember my Grandma once saying that the man is the head of the house, but the woman is the neck that can turn the head. She recognised in that statement that the man has leadership over the house, but the woman has the ability to influence her husband. Wearing a headcovering is an outward way to show respect for Joe's authority over the family.
I must admit that at first, Joe was reluctant to my covering. He knows that there are alot of people in the world who think women who cover are abused or too submissive to oppressive husbands. While serving in the Navy during the Desert Storm campaign, Joe saw the negative way women were treated. He is completely against such behavior towards a woman. Joe believes firmly in the directive given in Ephesians 5:25 which states, "husbands love your wives even as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it". Joe treats me with tenderness, love and respect. He treats me with the gentleness that you would show something that you value highly. I chose to cover as one way I have to show my love and respect for him.
Covering also has several practical advantages. One being that it protects my neck from the heat of the sun. It keeps me cooler in the summer sun's heat. It also keeps my long hair out of my way when I am working or in the car with the windows down (we don't have A/C in the car). I feel very feminine wearing it. The slight weight of the cover gets my attention throughout the day and reminds me to keep a prayer in my heart and brings thoughts of the Lord to the forefront of my mind.
I have noticed that when I am wearing the long skirts and scarf, in addition to feeling very feminine, there is a softening in the way I express myself. A deep sense of peace and contentment within myself that expresses itself through the way I carry myself, speak and act towards others.
I fully understand that there will always be women who don't agree with my way of thinking on this issue, but that is their right. Each of us are free to choose how we want to live our lives. This way is simply the way that I feel is right for me.

May God bless you and your families.

Homesteading: A Woman's Journey

My newest writings

Breakfast with the Lord

Submission in Marriage

Inspiration Notebook

A Change of Style

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