RL - Not a Fan

 

 

Oh. my. word.  This book is a must-read for every Christian.  It totally challenged the authenticity of my faith, in the best possible way.  It nailed on the head the way I approached belief for my lost decade in my 20s (not lost with partying or college or that stuff, mind you - just lost in terms of struggling with the overwhelming work of the home and my little children).  I was a total fan of Jesus.  I thought He was great.  I knew the right words to say.  But I was completely unwilling to live for Him in any way that required true sacrifice.  This book articulates what I've occasionally mentioned on my blog - that so many people self-label as Christians in the US, but that that just doesn't jive with what the Lord says about the gate being narrow.  Many people have a codecil to their Christianity, just like they do to their marriages.  Most everyone stands up and vows, in front of witnesses, to stay together "till death do us part".  But still over half of marriages fail.  People say it while holding their fingers crossed behind their backs.  That may be, in some cases, blatant - they never really had any intention of honoring their vows.  They were just empty words.  But I think, for most, it's not an overt act, but an unwillingness to sacrifice, down the road, when push comes to shove.  That's what differentiates a Jesus fan from a Christ follower.  In the moment, when they profess belief, they think they're all in.  But when the going gets tough or boring, or clashes with their wordly desires, they pull back and say "hold on, God, that's too much".  You cannot only have God on your terms.  It's all in, or don't bother.  Sorry for giving away the jist of the book, but I'm THAT enthusiastic about it.  Kyle Idleman is much more eloquent than I, though, so most definitely put this on your TO-BUY list, and then pass the book along to a Christian friend who needs it.

6. Not a Fan - Kyle Idleman (yes, yes, and did I say YES!)
 

5. Body Surfing - Anita Shreve (I give this a lukewarm endorsement - just because I like the way she wrotes, moreso than the content - some of her other books are better)

4. The Magician's Assistant - Ann Patchett (I loved Bel Canto by the same author and try to make it a point to read her books, if I come across one, although this one was just okay, in my opinion)

3. Twelve Extraordinary Women - John MacArthur (I also try to pick up the doorbuster books at my local Christian store whenever the budget allows and this was one of them)

2. The Merchant's Daughter - Melanie Dickerson (I won this signed copy by having my name drawn as a result of our Million Page church reading challenge)

1. Gideon's Call ~ Peter Leavell (this is the one by the author at our church - I've had it for months, but it took me a while to get to it)

Modest Monday & Spring Cleaning

I just had to share this outfit, not because of the outfit itself, but because of what I was able to DO in the outfit.  This was my Saturday spring-cleaning outfit (I wore a full apron over it while I cleaned).  I cleaned out our entire entry way and music room; washing walls, windows, dusting the plant shelves and ceiling fan, and washing the window treatments.  Maybe not such a big deal, but you have to realize that our ceilings in some places are over 20 feet tall!  So, I had to get out James' large extension ladder and I was up and down all Saturday long, in my skirt.  If you can do that, you can do just about anything in a skirt!

 

White Cable Cardigan:  Liz Claiborne (free hand-me-down from Mom)
Blue Polka Dot Tank: Lane Bryant ($10 or so, three or four years ago)
Black Embroidered Calla Lily Skirt: Coldwater Creek (free hand-me-down from Mom)
Black Flats with Buckles: Steve Madden (about $50, but they are at least eight years old - I prefer to buy expensive shoes and keep them for a decade+)

 

This floral broach was just the right touch, and the best part is it's an antique that belonged to my Great-Grandma

My hair is finally getting long enough to put all the way up again, which is the way I like it.  It has a brown plain clip in it, half-pony style, pushed forward to "bump" it up and held with two bobby pins, then the bottom half is twisted up and held with a LillaRose clip with additional decorative bobby pins to hold the short "tails" closer to my head so that they cover my half-pony clip (when my hair has another four or five inches, I won't need to do this, but for not it's a bit short)

The rest of my pictures are all of my spring cleaning handiwork from this weekend - see how tall everything is, especially that corner by the front door.  I'm not afraid of heights, but even I didn't really care for that!

 

Homemaker Worship

 

As I've become more of a follower of Jesus, and less of a fan, I've started actively seeking out Godly instruction and entertainment.  I love to read blogs, and I've tried to find some blogs that promote Christian virtue.  It's been a very enjoyable venture, but I've noticed a tendency amongst the Fundamentalist Christian woman set to turn the art of homemaking into an idol.  In the attempt to be countercultural (and that is difficult, I know!) I've seen women going way overboard - imputing an almost divine quality to the role of homemaker and mother that is, in my view, not biblical.  I think a society is stronger for embracing and valuing homemakers, housewives, and stay-at-home mothers.  And, as someone who is not conventionally employed, I understand well how it feels to be treated like a second-class citizen.  But we must be careful not to let our discontent with society push us towards forgetting that our role as women should not and cannot be our defining calling.  Our defining calling is Christ-follower.  Now, within that calling, God has clearly delineated "standard" roles for men and women.  Titus 2:4-5 has Paul giving these instructions for older women, who are to be mentoring young Christian women:

                ⁴ Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands
                    and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home,
                     to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will
malign the word of God.

 

That's good stuff, right?  But the homemaker-worship crowd has added a requirement that simply does not exist in Scripture - that that must and can ONLY be done be being in the home all of the time.  Being a stay-at-home wife/mother is the easiest way to accomplish that, I would agree, and I think that lots of women would benefit, spiritually and emotionally, from staying home.  But it's not a biblical command.  President Harry Truman famously had on his desk a little sign that said "The buck stops here!".  When I hear the Titus verse, that's what I think of: not necessarily that women should be confined to the home in all circumstances, but that women are ultimately responsible before God for the state of their household (no matter how that household is ordered).  As I said, I think in general this is easiest accomplished if the women is physically present at home, more than not.  I know that God convicted me, early on in my days as a mother, that I would not be able to handle being a proper, Godly homemaker and mother without being physically in my home for the majority of the time.  But that conviction was personal.  It is not a command, and I can see my sisters in Christ who do hold jobs outside the home (for various reasons) being hurt and excluded when we try to make stay-at-home-ness a universal truth, rather than simply the easiest way to a godly life for most women.  I'm also seeing this homemaker idolatry absolutely paralyzing younger, unmarried women.  They feel that God can have no other calling for them outside of being a homemaker that they sit on their hands in their parents' home, waiting for their prince (and the expectations that they have for their prince are often unhealthy and set up their future husband, a flawed human being, for failure) to come, perhaps missing the call of the only Prince.  How do you know if you might be in danger of putting too much importance upon your ROLE as a homemaker, rather than who you are as a Christ-follower?  Read the biblical account of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42).  Do you sympathize with Martha?  Do you completely understand her frustration with Mary?  Do you secretly think Jesus was perhaps being a bit harsh with her?  Be vigilant, my sisters in Christ, and remember Jesus' words to Martha in verse 42: but few things are needed, or indeed only one.

 

 

Household Management Binder

I've been MIA lately because I've been hard at work at something no housewife (and especially mother) should be without - a homemaking binder.  I'm generally an organized person.  But I don't like lists.  At all.  And that was okay for our smallish family in our smallish house.  Flying by the seat of my pants was occasionally stressful, but mostly not a big deal.  But I've finally realized that it wasn't working anymore, with our largeish family in our biggish house.  I've been stressed out for the last three years.  I'm not a neat freak.  On any given day you will probably find dust on my plant shelves and smudges on some of my windows.  That doesn't bother me much.  But I do like for things to be tidy and put-away.  And managing our schedule and the mountains of paperwork that stream into our home daily.  I get a headache just thinking about it!  So, household management binder to save the day.  I wasn't sure exactly what to include in it, and I imagine it will be a work in progress, but better to dive in and get started right away, then to try and make it look like a fancy Pinterest project.  I purchased the largest, most heavy-duty binder I could find, and colorful dividers (I like a bit of color), as well as clear sheet protectors to slide things into.  I've (so far) organized my binders into sections.

You can see the different tabs along the top.  Notice the first section is God (which is as it should be).  So far, I've included papers from the Women's Ministry, nursery and special music schedule, and prayer partner card.

Next comes Weekly Schedule.  I needed a place with lots of room to put the small details of the day into.  I found the format on the internet, and it was a free downloadable, so I printed it off - one weekly calendar on both the front and back of the paper and keep four weeks at a time on there.  I add to that calendar all the time. 

After weekly schedule, comes Monthly Schedule.  This is for the "big things" that you need to know in advance.  School breaks, recitals, vacations, birthdays, etc.  I have the monthly calendar, in seperate sheets, all the way through January 2014.

Next is my Cleaning Schedule.  I broke it down by repetitive daily chores, and then I also have a monthly schedule.  You could assign each once-a-month task to a specific day, but I need more flexibility than that, so I just highlight the tasks as they are finished so I know which ones I still need to tackle (so I print out a new cleaning schedule sheet each month).  I'm planning to work on a spring cleaning and fall cleaning worksheet as well.

I have tabs for my menu planning, shopping lists, and home maintenance/decor ideas.  Those I haven't tackled yet, but I'll be sure and update what I've put in them when I do.  Last is my kids' activities folder.  Here I store their various schedules, permission sheets, team rosters, etc.  I also keep all my stuff for the local figure club in there, since I'm the secretary. 

So, what about you?  Do you have a homemaking binder?  What is in yours?  How helpful do you find it be? 

Modest Monday - Short Skirt

 

I know for most people, this isn't a short skirt, but it is for me! I think that it's still tasteful and modest though. I love the sheen and pattern, as well as the full cut (it has kind of a vintage look to it). I usually wear all black with it, but I decided to be a little bold and experiment with color - hence the hot pink tank underneath the black cardigan. Also, it was a little warmer this Sunday, so I got to ditch my leggings and boots for a nice pair of heels. I love these heels - so very feminine (and they give me a few extra inches, which I can always use). We wrapped up our Missions Month at church on Sunday, and it was a blessing (although sometimes it's a bit hard to be "stuck behind" in suburbia - I'd love to be involved in mission work, but James hasn't felt that calling).  I'm looking forward to getting back into the Bible again, though!

Head Covering: Black Cecily's Lace by Garlands of Grace (@$15)

Fuschia Pink Tank with Lace Trim: Coldwater Creek (hand-me-down from Mom)

Black Cardigan: Relativity (hand-me-down from Mom)

Gold and Black Brocade Print skirt: Lane Bryant via ebay (about $14)

  Black Patent Leather T-Strap heels with rounded toe and bow on the ankle: Gianni Bini from Dillards (about $80, but that was 5 years ago)

Speaking about modesty, another blogger is running a Modesty-themed event, so I thought that'd be a fun link-in here.  I love reading about modesty and especially seeing pictures (obviously LOL).

Modest Monday

Yesterday was a bit crazy getting out of the house in time for church.  The plan was to leave 15 minutes earlier than we usually try to leave by (because I had to rehearse a special music piece).  Well, we didn't get out the door at 8:30, but we did get out by 8:45 (this is our normal "aim-for" time, but more often than not we're rolling out of the driveway not a minute before 9).  And I was there with plenty of time to spare, so it was all good.  Pictures got short shrift though, so you get a picture that includes some "extra girls" - my two little ones, Cecily and Elinor.  I first of all have to rave about this skirt.  I love it.  I put it on and instantly feel "fancy".  The top is unusual for me - I don't often wear short sleeves without a cardigan but I don't really care to have things flying around while I'm playing the violin and I needed to wear something green so that I could wear my mom's emerald ring in honor her (yesterday was her birthday - the first without her, but that's a whole other blogpost). 

Head Covering: Mocha Stretch Lace by Garlands of Grace ($18)

Green and Tan Floral Knit Top with pretty cowl neckline: Velvet via a Resale Shop ($.25)

Khaki Twill Skirt with Ruching: Deborah and Co (@$45 on sale)

Slip:  Vintage Cotton Slip from eBay (@$15)

Shoes: 10+ years old brown Mary Jane style pumps with medium heel (no idea any more)

 

RL: Body Surfing

 

Well, that was a quick add - yesterday I finished another book, Body Surfing by Anita Shreve (Mom hand-me-down). I've got several Anita Shreve books, and while I don't find her women characters particularily compelling, I love her painterly writing style. All of the books I've read by her are set in the Northeast and I have an unexplainable fondness for the area. Unexplainable because I've never been there! Isn't that strange? It's just always entranced me. When I was a teenager, I imagined attending an Ivy League university and then settling down in the upper Northeast. I loved the thought of old buildings steeped in history, lushly landscaped academia, four seasons to experience, the closeness of the grey ocean (am I the only person in the world who would rather be at a grey, chilly beach than a warm, tropical beach?) It sounded so romantic! I still have a soft spot for it, and Shreve's books do tend to transport me there.

Since it's Saturday night, the kids are playing Barbies, James is working, and I'm feeling a little punchy - here goes. As a teenager I had both of the Sinatra Duets CDs. I LOVED them. Now, I had to be careful I didn't tell my peers how much I loved them right off the bat, because what 17 year old in the mid 90s listened to Frank Sinatra? Suffice it to say, I was an, uh, unique teenager. This was one of my favorites and I can sing it word for word (although I sound like neither Frank nor Linda). Someday, Vermont, I will visit, I promise. ;-)

5. Body Surfing - Anita Shreve (I give this a lukewarm endorsement - just because I like the way she wrotes, moreso than the content - some of her other books are better)

4. The Magician's Assistant - Ann Patchett (I loved Bel Canto by the same author and try to make it a point to read her books, if I come across one, although this one was just okay, in my opinion)

3. Twelve Extraordinary Women - John MacArthur (I also try to pick up the doorbuster books at my local Christian store whenever the budget allows and this was one of them)

2. The Merchant's Daughter - Melanie Dickerson (I won this signed copy by having my name drawn as a result of our Million Page church reading challenge)

1. Gideon's Call ~ Peter Leavell (this is the one by the author at our church - I've had it for months, but it took me a while to get to it)