Giving Honor to Whom Honor is Due and Teaching Your Children To Do So...

Have you ever struggled with giving the proper respect to someone whose role warrants it, but whose personal conduct doesn't -- at least in your opinion? Maybe, you had a hard time honoring a teacher who was boring or harsh or hypocritical. Perhaps, you've been tempted to disobey a parent, because you thought that you - in all of your young years -- had more wisdom about a certain matter. Or, maybe, the mention of a particular political leader's name gets your blood boiling, because you think he's damaging your city, your state, or your country. Or, you are certain that dear hubby is way off base in a particular way he's leading your family.

I think we've all had a moment or two when we've struggled with something this. In some cases, we deal with this because of our own prideful bent toward rebellion and wanting to be in control ourselves. In some cases, the person in question really is failing in their character or their duty. In some cases, both are true: the person in question is falling short and we are, too.

On the other hand, have you ever been in a position of leadership, only to find yourself the object of unjust criticism? Have you ever had people pick at your motives, your ability, and your judgment? Or, have you ever been in charge of pulling a group to work together in unity, when each person in the group has her own very strong opinions? If so, you have experienced the flip side of this leadership dilemma. You've probably longed for people to give you a little grace and to be grateful for the hard work you are doing, even if you aren't living up to everyone's expectations.

I have been thinking about this because of some blog comments I read recently. A particular author's work was under discussion. It was noted that this author often portrayed parents who were absent, indifferent, or otherwise flawed. Yet, the children in these books -- many of whom had their own set of weaknesses -- showed honor to their parents. They did so not necessarily because the parents deserved it in their own right, but because it was the honorable thing to do.

This also comes to mind because we are in an election year in the U.S.. In the past few years, we've seen people bash our country and our sitting president while abroad, and we've seen candidates bash each other. I'm grateful that in most cases the debate has been civil. Still, we've all seen how ugly politics can get.

Giving honor to whom honor is due out of respect for the person's role is somewhat foreign to our modern way of thinking. I remember a time when we had to help one of our children follow through with a teacher's assignments, even though the child could not see the point in doing them. To be honest, I don't remember whether or not the assignments themselves were all that helpful. However, our child needed to learn the valuable lesson that there is good discipline in following through with assignments. After all, we may not always understand why bosses, teachers, and other leaders ask us to do something. Yet, we shine when we obey with a cheerful and respectful attitude.

Now, I'm not saying that we should blindly follow someone just because that person has a certain position. Nor, am I saying that that we should agree to do something we believe is wrong. We need to have courage of conviction and teach our children to have the same when it comes to being asked to do something sinful or dishonest. After all, Paul said, "We must obey God rather than men."

If someone is abusing their position or is floundering because they are ill-equipped to fulfill their role, we may deem it necessary to do what we can to make the situation better. For example, we once removed our children from a school once because we felt that the atmosphere was harming our children. Other ways we might work with a difficult leader are to respectfully tell the truth about what we see, vote when applicable, pray for someone, talk things out, etc. Or, we may find that it's best to wait patiently. Discerning whether to act or wait takes prayer.

The key is our attitude. Attitudes that hamper us all are being judgmental, quick to criticize, stubborn, fearful, and uncooperative. Attitudes that benefit us all are respect, speaking truthfully yet wisely and kindly, cooperation, gratitude, and faith that God is ultimately at work for good. Our lives and the lives of our children are blessed when we give proper honor to parents and leaders.

Enjoy!
Elizabeth

Feminine Friday on Saturday!

Feminine bliss is finding the perfect shoe! I was searching for something to wear with this dress:


And, I found these shoes by Mudd:


I was really looking for something strappier and dressier, but I couldn't resist the bit of lace overlay on this pump, which goes with the lace overlay on the dress. Plus, I can wear these with many other items, both casual and dressy.

What do y'all think?

Enjoy!
Elizabeth

Food Timeline --Prepare a meal from your favorite decade in American, Australian, or UK history.

While I was looking for the recipe I mentioned in the previous post -- which I still haven't found -- I ran across this interesting site. It lists various decades in US history, going all the way back to the 1900-1910. You can click on a decade to find lists of dishes, menus, etc. The idea is that you can use this as a means of planning a party or a dinner themed around a decade and actually prepare menus that people really did eat in that decade.

It's a little freaky seeing foods from my childhood listed as being of historical or nostalgic interest. (Does anyone remember how popular Waldorf salad used to be? How about Watergate salad?)

This list ends with the 1980's. Presumably, the 90's and the 2,000's are still too new to make the list.

If you are more interested in foods popular in the UK or Australia, there's a timeline for you, too. Sometime, when I have the time, I am going to compare the 70's in all three lands.

Enjoy!
elizabeth

Calling all cooks...

My mother used to make an easy, delicious dessert with angel food cake. She pulled the cake into very small pieces. Then, she cooked a sauce on the stove to pour over the cake. If I remember correctly, the ingredients were orange juice, ginger ale and marshmallows. She layered a 9 by 13 inch pan with the angel food cake, the pieces, and coconut and let it sit overnight until it formed a moist, cake like texture. She added maraschino cherries on top.

I have not made it in a long time, and I cannot find the recipe anywhere. Has anyone ever made this? I'm not sure if I'm remembering the ingredients correctly or, if I am, what quantities to use. I'd like to make it for a weekend gathering. If anyone has a similar recipe, I'd love to know.

Enjoy!
]Elizabeth

Check it out!

Have y'all seen this free tutorial to make an apron?

It's been around a while but I've just now found it. Actually, I came across it on Tip Nut's site. She has an old post linking to 54 free apron patterns!

The woman who offers this hand-embroidered "Suzy Homemaker" on it, but you could embellish it however you want.

Of course, I love it because it's an apron and, more importantly, it's PINK.

On another note, I'm drying 2 dozen white roses that I got to take home from a family member's wedding shower. Bliss is two dozen white (or PINK) roses.


Enjoy!
elizabeth

I haven't been in the blog-o-sphere very much this week, so I didn't realize that this week's challenge was to show a picture of feminine pants. So, I haven't taken a picture to illustrate this.

At any rate, I was the little girl who always wanted to be in a dress, even when I was climbing trees. Would you believe that I had a dream about a dress when I was about six or seven? I described what it looked like to my mother, and she made it for me.

We had to wear skirts and dresses when I was in the early years of high school, which suited me fine. Then, the dress code changed, and it was amazing how quickly pants became more common than dresses. Despite that, many girls wore dresses to class at least once or twice a week.

Of course, being a child of my era, I loved a good pair of jeans. Still, in college, I kept trying to dress up from time to time, and people would ask me, "Who died?" That was their joking way of saying that I was too dressed up -- as if I were going to a funeral -- instead of to class. To this day, I maintain that the right dress is never out of place.

Today, I still love wearing skirts and dresses. However, for some reason, I end up wearing pants more often than I'd really like to. I'm not sure why I often reach for pants, as I have many skirts that are suitable for every day wear. Sometimes, I will wear pants early in the day, when I'm doing heavier work or exercising. Then, I will shower and change into a dress. For all but the hardest or sportiest tasks, I actually find a casual skirt and blouse to be very comfortable.

I do think you can wear pants in a feminine way. I think it has a lot to do with how they're cut, what top you wear, what shoes you wear, and how you present yourself all around. I don't know that I have any one particular pair of pants, though, that exemplifies this more than any other. I suppose I feel most feminine in capris, though I don't have a logical reason for that. Maybe, they represent light-hearted summer with fun sandals and pretty toenail polish.

Some of the others participating in the challenge have posted lovely examples of pants. I especially like Georgia's jeans with the floral insert. They remind me of the jeans we used to wear when I was much younger.

As far as sleeping pants go, DH presented me with a pajama gram for Valentine's Day, and I love the silky and feminine PJ's. I do have some long things I wear in extremely cold weather or when I am ill. They're cute and soft, but not exactly the most glamorous attire a wife could slip into. I make sure to also have and wear more alluring things for the nighttime.

I also have some exercise pants that should never, ever, ever leave the house and probably shouldn't even be worn in the presence of patient DH. After all, I'm not too keen on him lounging in some of his Saturday work clothes. But, we give each other some grace on that point.

I think many other cultures have created some lovely feminine pants. I especially like flowing pants underneath a tunic, and it seems that women from many countries have some variation of that look as part of their attire.

I know many very feminine women who wear pants most of the time. I have a good friend who dons slacks for almost every occasion, including some dressy events. She takes excellent care of her appearance, and she has a great sense of what colors and styles work for her. She also has a loving and gentle spirit, which gives her a feminine quality. Her tops and pants are modestly cut, yet they are also always very stylish. There are times when I throw on a skirt and dress and dash out the door, yet she never appears looking less than her best. I don't mean to say that she spends an inordinate amount of time on her looks, but she has worked out her beauty routine and coordinated closet so that she can present a feminine, well-groomed appearance in a hurry. Again, a lot of feminine loveliness goes back to the care you take with your overall presentation, so she is a great example to me of femininity no matter what she is wearing.

Having said that, I'm very happy to see so many younger women wearing more skirts and dresses now. I think the stores are offering some very cute options in dresses these days. Some are not as modest as I'd like to see, but they can usually be made modest with the help of a little creativity.

Happy Feminine Friday!
Elizabeth

Who knew? National Thrift Week

Today, I came across this quote by a man named Harvey Blodgett:

Thrift and prosperity have gone hand in hand since Abraham's flocks grew and multiplied. Thrift is not, as many suppose, a self repression. It is self expression, the demonstration of a will and ability to raise one's self to higher plane of living. No depression was ever caused by people having too much money in reserve. No human being ever became a social drifter through the practice of sensible thrift.

—Harvey A. Blodgett

I wanted to find out who Harvey Blodgett was and to learn more about his thoughts on thrift. When I "Googled" his name, I found that he wrote a book in the 1920's called, "Double Your Savings; It can be Done". It's available online, and I may read it -- though I think he may be talking more to bankers than to individuals.

Anyhow, in doing more research, I found quotes from him in a book called, Quotations for Every Occasion by Maude Van Buren. I was surprised that the author dedicated a whole chapter of quotations for something called, "National Thrift Week". This led me to find out that there was a movement in the nineteen-teens to twenties called the "National Thrift Movement", and they influenced the country to celebrate "National Thrift Week", which was somehow tied to the birth of Ben Franklin.

Here's what a link to a 1922 article in the New York Times about Thrift Week. You'll have to scroll a little bit down the page to find the article. Anyhow, each day of that week was dedicated to some aspect of thrift. For example, January 21 of that year was Pay your Bills Promptly Day and January 24 was Share with Others Day. Fascinating!

It's interesting that the Thrift Movement -- whatever it entailed -- did not stop the feverish stock speculation that led to the 1929 crash of the stock market and the nation's banks, as well as to the Great Depression. Of course, many hard-working, thrifty citizens were hard-hit by the economy's collapse through no fault of their own. Plus, the dust bowl in the Mid West affected many hard-working farmers. However, there were also people who were playing with easy money and living an excessive lifestyle. I wonder what the members of the National Thrift Movement thought of that, and I wonder if they saw the crash coming.

If you can shed some light on Harvey Blodgett, National Thrift Week, or the National Thrift Movement, I'd love to hear from you.

Enjoy!
Elizabeth

Music for productivity in your home:

On a table of books offered for $.99 a piece, I found a book called "Tips for Your Home Office" by Meredith Gould. The book was written back in the 1990's, which probably accounted for it being in the bargain section of the half-price book store. Even so, I think it has some great tips for organizing your home office and your time. The principles can also be applied to other aspects of homemaking.

Here's an interesting thought from the book:

She says that certain combinations of sound and rhythm in music will lower blood pressure, enhance concentration, stimulate creativity and even overcome the late-afternoon slump. On the other hand, other kinds of music irritate your nerves, make you lose focus, or even make you cranky. She says that according to research, classical music has proved to be the most effective music to work by, but she says that not all classical music suits these purposes.

So, what music does she recommend to increase productivity, based on research? Here's a list:

1) The more memasured, mathematical, and reptitious compositions of the baroque era (end of 16th century to early 18th century). Think Bach, Vivaldi, Toerlli, and Teleman.
2) The lighter, more buoyant works of the classical era (18th century). Think Mozart and Haydn.
3) Except for Gregorian chants, which are repetitive, avoid vocal music.
4) Unless you grew up in another culture and have absorbed that culture's musical foundations, stick to Western music. (My note: If you did grow up in a non-western tradition of music, perhaps you might want to experiment with different things from your musical tradition that make you feel most calm and yet productive. You might want to write about that on your blog and leave a comment here so that we can learn about your musical experiences.)
5) Avoid music of the romantic era (early and mid-19ths century), the atonal music of the 20th century, and most synthesized New Age music. New Age music, she says, can be soothing, but it doesn't encourage productivity.
6) Save peppier music -- such as rock, rap, jazz, movie tracks, and greatest hits -- for when you take breaks to tidy up your home office or file papers.

She says one way to enhance your work is to tune into a classical music station, but switching if they turn to selections that interfere with your working environment.

Of course, she's referring to music that enhances productivity and creativity for a home business -- not necessarily music that you might enjoy listening to for recreation. I am curious how her theory applies to other home tasks, such as cleaning and organizing. I read a long time ago that students who listened to classical music before certain tests scored better. So, perhaps, the research she is citing is in line with that.

Other than advising against vocal music, she doesn't discuss listening to spiritual songs and hymns, which I know many in the homemaking corner of the blog-o-sphere like to play as they work. I wonder if some of the more classically styled hymns might be just the thing to encourage our home management. I think because I'm a reader and a writer, I can easily get sidetracked pondering the meaning of the words, rather than attending to the task at hand. Of course, that would at least be helpful meditation -- good for the soul, at any rate. Some people have different interests and tune more into the music itself than to the words.

Of course, my thought would be that you should listen to whatever works for you or even enjoy silence if you prefer. Sometimes, I like to have my house quiet -- except for happy sounds coming in from the outside. I like to hear the breeze, birds singing, wind chimes, and especially children playing in the distance. Other times, however, I get lazy and turn on something like HGTV or TV Land to have noise while I'm working around the house. Sometimes, the shows inspire me to do the best with my home, but they also distract me. Quality music would be a better choice for me, I think. So, the author's suggestions do provide me with food for thought -- or, should I say -- musical food for the brain.

What about you? What music do you enjoy when you work at home? Do you listen to one type of music while you do active things, such as vacuuming and another type for paying bills or returning correspondence? Do you teach your children about different styles of music? Do you like music playing or a quiet house? Do you or your children listen to soothing music as you fall asleep? What type of music do you play when you have people coming over? I'd love to hear what works for you so I can be inspired by your ideas.

Enjoy!
Elizabeth

It's Feminine Friday again! This week's challenge is to think of something outside of your home that makes you feel feminine.

Well, there are so many ways to go with this creative theme:

Relationship with God
Church
Family/Friends
Beautiful things in nature
Picnics alone with DH, with DH and children, with friends
Horses, cats, chicks, peacocks, baby animals of almost any kind
Roses! Roses! Roses! Roses!
Babies! Smiling Babies!
Touring old historic homes and getting ideas from the things you learn about the women who created them.
Lovely old shops full of lovely books and lovely things
Romantic restaurants
Small simple old church buildings
People singing meaningful old hymns together
Seeing where my parents grew up
Walking hand in hand with DH on the beach
Weeping Willows
Seashells
Outdoor symphonies and other outdoor musical events
Visiting with elderly women, who pass on the wisdom they learned in a lifetime of being a woman
Etc.

I'm one who always feels womanly when outdoors, around nature, and around simple things. But, I do have another side to my femininity: Y'all didn't seriously think that I would let this opportunity pass without posting pictures of my favorite feminine city --Paris --now did you? LOL

The pictures above are all from the Palace of Versailles. I tried to persuade Dearest Hubby that we could re-create this look in our dining room. I reasoned that all it would take would be a few trips to Home Depot for some paint. For some reason, he didn't go for it. Wonder why he didn't think we could do it? Giggles.

Enjoy!
elizabeth

Thrifty Tuesday...

The meaning of money...

Recently, my DH and I had a conversation with a newly married couple. The wife has been a hard worker and very responsible for money since she was a young girl -- long before she met her husband. The husband is also frugal and sound in his financial thinking. Normally, they work together very well. However, they recently found themselves at an impasse over what to do with a relatively small amount in their budget.

The husband saw the money as something to be put away for future financial security. The wife wanted to spend it on something that she felt was a good bargain and a useful and needed item. The more we talked, the more we realized that the issue was probably not the money itself, but the the emotional meaning each had ascribed to the money. The husband saw the money as a building block for their future financial health, while the wife saw his objection to her spending it as a lack of trust in her ability to manage. They quickly worked through this by identifying what the situation meant to each of them and by each being considerate of the other's feelings.

I'm sure we've all been involved in discussions about small things and have wondered , "Why are we spending so much time and emotional energy on this?" I know it sounds silly, but many years ago my dh and I had a few disagreements about how to fold towels! Usually, when something small becomes the focal point of that much discussion, it is merely a sign that something larger is going on. In my case, I was placing a desire to have a bathroom that looked like Martha Stewart's above my husband's comforts.

Now, we all know that Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount and in other places that God loves us and knows our needs and that He will provide for us as He, in His Supreme Wisdom, knows is best for us. He is a loving Father who delights in taking care of his children. Christ encourages us to seek the Kingdom first and God's righteousness and trust God's provision. This ties in with one of my favorite Pslams -- 127 -- which says, "It is vain for you to rise up early, To retire late, To eat the bread of painful labors, For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep."

Of course, this doesn't nullify our responsibility to work whole-heartedly out of respect for the Lord, to provide for the needs of our family and the church, or to plan and use our money wisely in the service of the Lord. (I Timothy 5:8; Proverbs 6:6; Titus 3:14). God calls us to work whole-heartedly out of reverence for him (Col. 3), and also to be faithful, good, and thankful stewards of the many blessings he gives us.

So, if God has promised that He will meet our needs and He has also given us sure instructions about work, money, and stewardship, why do we sometimes fret about money? Why is this especially true for we Americans, who live in a land of comparative abundance? If we have a clean and safe place to live -- no matter how small it is -- and if we have drinkable running water and electricity, something to drive, access to even minimal medical care, and a job, we are supremely blessed when compared to what many people have.

My son visited Manilla as part of a project to build a youth center for impoverished children. He visited villages that were built on top of giant trash heaps. The people there make their living by picking through the trash for things to sell. The most famous of these villages -- Old Smokey -- had been shut down some years before his visit. Still, there were many similar ones that were still thriving.

This is not to minimize the real poverty that exists in our country or to downplay the real financial stresses that a hard-working American family might face. However, we've all met people who possess very little of the world's resources and are joyful, peaceful, hard-working, trusting, and generous. We've also met people who possess an abundance of wealth and are haunted by the fear of never having enough. They may be greedy, anxious, and either workaholics or lazy. The same is true in reverse. The point is that it's not necessarily the size of our bank account that determines whether we have a trustful and obedient attitude concerning money.

The short and true answer is that if we find ourselves becoming anxious about money, we need to repent. We need to trust the Lord, as well as search the scriptures for his instructions about money and put them into practice. We need to put away sins that trip us up financially, such greed, envy, and a lack of self-control, and put on faithfulness, trust, and responsibility.

This process is sometimes helped if we examine our attitudes about money. Rightly viewed, money and material goods are wonderful tools that are to be used to further the gospel, take care of our families, take care of those with greater needs, and to be enjoyed with thanksgiving. However, we can assign meanings to money and material goods that they were never meant to bear.

Some of these money-meanings might be security; independence; freedom; participation in the American dream; a means to gain others' approval; a measure of our self-worth; a band-aid for fears about present inadequacies or future dangers; the supreme source of our pleasure rather than a blessing to be enjoyed in its proper place; a fantasy that if we could only acquire enough, we wouldn't have to work so hard; something we are entitled to because we have suffered in some way; something to spend as a means of comforting anxiety, stress, or emptiness, etc; the source of our self-esteem.

We may also falsely equate having a lot of money as a sign that God is pleased with us or feel that if we are struggling to make ends meet that must means God is angry or unloving toward us. That's a whole other topic in scripture. Suffice it to say, however, material wealth or the lack of it is not always a measure of God's favor. Jesus was more impressed by the poor widow who gave back to God all that she had to live on than he was with those who were able to give vast amounts to the temple treasury out of their surplus. If we have somehow gotten the idea in our mind that money equals God's love, our faith rests on an insecure foundation. In that case, we would do well to give the topic more study.

We can all be tempted to elevate money and other earthly blessings above their true purpose in our lives. When we do that, we make money an idol. We seek from money the things that can only come from a relationship to God. The irony is that when we do that, we don't enjoy our money or our material comforts. When we receive our money as a blessing from our loving Father and we trustfully obey his commands concerning money, we use and enjoy money with a peaceful, unworried heart. We, like Paul, will learn how to be content with much and with little -- in whatever circumstances we find ourselves.

Enjoy!
Elizabeth

Committing to loveliness this week -- Check out Charming the Birds from the Trees

1. Work on posture -- I am shamelessly copying Emma on this one. I recently looked through some pictures and realized that I do slump and that it does nothing for my appearance or my health. We worked on this last year through the Online Finishing School, but it's time for me to give myself a week long refresher course.
2. Keep plants watered and garden weeded during this very hot, humid week. Find a home for the "Nearly Wild" rose bush I got for a steal at $5.00.
3. Fluff all of my pillows in the dryer this week
4. Do those Kegels!
5. Conquer clutter

Is it just me, or does it seem to you that Feminine Fridays are coming around faster and faster! This summer is flying by.

Anyhow, here is my feminine picture for today:

This is a picture of my beloved dear hubby (DH) standing on my favorite bridge in the world: Pont Neuf in Paris. I spent a summer in France when I was young. DH has always wanted to take me back to a place where I had such fond memories. A couple of years ago, when we were celebrating our twenty-fifth anniversary, DH surprised me with tickets to Paris. He asked me to plan our itinerary, as he had never been to Paris. Well, the first thing on my list was to get a kiss from DH on the famous old bridge. This was taken a few hours after we arrived following an all-night flight. I practically dragged my poor DH out of a much-needed catnip and down to the bridge. But, I did get my kiss! (Please excuse DH for looking quite sleepy.)

I felt very feminine showing DH around the city of romance!

PS: I am very shy of showing pictures of myself or family on the net, so this may be your one and only chance to see what my wonderful DH looks like!

Be sure to visit the Barefoot Mama for more feminine inspiration.

Enjoy!
Elizabeth

Has anyone tried these?

Has anyone tried the Debbie Meyer Green Bags, which are supposed to keep produce fresher. Her web site offers 20 bags for $9.00 plus s&h. That is pricey, of course. However, based on someone's high recommendation of them, I did pick up a package in the produce section of my local Wal-Mart grocery store. Since I was buying them directly, the total cost was not as much as buying them through the web site.

The bags are reusable for up to 8 to 10 times each. You are supposed to use one bag for each type of produce (and/or flowers if you wish to keep them fresh). You would use one bag for apples, another for bananas, etc. It's also essential to keep the produce and the bag dry, which means that you may need to wipe the inside with a paper towel from time to time.

Supposedly, the bags absorb and remove the gases that produce produces during the ripening process. Continued exposure to these gases hastens the ripening process and, thus, hastens spoilae if you do not consume all of the produce quickly. This is the same principle behind the advice we've all heard not to store certain types of produce together because the gas released by one will affect the other's spoilage rate.

I've only tried the bags once or twice so far. I must say, the bag I used for bananas did keep the bananas fresh.

Now, I need to do the math. Since I am often feeding just DH and myself these days, anything that extends the freshness of store-bought or garden produce is handy to have. For example, we would do not use a head of lettuce or a pack of blueberries as quickly as we did when we had teens in our home. I can buy one or two bananas, but it's hard to buy some types of produce in small quantities. Plus, the garden produces more than we can eat at one time.

On the other hand, these bags would be expensive to buy on a regular basis, even given that each one in a 20 count pack can be re used up to ten times a piece.

What do y'all think? Have you tried them? Do you think they work? Do you think they are a good bargain?

Of course, there are other ways of storing some types of produce in order to keep them fresh. Every year, I buy a bushel of Arkansas Black apples (yummy!) from a local orchard. One orchard owner advises placing several apples in a large size zip lock bag and add just a teaspoon or less of water. If you make sure that you re-seal the bag tightly every time you remove an apple, the apples will stay fresh and crisp for nearly a year.

Enjoy!
Elizabeth

Steward, Owner, or Consumer?

If you ask me at any given moment if I see myself primarily as a steward, an owner, or a consumer of the blessings that God has entrusted to me, I will say that I am a steward. However, in the rush of daily life, it's easy for me to act more like I'm the primary owner or the entitled consumer of the goods that the Lord has placed in my care. It's good for me to reflect often that I am a steward who is working for the King.

What is a steward? Here's the definition according to the 1828 edition of Webster's Dictionary:

1. A man employed in great families to manage the domestic concerns, superintend the other servants, collect the rents or income, keep the accounts, &c. See Genesis 15:2 and 43:19.

2. An officer of state; as lord high steward; steward of the household, &c.

3. In colleges, an officer who provides food for the students and superintends the concerns of the kitchen.

4. In a ship of war, an officer who is appointed by the purser to distribute provisions to the officers and crew. In other ships, a man who superintends the provisions and liquors, and supplies the table.

5. In Scripture and theology, a minister of Christ, whose duty is to dispense the provisions of the gospel, to preach its doctrines and administer its ordinances.

Webster's uses the following quote to illustrate these uses of the word steward, "It is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful." 1 Corinthians 4.

In Luke 12:13-48 KJV, we find an example of Jesus' teachings about stewardship:

"And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.

And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?

And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.

And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.

The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.

Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?

And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?

If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?

Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?

And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.

For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;

And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.

And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.

Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.

Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?

And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?

Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.

But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;

The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more."

What are the qualities of a good steward? I think we can learn from this that the faithful stewardess of her home has her master's interests in mind. She is rich toward the Lord and uses her money and other resources to further the things that matter to Him. She is watchful and not slack or lazy. She is not anxious or greedy, for she knows that she is the recipient of the Master's loving and abundant care. She knows that He provides for her now and also will bestow on her a great, eternal, and graciously-given reward. She is thoughtful of the other servants in the Master's house, and she sees to their needs. She is ready at any moment to give an accounting of the blessings entrusted to her. Her treasure is in heaven, with her Master, and she looks forward to His coming.

Enjoy!
Elizabeth

Caring for the elderly...

As a keeper of your home, you will most likely care for an elderly family member at some point. Also, you will certainly pay at least short visits to older family members or friends. Additionally, taking your children with you to visit the elderly, especially those who are confined to the home or a nursing facility, is one great way to train your children to have loving and giving characters. Not only that, but the presence of children is often a day brightener for people in their senior years.

Here's a great video to watch about how to communicate with the elderly. It is from the perspective of training nurses and other professional care givers how to talk to patients with Alzheimer's Disease. However, you can apply the same principles as an individual relating to anyone who is in their advanced years, whether they are in full vigor or are suffering from dementia or physical ailments.

Elder speak/Communicating with Alzheimer's Patients

Enjoy!
Elizabeth

Stewardship Part II

Here are some words to ponder:

Luke 16:9-13: And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mamon, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal habitations. He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Well, I don't know about you, but that's challenging to me! So, here's my prayer:

Father, thank you for the material blessings and the spiritual riches that you graciously shower on me. Please give me an undivided heart that is fully devoted to you, as well as a heart that shares both spiritual and material blessings with others. Help me to be a more faithful steward so that I do not waste the gifts you have given to me and so that I will be able to give.

Enjoy!
Elizabeth

Item that makes me feel feminine: Using my mother's kidney-shaped dressing table. She had sewn a lovely cover for it, but it was damaged somewhere along the way. When I rescued it from my father's attic, I sewed a new cover out of a yellow sheet and some yellow gingham, and I trimmed it with white lace ribbon. Of course, my sewing skills are very basic, and I wasn't able to re-create the professional look of my mother's cover. But, still, it was fun to re-do it. If I ever re-do my bedroom, I will re-cover the table with other colors.

Enjoy!
Elizabeth

One of my goals: To be a better steward of our home resources in this current economy.

With the help of many thrifty bloggers, I am going to embark on a Biblical and financial study about how to be a better steward of our home resources in this current economy. I am going back to the basics, as if I had never studied this topic before, and I hope -- Lord willing -- to take an in-depth look. From time to time, I will post about what I am learning. I hope you'll join me on my journey and offer any suggestions, comments, or questions you may have.

First, here's a great article by Julieann. She is not feeling the pinch in her grocery budget. If you haven't read her tips for shopping economically yet, I think you'll enjoy reading her post.

I am feeling the pinch in my grocery bills and my gas bills, too, of course. Milk is definitely higher here.

Part of the reason I've blown the budget lately has nothing to do with the current higher prices, though. I've bought a few extra necessities that I'd been putting off. Plus, we've hosted a few more dinners lately than we had been for a few months. Not only that, but I've bought some higher quality, more nutritious, more expensive items where I used to buy something more basic. And, to tell the truth, I've indulged in a few luxury items, as well. So, I need to evaluate to make sure that I'm not wandering too far off track.

I also plan to take a notebook with me next time I do a full shopping and do a price point comparison to see which items really are higher and which aren't.

One place I really need to be more careful about is cooking for two. I had gotten used to cooking for a family of four, with frequent friends of my children at the table, as well. So, now, I often cook way too much for just dear hubby and myself. I plan to use the leftovers, but don't always get them worked in to our eating schedule. Here's where I either need to plan smaller portions or freeze leftovers right away. I used to cook for two when we first started out, but I've forgotten how, I think. LOL. (Portion control will not only be good for our budget but for our waistlines!)

Well, those are my three practicals to think about this week. Now, on to the deeper study.

Here's the 1828 Webster's definition of economy:

ECON'OMY, n. [L. oeconomia; Gr. house, and law, rule.]

1. Primarily, the management, regulation and government of a family or the concerns of a household.

2. The management of pecuniary concerns or the expenditure of money. Hence,

3. A frugal and judicious use of money; that management which expends money to advantage,and incurs no waste; frugality in the necessary expenditure of money. It differs from parsimony, which implies an improper saving of expense. Economy includes also a prudent management of all the means by which property is saved or accumulated; a judicious application of time, of labor, and of the instruments of labor.

...

8. Judicious and frugal management of public affairs; as political economy.

9. System of management; general regulation and disposition of the affairs of a state or nation, or of any department of government.

Here's Wickipedia's definition:

Economics is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Greek for oikos (house) and nomos (custom or law), hence "rules of the house(hold)."^[1]

Here's a little more about the history of the word from a textbook on Macroeconomics.

1.1 Origin of the term "Economics"

The term "economy," from which we get "economics," comes most directly from the Old French word "economie," meaning "management of a household." The French adopted the term from the Latin word "oeconomia," which was in turn derived from the Greek word "oikonomia." Oikonomia came from the word "oikonomos," which separates into "oikos," meaning house, and "-nomos" meaning managing.

The oldest recognized written work in the field of economics is Oeconomicus, a book on farming and household management, written by the Greek philosopher Xenophon (430?-355? B.C.).

Despite the Greek origins of the term, economics was not an important field of study for the ancient Greeks, who, despite occasional references to economic matters, were more interested in philosophy and ethics.

Note: All three sources connect the origin of the word economy to Greek words meaning the rules or management of a household. Home economy is a vital part of our role as keeper of the home. For more on this topic, see my post Economy: A Word Study.

Enjoy!
Elizabeth

A Woman Found graciously encouraged me with the Arte y Pico (best art) Award. Isn't the drawing of the award lovely? I will do my best to be a good steward of the award and pass it along to five lovely blogs. There are so many to choose from, but I will endeavor to keep it to just five.

First, here are the Rules:

1) You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award, creativity, design, interesting material, and also contrubuites to the blogger community, no matter of language.


2) Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.


3) Each award-winning, has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog thathas given her or him the ward itself.


4) Award-winning and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of "Arte y pico"blog so everyone will know the origin of this award.


5) To show these rules.

Second, please note that just because I have selected a blog that doesn't mean I endorse everything on that person's site.

So, now, the envelopes please....

1) Fete et Fleur -- A Place to Dream -- The name says it all.

2) Sew Chic Mother and Daughter Teach Us How to Sew Lovely Things

3) Your Daily Art -- Since this award is supposed to be about art, I thought I should include an art history blog. Enjoy! Enjoy!

4) Malcom Cox -- Resource for Students of the Bible

5) She Hath Done What She Could
Love the title, love the book that inspired the title, love the tips for frugal stewardship, and, of course, I love the fact that it's pink!

It's Feminine Friday again...

Last weekend, I enjoyed visiting the home of a woman I really admire. She is an example of how unselfish love is such an essential ingredient of femininity -- and, in the larger picture -- of being like Christ. She has survived a life-threatening illness, and I am so awed by how faithfully she has come through it. She and her husband showed us last minute hospitality after they had both been out of the home all day serving others and even though she was not feeling her best physically. They were smiling and giving. They made us feel so welcome, as if they we were doing them a favor by visiting them when really they were serving us. Their house was neat and cozy and decorated with treasures that she has re-finished or inherited or found at garage sales. In their average sized lot, they have created a lovely and peaceful garden oasis - - complete with a little pond -- and they are happy to invite others to share their garden with them. All week long, I've been savoring the time we got to spend relaxing in that garden.

She often stops by garage sales and has a stash of inexpensive little gifts which she picks up with her loved ones in mind. You cannot visit her or have a visit from her without her presenting you with some little something that delights you. Somehow, she manages to shower her family with love, keep her house beautifully, lay down her life to serve her church and her neighbors, and deal with some physical issues, without becoming frazzled or exhausted or grumpy. I came away inspired to imitate her.

Enjoy!

Elizabeth