The Respite Before Church

A loud sermon played on the CD radio in my kitchen. I washed the dishes, swept the floor and polished the stove.  I listened to spiritually quickening nourishment, while I tidied the parlour. Then I heard the church bells ring. I knew it would be time to leave soon.

There is a short time between daily tasks and religious duties that are like a "respite" for the soul.  It is when we prepare for the unseen joy of seeking holiness.

Yet, if we left the house a mess, or did not prepare in advance to take care of our earthly work, oh how restless and distracted we would be during the church time!

We can slowly walk away from our work, knowing it was well done.   We take a worldly break and head to the sacred time of heavenly things.    Is this a foreshadowing of things to come?

Some preparation time is necessary. If we are having a quiet Bible time at home, we gather our Bible and books and papers. We settle ourselves in our usual place before we begin. This is part of the respite. This is all part of the expectation and the eagerness, during the break between earthly and heavenly matters.

If we are to attend church and must travel, the time we get ready, or walk or drive is the respite.   It is a time of contemplation, and a readiness, to rid of us worldly thoughts, so we can focus on better things.

I wonder if those few moments before mortal death, the saints feel a blissful peace as they enter their long-awaited home in the heavenly realm?

Blessings
Mrs. White

The Wasting of Money - Electricity as an Entertainment Expense.

Every Home Should Have - A Housewife on Duty.

Through the Good and the Bad - As Sorrowful Yet Always Rejoicing at Home.

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Simplifying Dreaded Obligations

I walked the property today. (Our 2 Acre, Vermont Estate). It is peaceful, quiet, and lovely. I checked on my plants and my new garden.  It is pleasant to just keep house and to work on home tasks.

But behind these domestic scenes, I have obligations that I must keep up with. There are projects I agreed to do.   But I am dragging myself to get them finished.  I don't know why I agree to do things that wear me out and cause stress, but I do.

So tonight, I will sip on hot tea and make a long list of all the things I must do.  Then each week, I will attempt to accomplish one or two until they are all completed.

Someday I will learn only to take on projects that will bring me peace and happiness, rather than make me feel overwhelmed.

Once my list is ready, the rest will be step-by-step, until it is all cleared away and finished. What a relief that will be when it is over with!

As a reward for making this list,  I will sit on my front porch and enjoy a new book, early tomorrow morning. Then I will happily shine and sparkle my home.  And I will listen to old sermons and Gospel Music, which is my greatest hobby of all.

Blessings
Mrs. White

Humble but Lovely- An Elegant Home Despite Poverty.

So Precious - What Sundays Used to Mean to Housewives.

What Will it Take? - Homemaking Survival.



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Spiritual Homemaking

I read somewhere, that long ago, a group of peasants would meet together for morning worship before they started their day's labor. The joy from that meeting filled their hearts and minds with holiness and it stayed with them while they worked.  It has been reported that the sound of their hymn singing echoed through the fields. Then at the noon hour when they dined on their humble food, they eagerly sought the comforting words from the Bible and the warmth from their joint prayers. They were again able to go back to work with that same joy.  In the evening, after the work was completed, their worship time refreshed them on their path in this life, and kept them going with pleasant thoughts of Heaven and doing God's work.  They knew where the source of life came from.

Yesterday I read from the journal of John Wesley (1700's). He wrote how he spent his days, while on a ship with fellow laborers during a week's time. They rose at 4 am for private prayer, had public prayer and did all manner of religious duties throughout the day. The private prayer time included Bible reading, praying and learning.  He also encouraged passengers and taught those, who were eager to learn, of God's way.

How can I not be ashamed when I compare my own life with those who have gone on before me?

I am caught up in the distractions of a modern world, and listening to the lies of a culture. It is a constant, daily battle to even attempt to do as Wesley and the Peasants did!

In our homemaking, we can find an efficient way to keep house and be good mothers while we spend our time in spiritual endeavors.

- We can listen to sermons (on the computer, CD or DVD) while we dust and sweep and wash.

- We can sing old time hymns (or listen to them) while we work.

- We can force ourselves (through discipline) to have daily Bible time twice each day (morning and evening, which is the least we can do, and was the custom of Christians for centuries.)

- We can choose to pass aside pop literature of today, or meaningless gossip-type biographies, and choose wholesome, old time books * that will encourage us on our holy way.

Remember that the center and foundation and purpose of our lives, is to glorify God and enjoy him forever (as the catechism says).  This must be our focus, which will pour out with joy to those around us.

The result of this Spiritual Homemaking?  A face that shines (like the veiled Moses on the mount) with radiant holy joy. How can that not impact and inspire those around us?

Blessings
Mrs. White

* The link goes to a publication by Hedrickson, which is a trusted publisher.

Our children - Who Will Weep for You Now?

Is this true in your home? - Only Rich People have Clean Houses.

Please don't be one of these! - Bossy Wives.


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The Comfort of a Dressing Room

Actress Margaret O'Brien in her Studio Dressing Room

Years ago, before we bought our 1800's house, I toured all the rooms. There are 14 on 3 floors. I was delighted with every new room we came across.

Off beyond the largest bedroom, was a dressing room. It looked like a sewing room, with an old singer on a table, and a rod (up above) for hanging clothes. There was also a pretty window overlooking the landscape.

It is now my dressing room. Beside the window is my grandmother's rocking chair. There are bookcases on an entire side wall for my personal library. I have a sturdy antique desk, which holds my collection of the writings of John Wesley. I also have notes, papers and research in a file box for later use. A large filing cabinet holds decades of my writings, household memorabilia, and other necessary files. This cabinet even holds a copy of Great - Grandfather's ordination certificate when he became a minister.

This room holds my sewing supplies in a drawer. There is yarn, knitting supplies and patterns in a large old bureau.

On a wall is a Bulletin Board presenting photographs, newspaper clippings of our home and our children (during their famous moments), and special notes, or cards that make me smile when I see them.

This is the room where I hide cases of ginger-ale so the children don't drink it all in one day. It is where I can sit quietly, listening to a sermon on the radio, while I rock in grandmother's chair by the window.

I spent many hours in this room, in 2007, as I recorded my voice onto tapes from a small vintage collection of puritan books for sermonaudio.com. *  Grandfather set up a large radio and cassette player, along with a microphone for me. (I read from old books onto tapes and mailed them to the company so they could use them on their site.)  I still remember looking out the window when I took breaks.

This is the room where I can decide what I will wear for church, a trip to the store, or to just keep home for the day.

This special room is like my own studio dressing room, where I can take a break, and prepare for each day, or retreat to in the evening hours.

Studios provide actresses with their own dressing rooms. This is where they can relax and take a break before working hard at their craft. Even young actors received dressings rooms. Shirley Temple had one and was kept protected from fans and the hectic atmosphere of working on a set.  This is where she rested, and where she studied.

To have something like a Dressing Room in our own home is a luxury.  Some of us can have one in the Parlour, a bedroom, or a small den. Others may have an extra room they can convert into a special sanctuary where Mother can have her lovely things, or supplies.

In the old days, many Fathers had dens. This was a mixture of a home office and a library. Children were respectful of this room and in awe of their Fathers.  

Mothers have always had a corner of the house for their special things. A comfortable dressing room is a lovely blessing for which I am grateful.

Blessings
Mrs. White

* I did this work for them, in exchange for free books. To hear an example, go to - The Art of Divine Contentment by Thomas Watson (part 6) *



Is your fridge clean? - Beware of Random Kitchen Inspections.

Remembering - The Early Years of Homeschooling.   

A Lovely Way to Get things done - Chore Letters for My Children.  

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A Treasure for my Home Library

A large package arrived today. It contained The Complete Works of John Wesley, in 7 volumes. This includes his sermons, correspondence, and journal. I have wanted this set for many years but kept putting it off. It was always too much money. Each year, I would look to see if it was still for sale. But this month, when I checked, I found the set had gone out of print. I was not pleased. Used copies were selling for $80 and up. 

I contacted the publisher and found they had a set in new condition for the original price. I checked with Mr. White and he agreed for me to place the order. I was delighted. It was one of those requests where I sweetly said, "It will be my mother's day present, and birthday present for many years." (gentle smiles) Of course, we don't normally spend so frivolously. But it is an excellent investment I will use for a long time. I intend to pass the set down, as part of our estate, to our children and grandchildren.

Early this evening, I sat in an antique chair, near the lamp in my parlour. I looked through a few of the volumes and read several passages.  I was amazed and delighted with my new literary treasure which contains thousands of pages. The text was written in the 1700's and is complete and unabridged. It contains much instruction, wisdom, and inspiration for holiness.

I am grateful that after times of struggling financially, and dealing with the ups and downs of thrift and the feeling of want, that we actually had the funds for these books.

I am sure we will have more difficult days ahead. But for today, I am happy with this wonderful investment of books for our estate.

Blessings
Mrs. White

Let this not be true - Only Rich People Have Clean Houses.

For those difficult times - Despairing over the Household Allowance.

Remembering - The Blessing of Being a Half-Southern Mama.



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The Godly Home, Marriage and Family

This morning I listened to a sermon by the late L. R. Shelton, Sr. It is about the sacredness of an old fashioned, life-long marriage. It is encouraging, convicting and sobering. The sermon was preached in the 1960's and the message is valid for all time, because it is based on sound Biblical teaching.



[Note - If you are receiving this through email and cannot see the embedded sermon, please visit the blog directly to listen.]

Blessings
Mrs. White

* A Very Precious book, written in the 1940's is by Clifford Lewis, God's Ideal Woman.



When the Nest Begins to Empty - a picture of a life-long marriage - Are you Still Tricking your Wife?

Encouragement to keep you cheerful - Mother's Domain.

May we be sweet and beloved - Aging Gracefully.

Joining with
Yes They're All Ours


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