Christian Homekeeping

1 Timothy 5:13

And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not.

This passage refers to the temptation younger widows encounter when they have no husband at home to provide the ballast they need to be home-centered. But certainly, other women in the Christian community are tempted to be busybodies as well. It may sound harmless, but Scripture ranks this sin with some of the big ones.

1 Peter 4:15

But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.

What is a busybody? In this passage, she is a woman who delights in other people's business. Instead of being focused on her own home, her own duties, her own family, the busybody is interested in everyone else's business. A busybody is "busy" gathering and passing on information. Of course, saying these things is sinful, but knowing them may be equally sinful.

Let's back up and examine how a woman becomes a busybody. First, she must learn idleness, as our text says. But how does a woman learn idleness? The image seems contradictory! I suggest that it is learned by studiously avoiding the duties God has laid out for her. The budding busybody must shirk her domestic duties for the more pleasant task of "visiting."

The woman Paul describes is wandering about the neighborhood. It is far easier to leave unfinished duties behind than step over them. The women the busybody visits can't see her laundry pile or the dirty kitchen floor. As the busybody wanders from house to house, she is far from idle: she is busy gathering information about everyone else's affairs.

Does the modern busybody wander from house to house? You bet. She goes here for coffee and there for lunch. She's charging around town, dropping in and checking up. The news gathered at stop one is repeated with relish at stop two. This also provides her with lots of prayer requests for Bible study or prayer meeting.

Of course, the modern busybody is not restrained if she doesn't have the means to wander about town. She has a more convenient method - the telephone. The modern busybody can be very "busy" on the phone for hours a day. This sort of idleness may produce weariness, but it doesn't produce the fruit God requires. A woman's God-given duties must necessarily be neglected to carry on such extensive visiting.

How does the busybody conduct her visits? She asks many questions and is a keen listener. She asks questions that are meddlesome and interfering. But she seldom gives offense because she seems so genuinely interested. No detail is insignificant for her. She delights in passing on "tasty morsels" and offers much information (about others) without being asked. Since her head is so full of "other people's matters," much of what is fact and what is hearsay is easily blurred. Now she has become not only a busybody, passing on the "news," but a gossip passing on rumors.

Meanwhile, is the laundry done? Is dinner planned? Can she really afford all this time?

A few cautions come immediately to mind. First, ask yourself if you are a busybody. IF YOU ARE WORKING HARD AT HOME FAITHFULLY DOING YOUR GOD-GIVEN DUTIES, THEN YOU WILL HAVE LITTLE TIME FOR SUCH FOOLISH BEHAVIOR. Nevertheless, recall your recent conversations.

Have you been too involved in "other people's matters"?

Do you ask questions that are really not your business?

Do you pass on information about other people's affairs?

Do you delight in being the first to know and the first to tell?

Second, do you have a friend who is a busybody? Take care. You may be drawn into her bad habits. Don't listen to her repeat all the news. Excuse yourself from inappropriate conversations.

Do you have a regular group you meet with to "visit" and fellowship? Is the conversation often about other people? Perhaps you should withdraw from such a group.

Finally, if you know someone to be a busybody, keep your distance. Be careful what you tell her. Assume that everything you say will get around the community. That should motivate you to exercise discretion. Be careful what you say, especially about your husband. Be sure your comments are always respectful and kind and God honoring.

That sort of news isn't nearly as much fun to pass on.

Author Unknown

Note: Around the year 1393, an elderly citizen of Paris married a girl of fifteen, who was an orphan from another region. An older gentleman marrying a young bride was not unusual during this time, but she was concerned that she had no experience running a home. So he wrote this treatise of moral and domestic instruction for her, so she could do him credit if she were to remarry after his death. This is one of the examples of his instruction.

Indeed, dear sister, these favors cause a man to love and desire the return home and the sight of his good wife, and to be reserved with others. And so I advice you to comfort your second husband on all his homecomings, and persevere in this.
Also keep peace with him. Remember the country proverb that says there are three things that drive a good man from his home: a house with a bad roof, a smoking chimney, and a quarrelsome woman. Dear sister, I beg you, in order to preserve your husband’s love and good will, be loving, amiable, and sweet with him. Do for him what the good, simple women of our country claim people have done to their sons when they are enamored elsewhere and they cannot get them back...
From: “A Mediaeval Home Companion: Housekeeping in the 14th Century” translated by Tania Bayard

Adaptability - Cultivate a taste for each other’s interests.

Belief - Trust one another.

Children - Be of one mind on the subject.

Devotion - Don’t be sparing with love.

Entertainment - Keep each other amused and interested.

Finesse - Handle each other with tact.

Generosity - Don’t be stingy with love or money or praise.

Health - Keep it as well as you can and don’t talk about your symptoms.

Interests - Enter into everything the other does.

Jokes - Laugh at ‘em.

Kindness - Never fail to show each other tenderness and sympathy.

Love - Never let your supply run low.

Money - Agree before marriage about the division of the family income.

Need - Of each other. Make yourself a necessity to your mate.

Observation - Notice when the wife has a new gown or the husband looks particularly spick and span.

Politeness - Treat each other as courteously as you would strangers.

Quiet - Keep a peaceful home.

Respect - Show deference to each other’s opinions and intelligence.

Sportsmanship - Take marriage on the chin and come up smiling.

Tenderness - Be all heart to your husband or wife.

Understanding - Enter into the thoughts and feelings of your mate.

Virtue - No philandering on the side.

Willingness - Both husband and wife be willing to help each other pull their weight back in the boat.

Xtra attention - Especially when one is downhearted or sick.

Yes - Flattery is the oil that lubricates the domestic machine.

Zero - Your marriage will never be zero if you follow these rules.


*From the Cameron Collegian, May 16, 1945, p. 2

There has been one word that has gone with me through life from childhood and that still has a special meaning to me even now and it is DETERMINATION!

Growing up it was a word that drove me to reach higher heights in my studies in school and to make something of myself. I was determined to make good grades and determined to get my diploma after I had some setbacks. It got me that diploma and it helped me reach many goals over the years.

My dad had always remembered the word also. He preached a few times about determination and when I went to leave for basic training in the Air Force, he told me I would make it.......just keep my determination!

It was also a word he used when I would call him throughout the years for encouragement. He would tell me.......remember your determination! I would say YES!!!! I have determination!! =)

When I was sick in March, my dad encouraged me over the phone and told me that I could make it because I have determination. When they came to visit me just a few weeks ago, he once again mentioned to me that my determination has pushed me through hard times in my life and to not forget it and not let it go!

Every time I hear the word, something swells up inside and tears come to my eyes. I remember low crawling through mud and rocks in basic training and thinking I couldn't make it but pushing through regardless and being determined and I made it through.

Just what does the word determination mean? Well, Webster's defines it as:

Determination:
a : the act of deciding definitely and firmly; also : the result of such an act of decision
b : firm or fixed intention to achieve a desired end

It isn't just used for life's goals. It is even greater in its context with our spiritual lives as well! We GOT to be determined to make it to Heaven! To be determined to fight and not give up! Our determination to stay right and live holy before God will ensure our destination; Heaven, to be with our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ!

Oh what a reward for determination we shall receive!! Will there be any greater thing in life to reap the rewards of? NO! The ultimate destination of determination can be Heaven IF we stay right and holdfast to the faith......never give up.......keep going on, stay DETERMINED!!!!

Why buy cleaners such as Fantastic, 409, Windex, etc?? When you can make your own cleaners and get it just as clean (if not cleaner, cheaper AND safer) than buying the store cleaners. There are so many different variations of cleaner recipes but you basically just need the following items:

White vinegar
Lemons
Lemon Juice
Lemon Oil (for real wood)
Salt
Baking Soda
Borax
Castile Soap (or some cheap dish soap)
Tea Tree Oil
Washing Soda
Toothpaste
Basic soap

White vinegar and baking soda are the top items you will need to clean with. White vinegar cuts through soap scum and dirt. It is a natural deodorizer also, so while you are cleaning you are making it smell good too! ; ) You can take equal parts of vinegar and water and combine them in a spray bottle for a great everyday cleaner. Spray the counters with it and wipe surfaces.

Baking soda is also a deodorizer and a great tool for jobs that need some scouring. It is a mild abrasive, so it will clean but it won't be too harsh on surfaces. For deodorizing, sprinkle 1 cup in the bottom of your trash can! It will keep it smelling a whole lot better than before. Also keep baking soda in your fridge and freezer.......this is no secret to others I'm sure, as you can now buy the fridge/freezer boxes of baking soda in the grocery store.

Lemon juice, along with vinegar, is good for hard water deposits and soap scum. They are both acidic and that is what helps them work great!

You can really mix and match with all the products above. Most cleaning recipes can be interchanged with the different items above. Borax is like baking soda, in that it is a mild abrasive and deodorizes. With salt.....you will want to use that on surfaces that can stand a hard scrubbing! Don't use it on surfaces that it will scratch!!

Take 1 tablespoon of Tea Tree Oil and pour it in 16+ oz of warm water for a disinfectant spray. The Lemon Oil would be used on real wood products to "feed" them.

Then you have the soap products.....washing soda, castile soap and basic soap. Use these in places you are going to rinse with water after you have cleaned.

Ok....you are probably saying.......what is the toothpaste for?? Basic, white toothpaste (not the gel kind) can do a lot! You can shine silver with it, remove crayon from walls........treat a pimple and there is MORE here.

So the next time you pick up that bottle of 409 at the store and get ready to whip out your 3 or 4 dollars a bottle.........how about mixing up your own batch of homemade cleaners and saving some money!!

I decided to post a list of things I keep in my Homemaker's Journal so you can get an idea if you would like to make one of your own. When my daughter becomes 17, she will receive a copy of my Homemaker's Journal and her Hope chest. So it really is a treasury of homekeeping tidbits and how-to's. This is what I have so far:

• Contact List - Master list of friends, family, doctors, important numbers, emergency contacts, etc.
• Birthdays, Anniversaries and Events List - self explanatory!
• Bible Study/Reading material - Some add this to their journals but I prefer to keep my separate in another binder
• Entertainment Guide - Here I put places we go to have fun, the address, phone and times they are open. Such as the library, Zoo, Fairs, Parks, etc.
• Daily Schedule - Laying out the whole day from morning till night
• Bi-weekly and Monthly Schedules - Includes things I would do every 2 weeks or once a month, such as Clean out fridge, make laundry soap, cleaners, etc.
• Seasonal Schedule - Spring and Fall Cleaning lists....for deep cleaning, decluttering, this includes washing drapes, blinds, cleaning behind stove/fridge, carpets, etc.
• Cleaning Areas - List of each area of the house and things that need to be done in that room
• Meal Planning - My monthly meal rotations, Pantry Lists, Price list, coupons
• Recipes - Tried and Good recipes....it has to be really good and cheap to make my recipe list! I get most of my recipes from my Amish Cookbooks I have because they are cheap to make and the recipe makes a lot to last 2-3 days!
• Homemade Cleaners/Personal Care Recipes - Here I put my recipes for my cleaning solutions, laundry soap, shampoo, etc. That way I always know where to find them if I forget how to make something!!
• To Do List - Master to do list and when it has to be done by
• Clothing and Shoe Sizes for Family/Friends List
  

You can have so many things in there......I'm always adding more things it seems LOL. But this gives you a general idea. There are sites online you can print of some pages for this or you can easily buy notebook paper and page protectors to put in a notebook! My notebook has pockets for pens, calculator, etc and of course the 3ring binder with side pull out filing pockets for coupons, etc.

I have these for my Homemaker's Journal. Looking at them at the start of each new week helps me check myself!

God: Am I......
- Actively choosing God and His ways at every decision, word, moment, thought and step each day?
- Consistent in my quiet time?
- Daily spending time with God in prayer and Bible reading?

Husband: Am I.......- Praying for him DAILY?
- Being a help meet to him?
- Preparing for my husband daily?
- Spending time with him?
- Positively responding to him?
- Noticing, regarding, honoring, preferring, esteeming, praising, admiring and loving him?
- Bending or bucking with submission?
- Being predictably happy?
- Giving away to others what I haven't given first away at home?

Children: Am I.....- Spending quality time with them?
- Praying with them daily?
- Teaching them to follow God by my words and actions?

Home: Am I managing my home effectively. ....
- with finances and budgeting?
- with housecleaning? (Managing it instead of it managing me?)
- with planning meals and shopping wisely?
- by taking care of needs at home?

Others: Am I......- Loving others correctly?
- Serving others?
- Preferring others?

Self: Am I......
- Growing in my walk with God?
- Eating properly and exercising?
- Making sure I am healthy and give myself rest when needed so I can be what my family needs?

Author Unknown, although I did reword a lot of things from the original that was not copyrighted.

Titus 2:3-5

3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

KJV 1611
Praise God for his Word that we have instructions for our lives! I've looked up a few definitions using The KJV New Testament Greek Lexicon web tool:

Discreet =
1. of a sound mind, sane, in one's senses
2. curbing one's desires and impulses, self-controlled, temperate

Keepers at home =
1. caring for the house, working at home
2. the (watch or) keeper of the house
3. keeping at home and taking care of household affairs
4. a domestic

I only spend $10-12 for the supplies to last for a years worth of detergent. I have a 5 gallon bucket and I make a large batch every 3 months usually.

Here is the recipe:

• 1 bar Fels Naptha soap
• 1 1/2 cups Borax
• 1 1/2 cups Washing soda
• 5 gallon bucket
  
  

Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan. Add 12 cups water and heat on medium until the soap melts. Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 8 cups hot water into the 5 gallon bucket. Now add your soap mixture and stir. Now add 2 gallons plus 12 cups of water and stir. Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel.You use ½ cup per each load and 1 cup for very large loads.

Optional: If you want your soap to have some sort of scent you can scent this with ½ to 1 oz. of essential oil or fragrance oil of your choice.

After 24 hours it will be very gelled, but I use a whisk and mixing spoon and stir it several times while it sets and it has stays at a nice consistency.

* The detergent does not bubble in the wash but it is cleaning!

* If yours did not gel correctly after 24 hours then use more soap next time....like 1/2 bar, but you can still use it if it isn't very gelled anyway.

* When it sets you may get a "egg drop soup" effect.....just mix/stir with a whisk, mixer or blender.

So the recipe I had gotten from a friend for homemade whole wheat tortillas didn't work very well. I asked another lady how she did it and found she used more water and more baking powder. So I revised my recipe and made them tonight and they were delicious!! They are nice and fluffy, almost like a gordita and my husband loved them and even my daughter liked them so much she ate them plain LOL. I made chicken fajitas tonight and it was mmmmmm good!!

Here is the recipe:

• 3 cups flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour but they do get a little flaky with this)
• 3t baking powder
• 1-2t salt (depends on how salty you want them)
• 1 1/8 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup olive oil
  

Mix dry ingredients together. In a seperate bowl mix the water and oil together. Add the water and oil to the dry ingredients and form a dough by kneading. You may need some extra flour nearby to prevent it from sticking to your hands. Form into 8 balls and let sit for about 10-15 minutes. Then heat a griddle or a pan on your stove to high with NO oil or spray at all, just a dry pan/griddle.

Then roll out a tortilla and place in pan. It should bubble up some. Turn it over on the other side when you see brown spots on the side that is cooking. Continue until all are done! Enjoy!

This recipe was from Sis Ashmore.