Hello, friends! It is a lovely rainy morning over here. While I have to postpone my run, I am able to spend a few minutes with you instead. I say that is a welcome trade off! So here I sit in my comfortable chair in the living room while my husband is starting to work on putting wood on our ceiling. So many blessings abound, friends.

I wanted to share a bit of encouragement with you this morning. I was looking through the book Female Piety by John Angell James while I was writing a subscriber newsletter. Oh, there are so many good nuggets to read here! I was encouraged immediately in my decision to be a full time homemaker. Sometimes we need encouragement, don’t we? I know that I sure do.

Being in our home is beautiful! I truly believe this is where by and large, this is where the Lord ordained women to be.

“One of the most hallowed, lovely, and beautiful sights in our world is a woman at home discharging in all the meekness of wisdom, the vaious duties of wife and mother, with an order that nothing is allowed to disturb, a patience which nothing can exhaust; and affection which is never ruffled; and a perseverance that no difficulties can interrupt, nor any disappointments arrest – in short, such a scene as that described by the writer of the most exquisite chapter of the Proverbs. Eve in Paradise, in all her untainted loveliness, by the side of Adam, propping the lily, training the vine, or directing the growth of the rose; shedding upon him, and receiving, reflected back from his noble countenance upon her happy spirit, such smiles as told in silent language, their perfect and mutual bliss, was no doubt, a brighter image of perfect virture and undisturbed felicity; but to me, a woman in our fallen world, guiding in piety, intelligence, and all matronly and motherly excellences, the circle of a home made happy chiefly by her influence, presents a scene little inferior in beauty, and far superior as a display of virtue and intelligence, to that of which our first mother was the center even in her original perfections. And it is imagination, and not reason and moral tast, that can revel inthe mind’s pictures of Eve in Paradise, and not feel warmer admiration in the actual presence of such a woman as I have described.”

– Female Piety, p. 58

When we aim to bring godly virtues into our homes, we are doing a lovely and noble thing! Pressing against the mold of this sinful world is difficult. What a beautiful testimony it is for the Lord when we do it anyway.

Friends, I hope my children watch me serve my family with joy and love! It is such an honor to do so. It is beautiful to do so.

Let’s be encouraged to embrace our homes with our whole hearts. We can turn each imperfection beautiful if we decide to honor God with our time and effort.

I hope you have a lovely day today, friends. May the Lord bless you!