Chesterton

If nothing else, I'll post here a favortie quote from G.K. Chesterton. This comes from a letter he wrote to his new fiancee telling her of all the things they shall do together as a married couple.

"We shall have bad things in the house and make them good things."

I LOVE this and I use it all the time. When I'm cooking food I look at the raw meat and say "You are bad, but I will make you good." Sometimes I have dust in my living room and dirt and grime in the kitchen, but those are bad things too and I make them good things.

Have a wonderful Sabbath! Jesse told me to stay in bed this morning and he's already showerd and now he's inthe kitchen making me breakfast. I love him and he loves me.

Neglected much? ......ladies!

Dear women women!

We've been neglecting this website and discussion! Of course, I've also been neglecting the book and haven't finished it yet. So that's on the to-do list.

I've been thinking about motherhood (surprise surprise) lately, so I suppose now would be a good time for me to read that chapter in the book. But first, a note!

I've noticed Nancy Wilson and her daughters' general demeanor towards motherhood and children is one full of life, full of interest in the world, hilarity, and graciousness. In essence, a Trinitarian way of being a mother. People always talk about the work work work it is to be a mother. That's true. Isn't it also work to be a Christian? Work in the sense of bringing your carnal lusts and nature into submission and purity before God.

I see it as the same way with motherhood. A mother should be full of the joy of the Lord, eager to learn (always learning!), and to show her children an enthusiasm for learning, a playful outlook on most of life. Nancy Wilson's book Praise Her in the Gates is full of the feeling of joy and interest in life, especially when it comes to giving the kids an occupation in the home (a chore or daily task), and when it comes to mothers keeping their chins up about all the work. She talks about one time when she had the kids in bed and there was a pile of dishes. It felt and looked so mundane that she asked the Lord, "Isn't there some great mission or work I'm supposed to do?" and realized that her answer was right there in the sink. The dishes were her mission for that moment, and to do it cheerfully would nicely seal the deal.

So. Before one can be a mother, one needs to be a woman of the Word (as Mrs. Wilson has often said), i.e. faithful in her Christian faith/walk. The Word needs to be read, daily! Prayers need to be made to God, daily! Confession of sin needs to be made, right away!

I hope that God will give me the grace to be consistent in these things, and that as a result I will be the sort of fun, cheerful, joyful, gracious mother that will create a loving, warm, gloriously Trinitarian atmosphere for my children to wallow in. Just like Mom did. And like Emily is doing!

Thanks for listening to my pep talk to myself. :)

Be Fruitful and Multiply

Some things that I am thinking about. How am I supposed to "be fruitful and multiply" when I'm not pregnant? And can't seem to get pregnant?

"Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominon over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'" -Genesis 1:28

So we assume that this means girls must people the world, as Bennedict puts it. Yet, when God has not given me this ability, how can I perform His will?

"but all the members do not have the same function...having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them." -Romans 12:4, 6

Complaining to oneself and taking a nice, long introspective look ("maybe there is sin and that's why God hasn't blessed me") is also NOT the answer.

I must remember that I can not accomplish anything. I must remember that all things are from the Lord. He brings two together to make one; that He opens and closes the womb; that He brings the rains in the spring and the sun in the summer for the multiplication at harvest. Rembering that God is the one who does all this, what has He multiplied for me? How has He increased our number? I must be thankful for that increase, whether it be related to just me, or if Jesse got another class to teach, or if he got a compliment on how well he does, or if I were given a new opportunity.

Thanks be to God for a faithful husband, good jobs for us, an increase in wealth, a growth in maturity, and a desire for more.

"Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of you heart." -Psalm 37:3,4

Womanly Dominion: chapter the first

Chapter 1 took a bit to deal with. What the heck is Chanski talking about? He isn't laying it out; he is using too many examples; why doesn't he just say it?

Did anyone else have trouble getting into this book?

Chapter 1 begins with sports stories - an anecdote I forsee Chanski will continue to use. He explains play your position and win it. (Sports is not something I can easily relate too, but I got it. I thought for a while on why he used this illustration here. Is it because woman play sports so commonly? Not that there's anything wrong with that...)

The first term refers to stick to your guns, maning the battle stations; staying where God has planted you even if you think the action is elsewhere. The second term refers to conquering; working hard to conquer the situation no matter if you even think you can.

He lays out three main points in chapter 1; Domion Commonality, Personal Intensity and Positional Loyalty.

O.K., Kate, now unpack THAT if you can.

Chanski uses "Dominion Commanality" to mean that the dominion mandate is directed to both male and female; "Personal Intensity" means woman must take dominion of ourselves (our sin, personality, etc.). And "Positional Loyalty" means that we must take our situations in life as God-given and take dominion of the challenges and issues from our calling in life.

Now, I should read chapter 2.

Womanly Dominion: the introduction

Even though we were supposed to read the intro and chapters 1 & 2 by this weekend, I did not. I completed the Intro and chapter 1 and that's where it ended. So far I like Mark Chanski's writing style. It is very informal and easy to read, but I'm not sure how convicting and exhorting it will be. That will be something to write about later as we continue.

In his introduction, Chanski refers to this book, Womanly Dominion, as following after his previous title, Manly Dominion. While he told many stories of couragous women and women of purpose, he left the definition to George Lawson who is quoted here:

"The virtous woman...declines not any part of her duty through aversion to toil; and by exerting her strength with a cheerful mind she improves it. Her labors give her health and vigor, and alacrity for new labors; so that she can with great ease and tranquility go through those duties which appear impossibilities to other woman...she possesses a greatness of soul, an inward vigor and resolution of mind, which sets her above all those little and tormenting fears which keep many of her sex in perpetual eneasiness."

So much for the intro.

Time to Begin

And we're off!

Thank you Kate for starting this blog. As you are able begin with comments and observations about what you are reading in Womanly Dominion, More Than a Gentle and Quiet Spirit.

Love, Mom

Getting Started

Beginning to blog, continuing to learn, keeping in touch, loving our family, strengthening our relationships....