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Books

Motherhood

• Large Family Logistics by Kim Brenneman
• Passionate Housewives Desperate for God by Jennie Chancey and Stacy McDonald
• Raising Godly Tomatoes by L. Elizabeth Krueger
• Parenting On God's Promises by Joel Beeke
• Loving the Little Years by Rachel Jankovic
• The Mother At Home by John S.C. Abbott
• A Mother's Heart by Jean Flemming
• Be Fruitful and Multiply by Nancy Campbell
• A Full Quiver by Rick and Jan Hess
• Fit To Burst by Rachel Jankovic
• The Ministry of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson
• Proverbs for Parenting by Barbara Decker
• Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney
• Desperate by Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson
• When Motherhood Feels Too Hard by Kelly Crawford

• Large Family Logistics by Kim Brenneman
• The Hidden Heart of Homemaking by Edith Schaffer
• The Christian Homemaker's Handbook by Pat Ennis
• From Mother to Daughter by Vivienne Bolton
• Homespun Gifts from the Heart by Karen Ehman
• Homespun Memories from the Heart by Karen Ehman
• Mrs. Dunwoodey's Excellent Instructions for Homekeeping by Miriam Lukken
• Home Ec 101 by Heather Solos
• How To Sew A Button by Erin Bried
• Home Economics: Vintage Advice and Practical Science for the 21st Century by Jennifer Trontz

• Upgrade | 10 Secrets To The Best Education For Your Child by Kevin Swanson
• Teaching the Trivium by Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn
• When You Rise Up by R. C. Sproul Jr.
• Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto
• Weapons of Mass Instruction by John Taylor Gatto
• Indoctrination by Colin Gunn
• The Well-Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer
• Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe by Todd Wilson
• Educating The Whole-Hearted Child by Clay and Sally Clarkson
• Hand That Rocks The Cradle: 400 Classics for Children by Nathaniel Bluedorn
• Chucking College by Melanie Ellison

• The Second Mayflower by Kevin Swanson
• Folks, This Ain't Normal by Joel Salatin
• Apostate by Kevin Swanson

• Biblical Economics by R. C. Sproul Jr.
• Whatever Happened to Penny Candy by Richard Maybury
• The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn
• Calvin and Commerce by David Hall

• When Sinners Say "I do" by Dave Harvey
• What Did You Expect? by Paul David Tripp
• The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace
• Reforming Marriage by Douglas Wilson
• Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham
• Family Shepherds by Voddie Baucham
• What He Must Be by Voddie Baucham
• I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris
• Of Knights and Fair Maidens by Jeff and Danielle Myers

• Trim Healthy Mama by Pearl Barrett and Serene Allison
• Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon
• Making Babies by Shoshanna Easling

• Bringing Up Boys by Dr. James Dobson
• Created to Work by Bob Schultz
• Future Men by Douglas Wilson
• Boyhood and Beyond by Bob Schultz
• Plants Grown Up by Pam Forster
• Practical Happiness by Bob Schultz
• Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris

• So Much More by Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin
• It's Not That Complicated by Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin
• Joyfully At Home by Jasmine Baucham
• Feminine By Design by Scott Brown
• Beautiful Girlhood by Karen Andreola
• Let Me Be A Woman by Elisabeth Elliott

• End Of The Spear by Steve Saint
• Safely Home by Randy Alcorn
• The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
• Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss
• Lord Foulgrin's Letters by Randy Alcorn
• Deadline by Randy Alcorn
• Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

• Wisdom and the Millers by Mildred Martin
• Storytime with the Millers by Mildred Martin
• Missionary Stories with the Millers by Mildred Martin
• The Little House Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit
• The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
• The Christopher Churchmouse Treasury by Barbara Davoll
• The Bronze Bow by Elisabeth George Speare
• The Door In The Wall by Margaret De Angeli
• The Tanglewood's Secret by Patricia St. John
• Treasures of the Snow by Patricia St. John
• Huguenot Garden by Douglas Jones
• The Minstrel in The Tower by Gloria Skurzynski
• The Hawk That Dare Not Hunt by Day by Scott O'Dell
• Ink On His Fingers by Louise Vernon
• The Answers Books for Kids by Ken Ham
• The Way of the Master: Teaching Kids to Share Their Faith by Kirk Cameron

• The Bible
• Calvin's Commentaries by John Calvin
• The Christian's Reasonable Service by Wilhemus Brakel
• Running Scared by Ed Welch
• War of Words by Paul Tripp
• Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges
• Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper
• Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
• The Answers Book by Ken Ham
• Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible by Matthew Henry

• Homeschooling Day By Day co-authored by yours truly
• The Pursuit of Motherhood co-authored by yours truly
• More Than Rules | Exploring the Heart of Beauty and Modesty by Bambi Moore (read my endorsement)
• Overwhelmed: Hope and Help for the Financially Weary by multiple authors (read my review)
• The Heart Of Simplicity by multiple authors (eBook)
• Trim Healthy Mama (Read my review)
• True Christian Motherhood by June Fuentes (eBook)
• When Motherhood Feels Too Hard by Kelly Crawford (Read my review)
• 31 Days To Clean | Having a Mary House the Martha Way by Sarah Mae

• Answers In Genesis
• Creation Ministries International
• JM Cremps | The Boys Adventure Store

• Deborah & Co. (Read my Maternity Skirt Review)
• Flirty Aprons
• Joyfully Sewn Designs (Read my review of our daughter's dress)
• New Creation Apparel
• Shabby Apple
• Very Jane

• Beeyoutiful (Their Miracle Salve is our favorite hand cream!)
• Bulk Herb Store
• Cowgirl Dirt (natural make-up)

Harry S. Truman said,
"Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers. "In a world of Sheeple who are content follow where the culture leads, a good Christian book is our favorite gift to give. They're relatively inexpensive, easy to wrap or mail, can be read again and again, and best of all, a good book can make an eternal impact on someone's life.

Books are the perfect gifts, and if you're on our list this Season... well, you know what to expect! Here's a list of 100 titles we've loved and recommend:

Motherhood

1. Large Family Logistics by Kim Brenneman

2. Passionate Housewives Desperate for God by Jennie Chancey and Stacy McDonald

3. Raising Godly Tomatoes by L. Elizabeth Krueger

4. Parenting On God's Promises by Joel Beeke

5. Loving the Little Years by Rachel Jankovic

6. The Mother At Home by John S.C. Abbott

7. A Mother's Heart by Jean Flemming

8. Be Fruitful and Multiply by Nancy Campbell

9. A Full Quiver by Rick and Jan Hess

10. Fit To Burst by Rachel Jankovic

11. The Ministry of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson

12. Proverbs for Parenting by Barbara Decker

13. Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney

14. Desperate by Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson
Homemaking

1. Large Family Logistics by Kim Brenneman

2. The Hidden Heart of Homemaking by Edith Schaffer

3. The Christian Homemaker's Handbook by Pat Ennis

4. From Mother to Daughter by Vivienne Bolton

5. Homespun Gifts from the Heart by Karen Ehman

6. Homespun Memories from the Heart by Karen Ehman

7. Mrs. Dunwoodey's Excellent Instructions for Homekeeping by Miriam Lukken

8. Home Ec 101 by Heather Solos

9. How To Sew A Button by Erin Bried

10. Home Economics: Vintage Advice and Practical Science for the 21st Century by Jennifer Trontz
Education

1. Upgrade | 10 Secrets To The Best Education For Your Child by Kevin Swanson

2. Teaching the Trivium by Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn

3. When You Rise Up by R. C. Sproul Jr.

4. Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto

5. Weapons of Mass Instruction by John Taylor Gatto

6. Indoctrination by Colin Gunn

7. The Well-Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer

8. Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe by Todd Wilson

9. Educating The Whole-Hearted Child by Clay and Sally Clarkson

10. Hand That Rocks The Cradle: 400 Classics for Children by Nathaniel Bluedorn

Culture

1. The Second Mayflower by Kevin Swanson

2. Folks, This Ain't Normal by Joel Salatin

3. Apostate by Kevin Swanson

Finances/Economics

1. Biblical Economics by R. C. Sproul Jr.

2. Whatever Happened to Penny Candy by Richard Maybury

3. The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn

4. Calvin and Commerce by David Hall

Marriage/Family
1. When Sinners Say "I do" by Dave Harvey

2. What Did You Expect? by Paul David Tripp

3. The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace

4. Reforming Marriage by Douglas Wilson

5. Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham

6. Family Shepherds by Voddie Baucham

7. What He Must Be by Voddie Baucham

8. I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris

9. Of Knights and Fair Maidens by Jeff and Danielle Myers

Food / Health
1. Trim Healthy Mama by Pearl Barrett and Serene Allison

2. Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon

3. Making Babies by Shoshanna Easling

Boys

1. Bringing Up Boys by Dr. James Dobson

2. Created to Work by Bob Schultz

3. Future Men by Douglas Wilson

4. Boyhood and Beyond by Bob Schultz

5. Plants Grown Up by Pam Forster

6. Practical Happiness by Bob Schultz

7. Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris
Single Daughters
1. So Much More by Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin

2. It's Not That Complicated by Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin

3. Joyfully At Home by Jasmine Baucham

4. Feminine By Design by Scott Brown

5. Beautiful Girlhood by Karen Andreola

6. Let Me Be A Woman by Elisabeth Elliott

Novels/Biographies

1. End Of The Spear by Steve Saint

2. Safely Home by Randy Alcorn

3. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

4. Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss

5. Lord Foulgrin's Letters by Randy Alcorn

6. Deadline by Randy Alcorn

7. Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

Children (Read-A-Louds)

1. Wisdom and the Millers by Mildred Martin

2. Storytime with the Millers by Mildred Martin

3. Missionary Stories with the Millers by Mildred Martin

4. The Little House Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder

5. The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit

6. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

7. The Christopher Churchmouse Treasury by Barbara Davoll

8. The Bronze Bow by Elisabeth George Speare

9. The Door In The Wall by Margaret De Angeli

10. The Tanglewood's Secret by Patricia St. John

11. Treasures of the Snow by Patricia St. John

12. Huguenot Garden by Douglas Jones

13. The Minstrel in The Tower by Gloria Skurzynski

14. The Hawk That Dare Not Hunt by Day by Scott O'Dell

15. Ink On His Fingers by Louise Vernon

16. The Answers Books for Kids by Ken Ham

17. The Way of the Master: Teaching Kids to Share Their Faith by Kirk Cameron
Christian Living/Spiritual Growth

1. The Bible

2. Calvin's Commentaries by John Calvin

3. The Christian's Reasonable Service by Wilhemus Brakel

4. Running Scared by Ed Welch

5. War of Words by Paul Tripp

6. Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges

7. Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper

8. Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

9. The Answers Book by Ken Ham

10. Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible by Matthew Henry

If you enjoyed this post, you may wish to follow Growing Home for updates via Google Friend Connect, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, or have them emailed directly to your inbox. This post contains affiliate links. Linking to: Raising Homemakers, Deep Roots At Home, Raising Arrows, A Wise Woman.,Walking Redeemed,, The Modest Mom, A Mama's Story, We ARE That Family, Raising Mighty Arrows, Hearts For Home, Frugal Homeschool Family Time Warp Wife

You're a stay-at-home Mom.
You treasure the privilege of being able to raise your own children and manage your home, but sometimes you wonder if there's something you could do to contribute to the family income. Something that has the potential to earn a full-time wage without a huge start-up cost or sacrificing hours away from the first responsibilities God gave you.
You love to write and crave an outlet to express yourself while making a positive impact in someone else's life. You're passionate about a particular subject and desire to explore it deeper so you can minister to others, learn, and interact with a community of like-minded women.
If any of these sentiments resonate with you, you need to start a blog , and my brand new eBook, Growing Your Blog While Managing Your Home | The Ultimate Guide For Christian Mommy Bloggers will show you how to do just that.

Growing Your Blog While Managing Your Home The Ultimate Guide For Christian Mommy Bloggers by Jacinda Vandenberg
PDF version

KINDLE version

Since the first edition of this eBook in 2012, Growing Home has grown ten times in size and now generates a five figure income annually. I’ve encountered many new challenges and opportunities not included in the original version and decided it was time to re-write it all.
I started Growing Home with the purpose of encouraging Christian wives, mothers, and homemakers in their noble calling. More recently, homeschooling has been added to the queue since we officially started home educating our oldest child last year.
Writing has always been a favorite pastime of mine and I loved the idea of interacting with like-minded women all across the globe. I began as every blogger does: with one reader, one Facebook fan, one Pinterest follower who pinned my posts.
A few years later, with God’s extraordinary blessing in spite of myself and an exceptionally supportive, tight-knit blogging network, at the time of this writing, Growing Home is a community of 30,000 readers and is a significant contributor to our family income.

Growing Your Blog While Managing Your Home The Ultimate Guide For Christian Mommy Bloggers by Jacinda Vandenberg $7.99
PDF version

KINDLE version

I have nothing to boast about. I couldn’t have imagined it this way, not in my wildest dreams! This is solely the result of the Lord’s blessing on the tools He has given me. He’s responsible for it all and He gets the glory!
The goal of this eBook is to share with you the same principles and techniques that God has used to grow Growing Home, both as a ministry tool and a means of income for our family without taking me away from my first responsibilities as a wife and mother.
What Other People Are Saying: "Jacinda Vandenberg's book is fantastic. Everyone is going to want to read it, even if you already know how to blog and manage your home. Coming soon to a theater near you. Very soon, in fact. January 13th. Don't get popcorn grease on your Kindle." ~ Melinda Martin, Professional Blogger and Virtual Assistant. I hope you find in these pages:

• a vision for purposeful blogging,
• helpful tips to manage both your home and your online presence,
• valuable information that will help supplement your family's income.

Growing Your Blog While Managing Your Home The Ultimate Guide For Christian Mommy Bloggers by Jacinda Vandenberg $7.99 PDF version

KINDLE version

Table of Contents
Introduction Part 1 | Creating a Vision and Maintaining A Schedule
To Blog Or Not To Blog? That Is The Question
Setting Priorities
Time-Saving Home Management Tips
This Is My Schedule, And I’m Sticking To It
Efficiently Managing Your Time Online Part 2 | Content and Design Content Is King

• Originality
• Brevity
• Titles
• Engagement
• Readability
• Hyperlinks
• Photos
• Character
• Professionalism
• Inspiration
• Understanding

• Platform
• Simplicity
• Branding
• Color
• Fancy Fonts
• Whitespace
• Centered Gadgets
• Placement
• Comments
• Image Use
• Navigation
• Call to action
• Browsers
• Recommended Blog Designers

• How to Grow Your Blog
• Link Parties
• Commenting
• Following
• Guest Posting
• Facebook
• Pinterest
• Google+
• Twitter
• Email Subscriptions
• Community
• Giveaways
• Posting Frequency
• Advertising

• Make Money as a Seller
• Make Money as an Affiliate

• Deciding Your Options and Setting Your Rates
• Do’s
• Don’ts

• Dealing With The Nay-Sayers
• What To Do When Someone Steals Your Content
• Legal Stuff
• Affiliate Links
• Comment Policies
• Copyrights
• Disclosures
• Disclaimers
• Taxes

Growing Your Blog While Managing Your Home The Ultimate Guide For Christian Mommy Bloggers by Jacinda Vandenberg $7.99 PDF version

KINDLE version

Praise for Growing Your Blog While Managing Your Home:
"One of the most important things that caught my attention in this book is that, she admits, she doesn’t try to do it all. Oh, how I loved this! Finally someone who was real about what actually happens during their day." ~ Shari A. Miller"Growing Your Blog is a worthwhile read if you’ve ever felt like your blogging was taking over your life, whether you are seriously considering monetizing or not. There’ve been many times over the past few months that I’ve felt maybe I just need to quit…after reading this book, I know I just need a better plan. My priorities have been out of whack. I knew it, but I needed a “blueprint” for turning them around." ~ Homeschooling Hearts & Minds"Growing Your Blog While Managing Your Home offers a great vision of keeping your focus where it should be, without having letting go of your goal to grow your blog." ~ A Diligent Heart"If your dishes have been known to pile high while you aim to type one more blog post, then this ebook is for you... Priorities. Priorities. Priorities. Come on a journey as she shares her own story, schedules, and tips for Growing Your Blog While Managing Your Home. You will be encouraged and inspired by her beautiful simplicity." ~ The Homeschool Village"Growing Your Blog While Managing Your Home is going to be a resource I turn to time and again. I am thankful to not have to use Google to find answers to my blogging questions anymore!" ~ Thankful Homemaker"Jacinda’s book is a great introduction to the how-to’s of blogging for business. It’s refreshing to read a take that is from a decidedly Christian viewpoint. I found the details for advertising, ebooks, and affiliates especially helpful. She is very transparent and shares her own advertising and reviewing rates, which is also very helpful." ~ The Sunny Patch"{Jacinda}gives a ton of information of how to blog while balancing home life helping women to keep a wise balance and does it from a Christian perspective. This is hard to find and why I recommend it." ~ A Wise Woman Builds Her Home"What kind of blogger are you, or do you want to become? If you merely blog for the sake of keeping a family journal then this eBook probably won’t benefit you. But, if you want to step it up a notch then it’s definitely for you!" ~ Raising Mighty Arrows
***A special thank-you to my dear husband for proofreading the manuscript, Lindsey and Richele from Crisp Apple for their tremendous job on the design, and Melinda from Helply Helper VA Services for the many late nights and early mornings she spent editing and formatting my mess into something that looks professional!

Who would've thought there'd come a time in my life where I'd wonder where my next breath would come from when I'd be able to squeeze in my next shower? Not me! But here I am with 3 kids in three years, wondering some days when I'm going to find the time to do things I used to take for granted.

"When do I take a shower?" If Brad is home, then I have it after the oldest two have gone to bed while he watches our newborn, Anna. If I'm away in the evening, then I attempt to have one before the kids wake up in the morning. If that doesn't work out, then I wait until Anna's morning nap - place her in the bassinet, Judah (2) in his crib or a playpen with several toys to keep him occupied, and trust our 3-year-old to keep herself occupied and out of trouble. So far, so good (famous last words)! Worst case scenario, I look like a slime ball when someone unexpectedly pops in for a visit.

"When do I have my devotions?" My friend Anna, from Feminine Adventures, covered this question in beautiful detail. Go and read her post if you haven't already!

I try to have them while I'm nursing in the early morning or late evening. It never hurts to involve the kids either should they wake up earlier than expected. If I'm not too sleepy, I go through my prayer list when I'm nursing in the middle of the night.

"When do I make supper?" Raise your hand if 5 o'clock seems to be the most hectic time of the day. Okay, you can put it down now. Someone is guaranteed to be nursing, crying, needing to use the potty, discovering (and spilling) things in the pantry (like flour) while the rest of the house sits in disarray. Plus, the kiddlets are starting to get cranky from hungry tummies and you're expecting your husband home from work any minute.

This is why I try to make dinner first thing in the morning. I love using the recipes from Trim Healthy Mama (you can read my entire review here). They are easy, healthy, whole-food dishes that can be prepared quickly and made ahead of time. That way, even if the rest of the day is chaotic, there will still be a nutritious meal on the table, and hopefully, an atmosphere of relative peace and calm for my husband to come home too. He deserves it after a long day at work!

"When do I clean my house?" I used to reserve one day a week to do all the major housework like cleaning the bathrooms, scrubbing floors, vacuuming, and dusting, etc. Now with 3 kids, 3 and under, I spread it over two days.

The biggest jobs I try to finish on Thursdays, leaving Friday and Saturday morning to wrap it all up. Brad has Saturday afternoons off from work and we like to spend it relaxing with the kids, visiting our grandparents, or having friends over.

"When do I fit in exercise?" Normally I like to take a brisk 1/2 hour walk in the early evening after the kids have gone to bed while Brad stays home with Anna. We've been having so much rain lately though, that I've resorted to torturing myself with Jillian Michael's 6-week six pack during the first 35 minutes of the kids afternoon nap time.

I've joined the Redeemed Health and Fitness Facebook group for accountability purposes and encouragement. All the ladies in this group are mothers (most with larger than average families) who are seeking to shed unwanted pounds on a tight schedule. We share our highs and lows, praise each lost pound, steal each other's great ideas, and kept accountable with a daily check-in.
"When do I nap?" HA HA HA HA HA! Good one.

***For further reading, I recommendLarge Family Logistics: my favorite resource for learning how to build household routines within a larger-than-average families. Brad bought me this book for my birthday a few years ago, and I've been giving it out as gifts to other young moms ever since then. It's filled with step-by-step procedures, organizational advice, and a myriad of tips for efficiently managing a home in a way that honors God and builds up family relationships.

In the interest of full disclosure, some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I receive an affiliate commission. I only recommend products I use personally. Your purchases through these links help support Growing Home. I humbly thank you for your support! Linking to: Raising Homemakers, Deep Roots At Home, Modest Monday, A Mama's Story, Raising Arrows, Homestead Revival, Time Warp Wife, Far Above Rubies

The idea that a mother's place is in the home is no longer a popular one - not even within the Church. That said, most God-fearing mothers who choose a career over staying at home are not necessarily motivated by selfish desires, but by a culture which seems to leave them with no choice. It just doesn't make sense when an extra income would surely be more beneficial for their children in the long run... wouldn't it?

Scene #1: Perhaps a couple recognizes their young children are extraordinarily gifted and bright. University is certainly within their future. The parents want to give each of them the gift of a good, post-secondary education but know that's not possible on the husband's income alone. So Mom searches through the Yellow Pages and begins working from 8am-4pm - for the good of her children.Scene #2: Or maybe, as was the case with one of my grandmothers, a mother grew up in a very poor family and was never able to enjoy the kind of material wealth that seemed common place for everyone else. She doesn't want her children to know the pain of doing without and so works hard to bring in a paycheck that will cover trendy clothes, restaurant meals, and the latest technological gadgets that all the other kids on the block seem to have.Scene #3: Perhaps it's the cost of Christian schooling that forces a mother to work outside the home. It breaks her heart to drop her 10-month-old off at her sister-in-law's each morning, but she quickly reminds herself that the value of a Christian education is worth the temporary sacrifice.
The mother in each one of these examples has made her decision, perhaps with the support of her husband, based on "common sense." To the human mind, (especially the one that has been affected by years of feminism, liberal rhetoric, and publicly funded Marxism) it's perfectly logical to submit ourselves to "expert" opinion and abandon our kids while they're young in order to give them what they really need when they are older.

However, one very important detail is missing from each of these scenarios. Did you catch it?

A mother and father may arrive at the decision for her to work outside the home together after much consideration. Perhaps they even commit Mom's new job to the Lord in prayer. Maybe the children are made aware of the new changes and everyone agrees that this is what is best for their family. But through all the deliberations, the Bible remains on the shelf, and no one stops to ask, "What would God want Mom to do?"
"'The Lord told me,' is no substitute for 'the Bible says.'" - Voddie BauchamI am not suggesting that no woman can ever have a career, that parents shouldn't send their child to university or pay for their tuition (that's a topic for another day), give them good gifts, make every effort to provide them with a Christian education, or that a mother can't supplement the family income (if I believed that, I wouldn't have this blog or have written my two eBooks, How To Design Your Own Blog and How To Grow Your Blog And Manage Your Home).

I'm asking you, dear mother, to examine where God considers your presence most important. There are several parental responsibilities required of us that are difficult or impossible to perform if we are physically away from our children:

• Availability - morning, noon, and night (Deuteronomy 6:7)
• Training (Proverbs 22:6)
• Discipline (Proverbs 29:15-17)
• Teaching the Scriptures (Deuteronomy 4:10)
• Nurturing (Titus 2:4)

• Does my absence mean someone else will care for my children?

• How long will they be under another's care each day?

• Is this the person I want to raise and influence my child in my place?

• How many surrogate mothers will be involved over the years?

• What impact will that have?

• Does my job sap my energies so that I am tired and pressured and unable to give them quality time?

• Are my creativity, my wit, and my best efforts spent outside my family?

• Do they get only the leftovers?

The biblical solution involves a radical reform in our thinking. Christians must operate on the premise that pure and undefiled religion requires individual benevolence towards widows (James 1:27), families must take responsibility and look after their own (1 Timothy 5:8, 16), and the local church (whose diaconal ministry would be well funded if we tithed more than 2%) is called to care for those who are truly widows (1 Timothy 5: 3-16).

Mom, your job is so eternally important, that God ensured there would be a way for you to minister through full-time motherhood. The right thing to do is not often the easiest thing to do. Staying at home to raise your children will cost you. It may require painful sacrifices, tighter budgets, and perhaps even swallowing our pride enough to accept the aid available to us. But I believe it can be done and that the reward you receive will be eternally worth it.

If financial concerns are keeping you back from staying home with your children, here are some articles and books to help and encourage you.
Articles

• Saving Money In Your Baby's First Year
• Income-Earning Ideas
• We Couldn't Afford Children - Glad We Didn't Have To
• You CAN Stay Home - Earning Money From Home

• Money Saving Mom by Crystal Paine
• Family Feasts for $75 a Week by Mary Ostyn
• America's Cheapest Family by Annette Economides
• Large Family Logistics by Kim Brenneman

I woke up and ran through my list of "should-do's" in my head.

I should do laundry before the kids run out of clean underwear.

I should do some weekend housework so our house looks half-decently presentable for evening visitors.

I should make red pepper butter before the peppers in the garden go bad.

I should vacuum the Cheerios and dirt off the floor in the van and I should probably wash the outside while I'm at it.

I should start supper and get it in the crock-pot before the afternoon gets so filled up that I excuse myself and order take-out again.

I should go buy stamps for the mail that should be sent out.

I should respond to my overflowing inbox.

I should, I should, I should.

My thoughts were interrupted by an excited little voice from a girl in a yellow princess dress. "Mommy, I have a good idea! We should go to the park!"

I smiled and almost spit out my standard line, "No, not right now. Mommy has a lot of things need to get done first," but I didn't. Her suggestion startled me. It wasn't a request out of the ordinary, but it revealed something concerning; in my long list of things that needed attention, deliberately taking the time to enjoy my children without distraction was not one of them.

They were the interruptions to my housework, the distractions to making red pepper butter, and a interference while I folded wash. My list for the day suggested they were an after thought, not a priority.

A lump caught in my throat. I never want my children to feel like an annoyance, or worse, a mistake.

They needed to know that they were more precious to me than clean floors, a stack of neatly folded towels, and red pepper butter.

Read the rest at Raising Homemakers.

***

If you're looking for a great resource to help you find the balance between mothering and managing your home, may I recommend Large Family Logistics? The title is a bit misleading in that this book is helpful for any mother, not just those with several children! This is my go-to gift for Moms, new and seasoned, and my #1 favorite resource as a Keeper of the Home. Kim Brenneman will equip you with everything you need to efficiently run a household while making your children your top priority.

This post contains affiliate links. Thank-you for your support!

If you enjoyed this post, you may wish to follow Growing Home for updates via Google Friend Connect, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, or have them emailed directly to your inbox.

The first step to becoming an excellent manager of your home is to understand your role and why it is so important.

As a whole, our culture dismisses the impact of a faithful homemaker and constructs stereotypes that are outlandishly opposed to our exemplary in Proverbs 31. For instance, note who gets attacked when one young girl says she's going to be a nurse and the other says she's preparing to be a homemaker, which, biblically and historically, is God's normative plan for women. It is considered a waste of talent and intelligence to bless your family with the gifts God has given you for eternal rewards, but admirable if a paper certifies a particular area of focus and you get paid monetarily.

We must not rely on society's view of homemaking as our source of strength, purpose, and encouragement. Our value and fulfillment is found when we understand that the almighty God of the universe has called us to this task, and therefore, there is no greater work as a wife and mother that we could be doing.
"... teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." Titus 2: 4The title "manager" denotes different types of jobs we must oversee to ensure our homes are running smoothly. Let's list them:

• Accountant
• Baker
• Chauffeur
• Cheerleader
• Chef
• Coach
• Counselor
• Dean of Education
• Entertainer
• Fashion Coordinator
• Food Service Manager
• Filing Clerk
• Fitness Trainer
• Gardener
• Gift Coordinator
• Health-care Practitioner
• Interior Designer
• Laundress
• Maid
• Purchasing Agent
• Referee
• Secretary
• Short-order Cook
• Travel Agent

A woman who purposely trains to do all these things well will not just be an asset to her husband, but should the Lord call her to singleness, she will be able to minister well to anyone, wherever she is planted. This is why I tell my daughters that preparing to be a godly homemaker thrills Mommy's heart just as much, if not more, than having them trained, indebted, and degreed, in one particular field of interest at college.
"Putting up the lunch for the children or cooking a good meal for the family may seem very insignificant tasks as compared with giving a lecture, writing a book, or doing other things that have a larger audience; but I doubt very much if, in the ultimate reckoning, they will count for as much." ~Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House in the OzarksOnce you begin to understand and embrace the importance of your place inside your home, you can begin to draft a "mission statement" to refer to when you're feeling weary in well-doing, or you need to be reminded of your vision. It can be as simple as photo-copying Proverbs 31 and posting it on your fridge, or writing out your own summary on a note card and placing it above your sink. I've written mine inside my journal where I see it everyday:

"Called, authorized, and empowered by my Redeemer and Friend, with the blessing and support of my husband, my mission as the Keeper of our Home is to create an atmosphere of grace and forgiveness, order and flexibility, warm love and gentle affection, nutritious meals and fragrant aromas, conversation and education."
I want our home to be: (Check all that apply)

• Welcoming
• Stressful
• Warm
• Light
• Dark
• Messy
• Cluttered
• Happy
• Perfect
• Neat
• Chaotic
• Tidy
• Educational
• Shiny
• Sloppy
• Organized
• Attractive
• Dusty
• Beautiful
• Positive
• Well-arranged
• Tense
• Fun
• Calm
• Rigid
• Creative
• Chaotic
• Cozy
• Unique
• Balanced
• Homey
• Joyful
• Tacky
• Intense
• Purposeful
• Simple
• Appropriate
• Immaculate
• Functional
• Fresh Bright
• Expensive
• Relaxed

Recommend Resources
These titles encourage Keepers of The Home in their God-given calling. I'll list resources specific to organizing and maintaining different areas of the home as we cover them in this series. These are my affiliate links, but you are under no obligation to use them!

• Passionate Housewives Desperate For God by Jennie Chancey and Stacy McDonald
• The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace
• Queen of the Home by Jennifer McBride
• The Ministry of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson
• Praise Her In The Gates by Nancy Wilson
• Home-Making by J. R. Miller
• Large Family Logistics by Kim Brenneman

Part 1: Keeping A Growing Home | A Management Series for Moms Part 2: Keeping A Growing Home | Know Your Role! Part 3: Keeping A Growing Home | Making Priorities & 15 Good Things I Don't Do Part 4: Keeping A Growing Home | Time-Saving Home Management Tips Part 5: Keeping A Growing Home | My Daily Schedule

If you enjoyed this post, you may wish to follow Growing Home for updates via Google Friend Connect, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, or have them emailed directly to your inbox.
Linking to: Raising Homemakers, Deep Roots At Home, Raising Arrows, A Wise Woman.,Walking Redeemed, The Better Mom, The Modest Mom, A Mama's Story, We ARE That Family, Raising Mighty Arrows, Hearts For Home, Frugal Homeschool Family,

You're a stay-at-home Mom.

You treasure the privilege of being able to raise your own children and manage your home, but sometimes you wonder if there's something you could do to contribute to the family income. Something that has the potential to earn a full-time wage without a huge start-up cost or sacrificing hours away from the first responsibilities God gave you.

You love to write and crave an outlet to express yourself while making a positive impact in someone else's life. You're passionate about a particular subject and desire to explore it deeper so you can minister to others, learn, and interact with a community of like-minded women.

If any of these sentiments resonate with you, you need to start a blog , and my brand new eBook, Growing Your Blog While Managing Your Home | The Ultimate Guide For Christian Mommy Bloggers will show you how to do just that.

Growing Your Blog While Managing Your Home The Ultimate Guide For Christian Mommy Bloggers by Jacinda Vandenberg
PDF version

KINDLE version

Since the first edition of this eBook in 2012, Growing Home has grown ten times in size and now generates a five figure income annually. I’ve encountered many new challenges and opportunities not included in the original version and decided it was time to re-write it all.

I started Growing Home with the purpose of encouraging Christian wives, mothers, and homemakers in their noble calling. More recently, homeschooling has been added to the queue since we officially started home educating our oldest child last year.

Writing has always been a favorite pastime of mine and I loved the idea of interacting with like-minded women all across the globe. I began as every blogger does: with one reader, one Facebook fan, one Pinterest follower who pinned my posts.

A few years later, with God’s extraordinary blessing in spite of myself and an exceptionally supportive, tight-knit blogging network, at the time of this writing, Growing Home is a community of 30,000 readers and is a significant contributor to our family income.

LAUNCH WEEK: $7.99 $3.99 ! Growing Your Blog While Managing Your Home The Ultimate Guide For Christian Mommy Bloggers by Jacinda Vandenberg
PDF version

KINDLE version

I have nothing to boast about. I couldn’t have imagined it this way, not in my wildest dreams! This is solely the result of the Lord’s blessing on the tools He has given me. He’s responsible for it all and He gets the glory!
The goal of this eBook is to share with you the same principles and techniques that God has used to grow Growing Home, both as a ministry tool and a means of income for our family without taking me away from my first responsibilities as a wife and mother.
What Other People Are Saying: "Jacinda Vandenberg's book is fantastic. Everyone is going to want to read it, even if you already know how to blog and manage your home. Coming soon to a theater near you. Very soon, in fact. January 13th. Don't get popcorn grease on your Kindle." ~ Melinda Martin, Professional Blogger and Virtual Assistant. I hope you find in these pages:

• a vision for purposeful blogging,
• helpful tips to manage both your home and your online presence,
• valuable information that will help supplement your family's income.

LAUNCH WEEK: $7.99 $3.99 ! Growing Your Blog While Managing Your Home The Ultimate Guide For Christian Mommy Bloggers by Jacinda Vandenberg
PDF version

KINDLE version

Table of Contents
Introduction Part 1 | Creating a Vision and Maintaining A Schedule
To Blog Or Not To Blog? That Is The Question
Setting Priorities
Time-Saving Home Management Tips
This Is My Schedule, And I’m Sticking To It
Efficiently Managing Your Time Online Part 2 | Content and Design Content Is King

• Originality
• Brevity
• Titles
• Engagement
• Readability
• Hyperlinks
• Photos
• Character
• Professionalism
• Inspiration
• Understanding

• Platform
• Simplicity
• Branding
• Color
• Fancy Fonts
• Whitespace
• Centered Gadgets
• Placement
• Comments
• Image Use
• Navigation
• Call to action
• Browsers
• Recommended Blog Designers

• How to Grow Your Blog
• Link Parties
• Commenting
• Following
• Guest Posting
• Facebook
• Pinterest
• Google+
• Twitter
• Email Subscriptions
• Community
• Giveaways
• Posting Frequency
• Advertising

• Make Money as a Seller
• Make Money as an Affiliate

• Deciding Your Options and Setting Your Rates
• Do’s
• Don’ts

• Dealing With The Nay-Sayers
• What To Do When Someone Steals Your Content
• Legal Stuff
• Affiliate Links
• Comment Policies
• Copyrights
• Disclosures
• Disclaimers
• Taxes

LAUNCH WEEK: $7.99 $3.99 ! Growing Your Blog While Managing Your Home The Ultimate Guide For Christian Mommy Bloggers by Jacinda Vandenberg
PDF version

KINDLE version

***A special thank-you to my dear husband for proofreading the manuscript, Lindsey and Richele from Crisp Apple for their tremendous job on the design, and Melinda from Helply Helper VA Services for the many late nights and early mornings she spent editing and formatting my mess into something that looks professional!

If you enjoyed this post, you may wish to follow Growing Home for updates via Google Friend Connect, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, or have them emailed directly to your inbox.

In Part 3 of this series, I emphasized the importance of keeping our priorities aligned as God desires (God, Spouse, Children, House) and listed 15 Good Things I DON'T Do so I can give them adequate attention.

You cannot schedule long, lingering hugs with your husband, heart-to-heart's with your children, or circumstances that bring you to your knees and compel you to worship your Creator; but you can learn how to manage your secondary duties efficiently. This does three things:

1. It affords you more time to invest in the souls entrusted to your care.
2. It keeps your home "company-ready," and open for hospitality, whereby some have entertained angels, unaware. (Hebrews 13:2)
3. It teaches your daughters, by your own example, how to care for their own homes one day.

There are thousands of books available to help learn how to organize your home (I'll list my favorites at the end of this post), so I'll keep it short and simply list a few small, but meaningful things that have been a great asset in helping me manage our own home:

Meals for the freezer. 1. Double up when you cook or bake. Get into the habit of cooking extra so you have one meal for dinner and one to put in the freezer or give away. It takes almost no extra time or energy to double (or triple) a recipe and having a healthy "heat-and-serve" meal available on busy days is a great stress reliever! Some of our favorite things to freeze are soups, chili, casseroles, muffins, cookies, and brownies.

Making granola and sweet potato fries in the kitchen while the kids do school at the table. 2. Make supper at breakfast. I try to make my meals in the morning, or at least get some of the prep work done while the kids are doing their independent work at the kitchen table. That way, if school takes longer than normal or we have swimming lessons in the afternoon, 5 o'clock isn't as rushed as it could be.

3. Learn to use the kitchen wonder-tool: your crock-pot! You don't even need to use a recipe. Throw in a frozen cut of meat, a few vegetables and some spices in the morning, cover and set to 'Low,' and you'll have a tender, flavorful meal ready by dinner.

Our "school" cabinet across from the kitchen. The small drawers contain our pencils, markers, crayons, glue sticks, erasers, etc., and the four larger drawers contain our workbooks (one for each child, and one for Mommy). 4. Manage your space efficiently. Don't make yourself walk across the kitchen to retrieve the pepper grinder while you're simmering soup. Keep your baking essentials in a cupboard above the area where your blender is stored; your plates and silverware in closest proximity to your table (or dishwasher, if you have one); the schoolbooks on a shelf or drawer near to where you normally do your lessons (for us, that's the kitchen); the toys where the children play.

An uncluttered house is easier to clean up! 5. Clear the clutter. Get rid of the stuff you wouldn't know was missing if it suddenly disappeared. Donate, re-gift, recycle, or throw out. You'll spend less time trying to organize and clean what you don't need and your home will feel bigger and brighter. Cleaning up their toys will also be less daunting for your children when they have fewer of them to put away (you can read more about the toy storage system for our small house here).

A typical wash day: Charity (4) helps me fold (she's better than I am!), Judah (2) mountain climbs the unfolded pile, and Anna (7 months) watches us for entertainment. 6. Devote specific days to specific tasks. This is not a new idea. For Ma Ingalls and other pioneer women, each day had its own chore:
Wash on Monday. Iron on Tuesday, Mend on Wednesday, Churn on Thursday, Clean on Friday, Bake on Saturday, Rest on Sunday. Nowadays, with machines that speed up a great deal of these things and imported products that are cheaper to buy than make, my list looks a little different but the principle is the same. In addition to homeschooling everyday, I typically do laundry on Monday, groceries on Tuesdays, freezer cooking and baking on Wednesdays, swimming lessons and the bulk of my writing/blog business on Thursdays, housework on Fridays, outside work on Saturdays, rest on Sundays.

7. Multitask. I make dinner while the kids are doing their schoolwork at the kitchen table, check my emails or read aloud when I'm nursing, dust when I have a phone call to make, and review memory work while we're folding laundry.

What I aim to have our kitchen look like before going to bed at night. 8. Clean up the night before. I'm much more excited and motivated to start my day when I wake up to a clean kitchen and a tidy house. Every evening after supper, Brad and I wash and dry the dishes while the kids clean up their toys. They are rewarded with a bedtime story if they get the living room (also our play area) neatly organized before we're finished.

9. Ensure you're are being spiritually fed. You can read the scriptures out loud to your children while you are nursing, sing Psalms at the kitchen sink with your two-year-old, or pray while you're driving. I keep my Bible on my nightstand so it's the first thing I see every morning before starting my day.
"He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:29-31

When I remember to wear one, a pretty apron makes me feel like a real homemaker! My favorite ones come from Flirty Aprons. 10. Dress for the job. There's a reason the corporate world abides by a professional dress code. Dressing for success often leads to success. Your clothes make a strong visual statement about how you view your job. Comfort aids productivity and your personal, creative, feminine style tells the world your role is freeing, not stifling. Decide what you're going to wear the night before and put it next to your bed. Commit to not leaving the bedroom until you're dressed!

If you struggle with the temptation to stay in your robe like I do, I highly recommend reading Frumps to Pumps: Your 1-Month Motivotional to Getting Dressed and Staying That Way by Sarah Mae.

11. Take care of yourself physically. Eat healthy, take your vitamins, get fresh air, shower, go to bed on time, and adopt an attitude of joy that will energize you for the tasks at hand.

My very simple meal plan on a magnetic menu pad I found at Wal-Mart. 12. Meal plan. I'm not a rigid meal-planner, but I like to have a week's worth of dinners written down so I have a general idea of what I can prepare in the morning. It also saves me time and money at the grocery store.

13. Unplug. Turn off your distractions. Consider getting rid of the TV if it keeps you from going to bed on time and get an emergency only plan for your cell phone. Unplug the computer if you won't be needing it for several hours and keep it in an inconvenient location so it's a pain to check Facebook when you're supposed to be homeschooling.

Before and after the kids have cleaned up the living room/play area. 14. Involve the whole family. Managing a home doesn't mean you have to do all the work; it means you are responsible for seeing that the work gets done. Don't assume your children are going to learn how to run a home by osmosis. Let them take responsibility by giving them their own chores, and in the process of teaching them life skills, you will find more time to engage in fun, memorable family activities like hiking, tobogganing, or traveling together.

15. Stay home. Novel concept, isn't it? If too many trips out are keeping you from fulfilling your duties at home, it's time to cut back. I try to set aside one morning a week to do all of my grocery shopping and limit our extra-curricular activities. Currently, we're involved in swimming lessons and leave one other afternoon open for visits to the library, a friend's house, or a field trip. I don't go to Ladies Bible Study at Church and rarely go shopping "just for the fun of it."

My to-do list, decorated by someone who found a pen. 16. Make lists. Remember all of those careers being a homemaker encompasses? Making bite-size lists can do wonders when you're feeling overwhelmed. You can see exactly what needs to be done and get the satisfaction of crossing off a task when it has been completed.
17. Just do the next thing. When your kitchen sink is overflowing with dirty dishes, the floor is sticky, and dinner still needs to be made, just do the next thing. Don't look over your whole list or get side-tracked by thirteen other things that are calling for your attention. Just pick up the dish-brush, fill your sink with hot, soapy water, and do the next thing.

18. Accept help when it is offered and ask for it when it's not. Accepting help is not a sign of weakness or failure; it means you're a human who understands that no one can do it all. Asking for help humbles a person and opens their eyes to the community of believers that God has arranged to encourage and support each other (1 Thessalonians 5:11-13).

If you could recommend one life-altering home management tip, what would it be?

Recommended Resources
These are affiliate links for books I love, which means I make a small commission if you choose to purchase through them, but please don't feel obligated to do so!

• Large Family Logistics by Kim Breneman
• More Hours In My Day by Emilie Barnes
• Saving Dinner Basics by Leanne Ely
• Sink Reflections by Marla Cilley (The FlyLady)
• The Christian Homemaker's Handbook by Pat Ennis
• The Family Manager Takes Charge by Kathy Peel
• The House That Cleans Itself by Mindy Starns Clark

Part 1: Keeping A Growing Home | A Management Series for Moms Part 2: Keeping A Growing Home | Know Your Role! Part 3: Keeping A Growing Home | Making Priorities & 15 Good Things I Don't Do Part 4: Keeping A Growing Home | Time-Saving Home Management Tips Part 5: Keeping A Growing Home | My Daily Schedule

If you enjoyed this post, you may wish to follow Growing Home for updates via Google Friend Connect, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, or have them emailed directly to your inbox.
Linking to: Raising Homemakers, Deep Roots At Home, Raising Arrows, A Wise Woman.,Walking Redeemed, The Better Mom, The Modest Mom, A Mama's Story, We ARE That Family, Raising Mighty Arrows, Hearts For Home, Frugal Homeschool Family,

... is something I've never said, nor believe, but often assumed about me because I advocate homemaking and the role of a stay-at-home mom.

I regularly receive emails and comments from people who are concerned I'm propagating the idea that girls need just enough schooling to get by as a wife and mother. Combine that false assumption with my real disappointment in secular colleges and the effect they have on women, and you'd think I was lobbying for discriminatory practices against my own kind.

I get letters everyday from earnest, sincere, highly-educated Moms that go like this:
"I feel so overwhelmed! Do you have any tips on how to stay on top of everything? My house always looks like a disaster and I just can't seem to figure out a schedule... ""What do you do when your husband wants to start a new business? I'm nervous about the idea and there's tension in our marriage. I know he's supposed to be the leader and I'm supposed to be submissive, how do you deal with this kind of situation?" "Do you have any healthy snack ideas for toddlers? I'm not really handy in the kitchen, but I know sugar isn't good for them so I'm wondering if you have any recommendations... "I'm always surprised to discover these questions typically come from college graduates; teachers, nurses, and others turned homemakers. They have exchanged their diploma for their MRS degree, believing (as I do) that the most important place for a mother is in the home. In the face of cultural opposition, they see the value of a homemaker and understand her importance in light of Scripture.

But they feel lost and overwhelmed. They anticipated this was a role they could just "slip into" when the time came, but now that it's here, they wonder why they invested all those years and all that money into a degree that feels useless.

Why did no one ever encourage them to study how to be a good wife and mother? Isn't it supposed to come naturally? If homemaking doesn't take much thought or foresight, then why this feeling of being caught off guard? How can the most difficult thing they've ever signed up for require no intentional study or preparation? Why don't they offer homemaking degrees? There's a lifetime of material to study here!

What does submission look like? If my husband does something I don't agree with, how do I make an appeal? What system should I use to stay on top of the laundry? How do I decide what's the best method of education for my child? My husband loves steak and potatoes, but I've never grilled before. How do I know when the meat is done?

Our culture tells our girls they need to pursue a degree so they can be independent, and be able to provide for themselves (neither of which are biblical concepts). "Not everyone gets married," they warn, "and not everyone is able to have children."

We encourage them to pour their energies into one career, instead of recommending they study them all. We prepare them for singleness instead of God's normative plan for women: to be wives (love their husbands), mothers (love their children), and homemakers (keepers at home... that the word of God be not blasphemed. Titus 2:3).

Then, they find themselves married. They want to be godly wives but after years and years of being trained to think as an independent rather than a co-dependent, they don't know how. They have children, but not a clue how to raise them. They have a home to manage, but are lost in the logistics of it all.

Homemaking quickly becomes burdensome and frustrating. This "mindless" occupation feminism tried to protect them from is more challenging than they thought. Contrary to popular ideology, it takes a great deal of intelligence and gumption to be a glorious homemaker (see video below for a 2.5-minute look into a stay-at-home Mom's typical day).

3 Queens from Matt Bieler on Vimeo.

How many unhappy marriages, broken homes, miserable, desperate wives, and rebellious children will it take before we admit that intentionally preparing our daughter to be keepers of the home is not just "a nice idea," but a necessary one? Harvey Bluedorn in Teaching the Trivium writes,
"We cannot prepare for all future possibilities. There is only so much time in the day. How is a young woman's best time spent? Should we spend much time preparing for the possibility that she will die in an automobile accident? Obviously not... The independent career woman should neither be the ideal or the norm. Emergencies may require that a woman take on tasks which should ordinarily be considered a man's calling, but a good education and training in all of the skills of a normal family will prepare a woman for almost any emergency. On the other hand, if we prepare our daughters to marry - to have a submissive spirit, to care for others, and rule their homes - then will we be surprised if they become loving wives and mothers with orderly and peaceful homes? Should our daughters never marry, what harm will come from having learned to have a submissive spirit, to care for others, and to rule their homes. Rather how much more good would come!" Chapter 15, pg. 438 (emphasis mine)Should a girl be highly educated?

Yes, yes, YES!

Let her study the culinary arts so she can grill a fine steak and bake a mean loaf of bread for her family.

Let her pursue reading, writing, and rhetoric so she can teach her children with confidence and excellence.

Let her learn all she can about medicine and herbs and vaccines so she can make informed decision regarding her family's healthcare.

Let her study child development and parenting techniques.

Let her explore birthing methods and midwifery so she can deliver her babies without fear.

Let her learn accounting so she can manage the books and balance the budget.

If she learns all these things well, she'll enter motherhood well prepared, and if she never marries, she'll have more than enough tools in her box to "make it on her own."

A godly keeper of the home is vital to a healthy family, which is the fundamental building block in every society. Without strong families, everything falls apart. If we truly want to start reforming our culture, we have to:

• Stop telling our girls that the purpose of their education is their future career
• Stop assuming they'll be the exception to God's normative call for women (Titus 2:3-5; Proverbs 31; Genesis 3:16 )
• Stop insisting that they should be able to provide for themselves (1 Peter 3:7; 1 Timothy 2:13; Ephesians 5:23; 1 Timothy 5:1-16)
• Stop encouraging them to further their studies in places that detract from the end goal
• Stop belittling girls who choose to further their education from home under the protection of their Dads
• Stop putting so much faith in degrees over real life skills and experience.
• Stop saying things like:

"It's nice that you want to be a Mom, but it's just not realistic. Nowadays you need a degree is you want to be able to provide for yourself (which is not necessarily true)."

"It's so cute she wants to be a Mom. That'll change soon enough when she realizes how much work it takes!"

Imagine if virtuous wives weren't so hard to find! Boys would have to be men, and our culture, by God's grace, would be transformed from a familial wasteland where feminism runs amok, to a landscape of beautiful marriages and healthy homes that picture the love between Christ and His Bride.

It's never too early to start preparing our daughters for the glorious future God has in store for them! Currently, we're using The ABC's of Godly Girls Bible Curriculum by Lindsey Stromberg, designed for girls aged 4-11. You can read my full review here.

If you enjoyed this post, you may wish to follow Growing Home for updates via Google Friend Connect, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, or have them emailed directly to your inbox. Linking to: Raising Homemakers, Deep Roots At Home, Raising Arrows, A Wise Woman.,Walking Redeemed,, The Modest Mom, A Mama's Story, We ARE That Family, Raising Mighty Arrows, Hearts For Home, Frugal Homeschool Family Time Warp Wife