Cultivating A More Peaceful Existence

Most of us don't live in a peaceful existence. With noise pollution all around us: phones ringing, televisions and radios blaring, twitter, Facebook, instagram, traffic, bad news; all sorts of things to keep our lives noisy and unsettled.

Be still and know that I am God. 
Psalm 46:10

The Lord will fight for you, and you have 

only to be silent. 
Exodus 14:14

In quietness and trust is your strength. 
Isaiah 30:15

And to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. 
I Thessalonians 4:11,12

We are called to have gentle and quiet spirits. To attain this, we must not only seek to be transformed in our interior lives, but adjust our exterior life in such a way that we cultivate a more peaceful existence. How do we do this?

Spend time daily meditating upon His Word and in prayer. Stop listening to the news since we are to "smile at the future." Be anxious for nothing. Keep our hands busy cleaning clothes, washing dishes, cooking nutritious meals from scratch, staying home, keeping a tidy home, playing with your children, resting, taking hot baths, spending time with your husband, and going to bed early. Working with our hands tends to keep our spirits more tranquil.

Keep many of thoughts to yourself, especially the ones that would only serve to cause discord. Children respond well to quiet days at home. All my children had to be in their rooms for two hours a day resting or reading. Quietness is treasured by God. It doesn't come natural to most of us but the rewards of a peaceful spirit are indescribable.

Laine's Letters And Paying Off Debt, Part 4

In March of 2004, Laine wrote a letter titled Fifty Ways We Paid Off Our House On One Income and her husband never made more than $29,000 in a year! I am continuing on in this series. If you have missed any, you can begin HERE.

17 ~ I've learned to be very thankful and content. They're both infectious, you know. "Be content with such things as you have" (Hebrews 13:5).  I lived for three months when I was seventeen in a Muslim household in Tunisia, North Africa without a place to bathe in the house, without a washer and dryer, without a car, without a refrigerator, without a phone, without screens on the windows {flies everywhere}, without a flushing toilet or toilet paper, without a dishwasher or even a nice sink. The cooking was done on a little hot plate. The weather was hot, hot, hot. The milk came in a horse drawn cart with flies all around it. If we needed some tomato paste, we bought it in tablespoon increments. Nothing was wasted, because money was scarce. 

In America, we would considered this family so very poor. But in their country they were middle class. I think about my living conditions there a lot. Especially when I am taking a nice, hot bath. I have so much to be thankful for. So much to be content about. It was the hardest summer of my life. But it was one summer that I learned the most, which has served me well in marriage. My husband says I'm one of the most contented women he knows. I only have to think of my stay in Tunisia, and I am totally content. "Let your manner of life be without covetousness, and be content with such things as you have, for He has said, 'I will never leave you, nor forsake you.' So that we may boldly say, 'The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do to me."

18 ~ I often tell my kids, "it's not the amount of money that comes in, rather how it goes out that counts." So many people think that if they have more money, they would be better off. When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to look on?  (Ecclesiastes 5:11) Rather: "Godliness with contentment is great gain" (I Timothy 6:6).

I have lived in this house with holes in my flooring, carpeting that's ripping up or has holes in it, sinks that are in rough shape, a tub with slight cracks in it, windows that are foggy because the panes are permanently damaged, the same couches for 16 years {and they were used when we bought them}, and numerous other things. Our house is hot, hot in the summer and cold, cold in the winter due to poor insulation. But I've learned to live with all of it, and to be so thankful. I keep two rooms warm in the winter with a kerosene heater and a fireplace. A curtain keeps the heat in our kitchen in the winter. It's my "winter look." The fireplace keeps the living room warm. It's so cozy in there. I can keep the house cool in the summer by running our whole house fan early in the morning with all the windows open, then shutting everything up and draping cooling shades over the main windows. The fans do the rest. It's amazing how you learn to work with an old house over the years

I really enjoy fixing this home up. I love my flooring, holes and all. I have throw rugs all over my ripped up carpet. And I paint, patch, and design the rest with quilts, tea cups and tea pots, family photos that I took antiques bought at the thrift shop, doilies, lots of lace, beautiful smelling candles, a fire going in the fireplace, and keeping my home clean and fresh smelling. It doesn't cost a lot to do that. I try to take the load off my husband by making his home as welcoming and comforting as I can on a dime. We sleep 7 1/2 to 8 hours a night so I try to have all our beds nice and cozy. Likewise, we eat three times a day. So this is another area that I try to spend our money wisely. It is for health, comfort, and economy. Not easy, but the Lord shows me the way. I love learning from Him! It's really the simple things that bring so much pleasure.

PART 5
All of Laine's Letters

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Extremely Messy Homemakers

When I was growing up, my mom had a very dear friend who she was very close to.  She was a terrible housekeeper, however.  When I would babysit, I would clean the kitchen for her and it would take hours.  Everything was a mess.  It would be a terrible place to live in.

When my children were growing up, we had a neighbor who was the same way.  I sent a young woman who was helping me when I had four small children and Ken was traveling half the year to clean her house one time.  She said it was terrible.  She found dog poop on the floor, it was infested with fleas, and smelled badly.  My children detested the days that she was the driver for the carpool.  Her car smelled like vomit and it was trashed.

One of the reasons for being a keeper at home is to take care of the home, to keep it neat and tidy.  It is important to train your children help you keep it this way.  I realize that it is MUCH more difficult when you have small children and it is almost impossible to keep the house orderly but simply do what you can with the energy you have.  Get rid of clutter.  We don't need nearly as many things as we have.  Your children don't need many toys. God is a God of order and discipline and we must strive to be this way also.  

However, spending time raising godly children is much more important than a perfectly spotless home.  These are from the words of Marilee Horton, "I had another friend who kept the messiest house in town, rarely got a meal together on time, ironed what clothes the children needed right before the school bus came.  While maintaining better control than that is important to me it wasn't to her.  Every day when the kids go home she sat and leisurely listened to their chatter.  With four children this could take hours,  all the 'time-killing' made me nervous but in the long run I learned a valuable lesson from her.  The art of communication takes time and when the children feel they are worth it, the atmosphere is set at secure."

I still think a mother should do everything she can to keep her home as neat and tidy as possible by not wasting time watching television and playing on the computer!

But all things should be done decently and in order.

I Corinthians 14:40

Dancing On The Potty

Ken and I were walking to the park with Emma about six months ago. I told her that if she would go potty on the potty, she would be able to take ballet classes with Aunt Alyssa. She immediately responded, "When I grow up, I'm going to dance on the potty!" Well, last week she wanted me to go with her when she went potty on the potty. While she was sitting on it, low and behold, she started wiggling around as hard as she could and exclaimed, "I'm dancing on the potty!" and I am sure she never saw that cartoon above.

One night when Erin and the children were sleeping here since Ken and Ryan were out of town, there was a huge thunderstorm. Well, huge for Southern California. There was one loud thunderclap in the middle of the night. It woke Emma up and scared her so she went to sleep by her mommy. About 2:00 a.m. she woke her mommy up and informed her that she was going downstairs now to play with Grandma!

Ryan recently showed me a video he had taken of the children that morning. Emma was trying to put baby Kenny on her doll stroller. The first time was an utter failure. She had him in her arms and down they all went with the stroller. The second time was a success. After Kenny was securely in the stroller, she pushed him around their home and Kenny was as happy as can be in Emma's doll stroller!

Children sure bring laughter to the home. I remember continually laughing at the funny things my children did when they were young. These years go by so quickly. I know they are tiring and mothers of young children are constantly exhausted but the Lord will give you the strength you need to do what He has called you to do. Call upon Him continually asking Him for strength and wisdom.

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Psalm 127:3-5