Spring 2008

Dear Friends,

Spring has certainly arrived here in North Florida! It’s a beautiful time of year with azaleas and dogwood trees blooming. Along with all the new blooms comes the pollen. I love to open the windows this time of the year, but when the pollen count is high, we have to close them and take measures to reduce the pollen inside.

For tips on Spring cleaning to reduce allergens, click here .

You’ll find many helpful articles in my Online Letter Archives.

I often get requests for apron patterns after people see my Grandma’s lovely gingham aprons. I have seen some vintage apron patterns in pattern books at the fabric store, but availability seems to change often. I just found a wonderful website with 56 free apron patterns. You’ll find everything from children’s aprons to clothespin aprons, vintage aprons and craft aprons… and so many more. Take a look at
http://tipnut.com/56-free-apron-patterns-you-can-make/

You’ll find a gingham apron pattern, and illustrated embroidery stitches, at http://www.craftandfabriclinks.com/apron_embroidered/embroidered_apron_pattern.html

Click on "Embroidery Stitch Glossary" for illustrated directions of various stitches, and check out their Sewing Center, Craft Center, and other areas of the website.

One of our website visitors shared another helpful site with me. Nichole, at http://heart4myhome.blogspot.com shares recipes her family enjoys. Many of them have step-by-step photos that Nichole has taken. Very helpful; thank you, Nichole! On her site, go to “Topics of Interest” in the sidebar, and click on “Homemaking & Recipes”. You’ll find many other helpful topics too: Devotionals and Bible Study, Crafts, Coupons, Free or Nearly Free Stuff, Grocery and Money Management, and Home Canning, to name a few.

Ladies, you know there are so many helpful websites, books and even the Food channel on TV where we can learn from some excellent chefs. All of these are resources that can help us cook and care for our family. There is no lack of how-to information out there! Often we need more than “how-to” – we need “want-to.” We can have all the skills in the world, but unless we have a servant’s heart, we won’t use those skills in service for our Lord and our family.

I’ve noticed a number of articles lately with a similar theme: Men are lazy and husbands need to do more around the house; women should not be “slaves” to their family; everyone is equal and should do an equal amount of work around the house.

Ladies, we need to stop being influenced by the worldly culture around us and spend more time seeking to be like our Lord and Savior. To think Biblically, we must spend more time reading and studying God’s word, and less time complaining and comparing ourselves to others – and less time adding up how much we do around the house to see if it’s equal to what we think our husbands should do at home!

The Bible is God’s word to us; His personal, loving instruction on how we are to live. We need to not only read it, but then *apply* it to our daily lives. Here are some verses to prayerfully consider and then apply to our lives, especially in regard to our work at home:

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant,… He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Philippians 2:5 – 8

“Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Mark 8:34

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself… does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; … (love) bears all things, …endures all things. Love never fails.” I Corinthians 13: 4 – 8

“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Colossians 3:17

I pray that each of you will know the joy that comes from obeying our Lord, following Him, and joyfully serving Him by serving your family. Besides reading your Bible, here are two books you will find helpful. Use the search box on the left side of this page; type in the title and press “Go” to find these books at Christian Book Distributors.

The Excellent Wife: A Biblical Perspective, by Martha Peace

Passionate Housewives Desperate for God, by Jennie Chancey & Stacy McDonald


Until next time ~

Yours in Him,

 

Copyright, 2005, Laurie Latour.  www.FutureChristianHomemakers.com

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