Homemaking & Slow Living| A Path to Peace and Purpose

The cool air brushed against my face. As I lifted my warm stone mug, the scent of freshly brewed coffee summoned me. Another heavenly sunrise painted the blue sky with shades of pastel pink and orange. The birds nestled high in the cedars singing harmoniously lulled my anxious spirit. I sat quiet and still. Reflection settled on my heart, weighty and impenetrable. It is always in the wee morning hours when my life begins to find me, which caused me to question the direction it was currently heading and the destination I longed for. Philippians 4 verses 6 through 8 reads, do not be anxious about anything but in every situation by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your request to God and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things. This week was heavy with what happened here in Kentucky as well as what happens in our world every day. I try not to become too entangled in the media and this week reminded me why. When I'm on my patio sipping my coffee, gazing out at God's creation and watching his beauty unfold every day, I'm thinking about such things as mentioned in Philippians 8. I'm set apart from the world with the rest of my Christian brothers and sisters and my destination will one day be heaven. But while I'm in here living in this world, I can choose to be light in the darkness. We do live our lives at a slower pace and there is a why behind that. What we see so many times on media is the thief of joy and we are told in 1 Peter chapter 5 verse 8, be sober, be vigilant because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. I am not trying to instill fear in any hearts but mindfulness. The Bible is the living word of God and when walls come crumbling down in our lives, I believe the living word of God gives us the manual to rebuild, to change direction, to choose a new path and to ultimately choose to live our lives for the glory of the Lord. Our channel is dedicated to family. I believe and I've said before that being a homemaker and pouring my heart into my home is my calling and there is a why behind that. I want a slow and unhurried life. I want to swing my children to stop and see the world through their eyes, to help guide them, nurture them and train them up in the way they should go. When God gifts us with parenthood, I believe we have to rise to the occasion. When God gifts us with a family, I believe we need to give our family our all every day, day in and day out. For me, that means having zero outside distractions. I'm not perfect and neither is my family but my goal in this life is to create for my family a place where they are seen, loved and cared for. I know that God will walk with me through this season of life, help me, comfort me, guide me. I am so thankful for that. I believe that we have the choice to make. We allow our lives to get so busy that we miss the everyday blessings that are gifts from above. When we slow down for a few minutes and become more intentional with our lives, our eyes start to see the beauty that is all around us. Our anxiousness fades away and we find solitude in the stillness and the slowness and God's peace which surpasses all understanding guards our hearts and minds. I find that when I'm in my kitchen using my hands to cook breakfast or bake a bread or dessert, I start to calm. I am moving slowly and I'm taking my time to create something that will nourish my family and myself. It is while doing these everyday somewhat mundane tasks that I feel the most serenity. While the world around us can be chaotic and scary at times, we can choose to create an atmosphere within the walls of our homes that will be a light to all around us. That is the beauty of being a homemaker. Doing things more slowly like cooking from scratch can seem intimidating at first and it can feel overwhelming to get started but after some trial and error it can actually turn into the thing that brings you the most comfort. I think we can all agree that nothing brings comfort quite like a warm buttered biscuit on a cool fall morning. We all love breakfast in my home and it seems like that is a better time for us to sit down together and connect. I tend to make a big breakfast more on the weekends than during the weekdays and my most favorite Saturday mornings are the ones where we are all gathered around the table just enjoying some biscuits and gravy. The kids are happy and alert and we are all rested and excited for the day. It's a blessing and I don't want to ever forget that. Choosing a slow life may mean some big changes for you and your family. We've been living off of one income for so long now and at first it was very difficult for us. I remember we canceled television and some other things when I first came home from work to be with my oldest son. We didn't eat out or go out much because we couldn't afford to and we definitely didn't take trips or vacations but I never felt like we were lacking. In fact, I felt that God placed on my heart his peace more than anything during that time as a new mother. He reminded me daily that even though it was difficult some days, I was right where I needed to be. In this season of life, I am still happily home serving my family, having grown in my confidence as a mother and homemaker, learning to be a better wife, managing my home with care, keeping myself within healthy boundaries with the world around me and living a slow and simple but fulfilling life. I pray that if you are in a season of transition in your own life that you can seek and find with God's help the areas where you need to change, maybe areas where you need to learn to say no to some things or cut back. We only have so much time with our children while they are young and we won't ever get that time back. Just pray about where God wants you in this current season. I know he will guide your heart to the right place. When I am struggling with direction, I always ask myself the question of when I am an old woman looking back over the course of my life, what am I going to remember? What is going to matter most to me? How do I want to know that I lived my life? The answer to myself has always been to live my life according to what God says is right and true because at the end of my life, I'll be standing before him and I want to value the gift of marriage and parenthood and I don't want to take that for granted. I want to pour my heart into my family every day. I know one day when I'm reminiscing on these things, I will not be upset with myself for those choices.