Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Embracing Your Role as Help Meet and an eBook Giveaway from Time Warp Wife!

I know I've written before about my personal attachment to Proverbs 31 and Titus 2. These references are used a lot in Christian circles and it's my hope that you (and I) never get over the commandments and truths produced in these beautiful works of scripture as they are critical pieces to our daily operation as women of God.

The ink was still wet on my college diploma when my husband and I went to the altar at age 22. I had the husband I always wanted, the beautiful wedding I always wanted, the charming little first house I always wanted, and the power job I always wanted. What else did I really need to know or do? It was time to just...live life. Right? Wrong. I remember hearing a lot about I Cor 13 around the time of our nuptials, but I can't remember ever hearing the first word about Proverbs 31 or Titus 2 - explicit instruction given to wives and mothers. And, that's really unfortunate. I Cor 13 tells us what love is and isn't, but Proverbs 31 and Titus 2 tells us how to live out that love and how it manifests through a Christlike heart. During the early years of marriage and for the majority of my life as mom, I was still seeking fulfillment in a career. I was trying to do it all, but being so over-committed, I really didn't do much at all.

I began looking at all of my responsibilities like a flower garden. I was tending each area enough to allow it to survive, but none were really flourishing. Some areas (my home, family, and relationship with Christ) needed water, fertilizer and attention. Other areas just needed to be pruned a little. Some areas (my career) needed to be ripped up and sent to the compost pile. Once I took care of the pruning and composting, I immediately went to work at home as a full-time mom and wife - using the conviction and direction of Christ to help the garden grow. Without the other distractions, I've been able to enjoy this time with a happy heart more than I ever imagined. Some people say it takes a special person to stay home with children; I say it takes a special God. Without influence from the Lord, I wouldn't have come to realize my inadequacies and where my true responsibilities needed to be. All of that said, I absolutely do not condemn any woman that works outside the home. I know that sometimes it's a necessity and Proverbs 31 instructs us to be hard workers, that's clear. This is all I beg of you...evaluate your priorities regularly. Make sure that the value of your soul is in Christ alone who drives you to take care of your family and home first, and not in the value of your annual salary.

Shortly after I joined the ranks of stay-at-home-momdom, I realized there was still a lot I didn't know, that's where one of my new favorite books comes in. The Good Wife's Guide: Embracing Your Role as a Help Meet (By Darlene Schacht) really gave me wise and practical counsel during those early days back at home. She breaks down the heart work involved with caring for your family as a woman of God (the whys) and then the hard work (the hows). In the first section, Darlene is quick to identify with readers, sharing her own challenges as unnatural housekeeper turned domestic diva only by God's grace. She's extremely relatable and candid in her writing; many parts of her book read like a heart-to-heart with a good friend. The second section is a practical guide for keeping house. As someone who's also domestically challenged (and has also been known to have more clothes on the floor than in drawers) this is just what I needed to direct my actions. She provides many lists for chores, frugality, upkeep, and simplifying homemaking. I would buy and recommend the book for this section alone.

Because Darlene (aka Time Warp Wife) is such a sweet lady who desperately wants to serves others and share the truth of what God commands us to do as wives and moms, she's agreed to give away The Good Wife's Guide, in eBook form to two of my readers. If you'd like to register to win a copy of this awesome ebook, you can do so via the no-fuss Rafflecopter widget below. a Rafflecopter giveaway

27 comments:

  1. Sounds like a good one. I always need help in the area of being a good/better help meet. (I love that term by the way - it was the term used in our wedding by my pastor. You don't hear it too much b/c it's deemed "too oppressive".) Thanks for the giveaway :)

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  2. Looking forward to reading this one - especially for the practical guide - ANYTHING I can do to make the upkeep quicker and easier!! :)

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  3. I never thought about it until you just said it but it IS odd that no one talks about proverbs 31 or titus 2 during our around weddings... weird!!!!

    I have been wanting to read this book for awhile now... figers crossed! hehehe

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  4. I think you touched on something really important, and that is so many of us enter into marriage clueless about what being married actually means. Loving and cherishing your husband is a daily choice and effort! Raising children with the time, energy, love, and guidance needed is a learning process. Thanks for sharing your heart, and for doing this giveaway; Time Warp Wife is a wonderful ministry.

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  5. I am a wife and mother returning to the home for the second time; however, this time is proving more difficult as this time I was very career driven. My competitive nature is proving to be my biggest foe. I beleive I coukd benefit from Darlenes perspective.

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  6. Love the post and giveaway!

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  7. I would LOVE to win a copy of this book! I, too, am domestically challenged and would love to get some great biblical encouragement.

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  8. I ♥ anything to enhance my calling as a wife and mother. Pick me!

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  9. Any encouragement on how to be a better wife and mother would be a blessing!

    Ginger Jimenez

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  10. I've come full circle in home-keeping. I went from a stay at home minister's wife to one as a mother of 3. Then when my kids were in high school, I felt the call to go back to work part time. Quickly that turned into full time. Last year, after working outside the home for 5 years, I was unexpectedly downsized. My "too old for a mother" teen and 20-somethings, were delighted! What a shock! They now knew that they needed me.
    I'm delighted to say that I'm home with no plans to return to work fulltime. And I'm busy enough tending to my family, extended family, home and church family. If you feel the call to be a full time wife/mommy, God will honour the call! Just listen and obey and your marriage and family will reap both physical and spiritual benefits that no pay cheque can ever, ever repay! God bless

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  11. Been wanting this book. THanks for the opportunity to win it.

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  12. I have been wanting to read this book for a long time! Thanks for the opportunity :-)

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  13. Thanks for the giveaway, would love to win this ebook

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  14. I first heard the phrase "Help Meet" in another book about the subject many years ago (the title and author escape me). The book was eye opening, but I wished I would have taken notes. Darlene's book would be a welcome way for me to better understand the principles of being a Help Meet. Maybe this time they will stick!

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  15. Oh, this resonates so well with what God has brought me through these last 11 years of marriage and 5 children later. I would love to be encouraged by another like-minded mom!

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  16. As a mother of a 3 and 1 year old, I really appreciate advice on taking care of my family and keeping up with the home. :)

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  17. I sure would love to win this book. I feel like I need to read it. Thanks for offering this giveaway. nannypoo@triad.rr.com

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  18. Sounds like this would be a good book to give to a new bride. I'd like to read it myself first thought. :)

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  19. thanks. always need to grow!

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  20. KimberlyHull@hotmail.com5/13/12, 8:51 PM

    We don't have any children, but I sure need to learn more about being the wife God wants me to be. I think it can be more difficult for someone who's been single most of her adult life and finally married for the first time in her early 40s (like me).

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  21. I hvae a copy of the book already but really weanted to share what a blessing this post was to me today. God gave you these words last week because He knew how much I would need it today. Threw myself quite the hissy-fit out of frustrations over many different things that all piled on my heart today..
    Ever thankful that we serve a God of forgiveness and grace as well as a family who loves me through my faults and failures.

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  22. Something I probably should have read years ago...

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  23. I was raised by a single working mother and never was taught how to be a stay at home mom. On top of that it never occurred to me to be a help meet until years into my marriage. I am now the mom of 7 beautiful children with an additional 5 in heaven praying for us. I would love to have some help in this area that I struggle with greatly!

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  24. I hope I win. I love all of Darlene's stuff. It is so encouraging.

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  25. Thank you for this opportunity! I'm always looking for better ways to be a help meet for my husband.

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Have something to share? I'd love to hear it!