Tuesday, February 19, 2013

What's in a Name

This blog has been through a couple of name changes over the last few years as I've entered new seasons of life. It started as "Living as a Christian Woman in a Fallen World," then "My Life as a Christian Wife and Mom," and now "Looking Well."

I call my blog "Looking Well" not because I feel this is a strength of mine but because in this season of my life, my main focus (second to the Lord, of course) is learning to "look well" to the ways of my household, that is balancing two young children, a husband, and managing the household. It has definitely been a process of trial and error. I did not learn to manage a household as a child. I grew up in a home where academics and "not being dependent on a man" were emphasized. My mom was still responsible for 99% of the housework despite working a full-time job, while my father would generally come home and relax. After a hard day at school and doing homework (and being the bratty little thing that I was), I decided that if my dad got to relax, so did I. I pouted, stalled, and often overtly defied my parents' requests for help around the house and anything I did do was with an extremely poor attitude. Man, is that past sinfulness coming back to bite me now.

Learning to balance my roles as Christian, wife, mother, and home manager has honestly been more difficult than I ever imagined it would be. College and grad school PALE in comparison. I figured out a system for myself in a relatively short period of time and the system worked. Because I lived on my own and had nobody else to worry about, my natural Type A, perfectionistic bent (i.e. if I'm going to do anything, I'm going to make sure I do it "right") was actually an asset. Being a stay-at-home mom has so many other variables, that I frequently find myself overwhelmed because things RARELY go "as planned." When that happens I frequently end up eating several loaves of "the bread of idleness." If I can't do it right, then I will put it off until I can. This, of course leads to things piling up. Thankfully, the Lord has been working on me. I've made a home management binder (since no other planner I've tried to use has been just right :P) and it has definitely been helping keep me more on-track, but I'm still so far from where I want to be. I know I need to be patient and let the Lord work.

Oh well, I have a little girl here who is asking for her pre-bed snack, so I guess I had better wrap this up.

Mrs. P.

I'm linked up at Raising Homemakers  Serving Joyfully's Thriving Thursdays Wise-Woman-Builds Photobucket

6 comments:

  1. so true.. and not only affects us, sadly it influences our dear wee ones in negative ways..
    may you be blessed in your journey to freedom! and may your children enjoy the fruit of that choice..

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  2. I like that...a journey to freedom. It really is a journey to freedom - freedom from feminism and worldly ideas, anger and bitterness, worry and fear - as the Lord guides me in looking well to the ways (and people) of my household.

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  3. I, too, was raised in that type of household, although my mom remarried when I was 12 and married a wonderful man who really supported her and helped out around the house. I still was raised to believe that homemaking was a punishment, that relying on a spouse was a death sentence, and that you must be able to fend for yourself. Thankfully I found the Lord through my husband! Many blessings to you and your family!! Am newly following you from Thriving Thursdays :)

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  4. I'm at the other end of your journey - my kids are grown and gone. I hear you about wanting to be a Godly wife and mother.

    What our kids talk about now that they're grown are the days (not many, but a few) where we were in our pajamas and all read in front of the fire for the day, or when we just ditched our homeschool plans and took a field trip.

    Can I share something with you? (that I wish someone would have told me 20 years ago ...)

    - Be kind to yourself. With God's grace it'll all work out. What you find yourself unable to "do" - God can cover. -

    with love - Lori

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  5. A wonderful post! I couldn't agree more. I worked 80 hours a week and it was so much easier than being a mom, wife and home manager!

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  6. I grew up the same way. Isn't it funny how, in searching for freedom and independence, the feminist way of life actually binds one even more? How freeing it is to live a Godly life alongside one's husband, being the homemaker we're called to be.

    Thanks for linking up this past week. I'll have the new party up later this afternoon and would love to have you back!

    Have a happy day,
    Mrs. Sarah Coller

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