A book Blog...by Katie Metcalf

Hey all,
Here is another woman's thoughts from the book, Heave at Home Thanks for sharing Katie!

Hope everyone enjoys, it is encouraging to see the Lord at work in the Homes of Wives and Moms!

In the beginning she talks about the woman setting the tone for the home. That my attitude will be reflected in my family members actions. If I am stressed out then I will take it out on them and they will in return reflect that attitude. I have noticed this at school, so I am sure it is that same at home. The sad thing is that the stress that I feel is due to my lack of getting things done or planned. I can point to Derek all day long, but in the end there are so many little things that I could have done to have made the situation better. And more importantly it is a lack of trust in God. Instead of just stopping and thinking that there is a reason I am in this place I choose to have a horrible attitude.

There was so much on the leadership of our husbands and our submission to them in that. One thing that I have been trying to work on is to follow Derek in all areas unless it is obviously sin. This may sound easy to you, but it is oh so hard for me. Esp. with the little areas. I tend to always voice my options, even it is something so small as to whether or not we should leave the porch light on. Sure isn't a sin to turn it off, so why do I argue it so passionately? Those are the silly things I struggle with. And yet again it is showing my lack of trust in God. It is me doubting that He is big enough to work in Derek and that I must step in and make something amazing happen. Yikes, I am quite the prideful person!!

I like how she said that when we are upset about something we should think about 2 things.
What I did wrong in the situation (not the other person)
Things about that person that we love and that are praiseworthy.
The importance of focusing on things that are good and true and not all the reasons that I think it is ok for me to pout about the situation. My pastor always says that we need to Preach to ourselves and not listen to ourselves. I so often what to convince myself that I am the person who has been wronged and it is ok for me to act the way that I am. But in all honesty I need to be preaching the gospel to myself and thinking of all the sins I have committed against the Lord and how All of them have been forgiven. It is sad when I do this and still find it hard to forgive. I am such a stubborn person!!

I enjoyed all the chapters on parenting as well. I didn't realize they were there so it was fun to come across them at a point when I would know that I would soon be needing them.

My favorite chapter far and beyond was the last one. I loved her thoughts on hospitality. I loved how she realized that the picture she once had of what hospitality looks like has so drastically changed. It honestly brought me to tears as I read about her friend's home that she found so much comfort in. How often I worry about the silly things with my house that mean nothing to others when they come to visit. I would love for our home to be a place like she described. A place where people just know that they can stop by anytime of day and know that it will not bother us. That we would love to be able to have them anytime and not just when everything is put in order etc. It was very convicting to me when she talked about not ever hearing her friend apologize for how her home looked. She just welcomed them in and said nothing more about her home. I am so quick to say "sorry for the mess." I do it so often that I will catch myself saying it even when things are not messy at all! After reading this chapter I asked Derek to keep me in check in this area. That I would not only say that we can have people over when the house seems orderly, but that anytime it could Serve Others, that we would jump on that occasion. And that he would tell me when I allow the awful words " I am sorry about my house" to come out. That I would not apologize, but instead be so grateful for all that the Lord has provided. And sometimes it will be a good reminder that I am slacking in the area of a homemaker and needing to be back on track with that. God is good at keeping us inline in very creative ways :)