Missing My Matriarch's

A matriarch is defined in the dictionary as a “strong senior woman, usually a grandmother, who is highly respected by her family and to whom the family turns for advice and help.”

November is a hard time for me, because Mother died November 27th. I am terribly reflective, emotional, and extremely withdrawn during this time. This year, though, I am finding that I am not just missing Mother I am missing the matriarch’s in my family. I think because I am now trying to teach my little girl about how to become a lady, run a household, and take care of others I wish I still had my matriarch’s for wise counsel. With no mother, grandmother, aunt, or sister for advice I feel like I am floundering at times.

Below are the matriarch’s that have gone on to their heavenly reward. They passed away as they are pictured (from left to right). Vicky – my cousin; Aunt Mary Ann – my mother’s sister; Grandmother – my mother’s mother; and my Mom - Janet.

He's Alive!!

You know some days you just have moments that will stick with you forever.

Our afternoon reading time is usually my favorite time of the day. I put Shelton down for his nap in my bed and I sit next to him and read aloud while Abby plays with her dolls in the floor next to our bed. So yesterday we were finishing up the book of Matthew and I started reading about the crucifixion. I started getting emotional and was afraid Abby might do the same (she is very much like me in that she is a contagious crier) when all of a sudden she gets up and puts her little hand on my arm. I’m thinking she is probably going to say something like “don’t cry” or something along those lines instead she says “Its okay. He’s alive.” Oh, how I love children!

Books, Books, Books!

I love books. I love to be surrounded by them. I love the way a new books smells. Bookstores are my friends, or sometimes enemies since we don’t really have one locally that will carry the books we Christian moms are desperately searching for. I love the book hunt – finding great books that you want to read as well as read to your children. I love the book domino effect. This is when you are reading something and that references another book and then you go to that book and it leads you to another jewel of a book. Aahh!! So I thought I would share some of the books I am reading currently. Yes, I said books because I can’t just read one (they are like potato chips or doritios in my case.) I thought it was interesting that half of these books were written around 100 years ago or more. Where have all the good books gone? You just have to search the out-of-print, re-printed after 100 years books. There seems to be resurgence to these books so – go publishers!

The Bible – for the children I like the International Children’s Bible (keep in mind I have young children) and for me I am currently using the NIV but for intense study I like the one that has 4 versions in one (it is easier than having 4 Bible’s in front of me.)
Hints on Child Training – by H. Clay Trumbull. If anyone knows our family this is something I am constantly reading. It was first written in 1890.
Home Education – by Charlotte Mason. This is the first of a six volume set and it will probably take me 6 years to go through the entire set. This book was first written in 1925. This is a book you really have to take in tiny bites. You will want to rush through because you want to be a little Charlotte Mason (or is that just me?) but it is really too much information for a cram session.
Stepping Heavenward – by Elizabeth Prentis. First written in 1869. I love this book so far. I have read (actually in the testimony portion of the book) that this is a life changing book for Christian women. If it is changing me for the Lord, bring it! The testimony went so far as to say “The impact of this book has been so profound that most women reorder this book in multiple copies to give to their friends.” This is a Lamplighter book for those who are looking.
The Charlotte Mason Companion – by Karen Andreola. What a book! Thank you April for sending me her way. I love, love anything that Karen Andreola writes. I also highly recommend Pocketful of Pinecones and the 2nd book in that series Lessons at Blackberry Inn. I don’t even know where to begin to rave about these books so I will just say read them! Read them all!
The Vision – by Debi Pearl. This is a fiction work of hers. The first in a series of what is called The Last Publishers. All I can say so far is it is different than probably anything you have ever read before. At first it made me very uncomfortable but I have settled into it now. I have just cracked the first 100 pages so I will update you once I have finished.
Lastly – The Excellent Wife – by Martha Peace. Okay, ladies this is the book I have been blogging about. I am still not finished with this book because it is one of those books that brings great introspection and my natural inclination is that I don’t want to “work on me” I would rather relax with a good book. I have just finished part 1 and there are 4 parts so I am still not willing to give my take on it yet. I will let you all be the judge. This is probably the only book that I have listed that you can actually check out from the library.

I hope you all enjoyed my commentary. I love to find new books and hopefully I have led you to some today.

A bicycle built for two

So we all know that I have been reading this book about how to be a better wife. Well, it is funny when you start doing something like this because God starts putting things in your path that constantly remind you of your goal. The following was in my home school day planner for the month of September and I thought it was too good not to share with you all:

You and your husband on a bicycle built for two.

If I throw my weight around, we wobble and swerve.

My initial “seasickness” eases when I quit resisting and let him lean the bike into curves and turns in the path.

I often feel as if I’m not really adding much to the effort. But I must be doing my part, because if I lift my feet, he feels it and asks, “Are you still there?”

My instinct is to press harder on the pedals to make sure I’m carrying my share of the load. But when I do, he says, “Slow down. Don’t push me so fast.”

Looking over his shoulder, I can see a lot of what he sees, but not what’s immediately in front of us. Good thing he’s the one steering, braking, and changing gears. On the other hand, I’m more free to look around and point out the mile markers and the turtles basking on a log.

I can’t brake or steer, but I do have the power to stop the bike and ruin the ride. If I stand still on the pedals and refuse to move, he can’t make them turn.

I love it when we’re on level ground and using a gear that sets a slow, steady pedaling that surges us forward. But I need warning when he changes to a setting that requires foot strokes. When I’m caught off guard, my feet are slung from the pedals and it’s a trick to get them back in place without snarling the progress up a steep hill.

When I realize I am gripping the handlebars, I have to remind myself, “Let go! You’ve always wanted to ride ‘no hands.’ Now you can!”

When I’m ready to turn back, he’s aiming for one more mile marker. When I am ready to finish easy, he says, “Let’s see if we can beat our record.” With that kind of encouragement, I do what never would have happened if I’d been on my own.

Near the end, when I see one more hill, I open my mouth to say, “Let me off. I’ll walk up.” Then I realize how foolish we’d look, me plodding alone and him trying to keep the bike going by himself. So I shut up and keep pedaling.

And I discover that, when we pedal together, impossible inclines become possible.

That really made me realize that it's not all that hard to live Ephesians 5:22-24.
"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and He is the savior of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing."

Laides our husbands have an awesome responsibility. Instead of working against them work with them.

Excellent Wife

Okay, so lately I have been convicted of studying more on how to be a better wife (I can hear the gasps – slight sarcasm there). While the Bible is ALWAYS the first place you should go I wanted a “guide” to help me pull together all the great verses and explain to my stubborn self some of the, hard to wrap my tiny head around, verses. I have read reviews on books, briefly skimmed some that were borrowed about being a good wife, and none really grabbed my attention until this one. She immediately got me when in the first chapter she said “Submissive!? Me, be a submission wife? With an angry yell, I picked up the Bible and threw it directly at my friends who had been witnessing to me.” Okay, if this lady can get it together surely there is hope for me. I am not going to recommend it until I completely finish it yet but it is jam packed with scripture and she isn’t preaching to me about how far from the Proverbs 31 woman I am she is guiding me in the right direction to getting to a comfortable place AS A Proverbs 31 woman. My favorite thing, so far, that she has said is “Many women have a desire to be the excellent wife of Proverbs 31 they just don’t think it is possible, at least not for them.” Yes!! Yes!!! That is what I needed. So remember my Proverbs 31 friends and Titus 2 sisters we can do all things through Christ, remember!

“Teach older women to be holy in the way they live. . . They should teach what is good. In that way they can teach younger women to love their husbands and children. They can teach younger women to be wise and pure, to take care of their homes, to be kind, and to obey their husbands. Then no one will be able to criticize the teaching God gave us.” Titus 2:3-5

Planning

Okay, so a very good friend of my gently suggested I might want to update my blog. So, here it goes.

I love to plan and I love to help others plan things, especially home school. I especially get drawn into any Charlotte Mason teaching books. I imagine my home filled with children reading on the floor, couches, beds, chairs (you get the picture right).

I love books, so naturally when I start planning the home school year I am simply drawn into the love of learning and what books we can read (notice I said “we” because the best part of home school is you get to learn too.) I also just received my new planner for the school year. Gang, it is the best! It is called The Well-Planned Day and it simply has everything you need for up to 4 children to plan their days, as well as yours. So I know that it is okay to plan ahead and be prepared, but what I fall short of doing is forgetting to actually live out and implement the things I have so meticulously planned for. It seems that I am always living in the future but never living through the day. I sometimes look at the clock and think the day has flown by. I forget to just relax and live in the moment, letting God guide me through the day instead of forcing the day. I know you mom’s know what I mean.

“God wants us to live today while today is here, without worrying about the past or future. He wants to us to wait on him for direction. So, planning is okay, but we must make sure that our plans follow God’s path for us and our family.”

Psalm 27:14 – “Wait for the Lord’s help. Be strong and brave and wait for the Lord’s help.”

My I-story

Okay, okay. Some of my team members have asked me, what is an I-story and why is it so important to write one down and share it? Well, gang, here it is. Your I-story is really just a little peek at how and why you started selling Mary Kay. It is important because ladies think they cannot do this because they are busy, or invested a lot in education, or etc., etc. when really ANYBODY can do this. So here it is my story . . . .

I want to introduce myself and tell you a little bit about me and how I got started in Mary Kay. My name is Christy Weems Hill and this is my third year in Mary Kay. I started my Mary Kay business in May 2006 and I have loved every minute of it. I started my business because I wanted to stay home with my two children. I had left a job as a litigation paralegal in Birmingham making pretty good money and I needed to replace at least some of that income. I still had bills that I was responsible for that were not going to pay themselves. I even tried my hand at medical transcription, for which I had to obtain more training because my Bachelor’s Degree from Samford University was not enough to earn me the job, but I was sorely disappointed at the pay and there really wasn’t much flexibility because reports had to be done quickly and on the doctor’s schedule not mine. Then one day, while shopping at a children’s store, I entered a drawing for a free facial. Well, I had just had my son six months prior to that and a facial sounded pretty good to me. Now, please keep in mind I was 30 plus years old and had never even tried Mary Kay before this but I thought why not. I deserve a little pampering and thank goodness I did. While my son slept in the other room, the consultant gave me a facial and my skin felt great! I loved the products! But what really surprised me was what she went on to tell me after my facial. Because she was a good consultant and didn’t prejudge me (remember I was a stay-at-home mom who had recently had a baby – what was makeup???) she went on to tell me how I too could have my own Mary Kay business for just $100. Well, as I told you I had spent money on college, lots of money, and I had spent more money on a medical transcription certificate and none of them gave me the flexibility that I needed. $100, I could do $100! So I said sign me up! And I have never looked back. I am now able to stay-at-home and home school my two children with a peace that if we need a little extra money I can go out and make a little extra money.