Finding joy in the everyday

It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge. Albert Einstein Being a teacher is a huge responsibility. Not only do you have important things that you must teach your students, you also want them to develop a love of learning and be excited about learning. Most students develop that love of learning when they have a teacher who is enthusiastic, keen and interested in each person in the class as an individual.  Teaching does not come naturally to all people. I have had some duds, teachers who taught with no passion and no real interest in me. I have had some mean teachers that were just nasty and I can not remember a thing they taught me, but I do remember their sour words and meanness. However, once in a while you come across a teacher that leaves an indeliblele mark on you and you remember them all your life.  In Titus 2, older w omen are encouraged to be active in looking after the next generation of women te...

One of the most important things in my life is keeping my marriage strong and healthy. 💕 If you neglect your garden, it becomes overgrown and things start to suffer. Some plants will die and others will battle hard to get above the weeds. But overall, the garden as a whole will no longer be as healthy and as beautiful as it once was. Marriage is a bit like this. Neglect your marriage and it becomes overgrown with weeds and things start with wither and die, it become bitter and very unhappy.  As the say goes "marriage is hard work" and it is.  You can't sit back and expect it to remain rosy as it was during the honey moon stage if you don't do anything.  We all need to work on our marriages to keep them fresh, strong, healthy, loving and romantic and that takes quite a lot of investing.  As wives our main goal is to please our husbands, and likewise husbands to please their wives. Marriage isn't all about what the husband wants and nor is it abo...

The heart of her husband safely trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil All the days of her life. (Proverbs 31: 11-12) There is two schools of thought: 1. As a submissive wife, we should never disagree with our husbands because he is the head of the household and his word is final, we should share the same views as our husband in all things and never question his decisions. 2. Yes, we can have different view points to our husbands and as adults we can discuss and debate these ideas. Just imagine if all wives thought the same as their husbands and didn't dare have an opinion on anything. Our husbands wouldn't have anyone to bounce ideas off,  to discuss different view points, to have a true intellectual conversation—it would be no different to living with one's housekeeper (as in the old days). Being a helpmate meanings helping your husband by sharing your views and ideas, having discussion about issues and its not...

"An Afternoon Stroll" by Georges Jules Victor Clairn Many bloggers have written about the importance of being a help-mate to one's husbands (Genesis 2:18), dedicating one's life to raising children and creating a home that is safe, secure and a refuge from the world (Titus 2:5). These are biblical truths and ones we are all very familiar with and believe strongly in.  However what I find interesting is that the elevation of "mother and wife" in society to a level of greatest importance only came about during the Victorian age when the " ideal " of what makes a perfect mother and wife were created. This perfect and pure Victorian woman became known as the  " Angel in the House ".  The "Angel" was  expected to be devoted and submissive to her husband, passive and powerless, feminine, meek, charming, graceful, sympathetic, self-sacrificing, pious, and above all -- pure. ( Source ) She was confirmed to the home to be...

Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober , faithful in all things. (1 Timothy 3:11) That the aged men be sober , grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. (Titus 2:2) But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober , and watch unto prayer. (1 Peter 4:7) Do you get the feeling that we as Christians need to be sober. There are plenty of verses telling us just that.   I remember reading these verses as a much younger woman and thinking "that doesn't sound like much fun". And at face value it sounds like a very serious, solemn woman who know nothing about enjoying herself. So what does it mean to be a "sober (sensible) woman" in the 21st century when most women (and men) are anything but.  Ultimately it means that she is has strong self-control and able to curb her passions. She is a sensible woman who is not silly, giggly, crude, obnoxious or vulgar in her behaviour or language. She is calm, dis...

The older women likewise, that they be reverent in behaviour, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things--  that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient (subject)  to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. ( Titus 2 verses 3 – 5) Who are the older women ? No particular age range is specified, but it can encompass women who from their 30’s to the 90’s! If you are older, or have been a believer for longer, then you have much to give to those who are younger (in age or spiritual maturity) than you. Characteristic behaviour is clearly defined: they are not frivolous or given to empty talk – they have a Biblical world view.  They are not given to much wine, and are free from self-indulgencing behaviours but rather displaying self-control.  Singleness does not exclude you! You still can have many skills which can be pa...