The Good Wife's Guide

A few weeks ago, I started reading a book called The Good Wife's Guide by Darlene Schacht (from the Time-Warp Wife) ..... what an amazing book - it literally felt like I was sitting at the kitchen table with Darlene, just gleaning knowledge from her (and I know that I'm going to be re-reading & referencing this book often).  It is very easy to see, just from reading this book, that she embraces her role as a Titus 2 woman.  ˚Ü˚

One of the things that I really appreciated with this book, is, when she gives a Scripture reference, she doesn't just give the location of it ..... she has the verse printed out - now, I know that it isn't that difficult to put the book down & go look up the referenced verse, but, when I'm in the middle of a good book, I really don't want to put it down to see what it says in another one .... know what I mean?  But, please, don't misunderstand what I'm saying ..... I will often check out what it says in my Bible, sometimes right away, but sometimes it is after I have put the first book down.

This book is, basically, a how-to guide on how I can be the best helpmeet to my husband & mother to our children that I can be ...... now, I know that some of you will equate the word "helpmeet" with being a doormat for my husband - this couldn't be farther from the truth.  Being a helpmeet to my husband means that, while he does get my input on certain things, the final decision is his to make as the God given head of our household.  Am I always good at stepping back while my husband leads ...... honestly, no, I'm not (especially after having to be a single parent while he works away - which thankfully doesn't happen a lot) - but, it is something that I'm working on & with a lot of prayer, reading my Bible and leaning on God for the strength to do this; I know that, by His grace, it is something that I can succeed at.

While reading The Good Wife's Guide, I was very impressed that Darlene covered everything needed to make my family & my home a priority ...... some of the things that really stuck with me (and like I said earlier, I really need to read this book again & take notes, lol) were:  making a household planner, getting the kids involved in a 25-thing-fling (I can't remember if that's exactly what it was called, but, that's what I'm calling it, lol), cleaning lists for different rooms of your home & how to do a deep-clean in a room.  Now, I know that there was soooooooooo much more that was covered in this book, these items are ones that stuck with me, though.

One of the many verses that are in this wonderful book says this:

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as
working for the Lord, not for human masters, since
you know that you will receive an inheritance from
the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are
serving. ~ Colossians 3:23-24, NIV

So, while it may appear, to the general public, that we are joyfully serving our families ..... in reality, we are serving the Lord - and this, I think, makes all the difference in the world.

A while ago, I was sent this picture ...... I think that The Good Wife's Guide really helps to reinforce (for me, at least) the ordering of it: