Keeping Hearts and Home

Welcome to my little corner of the world! My name is Charity, and I am so glad that you’re here. To tell you a little bit about myself, I am wife to a most wonderful man, and mom to a sweet little girl. When I am not taking care of the house, and spending time with my family, you will find me sewing dresses for my business, teaching piano and violin, or being in ministry work. Many have asked how I find time to do everything I do, so why start something new?

I was raised in a good Godly home, and was taught how to be a Titus 2 and a Proverbs 31 woman. My mother was a beautiful example, teaching me how to be a lady, to care for others, and to keep the house. She taught me the basics of cooking, cleaning, sewing, and all the practical home skills she knew, and allowed me to develop them more if I so desired. When I got married, I thought, “I’ve been raised to do be a homemaker. I understand my role as a wife, I got this.” Soon enough, the realization hit. I don’t as much as I thought I did. Sure, I knew how to cook well, but I needed to learn how to meal plan to stay in budget. And yes, I knew how to take care of our things and clean the house, but I didn’t have habits and systems in place to help keep it organized and done regularly. I knew how to take care of children, but learning to raise them to be good, responsible adults that love and serve God with all their heart is another thing. Suffice it to say, in more than five years of marriage, I have learnt many things, and there are more I have yet to master. My prayer for Keeping Hearts and Home is that it will be a means of learning and teaching for all of us.

“The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.” (Titus 2:3-5)

Most women do not wish to be called ‘aged,’ but the fact of the matter is, we are always going to be older than someone. Whether we like it or not, we ladies have influence, and if we are to follow the Biblical example of influence, there are things that we know and do that could be a blessing and a benefit to another. If I was learning something about the keeping of my home, whether it be practical skills, or mind and character growth, or raising children, if I was learning homemaking that I wish I would have learnt earlier, I would love to share those with you. One of my favorite things to do is listening to older Godly ladies as they talk about their own homemaking, and share what struggles they went through and how the Lord graciously led them through it. These ladies probably don’t know how much influence they’ve had in my life because of these life experiences that they’ve shared.

Keeping our homes HAS to include keeping the hearts within that home.

I recognize that keeping the home goes far beyond the meal planning, the cleaning routine, and the laundry systems. Keeping our homes HAS to include keeping the hearts within that home. Learning to love our husbands and our children is learning to keep their hearts. This is the part that I believe I have much to learn about. This is the part that takes the development of our character and maybe even personality, and it often takes time, experience, and intention. When you have been up all night because of a fussy baby, or when your child tries your patience and it is wearing thin, or when teenage independence shows itself as insolent, it can seem exhausting sometimes to keep love on them and keep their hearts. As for loving your husband and keeping his heart, there is something that Proverbs 31 says about the husband of the virtuous woman, and it a place where us wives would love to be and remain: “The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her.”

This is why Keeping Hearts and Home exists. I have much to learn still, and I’m sure we all could learn some new skill or habit, or be reminded of a principle that could be applied once again. Come along with me as I start something new, and share what I’m learning, whether it’s effectively keeping the house, or keeping the precious hearts within my home.