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Under the topic of "trends and happenings", I'd like to find out how many here are focusing on "home" as a solution to more than just "church".
At the same time, I don't want to start a flaming contest - I know we are super controversial in these areas. But through researching and learning, I've discovered that the "popular wisdom" is wrong, as I'll mention below.
We are focusing on "Four Homes"
-Men (especially husbands and fathers) as home-owners, land tenders and cottage-industry practicers instead of corporate serfs. Under this is "homesteading" as a way of blessing our family with healthy food as well as a real inheritance, as well as a ministry - potentially helping the hungry all over the world by teaching cleaner, better farming methods. -Women as home-keepers (Proverbs 31 women -- NOT drudges!)Under this is the destruction of our culture by women being too busy to make community happen, as well as the skyrocketing divorce rate, men being unmanned by women in the marketplace by competing with women. This is, obviously, the most controversial topic. -Home as the heart of the Kingdom of God (house church) -Home schooling as the only way to raise your children "in the fear and admonition of the Lord".
Popular wisdom says, "Farming is for losers... it can't pay". But? Everybody eats? How can that be? Popular wisdom among believers is "don't worry about the body, just about the soul." But if that's true, why did God bother with bodies at all?
Popular wisdom says, "Women who stay at home aren't contributing to society". Well, if cash is the only measure then yes. But money not only can't buy happiness, it can't buy healthy food, happy children, contented husbands or community. It also says that women at home have nothing to do. Really? 8 hours a day to do anything I want, as long as I'm home for dinner? Any woman who can't find anything worthwile to do has obviously no imagination! In 21 years of homekeeping, I've had many problems, but boredom has never been one!
Popular wisdom says Academics are important, and it will take 13 years of factory type education to learn it. I've found that Character is much more important, and my kids can learn anything in fifteen minutes, since they know how to learn, and have character as a foundation. Popular Christian wisdom says, If Christians aren't in school, who will evangelize? The answer is, of course, no one -- just like now. Children are not equipped to evangelize large groups of hostile strangers. They are children.
I don't think I need to talk about the home church idea, I'll assume that many who are here are on board with THAT vision to one degree or another.
So, I'd be interested to know if some others here shares that vision completely, and how many partially, and how many will flame me if I imply in other posts that Paul's call for wives to be "busy at home" still applies!
Blessings! Laurie Ann
-------------------- You & Me and Jesus. We are enough!
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Our circumstances make it that I live and work from being a "stay-at-home-dad-grand-dad-citizen-voter-taxpayer".
From here, I seek to make inroads to subject 3 levels of national governemtns in Canada, to their commitments to the disadvantaged, to the weak and to the outlaws.
I earn no money but I hope that one day, the authorities will wake up to the fact that what we do is called value added to the economy. If and when it comes as it already has in a Superior provincial Court, we will be in position to administrate public funds to serve the home front of these people who fall through the cracks of our collective generosity.
As well as working to move decision makers locally, the Internet gives me access to use the freedom of speech from home, in order to add my two pennies worth to any conversation or dialogue that I come across, in either French or English, throughout the world. Between the 2 languages, this represents well over 110 countries. It has allowed for many very good contacts that I pray God to bless with His grace and truth.
-------------------- ...all blessings be with us all... Benoit Couture
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Wouldn't it be great if all would or could do these things? I worry for society in general because boys have no idea how to work or fix things and girls have no idea how to cook or keep a home. Most toss their clothes out before sewing on a lost button or repairing a torn hem. Basic living skills are being lost completely in US to the mall mentality.
We have gardened for 30 years and I stayed home most of that time. I can the garden every year. Unfortunately hubby has to go out to work for a living. He's our fix it man. Built our house, repairs or builds things for us. I ran a home business for 10 years while homeschooling. I used to even sew a lot of our clothes until material costs went higher than to purchase ready made. We homechurched long before I heard of it. Just came natural.
-------------------- 1 Thes. 5:21 (KJV) Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
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[QB] Wouldn't it be great if all would or could do these things?
Yes, Faith! I'm glad to learn that you are a kindred spirit on this!
I should clarify that we are not fully doing these things: my husband is fully employed for a company, and so far the farm isn't providing even 10% of our food!
However, this is my hope: that if this IS God's ideal, then we ought to pray, believe and work toward it!
We have always found that God answers "Big Prayers" more dramatically than "sissy prayers". He responds to people who are willing to wholeheartedly throw themselves on His mercy and try to do what he says. So, while we plug away at daily life in the American Matrix, we watch for opportunities to break away. Getting the skills we need with a bit of land, a few goats and a few laying hens is, I believe, making the way for more to come to us, at God's right time and place.
Thanks for your response! Laurie Ann
-------------------- You & Me and Jesus. We are enough!
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