Life DOES Come with an Instruction Manual

Always Read the Instructions 

(Unless you are a man; men are incapable of reading instructions... ok, just kidding but you ladies understand that stab)

I have heard people say "Life does not come with an instruction manual" or "Children do not come with directions" so many times in my life. Prior to this weekend, where I attended The Art of Homemaking Conference in Fort Worth, Texas, I never thought too much of these statements. From now on, I will tell people life DOES come with an instruction manual, we simply forget or choose not to read it.

Let me back up a bit. Yes, I am a house wife. I have a degree and I could get a job to help my husband with finances, and to be honest there are months when I consider it. But, I have reasons as to why I stay at home. It was not a decision that I made with haste, or alone. Though my reasons seem to confuse our independent and materialistic generation, I wholeheartedly believe that we have made the best choice for our family. Maybe it is not the best choice for yours, or perhaps it would be. 

"Think of the things you could afford to do if you both worked."

I assure you we are aware of the things that we do not always get to do due to being on one income. We do not need reminding. We believe in building a home first, and family second. Now, I realize that is no longer the norm. I do not care what is 'normal'. I am a housewife now, so that I can be a stay-at-home mom later. It is much easier to adjust to one income now, than it would be when we are adjusting to being new parents. I believe that faith-based parenting is how children should be reared. Lucky for us, the bible has a nice, clear outline on how this should be done. A lot of parents work very hard to provide for their families; and that is absolutely fine. Some moms HAVE to work. We all have different circumstances. But my question is are you working to feed your children or to buy a designer couch or trip to the Bahamas? Those things are all fine in themselves; God is not against us having luxuries. But are our luxuries a priority? Does that second job provide for your family or for you entertainment? For us, it was the latter. As Nation we need to reevaluate our priorities.

The Art of Homemaking

Last weekend, I learned that there is guidance in the bible for any circumstance we could imagine. I was blessed to attend a conference that focused on being a Godly woman, wife, and mother. Yes, in 2013. How awesome is that? I was so happy with what I learned, and now I know I have SO much work to do to be who God needs me to be! Proverbs 31 carefully and thoroughly tells us women how to be good wives and women after God's own heart. Everything we need to do is broken down into simple ideas and concepts. We just choose to not read the directions. Our society has created a new set of instructions for women which is fueled by feminism and selfishness and driven by monetary concerns. God's instruction set for women is fueled by submission and selflessness and drive by glory for God. Which sounds better to you? I am still studying Proverbs 31, so I do not feel equipped to break it down for you all in the way it deserves to be, but here is a site that does a wonderful job. Please check it out!

The Hospital Forgot to Send us Home with a Instruction Manual

As you know, Russell and I do not have any children yet, so we often wonder how we will do as parents. Parenting is a BIG job! I can not even teach my dog to not bark at the neighbors, how will I possibly teach a child how to become a Godly adult? I was so surprised and relieved to see how many verses in the Bible clearly state how God intends for Children to be reared. Here is a recap on my favorite lesson this weekend:

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

New King James Version (NKJV)

⁴ “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!⁵ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.⁶ “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. ⁸ You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. ⁹ You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

It is SO simple when you break it down. We need to love God truly and completely, and we need to teach our children to do the same. We should teach them in our homes, "when you sit in your house". We should teach them by how we live when we are out and about in the world, "when you walk by the way,".  And we should teach them REPEATEDLY; each day should begin and end by giving Glory to an Amazing God, "when you lie down, and when you rise up.".  That seems pretty reasonable to me! But God even takes it one step further. In verse 8 we are reminded that children need more than simply hearing of God. They need to "see" God in our lives, "You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes." Our homes need to be Godly places, visible to our family and outsiders, "You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

Learning about this section of scripture brought great relief to my restless spirit. I love children and, God willing, hope to have some of my own someday. Knowing that these precious lives DO come with instructions made me feel so free. It makes sense, you know. Of course God would give us instruction for the most precious of gifts He sends us. Know what is even better? No where does it mention a "wrong way" of parenting. What the bible does mention over and over is LOVE and DEMONSTRATION. God wants his children to show each child how to love God and love others. I think those are reasonable demands. 

LOVE GOD. LOVE OTHERS.

There are many ways in which one could execute the lessons taught by this section of scripture and I would love to hear what you are doing. Someday I will share with you what Russell and I are doing. Today, I just want to leave you with one thought; whatever you are going through; God has most likely covered it in His word. Unfortunately, sometimes you actually have to read it to find it! 

Oh, and we saw the Duggars :) 

Have a Blessed day,

The Hunter's Wife