When I finish my morning Bible study and have begun my cooking, my next thought is to clean "the parlor." Why? Well, the LORD tells me to practice hospitality without complaint.

"Be hospitable to one another without grumbling." 1 Peter 4:9

I have found that this is possible when my heart and my parlor are readied for whomever He might bring by today. In that order. For if someone comes by, I want to be able to serve them in a nice clean room with a soft heart. Then I can sit in peace and enjoy their company.

Recently the LORD brought someone by. I almost blew it. I was working outside when a friend that I expected the next week came one week early. My first thought was, "Oh, I am sweaty, surprised, and sooo unprepared!" As I kept moaning my condition to her, while praying silently for help, I suddenly realized the pain I was causing my friend. I had to take my eyes off myself and put them on her. All of a sudden I remembered my "readied parlor" and took her there. I sat her down comfortably and made us some tea. My children made some drinks and popcorn for her children. I ended up having one of the most delightful conversations with my friend as we shared the love of our LORD and the love our families through homemaking.

The next room that I clean after my parlor is my bathroom. For if the LORD has someone come by, it is probable that they will use my bathroom. Therefore I quickly clean it every day with this thought in mind.

I use to think that I had to give everyone a tour through my house when they arrived, as so many other women have done for me when I visited them. It wasn't until I read this book on Victorian ways that I realized this was totally unnecessary. The Victorian woman only brought her guests into her parlor where she served them in comfort and delight. This was often practiced by women in the early days of our country as well. This was the one room kept clean and tidy for unexpected guests.

In some of my friend's homes I have never been into their parlor. It is always "reserved," so it seems. I have glanced in, and it looks oh, so nice; but we have never sat in there together. To be honest, I would really love to! Other friends have a home like mine with just a simple living room. A family gathering place, so to speak. What I have learned is to turn the simple living room into a parlor by day, and back to a family gathering place at night. In that way I can serve those women that he brings to my door in grace and peace during the day. And in the evening I can enjoy my family in this special spot in our home.

My kitchen is my workplace. It is beautiful to me, but it is just that, a workplace. So it is often quite comfortably messy - for the heart of my home beats here. I find women love to chat with me in this room. But if it is messy, I am most comfortable chatting with them in my clean parlor over a cup of tea. For my mind needs to be focused on them, not on my discomfort in a messy room. With this in mind, I will gently lead them there.

I am learning little by little the art of practicing hospitality with a "parlor mentality" that so many of my great, great grandmothers practiced so long ago. For it is my heart's desire to be ready for my LORD at any time of the day - He is my Master - Who beckons me to be soft hearted to those He sends my way. And "what you do for even the least of these, you do for Him." May He continue to help me practice the tender love and refreshment shown in hospitality to the glory of His Strength.

Love,
Laine
 

In My Home This Week

Dear Sisters,

It has been a busy week! I've learned things I never expected to this week. I find the LORD brings His people to my home with the loveliest of surprises. "In My Home This Week" will reflect some of those lessons.

1~ I did an experiment with leftover waffle batter, and it worked! I made up some waffles and froze them. Today we popped them into the toaster, and they were every bit as good. The kids loved the idea.

2~ We had a missionary family from Mexico stay with us one night. Their lovely fifteen year old daughter taught me how to crochet hats. I finished one for Abbie last night in a light green with a "crocheted rose" of the same color and a little white button in the middle of it. She wants to wear it for church. Now Gabe has me making him one in black. But no button or rose, says he, they're for girls.

3~ My mom brought her friend over to see my kitchen. Her name was Ruth. In just a few minutes she taught me how to make a yo-yo quilt like the one that was hanging on my kitchen wall. She said she had been making them since she was a young girl. I was inspired in more ways than one by this lovely older woman in the very short amount of time she was in my home.

4~ My children had dental appointments, three of them back to back, one afternoon. Since I knew they would be quite a while, I took my tea in a thermos, my best tea cup and saucer, and my knitting to sit in the van and enjoy my tea time. My six year old son joined me. ~Smile~

5~ I made pasta in my bread machine! I dried it on a pasta rack in my kitchen. It was so easy:

1 T. olive oil,
3 1/2 T. water,
4 large eggs slightly beaten,
2 c. bread flour,
1 t. salt, and
1 c. semolina flour.

6~ I took a marvelous nap. Ahh, the pauses that refreshes and makes me that much more gracious and alert when my husband comes home from a tiring day.

7~ I kissed and hugged each one of my children more than once a day this week; and I kissed that man of mine double-time. ~Smile~

8 ~ My bay leaves were running low, so I went out and clipped some fresh ones, along with some oregano, and brought it in the house to dry. I also dried some lemon peels to use later in baking.

9 ~ My son grew two big pumpkins this past summer. I took one of them and split it in half, removing all the seeds and pulp. Then I baked it at 350 for 1 hour. I scooped the cooked pulp out and will separate it into 1 c. portions, for baking later, storing it in my freezer. I baked the seeds at 300 for an hour or so and salted them for the kids to snack on.

10 ~ My husband made a fabulous salsa. I have learned from my mother-in-law to save a little in a mason jar in the freezer. This way I can pull it out later when I make another Mexican dish. Fresh salsa at my fingertips!

11 ~ I sent in for a refund on an item I bought with coupons.

12 ~ The amount of money I have spent on food thus far this month has been noted in my purse. I have stayed "on budget" so far. As I walked through the supermarket today shopping, I was praying for wisdom as to what to buy. The LORD is my Wonderful Counselor.

13~ I cut my bangs today. How I do it: I pull them down forward and take off about a 1/4 inch across. Then I pull them up and take another 1/4 inch from the top.

14~ My Windex ran out last month. So I added water to the little left in the bottom. It worked wonderfully. Today I made my own Windex from a recipe I learned recently: 3/4 c. water, 1 T. vinegar, and 3 T. non-sudsy ammonia. It worked wonderfully. So I tripled the batch.

15~ Three chicken breasts were marked down at my supermarket. I bought them and put them in the crock pot with some chopped carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and some spices on high for five or six hours. Then I shredded the chicken and saved the broth. I used some of the chicken in a chili tonight, and I will use the rest of the chicken in cheese enchiladas tomorrow. The broth I will use in a soup this weekend or save it in 1 cup measurements in the freezer for future use.

16 ~ I worked on the rug my cousin taught me to make. I taught my oldest son to work on it with me. He hooked a row in no time.

It has already been a productive week. I can tell by my messy kitchen. ~Smile~ Have a wonderful weekend, Sisters.