Haven't done these for a loong times:)
Living For The Moments
Bread That Gives Life
from Lady Lydia
Disney and the Forces of Evil
from Patriactionary
November Was a Bad Month
from Mark Moncrieff
Taheyya Kariokka
Listen to Me
from What's Wrong With Equal Rights
Teaching Our Daughters About Biblical Womanhood
How Our Clothing Choices Reflect the Gospel
from Redeeming Home
The usual disclaimer follows: I don't necessarily agree with everything, just find the articles above thought-provoking.
Thursday, December 7, 2017
Monday, December 4, 2017
Treating People As Expendable
I remember reading a Canadian magazine someone brought me years ago. It had a story about a feminist lady, and the author's attitude was obviously positive. One thing I still remember is that when the lady in question was getting married and the preacher was doing the wedding sermon, when he came to the words "for better for worse" she interrupted him and said "for better or never". I think it sums up modern attitudes about marriage pretty well, for both men and women.
I also remember how I was a little girl and wondering why people divorce. I asked my mother if she ever could divorce my father. She told me that my father was just as much her family as me or her parents and that you can't divorce your family because whatever they do, they still stay your family. If you have children, teach them that family aren't expendable, by words of mouth and by example.
C.Lewis wrote about divorce that it wasn't so much the sexual aspect, but rather breaking your solemn oath, which made it truly despicable. Ironically, he himself married a divorced woman, yet I still think it was a good argument to make. Our culture is shallow and materialistic, it values feelings above common sense, material wealth above friends and family and mocks such traditional virtues as chastity and loyalty. It went so far that in discussion on some supposedly Christian site, women were belittled and attacked for staying virgins as apparently, it made them "holier than thou." We aren't afraid to fall in sin any more, we are afraid to judge.
Yet sometimes it's necessary. Many Christians nowadays say something along the lines of "hate the sin, love the sinner." It's true, to a degree, yet the Scriptures teach us that it's sinners and not their sins that are going to burn in Hell for eternity, something we never like to think about any more. The Scriptures also call the wife departing from her husband "treacherous" and have some things to say about the men divorcing, too.
In our licentious times, the last thing one should be afraid of is "legalism" (mostly trotted out when a woman wants to dress and behave modestly), and being "holier than thou" for following God's commandments on sexual behaviour and marriage. The good news is, we still have a choice. Every day, every single minute we can choose to do right or to follow the multitudes to do evil. You may lose out on material comforts, but there is immense satisfaction in sticking to your convictions and persevering. Because doing what is right is its own reward.
I also remember how I was a little girl and wondering why people divorce. I asked my mother if she ever could divorce my father. She told me that my father was just as much her family as me or her parents and that you can't divorce your family because whatever they do, they still stay your family. If you have children, teach them that family aren't expendable, by words of mouth and by example.
C.Lewis wrote about divorce that it wasn't so much the sexual aspect, but rather breaking your solemn oath, which made it truly despicable. Ironically, he himself married a divorced woman, yet I still think it was a good argument to make. Our culture is shallow and materialistic, it values feelings above common sense, material wealth above friends and family and mocks such traditional virtues as chastity and loyalty. It went so far that in discussion on some supposedly Christian site, women were belittled and attacked for staying virgins as apparently, it made them "holier than thou." We aren't afraid to fall in sin any more, we are afraid to judge.
Yet sometimes it's necessary. Many Christians nowadays say something along the lines of "hate the sin, love the sinner." It's true, to a degree, yet the Scriptures teach us that it's sinners and not their sins that are going to burn in Hell for eternity, something we never like to think about any more. The Scriptures also call the wife departing from her husband "treacherous" and have some things to say about the men divorcing, too.
In our licentious times, the last thing one should be afraid of is "legalism" (mostly trotted out when a woman wants to dress and behave modestly), and being "holier than thou" for following God's commandments on sexual behaviour and marriage. The good news is, we still have a choice. Every day, every single minute we can choose to do right or to follow the multitudes to do evil. You may lose out on material comforts, but there is immense satisfaction in sticking to your convictions and persevering. Because doing what is right is its own reward.
Sunday, December 3, 2017
Thursday, November 30, 2017
A Short Note
I'm off for a couple of days. Comments moderation is on, I'll switch it back to normal on Sunday.
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Dealing With Clutter
The third chapter of Home Comforts is dedicated to clutter. In it, Mrs Mendelson makes a tremendous discovery - Westerners generally tend to accumulate too much stuff which they don't need so that half of it is regularly thrown away while the other half clogs our homes and contributes to chaos and disorder. Say whatever you wish about minimalists, but some of their ideas are correct. We don't really need that many things and many a mother could probably stay home or at least, cut on her working hours if only we somehow got rid of rampant consumerism.
Clutter problem has reached such proportions that we now have books and magazines (and blog posts:) on how actually to deal with it. Yet, as Cheryl points out, good habits can overcome it. She then goes into detail describing the broken-window theory, that is the idea that if you once allow yourself a small dereliction of duty to uphold law and order, whether in your own household or in the neighbourhood, it will cause a chain reaction of increased chaos and antisocial behaviour.
Simply staying neat and doing the chores come hell or high water prevents a downward spiral...and this is how things were done until the middle of the twentieth century. (H.C., Scribner 1999, p.32 - emphasis mine). Mrs Mendelson conveniently avoids answering the question what it was that prompted such a change in attitudes towards housekeeping (of course, we all know the answer), so the solution she offers is to relax the standards while still maintaining some semblance of order as having a place for everything, just not expecting that everything will be in its place all the time, if you know what I mean:)
It is actually a very good suggestion for modern busy households and she stresses that while our standards for toys and newspapers could be more relaxed, we should still maintain strict order in the kitchen , bathroom and bedroom, as to do otherwise would be unhygienic and unsanitary (never leaving dirty dishes in the kitchen overnight is a very good rule which is, unfortunately, often broken nowadays and don't let me get started about some folks' laundry habits which are more fitting for a slum than for a decent middle class neighbourhood).
Cheryl also warns against accumulating junk in remote corners of the house and leaving it there, something we are all inclined to do, I'm afraid. She then adds that the only real manner to keep order in your home is to follow the old ways and stick to your routines and schedules whatever happens and in case of emergencies, to follow a basic schedule of providing "food, clean laundry, fundamental cleanliness" (p.33, idem) until you can get back to normal. The last piece of advice she offers, is to teach children to pick up after themselves, though she doesn't exactly go as far as saying that you need to teach the same to your husband.
As long as both work, yes, they both should pick up after themselves, but when one member of the household is a full time homemaker, I think she can cut her hard-working husband some slack...
Clutter problem has reached such proportions that we now have books and magazines (and blog posts:) on how actually to deal with it. Yet, as Cheryl points out, good habits can overcome it. She then goes into detail describing the broken-window theory, that is the idea that if you once allow yourself a small dereliction of duty to uphold law and order, whether in your own household or in the neighbourhood, it will cause a chain reaction of increased chaos and antisocial behaviour.
Simply staying neat and doing the chores come hell or high water prevents a downward spiral...and this is how things were done until the middle of the twentieth century. (H.C., Scribner 1999, p.32 - emphasis mine). Mrs Mendelson conveniently avoids answering the question what it was that prompted such a change in attitudes towards housekeeping (of course, we all know the answer), so the solution she offers is to relax the standards while still maintaining some semblance of order as having a place for everything, just not expecting that everything will be in its place all the time, if you know what I mean:)
It is actually a very good suggestion for modern busy households and she stresses that while our standards for toys and newspapers could be more relaxed, we should still maintain strict order in the kitchen , bathroom and bedroom, as to do otherwise would be unhygienic and unsanitary (never leaving dirty dishes in the kitchen overnight is a very good rule which is, unfortunately, often broken nowadays and don't let me get started about some folks' laundry habits which are more fitting for a slum than for a decent middle class neighbourhood).
Cheryl also warns against accumulating junk in remote corners of the house and leaving it there, something we are all inclined to do, I'm afraid. She then adds that the only real manner to keep order in your home is to follow the old ways and stick to your routines and schedules whatever happens and in case of emergencies, to follow a basic schedule of providing "food, clean laundry, fundamental cleanliness" (p.33, idem) until you can get back to normal. The last piece of advice she offers, is to teach children to pick up after themselves, though she doesn't exactly go as far as saying that you need to teach the same to your husband.
As long as both work, yes, they both should pick up after themselves, but when one member of the household is a full time homemaker, I think she can cut her hard-working husband some slack...
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Sunday, November 26, 2017
Thursday, November 23, 2017
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
Marriage Is A Real Thing
I found a very interesting article which in a rather sophisticated way argues about what I have felt for a very long time: namely, that marriage is something which exists on its own, like a thing or a being and to dissolve it is akin to committing a murder. Personally I have always thought about marriage as an institution, but I like the author's comparisons. As I'm getting older, I find myself rather agreeing with the Catholic point of view that a marriage can't be dissolved, only annulled.
The way most people, even those calling themselves Christians view marriage nowadays, treating it as something disposable at a whim of either spouse is downright scandalous, imo. I've read an article recently about a woman in UK who had left her husband and children for her African lover. People in comments wrote how she was a horrible mother but hardly a word about her betraying her husband. They even stated they could understand it!
The traditional Christian point of view is that the relationship between the husband and the wife is primary and more important than that of parents and children, after all, the kids will grow older and leave, but you are supposed to stay with your spouse till Death do us part! That's why the man wasn't allowed to divorce his wife if she couldn't have children or couldn't produce a male heir for the family. By allowing easy divorce we sacrificed the high position of a Christian wife for that of a concubine who could be kicked out for any reason. Of course, the same is true about women divorcing their husbands left and right and remarrying, something which Christian Bible calls adultery.
I'm not talking about really hard cases here and speaking of policy I'd allow divorce for certain transgressions, yet my point stands: marriage is the first institution divinely ordained and the way we treat it will bring judgement on our whole society.
The way most people, even those calling themselves Christians view marriage nowadays, treating it as something disposable at a whim of either spouse is downright scandalous, imo. I've read an article recently about a woman in UK who had left her husband and children for her African lover. People in comments wrote how she was a horrible mother but hardly a word about her betraying her husband. They even stated they could understand it!
The traditional Christian point of view is that the relationship between the husband and the wife is primary and more important than that of parents and children, after all, the kids will grow older and leave, but you are supposed to stay with your spouse till Death do us part! That's why the man wasn't allowed to divorce his wife if she couldn't have children or couldn't produce a male heir for the family. By allowing easy divorce we sacrificed the high position of a Christian wife for that of a concubine who could be kicked out for any reason. Of course, the same is true about women divorcing their husbands left and right and remarrying, something which Christian Bible calls adultery.
I'm not talking about really hard cases here and speaking of policy I'd allow divorce for certain transgressions, yet my point stands: marriage is the first institution divinely ordained and the way we treat it will bring judgement on our whole society.
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