Sunday, June 16, 2013

A Productive Home

 I've been thinking about a book I read years ago called, When Father's Ruled. It was an interesting study of how the Reformation affected the family and how the home was thought of as a place of productivity.  I liked that thought!

 Most of the productivity in our generation seems to be outside the walls of the family home. It's not a sin... mind you! I don't really know of a direct command forbidding it one way or another... just that all we do should be done for the glory of God.  But, I do find it interesting to look back and see how different the home was viewed in previous generations.


Zucchini

Why make the home a place of productivity in this generation when we don't have to? I like to think of it as a trade off.  I can pay someone to produce items for me or I can cut out the middle man. If I do the work myself it saves money. Saving money benefits our home in several ways.

- It stretches our income.
- The extra income can go into savings for unexpected future expenses. A savings can help avoid expensive payments because we have cash on hand.
- The extra income can be used to help others.

Herb Garden
For instance, my tomato plants are producing right now.  I have enough to make 2 batch of homemade spicy tomato sauce. I already have my jars from previous years. I've been picking up a few boxes of canning lids each payday. I have fresh basil and parsley. I've been harvesting onions and a neighbor blessed us with garlic. I have everything I need to make the sauce from my home except 2 cans of tomato paste which I picked up this afternoon. I use a lot of sauce in soups and stews in the winter. Producing my own tomato sauce and canned tomatoes will cost less than purchasing them from the store which will give me extra money to use in other areas.

In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty. Proverbs 14:23 ESV

Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.  Proverbs 13:11 ESV


How about you? I'd love to hear what you are producing in your home.

9 comments:

  1. Anything we do to save money by conserving, doing chores ourselves or making things from scratch certainly makes the home more productive. Teaching our children and grandchildren, honoring God in our homes, modeling good character, etc. is certainly causing our home to be productive on another level.

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  2. I am using up scraps of material to make quilts for my husband's grandchildren. People in the past would use clothes they didn't need to make quilts. Of course the material I have and will buy for these quilts make them a more expensive gift, but I think it is great to leave a legacy. I am using pockets from their grandfather's shirts not needed for the quilt, and fabric from bathrobes I have made them.

    Hugs and prayers,
    Carol

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    1. Ahhh.... I hope you post a picture of the quilt when you are finished. I have 2 quilts needing to be finished. I'm hoping to work on them this winter once my canning in finished.

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    2. Yep, as I wrote on my blog which describes the process and shows pictures, it will be posted on my Facebook Like page for the blog shortly, maybe today.

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  3. I keep a food dehydrator next to my fridge. Makes it easy to dry things that are leftover or even limp celery etc.

    Made my own vitamin water today using fresh fruits and herbs and my own well water. It will help my water taste better and give me needed vitamins.

    I did our bills today and figured out what is available for us to spend. We just got done having lots of company for over a week so we're gonna need to cut corners for a while. I'm inventorying my freezer/cupboards & fridge tomorrow then making my menu plan for the next 2 weeks and my grocery list. Hubby & I live apart most of the time--so we have to manage 2 households plus we own a home we are renting to our kids that I must oversee.

    I'm going to try to live on about 1/2 of the $ I have in cash and not touch the bank account.
    means staying home a lot, but I have plenty to do here, and after so much company it will be a nice way to get rested and find time for yard work and my etsy work.

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    Replies
    1. I really like the idea of having a food dehydrator in the kitchen. How do you store the dehydrated food and then what do you use it in later Mary?

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  4. I am a frugal person, and I love to read blogs like yours, but I sure do feel inadequate when I do. I have several health issues and suffer from fatigue, so it makes doing a lot of things difficult. I don't garden or can, but I shop at the store in my neighborhood that has the overall cheapest food prices. I don't quilt but I love to make homemade greeting cards and save ribbon, buttons, interesting paper, etc. for my projects. And I write letters to friends, there's a lost art! So I guess I'm a lot more productive than I thought!

    Mostly I want to use the energy I do have to spend time with my grandchildren and lead them to the Lord. I think that is the most productive think any mom and grandmom can do.

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    Replies
    1. Dear Rachel,
      It sounds like you are very productive!
      :-) I had problems with my knee several months ago and knew at that time that if it didn't heal I would be changing the way I did things at home. I definitely would not be canning or sewing or gardening. I was barely able to get the basics done. There are different seasons of life and we find peace when we can accept our lot in life with contentment. And yes.. spending time with our grandchildren to encourage them in the things of the Lord is one of the best use of our time. Thank you for sharing your heart Rachel.

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