How Far Does Titus 2 Go?

I really love the simple life. The more I have simplified, the better I have liked it. Many of those changes to simplify were made kicking and screaming. However, I was surprised by the actual peace and refreshing I felt after I had given in. I talked yesterday about seasons. There are many seasons in life. I think with these seasons, we need to sit back and take stock. I made lots of dumb choices, some OK ones and some good ones. We all do. However, I would love to use my dumb choices, holes I let myself fall into, as a bridge for some younger women so that they would not make the same dumb choices. I have approached this in many different ways. Some people really want to try and do it right the first time. They listen, pray, talk it over with their husbands, etc. Then they make the choice for themselves. You see stability in their lives though. Then there are others who rush headlong into things. When you try to come along side and let them see where those choices lead, they have some excuse as why it is OK for them, etc. Many times I have heard these women say that God opened the door. I back off most times right there, because I truly do not know if God opened that door or not. Yet, you stand there wondering.

Let me give you some examples. They are introduced to some new thing. Let's take knitting dishcloths from cotton yarn. They love the end product and want to make more for themself. After all, Mrs. Jones who showed them uses these exclusively. So, they go to the store and buy a bunch of cotton yarn in different colors. They start on dishcloths. They make lots of dishcloths. Way more than they will ever use in this life time. They give some as gifts, yet they keep making those cloths. Every time they are in Walmart, they check out the cotton yarn and buy some more. In the mean time they have 4 little children that have not had the mom time that they need. Not just training, but spending time reading, etc. with the children. Then these same women hear about a new possibility for something to do, or buy, etc. They ask for prayer as they really feel they need this thing or need to do something, but don't have the money, etc. I hear other women tell them to pray and trust that God will provide and then gush with them over the latest 10 dishcloths they have made. They say that it is too hard to keep up with things in their home. They are too tired to have dinner ready for their husband or whatever. The other women tell them that they shouldn't expect a perfect house at this "season" of their life. Let me say here, I do agree that a perfectly kept house is not a must, especially if you have little ones. However, if you are wasting time, then you could be doing more. I am looked at as the bad guy. Because after I tell them they do beautiful work, I talk to them about their complaints. Maybe since they have so many dishcloths now, they could not buy anymore yarn for awhile. Take the money that they would spend on yarn and put away towards whatever that big thing they need money for. I tell them that maybe instead of knitting the dishcloths for awhile, they use that time to have clean up the house time with their children. To make it fun and work together. Or to read a book to their children, etc. I don't want to enable them to continue on this path. We have one chance with our children. You don't want to waste a moment of it. To start on the right path now financially and as an example to your children in what you do and not just what you say will pay healthy dividends for their life time and their children's lifetime. I want to encourage them in the right things. However, I am usually the lone duck in doing so. I wanted so badly to learn to quilt. There was a quilt class for an entire afternoon a week with the older ladies. My son was small and I homeschooled. It was not my season to learn to quilt. I was content to wait. I had too many other irons in the fire that I was dealing with. I wish someone had come along side me. Someone who would help me realize that the tone I used when I corrected my son was very negative. Someone to tell me that having a bunch of things lying around to decorate a house, is called clutter and makes cleaning and keeping it that way so much harder. Someone to tell me that even though the "treasures" I was buying came from the thrift store, I did not need anymore and needed to get rid of some of what I had and that even if they were bargain thrift store prices, I was still wasting money. We were always tight on finances. I never had enough time to do the things that I was supposed to. However, I made time for the things I wanted and I seemed to find the money for the "treasures". Poor choices, that is what I made.

What do you think? Am I to do like the other ladies and pat the boo boos, and ooh and aah over their creations or purchases? Or am I to come along side as that older woman and try to help them see it from a different angle? I would love to hear what you think!! Really, I want to hear the different sides.

The pictures are of my animals. Some of the simple things that bring me pleasure. Buttercup our milk cow, barn swallow babies peeking over the side of their nest at me, and one of my sheep greeting me in the morning.