I finished reading Homemaking For Happiness: Wonderful Days at Home by Mrs. Sharon White back when my husband was sick and was planning on doing a giveaway back then. When John passed away everything else fell by the wayside and I forgot all about plans for the giveaway. My thoughts are just now coming back around to it.
Fortunately, Mrs. White and I have been online friends for many years and she is so understanding. When I messaged her last week to ask if she was still okay with me doing the giveaway, she sweetly informed me that, back in May (when we first discussed it), she had "...set aside a gift copy, neatly wrapped with a pretty card for the winner..." and that it had been sitting right there, waiting "...for just the right time..." when I felt ready.
I'm ready. 💗
Homemaking For Happiness: Wonderful Days at Home is not the usual, run-of-the-mill home economics book full of 'how to' facts and tips. Rather, it is a beautiful, 106 short chapters, 307-page collection of Mrs. White's own, personal experiences in the making of a home on her family's lovely 'estate' in Vermont.
Mrs. White is a devout Christian wife and has been a housewife for more than 30 years. She is the granddaughter of a revival preacher, a mother of five, grandmother of twelve, and a homemaker without apology. Mrs. White has been writing about homemaking on her blog, The Legacy of Home, since 2009.
Whenever I read Mrs. White's writings I am filled with emotion and wonder as she shares her struggles, her hopes, her dreams, and her ability to see the work that she does in the home, not as mundane drudgery, but as a purposeful, joyful act of service to her family, and as a humble act of reverence and worship before God.
Mrs. White is inspiring! I love her determination to be sweet and cheerful no matter how hard times might be, and I am delighted by her ability to see beauty in simplicity.
Throughout this book, which is divided into four sections (spring, summer, fall, and winter), Mrs. White shares godly wisdom in the areas of child care, cleaning, etiquette, finances, homemaking, hospitality, cooking, holiness, and more. She greatly encouraged me, personally, in the areas of contentment, thrift, and living life purposefully and productively, no matter what the circumstance.
What I appreciate most about Mrs. White is her honesty concerning finances. She has learned, as did the Apostle Paul, to be abased and to abound, and to be content in whatsoever state she finds herself.
As is the case with every other book of Mrs. White's that I have read (which have been many), from Homemaking For Happiness: Wonderful Days At Home I gleaned a wealth of thought-provoking ideas and am truly challenged to re-think and evaluate my current financial circumstance, and the stewardship of the blessings that God has bestowed upon me. I am challenged to use them more wisely in the days ahead
Here are a few of my favorite lines from Mrs. White's book, Homemaking For Happiness: Wonderful Days at Home...
"At other times, the prayers and the worries were so hard to bear. There would be shoes needed for the children. We may not have had enough food. My husband was laid off work or lost jobs and those were the hardest times to manage. I would write down the prayers and the needs and then get back to mothering and homemaking. I would leave it with the Lord. Sometimes he answered those prayers before the end of the day. At other times, I waited weeks. But always the prayers were answered. I learned to depend on God for all things in this way. I learned not to rush out and try to fix it all myself. I gained patience, and faith, and trust, and was greatly blessed with a journal of answered prayers" (Chapter 22 - Reviving the Prayer Journal - Page 75)
"There was a comforting feeling of not having to leave our property to find pretty thing to make our home look lovely and inviting." (Chapter 23 - Flowers for the Dinner Table - Page 78)
"The Lord is so good to provide us with the beauty of nature to enjoy each year. I love things that are familiar and the routines of life. Each season brings us something of beauty, and there is always something delightful to look forward to." (Chapter 24 - Missing the Lilacs - Page 81)
"...how important it is to be good and pleasant and to give to those we love, without conditions, or expecting anything. It is a kindness based on personal contentment in the Lord. This is part of being happy." (Chapter 57 - Domestic Happiness - Page 164)
In a time when the Titus 2 woman is mysteriously missing, or is, at best, difficult to come by, I find that Mrs. White helps to comfortably fill that gap. I highly recommend her book to anyone who is seeking Biblical womanhood as a keeper of the home, or to anyone who just wishes to learn how to slow down and live a simpler lifestyle in our out-of-control, modern age.
To find out more, visit Mrs. White @ The Legacy of Home.
Now...for the giveaway!!!
To enter, simply leave a comment below (or on my Hearth and Home Facebook page) telling something that you do in your home to create wonderful days at home for you and your family. That's it!
The giveaway starts today (Tuesday, November 9th, 2021) and will run through Tuesday, November 30, 2021. A winner will be selected and announced on Wednesday, December 1, 2021. The winner will have 48 hours to make contact. If they have not done so within 48 hours an alternate winner will be selected.
Until next time...
~Rebecca
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Pastor Dan and I ensured that it would be a great study for both men and women alike. So if you have a husband you want to study with or a small group from church–that’s perfect! I got to thinking that it would also be a great study for homeschooling at the high school level. And of course, it’s perfect for personal study as well. We dig deep into scripture, but it’s easy to follow. 
