Just as it took me a couple of years to settle in to motherhood, it took me some time to settle in to homemaking. Neither motherhood nor homemaking came naturally to me, and it has taken a lot of hard work, grace, and intentionality to find my rhythm in both. To be honest, I did not even realize homemaking was a "thing" I was first married. I thought that chores and projects were "house work" and to be relegated to moments when you could no longer stand the mess.
But homemaking? That's entirely different.
Since discovering the art of homemaking, it has become a great source of joy in my heart and life. It brings me happiness to serve my family in this way and it allows me to push myself, to challenge myself to learn new things, and to conquer fears.
Homemaking is an Art
Homemaking really is an art, and that means there are a variety of expressions. Your homemaking does not have to fit in a certain box. It is unique to you and your family—what a gift!
And whatever your style of homemaking and however much joy it brings you, there are times when we all grow weary of the task and need some fresh inspiration for the journey. Kimberly Hahn—wife and mother of six—has walked the road before us and has come to guide and encourage us in her book, Graced and Gifted: Biblical Wisdom for the Homemaker's Heart.
When I heard about this book, it shot straight to the top of my TBR list. My homemaker's heart needed some refreshment, and it finds it's best motivation in the Word of God. I know this book will help you find the same, too.
Graced and Gifted
Graced and Gifted examines six different aspects of the woman in Proverbs 31 and draws inspiration from her example:
- She Works with Willing Hands
- She Brings Her Food from Afar
- She Rises While It is Still Night
- She Provides Tasks for Her Maidens
- She Considers a Field and Buys It
- She Girds Herself with Strength
Kimberly has the captivating ability to draw us deeply into Scripture while also showing us how the Word applies practically to our lives and circumstances. She spreads before us a feast of hard-won wisdom, hard-learned lessons, and hard-worked strategies and ideas.
The Heart of the Matter
But lest you think this is merely a manual of housekeeping and schedule-making, Kimberly is clear about the purpose of homemaking from the very first chapter when she quotes her own mother:
Relationships are at the heart of homemaking.
The purpose of homemaking isn't to have the cleanest house on the block or to receive praises from friends and neighbors when they enter your home. It's not to earn the title "most hospitable" or even to be the house where your teenager and all her friends want to hang out. The purpose of homemaking is to honor God by tending to the hearts of those entrusted to us. If this does not remain our motivation and our prize then our labor is in vain.
A Bible Study or Solo Study
Each section is followed by a list of questions for both personal reflection and a small group setting. It would be so much fun to do this amongst other homemakers in your parish, friend group, or BIS small group.
Whether you read through this with a group or slowly through the year to keep you inspired and encouraged, Graced and Gifted will be a true gift to your homemaker's heart, no matter what your homemaking looks like.
BIS Reads // Graced and Gifted by Kimberly Hahn #BISblog //Click to tweet
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Olivia Spears lives in Kentucky, where sweet tea and bourbon flow like milk and honey. She holds degrees in Theology and Catechetics from the Franciscan University of Steubenville and works from home while enjoying her children and husband. She curates relevant and inspiring content for Catholic women as Blog Manager. She is the narrator of Set a Fire, And Hay Became Holy, and All She Had as well as a contributing author for Rise Up. Find out more about her here.
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