I REALLY love being a homemaker!

There are very few things in this life that I truly, deep-down enjoy.  Crafting; my non-mommy passion, and photography- God has truly given me a talent, but the thing that I absolutely LOVE doing; homemaking.

I was never raised to be a homemaker.  My mother was a progressive liberal don't-need-no-man kind of woman.  Her marriage to my father was strained (to say the least) and it was a constant power struggle in their relationship.  In a household with 3 girls and 1 boy, it was very confusing for us.  After all, other moms were SAHM's who adored their kids, why did our mom go out and work?  (there's a point and I'm getting to it.)

We were never taught the value of running a home.  It was worthless to us because mom looked down on it.  After all, she was "worth so much more" than cleaning up after kids all d****d day.  Why should she be tied down to cleaning and cooking and not "worth" anything?

Looking back, I am very sad for her.  But, no, this is not a bash-my-mother rant.  This is to give you some background on my skills... which weren't many when I made it to the marriage field.  I taught myself how to bake bread and cookies and domestic skills like that, but it wasn't until I became a wife and mother myself that I truly learned to cook.  My dad did all the cooking (except for Thanksgiving; my mom would actually do it- with the help of my grandmother) and Christmas and Easter which were both left up to Mom Mom.  (mom's mother.)  If it didn't come from a box, my dad didn't know how to make it; then again this is also how he was taught by his mother- a woman who had all boys.

But, let me jump back and ask a few questions first.
When did we stop putting a value on what mothers and wives do?  Why is it considered "waste" to raise the next generation of women to be homemakers and find worth in their families and homes?  How do I get my children back to basics, raise them how I want them to be raised, and show worth in our home?  How do I honor my daughters for learning the skills that I so desperately wish that someone had taught me when I was a child, and how do I instill in them that it truly is worth it to learn these things?

Well, my only answer is to go back to the Bible.  Well, that and other Christian blogs and sites and books that showcase it.  For those of us who were never taught those skills, it is important to arm ourselves with knowledge.  The bible says "for lack of knowledge, my people perish" (paraphrased from Hosea 4:6).  I want to have all the knowledge I possibly can to guard myself against failure.  My family is worth it.

So, if you have any resources out there to help, I'd love them.  Cleaning resources (friends can tell you that I really do suck at this!) and cooking, and having a gentle spirit, and raising my children in love and guidance with humility and patience, being a better wife- all of this!  I want it all!