Throughout the Centuries

There have been a few women in my life whom stand out to me....

Each Sunday, my father would pick us up and take us to our grandmother's for Sunday dinner.  I remember each week she would prepare a huge meal down to the pies and cakes for her large brood.  The women would clean up the kitchen after the meal while the men were in various stages of talking or napping around the house.  ;-)  We children would run around the farm, climbing trees and generally getting into trouble.  My grandmother was a sweet, quiet spoken woman who willingly served her family this way.

My mother worked long, long hours as a single mom but I do remember her always making a large Saturday morning breakfast.  Apple fritters were at the top of the list.  I also recall numerous Halloween costumes being sewn for me as a child.

My pastor's wife while I was growing up managed the kitchen of the Bible Institute that she and her husband started.  Each summer, campers would descend on the place and I spent hours in that kitchen helping with the cooking, baking, serving and cleaning up.  She taught me many skills necessary in life.

Our landlady in one of the apartments we lived in was from the Ukraine and I learned so many housekeeping and gardening tips from her.

I remember watching in amazement as a friend from Germany scrubbed her house from top to bottom every single day.  She was a ball of energy and such a wonderful example of someone who wanted to make her home pleasant for her husband and children.

There was a woman in our last church who taught me so many little sewing tricks, gardening tip, and how to can different food items.  It was like having my own Proverbs 31 woman in the flesh.

These women inspired and encouraged me in my own role as wife and mother and in the ministry.



I received an email the other day from the franchise owner of a nation-wide tea company.  She is based in Chicago and had been looking at my tea totes on Etsy and expressed interested in purchasing a large order.  To say I was thrilled is an understatement.  We are hashing out the details as they want to purchase at a discount and I also want to make something on the order so we shall see how it all works out.

The local coffee shop has begun carrying my breads and that is very exciting to me as well.  The local farmer's market will be starting up at the end of May and I'll be participating in that.  I so enjoy baking and sewing and it's been fun for me to be able to create and be artistic and yet, still make some money doing it.



I've been reflecting and I think it is neat that God keeps opening up doors for my sewing and bread baking.  I always find it amazing that in my desire to be a homemaker and care for my family, He keeps providing ways for me to make a bit of extra income.   But He has also opened doors for ministry as I meet new people through this venue.



I love that all the skills I've learned from these special women are being used.   I feel a connection with all women throughout the centuries who have used their culinary, seamstress and homemaking skills to bless their families, their church, and their community.

And I love it!