This chapter is one that I needed to read! Does anyone have any good examples of a woman who cultivated habits, routines, and priorities to keep her home life in order? What were your homes like growing up? What are your homes like now?

I am so glad that Kassain wrote this chapter and was challenged by what she had to say regarding responsibiilty of the home. I have witnessed the frustration that mounts in a home when the wife is neglecting her responsiblities for other "busyness". While the husband was not/is not perfect either, the wife would routinely ignore her husband's request to spend less time talking on the phone (which she considered ministry-though her family often thought it was gossip) and to attend to the needs of her large household/family. Her acts of open defiance in refusing to try and honor his requests have affected not only their relationship but the entire household. This situation often reminds me of the verse "The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears her down" (Prov. 14:1).

We as women have the great priviledge of using our God given abilities to create a warm, inviting, ordered household which will affect those who dwell within and those that visit. Though frustrations are bound to come, and none of us will ever have perfectly ordered homes, when we seek to honor God and our families by forming godly habits that reflect biblical priorities we will not only be blessed but be a blessing to our families and others. A verse that is encouraging to me when I feel like the responsibility is overwhelming is 2 Peter 1:3 "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness..." God provides us the strength that we need to accomplish the tasks to which he has called us.

I, too, was encouraged as I read this chapter! Being in college, it's so easy to neglect needs around the house where I live with four other girls. I am realizing, though, that even though I don't have a specific man that I am helping right now or several children surrounding me in need of constant care, there are many ways that I can be helping those who I live with- maybe that's through taking out the trash or washing dishes that I didn't make or maybe it's through being here and willing to listen to or pray with them when they are excited about or struggling with something. Also, as far as good examples of prioritizing go, I can't help but commend my mom here. She has always, when faced with a new possibility of how to spend her time, been quick to seek the Lord's wisdom and thoroughly discuss it with my dad. It's not because she is oppressed and incapable of making decisions on her own, but rather because she knows that God's Word speaks directly to her roles as a woman and she does not want to neglect those in any way. She sees that helping my dad and being diligent to train us, as her children, are not optional endeavors. Something huge that I've seen in her is a willingness to go unnoticed. Some of the things that we, as women, are called to won't be worth writing in the paper about or they won't seem to affect thousands of people. But if we are willing to lay our lives down helping our husband and training our children in the fear of the Lord, surely we will make a difference. Are we willing for our husband and children to be the ones to one day rise up and call us blessed or are we convinced that that commendation will only matter if it comes from other sources?