28 October 2011

Welcome Home Daddy: A Gabby Moms Review

This past Sunday was a glorious day. The sun was shining. The temperature was warm for this time of year. We went to church in the morning, and one of the ladies from our church delivered a message to the women of the church about being godly women and wives. Afterward, we spent the afternoon with my parents, and then we headed back to church for musical rehearsal and Sunday School in the evening. Doesn't that sound like a nice way to spend a Sunday? 

When we got home, I was overcome with a bad attitude. Looking back, it made no sense whatsoever. I had a fantastic day, but, as soon as I got home, I was tired and cranky, and we all know that when mama is tired and cranky, she has the ability to upset the fruit basket completely. I was definitely in that kind of mood. I finally sat in a living room chair away from my family for a few minutes and paused, thinking about what everyone had done to me to put me in this mood. I couldn't come up with anything! I sincerely apologized to my family. In response to something I said in my little apology, Eric began to smile, walked across the room, sincerely said he agreed with what I had said, started to laugh and then leaned down to kiss me. It was a moment in which I could choose to be upset with my husband because he was unapologetically agreeing with my explanation of my attitude, or I could decide to smile in the moment and laugh. I chose the latter. We both laughed so much that he could barely give me that kiss. Then, the kids were laughing with us (or maybe they were laughing at us). That laughter turned my attitude around and changed the atmosphere of our home for the rest of the evening.

In Lorrie Flem's book, Welcome Home Daddy, Traditional Values for Modern Mothers, Lorrie dedicated an entire chapter to this very idea. The stories she told in this particular chapter were so funny that I laughed hard enough to cause my husband to ask me what was so funny. He wasn't even in the same room with me! Even now, I'm smiling again thinking about one of the stories she shared, which I hope you will read when you get a copy of this book!

Don't we all need to laugh more often? We laugh a lot in this house, but, still, we can always use more laughter. This is one of many, many points that Lorrie made in this little treasure.  The entire book was filled with ideas on how we, as wives and moms, can make the atmosphere of our home better. Making a nice meal each night isn't just about eating, for example, it's about loving your family. Everything we do as wives and moms comes down to this simple fact. If we love our families, we will serve them in a multitude of ways. Making our homes a place where our husbands and children want to return to relax and enjoy each other is a big responsibility, but it is such a worthwhile calling. Lorrie has written this timeless book for modern moms to show us how we can do it even when there are toddlers at our knees and teenagers needing rides; we can still purpose to make our home a shelter from the storms of life. 

For instance, my children set our table each evening for dinner. Last year, I began to purpose to make the table look special more often. Sometimes we'll use a table cloth, or we'll set a little decoration at one end of the table. The kids enjoy putting candlesticks on the table more than anything. One evening, they did all of this unbeknown to me. I walked into the dining room and found the table dressed to the 9s, so to speak. Why did my children do this? Because they have learned that dinner time, with just the four of us, is special enough to dress things up a little because they are special. If we're willing to do these things for company, why not show the people we love the most that they deserve it too?

One thing that Lorrie mentioned in the book a few times that I really appreciated was that she understands that this concept can be overwhelming during certain seasons of life. Afterall, having 8 children of her own, she has been there! One of the subtle themes that I noticed is this, "If you can't do it all, just do something." I don't know that she said those exact words, but that is one point that she made more than once. We can all do something to make our homes a respite. You may be juggling 3 children under the age of 5, and your husband may walk into a messy living room. You can still greet him at the door with a kiss on the cheek and welcoming words on your lips so that he knows you want him there.

You can get your copy of this book, Welcome Home Daddy, at www.eternalencouragement.com. You will also find many other fantastic resources in their shop and on their website. There are several other products that complement this book that I am excited about! I recommend starting with this book. It is $17.97 plus shipping, and it is a book worth reading! Lorrie's ideas are simple and easy to implement in your home.  If you want to read some other reviews of this book as well as find some other great Christian mom bloggers to follow, check out the Gabby Moms Blog.

The last thing I want to mention to you is that Eternal Encouragement is also looking for new blogging moms to join the Gabby Moms program in 2012. Are you interested? I can tell you that I have enjoyed doing this program very much. I have been blessed, encouraged and challenged throughout this year by the products offered on the Eternal Encouragment site. I encourage you to think about it. It could be a lot of fun for you, and what mom doesn't need more fun in her life?

This post was written in accordance with the Gabby Moms program. I was in no way compensated for this post.

3 comments:

  1. Wonderful post. I enjoyed 'seeing you at home' as I read it.
    I loved the 'just do something' idea you pulled out of the book. That's my problem,I want to do it all,but can't, so I do nothing :(

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  2. I find myself with an unexplained bad attitude sometimes too. I probably would have got mad when they laughed. Thanks for sharing and for the great review!

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  3. "Just do something." A good thought to remember. Thankyou for sharing.

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