The Good Wife's Guide - Book Review

I really enjoyed this eBook; I put it on my phone and read it whenever I had a few moments! I appreciated that it was a quick read and straight to the point. Being a wife and momma means you don’t have as much time to read. : ) It’s a very encouraging book packed full with truth & inspiration to be a good wife.

The first part of this book goes through life experiences and pares them up with the Bible. Encouraging & inspiring us as wives to take on our God given role and flourish.

Purpose is found in those quiet moments when no one but God sees the work of your hands. ~ Darlene Schacht 

The second part of this book is about “Practical Application” - managing your time and housekeeping well. This section is extremely thorough and goes through so much. Darlene shares her best tips on organizing, deep cleaning, regular cleaning schedules & cleaning recipes.

In the deep cleaning your bathroom part (section 2, schedule 6) Darlene gives 53 steps to get it done. I didn’t know you could find 53 things to clean in the bathroom, it’s pretty much the smallest room in most houses. I feel quite motivated after reading this book and want to get some deep “Spring Cleaning” done, hopefully soon!

I loved this poem that was in the book:

A Kitchen Prayer 

Thank God for dirty dishes, 

They have a tale to tell; 

While others may go hungry 

We’re eating very well. 

With home, health, and happiness, 

I shouldn’t want to fuss; 

By the stack of evidence, 

God’s been very good to us! 

~Anonymous 

I didn’t necessarily learn something “new” from this book but was encouraged to continue to strive towards always being a better wife to my husband & momma to our children.   A good, respectful, godly, happy, joyful, etc wife makes a happy mom & example to her children.

I think this book would make a great gift or read for a new wife or one who has been married for awhile!! :) Its well worth the $2.99 for the eBook format and the $11.95 for the printed copy (I’d love to get a printed copy some day – this is definitely a read again book!)  The printed copy just was release April 16th!

You can read more about Darlene on her site here, I'm sure you will be encouraged there by the things she shares - I have been!  The Good Wife's Guide can be purchased here.




{I love the background song...}

Table of Contents:

Foreword by Candace Cameron Bure

Part 1:

The Good Wife’s Guide

Learning to Manage Ourselves

Being Selfish is Not Okay

Group Your Life Inventory

Time Well Spent

My Desire for Curb Appeal

Domestically Challenged

What Will They Take Away?

Repetition, Pattern, Order

Laughing Over Spilt Milk

Biblical Submission Defined

No Need of Spoil

Living in Unity

The Treasure of Your Heart

Enhance Your Inner Beauty

Love and Let Go

Part 2:

Toss Out 25 Things

Organizing Your Home

Housekeeping Schedule

Deep Clean Your Kitchen in 5 Days

Deep Clean Your Bedroom

Deep Clean Your Bathroom

Which Chapter would you like to read the most?

**A big thank you to Darlene Schacht for providing a copy of this book for the purpose of this review.  All opinions are my own.

Purposing to Spend time with your Work-At-Home Husband

Today I'm guest posting at Lessons from Ivy!  Go over to her blog to read how I spend time with my husband!  If you don't read Kasey's blog already, you should, she has so many wonderful posts!

Thank you Kasey!

Honeymoon Baby

Today's society says that children are nuisances. They make life harder and cost lots of money.  The Bible says much on children and the blessing they are.

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Psalms 127:3

Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; Genesis 1:28 

Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine In the very heart of your house, Your children like olive plants All around your table. Psalms 128:3

Her children rise up and call her blessed; Proverbs 31:28 

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:17

My husband and I were married for under a month before we found out that we were expecting our first child.  It didn't come as much of a surprise to us as we had decided before our marriage that we would allow the Lord to determine when we were ready to have children and how many children we would have.  We were so overjoyed to be blessed with a precious baby so soon!  We had been taught by our wonderful parents the amazing treasure and blessing each and every child is.

Many would probably say our choice to have children so early in our marriage was a bad one.  We should have spent more married time as 'just a couple' and not had the distraction of having a baby there.  Learning more about each other and married life.

But, my husband and I can't image our lives any other way.  Our first born son, born 8 months after our wedding (born at 37 weeks - 3 weeks early) has brought us so much joy and taught us so many priceless lessons!
 
I don't have my house spotlessly clean everyday, toys are often spread out on our floor, laundry is never caught up, and we didn't/don't have fancy romantic dinners every night, but I have an adorable little son to train and teach the ways of the Lord to.

And having a child hasn't brought stress to our marriage - it has strengthened it!  It hasn't separated my husband and I - it has brought us closer.  It has taught my husband and I how to seek the Lord for strength and courage for the rough times and to thank and praise Him for the many blessings and fun times!!

Today as I played with my now 15 month old - I was thinking about all the little and big things we would have missed if we didn't allow the Lord to bless us with him early in our marriage.

I wouldn't have been hearing his precious laugh today as I was playing peek-a-boo with him.

I wouldn't be hearing his sweet little voice say "Momma" & "Dadda" everyday.

I wouldn't be getting kisses from him at nap time and bed time - and other times spread out the day.

I wouldn't be seeing him play with his horses for hours and then say "horse" for the first time.

I wouldn't have the hundreds of pictures of him that I've already taken.

I wouldn't have learned first hand the joys of motherhood and the preciousness of a newborn in your arms.

Children are a huge responsibility and a precious soul that takes much time and love to train - but in every way worth it!  The scripture promises that if we do our jobs as parents right our children will not depart from the training.

"Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it."

Proverbs 22:6

In March we will be welcoming a second child to our house - as I carry this child and feel it move I am overjoyed for the blessing it will be and we're excitedly waiting for it's arrival.

Two years ago on Christmas Day we found out we were expecting our first blessing from the Lord, our lives have been forever changed and when we are old we will be happy & blessed!

Book Review - For Men Only

I know that almost/all my readers are women but this book was just so good!  It's not necessarily "For Men Only" as in many ways this book would help a woman compare and understand how her husband takes the things she does and says.  I have asked my husband (Daniel) if he'd write a review of this book - since it is written for men. : )

For Men Only

By: Shaunti Feldhahn

Format: Hardcover
Number of Pages: 192
Vendor: Multnomah Publishers, Inc.
Publication Date: 2006
Dimensions: 7.00 X 5.00 (inches)

I enjoyed reading this book as it is filled with insightful details about the inner life (or might I say confusing life) of a woman. When Tabitha first showed me this book I knew it was a must. I have read many marriage books, so I thought to myself “I won’t learn much”, man was I WRONG! I learned so much that I am going to be reading it again & probably even visiting a few chapters a 3rd time (mainly the chapter on listening). I found that the area I thought I was an expert in; I was not even close to understanding (can you guess what I am thinking of?). Have you ever had your wife tell you that you aren’t listening when you have listened and are now trying to “solve” her “problem”? I sure have, but there is hope! I learned that she really doesn’t want me to fix the problem, she wants me to:

1. Give her my full physical attention
2. Give her my full mental attention
3. Listen for the right thing (most of us guys think: I should filter out all the emotion and listen to the facts. But we have it backwards. We need to filter out the facts and focus on how it makes her feel.)
4. Lastly acknowledge what her feeling is and affirm/sympathize with it (even if we disagree with her thoughts)

Here is a warning it contained:

Don’t Try These at Home!

“How not to listen”

• Tell her she’s overreacting,
• Question her version of the facts,
• Wonder aloud about the time of the month
• Ask her to quit crying, or
• Offer spiritual correction (“are you sure you're not just envious?”)

Overall it was VERY worth reading (so much so, that I bought the companion book: For Women Only. for my wife). It even comes with a helpful quick start guide. I hope you take the time to invest in your marriage and read it.

***I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review all opinions are honestly my own.

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