Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Overcoming Hard Times with Grace ~ A Guest Post


In this economy, many of us are struggling. There is a confusion added to this, about standard of living. We see magazine covers at supermarkets of beautiful homes and elaborately prepared foods. We see television programs about rehabbing houses, and making them "livable" with the latest upgrades. This is like an upgrade in standards, and it costs far more money than most of us can manage.

It used to be that thrift stores and churches had decent clothes available for free, or for a meager cost. Many mothers used to talk about the missionary barrel. When times were hard, they would find clothes and remake them with what they had at home. They made lovely things with their own efforts, out of cast-offs. 

Mothers were able to create recipes based on what was left in the pantry, rather than what was for sale in the store. 

Home repairs and maintenance was done to survive, with scrounged supplies, or inexpensive parts to make-do, for those with little money.

I realize we need certain skills to create out of little, but we can certainly learn. 

Money used to mean something different than it does today. Money was for basic housing and basic needs, and an occasional treat, rather than for splurging and spending on what we want right now. [Or what we think we need in this confusing, consumerist, culture.]

We need a good does of the history of the family during hard times. We need to read about the depression-era mothers, the pilgrims, and the pioneers to find a way to overcome the culture of today, with dignity and grace.


Blessings
Mrs. White



Overcoming Hard Times with Grace was originally shared on The Legacy of Home {here} and was reprinted with permission by Mrs. White, the authoress. Mrs. White is a Housewife of more than a quarter of a century. Granddaughter of a revival preacher. A Beloved Wife, Mother of five, and Grandmother of five. You will find her other encouraging writings at The Legacy of Home.

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22 comments:

  1. Mrs. White's post reminds me of our first fifteen years of wedded bliss when there was more month left at the end of the money than anything else. I look back at those days with fondness now because I know we did our best to provide a good life for us and our girls. What we did still works in today's economy. My husband worked all day and studied technical manuals in the evenings for several years until he fell asleep in his chair. I sewed nearly all of our clothes, even my husband's shirts (until yard sales started popping up), cooked meals from scratch and rarely ever bought a meal of convenience. It didn't hurt us at all, but rather taught us to live frugally and happily as we do still. And to this day I would rather have a few well-made outfits than a whole closet-full of cheap changes of apparel. I think ladies who are willing to learn to sew are pioneers in a sense. Sturdy, lasting, older sewing machines are available at yard sales at great prices, and lots of clothes can be made from thrift-ed linens. Life has always been a challenge for some of us, but we are able to meet it with the Word of God to guide us and a pioneer mindset to manage the labor.

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    1. I couldn't have said it better myself! Thank you for sharing and encouraging! :)

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    2. I love sewing for my girls and I but fabric is so expensive. Any suggestions? Thank you@

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    3. Hi there! We purchase used sheet sets from the second hand store for a few dollars (prints that are pretty of course) and they make wonderful fabric for dresses and such! Hope this helps! :)

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  2. Quite convicted, again, to: USE IT UP,WEAR IT OUT, MAKE IT DO, OR DO WITHOUT. Even when I can afford a few splurges, I'm always most content when being frugal. I especially agree with Mrs. White's thoughts about 'upgrading our standards'. We should be aiming at upgrading our standards according to what the Lord would require, and forget about what we see in the media, and yes, this is a challenge! Thanks JES and Mrs. White's blog......D.

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  3. Great post. Great thoughts to ponder. Thanks for sharing this.

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  4. Hello Jes, I think we all need to be reminded about being wise and content with how we view and use our monies. The world screams more-more-more... I am learning to take a step back and say enough with overspending on stuff we do not need. I love these kinds of post!
    Mrs. White seems like a very practical and follows biblical womanhood!
    Blessings, Roxy

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  5. Totally agree with the piece. Too much greed, wanting everything now, being swayed by society and casting God out of everything. We are just strangers passing through to a better land.

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  6. Another wonderful post filled with love and inspiration, I've loved such a lot reading Mrs.White words, my darling JES, so useful today !
    Be blessed
    Dany

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  7. I enjoyed this thank you! Reality and what the media/magazines portray is so far apart! The debt of our country and yours are just mid boggling and then personal debt to top it off. I am not sure where it will end....
    I do know that simple and grateful living will have us in a better position than more debt.
    I heard once someone say shopping will never fill the hole in your heart. This is true. It fixes nothing. Being happy and content at home, making the most of what we have and living a good life... these things bring happiness and rewards. Lovely!

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  8. That sounds like my life, Mrs. White!
    Blessings to you for a beautiful autumn!
    Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage

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  9. Great post! I totally agree. We are just strangers passing through to a better land. Wonderful things to ponder. Thanks for sharing!

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  10. Jes, what a wonderful post. I agree that the expectations of many I know, need to come down a notch or two. Our home is lovely, but we bought it as a rundown cottage on an overgrown and weed infested 1 acre block. It took us six years to renovate, add, tidy, grow and groom it into the home it is now. We got it for a song because nobody else could see the potential in it. Now we get an offer on it at least once a year and it's not even for sale! Everyone wants that sort of home NOW. They don't see the joy in taking something that isn't magically beautiful right this minute, and turning it into the proverbial silk purse. We too have lived humble for many years, and now can relax a little. But we are in our 50s and we've lived frugally for most of our lives because we knew there would be rewards. It's a shame that delayed gratification has gone out of style. It's a worthwhile thing. Love, Mimi xxx

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    1. I loved hearing this! My husband and I feel (and live) the same way! Thank you for sharing!

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    2. Oh! So vey encouraging!!

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  11. What a great reminder to look in our past and learn by what our ancestors went through.

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  12. Mrs. White, You brought so many memories back from my childhood, when my dad would make due with what we had to make a repair and it would always work! Or the time he enhanced our pop-up camper to accommodate privacy, added a stair-step, a porch like tarp and a stand for my baby brother's crib - most of which come standard with campers now...

    I fear creativity and means for the day to day are vanishing. I am thankful that my young son-in-law still shows signs of that work ethic from long ago, fashioning anything out of very little.

    Thanks for sharing.

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  13. Great points! I really only started shopping at thrift stores in the past year or so for clothing, and now I wonder why I ever wasted my money elsewhere. If you are patient and careful, you can find great quality clothes for a dollar or less. There's no need to spend time browsing at the mall. Spending money is a hobby for so many people!

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  14. Agree a dose of history is grand. My grandma raised her family during the depression and with every hour I spent with her those experiences where passed on and shared as if they were yesterday. Struggling isn't always bad, it can make you a stronger yet more thankful person.

    Carole @ Garden Up Green

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