Peaceful dwelling places Part I

" My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest. " Isiah 38:18

Today as I was going to check flylady so I could get my homemaking assignments for the week & day. How can I manage my house to glorify God? Am I just decorating & cleaning my house or am I glorify God by creating peaceful dwelling place? What is peace, Am I adding peace, how do I add peace with my husband, children, animals, houses and things under construction and neighbors?

This is my open air journal for you to see, I'll add a few notes for you but I'm just looking for God in the open....

Okay God, right now in the morning we wake up as soon as I finish my quiet time I turn on Christian talk radio (I really don't want ot miss Nancy LeighDeMoss's show) and we start chores. Eat breakfast and start school then when math Starts so does music appreciation so we listen to Bach. Is this adding peace? Is the flow in home peaceful, undisturbed place of rest? After lunch is free time or work time for the kids outside I turn on Political talk radio. We make dinner and clean up before Big Daddy makes his way home. Then we eat sleep and start again! Are we this peaceful?

You said we needed to be peaceful so what exactly does this word mean? Dictionary.com says peaceful is an adjective (describing word)
1.characterized by peace; free from war, strife, commotion, violence, or disorder: a peaceful reign; a peaceful demonstration.
2.of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a state or time of peace.
3.peaceable; not argumentative, quarrelsome, or hostile: a peaceful disposition.

We are not consistently peaceful in my home. Not like the Bible wants us to be, not according to this definition. Peacefullness is not just a surface condition but an issue of the heart, tounge and the body.

Okay God what is strife. Strife is a noun (person, place or thing). According to dictionary.com stife is:

1.vigorous or bitter conflict, discord, or antagonism: to be at strife.
2.a quarrel, struggle, or clash: armed strife.
3.competition or rivalry: the strife of the marketplace.
4.Archaic. strenuous effort.

So which people- A child who beleives thoughts should be shouted out, another who who loudly proclaims any injustice, another who holds it in and errupts, 3 GIRLS (4 counting me) and a mom who is conquering anger (I'm gonna leave Wayne out of this because I do not have his permission), argumentative people ,children unattended to
Places: TV (we've mostly elimnated TV watching and mostly watch DVD's and specific things), kids bedroom, toy box, computer, laundry room
Things that cause strife - playing poorly together,not obeying, lack of enough attention of parents, getting along with one another, selfishness, and the "I want what I want syndrome", too much political talk radio, not completing housework (if we do not have what we need like clean underware, socks, pants, or an item (like Awana bags) cannot be found in a timely manner this can cause patience to be tested and it's within my control!), idleness, disagreements on how things should be, random yelling accross the house

So like any good Living by the book graduate let's search Bible Gateway...

Proverbs 26:21As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.

Romans 1:29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips...
Proverbs 17:1Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife.
Proverbs 18:6A fool's lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating.
Proverbs 20:3It is to a man's honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.

It's better to be hungry, its simmering underneath the surface, its a major kind of wickedness & evil, you are fool, it should be avoided.

Okay so what is the opposite of strife? Thesurus.com says its antonyms are as follows: cooperation, harmony, peace

Changes that need to be made: peacefullness needs to be enforced in the home between the children. My reactions and interactions need to promote peace, be peaceful. We need to remain on gaurd against strife!

Lord deliver us from strife and help teach me to facilitate peacefulness in our home. Help me to be vigilant at the gates of my home choosing only to include things that bring glory to your name. Let me raise the children in such away as to bring them peace and joy and to make them into peacemakers. Let me be a wife who is peaceful with her husband, not a quarelsome foolish woman who is kindling strife in her own home. Lord help me to be a wise woman who builds her house. As we focus on peacefulness this week help my family to transform their minds.

In the book Her Hands by Heather Hendrick, she says: "Although it sounds so far-fetched by obeying the Lord in everything, the result according to scripture is a life of peace and rejoicing." Wow...I wanna get me some of that!

Is your house peaceful? What causes strife for your family? Are there changes to be made to create a peaceful dwelling?
Happy Homemaking!

PS: In case you are wondering this is more than I would generally journal in one day. Each post is taking a couple of days of exploration.