Let’s face it, ladies, home is where the heart is for sure, but it is also where we behave naturally, without many behavior filters, and are most comfortable just being ourselves. And, my friend, that is where we get into trouble.

Sometimes as moms and daughters we struggle with our behavior inside the home with the people whom we are most familiar with and love the most.  I know I do. No matter if you are a mother or daughter, occasionally we take our families for granted, speaking in tones to our loved ones that are harsh, demanding, critical, angry, short-tempered, and even disrespectful. These are tones and actions we would never ever ever use on company or people who are outside the family. I can think of only one good thing that can come out of this type of behavior…and that is a clear recognition of where we can allow the Lord to work in our life.

Last week in The Companion Guide to Beautiful Girlhood study we explored the importance of having a well-oiled life and in order to do this, we must daily draw from the Source! Running out of oil from the Source is sort of like running out of gas. Unfortunately, I don’t physically have a gauge attached so I can be aware of the diminishing levels…but I know when there is a shortage. It is like I possess a gauge in my spirit and my attention gets turned to it when I feel a limited amount of patience, slightly peevish, hear staccato sharp words spring from my mouth, or get easily irritated. It is then the awareness dawns on me that I am running on fumes. Maybe my oil reservoir wasn’t filled that morning or maybe it was an extremely taxing day…it really makes no difference. The fact is I have run out of the very necessary fuel needed to keep my relationships running smoothly.

So I go back. I go again and again to the Source that never runs dry.

How about you, do you and your daughter ever experience a shortage of this nature? This week we are putting last week’s chapter, The Oils of Life, into practice in our Home Life. This chapter discusses how a girl interacts with her family members.

Making sure my tank is full to the brim,

Activity

• Before you do the study for this week, take some time to quietly observe how your daughter interacts with the other members of your family. Then, as you do the discussion section of this chapter you can bring to her your observations. How does your daughter react/ interact to:

-Authority
-Disappointment
-Responsibility
-Father
-Mother
-Older and younger siblings

•  When I was first married I was always getting well-meaning advice from family and friends. One relative gave me this sage advice, “treat company like family and family like company”. What are some behaviors that your daughter (and you) can change and replace with the type of behavior reserved for her (your) friends?

Memory Verse

Romans 12:3

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

Ponder and Post

• What are some of the successful ways you train your children to “fit and submit” in your home? Fit means to mold themselves to the schedules, personalities, and irritations of the day. Submit means to be yielded and pliable under the authority of Dad and Mom gracefully.