Do we blindly follow what others say without stopping to think if what they are purporting is even biblical?  I know I have been guilty of doing so.  Several times over the years I have been so excited about something I just read in a book and run to Jim telling him of my “enlightening” only to have him say, “How does that line up with scripture”?  Then a lightbulb goes on and I realize I just believed what the person was saying without actually thinking about whether it was biblical.

Even if we aren’t intentionally seeking out advice from another woman, when we read a book by a woman author or engage in conversation with another woman, we are opening ourselves up to hearing the counsel of another lady.  This is great if the counsel is from a wise, godly lady, but if it is not, we can be setting ourselves up for failure and not even realize it.

How do we know if what we are reading or hearing is good advice?  We should line it up with scripture.  God’s Word is sufficient for everything we need in life (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Everything we think and do in life should be lined up with scripture.  This is the very thing that the Berean Jews were commended for in Acts 17:11:

“Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”

So, whether we are searching for advice from another woman on anything from marriage to parenting or from fashion to homemaking, we should look at the information being offered through the lens of scripture before we decide to take their advice.

Paul tells us how women should encourage each other in his letter to Titus.  He is specifically referring to older women teaching younger women, but these standards apply to women of any age who are sharing advice.  Wise counsel from another should not be contrary to any of the things Paul listed in Titus:

1.  Love your husband

2.  Love your children

3.  Be self-controlled

4.  Pure

5.  Working at home

6.  Kind

7.  Submissive to your own husband

If we are listening to women who, when they speak, whether it is through a book, social media or face to face, are saying things contrary to what Paul mentions here, or contrary to any scripture, red flags should be going up. We would be wise to take a lesson from Eve, who fell prey to what, in her mind, sounded like truth but was contrary to what God had said.

In this day and age, with ideas and advice coming at us from every direction, it is as important as ever that we filter everything through the Word of God, to find out whether the advice we are receiving lines up with the things that God has said – even the advice on this blog.

Laundry has never been one of my strong suits.  Over the years I have tried many different methods to keep up with the madness that piles up endlessly at our house.  The last few years we have been doing basically the same laundry routine, and it is working great.

The key to me keeping up with the laundry now is my oldest daughter.   She took over the laundry about 3 years ago.  In the beginning she was doing everything, washing, folding and putting away (that was her only job around the house, the other kids helped out with cleaning).  More recently, we changed things a little and now one of my younger daughters and I take turns folding and putting away.

Over the years though, I found various ways to involve my children in helping out with the laundry and ways of using the laundry as a teaching tool for younger kids.  Below are a list of a few ideas I have used.

1.  Have the kids bring you their dirty clothes – If they are too little to carry baskets you can give them a clothes bag with a drawstring to pull around.

2.  Pull laundry out of the dryer into a basket – This is a great job for preschoolers and even toddlers, they will think they are such big “helpers”.

3.  Put away clothes – Children at least 5yo and up can put away clothes, some even younger can too.

4.  Read Aloud to the kids while they fold –  This is a great use of multi-tasking, you get laundry and some school done at the same time!  I would divide up the clothes evenly between those that were able to fold, then I would read to them while they folded

5.  Go over memory verses – You and the kids can work on memory verses while you all fold clothes together.

6.  Counting lesson – Little ones can practice their counting by counting pieces of laundry while you put them in the washer or dryer.

7.  Sorting colors – Sorting clothes is a great way for kids to learn the differences between light and dark, small and large.  After they get the hang of light and dark, this would be a great job for a young one to take over.

What ideas do you have for involving your kids with the laundry?