Recently I finished reading a book called “Joyfully At Home: A Book for Young Ladies on Vision and Hope” by Jasmine Baucham. Initially, I was a little concerned that it would be exactly like the book “So Much More” by Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin, because Jasmine was featured in the documentary, “The Return of the Daughters” that was made by the Botkin family. Thus, the two families have similar beliefs. But I was very pleasantly surprised that this book indeed had a different flavor and style than “So Much More,” while still proclaiming the message of Biblical daughterhood.
The book speaks on many issues of daughterhood, including becoming a good daughter to your heavenly Father, earthly father, mother, and siblings; contributing to a joyful atmosphere in the home; defining joyful contentment; overcoming false views of marriage, husbands, self, singleness, and God’s sovereignty; answering the hard questions about stay-at-home-daughterhood, all of the “what if’s;” the home and the great commission; being hospitable and making the home a place of ministry; making these principles practical and applicable in our lives; and becoming a “ballistic missile” for the glory of God.
The book is written in a winsome and humorous way at times, with lots of personal stories from Jasmine herself. In the introduction, she explains that she used to live and believe exactly the opposite of what this book is about! But the Lord really convicted her, and she now lives a vibrant, joyful, content, and happy life at home preparing to be a helpmeet to her future husband.
What I enjoyed most about this book, and the main idea I took away from it, is the idea of being more hospitable and having our home be a place of ministry. There are so many different ministries and opportunities that I can use to serve the Lord right from home! We have been blessed with a home that has ample space for guests, and lots of hands able to work towards making it a place suitable for ministry. The book has caused me to ask the following questions:
*Is our home a place of ministry, or simply a private retreat for our family?
*Am I truly helping my mother make our home into a place of ministry, or am I selfishly using my time for myself, and making her calling to be hospitable (1 Peter 4:9) more difficult?
*Am I contributing to a joyful, peaceful, comforting atmosphere for my family and for guests? Or am I causing chaos and disorder?
*How can I make our home a more inviting place for guests? Can I help clean more, contribute in preparing food, or play with younger children to give my parents more time to meet the spiritual needs of guests?
*Is the purpose of having people over to simply entertain them, or to have true Christian fellowship with one another? Are we also having non-believers over and ministering to them with the message of the gospel and the family?
*How can I serve my family, others, and my Savior best? How can I bring the most honor and glory to God by being joyful and content at home?
As a result of reading this book, I have tried—and am still learning— to help my family have more time to minister to people in our home. The Lord has blessed us with many friends and neighbors to minister to, and one of the best ways to do that is through our home!
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the topic of Biblical daughterhood. The book is very practical and compelling in encouraging young women to be better helpers to their families during their “single” years (no one is truly single if they are part of a family) and to do it joyfully.
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