Hello Friends,

I am excited to be sharing another Titus Two Tuesday “interview” with all of you! Today, Mrs. Janice Harris is  joining us!

The Harris family has been good friends with my in-laws for a long time, so I had the privilege of meeting them shortly after Adam and I got married. Their family is a joy to be around and we always love it when we get to visit with them whether it’s in Pennsylvania or at their warm and welcoming home in the South.

I hope this post is a blessing and encouragement to you!

Titus Two Tuesday with Janice Harris

Meet Mrs. Harris

I’m Janice Harris, founder of Keepers at Home Boutique, a sewing based business I run with four of our young ladies based on Titus 2:3-5. I am wife to Rob for almost 36 years & Mother to 10 precious gifts and Grammy to 9 more. I love raising and educating my family (homeschooling 30 yrs) & passing on sewing skills and homemaking to our daughters. We have been doing a lot of traveling the past few years and it has been such a blessing to meet so many wonderful folks from many places and all walks of life. Outer Banks, NC and PA are favorite destinations. I love smelling fresh coffee when I wake up and look forward to “10 minute vacations” each morning in my outdoor shower the hubby built for me. I cherish each day God gives to be with my family.

What is your favorite passage of Scripture and why? 

One of (it is too hard to just pick one) my favorite passages of scripture is Titus 2:3-5 because I wholeheartedly believe in my God given role to be a keeper of my home and believe older women should be teaching and modeling this for the younger women to see that it is good. Our Mother/daughters sewing business is named Keepers at Home. In my 20’s and 30’s I intentionally sought older women, including my own Mom and Grandmother to learn from. I now have 7 daughters (and 3 sons) to model Titus 2:3-5  before them. Raw honesty here…I don’t always do it well, but it is my goal.

What does your daily “quiet time” or Bible study look like?

My quiet time is usually in the morning when I get up but sometimes I need to sit later in the day or talk to the Lord in the busyness of my activities. In my younger days I would sometimes work through a devotional of some sort, however now  I often find myself just looking up passages I heard a Pastor preach or someone brought to my attention that needed more clarifying for me and causes me to just dig a little deeper. I also listen to preaching and Christian podcasts as I work.

What piece of advice or encouragement would you like to share with single young women? 

Some experiences in our family in recent years have made us much more keenly aware of wolves in sheeps clothing.  With this in mind, and having 7 daughters I have become more discerning than ever and counsel my daughters to not let their guard down and to trust their parents wisdom. Don’t put yourself in vulnerable situations.  I want them to be looking for “red flags” in friendships and I would (and have) encourage young ladies to compare expectations of them in any relationship, with God’s Word. Unfortunately our world is so wicked and corrupt and ladies and children are not always safe even in churches.

I want to personally reach out to ANY young lady or older lady that has been violated in any way or is suffering emotionally from damage done to them by someone they fully trusted. I am so sorry for your pain and I will listen to you when you feel there is no one. I have made this an “unofficial ministry” of mine. God will bring me who He wills. Please know that God loves you and cares deeply for you and longs to bring peace and healing to your life so you can trust the one who created you for a high calling.

How would you encourage wives to “love their husbands?”

I admit my failure in not always making my love for my husband known all the time. I want to be better at this. I am a “doer”, so making meals, folding all of his laundry and making sure the “things” get done, “seems” like I am taking care of him. We all love encouragement and I know that my (and your) husband is no exception. We need to encourage them in the things they do that we admire, love, and know is the right way. We all need this reminder. I am no exception!

How would you encourage moms to “love their children?” 

What is your favorite thing about homemaking and why?

I love just being able to raise my own family but I think what I love most is cooking good food for everyone. Really the main reason is because my favorite scene of all time is seeing my whole family around our 15 ft dining table that my husband and kids made out of a red oak cut from our property.  When the family gathers, we pray, laugh, tell stories and the smell of good food permeates the room. All is good in the world, for a little while.

What is your best homemaking or time management tip?

We are a big family and I guess I learned a long time ago to do things in bulk. When we cook, we make extra meals to freeze or prepare to give away or show hospitality. We have a sewing business as well so we make multiples of things whenever we get a good idea. Why make just 1 when you can make 100?!?

Tell us something the Lord has been teaching you lately:

I believe the Lord is teaching me in the complexity and busy life we lead as a family that my joy is not in all the “things we do” but in Him, the family that God has entrusted to me and the time I spend investing in each of them. I also am learning to be content in situations I can’t control (although this is a hard one for me).

Are there any books that have had a big impact on your life? 

Any final piece of advice you would like to share with us?

I am becoming more and more aware at the swift passing of time on this earth. I watched my Mother pass away 5 years ago of breast cancer (I thought we would have forever). My father in law passed 1.5 years ago. My children are practically grown and we now have 9 grandchildren. We do not have as much time as we think. Our life is but a vapor and our mark will only be what we make it.

My husband and I have always felt that children are a blessing from the Lord whether he gifts to you 1 or 10. Trust Him completely with every area of your life and He will give you exactly what you need when you need it. Share truth, the love and forgiveness of Jesus as well as hospitality with everyone you meet.

“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Hebrews 13:2

Janice Harris

Daughter of the King, wife to Rob, homeschooling mom to 10, Grammy to 9, business owner

Final Thoughts from Rebekah

I hope this post from Mrs. Harris was a blessing to you! Please leave a comment below to share what you learned and to thank Mrs. Harris for her time!

If you would like to contact Mrs. Harris directly, you can email her at keepersathome10@yahoo.com. To learn more about their Boutique, be sure to check out Keepers at Home for modest clothing and other handmade items. You can also follow them on instagram at Keepers at Home.

Until Next Time,