"I love this site and everything it promotes. I have a great deal of hope when I read the posts by the young women on this board.

 

 

I have two very spoiled little dogs, that I love, and, of course, the great love of my life is my little grandson. I watch him quite a bit, and this helps his mother to do things she needs and likes to do. Even as mothers of adult children, I believe our parenting role is very important. I try to set time aside to practice the piano, and I love classical music. My Thursdays are my sewing and decorating days. This is the day I do all the little things I want to do around the house. I volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center on Fridays. I see every Friday what feminism has done for women, and the despair in the lives that have sold out to it. I love the precious girls I see, and want better lives for them and their little children. I want them to have a solid life with loving husbands and fathers for their babies. All the moral structures that were in place in the past have been slowly dismantled by the feminist movement. And this has left women very vulnerable, and alone. Let's fight the good fight and cling to what is right in the eyes of Christ. 

If I could give advice to young girls, it would be to prepare now for their future vocation as a wife, and hopefully a mother. It is never too soon to begin to help in the preparation of family meals, and ask their mothers questions about meal planning. It would be a good idea for teenage girls to know how to prepare well-balanced meals. Now is also the time to think about filling a hope chest with lovely hand worked linens, and bedding. Learning to do embroidery, and crochet would be very worthwhile to learn, as would sewing. Something simple to begin with would be aprons, which are invaluable in homemaking. They can be decorated with embroidery for special seasons, and such. Tea towels are easy to make, and you can buy the iron-on stamps with lovely designs. Making one's own clothing is rewarding, and there is so much more versatility when you can pick out your own fabric, and designs. You can truly have something unique. All these things will mean so much later on in life, and the skills can be passed down to daughters.

It seems that homemaking is becoming a lost art. Making a scrapbook with color swatches and decorating ideas would be a fun and worthwhile thing to do. Cultivate your decorating tastes, and color preferences now. Notice the different china patterns, and save clippings to refer to later. Something that would be useful would be to plant a small patch with flowers for cutting, fresh flowers are so beautiful, and the experience of growing something from seeds is so exciting. When choosing a husband, I believe it is important to find someone who shares your Christian faith, because you want to be able to share everything, and your faith in Christ is the most important thing in you life ultimately. Allow Him into everything that you do, and seek to please Him always. Scripture says that a "soft answer turneth away wrath". This is important to remember in marriage, and a good way to cultivate this is to practice it with your parents, and siblings. Be kind and loving , remember it costs nothing to smile, and give a kind word, and what better place to do this, than in your own family setting. I was not blessed with daughters, but what a great gift they must be! Whatever you do, do all for the Glory of God.      

 

 

 

Above you see part of the garden that Gale tends to. She also loves to exchange seeds with friends. "It seems they have more meaning to me when someone has given them to me from their garden," she says.   Gardens used to be planted with seeds from friends, before the abundance of garden centers was available.

 

She comments:    

 

She has also graciously sent us some poetry that has a lot of meaning to our cause:

INFLUENCE

 

Drop a pebble in the water,

And its ripples reach out far;

And the sunbeams dancing on them

May reflect them to a star.

 

Give a smile to someone passing,

Thereby making his morning glad;

It may greet you in the evening

When your own heart may be sad.

 

Do a deed of simple kindness;

Though its end you may not see,

It may read, like widening ripples,

Down a long eternity.

 

Author unknown.

And so, dear ladies, do not be discouraged. You may wonder if you are having any impact on your household, your children, your relatives, friends and neighbors.  You may wonder if you are headed in the right direction with your life.  Yet your constant attention to your conduct as a mother, a homemaker, or a wife, will bring results in time. "And be not weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." (Galations 6:9)   You may have rebellious children, a discouragaed mate, or housework you cannot seem to get control of.  Your constant, faithful practice of good values in these things  (perseverance) will eventually bring rewards. Our fore bearers knew that while they worked for a worthy goal, they were also developing the character that was necessary to build a great nation, and passing their habits and beliefs to the next generation.  In the often tedious hours that it takes to make your home a real home, don't forget that it is also the process that your family is observing, and that process can help you develop a love for your work and your home.  So, to help you make some progress in homemaking, (an occupation that not all women are familiar with these days), I have been sent a site you may find some things that will help you:

http://www.achristianhome.com/Homemaking/Homemaking%20index.htm Send us a note on the message boards if you were helped by this site!

 

Here is another site that some of you might enjoy. On this site I found an interesting pattern  for a child's purse made simply of pockets from denim jeans and the side seams, buttons made from clay, and many other crafts.

Crafts and hand work have a settling effect on the mind, allowing it to think logically and taking away confusion.  I only wish I had the time to try all these great ideas. 

 

www.pearables.com has very good materials for the boys and girls in your family, including a book about hope chests. My daughter and I are ordering the entire list of books in this catalog, which is also available by post. I have heard very high praises for these materials from several real life friends.

 

 If anyone has success in any of this, please drop a note to us on our message boards! For those who view from countries outside the U.S., you may be able to order  something you need through one of the L.A.F. ladies if you will ask on the boards.

 

All About Tea  If you want to restore the practice of morning or afternoon tea, have a look at www.sandysteasociety.com  She has some interesting ideas and has written several good books.  Remember when making tea of any kind, that the water must be freshly drawn from the tap, and heated til it comes to a boil. A whistle on the tea kettle (a tea kettle is made of metal and is used on the burner--it is not the same as a tea pot), is the best way to determine if the water is ready. Please do not use water from an urn, such as those that are commonly used for coffee at potlucks. The water just doesn't get hot enough and will not cause the tea leaves to expand.  Tea made with water from this kind of urn will be not steep properly, and will often have a tepid foam on top. It also does not stay hot in the pot.  So, the most important thing about making tea is to make it hot.  If the tea is good, your guests will be happy. Taking time for tea will help you establish family traditions that will be dear to you all years and years later. Your children may not think your home is unique and special right now, but when they enter homes where these little rituals do not take place, they will realize how unique their own home life was.   - Gale Burns

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The following song has meaning to a lot of people regarding the direction that the young people of our families will go. The poem was written by the great song writer of the 18th century, Isaac Watts, and  was put to the melody  written by Ludvig von Beethoven. (1720-1827)

 

How shall the young secure their hearts,

And guard their lives from sin?

Thy word, the choicest rules imparts

To keep the conscience clean!

 

Tis like the sun, a heavenly light,

That guides us all the day;

And, through the dangers of the night,

A lamp to lead our way!

 

Thy word is everlasting truth;

How pure is every page!

That holy book shall guide our youth,

And well support our age!

 

 

Finally, to those of you whose children are grown and perhaps moved away, have you thought of inviting young girls to your home for holidays such as Thanksgiving, to expose them to the idea of becoming homemakers?  Your influence might be felt many years later and could save some girls from the confusion that Gale, and many of us, suffered regarding our purpose in life. I know of at least one woman who met her future daughter in law this way!

 

 

I would like to share a  touching letter from you written by a gentleman in South Africa regarding his home birth experience. This was his first child.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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