Talking It Over continued LOVE IN THE HOME Woman from Calif. She should not be nagged at, hut only A cause could he the lack of concerted affection at home. Do parents actually seek to understand those things which cap ture the affection of a young heart? Woman from Calif. I think home environment is doing most of the damage. It seems the parents are trying to work out their child’s future but each child or individual has her own life to live and right to choose her career even if it’s a homemaker. Woman from Canada I note the mother says “ Her father and I have always tried to he friendly.” What a way for parents to talk — sounds as if it were an effort. I draw the impression that there has not been a real bond of “palness” between them. Woman from Canada W e have found from our families and others, that when the parents and children are pals that the children are not then so likely to want to go against their parents’ wishes. There is a bond of love and loyalty to family. One idea we find good is that as our daughter is growing up. into her mid dle teens, we have family parties with other Christians who have boys and girls the same age of ours. This way they iearri to mix and have fun together and yet are chaperoned without realizing it. Woman from Mich. Have her parents given her love — the kind that comes in the prayer closet, not from over-activity at church? WISE CHOICES Woman from Calif. Making choices is not easy. A person is not horn with the wisdom of making choices. This ability is acquired. It is learned. If parents want their children to make wise choices, they must teach them how to do it. They will have to spend time with them and from a very early age, point out the advantages and disadvantages of choices. Parents should indicate the consequences of certain choices. W ith pa tient help from parents, children can ap proach adulthood making wise choices. ACTIVITIES FOR THE GIRL Mon from Calif. The introduction of new avenues of in terest will possibly stimulate an interest greater than the prevailing one. Woman from Calif. Try to arrange something for her to do, something that suits her talents, tastes and abilities. Woman from Canada Our daughter goes on Inter School Fel lowship outings supervised by a sponsor. You need to be pals with your children but know when to draw the line and not monopolize them. gently guided. Man from Calif.
Woman from Mich. Consider a Christian camp for the girl where she might work part time. This relationship will soon sever painlessly. Woman from Idaho A girl of 15 who is quite mature natu rally has her eyes on the future. Capital ize on this! I’ll tell you what I did for my young daughter. I helped her with a “hope chest.” Now this was not a wedding hope chest but rather a “Bible school hope chest.” She put in it luggage, bedding and many nice things she could take with her to Bible school when she graduated from high school. Girls this age want to be defi nitely preparing for something. They want to do! They don’t like to spend all their time with everyday school work. PARENTS SHOULD PRAY Woman from Calif. Mother and daughter should have prayer about this problem, asking the Lord to show them. A t least two or three times a week mother and daughter should have prayer together for friends, school prob lems, etc., vocation and a husband included and God’s will for her. I am sure a certain confidence would he 'established between the daughter and mother. God does answer “The family that prays together stays together.” This may sound trite, common and time worn; hut have they ever set aside a specific time each evening and opened the Word of the Lord and let the Master who knows every failing of the flesh speak to the hearts of the family col lectively? Woman from Canada I am having to learn to trust m y chil dren to the Lord and when I start worry ing say, “Lord, they are your children. W e have given them to you for Thy service. You are better able to care for them than I am, and you are even more concerned about them. Lord, I do trust them to you and I trust Thee to protect them and guide them. Give me the faith to trust.” This is a prayer the mother in question could pray and I am sure it will help. If the daughter is the Lord’s child, He is vitally interested and if they pray and trust He will prevent mistakes being made. The best solution to any problem is prayer, and I would not go one step of the way without seeking the Lord’s guid ance. Prayer changes things and prayer changes us. Man from Minn. The mother wishes for the wisdom of Solomon. This spiritual gift can only be obtained by and through prayer to the Beseech God for His will in their lives as if their very souls were in danger. SIMILAR EXPERIENCES Woman from N.Y. .I’m a mother of an 18-year-old boy who sincere prayer! Man from Calif. Lord Jesus Christ. Woman from Mich.
has also been brought up in a Christian home and he has accepted Christ as his own Saviour and Lord. He is going with a girl who is not a Christian. He has been warned by the pastor of his church and his mother of the dangers involved ac cording to God’s Word, but he still insists on going with the girl. I find great peace in taking this problem to the Lord and leaving it there. I have done m y part in bringing him up to know the Lord. He is in church every Sunday. He takes active part in the service of the church. I pray with him and read the Bible to him (with the rest of the fam ily) every day. I know the Lord will do the rest. I know there are many dangers that would threaten my boy hut putting it all in God’s hands is all that I can do now. If I try to run ahead of God and fuss and worry, or if I should make a nuisance of myself running to the girl’s parents, I might bring God’s wrath upon myself. Woman from Pa. I have a daughter who is the mother of a fine son, but when she was past 21 and going to graduate from a nursing school, she said to me, “Mother, I just want to thank you for not letting me get married at 15 and 17 years, even though I was hard on you; for if you had, I would never have forgiven you.” She saw the suffering and hardship. Now she is much happier. ADVANTAGES OF MARRYING AN "OLDER" MAN Woman from Ore. Sometimes an older man can be a won derful husband, so why not let God handle it His way. He knows best. Woman from Canada Actually, a boy who is older would have more self-control and more control over his emotions than a hoy her own age, especially if, as she states, the young man is a Christian. She may be a whole lot safer with a 25-year-old than with a 17 or 18-year-old, if the 25-year-old is a Christian! GIRL'S AGE Woman from Calif. A possible cause is, she is well developed and looks much older than she is. Nature intended her to marry young and “ Doth not even nature itself teach you . . . ?” (1 Cor. 11:14.) Man from Calif. There are lots worse things than to have a sweet daughter marry early. Woman from Mich. M any younger girls are flattered by the attentions of older men. This is some un satisfied emotional need being compensated for. Older men seem to want the younger girls, possibly because of the girls’ igno rance. Woman from Calif. One of the happiest marriages I ever knew in m y long life of nearly 86 years was between a husband nine years older than his wife. I know personally of an-
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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