Is your home a Christian Home? Apply these Christian principles and phi losophies to the problems of daily living and enjoy a happier, better family life.
THIS HOME WE BUILD b y Verna Joiner
be feels more and more “prompted” —and finally calls upon her father to do the job! Mutual understanding of feelings and fears and the willingness to talk the matter over, will enable couples to plan out the work to be done, without tension and humilia tion to the husband. After baby comes, something seems to happen! The dreams of a cozy nest and a “family feeling” are not always fulfilled. For nearly a year, the couple has felt special. After all, they are going to have a baby. The couple makes plans for nothing but the arriv al of their child. Friends show special attention and consideration. Gifts are received and are tenderly put away into baby’s room awaiting the great day. That day comes, and the young parents are so happy. Friends come to the hospital, and congratulations are endless. One week later, however, the little family is on its own. The mother is still weak, the father’s comfortable routine is interrupted. The event towards which they planned is over. All the money has gone to the hospital and doctor. No plans were made be yond this event and there is little to look forward to. The mother feels alone, tied down, and trapped. Tears are her only comfort. The father is bewildered. The future looks so bleak. Both feel guilty for “resenting” this new responsibility of parenthood. It just doesn’t seem to be as they had dreamed. They wonder how Chris tians can feel this way about the “great privilege” of parenthood. The young couple must realize that Chris tian consecration is not achieved by being perfect parents, but by yielded- ness to Christ and to an acceptance of the new role. The latter may take a few weeks to achieve. Today’s mother attends s choo l , community gatherings, and church meetings at such a pace she often wishes that she had the washboard and the more clearly defined role that it symbolized. The American mother isn’t sure what she is first: a wife, mother, civic worker, or employee. America salutes motherhood. God places great honor and dignity upon you. The Church stands ready to en courage and help you as well as to benefit from your services.
S p e c i a l days can be frustrating times for mother and father. In May, mothers are hard pressed to live up to the sentiment on cards received. Fathers experience this in June. Every periodical has an article telling us what poor parents we are—as if we had to be reminded. The American mother will attend church on her day in May, often with resentments and withheld tears. Her struggle to get the family ready on time for the service calls for threats and promises. Her maternal halo, which custom has forced her to wear, seems to get embarrassingly larger and more conspicious by the hour. She then finds herself in the family pew exhausted; her brood that today sing her praise and surrounded her. Soon she hears the voice of the minister, a representative of the male world, tell ing her what a mother should be! If Christian mothers were not of the calibre we know them to be, they could not survive the ordeal as admir ably as they do. In an effort to encourage you, the following paragraphs are discussions of some of the complaints and ques tions Christian mothers have frequent ly asked me. Perhaps you will see that you are not alone in the problems you feel. Young expectant mothers usually become quite anxious and concerned about the physical condition of the home generally and baby’s room par ticularly. She becomes aware of paint ing, plumbing, and electrical needs. Perhaps the windows and doors need weatherstripping. A second-hand crib needs repair and a coat of non-toxic paint. These are normal “nesting in stincts.” They produce alertness to the surroundings into which the baby will come. The conflict arises when the young father-to-be-does not share these promptings. He has probably been made to feel utterly unimpor tant in the entire process any way, and he does not think of the “event” in terms of the baby until its arrival. His wife’s “maternal promptings” force him into the role of handy-man, but he is really not mechanically skilled. This puts him at bay, since he does not want to “lose face” and fail in the area of fatherhood. So he post pones the repair work. The mother- to-
Fictional events in the life of a Christian fam ily presented in first person narrative style. Fifteen short chapters portray typical prob lems in building a Christian family life with young children and teen-agers. No. D7846— Paper back. .. .$1.00 No. D7845— Hardbound . . . .$2.00
THE HOME CHRISTIAN by Carl Kardatzke
This revised edition objectively analyzes the problems and the pleas ures of establishing the home around Christian principles of living and sharing. Especially rec ommended for young married couples. No. D4351— Paper back. .. .$1.00
COMMON SENSE IN MARRIACE
by Herbert A. Streeter A Christian philosophy for successful married life presented by a min ister who counsels con stantly with married people. Stressing the church and its teach in g s , he p u lls no punches while h an dling the subject in a human but professional manner. No. D3175— Hardbound . . . .$2.50 Order from your Religious Bookstore
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