The Bible of My Childhood

Inside View of Mrs. White's Bible

A few days ago, just as I was about to start reading the Bible during our evening devotions, I noticed my Bible had broken.  It has been falling apart for many years. Now the cover had detached from the pages of Scripture. I was devastated.

I knew it was my own fault.  I had not taken proper care of it, over these many years.  I used to wonder why people used Bible covers. Now I know. 

 Many years ago, when I was a child, my parents gave me this precious Bible. They had my name inscribed on the front cover. It has my full maiden name. The Bible came in a sturdy box with a cover.  I have carried it with me throughout my childhood, and into my married years.  Sometime, over many moves, the box broke and could not be fixed.

I have read from the pages of this Bible nearly every day for decades. It is my most treasured possession.  There are a few minor scribbles, or a random pen mark, which came when I was a young mother and my little ones had gotten into it.   There is one tiny piece of a page missing, which a baby had gently grabbed when I was not being careful.  This Bible has tear marks from those difficult days when I cried and prayed as I read for comfort. It is a precious and dearly beloved book I have had since I was a young girl.

First pages of Mrs. White's Bible showing the name of the publisher.

When I noticed the cover had detached, I started to panic.  I felt terrible. I knew I should have reverenced it more. I should have put it aside in a box, or Bible cover, when it was not in use. It should have been kept up high, away from danger, whenever it was not in use.  It would still have some damage from so much use all these years, but at least it would have remained intact.

My husband said I should put this one aside to save (as a vintage treasure) and get a new Bible. He said I would love it just as much.  I thought it was a good idea.  I would have my married name on the cover of this new one.   But then I started to search for one just like this.  It was printed in England.  It is excellent quality, easy to read, and easy to study. I could not find anything close to it.  It was so discouraging!

Inside view of Mrs. White's Bible showing it was printed in England by "Her Majesty's Printers."

I wanted so dearly to get another "King James" Bible published in England.  But one could not be found.

My next idea was to simply get a Bible cover and help protect it while I carefully read each day.  But the prices of covers (of pretty ones) are so expensive.  I finally decided I would make my own simple, homemade cover for now.

I found some scrap fabric and a couple of pink zippers.  I would make up a plain pattern and see how it turned out. There would be a pretty floral fabric and then a lining of plain beige to keep it sturdy.

Setting up the Sewing project to Make a cover for Mrs. White's Bible

I will sew this by hand, over the next few days.  I will still search for a similar Bible, but I realize it may not happen.  I will also save up to buy a pretty "real" cover over the next few months.  In the meantime, this home-style cover will help me remember to take extra care of the fragile Bible of my childhood.

Mrs. White's Childhood Bible on the fabric for the cover.

Blessings
Mrs. White


From the Archives -

Humble Homemaking - Poor and Pretty Living.

When There isn't Much - Living in Reduced Circumstances.

A Fun Homeschooling Idea - The Mailbox in the House.

Find Home-keeping Inspiration, in Mrs.White's book -Mother's Book of Home Economics .  Paperback, 312 pages.










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The Anniversary of a Family

The Parlour Table at Mrs. White's Home

Every year, on our wedding anniversary, I try to do something to make the day special. I want it to be different than all the other ordinary days.  We live very simply and do not have much money to spend, so it takes extra effort to be creative.

As my children have all grown up and we became grandparents, I started to realize that a wedding anniversary is not just about the husband and wife. It is about the legacy of the entire family.  It is a celebration of the family unit. 

I have a tiny book called, "Wedding Memories" that my husband's grandmother gave to us after we were married.  It has pictures of the simple ceremony. I have carried it with us through the years, through all the moves, through every trial, through sickness and health, and through the happy times.  I place this on the table each year to look through, and to remember.

About seven years ago, just before our first grandchild was born, I created a binder for pictures. I gave it a title "The History of Mr. and Mrs. White and their decedents."  The cover has a faded picture of my husband and I on our wedding day.   It has now been 31 years since we got married.  Our marriage has been blessed with five children and nine grandchildren.

Each year, I gather up a few pictures to add to this binder of family memories.  I realized today, as I was setting the table with a white tablecloth, some pretty fake flowers, a lovely candle, and my books of memories, that this is not just about a wedding.  It is about maintaining and working hard to keep the family strong. 

The family is something of great value.  It is something that requires a great deal of humility and of gratefulness.  We need to keep working on cheering each other up, encouraging one another, and being there when we are needed.  We need to value the family.  We need to keep building up the home and strengthening our relationships. 

How easily each one of us could fall! How easily an argument, or holding a grudge, could destroy the family! Life is too short.  We need to be on guard and always learning to be peacemakers.  My mother used to say, "There but by the grace of God, go I."  His mercy and long-suffering towards us and the blessing He gives us is what keeps us going each day.

There are good and bad days for all of us in this life.  But remember to celebrate and focus on the good and happy times.  An anniversary of the family is a wonderful day to look at old pictures and remember our parents and grandparents, as well as our children and grandchildren.  This helps bring security as we link the generations and see that our lives are about more than just today. 

The Christian home, with the Bible as the foundation of all we do, is an incredible blessing to all, in every generation.    A wedding anniversary is a good day to look back at all the times of answered prayer, of blessings, of beautiful memories, and recommit ourselves to trusting the Lord and of giving Him all our burdens.  This is what will bring us great peace and joy.

Blessings
Mrs. White

From the Archives -

The Beauty of Home - Living a Quiet Life.

Practical Encouragement - Feeding the Family.

For Hard Times in the Family - Take Back the Home!

Find Home-keeping Inspiration, in Mrs. White's book - For The Love of Christian Homemaking.  Paperback, 274 pages.










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A Day of Homemaking

Homemade bread at Mrs. White's Table

I have been trying to stay home as much as possible.  It is so much easier to do projects and cook and bake when one is not rushed, or worn out, from errands.  When I focus on staying home, things are slow -paced and peaceful.

I made homemade pizza this morning.  I made several for the freezer and some for the grandchildren, in case they stopped by during the lunch hour.  I had planned to make homemade wheat bread too, but didn't know if I could manage all the work.  I have not been to the store in several days and we were running out of many things. I have not made wheat bread for quite some time, but I thought it would be a good kitchen project.  By early afternoon it was time to start the bread.

Soon 4 of my sweet grand-babies arrived with their mother.  They had been at a friend's house for lunch and were delighted to see me making bread dough.  I had just started the batter.  They were so excited to watch. 

The children were, in fact, hungry.   They watched me knead the dough (for 10 tiring minutes!) and put the dough aside for the first rising.  I took some of the pizzas out of the freezer to make for the children.

The babies colored, told us stories, made us laugh, and were great helpers.   They enjoyed their 2nd lunch and then it was time for them to get back home.  We would see them again soon.

Throughout the day I worked on the dough and read about the Depression -era from a book called, "When The Banks Closed We Opened our Hearts."  This is an excellent book full of first- hand accounts of daily life with very little money.  It is so inspiring!

I kept looking out the window to see the beautiful landscape out front. I wanted to take a walk around the property, but didn't seem to have time.  There were two loaves of wheat bread baking in the oven. The scent was amazing! 

I finally told my husband I wanted to take a quick walk.  We checked the timer on the oven, found that we had exactly 8 minutes, and headed out to the back property.   We visited the strawberry garden, the river, the blueberry bushes, and our cucumber garden.  The afternoon sun was shining through the trees, glistening onto the green grass.  It was such a beautiful day.

I rushed back indoors in plenty of time to get the bread out of the oven.  After a short time of cooling, we were able to have a few pieces with butter. It was so good!

It is now late in the day and I have just a few little cleaning projects to do.  I am trying to rest as much as possible.  It is an ordeal to make food from scratch.  But if those are the only major things I do in a day, I can manage.  In just a little while, I will have a cup of tea and rest while watching "Little House on the Prairie," on DVD, for some old time inspiration in simple living.

Blessings
Mrs. White

From the Archives -

Marriage - When Groceries are the Presents.

Something to Strive for - A Cozy Humble Home.

What Many of Us Crave - An Ordinary Life at Home.

Find Home-keeping Inspiration, in Mrs.White's book - For The Love of Christian Homemaking.  Paperback, 274 pages.










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Simple Days at Home

Library of Congress: A Farm Worker's Home 1941 Idaho

There is such a thing as a pleasant routine for homemaking.  It may seem ordinary to some, or not very exciting to others. But the basic work of housework and of spending time with family is a wonderful way to enjoy our days at home.

Baking in the Kitchen -

I spent the other day baking muffins, brownies, and homemade pizza.  The sun was shining brightly through the windows. I could hear the birds singing sweetly, and the rushing sound of the river behind the property.  As I worked in the kitchen, the family came in- and- out to get a snack, or to visit with me.  I also listened to a precious sermon on my kitchen radio as I was making the pizza. This was the hardest part of my kitchen work - to make the dough and prepare all the pizzas. So the encouraging sermon was a joy to hear as I did the hard work.  It was a blessing!

Playing Games with the Family -

I have found that playing cards or classic board games with teenagers and young adults is a wonderful way to laugh and talk and visit.  One of my sons (in his 20's) was getting ready to go to work, but had about an hour of leisure before he had to leave. I brought out the word game - "Boggle" and we had the most wonderful time finding words using the three minute "hourglass" timer.  He left for work in a cheerful state of happiness, and with a love for home.

The Gardening -

Part of the day was spent in walking the property. I checked on my lilacs out front. They are beautiful and have such a wonderful scent!  I picked some to put in a mason jar on my kitchen table.  Then I walked out to the back grounds and checked on my blueberry bushes and strawberry garden. I saw that I needed to weed the garden, but because I am a known neglecter of plants, I did not do the work. I will get to it very soon, perhaps later today.  Once I start the work, in the sunshine of the day, I know it will be a pleasant task.

The Laundry and the Cleaning -

I gathered up some clothes to wash.  Then I did a little dusting and sweeping in the parlour. As the clothes went through the cycle of the machine, I straightened pillows, and did a little organizing.  I hung up some of the wet clothes to dry, and then arranged my lilacs to look extra pretty on the kitchen table.  The work of tidying and making things look pretty brought me a great deal of happiness.

Winding Down the Day -

The supper hour will always be a favorite time for me.  It is when all are called to a pretty, set table to enjoy a home -cooked meal. We hear the prayer from father, thanking the Lord for the food, then we enjoy the nourishment and gentle conversation of pleasant things.  As the sun sets, all the curtains and drapes are closed.  Soon it is Bible time and the singing of hymns.  We hear the Scripture read and take our turn reading. The we sing an old, classic song from the hymn book to warm the heart. 

Another simple day has ended.

These are just the pleasant joys of family time and homemaking.  We can all have these happy times with a great deal of peace if we make the effort to do them regardless of our circumstances.  Are there moments of conflict?  Is there a time of sadness or some worry?  Then when peace is restored, get back to the simple tasks of making a home.  We do the good things, in the middle of normal trials of life.  This is what brings peace and happiness to our homes.

Blessings
Mrs. White

From the Archives -

The Joy of Home Duties - Gracious Homemaking.

Peaceful Dedication - The Mother Who Isn't Busy.

Encouragement for Hard Times - How The Old Time Mother's Survived Poverty.

Mrs. White's special book for homemakers:"Introduction to Home Economics:  Gentle Instruction to Find Joy in Christian Homemaking." Paperback, 200 pages. 

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My Trip to see Franklin Graham at Decision America tour Burlington Vermont

The Decision America Bus in Burlington Vermont, May 21, 2019.

I took a little trip to Burlington, Vermont the other night. I wanted to attend the Franklin Graham event and hear him preach.  It was to be on the fairgrounds and we were to bring chairs and blankets.  From what I understand, there were 3,400 people in attendance.  I have never been to anything like this before. But I dearly love reading about the old tent revival meetings in our nation's history. My grandfather was a revival preacher. My uncle was also a preacher in the rural south. He would have week-long revival meetings every summer. We went to these preaching services throughout my childhood.  It was such a blessing to hear.  This Northeast Tour by the Billy Graham evangelistic organization was an incredible opportunity for me to see.

One of my sons (in his 20's) traveled with me for an overnight journey.  It was a 2 hour drive to get to Burlington from our home.  We have some family in the area, which made it easy to spend the night after the event would be over.

It started at 7:30 at night. There was to be Christian music by "Crowder," a sermon by Franklin Graham, and then fireworks at the end.  The weather was a bit cold and we worried it might rain. But with our coats and picnic blankets, we were comfortable.

Walking towards the event from the parking area.

There was an enormous crowd of thousands.  We walked up on the side and sat on the outskirts of the event.  We sat right beside a small blue tent where there were chaplains, staff, and prayer volunteer workers. They were so kind and welcoming.

Our view on the outskirts of the crowded audience.

The music was beautifully done.  There was a stage in the center, with large television screens on either side for everyone to see.

When Franklin Graham appeared, there was hearty applause. So many of us were so grateful that he came here to Vermont to give us a very precious sermon.  I video taped about 2 minutes of his introductory remarks and will share that video at the end of this post.  The entire sermon was encouraging and such a blessing to hear!  I was not able to get a video of the entire sermon, but was happy to at least get the 2 minutes in the beginning.

I remember watching Billy Graham crusades on television in my childhood home. To this day, whenever I watch a classic video of his invitations, or "altar calls," I always cry when I see the response from the audience as they stand and come forward to accept the Lord.  At the end of Franklin's message, he gave a modern-day altar call, there in the fairgrounds in Burlington, Vermont.  Many stood to accept the Lord. It was incredible to be there to see and hear it all.

After a prayer, it started to rain.  Franklin paused and told us that rain was a sign of a blessing from God.  There was cheering and applause.  The gentle rain only lasted about a minute or so.  It was a precious sign.  Just before Franklin finished his message, he told us that he didn't know if he would ever be back in Burlington. He told us his age. He is in his mid 60's.  He said, if he was not able to come back to see us here in Vermont, he would see us in Heaven.

The musicians returned to the stage and there were to be fireworks to celebrate the precious souls who came to Jesus.  Many packed up their things and got ready to leave.

As the crowds began to head out to their cars, the fireworks began.

Mrs. White watching the fireworks at the Franklin Graham event in Vermont

It was such a gift and a blessing to have been able to attend this event.  Below is the short video I was able to get of the beginning of Franklin's message. I transcribed his words and added them to the footage.  Just click on the "CC" or "Closed Captions" to see them. I will also include the transcription below.

If you are receiving this post in an email, and cannot see the video, here is a direct link to watch:

https://youtu.be/p8Mgd0T7fjY








Here is my Transcript of Franklin Graham's opening remarks before his sermon (as seen in  my video above).

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(Applause) You know a Lot of people have kind of written Vermont off. I haven't. (Applause)
You know, when you think about the history of New England, and
what happened up here spiritually. . . over the centuries, how
God has used this area of the world to produce some of the great
preachers. . . and the great missionaries that have gone to other parts of the world,
and I think about the seeds of the gospel that have been sown,
the prayers of the saints of past generations. . I don't think those
prayers just disappear. I don't think they just disappear. We're gonna
watch tonight what God's gonna do, I believe there'll be many people tonight,
(Applause) will come to faith in Jesus Christ. And that's what this is all about.
If You're here tonight. . and you're not sure that you're saved, If you're here
tonight, and you're not sure that if you died that you'd go to Heaven,
I want you to know tonight how you can be sure and confident. I'm going to
invite you tonight. If you've never done this, I'm going to give you an
opportunity to invite Christ to come into your heart, to tell God you're
sorry for your sins, and by faith to believe on the name of His son
Jesus Christ, who took our sins on the cross, who died and shed His
blood for you and me, who God raised to life. He's not dead. He's right here.
(Applause) He's here in Vermont tonight. (Applause) He'll come into your heart and
your life if you're willing to trust Him.  God's got a plan for your life. He loves you.
But the only way we can find out God's plan, is to turn from our sins and by faith
to believe on the name of His son Jesus Christ. If you haven't done that, You get ready to do that. But before we get started, I've got a message tonight. It's titled,"Would you invite Jesus to your house for lunch?"

-------------------------------------------------------------


(I will add this to my Tour of Vermont Series.)

Blessings,
Mrs. White


From the Archives -

Some help for those Sad Days  - Domestic Happiness.

Managing Money - The Housekeeper's Budget.

A Simple Life - Poor and Pretty Living.

Find Home-keeping Inspiration, in Mrs.White's book - For The Love of Christian Homemaking.  Paperback, 274 pages.










An Invitation - Subscribe to The Legacy of Home and have it delivered directly to your email.