Mottoes in a Humble Home

The Lord's Prayer - Cross stitch by a family member of Mrs. White's

It was common for families to have a "Motto" to decorate the walls of their homes.  This might be a painting, some hand-printed letters, or something homemade in cross stitch.  Mottoes are considered "words to live by."  These can be Bible verses, comforting phrases, or common wisdom.

Girls in Colonial days would practice their handiwork by creating mottoes out of cross stitch. I have a replica of one such piece in my home. 

A Replica of an 1800's cross stitch in Mrs. White's home

The artist would stitch her name and the date.  Here is what is stitched in the above photograph:

"My Mother taught me
how to sew
And at the time
I did not know
That with every stitch
I now complete
with every row
I do so neat
My Mother's heart
is there with me
Guiding my hand for all to see
Sarah
1893"


In an old episode of Father Knows Best there was a visiting salesman who asked Mrs. Anderson if she wanted to buy a "motto for her home."  This was something that he had made and framed himself and it was inexpensive.    These days, the term "motto" is not as common. But we do decorate our homes in this way, even if we just call it wall art or some other modern term.

I used to hand write out Bible verses and do a bit of humble artwork along with the writing. This was  like a homemade motto to decorate the home.

Hand-written Bible Verse by Mrs. White

I would just use a plain white index card to write out the verse, such as Psalm 37:3 in the photograph above.  Then I would tape it to construction paper to create a sort of frame for the card.  This one was placed on the wall in a child's bedroom.

We have also picked up little paintings from yard sales.  These may cost as little as ten cents or as much as a dollar.

"The Difference" obtained from a yard sale. This is on the parlour wall in Mrs. White's home.

Reading these sayings is so comforting!  They cheer one along the road of life!

When you enter our house, there is a door knocker that the grand-children love to use when they visit. I can hear the loud rapping on the door and I run to let them in.  Just below this door knocker is an old, beat up "Wall - Plate" inscribed with the main motto of our home, directly from Scripture.

Door Knocker and Scripture motto at Mrs. White's home.

The verse is from Joshua 24:15,  ". . . as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."  {The wall - plate, for those who are long -time readers, was something I bought early in my marriage at a tiny Christian store. It has been with us for nearly three decades, and has been in every apartment or home we have lived in.  It had been lost for a few years, but was recently found and restored to its rightful place.}


There are both humble mottoes and newer ones in our home.  One of my favorites contains the hymn, "Amazing Grace" with a beautiful painting above it.

Amazing Grace Wall art in Mrs. White's Day room.

I originally saw the Amazing Grace painting in a flower shop of a funeral home in rural Alabama.  It was a sad time, but I was so cheered by this painting.  In every funeral of my family, the service closes with everyone singing "Amazing Grace."  Shortly after seeing this, I came across this smaller version in a gallery's bankruptcy sale in the lobby of a rural mall. I was so happy to buy it at a fraction of its cost.  It inspires my faith and comforts me every time I look at it.

We also have magnets that cheer us along. This one has a beautiful lighthouse and is paired with a comforting Scripture verse.

Magnet in Mrs. White's home.

We keep this on the front of the refrigerator. I love the ocean scene, the light from the lighthouse, and the precious words from Psalm 27:1.

On the wall of my bedroom is a beautiful painting that brings me great peace. 

Painting in Mrs. White's Home.

I had originally bought this for my mother right after she became a widow.  Dad was her cowboy, her protector.  The verse from Isaiah 46:4, along with the beautiful picture, brought her great comfort and peace.  Now that Mother has gone home to Heaven to be with Dad, this painting is in my room to remind me of the precious promise of our Lord.

There are difficult days when we all get very anxious and worried. This is especially true when we are worried about the trials and troubles of teenagers and grown children.  A very dear lady made this gift for me:

Cross stitch of Philippians 4:6-7 in Mrs. White's Home

She did the cross stitch and her husband made the frame. This is a precious gift that really brings me a great deal of peace. When I start to worry, I just read this and I give all my burdens and worries to the Lord.

We have a lovely painting right in our parlour, above the coat rack. We found it at a yard sale, many years ago.   It is so pretty and contains The Lord's Prayer.

The Lord's Prayer painting on Mrs. White's parlour wall.

It is lovely to have pretty things to look at throughout the home.  The sayings bring us comfort, remind us of our focus, and encourage us.  Anyone who enters our home knows what our motto is!

I came across a photograph from the Library of Congress.  A Photographer from the U.S. Farm Administration visited a family and took some pictures. Here is one of a boy sitting next to a Motto in his home:

Library of Congress: "George Ray Campbell and the motto by which his family lives, Washington, D.C., 1943"
The Motto says, "Jesus Never Fails."

 

There is another picture to go with this one, of this young boy with his mother in their kitchen. It is an old time Christian family like many of us, even today.

Library of Congress: 1943 "Washington, D.C. The Campbell family at home after church."

A humble home is a place where materialism is not the focus.   It is a place of rest and old time values.  It is where the simple life originates. Filling our surroundings with old time mottoes of comfort and encouragement is a precious way to build our courage and faith. It will bring a smile of cheer, and a nod of contented peace.

Blessings
Mrs. White

From the Archives -

We Must Always Remember - The House Comes First.

Getting Through Hard Times - A New England Winter on a Small Income.

Create Happiness in - Poor and Pretty Living.

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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