How a Godly Mother May Guide an Imperfect Family

Sunday dinner, 1942, Connecticut (LOC)

So many mothers have trials and sorrows. They cry out to God because of wayward children. Or, perhaps they shake their head in despair when their young child continues to do wrong. We need a country of strong, encouraged mothers. We need Mothers to understand that all children, all people, have a sin nature. Our families will be imperfect.

Whenever you see a lovely family of Bible Hugging children- know you are only seeing an image. Those children still sin and give their parents trouble. Perhaps they bicker, or disobey, or even lie. But they love their Mother and they love their Bible. It doesn't mean they are going to be perfect. Let's get that clear, first off.
 
Children silently observe all that Mother does. They know what she is really like. It cannot be hidden in the home.  Mother, we need to know we cannot do any of this alone. We need our dear Lord and I will tell you how to find strength from Him.

1. Strive to live a simple, unworldly life. Find time for recreation for the sake of the body, but it must not be the consuming of one's life.

2. Read the Bible more than any other reading material. Read it to ponder. Read it while praying. Read it while weeping. Read it for strength.

3. Pray with all thy heart and soul and strength. Pray diligently throughout the day. Pray for each child by name. Pray for courage. Pray for faith and love of God's holy way. Pray about everything.

4. Live out your commitments without wavering. Do what you promise to do, even if it causes you pain, exhaustion and suffering. You will be a shining example of a dedicated, responsible soul if you can be trusted to keep your word.

5. Work hard. Work with whatever you have been given to do. Work with all your strength and might- whether it be in your housekeeping, cooking, mothering, gardening or what have you. Do it with pride and commitment.

6. Talk about God with your children.  Tell them about your prayers and the answers when they come. Show your children your total trust and faith in your Heavenly Father. Do this in normal, daily life- as things come up - rather than in forced conversations.

7.  Offer Grace and Mercy to your children. Do not hold grudges. Forgive at once! Forgive even if they are still acting up! Forgive, smile, show compassion and love them with every bit of your strength.  Forgive them over and over and over again - without end.

8.  Speak life into your children.  Lift them up. Praise them and tell them how much you love them and are grateful for them.

9. Do good things for your children. Make an effort to cook their favorite meals and make home a special place they want to be. Make a pleasant and loving home for your family.  Do good things for them, unconditionally - even if they are acting troublesome. Show them love through your actions.

10. Live out a godly life before them. Pray openly. Read your Bible openly. Sing hymns or listen to gospel music openly. Go to the Master and fill your heart with love and holiness and then face your family, fully equipped to minister,while doing your homemaking tasks.

11. Confess your faults. If you are in a bad mood - tell them you are sorry. If you made a foolish decision- repent of it. Show them that none of us are flawless, but God has great mercy and we can only cling to him as the source of our hope.

12. Never bend. Know what your convictions are and do not change them with the times. Do not try to join in sinful, worldly living just to be friends with your children. You are the Mother. You are the example. You must stay strong and live out a godly, holy life before your family. Do not bend to their childish, immature worldly whims. I cannot stress this enough. Children will grow up, remembering your example. One day they will cling to the old ways and realize it was your source of strength.  Long after you are dead and gone, dear mother, they will remember your strong character and godly ways. Don't underestimate the power of a committed, godly life. 

13. Realize that money and things are never going to be more important than one's convictions. If you are seeking money at the expense of your family, or at the expense of your moral values - pray and find a way to drop it as quickly as possible. Nothing is more important than the salvation of the souls of your children. Do not let money, things, or the world's standard of life destroy your only chance of bringing up godly children.

 I want to paint an image of what this looks like in an old fashioned home. Mother has her daily duties. We thank God for her work, because it gives her something important to do. She cannot spend all day wasting time on television, constant eating and lounging. She needs to be about the Master's business - and that is the keeping of the home. She should pray for love for her job, so that it will shine through and bless those around her.  I can see her right now, washing clothes, hanging them on the line. I see her humming and smiling while she makes supper.  Now she is reading the Bible and sharing a verse or two that has blessed her. All her worries are cast on the Lord in prayer. She goes about her daily life, unhurried, and in peace.   The children feel safe and secure because they know Mama is there.


 Dear ones, our daily religious duties are an obligation. We do them whether or not we feel like it. It is what helps keep us on the straight and narrow. If we follow our own way, our own desires, we will be led astray. Perhaps we don't want to go to church. This is an enormous struggle in many homes. We don't want to go. But if we go out of obligation and gratefulness to God, we are setting an amazing example to our children. 

We, as mothers, will have children of all ages, at all stages on their religious journey. Some have been saved, some are struggling in sin, some are confused, and some are under the chastening hand of God. We need to be there, praying, smiling, encouraging and seeing them through these rough years. We may be weeping now, as we work in the harvest fields, but in the end, we will rejoice, bringing our sheaves with us. All that matters, at the end of it all, is not the fun we had, or the worldly things we indulged in, or the money we earned. What matters is walking through the pearly gates, with the souls of our beloved children following us into heaven.

Blessings,
Mrs. White

From the Archives -

Old Fashioned Living - Retirement Planning for the Poor.

Wisdom from Colonial Days  - To Earn and Not to Spend.

Taking Care of the Family - A Covered Bridge and Graceful Living in Rural Vermont. 

 To find out more about this blog, or Mrs. White, please visit our About page. -

Learn How To Manage Money on a Small Income, with this helpful book:

- It is an honor to be the bookkeeper for the house! - 

Find detailed instruction and inspiration in budgeting on a small income, along with a method for keeping a handwritten ledger, with lots of thrifty ideas, in Mrs.White's book:

 -An Old Fashioned Budget: Humble Financial Management for the Christian Housewife. 

 Paperback, 77 pages.

Suppertime in a Rural Home

"Home For the Holidays" by Todd Williams

 

It is getting dark. The day is almost over. Mama is wearing her apron and cooking in the kitchen. She's smiling and happy and humming a tune, while she leans over the stove.

The children come in from their play. They are cold and excited and talking about all the snowmen they created. Such sweet smiles on their faces! Their eyes light up when they enter the warm house. They put away their coats and settle down to wait for supper.

Daddy walks in after a hard day at work. He is tired. But all his troubles seem to melt away when he enters the inviting rural home.

Some of the children help Mama set the table. They lay out plates and silverware, cups and napkins. Another child comes over to pour drinks. The table looks inviting.

Mama brings out platters of food. She serves fresh warm bread, butter, stew and salad. The children are hungry and excited to enjoy a nice meal with the family.

They sit around the table. Dad says the prayer. Everyone is thankful and smiling. If you are walking by, on that cold winter night, and you happen to see them through the window, you will see laughter and smiles. You will see a happy family eating their supper and full of love and gratefulness.

Mama cleans up while the children run off to play. They are getting their baths and will soon hear a bedtime story. Mama is humming while she washes dishes and polishes the table. Life inside that home is peaceful and joyous. The outside cares and troubles fade away, when it's suppertime in the old rural house.

Blessings,
Mrs. White

From the Archives -

An Encouraging look at - "Poverty in the 1800's" about the Mother of D.L. Moody.

For the love of taking care of grandchildren - "I Hear Angels Crying."

Sweet Faith for Mothers - "All of God's Children Have Shoes."

- To find out more about this blog, or Mrs. White, please visit our About page. -

Mrs. White's special book for Homemakers - 

"Mother's Book of Home Economics."

312 pages, paperback.

Happy Homemaking

Today, I put on my favorite skirt, my Edwardian Apron and my pearl necklace. I put my hair up and got to work on making a home. Our construction crew finished their work yesterday and now I am ready to put everything back in order.

I delighted in vacuuming and sweeping. My wood stove is now polished and tidy. Our living room looks inviting and lovely.

Mr. White went to the kitchen to get some coffee. He saw me Windex-ing and scrubbing my dustpan. He smiled and thought I was bizarre. (smiles). Doesn't everyone clean their dustpan after use?

I pulled out some beef to defrost for tonight's supper. I will make beef stew and biscuits.

In a little bit, I am going to make Ghiradelli chocolate chip cookies.

I am listening to my favorite gospel music and enjoying a precious day doing my housework.

Blessings,
Mrs. White

How the Old Time Mothers Survived Poverty

Library of Congress:  Family cans their own food, Osage Farms, Missouri, 1939.

There are so many families struggling right now. There is never enough food for even the basics of life. Housewives need encouragement, inspiration and ideas in order to survive on very little.

During the War in the 1940's, Britain's government provided citizens with books to help them obtain skills to manage on very little. These were called: "Wartime cookery" and "Make do and Mend." I understand some of these have been recently re-published.

The other day, I cut out material to make two aprons. While I was ironing all the material I was thinking about the depression-era mothers. They would take scraps of fabric and piece them together for quilts. Or they would make rag-rugs. These women were productive, hardworking and creative. They could take the smallest amount of leftovers, from supper, and come up with something amazing the next day.

With knowledge, ideas and inspiration, these women survived poverty. Currently, in America, we are told, by the government, that a family of 5, earning less than $25,790 is living in poverty (in 2009). It does not take much to be poor in this current age. Housing costs are high, utility bills are outrageous and food costs are rising. Here are some things the Old time mothers did:

1. Water down the milk.

2. If children were allowed to have a soda, they had to share it.

3. If, during a holiday, the family had soda, they would fill the cups with ice and add a little water before pouring the soda. The children never knew what "real" or "straight" soda tasted like until they were grown.

4. Cut up one apple or orange and divide between everyone in the family. Serve on their lunch or supper plate.

5. Sew and mend rips in the clothes. (Are we doing this today?)

6. Make a big pot of soup, then do the housework and laundry. The soup cooks all day - it is an inexpensive meal and goes far. Just serve it with muffins or biscuits.

7. Bake something every other day - muffins, bread, biscuits. Leave this out, wrapped up, on the table or counter. It will help fill everyone up and keep them from snacking on junk or feeling hungry (deprived).

8. When there is nothing to drink, Mother would make tea. Those tea bags were re-used all day long to fill cup after cup. Mother served tea on tea plates and kept the tea bags on those little plates for re-use later in the day.

9. Mother saved jars (we can save spaghetti-sauce jars today) and kept them clean, storing them in the cabinet. When the family would go out, she would fill that jar with cold water so everyone would have something to drink.

As I was doing some hand-sewing yesterday, I thought how important it was to keep busy. I prayed as I sewed. I was keeping busy with the home arts and this soothed my soul. If we mothers of today, could just work hard around our homes, and pray for courage, we could make it on very little. We would also start believing more in miracles and trust God so much more than we do now. So many blessings come to the diligent, brave housewives. May we all be found worthy.

Blessings,
Mrs. White

From the Archives -

The beautiful testimony of the Mother of D.L. Moody - Poverty in the 1800's.

Making the best of what is available to cheer the family along - Homemade Birthday Dinner. 

Thrifty Wisdom from the Old Days - To Earn and Not to Spend.

 

- To find out more about this blog, or Mrs. White, please visit our About page. -

 

Find cleaning inspiration and encouragement in Mrs. White's book, "Gracious House Keeping."

"Gracious House Keeping: Advice, Encouragement, and Cleaning Help for the Christian Housewife."

Complete with Encouragement and Work Charts to cheer you along in your homemaking!

115 pages, paperback.