Good Wife's Guidelines from 1955

Funny the way things were back then.  I, of course, follow all these (yeah, right!).  

1. Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have be thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they get home and the prospect of a good meal is part of the warm welcome needed.

2. Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.

3. Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.

4. Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives. Run a dustcloth over the tables.

5. During the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering to his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.

6. Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Encourage the children to be quiet.

7. Be happy to see him.

8. Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.

9. Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first - remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.

10. Don't greet him with complaints and problems.

11. Don't complain if he's late for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through at work.

12. Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or lie him down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.

13. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.

14. Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.

15. A good wife always knows her place.

Tortured for Christ

We are in the middle of yet another very good book, Tortured for Christ.  I recommend this very much.  As a book that teens and adults could learn about history and the fight of good and evil.

Richard Wurmbrand was a Romanian pastor who ministered to his own people and Russian soldiers occupying his nation in the 1940's. In 1948, he was arrested by the Communist authorities and endured years of imprisonment and torture.

1.  This first one is really sad and hard to read about, but it is important.
A pastor by the name of Florescu was tortured with red-hot iron pokers and with knives. He was beaten very badly. Then starving rats were driven into his cell through a large pipe. He could not sleep, but had to defend himself all the time. If he rested a moment, the rats would attack him.

He was forced to stand for two weeks, day and night. The communists wished to compel him to betray his brethren, but he resisted steadfastly. In the end, they brought his 14-year-old son and began to whip the boy in front of his father, saying that they would continue to beat him until the pastor said what they wished him to say. The poor man was half mad. He bore it as long as he could.

When he could not stand it any more, he cried to his son; "Alexander, I must say what they want! I can't bear your beating any more!"
The son answered, "Father, don't do me the injustice to have a traitor as a parent. Withstand! If they kill me, I will die with the words, 'Jesus and my fatherland."'

The communists, enraged, fell upon the child and beat him to death, with blood spattered over the walls of the cell. He died praising God. Our dear brother Florescu was never the same after seeing this.


2.  "It was strictly forbidden to preach to other prisoners. It was understood that whoever was caught doing this received a severe beating. A number of us decided to pay the price for the privilege of preaching, so we accepted their [the communists' ] terms. It was a deal; we preached and they beat us. We were happy preaching. They were happy beating us, so everyone was happy."

3.  On why one young Russian, Poitr, accepted Jesus: "He said that he had listened attentively when, at one of our secret meetings, I had read Luke 24, the story of Jesus meeting the two disciples who went toward Emmaus. When they drew nigh unto the village, "He made as though He would have gone farther." Piotr said: "I wondered why Jesus said this. He surely wanted to stay with His disciples. Why then did He say that He wished to go further?"      My explanation was that Jesus is polite. He wished to be very sure that he was desired. When he saw that He was welcomed, He gladly entered the house with them. The communists are impolite. They enter by violence into our hearts and minds. They oblige us us from morning to late in the night to listen to them. They do it through their schools, radio, newspapers, posters, movie pictures, atheistic meetings and everywhere you turn. You have to listen continuously to their godless propaganda, whether you like it or dislike it. Jesus respects our freedom. He gently knocks at the door. "Jesus has won me by his politeness," said Piotr. This stark contrast between communism and Christ had convinced him.

4.  "Like them, many others were not only converted. We should never stop at having won a soul for Christ. By this, you have done only half the work. Every soul won for Christ must be made into a soul-winner. The Russians were not only converted, but became "missionaries" in the Underground Church.They were reckless and daring for Christ, always saying it was so little they could do for Christ who died for them"


Free Copy of Tortured for Christ

Reading in the Car

We've gotten into the habit of reading a good book as we travel here & there.  Jon drives, and I read to him and Jonathan.  We are right in the middle of God's Smuggler.  A very interesting book about a man named Brother Andrew who during the '50s and on started smuggling Bibles & preaching into the countries behind the Iron Curtain.  He was constantly in danger but God always protected and provided for him.  We take for granted the freedom we have to have a Bible or to go to a church.  The people in the communist-controlled countries were desperate to know anyone outside even cared about the church and them.  They were in danger just trying to meet in underground churches to hear but it was worth it to them.  One man managed to get his hand on an old Bible that somehow didn't get destroyed or confiscated in his country, but it was missing Genesis, Exodus, and Revelations.  They figured someone probably used the thin pages for cigarette paper.  He had one other tiny copy and was typing those three books out so he could then have a complete Bible to give to a church that had no Bibles.  We are in chapter 15 and don't know yet what happens but we are all ready to hear more.

This method of reading works well for us.  Another of our favorites was a biography of Stonewall Jackson.  What a character he was.  If you want to broaden your reading material into something more educational, try reading to them in the car.  Jon and Jonathan are really my captive audience.  They can't jump out! I guess if they weren't interested they could turn up the radio, but they get so into the books that they wouldn't do that. (besides that would be so rude)  I know if you have younger children or many children it might be harder to do.  But it's worth a shot.  Children have always loved to be read to.

Hamilton said...

Alexander Hamilton once said,   "The people of any nation, ancient or modern, who lose the liberty of freely speaking, writing, or publishing their beliefs, soon lose all their liberty and become slaves."

Sometimes I get the feeling that Christians are heading that way.  We are more and more forbidden to say what the truth is and attacked by the media about it.   What can we do?  Pray is one thing to do.

We are tempted to protest against all the evils in the world that rears up against us.  But how?  If we were to march or counter things that groups of people do that we know is wrong, then how are we perceived?  I know some Christians protest against homosexuality or abortions, (some go too far the other way) but then do we come off looking judgmental and violent when things get out of hand?  The media portrays us as being that way or make us out as a joke to "liberal" society.  I've got to think on this some more......
I know that it seems Hollywood runs things, but there has to be more of us who don't follow all the thinking that comes from there.

Always Learning

It seems like I'm always wanting to learn things.  I love history and read many books on early explorers, Civil War, WWII,  Indians, history of medicine/surgery, etc. 

It is fascinating to me about how people of so long ago were able to survive without all the modern inventions we now have.  Lewis and Clark's group of men certainly were out of touch with others for two years as they went across America.  There were no cell phones to call for a Care Flight helicopter in case of injury.

These men made it on their own, coming up with clever ways to survive through near starvation, diseases, illnesses, grizzly bear attacks, falls off of cliff sides, hostile Indians, extreme weather and hiking 18 or more miles a day through some of the roughest countrysides around and only in moccasins.  No hiking boots at that time. 

In one area, all that was around was prickly pear cactus to walk through for days and days.  Some tried to double sole their moccasins or wrap cloth on them to protect their feet, but it didn't help.  These tough men couldn't stop to pull out cactus spines as they were walking, they had to go on.  Foot care happened when they made camp at night.  The cactus spines were embedded in their feet. Clark pulled 17  1" long cactus spines out of his feet in just one night while sitting around the campfire!!! 

And we dare complain...