Hey, Lucy! I'm home!

We watched the pilot episode of I Love Lucy the other day. It was really interesting to see how they pitched the original idea - many parts of the skit were used in later episodes. From the get-go, Lucy wanted to be involved in Ricky's show business career. And what did Ricky say? He wanted her to bring him his slippers and pipe, cook and clean, and be the momma to his children. It's really great, isn't it? There was no apology for wanting his wife to be that - a wife and eventually a mother. Whenever I watch this show...or others, such as Leave It to Beaver... I'm struck by how quickly we've changed as a society. Since the end of WWII, wives have ventured far from home. Yet, like Dorothy, I, along with many other women, have discovered there really is no place like home.



Being at the end of Baby Boomer generation, I've found that many women my age are more open to traditional roles than those even a few years older. Why is it this way? The nearest I can figure is that we were young children in the 60s; the radical changes did not impact us - we saw some, missed a lot, and comprehended very little of what was happening in our worlds. And for that, I'm so very thankful - thankful that my mother did not alert us to what was happening; thankful that she kept us in traditional, moral ways; thankful that our town, in general, was oblivious to the turmoil the nation was undergoing.



To be continued...



Cristiana

Our Children's Spouses

The older our son becomes, the more I wonder what his wife will be like. I always thought I'd wonder about things like, what she looks like, what she does for a living, etc. Instead, what I find myself concerned about, praying about, is that he marry a godly woman.

My mother married a man who was basically a pagan. He had not been involved in any church for years. He attended services with her for years before deciding to join our congregation. Mom was thrilled. Years later, I discussed this with her. She told me that it was important to "be on the same page" with your spouse, especially when children enter the picture.

As a parent, I understand her words more than I did as a teen. And I think how God told the Israelites to marry within their people...not to be rascist, not to be snobbish...but to preserve their faith. By marrying people who believed in false gods, the Israelites risked losing their faith and adopting that of the pagans. Today, I've seen children pulled in various directions by parents who have different faiths. How do the children view this? Is Dad right, or does Mom really know what's good for me? Why do they not agree? Perhaps neither is right...it's so tragic.

So now I'm praying that our son find a Christian woman, a woman who will be the mother of children raised in the Christian faith. And whereas in earlier days, there were quite a few around, today they seem to be fewer in number. Recently, however, our son brought tears to my eyes when he indicated how important it is to him to marry a Christian girl. Wow! To know that he's thinking about such things....who'd have thought it? Thanks be to God!

Is It Spring Yet?

It's around this time every year that I get really antsy for spring. Everything in me craves for sunshine and heat. Living in the north has many advantages, but right now, all of them are probably covered with snow! And those little glimpses of what is to come...those teasing days of warmth, where 20 degrees feels so cozy, a coat is not necessary...they come every so often, just often enough to keep me from despair, from thinking the winter will never end. In the meantime, we stay bundled up, visit with friends, and plan for the activities we'll do in a few months' time.

These winter days mirror my life in Christ. I so long for relief from the trials and cares of this world, and I know that one day, I'll be with Him in heaven. In the meantime, I persevere, strengthened by the gifts of faith and family, seeing glimpses of heaven in the Divine Service and the Holy Supper. These blessings keep me from despair; in fact, they enable me to help others, to give them comfort and hope as we continue our pilgrimage here on earth.

Cristiana

Dating, Part II

One of the things I love the most about my family is our ability to talk with each other. I do so treasure our discussions - even when we're disagreeing on something. I pray that our son continues to talk openly with us about his life. He and his dad have one of the strongest relationships I've seen between father and son, and I thank God for that. They discuss such serious issues, yet they're never at a loss for being goofy. As a girl who grew up in a family of women, I find this fascinating! Their viewpoints on things in life are so interesting to me...for instance, my idea of a beautiful woman is often quite different then theirs, yet they are almost always in agreement with each other.

Lately, in addition to dating, our family discussions have been focusing on President Obama and his administration. We prayed for him in church on Sunday, and we'll keep him in our family prayers, too. We hope he'll be a good, strong leader for our country, but how one can do that while being unable to recognize what human beings are, leaves us shaking our heads in dismay. When he spoke about caring for those who are unable to care for themselves, he did not include the unborn in that catergory. Lord, have mercy on us.

Dating 101

One of the greatest blessings of marriage is the gift of children. Many books have been written about the raising of children - especially in a Christian home. A plethora of information can be found concerning younger kids. My thoughts at the moment (warning: subject to change without notice!) are along the lines of teens and dating, since that's where our family is presently.

As a teacher, I've noticed that the entrance into the dating scene seems to include younger children than my generation (long, long ago). Students often "go out" in upper elementary years. Thankfully, the term "go out" doesn't seem to involve actually going anywhere; rather, it appears to be an announcement of sorts, that the two are a couple.

This custom surprised me considerably. I hadn't thought that we would be dealing with such matters with our child before junior high. It's no wonder that by the time a lot of the tweens reach the 8th grade, they've been dating for awhile. We wanted our son to develop healthy friendships with both sexes and to save dating for a later time.

It was by accident that I stumbled across a book that has proven to be quite a little treasure. Going Out, Getting Dumped, and Playing Mini Golf on the First Date by Tim Pauls is a book to be read by kids and parents alike. As the title indicates, the text is not forced, nor is it a list of dos and don'ts for teens who are dating. Instead, it beautifully sets out what dating actually is, looking at it from a Christian viewpoint, with emphasis on the relationships that we develop as children of God. I highly recommend it...it has provided a lot of starting points for discussions in our family.

More on dating next time.
Cristiana

Epiphany Moments

So, we're in the season of Epiphany...until the beginning of Lent, I believe. There were a couple of epiphany moments during a Sunday School lesson today. As I was speaking to the class, I addressed a young girl, using her as an example of how God sees us in our Baptisms. When I told her that the Father looks at her and sees Jesus, that she is His child now, that she is everything to Him...the look on her face was priceless. It was full of wonder, amazement, and what I imagine to be the look we all have when we're told something that is so great, we simply can't quite believe it to be true. And then...she smiled. It was such a smile as I rarely see - one I can't describe, but one I won't soon forget. I pray that she always remembers that she belongs to Christ.

My epiphany moment happened at the same time and involved the same realization. I know I'm a child of the heavenly Father. I know it, but I need to hear it, too. We are a people who live by our ears. The Word enters us through our ears and goes to our hearts. And we need to hear it...over and over again. Knowing it is one thing...hearing it told to me again and again, now that's even better.

In my charming relationship, I am loved by my dear husband. Knowing it is one thing, but hearing it again and again...well, that's so much better, isn't it? I can never hear the words, "I love you" too often. Neither can I hear of the Father's love for me too many times.

Cristiana

Hello!

It's a new year, so I'm trying something new - a blog. Granted, I'm probably one of the last to do so (only got a cd player a few years back!); still, I'm going to give it a shot.

The title, Our Charming Relationship, refers to Martin Luther's quote:

There is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage.

I haven't done any research on the quote, but it rings true in two ways. Obviously, a good marriage is wonderful, full of blessings, many of which involve children. The other seems to be that marriage is a reflection of Christ's relationship with His bride, the church, and this would be the best of all relationships.

God has granted me a wonderful husband, and while we're both sinners who daily struggle with our Old Adams, we're also saints, baptized into Christ, living our vocations within our charming relationshp.

Cristiana

PS - The clip art of the wedding couple is from the following free site: www.webweaver.nu