Posts by Rachel Schultz

The Most Beautiful, Historical, Christian Independence Day Children’s Books

June 22, 2023

July is peak summer. What better way do I like to celebrate any time of year than with a children’s books curation. I love curating book collections (and I don’t discriminate against “lower” art mediums so movies too) that are beautiful or good in some way to share with others. And I am highly selective! In general what I look for in children’s literature (and all art forms) is a piece that somehow captures some of whatever is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, of any virtue, or praiseworthy.

Books that come out into the house annually for a season are going to be pretty powerful for family culture so I want to find good ones. I consider this work to be refining a child’s palette. I am helping shape an appetite for what is beautiful, as defined by God.

These are children’s books I recommend that capture the christian heart of this holiday or our country.

When I Am Weak by Bible Visuals International: This is a biography of Roger Sherman who signed the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. It speaks about christian suffering, family, blessing, humility, and prayer. Thomas Jefferson said Roger Sherman was “a man who never said a foolish thing in his life.”
George Washington: His Legacy of Faith, Character, and Courage by Demi: There are many children’s books about George Washington, but none so well weave the thread of christian faithfulness through his many life events. This shows many ways Washington demonstrated biblical masculinity, diligence, reverence, gracefulness, and boldness.
How to Make a Cherry Pie and See the U.S.A by Marjorie Priceman: This is a charming and lovely book about the delight of domesticity and baking, while also capturing the richness of America’s terrains and taking dominion of the unique and expansive landscape God has given us.
The Poppy Lady: Moina Belle Michael and Her Tribute to Veterans by Barbara Elizabeth Walsh: This is a beautiful story about the fruit of Moina Belle Michael’s faith and how she displayed godly femininity throughout her life as an unmarried woman, nurturing and blessing thousands.
United Tastes of America: An Atlas of Food Facts & Recipes from Every State! by Gabrielle Langholtz: We love this excellently written and compiled cookbook that celebrates small scale culture. It has fun information and a lovely recipe for every state.

All of these on amazon would be $67 (at time of posting).

And as a movie bonus, I recommend Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero for a pleasant and pure animated children’s film for this time of year. It is strangely not well known but a treasure!

If it’s helpful, I put all these as amazon links, so you can source them easily there! If from this list you know of one I’ve missed that sounds like we’d like please tell me!

“American exceptionalism is borne from a Christian certainty of salvation.” Mythos America

Homemaking is Warfare: The Newsletter!

June 10, 2023

Rachel Schultz

So as to not bury the lead, I will tell you the short version right away and then explain the above controversial statement further. I offer a free newsletter that has nuts and bolts of homemaking. This includes things like recipes, decor projects, seasonal ideas, and activities to do with children. It also examines femininity and culture. If you want to start getting the free newsletter, you can do so here.

There are very few shreds of feminine instincts in the American population. Almost no girls know how to be feminine. But, women can learn to keep beautiful homes and come to see how powerful they are to strengthen their husbands and christendom.

This outlet for these ideas feels like a relief, different, and fresh.

HOMEMAKING IS WARFARE

God has a specific design for women. It is to be keepers at home. There might be lots of ways that seem appealing to change culture, but women need to make sure they follow the blueprint God made of how they should engage in the warfare. This includes keeping a home, helping a husband, and raising children well.

GOD’S WORLD IS PATRIARCHAL

Accept your husband is the main character of the family as demonstrated by Genesis 1-3 and re-upped by Paul in 1 Corinthians 11. You were created to be his helper.

WOMEN WIN THE CULTURE BY UNDERSTANDING BEAUTY

This has many layers which is much of what we spend time dissecting on the paid newsletter. A primary function of a women is to be beautiful. I believe a big part of a homemaker’s job is being in touch with the arts. Art is beauty taking forms. A lot of the homemaker’s work is making discerning judgments about art forms for your family and teaching them to make beautiful choices and have wise appetites. Homemakers need to be sharp on this.

♥️ THE NEWSLETTER! ♥️

So, the free newsletter can be signed up for here. Or, you can just get the content by typing rachelschultz.com into your browser, whichever you prefer.

There’s already an archive of posts ready for you:

Whitehot Biblical Femininity
An Open Plea Against Husband Harassment
The Best Hospital in the World
The Metaphysics of Wearing Athleisure
My Beloved Alfredo Sauce

Don’t Try to Control Your Husband, Terrified Wife

May 16, 2023

Rachel Schultz

A pagan wrote a book with more truth about God’s design for women (albeit flawed) than many evangelicals. 🌻 This is a review of “The Surrendered Wife” by Laura Doyle. The heart of Laura’s message in The Surrended Wife is for wives to stop trying to control everything in the home. This is a mantra for herself during the day. She summarizes in a shorter way by simply reminding herself: surrender.

This led to her to create a “Surrendered Wives” movement and workshop. It seems it thrived for a time around 1999 to 2001. I am not sure what became of it or what she thinks of what she wrote 25 years ago. There is some great content here and a lot of cracks as well. The cracks make it so it wouldn’t surprise me if she’s somewhere else entirely on her view of marriage and femininity today.

She is vaguely monotheistic, but really interfaith as well, so she is not a model for us in most ways. Let’s discuss what she got right.

Laura rightly observes that women’s marriage problem is grasping for control. It is actually how we try to survive. She defines a surrendered wife as one who rather:

Relinquishes control of her husband
Respects her husbands thinking
Receives his gifts graciously and expresses gratitude for them
Expresses what she wants without trying to control him
Relies on him to handle household finances
Is vulnerable where she used to nag
Respects where she used to demean
Is grateful where she used to be dissatisfied

FEAR AND CONTROL

“If you are like me and find yourself driven to correct, criticize, and conquer a husband, then you are reacting to your fears. Whatever the situation, if you do not react to your fear of the outcome you do not need to try to dominate, manipulate, or control it.”

It is when you respect your husband that you can actually enjoy intimacy.

“When you let him know you don’t think he’ll make good decisions, he reverts to his boyhood ways and makes a mental note to give up to some degree, because he can never meet your standards. He may even agree with you subconsciously, and retreat from the activity entirely.”

Some men are more lone wolves than others. But, when I see a man who becomes more and more reclusive, I expect his wife is a firehose of criticism. “When men feel disrespected, they withdraw.”

Many women simply need to value their marriage more. This makes it easier to not make a nagging comment because you’ve come to love the intimacy and peace of a night together.

“Dominating a situation, however ungraciously, somehow made me feel grounded and safe in an unpredictable world. Finally, as I tried to give up my unpleasant behavior, I learned to dig a little deeper when my urge to control came up and simply say I was afraid. It wasn’t until I discovered my ‘trust muscles’ and started exercising them that I started to get the connection I always wanted.”

She recommends making ‘whatever you think’ a well worn phrase to your husband, and “if you don’t make a big deal about his mistakes, he’ll begin to take initiative in every area.”

MEN LOVE TO PROVIDE

“If you think your happiness is a low priority for your husband, you’re dead wrong. He’s probably just responding defensively to you telling him how to do what you want him to do.”

Men love to provide. The problem is often when the wife gets too into the details of how what she desires must happen. For example, if you want a fence to be added to the backyard, you can cheerfully and graciously let him know. If you do not try to control, almost all men will actually delight in providing it for you if able. Often masculinity in a wife surfaces from something like you wanted the fence – but wanted it by professionals and he wanted to do it with his friends on a few Saturdays. This is an example of relinquishing control, and enjoying all the protective blessings as a wife of doing it his way.

GREAT QUOTES

“When your husband feels secure in your opinion of him, he doesn’t have to second-guess or steel himself because he’s expecting you to pounce on him. When he knows you are on his side, he can relax and feel confident in himself.”

“For years I secretly believed I had married below myself, but I was wrong. In reality, this delusion was a convenient way for me to blame John for everything that went wrong. Perhaps you do the same thing.”

“Even the best mother is not a good father.”

“At least a few times a day, hold your tongue when you would normally speak, just to create a vacuum (a spot someone will naturally want to fill in with conversation) in the discussion.”

NEGATIVES

As for negatives, many of her descriptions of married conversation and male and female nature do not match God’s design of woman as man’s helper. She also speaks often and favorably of women with careers, has an immature description of self care, quotes buddha, thinks she can say she won’t do the dishes, and finds pornography and masturbation permissible. She seems to reject some parts of feminism for the points she gets right, but she’s still clinging to many of feminism’s lies.

CONCLUSION

I would only recommend this book to a discerning reader because there is lots of wrong ideas mixed in. Actually, reading this post was probably enough to get the good. If you did still want to read it, it is here.

“A man is already halfway in love with any woman who listens to him.” Brendan Francis