At The Bangles’ House: A story of a Functional, Christian Family
Today is one for those of you who have elementary aged children, approximately age 4 to 9. My son loved this book when he was six and seven years old.
I inquired with Moody Press and they said I could read it on YouTube. It’s from 1952 and was written by Aunt Theresa Worman. We hear so much about “dysfunctional” families, that I wanted to introduce you to this 10-chapter storybook about a functional Christian family.
To hear all chapters in succession, go to my YouTube channel Beautiful Homemaking youtube.com/@beautifulhomemaking, then go to “Playlists,” “At the Bangles’ House,” and then hit “play all.”
At the Bangles’ House, Chapter 1: Yankee Doodle, New Version; Meet Patty and Billy Bangle 10 min
A is for ______________, friend of God he; Surely it’s what you and I want to be.
B is for ______________, the one David slew; I couldn’t do it, neither could you.
C is for ______________, the dear Son of God, Who saved our poor souls by His own precious blood.
D is for ______________, the shepherd boy King, Who loved his Redeemer and of Him did sing.
E is for _______________, a sample is he Of the rapture ahead for you and for me.
F is for _______________, our ____________ in heaven, We love Him because through His Son we’re forgiven.
G is for _______________, that speaks of true love, That made our dear Saviour come down from above.
H is for _______________, where only will go Those who do trust and confess Christ here below.
(answers at the bottom)
Chapter 2: “Zing…Zang…Zoop;” Meet little brother Joey; 3 meal prayers. 7 min
We thank Thee, Lord, for this our food, for life and health and every good; Let now unto our souls be given, the Bread of Life send down from heaven.
God is great and God is good, and we thank Him for this food; By His hand must all be fed; Give us, Lord, our daily bread.
Be present at our table, Lord, Be here and everywhere adored; These mercies bless and grant that we May feast in Paradise with Thee. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Chapter 3: What Kind of Club? 11 min
Patty is cranky because she’s feeling left out of a new club. Mother saves the day by helping Patty start a much better kind of club, which ends with surprising results! Daddy concludes, “It always pays to put first things first, doesn’t it Mother? I hope that’s one thing all the children learn early in life. First things first, and surely the things of God are first things. I hope that Billy, Patty, and Joey always seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, realizing that if they do as the Bible says, all other things will be added unto them.”
Chapter 4: Patty Sleeps in the Basement; Why would she do such a thing?! 12 min
The Bangles often remembered and talked of the excitement they had at their house that night, and Patty remembered most all that that was the night she got over being afraid in the dark.
Chapter 5: “Best Drumstick Ever!” Patty has a secret that is weighing her down. 14 min
Patty and her mother had such a beautiful secret-something between them now. Patty could look deep into her mother’s eyes with no guilty feeling. Patty thought, “Mom’s eyes are so pretty. I don’t ever want to say or do anything again that will keep me from looking right into her eyes.”
Chapter 6: Mom’s a “Softie”; What does Billy have hidden underneath his bed? 9 min
“Next time when I know I’m right I’m not going to let you tease me into doing something you shouldn’t,” said Mother Bangle.
Chapter 7: The Right Friends; Billy learns not all friends are trustworthy 11 min
Mom warns Billy that his new friend isn’t a good companion, but Billy has to learn the lesson on his own the hard way.
“Billy and Daddy Bangle knelt down in Billy’s room and Billy told God how sorry he was for not paying attention to his mother. He promised God that he would be careful in choosing playmates. Billy felt good inside after he’d done that. He felt clean inside just as he felt clean outside. The ‘water of the Word’ of God had fallen in and over his heart and made it clean.”
Chapter 8: What a Picture! Patty wins a contest. What will she spend her money on? 12 min
Patty was disappointed when she was unable to complete her plans due to her mother’s severe headache and having to watch her younger brother, but she made the best of it, doing her duty “heartily, as unto the Lord.”
In a surprising turn of events, she found out that the Bible verse “All things work together for good to them that love God” certainly came true for her!
“When the big folk in town found out what the children had done, and especially how one little girl had given everything she had, they took up an offering. I don’t know just how much it was, but I heard it was a large amount of money.”
Chapter 9: A Choice Must Be Made (and Billy will have to make it for himself) 12 min
Mother Bangle didn’t say anything to Billy that night. She wanted to think this thing through. But she did talk to Mr. Bangle. Mother and Daddy Bangle talked everything over, and then they did something about things like this before they took any action with the children. They prayed about it.
“I just want you to know, Billy, that when we’re working toward something, or when we’re in a race, it isn’t only what we do at the beginning that causes us to win. It’s the way we run all the way through – right up to the goal line. Lots of fellows start off with a bang, but they don’t end up the winner,” said Daddy Bangle.
Chapter 10: How the Bangles Do It 13 min
“Next week at prayer meeting Freddy’s father gave a testimony. He told what a help and blessing Billy Bangle had been. That’s how it happened that Mother Bangle had to type off 20 copies of the list of stories she and Aunt Mil had picked out of the Bible that are good for children to read for their devotions, either with the family or when alone in their rooms. Some of them were, ‘An Ax Swims’ (II Kings 6:1-7), ‘Daniel, the Healthy Boy’ (Daniel 1), ‘Walking and Talking’ (Luke 24:13-35) and oh, many, many more.”
Answers to chapter 1: Abraham, Bear, Christ, David, Enoch, Father, Grace, Heaven
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