Counsels for the Church - Ellen G. White

Chapter 25
The Christian Home
In choosing a home, God would have us consider, first of all, the moral
and religious influences that will surround us and our families.
As the location for a home is sought, let this purpose direct the choice.
Be not controlled by the desire for wealth, the dictates of fashion, or the
customs of society. Consider what will tend most to simplicity, purity,
health, and real worth.
Instead of dwelling where only the works of men can be seen, where the
sights and sounds frequently suggest thoughts of evil, where turmoil and
confusion bring weariness and disquietude, go where you can look upon the
works of God. Find rest of spirit in the beauty and quietude and peace of
nature. Let the eye rest on the green fields, the groves, and the hills. Look up
to the blue sky, unobscured by the city's dust and smoke, and breathe the
invigorating air of heaven.
The time has come when, as God opens the way, families should move
out of the cities. The children should be taken into the country. The parents
should get as suitable a place as their means will allow. Though the dwelling
may be small, yet there should be land in connection with it that may be
cultivated.
Fathers and mothers who possess a piece of land and a comfortable
home are kings and queens.
If possible, the home should be out of the city, where the children can
have ground to cultivate. Let them each have a piece of ground of their own;
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