Just finished this biography of Doris Coffin Aldrich. I picked this one up knowing nothing about it or who she was, but was encouraged by the life of this wife and mother. Mrs. Aldrich lived the during the first half of the 1900's in NW United States. As a yound adult and into her twenties, she earnestly sought the Lord and his will for her life. She wholeheartedly served him by reaching out to others through a bible camp which held tent meetings and by furthering her own studies of his Word, even when she didn't really know where He would lead her. Throughout this first half of her life she desired to get married and be a mother, but the Lord didn't plan that for her until she was around 30 years old.
She then married a pastor who became the head of Multnomah Bible school. Her focus shifted from showing the Gospel to others to ministering to her own family. And what a family they had! They had four children in the first four or five years of their marriage, keeping her very busy. I readily identified with this as we will have four in under 5 years this summer! Their children totalled 9, and through all the busyness of childrearing, Mrs. Aldrich found time to write for a regular article entitled "Out of the Mixing Bowl." These were often examples from her own home and children's lives which reminded her of a spiritual truth. Many many women were positively influenced through this and her speaking, which she did the last few years of her life before being tragically killed in a car accident.
Doris Aldrich will never be a very well-known person, nor will this book grace the shelves of most libraries. But it is a very encouraging read for mothers who tend to get bogged down in the day-to-day living of keeping a home and raising children. And for that, I recommend it wholeheartedly to all in that situation or to young women who aspire to be wives and mothers who serve the Lord. It's an honest, touching story that will inspire and encourage its readers.
Sounds great! I'll have to check it out!
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