Seasons of a Heart

Welcome, March!

noreply@blogger.com ({ jessica }) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 07:00:00 +0000

{march flower: Daffodil}

"This, like every year, is the year of our Lord, and man's fiat word shall be shattered by the word of His power. It is therefore a glorious time to be alive, a time to work, and a time to rejoice."

- RJ Rushdoony

Fun Delights for Little Girls

noreply@blogger.com ({ jessica }) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:28:00 +0000

A lady on the Sense and Sensibility Forum just found these adorable paper dolls online for free download! They are *so* cute!

I did a little research on the dolls and apparently they were originally printed as a feature in the McCalls Magazine.

"Starting in May 1951, and lasting until at least 1995, Betsy McCall paper dolls were printed in most [McCall's] issues. Children could cut out the printed dolls and clothing, or for a small fee (10¢ in 1957, 25¢ in 1967) paper dolls printed on cardboard could be ordered. Betsy McCall became so popular that various sized vinyl dolls were produced by Ideal and American Character Dolls."

{quoted from Wikipedia's article on the McCall's Magazine}

Betsy McCall learns how to sew!

Betsy McCall's flower garden

Betsy McCall makes a necklace

Betsy McCall goes to the Flower Show

Betsy McCall Paper Dolls: The First 10 Years

I'm sure these would be a fun addition to any little girls' paper doll collection!

Monday Meditations~

noreply@blogger.com ({ jessica }) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 10:24:00 +0000

"The biblical purpose of every conversation you have, in every personal interaction, is that the person who hears you will receive grace."

-CJ Mahaney

Photo Challenge: Week Two

noreply@blogger.com ({ jessica }) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 02:35:00 +0000

the friendship road

The photo above is the final picture I chose for GGM's Week Two Photo Challenge entitled: Friendship.

However, I also had this one below to choose from. What would you have chosen?

To be quite honest, I feel the composition of the one below is better than the one above. The road here seems to "pull" you into the picture better. The wide landscape view also fits the picture quite well.

However, the main drawback is the lack of communication through the main subject (the two friends). Since my goal is to convey a message of friendship, I choose the above photo rather than the photo below.

Of course, I could have just used a bit of Photoshop and created the exact image that I wanted in moments, but my goal right now isn't to create the perfect images through post-processing. Anyone can use Photoshop and improve a picture. My goal is to improve my on-the-job eye for photography - so no Photoshop this time! I'll just, by the Lord's grace, learn from this mistake :]

2010 Reading List

noreply@blogger.com ({ jessica }) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 11:24:00 +0000

Always Ready -- Greg Bohnson

Bondage of the Will -- Martin Luther

The Real Lincoln -- Thomas DiLorenzo

~~Helping them Choose -- Samuel Philips~~ finished: January

Biblical Economics -- R.C. Sproul Jr.

The Institutes of Biblical Law -- R.J. Rushdoony

Feminine by Design -- Scott Brown

Thoughts on Family Worship -- James Alexander

Covenental Approach to Homeschooling -- R.C. Sproul, Jr.

How Should We then Live? -- Francis Schaeffer

~~Assumptions that affect our Lives -- Christian Overman~~ finished: February

Tools of Dominion -- Gary North

~~Preparing for Marriage -- John Calvin~~ finished: January

of Plymouth Plantation -- William Bradford

Roots of Reconstruction -- R.J. Rushdoony

The Calvinistic Concept of Culture -- Henry R. Van Till

The Master Plan of Evangelism -- Robert Coleman

Already Gone -- Ken Ham

The Gift of Music -- Stuart and Carlson

History of Western Music -- Grout and Palisca

What to Listen for in Music -- Aaron Copland

re-read/skim read:
So Much More -- Ana Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin

Justification and Regeneration -- Charles Lieter

{note: currently reading in bold}

Monday Meditations~

noreply@blogger.com ({ jessica }) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 10:24:00 +0000

"Art is a collaboration between God and the artist, and the less the artist does, the better."

~André Gide

That the Older Women may teach the Younger

noreply@blogger.com ({ jessica }) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 17:24:00 +0000

"The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed."

Titus 2:3-5

And that's exactly what she's doing.

Each Saturday morning, for the past month, our family has been sitting under the discipleship of Mr. Geoffrey Botkin as he shares about important manly topics for our generation. However, it is with great joy that I now share that Mrs. Botkin is starting a online mentoring class for ladies each Monday evening!

Here are a few excerpts from the Western Conservatory's website:

How does a wife help her husband be the man Christ wants him to be? How can she inspire him to love her? How can she discover the forgotten joys of being the helper God designed her to be? Beginning March 1, Victoria, beloved wife to Geoffrey Botkin, will host weekly online mentoring sessions for women as a homemaker's resource to the worldwide Christian community. Mother to five boys and two girls, Victoria draws insight from 30 years of applying Scripture to marriage with one of America's most visionary men.

Join Victoria as she discusses subjects such as woman's great power, sinful tendencies, obedience vs. submission, independence vs. submission, freedom vs. submission, beauty, dress, makeup, respect, women's rights, hospitality, speaking words of life, managing with grace, pitfalls of perfectionism in homemaking, Hollywood expectations, trials, trust, and cultivating personality. Victoria will begin each session by responding to pressing, appropriate questions from participants. Topic headings include:
All about Eve
All about Sarah
The Proverbs 31 wife
About love
How to help your husband love you
How to become a wise woman

For myself, the upcoming Monday evenings will be ones to pull up a chair by the cozy fire and writing down notes of encouragement, and wise, godly, biblical discipleship from a precious older woman in my life! I hope you will join me!

Please click on the banner above or go to Evenings with Victoria Botkin | Western Conservatory for more information.

Benvindo Fevereiro!

noreply@blogger.com ({ jessica }) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:50:00 +0000

{Lit. Welcome February!}

Just wanted to let you all know that the February issue of Growing in Grace is now online! A little late notice, I know, but you know the saying - better later than never :)

a few highlights:

Shannon wrote a sweet article called Twenty-Eight Ways to show Love

Sisterlisa wrote a great article on Relationship Building in the Blogosphere - I highly recommend reading this!

Also, a very exciting new feature for GGM is a Weekly Photography Challenge! I would love to encourage all of you to please join in!

There are a lot more other exciting things in this issue, so go check it out :)

of Duty and Providence

noreply@blogger.com ({ jessica }) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:24:00 +0000

"Duty is ours, consequences are God's."

— Thomas J. Jackson

“The truth is this: The march of Providence is so slow and our desires so impatient; the work of progress is so immense and our means of aiding it so feeble; the life of humanity is so long, that of the individual so brief, that we often see only the ebb of the advancing wave and are thus discouraged. It is history that teaches us to hope."

— Robert E. Lee

Wishing you a most happy February twelfth!

May it be filled with smiles, cake, whistles and party hats! I know mine will be! for you see, today happens to be my handsome little brothers seventh birthday! Huzzah ;]

Thursday Musings

noreply@blogger.com ({ jessica }) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:57:00 +0000

You know something is afoot when…

…you find 6 little souls gathered in the office discussing things in low tones, then suddenly, yea, as if by magic, they silence as you pass the door.

…you peer down into your little brothers deep brown eyes and get the innocent sparkle and grin that says “iknowsomethingyoudontknowbutimnotgoingtoactit”.

… your brother asks you twice in the course of one day when your birthday is

… etc., etc., etc.

And such is the state of affairs currently.

As for me, I watch the surroundings with amusement, curiosity, and thoughtfulness. However, for the first time ever, a sense of deep sadness has pervaded through it all.

You see, I’m growing up and getting older. That is, of course, no new thought, but the full meaning of the statement is slowly becoming a reality – things won’t always be just like they are now. There won’t always be those little brothers eyes to look down into, no special “day-to-Nashville” trips alone with Daddy, no “secretive” sibling conversations, no snowball fights with all the siblings, no Daddy to sing his famous version of "happy birthday", no hand delivered notes from brothers and sisters – and no, not even the early morning ritual with Daddy of coffee, scripture and notebooks. And all because I’m growing up.

But what is even more thought-provoking is this – just as these times together aren’t going to be forever, the memories we make now will be. There will be a day when I will look back at the time I had with my family, but what will I see? Will I rejoice at the example I set and the encouragement I gave? Will I be satisfied that I had done my best to help the family work as a powerful unit for Christ? Or will I always look back and think “if I had only….”

Like Breezy said in her beautiful post earlier this week, there are times when I get especially excited about the future and what it holds for me and our family, but right now I want everything to slow down.

So I’m purposing that tomorrow, as I enter the next numerical year, and throughout the remaining years at home, I’m going to hid all these things in my heart. I’m going to cherish the laughter, precious smiles and little twinkling eyes because they aren’t going to last.

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19

Secondly, I’m going to ponder the path of my feet so that my ways may be established and I may reap the fruit of obedience in the Lord. Because I realize that once I leave this family of mine, whatever I did or didn’t do, the way I helped or didn’t help, the memories I leave and the influence I had, can never be changed or added to.

Never, ever, ever.

Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Proverbs 4:26

it's a....

noreply@blogger.com ({ jessica }) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 02:30:00 +0000

BLIZZARD!

Well, nearly so... At least it's a Tennessee blizzard :]

Esther says it's cooollldd out here! just wrap the cape tighter, dear ;]

special memories are made in the snow

The rousing ending chorus of "Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better":

No you can't, Yes I can,

No you can't, Yes I can...

yes, we can!

the end <3

{almost, that is. more pictures are coming, but I think I'll post them on my photography blog.}

Homemaking

noreply@blogger.com ({ jessica }) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 12:38:00 +0000

"The career of motherhood and homemaking is beyond value and needs no justification. It's importance is incalculable."
— Katherine Short

Skip over to Miss Jen's blog for another great quote on Homemaking.

thanks, friend

noreply@blogger.com ({ jessica }) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 01:27:00 +0000

This little lady is amazing.

Totally and completely amazing.

She can make pretty pictures. I would like to think she has an extra dose of talent :] but then, I guess, it's not really talent - It's just an outgrowth of her amazing personality and style, so no, there isn't any talent there.

She's just an amazing lady inside and out.

So I'm going to do a little advertising for her :]

*ahem*

If you need any photography work done, you need to hire her.

Really, you do :] Here's proof:

That's me. She can make even the most ordinary people look almost cute :] thanks, dear friend!

now, I realize we all can't hire her - she would have to raise her prices so much that I wouldn't be able to get my pictures done, so no, we can't all hire her. But..... what you can do is go to her blog: Audri Lea Photography and comment at least once (more if you really appreciate her) and let her know that we want more pictures posted!

[marching around, waving a flag and chanting] we want more pictures! we want more pictures!

I'm sure she would also appreciate a big box of chocolates sent to her mail box, if you so felt inclined.... :]

Giveaways at GGM

noreply@blogger.com ({ jessica }) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:14:00 +0000

Be sure to go check out the two giveways that GGM is hosting! They end tomorrow, so be quick!

Harumika Fashion Making Kits

Girlhood Home Companion Subscription

2009 in Review: Best of the Blog

noreply@blogger.com ({ jessica }) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 18:17:00 +0000

Of life, news, photos and the like:

{smile: harp exam results}
thankful. challenged.
Esther and Anna
the other exciting news
Feelin' Feminine: Day 4
yay! a new blogging friend *smile*
Childhood Friends
What I was Doing on Christmas Eve

heart-changing, life-altering thoughts:

Nothing Between!
5 Reasons Why I Must Be a Passionate Daughter, Desperate for God
Obsessed? Passionate.
What are We Settling for?
A New Season
good morning, my child
call it thanksliving
Aggressive Boots, Statements, and Femininity

I can't believe that it's already 2010!

These last few weeks have been so eventful that I've hardly been able to sit down and think. My mind is swirling with questions....

Where has the last year gone? What have I accomplished? Have the decisions I've made drawn me closer or pulled me farther from my goals?

What do I want to acomplish this next year? How do I work those goals out in real life?

What about my blog? Is it accomplishing its designed purpose? How can I be more effective in 2010?

Oh so many questions!

I pray that this next year with be a profitable year for you and your family! May the Lord bless you :)

Happy 2010!

What I was doing on Christmas Eve

noreply@blogger.com ({ jessica }) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 22:58:00 +0000

The day started, all dark and cool, at 2:15am when Rebekah and I got out of bed and prepared for the day we'd both been anxiously waiting for... We bundled up warmly, grabbed a pillow and climbed in the van with Dad.

Our destination? Chattanooga, TN

Our mission? to pick up two dear friends who were spending the rest of their Christmas break with us :)

We arrived at our destination in good time and, whisking away our charming beauties, headed to get a quick bite to eat (we were, of course, chatting, laughing and occasionally releasing peaceful sighs of sheer delight at the though of spending 9 whole days together, but that is a random fact.)
After a quick breakfast at Waffle House, we headed home... Or so we thought :) But then, as a little sweet surprise, Dad took us up to Lookout Mountain to take a hike to *the rock*.

So off we set, all bright eyed and bushy tailed, on a beautifully crisp Christmas Eve morning.

We laughed and talked and sang old songs and hymns...

...stopping for a picture here and there.

precious :)

we crossed the streams...

(stopping for another wintery picture)

...and finally made it to the rock! This is the rock that Dad used to come and do his homework at when he and Mom were in Collage... It's beautifully situated to overlook Chatanooga.

Jeni and Rebekah

*smile*

Jeni, Me, Jana and Bekah - precious friends in Christ <3

Rejoice

noreply@blogger.com ({ jessica }) — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0000

All the earth rejoice

Your Creator reigns

As the only awesome God

The Alpha and the Omega

Who was, is, and is to come

Let the oceans roar and the mountains sing

He provides for all He has made

So be comforted as He rules with grace

Rejoice, all the earth, rejoice

All the world rejoice

For the baby comes

As a humble prince in the night

The Word made flesh, Emmanuel

The Everlasting Light

Let the warmth of heaven reach the coldest heart

With the gospel of His grace

For His heel will bruise the serpent’s head

Rejoice, all the world, rejoice

All the church rejoice

For your King returns

On a white horse wearing a crown

He will break the sky with the angel’s shout

Descending from the clouds

Then the dead will rise from the land and sea

All His people will ascend

We will reign with Him for eternity

Rejoice, all the church, rejoice

[Words and Music by Todd Twining]

Books are for Winter...

noreply@blogger.com ({ jessica }) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 12:47:00 +0000

...and winter is for books. What are you reading right now?

I am in the process of preparing a book list for this next years reading, but I wanted to hear from you before I finalized it!

So, ladies, what are you reading?
Have you read anything this past year that you would highly recommend?

Or what about you, what books are you planning on reading next year or have an interest in? any great and glorious plans for delving into some great study?

Aggressive Boots, Statements and Femininity

noreply@blogger.com ({ jessica }) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:43:00 +0000

Ok, ladies, please bear with me for a long one :) Also, I kind of struggled getting my thoughts onto paper with this one - please ask any questions you might have and I'll see if I can't articulate them better on a more personal level...

We had all sat down for dinner and, since there were over 60 people gathered in our cozy domicile to enjoy fellowship and then a lecture later, space was understandably tight. I, however, had found a nice little spot in the corner of our brown leather couch and, with Anna propped up on my lap, proceeded to feed us both - one bite for me and two for her (and yes, that's about the way it goes with Anna :) ).

It wasn't too much later when a friend of ours, with his son in hand, took the empty seat beside me. As he sat there amusing his son, he happened to notice my boots which were neatly propped up in front of me as I sat there. Commenting on them, he turned to me and said:

"Those are pretty aggressive boots."

I looked at him with a questioning glance. Aggressive? Wow. That is certainly not how I would describe them. The boots were black lace-up ropers that had more vintage look then modern-day ropers, and aggressive isn't the word I would use to define them. If you were to ask me to depict them in words, they would be something like: feminine, old-fashion, or maybe Victorian.

However, I know that with this particular person, we may see eye to eye on some things, but just have a rather different way of putting it. These type of people are great as they can make you think outside your little world to see how they view something, so I immediately questioned him for his meaning.

"Aggressive? What do you mean by aggressive?"

"Well," he replied (and I'm paraphrasing this into something smaller) "they're cowboy looking and aren't the typical fashion boots that everyone else is wearing."

Ouch. My guilty heart gave a slight pang. However I thought Ok, I can take that - essentially he meant they're different. Where he lives nearly every Christian girl is mimicking the latest fashions and fads. We then proceeded to talk of the sermon that morning and other various topics, but the rest of that evening I was mulling that quick conversation in my head.

Aggressive boots. Feminine. Different. Not typical.

Unknown to him I had been struggling with that very thing for the past month and a half. It wasn't that I didn't like my boots - No, I will always love my boots as they are very "me”- looking (to put that in tangible words that would be: old-fashion, feminine and western). But I had recently become aware to the other side of the realm - the "fashionable" side with the slouched tops and decorative buckles.

Well, you know, some of my friends have them and they are so cute and, well, more fashionable. After all, we don't want to look like drab home school girls.

So I wanted to get a pair. But due to my unwillingness to hash the money out I remained "boot-less" :) Then of course, there also was the more apparent reason that my Dad probably wouldn’t like them in the first place! I had never asked him before, but I know Dad's tastes well enough to be almost certain that he would say “Ok, whatever”, but he would never condone such a purchase.

As I mulled over these decisions in my head, I inevitably got down to the heart issue - Why did I want a pair? What is the heart issue here?

Was it to look more meek and quiet? To be discreet or chaste? How about sober? Oh, it would make me a better Proverbs 31 woman? Of course not. It was to be more fashionable, or more like my friends. Is that wrong? Not necessarily - they're certainly not evil, but the reasons I wanted to get a pair of boots was for my own fleshly pleasure. Once again, there's nothing necessarily wrong with a pair of boots....   And I kept telling myself that, trying to make myself believe it.

As the weeks rolled by though, slowly but surely, I got over my infatuation, and began looking at them from a different perspective. You know, I'd finally gotten to the point where I still wanted a pair, but I knew I could live without a pair... What a revelation :) So then I asked myself the questions “who am I”, and “what do I want to become?” My immediate answer to what I want to become was Proverbs 31 and Titus 2 - the picture of the biblical woman. However, I wanted to get down to the skeleton of this monster - What kind of Proverbs 31 and Titus 2 woman do I want to become? I wanted a picture of what I wanted to look like, not just act like.

Did you know that there are things this world can offer that are both feminine and fashionable? Just like the boots I wanted. But then they are exactly like something the world would wear if they wanted to look a little different. It's the sort of things they wear to church or formal social gatherings. They are what I'd like to call a passive form of femininity. Then there are the things that are distinctly not fashionable though feminine and dignified. This is what I'll call aggressive femininity. They both make silent statements, but one is a statement, while the other one is a statement. As women, we are not given to teaching and speaking publicly about Scripture. That place is for the men. We, however, are given the silent statements of dress and actions. How big of a statement do we want to declare? That is the heart of the question.

No, looking fashionable is not wrong. It is not wrong. You can still be a biblical, feminine woman and wear the modest fashion. After all, there is nothing new under the sun and whatever you're wearing probably was the fashion at one point and time in history :)

But what are we, as young women, here for? To be a helper to our father while preparing to be a helpmeet to our husband. So then if we're to be helpers, we must then answer the question, what is our fathers/future husband’s role? The role given to all men is to fulfill the dominion mandate given in Genesis 1 - to be fruitful and multiply, and have dominion over the earth to the Glory of God. God has given each father a different way to do that, but that is his end goal - dominion for Christ.

So we are their accomplices in this great mission. But how can we take dominion if we're not actually supposed to be on the front lines (i.e. teaching publically, etc)? We are their helpmeets by openly supporting our men in the home and silently making statements as we're out in the world. We are to look different.

By the way we dress and act, we’re saying that: We're with these men - they do the talking, while we do the silent supporting. Why do we expect our men to be bold for Christ is we're not willing to be? We only have one lifetime - why would we want to live it half-primed?

I fear that’s what too many of us settle for. We want to fit in and look good more then we want to make a statement. I know, because I wanted the same thing. But then as I began thinking it over, I realized that what I wanted to become and look like was not just feminine, but boldly, biblically feminine. I can’t just follow my heart into what I want to become – I have to lead my heart. If I blindly follow my heart in “harmless” pleasures they will eventually lead me away from the thing that I am reaching for (Christ). This means I have to know where I’m going and think through exactly what I want to be. Copying an unclear, undefined picture will produce a misty, hazy and difficult-to-distinguish copy.

So the question for myself is no longer “Is it wrong? “or “Is it biblical?” Instead – “Is this going to show to a lost world that I am passionate about being biblically different?” I constantly have to remind myself of what I’m grasping after and I do that by daily submersing myself in His word, which reforms and regenerates.
I still haven’t figured everything out. I still look at those boots and think they’re cute. In fact, I think I could even wear those boots and enjoy them. But, I wouldn’t wear them often or around people that don’t know me, as that’s not the statement I want to make. This doesn’t just go for the boots I wear – this goes for every area of life. We make statements of what we value and who we are (in Christ or otherwise) by every action and word that we ever do or say.

I should also clarify something here – I don’t want to do something just because it’s different and “against the flow”, but because whatever I’m doing that’s different, is making a statement that I’m Christ’s child and I’m His with my heart and my body.

If you’re still reading this, then I must congratulate for perseverance :) To be quite honest, I would have a hard time reading such a long post! And now you’re probably thinking 1 of 2 things (or perhaps even both)

1.   The end, please. Just give me the end.
or
2.   And so you got all that from a quick conversation on a pair of boots :)

Ah. Good point. No, I didn’t just learn this with a conversation on boots. This was just the climax of it all :) I had begun thinking through this all, but then the conversation helped me make these truths mine. I’m also learning this in other areas as well (dare I even say them?!) Yes, I’m learning that I am making a statement with that big leather coat of mine with fur trimmings... ah, lovely coat and very vintage looking :) However, most people do not have the perspective I have (as a costumer, that is) but when they think of big leather and fur coats they think of the 30’s and 40’s, of bank robbers and gangs, or like my Dad said when he first saw it – “It makes me think of Bonnie and Clyde”.

sigh.

Though we shouldn’t let other’s thoughts dictate who we are, we must be careful that what we are portraying to them is what we want to be portraying, not some wishful thinking on our part.
I’ll still keep my coat, for now at least :) It’s perfect for that cold days drive in *the* car

*twinkling smile*

Anyways, I just wanted to share a bit of my heart right now and maybe provoke us to some thoughtful meditations.

Who are we trying to be and what is the statement are we trying to portray? or maybe we have several statements, but should we?

Passive Femininity vs. Aggressive Femininity.

Are we trying to fit in? Or is our goal to be boldly, passionately, and biblically feminine?

Who defines our standards? Biblical principles or our friends?

Who would have thought that a simple rather unusual statement on “aggressive looking boots” would have
brought this post about? I don’t know about you, but I’m thankful for friends who express themselves differently :) they are able to shed light on subjects in amazing ways!

[ Journal Entry ]

noreply@blogger.com ({ jessica }) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:08:00 +0000

Excerpts from entry #18

Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. JAMES 4:17

And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. LUKE 12:47

Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? ROMANS 2:23

The point here is very clear. If we are not actively doing, we are still sinning. Just staying away from evil and not committing "sin" doesn't mean we are not sinning still.

This is very similar to what is mentioned in Proverbs:

He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster. PROVERBS 18:9

Slothfulness destroys. Half-hearted work destroys. We must actively and passionately be engaging this world and this worlds battles! There is no generation that can simply sit back and enjoy all that their parents have taught and given them.
We, as Christians, are commanded to do. It is sin to not do.

welcome, december

noreply@blogger.com ({ jessica }) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:03:00 +0000

Start this new, beautiful month off with some encouraging readings!

Growing in Grace Magazine: December 2009

Challenging Femininity: December 2009

[untitled post]

noreply@blogger.com ({ jessica }) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Thou hast given so much to me,
Give one thing more, - a grateful heart;
Not thankful when it pleaseth me,
As if Thy blessings had spare days,
But such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise.

-George Herbert-

The unthankful heart... discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!

-Henry Ward Beecher

call it thanksliving

noreply@blogger.com ({ jessica }) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action. ~W.J. Cameron

Thanksgiving was never meant to be shut up in a single day. ~Robert Caspar Lintner

Thanksgiving or Thanksliving?

noreply@blogger.com ({ jessica }) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

[a continuation from yesterdays post....]

“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” Romans 1:21

Their foolish heart was darkened when:

they glorified him not as God,
neither were thankful;
but became vain in their imaginations

Only three small things! One of these is the error of being unthankful. This has challenged me to not only make sure I’m not being unthankful, and vain, but also to think through exactly how I will glorify him as God and be thankful! Just making sure I’m not doing something wrong doesn’t mean I’m automatically going to be doing something right instead.

Thoughts on Thanksgiving

noreply@blogger.com ({ jessica }) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 20:40:00 +0000

Yesterday evening our family, along with 3 other families, gathered together to celebrate the day of Thanksgiving. We sat around in a large circle, 39 people in all, discussing the scriptural importance of the action and spirit of thanksgiving as well as the historical significance of our forefathers and the consecration of the first national Thanksgiving. It was a beautiful time of biblical discipleship, godly edification, encouragement, and remembering! I wish I would have taken notes of everything shared. However, I’ve tried remembering much of what was said and wanted to share two important things that I noted.

As for this first point it never ceases to amaze me how well grounded our fore-fathers were in scripture! I encourage you to read this proclamation over carefully and then look up at least some of the scripture references I have listed below. No wonder why our nation was blessed to begin with! We truly had leaders who not only knew scripture, but lived it and implemented it in every area of life.

Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. Psalms 112:1

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. Psalms 33:12

Our nation was blessed by the Lord because as individuals, they feared the Lord and delighted in Him and this promise still remains true today for us!

George Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to "recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789.

G Washington

“Whereas it is the duty “
Lev 22:29; 2 Chr. 29:31; Ps 50:14; Phil 4:6; Re 7:12

“of all nations”
The leaders of America recognized that they had a duty and that that duty was among “all nations”. They openly acknowledged the great commission. (Matthew 28:19-20)

“to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God,”
1 Sam 2:6-8; Deut 10:14, 17; Ps 22:28-29; Ps 50: 1-12; Rom 13:1

“to obey His will,”
Deut 27:10; 30:2; 1 Sam 12:14; 1 Sam 15:22; Jer 7:23; 42:6; Act 5:29

“to be grateful for His benefits,”
Ps 68:19; 103:2; 116:12

“and humbly to implore His protection and favor;”
1 Chr 4:10; 2 Chr 14:11; 20:6-17; Ps 18:6; Deut 20:1-4; 33:27; Ps 17:5, 8; 57:1; 59:16; 121:8

“establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:”
Ps 82: 2-4; 2 Chr 9:8; Ro 13:3,4

“Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks”
Separation of Church and State? Is it proper for government authorities to “recommend and assign” the people something explicitly and boldly Christian? Do they even that the authority to do that? 1 Kings 8:54-61; 2 Kings 23:3-8; 2 Chr 14:2-4; Dan 3:29; 6:26

“for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war;”
It was universally recognized that the Lord God was sovereign over all things. When it was stated that they “appeal to heaven and to the God of Host” (Patrick Henry, Give me Liberty) it was understood that God was the winner of the battle and he would avenge the wronged.

“And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions;”
1 Kings 8:30, 34, 36, 39; 2 Chr 6:21-39

To be continued with point two tomorrow...