Summer with a Purpose: Week Seven! (and we have a winner!)

Greetings dear friends,
 I hope all are having a lovely day today. I cannot believe it is Friday already! This past week I've had my times of business and my times of utmost laziness. :o(  I think I struggled with lying around because I went from my full working schedule to a seemingly empty one! But I did get a few things done.

Cleaning: I was really blessed to be able to mop our entire house this week. We have either wood or tile and I was so thankful to get them fresh and sparkling. I also was able to dust most of the furniture and some of our blinds. . .which means less dust! :) We have a labradoodle (a sweet dog which doesn't shed. . .hehe, well that's what they told us) which sheds extremely well. :o)

Projects: I am earnestly working on a cross stitching project I started, um, two or so years ago. I've really been enjoying working on it and pull it out whenever we as a family watch tv or talk. This is what is will eventually look like (I hope!) :)

Reading: This past week I've been reading a little bit of everything (ah! the old habit strikes again!). However, I've dedicated myself to refreshing some school subjects which I've neglected. So if you were to peek in on me these next few weeks, you might find me battling a pre-algebra book, refreshing my penmanship, reading some science books, and adoring an old McGuffey Reader. I've also decided to try and read Charlotte Mason's Companion, a homeschooling book which I believe will be a real blessing to me.

One of my highest goals in becoming a teacher is that while teaching children about God's wonderful world (math, English, science, history and so on. . .) I will be able to teach and encourage godly character. This desire has really been impressed on my heart lately, and so, I am wanting to prepare by refreshing my mind and working my character.    

Other Special Things: Yesterday, we were blessed to go and visit a dear aunt who was in the hospital. It was such a blessing to be able to visit with her, and hopefully, we were a blessing to her!

This week I hope to tackle unfinished letters, stay on my cleaning/reading schedule, and maybe finish my dress. It amazes me how projects can drag themselves out for so long! (After all that talk of good character, maybe I should learn some self-dicipline and how to be prompt? Oh dear.) :)

On a delightful, seperate note: While having fun at an antique store with Allie and Jeremiah (see the below photo. . .yes, that one of those crazy mirrors) I finally found a prize for the winner of "Guess What I Am?" and she is. . .Laura from Sharing His Love! Congratulations Laura for guessing what was. . .an airplane food tray holder! I had lots of fun looking at all your answers, so thank you all for participating! While at the antique store I found a lovely doily with roses embroidered along its edge. I hope you like it Laura! :)  

Well, I hope that you all have a blessed weekend. With love and thoughts!

Allie and I having fun. :o)

Allie and Jeremiah. . .ew, his cone head! :)

Of Restless Hearts and God's Will

Whah! {that's the only sound my aching heart seems to be screaming}. I think I'm about to tackle a difficult topic, and it is being brought on my my own struggling heart, but I must share. I know most of you dear readers are young ladies; young ladies with dreams and hopes of one day being married. As I write this I'm smiling a bright but shy smile, for my heart loves and hates to discuss my hopes of marriage with others.

 I'm twenty years old, but I feel like the bloom of romance which had swept away many of my childhood friends never came. . .until now that is. And along with this intence desire to be loved comes an intence desire of discontentment. Yes, that horrible struggle of self fighting against the good will of my Father. Sin.

God designed me; every freckle, strand of hair, my very veins He lovingly and wisely put together. He knows me and is personally aquainted with my past, present, and future. He has watched over me from my sweet childhood years to this glorious, yet difficult time of being His growing little woman. As I look over my short life I see His loving and perfect hand in everything. From my dear parents and my raising, to my awarness of sin, to my first heart break, all the way to a terrible church split I see how His hand has guided me, using different things to bring me closer to Him. With confidence I can look over almost every time in my life and see how God has used it; I can say that He is wise, all-knowing, and perfect in His ways with me. Now, can I say that about my singleness? Can I in contentment trust Him and give up my hopes and day dreams knowing that He, as He has been all my life, is in control? Can I lay my will for a family and husband down and pick up His? In my head I know that God's will is perfect and is for my good, but in my heart and will I resist, afraid that He has plans for me that I may not like. Oh, that I may learn to simply trust and obey, to trust that whatever He has in store for me, marriage or singlehood, Mrs. or Miss, is all for my good and for the glory of His kingdom? I trust I am not the only one struggling with this.


Here are some droplets of advice which have blessed me:


1. Singlehood is a wonderful opportunity to wholeheartedly serve my heavenly Father and Husband, Jesus Christ. 
"The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit:" 1 Cor. 7:34a    

We must remember that to give up our life for God's glory is the highest calling. Never, think of maidhood as something horrible. It has many blessings. Remember also, the unmarried missionary legends who accomplished so much for God; at this moment I can think of Gladys Alward and  Amy Carmichal, to very admirable women.


2. Remember that God hates covetousness and that my "eyeing" other young men is just that. {We must remember that that young man may be someone's future husband, or he may be set aside for singlehood by His heavenly Father. In either case, he is not mine}. 


3. When I begin to be carried away with day dreams, remember that my time is not mine. "See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil." Eph. 5:15,16.



Also, when catching yourself day dreaming remember Phillippians 4:8,9 which reads,
"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things."
Are my thoughts pure, true {did that or will that really happen?}, and of good report {would I allow others to see what I'm thinking?}.


5. Give your heart to your parents, specifically your daddy. Make yourself vulnerable to your dad; cultivating a relationship with him may seem strange and difficult, but the blessings far out weigh the trouble! Take responsibilty for yourself and work on the relationship. Ask your daddy what makes a good wife, ask him to help you grow in godly character. Ask him for his guidance and wisdom concerning boys. Ya know, he knows them best! :)   
Share your heart with your momma; tell her your hopes and dreams and ask her if you can be accountable to her. I can guarentee you will be blessed!


6. Finally, remember that Jesus loves me, knows what I need best, and that His timing is perfect.  
 "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Prov. 3:5,6.


Ah, dear sisters, isn't it good to rest in our Heavenly Father? I struggle so often with it, but I know that He is good and in control! Let us grow in trusting Him, giving up our dreams for His! To end, here a two very good quotes by Jim Elliot:

"God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with him."

and

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

With love from your fellow pilgrim,

This lovely painting was taken from: http://www.greatmodernpictures.com/vwc.htm

Summer with a Purpose- Week Six!

Greetings friends! I hope this finds everyone well and rejoicing in the Lord. This week has been a very fun, good productive week.


Projects: Well this subject will include a few non-projects, but still good things. First of all, I spent the first part of my week working my seasonal cooking job. I was so blessed; I asked the Lord to please help my day go well, and amazingly (Why should I be surprised, He says He will answer if we ask?) it went great! I had the two smoothest days of this past season, and guess what? This was my last week for the season! :) While I love my job and greatly appreciate it, I'm looking forward to helping and being at home more often. So I'm excited!
This week I also spent a day and a half helping some friends do hay. I was very nervous about this, since I am not very strong, but, praise the Lord!, I was able to lift those bails! It was my first time doing hay, and boy, it was hard, hot work. I did not know I could sweat that much! :D But I loved it! It was such a blessing to be a help, to see the work slowly get done, to excerise my body, and to have sweet/fun fellowship with other Christians while working in the field. In short, it was great! :)
Something I found interesting is that I learned how to be thankful for just a breeze. When working in the hot sun, a little breeze can make all the difference. I am so thankful that God kindly gave us many breezes; I found in this experience that God knows all my needs and is faithful to meet them! 


Reading: This week I have had a blessed time reading my Bible. (Yes, I know, such a simple thing, but oh so wonderful!) Lately, I've been reading over Romans 6, that is such an encouraging and lovely chapter! I've also been trying to read The King's Blooming Rose, a Christian girl's magazine which is oh so helpful! This one is on prayer, and I have found it so timely, so powerful! 


Memorization: Yay! I'm so excited! I had purposed last week to memorize 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7. These few verses have been such blessings to me! While I do not have the whole thing memorized, I'm getting there! :) 
(I had not made memorization a big priority in the last few years, and so, even a few verses is a lovely thing!)


Music: I just got my new fiddling book in the mail (Hurray!!) and spent a little bit of time working on a new song. I hope to spend this coming week on that as well! :)

Well, I think that's it. This week I hope to concentrate on finishing the dress (that I started  awhile back), finish my letters (that I started awhile back), and help around the house. I hope you all have a lovely week trust ing and resting in the Lord.
Lord bless your day!

My Testimony

Hello sisters! I have been wanting to write and share my testimony with you all, but just had not gotten to it. . .until today. I was filling out an application which asked for my testimony and thought I would get two thinsg done at once! :) I pray that the Lord will use my story for His glory as we all grow closer to Him!

My testimony is one of God’s unfailing faithfulness, forgiveness, love, and complete freedom He gives from bondage. I was born into a Christian home and raised in a Baptist church where Bible verses were lovingly taught and a personal relationship with Jesus encouraged. When I was about five years old, I remember asking Jesus into my heart, and from then until the age of twelve or thirteen, I lived a sweet and “good” child’s life. While I do not believe I was truly born-again, I do know that God used my child like faith and prayer as a way to keep me close to Him and as a stepping stone to true conversion.

Being a naturally timid and willing-to-please child, I did not struggle with being outwardly disobedient to my parents and was often called a “goody-two-shoes” by friends. However, because of this teasing, I often felt lonely and insecure. By eighth grade, these insecurities led me into peer pressure and I was willing to do whatever it took to be “cool.” It was also in eighth grade that I fell deeply into immoral sin, struggled intensely with rebellion, and told many lies. I believe that Satan had a real and strong grip on my life, because I was literally in bondage to some of my sins.

In August of 2005, Mom took me with her to Pennsylvania where I went to a church full of God seekings people and where I met two different, godly families. These families genuine love for Jesus was new and strange to me. The fact that their young people could be in mixed company without flirting and dating relationships amazed me. How was it that these young people could have fun singing together!? It was almost creepy. I knew that my church was missing something, but I still found this contagious and living Christianity very strange. But God had begun a work in me. I often struggled with not knowing if I was saved and this created intense fear in my life. Jesus used this fear to bring me to the cross, yet my biggest stumbling block was my love for my sin. I battled with Jesus for a few months. I remember the physical battle I struggled with as Jesus took away my chains of sin. I do not have a specific date of when I became a Christian. I believe that I became a Christian week after week as I slowly began to hate my sin and allow God to work in my heart. I do know that I was saved by December 2005, because I have a journal entry around that time. I know I became a born-again Christian because He lifted the extremely strong bondage I was under and that I had confidence of salvation. Jesus did a complete miracle in my life. I knew I was a Christian because I was finally living like one.

I have been born again for about five years now, and Jesus has brought me through so much. He had led me to the point of joyfully submitting myself to my parents, to dressing modestly and covering my hair. These past few years have been quite difficult for me in my Christian life; I have struggled with many of the good and life-giving commandments of the Lord (like willing and joyful obedience to my parents). But I am striving to press onward, knowing that Jesus is my salvation and He can make me whole.

Lately, Jesus has been teaching me to rest in Him. Because I had been struggling in my Christian walk, I had lost my confidence in Him and was vainly trusting in myself. After many hard lessons, He is gently leading me back to His promises, which say that HE is my strength, keeper, and love. I am also learning to be content where I’m at—in our new state, as a single girl, etc. And finally, He is impressing on me that I need to yield myself to my parent’s will again. I have a really good relationship with my parents, but my heart is not joyfully, obediently submitting to them. This is something I deeply desire, and trust God to continue working in me.

God bless you sisters, as you walk in Him! Continue pressing heavenward, for Jesus is waiting!

Summer with a Purpose: Week Five! Along with some Ramblings and Thoughts

Greetings dear sisters in Christ! I hope this finds you all well and blooming in the Lord. He is such a kind and loving  Father!

Summer with a Purpose:
 Whew! Week five already? It feels like my week has flown by and I've hardly noticed! I know today is Saturday, but I'm going to include the few things I did. :o) Altogether, I'm not really sure if I did anything productive this week. :( I worked this week, and that takes up my time and energy. Besides that, I went to a nearby town where my sister will be renting an apartment! While there, we found a very cute and sturdy dining table with chairs and moved that in, as well as a very sweet pale green shelf. I may be moving in with her too, gulp, and so I've been job searching. . .a job in itself!

As I think back over this week, I would say that today was my most productive day. Why? Because I spent time with my Jesus. This past month, I've been struggling with reading my Bible and praying; I'm not sure why, but I've fallen back in my Christian life. But today was so meaningful and precious as I spent time with my Lord and Savior, allowing Him to cleanse my heart from sin, strengthen my faith, and remind me of His faithful promices. He is so faithful and loving, and it is my desire to be holy like Him! So as I go about this coming week, I am, by God's grace, trying to memorize 1Thessalonians 4:3-7 which reads:

"For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness."

and

"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" 2 Corinthians 9:5.

 I also hope to read and finish a neat book titled "Are you Serious About Marriage?" Some sweet friends graciously lent it to me and its time I gave it back! :o) I've browsed through it and am excited to get started! I also hope to get my letters done (yes, that was on week four's list!).  

My Ramblings and Thoughts:

This topic may sound strange, but I feel so deeply and strongly about it I must share! :) 

Tonight, I had a conversation with a godly young man who told me that he had suffered verbal/emotional abuse in his past. . .one of them was by a girl whom he was in a relationship with. He still struggles because of the painful marks left on him. As we went on talking he casually told me, "Not to worry my pretty little head off." He then asked me if I thought that was dirogitory and explained that other girls had been upset and mad at him for using  that and similar silly little phrases. Sisters, I cannot tell you how shocked and appauled I was to hear  this. We are women, created to be sweet, encouraging, and loving helpmeets. How shameful that this young man has had to deal with ladies who were verbally unkind and so easily offended! If we cannot use self-control and learn to love others in our speech and if we take up offence at the silliest things now, we will do so when we are married. And we will destroy our husbands and marriages at the same time. We must seek to speak only godly things: things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. I struggle with my controlling my tongue, it is a sin. But through Jesus' power and love, I can gain victory over sharp, unloving, and negative words. I also struggle with being sensitive. I must learn to love others despite their hurtful (or seemingly hurtful) remarks and trust that my worth is great in God's eyes. I should not be so easily offended and instead loves others through Jesus.

 I pray, that as we grow into godly young women, that we can be encouragements to our fellow brothers (spiritually and literally!). May we never be found pulling others down through words, actions, or attitudes! 

"That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified" 1 Thessalonians 4:6

Well, thats that! :o) I hope you all have a lovely week and Lord's day. I am taking a break from blogging for a little bit, but when I come back I will announce the winner of "Guess What I Am?" and the prize she will be recieving!

With lots of love,  

Summer with a Purpose- Week Four

Greetings dear sisters in Christ! I hope you all are having a day filled with sunshine both outside and inside.

I am super excited because, while this is the fourth week in "Summer with a Purpose," it is my first punctual reporting time! :) These past few weeks I have stayed pretty productive. But this week, I'm sad to say, I slowed down quite a bit. First, we spent the July 4th in Wyoming and arrived back home Monday night. And since then I have been spending my mornings working at camp,

making breakfast and being on the cleaning crew. After getting home though, I would go into relaxation mode. :o( While I was not very productive I was able to do a few small (but blessed) things. I was able to dust my room, make a blackberry/blueberry cobbler, spend some time visiting with some dear friends, and I have almost finished Eight Cousins. 

I still have the following things on my list: write letters, practice my violin, finish Eight Cousins, and make a birthday card, and help with supper! :)  

I hope you all had a better week than I did! 

May the Lord bless your weekend, 

P.S. The sweet picture of Eight Cousins can be found right here. And the lovely picture of the blackberry cobbler can be found here. 

A Guessing Game

Hello friends! For a fun little giveaway I'd like you to guess what this object is. If you think you know please email me your answer at: authentic_virtue@yahoo.com. The first correct guesser will win! Invite others if you would like.

 At this moment I do not have a prize, but rest assured that it will be nice. Have fun!

May the Lord bless your day,

What's New. . .my Look!

Greetings to you all on a lovely, but hot Missouri day. I did change my blog's look again; I know that many of you liked the last and even told me so (a sweet blessing to me). But I just couldn't feel "at rest with it" and hope no one is offended since I changed it. I hope you all can like this one as well!

Don't forget to guess what the strange image is on my side bar!
Blessings,

I've Been Interviewed!

Hello! I just wanted to drop in quickly and excitedly tell you that I was interviewed by Sowers of Hope, a head-covering boutique! I was so blessed and had alot of fun answering the various questions (I like those kinds of things). :) I would like to invite you to check out Sowers of Hope. I know it will be a blessing to you!

Grace and Courage,

Oh, how I loved Wyoming!

Greetings! I hope this finds everyone well and growing in our Lord. Thank you all for your prayers concerning our trip to Wyoming last week. It was a blessing to have sweet sisters in Christ sharing their care. Thank you! As my title readily shouts, I LOVED Wyoming! It was such a beautiful place and one of my favorites. The clouds were always so dramatically posed and the weather cool, but mostly sunny. And the best part of being in Wyoming? We got to see Allie! That was my favorite part. :) I just wanted to share a some of our pictures.

Can you see the rainbow?

"I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth." Genesis 9: 13-16

I thought this picture was neat.

Feet! :)

The Teton Mountains

Buffalo, or as we Halbert's so energetically call them, "Tatonkas!"

Jeremiah and I

Horses from Turpin Meadow Ranch, the dude ranch Allie worked at.

The beautiful view from her breakfast window.

"When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?" Psalms 8:3,4

 

And here we are, leaving for our long, but enjoyable trip home.

 Don't forget to look at my side bar and guess what the picture could be! :)

Have a blessed day,