Monday, July 28, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
The Pure Bride
What is a pure bride? My mom and I were talking about this today. One of my dreams is to walk down the aisle someday, a pure bride, radiant and joyful, toward my beloved. But I had to ask myself, what is a pure bride? It goes deeper than the wedding day. One person can walk down the aisle a pure bride, while another, as a wilted creature.A Pure Bride blooms for her husband.
I know a sad story about a girl who bloomed early. At 11 and 12 years old she was the belle of the ball. She had a trail of boys just crazy about her. She was fun and cute, and of course, had lots of drama-queen-ish stuff in her life. Not long ago I saw this same girl again at Wal-Mart. I didn't get a chance to talk to her, but what I saw saddened me. This young girl, (she was probably 15 or 16 by then) who had been so full of life, had wilted. When a flower blooms early, it wilts early. This is what happened to this young lady, she bloomed early. She looked worn and tired. Like a wilted lily, still beautiful, but so broken."'Papa,' said Mary one day, 'I'm as old as Bessie Wilson; I am in a higher class in school; and I am as tall as she is, yet I am not allowed to do the things she does, but have to look and act like a child. When are you going to let me grow up?'
'Mary, do you remember that lily that blossomed here in the window so early this spring?'
'Yes, but it is dead now. It seemed to give its whole strenght to make than one blossom. It looked pretty then, but really those that blossomed later at the proper time were prettier,' said Mary.
'That is just what I wanted you to remember. That lily was pretty, but it was forced along too fast, blossomed before its time, and died. That is the way with many girls. They blossom before their time. I want my daughter to come to her full, mature beauty.'
'Do you mean that Bessie is blossoming too young?' asked Mary.
'When you come to the fullness of your youth, when you are like a rose in full bloom, poor Bessie will already be fading.'"
- Beautiful Girlhood, by M. Hale
'Mary, do you remember that lily that blossomed here in the window so early this spring?'
'Yes, but it is dead now. It seemed to give its whole strenght to make than one blossom. It looked pretty then, but really those that blossomed later at the proper time were prettier,' said Mary.
'That is just what I wanted you to remember. That lily was pretty, but it was forced along too fast, blossomed before its time, and died. That is the way with many girls. They blossom before their time. I want my daughter to come to her full, mature beauty.'
'Do you mean that Bessie is blossoming too young?' asked Mary.
'When you come to the fullness of your youth, when you are like a rose in full bloom, poor Bessie will already be fading.'"
- Beautiful Girlhood, by M. Hale
The Pure bride is under her father's protection.
When a daughter moves form under her father's protection (either physically or emotionally) she becomes hard, because the weight of the world is on her shoulders. We don't realize how much our father's take, they take the hardships so that we won't become coarse and hard. A pure bride is gentle, and un-tainted by the world.
A Pure Bride saved her heart for her husband.
A Pure Bride saved her heart for her husband.
She didn't give her heart away frivolously to any young man who asked. A pure bride was careful before giving away her heart. Past relationships, if any, were gone into with prayer, wisdom, discretion and the purpose of marriage. She didn't give peices of her heart away for fun.
She kept all she could for her Beloved.
She kept all she could for her Beloved.
A Pure bride is filled with love for her groom.
The Pure Bride receives her value and security from God, so from her beloved, she only needs love. When there is no baggage in a relationship, there's room for all the overflowing joy and love that comes when two hearts are knit together.A Pure bride is at peace with God, herself and others.
When the pure bride walks down the aisle, her heart is free. She is at peace with God. She is free to love with her whole heart. Through prayer, scripture meditation and wisdom from her parents, she knows that the man at the end of the aisle is the One whom God created especially for her. She has no doubts. They were made for one another.
When the pure bride walks down the aisle, her heart is free. She is at peace with God. She is free to love with her whole heart. Through prayer, scripture meditation and wisdom from her parents, she knows that the man at the end of the aisle is the One whom God created especially for her. She has no doubts. They were made for one another. 
"I, take you, my beloved, to be my wedded husband. With deepest joy I come into my new life with you. As you have pledged to me your life and love, so I too happily give you my life, and in confidence submit myself to your headship as to the Lord. As is the church in her relationship to Christ, so I will be to you..."
I will live first unto our God and then unto you, loving you, obeying you, caring for you and ever seeking to please you. God has prepared me for you and so I will ever strengthen, help, comfort, and encourage you.
Therefore, throughout life, no matter what may be ahead of us, I pledge to you my life as an obedient and faithful wife."
- A Wedding Vow
- A Wedding Vow
A Pure Bride has God at the center of her life.
When God is at the center of your life, everything else will fall into place. Trust in Him.
"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless..."
- Ephesians 5:25-27
When God is at the center of your life, everything else will fall into place. Trust in Him."Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless..."
- Ephesians 5:25-27
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Being Your Father's Daughter
By Miss Elisha Ann Wahlquist
In the side dressing room of a quaint country church, a young woman sits, decked in a sumptuous gown of lacy white. Faint sounds of rustling dresses, excited whispers, and busy movements reach her ears, but she does not heed them. Carefully, she pins up her flowing tresses (“The way he likes,” she remembers, happily) and glances out of the gauzy-curtained window to the grassy knoll where the reception will take place—a mere hour or so from now, she reflects.
Just as a bride looks forward to being with her groom and delights to please him, the Bride of Christ (all Christians) should await the coming of Her Groom, which is Christ. While we are single, how can we best prepare ourselves to demonstrate to a skeptical world the beauty of marriage? By turning towards our father, giving him our heart, striving to please him and delighting in his company.
Titus 2:3-5 “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.”
Daughters, God is calling us to be “keepers at home” in training—He wants to perfect us in the areas of supportive excitement for our authority’s projects, capability in running a household, and loving trust in our Heavenly Father and the way He is working through our authorities.
Patiently, the young lady helped her adorable little sister place the last toy in the bucket, then she strai
ghtened up and said cheerfully, “Rose, let’s go make cookies.” With the little one in tow, she brightly made her way to the kitchen, pausing to bestow a few encouraging words to the cluster of small boys on the play area rug, stopping to admire the diligence of the older ones as they sorted through a complex array of tools, and casting a smile and a loving, “Need anything?” to her busy mother. In the spacious kitchen, she set to work, and just as her little sister finished licking cookie batter off a spoon, the maiden heard her father’s car crunching in the gravel drive. “Dad’s home!” she cried, and caught up Rose to join the delighted pell-mell to greet Daddy. As she hugged her father, she said, “Dad, we’re making cookies for you to take to the family down the road that you wanted to minister to.” “Thank you, honey,” her father replied. “You are a precious gem to our family.”
By serving her mother, creating a peaceful home atmosphere, and furthering her father’s goals, this young woman is a blessing to her family and to others. Her secret is placing herself under her father’s authority and at his disposal, content in her God-given role. This daily training has another reward—she will be well-fitted for marriage as a help-meet suitable for her husband. Fellow daughters, do you truly work at pleasing your father and helping him to accomplish his goals? Do you enjoy spending time with him? Let us all work on improving in these areas, so we can be a blessing to the world—through our loving service at home!
Where are all the daughters in the Bible? Except for the tragic story of Dinah, the daughters are found in their fathers’ homes. In fact, that was the norm until the 1900s! In our day and age, this may seem like a strange concept, but the fact is still there—for roughly six millennia, young women were under their father’s roof and protection until given in marriage. Psalm 45:13 says, “The king's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold.” The Hebrew word for “within” is paniymah, which means, roughly, “inside,” or “in the palace.” We are all glorious within the palace—our greatest beauty comes when we are serving our father from our home, not running around out in the world somewhere. [1] I encourage you, daughters, to strive to delight in your father and take joy in serving and pleasing him, for then God is glorified, and our culture is transformed.
What are the consequences if we do not embrace this vision of Biblical daughterhood? Initially, if we pridefully look down upon our earthly father or refuse to joyously submit to him, we are casting a slur upon the name and plans of our Heavenly Father. Ultimately, however, we will be unprepared for marriage, and will have to painfully re-learn things like submission, cheerful support, and delighted home-keeping. Obviously, it will sometimes be hard to cheerfully submit to our father’s decisions or plans, but when that happens we can quietly trust our Heavenly Father, since He has pre-ordained all that is happening in our lives. When we are tempted to lose that trust, we can remember Romans 8:28, which says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” How comforting to know that our Heavenly Father will use all situations for our good! Another area that we often are tried in is contentment. How easy it is to long for the spotlight that girls who are on their own have—how easy to wish for less drudgery and more independence—but Psalm 73:2-3 & 18-19 reminds us,
“But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.
For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked….
Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.
How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.”
When we seek our own will and follow our own plans instead of God’s, we reap destruction and desolation.
How important it is that a knight has a daughter at home, fully supporting his goals, and ready to greet and comfort him when he comes home battle-weary. Lord, make us our father’s daughters!
I got this wonderful article from the Ladies Against Feminism website. www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com
In the side dressing room of a quaint country church, a young woman sits, decked in a sumptuous gown of lacy white. Faint sounds of rustling dresses, excited whispers, and busy movements reach her ears, but she does not heed them. Carefully, she pins up her flowing tresses (“The way he likes,” she remembers, happily) and glances out of the gauzy-curtained window to the grassy knoll where the reception will take place—a mere hour or so from now, she reflects.
Just as a bride looks forward to being with her groom and delights to please him, the Bride of Christ (all Christians) should await the coming of Her Groom, which is Christ. While we are single, how can we best prepare ourselves to demonstrate to a skeptical world the beauty of marriage? By turning towards our father, giving him our heart, striving to please him and delighting in his company.
Titus 2:3-5 “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.”
Daughters, God is calling us to be “keepers at home” in training—He wants to perfect us in the areas of supportive excitement for our authority’s projects, capability in running a household, and loving trust in our Heavenly Father and the way He is working through our authorities.
Patiently, the young lady helped her adorable little sister place the last toy in the bucket, then she strai
ghtened up and said cheerfully, “Rose, let’s go make cookies.” With the little one in tow, she brightly made her way to the kitchen, pausing to bestow a few encouraging words to the cluster of small boys on the play area rug, stopping to admire the diligence of the older ones as they sorted through a complex array of tools, and casting a smile and a loving, “Need anything?” to her busy mother. In the spacious kitchen, she set to work, and just as her little sister finished licking cookie batter off a spoon, the maiden heard her father’s car crunching in the gravel drive. “Dad’s home!” she cried, and caught up Rose to join the delighted pell-mell to greet Daddy. As she hugged her father, she said, “Dad, we’re making cookies for you to take to the family down the road that you wanted to minister to.” “Thank you, honey,” her father replied. “You are a precious gem to our family.”By serving her mother, creating a peaceful home atmosphere, and furthering her father’s goals, this young woman is a blessing to her family and to others. Her secret is placing herself under her father’s authority and at his disposal, content in her God-given role. This daily training has another reward—she will be well-fitted for marriage as a help-meet suitable for her husband. Fellow daughters, do you truly work at pleasing your father and helping him to accomplish his goals? Do you enjoy spending time with him? Let us all work on improving in these areas, so we can be a blessing to the world—through our loving service at home!
Where are all the daughters in the Bible? Except for the tragic story of Dinah, the daughters are found in their fathers’ homes. In fact, that was the norm until the 1900s! In our day and age, this may seem like a strange concept, but the fact is still there—for roughly six millennia, young women were under their father’s roof and protection until given in marriage. Psalm 45:13 says, “The king's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold.” The Hebrew word for “within” is paniymah, which means, roughly, “inside,” or “in the palace.” We are all glorious within the palace—our greatest beauty comes when we are serving our father from our home, not running around out in the world somewhere. [1] I encourage you, daughters, to strive to delight in your father and take joy in serving and pleasing him, for then God is glorified, and our culture is transformed.
What are the consequences if we do not embrace this vision of Biblical daughterhood? Initially, if we pridefully look down upon our earthly father or refuse to joyously submit to him, we are casting a slur upon the name and plans of our Heavenly Father. Ultimately, however, we will be unprepared for marriage, and will have to painfully re-learn things like submission, cheerful support, and delighted home-keeping. Obviously, it will sometimes be hard to cheerfully submit to our father’s decisions or plans, but when that happens we can quietly trust our Heavenly Father, since He has pre-ordained all that is happening in our lives. When we are tempted to lose that trust, we can remember Romans 8:28, which says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” How comforting to know that our Heavenly Father will use all situations for our good! Another area that we often are tried in is contentment. How easy it is to long for the spotlight that girls who are on their own have—how easy to wish for less drudgery and more independence—but Psalm 73:2-3 & 18-19 reminds us,
“But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.
For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked….
Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.
How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.”
When we seek our own will and follow our own plans instead of God’s, we reap destruction and desolation.
How important it is that a knight has a daughter at home, fully supporting his goals, and ready to greet and comfort him when he comes home battle-weary. Lord, make us our father’s daughters!
I got this wonderful article from the Ladies Against Feminism website. www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com
Monday, April 28, 2008
A Real Woman
Written by Philip Hainline, Heidi Reimer, and Maria Reimer at the respective ages of 16, 19, and 17.
A real woman . . .
…is glad she’s a woman and rejoices in her femininity, expressing it through her attitude, appearance and bearing. (1 Timothy 2:9-10)…does not compete for equality with men or chafe at God’s design for male and female, but delights in and understands the importance of her calling to complement man’s role. (1 Timothy 2:11-12, Ephesians 5:22-24)
…values the cultivation of her mind and diligently seeks after wisdom and knowledge. (Proverbs 22:17-21, 2:2-6)
…realizes her imperative need to allow the Holy Spirit to control her emotions and expressions of them. (James 1:19-20)
…does not wallow in self-pity or make a habit of voicing complaints, but radiates cheerfulness and joy. (Proverbs 15:15, Proverbs 17:22)
A real woman . . .
…appreciates her father’s protection, and respects and submits to his authority. In so doing, she is preparing herself to exercise the Biblical role in her relationship with a possible future husband. (Ephesians 5:33-6:3, 1 Peter 3:1-2)…is trustworthy and gains the respect of those around her. (Proverbs 31:11)
…restrains herself from listening to, or participating in gossip, but instead speaks with wisdom and discretion. (Proverbs 11:12-13, 22, 20:19, 3:11)
…encourages and builds up those around her instead of criticizing and tearing them down. (1 Thessalonians 5:11, Ephesians 4:29)
…does not have a nagging, contentious or manipulative manner in which she deals with others. (Judges 16:16, Proverbs 21:9, 19, 26:21)
…is not boisterous or loud in her speech or actions but is characterized by a gentle and quiet spirit. (Proverbs 9:13, 1 Peter 3:4)
A real woman . . .
…portrays chastity, modesty and reverence in her manner, and wears the ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is her true beauty. (1 Peter 3:3-4, Titus 2:4-5)…is not offended by respect shown her through gentlemanly courtesies (opening doors, etc.) but cultivates the differences between the sexes that make her worthy of this deference. (1 Peter 3:7, Mark 10:6)
…seeks to make God her number one desire and the Lover of her soul, knowing that only He can fully satisfy. (Psalm 73:25, Psalm 63:1)
…uses her years of singleness to seek and serve God without distraction, and is content to leave the details of her future to Him. (Psalm 73:25, Philippians 4:11)
A real woman . . .
…does not relate to members of the opposite sex in a flirtatious or forward manner, but instead saves all her passion for her future husband. (Thessalonians 4:3-8, Proverbs 6:25, 1 Corinthians 7:1)…holds her virginity before marriage sacred and will not compromise it for anything. (This one goes for guys too)
(1 Timothy 5:22)
(taken from The Rebelution: www.therebelution.com)
Saturday, April 19, 2008
This Song of my Life
My life is a song that my Lord is writing,
Through every choice which I make
And each trial that comes my way.
This music that God is composing
Is distinctly unique and beautiful--
Created just for me and perfect in every facet!
This Song of my Life.
My part is not to direct the instruments
Or add my own melody to the piece,
Nor skip from place to place in the song.
But to sing, to live, to savor each note
As it echoes from the will of my Father--
Receiving with joy and thanks His gift:
This Song of my Life.
At times the music will be sad and low
As through tears and pain I tread;
But my hope is in the Composer of this movement.
Breathless, gay, merry notes skip about in joy
When happy times come to me,
And I thank my Composer for the cheerful music--
This Song of my Life.
But oh! Often I am brought from melody
To a measure in my song that has a rest,
And it is hard to allow it the full time.
I long to skip past it and continue the song
Not willing to simply…rest and thus
Make the music that God has chosen for me.
This Song of my Life.
I must not look at other’s songs and grow discontent.
Their music is different for a purpose unknown to me;
But the King of Kings crafts each measure, each line.
Our notes may create a harmony for a time,
Or join in friendship for a lifetime--
Urging upward into new heights
This Song of my Life.
Sometimes I grow lonely singing alone
And I yearn for another to complement my melody--
To sing with me in beauty and unity.
Then my Father tells me that for today
The most perfect music I can make
Is that which is a solo sung for Him.
This Song of my Life.
The days fly by on wings of silk--
This harmony will continue on
As long as God grants me breath to praise Him.
Years pass by in beauty and peace
And until my Savior calls me home
I will sing wholly for Him…
This Song of my Life.
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