Maiden with a Mission

Himself

2011-11-19T09:55:00.002-06:00

Himself
( By Dr. A. B. Simpson)

"Once it was the blessing, now it is the Lord;
Once it was the feeling, now it his His Word;
Once His gifts I wanted, now the Giver own;
Once I sought for healing, now Himself alone.

Once ‘twas painful trying, now ‘tis perfect trust;
Once a half salvation, now the uttermost;
Once ‘twas ceaseless holding, now He holds me fast;
Once ‘twas constant drifting, now my anchor’s cast.

Once ‘twas busy planning, now ‘tis trustful prayer;
Once ’twas anxious caring, now He has the care;
Once ‘twas what I wanted, now what Jesus says;
Once ‘twas constant asking, now ‘tis ceaseless praise.

Once it was my working, His it hence shall be;
Once I tried to use Him, now He uses me;
Once the power I wanted, now the Mighty One;
Once for self I labored, now for Him alone…."

Oh, how I want to be able to claim those words to my heart! ~Starlie

The Pilgrim's Wants

2011-11-09T20:44:00.003-06:00

The Pilgrim's Wants
(author unknown)

I want a sweet sense of Thy pardoning love,
That my manifold sins are forgiven;
That Christ as my Advocate, pleadeth above,
That my name is recorded in heaven.

I want every moment to feel
That thy Spirit resides in my heart--
That his power is present to cleanse and to heal,
And newness of life to impart.

I want--oh! I want to attain
Some likeness, my Saviour, to thee!
That longed for resemblance once more to regain,
Thy comeliness put upon me.

I want to be marked for thine own--
Thy seal on my forehead to wear;
To receive that new name on the mystic white stone
Which none but thyself can declare.

I want so in thee to abide
As to bring forth some fruit to thy praise;
The branch which thou prunest, though feeble and dried,
May languish, but never decays.

I want thine own hand to unbind
Each tie to terrestrial things,
Too tenderly cherished, too closely entwined,
Where my heart so tenaciously clings.

I want, by my aspects serene,
My actions and words, to declare
That my treasure is placed in a country unseen,
That my heart's best affections are there.

I want as a trav'ller to haste
Straight onward, nor pause on my way;
Nor forethought in anxious contrivance to waste
On the tent only pitched for a day.

I want--and this sums up my prayer--
To glorify thee till I die;
Then calmly, to yield up my soul to thy care,
And breath out in faith my last sigh.

Oh, how wonderfully well those words fit the desires of mine own heart! Here's a big thank you to Miss Elizabeth for letting me share them here on her blog, Living on Literary Lane! :)

I couldn't find out who wrote the poem; the poem was found in the first book of the beloved Elsie Dinsmore series. There's a youtube video with the words read aloud, and the video is nicely done. Please check it out! :) A Pilgrim's Wants

"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."
Psalm 37:4 (KJV)

A Precious Hymn ~ Free from the Law

2011-11-02T19:21:00.004-05:00

Free From The Law
(Philip P. Bliss)

Free from the law, O happy condition,
Jesus has bled and there is remission,
Cursed by the law and bruised by the fall,
Grace hath redeemed us once for all.

Refrain:

Once for all, O sinner, receive it,
Once for all, O brother, believe it;
Cling to the cross, the burden will fall,
Christ hath redeemed us once for all.

Now we are free, there’s no condemnation,
Jesus provides a perfect salvation.
“Come unto Me,” O hear His sweet call,
Come, and He saves us once for all.

Refrain

“Children of God,” O glorious calling,
Surely His grace will keep us from falling;
Passing from death to life at His call;
Blessèd salvation once for all.

Refrain

Introducing...Zorro!

2011-10-18T11:31:00.008-05:00

About a week ago, while some of my siblings were playing near some woods in our yard, they stumbled on this aDORable little fellow, a flying squirrel. We couldn't find the nest or parents, and it was getting cold, so we happily decided to 'adopt' him. They named him Zorro because of his black sides, his 'cape' which allows him to 'fly'. We're guessing he's about 4-6 weeks old. As you can see, he's reeeally tiny, smaller than the palm of my hand! Isn't he so cute? :) We've researched online how to care for him, and so far he seems to be thriving on all the love and care he's getting!

Here are some of the pictures we've taken so far...and I'm sure there will be more later!

Enjoy!

*Mom took most of the pictures! :)

Flying Squirrel!

2011-10-14T09:26:00.003-05:00

Here's a sneak peak of a blog post to come.. The kids found a baby flying squirrel in our yard! :) I'm also entering this picture in a photo contest (first one I've ever entered!) over here: 'This Is My Father's World'

Hope you have a great weekend!

Pollyanna Updo (Hairstyle)

2011-10-06T16:25:00.006-05:00

"But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her:
for her hair is given her for a covering."
~ 1 Corintians 11:15 ~

Today I'd like to share a hair tutorial I made* for ladies with longer hair. If you are inclined to try it, I'd love to hear how it turned out, or if you need extra tips! :)

Originating with a hairstyle called the "Pollyanna Knot" , this style quickly became one of my favorites as it is easy and can be as fancy or simple as you wish. It works best with medium to long hair, curly or straight. Each step is a hairstyle in of itself, so you can do as many or as few steps as you like depending on the length of your hair. The Pollyanna knot can be rather complicated at first, but once you get the hang of it, it is fairly easy. Doing all five steps generally takes me about 15-20 minutes.

Materials needed: Hairbrush or comb, bobby pins, two elastic ponytails (one big, one small), curling iron (optional), and your choice of decorative items.

Step 1: (Pollyanna Knot) First, gather top layer of hair. Straighten lower layer of hair down so it doesn't get caught with the following twisted hair. Next, twist the gathered hair to the left (counter clockwise).

Coil hair towards left, twisting as you go, until the hair winds about 1 1/2 times around. Now reach through the center formed by coil and pull end of hair through, forming the knot. Tighten as necessary, then secure with 1-3 (large) bobby pins.

If you are still having trouble with the knot, here are a few tips: 1, practice it on someone else's hair. 2, click here for a video of the knot being made: Pollyanna Knot . or 3, have someone else do it for you! Oh, and 4, ask me, I might be able to give more tips!

Step 1 completed, the Pollyanna Knot!

Step 2. Pull hair back using large elastic ponytail, preferably one matching your hair (I used a light color so you can see where it fits into the style).

Step 3. Braid. If you want to leave some hair hanging to curl (step 5), braid until the braid can go completely around the Pollyanna knot and back to the ponytail. Otherwise, braid all the way down and use a little elastic ponytail to hold. (I use small dark rubber-bands.)

Step 4. If you braided the whole length of hair, wrap the braid counterclockwise around the knot until it ends, and secure with bobby pins. (I prefer using longer pins). I like to add a little flower in the center of the knot. Be creative! You can add more flowers, little hair clips, etc. to make it as simple or fancy as you wish.

Step 5. If you left part of the hair unbraided to curl, wrap the braid counterclockwise around the Pollyanna Knot until it comes back to the ponytail, and secure with pins. With the remaining hair, separate and curl as many sections as you wish! Again, you can add flowers, clips, or experiment to get it as fancy or simple as you wish! If you try this hairstyle, feel free to share pictures, so we can see more variations!!

Here's another example of how this hairstyle's finished appearance is!

*I put this tutorial together a while back, but for some reason never got around to publishing it. But here it is now! :)

Godly Womanhood ~ Peter Marshall

2011-10-01T08:00:00.006-05:00

“Godly womanhood … the very phrase sounds strange in our ears. We never hear it now.

We hear about every other type of women: beautiful women, smart women, sophisticated women, career women, talented women, divorced women. But so seldom do we hear of a godly woman – or of a godly man either, for that matter.

We believe women come nearer to fulfilling their God-given function in the home than anywhere else. It is a much nobler thing to be a good wife, than to be Miss America. It is a greater achievement to establish a Christian home than it is to produce a second-rate novel filled with filth.
It is a far, far better thing in the realms of morals to be old-fashioned, than to be ultra-modern. The world has enough women who know how to be smart. It needs women who are willing to be simple. The world has enough women who know how to be brilliant. It needs some who will be brave. The world has enough women who are popular. It needs more who are pure. We need women, and men, too, who would rather be morally right than socially correct....”

...Thus said Rev. Peter Marshall,* and I could not agree with him more! His words are so true and powerful, how amazing it would be if today's women would heed them! Women who think they "need to do whatever men do" simply do NOT realize the nobility and honor of true womanhood. Christian Ladies, we must stand and be an example of this true womanhood. We must show others how wonderfully sweet it is. Take Rev. Peter's words and practice them, and study the Bible to know exactly what a true woman is supposed to be like. Encourage others to do the same. Ask the Lord to help you...He will!

To go along with what he says, I'm included this video clip from his movie 'A Man Called Peter', where his (future) wife also boldly makes a stand for womanhood. Please watch, enjoy, and share these beautiful truths!

(Watch the full movie here: "A Man Called Peter", based on the book by Catherine Marshall.)

*Dr. Peter Marshall was a Scottish-American preacher, former pastor who twice served as Chaplain of the United States Senate in the 1940′s. He is remembered most popularly from the biography A Man Called Peter, and the film made from it. For more on this particular topic, visit this link: 'The Holy Spirit in the Home'

~'Liberty, the Pillar of America's Greatness' ~ My first speech ever

2011-09-17T21:45:00.008-05:00

*speech given at a local Tea Party rally on
Constitution Day, September 17th*

Hello Everyone!

I’d like to start by thanking our Tea Party leaders for giving me the opportunity to speak today in honor of America, the greatest nation on earth.

Liberty is what makes America so great. It is what our forefathers fought to achieve and pass on to future generations. Today those hard-earned freedoms are in grave danger. The future of America's greatness depends on us uniting together and returning to the founding principles on which all our liberties stand. Our government would have us to believe that some liberties are unimportant when it comes to national security and modern convenience. Yet it is these so called "small liberties” which set us apart from all other nations!

In order to protect American liberty, it helps to first understand the foundation for it. This foundation lies in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, both of which are largely influenced by the main source of liberty, the Bible.

To start with the Bible, Galatians 5:1 tells us to "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. " We are promised in 2 Corinthians that "...where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." Seeing therefore that true liberty comes from Christ, how can it survive without Him? America was made great because we had freedom to worship the God of the Bible. We had freedom to serve Him, preach His word, and to speak of Him in public WITH OUT FEAR. Because we honored God, He blessed us abundantly.

Now, however, we've allowed the government to take Christ out of our society. We are not allowed to speak of Him in public schools, politics, etc. Biblical standards of morality and virtue are rapidly disappearing, being replaced by crime, immorality and corruption. God hates evil. Until we as a nation return again to Christ, He cannot freely bless us.

Another foundation for our liberty is The Declaration of Independence. It states that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are unalienable rights, given to us by God. It tells us that when the government body continually abuses and usurps it's authority (the Constitution), it is our right and DUTY to overthrow that government, providing new leaders who will be more faithful to our future liberties. We must exercise that duty when necessary, or else the tyranny we and our future generations face will destroy America.

In order to secure American liberty, our founding fathers formed one of the greatest, if not THE greatest, political documents in history, our Constitution . What makes it unique is the idea that personal liberty is given directly from God, NOT the government. Perhaps this is best explained by Jefferson when he said "When the government fears the people there is liberty; when the people fear the government there is tyranny." According to the Preamble, the Constitution was made to ensure that government would: "establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity."

So why does our Constitution not seem to be working now? The answer is simple: Our current government no longer respects the Constitution. It is ignored, trampled on, and called inadequate by those who desire dictatorial, criminal powers. Seldom do our elected officials consider whether a bill they are trying to pass is Constitutional or not. Jefferson prophesied this downfall when he warned "The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first." In order to regain liberty we must study the Constitution ourselves, and re-chain our elected officials by holding them accountable to it.

Two great weapons we have in defending liberty are truth and knowledge. In the gospel of John, Jesus promises us "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." The Bible also warns in Hosea that nations are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Knowledge is power and truth can set one at liberty. Doesn't it make sense then that the more knowledgeable we are and the more we walk in truth, the stronger we are in our fight for liberty? In a world of lies, truth can be hard to discern, but the more diligent we are, the better we will be able to recognize truth and use it to our advantage.

To conclude, in Psalms the Lord presents a challenge for us by asking “Who will rise up for me against the evil doers and Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?”

If only we would unite together and answer with Patrick Henry, when he so bravely proclaimed the following combined quotes: “"It is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth... Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not, the things which so clearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst and to provide for it.""... So why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”

Thank you for listening, and may God bless our efforts in uniting for liberty!

Words of Wisdom ~ Joy In the Lord

2011-08-27T23:30:00.004-05:00

Have you ever asked yourself "Does God really care whether or not I'm joyful?". If you have, you're not alone! In fact, most people have probably asked it at one point or another when life gets rough. So what is the answer?

First of all, what does joyful mean? Is it the same as happy? Some may use the terms synonymously, but I believe joy is much deeper, related with spiritual/eternal things. Joy is an attitude, not emotion. Happiness would be the temporal, excited emotion of something good happening, i.e. receiving a gift, or a fun get-together. Once the "thing" leaves, so do the associated emotions.

On the other hand, with joy being an attitude, we can choose our reaction to circumstances. For example, someone gets a great job. They are so happy! But then they lose that job. Are they still happy? Hard times and tragedy in life are inevitable. But there is always the choice to decide to be joyful anyway, trusting that God will work things out for the best. Actually, Christian history has proved that the greatest joys can result from the most painful experiences.

Joyfulness is of the Lord, not of ourselves. We should always choose to be joyful, but only through the Holy Spirit can we do this. Those who do not know Christ cannot experience true joy. Those who do know Christ and His joy refuse to exchange it for anything. To add, faked joy isn't real joy at all. We can pretend we're joyful, pretend we're trusting for the best, but deep inside we know it's just hypocrisy. No, true joy is pure, effortless joy!

So why is it so important that we rejoice? The answer is simple; our rejoicing brings glory to Christ! And isn't that our main purpose as Christians? "Man's chief end is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever." When we are sad, discouraged, complaining etc, that doesn't bring glory to God. It says "look at me, God isn't taking care of me like He should". We want to honor Christ, not dishonor Him.

Do I claim to "rejoice evermore"? Nay, far from it. I'm still but a mere baby in Christ, I'm only beginning to learn. There are plenty of times I feel like it's not even possible to rejoice during such a trying time. But I know His Word is true, and by His grace I will continue to grow in this God-given joy!

As always, please don't just take my word for these ideas...or dismiss my words as impossible. Look at the Scriptures to find out for yourself! Below I've listed merely a few of the numerous verses found on the subject, from the Old and New Testament. I pray you will be encouraged and blessed by them!

Old Testament:

Isaiah 29:19 The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

Nehemiah 8:10 ...for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
Job 41:22 In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him.
Isaiah 55:12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace...

Psalms:

5:11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
30:5 ...weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
32:11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

New Testament:

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Colossians 1:11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

John

15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
15:24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
17:13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

Romans

14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

1 Peter

1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

~~~~~Soli Deo Gloria! ~~~~~

Happy Birthday, Benjamin!

2011-08-25T09:57:00.006-05:00

Happy Birthday, Benjamin!

Wow, how fast this first year of Benjamin's life has flown! It seems just yesterday we were awaiting his arrival, and yet now here he is, already 1 year old! He has been such a delightful baby, always ready to give you his biggest smile. :) He sleeps through the nights well, and is rarely fussy unless he really needs something, i.e. nap, food, clean diaper. He hasn't started walking yet, but that will come soon! He's already climbing things, roaming the house whenever he gets the chance, and loves his 'johnny jump-up' (the thing he's in on the last picture). One last little note: Benjamin is at the "tongue stage"....where he's repeatedly sticking out his tongue! You have to admit, it makes him even more adorable ;)

Along with pictures taken on his birthday (August 23rd), I've also included a few from when he was younger. And for more pictures from his his birthday, visit this link: 'Benjamin Paul'

To view pictures and the story from when he was born, click here: 'Welcome, Little Benjamin Paul!'
...And the story and video of when we found out Mom was pregnant with him: 'Our Christmas Blessing'

Wait, don't stop here!! There's more pictures! Click the link below! :)
'Benjamin Paul'

*Photography credit goes to Mom :) *

Trip to Mt. Nebo ~ Pictures!

2011-08-22T18:00:00.000-05:00

"Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast." ~ Psalm 36:6

Last month my family and I took a little trip and visited Mt. Nebo. Mt. Nebo is a beautiful mountain in Arkansas, rising 1,850 feet high! The view from the main lookout was breathtaking...an amazing example of God's magnificent creation!

Though no camera could capture the complete beauty, we (Mom, Christopher (age 16), and I) tried anyway. Below are some of the results! :) You can click on each one to see it clearer. And if you'd like to see more pictures of the outing, go here: Trip to Mt. Nebo

Soli Deo Gloria!

"Up in the horizon" all of us except the youngest

"I'm sitting on top of the world" ~ My four younger sisters

"1...2...3..." ~ Want to guess? :D

"Testing. Mom's. Nerves..." ~ Yes, the backdrop is real! :)

"Now What?!" ~ Note: he survived!

"For the beauty of the earth,
for the glory of the skies"
~ panoramic shot

"Oh say, Can you see..."

"From the mountain, to the prairie..."

"O're the land of the free,
and the home of the brave"

"Sisters!" ~ The five of us at a town park

"Sisters...In Christ!" ~ Me and a dear friend on top of Nimrod Dam

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blessings or Curses?

2011-08-02T11:51:00.004-05:00

Hello Readers,

Today I'd like to share with you the last summary written for Dad's Sunday sermon. I hope you find it a blessing, and that you will listen to the sermon(s) in their entirety!

In Christ,

Blessings or Curses? ~ Part 1 [click here to download] (Morning, July 31st, 2011)

[audio http://dl.dropbox.com/u/30050242/Blessings%20or%20Curses.mp3]

Blessings or Curses? ~ Part 2 [click here to download] (Evening, July 31st, 2011)

[audio http://dl.dropbox.com/u/30050242/Blessings%20or%20Curses%20Part%202.mp3]

Galatians 3:13-14 "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."

We needed the blessing of Abraham by the Holy Spirit that we might be delivered from the curse of the Law. Christ bore the curse for us, so we don't have to be under it.

Deuteronomy 28-14:
(1) And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth. (2) And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. (3) Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. (4) Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. (5) Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. (6) Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. (7) The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways. (8) The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. (9) The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways. (10) And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee. (11) And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee. (12) The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. (13) And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:(14) And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

We are the Israel of God. God "waits to be gracious". "If ye love me, keep my commandments." The Bible is the Word of God. God wants to "spoil" us. We simply have to follow His word and obey Him. We must learn to hearken to Him. Blessings upon blessings are in store for those who do. Health, prosperity, victory, fruitfulness, good weather, authority, etc are part of the blessings. Through Christ we are free from the curse, and under the blessing.

Deuteronomy 28:15-20:
(15) But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: (16) Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field. (17) Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store.(18) Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. (19) Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out. (20) The LORD shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me.

Most people people stop reading this chapter after it gets into the curses. But the reason to study the curses is to realize what Christ has redeemed us from, and to help us know better how to fight Satan, who would like us to believe we are still under the curse.

If you don't obey God, then who do you obey? In everything you do, you either obey God or the world/Satan. There is no in between. Putting anything above God or His Word is idolatry. Idolatry is serious sin. We "cannot serve God and mammon". We are either under His wrath or mercy.

Deuteronomy 28:21-45
(21) The LORD shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until he have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest to possess it. (22) The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.(23) And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron. (24) The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed. (25) The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.(26) And thy carcase shall be meat unto all fowls of the air, and unto the beasts of the earth, and no man shall fray them away. (27) The LORD will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed. (28) The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart: (29) And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee. (30) Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her: thou shalt build an house, and thou shalt not dwell therein: thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof. (31) Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof: thine ass shall be violently taken away from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee: thy sheep shall be given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt have none to rescue them. (32) Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long: and there shall be no might in thine hand. (33) The fruit of thy land, and all thy labours, shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed alway: (34) So that thou shalt be mad for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see. (35) The LORD shall smite thee in the knees, and in the legs, with a sore botch that cannot be healed, from the sole of thy foot unto the top of thy head. (36) The LORD shall bring thee, and thy king which thou shalt set over thee, unto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known; and there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone. (37) And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the LORD shall lead thee. (38) Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather but little in; for the locust shall consume it. (39) Thou shalt plant vineyards, and dress them, but shalt neither drink of the wine, nor gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat them. (40) Thou shalt have olive trees throughout all thy coasts, but thou shalt not anoint thyself with the oil; for thine olive shall cast his fruit. (41) Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but thou shalt not enjoy them; for they shall go into captivity.(42) All thy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust consume. (43) The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low. (44) He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail. (45) Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee:

We can't just blame the devil for all our troubles. Satan is under God, and can only do what God allows him to. This chapter plainly shows that the Lord sets such curses upon us, as punishment for not following Him. Deseases, divorce, unfaithfulness, family division, slavery, and debt, etc. result under the curse. Others benefit from our labors. Drought, bad weather, famine, etc are other parts of the curse. It's our responsibility to hear God. "He that believeth not, the wrath of God abideth on him."

Deuteronomy 28:46-68
(46) And they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder, and upon thy seed for ever. (47) Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things; (48) Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee. (49) The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand; (50) A nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor shew favour to the young: (51) And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy land, until thou be destroyed: which also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy kine, or flocks of thy sheep, until he have destroyed thee. (52) And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all thy land: and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which the LORD thy God hath given thee. (53) And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the LORD thy God hath given thee, in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee: (54) So that the man that is tender among you, and very delicate, his eye shall be evil toward his brother, and toward the wife of his bosom, and toward the remnant of his children which he shall leave. (55) So that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his children whom he shall eat: because he hath nothing left him in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee in all thy gates. (56) The tender and delicate woman among you, which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter, (57) And toward her young one that cometh out from between her feet, and toward her children which she shall bear: for she shall eat them for want of all things secretly in the siege and straitness, wherewith thine enemy shall distress thee in thy gates. (58) If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD;(59) Then the LORD will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance. (60) Moreover he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee. (61) Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the LORD bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed. (62) And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude; because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the LORD thy God. (63) And it shall come to pass, that as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it. (64) And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone. (65) And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind: (66) And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life:(67) In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see. (68) And the LORD shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again: and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you.

Look at the wickedness and immorality found everywhere. Unrighteousness destroys nations. The world is at war with God. It can only lose. When a nation rebels enough against God, He turns it's enemies loose on them. Wickedness is released. Only reformation and revival can save the nation. "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people" (Proverbs 14:34). Denying and curing God does not change a thing. Man cannot make it without God. When God smites, we cannot recover except through Christ. "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God..." "No man shall save thee..."

Who is under the curse? All those who do not follow God habitually. Jesus is the God of the Old Testament and the New Testament. "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever." "Our God is a consuming fire." He is just. Why would you reject the blessing for the curse? If you don't go to heaven, you go to hell. What do you want, the blessing or the curse? It is your choice. "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." "...Whosoever believeth on Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." "God is not willing that any should perish". "Seek the Lord while He may be found." And now, with Joshua, we say "Choose ye this day whom ye shall serve" (Joshua 24:15). There is no in between.

The High Calling

2011-07-15T23:00:00.005-05:00

The following article was beautifully written and graciously shared by Mrs. June from 'A Wise Woman Builds Her Home'. I hope you will read and be as blessed by it as I was!

In Christ,
~Starlie

The High Calling

Mothering in today's world is no easy task. Culture around us seeks to deceive mothers into thinking that what they are doing does not matter in the present or the future. How, as Christian mothers are we called to respond to this deception? Being aware of the lies that have infiltrated the culture and our churches are mandatory in keeping our focus of mothering for the Lord. We cannot influence generations if we are gullible in our thinking and weak in our walk with the Lord. We must strengthen our minds daily with the Word and be able to discern what righteous thinking is in an evil, anti-family world.

Satan knows the power motherhood holds. He would like us to perceive it as lowly, despised, wasteful and even burdensome as is so commonly believed today. It is evidenced in broken homes and neglected children---a result of generational breakdown and sin. Lies that are common for mothers today are: "It's too hard, I can't handle it." or "I'm wasting my time, there are 'greater' things I can do with my life." Dear mothers, there is no greater calling than right where our gracious Lord has so sovereignly placed you, to raise precious souls for the King of Kings. Souls are eternal, and earthly, worldy pursuits are not. Let us always keep that perspective---with one eye on the present and another on the eternal.

Worldly thinking is anti-children in it's philosophy. It is completely opposite of God's. Godly wisdom always welcomes blessings. "And whoever welcomes a little child like this is my name welcomes me." Matthew 18:4. God's makes his heart toward children very clear to us us:

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

So therefore His heart must be our heart. We want to walk in the full anointing, joy and glory of motherhood that he has purposed for us. We must free ourselves of the bondages that hinder motherhood. That means getting rid of all the lies, that means not accepting the worlds way of parenting, that means taking up our cross and dying to self. We must immerse ourselves in our role and delight in it! Yes, I said, delight in it..."My heart took delight in all my work..." Ecclesiastes 2:10b

Consider this:

WE ARE BUILDING WITH PRECIOUS LIVES.
WE ARE BUILDING STRONG HOMES.
AS WE BUILD STRONG AND SECURE HOMES, WE ARE BUILDING A NATION.
AS WE BUILD GODLINESS INTO THE NATION, WE ARE BUILDING GODLY GENERATIONS.
AS WE BUILD GODLY GENERATIONS, WE ARE ALSO BUILDING FOR ETERNITY!

(Taken from the Power of Motherhood by Nancy Campbell)

I leave you a quote so kindly shared with us from Sir Walter J. Chantry:

There is no more demanding work in the world, no more awe-inspiring job descriptions than raising godly seed. It will challenge all the genius, talent and grace that any human being could possess... It is the highest calling any woman can enter."

*************

70 years

2011-07-09T19:08:00.005-05:00

70 years ago today, my wonderful father was born. Happy Birthday, Dad!! A loving father to 14 children (9 still at home) and grandfather to 7, Dad has always been there for us, providing us security, love, comfort, instruction, and much more. He has been an amazing example of our Heavenly Father, as fathers are meant to be. He has raised us in the Biblical standards, constantly teaching and guiding us that we might also live our lives for God's glory. By God's grace he is still healthy and vigorous, daily praying and working almost non-stop. And with his youngest child but 10 months old, he plans to stay around for quite a while longer! Thank you Lord, for blessing my family with such a rare leader as Dad!

In honor of Dad and all fathers out there, I'd like to share this beautiful song written and sung by the talented Laura Nelson and her family. I've added an audio file from their CD (no copyright infringement intended:) below.
Note: before listening to the clip, you will probably want to turn off my blog music. To do this, scroll down to the bottom of this page and click the 'pause' button. :)

Happy Birthday, Dad, I love you!!

Daddy's Gift

I remember Sunday mornings, when I was very small
I’d stand beside my daddy as he led those old church songs
And as I held his hand I felt ten feet tall
And as we sang together my heart learned to sing alone.

Chorus

I remember some years later after church one Wednesday night
My heart was deeply troubled, I knew something was not right
So me and Daddy talked to Jesus as we knelt down side by side
The Saviour heard his praying, cause he saved my soul that night.

Chorus

I can’t forget the hours my daddy spent with me
Teaching everything from the G chord to the keys of geometry
And when I needed a friend he was always there for me
Wish I were half the friend that he has been to me.

Chorus:
Daddy gave me something that money could not buy
Nor thief can ever take away, words cannot describe
He lived for his family, he gave us all he had.
Daddy’s gift was precious, cause Daddy gave us love.

Once to every Man and Nation

2011-07-07T21:49:00.008-05:00

A beautiful song I found recently and decided I had to share. I hope you enjoy!

Once to every Man and Nation
(Thomas Williams)
Once to every man and nation, comes the moment to decide, In the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side; Some great cause, some great decision, offering each the bloom or blight, And the choice goes by forever, ’twixt that darkness and that light.

Then to side with truth is noble, when we share her wretched crust,
Ere her cause bring fame and profit, and ’tis prosperous to be just;
Then it is the brave man chooses while the coward stands aside,
Till the multitude make virtue of the faith they had denied.

By the light of burning martyrs, Christ, Thy bleeding feet we track,
Toiling up new Calv’ries ever with the cross that turns not back;
New occasions teach new duties, time makes ancient good uncouth,
They must upward still and onward, who would keep abreast of truth.

Though the cause of evil prosper, yet the truth alone is strong;
Though her portion be the scaffold, and upon the throne be wrong;
Yet that scaffold sways the future, and behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above His own.

Independence Day

2011-07-04T15:07:00.009-05:00

Hello Fellow Americans!!

I hope you are enjoying a great Independence Day! Today we celebrate the freedom we've had as a nation and remember our fore fathers who fought to obtain it. Yes, and we must also realize that we are losing those freedoms. It is time for us to take a stand and fight that our future generations will have freedom also. Take courage as you remember Scripture verses such as the following:

2 Chronicles 7:14 " If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

Hosea 6:1 "Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up."

Deuteronomy 28 "And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God...."

Deuteronomy 30:16 "In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it."

And as the words remain dear, here is a repost of my blog about the Star Spangled Banner. Also added is a video of a 7 year old girl with an amazing voice singing the anthem!

We all love our beautiful anthem, The Star Spangled Banner. We love hearing it sung in public events, it makes our patriotism soar. But did you know that there is more than one verse to it? Every time I hear our anthem sung I wish that someone would sing the next verses, which are as great as, or better than the first line. Here are the five verses I know:

The Star-Spangled Banner

O! say can you see by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner, O! long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Additional Civil War period lyrics
In indignation over the start of the civil war, Oliver Wendell Holmes added a fifth stanza to the song in 1861 which appeared in songbooks of the era.

When our land is illumined with liberty's smile,
If a foe from within strikes a blow at her glory,
Down, down with the traitor that tries to defile
The flag of the stars, and the page of her story!
By the millions unchained,
Who their birthright have gained
We will keep her bright blazon forever unstained;
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave,
While the land of the free is the home of the brave.

(song starts around 0:56)

Words of Wisdom ~ Overcoming Fear

2011-06-25T14:21:00.004-05:00

1 John 4:16-18 "And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."

2 Timothy 1:7 "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

Isaiah 41:10 "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

Hebrews 13:6 "So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."

Philippians 4:6 "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."

Psalm 37 "Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity......."

Joshua 1:9 "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."

John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

Psalm 56:2-3 "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me."

~Jesus will keep you from fear, fear will keep you from Jesus.~
~Fear knocked at the door, faith answered, no one was there.~

For sermon by Dad on this topic, click here: How To Overcome Fear

For previous 'Words of Wisdom', click here:'Words of Wisdom Archive'

Sisters! ~ Spring 2011

2011-06-07T21:27:00.009-05:00

"Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman"
Proverbs 7:4

Hello out there, I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer and staying cool!
Today I'd like to share these pictures taken recently of my 4 younger sisters. Victoria, the oldest just turned 11, Christina is 9, Patricia is about to turn 8, and Gloria will proudly tell you "I'm FIVE years old!!!!!" :)
All four skirts they are wearing were my latest sewing projects...It's really exciting how easy sewing can be, after you start grasping a few concepts! Several sewing projects are in the making right now...
Anyway, I hope you enjoy these pictures, have a great day!!
(Note: click pictures to see full size:)

Victoria on left, Christina on right

Gloria on left, Patricia on right

Princess Patricia :)

Lovely young ladies in the making! :)

Update, Family Website, & Request!

2011-05-22T21:38:00.011-05:00

Hello Readers!

Yes, I'm still here, I just haven't been able to get time away from our crazy schedule long enough to compose a blog fit for reading. Along with all the regular chores, we've been babysitting other children, gardening, processing the many veggies, homeschooling, fishing, and I'm still training horses and teaching myself to sew. Sound like a lot? Well, that's not quite all we do, but you get the picture! :D

One of the things I've been working on is our family website on which we have been uploading my father's weekly sermons. I've made a lot of changes and added information, so go ahead, check it out and see what you think! I've also started trying to summarize the sermons to text, so you can see those too. :)

Here's the main link: The Hal Stanley Ministry
...and the link to my first summary: How to Overcome Fear
...and the second summary: Glorifying God in Our Bodies

...and here is our testimony: Our Testimony

But wait! I'm not quite ready to close this post yet! :) I really need some help here.... I have so many things I want to blog about that I don't know what to do first! I'll give a list, and what I'd like you to do is let me know what you'd like me to write about first! Just leave a comment, message me on Facebook, or email me to let me know. :) Thanks a lot!

Here's the list:
Family update (pictures)
Garden (pictures)
Baby Deer (pictures)
My real name
The horses I train (pictures)
Summer fun
Father's Day
A video clip on the role of women
Words of Wisdom
...and other ideas which I'm still developing ;)

Words of Wisdom ~ Biblical Womanhood

2011-05-19T09:25:00.014-05:00

For today's issue of "Words of Wisdom" * I would like to share the following Scriptures which lay out the Biblical standards for ladies/women. As daughters of the King of Kings, we should embrace these standards, practice them, and mold them to our lives so that we may better glorify our Heavenly Father.

"Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." (1 Timothy 4:12)

1 Timothy 5:14 “I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion for the adversary to speak reproachfully.”

Titus 2:3-5 “The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior 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.”

Proverbs 12:4 "A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones."

Proverb’s 31:10-12 “Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.”

Proverb’s 31:26-31 “She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.”

Proverbs 31:13-25 "She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar. She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens. She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night. She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple. Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land. She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant. Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come."

Ephesians 5:22-24 "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing."

Ephesians 5:33 "Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband."

1 Peter 3:1 "Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;"

For more blogs I've written on this topic, visit these links:

"Honoring Motherhood"
"Dear Mothers"
"Biblical Fatherhood"

More 'Words of Wisdom' (Words of the Wise):
'Words of the Wise ~Ecclesiastes'
'Words of the Wise ~ On Suffering and Comfort'
'Words of the Wise ~ James: Faith Vs. Works'
'Words of the Wise ~ On "Get Rich Quick" schemes'

*I've decided to use the title "Words of Wisdom" instead of "Words of the Wise" which I used previously. :)

Dear Mothers,

2011-05-08T07:30:00.002-05:00

Happy Mothers Day to all of you wonderful mothers!!!! I hope you are reminded by family how much of a blessing you are to them, and how much they appreciate the loving kindness, gentleness, and care you have shown them in being a mother!

In honor of all mothers, I would like to share with you this lovely poem Mom found not too long ago. It is so beautiful and true!

The Need of the Hour
by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

What does our country need? Not armies standing
With sabers gleaming ready for the fight;
Not increased navies, skillful and commanding;
To bound the waters with an iron might;
Not haughty men with glutted purses trying
To purchase souls, and keep the power of the place;
Not jeweled dolls with one another vying
For palms of beauty, elegance, and grace.

But we want women, strong of soul, yet lowly
With that rare meekness, born of gentleness;
Women whose lives are pure and clean and holy,
The women whom all little children bless;
Brave, earnest women, helpful to each other,
With finest scorn for all things low and mean;
Women who hold the names of wife and mother
Far nobler than the title of a queen.

Oh! These are they who mould the men of story,
These mothers, oftime shorn of grace and youth,
Who, worn and weary, ask no greater glory
Than making some young soul the home of truth;
Who sow in hearts all fallow for the sowing
The seeds of virtue and of scorn for sin,
And, patient, watch the beauteous harvest growing
And weed out tares which crafty hands cast in.

Women who do not hold the gift of beauty
As some rare treasure to be bought and sold,
But guard it as a precious aid to duty—
The outer framing of the inner gold;
Women who, low above their cradles bending,
Let flattery's voice go by, and give no heed,
While their pure prayers like incense are ascending
These are our country's pride, our country's need.

And now I would like to share what is on my own heart for young ladies and gentlemen. I hope it is helpful and encouraging to you. Also, comments are very appreciated, so if you desire to respond or add to something in the following two paragraphs, (or anything else) then by all means, please do so! :)

Girls/Ladies: Make it one of your strongest ambitions to lead a pure and devoted motherhood. Motherhood as it is laid out in the Bible, particularly in passages such as Proverbs 31 and Titus 2. To those of you who have Godly mothers, look up to them and strive to be like them. Learn and practice all you can by following her example. Watch how she cares for her family. Ask her for guidance and advice. No mother is perfect, but neither are we, and it should be our continual goal in life to get as close to the "mark" as we can. 1 Corinthians 9:24 states: "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain." Motherhood is one of the most blessed and honorable occupations a woman can hold. Desire it, cherish it, honor it, and, most importantly, use it to bring glory to our Lord!!

Boys/Gentlemen: When you start in the quest of seeking/praying for a helpmeet for your future, look for someone who shows promising qualities of becoming a Biblical mother. She will be the mother of your children and will help in caring for them, teaching them, bringing them up. Think of how you desire your children to be raised, and look for someone with similar ideals who will aid you in accomplishing the task God has given. Proverbs 31:10-12 states "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life." If she is so hard to find, is it even possible? As always, look to the Lord for His guidance! In Luke 11:9, Jesus promises us that if we ask, it will be given and if we seek, we shall find. ("And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.") Pray, seek, prepare, have faith, and give all the glory to Christ!

One last thing I'd like to share today is this excerpt from the blog I made for last Mothers Day:
"...Stop and take a moment to think what this world would be like without mothers. Wow! Each day millions of moms are sacrificing their lives to provide and care for their families needs. Mothers are always teaching their children, whether they realize it or not. Children look up to the mommy for help, comfort, advice, etc. in times of trouble. They look to Mommy for praise, affection, love, appreciation, and encouragement. In short, a mom’s work is never finished! Even when their children are grown, mothers are there for them when wanted or needed. One of the most honorable positions a woman can hold is motherhood...." (Read the rest of it here! "Honoring Motherhood" :)

My wonderful mother and I after she first reached motherhood, nearly 18 years ago!

Sewing Success!

2011-04-25T21:39:00.011-05:00

Hello Readers!
Ever since I can remember, I've wanted to learn to sew. When I was younger, I would sew little projects, such as purses, pincushions, etc. But I wanted to be able to sew more useful items, mainly clothes. Having no one to help me, I never got that far. Until the last few months when a friend started helping me. Providence didn't allow us much time to work together, but she gave me the boost I needed to start. First I made an apron, and then found a circle skirt pattern (thanks to Atlanta!) and decided I just had to make it! I love the fashions of the yesteryear...but as you may know, they can be rather hard to find! So it has been a dream to be able to make my own. Anyway, after many setbacks (including the sewing machine breaking down towards the end!), I was able to finish making my first skirt. I was so pleased with the result I wanted to share it with you! And to those of you who also desire to learn, take encouragement...it can be tricky, but the results are soooo worth it! Here are a few pictures my sister, Victoria, took. (Thanks, Victoria!)

Words of the Wise ~ On "get rich quick" schemes

2011-04-05T20:03:00.009-05:00

"Breaking News....If you're struggling to get rich, this will be the most important website you'll EVER visit....click here to continue!!!!"....."Click here to find out how you can make a FORTUNE!!!"...."Enter here for a chance to win BIG!!"....
Have you ever seen these statements? Who hasn't? "Get rich quick" schemes such as gambling or lottery where you "pay a little to *hopefully* get a lot" are everywhere we look, trying to catch our attention. Being made in the image of God, we naturally desire to be like him. To be unlimited, free and in control. And as money seems to be the key to this, it can be easy to fall in the trap of lusting after "millions". But do these schemes work? What does the Bible say about them? And are there other ways to obtain what we really need? Take a look at the answers given by our Lord!

Proverbs 23:5 "Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven."

Proverbs 28:22 "He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him."

Proverbs 13:11 " Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase."

Proverbs 28:20 "A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent."

Ecclesiastes 5:10 "He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity"

Proverbs 10:22 "The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it."

Luke 12:21 "So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

Hebrews 13:5-6 " Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."

1 Timothy 6:9-10 "But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."

More 'Words of The Wise':
'Words of the Wise ~Ecclesiastes'
'Words of the Wise ~ On Suffering and Comfort'
'Words of the Wise ~ James: Faith Vs. Works'

All About Allie!

2011-04-04T15:46:00.010-05:00

Well, I got to go to the races again! More particularly, I went to see All About Allie race again. :) The outing turned out every bit as exciting as the first time (Wait!!~A Day to Remember), only this time I took and used the camera so I could share the excitement!

(one group coming out)

Mr. David had three horses racing; one called Cres Ran, Rattlesnake Holler (who won the Rainbow Stakes, as told in previous blog), and All About Allie. Cres Ran did fairly well, coming in 2nd, but Rattlesnake found his race too far, and came in last. Allie's race was next, so we didn't know what to expect. The crowds claimed her as favorite, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. While on her way from the barn to paddock and being saddled, Allie was very excited, rearing up, whirling around, and giving Mr. David quite a time handling her! But once she got in the starting gate she was all business. BANG!!!!! The gates flew open and Allie moved to 2nd position and stayed around there until the home stretch, when she pulled away to win by over a length!!!

(Allie and Mr. David before the race)

While waiting for Allie's race, I talked with Calvin Borel's agent, Mr. Jerry, who was also Mr. David's agent at one time. His job is deciding which horses "his" jockey will ride. If you aren't familiar with Calvin Borel, he is an advanced jockey who has won several Kentucky Derbies, world championships, etc. My family and I watched when he won his first Kentucky Derby, and immediately became fans because of his "Cajun" accent, friendly character, and the fact that he was raised near where Mom grew up. Anyway, Mr. Jerry knew I would like meeting Mr. Calvin, so he arranged it after the races. Mrs. Bonnie, Mr. David's wife, was taking a picture of Mr. Calvin and I when a professional photographer came by and took our picture. So now I have the professional picture....autographed. :) It was a neat experience, and very nice of Mr. Jerry to do it for me.

(picture Mrs. Bonnie took)

Here are more of the pictures I took during the day. Pictures of Allie, Calvin Borel, his agent, etc are closer to the end. You will probably want to click on the slideshow to go to "view all" mode...slideshow mode might take quite a while as there are so many pictures! I hope you enjoy!!

Note: My family and I do NOT approve of gambling, lottery, drinking, and such things that make the "racing atmosphere. In fact, we believe gambling is "anti-faith" towards our Lord Jesus Christ, who says that we should rely on Him for our needs. Unfortunately, gaming crowds have taken over thoroughbred racing, corrupting the sport and, in a way, taking the interest off the horses onto gambling etc. For these reasons and more, I would never consider going to the track to watch "the horses" run, in a normal situation. As it is, I firmly believe the Lord worked things out for me that I could go as a witness for Him, while avoiding some of what one could normally encounter. By going with the owner/trainer, I was able to sit inside in a closed off area, both times I went it was not very crowded, and I did not have to go through the actual casino. Also, All About Allie has been one of my favorite thoroughbreds since going to Mr. David's farm, so if there was any horse I desired to see race, it was her. Actually, without there being a horse I liked, the whole racing idea would be plain boring to me. It's simply a burst of multiple horse flying around the track and one coming in first. Why do I believe the Lord worked it out for me? Because when I tried, things failed, but when I let God take control, things fell together amazingly, working out way better than I could have ever wished!!! (More about this here:Wait!!~A Day to Remember) One more thing, these are my convictions, I do not judge others for differing. If you believe differently, fine! That is between you and the Lord, not me. :)

A few scriptures on "getting rich quick":

Proverbs 28:22 "He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him."

Proverbs 13:11 " Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase."

Luke 12:21 "So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

Proverbs 28:20 "A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent."

For more Scriptures and ideas, click here: Words of the Wise ~ On "Get Rich Quick" Schemes

Happy Springtime!!

2011-04-01T10:51:00.005-05:00

*not my image*

Psalm 51:3 " The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good."

As it is the first day of April, I just had to share this email I received a while back...It is rather funny! Enjoy!

FLORIDA COURT SETS ATHEIST HOLY DAY

In Florida, an atheist created a case against Easter and Passover Holy days. He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination case against Christians and Jews and observances of their holy days. The argument was that it was unfair that atheists had no such recognized days. The case was brought before a judge. After listening to the passionate presentation by the lawyer, the judge banged his gavel declaring, "Case dismissed!" The lawyer immediately stood objecting to the ruling saying, "Your honor, How can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have Christmas, Easter and others. The Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah, yet my client and all other atheists have no such holidays.." The judge leaned forward in his chair saying, "But you do. Your client, counsel, is woefully ignorant." The lawyer said, "Your Honor, we are unaware of any special observance or holiday for atheists." The judge said, "The calendar says April 1st is April Fools’ Day. Psalm 14:1 states, 'The fool says in his heart, there is no God.' Thus, it is the opinion of this court, that, if your client says there is no God, then he is a fool. Therefore, April 1st is his day.

Words of the Wise ~ James: Faith Vs. Works~

2011-03-31T11:04:00.007-05:00

Words of The Wise to Ponder....

James 1:22-25 " But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed."

James 2:14 "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?"

James 17-26 "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."

More 'Words of The Wise':
'Words of the Wise ~Ecclesiastes'
'Words of the Wise ~ On Suffering and Comfort'

Words of the Wise ~ On Suffering and Comfort

2011-03-23T14:52:00.008-05:00

ALL of mankind suffer, including true believers. Yes, even Christ suffered, perfect though he absolutely was. We are to look to Christ for strength and comfort. During times of suffering the followers of Jesus have a promise of everlasting glory to look forward to. Suffering should bring us closer to the Lord, building our faith in him. It enables us to help others in their trials, as we have been through similar testings. Read through these verses to see the promises and truth for yourself!

2 Timothy 3:12 "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

James 1:3 “ Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”

2 Corinthians 1:5-7 “For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.”

Colossians 1:11&24 “Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church”

1 Timothy 1:16 “Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.”

1 Peter 1:11 “Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.”

1 Peter 2:19-21 “ For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

1 Peter 4:13 “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”

Philippians 3:8 “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ”

Romans 8:18 “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

Psalm 30:5 “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”

Galatians 6:9 “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.”

Revelation 21:4&7 “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.”

“I cannot work my soul to save
For that my Lord has done
But I can work like any slave
For love of God's Dear Son.”
~Unknown~

Note: If you have a topic (i.e. suffering, joy, working, etc.) you would like me to expound on with Scriptures, please leave a comment or message me, and I'll consider it for a future blog!

More 'Words of the Wise': 'Words of the Wise ~Ecclesiastes'

Words of the Wise ~ March 15th

2011-03-15T21:54:00.007-05:00

Words of the wise to ponder....

Ecclesiastes 7:12&19 "For wisdom is a defense as money is a defense, but the excellence of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who have it. Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten rulers of the city."

Ecclesiastes 9: 16-19 "Then I said: "wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard rather than the shout of a ruler of fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good."

(NKJ)

WAIT!!!!! ~~~ A day to remember

2011-03-02T21:32:00.017-06:00

Psalm 27:14 " Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD."

I would like to share with you an experience that I will never forget, an experience that once again showed how well the Lord’s plans work out. As we go on day by day, new desires develop, and we don’t like to wait. We impatiently try to work things out, and though we sometimes seem to succeed temporarily, unless it is done in the Lord’s timing things just don’t work out right. But when we simply sit back and wait on Jesus, things turn out amazingly better than we could have even hoped. I have experienced the truth of this countless times, yet I’m still learning to follow this truth. One day I hope to share more of these examples, in God’s timing!

Prologue: After several years of daily working with horses next door, I was looking to widen my experience with horses, and be able to ride with other people. A friend who knew this took me out to a thoroughbred racing farm to introduce me to the owners who she knew pretty well. Dad and I immediately liked the situation. I felt at home with the laid back, friendly atmosphere, which really contrasted with other farms we'd been to. The owner, Mr. David, offered to train me to gallop racehorses, with the help of his life long friend and partner, "Cracker". So around the beginning of October, I started going regularly to the farm, learning all sorts of stuff about horses. At this time, Mr. David was going out of state to race his horses. I had never seen a live race, except for when I was a baby (and that doesn't count;) and really wanted to, but I would have to wait till the local racetrack opened.....

So here’s how it finally worked out:
It was February 27th, and I still hadn’t seen a race, though they started in January and I‘d tried and tried to make it to one. One of Mr. David’s best horses, All About Allie, was going to run in the evening, but again I didn’t think I could go. Besides church and regular Sunday duties, I was expecting a friend to come riding with me. Since I love riding with her, I was *okay* about not seeing the race. I texted her around 12pm Sunday to make sure she’d be able to come, but she said no. I quickly asked Dad if I could go with Mr. David to see Allie race, and he said “yes”!!! From there it was smooth sailing, and within an hour I was at Mr. David's farm to go with him to the track.

Mainly due to terrible training weather we’ve had since the beginning of our racing season, Mr. David’s horses had not done very well, sometimes coming in last. He'd only had about 3 winners. The day before, February 26th, Mr. David finally had his 4th winner, a horse called "Rattlesnake" (I know, weird name for a horse:). The race he won was a stakes race, (there are several levels of thoroughbred racing, stake races are one of the highest) and though Mr. David has been training horses for over 25 years, he has only won one other stake race here in his home town. The name of Rattlesnake's race was The Rainbow Stakes, for colts only. Now Allie was going to run in the Rainbow Miss, for fillies only. Owned by the same people (the Sanders Brothers), who owned Rattlesnake, Allie had won her first 3 races easy, but lost the next two. Now if only she could win again!!

As the horses burst from the starting gate, Allie immediately surged ahead, taking the lead. Mr. David and Mrs. Bonnie, his wife, were extremely nervous, saying “she’ll never last the whole race like that!!” But Allie went on, the whole race, battling another horse for 1st and 2nd place until the home stretch, when Allie decided it was time to leave her competitor, and flew ahead, finishing by over two lengths!!! Though before hand I could not imagine my self doing it, I couldn’t help but cheering and yelling for Allie towards the home stretch. “Come on, Allie girl, come on!!!!!!“ In the flurry of excitement directly afterwards, I called home to say “I’m going to the winners circle, she won!!!! I’ll call back later!!” After we got back from the winners circle we went up to the TOP of the TALL building, to the press room where Mr. David and the owners were interviewed. The walls of the room to one side were glass, so you could see a birds-eye view of the whole town!! It was breathtaking! I only wish I’d had the camera with me! After the interview we went back down and visited with the owners for a while, then we went out to eat. Over all, it could NOT have been a better day!!!

Here are a few more random facts about the event:
1. Only one time before had one owner “swept” the Rainbow and Rainbow Miss Stakes. And only one other time did a trainer “sweep” the Rainbow and Rainbow Miss Stakes. Together, Allie and Rattlesnake helped Mr. David and the owner break this standing!
2. I had never seen a race before, and the first time I finally got to go, not only does “my” horse win, but I get to go to the winners circle, to the top of the track building, and celebration feast afterwards. And I was given a picture of the winners circle.
3. Mr. David’s horses had not been running well, and Allie had lost her last two races. What were the chances of her actually winning on the 27th?
4. In over 25 years as a trainer, Mr. David had only won 2 other stake races locally.
5. I’d been trying to go to a race ever since they started here, and finally when I didn’t try, things fell together superbly!
6. As much as I love watching horses run, my family and I do NOT like the “racing atmosphere” i.e. drinking, gambling, greed, etc. But as it worked out, since I went with the owners, we had our own little blocked off seats inside of the building, rather than outside, and I didn’t see anyone acting indecently, drunk, etc. One man, a nice friend of Mr. David, offered to buy a bet on a horse of my choosing (in a different race than Allie's) and give me the winnings *if* it won. I politely declined, stating that to me it was an issue of principle, I do not wish to start betting. Ever. (For more on this subject, click here: Words of the Wise ~ On "Get Rich Quick" Schemes)

"Oh, but these are all coincidences!" Oh? I think not! There are no coincidences, only providence! Only my Lord could have planned things so wonderfully well for me!!! Praise His name, He never ceases to pour out blessings on us!
May He continue teaching me to simply WAIT on Him!!

I'm above the first 'L' in 'Allie' :) *

Proverbs 13:12 "Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life."

2 Timothy 2:24 "And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,"

Psalm 37:7 "Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass."
Psalm 40:1 "I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry."
Ecclesiastes 7:8 "Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit."

*The originals of the photos are not mine, I simply took pictures of the one official collage. :)

Secretariat

2011-02-02T10:53:00.008-06:00

Job 39 (NIV)

19“Do you give the horse his strength

or clothe his neck with a flowing mane?

20Do you make him leap like a locust,

striking terror with his proud snorting?

21He paws fiercely, rejoicing in his strength,

and charges into the fray.

22He laughs at fear, afraid of nothing;

he does not shy away from the sword.

23The quiver rattles against his side,

along with the flashing spear and lance.

24In frenzied excitement he eats up the ground;

he cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.

25At the blast of the trumpet he snorts, afar,

the shout of commanders and the battle cry...

...Thus begins the movie Secretariat, which is based on the incredible story of one of the greatest horses in racing history. After watching the movie twice in one week, Secretariat has certainly become one of my favorites! It is action packed, with heartwarming scenes all the way through. Though rated PG, I think it is a family friendly movie, our whole family watched it together twice. I personally think they rated it PG because they play "Oh, Happy Day" twice...and the song says "when Jesus washed my sins away"... Ah, how Disney rejects those words.... :D

AFTER you watch the movie, find the real races on Youtube, and see how closely they matched up in the movie! But unless you know the story of Secretariat, don't watch them until after or it will spoil the movie!

I hope you get to see this wonderful movie too, and if you do, let me know what YOU think about it! :)

Disclaimer: As great as the movie is, we do not endorse ALL the ideas/traits portrayed through the characters. :)

Of Ladies and Horses

2010-12-30T22:28:00.013-06:00

Having volunteered to write for this young Christian website called "Feelin Feminine", I was asked to write something for their historical fashion section called "Elegance of the Yesteryear". Here is the article I wrote, published on their site: Of Ladies and Horses The same article is below, with a few added pictures. :) Feel free to comment, I love hearing from you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“The essential joy of being with horses is that it brings us in contact with the rare elements of race, beauty, spirit, and fire.”
~Sharon Ralls Lemon

From an early age, I have never ceased to admire God’s handiwork in the magnificence, elegance, and beauty of horses. How many older movies would be incomplete without a young gentleman or lady riding a beautiful horse across the countryside? Historical references state that "a woman appears to her best advantage on horseback”. But how did women stay feminine when riding, amid the strict rules of modesty and decorum that were the customs? Of course they could not dress in breeches, and ride astride, that would be considered scandalous! Lets take a look at the history of ladies riding attire, and see how this wonderful past time of riding was handled.

First of all, for a woman to ride astride was considered very inappropriate, as ladies were never to spread their legs in public. Thus, the sidesaddle was developed. The first sidesaddles were rather primitive, some merely a stuffed platform and girth. Next came a more chair-like creation with a single pommel (horn) in front, and a footrest called a planchette. Using these saddles normally required a male rider to lead, as ladies found it hard to balance on such a seat and control the horse at the same time. By the 16th century a second curved pommel was added above the first. This enabled ladies to ride facing forward rather than sideways, thereby gaining ability to independently control the horse and ride faster. Throughout the following centuries the sidesaddle continued to improve with new features such as the “leaping head” which was a third pommel added to provide a more comfortable and secure ride.

Another name for ladies riding attire is riding habits. Riding habits were not introduced until the 1560‘s. Previously, ladies rode in their regular long full skirted dresses. The first habits often followed styles of military uniforms, tailored by men and looking much like men‘s riding suits. Some were elaborately decorated with special trimmings. Riding habits were influenced by the French at first, but by the 18th century, the English hunting gentleman’s outfit gained popularity. At this point habits became less elaborate, more practical, and more feminine. During the following century, riding habits varied. Some appeared as a riding coat and full buttoned skirt, or a high waistline dress with less cumbersome skirts. The Victorian Era (1837-1901) greatly influenced riding habits, attracting more females into riding. Skirts were again made very full, inspite of the danger of them catching on something if the lady fell, sometimes causing fatal accidents. Riding habits usually included more or less of the following: 1. A tailored jacket or cape with a long skirt 2. A shirt or chemisette, 3. A hat, usually in masculine style, but sometimes a Victorian type hat with a veil, and, 4. Accessories including low heeled boots, gloves, and maybe a necktie.

Due to the dangers of riding in such clothing, towards the end of the 19th century a safety skirt was developed, greatly reducing accidents. It buttoned along the seams and would come loose if it got caught on something that would endanger the lady. The rider wore breeches underneath in case of this happening! This safety skirt led to an open-sided apron of the 1930’s used for aside riding, accompanied by a cutaway jacket. Although now slightly modified, this latest fashion is still used today by modern sidesaddle equestrians. (See how skirt works: Safety Skirt pattern)

During the early 20th century, although it was still considered shocking for a while, ladies(particularly the younger ones) began riding astride more often, as customs and fashions began to change rapidly. A divided skirt was created, allowing ladies to comfortably ride astride and still give the appearance of wearing regular skirts when not mounted. Around this time period, regular high clothing standards of modesty and decorum began to give way to shorter, less-modest dresses, bloomers, and eventually pants. Women, especially towards World Wars I & II, started working more because men were away at war. Extra working requirements gave women an excuse to wear pants, which finally became accepted as normal. From there we drifted into the normally non-feminine fashions of the 21st century. Today as sidesaddles and divided skirts become harder and harder to acquire, it is easiest to don a pair of jeans, saddle a horse, and take off. Thankfully, for those who can sew, appropriate skirts can be made, somewhat retaining feminine elegance of the yesteryear!

As for myself, I’ve been very blessed to have been able to work with horses pastured nearby these past 3 years. For the first year or so, I wore skirts to the pasture, even in the second year when I started riding. However, this eventually became too troublesome and impractical as my skirts kept getting destroyed. I couldn’t find a divided skirt, and most of today’s skirts just aren’t meant to be ridden in. Oh how I miss the long flowing skirts of the yesteryear! Hopefully I’ll soon be able to sew well enough to make my own. Anyway, I had to start wearing pants when riding. Even though I try to only wear femininely decorated ones, I still haven’t gotten used to the idea…and never will. I love the beauty of true feminism, and still strive to be as feminine as possible for His glory in an unfeminine world. And yes, I still ride in skirts every chance I get!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Note: If any of you have tips on how to solve this dilemma of riding femininely, or where to find reasonably priced appropriate skirts or patterns, I’m sure others would appreciate the information as much as myself!

Links for more pictures and information:
http://users.tinyworld.co.uk/sidesaddlelady/Side%20Saddle%20Lady%20museum.html
http://www.corsetsandcrinolines.com/tidbits.php?index=13
http://www.newrider.com/Library/How_it_Was/femaleriding.html

Blog Button

2010-12-13T13:59:00.010-06:00

Yay, I finally got around to making my first blog button! For some reason the picture kept ending up blurry, even though the original was clear, but oh well, maybe I'll eventually be able to fix it. :) If any of you have any ideas about it, please let me know! Also, please let me know if the code (which is under the button to the left of my blog, under my profile) doesn't work right so I can try to straighten it out.

(I wanted to put the code here, but blogger was converting it to a picture instead!)

Here is the original picture, plus a few others my grandfather (the photographer in this case) took in the attempt to get the right one:

Note, the thing in my hand is not a diploma, it is meant to be a scroll, symbolizing the "mission" of this blog.

I might have used the picture above if Montana's head hadn't been chopped short!

Montana is just so sweet!! Although just starting to learn everything, she is progressing very well, and has the best attitude! :)

And if you would like to see even MORE pictures you can go here: http://picasaweb.google.com/108961092635549305311/OldFashionedRider?authkey=Gv1sRgCLL_65GNyNn6rAE&feat=directlink :D

Au revoir till next time!!

~Starlie

8 Questions....& what I've been doing lately!

2010-11-21T08:00:00.002-06:00

Hi Everyone!
I've been tagged by a great friend Katharine to play the game 20...oops, I mean 8 Questions. I never do any tagging games, notes, emails, etc, but I agreed with my friend that this one looked really fun! Plus, it's been *gasp* nearly 2 months since I've blogged! I guess you could say I've been quite busy lately. :) I have a job now working with thoroughbred racehorses. I'm learning to gallop them, and pony them to the track and back. I'm also helping train yearling thoroughbreds on the farm. Plus, I got my drivers permit so I'm learning to drive, along with training 3 horses next door, practicing the organ, teaching the younger siblings, and keeping up with all the chores around here! And now the holidays are coming up....Whew, it's just non-stop all the time! (hehe, not that I'd take it any other way, the Lord has truly blessed me with amazing opportunities:) Anyway, back to the idea of this particular blog, here are my answers to Katharine's questions!

1. What do you expect to be doing in 10 years?

The Lord's will! I expect/hope to be a wife, mother, and keeper of the home by then. :) And perhaps a horse trainer!

2. Has the Lord done anything recently in your life that has strengthened your faith in Him?

Yes, plenty, as always! One of the main examples is with the job I have. I have a strong (very strong!) passion for horses, and have often prayed that I could have further experience with them. (Our neighbors have 6 horses that I am allowed to do nearly anything I want with!) I never looked for this situation at the thoroughbred farm, but the Lord brought it to me, and though it seemed at first there were way to many obstacles to overcome, I just kept waiting on Him, trusting that if it was His will, then He would make the way...and He has!! Everything is working out amazingly! :)

3. Tea or Coffee? That is the question. :)

I do NOT like coffee..at all! I do like Hibiscus tea and peppermint tea though. :)

4. An anonymous person gives you a free ticket to any destination in the world, all expenses paid, including food, airfare, and lodging. You may take only three special possessions with you. Where would you go, and what would you bring?

I would love to go to the oceanside somewhere with my favorite horse, Tulip, to gallop her along the edge of the ocean! (hehe, remember in 'The Black Stallion'?) I would take a Bible, a camera, and plenty of treats for Tulip. :D

5. Who was your most respected role model as you were growing up, and why were they important to you?

1st, my mother. She is the model of the wife, mother, and keeper of home that I hope to eventually be. I could never even begin to tell how much I have learned from her, nor how much I respect and love her! (And of course my father has been the best role model too!)

2nd. Laura Ingalls Wilder. Growing up, (and still now!)I treasured the Little House on the Prairie series. Reading her books helped plant in me the desire to at all times be a lady, love the old, simple, ways of life, and many other things that make me the person I am now.

3rd. Elsie Dinsmore. Portrayed in her books as almost as good as a person can be, though still failing at times, Elsie has always been a model to me. She was obedient, loving, serving, caring, etc. and a devout Christian who was always loyal to the Lord and His Word, no matter what the cost.

6. Do appearances matter? Come now, we want your true opinion. ;)

Of course! Tattered, cluttered, dirty appearances give the impression that someone is poor, lazy, careless etc. whereas a neat, clean, suiting appearance gives a much better appearance! Besides, as children of the most high king, we should act accordingly! (Can you imagine children of a king running around in a shabby garden dressed sloppily, bodies dirty, etc? I don't think so!:)

7. If you could only bring 3 books (other than the Bible) with you to an abandoned island, what would you bring?

hmm...I guess I would want a really good book on survival tips, a book on faith, and.........'An Old Fashioned Girl' (hehe, my favorite book ever, other than the Bible;)

8. Something you want horribly and desperately… at the moment. ( Be it a CD, a musical instrument or 20 acres of land… what is it? ;) )

Nothing really, the Lord has provided so wonderfully for me! I would love to own Tulip one day though...:)

Now, I was supposed to tag some of my friends to do this too, but I didn't know who, so I'll just leave it up to you whether you want to or not, and just please leave a comment if you do it so I can see the answers!!

Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!

~ Starlie

(Me on Tulip)

The Battle Hymn of the Republic -- The true message behind it

2010-09-25T14:21:00.007-05:00

Do you have any idea of the true message of this Northern marching song, The Battle Hymn of the Republic? My family and I had no clue until a few months ago when we listened to this message by one of our favorite teachers, Pastor John Weaver: "Should a Christian sing the Battle Hymn?" Before, I always really liked the song, but now I can't stand it...I still absently go to hum it or sing it and then I stop midway with a grrrr and start singing a Southern song instead. :D It's a shame how much we've been mistaught about this song written by a Unitarian feminist "preacher", Julia Ward Howe. In this message, Pastor Weaver goes through each verse, revealing the true meanings, blasphemy, and deception behind the words.

Here is the link to the message again: http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=11200617523

If you prefer to read instead of listen, here is a good article which also lays out the truth behind the lines: "Blasphemy in Song" To quote from this article, "Although the Bible likens Christians to soldiers (2 Timothy 2:3), and the Christian life to a battle (1 Timothy 1:18), the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" is not a song that should be on the lips of any Christian. It is not a Christian hymn at all. It is a disgrace that the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" even appears in a Christian hymnbook alongside of such great hymns of the faith as: "Blessed Redeemer," "All Hail the Power of Jesus Name," "The Way of the Cross Leads Home," "That Beautiful Name," and "O Worship the King." Julia Ward Howe was a Unitarian, and wrote the song as a partisan Unionist during the beginning of the Civil War. The "Battle Hymn of the Republic" is religious war propaganda. It is no more a Christian hymn than "White Christmas.""

Mark Twain knew very well what Julia Howe's message behind her song was, and he wrote this parody to expose the Battle Hymn. You might also agree how well the words could describe Mr. Obama and his Congress today... (Hooray for Twain!;)

Mine eyes have seen the orgy of the launching of the Sword;
He is searching out the hoardings where the stranger's wealth is stored;
He hath loosed his fateful lightnings, and with woe and death has scored;
His lust is marching on.

I have seen him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps;
They have builded him an altar in the Eastern dews and damps;
I have read his doomful mission by the dim and flaring lamps --
His night is marching on.

I have read his bandit gospel writ in burnished rows of steel:
"As ye deal with my pretensions, so with you my wrath shall deal;
Let the faithless son of Freedom crush the patriot with his heel;
Lo, Greed is marching on!"

We have legalized the strumpet and are guarding her retreat;*
Greed is seeking out commercial souls before his judgement seat;
O, be swift, ye clods, to answer him! be jubilant my feet!
Our god is marching on!

In a sordid slime harmonious Greed was born in yonder ditch,
With a longing in his bosom – and for others' goods an itch.
As Christ died to make men holy, let men die to make us rich –
Our god is marching on.

(Mark Twain's version of the Battle Hymn)

Our Lord's Wonderful Artistry -- The Rainbow

2010-09-15T20:58:00.007-05:00

Last night we went outside to discover what the Lord had painted in our sky! It was the most gorgeous double rainbow we had ever seen, and it was enormous! We could not get the whole rainbow in any one picture. And as the time went on, the sky kept changing colors. Even these pictures, as well as they came out, are nothing compared to the glorious beauty we witnessed!

~Genesis 9:11-13 "And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth."

~Psalm 145:5 "I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works."

Little Sisters and Apple Jack Cookies

2010-09-15T12:55:00.010-05:00

A few days ago for my younger sister's math lesson we got to make apple jack cookies. She (Patricia) is 7 years old and about 1/2 way through the 2nd grade. This lesson was to teach her different measurements, and little cooking skills. :) As the recipe was so simple and delicious, I wanted to share it! After we made the cookies I took Patricia and Gloria outside in the gorgeous fall weather and took a few pictures. Remember, if you want to see the captions on the pictures you need to click on the slideshow and few the webalbum. Enjoy!

Apple Jack Cookies

1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup chopped unpeeled apple

Cream together sugar and shortening. Beat in egg. Sift together dry ingredients and add to mixture. Blend until well blended. Stir in apples. Drop in the shape of balls on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Welcome, Little Benjamin Paul!

2010-09-14T17:11:00.003-05:00

Hi Everyone!
As most of you know by now, my new little sibling has arrived. We named him Benjamin Paul Stanley. He is growing and changing rapidly, and we are enjoying every minute of him. I just love him so much, babies are such a blessing from the Lord! :D Mom put together this web album of pictures taken during and after the delivery (which I got to be a part of!). You can either view the pictures in a slideshow here, or click on it to go to the picasa web album where you can view the captions too. (The slideshow does not show the captions). I've also added what Mom wrote about Benjamin's "discovery of America". :D

"Our new little one finally arrived Monday, August 23, 2010, at 8:27 pm. The labor and delivery could not have gone better as I was surrounded by friends and loved ones. It turned out to be another water birth and the Lord answered all of our prayers as there were no complications at all. Mommy and baby are both healthy and happy and the whole family is enjoying getting to know our new little addition Benjamin Paul Stanley. He weighed 9 lbs. and 5 oz. and was 20 1/4" long. As usual we took a lot of pictures so you could share the first few minutes and hours of our son's new life with us. Hope you enjoy." ~ Michelle (Mom)

~ Psalm 127:3 "Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward."

~Psalm 118:29 "O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever."

Check out "Our Christmas Surprise", the blog I wrote about how we found out Mom was pregnant with her 9th child! It was the best Christmas surprise ever! :) http://maidenwithamission.blogspot.com/2010/04/our-christmas-blessing.html

As We Remember...9/11

2010-09-11T17:25:00.015-05:00

As we remember, honor, and weep for all the loved ones who died on that terrible September 11th, consider a few questions. Who was responsible for the bombing of the twin towers, pentagon, Building 7, and a few other buildings? Why did they do it? What has been the results? Why should we simply accept what we were told by the media about what happened when it concerns the lives of our precious loved ones? What REALLY happened that day? Does anyone know? Can anyone know? I certainly do not know the answers to all these questions, but my family and I have done detailed research on the event since it happened, and there are certainly widely different theories! I wrote a blog about it earlier this year, (Hold to the Truth...Which Truth?: http://maidenwithamission.blogspot.com/2010/05/hold-to-truthwhich-truth.html)and I will share it once again for you to learn more and perhaps decide for yourself what might have happened. I'd love to know your opinions on it!

Here's a big thanks for all of the brave men and women who gave their lives (and those who survived) for so many others on that tragic day. And appreciation to those still serving us in our military, daily giving their lives for us.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

~"She'll see me stand"~
Written and performed by Beth Anne Rankin of Magnolia, Arkansas, a song about the American flag and what she has seen. Video by Daryl Cox, song arrangement by Chip Bricker.
Mrs. Beth Anne, who is also the former Miss Arkansas said "I began working on this song over a year ago after I saw a horrifying photo where some thugs had desecrated an American flag and then ran it back up the poll. It made me furious, and so I sat at my piano and started working on a song to honor the red, white and blue symbol of our great country. It is my hope this song "She'll See Me Stand" reminds us of our beautiful flag's remarkable story and inspires an attitude of thankfulness and abiding respect from a grateful nation."

Bullseye! --Fun at the Firing Range

2010-09-05T21:05:00.015-05:00

Hello, I hope everyone had a great Labor day weekend!
On Sunday, my family and I went out for a picnic at some land some friends now own. After a picnic and short hike in our National park forest, we went to a shooting range where our friends showed us how to use some of their guns and let us practice. It was a great experience! For a long, long, time now I've been wanting to learn how to shoot, mainly for a method of self defense, but till Sunday I'd never actually shot off a gun except for a little beebe gun. Dad has always wanted us to learn, but we never seemed to find the time, place, and everything necessary. Now, however, it seems like we'll be able to learn and practice, as our friends, Mr. Gary and Mrs. Veronica, have the wisdom, location, and desire to teach us! We took some pictures of the occasion, so I thought you would enjoy sharing the fun of our first attempts. :D I can't wait till next time!

~Psalm 144:1 "Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight."

~Luke 32:26 " Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one."

~Amendment 2: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

Preparing for target practice

Mr. Gary pointing out where to aim. Patricia plugs ears in anticipation lol

Mr. Gary showing me the safest methods for using a Walther, P22 with Mrs. Veronica showing Jonathan how to load a magazine

I think I could get the hang of this, and I certainly *aim* to! :D (earplugs next time, perhaps!...what did you just now say, I can't hear you) lol

Christopher (my next oldest sibling, age 15) about to shoot an AK 47 *plugging my ears now*

Me aiming with a 22 long rifle (Christopher *shot* this and the next 2 pics :D
Ready, aim...fire!
Bullseye! (hehe, not quite;)

And now here are a few pics just for fun :D

Hold on, Annie, I'm coming! :D

A.S.A.P.!

Butterscotch Hard Candy

2010-08-16T21:24:00.003-05:00

Recently I made a batch of this yummy candy, and as it came out so well, I decided I wanted to share it. :) It's a great snack for the kids! Happy cooking!

Butterscotch Hard Candy
(Edna Hoffman of Indiana)

1 teaspoon plus 1/2 cup butter, softened, divided
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons white vinegar

-- Line a 15-in. x 10-in. baking pan with foil. Grease the foil with 1 teaspoon butter; set aside. In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, water, vinegar and remaining butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cover and cook for 3 minutes to dissolve any sugar crystals.
--Uncover; cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reads 300 degrees (hard-crack stage; important!). Remove from heat. Pour into prepared pan without scraping the saucepan; do not spread mixture.
--Cool for 1-2 minutes or until candy is almost set. Using a sharp knife, score into 1/2-in. squares; cool completely. Break squares apart. Store in airtight container. Yield: 1 pound

(picture of batch I made)

Pictures from our Garden

2010-08-10T18:04:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone, I hope you are having a great summer! I know my family and I are having an excellent one! We have stayed extra busy this summer doing all sorts of things, such as gardening, food preparation and preservation, swimming, hauling compost for our garden, and getting ready for a new addition to our family. The garden, which increases in size every year, was our most productive one yet, along with the orchard which made more fruit than ever. Below is a slideshow of some of the pictures we’ve taken this year as it progressed. As there are so many pictures (over 400) you may prefer to click on bottom right corner on the slideshow, then click on "Garden Album..." and view the thumbnails on the picasa web album. I hope you enjoy them and may the rest of your summer be wonderful!

The Indoctrination of American Youth

2010-07-30T15:14:00.016-05:00

Education is not a right, it is a privilege. The government does not owe us an education. God has given parents the responsibility of educating their children. Proverbs 22:6 says " Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." It is not the governments job to decide what our children learn, it is the parents job. In our busy society however, things have been switched around. In many houses both parents must work full time just to get by. This leaves them with no choice but to send their children to public school.

So what are the general consequences of the government controlling public schools? Well, look around you, it should be clear. Text books can no longer be trusted. Discipline is lost in and therefore out of school. Children learn to accept immoral behavior which often leads to them living immoral lives. Children are not obedient or respectful. The videos listed below are merely a few examples of what is happening in public schools. Maybe you could put it like this: "What are my precious children learning in school? Is it something I would teach them?" If the answer is yes, then great. But if the answer is no....

Am I saying it is all the (public school) teachers fault? Absolutely not! Many teachers are simply doing what they have been instructed to. They teach from the curriculum's provided them. They abide by rules laid out for them. Teachers too must earn a living, and they have a huge responsibility laid on them. Therefore they should be respected on this basis. However, as the teacher does have they job of educating our children, they should know what they are teaching the students, whether the information is worthy of being taught. Teachers could solve many of our school problems simply by a majority taking a stand and refusing to teach from bad curricula, demanding good curricula. If you are a teacher, what will you decide? Will you go along with the governments system which is leading us to destruction or will you do your best to see that your students are being taught truth?

The following quote is from "Taking America Back" by Joseph Farah (Founder of WorldNetDaily, America's most visited independent site). The book is a must read for anyone interested in...taking America back! Farah lays out a reasonable method that would work if enough people would follow it. Here is the quote from Chapter 9, "Let My Children Go", pages 145 & 146:

"Every day Americans ask me what they can do to fight back--to take America back. The most important step we can take--the single most dramatic action--is also the most important to your family, to your children. Get them out of the government indoctrination centers. Take responsibility for educating your kids; don't leave it to the state. It's an important first step. This is how the revolution can be won without firing a shot. This is our Lexington and Concord. This is our Declaration of Independence. Get your kids out of the clutches of these monsters. Do it now. Do it for them. Do it for your country."

Here are a few Scripture verses about knowledge:

Hosea 4:6 "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing that thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children."

Proverbs 1:7 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction."

Proverbs 10:14 "Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction."

Isaiah 5:13 "Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst"

And here are a few good quotes I’ve found dealing with the government and education:

"The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first."-- Thomas Jefferson (some say that this is not his quote, whoever said it it is a good quote!)

"Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school" --Albert Einstein

"An educated person is one who has learned that information almost always turns out to be at best incomplete and very often false, misleading, fictitious, mendacious - just dead wrong." --Russell Baker

"We must not believe the many, who say that only free people ought to be educated, but we should rather believe the philosophers who say that only the educated are free." --Epictetus

Valedictorian Speaks Out Against Schooling in Graduation Speech

An archive of articles about homeschooling and the corruption of public schools

Article from Glenn Beck on indoctrination of children through public schools:

Below are the videos I mentioned earlier, they are just a few examples of what is happening in our government indoctrination centers…aka public schools.

This "Generation We" misses the whole point that the past generations, which they blame everything on, were brainwashed by the same system that is now programming these youth to think the way they do and that that system has an agenda which these children are playing in to. This group blames all our problems on the past generations, our parents. Their plan is to take over by voting in 2016. But the things they believe in and want are almost exactly what these liberals in Washingon DC stand for! Generation We wants radical change, healthcare for all, equal education for all, etc. If you can't see what is wrong with this video, that is just one more reason it is so scary. Wake up, youth of America!!!!! "Generation We":

I really enjoyed the film below, it is suspenseful, thought-provoking, and educational. It’s worth watching several times!

"Based on the real experience of a high school class in Palo Alto, CA in 1969. It was produced as an ABC afterschool special, and ended up airing prime time. To demonstrate the power of suggestion in young minds, a high school teacher claims himself as the leader of a new movement, called 'The Wave'. Preachings of Power, Discipline, and Superiority soon have the whole school caught up in the movement, if you object you are punished. After convincing them all, the teacher plans a rally for members of 'The Wave', where a 'great political influence' is thrilled with their new found involvement. This will truly creep you out!" ~ A fellow Patriot

The Wave: Part 1

The Wave: Part 2

Schoolchildren sing praises of their savior, Obama:

One Conservative Christian's video response to previous video:

School children indoctrination discussed on Hannity's show:

Obama Worship:

Indoctrination in Preschool:

Build a Bear Christmas cartoon teaching global warming:
Part 1:

Part 2:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r76gzTTZ5SM&feature=response_watch
Part 3:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSwf6c5YQ4s&feature=response_watch

Public Schools exposed by Robert Waneck:

Homosexuals brainwashing children in school: (Parental guidance suggested due to terminology....)
Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16Ed1kb8B6U
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKQXd0MpZA8&feature=related

So, what are we going to do about it? The Bible gives us a way to get back on the right track:

2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

Psalm 94:16 “Who will rise up for me against the evil doers and Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?”

Biblical Fatherhood

2010-06-17T16:57:00.021-05:00

Happy Father’s Day!

Have you ever thought about the symmetry between our earthly father and Heavenly father? God has given us earthly fathers to teach us about our Heavenly father. I believe that unless we learn how to treat our earthly fathers in the Biblical way, we will never be able to fully appreciate our Heavenly father as we should. Just as we should honor, respect, and obey our Heavenly father, we should do our best to honor, respect, and obey our earthly father. And just as our earthly father provides, protects, and guides us (or should), likewise does our Heavenly father. Luke 11:13 "If ye then, being evil, [we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God] know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"

Let's go into more detail of what the father’s Biblical role is. Fathers are to train their children what is right and wrong, discipline them when needed, guide them, and provide what they need. The most important thing however, is the example he sets. Children are always learning from their father, whether either father or child realizes it. This means that fathers should carefully watch their own actions to make sure he is not setting the wrong example. Titus 1:6-9 lays out some guidelines for fathers: “If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.” Ephesians 6:4 gives further advice: "And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

2 Corinthians 6:18: says " And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."
Psalm 68:5 tells us "A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation." My grandfather died when Dad was only 4 years old. Dad often wished he had a father to guide him. And then in his twenties, Dad came to truly know our Lord. He tells us of the pure joy it was discovering that he actually had a living father, one who cared more for him than any earthly father ever could. His new Heavenly father promised to give him anything he asked for in His son's name including unending joy and life everlasting. Because Dad never had an earthly father as an example, I believe it is because God was and is such a great father to him that Dad has turned out to be the wonderful father that he is.

God chose Fatherhood as a way of showing forth his great love wherewith he loves us. I’m afraid this generation has no clue what a godly father is or even what it is to be a father. Look at how Hollywood and TV have dishonored fathers, made them look old fashioned, out of date, big bullies, ignorant, etc. In short, Hollywood has destroyed the American family by destroying fatherhood. Don’t believe me? The next time you watch a movie or TV, pay close attention to the father, how he acts and is treated. Look at the quality of the family being portrayed. The average kid is disrespectful to his father, does not listen to him, and does not honor him. Fatherhood is certainly key to getting back to healthy families. If we could restore Fatherhood in America, we could restore our families, and if we restore our families, we could restore our country.

Whether we have godly fathers or not so godly fathers for our examples the bible still holds us responsible for how we treat our fathers. We have a saying here that goes “Daddy ain’t always right, but he’s always Daddy!” Even when our earthly fathers fail to reach the mark, we should still respect and honor them.

So how are we to treat our fathers? What does the Bible say about this? Take a look! (And remember, this is how we should treat our fathers EVERYday, not just one day in June! Everyday should be Father’s Day!)

1st, we are to honor our father. In fact, God promises longevity of life as a reward!
Ephesians 6:2-3 "Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth."
Luke 18:20 "Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother."

The Bible also warns about people who curse their father:
Proverbs 20:20 “Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.”

2nd, we are to listen to, and heed the advice or our father (and again, notice it promises longevity as a reward!):
Proverbs 4:10 “Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.”
Proverbs 7:1 “My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.”
Proverbs 4:1 “Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.”
Colossians 3:20 "Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord."

3rd, a wise son (or daughter!) makes a father glad!
Proverbs 10:1 “The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.”

Here is another song written and sung by the talented Laura Nelson, along with her family. I've added an audio file from their CD below. Enjoy, and I hope you have a great Father's Day!

Daddy's Gift

(Me and my wonderful father who has
raised me in the ways of the Bible!)

A Southern Maiden

2010-06-11T15:05:00.009-05:00

No, I'm not prejudiced against the North or anything, some of our best friends are from the North, I'm just proud of my Southern Heritage! Hooray for the South! :D

Here are the lyrics to the song, I'm not sure who sings it in the audio I put to my pictures, I found it on youtube: The Homespun Dress

And here is another one of my favorite poems, how true it is!

REBELS
by Anonymous

Rebels! 't is a holy name!
The name our fathers bore,
When battling in the cause of Right,
Against the tyrant in his might,
In the dark days of yore.

Rebels! 't is our family name!
Our father, Washington,
Was the arch-rebel in the fight,
And gave the name to use,--a right
Of father unto son.

Rebels! 't is our given name!
Our mother, Liberty,
Received the title with her fame,
In days of grief, of fear, and shame,
When at her breast were we.

Rebels! 't is our sealed name!
A baptism of blood!
The war--aye, and the din of strife--
The fearful contest, life for life--
The mingled crimson flood.

Rebels! 't is a patriot's name!
In struggles it was given;
We bore it then when tyrants raved
And through their curses 't was engraved
On the doomsday-book of heaven.

Rebels! 't is our fighting name!
For peace rules o'er the land,
Until they speak of craven woe--
Until our rights receive a blow,
From foe's or brother's hand.

Rebels! 't is our dying name!
For, although life is dear,
Yet, freemen born and freemen bred,
We'd rather live as freemen dead,
Than live in slavish fear.

Then call us rebels if you will--
We glory in the name;
For bending under unjust laws,
And swearing faith to an unjust cause,
We count a greater shame.

From Oh yes I am a Southern girl!

Isolationism, Separatism, and Internationalism

2010-06-09T21:38:00.003-05:00

Have you ever thought of the difference in isolationism and separatism? Our founding fathers saw that separatism was the policy America should hold, not internationalism or isolationism. People like Dr. Ron Paul are often degradingly called "isolationists", as if they are for complete seclusion. However, this is far from the truth.
Thomas Jefferson said in his first inaugural address "Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with ALL nations-- entangling alliances with NONE". What Jefferson meant is that we are to maintain a peaceful relationship with all nations, showing no favoritism or enmity toward anyone, which defines separatism. Isolationism implies complete seclusion, in this case seclusion from other nations. This is not the case, as Jefferson says we are to maintain relationships. Washington did say that "temporary alliances" could be justified for "extraordinary emergencies" but other than that "harmony, liberal intercourse with all nations are recommended by policy, humanity, and interest." (Ibid., p. 235) Now however, our country has gained the policy of internationalism. We are trapped in many many alliances with other nations who would love to destroy us. We have troops in at least 150 different nations. Are we to be the world's greatest policemen? Who is left to defend our borders? We must somehow end this internationalism and get back to separatism. Take a look at how fast our country went down after WWI and the following wars, when we entered into alliances with other nations. Wake up, America!

(info on troop number: http://towneforcongress.com/economy/americas-military-empire)

The Star Spangled Banner

2010-06-08T11:35:00.000-05:00

We all love our beautiful anthem, The Star Spangled Banner. We love hearing it sung in public events, it makes our patriotism soar. But did you know that there is more than one verse to it? Every time I hear our anthem sung I wish that someone would sing the next verses, which are as great as, or better than the first line. Here are the five verses I know:

Additional Civil War period lyrics
In indignation over the start of the civil war, Oliver Wendell Holmes added a fifth stanza to the song in 1861 which appeared in songbooks of the era.

Is it always wrong to hate? -- The Biblical view of hatred

2010-06-01T09:45:00.000-05:00

I don’t know about you, but I believe the standard for everything should be the Bible, as it is the living Word of God and sufficient for all our needs. When I have questions I go to the Bible for answers. In this case I wanted to see the Biblical view of hatred, which is often misused in today’s language. At first I had planned to expound a bit on the different categories of verses, but as I found more and more verses on the topic I realized that they are so clearly written they need no explanations…as it is with most of the scriptures! :)

My question was: Is it always wrong to hate? What I found is that there is a time to love and a time to hate, as stated in Ecclesiastes 3:8. First of all, if it was a sin to hate, than God would not hate. But God does indeed hate much, therefore it cannot always be wrong. On the other hand, God tells us to love our enemies and do good to them who despitefully use us. Some may say “you should never hate a person, only the wicked things they do”. Is this always the case? No. There are many verses in the Bible showing that God does hate evil doers, some of which verses are quoted below. David said “I hate them with a perfect hate”. A perfect hate? What is the wrong kind of hate? What is the right kind of hate? When do we hate? When do we love? These are questions we must answer for ourselves through prayer and meditation in His Word. The following scriptures are a few out of many verses dealing with this topic.

Note, I certainly do not advocate hatred, on the contrary. The wrong type of hate is self destructive and a thing to be avoided at all costs. Hatred and bitterness toward a person will hurt you most, not the person hatred is directed toward. I am simply saying that there are different types of hate, some to be avoided and some not.

Definition of Hate/Hatred:
1. To have a great aversion to, with a strong desire that evil should befall the person toward whom the feeling is directed; to dislike intensely; to detes
2. To be very unwilling; followed by an infinitive, or a substantive clause with that; as, to hate to get into debt;
Synonyms -- To Hate, Abhor, Detest, Abominate, Loathe. Hate is the generic word, and implies that one is inflamed with extreme dislike
More details here: http://www.selfknowledge.com/43142.htm

Hatred of persons:
Remember, God said that David, author of most of the psalms, was a man after His own heart.

Psalm 26:5 " I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked."

Psalm 5:5 "The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity."

Psalm 11:5 "The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth."

Romans 9:13 "As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated."

Ecclesiastes 3:8 " A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace."

Psalm 139:21-24 “Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with PERFECT hatred: I count them mine enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 31:6 I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the LORD.

Hatred of wickedness:
Psalm 101:3 “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.”

Psalm 119:163 “I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love.”

Psalm 10:3 "For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth."

Proverbs 8:13 "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate."

Zechariah 8:17 "And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD."

Hebrews 1:9 "Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows."

Warnings of hatred:
1 John 2:11 “But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.”

1 John 3:15 “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.”

1 John 4:20 “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?”

Love and pray for your enemies:
Matthew 5:44 “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”

Luke 6:28 “Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.”

1 Timothy 2:1-2 “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.”

Commands to hate evil:
Psalm 97:10 "Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked."

Amos 5:15 "Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph."

Graduation Slideshow 2010

2010-05-28T11:17:00.002-05:00

Hello Everyone!
Most of you know by now that I finished 12th grade November 14th, 2009. We never got around to celebrating my graduation or going to a ceremony. Two of my homeschooled friends, Anna and Heather, were also graduating and had no plans to celebrate, so Mom recently decided to throw together a little party for the three of us, which took place last Saturday (May 22nd). It was so much fun! First we had cake, ice cream, and punch. Then we dressed up and had a huge photo op. After that we had supper and then finished up with lots of great games. I'll be putting together another album with lots more pictures as soon as I can. For now, I hope you enjoy this slideshow I put together! The pictures were taken by a friend, Mrs. Katie (thank you so much!), and the music is by Lisa Mei Norton.

Enjoy!
Starlie

P.S. I wrote a blog about my graduation, you can read it at my blog site: http://maidenwithami

(You have to click and watch the video in Picasa, not here)

And here are some more pictures! http://picasaweb.google.com/108961092635549305311/GraduationPortraits?authkey=Gv1sRgCO2h1LaF8YTpJA&feat=directlink

Honoring Motherhood

2010-05-16T20:07:00.003-05:00

Happy Mother’s Day to all hard working mothers!

Yes, I know I’m a little late, but as Dad always said, "Every day should be Mother’s Day." Every day we should take the time to honor our mothers and show them how much we love them. Today's generation seems to have forgotten the value of motherhood.

Children today don't honor either parent as they should. The Holy Scriptures command children to honor their parents, and also promises health and longevity of life as a result.
Ephesians 6:2-3 "Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth."
Proverb’s 30:11 "There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother."
Matthew 15:4 "For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death."
Exodus 20:12 "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee."

Now back to honoring motherhood. Stop and take a moment to think what this world would be like without mothers. Wow! Each day millions of moms are sacrificing their lives to provide and care for their families needs. Mothers are always teaching their children, whether they realize it or not. Children look up to the mommy for help, comfort, advice, etc. in times of trouble. They look to Mommy for praise, affection, love, appreciation, and encouragement. In short, a mom’s work is never finished! Even when their children are grown, mothers are there for them when wanted or needed. One of the most honorable positions a woman can hold is motherhood.

Now I would like to share with you the Biblical role of motherhood/womanhood. For starters,
1 Timothy 5:14 says “I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion for the adversary to speak reproachfully.” (KJV) I believe that that verse in of itself could revolutionize America if women would understand and follow that verse! As it is, women like this are not considered normal here in our busy society. Proverb’s 31:10-12 illustrates this well: “Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.”

The Bible also lays out in what manner women are to go about being a mother/wife. Here are a few out of many verses that lay an example. Titus 2:3-5 “The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior 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.” Proverb’s 31, one of my favorite chapters in the Bible, says in verses 26-31 “She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.”

And now I will close with this beautiful song written by Laura Nelson, a very talented lady who lives in AR. A few years ago we met her and her family (two other sisters and their father) when they sang and played numerous instruments at a church near by. All of their music is lovely! This song was made and dedicated for their mother who died shortly after the song was completed. I've embedded the audio clip below (no copyright infringement intended!:).

“There’s a lady that I treasure, I’ve known her forever.
Cause she’s the first one who ever felt the beat of my heart.
This woman, is my mother and there is no other
who could ever do her part cause Mama knows me by heart.

Chorus: “Mama picked me up, when I stumbled and fell.
She taught me bout that one, who could save my soul from hell.
But I can’t begin to tell you what my Mama means to me
How can I ever find a way to say thank you to Mama.”

Mama lived for her family and anyone who was in need
and she’d always do her part, if you needed a change of heart
cause my Mama loved her Saviour and prayed for her neighbor
if someone needed Jesus, it broke Mama’s heart.

Chorus

I wish somehow you could see what my mama has done for me
I wish that I could wipe away each time I made her teardrops start
But there’s no way that I deserve this precious mother,
but I thank God for my mother with every beat of my heart.

Chorus

Dear God, I thank you, Lord I thank you, for my Mama!”

Dear Jesus, Thank you for my Mother!!!

Hold to the Truth....Which Truth??????

2010-05-10T12:28:00.000-05:00

We've been doing a lot of research on 9/11 lately, it is very interesting....and scary. I just wanted to share a blog I made in February, after an interview on Glenn Beck's radio show with Mrs. Medina, an amazing lady who ran for Texas governor. Here is an audio video on youtube of what happened with Beck and Medina. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENEfvrAS_K8 By the way, if you are not familiar with Beck, his motto includes to question boldly, hold to the truth, and speak without fear...notice that that is basically what Medina tried to do and Beck was trying to stop her...

"Question Boldly, Hold to the Truth, Speak Without Fear," so preaches Glenn Beck. Sooooooooo:

Okay, so what are 9/11 truthers? They are simply people who want the truth about what happened on 9/11. Any reason why someone shouldn't be interested in the truth? No. Any reason people should accept without question what the media says about America's biggest tragedy? No. Why attack Mrs. Medina just because she didn't give an absolute no to being a 9/11 truther? Before you accuse her for being a "9/11 truther", maybe you should do your own research. Dad has researched it for years. I have spent hours and hours researching it. I will not say who I think was responsible for 9/11 because I do not know, there is too much hidden information and too many unanswered questions. But I do not believe for one second that those planes caused those two buildings to collapse because there IS enough sufficient evidence to prove otherwise. What about building 7? What caused it to collapse? No planes hit it and it collapsed in less than 10 seconds.

For Mrs. Medina to give a straight yes answer would mean she knew that the government was involved. For her to say no would mean she thought that there was no possibility of it. Neither answer would be sufficient, because, again, we don't have enough evidence either way. However, look at her defense she made after the interview: http://www.medinafortexas.com/getPost?p=272

Before any of you comment negatively on my discussion, please watch these videos!!! Loose Change is a full documentary explaining everything. After you watch Loose Change, if you still want to tell me, without a doubt, there is absolutely no proof that 9/11 was an inside job...then you show me videos that prove otherwise.

Again, don't depend on my research, do your own. These are just a few videos out of thousands, plus books documents etc.

"It is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth... Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not, the things which so clearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst and to provide for it." ---Patrick Henry
Will you close your eyes to the truth, or will you keep an open mind, no matter how painful the truth?

God bless America!!!

Watch this to get started: New Proof 9/11 was an inside job! Richard Gage Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssuAMNas1us

Here are a few more short videos to spark your interest:

911 inside job proof:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwSmFnlwrK0&feature=related

Missile Hit Twin Towers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOWEOTcNsIs&feature=related
9/11: Total proof that bombs were planted in the buildings!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n-nT-luFIw&feature=related
Building 7 controlled demolition
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5akpnIFK-RM

Now, if you still have doubts about it, watch this whole film!!!!

LOOSE CHANGE, FULL DOCUMENTARY:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7866929448192753501&ei=...

Here is another very well laid out documentary:

Improbable Collapse--The Demolition of our Republic

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4026073566596731782#

Here is a comment I received in response to this blog:

"Freedom is NOT Free"'s response:
I just post a discussion on " CONSPIRACY THEORY WITH TO MANY QUESTIONS" will be good for people to go there as well. Allot information that make wonder, and looking in the past of my life, I can say with out doubt that ANY government will do to people, what Americans don't believe would do... and I ask, why, you don't believe that YOUR government will go after you? they has been do just that for years. It's allot un-answer questions, a friend of mine who I love very dearly like a sister, die there, because I love her, I want answers, I don't have all the answers and I don't believe that the government have anything to do with it, or at least that has been my fight for all this years... but ... really? should I allow my self to be naive about this subject when I grew up with a government that kill many of my people? Why should I or anyone close the eyes to the possibility?
We should be alert no matter what, and if we think on what we been "discover" for the past year that this government has been doing for years against the people, should not be surprise that this was part of an agenda for someone against this Nation. Your memory is weak? Few months go, that government that you defend so hard, try to pass for almost a year now, a health plan that have many things, but the less health for the people. Euthanasia, killing panels, abortion pay by the people, no matter their belief, a chip with all your info, and so many other things, the elimination of the too young or too old... do we forget? they fight so hard, they call us terrorist, thugs, anarchist, and all kind of names, they give power to the fed's to come to your home just under suspicious feelings, and remove you from there, all your property and everything else... what you think that this is?
How about the cut of water for more than 15 million people, over small fish, where people live means nothing... no, people mean nothing, their land is what they want, it's one of the riches in the USA, the San Fernando Valley. Do you going to be so naive to think that this or any other government will not attend against the live of the American people... well think again!
It's not so hard to believe that is questions that need to be answer, Ms Medina answer correctly, Glenn Beck was a jerk, because he was planing to ambush her, clear in simple. Something Debra is doing that's very right, for what they are very scare... do you going to allow them to play you? 4 times, many of us, go to the extreme to tell Perry that the people of Texas want the Sovereignty, started in April 15th, I was in the tea party in Fort Worth, where he promise that Texans will have what Texas want, I remember he's speech, full of passion for Texas, that last... well, until the reporters and him self got away from the present of the people, on July 4th, Independence day, in Houston he promise again, but this time, people create a document sign by many citizens, requesting his compromise on the same issue, he sign in promise, since nothing happen, on August 28th, the people gather again in the South steps of The Capitol, he never show up, Debra did, as well is Kilgore, them we did it again on January asking this time for Nullification, Debra again this time, was there supporting the people. He never pay knowledge to the people... so how can, now that he ambush Debra, and she is the champion of the people for Sovereignty and Nullification, he decide that the 10th amendment is important, to the point to have a town type hall meeting in Plano to talk about it? what's with this? they though that Debra will be eliminated, now more than ever, I'm about to expose the corrupted and bring freedom back where belong, to the people.!
I will run with Debra to the finish line... I hope that people will reconsider their emotions, not matter what Debra answer, the fact remind, she was ambush by a dirty politician, slick like no one, and by someone who call him self the defender of the Constitution, how can he lie to the people, and still going to sleep? or how can he acted so irresponsible on the next 45 minutes, insulting, mocking and disrespecting Debra and all of us who believe in the rights of the people? I stop follow Beck for many reasons, but for most for insulting Patriots, something that seems usual with him. I don't drink kool-aid because I don't like, I can't drink his or anyone else, my life and everyone I care is at stake. Please my friends, do think, use the mind that our God give to all of us, to understand the game is play here... if you want freedom vote for Debra. If you want a North American Union, them go for Perry, but remember that you was advice, remember that those rights that you hold so dear will be strip from you, like carry a gun, because if that happen, the Constitution will be kill. Can you live with that?
For my words, check on the Texas trans Corridor, is not dead but alive, with a different name, will take upon Texas and will go all the way to every States, to connect the three Countries, you called NAFTA... illegals will be legals, and YOU out of the equation. Don't believe my words, search of them. The President of Mexico called the "North America Corridor" I found this to be name , in two different ways.

God Bless you and this Great Republic of Texas.!!!!

Fighting for Freedom to Stay Free.

Another comment I received:

Starlie,
I watched Loose Change. That was eye opening. Before the Beck/Medina interview I knew there were people claiming our government was involved in 9/11 but I didn't realize there was a name for those suspicious people (9/11 truthers). So that was lesson number one.

After watching your links I'm leaning more towards being a "truther".

Today, I found another video - http://video.google.com/videop...2032&ei...
Blueprint For Truth
Architects and engineers challenge the official version of building collapse on 9/11
Richard Gage, founder of Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth, presents the findings of 130 design and construction professionals who have concluded that the collapse of the Twin Towers and Building 7 could not have been caused by fire, and that the so-called “pancake theory” (of one floor falling on the one below it, causing it, also, to break loose and fall on the next floor and the next – yet doing so at the same speed of fall to the ground as they would if there were no resistance to slow them down) is contrary to the laws of physics. Their conclusion? Only a controlled demolition, which severs supporting columns at their base, can cause a building to collapse in such free-fall fashion. There is, of course, much more. Some of this information has been available previously in bits and dabs, but this is the first time all of it has been assembled into a single, coherent presentation. Skeptics may dismiss one or two of these issues as mere anomalies; but, when they all are considered together, only a person in deep denial could reject them all. See the evidence and judge for yourself.

I also read the "Popular Mechanics" article that has been quoted to debunk the truthers. What I read was in total conflict with the evidence in the 2 films I mentioned above. Maybe more people will reach out and find more information to come to an individual conclusion - and not take some talking head's word for it.

If you're reading this and don't take the time to look at the facts presented - then you are part of the problem.
Barbara Harless

A Maidens Warfare

2010-05-02T15:00:00.000-05:00

From "Raising Maidens of Virtue: A Study of Feminine Loveliness for Mothers and Daughter" by Stacy McDonald. Chapter 15, A Knight in Shining Armor. Picture found in the book also. (Thank you for sharing, Lacy!)

A Maiden's Warfare

by Carol A. DeLadurantey

Press on to heights of glory now,
And keep thou steady eye.

One must not falter in this fight,
Though some may flee or fly.

Take hold the charge thou has been given,
To battle we must go.

But not with our own maiden hands
Do we take up shield or bow.

We wage this war in words and actions,
With our every deed.

We follow Christ our captain,
Thro' him we will succeed.

Tell me now have we forgot
The charge from God above

To keep our hearts in purity, grace,
Modesty, truth and love.

These are our weapons, our shields, our swords;
In this battle we now fight.

We strive not for an earthly king,
But for our God of truth and might!

Poem by Judge Roy Moore

2010-04-30T17:07:00.002-05:00

(Click here for entire Article)

"...Some of you may be wondering what has happened to Alabama Judge Roy Moore since he was removed from the bench for refusing to remove the Ten Commandments from his courtroom wall?

In case you forgot he was sued by the ACLU for displaying the Ten Commandments in his Courtroom. He was stripped of his judgeship and now they are trying to strip his right to strip his right to practice law in Alabama!

Judge Moore wrote the following Poem that sums it up quite well:

America the beautiful,
or so you used to be.
Land of the Pilgrims’ pride;
I’m glad they’ll never see.

Babies piled in dumpsters,
Abortion on demand,
Oh, sweet land of liberty;
your house is on the sand.

Our children wander aimlessly
poisoned by cocaine
choosing to indulge their lusts,
when God has said abstain.

From sea to shining sea,
our Nation turns away
From the teaching of God’s love
and a need to always pray.

We’ve kept God in our
temples, how callous we have grown.
When earth is but His footstool,
and Heaven is His throne.
We’ve voted in a government
that’s rotting at the core,
Appointing Godless Judges;
who throw reason out the door.

Too soft to place a killer
in a well deserved tomb,
but brave enough to kill a baby
before he leaves the womb.

You think that God’s not
angry, that our land’s a moral slum?
How much longer will He wait
before His judgment comes?

How are we to face our God,
from whom we cannot hide?
What then is left for us to do,
but stem this evil tide?

If we who are His children,
will humbly turn and pray;
seek His holy face
and mend our evil way:

Then God will hear from Heaven;
and forgive us of our sins;
He’ll heal our sickly land
and those who live within.

But, America the Beautiful,
If you don’t – then you will see,
A sad but Holy God
withdraw His hand from Thee.

~~Judge Roy Moore~~

http://www.goldcoastchronicle.com/feature/america-we-need-to-pray-for-alabama-judge-roy-moore/

Success at last and future plans

2010-04-19T16:46:00.003-05:00

Hello Readers,

On November 14th 2009 I completed 12th grade. What an exciting day it was for me. Proverbs 13:19 says “The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul.” Oh, the truth of that verse! Usually the harder you work for something, the sweeter success is. That was certainly the case with me.

What is next for me? Well, 1 Timothy 5:14 says “I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.” I feel that this is what the Lord has called me to do, be a devoted wife, and stay at home mom, raising my children for the glory of God. Being the oldest of 8 homeschooled children I get all the instruction and practice I should need for when I am a wife and mother. And until the Lord provides me a husband, I will remain in my fathers house, serving my family and preparing for the future.

So is college in my plans? No. Many people are surprised at my answer and start throwing questions like “How will you make a living?” “What if your husband dies or leaves you and you have to support a family?” “what will you fall back on if something happened?”….and the list goes on and on. My answer to everything is simple. Jesus Christ. Philippians 4:19 “But my God SHALL supply ALL your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Matthew 15:7 “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” I believe that as long as I am following the Lord’s will, he will provide everything I need. I have witnessed it all my life, Jesus has never failed us.

As for further education, I’ll never stop learning! Proverbs 18:15 “The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.” Since finishing 12th grade I have been learning more than ever. I’ve learned how to teach myself; if I ever wanted to pursue something that required more education, I could teach myself through various resources such as internet, books, library, etc. And if I felt the Lord leading me to further my "official" education, I trust He would make it possible.

One last note, I am certainly not against some people going to college. I just don’t think its for me, as explained above. Besides, no one says that if you don’t go to college you can never get a job! There are plenty of job opportunities that do not require college education. So if I ever wanted a job, I could still get one, though I might be more limited in which type. Whatever I need, Jesus will provide!

Soli Deo Gloria!

In Christ,

What Think Ye of Christ?

2010-04-12T13:32:00.000-05:00

Hi!

Today I would like to share one of my family's favorite songs. I could not find any audio to go with it, but here are the words. I hope you enjoy it!

In Christ,
Starlie

What Think Ye of Christ?
Vital Knowledge of Christ. -- Matthew 22:42

What think you of Christ is the test,
To try both your state and your scheme;
You cannot be right in the rest,
Unless you think rightly of Him.
As Jesus appears in your view,
As he is beloved or not;
So God is disposed to you,
And mercy or wrath are your lot.

Some take him a creature to be,
A man or an angel at most:
Sure these have not feelings like me,
Nor know themselves wretched and lost.
So guilty, so helpless am I,
I durst not confide in His blood,
Nor on his protection rely,
Unless I were sure He is God.

Some call him a Saviour in word,
But mix their own works with his plan
And hope He His help will afford,
When they have done all that they can:
If doings prove rather too light,
(A little, they own, they may fail),
They purpose to make up full weight
By casting His name in the scale.

Some style Him the Pearl of great price,
And say He’s the Fountain of joys;
Yet feed upon folly and vice,
And cleave to the world and its toys:
Like Judas the Saviour they kiss,
And while they salute Him, betray;
Ah! what will profession like this
Avail in His terrible day?

If asked what of Jesus I think,
Though still my best thoughts are but poor,
I say, He’s my meat and my drink,
My Life and my Strength, and my Store;
My Shepherd my Husband, my Friend,
My Saviour from sin and from thrall;
My Hope from beginning to end,
My Portion, my Lord, and my All.

(John Newton)

And the picture will be...

2010-04-12T13:26:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone,
Thanks for all the help! I've decided to go with number 4, the picture with the sunlight. If I start another page on my blog I will use the 2nd picture. Or who knows, I still may eventually switch the main picture after all. :)
Starlie

Decisions, decisions...

2010-04-08T21:30:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I have these four pictures I came up with for this blog page. The problem is I can only put one that will stay on the top of this page. So I need your help in deciding which one will look best! Keep in mind the connections between the picture and the blog name. You can vote for 1, 2, 3, or 4. :D

Oh, and please, I'd love to hear your opinions on my layout, how it could be changed, fonts, color, etc.!

Thanks for the help!
Starlie
1.

2.
3.

4.

The Story of Rifqa Bary

2010-04-08T16:26:00.000-05:00

Rifqa Bary is daughter of two Muslims. She found out about Jesus when she was 13 and accepted him as her Savior. Knowing her parents were devout Muslims and that her life would be in danger if found out, she kept it a secret until she turned 16, when someone found out through Facebook and told on her. Fearing for her life, she fled to Florida after being abused and threatened repeatedly by her parents. In Florida she stayed with her pastor, a friend she'd met through Facebook. When her parents found her they went to court demanding the return of their daughter. Rifqa pleaded that if she returned, it was the duty of her parents to kill her, according to the Koran, which they followed strictly. In spite of all her pleas, the judge sent her back to Ohio, but she was put into a foster home where hopefully she will be safe. Please look at her site for many more important details.

This all happened a few months ago, in Ohio. Yes, this actually happened in America and as far as I know it is not the only time it has happened. It is such a sad example of what the Muslim religion really is about. I know that many "muslims" wouldn't even consider doing such rash deeds, but there are some out there who would, and they are dangerous. I've posted a video here that explains how the Muslims are taking over. Although it is not the reason we have so many children (I have 4 brothers and 8 sisters), this video makes us grateful to our parents for dedicating their lives to raise so many children for the glory of Jesus Christ.

I've also posted two videos here of Rifqa giving her own testimony. One was recorded before she was found out, and the other after. Her story is touching, and I believe to be true.

Please take the time to watch all three videos and look at her site to learn more about her. Again, this happened in AMERICA, where we are supposed to have true freedom of religion.

Her website: http://www.floridasecuritycouncil.org/rifqa/

Muslim Demographics: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-3X5hIFXYU&feature=player_embedded

Here is another website about her: http://rifqabary.com/

Testimony before discovered by her parents: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne0MdUyJ1GU&feature=player_embedded

Testimony after discovered: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09WjFwe8pUk&feature=player_embedded

Here's another video I just found, a tribute to her. It is extremely touching. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CFMs632EKE&feature=player_embedded

Here is an update on her condition: http://www.floridasecuritycouncil.org/wordpress/

Our Christmas Blessing

2010-04-08T13:11:00.002-05:00

Hello world!

For my first article here I would like to share with you the blog I made after Christmas, as it contains a little about my family and I. I hope you enjoy it!

Our Christmas Blessing

Merry Christmas everyone, I hope your Christmas was filled with blessings and joy. For me it was the best Christmas yet. Let me share it with you. First of all, I am 16 years old, and the oldest of 8 children. It was Christmas morning and we were all excited, having just finished opening all of our presents. Then Mom handed us another small present to open. She told us "it’s just a little something from your dad and I for you to share". So we gathered together and opened it. Inside was a little jewelry box. No, there was no jewelry in it, it was something far more valuable. In it was a piece of paper with just two words on it. Two words that are familiar to us but this time we were totally surprised. “I’m Pregnant”!!!! Mom has surprised us before but this was truly a blessing to find out on Christmas day. Immediately the atmosphere erupted with excitement. Each of us had our own way of expressing our joy. It took a while for it to soak in for some and others burst out screaming with glee. Mom video-taped the whole event but had no idea how priceless the video would turn out. We’ve watched it over and over again, the excitement never lessening. Now I want to share it with you with hopes that it will bless you too. (See link at bottom)

To further inform, this baby will be Mom’s 9th and Dad’s 14th child. (Dad has five older ones that are grown). It may seem like the excitement would lessen each time we are told again that Mom is expecting. However, that is not the case. Instead the excitement seems to grow each time. This time was definitely the best yet, it being Christmas Day. By the way, Mom had just found out Christmas morning herself. Normally Dad and Mom wait until they hear the heartbeat to share the news with us, but since it was Christmas they just couldn’t pass up the opportunity. We all believe that children are a gift from God and we don’t take for granted that Mom is able to bear children knowing there are many women out there who wish they could have children and can’t. We also believe that it is God who opens and closes the womb, so we leave the timing and amount of children up to Him and trust Him to provide for all our many daily needs. And let me assure you, he has never failed to provide all our many daily needs.

The due date is August 25th!!

(King James) Philippians 4:19: “But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus”.

(King James) Psalms 127:3: “Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: And the fruit of the womb is his reward”

Here is the video Mom took of us receiving the surprise:

We hope our Christmas blessing has now blessed you as well.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from our family to yours.

Starlie