Tag; you're it!

I came across this tag today on my friend Breezy's site, and decided to post my own on here. Enjoy!

Here are 10 facts about myself:

1. I started ballet at the age of 4, and quit at 6 when my brother was born. I was also once a ballroom dancer but quit lessons, after being very convicted by the Lord, 2 years after I started.

2. I'm completely terrified of spiders! I can't even go near them to kill them, as I'm afraid they'll jump on me. :/

3. I can't stand green peas!

4. I had surgery for slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) in May of 2003 (at the age of almost 11) and had a screw inserted into my hip.

5. I've never been a very athletic person, but over the years have enjoyed playing basketball, volleyball and-of all things!-flag football occasionally. I wasn't that great, though, and was never on a team.

6. I've been homeschooled all my life and skipped second grade. Also, speaking of school, I went to get my senior pictures taken last Monday! :)

7. When I was really little people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I would reply, "A mommy and a cooker!".

8. I'm currently working on a very exciting project that I hope to, Lord willing, announce soon!

9. My hair was once waist length, and at that time I got 10 inches cut off and donated it to Locks of Love (a group that takes the hair and makes it into wigs for cancer patients)-it was then shoulder length after that.

10. My mouth is rather small, so I had to get my wisdom teeth taken out back in January 2007 before they were even through the gums.

If you're reading this, consider yourself tagged, and be sure to leave me your link so that I can read your answers! :) Have fun!

Introduction to the Stay-at-Home Daughterhood Article Series

*The following is the first installment in this series; a new article will be posted each Friday.

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What was once so natural and almost universally accepted and practiced, has become an enigma. Today, it's even a fighting phrase for some and even a picture of enslavement. What is this hated and misunderstood topic I speak of? Nothing other than what we refer to as stay-at-home daughterhood. As we will discover through our study, this concept of Biblical daughterhood was one that was once widely popular and seen as perfectly normal, safe and wise. What changed, and why? How did we go from the mindset of full support of stay-at-home daughterhood to one of sincere hatred at the very thought of it? We will uncover the answers to these questions as well as many others throughout the course of this series.

In this brief introduction, I want to quickly address various issues pertaining to stay-at-home daughterhood. What I want to begin with is the question that I'm sure is on the minds of many, and that is-just what is stay-at-home daughterhood? For years, I had never heard of such an idea, and I know there must be countless other young ladies who are currently in the same boat I was. They have either never heard of stay-at-home daughterhood, or have heard the phrase but don't know what it's referring to. There are many misrepresentations alive today concerning this doctrine, so I want to shed some light upon stay-at-home daughterhood's true nature, thereby clearing away some of the chaos and confusion that abound when this topic is raised. Some entertain the thought in their minds that this belief is one that was specifically designed to enslave young women, and that a stay-at-home daughter is a mindless, wimpy, mousy young lady who is chained to and slaving over a hot stove all day long. They seem to think that this poor daughter never sees the light of day, but is instead locked away in a dungeon-like basement in the family home, ruled by an overbearing and abusive father. While this portrayal may seem rather humorous (and very outlandish!), there are some who truly believe this is what we are referring to when we speak of stay-at-home daughterhood. When you begin to fully grasp this fact, and realize that these people, because of their misunderstandings, are seeking to lead others away from the beauties of Biblical daughterhood, the above notion loses all its humor rather quickly. While this is one notion some have regarding this doctrine of daughterhood, others think that stay-at-home daughters are alike in all respects to stay-at-home wives and mothers, in that they take over and replace all aspects of their mother's work and influence in the home, and in so doing, become a sort of second wife to their fathers and mother to their siblings. Neither of these notions is based in reality or Biblical teaching. While some daughters may live in one of the two scenarios mentioned above while at the same time call themselves stay-at-home daughters, these portrayals are not faithful to the picture of stay-at-home daughterhood found in the Bible.

We must be careful when we newly discover a Biblical teaching on daughterhood (or any other subject, for that matter!), for we too often take passages and run with them, forming legalistic and unBiblical thought patterns. Stay-at-home daughterhood is a valid, Biblical and beautiful doctrine, but must not be taken so far as to morph the daughter into a wife and mother or to enslave the daughter by putting her into the status of a second class citizen. When followed and practiced Biblically, stay-at-home daughterhood is a wonderful blessing by which a daughter is able to fully exercise her God-given talents while remaining in the protective realm of her father's house and striving to do all within her power to bless her family and others who enter that home.

Simply put and Biblically speaking, stay-at-home daughterhood is the belief that an unmarried daughter is to remain in the home of her father until the time when she is given in marriage by him. I can already see some of you who have never before heard of this doctrine incredulously raising your eyebrows. This is a common reaction, but a sad one as well, for this practice used to be viewed as a "no-brainer", so to speak. It was once simply assumed that a grown, unmarried woman would enjoy life in her father's home, filling her days with hospitality, productivity, industry, projects dedicated to ministering to others, and various accomplishments in her God-given, womanly work. What a contrast this expectation is with the one all-too-common today that if you're a high school graduate you must immediately be ushered off to a college or full-time job somewhere! It is a relatively recent notion-and a sad and destructive one at that- which says that if a daughter is in her father's home until she's married, there must be something wrong with her, or her father must be a brute who wants absolute, totalitarian control over her. Neither could be further from Biblical truth, and it is high time that we as Christians become more Biblically literate when it comes to the question of what a young woman is to do between her high school graduation and her wedding day. Instead of succumbing to the world's teachings and today's cultural norm with unquestioning, blind obedience, we should be actively seeking to know the heart of Christ when it comes to issues pertaining to a daughter's life. We are to be in this world but not of it. However, too many Christians today are not actively seeking God's will on the subject of daughterhood, but are rather following after the world and its ways, visions and plans for today's daughters. Christians today aren't even bothering to second guess the world's expectations and priorities. So, it is time for God's people to step up and start discovering for themselves what God's Word teaches daughters to spend their valuable, God-given time doing. And second, once they discover God's thoughts and commands on this topic, must seek to proclaim these truths to others. Clearly, feminism has attempted to tarnish and obscure the shining, radiant truths of God's Word (which is the true liberator of women!) in the hopes of somehow giving females "a better life". It is beyond time that the dust and filth which feminism has showered on the beautiful portrait of daughterhood which the Scriptures present, be brushed off and that the ancient truths of Scripture be raised up once again! That is just what I'm seeking to do through this series.

To present to you, statistically, just how far we've regressed when it comes to what we believe an unmarried young woman's role is to be, consider these reports:

• In 1946, more than 90% of young women ages 15-24 lived at home with their parents
• According to a survey conducted in a bridal magazine c. 1970, 67% of young women lived at home until marriage
• In 1995, 30% of young women remained at home until marriage
• According to the 2000 census, 20% of young adult women lived with their parents
• In Britain, during the second quarter of 2008, only 18% of women aged 20-34 still lived at home with their parents**

I read somewhere that during the first years of the 20th century only between 3 and 5 percent of unmarried young women lived away from their parents. Contrast that with the 2008 report from Britain, which says that 82% reside away from their parents! Do you see how far we've come? While feminists would see this downward spiral in the number of unmarried women living at home with their parents as progress, the Biblically-conscious Christian should view these statistics as tragic regression.

You may be thinking, just why did the percentage of women remaining at home until marriage drop so dramatically? Well, it is my goal to answer this as well as many other questions pertaining to stay-at-home daughterhood through the course of this article series. I believe it is imperative that we as Christians understand the history surrounding the decline in the number of stay-at-home daughters so that we may better know how to combat the lies and sly plans of those who oppose Christian family life. Throughout this study, we will be covering such topics as:

• What is God's design for womanhood and how does stay-at-home daughterhood pertain to and correspond with it?
• Where in the Scriptures is stay-at-home daughterhood taught and presented?
• Why is stay-at-home daughterhood so important?
• What effect did feministic philosophies have on stay-at-home daughterhood and why?
• What about college and higher education?
• What about a young woman taking a job outside the home?
• What is a stay-at-home daughter to do with her time? What are her roles and responsibilities?
• Can a stay-at-home daughter truly be productive and further Christ's kingdom while remaining at home?
• What are some ways that a young woman can earn money without leaving the protection of her home?
• What are some ministry ideas for a stay-at-home daughter?
• What if a young woman has a father who no longer sees the importance of protecting her, and wishes to send her off on her own? What is she to do?
• What if a young woman has an abusive father?

We will also be joined in our study by several young women who are committed to joyfully remaining at home under their father's authority and protection until the day they marry. I will be conducting several interviews with these various ladies over the next few weeks, in the hopes that they will serve to be an encouragement to you, and serve as a picture of just how happy, exciting and productive the life of a stay-at-home daughter can be!

So, whether you are a committed stay-at-home daughter who just needs a dose of encouragement, or someone who is passionately against stay-at-home daughterhood, or someone somewhere in between, this article series is for you!

I pray that the Lord would bless you richly through the reading of this series, and that He would open the eyes of those who need their eyes opened, and would encourage and strengthen those who need edifying. In order to see the impact of this series on those who read it, I put a poll on my blog a couple months ago, asking my readers to please vote in response to the simple question: What are your thoughts on stay-at-home daughterhood? The poll was responded to with 186 votes and the following are the results I received:

• It's 100% Biblical and such a blessing--88 votes (47%)
• I don't see it taught in the Scriptures--48 votes (25%)
• It enslaves young women--39 votes (20%)
• I don't fully understand what it is--20 votes (10%)
• It's weird and wacky--11 votes (5%)
• I've never heard of it--8 votes (4%)

At the end of the series I'm going to reopen this poll. While I understand that not all of those who voted in the poll the first time around will necessarily come to my blog and vote again, while at the same time new people who did not vote in the first will vote in the second, I still hope to attempt to see what effect the series has had on the way some of my readers view the subject of stay-at-home daughterhood.

Throughout the course of this series, I would appreciate your prayers! Please also spread the word as much as you can! Thank you all for the part you are having in making this project a success! May all glory, honor, and praise go now and forevermore to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

** Statistical Information courtesy of research conducted on Google

Snapshots from Daddy's Birthday

This past Thursday, September 17th, was Daddy's birthday. Here are some photos of the celebration. :)

Andrew and I tend to make cards for Daddy, but we happened to find some we really liked instead. Here's the one Andrew picked for him. :)

The two most important men in my life. :)

This is the card I picked for Daddy

Daddy talking to Andrew about one of his gifts. :) He received a CD set of Doug Phillips reading Poems for Patriarchs

Daddy blowing out his musical candle! :) This is the 2 layer chocolate cake with chocolate icing he requested.

Enjoying precious fellowship with the Brookshire family!

We were so excited and blessed to be able to spend time with the dear Brookshire family while in Indiana! Daddy and I had met Mr. Brookshire and his sweet daughters Breezy and Emily Rose at this year's Vision Forum Father Daughter Retreat. While speaking with them, we discovered that, amazingly, they lived only about 20 minutes down the road from my great-grandparents! We had also visited the Brookshire's church before without realizing they went there! This time while in Indiana we were able to visit their church again, and they were so kind and hospitable that they invited us over for lunch afterwards. It was so wonderful to see them again (and to meet their wonderful mother!). This fun time made Mama's birthday even more special. A memorable day of fun, much laughter, and encouragement was enjoyed by all!

Breezy, myself and Emily Rose-special kindred friends!
The men- Mr. Brookshire, Daddy and Andrew

Mr. Brookshire and Daddy enjoying a good conversation!

Goodbye 'til next time! (this picture got out of order :( )

A group of likeminded Christians enjoying joyous fellowship together

My dear friend Breezy and the Brookshire's sweet family dog Bentley (who is also very obedient, I might add!)

Mr. and Mrs. Brookshire, Daddy and Mama

Mrs. Brookshire and Mama- two precious, godly women who delight in being wives, mothers and homemakers!

For more photos from our time with the Brookshires, please click here!

**Special note: the Brookshire sisters have just completed, by God's grace, a wonderful new project that will be featured in and available through this year's Vision Forum family catalogue (which is due out soon!). This wonderful work will, I'm sure, serve to encourage, edify, teach and strengthen the sturdy, godly, feminine, submissive, and visionary wives, mothers and homemakers of the next generation! For more information, please click here (and be sure to spread the word)!

Fun, fun, fun in Indiana!

Here are more photos from our time in Indiana. Enjoy!

My dear Papa (my great-grandfather) makes the best grilled hamburgers!
Fun-loving Nanny!

When Andrew discovered that he was finally the same height as Nanny, he was so excited!

Daddy and Andrew having fun as usual! :) I just love it when they wear their matching shirts!

Mama and Nanny enjoying a dice game

Me, Mammy, and my great-uncle Glen (who is SO much fun, as well!)

Me, dear Mammy, and Andrew

Me and my precious Mammy. She is such a godly woman and a wonderful role model for me. She radiates with kindness, femininity, hospitality, love for Christ, motherly love, and modesty. Her submissiveness, meek and quiet spirit, and the fact that she delights in being a woman are always so evidant. She truly is a delight to be around, and I'm so blessed to have her as my great-grandma!

Me and Glen...having fun as always!

Our vacation was a wonderful one, filled with fun and special memories. Lots of games were played, good talks were had, yummy foods were made and consumed, etc. We're very thankful for the time the Lord allowed us to have, and hope that you enjoyed this little glimpse into it! :)

Mama's birthday in Indiana

Well, these pictures came up out of order....I hope you'll bear with me! :)

Mama's birthday was Sunday, September 6th, and thus she was able to celebrate it in her favorite place....Indiana! She was able to visit with both great-grandmas (who both made her very yummy cakes!), which made for quite a happy day!

Andrew and I gave Mama the jewelry for her birthday, not knowing that Nanny (my great-grandma) had purchased this top for her. Look how well the earrings and top match! :) That was quite a pleasant surprise.
Mama and Nanny :)

The tasty pineapple upside down cake Nanny made for Mama

Mama and her not so little boy on her birthday (reading the card he made for her!)

Daddy, Mama and Mammy (my other great-grandma). Mammy made her a beautiful, moist applesauce cake. She is a very creative woman-she even put icing flowers on the cake!

I do believe it was a happy birthday, don't you? :)

On the road.....to Indiana! :)

As some of you may know, my family and I left for Indiana on Friday morning, September 4th to go visit my great-grandparents (and some dear friends, as well!). The following are some pictures I took in the van on the way to beautiful Indiana farmland! I hope you enjoy.... As most of you probably know by now, I'm a major sucker for sky photos (I have over 60 on my camera right now!), and simply couldn't resist capturing these two works of art on camera!
Isn't our God a master designer?

My sweet brother Andrew and I

We have much fun together, I assure you! ;)

A precious picture of Mama and Daddy that captures the beauty of their godly marriage. On occasion, especially on long drives, you can catch them silently holding hands. :) Sweet or what?

Yes, I adore my sweet, silly brother!

Get your vote in now!! :)

The long awaited stay-at-home daughterhood article series will, Lord willing, begin this Friday, September 25th!! You have only 3 days left to vote in the poll- please do so and spread the word about the series. I also eagerly welcome your prayers for this project!

God bless you this week,
Rebekah

The Importance of the Bill of Rights

*The following was written for a school assignment. I decided to post it here in the hopes that it would quicken you to fight for your blessed freedoms against those so intent upon destroying America.

Patrick Henry was a very wise man who understood the fact that, without a bill of rights, the U.S. Constitution would not necessarily be a liberty-preserving document. He refused to even support the proposed Constitution at the time when such a bill was absent from its pages, for he knew the sinfulness of man's nature and the desire man has to control others and usurp authority. He distrusted the proposed Constitution, for he felt that under it, America would quite easily fall into the hands of a monarch yet again. Mr. Henry knew something that many Americans today do not: without the addition of the Bill of Rights to the Constitution, there could not be still in existence "the land of the free", the United States of America.

The Founding Fathers undoubtedly fought hard for our freedom. During the Revolutionary War, they endured frigid winters, hunger, and a lack of sufficient clothing. Many of them bled and died so that we might have the blessing of living free. They also framed the Constitution for the sake of their posterity-us. Just how are we thanking them today? By referring to religion (the term our Founders used for Christianity) as incompatible with the realm of the civil government and politics. By crying out for separation of church and state and for the outlawing of Christianity, rather than for freedom of religion. By calling the second amendment and the bearing of arms unconstitutional. By ruling our government in such a way that we are supporting its takeover by foreign nations and philosophies that are bent on America's destruction. By calling abortion acceptable under the phrase "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". That's how we're thanking our Founding Fathers for the many and varied sacrifices they made for us! Shameful? That would be an understatement!

We are taking the Bill of Rights and turning it on its head today. We are sticking out our stubborn necks against our Founders and rejecting the blessed freedom they paid so dearly for on our behalf. Today, Americans are blindly rejecting the rights which their ancestors held as dear and precious, the rights that separated them from the countries of mourning, slavery, trepidation, abuse, dictatorship, darkness, and sadness. Our ancestors viewed the Bill of Rights as a gift from God that proclaimed the blessings He had given to us in this new country. Just as it would be shameful for Christians to reject their Christian liberty, so it is shameful for Americans to reject their God-given national liberty! That's exactly what we are guilty of doing today, however-rejecting what our Founders referred to as "the blessings of liberty".
Just how important is the Bill of Rights? Could we get along allright without it? Would we be truly free in this nation without it? Is the Bill of Rights overrated? I think not! In fact, just as Patrick Henry did, I know not! The Bill of Rights that the Lord has blessed us with is precisely what separates us from Communist China, from Islamic Iran, and from the former Soviet Union. Without this Bill America would quickly be reduced to a nation of concentration camps and dictatorships. Instead of joy and capitalistic industry would be wretched sadness and socialism. Instead of freedom, independent living, and peaceful sleep at night knowing we live in a free nation, would be chains, slavery, torment, and the dread of living another day in such dreary circumstances, combined with the fear of actually facing death at the hands of a dictator and his minions. America is separated from China by a thin line of, first of all, the blessing of God, and secondly, the Bill of Rights.

All around us here in America are politicians intent on destroying the Bill of Rights. They prowl about in the dark of night, working silently to erode away our freedoms and our God-given privileges. They are crafty God-hating men and women who receive their joy from ruling and controlling others. These powerful workers are dedicated to destroying the United States of America and all she has stood for in the past. While these politicians are working hard, incessantly striving to reach their idolized goal, the majority of Americans are helping them by remaining in a state of slumber, disinterested in what is going on about them. Americans are their own worst enemies, and unbeknownst to them, are actually serving the very people who are working so hard to destroy them. The politicians striving to overtake America by destroying her Bill of Rights would not be as successful as they are becoming if it weren't for lazy Americans who are keeping their eyes shut and their ears deaf. Because we Americans take not the time to observe what is going on around us, to educate ourselves as to what our government is working on, and to fight against those who are attempting to control us, we are handing over our freedoms bit by bit without so much as a fight.

It is high time that we, the descendants of the fighters in the War for Independence, took on that revolutionary spirit and set out to defeat King George III yet again. Wake up, America! Fight back against those who want to take away your precious freedoms! Make the Founders proud in the way that you bravely resist the socialists' deeds of darkness. Wake up, America, before it's too late-before your Bill of Rights is nowhere to be found!

Stay-at-home Daughterhoodhood Article Series Delay :(

I hate to be the bearer of bad news this morning, but the release of the first article in the stay-at-home daughterhood series has been pushed to Friday, September 25th, 2009. The time between my arrival home and today was going to be spent on putting the finishing touches, etc. on the first article. However, I've been distracted and preoccupied due to the terrible news received Monday about a family in our church. While I know this delay is a huge letdown to all of you as well as to myself, I feel that I would be letting us down all the more if I attempted to just go through the motions with the article, without really putting my heart and my best into it when my mind is on other things. I want this series to be the best it can be to God's glory, and I feel that if I had attempted to prepare the article for release today, it wouldn't have been the best it could be. I'm so sorry for this unexpected and unforseen problem and postponement. I had so wanted this series to begin on my father's birthday (today). I know, however, that God's will is best, and His timing perfect. This way, at least you'll have more time to vote in the poll and spread the word about the series! God is good, and has a good plan for this project. To God alone be the glory!

Please continue to pray for the family at church!! This is such a sad and awful situation, and they really need prayer at this time! Thank you!

Updates, a Reminder and Prayer Requests

Hello, all! My family and I returned yesterday evening from a truly delightful trip to Indiana to visit my great-grandparents. While there, we were able to have lunch and enjoy a great time of fellowship with some of my dearest friends, Breezy, Emily and the rest of their family. A great time was had by all (more on that later!), and the Lord was so merciful in granting to us traveling mercies on our journey back home. As always, a wonderful visit with family ends in an emotional departure. But God is good, and I'm so thankful for the precious time we were able to have together.

As most of you know, Lord willing, the first article in the stay-at-home daughterhood series will be posted this Thursday, September 17th. Also, please note that there is limited time available to vote in the poll that is associated with this project, so please do vote while you still can! Please continue to keep this series in your prayers, as well! That is greatly appreciated, I assure you!

While driving home yesterday, Mama discovered that there were 2 messages on her cell phone from our pastor. They sounded very urgent, and upon calling back, we were told something that we never ever would have expected. I don't feel at liberty at this time to reveal all the details (especially not on the public venue of a blog). However, I am pleading with you that you would please pray for a family in our church. Something has happened that has sent us into complete shock and disbelief. Though you don't know all the details (nor do we at this time!), please don't allow that to cause you to underestimate the importance of keeping this family in your prayers. If, in the future, I feel that I can share more with you all, I certainly will. But for the time being, I would so appreciate your prayers! They mean more than you know! We know that the Lord will bring good out of this situation, but we truly are wondering why it has happened. 'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, though! God is good, and will bring good out of this problem. Thank you so very, very much for your faithful, caring prayers and concern!

Also, there is a friend of mine from church who was injured recently during football practice. He had to have surgery for torn cartilage in his knee, and at this time, we are unsure whether or not his cartilage will heal. Please pray the the Great Physician would work wonders, that his recovery would not be too painful, etc.

Thank you all so much for your love and prayers. What a joy it is to have readers like you! The Lord truly has blessed me through you all, and I pray that he will use me to be a blessing to you in return.

God bless you,
Miss Rebekah