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

A Plea to the American Unbelievers of Today

*The following was written for a school Bible/writing assignment, but, with the knowledge that some of my readers profess to not be Christians, and are thus unsaved, I felt that the Lord would have me post this on my blog as well. May it prove to be a blessing to all who read what's contained herein.

A Plea to the American Unbelievers of Today

The vast majority of you claim to believe in God. However, what do your actions say? Do they agree with and support your words? By no means. Some of you even go around claiming the name of Christ, but to no use. You claim it in vain. You are filled with carnality and are thus the enemies of God, not the friends thereof. I would submit to you that the belief you claim to hold is not a belief in the One True God, but rather a belief in the gods who are a figment of your imagination. Most of you do indeed believe in a god or gods, but none of these will be able to help you on the coming Day of Judgment-you will be left in your sins if you do not turn from them now unto the true and living God.

You rely on your made up gods and religions in the hopes that one day you'll be found worthy to enter heaven. These false gods of yours do not exist and will therefore be of no assistance to you on that day when you find yourself at the judgment seat of Christ. Woe to you who believe in these false gods! Woe to you because there is no hope whatsoever for you. That is, unless you turn from these fantasy gods to the One true God and His Son Jesus Christ.

You all go scurrying about in an abyss of relativism, chained by confusion and chaos. All this worrying and arguing about what truth is could easily be avoided if you simply turned from Satan, the author of confusion, to Christ, the author of all true knowledge. Fear of Christ is the beginning of knowledge, but not one of you possesses true knowledge, for you do not fear Christ. You must repent of your sins and turn to the Savior. God has revealed Himself to you through your consciences, His creation, and His Word, but you have ignored each and every one of these signs from Him. He will not be patient and kind to you forever. One day, He will turn from His lenience to His wrath and will subdue each of you and your sins. On that great Day of Judgment there will be no chance for any of you to repent of your sins and turn to the Savior. That chance only exists today, in this moment, as you don't know what the next day or even the next hour may bring. Your only hope is to be found right now as you listen to my words. When I am finished speaking to you, your time of hope may be finished as well. You have but a moment to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ in faith. Your life is but a vapor and will soon be gone, and if your life ends before you turn unto Christ, your soul will forever be lost. Jesus is showing to you His tender mercies in allowing you to hear His truth today. Do not resist these mercies, but rather cling to them. They are your only hope of salvation.

Now, as I close, I plead with you, I beseech you, to not turn away from your only chance to be saved. Turn not your back on this loving Savior Who died on the cross to save sinners such as you. Do not choose to spend eternity in hell; choose rather to spend your eternity in paradise, in the presence of the God Who shed His blood to save all those that would believe. Rich peace and joy that passes all understanding would immediately fill your souls if only you would surrender them to God. Please do not turn away from His offer of salvation. Today is the day of salvation, today is the appointed time. Turn not away.

The Current Status of the Long Awaited Stay-at-Home Daughterhood Article Series

I have been amazed by the response I've received to the stay-at-home daughterhood poll I posted. I'm excited that there are so many of you out there who are taking an interest in this subject and who are willing to vote in the poll to let me know what's on your mind regarding this topic. The answers to the poll I've so far received have been very revealing and interesting, to say the least! I'm very encouraged by all of you who have voted letting me know that you find stay-at-home daughterhood to be a great Biblical blessing. However, my eyes have also been opened all the more, through this poll, to the fact that there are many out there who (as I was 3 years ago) have never heard of stay-at-home daughterhood nor have any idea what exactly it means. Others don't, themselves, see it taught in the Scriptures, while still others who have grown up with feminism and have bought into its carefully packaged lies have the belief that stay-at-home daughterhood somehow enslaves young women and deprives them of reaching their full potential and prohibits them from using their gifts and talents fully for the glory of God and good of others. Clearly, feminism has attempted to tarnish and obscure the shining, radiant truths of God's Word (the true liberator of women!) in the hopes of somehow giving females "a better life". It is high time that the dust and filth that feminism has showered on the beautiful picture of daughterhood that the Scriptures present, be brushed off and that these anctient truths be raised up once again!

As you can probably detect, I am very passionate and excited about this series and the truths it will reveal. However, as I've prepared for this series and as my vision for it has grown, I have become increasingly aware that apart from Christ, I can do nothing. I could do all the research in the world and attempt to write eloquently of the joys of stay-at-home daughterhood, but if I did not first seek His face and His blessing and His vision, desire, and purpose for this series, then it wouldn't matter how nicely I wrote or how much work I put into the articles-the result would be the same-fruitlessness and a lot of wasted time. The Lord has been convicting me and opening my eyes to the fact that even though I'm the one striving to write this series, I am nothing. He is the One with all the power, glory and might. He alone has the ability to change people's hearts and to open their eyes up to the truth. I am merely an insignificant young woman with many faults and failures whom the Lord has graciously decided to use as an instrument in His hands to, Lord willing, bring about change in the lives of girls and young women who are in desperate need of the glorious truths He has to offer. It is for that reason that I am freshly and anew dedicating this work to the Lord, praying for His direction and for His hand to be upon it, to bless it, and to allow it to bring about much fruit, and to graciously give me the words to write and the lessons to share. For I am weak, but He is ever strong.

As I have dedicated increasingly more thought to this article series, I have found the Lord changing the meager ideas I had for this series in the beginning, and suppling me with more and more ideas and vision. In fact, just the other night, the Lord graciously gave me yet another article idea to be included in this series! :) I'm constantly amazed by the hand of God-how He takes our insignificant, little ideas and transforms them into tools for His hand-tools to carry out His plans and to bring Him glory. Just when I think that I've come up with all the article ideas to be included in this series, He intercedes and reminds me that His grace is sufficient and teaches me to not rely on my own finite strength or knowlege, but to rather seek His face, His truth and His plans!

Through His grace, my vision for this series has increased and so has my preparation (i.e. research, study, writing, editing, etc.) for it. During my time of increased preparation, I need your help. I'm asking that you would please do the following for me:

• First and foremost (and by far most important!), please be in prayer for me! In preparing for and writing this series, I am in need of much wisdom, which only comes through Christ (Col. 2:3). Please be in prayer that I would be given much needed wisdom, humility and grace as I undertake this work that I pray would be a blessing to many young ladies who are in desperate need of direction and godly vision in their lives. As I said previously, unless the Lord's mighty hand is on this series and He blesses and directs it, it will be worthless. So, please do pray for me, that I would feel the Lord's presence and that His loving hand would guide me, that I would receive the wisdom needed to write exactly what needs to be written for edification and enlightenment and that the Lord would bless my efforts with an abundant harvest of fruit! Please also pray that I would constantly be reminded that I am merely God's servant, an instrument in His hands, and a worker for His kingdom that always needs His strength and blessing in order to accomplish wonderful things for His cause. Finally, please pray that the Lord would begin even now to prepare the hearts of those who will read this series, preparing them for what they will hear and discover, and that He would open the eyes of those who will find themselves reading this work. Please intercede before the throne of God above that if there are misconceptions that the readers have regarding stay-at-home daughterhood, that they would be addressed and refuted, that eyes that need to be opened will be, that problems and difficulties people have with this doctrine would be taken care of and cleared up. No matter what I write in this series, I, myself, will not be able to bring about any positive change in those who will read it. Only the Lord God has the ability to do that. So, please pray that He would do just that and that His will would be done.

• Please spread the word! Be sure to tell others about the approaching release of the stay-at-home daughterhood series. I want as many as possible to be able to read this series, and each of you can take a special part in helping to make that happen! Please tell all the people you can about the upcoming articles. Make mention of it on your blog our website by linking to By His Grace and For His Glory, e-mail young ladies you know who would benefit from this series, and be sure to tell your friends and family about it! I so appreciate all of your efforts to make the coming series known!

• Please submit questions and comments you may have regarding stay-at-home daughterhood! There will be a special Q & A session towards the end of this series, so please begin submitting your questions now. You can do so by leaving them in a comment at the end of this post or by e-mailing me at living_for_my_Lords_glory@hotmail.com (please note: there is no appostrophe in the word "Lords", as hotmail does not allow this sort of punctuation in e-mail addresses). I look forward to hearing from you!

• Submit your testimony! I would love to hear from you stay-at-home daughters out there! What are you doing with your time as a stay-at-home daughter? Share a testimony about your change to stay-at-home daughterhood, or perhaps tell of how you've always been taught about stay-at-home daughterhood since you were a young girl. Share with us how stay-at-home daughterhood has been a blessing to you and your family and what you have learned through it. I would also love to hear from women who are married and perhaps mothers now, but who were stay-at-home daughters prior to marriage. Please share your wisdom with us and tell us how stay-at-home daughterhood helped to prepare you for your current life as a wife and mother. You can submit these testimonies the same way you would a question or comment, and I look forward to sharing these with the rest of my readers near the end of the series!

• Please vote and share your thoughts! As many of you know, there is a poll on the right side of your screen asking you to share your thoughts on stay-at-home daughterhood. If you have already voted in this poll, thank you so much! I appreciate your input! If you have not voted yet, I highly encourage you to please do so! As you may have noticed, I have increased the number of voting days available for this poll. This is because I want as many people as possible to vote in it before the release of the article series, and because the release date has been pushed back a bit due to increased writing and preparation, I wanted to make sure you had ample opportunity to vote as you anticipate the release of the first article in the series. Please feel free to comment in the comment section or send me an e-mail and elaborate on your vote. Explain why you voted the way you did and what your thoughts are. I would love to hear from you!

• Submit suggestions for consideration! Do you have an idea for the article series that you think should be included? Perhaps you have written an article on this very subject and would like to see it included in the series. Please submit your articles and ideas! I would be happy to consider them for involvement in the series!

Why Friday, September 17th, 2009?

As of now, unless the Lord surprises me with different plans, the date set for the release of the first article in the series is Friday, September 17th, 2009, which is my Daddy's birthday! Why the 17th? I am planning for this to be the release date for several reasons:

• First of all, due to increased writing for this series, more time is needed before it can be publised here.

• Secondly, I will be out of town from September 4th through September 13th and did not want this trip to interfere with the series. A controversial subject like this tends to generate a lot of conversation, which is good. However, if I were to begin posting articles in this series prior to my absence, that absence would interfere with me being able to be a part of the conversation and would thus prohibit me from being able to answer questions or concerns you may have while I'm gone. Therefore, I felt that the wisest thing to do would be to delay posting of the articles until after I return, which will also allow me more time to work on and polish them, and more time for you to be able to vote, spread the word, send in questions, pray for the series and all it involves, etc.

• I also think it's only fitting that the first installment in this series be published on the birthday of the man whose home I will happily remain in until I am given in marriage by him. :) This series will be dedicated to my dear father, George.

Once the first article is released, a subsequent article will be posted here each Friday until the complete series has been released.

I'm so excited about this project and pray that you are, as well! Thank you very, very much for all your prayers and support! May the Lord richly bless each of you!

Semper Reformanda (always reforming),

Rebekah

*photo courtesy of art.com

A Beautiful Portrait of the Father Daughter Relationship

The following are the lyrics to a new song from Point of Grace entitled, King of the World. It's a beautiful picture of the joy, love and delightful times that can be had through the precious father daughter relationship. It also stresses the importance of never taking our time with our Daddies for granted! Time goes by so very fast, and before we know it, we'll all (Lord willing) have homes and families of our own-we will be living with our dear fathers no longer. So take every moment of every day as a young maiden in your father's household and make the absolute most of it with your father, who is your God-given protector, provider and leader at this time of your life as an unmarried daughter. All of our fathers are no doubt imperfect, but we musn't allow their short comings to blind us into dishonoring them, ignoring them, pushing them away, or disrespecting them. By doing so, we would miss out on some of the most precious memories of our lives. So, drink in the lyrics of this beautiful song and then run and give your Daddy a big hug and a bright smile! :)

King of the World

Spinning around on the tops of his feet

smile of the angels could not be so sweet

wide blue eyes and piggy tail swirls

she's her daddy's girl

'cause he knows the jokes that always make her laugh

takes her for ice cream instead of her nap

at the end of the day by the light of the moon

they turn up the music in their living room

and she yells,

"dance me, dance me around till my feet don't ever touch down

there's nothing better than being your girl and if i am your

princess then daddy you are the king of the world"

its funny how life moves in circles of time to think so long ago

that face was mine houses get smaller we take different names

but some things in life stay the same

"dance me, dance me around till my feet don't ever touch down
there's nothing better than being your girl and if i am your
princess then daddy you are the king of the world

some day she'll go off and find a life of her own and marry a good

man and make a happy home until she comes back and sees with

those same eyes what time can not disguse she walks through

the door with that look on her face cuz daddy's brown hair has

all turned to gray they talk for hours they cry and they laugh

watchin' old movies and thinkin' back time goes by just as she turns to go she

says hey, daddy, how 'bout one for the road

dance me, dance me around till my feet don't ever touch down

dance me, dance me around till my feet dont ever touch down cuz theres nothing better than being your girl oh theres nothing better than being your girl and if i am your princess than daddy you are the king of the worldking of the worldsmile of the angels could not be so sweet

Updates and Thank Yous!

Hello, all! I hope the Lord is blessing you greatly this week.

I would like to begin by sincerely thanking each and every one of you that have voted on the polls on the right side of your screen. Thank you for letting your voice be heard, and for helping me in my research process. For those of you who have not yet voted, please do! I would like to encourage you to vote in each of the polls to your right.

Secondly, it's time for some updates. As I said when I first posted the polls, once the days for voting have run out, I will begin posting articles in my stay-at-home daughterhood article series, after which I will open a new poll to see how the results may change after the release of my series. Research and reading for my series is currently being conducted. I don't want this series to just be a presentation of someone's opinion. I want it to be a thoroughly researched and studied coverage of a beautiful theology that I believe is close to the heart of God and is revealed in beautiful words and through beautiful pictures in the Word of Almighty God, the Bible. I'm seeking the wisdom and knowledge of those who are older and wiser than I who also love this doctrine and have researched it and believed in it far longer than I have.

Please pray that the Lord would have His hand on the writing of this series and that He would richly bless it and use it to open the eyes of many people to the precious truths of His Word.

Also, please begin sending your questions in on the subject of stay-at-home daughterhood, as one of the last installments of this series will be a Q & A session between all of you and me. Also, Lord willing, I will be posting interviews will other godly ladies of the faith who have a heartfelt love for the doctrine of stay-at-home daughterhood. If the Lord wills, this set of interviews will include interviews from daughters who are still unmarried in their father's homes and also ones from married ladies who have already made the transition from living in their father's homes to living in their husband's homes. I'm really excited about these articles and am sure you will be as well!

I'm really looking forward to the publishing of these articles on By His Grace and For His Glory. But I am very well aware of the fact that I can only do this work through the strength of Christ and by His grace, as His servant. I pray that all the glory would go to Him and Him alone.

To God be the glory, great things He hast done!

May you feel His presence this weekend and always.

No, readers, I have not forgotten about you!!

Hello, all! :)

I just returned last Monday (June 1st) from a wonderful trip visiting family. I left on May 9th, and so was gone for a little over 3 weeks. It was my intention to prepare some posts prior to leaving so that they could be scheduled to be published while I was gone, but, as you can see, I was unable to do so. The time leading up to my trip was filled with studying for tests, packing, etc. It was a busier time than I thought it would be, so time for blogging was nonexistent!

I missed you all, and I greatly missed writing for this blog! My trip, though, was wonderful. I went to Indiana to visit my great-grandparents, great-uncle and various other family members and then traveled down to Arkansas to visit my grandmother. We all had a wonderful time, and the Lord taught me so much during this trip-some of which I hope to be sharing with you soon! I'm so thankful the Lord allowed me to have this time with my family. It was so special. Let me encourage you all to never ever take a moment with your family(especially those members who are getting up in years) for granted! The Lord, through this trip, showed me yet again just how short life is, and the fact that I don't know how much longer I have with my grandparents. Life is so precious and musn't be taken for granted. Rather, live every moment of every day to the fullest for His glory!!

Last week was very busy as we tried to get back into the swing of things after our vacation, and so far, this week is no different! I'm currently making a lot of tea cozies for a sale our local homeschool group is putting on this weekend. I'm greatly looking forward to it, but preparation for it is keeping me rather busy!

I must go now, but pray that all is well with each one of you! God bless you richly this week!

Input and help requested! :)

Hi, all!

I'm looking for a great apricot pie recipe. Do any of you have one you could share with me that you recommend?

Thanks! :)

Please Participate!

As you can see, there are now 3 new polls up and running! Please vote in each one!

Once the days are up for the courtship and stay-at-home daughterhood polls, I will (Lord willing) be posting an article series on coursthip and the long awaited one on stay-at-home daughterhood. Once those have been published on here, I will reopen the polls and see if anyone's thoughts on courtship and stay-at-home daughterhood have changed after reading the articles!

Thank you so much for participating and letting your voice be heard!

Happy Anniversary to a match made in Heaven!

Happy 20th Anniversary, Mama and Daddy!!

Twenty years ago today, my dear parents covenanted together in marriage. Twenty years and two (so far!) children later, they grow closer each day. They've lived and grown, by God's grace, through the high times and the low ones, through sickness and health, through riches and poverty, through good and bad.

They have been an inspiration to me, and their marriage is a beautiful picture of Christ and His bride. They have such a strong commitment to one another and have thus provided my brother and I a warm, secure home-a blessing that many children today sadly do not have. The Lord has been so merciful in the life of our family-a family which began twenty years ago today (but was planned out by God before the foundation of the world!).

Thank you, Mama and Daddy, for your beautiful example and love for one another. May our gracious Lord grant you at least twenty more bright and beautiful years together!

We love you!!

~Bekah and Andy

Fun Game!

I recently came across this fun little game and thought I would post it here! :) It'll hopefully prove to be a fun way for you all to get to know me better!

~~~~~~~~~~FOOD-OLOGY~~~~~~~~~~~~

What is your salad dressing of choice? The ranch dressing at Golden Corral and Ryan's! It's the best!!
What is your favorite sit-down restaurant? Either Olive Garden, Fiesta Grill or the two mentioned above!
What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of? My great-grandma's yeast rolls!!
What are your pizza toppings of choice? extra cheese, sausage, olives
What do you like on your toast? apple butter or peanut butter and honey
Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate!

~~~~~~~~~~~~TECHNOLOGY~~~~~~~~~~~~
How many televisions are in your house? Sadly, 3! But they don't get watched a whole lot! :) Although, I must say, there are some good things to view on TV-you just have to be very selective and self-controlled with the amount of time you watch it and what you watch!!
What color cell phone do you have? Well, Mama and Daddy have a black and tan one, but I personally don't have one

Do you have a laptop? No, but with all my writing projects for this blog, etc., I hope to maybe get one soon!

~~~~~~~~~~~~BIOLOGY~~~~~~~~~~~~
Are you right-handed or left-handed? right
Have you ever had anything removed from your body? yes, my wisdom teeth 2 years ago.
What is the last heavy item you lifted? my 32 lb. dog
Have you ever been knocked unconscious? I don't think so. I hit the back of my head on the coffee table when I was a baby and had to get stitches, but I don't think I was knocked unconscious.

~~~~~~~~~~~~DUMBOLOGY~~~~~~~~~~~~
How many pairs of flip-flops do you own? 3
Last person you talked to on the phone? my Nanny(great-grandma)
Last person you hugged? my brother

~~~~~~~~~~~~FAVORITE-OLOGY~~~~~~~~~~~~
Season? spring and fall
Holiday? Christmas
Day of the week? Sunday
Month? April, December or July (my b-day month!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~CURRENT-OLOGY~~~~~~~~~~~~

Missing someone? Yes-my great-grandparents. But I will be able to see them in about 3 weeks! :)
Mood? Content
What are you listening to? The hum of our computer. :)
Watching? My letters appear on the computer screen.
Worrying about? nothing

~~~~~~~~~~~~RANDOM-OLOGY~~~~~~~~~~~~

First place you went this morning? the bathroom
What's the last movie you saw? Love Finds a Home(a Hallmark movie-the last one of the Love Comes Softly series)
Do you smile often? yes!
Do you always answer your phone? Well, sometimes Mama gets to it first! :) When we're really busy, we just let the answering machine answer it.
If you could change your eye color what would it be? I don't think I would change my eye color. If I had to though, it would probably be blue-I had blue eyes until I was 2, and then they switched to green.
What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic? I usually have strawberry slushes at sonic and don't add any other flavors
Do you own a digital camera? yes
Have you ever had a pet fish? Well, they weren't mine personally, but we've had fish.
Favorite Christmas song(s)? Carol of the Bells, Joy to the Word, Silent Night, We Three Kings, O Holy Night
What's on your wish list for your birthday? a laptop!
Can you do push-ups? not really-I don't have much upper body strength
Can you do a chin up? no!
Does the future make you more nervous or excited? I think more excited than anything. I wonder what the future holds!
Do you have any saved texts? Mama and Daddy's cell phone has some from members of our church
Ever been in a car wreck? yes
Do you have an accent? Some people think I have a Texas accent, but I don't know if I do or not. :)
What was the last song to make you cry? "She was Watching" by Mark Schultz
Plans tonight? Playing a game with Mama while Daddy and Andrew are at the men and sons meeting at church.
Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom? yes-when we were about to move here to Tennessee from Texas 4 years ago. But the Lord was so merciful-this move has been such a huge blessing to us in numerous ways.
Have you ever been given roses? Daddy's given me flowers before, but they weren't roses.
Current hate right now? The pride that's in my heart all too often.
Met someone who changed your life? Yes-my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, my great-grandmother, and Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin
How did you bring in the new year? watching the ball drop with family and friends.
What song represents you? In Christ Alone, Be Thou My Vision, and Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Would you go back in time if you were given a chance? absolutely!
Have you ever dated someone longer than a year? I don't date!!!
Do you have any tattoos/piercings? I have my ears pierced.
What songs do you sing in the shower? hymns and spiritual songs.
Ever had someone sing to you? my brother and my Daddy. :)
Do you like to cuddle? yes-with my doggy. :)
How fast can you run? not all that fast. Especially now, with my hip condition.
Have you held hands with anyone today? no
Who was the last person you took a picture of? Nicole and Laura at the Father Daughter Retreat! :)
What kind of music did you sing in elementary school? hymns and children's songs with Mama here at home
Are most of the friends in your life new or old? new
Do you like pulpy orange juice? sort of
What is something your friends make fun of you for? sometimes I laugh too much. Some people say I wear too much pink.
Have you ever ridden a elephant? no
Do you like to play Scrabble? yes!
What are you saving your money up for right now? nothing in particular at the moment
When is the last time you ate peanut butter & jelly? it's been quite a long time-I usually eat peanut butter and honey together
What were you doing at 12am last night? sleeping and possibly dreaming.
What was the first thing you thought when you woke up? I don't even remember! :/ I guess it's been a long day.

If you're reading this, consider yourself tagged!! :)