Devotional #29

I deeply apologize, ladies, but the devotional being posted today is once again not my own. We are swamped with getting back on track with everything, and I've been in a reinactment of the pioneer days yesterday, today and will be doing it again tomorrow. Needless to say, that as well has kept me extremely busy! Sunday will also be very busy, as it is my sweet little brother's 9th birthday!! :) So, please bear with me! This blog should be getting more back to normal on Monday, with many more posts, including answers to questions I've received, pictures, etc. Hopefully, anyway!! :) Thanks so much for understanding. Meanwhile, I pray that you will be richly blessed by the following devotional. It is written by Charles H. Spurgeon and is included in his devotional book entitled Morning by Morning. I truly hope that it blesses you as much as it has me!

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The eternal God is thy refuge.

~Deuteronomy 33:27

The word refuge may be translated "mansion" or "abiding place," which gives the thought that God is our abode, our home. There is a fullness and sweetness in that metaphor, for dear to our hearts is our home, although it be the humblest cottage or the scantiest garret; and dearer far is our blessed God in whom we live, and move, and have our being. It is at home that we feel safe: we shut the world out and dwell in quiet security. So when we are with our God, we "fear no evil." He is our shelter and retreat, our abiding refuge. At home, we take our rest; it is there we find repose after the fatigue and toil of the day. And so our hearts find rest in God when, wearied with life's conflict, we turn to Him, and our soul dwells at ease. At home, also, we let our hearts loose; we are not afraid of being misunderstood nor of our words being misconstrued. So when we are with God, we can commune freely with Him, laying open all our hidden desires; for if the "secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him", the secrets of them that fear Him ought to be and must be with their Lord. Home, too, is the place of our truest and purest happiness; and it is in God that our hearts find their deepest delight. We have joy in Him that far surpasses all other joy. It is also for home that we work and labor. The thought of it gives strength to bear the daily burden and quickens the fingers to perform the task; and in this sense, we may also say that God is our home. Love to Him strengthens us. We think of Him in the person of His dear Son; and a glimpse of the suffering face of the Redeemer constrains us to labor in His cause. We feel that we must work for we have brethren yet to be saved, and we have our Father's heart to make glad by bringing home His wandering sons; we would fill with holy mirth the sacred family among whom we dwell. Happy are those who thus have the God of Jacob as their refuge!

Daily Bible Verse

Do not be envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them; For their heart devises violence, and their lips talk of troublemaking.

~Proverbs 24:1 (NKJV)

Devotional #28

Please bear with me. :) Do to the fact that we're so very busy because of our vacation (which was wonderful; more about that later), I will not be writing my own devotional for today. Nevertheless, I think this devotional will truly be a rich blessing for you! It is written by the late Charles H. Spurgeon, who was an amazing preacher, author, and Scripture exigete from the 1800s. The following devotional can be found in his devotional book, Morning by Morning, which I very highly recommend!! This beautiful devotional shows us so eloquently just how very important it is that we trust our Lord. We must trust Him, and know that He has a truly wonderul plan for our lives-better than we could possibly hope for!

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If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

~1 Peter 2:3

Changeful experience often leads the anxious believer to enquire "Why is it thus with me?" I looked for light, but lo, darkness came; for peace, but behold trouble. I said in my heart, my mountain standeth firm, I shall never be moved. Lord, Thou dost hide Thy face, and I am troubled. It was but yesterday that I could read my title clear; today my evidences are bedimmed, and my hopes are clouded. Yesterday I could clime to Pisgah's top, and view the landscape o'er, and rejoice with confidence in my future inheritance; today, my spirit has no hopes, but many fears; no joys, but much distress. Is this part of God's plan with me? Can this be the way in which God would bring me to heaven? Yes, it is even so. The eclipse of your faith, the darkness of your mind, the fainting of your hope, all these things are but parts of God's method of making you ripe for the great inheritance upon which you shall soon enter. These trials are for the testing and stregthening of your faith-they are waves that wash you further upon the rock-they are winds that waft your ship the more swiftly towards the desired haven. According to David's words, so it might be said of you, "so he bringeth them to their desired haven." By honor and dishonor, by evil report and by good report, by plenty and by poverty, by joy and by distress, by persecution and by peace, by all these things is the life of your soul maintained, and by each of these are you helped on your way. Oh, think not, believer, that your sorrows are out of God's plan; they are necessary parts of it. "We must, through much tribulation, enter the kingdom." Learn, then, even to "count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations."

"O let my trembling soul be still,

And wait Thy wise, Thy holy will!

I cannot, Lord, Thy purpose see,

Yet all is well since ruled by Thee."

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I just love that beautiful poem at the end, don't you? :) It's so comforting and encouraging. I encourage you to memorize it, as I know it would be of such encouragement and strength to you, especially in times of trial!

God bless you all, dear ladies!

I am still here! :)

I think I have some explaining to do! I haven't been on here for almost 2 weeks, and I'm so very very sorry if you all thought that I had left you!! Come to find out, the computer that I was going to have access to while I was in Indiana went on the blink, and as soon as I would sign on to the internet (if it even let me do that), then it would kick me off line again. So, while I was in Indiana, I had no ability to be on a computer, and, as I'm sure you can imagine, once we got home Saturday night, we had to get ready for church on Sunday, on Sunday we had family time, etc. then these past couple days have been jam-packed with unpacking, getting back on track with school (we had fallen a little behind due to the vacation), etc. etc. Needless to say, I've been very busy! But, please know, that through this long, almost 2 week period, I never forgot about you guys!!! :) I've really missed reading your own blogs (for those of you that have them), reading your kind comments, etc. Thank you for all of your comments, etc. and I'm looking forward to getting back on track with reading your blogs, posting more on here, etc.

Have a great day!

Thanksgiving Vacation!

I just wanted to let you all know that we will be leaving for Indiana in just a few minutes. I will have computer access up there through Tuesday, but won't have access from Wednesday through Saturday, the 26th, when we get back. I will be doing some posts while I'm up there, so be sure to check back!! In the mean time, leave a comment and tell me all about your Thanksgiving plans!

Ladies, please pray that the Lord would be with us and watch over us today while we're on the road for about 8-8 1/2 hours. Please pray that we would have a good trip and reach our destination safely. Thank you!! :)

Devotional #27

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.

~Psalm 23:1 (NKJV)

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In the Lord, we have all of our needs fully supplied. In Matthew 6:25-34, we read that the Lord will always supply all of our needs-that is a promise! And therefore, we have no need to worry. What blessed assurance that is!

Not only will the Lord supply all of our earthly, physical needs, such as food, shelter and clothing, but He is there for our emotional needs as well! No matter what your current situation may be, He is there for you! When you go to Him in your time of need, He will be right there, ready to offer to you a wealth of comfort, strength, boldness, encouragement, peace, and rest. He's always there for you! Just run to Him, your Abba Father, and be prepared to be wrapped up snuggly in His perfect love.

One thing we all must learn is that we will never find our needs fully met, or ourselves fully fulfilled, apart from Christ, His love, and His commands and precepts. He is truly the only place to turn if we want our needs to be fully met. There was an old song that had a line which said, "I've been looking for love in all the wrong places." How true this is if we're looking for love, completion, and fulfullment apart from Christ! As Psalm 23:1 says so beautifully, the Lord is your shepherd; and as one version puts it, you shall not be in want!

If you're having a bad day, remember to go to the Lord for all the comfort and love you need! And what about a listening ear? Are you in need of one of those as well? Let me tell you, that Christ is the best listener that you will ever have the privilege to speak to. Pour your heart out to the Lord in prayer! He loves to hear from His children, and the comfort you will receive from this will be priceless!

Daily Bible Verse

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

~Philippians 4:4-6 (NKJV)

Devotional #26

Remember Lot's wife.

~Luke 17:32

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This is such a small little verse, but it holds a wealth of wisdom on a subject which we all need to learn from. In Genesis 19, we read of the depravity and grossness of Sodom and Gomorrah. The Lord graciously drew Lot and his wife out of those dreadful and wicked cities, into safety, before He destroyed them in His righteous judgement with fire and brimstone. Before releasing Lot and his wife to safety, He commanded them saying, "Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed." However, Lot's wife disobeyed this command. They fled together to the hills, but in verse 26, we read, "But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt." She looked back, perhaps (we don't fully know why) because she left some good memories behind, some family members, or perhaps, despite the wretched sinfulness of those cities, perhaps she liked it there and didn't want to leave. But for whatever reason, she went against the Lord and His protection over her, and she looked back, making her into a pillar of salt, to serve as a reminder to all.

This verse in Luke applies just as much to us as it did to those Jews to which Jesus originally spoke it. I, for one, am ashamed to say that I have many times acted as Lot's wife did. The Lord, in His grace, however, has been patient and gracious with me. Back in January of 2005, we were within weeks of our move from Texas to Tennessee. I was furious. But more than that, I was sad. That city in Texas was the only place I had ever lived, and I was being forced to leave behind family, friends, and familiarity. If only I had trusted fully in the Lord and in the leading and authority of my father. The Lord was abundantly gracious to move us here, for we are now a part of a wonderful, Christ-honoring new church, with dear, like-minded believers. He has changed our family's beliefs and comvictions so much, and for that, I will be eternally thankful. However, I was once again just like Lot's wife about a year ago, when my father was preparing to take us from our old church, into our new one. I was untrusting, unhonoring, and sinful. You would have thought that I would have already learned my lesson fully, because of our move, huh? But not so with this sinful human being. I was once again untrusting, and for the first few weeks I often "looked back" to our old church, desiring to be there instead. However, God in His mercy and grace once again was very patient with me, and has blessed me in so many counteless ways through this wonderful church, and through each and every dear family we've met through it. He's taught me so many new things out of His Word this past few year, and I am forever changed.

What about you? What's going on in your life? Is the Lord, through your father(or husband), leading you into new and strange territory? Let my story and that of Lot's wife serve as a reminder to you. Never look back. Always trust in the Lord and in the wisdom and guidance of your father (or husband) and just rest in his leading. Know that "All things work together for the good of those who love the Lord, and are called according to His purpose." If your father is seeking to lead your family into more Biblical paths, don't resist him!!! Instead, thank the Lord daily that you have such a godly father, for he is not something to be taken for granted, but is to rather be seen as an immense blessing! And remember, God's plans are always best! Never Look Back.

Devotional #25

Hi, ladies!! I'm going to do something different for todays (actually, yesterday's) devotional. The following is just one of the many outstanding devotionals to be found in Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest. My daddy was the first one to introduce me to this book, and it and its beautiful devotionals have truly changed my life. I highly encourage you to purchase this book! I hope the following excerpt is a blessing to you this day.

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The Account with Persecution

"But I say to you, that ye risist not evil; but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

~Matthrew 5:39

These verses reveal the humiliation of being a Christian. Naturally, if a man does not hit back, it is because he is a coward; but spiritually if a man does not hit back, it is a manifestation of the Son of God in him. When you are insulted, you must not only not resent it, but make it an occasion to exhibit the Son of God. You cannot imitate the dispostition of Jesus; it is either there or it is not. To the saint personal insult becomes the occasion of revealing the incredible sweetness of the Lord Jesus.

The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is not-Do you duty, but-Do what is not your duty. It is not your duty to go the second mile, to turn the other cheek, but Jesus says if we are His disciples we shall always do these things. There will be no spirit of-"Oh, well, I cannot do anymore, I have been so misrepresented and misunderstood." Everytime I insist upon my rights, I hurt the Son of God; whereas I can prevent Jesus from being hurt if I take the blow myself. That is the meaning of filling up that which is behind the afflictions of Christ. The disciple realizes that it is his Lord's honour that is at stake in his life, not his own honour.

Never look for the right in the other man, but never cease to be right yourself. We are always looking for justice; the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is-Never look for justice, but never cease to give it.

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What a powerful devotional!

Be Back Soon!

I will be unable to have access to the computer the rest of today through tomorrow. I'll therefore post Friday's devotional on Saturday. Those that have been e-mailing me with questions, or commenting with questions, please know that I will get back with you all on Saturday!!! :) If you have any more questions or comments regarding anything you've read on this blog, please e-mail them to me at living_for_my_Lords_glory@hotmail.com.

So, now through Saturday morning gives you the opportunity to catch up on any posts that you haven't read yet!! :)

As to the devotional poll, I will have a post about that on Saturday as well. Thank you all SO much for voting! I was thrilled with and very surprised by the turnout!!

Daily Bible Verse

The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

~Romans 13:12-14 (NKJV)

Devotional #24

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.

~Ephesians 5:1 (NKJV)

Before we were Christians, we acted as the world does. But the Bible teaches us that we've been bought with a price, and that we are no longer our own. As Christians, we are a new creation, for the old has passed away and the new has come. We've been washed by the blood of the Lamb, have been sanctified(set apart) and we are now children of God through His blessed adoption. As Christians, we are to no longer resemble the world, with its passions, lusts and desires, but rather, we are to imitate God in every single area of our lives.

When Christ was on earth, 2 of His attributes that were so very clearly seen in Him were His love and His servanthood. We are to show love towards everyone. We are to be kind to them, pray for them, and love them. We are to bless those who curse us and pray for those who persecute us, but we will be unable to obey these commands if we don't show them love, and have love for them in our hearts. We're to love both our enemies and our brothers and sisters in Christ. Our Lord once said while He was on earth that He didn't come to serve but to be a servant. This showed His humbleness. There is one passage in Scripture where it talks about the Lord washing His disciples' feet. Today, that wouldn't be such a huge, amazing thing, as it was back then, for we all have shoes. But back in Bible times, there were no cars and most walked barefoot or with sandles (and even these didn't cover the person's whole foot). There were no paved roads to walk on, but rather the disciples and others during Christ's day walked for miles on dusty, muddy, dirt filled roads. So, you can imagine the condition of their feet when Jesus cleaned them! Yet, He didn't care. He willingly and gladly cleaned their dirty feet. Now, you must ask yourself the following question: "Would I be willing to do that?" Would you be willing to wash dirty feet like that? Perhaps that's not the particular act of service that the Lord is calling you to do. But at times there are acts of service that are less than fun that we must perform if we want to be like Christ. Are you willing to do these? If not, ask that the Lord will cultivate in you a spirit of humbleness. As Christians, there is perhaps nothing more that the Lord absolutely hates to see in us than a prideful, haughty and boasting spirit! He despises such things! As imitators of God, we must be humble and have servant's hearts.

When people see you, perhaps people that you don't even know, can they look at you and automatically know that there's something different about you compared to the lost people of the world? Can they just look at you, see your smile and joy, and know that you have Christ? Can they see your acts of service and your love towards the less than lovable and know that you are a child of God? If you're a Christian, the answer to all of these questions should be "yes"! If you can't really answer yes to some of these, ask the Lord that He would work in you and through you, making and shaping you into a real imitator of Christ!

Is it a sin to not be a homemaker?

*Note: Please read the following post with an open heart and mind, desiring to learn from God's Word. Please know that I'm not trying to be judgemental towards or look down upon the women who are not keepers at home(I have many family members, friends, and dear sisters in Christ who are not homemakers), but rather, I am seeking to edify them through God's Word and His precepts.

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So, do I believe it's a sin to not be a homemaker? Well, first please allow me to begin this post by asking the following questions:

• Do you believe it is a sin to murder?
• Do you believe it is a sin to lie?
• Do you believe it is a sin to disobey your parents?
• Do you believe it is a sin to gossip?
• Do you believe impurity is a sin?

I'm sure you answered yes to each of the above listed questions. And, why did you do so? Because in God's Word, He clearly commands us to not partake in any of those actions. We believe doing so is a sin, because we believe that disobeying any of Christ's commands is a sin. Well, here's another command in Scripture: Women are to be homemakers (Titus 2:5, 1 Timothy 5:14). Why then are women suddenly up in arms over the fact that not being a homemaker is a clear sin? Because they have been influenced by the heresies of satanic feminism and its folleys. The Lord's command to not murder doesn't change just because there may be a huge number of murders taking place. Likewise, just because our culture has turned its back on God, and women are now flocking to the workforce, doesn't mean that not being a homemaker is all of the sudden ok. It is a sin to disobey any one of God's commands. Therefore, it is a sin to not be a homemaker.

Daily Bible Verse

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

~Ephesians 6:10 (NKJV)

Devotional #23

I hope all of you had a wonderful weekend and blessed Lord's Day!

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"But why do you call me 'Lord, Lord', and not do the things which I say?"

~Luke 6:46

Though this should not be the case, many Christians, including myself, have found themselves guilty of this very thing. May the Lord grant to us much needed forgiveness for this wretched sin!

If we are true Christians, this means that we have been bought by the blood of the Lamb-we are no longer our own, but have been bought with a high price! As Christians, our duty is to obey Christ in everything. We are to obey every single command that He gives us in His Word. If we don't obey Him and His commands, then it's questionable whether we're even Christians at all! In the book of James, we are warned to continually examine ourselves, to see whether or not we are truly of the faith.

We see in Romans 1 that the sin of disobeying our parents is listed right along side the sins of murder, homosexuality, sexual immorality, envy, gossip, hating God, and violence. Amazing isn't it? This shows us just how hugely important us obeying our parents is to the Lord. Now, if obeying our parents is that important, think about how much more important it is that we obey God! I hope that this helps to put it into perspective for you, the immense importance of obeying God's every command. For, if we do not obey Him, then we don't even love Him, for He said, "If you love me, you will obey My commandments."

Ladies, throw off the fear of the world from you, and obey Christ always and forever. This is so very important! I can't stress this enough! You must obey Christ in all things. For, if we love the world or the things in the world, the love of the Father is not in us. Therefore, seek the Lord's affirmation and praise, and seek to please Him and Him alone-not the world. You can only do this if you obey His every command.

Daily Bible Verse

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

~Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV)

Vision Forum Giveaway!!!

Kim is offering an amazing Vision Forum giveaway on her Life in a Shoe blog. It ends tonight!! Here is our wishlist:

• The Return of the Daughters
• Poems for Patriarchs
• Providential Battles
• George Washington's Sacred Fire
• Coming in on a Wing and a Prayer
• Family Driven Faith
• A Church in the Home
• Balancing the Sword-Vol. 1 and 2

Devotional poll

Ladies, despite the fact that the poll is closed, you can still vote by e-mailing me your choice(s) at living_for_my_Lords_glory@hotmail.com

Blessings,

Rebekah

Devotional #22

As your days, so shall your strength be.

~Deuteronomy 33:25b (NKJV)

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This verse has become one of my very favorite. What blessed comfort it offers to all of those children of God who are going through some trial, tribulation, or valley in their life right now! What words of encouragement and strength it offers to that pilgrim who, like Christian in The Pilgrim's Progress, is going through some horrible and trying times.

What blessed assurance we receive from this verse! Our Lord has promised us that no matter what we encounter on life's road, we will always receive the strength we need to bear it all! Notice that it says "As your days". This means that we will receive the adequate amount of blessed strength that we need for each day. Some days present to us more trials than others, and we will always receive the amount of strength we need for each day and each day's trials and tribulations. What a blessed and dear promise this is!

Never fear, fret or worry, dear sisters as you face trying times. Always know that the strength that you need will always come to you right when you need it. The Lord always fulfills Him promises, and so, true to His Word, you will receive the strength you need, no matter what!

Show and Tell Friday!

Here are some pictures of the window seat in my room. It's such a cozy place to be while reading a book or having a quiet time. And, my dear mother is the one who made the beautiful curtains, as well as the window seat cushion!! I'm so blessed to have a mom that knows how to sew! She has beautified my room with her hand-made creations ever since I was little, and I'm so thankful for that!


Thank you so much for stopping by, and of course, don't forget to leave a comment!! :) And, be sure to head on over to Kelli's blog for even more Show and Tell fun!

Daily Bible Verse

Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day.

~Psalm 25:4-5

Devotional #21

Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

~2 Timothy 4:2 (NKJV)

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We are commanded over and over in Scripture to preach the Word, to witness, to always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is within us, etc. But so often, we don't always obey this command. And, just like with the rest of God's commands, if we don't obey this one, we're in sin.

We cannot, however, hope to preach the Word if we don't know it. We have to hide God's Word in our hearts, we have to meditate on it day and night, we have to memorize it, and we have to study it over and over and over. You must be in God's Word daily if you ever hope to be able to obey God's command found in 2 Timothy 4:2. We need to be studying His Word day and night if we ever hope to truly hide it in our hearts.

As Christians, we are commanded to witness to those who are lost. But we also need to speak with those who are Christians and who aren't obeying some area of God's Word. But we have to remember this: We must speak the truth in love! We mustn't be judgemental, harsh or rude. But rather we need to act as Christ would, and speak the truth in love. There will also be times when we find ourselves in debates with those who don't have the same beliefs and convictions that we do. In fact, I've experienced this myself very recently. When in this sort of debate, we need to be bold in our speech, just as we should be when witnessing. We must be thorougly grounded in God's Word if we hope to adequately represent Christ and what His Word says. And to be grounded in His Word, once agian we must know it! We must know what it says and teaches and then we must be able to stand up for it, and to "convince, rebuke, and exhort with all longsuffering and teaching." If we can't do this, then we will always be in the sin of not obeying this all-important command.

Another important part of this verse to remember is that it says we must be ready in season and out of season. This means we have to know the Word so well that we're ready to throw it as the sower did, whenever the opportunity arises. We can't just be waiting around for when we want to witness, and then cram all the Scripture we can into our minds at the last minute. This is being disobedient! We never know when the Lord will put us in the company of some lost person, some person who is being disobedient to the Word, or when He will put us in some debate with someone. Therefore, we must always be continuously studying God's Word, in order that we be ready in season and out of season.

God bless you all as you seek to throw His Word this week to those around you! And, if you've found yourself in a debate this week, or if you've had the opportunity to witness to someone, I would love to hear all about it! Send me an e-mail or tell me all about it in a comment!

Tips for meditating on the Word

I recently received the following question, and instead of just responding to Kathleen only, I wanted to make this into a whole post, so that it may be a help to the rest of you as well!

"Do you have any tips for meditating on the Word"? ~Kathleen

Great question, Kathleen! I've compiled a list of tips and ideas in hopes that they will be of help to you.

Begin your day with a quiet time

This is so important! I can't stress this enough. We all have really busy days, and so it is so important that we set aside this time each morning to spend with our Lord and Savior. As soon as you awake each morning, before doing anything else, spend time in God's Word and in prayer. This will be such a special time, and will ensure that the first thing you think about and dwell on each day will be God's Word. Pick out a verse or passage from this reading that really stood out to you and meditate on it throughout the day.

End your day with a quiet time

Right before you turn the lights out each night, spend some more time in the Word. This way, the very last thing you think about each night will be God's Word. Not only does this help you to meditate on the Word while you're going to sleep, but this will help you to have a more peaceful night sleep, which will be wonderful for your health.

Decorate with Bible verses

I have a bulletin board in my room, on which I have pieces of paper with Bible passages written on them. This helps me to meditate and dwell on these verses throughout the day, because everytime I'm in my room, I see them and am able to read them once again. Also, there are two families from our church who do a similar type of thing. They take 3x5 inch notecards, write Bible passages on them, and then tape these cards to various areas around their home-on kitchen cabinet doors, living room walls, bathroom walls, etc. This is a practical way of obeying Deut. 6:8-9,"You shall bind them[God's words] as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." I had never thought about doing this before, but it's a great idea! This enables you to constantly have God's word before your eyes, and help you to constantly be thinking about or meditating on a Scripture passage. Another great way to decorate with Scripture is to use a cross-stitch pattern and cross-stitch a Bible verse(s), frame it, and place it on a wall. This is a great way to beautify your home, and to fill every nook and cranny of your home with Scripture! :)

Memorize Scripture

This is so very important! If you memorize Scripture, you will find that you will have a comforting verse to meditate on no matter what hardship you may currently be going through. You will also be "always ready to give a reason for the hope that is within you (1 Peter 3:15)-we are commanded to witness and we can only do this if we truly know the Scriptures. Memorized verses will also help you to ward off temptation-when our Lord was tempted by the devil(Matthew 4:1-11), He warded off and resisted the temptations by reciting Scriptures. And as we are to imitate Christ in all things, we must do this as well! My recommendation is that you memorize one passage a week, and then compile all of the verses you've memorized in to a notebook, so that you can continuously be reviewing them.

Carry around Bible verses

To be honest, I just got this idea when I was compiling this list, so therefore I've never actually done this myself. Choose a Bible verse or passage, write it on a piece of paper, and put it in your purse. While you are out shopping, etc., at times pull it out and read it, and this will help you to meditate on blessed Scriptures throughout the day. Another thing you could do, is get a really small Bible (usually the size I'm talking about just comes with the New Testement, Psalms and Proverbs), carry it around in your purse, and when you're waiting in the doctor's office, etc., then just pull it out and begin reading. You can also use this Bible to witness to others when you're shopping, eating out, etc.

Compile Bible Notebooks

I have 3 small, 80-page notebooks, each of which contain numerous verses from Scripture. One of them contains verses on womanhood and is divided into different subjects such as homemaking, courtship, submission, being a helpmeet, etc. The second one is on theological topics, and is divided into subjects such as the trinity, creation, the resurrection, baptism, etc. Finally the 3rd one is divided into subjects such as boldness, strength, trusting in God, obeying God, etc. This is such a help to me, and I'm sure it would be to you as well. Every time I am in need of a comforting verse on trusing in God, for instance, I just open up the appropriate notebook, and there waiting for me, is a treasure trove of blessed comfort - numerous verses on which to meditate on. This idea will also help you to obey the command found in 1 Peter 3:5, which we talked about above. By having the womanhood and theology notebooks, you will be able to stand up for your faith and your Biblical convictions by backing them up with a verse from Scripture.

Kathleen, I really hope these tips have been helpful to you!

Ladies, do you have any other tips you would like to share with Kathleen? If so, please leave them in a comment.

Blessings,

Rebekah I wanted to include some pics of my womanhood notebook, so that you would know what size notebook I use, as well as how I divide them up(using the index tabs), etc.

Only one more day to vote on the poll!

Daily Bible Verse

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you," says the Lord, "Thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and fine Me, when you search for Me will all your heart."

~Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NKJV)

Devotional #20

Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.

~Proverbs 27:2 (NKJV)

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There is nothing more disgusting in the eyes of the Lord than a haughty spirit, pridefulness, and boasting. And as it is in His eyes, so should it be in ours, as Christians. We should look on the above mentioned things and be horrified by them, and disgusted with them, just as He is. But, sadly, this is often not the case these days. So often we hear people boasting about how good they are, what wonderful things they did, how smart they are, etc. etc. etc. This ought not be, dear sisters!

As Christians, we are to put off absolutely everything from our old lives-the lives we led before we met the Lord. We are a new creature, saved by the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, people should be able to look at us and immediately know that we have Christ. But is this the case? Can people look at you, see the way you conduct yourself, hear the things you say, and by these, know without a shadow of doubt that you have been bought by Christ? If not, then I suggest we all undergo some self-examination and then we need to repent of our sinfulness!

If you are in the habit of boasting about yourself, go to the Lord, repent with your whole heart, and ask for His forgiveness. Ask for the strength to resist the temptation to boast in the future. Turn from your prideful way of life, and forsake the habit of boasting. To those you have boasted to, ask their forgiveness as well!

If you have been in the habit of boasting, it may take a lot of work and diligence to throw off this sinful habit, but it is something you must do! A Christian must not boast about themselves! For one thing, they have absolutely nothing to boast about! They are nothing but vile, wicked, wretched sinners, saved only by the miraculous grace of their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If a Christian boasts, they ought to boast about how wonderful their Lord is, as Paul did! We read in Proverbs 31:31 that the Proverbs 31 woman's own works praise her in the gates. Her good works earned her praise-she did not boast about or praise herself! We must remember that! And in the verse for today's devotional, others are to boast about this person-that person ought not be boasting about themselves.

One thing I do want to point out though, is that our actions, words, and conduct must be praiseworthy. This is so important. As Christians, our thoughts, words and deeds are at all times to be worthy of praise, for they at all times are to resemble the Lord and His actions while He was on the earth. But our actions our not to be done in order that we receive praise!! Our good deeds should be preformed for the sole reason that we desire to please and glorify our Lord.

May the Lord grant to you strength, as you work towards becoming a lady of humility, rather than pridefulness!

So very true!!

"I believe that womanhood has been definitely lowered by equality with men. For nineteen centuries woman was revered and respected and on a higher plane than man."

~Peter Marshall

There's truly no place like home!

A godly, loving home is such a blessing! I have been blessed with this gift, that so many don't have, and all others take for granted.

Home
by Anna Vallance

Home is where the heart is,
Be it rich or lowly place.
It's where we find a lighted lamp
And a cheerful loving face.

Home is a place where the heartstrings
Feel a tug that draws you back;
Where a wealth of precious memories
Recompense for worldly lack.

Home is where a mother's love
Surrounds with tender care;
Where tousled little childish heads
Bow down in sleepy prayer.

Home is where a father's strength
Surrounds, protects his own ...
God grant we keep within our hearts
This citadel of home.

Recipes!

The following is my favorite meal (and I was blessed enough to have it last night for dinner! :]) I wanted to share the recipes with all of you, because you're sure to enjoy it just as much as we do!! Chicken and Almond Soup

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 3 TBSP melted butter
• 3 TBSP flour
• 1/4 TSP pepper
• 1/2 TSP Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 quart milk
• 2 TSP chicken bouillon granules
• 1 cup chopped, cooked chicken
• 1/2 cup sliced, toasted almonds

Saute onion in the butter then add the flour and pepper. Add milk, bouillon and worcestershire sauce and cook on medium until thickened, stirring constantly. Add chicken and almonds, heat thoroughly. Serve and enjoy!! Makes 4 servings

Yeast Rolls

• 1 1/2 cups hot water
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 TSP salt
• 1 egg
• 2 TBSP Lecithin
• 1 TSP gluten
• 4-4 1/2 cups of milled hard red wheat flour (we actually just use regular whole wheat flour)
• 1/2 cup flax seeds ground
• 1 TBSP yeast

Combine oil, honey, salt, egg, lecithin, gluten, ground flax seeds and hot water in a mixing bowl(use the dough hook attachment for mixing). Mix well, then add the yeast and allow the yeast to proof a couple of minutes. Then add the flower a cup at a time until you've added enough to make a soft dough. Then knead for 5-6 minutes. Put dough into a large bowl (cover if desired) and let rise until double. After the dough has risen, punch down. Knead for another minute then shape into rolls. Rise again until double. Then bake in 400 degree preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Serve and enjoy!! *Note: This recipe can also make wonderful loaves of bread, but make sure that you keep them in the oven a little longer.

This meal (especially the rolls) is actually very healthy for you, and is SO good!! I highly encourage you all to try these recipes out, and when you do, be sure to let me know how much you enjoyed them!! :)

Vision Forum Giveaway!!!

The Life in a Shoe blog is sponsoring a Vision Forum giveaway!! The 5 winners will be announced tonight!! Here is our wishlist:

• The Return of the Daughters
• Balancing the Sword
• Poems for Patriarchs
• Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends
• Before You Meet Prince Charming (I don't have my copy anymore.)
• Providential Battles II

Devotional #19

I want to do something a little different for today's devotional. :) I want to dedicate this to all you dear ladies.

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I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.

~Philippians 1:3 (NKJV)

I want to say thank you to all of my dear friends from church and to all of the sweet friends I've met through "blog land". Each and every one of you has been a never-ending source of encouragement. If I'm having a hard day, you're always there to step in with a word of comfort and encouragement. I know that you'll always be there for me, no matter what, and for that, I am eternally grateful.

The Lord has truly blessed me in so many many ways through these frienships. To have likeminded friends is such a rich blessing that is so often taken for granted. Each of you encourages me in my walk with the Lord, and urges me to live more and more to the glory of Christ, and Him alone. You are always there to strengthen me when I need it, and to comfort me when I need comfort. Our friendships will last a lifetime! I wanted to let you all know just how thankful I am for you, and just how much our friendship means to me! To all of my church friends: Thank God for you! I have never in my life had friends like you guys! You are continuously living out your faith, and you are all examples for me to follow. The times we have together are SO much fun!! :) And your sweet letters will be treasured forever and ever! You are all so dear to me, and I'm so thankful that the Lord has brought us together, and made us all into a great circle of friends. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, and I'm looking forward to seeing you all again on Sunday! To all of my blogger friends: Thank God for you as well! "Meeting" all of you likeminded ladies has been such an encouragement to me! Receiving your sweet comments and e-mails has meant the world to me, and they really brighten my day, and leave me with a smile! I really hope to meet you all in person one day!!

Friends, always know that I'm here for you no matter what! I'm just a phone call or e-mail away. If you need some words of encouragement and strength, or if you need prayer, or if you just need someone to talk to, I'm always here! Don't ever forget that!

The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

~Numbers 6:24-26

Blessings to you always,

Rebekah

Show and Tell Friday!

I'm so sorry, but I completely forgot all about Show and Tell for about 3 weeks! :( I'm finally going to be a part of Show and Tell again. :)

This is a book by William Sprague, who was a Presbyterian minister in the 1800s. This book is entitled Lectures to Young People. I also have another book by him, which is entitled Letters on Practical Subjects to a Daughter. The book pictured here was published in 1835! It's almost 200 years old, but is still in pretty good condition. I often wonder about the history of this book-afterall, it was published way before Abraham Lincoln was even president!! I'm so glad I was lucky enough to find this book-it's so neat to own such a very old book!

I hope you enjoyed my Show and Tell, and I want to thank you for stopping by! For more great stories, head on over to Kelli's blog!

Daily Bible Verse

Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord; Praise Him, O you servants of the Lord! You who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God, Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.

~Psalm 135:1-3 (NKJV)

Devotional poll

You have just one more week to vote on the devotional poll that's to the right of your screen! Don't forget to place your vote, and do so before the time runs out! :)

Devotional #18

In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

~1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV)

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We have SO much to be thankful for! The biggest thing we have to be thankful for is our salvation! We were nothing by vile, wicked, wretched sinners, yet the Lord of glory, who was pure, holy, sinless, perfect, and who could not stand sin, chose to die the most horrific death for us. We could never have done anything on our own to come into the presence of God or to enter heaven when we die. For, all of our righteousness was as filthy rags. Yet, the Scriptures tell us that "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." What glorious grace and love! We do not deserve such mercy, yet Jesus willingly gave up His life in the most torturous way, so that we might have life!

There are so many other blessings to be thankful for as well. Our homes, clothes, families, food, churches, church families, likeminded friends, health, comfort, safety and the list goes on and on and on. God has been so good to us, even though we do not deserve a single one of His blessings! I often stand in awe of just how good the Lord is!

In fact, there is always something to be thankful for. We may be having the worst day of our lives, when everything is going wrong. But we still have our health, our families, our homes, etc. And even if we lost our whole family, home and all of our possessions in a fire, yes, that would be a most horrible tradgedy, but we still have so much to be thankful for! God is just so good to us! Oftentimes, I think He is too good to us! He's just abounding in mercy and grace towards His children, even though His children may have used to been the vilest of sinners.

This verse commands us to give thanks in everything, for this is God's will. First of all, I want to point out that, as Christians, we are to live according to God's will at all times. Our mission and passion in life ought to be to live according to His precepts and commands. We are to live according to His will, and are to obey Him in all things. His will is that we give Him thanks in all things, because when we do so, we are constantly remembering just how good He is, and just how worthy He is to be praised! His goodness is to be constantly before our eyes, and we are to be praising Him and living in such a way as to glorify Him at all times. And this includes always looking for things to be thankful for. Even during those hard and trying times, there is always something to thank God for! So, always, in all situations, be on the lookout for yet another thing to thank Him and praise Him for. No matter how bad your situation may be, we are commanded to always be thanking our Lord and Savior for His goodness!

As you go throughout your day, look for the little blessings in life. Begin a list of all the things/people that you're thankful for. At the end of each day, thank the Lord for each of the blessings that is on that list. Each day praise Him for His goodness to you. And, tell others of His goodness! Witness to others about how great your God is. Even during the tough times, never forget about all the many many blessings that the Lord has so graciously bestowed upon you! And remember to, in everything, give thanks!

Daily Bible Verse

Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to the Lord with a voice of triumph! for the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth.

~Psalm 47:1-2 (NKJV)

Devotional #17 (part 13 of 1 Timothy 4:12 study)

Good morning, ladies! I hope all of you enjoyed a restful weekend and blessed Lord's Day! We have now come to the very last devotional in our devotional study of 1 Timothy 4:12("Let no one despise your youth but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity")! I can't believe this is the end of it already! If you have not been able to read the previous devotionals in this series, please do so now, by clicking here.

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We have been on the purity aspect of this verse for a while now. I want to end this series by writing a devotional for all of you ladies who may have already compromised in some aspect of your purity. I want you to know that none of us is perfect! All of us make mistakes and all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of Almighty God! But, there is forgiveness to be found, dear sister in Christ! Even if you have not upheld the standard of purity that we ought to live by according to Ephesians 5, there is a second chance for you! It is never too late to go to the Lord in repentance! 1 John 1:9 is a beautiful verse which says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Despite what you may have done, dear sister, or how much guilt and despair you feel, there is forgiveness for you! Just go to the Lord and ask Him wholeheartedly for His blessed forgiveness. He will grant it to you and will make you whole and pure again.

1 Corinthians 6:11 says, "And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." If you have been forgiven and sanctified, this means you have been set apart from the world(this is the actual meaning of the word sanctified). You may have led an impure lifestyle before, but you have now been sanctified and cleansed and are not to enter in again to that old lifestyle. Your sins of impurity have been forgiven, and you are to now live by the standard of purity found in Ephesians 5(please refer to the previous devotionals on purity). Follow the tips in this devotional, and ask the Lord for the strength to resist temptation in the future. 1 Corinthians 10:13 offers us much comfort, "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." The Lord promises to offer the much needed strength to flee from and resist temptation!

As you can see, dear sister, there is forgiveness and a second chance to be found despite what impurity you may have committed. Take hold of Christ, and He will give you the strength to resist future temptation. Thank the Lord for His forgiveness, and now begin living by the glorious standard of purity which the Lord God has given us in Ephesians 5.

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Well, we have now reached the end of the 1 Timothy 4:12 devotional study! I pray that it has been an encouragement to you and has given you strength to live out your life for the glory of God, so that you may be an example to the believers. Always ask the Lord for His strength so that you might be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith and in purity. Take your job and responsibility as role model so very very seriously! Ask the Lord for help in this important area! God bless you all, dear sisters in Christ, as you strive to be the examples God has called you to be!

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Please return on Wednesday for our next devotional. It'll be strange to not be writing about 1 Timothy 4:12 anymore! I'll have to come up with another verse to have a devotional on! Pray that the Lord will reveal to me exactly what He wants me to cover in the next devotional. And, dear ladies, don't forget to vote on the poll to the right of your screen! There's only about a week left to vote, so be sure to place your vote before the time runs out! :)

Blessings,

Rebekah

Daily Bible Verse

I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart.

~Psalm 40:8 (NKJV)

The beauty of chivalry

Chivalry is a beautiful long last art. It desperately needs to be brought back! Thanks to fierce feminists, chivalry has been scared out of the majority of men in our world today, due to the fact that these women yell at and put down any man who "dares to attempt to open the door for them." What is wrong with these women?! Everytime a man opens a door for me, happiness and joy rises up in my soul. It is such a blessing! It shows that that man values you and knows that it is his Biblical duty to protect women, to open doors for them, to pull out chairs for them, etc. Praise God for such bold and brave men, both young and old! My father and I attended the 2007 Vision Forum Father Daughter Retreat back at the end of March/beginning of April. While there, I was walking from one building to another. Scott Brown's son David saw me coming while I was still a good 30 to 50 feet away. He could have just gone on about his business, since I was still far away from the door. But instead, he stopped what he was doing, waiting until I got to the door, and opened it for me. I was shocked! He didn't even know who I was, yet because I was a female, he knew that it was his duty to open the door for me, and he did so cheerfully. That was such a blessing to me! May the Lord richly bless such young men as him who know what their duty is and preform it happily and with joy!

The following is an excerpt from the 1911 Boy Scout Handbook. If only more young men would read this wonderful, godly book and live it out!

The same thing that entered into the training of these men, knights, pioneers...must enter into the training of the boy scouts of today. Just as they respected women and served them, so the tenderfoot and the scout must be polite and kind to women, not merely to well-dressed women, but to poorly dressed women, not merely to young women, but to old women: to women wherever they may be found-wherever they may be. To these a scout must always be courteous and helpful. When a scout is walking with a lady or a child, he should always walk on the outside of the sidewalk, so that he can better protect them against the jostling crowds. This rule is only altered when crossing the street, when the scout should get between a lady and the traffic, so as to shield her from accident or mud. Also in meeting a woman or child, a scout, as matter of course, should always make way for them even if he himself has to step off the sidewalk into the mud. When riding in a street car or train a scout should never allow a woman, an elderly person, or a child to stand, but will offer his seat; and when he does it he should do it cheerfully and with a smile.

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Oh, Lord, please rise up more men who will take this duty seriously, and who will grow up to be chilvarous men of valor-this country is in desperate need of them!

Quotes against feminism

Persuading thousands of young mothers to go out to work and to abandon the care of their children to others is one of the most disastrous things at the present time. What is it going to profit the nation, if we gain the dollars-or even the whole world-but lose the souls of our children? Now that the state is lifting so much responsibility from parents, the bond of love between parents and their children is in danger of being loosened. It is when the mothers of the nations begin to fail in their duty to their children that religion disappears, moral standards fail, and the nation begins to go down.

~Enid Blyton, discussing women in the military during WWI

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Feminists who ceaselessly inveigh against their own oppression by men (often hardly specifying its exact nature) would ignore how they themselves have oppressed...feminine women. It oppresses a woman who could delight in domesticity to tell her that her domesticity makes her a parasitic inferior to men. It oppresses a woman who yearns to stay home with her children to tell her she is worthy only insofar as she achieves in the workplace.

~F. Carolyn Graglia, A Brief Against Feminism

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Do the women's liberationists want to be liberated from being women? No, they would say, they want to be liberated from society's stereotypes of what women are supposed to be....Some very interesting facts have been uncovered by scientists which feminists will have to treat very gingerly for they show that it is not merely society which determines how the sexes will behave...The idea of matriarchy is mythical, I've learned, for not one that can be documented has ever existed. Doesn't it seem strange that male dominance has been universal if it's purely social conditioning? One would expect to see at least a few examples of societies where women rather than men held the positions of hightest status....Isn't it really much easier to believe that the feelings of men and women throughout history bear a direct relationship to some innate prerequisite?....It was God who made us different, and He did it no purpose. Recent scientific research is illuminating, and as has happened before, corroborates anctient truth which mankind has always recognized. God created male and female, the male to call forth, to lead, initiate and rule, and the female to respond, follow, adapt, submit.

~Elisabeth Elliot, Let Me Be a Woman

Little blessings

So often, we rush through our busy days not even stopping to notice the numerous little blessings that the Lord so richly bestows upon us each day. Today, Mama and I were able to open all the windows in the house, and a glorius, cool breeze wafted throughout the house today. It brought such comfort as we went through our tasks of homeschooling, housecleaning, etc. It felt so good to feel the cool breeze coming in through the windows today. There is truly nothing like it! Thank you, Lord for the wonderful gift and rich blessing of wonderful autumn weather that we could enjoy today! You are so good to us!

Take the time to daily count the many little, inconspicuous blessings that the Lord richly bestows upon you each day! You may be surprised to discover just how numerous they really are!

Devotional #16 (part 12 of 1 Timothy 4:12 study)

Hi, ladies! We are finishing up our devotional series on 1 Timothy 4:12, which says "Let no one despise your youth but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity." If you have not been able to read the previous devotionals, then please do so here before continuing on with this one.

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In the previous devotionals, we have seen just how crucial it is that we preserve our purity- physical purity, mental purity, emotional purity, etc. And I would like to submit to you another "tip" for completely preserving your purity: don't date! Now, I know this may be a controversial subject for some people. But it is something that we must think about in terms of preserving our purity.

Is dating wrong? Personally, yes, I believe wholeheartedly that it is. Why? Because even if you are 100% physically pure during your dating relationships (which is pretty unlikely), the fact is, you cannot, no matter what anyone says, preserve all of your emotional purity as you ought if you are dating. Bit by bit, you are giving away parts of your heart to each person you date, and this is a sin! Your heart is to be given in its entirety to your husband on your wedding day, and you simply cannot do this if you are involved in dating relationships. Proverbs 31:12 says, "She does him good and not evil all the days of her life." I used to read this passage and think that it was just saying that the Proverbs 31 woman does her husband good during her married life-in other words, does not commit adultery, etc. But this is not what it's saying at all! This verse clearly says that she does her husband good and not evil all the days of her life! This means she does him good before she is married to him, and she also does him good during their married life together. Now, let me ask you this question: does going from dating relationship to dating relationship do your future husband any good? No! Not only does it not do him any good, but when you date you are doing evil to your future husband-you are sinning against him! All of your purity belongs to your future husband, but when you date, you are depriving your future husband of receiving the blessed gift of your whole and complete purity. And this is a sin. Period. But not only are you sinning against your future husband, but you are also sinning against the future wife of whoever you date. Because during your relationship, you are depriving that person's future wife of receiving the blessed gift of all of his purity. So, don't let anyone ever tell you that dating is not sinning against anyone, or that whatever you do during your dating relationship only affects the 2 involved, etc., because those are nothing but lies!

Some people say that dating prepares a person for marriage. That's a lie as well! In our country, we have the hightest divorce rate that we've ever had-nearly half of all marriages end in divorce. And I believe this is due in large part to dating relationships. Why? Because while you're dating, as soon as you have a small little argument or you hit a little rough spot, you break up. And this is to prepare you for marriage? All this does is prepare you for the sort of marriage where neither spouse works at the marriage at all, but rather as soon as there is an argument that arises, one of the spouses is usually out the door claiming irreconcilable differences. All that dating does is cause people to look at marriage in the same way they do dating-that as soon as they hit a bump in the road they can break up and everything will be ok. But the Lord hates divorce, and so should we! Marriage reflects and symbolizes the marriage of Christ with His bride, the church, and this marriage cannot be broken. Therefore, earthly marriage is binding and is not to be broken, but rather worked at diligently when the hard times arise. Now, please don't misunderstand me and think that I am saying that no one who dates can enjoy a Biblical and productive marriage. The Lord can and does work miracles according to His grace. For instance, my mother dated young men before she met and married my father 18 years ago. And despite this fact, they have a wonderful marriage. But she still wishes that she had never dated other young men.

You may be thinking, "If you're against dating, then how in the world do you expect to meet and get to know your future husband?" I am wholeheatedly dedicated to courtship. Please check back soon, as I will be writing an article on courtship, describing what it is, how it differs from dating, why it is the Biblical way of getting to know a future spouse, how courtship works, how it preserves your purity, etc.

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Please click here for a wonderful article on this subject. And this is a wonderful story that is a must read regarding the sin of dating!

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Please return on Monday, ladies for a devotional for all of you who may have already compromised on some part of your purity. There is forgiveness and a second chance to be found, and I pray that the Lord uses this upcoming devotional to be a blessing and encouragement to you!

Have a wonderful weekend and blessed Lord's day!

Many blessings,

Rebekah

I am still here! :)

Hi, everyone! I just want to say how sorry I am that I haven't posted anything lately apart from the Bible verses and devotionals. I've been swamped with school, dance classes, etc. etc. lately, and have just not found the time to post all of the many things I want to/need to!! Please don't think that I'm forgeting about you-because I'm not! :)

I have lots of pictures to post soon, as well as many other posts on homemaking, Bible reading, feminism, etc. so please check back often! I will also be posting the very important announcement about a ministry idea that the Lord laid on my heart-so you definitely won't want to miss that post!

Thank you all so much for all the sweet comments you leave, for your support, for your sweet e-mails, etc. It's really an encouragement to me to keep this blog going when I read how the devotionals, etc. help you. Keep the comments/e-mails coming! They make my day! :)

Have a wonderful day, dear ladies!

Daily Bible Verse

He has put a new song in my mouth-praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord. Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust, and does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

Psalm 40:3-4 (NKJV)

Devotional #15 (part 11 of 1 Timothy 4:12 study)

Well, it's that time of the week again! :) Time to continue on with our 1 Timothy 4:12 devotional study. 1 Timothy 4:12 says "Let no one despise your youth but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity." We are currently on part 4 of the purity aspect of this verse. If you have been unable to read the previous devotionals in this series, please do so now by clicking here and then you can continue on with this one.

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In the previous devotional, I provided for you practical tips on preserving your purity. There is one however, that I did not add, as it requires a whole devotional in and of itself. And that is: give your heart fully to your father. Sadly, this is rarely heard of today, except through such great companies such as Vision Forum, or through wonderful authors such as Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin. In fact, very few young ladies even realize that this is a command found in Scripture! Malachi 4:6 says, "And He will turn the hearts of fathers to the children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse." There is some powerful wording found in this passage! The Lord uses such language to drive home His point that it is so important that-in this case, a daughter-turn her heart to her father. Why is this commanded and why is this so important? Well, for one reason, when a daughter gives her heart fully to her father, she finds love and affection there and has no desire to go seeking love or affection from a young man, thus preserving her all-important purity. As Hannah Zes has said, "To give your heart to your father means that none, save Christ and your father, have any hold on your affections. I don't have to go looking for relationships with young men because my heart is content first in Christ and secondly in my father's love. I have found the greatest peace in knowing that my heart is safe in my father's keeping and that I can trust him completely with my future."

So, what does it mean to truly give your heart to your father?

• Apart from Christ, bend all of your affections towards your father-not some young man.

When you begin giving your affections to some young man, you are bit by bit giving away pieces of your heart to him-and this should not be! Your heart should be given in its entirety to your future husband one day. And the only way to insure that this happens, is to give your heart to your father and bend all of your affections to : above all else, Christ, and secondly to your father. No young man is to be the owner of your affections-those belong solely to your Savior, your father, and to your future husband. Period. If you find yourself becoming attracted to some young man (and you're not marrying age), pray that you will resist this temptation. Go to your father, tell him what you are struggling with and ask him to pray for you also. Whenever you find yourself thinking about a certain boy, immediately start thinking about something else. And use the tips I mentioned in my previous devotional-these will help you as well. There are also some books that I would like to recommend to you:

Before You Meet Prince Charming by Sarah Mally (available through www.visionforum.com and www.reformedfamilybooks.com)

Lady in Waiting (this book is based on the book of Ruth) by Debby Jones and Jackie Kendall

Emotional Purity by Heather Arnel Paulsen

I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris

A good relationship with your father is so very important and crucial! If you have a loving, affectionate relationship with you father, this will save you from the desire or need to look for fulfillment, love, affection or affirmation from any young man. Begin now to develop a loving relationship with your father. If you have a father that is passive, doesn't seem to be very intrested in your life, or doesn't show his love for you very much, then pray for him. Show him love and you may be surprised what this love will do to your father-he may begin responding to you in a loving way in return. And for those of you who do not know your fathers, if you are a Christian, you have a Heavenly Father, and He loves you even more than any father or husband ever could. Place Him first in your heart forever and always.

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Please return Friday for the next devotional!

Quote from the late Ava Gardner, a popular actress

"I act for money, no other reason. Since I made my first picture in 1941, I haven't done a thing worthwhile. I have never enjoyed making films, and I don't like being a so-called film star. I haven't the emotional make-up for it, nor the love of exhibitionism. I am much too shy. I'd rather find one good man I could love and marry and cook for and make a home for, who would stick around for the rest of my life. I never found him. If I had, I would have traded my career in a minute."

~Ava Gardner, 1990

Queen Victoria on "Women's Rights"

"I am most anxious to enlist everyone who can speak or write to join in checking this mad, wicked folly of "Women's Rights", with all its attendant horrors, on which her poor feeble sex is bent, forgetting every sense of womanly feelings and propriety. Feminists ought to get a good whipping. Were woman to "unsex" themselves by claiming equality with men, they would become the most hateful, heathen and disgusting of beings and would surely perish without male protection. I love peace and quiet, I hate politics and turmoil. We women are not made for governing, and if we are good women, we must dislike these masculine occupations.

~Queen Victoria, 1870

Daily Bible Verse

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1 (NKJV)

Devotional #14 (part 10 of 1 Timothy 4:12 study)

Good morning, ladies! I hope all of you had a wonderful weekend and blessed Lord's Day! We are continuing on with our devotional study of 1 Timothy 4:12, which says, "Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity." We are currently on part 3 of the purity aspect of this verse. If you have not had the opportunity to read the prior devotionals in this series, please do so before continuing on with this one, by clicking here.

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From the previous devotionals on this subject, we have clearly seen just how very crucially important our purity and the preservation of it really is! But, how do we ensure that our whole purity is preserved? Here are some helpful tips for you to remember and put into practice:

• Insure that every single book you read is holy and above reproach.

Emotional purity is probably the aspect of purity that we females battle with the most. Whatever you do, do not read filthy romance novels. They waste your time, do not glorify God, and get us females into dreaming about a future spouse, having fantasies, or just dwelling on romance way too much. These books do not help us to preserve our purity whatsoever, but rather they steal away our emotional purity, and bit by bit, that purity is torn away and lost. Our thoughts ought to always be glorifying to God, and ought to be to the good of our future husband (She does him good and not evil all the days of her life. ~ Prov. 31:12). But if we are reading these such novels, these are not doing our future husbands any good, but are rather depriving them of receiving the blessed and treasured gift of our complete and whole purity-of body, mind and heart. This is a sin, dear ladies, and should therefore be stopped immediately and repented of. If you are in the habit of reading these such books, throw them away immediately, ask the Lord for His forgiveness for reading such filthy books, and become accountable to your parents!

• Insure that every movie and tv show that you watch is holy and blameless.

Sadly, so many movies and tv shows today are just plain filthy, full of tons of immoral and impure scenes. Without even meaning to, if you watch these kinds of movies and tv shows, you may be dwelling on or thinking about what the movie contained, and this is immoral and is robbing you of your emotional and mental purity. If you are in the habit of watching tv shows and movies which contain such ungodly content, stop watching these immediately! If you own them, throw them away. If you watch them on tv, block the channel if need be. But either way, stop watching these and become accountable to your parents. Ask the Lord for His forgiveness for allowing such filthy things to enter your eyes and mind, and ask Him for the strength to resist them in the future.

• Insure that all the music you listen to is honoring and glorifying to Christ.

There is SO much music out there today that is simply filthy, ungodly, and vile! If you own any music at all that has impure lyrics that cause you to think about things you shouldn't, immediately throw these CDs or cassettes out and stop listening to this sort of music on the radio as well. Once again, go before the Lord and repent of your sin, ask Him for the strength to resist temptation in the future, and then be accountable at all times to your parents.

• Insure that all websites that you access are pure.

Only go to websites you know to be Christ-honoring and glorifying and block all others. If you have been accessing websites, or any such thing on the computer that is impure or immoral, then immediately go to the Lord for forgiveness and become accountable to your parents in this area.

• Insure that your companions and friends are God-fearing and God-honoring.

I wrote a devotional on this subject not long ago. I can't even begin to stress to you how important this is!! Choose friends who are in love with Christ, and who seek to glorify Him in everything that they do, think and say. Only spend time with those who are good, godly role-models. Do not keep company with anyone who would lead you or influence you to be immoral, impure or to disobey God's clear commands. If you have friends that are bad influences on you, cut off these friendships immediately. We are to always be friendly to such people but we are not to be friends with them, for despite what we may think, the truth is that they will influence us (1 Corinthians 15:33)-we will not be the ones influencing them. Pray diligently for these people, though, that the Lord may change their hearts. But do not keep company with such people, for they will likely rob you of some area of your purity.

• Insure that all of your conduct is chaste and discreet.

Please refer to this devotional, where I speak on us being discreet and chaste, and I use the Webster's 1828 Dictionary devotional definitions, to help you better understand these words. In short, to be discreet means to not be rash, but rather prudent, wise, cautious and wary in conduct, and to "play caution and self-restraint" [Webster's Dictionary]. When you say the word modest, most people just think that that refers to clothing. But I beg to differ! It applies just as much to a person's conduct as it does to someone's clothing! We must have modesty in our conduct, if we hope to be an example to the believers in purity. This is so important! To be modest in conduct is to be discreet, quiet, not obnoxious, etc. To be chaste in conduct is to be pure, virtuous and holy in all of your actions. Sadly, so many girls and young women are into flirting nowadays. I can't tell you what this does to that young lady's beauty! It diminishes it so rapidly-it shows that this girl is immature and impure. I used to attend a youth group where flirting was prevelant. In a church! It was horrible. Flirting is a sin that must be illiminated immediately from our conduct, never to return again. Flirting is impure, unholy, immoral and very dishonoring to God and to our future husbands! If you have found yourself in this habit, repent of it, ask the Lord to forgive you and give you the strength to resist the temptation in the future and be accountable to your parents in this area as well!

• Insure that you are in the Word daily!

Stay in God's Word daily!! The more you fill yourself with it, the more you will have the desire to stay completely pure, and the more strength you will have to resist temptations. Have a quiet time daily!! Meditate on God's Word day and night! Memorize verses, and study God's Word every single day! I can't begin to stress to you enough the importance of this! I will be doing a post on this soon, giving you helpful tips on how to meditate on God's Word, so be sure to come back for that! :)

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I pray that these tips have been helpful to you! Put them into practice and daily ask the Lord for the strength to resist temptation and to live in a holy, pure manner. He will give you this strength and will help you! Rely on and trust in Him!

On Wednesday, I will have a devotional on one other very very important thing to do in order to guard your purity. This one requires a full length devotional in and of it self, so I did not add it to this list. :) Please return on Wednesday for this devotional! And, I would love to hear from you! I would love to get your feedback on how these devotionals have been an encouragement to you, and how the Lord has used them in your life! So, please e-mail me at: living_for_my_Lords_glory@hotmail.com Looking forward to hearing from you!

Have a blessed day,

Rebekah

Daily Bible Verse

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

~Philippians 1:3 (NKJV)

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note* We personally know the Goodpasters, the sweet family who owns this bookstore. They are dear friends of ours from church and they and their bookstore have been such a huge blessing to us! Thank you so much for supporting them through your purchase of Passionate Housewives Desperate for God! It is really appreciated. May the Lord richly bless you through the reading of this great book!

In Him,

Rebekah

Devotional #13 (part 9 of 1 Timothy 4:12 study)

Hello, ladies! We are continuing on with our 1 Timothy 4:12 devotional study. 1 Timothy 4:12 says, "Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity." We have come to the part of the verse which speaks on us being an example to the believers in purity, and are on part 2 of this purity aspect of the study. If you have not had the opportunity to read the previous devotionals in this series, then please click here so you can do so. Then, you can continue on with this one.

*note: This will not be the last devotional on the purity aspect of this verse-there is just so much to cover, that there will be at least another devotional after this one, if not two more. :) So, you have a little while longer before this series is over and completed. :)

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In the devotional on Wednesday we saw what our standard of purity is to be. We Biblically and successfully answered the all-too-popular question, "How far is too far?". The study of Ephesians 5 in the previous devotional showed us what the high standard of purity that God requires of us is. This is not something to be taken lightly! We are not to brush aside this passage and say, "Yes, that may be what it says, but it isn't really all that important or crucial that my standard of purity is that high. That's just being legalistic. I can set my own standard of purity, and everthing will be ok. I don't have to have such a strict standard of purity." My dear sisters, that is the saddest mistake that a girl will make! The girl who says such things is not only lying to herself, but is showing where her heart truly is. We cannot be true Christians and yet not follow Christ's precepts, commands and principles! They are for our good and His glory and are not to be discarded(and if they are, we will face severe punishment for that)! As Christians, our goal, desire, passion and mission in life ought to be to glorify God daily in all things we say, all things we do, and all things we think. We ought to have an immense love for our Savior and that love should spur us on with a desire to obey all of Christ's commands with heartfelt love, obedience and joy. The true Christian will see this standard of purity, and wholeheartedly thank the Lord for it! He would know that this standard of purity is a gift! He would also know that this high standard of purity is for our good! It is a rich blessing! It ought to be our joy to have such a high standard of purity! Not only is it for our good, but this standard of purity glorifies God! It lifts Him up and honors Him, and a true Christian would see this fact, and desire to live by this high standard of purity in order to glorify God and bring Him praise. But there is also another reason why the true Christian would see this high standard and would delight in it, love it, and desire to live it out. And this reason is that this gift of total and complete purity would be able to be presented to that Christian's future spouse one day, whole, complete, and without blemish or impurity. And this knowledge would bring the follower of Christ great joy and immense happiness! But if we disregard this high standard of purity that is commanded of us as Christians, and don't love it and desire to live it out daily, are not thankful for it, don't see it as the rich blessing that it really is and only see it as a "restriction that limits us of any fun", then it is highly doubtful that we are even love Christ at all. This may seem harsh, but it's the plain and simple truth. It is also really doubtful that we even care in the least bit about our future husbands, let alone love them. Because if we truly loved our future husbands at all, then we would preserve our purity with all joy, diligence, perseverence and happiness! It would be our joy and honor to preserve our purity for that special future spouse that the Lord already has picked out for us. We would be oh-so-diligent to preserve every part of that blessed purity-purity of body, mind, heart, spirit and soul. We would not only resist any temptation that would lead us to impurity but we would quickly run far from it and flee in the opposite direction!! One thing that our vile and impure culture must regrasp is the love of purity! We must rediscover the beauty, blessedness, and wonderful gift of it! It is something to be treasured, kept safe, and diligently preserved from all harm, and from all of those bad influences who would seek to destroy it. I cannot stress enough the importance and beauty of purity, or the vitally crucial importance and necessity of obeying Christ and living out His blessed high standard of purity! There are so many verses in Scripture where Christ commands us to preserve our purity and to keep the marriage bed holy and sacred. If I were to include all of them now, and speak on all of them as I would like to, this devotional would be the length of a book(I do hope to have devotionals on each of these passages sometime, though!)! The Lord could have in just one verse commanded us to remain pure, and that would be enough for us to know that we better obey. But rather He commanded it over and over in numerous passages and in numerous ways to show us just how hugely important it is to the Lord that we are pure in word, thought and deed. Our purity is not something that the Lord takes lightly, and neither should we! The Lord views our purity and the preservation of it as being very very crucial! He abhors impurity so much that in Old Testament times, those found to be impure, immoral, or caught in adultery were taken into the city streets and stoned for what they had done. Only once we grasp in our hearts the importance and beauty of our purity, will we ever hope to or be able to live out a life that is God honoring in this area and that is truly and joyfully lived out according to the high purity standard found in Ephesians 5.

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Please return on Monday for the continuation of this series! I will be offering all of you ladies practical help on ways to perserve your purity and resist temptation. As I stated once again, I will also be ending this series (whenever that is ;]) with a devotional for all of you women who may have already lost some of your purity, be it of body, heart or mind. None of us is perfect, and there is forgiveness to be found, and a second chance! I hope that devotional as well will be an encouragement and blessing!

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Have a wonderful weekend, dear ladies!!

All for His glory,

~Rebekah Ann