A heartwarming little blessing.

I posted just recently that I had finally taught myself how to knit. Well, I also shared this news on Facebook. (Most of my family members have FB, and that's how we keep up with each other.) That same evening a little lady emailed me and told me that she had just cleaned out all of her craft cabinets and had a stack of very easy knitting patters that she would be willing to mail to me. Isn't that the sweetest thing? God provides in such subtle little ways. :)

It's official.

I have finally learned how to knit!
This was one of the things on my "Accomplish before I turn 25" list! :))

My First Steps as a Stay at Home Daughter.

I contemplated whether or not to write about this journey in a private journal, or here on a blog. Obviously, the blog won out. Hopefully, prayerfully, someone will find encouragement here. Maybe it will influence someone... I can only hope. :)

Deciding to become a stay at home daughter was an awkward choice for me. My home life probably isn't typical to other girls who make this choice. I was not saved young, I've experienced a lot (read: too much) of the world, I only homeschooled my senior year as God led... For some reason, these things make me feel inferior to other ladies who have always lived such a lifestyle as the one I'm pursuing. BUT praise be to the Lord, He gives us clean starts. Not only does He give us a new chapter in life, He gives us an entirely new book!

My first step towards this decision was to talk to my parents. They didn't quite understand what I was getting at to begin with, but after much discussion (and showing them a few blogs of other girls making similar choices) they have accepted and given total consent. This is a huge weight off of my shoulder. The world is good at making us feel like we are obligated to work and be career women, so taking another path is scary! Knowing that my parents are supportive makes it seem possible.

So I got past that and then I was left with a "Well, now what?" feeling. I started to look around my life and try to decide what I had been neglecting. Things that I knew would help my family. So, I cleaned the bathroom. (That may sound silly, but it felt monumental.) I scrubbed that place like karate kid, and it felt really great. I did that without being told simply because I knew it needed to be done. So try, if you would, to understand my point. Cleaning the bathroom wasn't really all that big of a deal, but it was a first step towards responsibility and serving my family.

I've moved now to organizing and doing some nitty gritty work on my bedroom. I'm putting things where they belong, giving everything a home, throwing away tons of hoopla I don't need. It's very refreshing, and it's encouraging. By God's grace I can be a help to my family, I can train myself to be a servant to God, and I can prepare myself for being a homemaker. The Lord is very, very good!

The first steps have been taken, and I can't wait to see where God will take me from here! <3 :)

Today…
October 28, 2010

Outside my window…
Bright sky with wispy clouds, cool, and bright fall leaves.

I am thinking…
I want to do some reading. :)

I am thankful for…
A loving and understanding mother.

I am wearing…
Grungies because I've been cleaning. :p

I am reading…
Romans, Pride and Prejudice, and Battles: Military History

I am creating…
A more organized keepsake box.

One of my favorite things…
Stargazing! The sky has been so pretty and clear.

For education this week…
Ancient History, Romans, Ancient Warfare

A keeper at home skill I am using/learning …
Organization!

A spiritual lesson I’m learning…
To be a Godly daughter.

A godly character trait I plan to work on…
A deeper burden for souls.

Scripture I am memorizing…"Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came] upon all men unto justification of life." -Romans 5:18

I am praying for…
God's guidance as far as future choices.

For the rest of the week…
Studying more frequently, finally getting my closet organized, making a "to-read" list... oh and WRITING A BOOK. Nanowrimo here I come!


A picture I’d like to share…

Ball gown ca. 1900 via The Costume Institute of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Modesty and Purity

    As Christians, we are ambassadors. We represent a foreign land. This is extremely important for us to remember in our day to day life. Our conduct before the world could literally determine whether or not someone will be exposed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We declare hope to a lost and dying world, that is God’s will. Sometimes what we see as the most trivial of matters (such as clothing and dress standards) can have a tremendous impact on those around us. I do not write this as if modesty and purity are simple matters -- for they are not. But they are  indeed worthwhile and Godly pursuits.
   
Reasons not to dress modestly:

To show those that are lost how holy you are.
We as a whole are a fallen people. Our natural tendencies are to be prideful and arrogant. As Christian ladies, we must defend against pride. If we dress differently simply for the sake of being different, we are in vain. If we want to dress differently merely to stand out, we are not humble. If anything for God is done out of show for others, we have our reward. If public notice is our goal, we may as well wear nothing.

To impress other Christians.
Dressing modestly and desiring to lead a pure life is a conviction given from God to those that are born again. Nothing should be done simply because a certain preachers wife wrote about it, or because a fellow church member does it, or even because of this article. All things we do for God should be lead by Him, and impressed upon us by Him. The goal of modesty and purity is to please God, not other Christians.

To have a better standing with God.
It is extremely easy to try and show God lists of all of the good things we do. We try to make ourselves feel better by showing Him all of our accomplishments and our standards… But God sees the whole of our hearts. He knows our darkest secrets and our most disgusting sins. A pure life is pursued out of love and humility towards God. If we try to have high standards simply to impress God, it will not do. All of our righteousness is all together vanity to Him.


Reasons to dress modestly:

For those around you.
We as Christians have an obligation to express to those around us that we are saved by the grace of God. It needs to be obvious which team we are on. When a lost person looks at a Christian lady, they should know that something is different.  They should see Jesus Christ, and not the world. In many situations, we are the only “Jesus” a person may see. The witness and Godly influence that is cast on others by a modest and chaste lifestyle is an overwhelming reason to be such. Be modest for the sake of others.

For your future spouse:
To be immodest and unchaste in your daily life leaves you overexposed, lewd, and with little respect from others. This robs marriage of it’s sanctification and beauty. Your future spouse is worth a sacrifice. If your body is shared with everyone, you are left with very little that is special and reserved for your husband. Marriage is beautiful, it is holy, and it is one of the sweetest things this life can offer…It should not be undermined by a lack of virtue.

Mainly, above all, for God:
Jesus Christ loves His children with a love that is beyond all comprehension. He cares deeply for His own, and He knows what we need to be told and reminded. God’s word commands that women dress modestly, and not without reason. God knows our innermost heart and He knows what will cause us to stumble and fall to sin. The God who saved you is worth every last sacrifice you can offer Him. Be willing to be different for His sake. To fight against God and to see how far you can skew His word is a grave error. Hold nothing of yourself back from God.

   
    Modesty and purity can be intimidating subjects for the Christian lady to think about. They are not traits found in us naturally. Purity is the opposite of what our flesh seeks out. But with God nothing is impossible -- nothing. He can take the lowest of women and dress her in jewels. The most polluted can wear a white robe. The Blood of Jesus Christ allows us to be pure and holy women of God…let’s embrace it.



-Deborah Newby

From my heart.

This is my first post on this blog, and I really want to share my heart with you about some things.

I have been a Christian since December 5th, 2007. God is honestly my entire world, and without Him I am nothing but sin and shame. There is nothing good that comes from me. I never want anyone who reads this blog to feel inferior, or put down. My aim is to show others just what God can do with a low life sinner. I am living proof that God uses the base things of this world for His glory. I really want to emphasize this because I know (and have felt) how intimidating some blogs can be. The ladies that write them seem impeccable and sinless, almost untouchable. I do not want to be that blog. I want everyone to feel welcome and loved and encouraged.

I have a number of other reasons for wanting to start this blog. Mainly, I need encouragement. I need to have other Christian ladies in my life that are like-hearted. I am nineteen years old, graduated, and wasting my time bumming around the house! God has so greatly convicted me to be productive and useful in my home life. These years shouldn't be "suffered through" or a burden... I should be growing in HIM and learning to be a Christian lady.

So here I am. Here is my heart. Please join me on this journey of mine and know that you are not alone. We are all fighting this battle. And we, as Christians, have victory.

<3