1 Timothy 3:16

Hello Everybody! :) I made this thing real quickly yesterday, but I thought I'd share it with you guys. I really like this scripture.

God was manifested in the flesh,

Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by Angels,
Preached among the Gentiles,
Believed on in The World,
Received UP IN Glory.

Hope you liked it too! :) -Sarah

"Who I am in God's Eyes" Series: Week 2

Week 2:

We Are....

His Jewels!!!

(Malachi 3:17)

~Sarah

"Who I am in God's Eyes" Series

(This is a temporary button thing. I'll be working on a more permanent one. :)

Around October, the Lord brought this subject up in my life, through a good friend:
Who I am, not according to the world's definition of beauty and success, but who God sees me as and who He says I am in His Word.
I spent a long time searching through the Bible and collecting different scriptures and it was a very exciting and encouraging time.(It is always so cool to be in God's word, isn't it?) I thought I'd share the nuggets the Lord showed me by doing a series of posts (once a week) focusing on one thing the Lord describes us as per post. :) I hope it encourages and inspires everyone, as much as it did me!

Who I am in God's Eyes: Week 1

Honored
and
Precious!

(Isaiah 43:4)

Merry Christmas!

John 1:1-5 and 14
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it....And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

So Much More Than Turkey Day

"Some hae meat and cannae eat,
And some cae eat but want it.
But I hae meat, and I cae eat,
And tae the Lord be thankit"
~Scottish blessing

"Happy Turkey Day"- in my mind, that term conjures up some idea of a fat turkey, with those horrid white stockings, grinning while he sits safely on the grocery-store sign as his brethren are snapped up and carried home to be stuffed and roasted. It's a term that sounds completely animal and vulgar. "Happy Turkey Day!" I mean really! "Turkey Day" belongs in Golden Corral and other greasy, gluttonous restaurants like that! :)
This beautiful day is "Thanksgiving Day"- a day set aside by our forefathers to worship and thank God for all his bounteous blessings. Read this quote by George Washington:

"Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be."
- George Washington, From the Proclamation of National Thanksgiving

Notice there is no mention of eating turkey in that passage! :) To have a "Turkey Day" in November is absolutely no different than having a Hamburger Day in March. Can you imagine that? "Um...boss...I'm taking Hamburger Day off next week. You should too...the post office is stopping for the day!"
Yet for "Thanksgiving" the whole country practically stops. Why? I can assure you that if it was merely for a chance to stuff yourself with a feast, companies would be less lenient about giving their employees the day off. No. It is because our country in the past, and, I hope, many Americans now, realize the value in setting aside a day of rest to thank the Lord with. Sadly, with too many it has become merely a day of laziness and gluttony. Sorry, but I have to say it like it is! In our home, we always enjoy the huge Thanksgiving meal, and the change of pace, but the underlying reason for it all is remembered, recognized, and renewed. We take this job of giving thanks seriously! :) I know some of our friends don't much like Abraham Lincoln, but you all must realize that the quote below is so true and fitting.

"We have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us."
-Abraham Lincoln's 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation

I must agree with Mr. Lincoln. As a country we have been intoxicated with unbroken success, and we no longer feel the necessity of thanking the Lord for all his mercies. Thus the gradual decline to turning this holiday in "Turkey Day". So let's change it! There are 43 followers of this blog. And a few more who read it! If you read this post, I challenge you to spend some real time thanking God for all his blessings, and of them all, most importantly, for Jesus Christ. ~Rachel

~Psalm 100~
Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

More is Taught Than Thought! :)

Nearly every evening last week, Dad, Sarah, Leah, Anna, Benjamin, and I went to a Hunter's Education Class in our county. I had not initially had much of an interest in going...10 hours of my evening-time out of the week seemed a lot. But Dad desired me to go, and so I did, wondering what exactly I could get out of the class. It ended up being great for several different reasons, not the least of which was to rumple up my romantic mind to more out-doors-ish, adventurous things! :) I actually grew interested in tracking, archery, muzzle-loading guns, and other things! Who ever would have thought that? ;) It seemed a thing more in Sarah's line of giftings. Believe me. That girl keeps me going! I am the dreamy-eyed, romantic, creative sister, and Sarah's practicality, sensibleness, and common sense, keep my feet on the ground and my head aware of what's going on in the here and now! :) Thanks Ce-Ce! :) Any-whoo! There was one part during the last night of the class that almost made me laugh out loud in pity! That sounds contradictory, but it is not! I promise! You see, it was the section on ethics, and the poor guy up front was making things terribly hard by trying to be politically correct, and stumbling all around the meaning of the word when for me, a Christian, the answer was so easy. The question: "What are ethics?" Here are several of the answers the course came up with:

• "Ethics is a concept that seeks to answer questions about what is good or bad, right or wrong, and what makes up a moral system."
• "An ethic is a body of moral principles or values associated with a particular culture or group."

• "The sum of our individual ideas of what is right equals a code of ethical conduct...."

Really? Oh dear. Then we are all in big trouble! I truly was sitting in my seat struggling not to giggle. All these things explanations dance around the "Big, bad, idea" of right vs. wrong. The last one especially is rather shocking...the sum of our individual ideas of what is right? Mercy on us! As I talked it over with Dad later, we were both shaking our heads. I think even Anna could have given the instructor the bottom line for ethics: For one example, take Deuteronomy 5:32-33:

"Therefore be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord you God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess."

I don't know who you are, but that passage clearly states that God has commanded some things right, and some things wrong. His word is very explicit in telling us His ways. So I can only laugh at how hard some people make it to define "ethics". Jesus came to teach us the Father's ways, and standards, and all someday will answer to those. I think as Christians, we sometimes take for granted how easy some decisions are. We have been told what is right, and what is wrong. The world still struggles, each person on their own, to reinvent the wheel! Basically, that hunter's course was suggesting that ethics are relativism. I recall a friend speaking of a young man she had had a conversation with. This gentleman did not believe that was a real "right and wrong". My friend asked him, okay, so how do you know what to do and not to do? The young man answered, "Well, when I do the right thing, I feel good!" (emphasis added)
One major problem with this fellow's argument- in it, he acknowledged that there was a "right thing". Poor guy! He knows deep down that there is a "right" thing, but he just makes it difficult by ignoring the fact that there is already a written "moral code" in God's word Going back to the hunter's course, another point bothered me: each culture and group has their own ethics? Doubtless they meant well, trying to merely get the idea of hunting-ethics across. But really. If in my culture, I said stealing was okay, then when I went into your culture, and you said it was wrong, you couldn't prosecute me in any way because my idea of wrong was different than yours? Oh boy. That doesn't sound like any form of "correctness". That sounds like anarchy!
So I'm sorry if this turned out to be a bit of a rambling post! I just felt that I ought to share the cool lesson I learned while attending a class that had nothing to do with it! :) -Rachel

"Now Prepare Yourself Like a Man!" :)

The Genesis account of creation is absolutely wonderful. All of God's word is. But I think maybe my favorite part of the Old Testament related to the creation of the world can be found in the latter part of the book of Job. In Genesis, you do hear the story of creation, and it is true and good. But it is like reading a biography about someone else. In Job, you get to hear the story of creation from God's point of view. For several chapters the Lord describes it to Job...in this book of the Bible, you can also see the Lord's sense of humor....
"Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
"Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined it's measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? To what were it's foundations fastened? Or who laid it's cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? Or who shut in the sea with doors, when it burst forth and issued from the womb; when I made the clouds its garment, and the thick darkness its swaddling band; When I fixed My limit for it, and set bars and doors; When I said, this far you may come, but no farther, and here your proud waves must stop!"
And it goes on...for four whole chapters. It is a marvelously detailed and beautiful description from the Creator, of the times when He was creating this world. I love the verse about the morning stars singing together and the sons of God shouting for joy. Isn't it amazing to think about the joy all of creation felt as God made it? Anyway, I've just been reading in Job recently, and once more found it a very interesting book of the Bible! :) -Rachel

Will He Speak To Me?

I love the ways the Lord grows our understanding of Him over time! :) When I was little, I often wondered what it would be like to have the Lord speak to you, and could it ever happen?!? I believe I labored slightly under the delusion that the only manner in which He could speak was a sort of Samuel experience! :D You know, an actually audible voice! So I sort of figured that it would be once in a blue moon. But over time, as I have come to know Jesus better, I have discovered so many more ways He can speak to me. Most often, it comes as I am in a conversation, or reading my Bible. And generally, it has a good dose of humor in it. For example, me reading about the nation of Israel- "Good Heavens! They were so incredibly stubborn! Why couldn't they see the right way to go and just stick to it for pity's sake?!?" and then the Lord flips my question and says to me: "And you always stick to your promises, and are always as compliant as I desire for you to be?"
"Well...not exactly...but they were so stubborn!"
(At this point, I get a feeling that the Lord is looking at me in a way as if to say, "And...?" with a fond and yet earnest expression in His eyes.) By the end of this little conversation, Jesus has showed me something new, and my pride has been once again taken down a notch.
Other times, His voice just comes through a blessing, like an uncommonly cool day, or a beautiful flower. It is not an instructive voice at these times, but a brief reminder He gives as He says, "I made this for your pleasure- enjoy it, and remember Me!"
I think of the verse in John 10: "And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice." (emphasis added)
Learn to recognize our Shepherd's voice- you will be surprised how often He will speak if we will be still enough to listen! I am still learning these things, and I tend to be a busy person, always doing something. So too often I tune out the quieter voice in my heart; the only Voice that really counts. Now that is a challenge for myself as well as anyone who reads this post! :) -Rachel

A Few Thoughts on My Husband.

Got your attenion, didn't I?
If there is one bad thing to be said about BBC dramas, I think it would have to be that they tend to leave us feeling a tad discontent. Not any big discontent, but a little twinge of, "Oh dear. Are there really any Mr. Darcys out there?" I am guilty of such thoughts now and again, as are most girls. At the same time, I feel that most of the men in those movies have qualities worth keeping in mind for a future husband. The younger girls and I had just finished "North and South", and were discussing the main male character, Mr. Thornton.
"I wonder if there are really any men out there like him?" Leah mused. I laughed and replied, "Why don't you pray for your future husband that he will have some of the qualities you admire in Mr. Thornton?"
Leah looked at me in a shocked way. "Praying for someone you don't know right now?..."
I tried to explain the thinking of my proposition. I pray so often for my future husband, even though it is more than likely that I have never met him! Leah then asked me a question I have asked myself: "What if you don't get married? You would have been praying for no one!"
Believe it or not, I have thought of this question. And the answer I came up with is this: Perhaps I won't get married. But most people do get married, and chances are, I will. So would I give up the years I can be praying for my "Mr. Thornton", just on the outside chance he doesn't exist? I don't think so. Maybe I will be praying for a non-existing personage. But I feel that somewhere out there, the Lord is preparing a man for me, and I will not stand idly by hugging a weak "what if?". In Proverbs 31 it says that "she does him good, not harm all the days of her life." (emphasis mine) All the days include right now. And while I cannot very well be a help-meet to him in many ways, I can act as his right hand gal by being a prayer-warrior. Girls, it really helps battle discontent to pray for your future husband! Try it! It is amazing how much easier it becomes to wait. Don't worry about the "what ifs". As long as you understand that true fulfillment and contentment are found in Jesus, than pray as often as you want for your "someday" man! :) Here are some verses I found that apply:
Romans 12:12 "...rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer...." I rejoice in the hope of having a husband someday. I will be patient in the times it is very hard to wait, and I will continue steadfastly in praying for him!

Psalms 139:16 "Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned fr me, when as yet there were none of them." God has a plan for me! It may include marriage, it may not! But He really does have it all written down! A great comfort!

Proverbs 15:29 "The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous." What can I say, but He is listening, and He does want to hear my heart? :)

Colossians 4:2 "Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving..."
So I am! :) I don't know about you girls, but someday, I have a feeling that my "Mr. Thornton" will be blessed to know that for many years, his wife has prayed for his safekeeping, his character, his well-being, and his relationship with the Lord. That's just about the best wedding gift I'll ever be able to hand to my beloved husband someday! :) -Rachel

A Variety of Thoughts

I am doing a quick post right before going out to garden. Tomorrow's s'posed to be 100 degrees! :( I swear, our garden can be a bane and a blessing all rolled into one- it's like having a very fractious, needy, fussy, roaring, but useful 9th child! :)

The past couple of days I've been reading out of "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers. I love it! After reading Oswald Chambers's biography, I have a better understanding of that man. Each day I've read out of it, there has been some nugget that I take with me. Here are some of the quotes that stuck out:



(June 16th) "Has the Lord ever asked you, "Willl you lay down your life for My sake? It is much easier to die than to lay down your life day in and day out with the sense of the high calling of God. We are not made for the bright shining moments of life, but we have to walk in the light of them in our everyday ways."
(Now I am back after 2 hours of gardening) Anyway, I think as Christians we assume that the only time we can really be "having a relationship" with the Lord, is when the lightbulb is really going off, and we are having a mountaintop experience. I think the Lord's most perfect work in us occurs when we are in the valley. I read on someone's blog one time the reflection that one of the names of Jesus is "The Lily of the Valley". Where does a lily of the valley grow? In the valley or course. There are some attributes of the Lord's character that we would not see unless we were willing to go down into the low places, and keep our spiritual eyes open at the same time. Really, I believe that the times of mundane plodding can be just as useful and glorious in the end, as the times when we see so very clearly all that we might be doing, and have done.
Then today's reading had a wonderfully freeing message in it:
"If you debate for even one second when God has spoken, it is all over for you. Never start to say, "Well, I wonder if He really did speak to me?" Be reckless immediately--- totally unrestrained and willing to risk everything---by casting your all upon Him. You do not know when His voice will come to you, but whenever the realization of God comes, even in the faintest way imaginable, be determined to recklessly abandon yourself, surrendering everything to Him. It is only through abandonment of yourself and your circumstances that you will recognize Him. You will only recognize His voice more clearly through recklessness---being willing to risk your all."
Isn't that lovely? Don't stop to consider what may happen when the Lord calls you. If the founding fathers had really stopped to consider the gravity of declaring war with England, would we have America? If Moses had stopped to consider the "impossibility" of getting millions of people across an ocean, would he ever have raised his staff and parted the Red Sea? If missionaries stopped to think of all the trials they may have to face on the mission field, would the Gospel ever be so widely spread? Be reckless in your abandonment to God- He'll take you on a glorious adventure! -Rachel

The Story of My Life This Week

Here is the story of our life this week in very short installments. Ahem:

Weed

Hoe

Weed

Hoe

Iced-tea

weed

Hoe

Thankful for a/c

weed

hoe

weed

hoe

turnips

peel

blanch

freeze

grate

weed

hoe

weed

hoe

paint picture of

weeding

hoeing

sisters

weed

hoe

lemonade/ popcorn

weed

hoe

iced tea

Read Proverbs 10 and decide I'd better watch it

weed

hoe

weed

hoe

get sprayed by hose by Aunt Christy

weed

hoe

iced tea/popcorn

Banana smoothies

blog! :) -Rachel

Proverbs 10:4-5, 26

"He who has a slack hand becomes poor,

But the hand of the diligent makes rich.

He who gathers in summer is a wise son,

He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame...

As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,

So is the lazy man to those who send him." :D

A Few Thoughts

Hello! Recently I have been reading a book called "Preparing To Be A Helpmeet" by Debi Pearl. It has been a great encouragement to me, and renewed my vision for how I will use my single years. One thing that really stuck out to me, was the idea of using these years to learn and store up as many skills and as much information as you possibly can. The author stated that if God has plans for you to be a farmer's wife, you'd better learn how to make cheese and butter, plant a garden, and preserve food. If he has plans for you to be the wife of a man who loves to be hospitable, you had better learn to cook for alot of people on a shoestring budget. And since we don't know God's plans for us, it is advantageous to learn all of these things, for we never know when we might need them. I think of the verse in 2 Tim. 4 where it says "..Be ready in season and out of season." I may not think I'll ever need to know a certain skill I have an opportunity to learn, but you know what? It doesn't hurt to learn it in the "out of season" time, and keep that knowledge for "someday". Another thing that challenged me is this: I desire to marry a man of valour and godliness. A man with a very strong vision for his family and his walk with the Lord, and who is a true man. That is all a very noble idea, but it becomes a bit selfish if I am not now preparing to be the woman that such a man will need. And so that is something I am working on also. It would be dreadful to marry a wonderful man like that and let him discover later that I was ill-prepared for anything useful! (I'm not saying I am that way, but it is just a thought you know.) Even after I technically "graduate", I will focus even more on storing up knowledge. It is an exciting thought! It almost gives me the feeling of a race to see how well I can prepare and how much of a true godly woman I can become before my "Prince" comes to get me! :) -Rachel

Don't Put on the Poker Face

Hello guys! This morning I was reading in Ecclesiastes, and this is a verse that jumped out at me:
"Do not be overly righteous, nor be overly wise: Why should you destroy yourself? Do not be overly wicked, nor be foolish: Why should you die before your time? It is good that you grasp this, and also not remove your hand from the other; for he who fears God will escape them all."
I love this verse, because it puts into great words something I often think about. Sometimes I have tried (in vain) to do "just right". I put on some strange mood that is what I describe as "a fit of morality" or as Oswald Chambers termed it: "Spiritual gymnastics". Now, there is a big difference between trying to act in a Christ-like manner, and trying to pose so that you are being "a good Christian". Sometimes I hardly notice when I am posing, and I am going around doing things that are perfectly godly. But the effort seems to tire me out. I am "destroying myself". Why? Because I am doing these things without the strength of the Lord. Jesus promised that He is living water. So when I pose and find myself terribly thirsty, it is because I am leaving Christ out of the picture. Daniel always reminds me that I must abide. Effort without true Christ-like love, (His heart) is just sounding brass and clanging symbols. The end of the verse I quoted above is so true: "For he who fears God will escape them all." It says right there what I have seen proved out in my own life. Isn't that amazing? It is possible to be toasty-oats dry and overly "righteous", and it is possible to be terribly foolish, but if we abide with Jesus, we will almost unconciously begin imitating Him, and there is where we must stay. It is a funny thing. I have seen it happen in myself that I try to....let's say for example, I try very hard to be patient with a younger sister. I strive to keep a sweet temper, and while I may not show outward signs of frustration or anger, my heart is definitely agitated. That is in my own strength, but when I am in constant communication with my King, I find that out of my heart, I really do wish to bear patiently the attitude of a sibling. I begin to see the reason perhaps, of their foul mood, and I suddenly find it easier to truly, from my heart, deal with the issue in a godly way. How great is our God who gives to all liberally if they will ask! His wisdom is so gloriously abundant, and I revel in discovering new treasures of it each day! :) -Rachel

In Which I Wax Poetic On History! ;)

I know I've posted before about my great fascination and love of history! But recently, while reading 1776 by David McCullough, it has been fanned into a nice flame again! :) Matthew and I were discussing the subject of history/our country and I realized over again, how incredibly important it is to know your history. If we didn't have godly lawyers and leaders in our government, politicians could say whatever they wanted and no one could tell them that it was unconstitutional. We don't have many godly men up there, but there are some, like Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli who is not content to stand by and watch our founding documents be picked apart or laid by the wayside to be forgotten.
I think that is the scary part about things: we are in danger of forgetting the true happenings. If we don't learn the facts the way that they really happened, then any person can come along, rewrite our history books, and we'll just stand by nodding our heads senselessly. I mean, I have been fairly recently listening to Diana Waring's "What In The World's Going On Here" and many history c.d.s by Doug Philips. It is so intriguing how so many godly men have had their name smeared over the years until we hold them rather in dread than respect. Take John Smith. He has been represented as rather an ill-tempered old fogey, but when you look at his whole life, it is amazing! I'd rather listen to that c.d. over again than watch National Treasure in some ways! :) I mean, he trained himself for war in the forest, was tricked on a ship and mugged, chased down those men, then, was hired onto a ship, but (for some reason, I can't remember why) he either jumped, or was thrown into the sea, and "luckily" ;) a ship captained by the only seacaptain he knew came to his rescue. This ship happened to be going to fight the Turks, so Smith went along. He became a hero, and was feared by so many from that country for he had defeated several of their great warriors in hand-to-hand combat. He became rich......and the story just goes on. And now in this day, they would have us believe that he was so different!
It is amazing, and scary in some ways!
More than the dry facts of history themselves, what is the most amazing for me is finding all the Providences of God in the stories. The book 1776 is not written from a Christian World-view, but is solid on facts. So I began listening when the man wrote "Luckily" or "Fortunately" because I realized that was where something inexplicable was going on. Inexplicable if you are not a Christian, that is. Take General Washington's army directly after The Battle Of Brooklyn: (a.k.a. "The Battle of Long Island") They had had a humiliating defeat, with great losses. Britain had rousted them well. That battle seemed to spell defeat to Americans or the "rabble in arms". :)
To make matters worse, when they returned to the fort, a Nor'easter had just come in, and many men spent the night in the trenches waist-deep in water. Most had not slept for several days. But the Nor'easter was a providence- it kept the British ships from being able to come in between Long Island and New York as planned. General Washington and his council decided that a retreat would be the most prudent action, but they didn't want to make a big stir, so Washington sent a message to one of his generals to gather up any sort of boat they could find. Then he sent messages around the camp for all the soldiers to gather up their belongings. Many were puzzled. None knew where they were headed. General Washington had a daring plan: remove an entire army of 9,000 men, not to mention horses, guns, ammunition, etc. across the mile-wide water full of difficult currents overnight, without any noise. The men were cautioned to stay silent, not even coughing. Cartwheels were muffled with rags.
To a well-trained army, a secret night-removal is considered nearly impossible, and certainly must be for a group of such "rabble in arms" with nearly no training. One group of soldiers stayed back to make a show of activity and stirring of the campfires to make the British think that all was still well. Keep in mind, the British were camped 600 yards from the fort.
There just "happened" to be a whole regiment of Delaware soldiers who were really sailors and fishermen. The wind just "happened" change as they began so that they could go more easily. They manned the flotilla of little boats through the difficult waters, with the water sometimes only inches below the sides of the boats due to the great load they carried . One Del. soldier recalled making the crossing 11 times! But morning was approaching, and a great number of the soldiers had yet to cross the river. Washington knew that once it was daylight, they were through. The British ships would fire upon them, and the results would be disastrous. To complicate matters further, the regiment of soldiers staying behind left the fort due to misunderstood orders. They made it back to the fort and their previous positions without the British knowing. And then, perhaps the most providential happening of the night occured as the sun came up: a thick blanket of fog settled over Long Island the the water, providing a safe way to get all the rest of the army, including that last regiment across to New York, which was fog free. Right after the last boats crossed, the fog lifted, and our American soldiers could see the British redcoats standing, confounded, at the waters edge. Washington, with God's providence, had taken, with no noise whatsoever, (except towards the end an accidental firing of a cannon :( ) his army of 9,000 troops to the temporary safety of New York.
Isn't that gloriously grand? And it is so shameful that the author of the book said it was "by a stroke of luck" (or something equally insipid) that the fog blanket rolled in. There was no luck about that!
Anyway, I know I can go for hours talking about the Lord's hand in history, but my main point is just to encourage us all to study out history for ourselves. Remember God's providences. Tell the stories the real way they happened to your children. And, if at some times you feel overwhelmed by the greatness of our calling as Christians, (and as the decided minority in these days) just remember that victorious "Rabble in arms" that defeated the greatest empire in the world in the late 1700's!!! And ultimately, we must never forget, we are on the winning side! With knowledge like that, I think we can all take a chance at being courageous and winning this war here on earth!
Psalm 89:1 "I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; with my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations!"
Amen? -Rachel

Our Secret Weapons! Shhhhh....THE FAMILY!!!!

Hello! In devotion the other morning, Dad read us something that was really interesting to me: it was a devotion about how the choices you make now, will affect your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. I had never exactly thought very much about that subject, but it really is fascinating. Consider one couple highlighted in the book "Generational Legacy" by Dan LeLaCheur: "Max Jukes, a known atheist, lived a godless life. He married an ungodly girl, and from this union there were 310 who died as paupers- 150 were criminals, 7 were murderers, 100 were drunkards, and more than half of the women were prostitutes. His 540 descendents cost the state one and a quarter million dollars."
I was shocked, a saddened by the awful consequences of just one couple who lived their lives without God. Only He can save us, and the opposite, for those of us who honor and obey the Lord's commands is true! That's the great news! Here is a well-known couple who are highlighted in "A Full Quiver" by Rick and Jan Hess: "As just one example of the clout God can give to a fruitful couple, we offer the legacy left by Jonathan and Sarah Edwards...
The Edwards family produced:
13 college presidents
65 proffesors,
100 lawyers and a dean of law school,
30 judges,
66 physicians and a dean of a medical school,
80 holders of public office
three United States senators,
mayors of three large cities,
governors of three large states,
a vice president of The United States, and
A controllor of the United States Treasury."

Isn't that great? I loved hearing about the victorious family! Then, Aunt Christy read us this passage in Deuteronomy 30- "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgements, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. But if you turn your hearts away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendents may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them."

I find it a thrilling prospect to look forward to someday when I have children, and to know that if we surrender our family to the Lord, and love Him wholeheartedly, He can do marvelous things through us! Who knows but I may have a grandson who is a vice-president? ;) But really! I am so blessed by reading both lists, and being able to see what my choices today can either support, or help prevent! Here is another interesting thing, on the subject of limiting family size:
(From "A Full Quiver")
"Let's say you're planning a dinner party for the most significant people of all time. Your invitation list can span history, but you can only send invitations to persons who were first, second, or third born in their families. Here's a partial list of some historical `biggies' who wouldn't be coming to dinner:
George Washington
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Dietrich Bonhoffer
Oswald Chambers
Jonathon Edwards
Augustine
Corrie ten Boom
Ulrich Zwingli (who's he?)
Charles Finney
Johann Sebastian Bach
Ludwig van Beethoven
John and Charles Wesley"

Crazy, huh? I think of the verse: "Where there is no vision, the people perish". For pity's sake! Who would pass up the chance to bring up mighty men and women for the Lord, just because they were afraid that the expense and trouble would be too much? Gracious! That is a very near-sighted person, and I'm afraid they aren't able to see much past the end of their own nose! I consider all the above examples extremely exciting proof of how God blesses those who honor His commandments! -Rachel

A Peek Into WalkHeffitopia! ;)

Hello! I thought that I, Rachel, would give you guys an update on how things are going in a house of 21! The truth is, things are going alot more smoothly than I ever hoped! This is such great blessing and an answer to prayer for us! I guess we are entering into our third week now. This week we'll be getting 40 chicks, and planting our garden. We'll have lots of help, and lots of little hands to squeeze the chicks and lots of feet to step on our rows. ;) Gracie and Abby still have not learned all the way, and neither have some of the youngest Walkers! :) Hope we don't have any casualties! The girls separated the goat kids from the Mama today. Sad to hear them crying out so pitifully!
Today we had a family meeting- the main thing the Mamas decided we need to focus on for this week (especially middle and younger children) is "Please, see the need, meet the need, without being asked." As the oldest daughter in our family, I naturally do this, and so do Sarah, Matthew, and Leah. It was cute to see the reaction of Jeremiah (6) who totally missed the point of the phrase and said excitedly, "Yeah! Like when I didn't ask and I went into the chicken coop!" (as if that was what we were all aiming to do! :)
We have had alot of fun having the Walkers here! So far, in two weeks we have fixed 721 plates of food, and spent 300 and some hours together! :) There are always enough people around to do a dance, take a walk, or play volleyball. Last night, we did all three actually! Matthew and I did an impromptu waltz in the dining room, (always teach your cousin to dance! :) then Sarah with Matthew, and Daniel and I went on a walk down our pitch-black road. We were full of hijinks and abundantly merry spirits, so Daniel and I spent our walk throwing things into the bushes along the road and scaring Sarah! :) When we got home, Uncle David suggested, (Walker blood, that!) that we set up lights and play volley ball. So we took a ladder and a work light, balanced it carefully, and played a silent game of volleyball in the half-light. I provided comic relief! It was so funny how many times I played a "Lady Tippings" as we say, and touched the ball with just the extreme tips of my fingers!
Well, I'm almost off to check the mailbox, (dreadfully deserted these days! :[ )
Here is the verse we posted on our wall this morning, that says perfectly what we must focus on during these weeks: 1 Peter 4:8-11 "And above all things have fervent love for one another, for `love will cover a multitude of sins.' Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen."
The part that got me was about speaking as if you were speaking the oracles of God. I am a girl who likes to talk. Believe me. I love words in any way, shape, or form. I have been thinking lately, of the percentage of my speech, what amount of it is speaking as if I was speaking the oracles of God? Not enough, I'm sure. Oh goody! A challenge! This week will be full of them, I have a hunch, because I am also re-reading "So Much More" by Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin, which is a very eye-opening book.
What is it that some man said? "A ship at harbor is safe. But that is not what a ship is made for."
So be it. Whoever said being a Christian is dull? Obviously, they haven't tried it! :) -Rachel

Forever Victorious

Hello to all our readers! I trust you all have a wonderful April Fool's Day? I did, and except for believing a post on Abigail's blog, I was not duped. Today is the 3rd or 4th of a glorious string of days. The sky is a perfect blue, the breeze beckons for me to come outdoors and trod barefoot upon the emerald grass. Myriads of flowers speckle the grass, lifting up their lovely faces to be admired and plucked to grace a windowsill or table. The fresh baby green greets me from every corner, and I think, "Who am I that the Lord grants me so many blessings?"
I think back 2,000 or so years to this same day, "Good Friday" and marvel. I wish I could think of something clever or insightful to say about this very special day. But the thought that persists in my mind, is how great the love of Christ is. He took my sin, and the sin of each one of us upon His shoulders, and bore it unto death. And as He hung upon the cross, (As Aunt Christy pointed out) He was thinking of each of us by name. He was not just dying "for all mankind" but for every person by name. For Sarah, for me, for Daniel, Matthew, Abigail, Hannah, Merriette, Shaina, Elliott, Oliver....everyone each by name.
And His love did not stop at the cross, but continues on through each day. Why does God care to see that my yard is full of flowers that I so delight in? Because He loves me. Why did He give us the gift of laughter? Because He loves me and delights in hearing my joy aloud. I don't know about you all, but His love is the one that I want to encompass me. I want to be wrapped in His love as much as I can. It is like drinking from a fountain after you have been running a marathon and knowing that it will never run dry. I am a stupid sheep sometimes. I jump over fences, knock down all my fellow sheep, and get my wool stuck in the briars. Then I stand there bleating. And still my Shephard, with such marvelous tenderness in His eyes, and a knowing smile playing about His mouth, lifts me in His powerful arms, and restores me. I am so undeserving of Jesus's love. And He knows it. That is why He paid the price. He loves me even after all I do to offend His principles. That thought, though over-used sometimes, cannot really be fully fathomed by our sheltered minds. But I know that the one way I can try to show Him that I am abundantly grateful for what He has done, is to walk in the way He shows me. Nothing more, nothing less.
"Who shall seperate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness or peril, or sword?...For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35, 37-39
I don't know about you all, but I am jubliant and awestuck at the blessing of being on the side that always has, and always will win! -Rachel

Something Quick

'ello! This is me, Sarah. I was just gonna do a post, but first: did any of you watch the Super Bowl last night? and if so, who were you rooting for? Most of my family was going for the Indianapolis Colts(I didn't know much about either team, but I liked their colors and heard some things about the other team that I didn't like) I still don't know who won, but in the 3rd quarter, the Saints were way ahead, so........anyway.

Last night on the way home, Daniel and I were listening to songs on his iPod. I heard this one song that stuck out to me. It's called "Beloved" and it's by Tenth Avenue North.

Love of my life

Look deep in my eyes

There you will find what you need.

Give me your life,

Lust and the lies

The past you're afraid I might see.

You've been running away from me.

Chorus:

You're my beloved,

Lover I'm yours.

Death shall not part us

It's you I died for.

For better or worse

Forever we'll be

Our love, it unites us

It binds you to me

It's a mystery

Love of my life

Look deep in my eyes

Then you will find what you need

I'm the giver of life

I'll clothe you in white

My immaculate bride you will be

Oh, come running home to me.

Chorus

You're my beloved

Forever we'll be

Our love it unites us

It's a mystery

I took this song to be the idea of the Lord being the bridegroom of his people and the church. I've come across this subject a few times recently. We, as young ladies not ready for courtship or marriage, need to be focusing on falling in love with Jesus. It's very easy to be distracted by things of the world, but in this period of our lives, the most important thing we can do is to grow our relationship with the Lord. The Bible compares Christ and the church to a bridegroom and bride. I think that as young women we need to be as, or even more eager and passionate in loving the Lord right now, as we will be in the future in loving our husbands. That's just been in my mind recently, so I thought I'd go ahead and share it with ya'll!
Hope it wasn't too boring! I hadn't really collected all my thoughts about it till now.
-Sarah

Wisdom From a Day Gone By (that still stings! :)

Hey guys! Well, Sarah and I were doing dictation in school, and we had to hand copy (thankfully not dictation this time) part of a sermon by Charles Spurgeon. What had started out as a large task (handcopying it all) actually turned into a blessing because the words of this man, long dead by now, still ring true today, and they are actually something that we still struggle with sometimes! I just thought I'd share the excerpt we copied for you to hopefully enjoy and be challenged by:

"They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power."

Psalm 145:11

You have only to look at the preceding verse, and you will discover, in a single moment, who are the people here spoken of who shall speak of the glory of God's kingdom, and talk of his power. They are the saints: "All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord, and thy saints shall bless thee." Possibly some will ask, "Well, sir, how can we talk about religion? Upon what topic shall we converse? How are we to introduce it? It would not be polite for instance, in the company with which we associate, to begin to say anything about the doctrines of grace, or about religious matters at all." Then, beloved, be not so polite; that is all I have to say in reply to such a remark as that. If it would be accounted contrary to etiquette to begin talking of the Savior, cast etiqette to the winds, and speak about Christ somehow or other. The Christian is the aristocrat of the world; it is his place to make rules for society to obey,-- not to step down, and conform to the regulations of society when they are contrary to the commands of his Master. He is the great Maker of laws; the King of kings, the Lord of lords; and he makes his people also to be kings. Kings make rules for ordinary men to obey; so must Christians do. They are not to submit to others; they must make others, by worth of their principles, and the dignity of their character, submit to them. It is speaking too lightly of a Christian's dignity when we say that he dare not do the right, becausei t would not be fashionable. We care nothing for that, for "the fashion of this world passeth away." "but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever." ....First, here is A SUBJECT FOR CONVERSATION: "They shall speak of the glory of they kingdom, and talk of they power." Here are two subjects; for God, when he puts grace into the heart, does not lack a subject upon which we shall converse. First, we are to converse concerning the glory of Christ's kingdom. The glory of Christ's kingdom should ever be a subject of discourse to a Christian; he should always be speaking, not merely of Christ's priesthood or his prophesying, but also of his kindom, which has lasted all eternity; and especially of that glorious kingdom of grace in which we now live, and of that brighter kingdom of millennial glory, which soon shall come upon this world, to conquer all other kingdoms, and break them in pieces." -Charles Spurgeon "Christian Conversation"

Isn't that great? He is so very blunt and honest that it cracked me up! I actually laughed out loud when he said, "Then, beloved, be not so polite. That is all I have to say to a remark like that." I love people who fearlessly say what is true, but with tact ;) Anyway, I thought that it was a great reminder that God's principles are timeless, and about being culture-leaders. Hope that blessed someone! -Rachel

p.s. Doesn't he look like a little fire-cracker? (That is obviously Charles Spurgeon, not my grandfather! :)

Curious Combination, But Don't Dismiss Us Yet! :)

Hey Everyone! Here's a picture of the snowman Abby and Benj made today. I think it's the biggest one they've ever made!:)

Psalm 147:15-18
"He sends out his command to the earth;
His word runs very swiftly.
He gives snow like wool;
He scatters the frost like ashes;
He casts out His hail like morsels;
Who can stand before His cold?
He sends out His word and melts them;
He causes His wind to blow, and the waters flow."



Psalm 148:8
"Fire and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds fulfilling His word."

Here are some verses that Sarah just put up about snow and how God uses it to perform His works. The latter has always been a favorite verse of mine. I walk around dramatically quoting it. Actually, one time when the house had been really loud and I was merely quoting that most thrilling verse, Mama looked at me and said, trying to be patient, "Would you please stop quoting lines from movies!" I guess I was a pretty good actress! : ) Now, sorry to add onto Sarah's very pretty verses, but here is something that has nothing to do with that. Sometimes joint posts don't match well! :D
Okay. Please someone, tell me I'm not crazy and that you do this: when I read a book, most of the time I will not cry when I read it, because I don't like crying in front of people, and since I'm usually in the center of all the action, I am seldom alone. But I have a lively imagination. It can be a fault, and a damage to my health ;) Because I was reading the second book in the Scarlet Pimpernel series, and a young woman was about to tell a great secret that would send someone to the guillotine, and Sarah was trying to talk to me. I listened not. In that moment I was living the scene and I couldn't bear interruption. My eyes absolutely flew down the page, I had a raging headache, and my cheeks were flushed, my heart pounding. I then finished the chapter, and was reluctantly able to talk to Sarah rationally. Perhaps I am too easily pleased- these are not harmful thriller books from the twenty-first century. Nay, these are remarkably historically accurate books written in 1902 about the French Revolution. I assure you, they are some of the most exciting books I've ever read. And I am a huge reader. I have devoured most every book in my house and the Walkers, and on Morgan Wilson's shelf. (Just ask Matthew of Morgan, they'll tell you.) I really think Matthew, by the way, that The Scarlet Pimpernel and the other books in the series can vie for the most exciting book with Duncan's War and Co. ! I am not kidding! Thanks King's Daughter for doin' the interlibrary exchange thing so that I could be transported with delight reading something that I hadn't read and that I didn't make up, and that I could devour at my leisure!
In case anyone is wondering, the books center around a mysterious Englishman who calls himself "The Scarlet Pimpernel" (an English wild-flower) and who, along with his trusty band of 20 young men rountinely snatch the aristocrats to safety right under Robespierre, and Merlin, Focquier-Tinville, and others noses. They are so very good books in my opinion, and Daniel's, and I suggest you read them. The only thing I should warn you about, is that there is a bit of language in them, but the more I read British literature, the more I wonder if some of the words we consider bad here in America are bad there. Can anyone clear that up for me? Anyway, thanks for allowing me to go off on a rabbit-trail there. Laugh at me if you will. I laugh at myself, but I am a passionate lover of books, and I do not read them- I swallow them whole! ;) -Rachel (and Sarah)