I’d rather walk in the dark with God than go alone in the light; I’d rather walk by faith with Him than go alone by sight. ~ Anon

This is so true!  How often I overlook the enormous blessing He gives me.    May we all strive to be consicious of the blessings, big and little, obvious and hidden. May we be found looking for His blessing all around us and not being guility of wasting any time we have been given by complaining about our circumstances. Hope you day has been blessed!

Looking To Him Alone,
Maiden Princess 

Quote of the Week

This week’s quote is actually an excerpt from a book I love, “Home-Making” by J.R. Miller. Vision Forum sells it but now I believe it’s entitled “Family Life” or something like that. It has been one of my favorite books and I have highlighted many powerful sayings, this is one of them.

J.R. Miller talking about the importance of friendships in the home.

“Friendships in the family require care and culture as do other friendships. We must win one another’s love inside the home doors just as we win the love of outside friends. We must prove ourselves worthy; we must show ourselves unselfish, self-forgetful, thoughtful, kind, tender, patient, helpful. Then when we have won each other we must keep the treasure of affection and confidence, just as we do in the case of friends not in the sacred circle of home.”  Page 150 Second Paragraph

It is so easy to get tied up in our other friends that we miss the treasure we have in our own family. I have some friends who I don’t talk to very frequently because they are so busy at home. Yet, that is somewhat of a blessing. If we are investing in our families and learning how to truly become a tight-knit unit working towards the same goal, then talking with friends becomes secondary. As it should! Your family should be your closest confidant, your greatest ally and encourager. Often times though, when we find our families are not there for us, or what we want them to be, we look to others and we lose the sacred bond of family connections. We then become several people all living under the same roof, know nothing of each other’s real struggles in life, or caring to. We become, in essence, strangers to each other; people who love each other but know nothing about each other. People who are living under the same roof but have different goals. Instead of working through our problems at home, we look for the easy fix and instant gratification, friends. We know they’ll be right there with an encouraging word or a sympathetic phrase.

By no means am I saying friends are bad!  In fact, they can be a HUGE blessing! I am just saying, as I know because of personal experience, that too much time spent pouring out your heart outside of the home will create a less than close family unit. Instead, try working through your problems and pain WITH your family. The LORD put you together as a family for a reason. Talk about what you’re going through not only with your friends but with your family. If you feel like no one cares, talk to them about it. Help them to know what you need from them and that you want to be close with them. One of the greatest ways Satan divides families is by weakening the bonds of communication especially between brothers and sisters.

No longer do we see families whose brothers protect and care for their sisters. No longer do we see sister who ask to be sheltered and protected from this cruel world. Ladies, we are the weaker vessel. There is no shame in that. God created us equal yet with different needs. Women need to be protected, men need to protect. When we seek out our Fathers and tell them of our struggles and our needs, they know that we want them to protect and lead us. When we pour out our hearts to our Mothers we let them know that we ask for their prayers and their wisdom. When we confide our struggles in our siblings, they know that we trust them, we love them, and we highly esteem them.

This method is not going to make a family perfect, nor does it take a perfect family to do this. It takes at least one person who wants to invest in her/his home. It takes one person who is willing to be totally open and honest with their family. It takes one person who delights in the purposeful creation of his/her God-designed family to start building it into what it was meant to be. All it takes is you!  Try it! Be willing to invest in your family.

“The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands.” Proverbs 14:1  

Living For Him,
Maiden Princess

P.S. And just so you all know, I don’t have this down yet. It is a hard one. I love to talk to everyone and everybody about everything I’m going through. It is hard sometimes to not do the easy thing and go to your friends instead of your family, yet it is essential to family growth. May I never be accused of tearing down my family with my own hands! May I learn to communicate correctly more and to look to my Heavenly Father when I feel like my needs are getting met at home. I mean, c’mon, none of us have perfect families so none of us are gonna have our needs met by our families all the time, no matter how much they may even want to, they are human and not perfect!)

"Better to light one candle than to curse the darkness" ~Unknown

This quote jumped out at me because it is so easy as Believers to think about and discuss what a horrible mess this world is in. However, discussing and thinking really get us no where! The only thing that will help is us standing up and making a difference, being salt and light. How a small light can dispel a great darkness. Live what you believe, walk in His ways, run in His race, and leave the rest to Him.

Looking To Him,

Maiden Princess

” I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had no where else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for the day.”   ~Abraham Lincoln

How true is this quote. Just another reason I love Abraham Lincoln, he was just an ordinary man who the LORD used to do extraordianry things. Because of his submission to whatever the LORD's will for him was and for his realization of his own weakness, he is one of my favorite Presidents. It just goes to show to that when we submit to the LORD completely and look to Him to guide us every step we can do more than we ever imagained!

Looking To Him,

Maiden Princess

I was going to keep up with the Young Maiden's Daybook thing but I realized that it's too much for me. So, I regret to say that I will no longer be doing YMD on Mondays.  I will however, keep up with the quote of the week and Thanksgiving Thursdays and whatever I can fit in between. Right now I feel like my life is spinning out of control and I need to sort some things out and make some adjustments so that I can be organized and disciplined again.

The book is going slowly, I haven't really been able to let things flow. I have a lot of thoughts but I think I'm trying to make them too profesional and it's scaring me into not writing at all. Please pray that I will trust completely in God and not allow fear to keep me from doing God's will for me. At the same time I dont' want to rush into things too fast, I just want to do it in His time. Lately, to make sure I cover all my bases, I have been writing my thoughts out as articles even though I dont' think they're very good. I figure I can go back and fix them later but at least my thoughts will be down. So, there's your progress report.....here's your quote of the week !

Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile. ~William Cullen Bryant

Enjoy today while it's here, because soon fall will be over and winter will be here. Enjoy each season to it's fullest and then you will never regret the time you spent there when you enter the next one. Winter shall soon be upon us, let us enjoy the few days of fall-ish weather we have.

Enjoying the Presence of our Savior,

Maiden Princess

“God can’t give us happiness and peace apart from Himself because there is no such thing.” ~ C.S. Lewis

I thought this quote was really good. It reminds me that when I take my eyes off of Him I am empty. I will not find satisfaction in anything or anyone else. There will not be feelings of completeness or contentment unless I look to Him and follow His plan for my life.

Don’t let the cares and jam-packed schedules of this week pull you away from your intent gaze on the Father. Look to Him, for apart from Him we are nothing!

Standing Strong As He Holds Me,

Maiden Princess

"The space between yesterday and today is filled with acceptance, forgiveness, and remembering to laugh." ~ Unknown

Relax, let go, just enjoy life. For if God is for us, who can stand against us? People in China are being persecuted and tortured for just believing in Jesus Christ as Savior, and you think you've got problems? How differently I would live if I remembered always how good the LORD has been to me......................

Because of Grace,

Maiden Princess

There are times when silence has the loudest voice. ~ Leroy Brownlow

Oftentimes, I struggle with being quiet and keeping my mouth shut instead of trying to force my opion on others. I think this quote is great! Especially for people with Restless Lips Syndrome LOL

At His Feet,

Maiden Princess

I love this quote! It's one of my favorites.  I also need to remember to work on gentleness.  So often I get impatient with a person or thing and mutter or say hurtful words. Maybe I should remember that verse in 1 Peter  3:3-4 that  says, "Your  adornment must not be merely external---braiding the hair, the wearing of gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God."  Somtimes the hidden person in my heart is neither quiet nor gentle but with the LORD's help I know I can overcome in these areas and be a person truly glorifying to Him.

Have you ever met someone who has a gentle and quiet spirit.  A lot of times they have wisdom and seem very self-controled.  You want to be around them because they exude a natural grace and friendliness. They are mature and well-behaved. They are good examples.  I am striving for that and I know that one day I shall get there :)

"Nothing is so strong as gentleness and nothing is so gentle as real strength."  ~ Ralph W. Sockman

Hope you're having a blessed night in Him! Basking in His love!

Because of Grace,

Maiden Princess