Busy Day

        Today we’re having our group of gals over for our Tuesday Ladies Bible Study. It is our last chapter of our first book and we are having a big feast. Stromboli sandwiches, cheesy potato soup, a salad is coming, a pasta salad, some desserts and a vegetable pizza plus more!  Of course, where there is a gather of women who appreciate good food, you can’t not eat! LOL I am very excited to see everyone and finish up our last chapter on Submission. It has been a very good study and I have learned much about what it means to be a godly woman. Although, I am also very excited about starting our new Patriarchs study by Beth Moore. She is a great teacher and I really like her speaking style. So needless to say, I am very excited about what’s ahead for today and the rest our Bible studies!

          I think later on I’m going home with my Grandma (who attends study) and my Uncle M. will come pick me up there to take me to his house. I have been planning on going to there house on Thursday after lunch but my Aunt C. put her back out really bad yesterday and can hardly stand up straight. So I think I’m going to go early and help her out. I am excited to go but I’m also not quite prepared yet. (ie: I haven’t packed or anything!) so today will not only be exciting but crazy!  Our ladies will start arriving around 1 and won’t be leaving until 4.

          I am looking forward to spending so much time with my two loving cousins this week and part of next. Sissy (her nickanme) and I are planning on play Oregon Trail, princess dress up (for which I still have to find a cheap modest prom dress which means a run up town yet before 1), me writing a kid’s book and her illustrating it, coloring, having a scavenger hunt and me reading to her. She did all her school ahead so that she would have more time to play with me. She says I’m her best friend! LOL She is such a cutie!  Her older brother (Alfred or just Fred, is his nickanme) is a sweetheart too and we have made plans for him to be the driver of our “horses” while we play Oregon Trail and play his guitar for us (he’s so good!) !!!! I am really looking forward to having high-speed internet too! Hopefully I can keep you all posted while I’m there for 6 days. I’ll try my best but if princess land calls, well, what can I say?

I hope that it is beautiful and the sun is brightly shining, despite the cold, in whatever state you live in, like it is in mine!

Looking for His Blessings All Around Me,

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

Thanksgiving Thursday

 Today although we were missing one from our table, my heart felt fuller than ever before. I feel very thankful today and I hope that I can continue to carry on this attitude throughout the year. There is no reason I cannot except if I let my own selfishness get in the way.

            It has been hard having my brother away during this holiday. It has been even harder knowing that he still hasn’t surrendered his life to God and been covered by the saving blood of the Lamb. While I would not wish tragedy or sorrows on anyone, I am thankful for mine, in a way. I am thankful, even for this hard time, because it is in this that I see that I am so weak. It is because of this that I am found more on my knees. It has brought me closer to my Father, and for that I am thankful.

            Today, I am thankful that, even though having a lost family member is hard, I do not have to put my life on the line everyday for the protection of others like soldiers all across the world. I am thankful that I do not have a child or a family member that is fighting a terminal illness and am not sure how long he/she has left to live. I am thankful that my parents are both still alive and well and teaching me in the ways of the LORD. I am thankful that on this holiday I can come home, where it’s warm and cozy, and have the ability and funds to make a Thanksgiving dinner.

There are so many things we have taken for granted. Say a prayer today for those who may be being tested more than you…..that, in all things, they would find something to be thankful for. I am thankful for so many things. I think on it all and it brings tears to my eyes. There is so much to be thankful for and yet, so often I just get caught up in what I “want” that I don’t have. I lose my trust in the fact that God knows what is best for me and will only allow what will work for my good. This year, starting today, that will change. I will focus on His great love for me, instead of the negative influences of this world. Blessings are all around you, if you will just purpose to look for them.

            “Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth. Serve the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the LORD Himself is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations.” Psalm 100

        Happy Thanksgiving everybody!!!  May Thanksgiving Day 2009 find your heart filled beyond capacity with gratitude to our Faithful Father for all of His blessing, not to mention, His grace!

To Him Alone Be The Glory,

Maiden Princess

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Yeshua (Jesus) the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2

No explanation or expounding needed. This verse speaks for itself! Let us encourage each other in this race we run! 

Actually, as a side note, I was thinking about the fact that is said “run” in this verse. It occurred to me that so many times I think of myself as walking this path, not running this race. Running is more active, we are running towards Him. He is the prize set before us, and yet we walk towards it? Somehow that seems to speak of a luke-warm attitude to me. I want to run this race, not walk. I want to run and not grow tried, I want to run with endurance and encourage other people to run their race. I want to run into His open arms. If He is the prize, why aren’t we running? So, just some thoughts I’ve been mulling over.

Running Towards Him,

Maiden Princess

Thanksgiving Thursdays

       A week from today is the big Thanksgiving day!  As I watch people bustle about buying groceries and thanksgiving décor to prepare their houses, I wonder how many have prepared their hearts for this day. It is so easy to get caught up in the holiday instead of the meaning. As most of you know, this day was celebrated by the Pilgrims (and some Indians) as a day of thanks to God for bringing them through all the hard times.

They could have focused on the vast amount of them who had died in the previous years. They could have focused on how little food they had to eat or how drafty their houses were.  They could have focused on the negative aspects of their life in America, but they didn’t! Instead, they gave thanks. They realized that there was still so much more to be thankful about. So much so, that they set aside 3 whole days for feasting worshiping, and thanking God. In lieu of that fact there is a verse I would like to have us all memorize this week.

            “I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Psalm 34:1 (Emphasis Mine)

       At all times, bad or good, hard or plentiful, rich or poor; we will bless the LORD who causes all things to work for good. Continually, we shall praise Him. Our hearts shall trust in Him and not be shaken. We know that He is faithful. He is the definition of faithfulness and we can rest in whatever He brings.

            So this Thanksgiving, maybe your life is not what you wish it was. Maybe you’re going through a really hard season. There will always be reasons that could keep us from praising God. However, just like the Pilgrims, don’t let it stop you!

If the only reason you could think of to praise Him was because He sent His only Son to die in your place, then your lips would be filled with praise all day long. But, we all know, He has given us so many more reasons to praise Him. Keep your eyes, ears, and heart open to see the blessings He has bestowed upon you and your family. Make the most of this Thanksgiving, spend it praising Him. Let the stress of food and family drift away, and just look around and bless Him for His goodness. After all, that is the true spirit of Thanksgiving!

Because of Grace,
Maiden Princess

P.S. What I am thankful this week is: two wonderful, hard-working, and loving parents who God placed in my life to nurture and protect me. They are such a blessing to me and I wouldn’t want any other people in the world to take the place of the parents God has so richly blessed me with! I love you Mom and Dad, and I appreciate the great examples you are to me! Love you always!

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

Goats In Our Yard

       Yesterday night we came home from my Dad’s doctor appointment and got out of the car. It was dark outside and we were getting ready to go into the house when I realized that there were animals in our yard! At first I thought they were deer and then I looked closer and realized that we had two goats in our yard! This was a huge shocker because we have never had goats in our yard before. We didn’t even know any of our neighbors had goats. Well, come to find out, none of our immediate neighbors did.

          I could hardly sleep last night thinking about those poor goats, (a male and female if you’re wondering), shivering and huddled together out in the cold twenty degree night. This morning we got to know them a little more but they seemed very skittish towards us. They laid by the car all night, and munched on the cornstalks stacked by our deck.   We tried feeding them some carrots but they didn’t want to come near us. We tried shelled corn but they just didn’t seem interested. I filled up a bucket of water and they drank out of that but mostly they just walked round and round our house. Occasionally, the female would come up on our back deck and look in the sliding glass door. It was very comical! They seemed very interested in Chloe, but she was scared of them.  They were much bigger after all!

          Finally, after many phone calls we decided to call Animal Control.  They came out about 2 this afternoon and we chased the goats around for about an hour.  We caught the female but the male (who had horns) was determined not to get caught. Even though he had a problem with his back left leg (he limped and had a problem with that hoof) so after an hour of chasing through fields, abandoned barns and through a plowed garden, we decided to let him be. He wandered back by our house but soon left again after he realized we were gonna tie him up. So, he wandered away to a neighbor’s house. Whether he’ll be back or we’ll be able to get him back with the other goat is yet to be determined!

So that’s some of what’s been happening at our house lately! Anything exciting with any of you guys?

Thanksgiving Thursdays

I can hardly believe that a week has already gone by since I decided to do this. This afternoon was a very busy one for me and I just finally got time to sit down and type this up. Sorry it’s so late. 

I started a thankful journal last week too and I have written in it every night except one. I generally fill up a whole page, although, sometimes I don’t have time. J I have really enjoyed doing this and it helps keep my mind on being thankful.  I generally write in it before I go to bed, but dividing it up into parts is also neat. That way I can think about what I’m thankful about all day long. I know that on hard days all I have to do is pull out my thankful journal and read through its pages to be reminded of how much I’ve truly been blessed.

The verse I have to share for this week is : “I will sing to LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being, let my meditation be pleasing to Him; as for me, I shall be glad in the LORD.” Psalm 104:33-34

This week I am thankful for: God’s faithfulness. The fact that when He makes a promise He fulfills it. What He says, He means. When I am so faithless, He ALWAYS remains faithful. Truly, who is a God like our God and who is a King like our King? Because of His faithfulness I can rest in His promises and trust in His goodness.

What are you thankful for this week? Have you started a Thanksgiving journal? Remember that Thanksgiving is only 2 weeks away, now is the best time to start preparing your heart! Have a blessed Thursday in Him!

Only Because of His Grace,

Maiden Princess