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So much to say, so little time!Wow. Time flies, doesn't it? I've been so busy (and forgetful!) that my blog has been untended! To bring you up to speed, here are a few major things that have been going on:~I graduated. :D ~I started CollegePlus! on the same day that I finished my last subject in school. It's going well. ~ My senior piano recital is coming up in June. It's my first-ever solo recital, and I'm experiencing a few butterflies-in- the- stomach about it, but I found a quote by J.S. Bach that has been encouraging and inspiring -- "The sole aim of music is the glory of God and the refreshment of the spirit." Keeping my focus on God and others rather than me really makes a big difference in my nerves! Well...I think that's all for now. My brain is working slowly -- hopefully, I'll be able to write something more later! TrustI'm sorry it's been so long since I've posted on the Proverbs 31 Challenge, but here's the next section! "The heart of her husband safely trusts in her"
Proverbs 31:11a I can hear you now. "Oh, this verse doesn't apply to me. I'm not married!" Hold on just a moment though. Allow me to give a you a little behind-the-scenes look at Proverbs 31. According to what I've read (so this isn't simply my opinion), Proverbs 31 was written by a mother to her unmarried son. She was giving him wise, motherly advice, and part of that advice was on what to look for in a wife. He was to look for a woman who already possessed those qualities. I'm learning personally that if you want to be a godly woman later, you need to work on it right now. You can't just wake up one day and find that you're the kind of young lady God intends for you to be. It simply doesn't work that way. This moment, right now, is the time to start pursuing godly character.
So, with that in mind, lets look at this verse. The characteristic of the Proverbs 31 woman shown here is trustworthiness. Others can trust her with confidence, not doubting her dependability. Think of it this way -- their trust is safe with her. I can almost visualize her carrying people's trust like an expensive porcelain vase. it's much too precious to lose or break, so she carries it gently, protecting it. What about you? Can people trust you in that way? There's one specific area of trust that springs to my mind. It's probably the most difficult, but if you get this one right, the others will be easier. Can your parents trust you? Trust covers many aspects, but here are a few of them: ~Keeping your word. When you say that you will do something, do you follow through? ~Honesty. Can your parents count on you to tell the truth? ~Being the same person with them as you are with your friends, (or, say, on your blog or Facebook). Would you be embarrassed to have your parents see your internet activity? That's a pretty clear sign that something's not right. Those are just a few areas, but hopefully, they've set the wheels of your mind in motion. This can be tough. I know! But it is vital....and completely worth it. Learn now to be trustworthy, and it will bring rewards later. Happy Easter!
3:48 PM, Apr. 11, 2009
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I just wanted to post a quick Easter-related verse for y'all. Just take a moment to read it ...think about it.  "And that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them and rose again." 2 Cor. 5:15 In the words of Isaac Watt's hymn, "When I Survey The Wonderous Cross," Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all. Happy Easter! Writer's blockWhat a nightmare -- wanting to write, but not having anything worthwhile to say. Actually, I have some things I could write about, but I'm in too much of a hurry. So, I decided to post a poem I wrote last year when I couldn't think of anything to write about. Enjoy!Writer's Block You empty page, staring at me, what are you looking at? Do you think that poetry lines like these are simply pulled from a hat? Look past my eyes and into my mind -- take a quick peek and there you'll see Piles and boxes of words and rhymes all cluttered together most crazily. I pick up each one to see where it fits, rummaging, tinkering so carefully. But sometimes the poem still turns out like this. It's just not as easy, dear page, as it seems. A Little More Light ... One More StepThis morning, it was quite foggy outside. I've always loved the fog for some reason. Hanging like a gauzy white veil over the trees, it lent a mysterious aura to things that would otherwise seem very mundane. Of course, fog is fine unless you need to go somewhere. Then, it becomes more of a nuisance, raising question marks about what is in front of you.Sometimes, the future seems that way as well. I strain my eyes, trying to see what might be ahead for me, and failing miserably. It's been my experience, though, that I'm never exactly stuck in the fog or completely unsure of what to do next. A ray of light always bursts through and illumines the path ahead of me, giving just enough light to take the next step. The future is always a mystery, but I always know what I should do next. Not too long ago, I had one of those "next step" experiences. I've already blogged about staying home for my last year of school -- last year, that was my "next step." Of course, I couldn't just just let that rest! In the back of my mind, I was curious. "What about college? What's next after this?" Well, I know now! After prayer, and worry, and more prayer, and trying not to worry . . .and on, the Lord has given me the light for the next step. So, what is it? I'm not going to college in the traditional sense. Instead, I'm doing a program called CollegePlus! that allows me to get my degree in a shorter amount of time, for less money than it would usually cost. This isn't meant to be an infomercial, but here's what it involves: I will basically get my degree by taking tests for the core classes, and then, since I'm getting a music degree, taking music classes at a local college. After I finish those, my credits will transfer to a distance learning college, which will grant my degree. I'm excited! For so many reasons, this is what the Lord has led me to do . . .and it fits. Like a glove to my hand, it matches completely the desires the Lord has given me. I think I'm ready to run to this next step. "And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed."Deut. 31:8 Come Away!Well, I don't have a lot of time, but i do want to post a couple of things . . .first of all, I was awarded the "Against the Flow" award by dragonfly1010. Thank you! (I'm sorta in a hurry, so you can see it on the side bar.)I award Grace4God and Anna93 The other thing . . .just a couple of verses. "Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away. For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come . . .Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away!" Song of Solomon 2:10b-12, 13b Spring is coming! We are all delighting in the newness, the warm weather, in everything that comes with spring. But what about in your spiritual life? I, for one, want to leave my winter and my rainy days. I'm ready to rise up and grow closer to the Lord, to delight in Him more. What is keeping you from having fellowship with the Lord? Accept the invitation to "come away" and leave it behind. Have spring in your own life! The Treasure"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies."
Have you ever heard the saying "Diamonds are a girl's best friend" ? Although that's debatable, there is something about precious stones that attracts us. Perhaps it's their inward fire or outward sparkle . . .or maybe we're just impressed because they are so expensive. The Proverbs 31 woman, however, is said to be even more costly than rubies! What makes this woman so valuable?
One obvious reason springs to mind; it's because she is such a rare find. No one meanders out their front door and finds diamonds scattered on the ground (at least, I don't). This jewel of a woman isn't easily found, either. In today's world, women of strong, godly character are scarce treasures. Not many women (or girls, for that matter) accept their God-given roles as women, with all of its limitations, strengths, and privileges. There's another way that this woman can be compared to a jewel. At first sight, a precious stone looks like an ordinary rock. There's nothing apparently special about it. Only when someone has chipped away the imperfections and polished it, does it become beautiful. In the same way, no one is born being the Proverbs 31 woman. Someone Who knows what He's doing has to take us in hand and chip away at our imperfections, making us beautiful. But, you might be wondering, what is my role in becoming a godly woman? Do I just sit still and let the Master work? In one sense, yes. God is the one who began this good work in us, and He will complete it. In another sense, there is something we can -- and should -- do. We need to obey what God has shown us in His word. What has He shown us specifically? I'm thrilled that you asked. Now that we know about the Proverbs 31 woman in general, we're ready to see the specifics of how she lives the life to which God has called her . . .in the upcoming posts. Snow Pictures!As promised, here are the snow pictures. Enjoy!
 This is on the road to our house. We call it "The Hill." The snow caught a few early buds by surprise. Looking up at the snow falling The view outside my windowLaptop funnies and snow days(Ahem!) I have an important announcement to make: this is my first entry on my very own laptop. Well, I guess that's really only exciting to me, but I thought I'd share that anyways! And, having been in possession of this laptop for a whopping five days, I thought I'd pass on a helpful hint to anyone else who deals with laptops. This is quite important, so pay attention. Do not place or store your laptop in a microwave oven. I know it's a huge disappointment. It was to me as well. "I can't keep my laptop in the microwave?? (sniff, sniff)." Seriously though, that is an actual instruction in my laptop manual. At this point, I will resist a tirade about idiotic lawsuits, and move on to happier territory.My other important announcement is that it is snowing! For some of you northern dwellers, this might not seem like a big deal. Where we live, however, a few snowflakes are cause for rejoicing, and we are getting many more than a few. I can see a winter wonderland right outside my window -- big, fluffy flakes are steadily coating our yard. It's beautiful to eyes that have been starved on wintery gray. Hopefully, I'll be able to post some pictures later. And, speaking of later, I should have the next Proverbs 31 challenge up soon. I've really been enjoying preparing this one, so make sure to watch for it! The Search Here is the next post for the Proverbs 31 Challenge; my apologies for taking so long to get it up!
Proverbs 31:10a “Who can find a virtuous woman?” It’s not exactly what I was expecting. Eowyn - esque images suddenly came to mind; I visualized mighty warrior maidens with swords brandished high. :) But (sorry!) that’s not exactly what this verse means. A virtuous woman possesses strength: strength of character, mind, and even body. Let’s think a little about each one of those. « Strength of Character: A virtuous woman has Biblical (and thus, high) standards. She knows what she believes, and refuses to compromise on what is right. You might even say that her character is predictable; she consistently does the right thing. That really takes strength and courage! « Strength of mind: or, mental energy. Her mind is focused on what is right. This woman’s mind isn’t busy thinking about things that aren’t true, or worrying about things she can’t control (Does that hit home with anyone else?). « Strength of body: This one’s pretty simple. It means that she’s a good steward of the body God has given her. She does what is necessary to stay healthy and avoids what would be harmful. Perhaps right now you’re thinking “Hold on! Strength doesn’t sound very feminine! Leave the weight- lifting stuff to the guys.” Think about it, though. Remember that this is the Biblical definition of femininity -- it’s not something that someone simply made up, but rather is the Creator’s own definition of one of His creations. As we go through Proverbs 31, we’ll see that femininity doesn’t only include being quiet and gentle (though those are a big part of being feminine) and does not mean weakness. On the flip side, strength doesn’t involve being a pushy, Amazon-type woman, either! Have you felt the challenge yet? God desire His daughters to be women of virtue. “Who can find a virtuous woman?” Will she be found in you? { Last Page } { Page 2 of 6 } { Next Page } |
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