Ok, I just did the next chapter! Here is a Q&A that I'm going to do:

Have you ever secretly wished you could be someone who you viewed as beautiful - who seemed confident and popular, even though you knew she was not an example of godly womanhood? After discussing true beauty, do you still think she is beautiful? Why or why not?

Yes, I have definitely have wished that and I still somtimes do! It is hard for me since it can be tempting to be viewed as cool and popular. But after some thought I can honestly say that true beauty is from within. I know this from experience since I once knew I girl that I thought was beautiful and wished that I could dress and act like her. But after getting to know her I didn't think she was that beautiful anymore. Her inside was not something that I would strive to be.

So this chapter was about the temptation in being worldy. I know that a lot of teenage girls struggle with this - I being one of them. It's hard not to confirm to the world. But remember: Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubes. (Proverbs 31:10)

Well, that's about it. I hope this has helped!  ~Erin

Hi Everyone!

Ok, I know this is way more than a week later....but at least I did something nice for each of my family memebers!

For Mom I loaded up the dishwasher for her as often as I could since I know that's one of her least favorite chores.

I took nice long walks with my sister KT....it was fun talking to just her.

I babysat Reghan and Holly and watched movies with them. It was a blast! (and no, we didn't parpicitate in any burping contests.)

I colored pictures with my brother JM and now he won't stop following me around and hugging and kissing me....it's funny lol!

For Dad......

Ok, I haven't done something for him yet.  Any ideas? I thought about helping him cook a meal one day.....

Well, that's it until the next chapter which I'm going to go do right now!!!

Hi everyone out there reading my blog!

I know I haven't posted in forever, and I do apologize for that. I have been sooooo busy with summer break then starting a new school year that I've been neglecting my blog!  From now on, I'm going to attempt to post more often. (I hope it works)

Anyway, the next chapter in my bible study is called Loving Your Own Nest and it's about being content with your home and your family. It's similar to chapter three but more in depth about being content.

Here is a list of questions that I'm going to answer:

1. Do you ever wish your were part of another family instead of your own?

I have sometimes. Then I think about what life would be without them and I change my mind.

2. Which commandment are you breaking when you look at another family and long for the life they live?

The tenth commandment: Thou shalt not covet.

3. List five things about your own family that remind you of your love for them.

Ok, let's see.......

 They make me laugh. We are always doing something crazy together. My sisters and I love to hold burping contests (even though mom doesn't appreciate that) and I love to color funny pictures with my little brother. My parents like to take us on long walks and watch movies with us. I'm also glad that my mom homeschools so I can be at home spending time doing all these things! (Even though most of them are pretty crazy!)

Ok this is my to-do list for this week:

Pray for a different family member each day and deliberately show my love for him or her in some act of service.

I'll let you know what I did for each family member at the end of this week.  

Well, that's about it.

    Until next time, ERIN

Ok, chapter 4 is about staying at home and training to be future wives and mothers. 

1. What are your strengths? What gifts has God given you?

I'm not really sure what my strengths are, so I'll just leave this up to my friends and family to decide. God has given me the gifts of music and writing. I also feel led to be a wife and Mother who stays at home and homeschools!

2. How might you best ready yourself so that your gifts and talents would bring the greatest glory to God?

Well, I really enjoy playing the guitar and I also like singing though singing could use some improvement.  I love playing every Friday with our bible study group and I keep practicing so I can get good enough to hopefully join a God-honoring band someday. Another way I can show glory to God is learning how to teach so I can someday raise my children to be Godly as well.

3. How could leaving the protection of your father's house for reasons other than marrriage result in a dangerous or ungodly situation?

If my dad is not there to protect me from harm I could end up in a situation that is dangerous or ungodly. That is why I believe in staying home under the protection of my dad.

So by staying at home I can be trained up by my parents who can train me to be a future wife and mom and help me develop the gifts God has given me to minister to those around me.

Well, that's the end of chapter 3. I know it's a little short but my brain is fried today. (Don't ask!)

                                    Erin

This chapter focuses on pride and contentment. We can sometimes be prideful of what we have and pretend it is the best in the world, or we can be discontent with what we have and complain and wish we had something nicer. I struggle with contentment more than pride so I’ll start with that first.

I have always struggled with being content. There always something better than what I had at the time. Over the years I have improved on the simple things (like being content with my home and family for example) but I have learned that recently I have not been content with the way I look. I started to hate the way God made me. Instead of embracing being short and skinny I felt sorry for myself and wished I could be the perfect weight and height like other girls. I became extremely jealous and hateful towards them when it was really my own fault for not being content with how I looked. I became so focused on everyone else and how they looked to the point that I just didn’t care how I looked anymore. Mom noticed that I wasn’t myself all week so it was perfect timing when the next chapter in this bible study was about contentment. So we sat down and did the bible study and began to talk. She told me that I should be content with how I look, that God made me just the way I am supposed to be. I should be happy (content) that God chose to make me all these things yet at the same time I shouldn’t be prideful. I’m beautiful and special simply because of what God did for me – not because of anything I do (or don’t do). And after thinking about it for a while, I think that this struggle with how I look is stupid. There are better things I can be doing than worrying if I have the perfect body or the perfect hair. I feel so convicted about how vain and silly I am. Now instead of focusing on me all the time, I will try my best to read my Bible more, pray more, and get closer to God. I have let my relationship with God become less of a priority. I have been focused more on my outside than what is inside – which is where God finds beauty in me. Now, though I still have struggles, I am learning to let go of this world’s philosophies and embrace God’s instead.  Here are some Bible verses that are helping me right now:

1 Peter 3:3-4

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes.  Instead it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

Psalm 139:14

I will praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,

 I know that full well.

If anyone else has a verse that has helped them in this area, please share it with me!

I would like to ask all of Erin's friends to pray for her this week as we try to get through this next chapter, which deals with contentment.  Her struggles with contentment are not with material things too much, but rather with how she views herself.  (ie, too thin, too little, etc)  We were a little surprised at how much of the world's point of view had crept into her thinking, so we are doing some extra reading to help her gain a more biblical perspective on what it means to be content and how to base her self-worth on who she is as a child of God.  A valuable resource has been "Lies Women Believe and the Truth that Sets them Free" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss.  She co-authored one for young women, however I only had this one and have adapted it for Erin.  So, pray for her (us) as we try to replace some faulty thinking with TRUTH.

~Erin's Mama

Hi readers,

Erin and I had a good discussion last night about an issue I felt was overlooked in our study up to this point - and that is the matter of the HEART.  We do not want anyone to think that we are all about the outside and neglect what's on the inside.  As I know Erin personally and know her heart, I know that her conviction to dress and behave in a manner that sets her apart comes from an overflow of what is already in her heart.  She loves the LORD and has a sincere desire to please Him.  It is rather easy to change a person's outward appearance (temporarily), but unless it begins in the heart, one will easily cave-in to our natural desires to be liked and accepted by everyone else.  Another danger I warned Erin about is the danger of becoming prideful.  I do not believe that is the case with my young daughter, but it is an easy trap to fall into for any Christian and can become a huge stumbling block for a non-believer or even a new Christian.  When the way we dress or behave does get the attention of others, we need to be sure that we always use this to point them to Christ - who is the only reason for our difference.  Apart from Him, we would be no different from the rest of our (lost) culture.  So, it is our prayer that as you read Erin's thoughts with this Bible study, you will remember that any outward changes should come from the overflow of what is in your heart.  And while it might be easy to follow a certain set of rules, only the Holy Spirit can make the necessary changes within the heart.

Blessings,

Erin's Mama

Hey Everyone!

I have re-started my bible study this week! The second chapter is called Modern-Day Maidens and is mainly about modesty. It lists a few questions which I will post on here with my answers. Here it goes:

1. If you are in public and see a girl who is dressed in boyish clothing or carries herself in a masculine way, which of the following thoughts come to mind?

- What a lovely young lady! She must be a Christian.

- Is that a boy or a girl? (This is what I would think)

- I wouldn't want to make her mad!

2. If you are in public and see a girl in who is dressed immodestly, which of the following thoughts come to mind?

- What a lovely young lady, she must be a Christian!

- How sad, she must not have any respect for herself. (This is what I would think)

- Maybe she doesn't realize her undergarments are showing  - I should tell her before she embarasses herslef further.

3.What if you saw a young woman who is modest and talks in a respecful way? Would you think she's a Christain? Why?

I think she would be a Christian since she is honoring God by dressing and acting modestly. It's amazing how much you can stand out, just by having good manners and wearing modest clothing!

4. How can you be sure that people automatically know you're a girl from a distance?

Though it doesn't have to be down to the floor, long hair can really make a difference. I don't like really long hair but I make sure mine's below my shoulders. Also, if you wear a skirt, everyone will immeditaly know you are a girl. This is up to you of course, since you can be perfectly modest and feminine in pants too, but I like to wear skirts in public every now and then just to stand out and make a difference.

5. When you walk into a room, do you think people view you as a virgin-like maiden?

Ok, I need to work on this a bit. Sure, I dress modestly and make sure people can tell me apart from a boy, but I need to work on my mannerism. I can be a little giggly and loud sometimes.  

6. Have people whom you've never met before, ever asked you if you were a Christian?

No, not really. I usually tell them first since I'm a little too talkative.  

7. Ask a few friends if they would describe you as tough or strong.

Ok, guys, post a comment telling me which describes me best - and be HONEST!

8. Are you pleased with the way you are perceived by others?

Of course! There are few things that I need to work on, since nobody's perfect but besides that I think everyone is ok with me.

9. How do you think the way you dress, speak, treat others, and carry yourself relfects upon your father, your family, and God?

I think that if I dress decently and modestly, speak treat people with kindess and carry myself confidently I will relfect my father's good training and my family's integerity. And of course I will represent Christ to all that I meet and that is most important of all!

10. What do you think it means to make a purity statement? What are some practical ways to do this?

To make a purity statment, I belive in modesty (both dressing modestly and acting modestly) and submitting to my Daddy. By submitting I mean by obeying him. He has helped me learn a lot of things plus has kept me safe and protected from things that may have damaged my faith. Like immodesty and dating for example. Just because everyone is doing it doesn't mean us Christians have to. If you look around you can hardly tell Christians from the world. We are copying their dating culture and the way they dress. Shouldn't we stand out and represent Christ and not the world? That is what a purity statment is all about and I firmly belive in this.

Well, that's the end of chapter 2! I know this is a long post, but be sure to read it all. (It took a long time to write!)

                                   Erin

Here is a picture of Fred the Fish who was served to us at our first dinner in China. (Ain't he cute?)

Did I tell you I became a vegetarian while in China???

Me and Dad are finally back home! The first thing we did was eat pizza and doughnuts!  I also missed the rest of my family, my kitty, and my home. Though I missed a lot things while I was in China, I had a wonderful time. But first I would like to thank a few people:

 I would like to thank Papas for funding my trip. Thank you so much for helping me out, I  had a neat experience with a new country! I know it was a lot, but I'm glad you decided to do it anyway! You are a wonderful Grandfather and I love you so much!

Uncle Patrick - thank you for helping me get my ticket! It was very thoughtful of you, and I greatly appreciate it!

And Daddy, thanks for letting me go on this trip in the first place! It was fun spending quality time with you, and I'll never forget it. I know it took a lot of work getting me there, and I know that I drove you crazy sometimes but I'm so glad I got to go with you! I love you (a lot!)

I owe a lot to my Dad, uncle, and Papas for helping me go on the most exciting trip of my life! Thanks you guys again!

Well, now that I am back home, I will be re-starting my bible study starting with chapter 2. I will try to post some pictures of my trip (if I can figure it out) as well.

                             That's all! Erin

Hi Everyone!

I got to bargain shop yesterday! It was fun and I got good prices too.  I got 2 jade necklaces shaped like hearts for me and my sistser KT and some chinese outfits for the rest of my siblings. Afterwards, we went to dinner and then went to a konfu show. It was really neat, it was a musical with konfu. We stayed out late though and I'm very tired.

Today we're going to the Forbidden City and then we're going to eat Pizza Hut!  And tomorrow we will be coming home after a possible trip to the zoo.

Well, that's about it. I'll update my blog when we get back from the tour!

                                        Erin

Even here in China, I still find time to shop.  Me and Daddy will be shopping later on today, hopefully at a chinese market. (We haven't decided where to shop yet!)

We're going to eat breakfast soon and all I can think about is pizza. I haven't had pizza in days!!!   All I have eaten for four days is rice and noodles and that gets tiring after a while. Tomorrow Dad is going to try to locate a Pizza Hut but I've been warned it's not the same. *Sigh* 

Well, that's all that's been happening latley. Hopefully I'll have more interesting things to post after we shop!

                                       ERIN

Yesterday me and Daddy climbed the Great Wall of CHINA!!! I have to admit, it was very hard and it took a LOT of work.  I wanted to give up several times but we kept on going and we were glad when we made it! We took lots of pictures too, so I will try to post some of those later. We also ate lunch which served a fish with its head still on.    It was very disturbing. And for dinner last night thry served a chicken with it's head on as well, including it's beak! That was even more disturbing. I didn't eat much since I was so tired from climbing the Great Wall.  I actually fell asleep on the table!

Today Daddy will be working all day, so we're not doing anything interesting. Tomorrow we'll be shopping and seeing a martial art show and of course, be taking a lot of pictures!!!

                                  Erin

After two long days of flying we have finally made it to China! We left Tuesday and got here Wednessday and as soon as we reached the hotel and got settled we went to sleep! I'm still a little tired now, but I got up early b/c my body still thinks it's five in the evening when it is really five in the morning here. We had an neat plane on the way here, that had tv's with over 250 movies on it. I watched a couple, finished my book, and slept. I also was entertained by some of the other people on the plane...they were interesting.  The Chinese airport was neat too, but nobody spoke english. Some of the signs had english on them but some were translated kind of weird. One  said  "Don't Drive Tiredly" - I thought that was funny! Our taxi driver was interesting too and a little frustrating. He was supposed to charge $150 at the most but he wanted us to pay $450. It was very entertaing watching him argue with Dad and some people at the hotel.  Our hotel room is pretty nice by the way. It's modern and it has a tv but it's all in chinese and it's next to impossible to understand what they are saying. I think they talk to fast because I still can't recongize any words like I can with spanish or french.

Well, that's all that has happended so far. I will try to post later on today since we are visiting the Great the Wall this afternoon - I will be taking tons of pictures!!!

                          Erin

Hey Everyone!

My Dad is going to China for the week because of his work, and he's decided to let me come along! I am very excited and nervous at the same time! We are leaving tomorrow and we have been so busy getting ready so it's been a little crazy around here.  

So I am going to take a break from my bible study and keep everyone posted while I am in China. When I get back I'll get right back to my bible study, but I thought my blog would be a great idea for everyone to keep updated on everything we're doing in China.

Please keep us in your prayers for safety and quality bonding time!

                              Erin

Chapter 1: The Fence Dwellers

Ok, I have FINALLY started my bible study.  The first chapter is called the Fence Dwellers and it is about a Gardner and His flowers. A couple of His flowers are planted near some rocks and they began to envy the rock’s beauty and strength. Soon, they became overwhelm by temptation and tried to imitate the rocks by covering themselves in clay. They looked very ugly but they didn’t even care. New seedlings began to copy these “Fence Dwellers” by covering themselves in clay too but they were not brave enough to do it all the way. The Gardner was not happy with His creation as he saw how silly His flowers looked all covered in clay. He went to them, scolding them for disobeying Him. The seedlings shivered and hid their faces, but the “Fence Dwellers” did not hear Him for they were all dried up and dead. Their remains were scattered over the rocks that they wanted to look like. Then the Gardner turned back to His beloved creation and it slowly began to rain. Soon the rain washed all the clay off the flowers and He rejoiced with happiness at their repentance.

So, what does this story mean? Well, it means that there are many women (and men!) being deceived by the world’s standards. I should know, since I have been a “Fence Dweller” many times.  But the so called glories of this world are short-lived and are never fulfilling to me. Though they may seem like fun one minute they will never satisfy you like God can. Immodest clothing and heavy makeup may seem like a good idea to attract the attention us girls may desire but it is the wrong kind of attention. What we need is a heavenly Father who loves us and will always give us full attention that will last forever. I also have younger siblings who look up to me and will want to imitate me.  I want to point them to God’s standards and not the world’s. So before we go overboard like the Fence Dwellers did, why don’t we just repent to God and turn away from the world? After all, since we are Christians we should represent Christ and not the world. We need to stand out and make a difference by dressing and acting modestly. This can be a struggle for me, since I am sometimes surrounded by girls who are of the world. I face temptations in magazines, the mall, and even with friends. But even though I love the Lord and want to please Him that does not always overcome my desire to be like the world. So less time reading magazines, less time at the mall, and less time with friends who are not of the Lord, will help me benefit more. Plus, as I continue to grow with the Lord, my desire for the things of this world, slowly disappear and is replaced by never-ending love and friendship with someone who loves me more than anyone else: God. Of course this does not mean I won’t fall into sin, as I do that often. But I am learning from my (many) mistakes  and I’m happy that I have a loving and merciful God who is always ready to forgive! 

My mama likes to remind me,

“God’s ways are always the right ways.  Sometimes I just have to trust in this and do the right thing even when I don’t feel like it.”

I think this is very true and is a very good example for me to follow.

Until next time,

Erin

Hi everyone! Sorry it took so long for me to finally post something but here it goes. This is the blog of Erin (that's me!) and I will be using it to post my thoughts from my bible study Young Maidens of Virtrue. Well, I haven't started the study yet  but I have done my assignment mom gave me. Here it is:

1. A Daugther

The first role God gave me is a daughter. Since I am a daughter of the King, my role is to serve and worhsip Him. As for my parents I am to submit to them and serve them. Serving them can be easy, if I have the right attitude. I can serve my parents by obeying them or helping them. I'm sure they appreciate a little help with cleaning the house or with younger children every now and then and I find it fun to see their surprised faces. Submitting is harder, but not impossible. I find that my relationship with Christ grows when I just submit and obey my parents instead of argueing with them. It pleases both God and my parents if I just obey so why not do it? Well, for one thing it is not easy.I have my days where I don't feel like submitting and want to have MY way. The solution? PRAYER! It's amazing what prayer and a little faith can do. I deciced to take my own advice and found that it truly works and has been a blessing to me and my parent's relationship.

2. A Sister

The second role God gave me is a sister. I am sister to all my siblings plus I am a sister to my fellow belivers in Christ. This can be a tough job especially since I am the oldest of four children! Believe me, I have had some bad days with my siblings but one thing I've learned is they'll always love you. That doesn't mean you can be ugly to them all the time and they'll love you to the ends of the earth. What I mean is, they're your family and even though they can drive you crazy they  you and look up to you! What greater gift is that? So I decided to try a little patience and found my relationship with my sisters and brother grow. We still hit a few rough patches (mainly b/c of me ) but we always work things out and grow even closer thanks to God's grace and prayer! I'm a sister to all my brothers and sisters in Chirst too. I am blessed to have so many wonderful friends to encourage and minister to. They help me out too, so it's so nice to have them around!

3. A Student

The third role God gave me is a student. I am a student of His Word and to my schoolwork. My duty as a student of His word is to read it, and then LIVE it! Memorizing is a good thing to do too, just in case you need a verse for witnessing to an unbeliever. Of course this is where I need to work on b/c I do NOT like memorizing, lol! But I know that it will come in handy someday so I better get to it!  I am a student to my school as well. Doing school everday isn't just a routine but it's a major part of my life. Willing to do it however is a different story for me.  One excuse I like to use is I am NOT a morning person. I hate getting up early and would sleep into ten if you let me. Well, I found out if I got up at seven instead of nine I could get my bible reading and some of my chores done before breakfast and then I would have more time to do school. Plus, I am not as tired and I have more enthuiasm (is that how you spell it??) for my school than usual. I have yet to learn this lesson but hey, I'm working on it!  

Well, my first assignment is now completed. I hope everyone is blessed by it and I'll be looking foward to posting another entry!

Erin,

Since mama and daddy have been called away on an unplanned trip, we will start with this assignment and get into the book as soon as we return.  We've already started working on this a little, but we thought it would be a nice addition to your blog.  So here it is:

We have discussed that our whole purpose in life is to glorify the Lord with our lives.  With all of our minds; with all of our hearts; with all of our bodies; with all of our souls.  As a young maiden in your father's home, God gives you three unique opportunities to glorify Him: 

(1) As a Daughter (of the King and of your parents)

(2) As a Sister (to other believers as well as your own siblings)

(3) As a Student (of God's Word and of our homeschool)

Your assignment over the next two weeks is to list specific examples of ways you can glorify God in these three roles.  Do not forgot to stop and pray and ask the Lord for His guidance; hear from Him specific areas the Holy Spirit is convicting you in.  You are also encouraged to find scriptures to memorize that will support you in these specific examples, as well as help you when you are tempted to sin.  Your best defense against your own sinfulness and attacks from the enemy IS God's Word!  Read it; meditate on it; and commit to MEMORIZING it!

You can post your ideas at the end of the two weeks.

Love you,

Mama

Hey Erin,

I came across this website this morning that I think you should see.  Go grab a cup of tea and find some quiet time alone on the computer (HA!) and enjoy all that's there ...

http://www.achristianhome.org/Just_For_Young_Ladies/justforyoungladies.htm

and don't forget to share it with others!

love,

mama