Thought for the Day
November 6, 2009 at 8:47 am | In Bible Verses, K's Posts | 1 Comment
I was reading in Exodus chapter one the other day and was struck with the courage and boldness of two ladies mentioned there. They aren’t recognized in the “Women of the Bible Hall of Fame”, yet their character is worth taking more than a moment to ponder.
Shiphrah and Puah were the Hebrew midwives who lived around the time Moses was born. One day, they were called by the Pharaoh and instructed by him to kill every Hebrew baby boy they would deliver. Have you ever thought about what you would do in their situation?
Verse 17 tells us that these women feared God and their actions proved it. They soon realized that they could either: 1) please the Pharaoh and break God’s law, thus subjecting themselves to His punishment for murder – death, or 2) please God and break Pharaoh’s law, thus subjecting themselves to his punishment for disobedience - exile, physical mutilation, or death. They were between a rock and a hard place, left to decide between death or well… death.
The only difference in these ladies’ choice to die by Pharaoh and the choice to die by God is found in Matthew 10:28. “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Shiphrah and Puah decided to obey the One Who could destroy them both physically and spiritually for eternity rather than the one who could only harm them on earth. And God blessed them for it.
Reading this incredible story makes me wonder what I would have done in the same situation. Would I too stand up for God’s ways and fear Him rather than man? He reminds me that every day of my life I am given similar opportunities to show the same courage and boldness. Am I faithful?
Someone had a birthday…
October 29, 2009 at 2:12 pm | In K's Posts | 4 Commentsand her name is Allison!
We were on vacation in Orlando last Thursday when Allison turned 15. To celebrate, we spent the day doing fun activities at the resort and then went to the T-Rex restaurant for dinner. Allison, thanks for being you! You are sweet, creative, diligent, generous, and loving. We can’t imagine our family without you!
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven.” ~ Matthew 5:16
A Pure Heart
October 16, 2009 at 6:22 pm | In Bible Verses, K's Posts, Quotes | 1 Comment
“A pure heart is one to which all that is not of God is strange and jarring.” ~ John Tavler
“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” ~ Matthew 5:8
What’s Up
October 14, 2009 at 5:56 pm | In Family, K's Posts | 3 CommentsWow, where to start? I suppose an apology for the severe neglect of our blog is in order. We really have missed blogging. It’s just that life has taken priority the past few months. Let’s see if I can give you a quick update on that so we can get back to business…
Kayla:
- was at Verity Institute in Indianapolis for a month attending orientation, meeting many new friends, growing closer to her Savior, and having a simply wonderful time.
- is currently studying for the American Literature CLEP (and would greatly appreciate your prayers for her test this Friday).
- has been spending any free time playing board games with her family, washing dishes, baking scrumptious treats, and cheering for the four little basketball players in the family.
Stephanie:
- is knee deep in schoolwork. Specifically Biology, Spanish II, and SAT prep among other things.
- has recently begun taking violin lessons in addition to gracing us with her talents on the piano and guitar.
- handles the laundry. ‘Nuff said.
Allison:
- has been busy with schoolwork as well. Hey, it’s October.
- is almost finished with two huge sewing projects. I won’t give them away just yet, but they’re going to be beautiful.
- is also currently serving as a basketball scorekeeper, chef extraordinaire, and overall wonderful sister.
Okay, now that that’s out-of-the-way, let’s see if we can get some regular blogging action back to Princesses in Disguise. Please be patient with us, as we’re still trying to figure out how to wisely manage our time and all the responsibilities God has given us for this season. Thanks for understanding!
“O give thanks to the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever.” ~ Psalm 136:1
August in Books
August 31, 2009 at 2:10 pm | In A's Posts, Books, K's Posts, S's Posts | 2 Comments
Kayla – Being A Girl Who Leads by Shannon Kubiak Primicerio ~I liked the general idea of this book, even though some parts were not exactly my cup of tea. Shannon emphasized the importance of standing alone as girls and using the power we have in the marketing world for good. I was personally encouraged not to settle for what the world has to offer, but stand up for truth and purity. Following tendencies come naturally to all of us, but our example Jesus led in a meek and humble way, not tolerating low standards.
Being A Girl Who Loves by Shannon Kubiak Primicerio ~ Learning to love like Jesus loves was my goal at the beginning of this book. Sadly, genuine, Christlike love is one of those qualities I as a sinner was not born with. Shannon shared many practical ways girls can learn to love others, especially those who are unlovable. Her personal stories of things she has done to show love to others and ways others have shown love for her were especially impressive on my heart. First Corinthians 13 is one passage the Lord has been using in my life lately to show me just how vital love is to the Christian life, and Shannon brought up some neat insights from it that I hadn’t seen before.
Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing by Mignon Fogarty ~ This summer, as I was anticipating the start of my freshman year as an English major, I decided it would be a good idea to read a few books on how to write effectively. Plus, this one just looked like it would be a fun read. I got it on CD from the library and listened to it while cleaning my room or working on other random projects. I found the “quick and dirty tips” to be both entertaining and thought-provoking and certainly learned a lot about the writing world.
Writing Tools by Roy Peter Clark ~ This was another writing book I enjoyed reading this month. It was similar to Grammar Girl’s book in format. Each tip had it’s own short chapter and was explained in an easily-understood way. There were also many examples of literature passages showing real life application. I was especially delighted to see Mr. Clark use the end of a Nancy Drew chapter to explain how cliff-hangers worked. :)
A Chance To Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael by Elisabeth Elliot ~ Another kind of book I was craving this summer were missionary biographies. Since I had never read anything about Amy Carmichael, I thought this one would be a good idea. And it certainly was. The stories of how God worked in the lives of Amy and the Indian orphans were incredible. Amy’s resolve to keep prayer the core of her day really encouraged me to do the same. Her high standards, amazingly close relationship with Christ, and humility (as described by Mrs. Elliot) caused me not to uphold her as a saintly standard, but to look to Christ to work those things in my life. I was also deeply motivated to give my whole being to whatever task God calls me to, whether that be mothering orphans in India or washing dishes at home.
Stephanie – Authentic Beauty by Leslie Ludy ~ This book really challenged and exhorted me to have a more intimate relationship with the Lord. Leslie shares her testimony of how she had to “throw out the trash” in order to cleanse her “inner sanctuary” and make that happen. I would recommend this book to older readers. See also Kayla’s review of it here.
The Clue of the Tapping Heels by Carolyn Keene ~ We loved reading aloud the 16th Nancy Drew book at our tea parties this month. 
In it, Nancy solves the mystery of stolen cats and a strange tapping sound in an actress’s house.
Allison – I didn’t finish any books this month other than Nancy Drew.
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Lovely Little Box: A Tutorial
August 28, 2009 at 9:17 am | In Craft Projects, K's Posts, Photos | 1 Comment
Now isn’t that cute? Whether you are giving a gift or looking for a way to store your earring collection, I have an idea for you! Make this adorable paper box… it won’t take you more than ten minutes.
First, start out with two pieces of coordinating cardstock, one measuring 7″ x 3″ (on right in photo below), and one 4 1/2″ square (on left).
Score the 7″ x 3″ rectangle three inches from each side lengthwise, then fold. (As pictured below)
Cut one inch into each edge of the square piece and score the rest of the way down. (As pictured below)
Using the adhesive of your choice (glue or scrapbooking tape works well), assemble box. Adhere square paper to bottom inside of rectangle, folding the four flaps inside.
Add finishing touches. I rounded the corners of the lid and added ribbon to close it. The possibilities are endless. Have fun!
A New-Old Treasure
August 19, 2009 at 9:33 am | In Baby C, K's Posts, Photos | 3 Comments
While cleaning out Grandma’s attic last week, we found a box filled with old little girls’ clothing that my mother and aunt wore. Among other cute items, there was this adorable lavender, hand-smocked dress – just Charity’s size. After washing and ironing it, we put it on her for church last Sunday. We just had to take some photos.
July in Books
August 12, 2009 at 10:45 pm | In A's Posts, Books, K's Posts, S's Posts | 2 Comments
Kayla – Mosaic: Pieces of My Life So Far by Amy Grant ~ This book was given to me as a graduation gift. While I’d never been a fan of Amy Grant or even listened to her music, I was interested to read her testimony. Her book was filled with nuggets of things the Lord has taught her over the years, and overall, I enjoyed reading it.
Extracting the Precious From Galatians by Donna Partow ~ This was a short devotional book going through the book of Galatians verse by verse. I was very excited to find it around the same time I began reading Galatians in my daily Bible reading. The more challenging passages had me puzzled, so I was eager to delve deeper into their meaning with the help of Mrs. Partow’s book. While the Lord used the study questions in the book to bring me to a better understanding of the Scriptures, I didn’t completely agree with all of the doctrine presented in it.
Paul Harvey’s The Rest of the Story by Paul Aurandt ~ Mom recommended this book to me recently as she remembered enjoying it when she was younger. It is a collection of short, interesting “Rest of the Stories” behind famous people, foods, places, holidays, etc. While reading them, I found my eyes jumping to the bottom of the page to find the big clincher.
Multiple Blessings by Kate and Jon Gosselin ~ In case you haven’t heard of them, the Gosselins are a Christian family who have twins and sextuplets, totaling eight children. Their testimony of how the Lord brought them through the rough “early days” when the sextuplets were newborns was inspiring to me. It reinforced to me the truth that God gives us more than we can handle in our own strength so that we are forced to lean on Him.
What He Must Be…If He Wants to Marry My Daughter by Voddie Baucham ~ Okay, I know by the looks of the title, this seems like a strange book for an 18-year-old female to be reading, but Mr. Baucham actually recommended that daughters read it as well as their fathers. It was excellent! I loved the way Mr. Baucham clearly described the characteristics of a godly man found in Scripture. I was encouraged to keep my standards high and also help my brothers develop the same characteristics.
The Mystery of the Moss-Covered Mansion by Carolyn Keene ~ This was a Hills Girls Tea/Coffee Party read aloud. We love the Nancy Drew series, especially the cliff-hanger chapter endings! This mystery was a delightful read as usual. Why wouldn’t it be with that spunky, stylish, titan blonde sleuth?
Stephanie – I also read Multiple Blessings and The Mystery of the Moss-Covered Mansion.
Allison – I too enjoyed reading the Nancy Drew mystery with my sisters this month.
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Thought For the Day
August 7, 2009 at 10:22 pm | In K's Posts, Quotes | 1 Comment
“Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
The Art of Listening
July 31, 2009 at 9:01 am | In Bible Verses, K's Posts | Leave a CommentOne pleasant Sunday after the church service had ended and the gentle piano postlude began, two lady friends started a polite chat between themselves. The exchanging of stories from each of their weeks commenced, and the chit-chat turned into a rather lengthy stay. One of the dear ladies was in the middle of recounting a tale involving her son and his latest escapade across the plains of Africa when a tragic event occurred. The split second it took for this unwelcome visitor to intrude was enough to extinguish the entire conversation. Who or what was this destructive visitor, you ask? Well, his name is Impatience, and he graced this Sunday afternoon conversation in the form of a quick glance at a wristwatch.
“Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.” (Proverbs 19:20)
It has been pointed out that God created man with two ears and one mouth so that he may listen twice as much as he speaks. While I have not found this statement in Scripture, there are many other verses that exhort us to listen. Proverbs especially seems to be filled with them…
“Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.” (Proverbs 22:17)
There are many things we are told to listen to in Scripture, including:
1) God’s Voice (John 10:1-5)
2) Our Parents’ Instructions (Proverbs 13:1)
3) The Cry of the Poor and Needy (Proverbs 21:13)
What can we do to be good listeners in everyday life? First, we must make and keep good eye contact. This assures the speaker that you are indeed paying attention. Do you keep your eyes on God when He is trying to speak to you?
Second, it is important that you not be easily distracted. While some interruptions are necessary, true listeners will block out all competing noise. What ”noise” distracts you from hearing God?
Third, one who listens will internalize what he or she has heard, and desire to act upon it. Whether you provide a comment in response or nod in agreement, you show the speaker that you are thinking about and understand what he or she has just said. Do you take time to ruminate or chew on what God says to you with the goal of obedience?
God makes it very clear that one who listens is wise, and “Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace is counted wise…” (Proverbs 17:28)
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