Issue 3 ~ Winter 2010 - 2011
The Virtuous Maiden Encouraging Modern-Day Maidens
Cheater - Part II 20 Things to do Before Christmas Throwing off the Marriage Pursuit Mary Obeyed
Devotionals
Mary Obeyed How to Live a Life of Faith A Christmas of Love, Joy, and Peace Believe Resolved
Virtuous Maidenhood Stand Firm in the Victory Throwing off the Marriage Pursuit To Truly Guard Interview with Phyllis Stanley
Fiction and Poetry Cheater - Part II Mary
Just for Fun
Wrapping Paper Bows Corrie Ten Boom Interview 20 Things to do Before Christmas So Much More - Book Review
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As maidens, our fathers should be the most important men in our lives. They are the ones to whom we should look to for counsel, trust in for leadership, and rest in for covering. Sadly, many girls today do not have this loving relationship with their fathers. Instead they turn to feminism or dating relationships. The Botkin ladies have recognized this issue. Carefully, thoroughly, and lovingly they guide young ladies through this crisis in question and answer format. What is the root of this problem? What is a good family relationship supposed to look like? How is this achieved?
A Review by Meridian
Survival Guide for High School, Dealing with Stupid Parents, and A Dating Guide for Christian Teens: all typical titles for today’s books. Girls want independence, and authors know it. Thus, they write to this mindset of freedom. Not the Botkins. With this same knowledge in mind, they carefully guide young ladies to something much greater than “freedom:” submission.
In response to the last question stated above, the Botkins begin to analyze various aspects of life as a visionary daughter. How is a visionary daughter educated? Where does she look for career opportunities? How should she relate to her family? What role do young men play in her life? What should happen when a girl is not able to have a good relationship with a loving father? This book has been a tremendous blessing to me. It has convicted me, encouraged me, and caused me to take my relationship with my father a step deeper. I highly recommend taking a serious look at this book: it will change your life forever.
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‘Cheater’ is here continued from the Autumn 2010 issue. If you haven’t read the beginning, you can find the archives on our website at www.virtuousmaiden.webs.com
Addie hardly noticed her bedroom door opening. “Hey, squirt.” Her dad said affectionately, tousling her hair and kissing the top of her head. She turned to him with a troubled countenance. “Dad, I have a problem.” His eyes twinkled. “Does it have to do with math?” “No – well, kind of.” “Okay, dish. Let’s hear the worst.” Addie paused, and then continued. “Let’s say – hypothetically – that you had a friend who was going to cheat on a test, and you knew it, only you had promised not to tell. And, you knew it was wrong, but you also couldn’t break your word, because then your friend would never forgive you.” Her dad looked thoughtful. “That’s a tough one.” He replied slowly. “To be morally correct, you have to tell, but to be true to your friend, you can’t. So the only solution is not to tell, but instead to stop her from cheating in some other way.” “Like steal the answer key she’s got and destroy it?” “No, that probably wouldn’t be the
best thing to do.” Addie’s dad laughed. “No, I’m talking about straight-out telling her she’s wrong, and telling her that you don’t want her to cheat because you care about her. Confront her, and tell her why it’s wrong, and why she shouldn’t cheat.” “But how exactly is it wrong? It never says in the Bible-” “I think you’ll find it does.” Addie’s father took the small, leather bound book off her bookcase. “Look, Addie, dust on the cover. This book is your guide – the more you read it, the better you know it, so you can answer these – er, hypothetical questions.” Her dad turned to Leviticus. “Chapter 19, verse 11. ‘Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another.’ Pretty clear, isn’t it? Also, you can find more references to cheating in Proverbs 11:18; Proverbs 20:17, and Acts 5: 1-10. The last one is a story. All say pretty much the same thing: cheating doesn’t pay. It’s wrong.” He turned and grinned at Addie. “You can tell your hypothetical friend that.” Addie smiled, a little sheepishly, back. The next morning, Addie steeled herself for trouble. She was armed with the verses as proof, but she still felt shaky and nervous
about facing Caroline. She spotted Caroline’s bright red hair whipping around a corner, and she knew she could make no more excuses, make no more delays. She hurried to catch up, but suddenly – the bell rang, and Caroline swept into the math classroom. The desks had been rearranged for the test, and each of them were in positions where no talking or peeking could take place. Feeling guilt and anxiety bubbling in her stomach, Addie took her seat, trying hard to concentrate as Mr. Selmer handed out the tests. She couldn’t resist taking a peek at Caroline, and, sure enough, she was scribbling away. Already she had bubbled in half the page while others were still working on their first couple of problems. The 50-minute period was 50 minutes of torture to Addie, who, between answering difficult questions and nervously watching Caroline cheat, had her nerves frayed to the breaking point. She rounded off her last answer as the bell rang, and they all brought their tests up to Mr. Selmer. Caroline didn’t look as pleased as Addie thought she might have. Right after they exited the classroom, Addie mustered her nerves and pulled Caroline to the side. “Look, yesterday you asked me where in the Bible it said not to cheat? Well, look!”She showed her Leviticus 19:11. “Do not deceive one another. Cheating is deceiving, Caroline, you can’t deny that. Look, it’s wrong, and you have to go confess to cheating. I care about you, Caroline, that’s why I don’t want you to mess up like this.” Caroline gulped. She seemed to struggle for a moment, and then she burst out, “I know it was wrong, I feel like there’s been squirming worms in my stomach ever since I started that test. But… how can I go and tell Mr. Selmer what I did? He’ll… he’ll give me an F!
Or I could even get detention or suspension or something!” Mr. Selmer had on a pair of reading glasses that made him look more kindly than usual, and this slightly soothed Caroline’s nerves. He looked up from his book and set aside his lunch, a sandwich and an apple, looking slightly surprised. “Caroline?” Caroline trembled, but she forced herself to say, “Sir… I need to tell you something.” “Yes?” “On the test…” Caroline’s hands were sweaty and she wrung them together. “… On the test… I feel really bad about it…” She gulped, and could not continue. Mr. Selmer had been a teacher for ten years, and he had enough experience to guess what was troubling her. “Did you cheat?” He asked, not unkindly. Caroline nodded, looking ashamed. “I’m really sorry, and I’ll retake it again without cheating.” She stood, head bowed, awaiting her sentence, and blinking away tears. Mr. Selmer leaned forward. “Caroline, in all my years of teaching, I have never had a student come forward and confess – and apologize, for that matter! – for cheating. You’ll have to retake the test, but I do not believe that you deserve further punishment.” Caroline looked up, scarcely believing what she had just heard. Then she flashed a quick smile through her tears, which had begun to spill out, and said, “Thank you, sir.” Then she hurried out, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. Addie met her out in the hall and hugged her. “That was so brave.” Addie whispered. Then, as they broke apart, she smiled and added, “Now you feel better, huh?” Caroline nodded, smiling too.
Wrapping Paper Bows Erika DePalatis
Supplies Left over wrapping paper Invisible tape such as Scotch Tape Small piece of cardboard Scissors Ruler
Reuse and recycle old wrapping paper to make beautiful, unique gift bows. Instructions:
1. Cut the wrapping paper into strips that are approximately four inches long and 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch wide. There’s no need to use a ruler to cut each strip, but try to make them all roughly the same. 2. Cut a 1- inch square of thin cardboard (cereal box or food box cardboard works well for this). 3. Take a cut strip of wrapping paper and fold it over in half, with the plain sides together. Bring one end about an eighth of an inch away from the other end and hold in place with a small piece of clear tape, allowing the tape to go past the ends a little bit. 4. Stick the first loop down on the cardboard square, centered at the edge of one side. Repeat with three more paper loops, so you have a loop in the middle of each side. 5. Take four more loops and stick them down at the corners of the square. 6. Continue making paper loops, sticking each one down just in front of, and between two loops from the previous row. The bow will begin to fill in. 7. When you get to center of the small square, make a single loop and stick this down right in the middle. Fluff the bow gently with your fingers and it should look like a gift
Mary Cheyenne
She was just a young virgin, just a young girl, Not anyone special, just a young girl, She tried to please God with what He had given, But her life was not much… not much to be given. Or so it seemed. Then one day… everything changed. Seemed a regular day till everything changed. She was sitting beneath an old chestnut tree, Until everything changed, beneath that old tree. Then everything changed. Suddenly, with a whoosh of soft wind, A heavenly angel, came with the wind. There the angel suddenly stood… right by her. She shaded her eyes, her dark eyes with fear, But the angel said, “Mary, have no fear.” And the angel said, “Mary, blessed are you, for you have found favor with God. Mary, you have been chosen… to bear the son of God. He will be called Jesus…. A savior for your people…. Yes, he will be a savior for ALL people.” Then Mary cried, “How can this be? I am not married! I am just a poor girl! Should God choose me, of all people… a poor girl?” The Angel replied, “With our God this is possible, By man’s power… no, but by God’s power, yes.” Then trusting as true, she said, “May it be done so.” “Yes, may all that you have said…. Be done so.” And the angel left her. Why did God choose her? A poor young girl? He didn’t choose a queen, but a humble young girl. He will use us… if only we will, Be ready and willing… yes He will. God used Mary, in a very Big way… But humble yourself, and wait and see, that God will use you too… wait and see.
Mary Obeyed Jordyn
Imagine with me for a moment that you are out working in your garden on a beautiful afternoon. The sun is warm on your back; the breeze rippling through is the perfect temperature to keep you cool as you work. You’re able to smell the delicious lilacs and you think if only you could wear them like perfume! You sit back for a minute to drink in the exquisite colors of the roses freshly planted. You have just been thinking about how much you love this kind of work when someone approaches. You are startled at the look of this person because there is something glowing about him, almost as if he is an angel. This extraordinary person begins to tell you how much the Lord loves you and how pleased He is by you. You begin to cry.
He goes on to tell you that the Lord chose you to be the carrier of His anointed, His only Son. You’re a little stunned and confused because at the ripe age of 14, you’d hardly consider yourself ready to bear a child and be a mother! You tell the man that you think this is impossible and he’s got the wrong girl. The man replies, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you.” His words echo in your mind. The power of the Highest will overshadow you. This is an all-encompassing power that you know can be only from the Lord when He chooses to “birth” something incredible in us. The man goes on to say that nothing is impossible with God. Suddenly you are all alone. The man has left and you are filled with an unexplainable and abounding peace that has just descended on you like a waterfall. You are filled with fear and anxiety and yet at the same time joy and praise. You dread how all your family and friends are going to react, but you can’t help but think how privileged you are to carry the very Son of the Living God! It’s hard to imagine this happening in our world today with all our modern conveniences and our get-what-you-want-with-the-snapof-your-finger mentality, but I think if we just stopped for a moment and put ourselves in Mary’s shoes, I think the Lord could teach us a lot of things. She didn’t say, “I’ll have to think about it.” She didn’t ask why. She didn’t throw a fit or feel obligated. She said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” That is obedience! As I think of Mary’s extraordinary story, I wonder if she ever felt inconvenienced to be chosen to carry the Messiah? I don’t think it was all grand and easy especially when the word got our that she was pregnant before she was yet married. We can’t imagine how ostracized she was because of this—the looks people gave her, the gossip they probably spread about her. I wonder what she thought about during the dark hours of the night when she couldn’t go to sleep. I wonder how many times she had to ask the Lord for strength to be obedient to Him. Mary is one of the many women I want to sit down and have a latte with in heaven and ask her what her
journey was really like! Scripture isn’t very detailed concerning Mary’s personal life and thoughts on this matter but I love how it tells, though very briefly, of her visit to Elizabeth’s house. When I imagine Elizabeth I think of my grandmothers or my great aunts or that sweet, sweet, laughing old lady you just love in one of those old black and white movies. I imagine her to be lovely, joyful, caring, loving, cooing…you get the idea. It’s no wonder Mary went “with haste” to the home of Elizabeth! I would too! Yes, Mary had the privilege of carrying the Messiah, but I think she needed all the comfort, reassurance and nurturing she could get! Obedience is hardly ever convenient but it brings consecration to our lives. Mary was an example of this. Little did she know when she imagined her life as a young girl that the Lord would ask of her this great task! I love how Luke 2:19 says “Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Mary’s story teaches us to “ponder” things in our hearts. She didn’t run all around town and shouting her news to everyone, saying the Lord chose her to carry His Son. No. She quietly obeyed and found incredible joy, grace and peace. Through Mary’s obedience God brought His only Son into the world. Through Mary’s obedience, God was able to reconcile the world to Himself. Through Mary’s obedience God brought eternal redemption. Through Mary’s obedience God made a way for us to have an unhindered relationship with Him. Through Mary’s obedience God conquered sin and death. Through Mary’s obedience God brought about the Ultimate Love Story! So during this Christmas season as we remember this story of Mary I have a question I want you to “ponder” in your heart. What will God do through your obedience? Bring revival? Heal a broken heart? Bring prodigals home? Restore a desolate country? Work the greatest miracle your generation has ever witnessed? Mary’s obedience allowed for God to freely flow through her and bring the ultimate Redemption. Let’s be girls who give God absolute freedom to bring about spectacular miracles through our obedience!
Faith Maggie Bushway
“When Jesus had finished saying all this in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, ‘This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.’ So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: ‘Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.’ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, ‘I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.’ Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.” This is a story from Luke 7. This story is amazing because it shows what faith looks like. It brings up a big question. How could someone who is not worthy to see Jesus have more faith than anyone in Israel? Most people think that faith is just believing, though that is part of it. Hebrews 11:6 says “ Without faith it is impossible to please God.” So it is very important that we understand faith. There are three steps to living a life of faith. The first one is to empty yourself. This means knowing that you are nothing without Christ, and confessing your sins. The second step is to refill. This means you need to fill yourself with God’s love, mercy, and kindness. The third step is to respond to this love. This is one of the hardest things to do. This story might help you understand it better. In Russia there is an orphanage that forces
children to clean all day every day from the moment they can crawl. One little boy was adopted into a loving home. His new family showed more love to him than he could have ever imagined. The sad part of this story is that the boy didn’t know how to respond to love. For a while all he ever did was clean. Sometimes God’s love is overwhelming to us. We don’t know how to respond. All God wants us to do is believe that He saved us and we are free. Galatians 5:1 says “It is for freedom Christ has set us free.” That means Christ didn’t set us free for nothing. He wants us to live like we are free. Now you can see the Centurion’s faith. He emptied himself by saying he was not worthy to see Jesus. He acknowledged that if Jesus said the word, his servant would be healed. And he believed that Jesus was the true Son of God, or else he would not have had faith in Him. That is how to live a life of faith.
Miranda Poskey
Stand Firm in the Victory Many times in our lives we are faced with a difficult decision. Whether or not to hold true to the standards we have set for ourselves or to let little things slip; this is a question that we all face at one point in our life. It is hard to remain firm in what we believe, especially when we have a weak foundation. But if we put our feet in the right place and then stand firm, we can move mountains. Throughout generations and generations standing firm and not loosing courage has always been a hard thing but Jesus clearly shows how to stand firm, to sum up our courage and to stay strong. Abraham Lincoln once said ‘Be sure you put your feet in the right place then stand firm’. But how do we know if our feet are in the right place, let alone how to stand firm? The Lord has given us the entire list of directions. In Psalm 40, David says ‘He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand’. Jesus will plant our feet in the right place. He will direct us and rescue us out of the slimy pit, out of dangerous places, and put us in the right place. He always has done that but we often get too worked up in our emotions and fears, so that there is no room left for Jesus to save us from dangerous places. This leads to the second part, how do we stand firm? Jesus has something to say for that as well. He says to us, ‘You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.’ Jesus, the Great Planner, knew that we would be afraid and become discouraged, and He already had a response for the times when we become disheartened. He told us that we don’t have to fight this battle, He’s already won the victory.
But we do have to take up our positions. Stand firm and we will see the deliverance the Lord will give us. The Lord gives us the victory, the victory that is rightly His - but he gives it to us. Victory. Synonyms of victory are advantage, defeat, control, destruction, triumph. All of this isn’t rightly ours but it is given to us. Victory is Jesus’ but He gives it to us out of His love. Why should we endlessly worry about things, then, if the victory is going to be given to us? No hassle involved! Jesus will simply hand us the victory that is rightly His. But in His love He takes our fears and worries and gives us instead victory. In Deuteronomy God says, “For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” We don’t even have to fight to get the claim to victory. The Lord our God is the one who will fight for us and give us the victory. That leaves nothing for us to do but believe. God will fight, He will overcome, and He will leave the battle victorious. Incredibly, he gives us the victory of which we have had no part. This is Jesus for you. He lived the life we couldn’t live, fought the battle we couldn’t fight, just so that He could die the death we couldn’t die. Proverbs wisely says, “You can’t find firm footing in a swamp, but life rooted in God stands firm.’ Root yourself in God. Dig your roots down so deep they can never be pulled out. Deepness in God will bring you victory over your enemy and the kind of strength and courage that David had. David never backed down because he knew that God had the victory and that the victory was already won. When you are faced with a difficult decision stand firm; God has won every battle and He will put our feet in a firm place; all we have to do is root ourselves in Him.
e h t f f o g n i w Thro t i u s r u P e g a i Marr ie Hannah Mar
in the pursuit of the Lord and saved by Christ. But, are we pursuing the gift more than our Lord at times in our lives? Perhaps a personal journey through my life would make a better point of what I am telling you. When I first became a Christian, I was still in the mindset that marriage was an utterly point Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is less and undesirable way to live life (for those right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, what- that care to know, this was at about fourteen ever is of good repute, if there is any excellence years old). However, I did consider that I may just and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these change my mind; so, I made a commitment to not date or desire to date in any way, shape, or things.” form until I was handed my high school diploma Every girl dreams of marriage at some point on graduation day. Graduation day came about in their lives, whether it is as a little child or as a in June of this year and I just remember thinking the day after “Wow, I am free to marry someone. young adult in the high school or college years. Either way, somewhere along the journey to be- I could marry someone. Does God want me to coming an incredible young woman of the Lord, marry someone?” marriage comes to the mind and to the heart. It I pursued that thought by searching out the is healthy; it is expected; it is heart-breaking. qualities of a godly wife and diving into a Biblical study on the dating and marriage arena in gen Now, do not get me wrong; pondering the eral. I will not lie; I found some incredibly helpful idea of marriage is not in and of itself ‘heartbreaking’ or entirely wrong. Marriage is a beauti- and inspiring truths that will continue to exemful, breath-taking, undeniably honorable, and a plify amazing lessons in my walk with Christ. But, magnificent gift from our Father in Heaven. We, my thoughts did not dwell so much on the lesas sinful and disobedient humans, have the inex- sons as they did the prospects of a future marpressible privilege of being able to participate in riage. As I began to settle in and truly desire a life a union between one man and one woman both as a mother and a wife, my focus on my
future plans and how I should pursue God changed; my focus was no longer all about Him, but it was all about Him and a mysterious and enveloping feeling of possible marriage or dating in the future. Granted, I was not dreaming about marriage; that is not the kind of girl I am. I was simply much more open and thought to expect marriage as being included in God’s layout of my life.
Live your days in complete and utterly unbreakable obedience and dedication to your Lord. Dream and use your life to the fullest. Let the Lord surprise you with marriage. Let the Lord truly bless you with marriage rather than letting Him just answer a prayer.
I have personally found that once I totally gave up the dream of marriage, my focus and my desire to become a woman of the Lord has I started to notice something uniquely increased dramatically. My heart is pulling me in strange though about my perspective on it all. so many different ways; missions have become It just seemed too off-balance or maybe too re- a distinct calling as well as a career in law. Colstricted. And then I realized that I was right. My lege education has become a must and a wise view was restricted, hindered, limited, expected, pursuit. The truth is: I have not forsaken the and immovable. Just think about those words fact that I may indeed end up married; rather, I for a minute. Do you see the correlation? Perhave forsaken my tendency to expect a blessing. haps this would make it a bit clearer: God is all- I have opened my heart to simply becoming a encompassing, destroys all obstacles, unpredict- godly woman and letting Him lead me wherever able, and flexible. How can I dream of marriage He desires, with no preconceived notions or hinand also dream of following God whole-hearted- drances. I call you to take this path. I call you to ly? I cannot. give everything. I call you to forsake the plans of life that women naturally expect. I call you to Ladies, this may seem like a radical and im- pursue virtuous maidenhood, as the single wompossible request, but what about if we all dean you are today and nothing else. cided to pursue God and only God? What about Editor’s Note: We do not, in any way discourage if we lived our lives, day to day, as though we preparation or desire for marriage. God has given would be single forever? What if we chose, inthat to us as a gift. Maidens should be always in stead of trying to determine our futures, to prayer for their future husbands, should marriage instead determine our todays? The fact of the be the Lord’s will for their lives. They also should matter is that we do not need to dream about be prepared, so that they will not find themselves marriage. We do not need to pursue marriage. in a helpless state upon entering marriage! HowWe do not need to plan marriage. God will dream about marriage. The godly men will pur- ever, dwelling on such things over the things of the sue marriage. The Lord and the men will plan the Lord is discouraged. marriage. It as simple as that. I have found that expecting marriage is more of a hindrance than a blessing. Is it true that most women do get married? Absolutely. But, as young women pursuing our Lord, we do not need to dwell on marriage. Pursuing godly womanhood does not need to involve being married, but it has everything to do with being in full desire and dedication to our Lord. I challenge you; change your perspective. Plan your life as though you will always be single.
“Live your days in complete and utterly unbreakable obedience and dedication to your Lord. Dream and use your life to the fullest.”
Hannah Marie
“Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” Proverbs 4:23
The stars twinkle in the midnight sky, tiny pinpricks that bring a guiding light to an otherwise life-less night. Expand this view to journey outside of the Earth’s stratosphere and you will see countless more of those stars fill your vision and surround your entire view point. Expand the view even more to include galaxies rather than individual stars. Now, without zooming in too close, take a look at that galaxy, spinning, moving, weaving, filling, and simply becoming a mass of tiny stars all circling around a center of gravity.
imaginable thing. And your heart is certainly not alone; it remains in the company of many other hearts, some even donating a few of their stars to yours or you giving some of yours away to theirs.
See, your hearts make up who you are, how you think, what you dream about, the way you act, and the words you speak. With your heart being so invaluable and precious, it is no wonder that young women are always told to keep their hearts secret, to guard them diligently. I do not know about you, but to me that phrase just seem so. . . empty. The meaning behind it often appears to be entirely lost Ladies, that galaxy, is your heart. Your heart is breath-taking, priceless, gorgeous, and and clouded. Furthermore, I do not want to guard my heart so much as I want to use it to always changing, shaping, and shifting. Your heart survives and lives strong because it has serve others. And I believe that is the truth of the matter. a center of gravity that it relies on, the Lord. Your heart is full of tiny pinpricks of life that I see too many beautiful young women represent feelings, thoughts, desires, events, roots, decisions, object, loves, and every other pursuing God with their hearts, yet they fail to
be genuine among a crowd of people. Once, when I asked such a woman why she seemed to act so different around people she said, “Because I am guarding my heart and keeping it locked up and safe.” I would say she got the ‘locked up’ part right, but the rest of it was very much off. Guarding something does not entail keeping it hidden. Young men are called to guard and protect young women, but they do not hide them and keep the obscured from the world; embarking on such a pursuit would not only be exhausting but also rather pointlessly disappointing as well. We cannot hide from the world; we are not called to hide from the world. We are called to be soft-hearted, divine-seeking, conversation-grasping, irreplaceable, undeniably beautiful daughters of the Lord! Our strength is in our gentle and easily wounded spirit. Our weakness is in our desperate attempts to completely guard and ‘lock up’ our hearts; by doing so, we are only stifling and dismissing the very spirit that speaks to those around us and makes us so unique and in need of protection. We are not wrong to steer away from handing all of our stars to every person we pass on the street, but we are wrong in thinking that the act of guarding the heart can be done successfully by any human being. Our hearts need to be given away, as a whole to the One who knows all. Instead of finding some treasure box to store our hearts in until the time is right, all we have to do is hand it over at the foot of Christ’s throne. He would absolutely love to take your heart and keep it safe and hand over a completely pure and whole heart to another when the time is deemed right and proper. I do not know about you, my dear sisters, but in my book, I would rather give my heart to the single Person I can trust with every piece of my being than have my flawed human nature mess everything up in one weak
moment. And it gets better. If I give my heart completely over to the Lord, I am surrendering my life and my dreams to Him. I no longer have to expend all of my energy on guarding and worrying over something; rather, I can utilize that time gained to serve and bless others around me. My capacity to love will expand and continue to magnify. My desire to become more and more like Him every single day of my existence will only continue to strengthen. The Lord calls us to surrender our lives to Him. But, He is not just waiting for our lives; He is patiently waiting for our hearts. He is gently pushing our hearts into fully believing that surrender is stronger, that we do not need to drive our points or thoughts home every night. We, nor any other human being, need to be a hero of any sort. We only need to be us, amazingly and divinely designed women with a softer and more susceptible heart. Thus, let us no longer cling to the past myth that our hearts must be kept under lock and key. Let us throw off this blanket of smoke that obscures and alters the appearance of one’s heart in public. Let us finally submit to ourselves that we are not strong enough or able enough to truly guard our hearts in the true way they are called to be guarded. Let us have the courage to hand over every piece of our hearts, minds, and bodies over to our Lord, so that He may seek to shape and change us all into a softer, more Christ formed heart of flesh rather than of stone.
Do we dare to believe? Do we dare to trust? Do we dare to surrender? I say that we do.
Corrie Ten Boom Forgives Former Ravensbruck Guard! Maggie Bushway
During World War II Corrie Ten Boom, Betsie Ten Boom, and her father Casper owned a watch shop in their house. The shop was on the bottom level of the house, and the family lived on the top level. When Hitler was killing all of the Jews, the Ten Boom family hid some Jews in their house. All three of the Ten Booms were arrested for this. The two sisters were sent to a prison for women. One of them was Ravensbruck, where Betsie had died. Corrie was sent home, where she spoke in churches and large crowds about forgiving the Germans. In 1947 she spoke at a church. Afterwards a man who used to be a Ravensbruck guard asked her for forgiveness. Today we have the privilege of questioning Corrie on this experience. Reporter: “Corrie, did you know that the man was a guard from Ravensbruck before he talked to you?”
Corrie: “yes I did.”
Reporter: “How did you feel when you saw him?” Corrie: “Memories flooded back to me. I remembered the cruelty of Ravensbruck, and what it did to Betsie.”
Reporter: “What did he say to you?”
Reporter: “Did you forgive him at once?”
Corrie: “No, I just stood there. It was the hardest thing I had ever done.”
Reporter: “What made you forgive him?”
Corrie: “I remembered Jesus said, ‘If you do not forgive men of their trespasses, neither will your Father in Heaven forgive your trespasses.’ I prayed and asked God to help me.”
Corrie: “How good it is to know that, as Reporter: “And did He?” you put it, ‘all of our sins are at the bottom of the sea!’ And then he told me that he became Corrie: “Yes, all of a sudden I cried, a Christian, and he said that God had forgiven ‘I forgive you brother!’ I had never known him, but he wanted me to as well.” God’s love so intensely as I did then.”
20 Things to do Before Christmas
1. Get a tree and decorate it! 2. Break out the Christmas music! 3. If you live in an area near a forest, try decorating a tree with edibles like popcorn and cranberry garlands, bagels coated with peanut butter and birdseeds, and other yummy treats for woodland animals to enjoy. 4. If you don’t have a nativity scene, make one! You could use clay, draw one, or even print out a picture from the internet. 5. Make Stained Glass Cookies. 6. Give a “Secret Santa” present to a friend. 7. Send a Christmas card to some family like your grandparents or uncle or aunt – designed by you, of course! 8. Bring some Christmas cookies to your favorite teacher before your Christmas break begins. 9. Have a Christmas-themed sleepover party with your friends! Eat Christmas goodies, wrap presents together, and make (and eat!) Christmas cookies. 10. Give your pet some holiday cheer. Does your pet have a doghouse, a cat bed, a cage, or a tank? Decorate their home with mini twinkle lights or ornaments. (Make sure that they can’t reach them and bite them off!) 11. Give your room a Christmas boost, too. Wrap twinkle lights around your bedposts or curtain rail. (Continued on Page 21)
A Christmas of
Love, Joy and Peace! Miranda Poskey
Love, joy, and peace. We see these words often during the Christmas season. These three words describe Christmas amazingly well but many of us don’t really understand what these three words have in unison with the story of Jesus’s birth. These words are the basis of much in the Christmas story. From the very moment of conception, Mary had love, joy, and peace in her heart. She had an understanding of Christmas before it ever was celebrated. She already grasped part of the bigger picture. She took action to these words before they ever were associated with Christmas. These words have a Biblical meaning that many of us have never seen before and hopefully we truly will take action on these words and make them a part of Christmas just like they were thousands of years ago.
Although it was one of the most trying years of her life, the trust that she had in God led her to having peace in the most crazy of times. Even when she had to give birth to God’s Son and Heir, she had peace in God. No matter what is going on in our lives, God wants us to have peace in Him. He wants us to rest in His plan, to surrender our own plans to Him and allow Him to move in a might way through our lives. Just as He did with Mary.
Rejoice.We are told to rejoice
in Jesus. Rejoice in what He is doing in our lives. Put our expectancy and our hope in Jesus and rejoice that He has victory in our lives. Once Mary put her peace in God, she rejoiced in God her Savior. She knew that she had been chosen for a special purpose and she chose to rejoice in knowing that she had been chosen for a very special and God wants us to rest in unique purpose. Jesus has chosen us all for His peace. We often think of peace as qui- special and unique purposed. We have all et and restful. God wants us to be quiet in been chosen, rejoice in that! Rejoice that Him, and rest in His plan. Mary showed an Jesus has special things for us, that Jesus amazing example of this from the very first is always victorious. Rejoice in all that you moment when Gabriel told her that she do. Although Mary was condemned by the was to have God’s Only Son. She quietly world and rejected by most who knew her, submitted and rested in God’s plan. No she rejoiced. Because of the undying peace matter how much the world despised her she had in God, she was able to rejoice in for her supposed impurity, Mary rested in His plan and His purpose. She saw above God. She had peace in Him. what the world saw and saw God’s favor.
Peace.
Love. It was because of love that
we have the Christmas season. God sent His Only Son to save us because of the love He had for us. This is undeserved love. There is nothing that we can do to deserve this kind of love. This kind of love is unfathomable, we, as humans, can never understand it. We who scorned and mocked Jesus are the ones that He was born for. This is that special Yahweh love, the agape love of Christ, the one who was born on Christmas day. Agape love is translated as unconditional love. God sent His Son as a baby on Christmas as another way of showing His agape love.
God is so great! He tells us to have peace, to rejoice, and to testify of His great love. Let’s all do that this Christmas season. May we all be like Mary. May we all have a peace that surpasses understanding. May we rejoice in all that He has done and will do in our lives and in the lives of those around us. But last, and most important, may we spread the amazing love of Jesus to those around us and show them that Christmas is not about the hustle and bustle but about the amazing love of God. May we be overflowing with the love of Christ. May Jesus give us opportunities to share this love to those around us. May we show the true Christmas spirit to the world.
20 Things to do Before Christmas. (Continued from Page 19) 12. Celebrate the season by giving! Maybe you could make an offering at your church, as your birthday present to Jesus? 13. Treat your mom or dad with some special one-on-one time, maybe sipping hot cocoa or listening to Christmas music. 14. Make a sweet-smelling present for someone. Get an apple and stick whole cloves into it. Then, leave it in a dark, dry room like a closet for about a week. When you take it out, it will smell delicious! 15. Yes, it’s the season for giving. Why don’t you let your siblings or parents take the first Christmas cookie, open the first present, or get the first cut of turkey? 16. Slip a small, fun gift into someone else’s stocking before you go to bed on Christmas Eve or in the morning if you get up first. Hey. Santa can always use a little help, right? 17. Spread the good cheer by babysitting, mowing lawns, waling dogs, or whatever free of charge near Christmastime. 18. Give to yourself, too. You deserve a treat after all your hard work – take a long bubble bath, splurge on a new book or a bracelet you’ve been dying for for ages. 19. Leave milk and cookies out for Santa. Whoever he is, he’ll sure appreciate a snack. 20. Thank Jesus for what he came to do on Christmas!
Interview with
Phyllis Stanley
Phyllis Stanley is a godly woman with a passion for discipleship and nutrition. She has discipled many women and teens through “The Five Aspects of Women.” She is currently discipling young women as she teaches the basics of being a disciple of Jesus, learning how to meet with God, how to share the Gospel, and how to follow up a new believer. She hosts nutritional bread baking classes in her home, and promotes godliness in all areas of life. The Virtuous Maiden has been blessed to interview Mrs. Stanley. Who is your greatest role model? What has she taught you?
tently loves people. We were a military family, so we were constantly having military personnel over to our home. It didn’t matter if it was a general or a private: she would treat them all the same, and give them the same attention and hospitality. She would always say, “Where there’s heart room, there’s houseroom.” My mother has a true spirit of thankfulness. During the Great Depression, she would sleep in the closet when company came to her home. But she thought it was fun! Everyone needs someone like my mom in their life.
As for my other mentors, they are like a bouquet. One taught me how to make jam, My greatest role model has to be my moth- another how to make curtains. One taught me er. She taught me how to love people and give how to cook the Austrian way, and another them a message about their value. She consis- woman taught me how to memorize Scripture.
I’ve had women who’ve taught me how to lead small groups, and how to be a mentor.
You plan what you will do and trust Him to transform and use your life. As a final note to that response, don’t kill joy. Don’t kill joy or thankfulness .
One thing you should know about seeking out mentors is that anyone who seeks out a mentor in her life becomes a mentor. It may What are your favorite Scriptures? come as a surprise, but looking back you will see that people begin to want to spend time I love Philippians 3:1 0, Isaiah 58:10-12, with you because they recognize your love for and Acts 20:24. Christ and the skills that you have developed in your life. You always have such a beautiful Christmas display, and your traditions are so meaningWhat is the greatest thing you’ve learned ful. What are your favorite Christmas tradiover the years? tions and how did they get started? That I can have a personal relationship with God, and be His friend. That I can spend the rest of my life with a purpose of knowing Him and helping others to know and love Him, especially with my own children, and now, grandchildren. I’ve learned that it is so good to be passionate about discipleship: reproducing spiritually should be just as natural as reproducing physically. I am a woman of God, a child of God, and a servant of God. What do you think all young ladies should know? That Jesus is so wonderful and is worth following. I always tell the girls in my discipleship group that they get the privilege of having the message of the Gospel, which is so valuable, and that makes them valuable to Him. They can live with great purpose because of this. Start living for Christ when you are young, and He will do great things through you. Also, enjoy your life. Enjoy your family, your friends, and God’s world. But don’t waste your life. I see too many young people so consumed with the latest television program or their friends on Facebook. Develop your skills. Surround yourself with good friends, your family, and life. God is a planning God. If you desire to be more conformed to His image, make plans to enrich your life toward Him.
I have created an Advent book. In my home my family always wanted to have meaningful conversations at the dinner table. With the Advent wreath and book, I have been able to create a spiritually alive, fun, interesting experience in which we can look at what really happened at Christmas. It helps us to look at Christmas through the eyes of the different characters... ‘What does it mean to give gifts? To worship?’ ...this helps us to prepare our hearts for Christmas. We would always bring different friends, family, and students to our home each week of Advent, on Sunday, to experience this meaningful time.
Mrs. Stanley on Reading Reading is so important. I love to be around people who love to read. Many of my kindred spirits are actually young people who love to read. When we [my husband and children] lived in Europe for 13 years, we didn’t have a TV, so we read classics. We would always read overseas. For example, we would read A Little Princess in England, Twice Freed in Rome, Hans Brinker in Holland, etc. A love of books is crucial to becoming a virtuous woman.
We also would look at the background of various Christmas traditions. For example, why do we eat gingerbread? What is the story behind “Silent Night”? When did Christmas trees come into existence? Another thing we love to do is the celebration of Santa Lucia. Our kids could make as many cookies as they liked, but they could not eat any Christmas cookies until December 13th, when we would bring heart-shaped cookies and other treats into their rooms that morning. We would tell our kids the story of Santa Lucia and ask them, “What would you do if you were Santa Lucia and the Roman soldiers told you that you would be burned at the stake if you didn’t stop believing on Jesus?” Sometimes they were honest and would say, “I would tell them I did not believe, but I would keep believing in my heart!” Then, they would be sober and say, “No, I would tell them that I will always believe in Jesus no matter what. We would also have rice pudding on Christmas Eve, and we would hide a nut in someone’s bowl. Whoever found the nut in their pudding would win the prize. This is a very fun Norwegian tradition. On that note, what is your favorite holiday treat?
Recently I’ve been enjoying apple spice cake, which is gluten free when made with rice flour. I must say, though, that I love making almond braids. They are so fun! I love making different shapes of bread. However, there are just so many fun treats to make. I really enjoy biscotti, as well. Anything with pumpkin is good, too. What got you in to bread-baking and nutrition? My mother-in-law told me, before I was married, “With every action, there’s a reaction.” When my daughter got diabetes at seven, this really began to resonate in me. Later on, when my daughter was about to get married, I discovered her roommate had a grain mill with which she could grind wheat into flour, and make delicious bread. I wanted that. I prayed about it, even though my children were already gone. After my family gave me a Bosch Kitchen Machine and Grain mill, I started to learn everything I could about baking healthy breads and baked goods with freshly ground flours. I realized that eating what God provided lead me into eating so much more nutritionally. Grinding wheat opened a window to God’s other wonderful grains like spelt, kamut, quinoa, and other grains. My newfound passion was my own thing at first, but soon it overflowed to my family and friends. This became a source of ministry and a business. The Bible says to rule the earth and subdue it. I decided I would rule over nutrition by learning as much as I possibly could about it, and then subdue the arena by telling others. Then they could do the same with other people. As a side note, remember that when you go to a grocery store, stay around the edges. Almost everything that is healthy is on those outside edges. Don’t go down the aisles unless you must.
Believe by Laura
On March 30, 2010 at lunch recess I was swinging with my friends, Jen and Kaylee. Jen started telling us about the weird dream she had the previous night. Something about it made me think of the anti-christ and I mentioned it. Jen and I began talking about the end times and Kaylee began asking us questions. We told her about the rapture (when Christ returns to earth) and if you don’t know Christ as your Savior before you die you’ll go to Hell. Kaylee immediately said, “I don’t want to go to Hell!” Then Jen and I explained that all you have to do in is ask Jesus to come into your heart and forgive you of your sins. Soon we had to go inside, but on our last recess we picked up where we left off.
When Jen saw me with it, her eyes lit up; she knew what was happening and came with me. I read some verses to Christine and she received Christ, in the same place as Kaylee. The verses I read are below. (New King James Version)
Kaylee, Jen and I went up on the slide and there, Kaylee asked Jesus to come into her heart. After she prayed, you could defiantly see the difference in her. She was so happy, and we ran and skipped up and down the field singing, “I am a C, I am a C-H, I am a C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N. And I have C-H-R-I-S-T in my H-E-A-R-T and I will L-I-V-E E-T-E-R-N-A-L-L-Y!”
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.” -Romans 6:23
A few weeks later, on May 19, 2010, my friend Christine came to my desk while we were working at school. She said, “Will you meet me at the slide at lunch recess?” I answered yes and at lunch recess we went up on the slide. Christine then told me, “I need you to make me a Christian.” “I can’t make you a Christian, only Jesus can, but I can help you become one,” I replied. We had just gotten our Gideon New Testaments the day before and I still had mine in my desk so I ran to get it.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” -John 3:16 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” -Romans 3:23
“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” -Romans 10:9
Just to let you know, my friend Nicole got saved at Jen’s church on May 26. On July 12, 2010, two brothers from my school got saved at Jen’s church camp, and their sister received Christ on July 22! God is really working in my school. From March 30 to July 22, 2010, six kids have gotten saved! Please be praying for the new believers, that they will love God more and more each day. Thanks so much!!! Editor’s note: Names have been changed for privacy purposes.
Resolved: Meridian
(fill in the blank) “This year I’m going to keep my resolutions. This year, I’ll do something important. 2011 is going to my most dynamic year yet!” But isn’t every year supposed to be that? Doesn’t everyone say that, every year, just to be disappointed once again? This new year, how about we change our attitudes, and really make a difference! First, though, let’s look at three of the most common resolution mistakes we girls tend to make.
If you are up for meeting your goal, make sure you check up on your progress periodically through the year, as an encourage-ment that you are getting somewhere.
2. I can change myself
Technically speaking, this is a true statement. You can get your hair layered, spend more time in the Word, even avoid talking back to your elders. All of these things, though, are outward changes. Many resolutions simply will require an outward change. Others, though, are inward changes. Sometimes things such It’s going to happen all at once as “Get closer to God by spending more time in the Bible” can seem like outward changes, Sorry, but you can’t lose ten pounds in a since they involve an action. But the fact is week on a reasonable diet and with a normal that God has to change you. This is a matter of amount of exercise. One of the main reasons being open to Him, which we’ll examine in just people give up on their high aspirations within a moment. a month or two (oftentimes much less!) is simply because they expected to have instant gratification, and not only that, but complete Of course I have time for it! fulfillment. When they realize that their resolution is slow to be fulfilled, it’s over. In the Time is something we can’t get back on earth. process of planning your resolutions, keep That’s why our lives are sometimes run in miliin mind that it’s a good idea to determine tary fashion: simply so we can “get it all done.” whether each goal is something you are in on The Bible says not to worry or be anxious, for the long haul. though, and I don’t think that going crazy
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Photo: spygear.com
helps to stop anxieties! When stating resolutions, be sure to note if you have enough time for this activity, and if so, where it will fit in. “And the key to it all is?” you may be asking. Letting God change you is the key. So many times we try to do something to change our attitudes or our relationships, and yet we never can get past the surface. We do not have the keys to our heart: God does! We must let Him rule in our hearts, souls, and minds or we will never achieve our resolutions. Rather, the Enemy will dishearten us, and we shall give up. Don’t do this! Give your hopes and dreams to God, and He will gladly receive and care for them as He sees fit. When you do this, the Lord will use you in ways you could never imagine. Now for the fun part: actually making those resolutions! I would personally encourage each and every one of you to sit down on December 31st, pen in hand, and write out several things about 2010. If you are not much of a writer, at least try and orally or mentally answer. Some questions to think about:
- What was the best thing about 2010? The worst thing?
- Where do you feel God leading you in 2011? In years to come?
Use these questions as starters, and come up with your own! As you look back on your year, examine what you believe will draw you more in the direction of the Lord’s will for your life, and what will conform you more to His image. Then, on January 1st, write them out! Most importantly, seek wisdom and seek the Lord. In the end, though you may have many trials along the road, you will be blessed. Happy New Year!
New-Year’s Resolutions 1. Lose weight. 2. Read my Bible more often.
- What brought you the most joy this year? The most heartache?
3. Fight with my parents less.
- Did God show you anything really special this year? If so, what?
5. Learn to hold my temper.
- Spiritually, where did you struggle the most? What were your strengths?
7. Learn a new skill.
4. Make more friends.
6. Catch up on school.
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