Friday, February 25, 2011

Reformation Heritage Choir Christmas Concert

Our family Christmas Concert got postponed and that's why we sang Christmas songs in February.  It went really well!










The children all recieved certificates.
Half-circle set up for O Come O Come Emmanuel.

I made a cake for afterwards.  It had all the children's names on it, and each child wanted the piece with their name on it.  Because of this, some of the children recieved larger pieces than others. :)











Everyone did a great job!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

As I was straightening my bookshelves...

I came across a piece of looseleaf paper with this scribbled on it. I put it in my poetry folder but not before deciding I wanted to post it on here.  What do you think?

Envy! That disease which eats out woman's tender heart,
Making her desire what God to others doth impart,
Helping her forget all her blessings be they many or more,
Blinding her to venues of serving and opportunity's door,
Until at long last she's reduced to nothing but complaints and discontent,
Unless by God's grace she see her error, and repent.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Happy Valentine's day

Happy Valentine’s Day!


The True Meaning of Valentine’s Day

In the A.D. 200’s, Roman emperor Claudius II forbade young men to marry because he thought that being unmarried would make them better soldiers. Without a wife and family to care for, they could devote themselves wholly to their country. Because marriage was against the law, there was no one to perform the marriage ceremony for those who wished to marry. Recognizing that marriage is a sacred covenant established by God, St. Valentine chose to obey God by secretly marrying couples. Valentine’s day is an opportunity to celebrate the institution of marriage and the fidelity of those who glorify God by remaining pure and honoring their marriage vows.

“Marriage was ordained by the Lord at creation, as suited to the state of man as a social being, and necessary to the design for which he was created.”

…Harvey Newcomb, Young Ladies’ Guide to the Harmonious Development of Christian Character, 1843

“Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and by the does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love before it so desires.” (Song of Songs 2:7 and 3:5 and 8:4



“Just as physical purity is important, being faithful to your future husband means remaining true to him emotionally—even before you are married. Emotional purity involves saving your romantic feelings for your husband. You will be able to offer him your whole heart on your wedding day—not just the bits and pieces that are left.

“…You will still discover…that you have married a real man, not a fictitious hero. Real men can never measure up to men in romance novels.” …Stacy McDonald, Raising Maidens of Virtue

Dear Friends,

Valentine’s day in our culture is sadly twisted. We, as Christian young ladies, wish to remain pure in our hearts, minds, souls, and bodies. Around Valentine’s day, many girls our age—or younger—who are involved in “romantic” relationships with boys are giving and receiving gifts. These gifts are not worth much in a monetary sense, but are worth much more in that you are not only giving and receiving flowers or valentines, but pieces of human hearts.

When we are grown and married, if we had any little paper valentines given to us when we were younger by our “boyfriends”, we would likely be ashamed/embarrassed to allow our future husband to read them. They are tokens of us “liking” a guy other than our husband in the past. And even though we may no longer “like” that guy, our having liked him when we were younger—which is now—meant that we gave him a piece of our heart which cannot be recalled. Our husband would only have a scarred, sliced up heart instead of the beautiful, whole one that is a pure heart.

I am not suggesting that the day before your wedding you burn all your valentines. I am encouraging you to not receive them at all. (If anyone offers any to you !) Also, I think it is not a good idea to give boys valentines—brothers and fathers are exceptions!

Most of us have already decided long ago we want to have a pure heart. Around Valentine’s day, however, I think it might be easy for us to grow discontent. After all, the other girls are getting stuff and we’re not. Of course, we wouldn’t put it that way—it sounds so very selfish! We need to remember that we want to be pure, and we need to be pure at all costs. Valentine’s day, when our resolutions in this area might perhaps be shaken, is when we need to remember this most so we can be a light to others. There are very few girls today who are pure—especially in their hearts and minds. However, we are not altogether alone. I know our decisions to be pure are making God happy, and He is with us through all our struggles.

Let us be strong in the Lord. We must not waver in this battle. Let us strive to keep our hearts safe in Jesus’ and our parents keeping until our wedding days, when we will, by God’s grace, give a pure and unblemished heart to our husband, and he will give us his. Let us be a light, and shine out to the misguided girls around us the true meaning of Valentine’s day—a celebration of marriage, fidelity, and purity.

I hope this is a help and encouragement to you as you seek to serve God and remain pure in your hearts, minds, souls, and bodies!

“If you love me, you will obey what I command.”

John 14:15



“And now I will show you the most excellent way.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”

1 Corinthians 13:1-8a



“And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

1 Corinthians 13:13

“Romantic dreams flit by, but with God’s help, I dismiss them. I at times desire to marry immediately, and I rashly wonder if my principles are worth upholding, though I know in my heart they are. I do not have any attachments to anyone, if that is what you mean. I do not believe young women should ‘fall in love’ before they have been proposed to.

“Having a respect for certain young men, who have acted in a way that they are deserving of that respect, cannot harm you if you guard you heart. It is good to respect your superiors…And as you know, when we are tempted with thoughts we should not think of young men, they will leave with much prayer.”

…Maria Dalton in The Teacher



A good book to read for encouragement, if you haven’t already, is

Before You Meet Prince Charming by Sarah Mally, the founder of Bright Lights. It is available from Vision Forum (www.VisionForum.com) It is fun to read and offers helpful tips on how to spend the single years. (For instance, serving God…not sitting around and singing, “Oh, someday my prince will come… like portrayed in Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty.” )

Saturday, February 12, 2011

February 12th: A day to remember

February 12th, 1554.

457 years ago.

The death of one of England's leading Protestant Reformers.

The murder of a seventeen year old girl by her cousin.

The execution of a Queen less known, but who was and would have been better, than good Queen Bess herself.

457 years ago today, Queen Jane Dudley was executed.  She is better known as Lady Jane Grey, Queen of England for nine days.

She read several languages and corresponded with several Reformers, including Johann Sturm, a friend of Martin Luther.

She was well educated, but conniving people used her because she was in line for the throne.  Her father-in-law married her to his son, intending to have them crowned.  He then intended to poison Jane, letting his son live a little longer, and then poison his son, so that he would have control of the kingdom.  He attempted to poison Jane but it didn't actually kill her.  However when Edward died, Mary Tudor was next in line.  Jane Dudley accepted the throne without knowing this.  Bloody Mary took the throne and imprisoned Jane.  Jane was a favorite of hers.  However she wanted to marry Philip of Spain so she could have a child who would rule so that England would remain Catholic.  Philip insisted that she execute Jane, or he would not marry her.  So on February 12th, 1554, Bloody Mary had Jane executed.  My personal opinion is that she was traumitized by this and her guilt, and that is why she killed so many people, especially with Philip and others egging her on.

Excerpt from Lady Jane Grey's last address to the people:

"Good people, I am come hither to die, and by law am condemned to the same, for the fact against the Queen's highness was unlawful, and the consenting thereunto by me:  but touching the procurement and desire thereof by me and on my behalf it was never of my seeking, but by counsel of others who seemed to have further understanding of things than me, which little knew of the law, and much less of the titles to the crown.  I do wash my hands in innocency before God, and in the face of you, good people, this day.
  I pray you all, good Christian people, to bear me witness that I die a true Christian woman.    I do look to be saved by no other means, but only by the mercy of God, in the blood of his only Son Jesus Christ.
  I confess that when I did know the word of God, I neglected the same, loved myself and the world; and therefore this plague is happily and worthily happened unto me for my sins; and yet I thank God, that of his goodness he hath thus given me a time and respite to repent.  And now, good people, while I am alive, I pray you assist me with your prayers."

It would be a worthwhile pursuit indeed to learn more about this godly woman.  I would highly recommend "Lady Jane Grey: Nine Day Queen of England"  by Faith Cook.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

The Printing Process has Begun!

Hip, Hip, Huzzah!
The Tiphereth Trilogy proofs have arrived at the printer!  20 business days to go, and the books will be finished!
You can spread the word by posting this button on your blog or website sidebar!

Be sure to order your copies now while they are on sale!  Contact us at
for a free copy of our easy order form!

And the countdown begins.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Proof-reading completed!

I have completed the lengthy process of reading my proofs!
When you write a book, and you know what happens, and then you read it a whole lot of times, it is no longer interesting and is difficult to read and correct.  Because you know what you meant to say, it can be hard to catch corrections.

This picture happens to be one of my all-time favorite paintings.

After I find the corrections I have to mark them and send the proofs back.  I also have to send a new digital file and hard copy of the pages that were corrected.  The proofs have been mailed, and the estimated arrival date is Thursday.  If so, then counting 20 business days from Friday, my books will be done and shipped back to me.  Allowing 2 weeks for shipping,  they should be printing and in my hands by March 25th.  Perfect timing.  They may arrive sooner, but March 25th is the official release date.  Be sure to pre-order so you can get your copies ASAP!  E-mail us at khprovidence.1@verizon.net to order. 
Then hopefully, soon after March 25th, the long-awaited, much-expected, The Tiphereth Trilogy, will be in your hands and you will look like one of these pictures!



More updates to come!