Books!!!

I found this over at Whispers Of the Wind ( http://arries-whispersofthewind.blogspot.com ) and thought it looked like fun!

1. Favorite childhood book/s?

The Archives of Anthropos by John White.  Or else The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.

2. What are you reading right now?

Magic for Marigold, by L.M. Montgomery, and The Doula Book, by Klaus, Kennell, and Klaus.

3. What books do you have on request at the library?

Homebirth: The Essential Guide to giving Birth outside the Hospital, by Sheila Kitzinger.

4. What do you currently have checked out at the library?

Nothing currently…I own too many books I need to read while waiting for the one I have requested.

5. Do you have an e-reader?

No.

6. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?

Up to three, depending on what they are.  One non-fiction, one fiction, and maybe one history thrown in there.

7. Can you read on the bus?

I have never tried!  I can read in a car though.

8. Favorite place to read?

I have a comfy chair in my room…

9. Do you ever dog-ear books?

No!  Many of my books are very, very old, and if I tried to dog-ear them, the corner would break off.  I use bookmarks, or remember where I was.

10. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?

No.

11. What makes you love a book?

I must be able to identify with and respect the characters.  They must have hearts and souls, and yet act in a way that I can put myself in their place.  And usually there is some sort of redemption story, or noble sacrifice made by one to save others.

12. What will inspire you to recommend a book?

If I feel that not only did it hold my interest, but I took something away, gleaned something, am better for the reading of it.

13. Favorite genre?

History and Historical Fiction, as long as it’s not fiction trying to pretend it’s historical by taking modernized people and sticking them a few hundred years back.

14. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?

If a book just does not hold my interest, I will probably forget about it before I could tell someone not to read it.  Only if I take strong issue with a book, and am filled with indignation that someone would dare write such a thing, will I tell everyone I know not to read it.

15. Favorite Poet?

Longfellow…I know there are others but they escape my memory at the moment.

16. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?

One or two, although once I reserved a record 50.  My mom told me never to do so again. J

17. How often have you returned books to the library unread?

Rarely.  On occasion I will just flip through the book, but that is usually if it is an instruction manual, with lots of pictures.

18. Favorite fictional character?

Mary Barton.  Or Molly, from Wives and Daughters.  Or Helen, from the book of that name by Maria Edgeworth…Although I must say, Louisa May Alcott’s Rose Campbell and Polly from an Old Fashioned Girl are up there…With Sir Percy Blakeney (we are talking about books here) .  When I first started to read the Chronicles of Narnia, Susan was my favorite because she had dark hair that went down to her feet…but then when I got to The Last Battle and heard how she’d strayed, she plunged down in the ranks.

19. Favorite fictional villain?

Citoyen Chauvelin! Shagah and Hocoino, The Goblin Prince, and the Mystery of Abomination from the Archives of Anthropos!

20. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?

Whatever I haven’t read in a while and can delude myself into thinking I’ll have time to read.

21. The longest I’ve gone without reading.

An actual physical book? I have no idea.  A few weeks maybe?

22. Name a book that you could/would not finish.

A Southern Woman of Letters.  It’s supposed to be a collection of letters written by Augusta Jane Evans Wilson, but I read only the introduction, in which they twist every known fact about her to try and make her sound as evil (or what they would consider good) as possible. I could no longer bear their commentary and haven’t picked it up since.

23. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?

Once I’m settled down and have read a bit, not much, unless I’m really tired or have something else I need to do that I keep thinking about.

24. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?

I don’t like it when they make movies of books.  They should come up with their own stories instead of stealing other peoples.  However, some of the older versions of the Jane Austen films are not too bad and stick to the books pretty well.

25. Most disappointing film adaptation?

The Sound of Music.  Read The Von Trapp Family Singers by Maria Von Trapp, and you will find that the only things they kept the same were her name, the genders of the children, and the fact that she ends up marrying the captian.

26. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?

Not being too interested in it and having other things keeping me busy, or righteous indignation at what is written therin.

27. Do you like to keep your books organized?

 I am a very organized person.  People laugh because I am not able to achieve anywhere near a level of organization most of the time, but my books are the one thing that is perfectly organized.  By Author, time it was written, series, and topic.  Each book has a specific spot.  It must be there or I am bothered by it.  I can always tell when someone has borrowed a book, and what it was.

28. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?

I collect books.  I couldn’t bear to give them away.  Even if I have duplicates.  I can hardly bear to buy someone a book, even if I got it specifically for them, because I am sorely tempted to keep it.

By Right of Conquest, or, With Cortez in Mexico

I've been thinking about my life and how many unplanned turns I've been taking in the last few years, and G. A. Henty's book By Right of Conquest, or, With Cortez in Mexico came to mind.  Roger was living in England and had his life planned out. He was taking a short trip to the New World, at which point he would return and settle down in England with the girl he had picked out.  However when he got to the New World he ended up in a lot of unexpected adventures that tossed him about and spun him around until he could hardly remember the life he had planned out.  And he began to wonder if maybe he had made his plans, but God was directing his ways.  While in the New World for much longer than he had planned, Roger met another girl in Mexico whom he admired.  And after a great many years longer than was his original intent, Roger and his wife returned to England, where the English girl as well had married someone else, causing everything to work out in the end.  And of course it is a Henty book, so they end up with a nice piece of land, Roger's wife get some jewels, and they have lots of children and grandchildren to whom Roger likes to relate his adventures.

I've been feeling a bit like Roger.

Those of you who know me well know that I have always had my entire life planned out to the smallest details twenty years in advance, although I'm not that good at planning the immediate future.  In the past few years, with none of my plans working out the way I'd planned, I have been asking God what He would have me do while feeling strangely lost without my 20 year plans. 

Sometimes the things that are meant to be temorary, God chooses to make not so temporary.

I recently took a very temporary, as I thought, break from my plans, which I have continued to modify to my situation regardless of how difficult or ridiculous that may be.  However it seems like God is really leading me in a complete opposite direction right now, which is incredibly confusing to me, because it is not at all where I thought God wanted me.

I don't know how coherent that last paragraph was, but it results from my personal confusion over the turn of events.  I don't understand how this fits into my plans, or how it fits into God's plans.  I think maybe I was mistaken about God's plans.  I just really hope that He makes it clear soon, because I would like to have a plan.

And maybe, just maybe, I'll end up with a nice piece of land, some jewels, and lots of children and grandchildren to relate my adventures and God's providence to someday soon. :)

Excerpt from a new book I'm working on!

There is the Leviathan
(Title not definite)

Daniella hurried away from the group of Mark-adorers.   Although she liked Mark, she had always despised the giggling possy of fans always around him.  She wanted Mark to like her for her, not as just another adoring fan.

  As she arrived at the bus stop, she realized that she was just a minute too late.  She had her driver’s license but no car and so always took the bus.  Mark and his friends all had their own cars. She looked back toward the school building, wondering if maybe someone would offer her a ride.  No one was in sight.  She would have to walk home.  She started off, but suddenly saw Dustin.  He had always picked on her and was probably mad that Mark had told him to stop, and so she automatically ducked behind a nearby car.  He was walking right towards her though, and Danny looked around for somewhere to hide.  She saw a door to the school music hall she had never noticed before.  It was close enough that she could make it to the door and stay behind cars.  She quickly began to run towards the door, stooped over so Dustin wouldn’t see her.  Reaching it, she quickly opened and ducked inside, pulling the door shut behind her.

  Instantly Danny knew something was wrong.  She had no idea where she was.

   She was standing in the middle of a large field.  She could see a huge city in the distance, several in fact.  She turned back to the door to let herself out, but the door was no longer there.

What do you think?  I'd love to hear your comments!

On Life

John 1:4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

John 6: 35 Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty."

John 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?

John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Psalm 36:9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.

Many times throughout the gospels, Jesus preached that He is life.  He is life, in Him is life, and He alone can give life.  Life as evidenced here on earth, in no matter what form, is a symbol of Him and a manifestation of His glory.  Only God can create life.  Only God can give life, and only by believing in Jesus can we receive eternal life.

This is why life is so precious.

Life is not something that you and the next guy can create.  Not even scientists can just up and breathe life into an inanimate object. Life is something that only God can produce.

God has given each and every one of us life to some degree.  We are all breathing and our hearts are beating.  Plants also are alive, and animals, and yet we have souls, which differentiate us from them.  It is because of the immortal soul that God has given to man that a human being in a coma, is very, very different than a vegetable.  It is insulting to God and the human race to make such a base comparison.  And yet although we as humans have souls that will exist forever, not all humans have received the gift of eternal life, which again, God alone can bestow.

1 John 5:11-13 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

God alone can give us life--here on earth as well as eternal.  Life, therefore, is an attribute peculiar to God alone.  This is why Satan hates life.  It reminds him of God, the only one who can create life.  When we see the Mona Lisa, we think of Leonardo da Vinci.  When we hear the Messiah, we think of Handel.  And when we see life, we should think of God, the creator of it. 

Satan does all in his power to destroy life--as much life as he can--and especially human life, because it is the most precious, for it contains an immortal soul.  In this way he attacks God, by destroying His best creation. 

John 10:10 The thief comes only to kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

And many have died over the years of history as a result of Satan and his servants.  Take for example abortion, or the many holocausts.  Death is Satan's trademark, and his way of twisting and distorting the beautiful thing God created called life.  However Satan can kill the body, but he cannot kill the soul.  The martyrs are a beautiful example of this.   Men who did not fear God (and any who do not fear God serve Satan) rose up with a mind of hatred towards the children of God.  They sought to murder and destroy all they could.   They killed many, many innocent people.  And yet the blood of the martyrs is seed for the cause of Jesus Christ.  The martyrs gave their earthly lives for Christ, and went to live with him forever.  In doing such they were a thundering witness to the world around them.  Many more came to know Christ, and to accept the gift of eternal life because of them.

It is because Jesus is life that life is the most precious thing on earth.  And it is because life is the most precious gift, that the giving of one's life for others, which is called redemption, is the most noble, beautiful, amazing thing there is.

Mathew 20:28 Just as the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Jesus set the example for us in nobility.  He gave His life that all those who believe in Him might not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16) rather than an eternal death in hell.  Life is the most anyone can give, and the most precious.  This is why we honor and respect our soldiers and veterans--because they were willing to give their lives.  This is why we honor those who died for our freedoms.  This is why most every great book has an element of redemption in it, even if it be only so little.  This is the case in books such as The Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, Pride and Prejudice, The Scarlet Pimpernel, A Tale of Two Cities, Pilgrim's Progress, The Celestial Railroad, and of course, the greatest redemption story ever, and a true one at that, the Bible.  Giving your life to save others is to follow the highest call of nobility, the greatest example ever set, that of Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

Colossians 3:1-4 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

And it is because Jesus is life, and God alone can create life, that life is the most beautiful, majestic, holy, sacred, precious evidence that there is a God ever created.  And it is because life is so incredible that any form of life is not to be thrown away or taken carelessly.  And human life--life to whom God has granted the gift of a soul that will last forever, through all eternity--that human life must be preserved and protected at all costs.  But this alone is not enough.  We must share the good news--the gospel of Jesus Christ--with all, that God might use us and cause the Holy Spirit to work in their hearts, that their ever-existing soul may not go to die an eternal death, but to live an eternal life, in communion with God.

The Shadowlands

The closer a subject is to my heart, the harder time I seem to have writing coherently.

I have always read that a good author will draw from their own experiences.  I have started several stories in which things happen to the characters that have happened to me, but they never run smoothly and are difficult to write.

Even now I am having trouble.

I can always seem to make my point in a fictional story.  I may go to the extreme of making my points too well.  But when I write from my own experiences, with the thought of allowing someone else to read it someday, I can never seem to get the point across.

Perhaps it is a subconcious guard against vulnerability.

Anyway, this is a short sketch I wrote last October, early in the morning, watching the sun rise outside my hotel room window, in preparation for the funeral of someone who I loved very much.  It was dark in the room, but outside the sun shone in all its glory.  I could see the brilliant rays reflecting off the roofs of the buildings across the street.

Please comment and let me know what you think of it.  Is it coherent?  What did you understand from what was written?  I am not sure I quite understand the full meaning of what I was writing.  I had a vague idea of what I was trying to get at, but was having difficulty putting it in words.  However I seem to have managed to put several concepts down in trying to get at the vague one. 

Oh, and as I tend to do when something has affected me deeply, towards the end I rambled off into poetry.:)  Blank poetry, which is unusual, but there is certainly a difference between that and the previous prose.

The Shadowland

“What a bright day it is today,” Muriel said happily.  Two candles were lit in the dark rooms. 
“Yes, it is rather bright,” said her twin, Judy. 
   “It was kind of the landlord to send us two candles,” their mother commented.
The family and all their friends lived in a castle with no windows, where it was always dark.  The landlord sent them a candle every day, and occasionally two candles, to light the dark rooms. 
   Every few years, the landlord would come during the night and take one of them as they were sleeping out of the castle to the world outside.  He would leave a note to inform the others.  The loss of these was always mourned by those remaining within, but the landlord’s plan was to one day bring them all outside of the castle. 
   One morning Muriel rushed out of her room.  “Mother, Mother, come quickly,” she said.  “I can’t find Judy!”
   The mother followed Muriel back into her room.  Glancing at Judy’s empty bed, she asked, “Muriel…what is that on the bed?”
   Muriel went to it and picked it up.  “Oh, no Mother, it is a note!” She cried.
   “Then the Landlord has taken her away,” the Mother replied.
   Muriel and her Mother and the rest of the family wept for Judy for a long time.  But they could only see what went on in the Shadowlands.  They did not have the whole picture.  They wept for Judy having been borne away in the darkness.   BUT,

   Outside, in the sunshine, Judy stood with the Landlord gazing at the castle.  The tears were running down her cheeks.  “We never knew it was so bright outside,” she said.  “I wish we had known.  I wish everyone inside knew now.”
   “They do know, but it is hard for them to understand what the world really looks like. All they can understand is the great brightness of two candles in a dark room.  They cannot envision anything brighter.”
   “But they have the candles themselves!  Cannot they envision it being as bright as the candle itself?” Judy asked sadly.
   “They could…but they do not.”
   “We used to mourn for those who were borne away in the darkness.  How little did we know that we were the ones who walked in darkness!”  Judy mused.  Another tear slid down her cheek.  “Rather I should mourn for those who are still in darkness.”

Catching a vision of something so much brighter
The sun is bright yet there IS something brighter
We mourn for those who have gone on before
But perhaps they mourn for us who are still behind
And yet in and through it all the landlord…Our Landlord…has a purpose
brighter and better than anything we can here see.   We are confined by our dimension.
We can picture things less than what we have here but nothing more
Yet in glory we will see things as they really are
In catching a vision of something brighter…better…more…we catch a vision of heaven…and yet
 the vision will be far surpassed by the reality.



Covenanter Song

I was cleaning out my desk and I came across this song I wrote in 2008.  I actually remembered the tune I wrote for it, and it was really lame.   It was basically the same thing over and over again for every line.  But I think the words, or the meaning, are not bad, and so I thought I'd post them.

Covenanter Song
'Twas a bright sunny morning as I walked through the glen
I was going to chapel and I'd go there again
There I met my lover: He'd loved
Me long before I ever loved Him
He'd wooed me, protected me an' died for me too
He gave His life to save mine and I never knew!
He rose from the dead; lives forever to save
I fell on my knees, wept, to Him my heart I gave
Every Sabbath I went to chapel to hear
Of the works that my Saviour had done o'er the years
But then England came an' tried to force us apart
I could not give up the love in my heart
Some of my friends were killed, they never gave in
I determined to be strong, like them, for Him
The took me me, bound me, ordered me break the 'trothal I had
They told me they'd kill me I was making them mad
I could not I would not break the betrothal
My lover gave His life for me I'd give my life for HIm!
After much pleading, persuasion in vain
They chose to take upon themselves the mark of Cain
They once again took me and bound me anew
Within a few moments my soul away flew
What they would have known, if they had paused
Is the blood of the martyrs is seed for His cause
Do not mourn my death but rejoice in my life
For those cowardly soldiers have ended my strife
Those who sought to destroy our understanding
Have rather instead hastened our wedding
'Twas a glorious death, I'm glad it was so
rather than dying peacefully tho'
He gave his life for love of me, I died for love of Him
And now may I in glory rise
And look into my lover's eyes
And remember with joy, unfaded then
Of meeting my lover in the church on the glen.

I hadn't realized I was such a romantic.  A great deal too much for my taste now, anyway.:)  And yet I think that there are some good concepts hidden within this.

SALE!

Both The Teacher and The Tiphereth Trilogy are now on sale, 20% off listed price!!!

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Liberty Song

Come, join hand in hand, brave Americans all,
And rouse your bold hearts at fair Liberty's call,
No tyrannous acts shall suppress your just claim,
Or stain with dishonour America's name.

(Chorus)
In freedom we're born and in freedom we'll live,
Not as slaves but as freemen our money we'll give.

Our worthy forefathers - let's give them a cheer -
To climates unknown did courageously steer;
Thro' oceans to deserts for freedom they came,
And dying bequeathed us their freedom and fame.

(Chorus)

Their generous bosoms all dangers despised,
So highly so wisely their birthrights they prized,
We'll keep what they gave - we will piously keep,
Nor frustrate their toils on land or the deep.

(Chorus)

The tree their own hands had to liberty reared,
They lived to behold growing strong and revered,
With excitement they cried, "Now our wishes we gain,
For our children shall gather the fruits of our pain."

(Chorus)

Swarms of Placemen and Pensioners soon will appear,
Like locusts deforming the crops of the year,
Suns vainly will rise, showers vainly defend,
If we are to labor for what others will spend.

(Chorus)

Then join hand in hand brave Americans all,
By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall;
In so righteous a call, let us hope to suceed,
For heaven approves of each generous deed.

(Chorus)

All ages shall speak with amaze and applause,
Of the courage we'll show in support of our laws.
To die we can bear - but to slave we disdain -
For shame is to freemen more dreadful than pain.

(Chorus)

This poem I crown for our sovereign's health
And this to Britannia's glory and wealth;
That wealth and that glory immortal may be,
If she is but just and if we are but free!

...John Dickinson

I love this poem; my brother and I wrote music for it.  There are a lot of good concepts and principles within these lines - concepts that more of us need to grasp and take to heart.

Independence Day!

Micah 6:8

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."



A few years ago when I won the VFW essay contest "Patriot's Pen", I was given a book of quotes called "Lift Every Voice". There are a few really good quotes that I would like to share.



"Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."...Benjamin Franklin



"The condition upon which God hath given liberty unto men is eternal vigilance."...John P. Curran



"Freedom is not a heritage, it is a challenge. And preservation of freedom, whether in the United States or elsewhere is a fresh challenge for each generation." ...C. Donald Dallas



We need to face this challenge and preserve our freedom with vigilance!



"If anyone asks me the meaning of ur flag, I say to him: Under this banner rode Washington and his armies. This banner streamed in light over the soldier's heads at Valley Forge and at Morristown. It crossed the waters roiling with ice at Trenton, and when its stars gleamed in the morning with a victory, a new day of hope dawned on the despondency of this nation."...Henry Ward Beecher



"It is our duty still to endeavor to avoid war; but if it shall actually take place, no matter by whom brought on, we must defend ourselves."...Thomas Jefferson



"The spirit of a nation derives from the integrity of the home."...Margaret Mead



"Fathers and Mothers, if you have children, they must come first. Your success as a family, and our success as a society, depends not on what happens at the White House, but on what happens at your house."...Barbara Bush



How true! We are raising/will raise the future voters who will eventually determine what sort of things take place at the White House!



"In love of home, love of country has its rise."...Charles Dickens



I think it is important to remember, that though this nation has many sins, and that though our Declaration of Independence and Constitution may have flaws, and though our founding fathers were fallible and none were perfect, yet this nation was created with a mind to God's Word. Therefore, although we may regret the flaws, we must see that this nation has been great--because of God's blessing upon us. The fourth of July is a day to celebrate the freedom and liberty God has blessed us with. The State ought not to have a say in the affairs of the Church, but the Church most certainly ought to be a large participant in the affairs of the State if we would be blessed. I think that as Christians, we ought to find out about the candidates on local, state, and nationwide level, and if there is a candidate who is a Christian, and/or upholds Christian principles, it is our duty to back that candidate.



As Americans and Christians, let us be mindful of God's grace and blessings. Let us repent of our sins and pray, that God will hear, turn and heal this land.



Happy fourth!
 

A passionate dedication...

This dedication is found in the front of the book entitled, "Inez, or, A Tale of The Alamo" by Augusta Jane Evans Wilson.   This was her first book.

To

The Texan Patriots

who triumphantly unfurled and waved aloft the

"Banner of the Lone Star!" Who wrenched asunder

the iron bands of despotic Mexico! And

wreathed the brow of the "Queen State!"

with the glorious chaplet of "Civil

and Religious Liberty!"

This Work is respectfully Dedicated

by the author.

It isn't often I find a dedication as stirring as this.

Happy Resurrection Day!

Christ the Lord is risen today,

Sons of men and angels say;
Raise your joys and triumphs high,

Sings ye heavens and earth reply,

Sing ye heavens and earth reply.

Love's redeeming work is done,

fought the fight, the battle won.

Death in vain forbids him rise,

Christ has opened paradise,

Christ has opened paradise!

He lives!  He lives! Our Glorious King,

Where, O Death, is now thy Sting?

Dying once he all doth save,

Where thy victory, O grave? 

Where thy victory, O grave?

Soar we now where Christ has led,

following our exalted head.

Made like Him, like Him we rise,

Ours the cross, the grave, the skies,

Ours the cross, the grave, the skies!

Hail, the Lord of earth and heaven!

Praise to thee by both be given;

Thee we greet triumphant now;

Hail, the Resurrection Thou,

Hail, the Resurrection Thou!



Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!

Sons of men and angels say "Alleluia!"

In vain the stone, the watch, the seal,

Christ has burst the gates of hell,

Christ has burst the gates of hell!



Jesus Christ is risen today,

Our triumphant holy day,

Who did once upon the cross,

Suffer to redeem our loss.

Hymns of praise then let us sing,

Unto Christ our heavenly King,

Who endured the cross and grave,

Sinners to redeem and save.

But the pains which he endured,

Our salvation hath procured.

Now above the skies he's King,

Where the angels ever sing.

Sing we to our God above,

Praise eternal as his love.

Praise him, all ye heavenly host,

Father, Son and holy Ghost.

Three Charlie Zahm Songs...

I really like balladier Charlie Zahm and the songs he sings.  Here are three favorites:

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.” )

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.

Vigilance in Writing

"It seems, however, no very easy task to write for children. Those only who have been interested in the education of a family, who have patiently followed children through the first processes of reasoning, who have daily watched over their thoughts and feelings--those only who know with what ease and rapidity the early association of ideas are formed, on which the future taste, character and happiness depend, can feel the dangers and difficulties of such an undertaking." (Maria Edgeworth, in the preface to The Parent's Assistant, 1800)




"It has been somewhere said by Johnson, that merely to invent a story is no small effort of the human understanding. How much more difficult is it to construct stories suited to the early years of youth, and, at the same time, conformable to the complicate relations of modern society--fictions, that shall display examples of virtue, without initiating the young reader into the ways of vice--narratives, written in a style level to his capacity, without tedious detail, or vulgar idiom! The author, sensible of these difficulties, solicits indulgence for such errors as have escaped her vigilance.

"In a former work the author has endeavored to add something to the increasing stock of innocent amusement and early instruction, which the laudable exertions of some excellent modern writers provide for the rising generation; and, in the present, an attempt is made to provide for young people, of a more advanced age, a few tales, that shall neither dissipate the attention, nor inflame the imagination." (Richard Edgeworth {Maria Edgeworth's father}, in the preface to Moral Tales, 1801)



"Her regular contributions to the magazine enhanced her reputation, and broadened the sphere of her usefulness.

Profoundly impressed by the conviction that she held her talent in trust, she worked steadily, looking neither to the right nor left, but keeping her eyes fixed upon that day when she would be called to render an account to Him, who would demand His own with interest. Instead of becoming flushed with success, she grew daily more cautious, more timid, lest inadvertence or haste should betray her into errors.

...Ruthlessly she assaulted the darling follies, the pet, velvet-masked vices that society had adopted,...demanding that men and women should pause and reflect in their mad career. Because she was earnest and not bitter,...because her rebukes were free from scorn, and written rather in tears than gall, people turned their heads and stopped to listen.

...Edna was consious of the influence she exerted, and ceaselessly she prayed that she might wield it aright. ...Day by day she weighed more carefully all that fell from her pen, dreading lest some error might creep into her writings and lead others astray." (Augusta Jane Evans Wilson, St. Elmo, 1910)
 
*repost*

Bureaucracy

While reading my civics textbook the other day I came across a quote from President Ronald Reagan on Bureaucracy. I thought this part was very funny:
"To give you an illustration of how bureaucracy works in another country, England in 1803 created a new civil service position. It called for a man to stand on the cliffs of Dover with a spy glass and ring a bell if he saw Napoleon coming. They didn't eliminate that job until 1945. In our own country, there are only two government programs that have been abolished. The government stopped making rum on the Virgin Islands, and we've stopped breeding horses for the cavalry."

Even the clothing of medieval Europe was better.

Lydia’s Traveling Sacque/Spencer

I have always liked this sacque, even though it is Lydia's and no one else wears a similar one. Lydia only wears it in one scene—she is departing for Brighton to stay with Mrs. Forster. When I decided to make it, I kept in mind three characteristics:

1. The fabric is silk, demonstrating Lydia's extravagant nature.
2. The sacque has large polka dots illustrating her bold and daring personality.
3. The black closure on the red silk represents her flirtatious behavior.
   
   
   I chose broadcloth (I usually work with broadcloth) of a solid red.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   1. The fabric is broadcloth which is practical for everday use.
   2. The fabric is a solid color illustrating sobriety, practicality and reservedness.
   3. I chose dark brown for the closure, to give it an "autumn" rather than "coquettish" flavor.
      
      
      I used 1 ½ yards of the broadcloth and ¾ of the brown trimming. I also bought ¼ yard heavy interfacing for the collar. If I made it again I would get 2 yards of fabric. 1 ½ was not enough, and I just barely managed to make it fit.
      
      
      I decided to do a false collar because I didn't want to do a whole collar. (Basically it just has a collar on the front.) I used my regular dress bodice pattern. When I made my regency dresses I shortened the bodice to the length I wanted by folding up the lower end. For the sacque I added about an inch to the shortened pattern; I wanted to give it leeway as a jacket. I also made the sleeves follow the contour of the arm, getting skinnier toward the wrist.
      
      
      
      For the "points" I measured around myself where the waist would be and added a few inches for seam allowance and for "jacket wearing". Actually I just rounded up to 32 inches because that would be enough and made it easier. The length of my points was determined by the scanty amount of fabric I had left, but I think the length is around right anyway. I had the shortest side of the triangle—the top—be 8 inches. At the bottom I measured over 4 inches and made a mark, drawing lines from either end of my eight to that, making an even triangle. I then made three more placing them opposite ways so as to make them fit better—I mean fit at all.:) (I had originally had 1 yard stuck in my head, but knew that wasn't enough and thought I should get 2, but 2 is so much!:) so while at the cutting counter I quickly compromised 1 ½. It worked this time, but just barely!)
      
      
      The points actually took longer to sew than any other part of the sacque, because I had to turn under the two long sides of four triangles.
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      If you look carefully at Lydia's sacque, you can see that the closures look almost like frog closures but also have a button. I have never done frog closures before so I did it like Lydia's. I pinned the trim onto the sacque the way I wanted it and sewed it down. Afterwards I made a button hole in it and sewed a button on. It was hard to make a button hole through the trim, but I really like the way it turned out.
      
      
   4. And here are pictures of the finished Spencer/Sacque!
      

Ultra-Anachronistic Rag Curlers

And two beautiful loaves of bread!

I decided to do my hair up in rag curls one night, but having no fabric I wished to cut up at the time, and necessity being the mother of invention, I came up with these ultra-anachronistic hair curlers.

 I cut the plastic bag into tie-able strips and rolled the hair up around it starting from the bottom – almost like using hot curlers. Then I tied the ends of the plastic together around the curls. It just shows how nostalgic people today can get. Rag curls are old fashioned, plastic bags modern. And the scissors are colonial.
The bag did say to "Recycle"!
And the other day I made Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bread. It was delicious, especially with milk. The loaves rose beautifully!

 

Here is the recipe. I know it may seem rather complicated,J but it is worth it! To our family, this is quick bread because we didn't soak the grain overnight!
Do not let bread over-rise!
Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Breadyield: 2 loaves

2 ½ cups warm water
1 cup all natural unsweetened Peanut Butter
3 teaspoons salt
½ cup brown sugar
6 Tablespoons milk
5 teaspoons of yeast
6 ½ + cups whole wheat flour (I used 8 ½ last time)
Mix all the above ingredients, let rest 5 minutes. Knead. Let rest 45 minutes (80-100 degrees F.). We put it in the oven without the oven turned on.
Add 1 – 1 ½ cups chocolate chips. Knead for 5 minutes. Cut dough in half, shape into smooth loaves. Place in greased bread pans.
Let rise in bread pans in oven at about 100 degrees for 45 minutes.
Bake at 350 degrees for 37 minutes.

Color Magic

The people were all walking in God's ways. The sorcerers, and their evil thoughts, were rapidly losing popularity. They realized that they would soon be put to death if they did not get the people under a spell once more. So they worked hard by day and night. Their black magic was out of style; they needed something much more complicated…and fascinating.
Finally they finished, and without letting the people know it was their doing, they called everyone together to see what they had conjured up.
When everyone was seated, the lights dimmed and the red curtains that veiled their enchantment were drawn aside. Suddenly soft, beautiful, moving music began to fill the room. Colors appeared and formed in the likenesses of mountains, trees, sunsets, lakes, and flowers. In the midst of this beautiful scenery, little girls in old-fashioned dresses strolled. Little boys and babies ran and played. Parents smiled around the dinner table.
The audience was charmed, spell-bound, enchanted. The sorcerer's color magic had worked.
The sorcerers chuckled triumphantly as they watched the audience sit smiling as the little boys and babies lisped bad language, as the little girls in dresses and sunbonnets calmly gave their hearts away, and as the parents smilingly attacked each other, marriage, and biblical principles.
By the magic of color, beauty, scenery, costumes, and music, the sorcerers had managed to get the audience to accept a message which they never would have considered for a moment on paper. The audience was emotionally attached to the story they had just seen, and many bought it for home viewing. Some, however, saw through the production and disapproved of the message, walking away without buying it.
As time went on, the sorcerers continued making more and more productions, making the message just a little worse each time. By the time twenty years had passed, the messages of the productions were horrible. Had the sorcerers started with these productions, the audience would have walked away in the first minute. But they had been desensitized to sin.
Some of the people no longer went to see the new productions, realizing how bad they were. Instead they bought remakes of the very first productions and watched them at home, extolling how clean and wholesome they were compared to what most were watching.
And the sorcerers were careful to keep making the color quality better, that the enchantment would not be broken.