Creating a Hope Chest - Post 1 - Introduction

The last couple of years, I have been haunted by this burden of trying to save thousands of dollars for my future husband. This guilt of not having anything to "give" my future husband frustrated me... Anytime I have extra money, I always buy things I need. New clothes, shampoos, ect...(Yes, I did by a few things of pleasure..) I didn't know how I was supposed to do that AND save for my husband... and I felt uncomfortable about it. (Not that it's wrong to save money for your future husband, but it's not mandatory.) Then I read how my Hope Chest IS how I am to be providing for my future husband. Having a clean, organized home is more important to a man's happiness with YOU, than all the money in the world could be. This was a tremendous! load off my shoulders...

So, without further ado. I would like to start a series - I don't know how long - on tips and ideas for creating a Hope Chest. Hopefully giving you sources for free patterns and tutorials of my own. I look forward to sharing with you what I have found and done. :) A Wise Woman posted a small list of things to begin with and it gave me some ideas. Just follow the link and you will be on that post.

May the Lord bless your Hope Chest, for it is your future home.. ;)

Photo borrowed from A Wise Woman.

Twitter Post 2 - (Because Twitter doesn't do more than 140 characters.)

The Psalms of David have always been encouraging to me. David, like us, was a terrible sinner. Yet, he is still called a "man after God's own heart." It makes me realize that you and I still have hope! No matter how sinful you and I may be, forgiveness is ready to be given to us. In Hebrews it says that God will be "...merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” Take hold of this promise and set the Lord before you!
"I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
Psalm 16:8-11

Victorian/Modern Hair Updo Video Tutorial

Hey y’all! For awhile I had been thinking about making  hair tutorials for long and thick hair. Hairstyles that don’t require curls, heat, or products.. For one, my hair doesn’t curl AT ALL! -(That is... I think it's to heavy to keep a curl... My bangs, will curl, but by the end of the day it's only a wave left..)- I have tried over and over again. For two, most hair products I am allergic to.. ;( So, with that in mind, this is dedicated to those like me, who long for an all-day hair style that lasts and looks becoming. Check out this video, and follow my Youtube channel to see the styles that come next.  Don’t forget that beauty comes from the heart, not from our appearance. 

"Kind words are like honey, sweet to the soul, and health to the body."

Because Twitter doesn't do more than 140 characters....

It is heard that “Reading improves the heart…” But this depends on what you read.. Books that are shallow and of a very worldly nature, take away our ability to live in our present state with a content heart; and our ability to worship God. Watch what you read… 

“Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.”
~ Proverbs 4:23

A few of my thoughts on Judges 1-6

As I read my Bible yesterday morning, my bible plan landed me in Judges. (Judges 1-6 to be exact.) I have never really read it before, and I was interested in reading it. About the time I entered the 4th chapter, I noticed this pattern: “And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord…But when the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them.”
The Lord “raised up a deliver”. I find such comfort in these words..Why? Because He didn’t let his people lie in hopelessness and sin. He rescued them from destruction when they cried out to Him. Why? Why did he rescue them when they had been so disobedient? Why did He bother with his people? First off, let’s ask this.. Why did he bother with you? Why did He rescue a sinner like you? Like me? The answer… because He chose you. He wants to be glorified and by saving Israel and you, He is. How is he glorified in us? By showing His POWER to you, through you, in you. Why does he choose to do it through you? Through me..? Because He loves what he has created. The very reason he created us was so that His power and His Majesty would be seen by others. And that we would PRAISE Him for it. It is said in Exodus (20:5)  ”I the Lord your God am a jealous God” He deserves our praise. Because he gave us promises… One of which was our deliverer, Christ Jesus… All we have to do is cry to Him for help and He sends us His deliverance!
I encourage you to read Judges 1-6, making a point to see how sinful His people were, and also to focus on the redemption He gives to Israel. Read it in light of the New Testament. Seeing how it can foreshadow our redemption.  May God bless your day. 

To Cover or Not to Cover

Read 1st Corinthians 11:2-15

For awhile my Mom and I were struggling with the hat covering vrs. your hair as your covering. At the time, we were temporarily attending a Mennonite Church. We had read the passage and we, like many others were confused by it. It seemed to contradict itself. While attending the Mennonite Church we asked the ladies for advice. What they said to us didn’t really help. It made it more confusing. Their advice consisted of: We always wear a head covering (some call it a prayer covering), even to bed. We asked them why they did it all the time. They answered with the verse that they are to “pray without ceasing”. This didn’t make sense to us. If they were going to go by that, then the men should never cover their heads to protect themselves from the sun, because it’s a shame for a mans hair to be covered. (Which they do, because they work outside a lot) Even the Bible men, in the climate they were in, would have had to have some sort of head visor and we know they wore them…. Again, we were confused. So, we read on. This time we found other passages of the Bible containing things about hair.

“..likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.” 1 Timothy 2:9-10

In the above verse, we wondered how Paul knew that the women were getting to fancy with their hair? If it was covered, he wouldn’t have known. Why were the women not wearing their coverings? Perhaps because the long hair, is the covering.. Maybe that’s why it is a disgrace for a women to cut her hair off…And that’s when we began to see the covering as the hair.

Then we see in 1 Peter 3:3-4 how Peter cautions us not to be focused on making our hair fancy or our clothes just right – for it’s the inward beauty that counts. Again, why would he caution us to not be focused on playing with our hair, if it was covered it wouldn’t have been a problem…and doesn’t the New Testament constantly tell us that it is the inward man that “counts” not the outward….?

Then we see the sinner wash Jesus’s feet with her long hair…If it wasn’t covered properly, wouldn’t the pharisees have keyed on that instead of the money “wasted” on his feet?

“And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.” Luke 7:37-38

After we read these, we went back to Corinthians. What we read seemed suddenly clear! We finally understood. When Paul speaks of the man who prophesies with his head covered, he is talking about long hair. (vrs.4) We can connect vrs. 14 with vrs 4. In vrs. 5-6 we find that it is a shame for a women to cut off, shave, shorn, her long hair. We can connect this vrs. with vrs. 15. “For her HAIR is GIVEN to her FOR her covering.” So, that means, that the men who have long hair and say it’s ok and go on sharing the Gospel are dishonoring themselves in the sight of God. And the same with the woman. God gave the women her hair for her covering. Because woman is the glory of the man, not God. So, he gave us a glory of our own. I find this very exciting!

I am thankful that the Lord has finally showed me what he wants me to do. That it is finally clear and my burden lifted. I hope that you will see it too.  Please understand though, that I do not in any way condemn those who wear head coverings. I respect your decision, and I know the Lord is pleased with us when we are doing things for his glory. May God Bless you all.

You will always have the dishes...

Last Night, I watched, as all 3 of my younger brothers slipped and slid over the 10 foot ice puddle in our yard. I thought of joining them, then the clock struck 4:30. It was time to prepare for dinner. Regretting that I wouldn't be able to join them, I went about my dinner duties, the children came in and I told them how much fun it looked like skateing on the ice....Also saying it would be fun to join them tomorrow. 

All that night and all that morning, their excitement that sissy was going to play with them increased. That's when I realized two things: 1. That you will always have dishes to do, and your blog will be there for you when you when you need it. Your brothers won't. One day their going to grow up. One day, their going to have their own families. They won't be as free to give you a kiss or a hug one day as they are now... They'll be to "grown up" for things like that.

"Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it. But you can use it. You can't keep it. But you can spend it. Once you've lost it, you can never get it back."

The last line strikes me hard. "...Once you've lost it, you can never get it back." It makes me think about all the times I have said "NO" when a sibling asks me to do something for him. All the times I ignored sweet faces asking me for a drink of water. All the times I played on my I-phone, instead of playing that OLD card game of "War". I think to myself now, what was more important? My brothers hearts being fond of me? Or my phone, that needed more attention than I gave my brothers. So many times we get caught up in what the world has to offer. Caught up with our own pleasures. Think ahead a couple of years, think about how you want your siblings and family to remember you. Do you want them to remember you as a stone cold person sitting on the couch, staring at your phone and laughing at what your friends said on Facebook? Or do you want them to remember you as the sweet sister who got up from her seat when she needed you? A sister always willing to answer a math question or wanting to play that "War" game. Someone who is always making you feel special. I know which one I want to be... I want to be the one that is always willing to help and be there. But, I ask myself: "which one are you in reality?" And I hang my head in shame. Knowing I am the one ignoring each and every little smile and kiss offered. But, it's not to late to start afresh. It's still a beginning to a new year. Christ's blood of forgiveness is still there, waiting for you to claim it. For US to claim it. He is our strength "our shield and our portion be". There is always today, to start afresh. I encourage you (and myself), next time something is asked, not to say in a hateful grumpy tone: "Go ask MOM! She is your teacher!" but to answer their questions with an attitude of contentment and sweetness. This brings me to my second point...

A Sister has a HUGE influence over her younger brothers, and especially younger sisters. When my sister was born, I was very excited. Little did I know how much the Lord was going to teach me through her. (At the time I was the oldest of 5 and had never had a sister. There is about 15 years difference between me and my sister.) When she got old enough to understand and see the way I acted, she began to mimic me. Every time I would call her down for unkindly saying or doing something, the Lord would say to me: "Where did she learn that from?" Conviction would seize my heart and I would realize that it is I who have been so unkind to my family. I, who have not spoken kindly to my brothers. I, who have not set the correct example. And she sees that, and she thinks it's ok... Because: "Sissy does it". In a way this can be encouraging. Children learn how to act by the way the people they are most around act. Again, this is where we call on Christ and say: "Lord change me!" This is where his blood will cover our sins again. This is where he changes us. And through us, HE is seen. And because the children see HIM, they become like Him. Like I said above, children become like who they are around most. And if you are like Christ and He is shining through you, then THEY will become more like Christ! Because, they see how you are leaning on his strength and how you trust him, and they will learn to trust him through your example. ;)

May God be with you. 

Love,

Petra