Twitter Post 5 - (Because Twitter doesn't do more than 140 characters.)

As I sat in my chair yesterday, my mind tended to wander to where the Lord has led the people around me. It seemed for second -I am ashamed to say- that everyone around me had the life I wanted. I sinned in showing the Lord how HE hadn't made things happen for me yet. You (God) haven't given me those things yet. I am old enough to have what I want Lord, why haven't you brought me what I want? Then He reminded me how I have surrender my life to Him. And how it is HIS life to use and not my own. Christ gave HIS life; the least I can do is give up my selfish desires for HIM. This morning, as I sat pondering, this hymn weighed on my mind. "When peace like a river, attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll, WHAT ERE BE MY LOT, though has taught me to say, it is well, it is well with my soul." What ere be our lot today, whatever we are struggling with sinfully, let us remember where we are and how much Christ has done for us. Let us say to Him, that whatever he holds in His hand for our life will be well with our souls.

Sexual Desire and the Single Girl (10 Tips for Purity) | True Woman

This is one of the topics that I really wanted to write about myself. But because I struggled with it and didn't know how to deal with it myself, I felt inadequate. Reading this has given me encouragement and has given me ideas for how to deal with it. I hope, that it helps you in the same way. ;)

Sexual Desire and the Single Girl (10 Tips for Purity) | True Woman

Photo borrowed from True Woman

3 Braid Easy Updo / Hellenistic Hair for long hair

Video Style #3 is up and ready! Please tell me how it worked for you! ;) I actually slept in this hairstyle one night and woke without having to fix my hair!! That was a bonus. :P

Single and a Stay-@-Home-Daughter

Over the last 2 years or so I have struggled with "singleness". My fear being that I would be an old maid, never have a husband to serve, and never having children of my own. But then the Lord showed me how much singleness is a gift and how it wasn't a "curse" or a "waiting time"...That's also when I realized that the fear of being single was just pride.  I was afraid of what people would think of me if I never got married. And that was wrong. For me, fixing this problem meant reminding myself what the true purpose of marriage was (marriage wasn't only created to fulfill loneliness) and why God ordained it. Also to search and understand why God gave us our single years. What could I do that was glorifying to God while I am single? And how could I do this while staying at home. The Lord seemed to be sending me messages through so many things.... It seemed to pop out of every blog post and every book, and even the sermon that Sunday was on singleness. The Lord was definitely teaching me everywhere I turned that singleness is a gift. The only thing I didn't see was how to use this gift...

In our culture, singleness is viewed as a time to have fun by yourself and pursue worldly things that have no importance. While I believed these things were wrong and I knew that was not the direction I wanted to take, the singleness view of the world was creeping into my thoughts and I knew I didn't want it there. I didn't want to chase after boys and waist my single years. I wanted to make my single years count. The Lord had showed me that singleness was a wonderful gift through 1 Corinthians 7, and through a book "Singled out for Him" by Nancy Leigh Demoss. Reading Nancy's book was very helpful. It helped me realize that no matter where you are at, no matter what situation you are in, there are always ways to glorify God. But in another way, they were talking about using your single years for going out and DOING something great for God. Like being missionaries over seas, or watching people's children so the parents could get a break, or ministering to people in your college. While these things may be well and good, I found that they were not useful for me. I couldn't afford to go over seas and as a single woman, I believed it wasn't my place. Babysitting children is not something I can do often (at least not for others). I don't go to college and so I couldn't minister there.... My point being here that all the articles and books I read were always wanting you to GO outside your home and BE something"... They were basically saying that you could make something of yourself while also glorifying God.... the opposite of what John the Baptist says in John,

"He [Christ] must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:30, (Brackets by me. I encourage you to read all of John 3.)

 I am a Stay-@-Home-Daughter. This means that I believe in the Titus 2:3-5 command to be a keeper at home and I believe that the head of my family (my dad) is my protection and that the only time I will permanently leave that protection is when my future husband becomes that protection. As such, I needed to ask the Lord how He wanted me to serve Him inside his laws and my home. What he showed me was quite simple. Singleness was given to us as a time of growing in Christ. It's the best time to learn that putting others, esp. your family before yourself is more important. Learning this and mastering this is to be like Christ. He also showed me in many ways how to be a missionary, to serve parents, to tell and train others in Christ, and all this inside my home. How did he show me? He showed me the little people and big people in my house. They were the ones I could be missionaries to. I -with Christs help- could use my life as an example to them. I have two wonderful parents that I can serve and help. How? How do you help your parents? There are many ways. Cleaning is always helpful for the whole family. Keeping the children busy when Mom and Dad are having important conversations, or when they are taking care of financial things is always a way to serve. It is different in every family when it comes to tasks you can help with. Discover those things and do them to the best of your ability.
There is a story that Martin Luther once related from his own experiences. A shoemaker newly converted to Christianity had come to him and asked how he could glorify God. Martin Luther answered with the question: "What do you do for your living?" The shoemaker said, "I make shoes." Martin Luther replied, "Then go make shoes, make them well and sell them for an affordable price."
Just because we are Christians doesn't mean we have to leave the place God has placed us in to glorify Him. Glorifying Him can simply mean that when you go to wash the dishes for the millionth time you don't grumble, you say something like this, "Yeah! I have dishes to wash! I can clean these well and glorify God in the midst of it!" Many times when we are supposed to be glorifying God and are not, is when our attitudes need changing. Glorifying God doesn't always come as something grand to perform. Sometimes, what he wants you to do is to be "faithful in the little things."  When the little things of everyday life are glorifying God they become just as valued as the big things.

 It may seem to simple (but it is a simple Gospel) and sometimes it may seem like it doesn't have purpose. But there is ALWAYS purpose for our lives. God has placed you where you are for a reason. Where you are in your home is where you should be. May the Lord grant you peace and may these words help you to realize that the little things are just as important as "doing something great for God."

Victorian Bouffant Rolled Hair Updo - Video Tutorial

This is a VERY Victorian hairstyle! It is has the Bouffant for the front and the puff in the back. If you were to go to a reenactment in full costume you wouldn't lack knowing how to do your hair. :P When I finished the hairstyle I rather liked it. But.... all of my family said it didn't look flattering on me...Though it may have looked fine if I was wearing the correct clothes with it. (Not jeans and a t-shirt.) Clothing always helps a hairstyle. ;)

Forgive me for having some of the steps out of place in some areas. My video editor was giving me problems and it saved it that way instead of the way I had it put it. When the video text at about 4.20 seconds says:

"This middles step was left out..." It is suppose to be in the spot after the first two rolled bouffants are shown. Sorry for the inconvenience. :|

Thanks for watching and I hope that you have fun doing your hair. ;) If you have any questions please ask in the comments box. ;)

How to Guard Your Heart When You "Admire" Someone

It's something all girls struggle with...You see a guy, you admire his looks, his mannerism, he's a Christian, and your next thought is: "Is he the one?" A couple days later you find that you are thinking about him. You do something and think, "Will such and so like how I do this?" You talk to him shyly and try to hide that you admire him. Your heart skips a beat as you think, "maybe one day I won't have to hide that I admire him." And then the Holy Spirit says to you, "You are not thinking correctly, your mind has wandered. Wait for the man I have for you. Keep your heart and mind on Me until then." Conviction and shame now enter your mind and you try your hardest not to think about the man and how he could be "the one". The reason I know this, is because, I have struggled with it often. My -our- natural desire is for a man and we will always be on the "look out" for one. It's how God made us. He says in Genesis to the woman, "that our desire shall be for thy husband..."

Any time my mind would begin to wander, I would pray, "Lord, this is wrong thinking. My mind is going wild and I can't control it! Help!" This prayer, though prayed often wasn't cutting it.... I am NOT saying God wasn't listening to it or helping me, but I felt like I wasn't being specific enough in my prayer and in my thought life...that maybe, even though I knew it wrong, I wasn't repentant enough. Finally I came to the conclusion that I would ask my Mom. She would have some advice for me -she always does- and I know that it - whatever it was- would help. This is how she helped me and told me to pray:

• First Pray: "Lord, you know my heart better than I do. You know what's best for me. There is a man that I really admire. (Name his name) He is a Christian and there is evidence that he is. I ask Lord, that if he is the one that you would bring our marriage about quickly and that it would be glorifying to you. And that you would guard our hearts until then. If he is not the one, I ask that you would take these thoughts and feelings far from me. That you would help me to control my flesh. I also pray, that you wold help me focus more on You and what you would have for my life. Not what I would have.
• Then Pray for him. Pray that God would guard his heart and to help him prepare for marriage. That he would be focused on Christ and that he would be a strong, righteous leader of his home.
• When this has been prayed, pray for his future wife. Even if it means it's not you. Pray that whoever she is, would be a Godly young lady. That she would be strong in faith and in her role as wife, and maybe someday, mother. Pray that she would be using her single years to glorify God and preparing for marriage rightly. 
• Lastly. Pray for the parents of both of these people. That they would help their children with their walk with Christ and strengthen them on things that they need strengthening on. This may not seem important, but it is always important to pray for someone. 

Another thing. Confess your problem to your mother. (If you don't have a Godly mother, or a mother, ask one of the Ladies in your church to listen to you. If this too isn't possible, I would love for you to contact me, so that I may pray for you. We are Christians. And as such, we are to build each other up. Please don't be afraid to ask me.) ;) Tell her and your heart will be lighter. The Bible commands us to confess our sins to one another. It enables others to specifically pray for you. And "The prayer of a righteous person has great power at its working."

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." James 5:16

I hope that the Lord uses this post to speak to your heart. God Bless, Petra

Twitter Post 4 - (Because Twitter doesn't do more than 140 characters.)

"Her heart was a secret garden, and the walls were very high."

This quote has been on my mind for the past week. It's made me think about how we should be guarding and protecting our hearts and our minds from the things and ideas of this world. Its made me think about how our hearts SHOULD be a garden wall.

Strong and beautiful. Full of purity and love. 

Our hearts were made to serve one man during marriage. Which means our hearts should be whole and undamaged. It means that even when you are "seeing a guy" or you "like a guy" you keep your heart & mind & body from going places it shouldn't go.Treating the man as a brother. Not something that can be caught. A heart that is torn to pieces, and then gets married causes a lot of strife and grief. Save your heart for one man. Don't wear it on your sleeve and don't let others tear it down. Our hearts should be a garden wall. One that's strong and not easily damaged. one someone can admire for it's character; one that others can lean on when they are weak; one that most of all leans on Christ and His protection.

I know its easier to say this than to preform it, but I will pray for you. Christ is our strength. All we have to do is take hold of Him, and He will guide us.