Sluice Box Adventures
Believing Bible Study in the 21st century
For Women &
Girls
Proverbs 31
King James Bible
Daughters of Faith
An Internet Ministry For Encouragement Of Christian Girls and Ladies Around the World.
Daughters
of Faith
September / October Issue 2006
"O, The Deep Deep Love of Jesus!"
Gina Allison, Columnist
Hannah Brown, Columnist
Deborah Brauer, Columnist
Rebekah Wark, Columnist
Kristina Jossund, Columnist
Johanna Spangenberg, Columnist
Ruby Wagenschutz, Columnist
Ev. Benjamin Jossund, Columnist
Pastor Mark Wagenschutz, Columnist
Now that school is started up, the schedule has pretty much emptied for a while, so it gives us time to regroup. This is always a wonderful time of year! :0) The leaves are all changing colors and the wind is acquiring a bitter twist, soon there won't be any leaves left and the hills will be covered in drifts of crisp white snow. It's such a beautiful time of year!
I had so many thoughts roaming around in my head about what to write for this issue, but none of them have come to fruition, so I will be working some of them over and hopefully I will have something for you in the next issue. Until then, please read over these articles prayerfully and see what the Lord gives you...
Laura Beth
Miss Hannah Hulin, Miss Anna Kirk, Miss Jessica Dorfsmith, Miss Amy L., Mrs. Natalie P., Miss Chloe McCart, and Miss Anna Z.
Welcome, Ladies!
Request: I would like to ask prayer for the salvation of my aunt Lisa. I also have one unspoken.
Requested By: Miss Rebekah Wark
Request: Please pray for my Uncle Len, my mom's oldest brother. He had cancer removed from the right side of his brain in January, now it is growing on the left side. They haven't given him but maybe a year to live, most likely he doesn't even have that. Two of my great aunts also have cancer. They all claim to be saved, Praise the Lord!
Requested By: Miss Morgan Guiley
Request: Dorothy's pregnant!! (Dorothy that had Savannah) She's not due until January, but it looks like she'll have a long, tough pregnancy--5 months of bed rest, and already, she can't stand up for more than 15 minutes at a time! Plus, (naturally), she's scared, so if you think of it please keep her in your prayers!
Requested By: Miss Juli Wilhite
Request: I have a dear friend named Jennifer who's a pastor's daughter. Recently, she "tossed Christianity" into the trash, moved out from home, and is dating an unsaved guy. She's also left church. Pray that her eye's will no longer be blinded by the devil. We are praying for her safe return to her family and church, but most importantly, to God.
Requested By: Miss Hannah Brown
Request: Please pray for my Great-Grandparents' health, also for my Great-Grandma's salvation. I also have 2 unspoken requests.
Today we live in a society where the issue of “Women’s Rights” has been taken to the extreme. Men are often pressured to avoid any sort of authoritative role, and women are praised for being as masculine as they possibly can be. This attitude is obviously not pleasing to God, because, although women are not less valuable to God than are men, He has made men and women to be different.
Many God-fearing people have sought to combat the “role reversal” of the present time by putting great emphasis on passages of scripture, such as 1 Peter 3. Verses 3-5 of this section say (talking about wives): “Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:”
I am not saying that this passage should not be talked about or emphasized, it should be. However, I’m afraid that in reading this passage without proper balance, sometimes we forget that there is another very important element to the spiritual makeup of any godly Christian woman, the quality of strength.
“Wait a minute!” You may be thinking, “You’re saying that we should be strong and feminine, both at the same time?”
Yes, that’s right! You see, when most people think of a “strong” woman, the synonyms that come to mind are, loud, belligerent, bossy, and stubborn. What they fail to see is that without strength, one cannot exhibit self-control, one cannot stand by his convictions, and without strength, one certainly cannot move forward aggressively in the battle for Christ. It takes strength to hold to that which is good.
Unfortunately, there are some women who seem to make a habit of showing the wrong kind of strength (the kind mentioned in the paragraph above). In Proverbs 7, the Bible gives us an interesting picture of just such a woman, verse 11 tells us that “…She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house…” If you study the rest of the passage, you’ll find that because this woman had the wrong kind of “strength”, she led a young man to sin. Sometimes we can do the same thing. Oh, I’m not saying that we cause others to sin in necessarily the same way this woman did, but often when females try to take the lead and allow themselves to disregard and disrespect male authority, the men will find it much harder to be the leaders God has commanded them to be, and some of them may give up leading altogether. That in turn will quench the Holy Spirit and could render the entire family or church ineffective.
Quite honestly, when people (especially women) allow themselves to be loud, bossy, belligerent, and stubborn, with complete disregard for everyone around them, they are not exhibiting strength; they are actually showing one of the most basic weaknesses of humanity, the inability to control their own actions. We, as young women have a great responsibility. In Titus 2:5 the Bible tells us that young women are to be: “…discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.”
I realize that many of the readers of this publication are likely unmarried, but even so, you can prepare yourself to be submissive to your future husband by being submissive to your father, your pastor, and to any other God-given authority in your life. It’s interesting to consider for a moment that submission often requires a great deal of strength and self-control. If you truly want to show that you have strength, show it through submission.
In the book of Proverbs, chapter 31, we find the Biblical example of a virtuous woman. This passage is probably the most cited passage of scripture used when women are being instructed as to which attributes they should possess. This chapter, describing a virtuous woman, contains two verses that give women instructions regarding strength, verses 7 and 25 tell us that: “[17] She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. [25] Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.”
According to this passage, we are not only to simply “be strong”, but are also supposed to work to become stronger. In the world, a great deal of attention has been given to physical fitness, so strength is usually thought of in a physical sense, rather than a moral or spiritual sense. We all know, however, that it is far more important for us to become strong morally and spiritually than it is for us to gain physical strength. So how do we gain the kind of strength that is most important? Spiritual strength.
Well, not surprisingly, the Bible has an answer for that as well. In Psalm 29:11, we read: “The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.” As the Psalmist says, true strength must come from the Lord. With the knowledge that the Lord provides all the spiritual strength we need, we can be strong, even in difficult situations. Psalm 71:16 says: “I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.”
Another verse often mentioned with this subject in mind, is Isaiah 40:31 “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” I’ve heard someone say about this verse, that the word “renew” literally means, to exchange. When we give the Lord our weakness (which really is all we have in comparison to what He has), with a surrendered heart, asking that he take what we have and use it for His glory, He will give us all the strength we need to do what He wants us to do, and to be what He wants us to be.
The last passage of scripture I’d like to look at is Ephesians 6: 10-18, which says: “ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”
This passage about the armor of God is so important for the believer. I would encourage every one of you to do an independent study on this passage, and to study each piece of armor individually. Remember this, God has provided each piece of armor for us already. We choose whether or not we are going to use it. If we want to be strong spiritually, we MUST choose to equip ourselves so that we will be capable of standing.
There will come a day in every Christian’s life where he or she has to face a spiritual enemy, and the majority of Christians will encounter situations where they must stand alone in the middle of a crowd and take a stand for what they know is right. That is not easy, and there have been many who have faltered and failed when they reached that test. Yet, we must also remember, that when we stand, it is not in our strength alone, but in God’s. By His power we can conquer any foe. Romans 8:35&37 say: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?… Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” Through His strength, we can stand against anything. May God bless you, and make you able to say: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” –Philippians 4:13
For His Glory,
Miss Deborah Brauer
Matthew 6:21 says, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." I just want you to think for a moment about where your treasure is? Is it in the things of this world, for example money, clothes, or books? If you are not careful, those things become idols in your life. I like to read books, but I have to be careful that I don't spend so much time on those that they become by "gods". If those things become an idol, that will hurt my relationship with God very much.
Is it difficult to talk to someone you don't seem to know very well? In the same way, it is difficult to have a good relationship with God when He does not have first place in your life. Your priorities will be all messed up!
Is your treasure in the things of God? Like wisdom, the Bible, souls getting saved? If God has first place in your life, your priorities will be in order. Yes, shopping is fun, but did you get more joy out of a new pair of shoes than you did from seeing a souls get saved? Think about it! II Corinthians 4:18b says, For the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."
Clothes are temporal...someone getting saved is eternal. Make sure you put God above everything else, and your priorities will fall into "Godly Order", not just "Goodly Order".
With a Grin,
Miss Bekah Wark
I am not sure how long we will run this article, but I want everyone to share memories from when they were children...it does not have to be anything long or detailed, but just share a brief memory from childhood that you hold dear to your heart. Maybe someone has come across, or perhaps written, a poem about memories, or family and friends that they would like to share? We would love to read them all!
"Take a heart full of warmth,
add hugs and kisses.
Sift in hope, your dreams,
and your wishes.
Blend them together with
laughter and tears.
Add a dash of forgiveness and
stir through the years.
For this is the recipe of love."
"Happiness in the world begins at home, with you."
"The love in your heart wasn't put there to stay; love isn't love until you give it away."
"I made a cake and it was good.
It came out just as good cake should.
I made some tea, fragrant and strong,
But sadly, no one came along.
I made a cake and it was punk,
It rose and then it went kerplunk.
I made some tea, 'twas weak and thin,
And all that day my friends dropped in."
"Our life is what our thoughts make it."
"Before you know what direction to take, you have to know where you are going."
"Don't over look life's small joys while searching for the big ones."
Where does she come from? Where is she going? What is she made of? At times joy seems to be as illusive as the wind, as hard to grasp as the tide. Many believe they have attained joy when their good fortune comes in and their cup is bursting with excitement and happiness. Others believe it is the state of the heart at rest, when no troubles accosts it and challenges her claim. Joy has come to be defined as a feeling based on one’s circumstances… It is a fleeting emotion, because it is based on things outside one’s sphere of control. An accident, an unexpected blurp in my well-defined plans, bad news, a change of financial status, etc… all or any one of these things can rob me of my joy in an instant – so is it any small wonder that she evades us at every turn?
The Lord, however, defines joy differently, and it is in the change of definition that joy takes on a concrete form that can weather a storm. In Romans 14:16-18 the Lord says, “Let not then your good be evil spoken of : For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God , and approved of men.”
Interesting…it seems that the Lord expects us to actually live and serve Him with joy…how can that be possible if I have no control over it? In Galatians 5:22-23 we find that this very quality is listed among the fruits of the Spirit – it is a natural byproduct of my life in Christ. Hmmmmm… the Holy Spirit never changes with circumstances or time, just as my position in Christ does not fluctuate…is it probable that my Heavenly Father expects me to always be full of joy?
Let me tell you a story. When I was growing up I did not have an “ideal”childhood. I have wonderful Christian parents, but they could not shield me from the realities of living in a sinful world. For starters when I was in elementary I had a peer group that spurned me because I was a home educated instead of attending the church’s Christian school (like I had a lot of control over that!). I was the one that everyone picked on when they were part of the clique, and used when they got pushed out for any reason. No matter, my parents taught me not to feel sorry for myself – ministry was about finding the needs of others and ministering to it – so that was my assignment – and I learned it well. When I was twelve we moved to a different church, and although the hostility was not the same the isolation was. We were far more conservative than the other teens, and thus our company was never sought out except for counseling situations. No matter, I knew and understood my ministry.
Second of all, my mom had very poor health and my dad worked twenty-four/seven to provide for his family. When I was fourteen my only and dearest friend – my sister – left to be a part of a ministry in another city leaving me with all the burdens to carry – and they were a bit heavy for a fourteen year old! When things would get to be too much I’d try to get a few minutes with my dad before he left for work, and all he had time to say on his way out the door was “don’t worry honey, I know you’ll come through this with flying colors.” Not exactly what I wanted to hear. I was so lonely, so tired… but I learned something precious in those dark places just like Nehemiah did when opposition was coming in from every side…I learned that “…the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Neh. 8:10)
When I was twenty-one years old I went to college. I knew for the first time in my life what it was to have precious friendships outside of my family. I poured my heart into every bit of it – these were kindred spirits, friendships that would last a lifetime! I was so happy my roommates told me that I laughed and giggled in my sleep. To make life even more delicious, I fell in love and was one step away from engagement.
My parents asked me to come home to make my final decision and prepare for a wedding and marriage. I went…and my world came tumbling down. My friendships that I thought would last a lifetime disappeared over night. Those that I loved and trusted spread and believed lies about me…The mother of the young man I was going to marry called the whole thing off because she preferred he marry someone else – the daughter of her best friend. Over the course of just a couple months everything that had become real and dear to me heart turned around and plunged a knife deep into it. I didn’t think I could or would recover – the emotional grief was so great.
In the midst of my worst nightmare, I found something to be true – the joy of the Lord was still my strength. He had not changed – He loved me as He always had, His promises were still true, I could laugh and yes – even smile – because His steadfast love never ceased, His mercies never came to an end. Every morning that I woke up with a burden of pain, His balm was fresh and new. In that time I found that the greatest enemies to joy were not life’s circumstances, but rather self-pity, bitterness, and fear. If I gave them place my joy would vanish. Why? Because joy was not my work, but the work of grace in my life; and when I responded to trial and tribulation with self-pity, bitterness, or fear I quenched the Spirit of God and He was no longer able to shine through me and bring the Lord honor and glory as I continued to conform to the image of Christ. In Acts 20:24 Paul said, “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with JOY…” When I count my life too dear…when I coddle my feelings and emotions and troubles more important than the grace of God, I will not be able to finish my course with joy.
You see, in Hebrews 12:2 the Lord commands us to look “unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Did you notice that the focus of this verse is not that God’s objective was the cross, but rather the joy that lay beyond it? The pathway may be sorrow or suffering, but the goal is JOY!! In II Corinthians 3:18 the Lord tells us that His purpose it to bring us – not from suffering to suffering – but from glory to glory as we are conformed to His image. Whatever present trouble you find yourself in cling fast to the fact that He is allowing it so that He can work for you a far more “exceeding and eternal weight in glory.”
I would find something else to be quite true through this time, and that is, that God does not answer my “whys” in the blackness of night, but rather “God answereth him in the joy of his heart.” (Eccl. 5:20) I understood later that in the middle of the pain God was protecting me from making the worst mistake of my life in marrying the wrong man. It didn’t take long after my relationship was called off to realize that he was not the man that he appeared to be. Within several months I was grateful and thrilled beyond measure not to be stuck for life with him. A year later the Lord brought my husband into my life – what an absolute delight!! I could not have dreamed of someone better, someone that so completely suited me to the very finest fiber of my being. God knew what He was protecting me from and preserving me for – there are no more “whys.”
That isn’t the end of the story. Even in a wonderful marriage life still has its trials. In our first year of marriage we had to deal with an awful church discipline problem, and then the news that due to a malformed heart our son would most probably not live past birth. Again the dark billows flowed in, but the Lord gave us such poignant joy. Psalm 66:6 became real to me, “He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in Him.” It was in the midst of the flood that we rejoiced. To make a long story short the Lord completely healed our baby and gave him a brand new heart. Praise the Lord!
I say all of this to emphasize the point that joy is not a feeling based on circumstances, but rather the attitude of obedience that brings God glory. As a woman, your greatest beauty is your spirit, and what potential there is to bring your Saviour honor and praise through an unshakable joy springing up from abiding in an unchangeable God!!! Are you in need of joy? Run to the Lord, because – “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” Psalm 16:11
Mrs. Kristina Jossund
Imagine it ... Sudden glory!"
Beth Moore, in the Foreword to the book,
Facing Terror, by Carrie McDonnall, with Kistin Billerbeck
On March 15, 2004, David and Carrie McDonnall, Larry and Jean Elliott and Karen Watson, five missionaries serving in Northern Iraq, were caught inside their vehicle in a traffic jam in Mosul, Iraq. Six masked men with AK-47's and at least one UZI surrounded the vehicle and began firing. The Elliotts and Karen Watson died instantly, and though he was severely wounded, David McDonnall was able to get the hesitant, frightened Iraqis to help him get his wife, Carrie, who was unable to move, out of the vehicle. They were put in a taxi and taken to an Iraqi hospital. American soldiers came to stay with them there until helicopters arrived to transport them to a Combat Support Hospital for surgery. Carrie asked one of the soldiers if he was a believer in Jesus. He replied that he was and she asked that he pray for them. He called another soldier over and together they knelt near David and Carrie, asking God to be them during this time. After her initial surgery, Carrie was transported to a hospital in Kuwait, then to Germany, and regained consciousness in a hospital in Dallas,Texas, 8 days later. David went home to be with the Lord at 3 A.M. the following day in a helicopter on his way to another hospital in Baghdad.
Five years earlier, David and Carrie began the journey which led them to Iraq. Although they did not know one another, both graduated from Texas colleges that year and joined Journeyman, a two-year program where college graduates could get a taste of foreign humanitarian field work without making long-term commitments. Assignments were based on a person's expressed interest in a people group, combined with his or her talents and education.
David's job was to investigate and pave the way for Christian relief workers in lands where none existed. God burdened his heart for Arab Muslims. He learned the language in Jordan, where he had accommodations that were at least tolerable, and later served in remote areas of Sudan, where he often had to improvise lodging and food and experienced many life-threatening situations. Carrie was sent to an Israeli-Arab village in Israel where she worked in a foster home for Arab children. Her basic duties were cleaning the bathrooms, scrubbing the floors and sometimes helping the cook. The apartment where she lived for two years was an 8X11 room, 1/3 of a metal shipping container divided into three apartments by thin pieces of plywood. She did have her own toilet and shower, but no sink.
David and Carrie met on New Years Day, 2000, at a gathering of Journeyman volunteers in Bethlehem, on the West Bank in Israel and met again in August of 2000. They began to correspond by E-mail. In an E-mail dated October 1, 2000, David wrote to Carrie, "I love telling people about the best thing in my life" (Christ as his Saviour.) I don't have any hesitation in sharing it. Now, I don't understand everything. I certainly have plenty of questions, but I am confident that He knows all and He has all the answers. Until we meet and all is revealed, I will keep running the race and keep pressing on toward the goal, relying fully on His strength, which so powerfully works in me, and being confident that He will be faithful to complete the work that He has begun in me."
No dating was permitting under Journeyman rules, but during this time they began seeking the Lord's leadership concerning any possible courtship. Both were determined not to pursue any relationship until they were certain it was God's will. When they returned to the States, after much prayer and getting to know one another and their respective families, they were married on June 8, 2002.
David enrolled at Southwestern Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, to study for the ministry. He and Carrie had both worked with Arab Muslims for two years and after 9/11/01, their burden for those people was even stronger. They deplored the terrorist attack against the United States on that date and the oppression of Arab Muslims by their evil dictators, but they knew that Arab Muslims needed to know Christ as their personal Saviour. They continually sought God's leadership for their lives. They spent their first anniversary taking a mission team into Iraq, and a few months later arrived in Baghdad to begin work with a Christian humanitarian organization. At the time of the attack, they were living in a Kurdish section of Northern Iraq, making trips to locate and assess IDP (internally displaced peoples) for humanitarian relief workers.
Although David and Carrie were primarily involved in humanitarian work, their calling was to reach Arab Muslims with the Gospel of Christ. They made friends with the Arab people and had many opportunities to share their faith, but had not experienced what David called "real fruit." He wrote, "My faith is rooted in the fact that God is the Lord of the Harvest, and He will bring the fruit is His time. I don't understand it and at times question if I'm doing the right thing. But He is Sovereign and nothing happens apart from His control. Praise the Lord!"
About her work of scrubbing floors and cleaning toilets, Carrie said, "God had a lot of weeding and pruning to do in the garden that was my life. Life in Israel took me to my knees. God revealed Himself to be my provider. He broke my heart over the "lostness" of a beautiful culture whose people I grew to love as I love my own family." Though she personally experienced much of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, God kept her safe from the bullets and the bombs. She realized she could do nothing personally to impact the countries fighting each other, but she could be faithful where God had put her, and she began to see that her job of scrubbing and cleaning gave glory to the Lord.
David and Carrie knew that Iraq was dangerous, but they trusted God. "Trusting a man almost always leads to failed expectations, but trusting in God is always safe." David wrote, "Oh, God, help me see persecutions as a blessing." David experienced "Sudden Glory" on March 16, 2004.
Carrie was hit 22 times by shells and shrapnel. Some of the shrapnel worked itself out through her flesh, but much of it still remains in her body. She was given unscreened blood transfusions in Iraq because of loss of blood, and her wounds were left open because of bacteria which covers bullets used by insurgents. She lost three fingers on her left hand, with only the middle finger and thumb remaining. Her left leg was shot from the left side, just below the knee, shattering the tibia, taking skin, nerves and bone and leaving a big hole as it exited. Another bullet went through her upper left leg above the knee causing significant muscle damage. Her right leg was also hit, but not so seriously. She experienced a shattered bone in her right arm and a bullet in the joint of her left elbow. Her right ear was pelted by pieces of shrapnel and a bullet. Two more bullets and shrapnel hit her face, one going through her cheek and another breaking the septum in her nose and fracturing her mandible. Another bullet hit her right chest, skidded across her ribs, breaking them as it went, but missed all major organs, exiting on the left side. Completely unrelated to her injuries, doctors discovered a mass in her chest, which turned out to be a large tumor growing off her bronchial tree. It was drained and later found to be benign.
Carrie had six surgeries during the eight days of her drug-induced coma. It was said about her that anyone could sustain such injuries and live is testimony that God is alive and intentional. She did not learn of her husband's death until after regaining consciousness, and was not even able to be at his funeral. She faces additional corrective surgery and has had many struggles dealing with the emotional trauma of the attack, of sitting between two woman friends as they died, and also of losing her husband and partner in ministry.
Will she go back to Iraq? She doesn't know for certain, but she knows God is not through with her yet. She says David lived his life like King David - with a whole heart for God. She further says we should all strive to love others as David did, that we have nothing to be afraid of when we serve a sovereign God, that it's time His children start living like they believe God is in control, and that it is a gift to know the fellowship of His sufferings.
Carrie ends her story with these words: "I live my life without David, but am grateful for the time I had with him. The world is not our place of rest; it is a time to work and follow hard after Jesus. When we get home, we can rest. But for now, God is calling His children to share the gospel of the cross, the power of our Holy Father; it's time we obediently follow Him. May we all live our lives in a manner worthy of the calling we have received in Christ Jesus. May we live lives we will never regret." AMEN!
Mrs. Ruby Wagenschutz
Please send in your recipes (if you participated last year, please send different recipes this year!) by October 15th.
We will be judging them and announcing the winners in he November/December Issue.
Good luck, ladies! I look forward to hearing from you.
Things to look forward to in the next issue of Daughters of Faith:
"Why the KJV?" by: Pastor J. Mark Wagenschutz
This new series of articles will explain why we believe the King James Version is the only Holy Bible.
If you do not agree with the viewpoint expressed in this article, please realize that we are not trying to "pick on" anyone.
My pastor will simply be stating facts and showing you from the Word of God why we believe the way we believe.
By publishing this series, we are not trying to pick a fight with anyone!
Please feel free to write in and express your thoughts to our staff if you have Bible to back it up.
I am excited about this new article, as I hope you are!
Introducing: Miss Juli Wilhite
As most of you know, Miss Deborah Brauer will be leaving us due to her busy school schedule and such.
We have been praying for some time as to who the Lord would have take her place on our staff.
Recently, I felt He was leading us in the direction of Miss Juli Wilhite.
Juli is a dear friend of mine who is currently serving the Lord in South Africa as a "Missionary Kid."
I am very excited to be introducing her to you, and I hope you all will be praying for her and asking the Lord to speak to you through her as well.
Miss Juli Wilhite
Proverbs 31:22, 27
“A good home must be made, not bought.” (Joyce Maynard) A good home cannot be built with idle hands or lazy eyes. The woman of the home is to build her loving lodge. Proverbs 14:1 says, “Every wise woman buildeth her house; but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.”God the creator of the “home” set us women as the creators and beautifiers of our individual homes. God placed the desire to build a home in the heart of every woman. “And so dear sister, any house, habitation, dwelling abode, residence, domicile, wherever you and your loved ones are called upon by God to live sets the scene for you, the giver in the home to do your thing- to make a home.” (A Woman’s High Calling, E. George)· The next item to add to your “hope chest” is labors of love.
“If our home is a ministry, shouldn’t that ministry become a passion; shouldn’t our feelings and emotions be involved when it comes to the people and places we love? And shouldn’t our work be done passionately? Shouldn’t our labors be labors of love?” (A Woman’s High Calling, E. George)
1. A Loving Lodge is built on Labors of Love.
Every day there are major and minuscule things to do when taking care of a home. Some things are so small no one even notices when they get done. Some things, the only person it directly benefits is yourself from the satisfaction of knowing the task has been accomplished. This is the life of being a homemaker, a keeper at home, a guider of the house, chief cook and bottle washer. These labors must be done in love for the members of your home. They cannot be done with a bad attitude, angry and frustrated spirit, or resentful heart. Those feelings will only tear down your home, not build it up. It is a daily dose of love in your labors that will build your home to its potential glory.
Labors of love display two specific character qualities.
1. Discernment is the quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure or beneath the surface of a problem. It is the ability to evaluate people, problems, and things.
2. Responsibility is learning to assume the protection of that which was entrusted to you. It is the quality of being reliable and trust worthy.
Proverbs 31:27 says, “She looketh well to the ways of her household and eateth not the bread of idleness” This woman shows Discernment- she looks well to the ways of her household. She knows exactly what is going on in her home and in the life of everyone in it. She is constantly overseeing the lives of her children and keeping the house. This is a task God commands. The apostle Paul addresses this issue twice in his letters to his preachers- in- training. To Timothy he wrote, “I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.” (1 Timothy 5:14, emphasis added) Then to Titus he wrote, “To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.” (Titus 2:5, emphasis added) You can’t keep your home, if you are never at home! The home is to be a godly woman’s top priority. God intends for her husband and children to be her #1 earthy relationships and responsibilities. She guides her family with a close eye. She knows when each member is having a bad day or a good day. She knows if one of them is lying to her about something. She can tell when something is bothering someone, because she understands their personality and tries to be a part of everything going on in each of their lives. She has studied each of their love languages, and works at giving each member the type of love they need to be fulfilled.
She is also a keeper of her home. She keeps her house spick clean. Everything is organized and in it’s proper place. She knows the minute something is not where it’s supposed to be. This wonderful woman also shows Responsibility- she eats not the bread if idleness. She is constantly working and fulfilling her God-given responsibilities, and she would have to be to guide her house as well as she does! She has assumed her role as a homemaker and happily fulfills that role. She never says “That’s not my job” or “I did it last time, it’s someone else’s turn.” She never shirks the tasks that she has been given or neglects the family God blessed her with. She wakes ready to conquer any job; nothing is too small for this godly “keeper at home.”
“Homemaking is an art, and you have the privilege of expressing and developing all your talents there in a little place called home. You get to build… beautify… organize… create… fuss… express yourself.” (A Woman’s High Calling, E. George) Let’s take a look at a woman whose labors of love blessed Christ himself.
The Loving Laborer
In the little town of Bethany, there lived a woman named Martha. One day Jesus traveling through the country. Luke 10: 38, says, “Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.” Martha had a brother, Lazarus and a sister, Mary. We are told nothing about the background of this family. What happened to their parents? Did they all live together? We do know that Jesus was welcomed into Martha’s home.
Martha is only spoken about twice in the Bible, in Luke 10: 38-42 and again in John 11- 12:2. It is believed that Jesus often visited in the home of Martha and her siblings. We are giving small glimpses into Martha’s life, but “Knowing Martha as we do we can be assured of this fact that whenever Jesus visited Martha’s home she never had to apologize for untidy rooms, a neglected household, or lack of necessary provisions. To her, home responsibilities were never a drudgery. Martha loved her home, was house-proud, kept it “spick and span,” and was ever ready to entertain her divine guest or others seeking a refuge beneath her hospitable roof.”
Martha was a willing servant in her home. She took care and pride into the way things were done. John 12:2 says, “ …and Martha served.” The first time we see Martha she is serving Jesus and the other guests with him. Martha took her time when she could have been relaxing or enjoying herself, to make sure her quests came first. I often wonder if Martha’s attitude in Luke 10 was because she wanted to be at the feet of Jesus, listening to him, but she could see all the work that still had to be done. Maybe she just wanted Mary to help, so then they could learn from him together. Maybe her thoughts went something like this, “Mary always quits before the work is done when Christ comes here. I wish she would help me. If we both worked together the work would be finished twice as fast, then I could be spiritually fed. There is so much still to do, the rooms need to be prepared, supper is not quite ready, so many of our guests are thirsty. I feel like I am being run ragged. If only Mary would help until everyone was cared for.” All this builds up until she lashes out and says, “Lord, doest thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.” Jesus gently rebukes her, he said, “Martha you are worried about so many things. I will only be with you a short time; the housework will still be here once I am gone. Mary has chosen a good thing; I’m not going to take that from her. One thing is needful in your life, you serve and serve others, a commendable trait, but you must also allow time to feed your spirit. You must put your personal relationship with me before your service for me. Mary has done this, follow in her steps.” Notice he did not rebuke her for serving, he reminded her what should be first in her life. Our relationship with Christ comes before serving others. We cannot serve others if we are not first filled with love and devotion to our Savior, it is his love that must flow through us to properly give and serve our home and families. Don’t neglect your relationship with Christ to serve your family; you’ll burn out with nothing left to give. And never neglect your family to serve those outside it.
2. Lessons for a Loving Lodge
HAPPY HOME RECIPE
Yield: 1 family
4 c Of love
2 c Of loyalty
3 c Forgiveness
1 c Friendship
5 Spoons of hope
2 Spoons of tenderness
4 qt Of faith
1 Barrel of laughter
Take love and loyalty and mix them thoroughly with Faith.
Blend it with tenderness and forgiveness.
Add friendship and hope, and then sprinkle abundantly with laughter.
Bake it with sunshine. Serve daily with generous helpings.
The subject of “home” could cover a wide variety of topics. A lot of them we have already discussed in other articles. As Elisabeth George wrote in one of her books, a wife and mother is in charge of her family’s safety, health, sanitation, cleanliness, and security. All of our previous articles discuss different areas of caring for the members of a woman’s home. Now, I want us to look directly at the home or house- the building itself. Two areas call for our attention when dealing with our house. Those areas are housekeeping and home decorating.
A) Housekeeping- keeping it spotless
If I live in a house of spotless beauty with everything in its place,
but have not love; I am a housekeeper--not a homemaker.
If I have time for waxing, polishing, and decorative achievements,
but have not love; my children learn cleanliness--not godliness.
Love leaves the dust in search of a child's laugh.
Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints on a newly cleaned window.
Love wipes away the tears before it wipes up the spilled milk.
Love picks up the child before it picks up the toys.
Love is present through the trials.
Love reprimands, reproves, and is responsive.
Love crawls with the baby, walks with the toddler,
runs with the child, then stands aside to let the youth walk into adulthood.
Love is the key that opens salvation's message to a child's heart.
Before I became a mother I took glory in my house of perfection.
Now I glory in God's perfection of my child. As a mother, there is much I must teach my child, but the greatest of all is love.
Here are some housekeeping tips to assist your cleaning.
1. If you don't have large blocks of time to clean, break housecleaning tasks into smaller jobs. Do one room, even one area of one room, at a time to avoid unfinished jobs.
2. Invest in good rubber or vinyl gloves to protect your skin and nails.
3. Do two things at once. While laundry is going, scrub the shower stall. While dinner is cooking, clean up the preparation mess.
4. In our house, personal items wander. Carry a box or basket with you when housecleaning. Fill it with all those items that you find that belong elsewhere. When moving on to a new room, deposit the items back in their rightful place.
5. Dust before vacuuming or cleaning the floor. Try feather, lambs wool, or the newer electrostatic dusters. Dusters with extendable handles make dusting high places much easier.
6. Buy mops with a squeeze mechanism and a decent-size heavy-duty pail.
7. Don't stand your brooms on their bristles. It will destroy their shape and diminish their effectiveness
8. Invest in a handled basket to carry from room to room. Stock it with glass cleaner, furniture polish, sponges, general cleaning solution, scouring powder, nonabrasive cleaner, rags, a toothbrush, paper towels, a scrubby pad, and trash bags.
9. Save old towels and cotton cloth from worn out clothing to use for cleaning.
10. Work from the top down to avoid dirt from higher places falling to just cleaned
floors.
(http://www.surfinthespirit.com/home/cleaning-tips.html)
B) Home decorating- keeping it attractive
Proverbs 31: 22 says, “She maketh herself coverings of tapestry.” Some mistakenly equate this verse to clothing. But you don’t wear tapestry. You use it for a covering for windows, floors, and tables, etc. The Proverbs 31 woman decorates and adds beauty to her home and you should too. Every woman has her own likes, dislikes, and styles when it comes to decorating. Some women seem blessed with a natural talent for it, others are “creatively” challenged. A house can be kept clean and spotless, but it is not a home until love dwells therein. A many times small decorating tips can add a touch of love to a room. Decorating doesn’t have to be expensive. Small changes can often make the largest difference. Here are some budgeting decorating tips to add a little spice to any particular room.
1. Spread candles throughout your home to give it a cozy feel. Scented candles also make for a relaxing and pleasant atmosphere.
2. Old postcards found at local antique stores can make impressive, beautiful, and inexpensive artwork when framed. Similarly, pictures from standard wall calendars can have the same effect.
3. Something as simple as a bowl (or interesting container) of oranges can create an interesting touch to any room.
4. Hang any framed work about 5 ½ to 6 feet from the ground. That way they are just slightly above eye level, but at a perfect height for admiring.
5. A coat of fresh paint is a cheap and effective way to rejuvenate tired furniture to look fantastic in your new home.
6. New wall hangings, cushions, and throw rugs can be an extremely cost effective way to adapt your color scheme to complement your new home.
7. Keep a couple of interesting books or magazines on the coffee table.
8. Everyday kitchen items can be used in a unique way to accent the décor of any room in your home. For instance, bold patterned dinner plates hung on the wall can give a plain wall a whole new dimension. Likewise, a series of white plate with interesting monotone patterns can create a whole different feel on a brightly painted wall.
9. Clear up chaotic kitchens by hanging pots on the wall. This will free up cabinets and also give the room a new decorative touch.
10. Boiling cinnamon sticks will give your kitchen a clean, fresh scent.
11. Large mirrors will give any small room a spacious and bright feel. Additionally, placing greenery in a position where it can be reflected by your mirror will give the room an even more uplifting feel.
12. A small room can be made to feel larger by painting large stripes or daring colors on the walls.
13. Planting a few self-seeding perennials can be a cheap and effective way to add color to your new garden.
14. Paint used flower boxes and hang them below your windows after filling them with your favorite flowers.
15. Paint an old ladder and place it along a wall of your home. Set different potted flowers on each step. This simple process will give your exterior a new and inventive look.
(Budget Decorating Tips: http://www.123movers.com/guides/economical_decorative.asp) Some other great web sites with housekeeping tips are http://www.housecleaning-tips.com/ and http://www.essortment.com/in/Home.Cleaning/. These things are all well and good, but remember without love you will live in a house, but you will not have a home. When times get tough and the work becomes mundane, remember these words by Harold B. Lee, “The most important work you and I will ever do will be within the wall of our own homes.”
Miss Gina Allison
Broccoli Salad
4 cups chopped broccoli
1/4 pound bacon (crispy)
1 package (3-3/4 ounce) sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped red onion
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
In a large bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients (they've been separated from the rest).
In a small bowl, stir Mayo, sugar, sour cream and lemon juice. Pour mixture over the salad and toss until blended.
HINT: Chill salad 1-3 hours for best flavor.
I hope you all enjoy this salad! I look forward to hearing from you all...send me your favorite recipes so we can share them with everyone. Okay? Bye now!
From the Kitchen,
Miss Hannah Brown
(“Pilgrim's Progress,” Newsweek, Aug. 14, 2006).
I am not a Billy Graham hater or basher. I praise the Lord for every soul that will be in Heaven regardless of who leads them to the Lord. But where are we at when the most popular preacher in America makes a statement such as this? He sadly sold out the truth. It is not speculation to say all who do not trust Christ will not be in Heaven. He claimed God’s love is an absolute, but ignored the equally absolute justice of a Holy God. Billy Graham isn’t the only one who picks and chooses his absolutes. Our churches are overrun with this problem. Christians everywhere will affirm that God loves them, but deny the absolute command of God to be holy. Everyone wants to maintain the absolute of heaven, but not of judgment. Folks, we cannot have it both ways!
I believe in heaven, as does nearly 92% of the population. I do not believe in heaven because I want there to be a heaven. I do not believe in heaven because I have been there in an out-of-body experience. I don’t believe there is a heaven because God owes me for all the good I’ve done. No, my belief in heaven is based simply on the Word of God. I find lots of things that I want to believe in the Bible. I want to believe God loves me, will take care of me, will protect me, and has a plan for my future. I feel good believing these things. But, that being said, I do see things in the Bible I don’t really want to believe. Hell is an awful subject. Holiness seems too hard to attain. Then you have man’s depravity… I know there are bad men out there, but I know me and I’m a great guy (just ask me I’ll tell you all about it). LOL
If I do not want to accept the difficult truths of Scripture, I reject the Bible as being absolute truth. When I choose some truths over the others, I make my self the standard of truth instead of the Scriptures. Children can get away with believing in Santa, and the Easter bunny, but it doesn’t have any bearing on reality. Although I may want to believe in fairy tales, we understand that just believing something doesn’t make it real. There must be a higher standard for truth than my beliefs! God has called me to preach the Bible. I cannot pick and choose what truths I will preach, because then I would be preaching the “gospel according the Ben Jossund”. Preachers must preach the whole truth.
Here is what I’m trying to say. God gave us the Bible as the absolute standard of truth. This is a claim the Bible makes of itself. You and I are free to accept or reject the validity of this claim. If I reject the Bible’s claim of absolute truth, I can still choose to believe some of it. But the standard of truth is now my thoughts and feelings. This is the epitome of spiritual pride. There is a “danger” in accepting the absolutes of the Word of God; if you accept one truth as an absolute because it is in the Word of God, you must accept all absolutes found in Scriptures. If you believe the Bible is right when it says God is love, then so it is when it speaks of the judgment of God. If Heaven is real, so is Hell. If God cares for the sparrows, then He cares how I dress. If God created the world, then He wants me to be faithful in church. The standard for truth is the Bible. Be careful you never lose a solid faith in the very words of God!
John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Ev. Ben Jossund
Charlotte
Dear Laura Beth,
Thank you so much for sending me the July-August Issue of Daughters of Faith! It was so neat to read all the different articles that you published.
In Christ,
Ruthanna P.
Dear Laura,
Thanks for the Daughters of Faith. Dad even read some of it (especially the part Joh wrote, of course). I enjoy them immensely! Have a good day.
Juli
Laura Beth,
I just wanted to let you know that I enjoy reading the DOF. Life gets busy, but I always have to read the issues. It is so refreshing to read about how the Lord is speaking to others and how He answers prayer. Our God is so great. Thanks a lot for all the work that goes into this.
Kara
We are an Independent, Fundamental, KJV only, Bible-Believing Baptist Publication.
All of our columnists write according to these convictions.
Daughters of Faith is a bimonthly publication and is, therefore, published in these months:
January, March, May, July, September, and November.
If you would like to submit anything for publication, we need to have it before the 10th of these months.
Thank you...
Our staff enjoys hearing ideas from our subscribers and we want each of you to be involved!
Here is a list of some ideas for things to send in:
Poetry
Recipes
Jokes
Short Devotional Paragraphs (Under 700 words, please)
Funny/Cute Children's Church Stories
Prayer Requests
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Any ideas you may have for new articles!
We would love to hear from you! Please feel free to send any submissions to: Miss Laura Beth Wagenschutz, wagentrails@juno.com
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"O, The Deep Deep Love of Jesus!"
Our Staff...
Laura Beth Wagenschutz, EditorGina Allison, Columnist
Hannah Brown, Columnist
Deborah Brauer, Columnist
Rebekah Wark, Columnist
Kristina Jossund, Columnist
Johanna Spangenberg, Columnist
Ruby Wagenschutz, Columnist
Ev. Benjamin Jossund, Columnist
Pastor Mark Wagenschutz, Columnist
Letter from the Editor...
Greetings, Ladies! I pray this issue finds you all well and extremely busy serving the Lord. Things have been very hectic around here lately, but that is pretty normal for the summer months. I'm sorry for the lateness of this issue, but we were in the middle of Revival Services and then everyone was sick, so it's just not been possible until now to get this issue published. Please accept my apologies!Now that school is started up, the schedule has pretty much emptied for a while, so it gives us time to regroup. This is always a wonderful time of year! :0) The leaves are all changing colors and the wind is acquiring a bitter twist, soon there won't be any leaves left and the hills will be covered in drifts of crisp white snow. It's such a beautiful time of year!
I had so many thoughts roaming around in my head about what to write for this issue, but none of them have come to fruition, so I will be working some of them over and hopefully I will have something for you in the next issue. Until then, please read over these articles prayerfully and see what the Lord gives you...
Laura Beth
Welcome to our New Subscribers...
We would like say a nice big welcome to our newest subscribers...Miss Hannah Hulin, Miss Anna Kirk, Miss Jessica Dorfsmith, Miss Amy L., Mrs. Natalie P., Miss Chloe McCart, and Miss Anna Z.
Welcome, Ladies!
Prayer Power...
Requested By: Miss Laura Beth WagenschutzRequest: I would like to ask prayer for the salvation of my aunt Lisa. I also have one unspoken.
Requested By: Miss Rebekah Wark
Request: Please pray for my Uncle Len, my mom's oldest brother. He had cancer removed from the right side of his brain in January, now it is growing on the left side. They haven't given him but maybe a year to live, most likely he doesn't even have that. Two of my great aunts also have cancer. They all claim to be saved, Praise the Lord!
Requested By: Miss Morgan Guiley
Request: Dorothy's pregnant!! (Dorothy that had Savannah) She's not due until January, but it looks like she'll have a long, tough pregnancy--5 months of bed rest, and already, she can't stand up for more than 15 minutes at a time! Plus, (naturally), she's scared, so if you think of it please keep her in your prayers!
Requested By: Miss Juli Wilhite
Request: I have a dear friend named Jennifer who's a pastor's daughter. Recently, she "tossed Christianity" into the trash, moved out from home, and is dating an unsaved guy. She's also left church. Pray that her eye's will no longer be blinded by the devil. We are praying for her safe return to her family and church, but most importantly, to God.
Requested By: Miss Hannah Brown
Request: Please pray for my Great-Grandparents' health, also for my Great-Grandma's salvation. I also have 2 unspoken requests.
The Treasure Box...
Be Ye Strong
“And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me.” Daniel 10:19Today we live in a society where the issue of “Women’s Rights” has been taken to the extreme. Men are often pressured to avoid any sort of authoritative role, and women are praised for being as masculine as they possibly can be. This attitude is obviously not pleasing to God, because, although women are not less valuable to God than are men, He has made men and women to be different.
Many God-fearing people have sought to combat the “role reversal” of the present time by putting great emphasis on passages of scripture, such as 1 Peter 3. Verses 3-5 of this section say (talking about wives): “Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:”
I am not saying that this passage should not be talked about or emphasized, it should be. However, I’m afraid that in reading this passage without proper balance, sometimes we forget that there is another very important element to the spiritual makeup of any godly Christian woman, the quality of strength.
“Wait a minute!” You may be thinking, “You’re saying that we should be strong and feminine, both at the same time?”
Yes, that’s right! You see, when most people think of a “strong” woman, the synonyms that come to mind are, loud, belligerent, bossy, and stubborn. What they fail to see is that without strength, one cannot exhibit self-control, one cannot stand by his convictions, and without strength, one certainly cannot move forward aggressively in the battle for Christ. It takes strength to hold to that which is good.
Unfortunately, there are some women who seem to make a habit of showing the wrong kind of strength (the kind mentioned in the paragraph above). In Proverbs 7, the Bible gives us an interesting picture of just such a woman, verse 11 tells us that “…She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house…” If you study the rest of the passage, you’ll find that because this woman had the wrong kind of “strength”, she led a young man to sin. Sometimes we can do the same thing. Oh, I’m not saying that we cause others to sin in necessarily the same way this woman did, but often when females try to take the lead and allow themselves to disregard and disrespect male authority, the men will find it much harder to be the leaders God has commanded them to be, and some of them may give up leading altogether. That in turn will quench the Holy Spirit and could render the entire family or church ineffective.
Quite honestly, when people (especially women) allow themselves to be loud, bossy, belligerent, and stubborn, with complete disregard for everyone around them, they are not exhibiting strength; they are actually showing one of the most basic weaknesses of humanity, the inability to control their own actions. We, as young women have a great responsibility. In Titus 2:5 the Bible tells us that young women are to be: “…discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.”
I realize that many of the readers of this publication are likely unmarried, but even so, you can prepare yourself to be submissive to your future husband by being submissive to your father, your pastor, and to any other God-given authority in your life. It’s interesting to consider for a moment that submission often requires a great deal of strength and self-control. If you truly want to show that you have strength, show it through submission.
In the book of Proverbs, chapter 31, we find the Biblical example of a virtuous woman. This passage is probably the most cited passage of scripture used when women are being instructed as to which attributes they should possess. This chapter, describing a virtuous woman, contains two verses that give women instructions regarding strength, verses 7 and 25 tell us that: “[17] She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. [25] Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.”
According to this passage, we are not only to simply “be strong”, but are also supposed to work to become stronger. In the world, a great deal of attention has been given to physical fitness, so strength is usually thought of in a physical sense, rather than a moral or spiritual sense. We all know, however, that it is far more important for us to become strong morally and spiritually than it is for us to gain physical strength. So how do we gain the kind of strength that is most important? Spiritual strength.
Well, not surprisingly, the Bible has an answer for that as well. In Psalm 29:11, we read: “The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.” As the Psalmist says, true strength must come from the Lord. With the knowledge that the Lord provides all the spiritual strength we need, we can be strong, even in difficult situations. Psalm 71:16 says: “I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.”
Another verse often mentioned with this subject in mind, is Isaiah 40:31 “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” I’ve heard someone say about this verse, that the word “renew” literally means, to exchange. When we give the Lord our weakness (which really is all we have in comparison to what He has), with a surrendered heart, asking that he take what we have and use it for His glory, He will give us all the strength we need to do what He wants us to do, and to be what He wants us to be.
The last passage of scripture I’d like to look at is Ephesians 6: 10-18, which says: “ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”
This passage about the armor of God is so important for the believer. I would encourage every one of you to do an independent study on this passage, and to study each piece of armor individually. Remember this, God has provided each piece of armor for us already. We choose whether or not we are going to use it. If we want to be strong spiritually, we MUST choose to equip ourselves so that we will be capable of standing.
There will come a day in every Christian’s life where he or she has to face a spiritual enemy, and the majority of Christians will encounter situations where they must stand alone in the middle of a crowd and take a stand for what they know is right. That is not easy, and there have been many who have faltered and failed when they reached that test. Yet, we must also remember, that when we stand, it is not in our strength alone, but in God’s. By His power we can conquer any foe. Romans 8:35&37 say: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?… Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” Through His strength, we can stand against anything. May God bless you, and make you able to say: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” –Philippians 4:13
For His Glory,
Miss Deborah Brauer
There Is Reason to Be Joyful...
"Godly Order or Goodly Order?"
Hey Girls! How was your Summer? Did it seem too short to you all? It always seems to go by so fast! In August, we had Vacation Bible School, two weeks of Bible Camp and then school started! So we've been pretty busy around here.Matthew 6:21 says, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." I just want you to think for a moment about where your treasure is? Is it in the things of this world, for example money, clothes, or books? If you are not careful, those things become idols in your life. I like to read books, but I have to be careful that I don't spend so much time on those that they become by "gods". If those things become an idol, that will hurt my relationship with God very much.
Is it difficult to talk to someone you don't seem to know very well? In the same way, it is difficult to have a good relationship with God when He does not have first place in your life. Your priorities will be all messed up!
Is your treasure in the things of God? Like wisdom, the Bible, souls getting saved? If God has first place in your life, your priorities will be in order. Yes, shopping is fun, but did you get more joy out of a new pair of shoes than you did from seeing a souls get saved? Think about it! II Corinthians 4:18b says, For the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."
Clothes are temporal...someone getting saved is eternal. Make sure you put God above everything else, and your priorities will fall into "Godly Order", not just "Goodly Order".
With a Grin,
Miss Bekah Wark
A Moment By the Fireside...
The fireside,...oh, the memories! The chilly evenings spent listening to Pa read the Bible; those long winter days curled up in Ma's lap, and her reading stories and poetry to the children. The games of checkers by firelight, and the warmth it gave when one was home with a chill! Bits of wisdom Grandpa shared while sitting at his knee, or the loving look in Grandma's eye as she passed around the cookies and milk. Many things remembered, or nearly forgotten... but in the end, we all remember those dear times when we were children whether or not they happened by a fireside.I am not sure how long we will run this article, but I want everyone to share memories from when they were children...it does not have to be anything long or detailed, but just share a brief memory from childhood that you hold dear to your heart. Maybe someone has come across, or perhaps written, a poem about memories, or family and friends that they would like to share? We would love to read them all!
"Take a heart full of warmth,
add hugs and kisses.
Sift in hope, your dreams,
and your wishes.
Blend them together with
laughter and tears.
Add a dash of forgiveness and
stir through the years.
For this is the recipe of love."
"Happiness in the world begins at home, with you."
"The love in your heart wasn't put there to stay; love isn't love until you give it away."
"I made a cake and it was good.
It came out just as good cake should.
I made some tea, fragrant and strong,
But sadly, no one came along.
I made a cake and it was punk,
It rose and then it went kerplunk.
I made some tea, 'twas weak and thin,
And all that day my friends dropped in."
"Our life is what our thoughts make it."
"Before you know what direction to take, you have to know where you are going."
"Don't over look life's small joys while searching for the big ones."
An Encouraging Word...
What inspires a smile? What transforms a cloudy day into a cozy one? What laughs in the face of adversity, or welcomes trial with tranquil ease. What does everyone want and yet seems to evade the majority of the population? What feeling do people search the world over and yet still walk away without? What can transform a plain and ordinary into the lovely and extraordinary? The answer…one lady of great beauty…her name… joy.Where does she come from? Where is she going? What is she made of? At times joy seems to be as illusive as the wind, as hard to grasp as the tide. Many believe they have attained joy when their good fortune comes in and their cup is bursting with excitement and happiness. Others believe it is the state of the heart at rest, when no troubles accosts it and challenges her claim. Joy has come to be defined as a feeling based on one’s circumstances… It is a fleeting emotion, because it is based on things outside one’s sphere of control. An accident, an unexpected blurp in my well-defined plans, bad news, a change of financial status, etc… all or any one of these things can rob me of my joy in an instant – so is it any small wonder that she evades us at every turn?
The Lord, however, defines joy differently, and it is in the change of definition that joy takes on a concrete form that can weather a storm. In Romans 14:16-18 the Lord says, “Let not then your good be evil spoken of : For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God , and approved of men.”
Interesting…it seems that the Lord expects us to actually live and serve Him with joy…how can that be possible if I have no control over it? In Galatians 5:22-23 we find that this very quality is listed among the fruits of the Spirit – it is a natural byproduct of my life in Christ. Hmmmmm… the Holy Spirit never changes with circumstances or time, just as my position in Christ does not fluctuate…is it probable that my Heavenly Father expects me to always be full of joy?
Let me tell you a story. When I was growing up I did not have an “ideal”childhood. I have wonderful Christian parents, but they could not shield me from the realities of living in a sinful world. For starters when I was in elementary I had a peer group that spurned me because I was a home educated instead of attending the church’s Christian school (like I had a lot of control over that!). I was the one that everyone picked on when they were part of the clique, and used when they got pushed out for any reason. No matter, my parents taught me not to feel sorry for myself – ministry was about finding the needs of others and ministering to it – so that was my assignment – and I learned it well. When I was twelve we moved to a different church, and although the hostility was not the same the isolation was. We were far more conservative than the other teens, and thus our company was never sought out except for counseling situations. No matter, I knew and understood my ministry.
Second of all, my mom had very poor health and my dad worked twenty-four/seven to provide for his family. When I was fourteen my only and dearest friend – my sister – left to be a part of a ministry in another city leaving me with all the burdens to carry – and they were a bit heavy for a fourteen year old! When things would get to be too much I’d try to get a few minutes with my dad before he left for work, and all he had time to say on his way out the door was “don’t worry honey, I know you’ll come through this with flying colors.” Not exactly what I wanted to hear. I was so lonely, so tired… but I learned something precious in those dark places just like Nehemiah did when opposition was coming in from every side…I learned that “…the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Neh. 8:10)
When I was twenty-one years old I went to college. I knew for the first time in my life what it was to have precious friendships outside of my family. I poured my heart into every bit of it – these were kindred spirits, friendships that would last a lifetime! I was so happy my roommates told me that I laughed and giggled in my sleep. To make life even more delicious, I fell in love and was one step away from engagement.
My parents asked me to come home to make my final decision and prepare for a wedding and marriage. I went…and my world came tumbling down. My friendships that I thought would last a lifetime disappeared over night. Those that I loved and trusted spread and believed lies about me…The mother of the young man I was going to marry called the whole thing off because she preferred he marry someone else – the daughter of her best friend. Over the course of just a couple months everything that had become real and dear to me heart turned around and plunged a knife deep into it. I didn’t think I could or would recover – the emotional grief was so great.
In the midst of my worst nightmare, I found something to be true – the joy of the Lord was still my strength. He had not changed – He loved me as He always had, His promises were still true, I could laugh and yes – even smile – because His steadfast love never ceased, His mercies never came to an end. Every morning that I woke up with a burden of pain, His balm was fresh and new. In that time I found that the greatest enemies to joy were not life’s circumstances, but rather self-pity, bitterness, and fear. If I gave them place my joy would vanish. Why? Because joy was not my work, but the work of grace in my life; and when I responded to trial and tribulation with self-pity, bitterness, or fear I quenched the Spirit of God and He was no longer able to shine through me and bring the Lord honor and glory as I continued to conform to the image of Christ. In Acts 20:24 Paul said, “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with JOY…” When I count my life too dear…when I coddle my feelings and emotions and troubles more important than the grace of God, I will not be able to finish my course with joy.
You see, in Hebrews 12:2 the Lord commands us to look “unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Did you notice that the focus of this verse is not that God’s objective was the cross, but rather the joy that lay beyond it? The pathway may be sorrow or suffering, but the goal is JOY!! In II Corinthians 3:18 the Lord tells us that His purpose it to bring us – not from suffering to suffering – but from glory to glory as we are conformed to His image. Whatever present trouble you find yourself in cling fast to the fact that He is allowing it so that He can work for you a far more “exceeding and eternal weight in glory.”
I would find something else to be quite true through this time, and that is, that God does not answer my “whys” in the blackness of night, but rather “God answereth him in the joy of his heart.” (Eccl. 5:20) I understood later that in the middle of the pain God was protecting me from making the worst mistake of my life in marrying the wrong man. It didn’t take long after my relationship was called off to realize that he was not the man that he appeared to be. Within several months I was grateful and thrilled beyond measure not to be stuck for life with him. A year later the Lord brought my husband into my life – what an absolute delight!! I could not have dreamed of someone better, someone that so completely suited me to the very finest fiber of my being. God knew what He was protecting me from and preserving me for – there are no more “whys.”
That isn’t the end of the story. Even in a wonderful marriage life still has its trials. In our first year of marriage we had to deal with an awful church discipline problem, and then the news that due to a malformed heart our son would most probably not live past birth. Again the dark billows flowed in, but the Lord gave us such poignant joy. Psalm 66:6 became real to me, “He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in Him.” It was in the midst of the flood that we rejoiced. To make a long story short the Lord completely healed our baby and gave him a brand new heart. Praise the Lord!
I say all of this to emphasize the point that joy is not a feeling based on circumstances, but rather the attitude of obedience that brings God glory. As a woman, your greatest beauty is your spirit, and what potential there is to bring your Saviour honor and praise through an unshakable joy springing up from abiding in an unchangeable God!!! Are you in need of joy? Run to the Lord, because – “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” Psalm 16:11
Mrs. Kristina Jossund
Nana's Notebook...
"...Sudden glory! One second ... toiling and serving, and the next second ... saw the face of the One they poured out their lives to share.Imagine it ... Sudden glory!"
Beth Moore, in the Foreword to the book,
Facing Terror, by Carrie McDonnall, with Kistin Billerbeck
On March 15, 2004, David and Carrie McDonnall, Larry and Jean Elliott and Karen Watson, five missionaries serving in Northern Iraq, were caught inside their vehicle in a traffic jam in Mosul, Iraq. Six masked men with AK-47's and at least one UZI surrounded the vehicle and began firing. The Elliotts and Karen Watson died instantly, and though he was severely wounded, David McDonnall was able to get the hesitant, frightened Iraqis to help him get his wife, Carrie, who was unable to move, out of the vehicle. They were put in a taxi and taken to an Iraqi hospital. American soldiers came to stay with them there until helicopters arrived to transport them to a Combat Support Hospital for surgery. Carrie asked one of the soldiers if he was a believer in Jesus. He replied that he was and she asked that he pray for them. He called another soldier over and together they knelt near David and Carrie, asking God to be them during this time. After her initial surgery, Carrie was transported to a hospital in Kuwait, then to Germany, and regained consciousness in a hospital in Dallas,Texas, 8 days later. David went home to be with the Lord at 3 A.M. the following day in a helicopter on his way to another hospital in Baghdad.
Five years earlier, David and Carrie began the journey which led them to Iraq. Although they did not know one another, both graduated from Texas colleges that year and joined Journeyman, a two-year program where college graduates could get a taste of foreign humanitarian field work without making long-term commitments. Assignments were based on a person's expressed interest in a people group, combined with his or her talents and education.
David's job was to investigate and pave the way for Christian relief workers in lands where none existed. God burdened his heart for Arab Muslims. He learned the language in Jordan, where he had accommodations that were at least tolerable, and later served in remote areas of Sudan, where he often had to improvise lodging and food and experienced many life-threatening situations. Carrie was sent to an Israeli-Arab village in Israel where she worked in a foster home for Arab children. Her basic duties were cleaning the bathrooms, scrubbing the floors and sometimes helping the cook. The apartment where she lived for two years was an 8X11 room, 1/3 of a metal shipping container divided into three apartments by thin pieces of plywood. She did have her own toilet and shower, but no sink.
David and Carrie met on New Years Day, 2000, at a gathering of Journeyman volunteers in Bethlehem, on the West Bank in Israel and met again in August of 2000. They began to correspond by E-mail. In an E-mail dated October 1, 2000, David wrote to Carrie, "I love telling people about the best thing in my life" (Christ as his Saviour.) I don't have any hesitation in sharing it. Now, I don't understand everything. I certainly have plenty of questions, but I am confident that He knows all and He has all the answers. Until we meet and all is revealed, I will keep running the race and keep pressing on toward the goal, relying fully on His strength, which so powerfully works in me, and being confident that He will be faithful to complete the work that He has begun in me."
No dating was permitting under Journeyman rules, but during this time they began seeking the Lord's leadership concerning any possible courtship. Both were determined not to pursue any relationship until they were certain it was God's will. When they returned to the States, after much prayer and getting to know one another and their respective families, they were married on June 8, 2002.
David enrolled at Southwestern Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, to study for the ministry. He and Carrie had both worked with Arab Muslims for two years and after 9/11/01, their burden for those people was even stronger. They deplored the terrorist attack against the United States on that date and the oppression of Arab Muslims by their evil dictators, but they knew that Arab Muslims needed to know Christ as their personal Saviour. They continually sought God's leadership for their lives. They spent their first anniversary taking a mission team into Iraq, and a few months later arrived in Baghdad to begin work with a Christian humanitarian organization. At the time of the attack, they were living in a Kurdish section of Northern Iraq, making trips to locate and assess IDP (internally displaced peoples) for humanitarian relief workers.
Although David and Carrie were primarily involved in humanitarian work, their calling was to reach Arab Muslims with the Gospel of Christ. They made friends with the Arab people and had many opportunities to share their faith, but had not experienced what David called "real fruit." He wrote, "My faith is rooted in the fact that God is the Lord of the Harvest, and He will bring the fruit is His time. I don't understand it and at times question if I'm doing the right thing. But He is Sovereign and nothing happens apart from His control. Praise the Lord!"
About her work of scrubbing floors and cleaning toilets, Carrie said, "God had a lot of weeding and pruning to do in the garden that was my life. Life in Israel took me to my knees. God revealed Himself to be my provider. He broke my heart over the "lostness" of a beautiful culture whose people I grew to love as I love my own family." Though she personally experienced much of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, God kept her safe from the bullets and the bombs. She realized she could do nothing personally to impact the countries fighting each other, but she could be faithful where God had put her, and she began to see that her job of scrubbing and cleaning gave glory to the Lord.
David and Carrie knew that Iraq was dangerous, but they trusted God. "Trusting a man almost always leads to failed expectations, but trusting in God is always safe." David wrote, "Oh, God, help me see persecutions as a blessing." David experienced "Sudden Glory" on March 16, 2004.
Carrie was hit 22 times by shells and shrapnel. Some of the shrapnel worked itself out through her flesh, but much of it still remains in her body. She was given unscreened blood transfusions in Iraq because of loss of blood, and her wounds were left open because of bacteria which covers bullets used by insurgents. She lost three fingers on her left hand, with only the middle finger and thumb remaining. Her left leg was shot from the left side, just below the knee, shattering the tibia, taking skin, nerves and bone and leaving a big hole as it exited. Another bullet went through her upper left leg above the knee causing significant muscle damage. Her right leg was also hit, but not so seriously. She experienced a shattered bone in her right arm and a bullet in the joint of her left elbow. Her right ear was pelted by pieces of shrapnel and a bullet. Two more bullets and shrapnel hit her face, one going through her cheek and another breaking the septum in her nose and fracturing her mandible. Another bullet hit her right chest, skidded across her ribs, breaking them as it went, but missed all major organs, exiting on the left side. Completely unrelated to her injuries, doctors discovered a mass in her chest, which turned out to be a large tumor growing off her bronchial tree. It was drained and later found to be benign.
Carrie had six surgeries during the eight days of her drug-induced coma. It was said about her that anyone could sustain such injuries and live is testimony that God is alive and intentional. She did not learn of her husband's death until after regaining consciousness, and was not even able to be at his funeral. She faces additional corrective surgery and has had many struggles dealing with the emotional trauma of the attack, of sitting between two woman friends as they died, and also of losing her husband and partner in ministry.
Will she go back to Iraq? She doesn't know for certain, but she knows God is not through with her yet. She says David lived his life like King David - with a whole heart for God. She further says we should all strive to love others as David did, that we have nothing to be afraid of when we serve a sovereign God, that it's time His children start living like they believe God is in control, and that it is a gift to know the fellowship of His sufferings.
Carrie ends her story with these words: "I live my life without David, but am grateful for the time I had with him. The world is not our place of rest; it is a time to work and follow hard after Jesus. When we get home, we can rest. But for now, God is calling His children to share the gospel of the cross, the power of our Holy Father; it's time we obediently follow Him. May we all live our lives in a manner worthy of the calling we have received in Christ Jesus. May we live lives we will never regret." AMEN!
Mrs. Ruby Wagenschutz
Bea's Bulletin...
Our second annual "Christmas Cookie" Recipe Contest is now underway!Please send in your recipes (if you participated last year, please send different recipes this year!) by October 15th.
We will be judging them and announcing the winners in he November/December Issue.
Good luck, ladies! I look forward to hearing from you.
Things to look forward to in the next issue of Daughters of Faith:
"Why the KJV?" by: Pastor J. Mark Wagenschutz
This new series of articles will explain why we believe the King James Version is the only Holy Bible.
If you do not agree with the viewpoint expressed in this article, please realize that we are not trying to "pick on" anyone.
My pastor will simply be stating facts and showing you from the Word of God why we believe the way we believe.
By publishing this series, we are not trying to pick a fight with anyone!
Please feel free to write in and express your thoughts to our staff if you have Bible to back it up.
I am excited about this new article, as I hope you are!
Introducing: Miss Juli Wilhite
As most of you know, Miss Deborah Brauer will be leaving us due to her busy school schedule and such.
We have been praying for some time as to who the Lord would have take her place on our staff.
Recently, I felt He was leading us in the direction of Miss Juli Wilhite.
Juli is a dear friend of mine who is currently serving the Lord in South Africa as a "Missionary Kid."
I am very excited to be introducing her to you, and I hope you all will be praying for her and asking the Lord to speak to you through her as well.
Miss Juli Wilhite
The Hope Chest of Proverb 31...
“She looketh well to the ways of her household and eateth not the bread of idleness. She maketh herself coverings of tapestry...”Proverbs 31:22, 27
“A good home must be made, not bought.” (Joyce Maynard) A good home cannot be built with idle hands or lazy eyes. The woman of the home is to build her loving lodge. Proverbs 14:1 says, “Every wise woman buildeth her house; but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.”God the creator of the “home” set us women as the creators and beautifiers of our individual homes. God placed the desire to build a home in the heart of every woman. “And so dear sister, any house, habitation, dwelling abode, residence, domicile, wherever you and your loved ones are called upon by God to live sets the scene for you, the giver in the home to do your thing- to make a home.” (A Woman’s High Calling, E. George)· The next item to add to your “hope chest” is labors of love.
“If our home is a ministry, shouldn’t that ministry become a passion; shouldn’t our feelings and emotions be involved when it comes to the people and places we love? And shouldn’t our work be done passionately? Shouldn’t our labors be labors of love?” (A Woman’s High Calling, E. George)
1. A Loving Lodge is built on Labors of Love.
Every day there are major and minuscule things to do when taking care of a home. Some things are so small no one even notices when they get done. Some things, the only person it directly benefits is yourself from the satisfaction of knowing the task has been accomplished. This is the life of being a homemaker, a keeper at home, a guider of the house, chief cook and bottle washer. These labors must be done in love for the members of your home. They cannot be done with a bad attitude, angry and frustrated spirit, or resentful heart. Those feelings will only tear down your home, not build it up. It is a daily dose of love in your labors that will build your home to its potential glory.
Labors of love display two specific character qualities.
1. Discernment is the quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure or beneath the surface of a problem. It is the ability to evaluate people, problems, and things.
2. Responsibility is learning to assume the protection of that which was entrusted to you. It is the quality of being reliable and trust worthy.
Proverbs 31:27 says, “She looketh well to the ways of her household and eateth not the bread of idleness” This woman shows Discernment- she looks well to the ways of her household. She knows exactly what is going on in her home and in the life of everyone in it. She is constantly overseeing the lives of her children and keeping the house. This is a task God commands. The apostle Paul addresses this issue twice in his letters to his preachers- in- training. To Timothy he wrote, “I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.” (1 Timothy 5:14, emphasis added) Then to Titus he wrote, “To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.” (Titus 2:5, emphasis added) You can’t keep your home, if you are never at home! The home is to be a godly woman’s top priority. God intends for her husband and children to be her #1 earthy relationships and responsibilities. She guides her family with a close eye. She knows when each member is having a bad day or a good day. She knows if one of them is lying to her about something. She can tell when something is bothering someone, because she understands their personality and tries to be a part of everything going on in each of their lives. She has studied each of their love languages, and works at giving each member the type of love they need to be fulfilled.
She is also a keeper of her home. She keeps her house spick clean. Everything is organized and in it’s proper place. She knows the minute something is not where it’s supposed to be. This wonderful woman also shows Responsibility- she eats not the bread if idleness. She is constantly working and fulfilling her God-given responsibilities, and she would have to be to guide her house as well as she does! She has assumed her role as a homemaker and happily fulfills that role. She never says “That’s not my job” or “I did it last time, it’s someone else’s turn.” She never shirks the tasks that she has been given or neglects the family God blessed her with. She wakes ready to conquer any job; nothing is too small for this godly “keeper at home.”
“Homemaking is an art, and you have the privilege of expressing and developing all your talents there in a little place called home. You get to build… beautify… organize… create… fuss… express yourself.” (A Woman’s High Calling, E. George) Let’s take a look at a woman whose labors of love blessed Christ himself.
The Loving Laborer
In the little town of Bethany, there lived a woman named Martha. One day Jesus traveling through the country. Luke 10: 38, says, “Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.” Martha had a brother, Lazarus and a sister, Mary. We are told nothing about the background of this family. What happened to their parents? Did they all live together? We do know that Jesus was welcomed into Martha’s home.
Martha is only spoken about twice in the Bible, in Luke 10: 38-42 and again in John 11- 12:2. It is believed that Jesus often visited in the home of Martha and her siblings. We are giving small glimpses into Martha’s life, but “Knowing Martha as we do we can be assured of this fact that whenever Jesus visited Martha’s home she never had to apologize for untidy rooms, a neglected household, or lack of necessary provisions. To her, home responsibilities were never a drudgery. Martha loved her home, was house-proud, kept it “spick and span,” and was ever ready to entertain her divine guest or others seeking a refuge beneath her hospitable roof.”
Martha was a willing servant in her home. She took care and pride into the way things were done. John 12:2 says, “ …and Martha served.” The first time we see Martha she is serving Jesus and the other guests with him. Martha took her time when she could have been relaxing or enjoying herself, to make sure her quests came first. I often wonder if Martha’s attitude in Luke 10 was because she wanted to be at the feet of Jesus, listening to him, but she could see all the work that still had to be done. Maybe she just wanted Mary to help, so then they could learn from him together. Maybe her thoughts went something like this, “Mary always quits before the work is done when Christ comes here. I wish she would help me. If we both worked together the work would be finished twice as fast, then I could be spiritually fed. There is so much still to do, the rooms need to be prepared, supper is not quite ready, so many of our guests are thirsty. I feel like I am being run ragged. If only Mary would help until everyone was cared for.” All this builds up until she lashes out and says, “Lord, doest thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.” Jesus gently rebukes her, he said, “Martha you are worried about so many things. I will only be with you a short time; the housework will still be here once I am gone. Mary has chosen a good thing; I’m not going to take that from her. One thing is needful in your life, you serve and serve others, a commendable trait, but you must also allow time to feed your spirit. You must put your personal relationship with me before your service for me. Mary has done this, follow in her steps.” Notice he did not rebuke her for serving, he reminded her what should be first in her life. Our relationship with Christ comes before serving others. We cannot serve others if we are not first filled with love and devotion to our Savior, it is his love that must flow through us to properly give and serve our home and families. Don’t neglect your relationship with Christ to serve your family; you’ll burn out with nothing left to give. And never neglect your family to serve those outside it.
2. Lessons for a Loving Lodge
HAPPY HOME RECIPE
Yield: 1 family
4 c Of love
2 c Of loyalty
3 c Forgiveness
1 c Friendship
5 Spoons of hope
2 Spoons of tenderness
4 qt Of faith
1 Barrel of laughter
Take love and loyalty and mix them thoroughly with Faith.
Blend it with tenderness and forgiveness.
Add friendship and hope, and then sprinkle abundantly with laughter.
Bake it with sunshine. Serve daily with generous helpings.
The subject of “home” could cover a wide variety of topics. A lot of them we have already discussed in other articles. As Elisabeth George wrote in one of her books, a wife and mother is in charge of her family’s safety, health, sanitation, cleanliness, and security. All of our previous articles discuss different areas of caring for the members of a woman’s home. Now, I want us to look directly at the home or house- the building itself. Two areas call for our attention when dealing with our house. Those areas are housekeeping and home decorating.
A) Housekeeping- keeping it spotless
If I live in a house of spotless beauty with everything in its place,
but have not love; I am a housekeeper--not a homemaker.
If I have time for waxing, polishing, and decorative achievements,
but have not love; my children learn cleanliness--not godliness.
Love leaves the dust in search of a child's laugh.
Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints on a newly cleaned window.
Love wipes away the tears before it wipes up the spilled milk.
Love picks up the child before it picks up the toys.
Love is present through the trials.
Love reprimands, reproves, and is responsive.
Love crawls with the baby, walks with the toddler,
runs with the child, then stands aside to let the youth walk into adulthood.
Love is the key that opens salvation's message to a child's heart.
Before I became a mother I took glory in my house of perfection.
Now I glory in God's perfection of my child. As a mother, there is much I must teach my child, but the greatest of all is love.
Here are some housekeeping tips to assist your cleaning.
1. If you don't have large blocks of time to clean, break housecleaning tasks into smaller jobs. Do one room, even one area of one room, at a time to avoid unfinished jobs.
2. Invest in good rubber or vinyl gloves to protect your skin and nails.
3. Do two things at once. While laundry is going, scrub the shower stall. While dinner is cooking, clean up the preparation mess.
4. In our house, personal items wander. Carry a box or basket with you when housecleaning. Fill it with all those items that you find that belong elsewhere. When moving on to a new room, deposit the items back in their rightful place.
5. Dust before vacuuming or cleaning the floor. Try feather, lambs wool, or the newer electrostatic dusters. Dusters with extendable handles make dusting high places much easier.
6. Buy mops with a squeeze mechanism and a decent-size heavy-duty pail.
7. Don't stand your brooms on their bristles. It will destroy their shape and diminish their effectiveness
8. Invest in a handled basket to carry from room to room. Stock it with glass cleaner, furniture polish, sponges, general cleaning solution, scouring powder, nonabrasive cleaner, rags, a toothbrush, paper towels, a scrubby pad, and trash bags.
9. Save old towels and cotton cloth from worn out clothing to use for cleaning.
10. Work from the top down to avoid dirt from higher places falling to just cleaned
floors.
(http://www.surfinthespirit.com/home/cleaning-tips.html)
B) Home decorating- keeping it attractive
Proverbs 31: 22 says, “She maketh herself coverings of tapestry.” Some mistakenly equate this verse to clothing. But you don’t wear tapestry. You use it for a covering for windows, floors, and tables, etc. The Proverbs 31 woman decorates and adds beauty to her home and you should too. Every woman has her own likes, dislikes, and styles when it comes to decorating. Some women seem blessed with a natural talent for it, others are “creatively” challenged. A house can be kept clean and spotless, but it is not a home until love dwells therein. A many times small decorating tips can add a touch of love to a room. Decorating doesn’t have to be expensive. Small changes can often make the largest difference. Here are some budgeting decorating tips to add a little spice to any particular room.
1. Spread candles throughout your home to give it a cozy feel. Scented candles also make for a relaxing and pleasant atmosphere.
2. Old postcards found at local antique stores can make impressive, beautiful, and inexpensive artwork when framed. Similarly, pictures from standard wall calendars can have the same effect.
3. Something as simple as a bowl (or interesting container) of oranges can create an interesting touch to any room.
4. Hang any framed work about 5 ½ to 6 feet from the ground. That way they are just slightly above eye level, but at a perfect height for admiring.
5. A coat of fresh paint is a cheap and effective way to rejuvenate tired furniture to look fantastic in your new home.
6. New wall hangings, cushions, and throw rugs can be an extremely cost effective way to adapt your color scheme to complement your new home.
7. Keep a couple of interesting books or magazines on the coffee table.
8. Everyday kitchen items can be used in a unique way to accent the décor of any room in your home. For instance, bold patterned dinner plates hung on the wall can give a plain wall a whole new dimension. Likewise, a series of white plate with interesting monotone patterns can create a whole different feel on a brightly painted wall.
9. Clear up chaotic kitchens by hanging pots on the wall. This will free up cabinets and also give the room a new decorative touch.
10. Boiling cinnamon sticks will give your kitchen a clean, fresh scent.
11. Large mirrors will give any small room a spacious and bright feel. Additionally, placing greenery in a position where it can be reflected by your mirror will give the room an even more uplifting feel.
12. A small room can be made to feel larger by painting large stripes or daring colors on the walls.
13. Planting a few self-seeding perennials can be a cheap and effective way to add color to your new garden.
14. Paint used flower boxes and hang them below your windows after filling them with your favorite flowers.
15. Paint an old ladder and place it along a wall of your home. Set different potted flowers on each step. This simple process will give your exterior a new and inventive look.
(Budget Decorating Tips: http://www.123movers.com/guides/economical_decorative.asp) Some other great web sites with housekeeping tips are http://www.housecleaning-tips.com/ and http://www.essortment.com/in/Home.Cleaning/. These things are all well and good, but remember without love you will live in a house, but you will not have a home. When times get tough and the work becomes mundane, remember these words by Harold B. Lee, “The most important work you and I will ever do will be within the wall of our own homes.”
Miss Gina Allison
What's Cooking?
Hello Ladies! In this article I have decided to give you a recipe for one of my most favorite cold salads. It is very simple to make, and you will love it...even if you're not crazy about broccoli (like me!).Broccoli Salad
4 cups chopped broccoli
1/4 pound bacon (crispy)
1 package (3-3/4 ounce) sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped red onion
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
In a large bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients (they've been separated from the rest).
In a small bowl, stir Mayo, sugar, sour cream and lemon juice. Pour mixture over the salad and toss until blended.
HINT: Chill salad 1-3 hours for best flavor.
I hope you all enjoy this salad! I look forward to hearing from you all...send me your favorite recipes so we can share them with everyone. Okay? Bye now!
From the Kitchen,
Miss Hannah Brown
The Danger of Accepting Absolutes...
In a recent interview published in Newsweek magazine, August 14, Billy Graham implied that men might be saved without faith in Jesus Christ. When asked whether he believes heaven will be “closed to Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus or secular people,” Graham replied: “Those are decisions only the Lord will make. It would be foolish for me to speculate on who will be there and who won't ... I don't want to speculate about all that. I believe the love of God is absolute. He said he gave his Son for the whole world, and I think he loves everybody regardless of what label they have”.(“Pilgrim's Progress,” Newsweek, Aug. 14, 2006).
I am not a Billy Graham hater or basher. I praise the Lord for every soul that will be in Heaven regardless of who leads them to the Lord. But where are we at when the most popular preacher in America makes a statement such as this? He sadly sold out the truth. It is not speculation to say all who do not trust Christ will not be in Heaven. He claimed God’s love is an absolute, but ignored the equally absolute justice of a Holy God. Billy Graham isn’t the only one who picks and chooses his absolutes. Our churches are overrun with this problem. Christians everywhere will affirm that God loves them, but deny the absolute command of God to be holy. Everyone wants to maintain the absolute of heaven, but not of judgment. Folks, we cannot have it both ways!
I believe in heaven, as does nearly 92% of the population. I do not believe in heaven because I want there to be a heaven. I do not believe in heaven because I have been there in an out-of-body experience. I don’t believe there is a heaven because God owes me for all the good I’ve done. No, my belief in heaven is based simply on the Word of God. I find lots of things that I want to believe in the Bible. I want to believe God loves me, will take care of me, will protect me, and has a plan for my future. I feel good believing these things. But, that being said, I do see things in the Bible I don’t really want to believe. Hell is an awful subject. Holiness seems too hard to attain. Then you have man’s depravity… I know there are bad men out there, but I know me and I’m a great guy (just ask me I’ll tell you all about it). LOL
If I do not want to accept the difficult truths of Scripture, I reject the Bible as being absolute truth. When I choose some truths over the others, I make my self the standard of truth instead of the Scriptures. Children can get away with believing in Santa, and the Easter bunny, but it doesn’t have any bearing on reality. Although I may want to believe in fairy tales, we understand that just believing something doesn’t make it real. There must be a higher standard for truth than my beliefs! God has called me to preach the Bible. I cannot pick and choose what truths I will preach, because then I would be preaching the “gospel according the Ben Jossund”. Preachers must preach the whole truth.
Here is what I’m trying to say. God gave us the Bible as the absolute standard of truth. This is a claim the Bible makes of itself. You and I are free to accept or reject the validity of this claim. If I reject the Bible’s claim of absolute truth, I can still choose to believe some of it. But the standard of truth is now my thoughts and feelings. This is the epitome of spiritual pride. There is a “danger” in accepting the absolutes of the Word of God; if you accept one truth as an absolute because it is in the Word of God, you must accept all absolutes found in Scriptures. If you believe the Bible is right when it says God is love, then so it is when it speaks of the judgment of God. If Heaven is real, so is Hell. If God cares for the sparrows, then He cares how I dress. If God created the world, then He wants me to be faithful in church. The standard for truth is the Bible. Be careful you never lose a solid faith in the very words of God!
John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Ev. Ben Jossund
A Word from Our Subscribers...
Hi! i just wanted to thank you for the Daughters of Faith e-magazine. It is filled with useful and uplifting information and is really great with interesting topics, recipes and so on.Charlotte
Dear Laura Beth,
Thank you so much for sending me the July-August Issue of Daughters of Faith! It was so neat to read all the different articles that you published.
In Christ,
Ruthanna P.
Dear Laura,
Thanks for the Daughters of Faith. Dad even read some of it (especially the part Joh wrote, of course). I enjoy them immensely! Have a good day.
Juli
Laura Beth,
I just wanted to let you know that I enjoy reading the DOF. Life gets busy, but I always have to read the issues. It is so refreshing to read about how the Lord is speaking to others and how He answers prayer. Our God is so great. Thanks a lot for all the work that goes into this.
Kara
About Daughters of Faith
Daughters of Faith is a ministry of Twin Ports Baptist Church, 208 52nd Ave. East, Superior, Wisconsin. 1(715) 398-6947We are an Independent, Fundamental, KJV only, Bible-Believing Baptist Publication.
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Daughters of Faith is a bimonthly publication and is, therefore, published in these months:
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How To Get Involved With Daughters of Faith
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Here is a list of some ideas for things to send in:
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Any ideas you may have for new articles!
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