A Purpose for Everything

"EVERY experience God gives us,

EVERY person He puts in our lives,

is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see."

~Corrie tenBoom

Something To Think About

“If Jesus had preached the same message that ministers preach today,

 He would never have been crucified.”

--Leonard Ravenhill

A Wonderful Website

I recently found this lovely website....the Time-Warp Wife.  Okay, I know that it says the "Time-Warp WIFE" but I have found several of her posts to be quite helpful for family relationships in general, not to mention, some good information to store away for the day that I will hopefully be a wife and mother.

Another good one I've been reading recently is Club 31 Women which is a blog set up for women in all walks of life.  I have really been loving this one!  Some of her posts make you laugh, some make you think, and some challenge you.

So head on over and take a look at these two sites.  I think you'll be really glad you did!

Life After Homeschool

I get asked this question all the time....

"What do you do in all your spare time?"

My answer is always....

"What spare time?" 

( A laugh also accompanies it!)

Seriously, though, several young adults are graduating from Homeschool Highschool with no idea of what to do next, especially the young ladies, who, like myself, feel called to stay in the home under Dad's authority and learn to be keepers of the home.  Soooo...young ladies, this post is for you!

What Do I Do After Graduation?

Young ladies, life does not stop after you graduate.  As a matter of fact, that is actually when REAL LIFE starts.  Okay, okay, it starts with conception, but you know what I mean.  And you want to be let in a another secret....learning doesn't stop once you graduate either.  Or at least, it shouldn't.  When I graduated I had a list of things that I wanted to learn, but had never had the time to do so when I was in school.  My Mom's favorite saying is "You never stop learning" and it has proved to be quite true.

I've Got Plenty of Time!

For most of us, we will one day get married and have a family of our own and we aren't going to have the time to learn things like we do now.  Imagine being a young mother, with a crying baby on your hands, and a two year old you are trying to potty train, and trying to learn herbal remedies to keep your family healthy all at the same time!  It can be done, but why not learn now, while you have plenty of time!  So rent a book from the library, watch some YouTube videos, ask some professionals, take a few lessons and get learning.  

What About College?

Several girls think that since they don't have anything to do once graduated, they should continue on to college to get a degree in...a degree in...well...in something!  Why???  Now I'm not knocking college, because for some people it's right.  But for others, who only wish to get married and have a family some day, why waste money on a college degree when the only real reason you would be going is to have something to do while still at home!  Why not just find something to fulfill your time while still home.  Why not serve your family, since that is what you will be doing once you are married.  Now, I do know of some girls who live near a college and take some courses on something they are interested in.  Or sign up for an online college that is usually half the cost of a regular college in order to learn a skill that they have been wanting to learn, and that is okay too.  But if you have no idea how you are going to use a Business Administrators License in running the home, then why go for it in the first place?

How About Ministering?
Well, I'm so glad you asked! What about volunteering your time to help others?  There are several things out there that you could do to help minister to others, such as volunteer at your local pregnancy care center, make meals for a new, young mother, help clean house for a elderly church lady, write letters to the Christians prisoners in foreign countries,...the possibilities are endless!


Studying The Word
Right now is a wonderful time to dig deeper into God's word.  Anytime is a good time to dig deeper, but right now you have the extra time to be able to do so!  Spend time with God each day, reading, praying and simply listening to Him.

"Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, 'I have no pleasure in them.'"        -Ecclesiastes 12:1

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths."              -Proverbs 3:5-6

Things To Learn

In case you can't find your thinking cap today here are a few ideas to help get you started, but there are several things that you could take up and learn:

-Play an instrument

-Calligraphy

-Painting

-Writing

-Practice schooling your siblings

-Cooking

-Baking

-Teaching an instrument

-Photography

-Herbal remedies

-Gardening

-Flower arrangements

-Simple repair work

-Soap making

-Sewing

-Preparing and getting the family groceries

-Foreign language

-and many, many more things!

So start now, don't waste your single years!  Start learning new things, developing new skills, and most important of all, deepening your relationship with your Lord and Savior!

Please Help The Romeike Family

I have copied the following article off of a friend's blog, Our Full House. Please read this and sign the petition...



~ ~ ~

"What would you do if your state decided you could no longer home educate your children? Would you stay and place them in public school, would you risk prison by continuing to homeschool them or would you move somewhere that allowed you the freedom? This is a very real question that each homeschool family needs to answer. When our family began to homeschool our children in California almost 20 years ago, homeschooling was not what it is today. People thought it was illegal, worse yet the state was not sure what to do with this growing movement of parents that were taking their children out of government schools and training them at home. This week I met with a state government employee that didn't know the homeschool laws of our state and she works within the children's welfare system.

Last year I was made aware of a family that came to America, legally, from Germany to enjoy the freedom of home educating their children. The Romeike family left their country, home, church, family, friends and church to come to America. They first immigrated to America in 2008 and the Obama Administration is now trying to deport them back to a country that wants to prosecute them for teaching their children at home. I will not share the whole story here because there are so many details I don't want to miss. I will include links at the bottom of the page for more reading about the Romeike family and the challenges they have endured in order to exercise their God given right to teach their children without the governments interference.

Sign Now

Homeschool Legal Defense is representing the Romeike family in court and has an uphill battle, not against the German government but against the US government. Can you imagine any more hypocrisy than the US government telling the Romeike family, who immigrated to America legally that they are not allowed to stay here after five years, when that same government is proposing amnesty to 12 million illegal immigrants currently in the US? The Romeike family needs your help. There is currently a White House petition that will allow HSLDA and the Romeike family to have their case heard by the White House. Please join us in signing this important petition before April 18. Whether you are a homeschool family or not, this affects you. If the Romeike family is deported for homeschooling, will we be next?"

Land of Liberty: The Romeike Family Story

German Homeschool Case May Impact US Homeschool Freedom

German Homeschoolers Seek Asylum in America (Video)

Bontrager Family Singers Sibling Cooperation

You have got to watch this amazing video of the Bontrager Family!  They've got talent!

A Beautiful Courtship Story

 

This is the Steele Family, missionaries to the Ukraine!  They have recently re-posted their courtship story on their blog, a story which I read several years ago and thoroughly enjoyed and again enjoyed reading it a second time!  So if any of you would like to read a really sweet love story on how our Amazing God works in the lives of His children, you can click on the links below....

 

 

Love Story Part 1: Three Strikes and You're Out?

Love Story Part 2: First Things First

Love Story Part 3: Dating the Dad?

Love Story Part 4: Let's Tell Kelsie

Love Story Part 5: The Beginning

Love Story Part 6: Mystery Courtship

Love Story Part 7: "I Love You"

 

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did!

 

Why We Should Support Hobby Lobby

Hobby Lobby CEO, David Green’s Letter

When my family and I started our company 40 years ago, we were working out of a garage on a $600 bank loan, assembling miniature picture frames. Our first retail store wasn’t much bigger than most people’s living rooms, but we had faith that we would succeed if we lived and worked according to God’s word. From there, Hobby Lobby has become one of the nation’s largest arts and crafts retailers, with more than 500 locations in 41 states. Our children grew up into fine business leaders, and today we run Hobby Lobby together, as a family.

We’re Christians, and we run our business on Christian principles. I’ve always said that the first two goals of our business are 1) to run our business in harmony with God’s laws, and 2) to focus on people more than money. And that’s what we’ve tried to do. We close early so our employees can see their families at night. We keep our stores closed on Sundays, one of the week’s biggest shopping days, so that our workers and their families can enjoy a day of rest. We believe that it is by God’s grace that Hobby Lobby has endured, and he has blessed us and our employees. We’ve not only added jobs in a weak economy, we’ve also raised wages for the past four years in a row. Our full-time employees start at 80% above minimum wage.

But now, our government threatens to change all of that. A new government health care mandate says that our family business must provide what I believe are abortion-causing drugs as part of our health insurance. Being Christians, we don’t pay for drugs that might cause abortions. Which means that we don’t cover emergency contraception, the morning-after pill or the week-after pill. We believe doing so might end a life after the moment of conception, something that is contrary to our most important beliefs. It goes against the biblical principles on which we have run this company since day one. If we refuse to comply, we could face $1.3 million per day in government fines.

Our government threatens to fine job creators in a bad economy. Our government threatens to fine a company that’s raised wages four years running. Our government threatens to fine a family for running its business according to its beliefs. It’s not right.

I know people will say we ought to follow the rules, that it’s the same for everybody. But that’s not true. The government has exempted thousands of companies from this mandate, for reasons of convenience or cost. But it won’t exempt them for reasons of religious belief. So, Hobby Lobby — and my family — are forced to make a choice. With great reluctance, we filed a lawsuit today, represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, asking a federal court to stop this mandate before it hurts our business. We don’t like to go running into court, but we no longer have a choice. We believe people are more important than the bottom line and that honoring God is more important than turning a profit.

My family has lived the American dream. We want to continue growing our company and providing great jobs for thousands of employees, but the government is going to make that much more difficult. The government is forcing us to choose between following our faith and following the law. I say that’s a choice no American — and no American business — should have to make.

David Green is the CEO and founder of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.

My Precious Niece!

 

December 23rd, 2013, Victoria Providence Rae Yuck was born to my sister Jordan and her husband, Caleb! Victoria was 7 lbs. and 4 oz and 21 inches long. She is so perfect!

 

  Victoria was born at home, up in Canada, and we were so blessed to be able to be up there to celebrate her birth over the Christmas holidays! The Lord has blessed our family with her presence and we are all so overjoyed and simply marvel at His goodness! I am trying to upload more pictures, but I am experiencing some difficulties, soooo...until I am able, you can enjoy more pictures of her over at our family blog: www.farmingthecarolinas.blogspot.com. We love her so much!