Courageous Woman

A young woman worth studying.
She's standing for Truth.
She's speaking out.
She's going into the heart of the enemy camp.
She's standing strong.
She knows and acknowledges "in Christ alone,"
Heart courageous!

Truth - North Korean Testimony The Lausanne Global Conversation

Up to God

It's about time I follow up on that last post. Sorry it's taken me so long to write it out. The past week and a half has been filled with some school activities, house-repairing parties (one of which will be starting Tuesday and ending sometime before the weekend), reading and helping out at home (a hobby of mine ;)


One of the school activities was reading the Life Purpose Booklet. The book was OK. Most of it was stuff I already knew, had already done was in the process of walking out, but reading the examples in the back helped to clarify some of my own longings, and passions (- a calling?)
My Life Purpose Statement looks like the first-draft that it is. If I try writing beyond the first draft, though, I find that I veer off into all sorts of tangents, bunny trails (dare I say deer paths?) and I soon lose sight of what it is I really feel God has designed my heart for.


I started off this fall looking for a way to broaden my platform - somehow make what I was doing more public through participating in the Miss USA beauty pageant. For the most part the feedback I get is incredibly supportive and affirming, "Aha! That's a great idea!" Eyes light up. "Ooh, you'll do good at that," big awarding smiles... Affirmation, affirmation, affirmation. It was a brilliant! A truly wonderful idea. Now, I do know, for at least some people, that these statements were stated because my peers, my friends, my elders, the people I look up to (even when they are younger than I) believe in me, believe in who I am, and believe in what God is doing... but God has been calling me somewhat deeper.

Something about the whole pageant philosophy/ idea never exactly settled right with me. There was something that just wasn't right; I wasn't exactly sure what was wrong, exactly. I had a general idea, but as to specifics? At least, this is the best way I can explain it...

After prayer with my parents (for the second time), and contemplation, meditation and in the Word time, things began to fall into place a little more clearly.

Upon completing the Life Purpose Booklet, God began to straighten out those jumbled thoughts in my head (there really is something extremely helpful about putting thoughts on paper). For the longest time I've know "what I want to do," what I want the "beginning of the end point" to be. But how, exactly, has been somewhat of a mystery to me. I have not ever been exactly sure how to get to where I want to go... but then, as I was finishing up the book, it hit me, I am doing what I need to be doing...
Better yet God is helping me to do what HE wants me to be doing, what He wants me to get done, how HE wants me to walk it out...
It's AMAZING!!
It's not big and fantabulous, like a wonderful, girly, Cinderella-story beauty pageant, but it's what needs to be done.
My deepest hearts desire isn't to have an international, or even national, or even state-wide, women's ministry where I travel around speaking, singing, dancing... whatever the medium! That's simply not my personality. There are other things, deeper things, I want to get done...
This is an amazing life-calling, life-ministry, and I have some girl-friends who I really do believe are called to this ministry and are walking it out as we speak, but that's not my cup-a-tea ;)


February 2010 was the first year in five consecutive years that I hadn't hosted a Valentines Tea for the young ladies that I know.
The tea started out as a way to get together with a bunch of girl-friends and do something ridiculously girly in the middle of the cold, desolate, freezing, icy winter. This progressed into a protocol study ending in a Christmas tea-celebration and then Valentines party. Which, in turn, progressed into a regular get-together, then Valentines party... progressing into a fashion show-slumber-party, then Valentines "Dreams" tea-party- study... which progressed into....
SO many ideas!

My original dream was to have a retreat, over the weekend, for young ladies regarding femininity - being the young women God has called you to be, seeking who He wants you to be, applying what you were to who you are now to expand His kingdom and bring Him glory. The problem was that there are so many things that really do need to be squeezed in, that the idea expanded into a week-long event, growing into a month-long (sporadically) event, extending into a year-long... I mean... once-a-month event, stretching into a four-year-plan... I mean...
You get the picture ;) There is so much that is applicable to this, so much that really does need to be shared and proclaimed to women of my generation and younger!


There is an incredible amount of ideas and things that need to be shared, but it's just not all feasible for any human being... doing what I can do in the time that is possible is what's required. Be faithful to what God has called (continue doing what I have been doing), the rest is up to God!

Shifting, Changing, Transition

As some of you have heard I had applied to compete in the Miss USA South Dakota 2010 pageant.

Not to say I have, yet again, completely placed this on the shelf, but rather punched the "hold" button... again... And yeah, I do realize that I said I wouldn't... But please bear with me.

Sometime last fall I had this nudge to start an annual young-woman's support group for our geographic area. This was before my grandparents fiftieth, the house fire, my aunt's passing, my older sisters hospitalization and the all around upside down turning of my entire life as I know it... I still don't think I have completely turned "right side up," as of yet... In fact, I'm fairly certain I'm doomed to remain "half way up," but won't ever recover to a fully vertical position - lol.

All that being said, I've taken my turn, numerous times, of "jumping off the deep end" within the last twelve months. Everything from going to Georgia last minute to campaign for an acquaintance to getting a job forty-five minutes from home, to applying to compete in a beauty pageant, to talking with my grandmother about possibly going to New York when my cousin and sister graduate from school... to... *breathe...* the list goes on!

But I think I'm ready to hit the "I'm not only off my rocker, but have flung myself from it" "like button" on Facebook...

Of course, like most stories, the beginning starts "once upon a time," but I really don't have the time, and I'm sure you don't either, to hear as far back as "once upon a time," and quite frankly, I don't want to spend that much time on a machine this evening :)

So I'll start with this Summer...

While in Georgia, in the van an hour longer than we thought, lost amidst turbo-city-traffic, crammed into the car (luggage and all) we (the young adult campaign-volunteers) decided to ask one another the "get real comfortable and close, share your deepest darkest within the next five minutes because we are GOING to like each other" questions.

One of those questions was, "what (do you believe) God has called you to do with your life (/ what are you most passionate about in life?)"

My answer is a hands-down "women's ministry. " Done, next.

At the end of each "mini interview" we follow the TeenPact Mock Legislation format and state, "I am now open for questions..." Where you are either attacked with a flurry of "goofiness" and laughter, or you are asked one or two more serious questions that get stuck in your brain and absolutely refuse to leave (ever?!?!?!?!)

One such question was asked when I had finished my "get to know facts about me for three minutes" interview.

"How are you living what God has called you to do

"when you grow up"

in life right now?"

Ha ha!! Miss/Mr Smarty Pants, eh! Well, fine then.. Be aggravating, irritating and ask the hard question! Just don't expect a reasonable answer, because, girl/ boy, I'm running' away from what I think God wants me to do next because I don't have a clue how to do it!

I do have to admit that my reply was quite lame. Okay, really highly very and extremely lame. So lame in fact, that I didn't really want any one to ask me any thing ever again about anything related to the topic.

See, us humans have a tendency to ignore those settle promptings from God to start something. We make excuses, "I'm already living a life of high standards," "if I raise the bar of my personal standards any more I'll be living something in the 'legalism department..." "I don't have time!" "I don't know how..." "Some one else with more experience will do it." "I don't have time to do that right now." "My life is too busy." "I simply cannot afford it."

My excuses were more around the areas of "high standard living" and "finances (or lack there of)" departments.

It all started with pageantry, and tea parties, and dressing up, and being feminine, and fashion, and shoes, and embracing the call of mother hood (if God has laid that on your life-calling), and pursuing a life of purity. It all fits together. It all goes together. It's a sort of circular reasoning.

The state that I live in offers, really in quite honesty, nothing for young women in this regard, except for our fantastic annual Purity Ball, hosted by the National Abstinence Clearing House. This Purity Ball promotes purity to the young women of our community. It's a wonderful event, and I thoroughly enjoyed the time that I went! But it lasts for only a few hours, one evening, one time a year (if economy allows).

The area I'm in is highly rural, and resources for young women about as few and far between as humanity is.

At one time in history, there was a quaint tea house in our down-town district, but because of economy had to fold. I think this may have been the only tea house in the entire state!

Up until this fall, I had hosted a tea, of one sort or another, between Christmas and Valentines day, for young women. We talked about all sorts of things! Anything from fashion to our deepest dreams and longings filled our conversation. All who attended were well fed on multiple different levels, by the time we began filing out of the building.

Why didn't I host this tea this year? Too much transition! Too much change! Too much shifting....

But now there is another shifting, a deeper one. A changing, a beckoning deep within to dig out that dream that I had a year ago of putting together an annual event for young women to connect with like-minded young women, to learn and grow as ladies of this generation, Princesses of the King of Kings. A dream to resource young women with more, with relationships, with books, with web sites, CD's, speaker notes, pictures... Anything that helps them to reach for The Goal: Christ... To keep their eyes solely on Jesus! To Encourage and inspire; to, together pursue what God has for us as His girls...

................... More to come on what exactly I'll be doing ;) ...

The Art of Battle

I think I have discovered the title for a new book. A book for the follower's of Yhwh. A book to revitalize, energize and ultimately feed and nurture the souls of the beloved followers of Our Lord.

The Art of Battle: A warriors Guide.

Such a book deserves to be written. Must... needs to be written! And, on the other hand, such a book already exists...
So perhaps, more than a book, my hearts longing is, at this time and season, my brothers and sisters. Those who share my faith, and are ultimately, "fighting the fight," and "running the race set out before us..." Brothers and sisters whom I can say, "Together! We fight!," with.

"Together we stand! Apart, we're steak..." That joke has an uncanny, and disturbing, truness to it.

"but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us." ~ Romans 5:3-5

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnessed, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." ~ Hebrews 12:1-3

"When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hand on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn." ~ Harriet Beecher Stowe

Why, in times of emotional turmoil, spiritual collision and physical taxation; why is it, in these times, G-d seems to be non-present.
My heart knows He is near. Indeed, when you sit quietly, and listen; stop thinking and breathe in the 'Fragrance of God'; Wash yourself under The Word - the Water of Life; relax under the strength and wisdom of Him on High; you do, truly, know, in your heart of hearts, feel nearly physically, and see in your minds eye, that you are in the presence of the Almighty.
You are the 'apple of His eye." He "waves the banner over you," you are His, and He is yours!

A quote I once heard was, "when you hit rock bottom, the only place to go is up," which I find correlates remarkably with something a well-intentioned person told me, "well, it couldn't get any worse!" This was post-house fire, and after my dear aunt Susan succeeded in her race Home.
The term "rock bottom," is a relative term. A term that can be defined in multiple different ways. A term that, seemingly, means absolutely nothing when compared to another's suffering, hardship and cross-bearing.
There is only ever a "going up," part to the "when you hit rock bottom," quote, only if you accept the hand of Him who carries our sin and shame, to lift you up.
The term, "it couldn't get any worse," is just as relative. When someone tells me that, I want to quote Golda on Fiddler on The Roof, "pta! Do you want to invite bad luck?!"
(This, indeed, leads to the question, "what unseen doors do we open in the realm of the spiritual, with our words?" - One must wonder!)

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race(!), I have kept the faith(!)." ~ 2 Timothy 4:7

"~'The battles of the spirit that we face in times of trial can be won simply by lifting our hands to heaven, praising the Father of lights, asking His will be done, and thanking Him for the victory that is already ours.'~
Isn’t it comforting to know that even when we don’t feel as though we’ve won the battle, we can know that we have if we simply pour our hearts into trusting and praising Him?" ~http://atentforthesun.com/winning-the-battle/#comments

Christa-Taylor Give Away!!!

I found this wonderful Give-Away on the Tea Rose Home blog I am so excited to introduce Christa Taylor to you all. She designs classical, vintage inspired clothing. She wants to present to the world that modest, fashion-forward women should be seen and heard. The brand focuses on sophistication, quality and value in an understated collection. Christa Taylor is committed to contributing to numerous philanthropic causes while creating stylish Fashions for the Empowered Traditionalist.

Christa Taylor has modest and pretty dresses and other items worth checking out! They added some new items for spring. Lovely, fun, girly, feminine, vibrant, modest dresses, for any occasion, but which, in any case, look as if they would make you feel like the woman you are!

Have you visited her site? http://www.empoweredtraditionalist.com/ Her blog is full of wonderful fashion ideas, hair styles, and absolutely teeming with modesty "how to," tips :) "how to stay fashionable AND modest!!!!"


Christa is giving away, this very pretty Apron for Tea Rose Home readers! (http://trhsponsors.blogspot.com/2010/02/apron-giveaway-by-christa-taylor.html)

Just imagine, you are wearing this apron at home... doesn't matter if you have guests over or just doing house work alone, wearing a pretty apron like this makes the house work much more enjoyable. Wouldn't you agree?

Here is how you can enter:

1. Visit the "Tea Rose Home" blog, at http://trhsponsors.blogspot.com/2010/02/apron-giveaway-by-christa-taylor.html

2. Leave a comment on the post (you will get one entry) on The Tea Rose Home blogspot

3. Become follower of The Tea Rose Home and show her your beautiful face on my side bar (second entry)

4. Blog about this giveaway on your blog and link back (third entry)

Sachiko, on The Tea Rose Home, will close the entry on the midnight of the 25th, then will post the winner on the morning of February 26th. Good luck everyone!

Noo....

So, I have decided, after great argumentation with my inner-self, to cut out coffee, dairy milk and extra non-organic sugars out of my diet. That is, extra sugary foods (cookies, ice-cream, sugar in tea, etc., and so forth.)

This did all start after I read a friends blog post (click the post title to navigate to her blog) on the "race" Paul talks about in Hebrews... serious conviction... And she's on no sugar, at all... harsh!

'Tis tragic, I know... But the good news is, my dedication to this new-found "way of life" will not stop me from eating the ever healthy Chocolate! Dude, that would be, almost, sacreligious!

Ideally, I would like to be going somewhat all-organic all together, but we really cannot afford it (at all). Does any one have any ideas as how to keep things organic and more healthy than the typical American, and still maintain a relatively cheap grocery budget?

(and just for the record, I don't think I could ever give this up, permenantly, without some sort of major conviction, or deadly-disease... But hey, isn't dark chocolate suppose to be actually healthy for you, any how?)

Knitting Ideas

Since our family has been fighting illness, I have taken this opportunity to start knitting again... knit-one, pearl-one, knit-one, pearl-one...

The color of the project, which is a scarf, is a deepy, grape purple. Very lovely. I will have to be very careful with how and with what I wear the scarf, however, as dark colors are not something that are usualy worn in casual clothing. However, I enjoy a good challenge and am feeling the need to be much more daring and adventuresome in the fashion department.

Purple all by itself is rather boring, so I was thinking about trimming the edges with lace, or buttons; beads or... not sure what else.

So this evening I have been scowering the internet (since I have not other medium of research at my disposal, at this time in life) for ideas that would be, not only fashionably, but also tasteful and in my liking.

Basically, today has been filled with pondering how to to add more detail to the scarf...

Any input is more than welcome!

Hi Again!

It's been awefully long since I have posted anything on this blog of femininity and girlieness.... too long!
I must say I have quite missed clacking away on the computer, writing about fashion, femininity, modesty, woman-hood and the call of young ladies by Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Catching up:

Since the fire, I have had the wonderful opporunity to attend a History Museum, where I learned about the importanct of swords, the differnet types of swords, and that I aspire to (someday) learn how to use the Rapier (and... umm.... buy one :-D VERY lady-like, I know). The gentleman who was showing off his wonderful weapons of war was quite engaged with my brother, friend and I, as we asked questions related to the wonders of the historic correctness movies (such as Princess Bride) portray about weapontry.

(it was quite enjoyable) As a side note, I also found out that I was defined as "Arwen"
on a "what Lord of the Rings character" quiz that I took...

So the Rapier makes sense... right?

Another thing that "happened upon me..." Or more approprietly, something I was drafted into..

Mom directs a drama performance for a local home school drama competition. This year the woman who who assisted her is not only a talanted actress, herself, but a beautiful gifted seamstress!

In fact, she either taylored or completely built, from scratch, the incredibly beautiful costumes the young ladies and gentlmen were privilaged to wear in front of a public audienc! (I was so jealous!)

And I have discovered that I absolutely adore Christa-Taylor's blog, as well as fashion line :)

PLEASE visite:

www.christa-taylor.com

:)