True Beauty

 She looks into her mirror, a sad countenance on her face... why must she have so many freckles, blemishes, and faults? She tries to put up her hair like the "other girls" do, but her efforts fail her, and the ribbons and clips and fanciful additions all come to nothing.

She opens her closet, glancing from side to side, and wishing that she had more clothes that made her look like the others... wishing that she would be counted amongst the "pretty girls". Her vain pursuits have taken her no where...

Why don't others pay attention and pamper her desires like they do to the popular ones... the ones who always have it all. Why are there never people busy about her, flattering her, and giving her attention?

She wonders if she is not pretty enough, doesn't have a good outward appearance...

"Maybe if I start acting like, dressing like, talking like...."

She falls liable to that trap that so many young ladies fall into... the trap of discontentment and the wrong view of beauty.

This sad tale doesn't have to be... there is another way, another road. The Creator has made each and every one of us beautiful... and by rejecting ourselves and His design for us, we are saying that He, the Almighty King, made a mistake.

But, as it says in Psalm 19:14...

"I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well."

I am made in the image of God... the Creator of all.

He who loves me with an everlasting love, shaped me and formed me.

He gave me every single freckle...He made my eyes the perfect color...He gifted me with the hair that He desired for me to have.

Yet, our outward appearance means so little, if anything, in comparison to the place of true beauty, the beauty of one's heart. A truly beautiful person is one whose heart fears the Lord, who wears the adornments of love, kindness, compassion, and humility as graceful garlands...the beauty of a Godly heart is the most to be desired.

"Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."

Proverbs 31:30

Many of us know this verse by heart, but how many of us are living it?

Do we value a pure and contrite heart, or are we so focused on being popular or pretty?

"Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God"

1 Peter 3:3-4

A truly beautiful young lady is one who wears the Godly virtues of gentleness and love...

Dear reader... the Lord has made YOU BEAUTIFUL just the way you are, for HE MADE YOU!

You have been created by the Lord, who has a beautiful plan for your life...

Contentment comes when we embrace His gift to us... when we bless Him for making us who we are, because He did it for His glory. Let us strive to continue to put on the beautiful virtues treasured by the Lord, and to fear Him with all of our heart, knowing that He has made us exactly the way He has planned, for our good and His glory. The one who does this is truly is a beautiful person...

Blessings,

Dresses, a photo by Nurse Kate on Flickr.
Poppies I, a photo by cwasteson on Flickr.

Finding Blessings

Hello Dear Readers,

This week and next weeks topics will conisist of writings focused on "Finding beauty in who God wants us to be" or " Being who we are as God created us to be."

As I thought about what to write on, I realized what a deep subject we are taking on and how we could spend a month rather than two weeks on this topic :]  How do I touch a subject that effects so many young ladies hearts and bring encouragement to them in a short post?

I have to admit, I write this with some trepidation.  This is an area that I struggle with and it's difficult for me to write about something I have yet to fully apply to my own life.  So, as you read this, please understand I am still working on application.

Our family has been learing a lot lately about this specific topic from Embassy Institute (I wrote about this on my blog).  Paul and Jenny Speed, two of the speakers, have specifically talked about how Satan desires us to believe different lies about ourselves that cause us to not be able to live vibrant lives, content and happy where God has placed us and with who we are. - The young women He has created us to be.    One of the points that they continue to point out is that we are made in the image of God.  If we believe lies that Satan has encouraged us to believe, like, "I'm ugly," "I'm worthless," "I'm stupid," "I need to do everything perfect in order to be loved," etcetera, then we need to ask ourselves, "Is God stupid?"  Is God ugly?" "Is God worthless?"  We are made in His image and He is not any of those things and neither are we.


Whatever it is that we believe about ourselves, we need realize that Satan is putting those lies into our heads and we need to denounce him and find who we are in Christ.  He is the only one we are to seek our validation and worth from.  If He believes we are special enough to send His only Son, to die on the cross, to take our penalty for our sins, then we as His daughters should trust Him.  He has a specific reason for the color of our eyes, hair and skin, our height and weight, our family, friends, and where we live, what our talents and weaknesses are and so much more.


Can you find the blessings in life's storms?

On of the keys to finding contentment with who we are (along with prayer & devotions) is seeing the blessings in our surroundings.  Cultivating the character qualities of gratefulness and contentment.

"Gratefulness is the foundation of a believers walk with God, and of God's daily will for our lives. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 ~ In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
By giving thanks for all things, including unexpected trials, physical infirmities, people who reproach and persecute us, mundane necessities of life, distressing situations, we will pass the test of the Holy Spirit and receive the power of genuine love, joy and peace." [1]

(As I read the above paragraph I realized that the quote needed the verse Phillipians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." to go with it.  We will never be able to accomplish any of the above without Christ's help!)

"Gratefulness is defined by God as a sacrifice because it means surrenduring our natural tendency to murmur." [2]   Psalm 116:17, " I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord."

"Next to faith, this is the highest art: to be content in the calling in which God has placed you." ~ Martin Luther

God has a reason for everything, our job is to trust Him and follow where He leads.

I want to encourage you to find the blessings that surround you.  Satan has to work doubly hard on a heart that is grateful and content.

Abigail wrote on her personal blog a few week ago about a website that Ann Voskamp (author of "One Thousand Gifts") writes.  She has a free list that she will post every month, containing ideas on how to find unique and creative ways to find beauty in your life.  It has greatly encouraged me and I would highly recommend taking on the challenge of finding 1,000 gifts in a year.  Here is a link to her website.  Enjoy!

May God bless you girls with eyes and hearts that find joy, peace, and beauty in who God has made you and where He has placed you.

Striving one day at a time to follow the narrow road,

Grace for the Good Girl

I was born a Good Girl. I was raised in a Christian household, the oldest child, academically inclined, a dedicated Christian, never went through that "teenage rebellion" stage, worked with the family, getting a college education--that's me. I'm always striving for perfection, to do everything "right". What does "right" mean, exactly? It means the absolute best I can do, and more than that. All my life I've gone through a punishing cycle of longing to be good enough and then failing my own wildly outrageous expectations. If my essay is given a grade of 97% I tend to think, what about the other 3%? If I pray for 5 minutes I tend to think, shouldn't I pray for 10? My life is dominated by ratios and statistics and scores and rates. I'm not really negative, just driven. And I always thought that was a good thing.

Are you like a Good Girl?

Emily P. Freeman, author of Grace for the Good Girl, opened my eyes to a world where I don't have to strive for Jesus' approval, or my family's and friends' approval, or my own approval. I am a Good Girl because of Christ's redeeming blood, not because I earn high grades, or pray a lot, or witness to thousands, or always wear a smile. I am a daughter of the King because of who He is, not because of who I am.

It's such a simple concept--one that I've heard in a variety of contexts for years--but Emily brings it all home with stories and examples from her own life and the lives of other women that make me cry tears of identification and beautiful relief. I'm not alone! I'm not the only girl who's longed to be good enough and can never, never, never be good enough. I'm only halfway through Grace for the Good Girl right now, but I'm consuming every page with avid eagerness, waiting to discover more secrets about myself that I never guessed (and there are many), learning from the mistakes and heartaches of women who have walked the path I'm walking to its bitter, galling end.

It's a book that might very well change my life.

The life of a Good Girl is all about her Mask: the thing that hides all of her insecurities and guilt and substitutes a lovely facade which everyone looks at and says, "Wow, what a beautiful girl!" We love our Masks because they protect us, but they scare us because we know what will happen if they drop away--everyone will see us for what we truly are. 

There are many different flavors of Good Girl. Maybe you don't strive for academic perfection, but your Mask is a good reputation that you would do anything to protect. Are you always hiding behind the "I'm fine" response, constantly wearing a smile and hoping that no one realizes that you're being ripped apart inside? Perhaps you're like the biblical Martha, hiding behind your acts of service, working and working and working for acceptance. Perhaps you're a rule follower who hides behind spiritual disciplines, doing all the right things in the right order and coming up empty from the well of eternal life. Do you hide behind a Mask of strength and responsibility? Perhaps you would do anything to please the people you love--even deny yourself an opinion and personality of your own--or you might identify with the older brother in the story of the prodigal son (that's me!) and feel sharp, grating anger when you don't get rewarded for your hard work and the undeserving get their socks blessed off.

These are just a few symptoms of "Good Girl-ness". They will eventually lead you and me to a place of self-sufficient hardness, pride, ingratitude, and crushing inadequacy. Can it be cured? Emily is teaching me how to receive, remain, respond, and remember the amazing grace of Christ. He does have grace--even for Good Girls. 

I can't wait to finish this book, and I hope that if you see any resemblance to yourself in the descriptions above that you will snap it up as soon as possible (it's $11.19 on Amazon). Watch the video below and hear from other women who have realized the pitfalls of their Good Girl-ness...and lived to tell about it.

For a more complete review, see parchmentgirl.com

My name is Abigail Rogers, and I'm a good girl.

Wordplay: A Review

I apologize for another late post! I planned to post this afternoon while I was away, but for some reason I couldn't connect to the wifi there. There's been a family emergency, so even though I'm not finished writing this post, I'm just going to post it.

Since we've posted a lot about spiritual issues, I've decided to focus more on the academic side this time. A lot of homeschoolers, it seems, are writers, and as such are ever seeking to hone their craft.

One of my favorite sites for fiction writers, and the only one I read regularly, is KM Weiland's Wordplay. She consistently offers relevant and objective advice on all aspects of story in a humorous yet intelligent tone.

Just Jane: {a book review}

{via}

Recently, I borrowed a book from my friend's dear library

called Just Jane: A Novel of Jane Austen's Life by the talented Nancy Moser. 

{To learn more about the author's books visit her website, here!}

::Summary::

Jane Austen lives simply in the English countryside with her beloved family, entertaining them with her stories and seeking romance.  She never ventures far from her own corner of the world and struggles to find her place in it.  Growing up in a clergyman's home gives Jane opportunities to observe human nature at its best--and worst.

Vivid and delightful characters pour from her pen--Elizabeth Bennet, Fitzwilliam Darcy, Emma Woodhouse, Fanny Price, John Willoughby...Jane dreams of publishing her stories and sharing them with the world, but she's just Jane from Steventon, isn't she?  Will anyone ever read her novels?

{click here to read an excerpt from the first chapter.}

::My thoughts::

With rich characters and an intriguing story you will immediately be drawn into the world of Jane and the everyday happenings of her life {what a pleasure this is!}.  The thing that inspired me most about Jane was her firm trust in the Lord throughout her trials--as well as her love for writing!  She never gave up hope that her works would become published someday. 

My rating of this book = 5 out of 5 stars.

::Favorite quotes from Just Jane::

Cassandra {Jane's devoted sister} to Jane:  "Instincts are given to us by God to guide us. It takes a strong woman to listen to those instincts and ignore what the world says to do."

Jane:  "I opened the trunk and gazed upon the work of my life; pages and pages of words carefully chosen, drawing images of people who were as real to me as flesh and blood, who lived lives that had been put on hold while I muddled through my own struggles and disappointments."

Jane: "I do not wish to write a story where all is completely as it should be.  At least not without a good bit of trials, travails, and travels along the way."

  

Jane:  "All things happen for a reason--but that does not mean all things succeed as we hope."

Jane:  "Now that my writing has its own solid place within the moments of my life, I am free to enjoy all the moments more fully." 

<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3

I am always intrigued by anything having to do with Jane Austen, so this book has been splendid to read!  Have you read Just Jane? 

{If not, please add it to your wishlist--I hope you will fall in love with it as much as I did.  *winks*} 

If so, what were your thoughts about it?   

<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3

Also, for those of you who are Jane Austen fans,

I encourage you to join these fun blog events here & here!

Blessings,

Les Miserables

I went back and forth for quite awhile on what to write for my review. So finally, staring up at my bookshelf (it's a very pretty bookshelf, if I can just brag on my daddy and my book-collecting ability for a moment), I decided I'd just write about a recent book I read and really loved, Les Miserables.

Les Mis is one of those huge books that people are afraid of--and for good reason, I have to admit. The copy I read was over 1200 pages long, full of weighty discourses on religion, philosophy, politics, and the nature of man. It's not an easy, fluffy sort of read that you just curl up with and heartily enjoy in an few weeks. It took me over a month to read, and that's saying something since usually I can blow through books in a matter of days, even relatively long books (as a point of comparison, I read Brisingr in a little under a week and book 7 of the Harry Potter series in three days). Hence, Les Mis was a book I went into with some trepidation, just because it really is so huge and has a reputation for being rather dry.

I did find parts of it dull. Hugo's retelling of the Battle of Waterloo is notoriously, ramblingly boring by times, despite the occasionally important details contained within it. Some of his inward discourses on religion and the reasons thereof also got to be a bit too much, but were enjoyable nonetheless.

And so, despite the many cons that could be lodged against this book, I heartily enjoyed it. The characters were beautifully engaging, even Cosette, who occasionally felt too much like a Mary Sue to my writer's mind. Fantine's story is so beautifully sad, so utterly moving on such a primal way--and I have to confess something. I wish she had lived, because she and Jean Valjean would have gotten married and been very happy. Perhaps that's not what would have happened, you say. But you are wrong, and I am right, and don't you disturb my "shipper's" heart.

Marius is easily one of my favorite male characters of all time. He ranks just slightly lower than Mr. Bingley, actually, who's a close second to Mr. Knightley, who just scrapes below Aragorn who's about five slots below Mr. Darcy, who's pretty much perfection. Don't judge me. I have lots of favorites. Anyway, even though Marius occasionally seems like a rather weak sort of fellow (for instance--what sort of man determines to kill himself because his girl is moving away?), he's still adorably sweet and his general state of distraction is so hilarious to read.

And then there's Jean Valjean himself, the central thread that binds Les Mis together into one cohesive whole. At times, I found him frightening. I found some of his actions detestable. I thought him the worst sort. But then, as the reader was taken into his mind and shown the torture and yet beautiful simplicity of his soul, you came to realize that he's really one of the most amazing people to ever walk the planet. His intentions pure, albeit twisted occasionally, he always ends up doing the right thing, even when it is difficult and you wonder why he did it. In the end, I believe he is possibly one of the most human (complicated, contradictory, yet beautiful) characters I've ever gotten to know.

These characters are put into a world of such beautiful complexity. I've read French literature, or literature set in France, before--The Three Musketeers, The Scarlet Pimpernel, things like that--but never one like Les Mis. Les Mis isn't afraid to deal with the most dark, horrible bits of humanity. Prostitution, murder, revenge, greed, all of these have a place within the story. Hugo takes a long, hard look at it what is darkest and most reprehensible in human nature. And then into that he weaves redemption: love, honor, order, honesty.

And so he wove one of the most amazing stories ever.

Wives And Daughters: A Review



Molly Gibson with her Father

When I first stumbled upon this classic story, I fell in love with it right away.

The beauty, purity, and issues presented captivated my heart.

"Wives and Daughters", written by Elizabeth Gaskell in the 1800's, is both a wonderful book and an enchanting movie{ by BBC in 1999}.It tells the story of a young lady {Molly Gibson} who lives with her dear father in a small town in England. Her mother died while she was young, and therefore her relationship with her father was highly prized and cherished. Her father was a loving man and was devoted to his daughter....

Mr. Gibson decides to marry later on in Molly's life, and the woman he chooses is one who is, simply put, a tool to help add to Molly's virtue of patience. With a new mother comes a new step-sister named Cynthia, Molly has a completely different life before her. Molly and Cynthia become very good friends, though Cynthia's past tangles up in Molly's life and Cynthia captures the heart of a young man that Molly cherishes...  as the story unfolds, you will continually see Molly's truthful, pure, selfless, and humble character beautifully portrayed, even though others begin to judge her otherwise. She remains steadfast under severe trails, and her virtuous character always prevails.


Thoughts that filled my mind as I watched this movie were the blessings of purity {as she displays with her relationship with the Hamley's.}and the joy that follows when a daughter cherishes her relationship with her father.

Molly's selfless character is a pleasant joy to revisit time and time again, and her Godly virtues are to be applicable in every young ladies' life...

A book worth reading a hundred times... a movie that you will immediately fall in love with... "Wives and Daughters" is a wonderful story and will captivate your heart!

Blessings,