A Tale of Two Sisters...or Three :-)

Check out my most recent post on The Dashwood Sisters blog.  It was lots of fun to write, because I rarely write essays. :-)  Hope you enjoy.

Humility and Happiness

"The highest lesson a believer has to learn is humility. Oh that every Christian who seek to advance in holiness may remember this well! There may be intense consecration, and fervent zeal and heavenly experience, and yet, if it is not prevented by very special dealings of the Lord, there may be an unconscious self-exaltation with it all. Let us learn the lesson,--the highest holiness is the deepest humility; and let us remember that comes not of itself, but only as it is made matter of special dealing on the part of our faithful Lord and His faithful servant.

"Let us look at our lives in the light of this experience, and see whether we gladly glory in weakness, whether we take pleasure, as Paul did, in injuries, in necessities, in distresses. Yes, let us ask whether we have learnt to regard a reproof, just or unjust, a reproach from friend or enemy, an injury, or trouble, or difficulty into which others bring us, as above all an opportunity of proving Jesus is all to us, how our own pleasure or honor are nothing, and , how humiliation is in very truth what we take pleasure in. It is indeed blessed, the deep happiness of heaven, to be so free from self that whatever is said of us or done to us is lost and swallowed up, in the thought that Jesus is all."

~Andrew Murray in Humility, Chapter 11

Graduation and Reflections

 Yesterday we celebrated my graduation from highschool with a graduation open house.  Being homeschooled and not part of an actual homeschool group, I did have a cap-and-gown ceremony, but the open house was a nice way to "officially" make the transition between being a schoolgirl to being GRADUATED! :-D :-D :-D

With graduating and reflecting on my years so far and being asked what's next, I have been thinking a lot about the supremacy of God in every aspect of my life-- including (or especially) in graduation.  Yesterday morning I read in Philippians about Paul's many great accomplishments-- "circumcised the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless"-- and yet all these things he counted as loss, they meant nothing to him, "because of--" (I love this!!) "-- the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." 

All I do-- all I accomplish, in sewing, in writing, in music, in church activities, in friendships, in preparing for my future-- all these things matter nothing if Christ is not in them.  I can do amazing things, but if Christ is not my all, then I have wasted everything.  As I graduate and step into the next chapter of my life, I want Christ to be my ALL.  My desire is to give Him that place of highest importance in my life, that He may reign preeminent over every aspect of my life.  Oh that He would reign in my writing, guiding my hand and heart to write the words that bring glory to His name.  Oh that He would receive glory in my sewing and music, that I would use them for His kingdom and to grow in character as I run into challenges.  Oh that He might have supreme place in my heart as I wait for the man who will be my husband and best friend-- that I would find fulfillment in Jesus and not be discontent with where I am now.  And oh that with each trial, each joy, each new experience God brings into my life, I might embrace those things and be molded more into the image of Christ Jesus-- that I would more and more reflect His patience, His love, His compassion, His humility.  That there would be less of me and all of Him. 

Graduating and stepping into adulthood is a little scary in some ways.  I am now having to make more decisions, and more significant decisions, and people are expecting me to make their idea of a good decision... and the more I realize this, the more I realize the great need I have to come before God and seek His face and ask for HIS wisdom and rely on His leading.  I am also seeing the need to "take every thought captive to obey Christ", to not allow myself to immerse myself in what is past (a.k.a. nostalgia, a.k.a. a form of depression ;-) ) but instead to "forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead.  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."  In these new and exciting challenges of growing up, I am finding so many opportunities to step out of myself and to rely more fully on Christ and seek Him more diligently.  I praise God for that!

Please do pray for me as I graduate, not that I may be successful in any upcoming career, nor that I would have all the things my heart could ask for, but that I would be completely satisfied with and devoted to Christ-- that He would be my ALL.  Not just Number 1, but my ALL.

~*~*~*~*~

TONE CHANGE:

For those who want to ask what my plans are and who I can just answer all at once, here's my plans... liable to change, though, for God's plans are always better!

• Finish writing The Marquis' Daughter
• Send The Marquis' Daughter in to a publisher
• Keep up my Etsy shop and get more experience costuming/sewing
• (far-fetched, but not impossible) Take a trip to Colombia to study and experience for Airborne :-) +PLUS+ as a missions trip opportunity
• Learn guitar and improve my singing 
• Memorize 1 John
• Improve homemaking skills

Okay, see?  So a girl can stay very busy without having to go to college.  Thought I might throw that in here since we were talking about graduating. :-)  May God reign over all those activities.

"Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God." 

~ Corrie Ten Boom

photo by Ruby Hopkins

Landscapes

Which do you like best?

* Forests/Woods

"Then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth." (Psalm 96:12b-13)

* Mountains

"Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted." (Isaiah 49:13)

* Seaside

"The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves. The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea." (Psalm 93:3,4)

I definitely love the seaside best (or lakeside... anything that is a large enough body of water that you can't see to the other side. :-) )  Being near the water fills me with a sense of freedom and excitement, and I am sure that if I were ever to live inland, more than 30 minutes from a large body of water, I would feel suffocated and land-locked. 
On the other hand, I highly dislike forests/woods.  I suppose living in a clearing, surrounded by trees that drop nuts and dull dead leaves and stringy, polleny things has helped to develop this dislike.  But anyway, when you are walking through the woods you can't see the sunset except a few colors through the branches, and it's so dark and confined and... suffocating.  By the sea, you can stand in the open with the sea and the heavens stretching as far as you can see, and you can enjoy the thrill of watching the great ball of sun sinking lower and lower, spreading its crimson beams across the clearly visible horizon, and then see it be swallowed up in the waters.  I love that!  Also, woods block the breeze and wind, but you get more of an effect of the wind (branches littered all over the yard); on the shore you can throw your arms open wide and feel the wind just take your breath away, at  the same time hearing the mighty crashing of the waves on the beach.  I love that too.

Mountains are okay too, but those are landlocked so I'll save those for vacations. :-)

Feel free to vote your answer on the poll and share your reason in the comments. :-)

Good Blogs to Read, Part 6

Isn't it so exciting when you find a blog in which just about every post stands out to you and tells you something you really need to hear?

One blog that has recently encouraged me through several posts is

A Writer's Blog

This blog is authored by Chelsea Peterson, a sweet young lady with a contagious love for the Lord.  She also runs a site called Perfecting 113, a site for young ladies (the site is currently under construction).
Her posts are often short (not lengthy ones with huge paragraphs that are daunting before you read them) and very to-the-point, telling you exactly what you need to hear.  Today's was on Listening, and how God sometimes must take distractions out of our lives so that we will listen to Him.   Now and then, she will also post about life and family, or about the book she is writing-- these posts are also very enjoyable to read.

I highly encourage you to check out Chelsea's blog and follow it.  I assure you, you will be blessed.

Perfect Peace ♥

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace,

whose mind is stayed on Thee:

because he trusteth in Thee.

Trust ye in the LORD for ever:

for in the LORD JEHOVAH is

everlasting strength.

Isaiah 26:3-4

My Salvation Testimony

I originally wrote this article for the "By Grace" column for the January-March 2010 issue of my magazine, the Tuckleberry Times.  I thought, because some of you may not have read it, I would share it here.


In each person's life comes a point of turning from self unto God; from reliance on one's works to reliance on the finished work of Jesus Christ. Sometimes this point comes later on in their years, after many long, hard years trekking down a pathway of sin. For others, it comes early on, at the beginning of the journey of life, giving that person a whole lifetime to travel that new road of salvation.

The latter was the case for me. I was only six years old when I asked Jesus to come into my heart. I don‟t remember much of that night; only, I remember sitting on my bed in the room upstairs in our house in Erie, and my mom talking with me, and I remember praying a simple, heartfelt prayer.

Because I was so young then, changes came alongside the regular growth of most elementary-age children. Early on, God placed in my heart a deep love for His Word (one afternoon I spent entirely in reading the Gospel of Matthew out loud to my toys!) and a passion to proclaim His truth to the lost (one of the most memorable instances of this was when I prayed out loud in front of a Catholic friend for her to be saved!  That didn't go over very well...)

As I got older, however, doubts began to fill my mind. I would hear preachers say that you ought to be able to identify the exact day, time, and place you were saved, which made me worry, because the details were, for me, so very fuzzy, and I couldn't even remember what month it was! Then I would hear about people being saved out of terrible lifestyles and experiencing complete, radical change, and I worried because I couldn't remember any radical change in my life. To add to all that, I doubted the sincerity of my faith because at one moment I might be so passionate about someone getting saved and the next moment be mad at my sisters or doing something behind my parents' backs. Whenever I heard a sermon on repentance, I felt sick inside, because I just wasn't sure whether I had ever experienced true salvation or not. Whenever I heard about the return of Christ, I feared—even in my sleep, I would dream about Christ returning and me being terrified because I did not know if I would be left behind.

The climax for me came when I was thirteen years old. A sermon I heard at church helped me to realize that I needed to stop worrying about my salvation and hoping that my prayer had “got me in”; I needed to just rest and trust in Jesus Christ completely. That afternoon I consulted my mom, knelt down by the couch in our basement, and talked to Jesus about it. I confessed that I really didn't know whether I was saved or not, but I wanted to rest in His saving grace and His work on the cross, not on any prayer that I had prayed. And He gave me peace and reassurance, reminding me that His grace is sufficient, and His promises are sure. It was such a burden off my shoulders, to know that my salvation was secure in Christ, and I did not need to doubt any longer!

Since that day, I have seen the Lord working so much in my life. I definitely can say that I am far from perfection, but the Lord is helping me, reminding me of His truth, teaching me about Himself so that I can strive to live like Him through the power of the Holy Spirit. What a great joy it is that we do not need to live a life of fear and despair in trying to reach favor with God. Jesus has taken the penalty for our sin and clothed us in His righteousness so that we may be justified (“declared righteous”) before God and have a living relationship with Him. It is truly by His grace that we are saved! Let us praise Him for it!

Just for Fun

As some of you know, one of my kind of "goofy" interests is American Girl dolls (stemming from a lifelong friendship with Kirsten :-) ).  I especially enjoy playing dolls with little girls (because it's a good excuse to play dolls and not seem immature. ;-) )  The other week, a little friend of mine and I put together a doll "photo story".  We made up the story together and used hers and my dolls to act it.  I thought I would go ahead and share it with you for fun. :-)

Here it is:

Rebecca Makes a Friend

"Before the Throne of God Above"

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea:
A great high Priest whose Name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there the risen Lamb,
My perfect spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
King of glory and of grace,
One in Himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ my Savior and my God!

~Charitie Bancroft

Introduction

I am pleased to introduce to you...

COMPLETE IN THEE....

a public blog!

After talking with my Pappa, and after my Pappa talking with my Mamma, I have decided to open up my blog.  The reason is

1) so you can get posts in your feed
2) so I can share my blog with more people
3) so people with whom I want to share my blog don't have to go through the confusion of starting a google account
4) so I may be able to reach out to more people with the Gospel of Christ

Very little will change, except that you will get notifications in your blogger feed now if you follow "Complete in Thee", and I will probably be posting less about my and my family's personal lives. (Those will  move to the family blog.)  That's all.  And don't worry; I will carefully moderate all comments and keep an eye on my "stats"-- a new feature on blogger, by the way. :-)

So, because I want this blog to be usable in the Lord's hands and always give Him the glory, I will share a verse that has been a great encouragement to me today:

"The LORD will guide you always; 

he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land 

and will strengthen your frame. 

You will be like a well-watered garden, 

like a spring whose waters never fail." 

Isaiah 58:11 

 (YIKES!  I just did it-- I clicked "Allow Anybody".  Eek!  Decision made. Enjoy! :-) )

New...

poll on the sidebar. :-)  Feel free to share your thoughts on it in the comments.

Prayer and Victory

"And they cried to the Lord and...God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah." (2 Chronicles 13:14b, 15b)

"And Asa cried to the Lord his God...so the Lord defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah." (2 Chronicles 14:11a, 12a)

"Victory," said Eric Liddell, "over all the circumstances comes not by might, nor by power, but by a practical confidence in God and by allowing His Spirit to dwell in our hearts and control our actions and emotions."

The more I think of it, the more I realize I cannot have victory over satan and over the flesh apart from a whole-hearted calling upon God for help. You see, I'm no match for the devil in and of myself.  He is powerful (though not all-powerful), and I am very weak indeed.  But God is all-powerful, reigning over all things and controlling the events of life.  He alone brings victory in the battles of the spirit and the soul.  If I try to win these battles myself, I will fall miserably, and the enemy will laugh over me at my defeat.  However, the moment I turn to God and call on His Name and trust that He is the Victor, God will hear and act, and the enemy will flee.

I have been finding that, especially in my struggle to rise above this world in my spirit and to know God, prayer is the key to victory.  I cannot know God except by prayer, after and during which He reveals Himself to me in His Word and other ways.  Prayer is communing with God, and by this communion I draw near to the heart of God who made me for His glory, for that relationship.

Over the years, the Lord has given me several people that stand as "role models" and "heroes" to me-- from friends like Mrs. Maurer and Mrs. Vrotsos to Christians of the past like Amy Carmichael and Eric Liddell.  ♥  These people inspire me.  They are so close to God; their hearts are so closely knit to the Father; their very existence radiates the Holy Spirit who is dwelling in their hearts.  I want so much to be like them!  And as I consider these people and their lives, I see that they are the way they are, they are close to the Lord, by constant repairing unto the Lord, seeking His face, asking for His guidance and intervention in every aspect of life... they draw nigh to God day by day, moment by moment, and God draws near to them. It is as God promised-- "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."  "Come unto me...and I will give you rest."   "If you seek Him, He will be found by you."  These people who are role models to me have done just that, and God has fulfilled His promise.  That is why their lives are so beautiful.  And that is why mine can be too.


Do you want so much to be close to God?  Then pray, and seek His face.  Do you really want to see Him work?  Then pray, and seek His face.  Do you truly want victory in your spiritual life?  Then pray, and seek His face.  Prayer is our duty and our part.  God will take care of things from there.

Movie Quote Game

Here are the rules:

1. Pick 20 of your favorite movies.

2. Go to IMDB.com and find a quote from each movie.

3. Post them for everyone to guess.

4. Strike it out when someone guesses correctly, and put who guessed it and the movie.

5. NO cheating.


1.  "Ah yes, you're just like me!  Never less alone than when alone, as... one of our great authors has so justly expressed it!"   Wives and Daughters, guessed by Hanne-Col


2. Character #1: "No one of our age has ever taken power."
Character #2: "Which is why we're too young to realize certain things are impossible. Which is why we will do them anyway." Amazing Grace, guessed by Teddy and Hanne-Col

3.  "Go, confront the problem.  Fight!  Win!  And call me when you get back, darling,  I enjoy our visits." The Incredibles, guessed by Mama


4. Character #1: "Oh dear!"
Character #2: "What?"
Character #1: "What--oh-- oh!  Something about the deer we need for... the... venison stew!"  Emma, guessed by Teddy

5. Character #1: "I bet you've got a lot of mice in here."
Character #2: "Sir, a mouse is no more permitted in here than a man without a car!" That Darn Cat, guessed by Teddy

6. "I want something new!  I want something fresh!  I want something real!  Don't sugercoat your stories, boys. This is the Cincinnati register, a beacon of cold, clear light in a sea of sentimental flop!" Kit Kittredge: An American Girl, guessed by Teddy

7. "I tried to forget you.  I thought I had." Persuasion, guessed by Mama

8. "If you cannot think of anything appropriate to say you will please restrict your remarks to the weather." Sense and Sensibility, guessed by Lilly

9. Character #1: "What if them ruffians come thieving around here with nobody on the farm but four defenseless women!"
Character #2: "I shudder to think of it!" Friendly Persuasion, guessed by Marie

10. "We gotta do something about the car. The only thing it does faithfully for us is break down." Facing the Giants, guessed by Teddy

11.  "A basket?  What would we want with a basket?  We've little enough to put in it." North and South, guessed by Teddy and Hanne-Col

12. "Three days he has been in the neighborhood and still he shuns us!  I say it is all your father's fault!  He would not do his duty and call-- so you shall all die old maids!" Pride and Prejudice, guessed by Marie, Teddy, and Hanne-Col

13. "You look like two marshmallows trying to get out of a hotwheel!" Flywheel, guessed by Marie

14. "I may not be a gentleman, but I am a man."

15. "All right--I'm not screaming. We will talk about this calmly and rationally. (yelling) You can't marry her; you'll ruin everything!" Parent Trap, guessed by Lilly

16. "Happy when she gets it, sad when she reads it." Chrissa Stands Strong, guessed by Bethany

17. Character #1: This isn't gonna be a highway interchange. This is the nothin'est nothin' I ever saw.
Character #2:  Maybe there's oil under here. Maybe we're floating on a gusher and don't even know it.
Character #1: There's no oil under here! What we are floating on is the parking lot repaving fund, the parish renovation fund, the organ fund... What the Deaf Man Heard, guessed by Hannah

18. Character #1: Now, let me see... There's the large carpet in the main hall- Clean it! And the windows upstairs and down- Wash them! Oh yes, and the tapestries and the draperies...
Character #2: [interrupting] But I just finished...
Character #1: [interrupting] Do them again! And don't forget the garden. Then scrub the terrace, sweep the halls and the stairs, clean the chimneys. And of course there's the mending and the sewing and the laundry... Oh, yes, and one more thing. See that [the cat] gets his bath." Cinderella, guessed by Teddy

19. "Reason?  Reason only means what someone else has got to say!  I can't talk reason when I have a mind to-- and I have a mind to now!" Cranford, guessed by Mama

20. "You must never, never clear your throat!" Rigoletto, guessed by Lilly