Books: Personal Favorites

     Most people have a list of their favorite movies.  While I do have a few favorite movies, I would much rather snuggle up with a good book.  Here is a list of my favorite books.  Although I haven't always been a big fan of reading, that has recently changed.  My free times are usually filled with reading, baking or playing with siblings.  Over the years I have been blessed by many works of literature that have helped to encourage, challenge and exhort me in these years of being a young adult.  Ranging on topics from purity to evangelism, I hope these books will encourage you in your walk with Christ as many of them paint a beautiful and biblical picture of what is means to be a godly young woman.  These are all wonderful resources that I would HIGHLY encourage you to read.  May you be blessed by them as much as I have been.

Before You Meet Prince Charming
This is the very first book I remember actually enjoying reading.  At the age of about twelve, a friend gave this book to me and I could hardly wait to start.  Through the princess story at the beginning of each chapter, to the insightful down-to-earth informative endings, Sarah Mally does a wonderful job helping girls to see what it looks like to shine bight with radiance and purity.  While the topics related to guys and handling purity are discussed, they are done in a way that is appropriate for all ages.  Although the nature of the book is informative, it is not dry at all.  Filled with comics, stories and experiences this book will keep you turning the page not wanting to put it down.  I highly suggest you use a highlighter when reading!
Rating 4 1/2 out of 5  Age: 12+

The Gospel's Power and Message

Okay ladies, contrary to popular belief, things of spiritual and scriptural
significance are not just for when you hit the age of thirty or for men.  NOW is the time to learn much about God, His Word and the most important message ever proclaimed, the gospel.  Now is the time to train so that in the future we may be well equipped.  That is what this books does.  Going back to scripture and not modern man's opinion, Paul Washer clearly and concisely explains the true gospel.  Honestly, if you only read one book in this whole list, I would want you to read this one.  The gospel is not just the door mat to our walk with Christ but the central theme.  We need to have a correct understanding of not only the message but also the every day impact it should have on our lives.

                                                                                                                                   Rating: 5/5 Age: 14+

One Thing I Desire
Written by a young woman passionate about knowing Jesus Christ to other young women, this short book is packed with encouragement. Through it's pages you will be challenged to know Christ more, and not just to know Him but to love Him and serve Him.
Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5  Age:12+

Will Our Generation Speak?

Evangelism, witnessing, sharing your faith um...sound a little frightening?   It doesn't need to be.  Being biblical, practical, and very timely this book will definitely be a catalyst to grow you in your desire to be a witness of Christ and also equip you to know how to do it.  Filled with pages of personal stories, this book is also very enjoyable to read. Consider it evangelism 101.  As I read this book, I was deeply encouraged and challenged to be bold for Christ, to share the gospel fearlessly and to do it out of love and passion for Him and His glory.  Don't be intimidated by the idea of sharing your faith.  Instead, read this book:)

                                                                                             Rating 5/5  Ages:12+

Evidence Not Seen
Through the pages of this true story, Darlene Dibler shares what it was like to be a missionary to New Guinea for two years and then survive Japanese prison camp for four.  It is a story of the supernatural, but not because of who this woman was but because of the Father she served.   Even through the hardest times, like being just moments away from being beheaded, this hero of the faith had a living, thriving and breathing relationship with her God that will challenge you deeply.  Through deep trials she was drawn closer to her Savior and this is her amazing story of faith despite the fact that there is evidence not seen.  A must read for all young ladies!
Rating: 5/5 Age: 15+, due to the nature of WWII and the events that unfolded.

 Growing Up  Duggar

 Ever wished you could spend a day with the Duggars?  Well, through this book you will gain a glimpse not just of what life is like for this large family but also of what life is about, relationships with other people.  Through stories, advice and wise counsel from their parent's, the oldest Duggar girls help encourage young ladies in the relationships that we all have.  From wisdom on how to handle a relationship with a young man in a Christ-honoring way, to what it looks like to be the big sister, this book is filled with insight and wisdom. It is such a fun read not only will you be challenged by it but also enjoy it immensely.
Young ladies of all ages and older ones too!

I hope this list will help you in your search for some good reads!  Comment below and share with me some of your favorite books!  Are there any books you would suggest as 'must reads' for other young ladies?

Wednesdays In The Word: Psalm 73:25-26

Whom have I in heaven but you?

And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Only One Life...Will You Live It For Him?

If I were an only child.....

Sitting back after a more chaotic than normal morning, I began to wonder what it would be like to be an only child.  Here is what I came up with:

• The house would stay clean way longer
• I could sit through a whole basketball game without taking little ones, over indulged on Gatorade, to the bathroom 5 times.
• Life would be much quieter
• I might actually get to eat one of the cookies I just made
• My lip stick wouldn't be decimated by my tactile three-year old sister
• That book of mine that I couldn't find, oh it's currently being used to hold up blankets suspended atop a fort. I am going to have to wait to finish it.
• I would never get asked how old my son is....he's not my son, he's my brother. 
• If there were no other children, my conversations with my parent's wouldn't get interrupted 10 times and then finally have to be postponed. 

But if I were an only child....

• There would be no little hands to make messes that require the clean up.  I'd rather have the mess.
• I wouldn't be at basketball games cheering on my brother whom I love very much because he wouldn't be around.
• I would miss all the little laughs, squeals and screams that fill my life with joy.
• There would be no reason to make cookies.  Most likely, they would just go to waste.
• Sure, my lip stick might stay in one piece, but am I willing to pass that up for a little sister who wants to be just like me?
• I can finish the book later.  They are having way too much fun building that fort. 
• Although they aren't my children, I would miss out on the opportunity to love them so much.
• And though it would be nice to have an uninterrupted conversation, the interruptions are so worth it. Why? Because those interruptions aren't just disruptions, they are people, people God has put in my life for a reason.

What is that reason?  To learn to sacrificially love, serve and give of myself is the reason that God has given me siblings.  Although they are younger, at times, they are my teachers, the tools that God uses to shape and mold me more into the image of Christ.  However, they are also some of the greatest blessings in my life.  There is so much I would miss out on if I was an only child.

• Times of snuggling with my little sister before the crack of dawn.
• The priceless memories made while cooking with my other sister.
• Moments of laughing so hard I can't breath as my brother cracks jokes while we have a sibling sleep over in my room. 
• Painting nails with my sisters
• Reading books on the couch
• Watching and thanking the Lord for all the ways He is working in their lives
• And even amidst those frustrating moments, like cleaning marker off the walls, there is joy in knowing that God has a purpose for it all and that He has given me a great blessing, the blessing of being a sister. 

Do I want to be an only child? No.  I wouldn't have life any other way.

Wednesdays In The Word: Psalm 86:11-12

Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth;

unite my heart to fear your name.

I give thanks to you, O Lord my God,

with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.

Worthy of His Death?

Are the things you are living for worth 

Christ dying for?

-Leonard Ravenhill-

Surrendered To God's Will - Part #5

     Have you ever witnessed a two year old trying to wheel and deal with a parent?   You know, the time when he is holding the scissors and insists, "it is a good idea" that he uses them on his sister's hair.  How about the time when mom asks for the cookies back and the little girl happily offers one back, while the other is crumbled in her other hand secretly residing behind her back?  This is what we call bargaining and it starts early on in life.  However, it doesn't stop there.
     As I have grow older I have caught myself making bargains.  But it isn't with my parent's anymore, trying to sneak a cookie behind my back. There are many other things more important in life than cookies now, like a career, marriage, plans and goals that I have.  To get what I want out of the deal, I have found myself bartering with God.  Maybe you do the same thing.  "I will follow your plan God if______" is the pattern that is set.  While offering some of your plans to God, the most important ones hide in your hands of control.  Most of us will obey God as long as some of our plans go our way.  Our surrender has string attached.  But the surrender that God asks of us is a no-strings attached abandonment of our ways for the taking up of His.  Through God's patience and grace, I have begun to catch a glimpse of the surrender to His will that He desires from His children.   

Complete: Every Desire Brought Under God's Authority

     Thinking that we know better or that God is going to ruin all our plans, it is very tempting to only give God part of our will.  But God asks for it all.  And is He not deserving of it?  

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all,

 therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves 

but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 
2 Corinthians 5:14-15 

     Our God is a good God who desires us to follow Him in order that we might come to know the riches that are ours in Christ.  He knows best and He asks for all of us.  Complete surrender without reserve.  While God does give us desires, even those things must be given back to Him. When our desires intersect with His, we must lay our plan down in surrender so that we can pick up His and follow wherever He leads.  It is the attitude of, "Lord, take it all.  I hold nothing back." 

Until the will...(is) brought under the authority of Christ, we have not begun to understand,

 let alone to accept, His Lordship.

- Elisabeth Elliot

Some Will Die: Laying it On The Altar

     One of the paradoxes found in scripture is that death brings life.  Could the death of some of our dreams bring life that would otherwise have been impossible?  At times the following of God's will might mean that He will put to death some of our desires.  Are you willing to lay them on the altar?  As Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac, his only son, God's promise to him, are you willing to do the same with your desires?  God may slay some but He also might resurrect others in ways you never imagined to be possible.  Follow the example of Christ, who, after pleading with His God to let "this cup pass from me" said, "not my will but yours be done." (Luke 22:42) Are you willing to surrender everything to the one who gave everything to redeem you?

The bringing of our unruly wills and affections into order- will cost us something. 

                - Elisabeth Elliot

 To Loose Is To Gain

      I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

Philippians 3:8 

~

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot loose.

Jim Elliot(missionary martyr)

Check out 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 for some good news:)

     Following Jesus costs a lot.  It isn't the easy path for sure.  You know the verse about the path being narrow that leads to life?  Well, that word narrow can also be translated as afflicted.  If you want an easy life don't follow Christ.  But then again, what reward is there for an easy life? Temporary pleasures don't last and just as quickly as life, they come and go.  But Christ...Oh the riches that are found in the Savior! Nothing can compare to Him. If you look at it from the perspective of the here and now, following Christ costs you a lot. But if you look at it from the eternal perspective, you won't be able to understand why anyone would live for anything besides Christ.  Is He your sole pursuit?  Is He your greatest desire?

       The call to surrender is not to stop pursuing things.  The surrender that God call us to is STOP (chasing after) everything else, so that you can START pursuing Christ above everything else.  Not just seeking Him half-halfheartedly but to seek Him will all your heart!  He must be the one thing that consumes all other desires.  To Paul he considered everything else as trash, as dung compared to Christ. (Philippians 3:7-8) Careers, marriage, ministry, family should all seem second rate when our eyes ares set on Him. May HE be our greatest desire and my our lives be consumed in pursuing Him for the purpose of knowing and loving Him more. 

Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

Psalms 73:25

It is my hope and prayer that through this series you were challenged to seek God in everything, above all else, looking to Him for guidance.  He is faithful to reveal Himself and His will when we are faithful to seek Him. May we walk in obedience. This passage from Hebrews 13:20-21 summarizes my prayer for us all as only scripture can do: 

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the Great Shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer Brings Conformity

Prayer is not an attempt to get God to agree with you or provide for your selfish desires, 

but that it is both an affirmation of His sovereignty, righteousness, and majesty 

and an exercise to conform your desires

 and purposes to His will and Glory.

John MacArthur

The Desires of Your Heart - Part #4

     The question is first posed to you around the age of four, usually by your preschool teacher or by a very nice, elderly lady at the grocery store.  After admiring how cute you are, her thoughts turn to the future as she bends down and asks you, "What do you want to be when you grow up?".  As you advance in years this question starts to morph into ones like these:  "What college are you going to?  What are you going to major in?  Have you thought about what you want to do with the rest of your life?"  While you might not know the answers to these questions, hopefully you will know the answer to this one, "What is the root of each of these questions?"  Answer,  "What do you want?"  Most of us start to formulate our own desires and goals for our life at an early age.  This is not a bad thing!  Often God will use our desires to guide and lead us in His will when we are seeking after Him.

What are your desires?
     The other night my family and I were watching a documentary about a missionary.  As the story of this man and his work in Bangladesh unfolded, it was inspiring to see others come alongside of him and together be used in the spread of the gospel.  However, they weren't all alike in their abilities.  This particular missionary ran a coffee shop.  While a former farmer from Iowa helped persecuted Christians grow coffee beans to support their families and discipled men in remote villages.  Another man enjoyed mechanics and worked as a pilot flying in much needed supplies and other resources for remote villages, as well as transporting missionaries in and out of areas.  It was amazing to see how God used the desires, talents and abilities of each of these different people for His glory and the spread of the gospel all in Bangladesh.  God knows what He is doing when He lays certain desires on our hearts!
     So let me ask you, "what do you desire?"  That question is a little loaded so let's break it down.

• What talents has God given you?
• What things do you enjoy studying or doing? (science, history, mechanics, engineering etc?) 
• What are you passionate about?
• What are goals that you have for your life? (marriage, certain job, missions work, learning to ski? :)
• Do you want to go to college?
• If you could plan out your life, what would it look like?

     These questions and others can help you catch a vision for what you desire.  (I would encourage you to take some time to think about these questions and write down the answers.  It will help organize all your thoughts and maybe even bring clarity to your mind as you think about what you want for the future.)

What Season Are You In?

     Having desires is not a bad thing but we do have to keep in mind the season of life that God has called us

One day they will fit, but not now.

to.  For example, some of you might really want to be married, but God has not brought anyone into your life.  Or you may want to be a CEO of a large company but that too is not possible in your life at this time. Greg Harris, pastor and conference speaker, once said that there are four seasons of life:

1.  Learning
2. Business and Babies
3. Ministry
4. Influence

What season are you in right now?  My guess is most of us are still in the learning season of life.  God has given us a great opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and skills during this season that will one day help us when we venture onto other phases of life.  Having a desire is a good thing, but can it be accomplished right now?  If not, I would encourage you to make it a goal.  It might take a lot of time and several steps before you achieve it, but there are times when God tells us to wait.  There is a time and a season for everything.  Faithfully serve God in whatever season you find yourself.   Don't get so focused on fulfilling your goals and getting to the next season of life that you miss out on the blessings that God has for you right now.  

Seek Counsel:

   

Desire without knowledge is not good,
and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.

Proverbs 19:22

~

Where there is no guidance, a people falls,
but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.

Proverbs 11:14

~

In abundance of counselors there is victory.

Proverbs 24:6

      Let's be honest, we don't know everything.  There is great danger when we hold tightly to our plans and  adopt a 'my way or the highway' attitude about the future.  Oh the folly and disaster we fall into when we do not seek counsel.  First of all, we must seek counsel from the Lord through reading His Word and prayer. He knows everything.  Second of all, we should seek counsel from those who are older than us who are walking in wisdom.  This might be our parents, pastor, mentor or a little of each.  Do not be afraid to ask those who are older and wiser than you to help give you insight.  Ask them about your plans. What do they think and what would they do.  Take their encouragement and even their correction. Examine it in light of scripture and make adjustments as needed.  Hold your plan with a loose hand because I can tell you without a doubt, it will change:) 

So my encouragement for you would be this:

• Take time to think and pray about the questions above.  Write down the answers. 
• Make goals in an outline that are 'season of life' sensitive.
• Seek counsel through prayer and conversations with those who are older and wiser.
• Surrender it to the Lord (More on this next week!)

The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.

Proverbs 16:9

Wednesdays In The Word: Romans 12:9-13

Let love be genuine. 

Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

Love one another with brotherly affection. 

Outdo one another in showing honor.

Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Romans 12:9-13

Set-Apart or Legalistic?

"Because there is a lot of legalism in the modern church, many of us have a distorted view of what it means to be set-apart for Christ. We often worry it means that we will become a stiff, somber, “holier-than-thou” type of woman who is far too concerned about following a set of rules to ever relax or enjoy life. But legalism and true set-apartness are two very different things. Legalism oppresses, but true set-apartness liberates. Legalism chokes life, but true set-apartness gives life. Legalism is based upon self-effort, but true set-apartness is based upon the supernatural enabling grace of God. Legalism is based upon rules, but true set-apartness is based upon a relationship with the King of all kings."

- Leslie Ludy -