Friday, February 26, 2010

Wisdom and Virtue


"If you are wise, study virtue, and condemn everything that can come in competition with it. Remember that nothing else deserves one anxious thought or wish. Remember that this alone is honor, glory, wealth and happiness. Secure this and you secure everything. Lose this and all is lost."
-McGuffey's Eclectic 3rd Reader

Proverbs 4

5Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

6Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.

7Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

8Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.

9She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.


Monday, February 22, 2010

Courtship

I was recently at a seminar where I was made aware of this ministry:

http://www.maidensquestministries.com/

It looks like a wonderful event for young ladies and their parents to check out!

Young Peasant Women Talking, Galleria d'Arte Moderna, Palazzo Pitti, Florence

Buy at AllPosters.com

Thursday, February 18, 2010

10 Things to Know Before Leaving Home

Signing the Register




Signing the Register
Art Print

Leighton, Edmund...
Buy at AllPosters.com


In thinking about what I want my children to be as adults, and working and training them towards those goals, I found this article gave me some things to think about. "I want them to be nice people," or "I want them to be well educated," may be top priorities for us as we train them, but what are the most important things in life that we must teach our children before they leave our care?

Thank you to http://www.gospelmessage.net for permission to reprint.


10 Things to Know Before Leaving Home
Dave Hartman


Dave Hartman, elder at the Prince Road Church of Christ in Alton, IL, recently gave the congregation an assignment. He asked the members to come up with 10 things that they would like for their children to have learned before leaving home. Here are the ten points he came up with:


1. Heaven and Hell are real, and there will be a Day of Judgment to determine where you will be forever.

“And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” (Matthew 25:46).
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

2. Jesus is God’s Son and He is the Savior of the Body (Church).
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).

“For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the Saviour of the body. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;” (Ephesians 5: 23, 25).

3. You enter the body of Christ by these five steps, leaving none out:
  • Hearing the Word“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17).

  • Believing the Word“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6).

  • Repenting of Sin“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 2:38).

  • Confessing Your Faith“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9,10).


  • Immersion (baptism) for the forgiveness of sins “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believes not shall be damned.” (Mark 16:16).

4. You must remain faithful to the church. Baptism isn’t the finish line, it is the start.

“But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” (James 1:25).

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1-4).

5. You must know what sin is- God hates sin, and we have to take it seriously.

“Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17).

6. The Bible is God’s inspired word, not man-generated.

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16,17).

7. Not all churches are created equally. The Bible shows the structure of the church and how it ought to worship the Lord with the aid of three officers: Elders, Deacons, Evangelists. There is no hierarchy beyond the local church.

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,” (Ephesians 4:11,12).
(See also 1 Timothy 3:8-13).

8. Who you marry will go a long ways towards helping you with spiritual maturity.“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? (2 Corinthians 6:14,15).
(See also Ephesians 5:25).

9. You are responsible for your actions, as well as the abilities and information you have learned.

“But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.” (Luke 12:48).
10. Treat people as you would like to be treated (or, The Golden Rule).

“And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.” (Luke 6: 31).


http://www.gospelmessage.net

Friday, February 5, 2010

More Easy Stationery!

A blogger friend, A Quiet, Gracious Life, sent in another idea for easy stationery:
In this sample, open up a Word document (or whatever program you use) and insert an image. Center it, and then type your name and address underneath! You can also print out envelopes to match.

Isn't it pretty?

I was thinking after that last post, what if someone doesn't have a printer, or wants to conserve ink? What if someone needs to write a quick note and wishes to do it on fancy stationery? How could they make very quick and easy stationery, with plain paper? Here are some ideas....
Fold paper in half, then half again:
Cut a heart from the folded edge:
Now cut a wavy design to the edge of the paper:

Open it up, and you have a pretty valentine design.
Here is another idea gleaned from paper snow-flakes- fold the top 1/2 inch of the paper down:
Cut out shapes in the fold, such as diamonds and flowers:
Unfolded it looks like this (this is a partial design; of course you would do this all across the top of the page):
With a regular hole-punch and a small hole-punch, you can make some fun stationery. Here is a zig-zag design:
Cut a wavy edge :
You can get creative with the holes, and the shape of the edges:
You can do it at both ends, if you like:
And lastly, use the hole-punch to make a place to weave in ribbon, secure the ribbon in the back:
Or you can tie it in the front center:
Anyone with scrapbooking or craft supplies can use decorative edge scissors, punches, and perhaps prettier paper (this is just plain printer paper) to make quick stationery.

Blurry Photos by Miss. N.O. Phocus, The Pleasant Times Photographer. Top Photos (the clear ones) by A Quiet Gracious Life.