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Verse for Today

"I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go; I will guide thee with mine eye." Psalm 32:8

Saturday, June 30, 2012

It's Just a Blog!


By Amanda T.

In the past year, I have browsed through dozens of blogs; some of you more avid blog-hoppers might have hit hundreds or even thousands of blogs. But let us narrow it down to that one blog – your blog. Out of the millions of pages on the world-wide-web, it is just one. One little place to pour out your thoughts, hopes, dreams, convictions, fears, laughter, and life. Your blog reflects either who you are or who you want to be.

So . . . what if I obtained your blog URL and hopped on over? What would I see? What should I see?


Let us jump to the last question. What should be on our blog? I mean, it’s just a blog. Matthew 5:26 says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”  I believe that a blog is an excellent place to shine! Not just shining, though – for we can shine in “look at how amusing, funny, and entertaining I am” – but shining for GOD! When others look at our blogs, what do they see? Are they simply entertained, or are they encouraged in their walk with Christ?

What is our blog content? Can we pray Psalm 19:14, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my Redeemer?”  Or are we too busy making our words acceptable in a friend’s sight? God is a follower on our blogs. He sees every little sentence, every JPEG image, and even the motive behind each post. Is He seeing something that pleases Him and brings glory to His Name, or is He seeing posts that daily have lost opportunities to share Him with others?

Maybe in considering these verses, we need to also consider a revamp. As Christians, our blogs need to reflect Christ! As sisters in Christ, our blogs need to encourage one another in the Lord! Are we faithfully serving God with our blogs, or are we satisfying our selfish desires? Yes, our blog is “just another blog,” but we can use it as an avenue to spread God’s love! 

~~~
Amanda is a homeschool graduate living with her parents and eleven siblings in Louisiana. Their family sings together, sharing God’s love through music in churches and nursing homes. 

Until God shows her a different path, she enjoys teaching piano and music theory, hymn-arranging, photography, writing, spending time with her siblings, and home economics. In the past few years, Proverbs 3:5-7 has been a passage that God has used in her life, showing her how vital it is to trust Him in any issue. You may visit her blog: www.withajoyfulnoise.blogspot.com

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

The Law of Love

By Ana Renee

“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Galatians 5:16

Jesus mentioned love and the law in Matthew 22:37-40:
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 

If you think of the Ten Commandments briefly, you will discover that they fall under two categories: 
1) Love for God
2) Love for others

Photograph by Ana Renee

-Love for God-
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
(Exodus 20:3-11)

-Love for Others-
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
(Exodus 20:12-17)

Are we obeying God's law and showing love?

~~~
This was originally posted for our 52-verse challenge.

Monday, June 25, 2012

A Challenge for Today . . .


And be ye kind one to another, 
tenderhearted
forgiving one another, 
even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:32)

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Obeying When Its Tough

By Amanda T.

For a moment, picture the following:
There is a mighty king, renowned for his power and victories. Wherever he fights, he comes away victorious, burning the enemy city and carrying away hundreds of captives. This king is now coming against your nation, and you are totally unable to defend yourself. There is only one place to go where you can escape this king’s invasion. Would it not be wise to flee?

The tribe of Judah faced this decision (Jeremiah 42-43). King Nebuchadnezzar was coming to fight against Judah and they were unable to defend themselves. The nation that they thought was the habitation of safety was Egypt. Before taking the journey down to Egypt, however, they came before Jeremiah the prophet and asked him to seek God (Jeremiah 42:1-3). They assured Jeremiah, “Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the LORD our God.” (Jeremiah 42:6)

God gave Judah two options: 1) Stay in the land and be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, or 2) Flee to Egypt for and be overtaken by the sword and famine. God’s will was for the remnant of Judah to stay and be delivered into the hand of Babylon.

The thought process of Judah was understandable. Egypt appeared to be quiet and free from fear, whereas staying in the land and living through King Nebuchadnezzar’s invasion was not an appealing alternative. They were faced with a choice: obey God and stay in the land, or disobey God and flee to Egypt. Which did they choose? They chose Egypt: “for they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: thus came they even to Tahpanhes.” (Jeremiah 43:7) What was the result? Jeremiah’s prophecy was fulfilled,
“And when [King Nebuchadnezzar] cometh, he shall smite the land of Egypt, and deliver such as are for death to death; and such as are for captivity to captivity; and such as are for the sword to the sword. And I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt; and he shall burn them, and carry them away captives: and he shall array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd putteth on his garment; and he shall go forth from thence in peace. He shall break also the images of Beth-she'mesh, that is in the land of Egypt; and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians shall he burn with fire.” (Jeremiah 43:11-13)

Photograph by Amanda T.
What can we learn from Judah’s example?

1) Obedience is not simply saying, “I will obey” (like Judah did in Jeremiah 24:6), but in actively obeying.
2) Obedience is not always easy – in fact, to obey might mean to let go of our way of thinking and follow God – even when things do not seem to make sense.
3) There is safety in obeying God. Had Judah obeyed God and stayed in their land, God would have saved them, delivered them, and guided King Nebuchadnezzar to have mercy on them (see Jeremiah 42:11-12).
4) God loves us too much to allow us to continually disobey Him. He will bring correction if we willfully disobey Him (see Jeremiah 46:28).

Sometimes we face tough choices like the tribe of Judah did. Will we take the easy route and disobey God’s commands, or will we follow Him, no matter what the cost?

~~~
Amanda is a homeschool graduate living with her parents and eleven siblings in Louisiana. Their family sings together, sharing God’s love through music in churches and nursing homes.

Until God shows her a different path, she enjoys teaching piano and music theory, hymn-arranging, photography, writing, spending time with her siblings, and home economics. In the past few years, Proverbs 3:5-7 has been a passage that God has used in her life, showing her how vital it is to trust Him in any issue. You may visit her blog: withajoyfulnoise.blogspot.com



 
 

Friday, June 22, 2012

Ruth-Like Obedience (Part 2)

By Katie Hamilton
(Editor's Note: This is a continuation from Katie's letter that began yesterday - if you have not read it already, I encourage you to take the time to read and be encouraged)

Dear Sisters,

I realize that obedience sounds so simple, but I think that because it is so simple, that we often overlook it. The Lord commands us as daughters in our fathers/parents house, to “Honor our father and our mother” (Exodus 20:12) (Matthew 19:19) (Ephesians 6:2) and to “obey our parents in all things for this is well pleasing unto the Lord” (Colossians 3:20) and to “obey our parents in all things for this is right!” (Ephesians 6:1) And surely, this is not news to any of you. But the Lord has also given you your mom, your dad, (or perhaps your Grandma and/or Grandpa) to guide you in His will.

Recently, I have gone through some very difficult lessons spiritually. I had talked with my parents (separately) about them and they tried to counsel me the best they knew how, by the grace of God. In fact, they both gave me, in a nutshell, the same advice. But I didn’t heed it. I didn’t obey it. I thought, no, I can’t do that! I’m sure that God wants me to do this certain thing, so I can’t do this certain thing my parents are saying. I wasn’t necessarily trying to be rebellious, but I just didn’t think that my parents were right about this. I thought God wanted me to do something, and because my parents were counseling me in a different direction than I thought the Lord wanted me to go, I just disregarded what they were saying concerning this point. Well, it finally all came to a head Friday night. They were in their room watching TV together, and I went in and sat down at the foot of their bed. I started to cry. I was so depressed and discouraged about this particular thing, and I wanted to know if they would pray for me. What should I do, I asked them? My mom seemed to defer to my dad, and my dad closed his eyes and was silent for a moment. In that moment, I prayed for God to give my daddy wisdom (to give to me! ). When he finally spoke, my father said, “Well, I think you should do what I told you to the first, and second, third, fourth time we talked about this!” He got off the bed to grab a hanky, and I had no clue what he was talking about. When he laid back down, however, he told me what he meant. My mom said that she had been telling that to me as well. They had both been giving me the same advice independently of each other, without knowing it, but because I thought God’s will was different, not as simple, I wasn’t listening.

Soon afterward it hit me: if I obeyed what my father and mother had advised me to do, I was obeying God! I was within and following His will for me and my life at this appointed time!!!

Oh dear sister, please don’t miss this!!!!! If you are still at home, living in your parent’s house, God has lovingly placed you under their authority! And even if it doesn’t make sense to you at the time, it is His will that you obey them and submit yourself to them! (Unless they are blatantly asking you to sin) You are under the protective umbrella of their authority. I know from personal experience and long for every young woman to understand that this is seriously the safest place for you to be! In submission to your God given authority! If what you do in submission to them isn’t necessarily “right”, God does not hold you accountable and in fact you are blessed for your unflinching obedience to them! (This lesson is shown in Sarah’s obedience to Abraham in
Photography by Amanda T.

Genesis 12 and 20 even though he asked her to lie, God protected her because she obeyed and submitted to her husband’s authority) It grieves me to hear young people say “oh I can’t wait to get out of here” (referring to their homes and living with their families) “because once I’m on my own I can do whatever I want to do”. I’ve even… actually mostly… heard this from Christian young people. The blessings they will be missing are so huge!

Please don’t make the same mistake I did. Don’t miss the blessings and peace that come from the simplicity that is in Christ, by being caught up with the complexities of the Christian life, or by making your walk with Christ so much more complicated than it has to be! Do as Ruth did and simply be submissive! Obey your parents! Defer your will to theirs! Even if it seems as though God is perhaps calling you in a different direction, it is His will for you to obey your parents. To do as they suggest. It is His direction for you to submit to their authority in your life. Just as Ruth submitted without complaint or question to Naomi’s seemingly wrong instruction (Ruth 3:1-6) and to Boaz’s gentle requests, let us submit to the authority that the Lord has placed in our lives!

Let us follow Ruth’s sterling example to submissive obedience! (Even Esther is a fantastic example to us of submission to authority! She was obedient to Mordecai even when she was out from under his authority! See
Ester 2:20) Being submissive does not come without it’s blessings!!! As a result of Ruth’s obedience to both Naomi and to Boaz, the Lord blessed her with a wealthy, Godly husband who loved her, a precious son, and the position of great, great grandmother to one of the most Godly men that have ever lived! She stands as a shining light, and encouragement to women centuries later—to you and to me! —Simply because she OBEYED and was SUBMISSIVE! (These are both big “no-no” words in our culture today, you understand. You are not going to receive this message anywhere other than the Word of God—perhaps not even from the pulpit ) But the Lord promises blessings to those who obey! And He gives them!

I know this seems like such a simple message, but the peace and blessings that come by heeding it are gigantic! Please, dear sister, strive to obey and be submissive to the authority that the Lord has placed in your life! Ask God to help you see when perhaps you are doing your own thing instead of being obedient when you should (like I said, I wasn’t trying to be rebellious! I wasn’t trying to buck my parents’ authority. I simply thought God had other plans!) Don’t fail to realize (as I did) that obeying your parents, as simple as it seems, is God’s plan for you at this point in your life. It may be staying home from college to help out at home. It may be working a job you don’t want to. It may be leaving off what seems to be a good, even a Godly thing, for a/this season of your life. Don’t let Satan fool you! Obeying your parents, in the Lord, because it is good, is good and does bring blessings to you and to others! If Ruth hadn’t obeyed Naomi, she never would’ve married Boaz! Maybe what God wants you to do is to simply “sit still” as Naomi instructs Ruth to do in chapter 3 verse 18.

Please remember, dear sister: God has placed you under your parents’ authority for this season of your life. He has done it out of wisdom and out of an intense love for you! Don’t miss the blessings He bestows upon them that simply obey! Their will is His will for you (unless it is blatant sin) no matter how weird it may seem at the time. Submit and be blessed, dear sisters!


Keep pressing on, like Ruth, in the Name of Jesus!

~~~

Katie Hamilton is a 19-year-old young woman, living at home, "feeding her fathers flock" by trying to invest in the lives of her 5 younger siblings and by helping her mom with household chores and home schooling. She desires to have a close relationship with Jesus, her Heavenly Father, Prince, and Captian, and wants to encourage other young women to live for Him and to encourage them in their faith. Her email:katieofsix@gmail.com Her blog: www.hisprincesswarrior.blogspot.com Her Christian writers site she co-leads: www.write4hisglory.webs.com.


 
 

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Ruth-Like Obedience (Part 1)

By Katie Hamilton

Dear sisters in Christ,

Ironically, when Miss Ana Renee kindly asked me if I would guest post on her blog, I had actually just finished reading in the book of Ruth! Our youth pastor had been doing a set of monthly devotions and that month the focus was on the Biblical stories of Ruth and Esther and their parallels to each other and the lessons we can draw from these two women, who both stand as amazing heroes of the faith. However, before delving into this study, I was less than enthusiastic. God has blessed me beyond belief (and comprehension) to have been born into and raised in a Christian home and family. I’ve grown up hearing about Ruth all my life—in my arrogance I had thoughts that ran something like this: “Sure, I know Ruth was a great example of thus-and-so, but I’ve read this story a ‘thousand’ times! What more could I possibly get from it?”

Photography by Amanda T.

Well, in His wisdom and mercy, God showed me what more I could get from it!!!!! :) He brought the book of Ruth to life for me in a fresh light and I was so excited about all the different lessons I learned or was refreshed in from it!

There was one thing, though, that kept popping up as I read through this four chaptered gold mine. During these last few weeks of my life, the Lord has been teaching me something I wish all young women could learn or grasp before they waste so much time, toil, and tears over it as I have—and it goes hand in hand with what I kept seeing in Ruth. So while I may not convey it as perfectly or as eloquently as I would like to, I’d like to share with you something that the Lord has been teaching me lately. I hope (and pray!) that it will be an encouragement and a help to you!!!

Often we hear and are taught about Ruth’s reckless abandonment of herself and her selfless, sacrificial service to Naomi, her mother in law. And while she certainly is an example for us to follow in her selflessness, it is Ruth’s submission I’d like to focus on. Let us look at a few passages from the Book of Ruth:

“…And she said unto her, Go, my daughter. And she went…” (Ruth 2:2b-3a)

“Then said Boaz unto Ruth…Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens: Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them…and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn… And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers…and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left… And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest. And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field. So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.” (Ruth 2:8-9,14, 21-23)

“Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee? And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor. Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking. And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do. And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do. And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her.” (Ruth 3:1-6)

“…Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning… lie down until the morning. And she lay at his feet until the morning…” (Ruth 3:13-14)

“Also he said, Bring the veil that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it…” (Ruth 3:15)

Do you see the recurring theme here, dear sister? Over and over again, the Bible tells us that when Ruth was instructed to do something, that was exactly what she did! No inquiry as to why, no hesitation, just simple, immediate obedience! No matter how strange or even harmful to herself and/or her own reputation the action might be, Ruth did as she was instructed, by the authority that the Lord had placed over her life!

As I read through this book again, it seemed all she ever did was obey what everyone else told her to do! It seems that through the entire book, she only makes two of her own decisions. The first was to cling to Naomi, the only Godly leadership in her life, and beg to return to Jerusalem with her. The second Ruth-initiated-action was to get up once they had arrived in Jerusalem, and offer to “work willingly with her hands” (Proverbs 31:13) by asking Naomi if she could go collect food for them. (Which Naomi then instructed her to do, whom she obeyed )

But it seems that nearly every other action we see Ruth take is taken in obedience! Every other action is apparently a response to a command! Ruth was submissive to the authority that the Lord had placed in her life! What about you, dear sister? Are you being submissive and in submission to the authority the Lord has placed in your life at this point and time?

{Come back tomorrow to read the rest of Katie's letter}

~~~
Katie Hamilton is a 19-year-old young woman, living at home, "feeding her fathers flock" by trying to invest in the lives of her 5 younger siblings and by helping her mom with household chores and home schooling. She desires to have a close relationship with Jesus, her Heavenly Father, Prince, and Captian, and wants to encourage other young women to live for Him and to encourage them in their faith. Her email:katieofsix@gmail.com Her blog: www.hisprincesswarrior.blogspot.com Her Christian writers site she co-leads: www.write4hisglory.webs.com.


 
 

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

When 2=10

By Gail Puruth

According to Christ, if we obey two commands, we automatically obey the rest:

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40 (KJV)

Christ also said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life… He that hath my commandments,
and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me... As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love… If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love.” John 14:6, 21; 15:9-10 KJV)

God has made things simple for us--two basic commands and one basic reason to obey:
Obedience draws us closer to God and keeps us in the center of His love! No reward could be sweeter!

~~~
Gail Purath has been married to her best friend for 41 years, has two married children, and seven grandchildren. Her blog, Bible Love Notes (http://biblelovenotes.blogspot.com/) features one-minute devotions each weekday.








Come back tomorrow for more on our study of obedience:

 
 

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Obedience in All Things

By Amanda T.


Obedience: the state or fact of being obedient; doing what is ordered; submission (Webster’s New World Dictionary)

Who are we to obey?
Children, obey your parents in the Lord; for this is right. (Ephesians 6:1, KJV)
Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. (Colossians 3:20)

We cannot say that this direct order is not intended for us. If we have a parent, then we are one of the “children” that these verses are talking about.
Photography by Amanda T.

Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. (Hebrews 13:17, KJV)

Here, we are simply commanded to obey them that have rule over us. Not only are we to obey them, but we are to submit (or surrender) to them. According to this verse, our parents are held responsible for the way we act until we reach the age of accountability. They will have to stand before God and giving an account of how they have trained us, and how we responded! Will they be able to do so with joy, or with grief?
                                                                                                                      
How are we to obey?
Many of us look at ourselves and feel good about being obedient. But are we really obedient?

Let’s look at Ephesians 6:1 and Colossians 3:20 again. The word “Obey” in both of these texts is the same Greek word: hupakouo. It means, “To hear under, to listen attentively, to heed or conform to a command or authority.”

What are some ways that we can have proper obedience?
       1. Obedience is an act of the heart, not the body. If our parents ask us to clear the table, we may outwardly obey and clear the table. But our attitude on the inside might be, “They’re so unfair! I have pages of homework to do, a book to read, and a report to write. I never have any time for myself!” Inwardly, we are rebelling, which is the complete opposite of obedience.
It doesn’t matter what I think; just as long as I do it.” How many of us are guilty of this thought? True, our parents may not see our inward attitude, but God sees it! He measures inward obedience just as much as He measures outward obedience. He can see that we are not whole-heartedly obeying His command in Ephesians 6:1.

       2. Obedience also includes doing our task the best we can. If we half-way do a job that our parents have asked us to do, are we really obeying them . . . to the best of our ability?

       3. Obedience is more than just heeding what our parents say. Our parents have something called a will. Their will is basically their desire. My parents have never told me, “Do not buy alcohol.” However, I know that it is totally against their will for me to buy alcohol. If I buy alcohol, then I am disobeying my parents. Colossians 3:20 says, “Obey your parents in ALL things.” It does not say “Only obey your parents’ words.”

Another way to obey our parents’ will is to not try to “change their mind.” When Dad says, “No, you cannot go to Sara’s,” and we whine and beg and make promises until he says, “Alright, go!” we are disobeying his will.

“But he said ‘yes!’” we might argue. Perhaps he did, but it was not his will to say so. He just wanted to keep peace in the home.

Yet another way to obey our parents’ will is to do things without being told. We do not have to be told, “When the sink is full of dirty dishes, I want them placed in the dishwasher.” We can easily see that this is probably something that Mom would like us to do.

Why are we to obey?
            Ephesians 6:1 simply tells us to obey, “for this is right.” Two verses later we read, “That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.”
            Colossians 3:20 tells us to obey, “for this is well-pleasing to the Lord.”
            Hebrews 13:17 tells us to obey, “for they watch for your souls.”
            To obey our parents is to obey God’s commands. It is also a step of preparation. When we get married, we are to obey and submit to our husband (Ephesians 5:22, Colossians 3:18). If we have practiced rebellion towards our parents, we will have difficulty submitting to our husband. Is this perhaps one of the reasons that divorce is so prevalent among couples today?
            More important than preparing for marriage, obeying our parents is preparation for life. When we are no longer under our parents’ authority, we are accountable directly to God. If we have not learned to obey those whom we can see and hear, how can we obey God, Whom we cannot physically see and hear?
            There are many examples in the Bible of those who did not obey the Lord, and the consequences were great. In one instance, the prophet Samuel said, “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22b)
            It is my prayer that all of us can learn to have complete obedience to our parents, our future husbands, and our Lord.

~~~
Amanda is a homeschool graduate living with her parents and eleven siblings in Louisiana. Their family sings together, sharing God’s love through music in churches and nursing homes. 

Until God shows her a different path, she enjoys teaching piano and music theory, hymn-arranging, photography, writing, spending time with her siblings, and home economics. In the past few years, Proverbs 3:5-7 has been a passage that God has used in her life, showing her how vital it is to trust Him in any issue. You may visit her blog: withajoyfulnoise.blogspot.com



Come back tomorrow to read more of our study on Obedience!

 
 

Monday, June 18, 2012

Obedience

 
 

We are excited to begin another study here at Rubies Like Ruth!! Unlike previous studies, however, our study on Obedience will only last this week! So be sure to check in every day and read articles from girls who have been learning what obedience means in their own lives.

Button photography by Amanda T.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Recipe: Cheeseburger Mac

Shared by Kate (read her blog: Better Off)

The ingredient list:
   ~1 pound of hamburger
   ~red pepper/salt
   ~2 cups of water
   ~2 cups of macoroni noodles
   ~3 cups of cheese
   ~1 jar of pasta sauce [about two cups]

1) The first step is to put your hamburger into the pan and cook completely, at about medium. Salt and pepper to taste.



All photography by Kate, used by permission

2) Once cooked, chop it up a little in the pan. It should look like this:



3) Add the two cups of macaroni and the two cups of water.




4) Stir together and cover for about 5 minutes, or until the water is all cooked. This makes the noodles soft and yummy.

5) Add the sauce and three cups of cheese.

6) Stir it together.



7) I served this up with fresh watermelon and fresh vegetables.



8) You know the drill. ‘Enjoy’!!!



~~~
Do you have a delicious recipe that you would like to share? Shoot us an email at rubieslikeruth@gmail.com!!!

Monday, June 11, 2012

Sweet Dreams!

By Ana Renee

My meditation of Him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.
Psalm 104:34

How often do we snuggle down to sleep and spend that “before sleep” time planning, worrying, day-dreaming, etc.? What if, instead, we thought on the promises of God? Promises such as:

As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. (Psalm 103:12-13)

I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. (Jeremiah 31:3b)

But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows. (Luke 12:7)

Photography by Amanda T.

When we pillow our minds with such beautiful thoughts, then we can truly have “sweet dreams!”


Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Be Still, My Soul

The words to this old hymn really blessed me the other day. I pray that you will take the time to read through them and be blessed as well.

Words: Katherina von Schelegel
Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Photography by Amanda T.

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.


Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.



Saturday, June 2, 2012

Verses


Often, while I am reading my Bible, the Lord will draw out different verses that convict, encourage, and/or challenge me in my walk with Him. Here are a few verses from today:

He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he. (Proverbs 16:20)

He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends. (Proverbs 17:9)


The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression. (Proverbs 19:11)


He loveth transgression that loveth strife: and he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction. (Proverbs 17:19)

Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. (Proverbs 19:20)

Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge. (Proverbs 19:27)

What are some verses that God has used in your life recently?
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