The King's Daughter

So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty:

 for He is thy Lord; and worship thou Him.

The king's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold.

Psalm 45:11-13

A Little "Thank-You" - Part Two

“O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of gods: for His mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for His mercy endureth for ever.” (Psalm 136:1-3)

Many times, prayer is mistaken to be “Lord, I want this,” or “I need this,” instead of simple thanksgiving. How long has it been since you have bowed your head just to thank God? You do not have to think very hard for a long list of things to be thankful for.

Walk outside and look up at the beautiful sky. Look at your home, your friends, your family, and everything you own. These are all blessings that God has bestowed on you!  

Added to these reasons, Psalm 92:1 says, “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O most High.” So, before you do anything else, why don’t you bow your head and give God thanks?

A Little "Thank-You" - Part One

 

One of the easiest ways to show appreciation is by a simple “Thank You!” It is easy to say “Thank you” when we receive a gift, but what about on an every-day basis: for Mom making our dinner, for little sister bringing us our books, or for Dad treating us to a special dessert? “Thank you’s” do not have to be limited at all! If you ask a sibling to do something for you, it should be followed by a “thank you” – even if it is something they should do anyway (like brother taking out the trash). A “thank you” should especially come if your sibling does something for you that you didn’t ask them to do!

You do not have to limit your appreciation to “thank you.” Be creative! My cousin delights her younger brothers by playfully adding, “You’re such the gentleman!” or “I’ll love you forever!” or saying, “Thanks a million!”

“Thank you.” It is something so easy to say, yet so many people forget to acknowledge the other person’s kind deed. Have you told someone “thank you” today?

Please Help "Rubies Like Ruth"

When I began to pray about starting Rubies Like Ruth, my thoughts leaned towards a magazine. I love the idea of girls sharing with each other, but at this season in my life, I do not feel that I have the time it would take to run a magazine. Instead, the Lord has led me start a “blogazine.” Unlike a magazine, where I would be bound to a deadline, a blogazine will allow me to post when I have time and material.

Although I plan to be a major contributor, I would also like your help. Has the Lord been teaching you something recently? Has He gifted you in writing or photography? If so, please prayerfully consider submitting your work to be posted on Rubies Like Ruth. Please look at the guidelines page to see if your article/picture follows the rules. If your article/picture falls under the approval of the guidelines, do not hesitate to email me a copy at rubieslikeruth@gmail.com!

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Other ways you can help:

     ~Pray for us as we strive to encourage other young ladies!

    ~Spread the word about "Rubie Like Ruth" (grab our button on the side)

Two Sides - Part Two

This short story is by an unknown author, originally titled “A Story for School Girls,” taken from “The King’s Daughter and Other Stories,” published in 1910.

Even though it is about school girls, it holds a valuable lesson for any girl. I pray that as you read it, it will encourage you in your walk with the Lord.

                                            

~~~~~

       “I tell you what it is,” said Marcia Lewis,” Miss Capron has no business to be so awful cross. Only think what a sight of marks we got. Let’s act just as bad when we go into school again, and she will have to dismiss us, and then we’ll all go down to the falls and have a nice time.”

       “Wouldn’t it be grand,” said Nellie Jones.

       “Splendid!” replied Mattie Lee.

       “Why! What is the matter?” asked Mary Paine, who had been absent from school during the day until then and was surprised to find her usually pleasant companions so excited. When she had heard the whole story, she looked very sad. “Poor Miss Capron! How could you treat her so?”

       “It is just what she deserves for being so cross,” said Lottie Barnes.

       “Oh, you have been looking at the wrong side, girls. I have heard a story of a lady who began to find faults in her son’s wife. The more she looked for them, the more she found, until she began to think her daughter-in-law the most disagreeable person in the world. She used to talk of her failings to a very dear friend.

       “Finally, her friend said to her one day, ‘No doubt Jane has her faults, and very disagreeable ones, but suppose for awhile you try to see what good qualities you can discover in her character. Really, I am very curious to know.’

       “The good lady was a little offended at her friend’s plain suggestion; but finally concluded to try it; and long before she had discovered half her good traits, she began to regard Jane as a perfect treasure. Now you have been doing just as this lady did, in looking for faults. Let us be like her the rest of the afternoon in looking for pleasant things. Let us see how many smiles we can get from Miss Capron.”

       Mary Paine was one of the oldest girls in the school. She gave the girls subjects for their compositions and helped them out of al their troubles. So being a favorite they consented, half reluctantly, to do as she said.

       Miss Capron dreaded to ring the bell. The fifteen minutes passed, and she felt compelled to call her scholars. They entered in perfect order.

       Each took her seat quietly and began studying in real earnest. Frequently, however, a pleasant smile would seek an answering one from the teacher, and then one would be added to the rapidly increasing row of smile-marks. The good order and close application to study, and the winning looks, soon caused a continual smile to lighten Miss Capron’s face, till the girls finally rubbed out the marks, saying it was of no use to try to keep account.

       Marcia Lewis wrote on her slate, “It’s smile all the time.”

       Before Miss Capron dismissed the school at night, she said, “My head ached sadly before recess, and I fear I was impatient with you. Your good conduct since has convinced me that I must have been in fault. I thank you, my dear girls, for your love and kindness, and hope you will forgive my faults as freely as I do yours. School is dismissed.”

       Instantly she was surrounded by all the girls and showered with kisses.

       “We have been very wicked,” said Marcia Lewis, “and it is not your fault at all.”

       Little Libbie Denny then related the whole story of the conspiracy, and when she told the part that Mary Paine had taken, Miss Capron put her arm about Mary, and kissing her, said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”

       “Well, my dears,” she added, “which was best, looking for frowns or for smiles?”

       “Oh, the smiles!” they all said together.

       “I wish you might learn a lesson from this, to remember all through your lives. Overlook the bad and seek for what is good in everybody; and so you will help to make both yourselves and others happier and better. What is the lesson, girls?”

       And each voice responded, “We will overlook the bad, and seek only for what is good in those around us.”

THE END

 ~~~~~

I love the quote, “Suppose for awhile you try to see what good qualities you can discover in her character.” Many times, it is easiest to look a person and notice their faults – the little things that bother and annoy us. We all have at least one person that we can find many negative things in their character. I want to challenge us to take Mary’s suggestion: “Suppose for awhile you try to see what good qualities you can discover in her character.” Sometimes it is hard to get out of our habit of fault-finding, so I suggest you pray as you begin to look for the good in others.

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. (Philippians 2:3)

Two Sides - Part One

This short story is by an unknown author, originally titled “A Story for School Girls,” taken from “The King’s Daughter and Other Stories,” published in 1910.

Even though it is about school girls, it holds a valuable lesson for any girl. I pray that as you read it, it will encourage you in your walk with the Lord.

                                             

~~~~~

       It was recess at Miss Capron’s school. The girls stood together in one large group, talking very earnestly.

       “I think it was a shame,” said Marcia Lewis, “for her to make me face the corner for an hour, just because I spoke half a dozen words to Nellie Jones.”

        “I think so, too,” chimed in a half a dozen other voices.

        “She delights in showing her authority,” said Lottie Barnes.

        "So she does, or she wouldn’t have kept Anna Mory and me on the recitation seat, for missing one or two questions in arithmetic.”

        “Don’t you think she is dreadfully cross? I guess if we should try to keep account of al her cross words and looks, we would have to be pretty busy.”

        “Wouldn’t that be a nice idea? Let us make a mark on our slates every time she is cross, and see what a long string of marks we shall get.”

        “Oh yes! Let’s do it! Yes! Yes!” chimed in a dozen voices in full chorus.

        Poor Miss Capron! With a sinking at her heart she saw the unloving looks in her scholar’s faces as they entered the schoolroom after this stormy consultation. She had a severe headache that afternoon, so that, altogether, she did not wear nearly so smiling a face as usual; and the girls, prejudiced as they were, found ample occasion for setting down their cross-marks.

        Pretty soon Lottie Barnes held up her slate to view, displaying a long row of marks. Anna Mory imitated her example; then Lottie Jones; and in less than two minutes the whole school followed suit. This, of course, called for a reprimand from Miss Capron; and then there was a terrible clicking of pencils. Soon Marcia Lewis dropped her slate on the floor, and next instant every slate was on the floor.

        “Girls, girl!” said Miss Capron sternly; “you seem to have banded yourselves together to trample on the rules of order. I shall proceed no further with recitations until you have become quiet and orderly.”

        But even this seemed to fail of producing the desired result. The girls were quiet only a few minutes. Nellie Jones remembered that she had in her pocket a bottle of snuff for her grandmother, and in ten minutes the schoolroom resounded with sneezes. Next. Little paper balls began to fly mysteriously from all sides, and every girl appeared intent upon her lesson. Presently, a half-suppressed titter from Marcia Lewis awakened an answering one from Mattie Lee, and one after another joined, until at length there was an almost deafening peal of laughter.

        “The very spirit of mischief seems to have made headquarters here this afternoon,” said Miss Capron. “It is useless to try to proceed with recitations, while my whole attention is needed to keep you in order. I will give you another recess of fifteen minutes, and if you do no succeed in getting rid of your excess of fun and frolic, I shall take very prompt and decisive measures to help you.”

        The girls felt some little twinges of conscience, but, after all, were quite delighted with the success of their experiment.

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This seems such an awful part to end the story, but I promise it’s not finished yet! Come back tomorrow and read the rest!

Thinking about the way these girls were acting, do any Bible verses come to mind that they were violating?

Patterns

By Ana Renee

My life is like a pattern,

That other people see;

And long before I know it,

They’ll follow it with glee.

If I laugh at something funny,

Then they’ll laugh at it too;

If I spread tales of others,

They’ll quickly spread it too.

If my styles change with each season,

Theirs will change as well;

The things I do shape others,

As only time will tell.

If I am not too careful,

My followers will become

Something that is not the best,

Something troublesome.

God gave me a big task to do

In every day I live.

Will it be what He wants to see?

To Him the glory give?

Lord, help me as I live my life,

Which others often see;

And if they follow, let it be,

A life that follows Thee.