You Made Us Your Own

We were ruined in our sin
We were guilty and undone
When Your love reached down with sovereign hands
And beckoned us to come

You sought out the wanderers
Made the prodigals come home
With a lavish feast You welcomed us
For You made us Your own

Chorus:
You have loved us like You love Your Son
We are heirs with Christ, bought by His blood
Oh how great the love that we’ve been shown
We’re Your children now, You made us Your own

We are strangers to the world
But no strangers to Your throne
We draw near You now with confidence
For all our fears are gone

And when Christ our King returns
We’ll meet saints we’ve never known
And forever we will be amazed
That You made us Your own

Care to Vote?

I was hesitant whether to write this post or not, but I've decided to go ahead at the last minute :)
I'm not sure how many of you are familiar with HSBA's Blog The Homeschool Post. I wasn't aware of it until a few weeks ago when they announced that the annual HSBA Best Blog Awards... Well, the polls are now open for voting and tomorrow is the last day!

Now, I won't tell you who to vote for, but I will let you know that Growing in Grace Magazine has been nominated for Best Teen Group Blog 2009! If GGM has been a blessing to you, would you consider voting for us?! It only takes 2 quick clicks and it ends tomorrow (the 21st) at midnight!

Vote for Best Teen Group Blog 2009!

To see the rest of the voting categories, go to: HSBA Post: Get Your Vote On!

the cutie

It's been a while since I've posted pictures of Anna! but I I found these on Dad's pictures iPhone and just had to share them....

Preciousness :)

An Award!

Or a tag... Which ever title you would prefer :)

My dear friend Antoinette over at Practical Simplicity has just awarded me the Favorite Blog Award! However, instead of doing the typical 10 random questions, she's changed it into something a bit different by instead sharing her 10 favorite bible verses! Thanks so much Antoinette! This means so much more to me and is more beneficial and encouraging with scripture :)

Here are the requirements for this award:

1. Do a post about the person who awarded you, and their blog.
2. Give the award to 5 of your favorite blogs, give a reason, and leave a comment telling them they have been awarded.
3. Answer the 10 random questions Give us 10 scripture verses/passages that are especially dear to you!
4. Have Fun!

I would like to award the following ladies:

Emily Rose at Simply Vintagegirl

Out of all the blogs I know, Emily's is probably the cutest! but more then that, Emily's encouraging posts and beautiful photos are quite a treasure also :)

Ruth Ann at Thanksliving

I love Ruth Ann's love for life! Her thankfulness abounds in many ways and is such a joy to read about!

Mallory at Cradled in His Mercy

As you well know, Mallory is a very dear friend of mine who lives not to far away! So of course, her blog is a special place to me :) I'm looking forward to seeing what the Lord has in store for her!

Jasmine at Joyfully Home

Oh Jasmine, what do I say? Yes, I love Jasmine's blog. She can make me laugh & cry at the same time :) Her down-to-earth style of writing combined with a bit of humor, meekness, sweet spirit, and love for life have encouraged me beyond words! Really, I love to open my google reader in the morning and find one of her articles up to be read :) Plus, she helps me realize that I'm not the only one who has rather unusual ideas and problems :D

Miss Jen at Blessed Femina

I've only just started reading Miss Jen's blog, but it has already won a special place in my heart! Once again her sweet, feminine way shines through her blog!

Thank you so much ladies for all the work and time you put into your encouraging blogs! Please know it's not wasted :) You have immensely blessed me!

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And now for my 10 favorite Scripture portions/verses... This is going to be difficult do! Each day a different verse is such a delight to me that picking just one will be challenging! But I like this kind of challenge :)

1. "If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. These things command and teach. Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee." 1 Timothy 4:6-16
2. "As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him." Psalms 18:30
3. "Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD. Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens." Lamentations 3:40-41
4. "Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart." Psalms 26:2
5. "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:" Ephesians 2:4-6
6. "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." Colossians 3:1-4
7. "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things." 2 Timothy 2:7
8. "If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work." 2 Timothy 2:21
9. "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." Hebrews 12:11
10. "Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?" Ecclesiastes 3:22
    

Oh! such precious and magnificent promises

For the past couple days I have been slowly reading through the book Justification and Regeneration by Charles Leiter. What a blessing and encouragement it has been to me! Nearly everything in the book are things we are all familiar with, but to have them explained with such simplistic clarity has been a beautiful blessing! Here's a small excerpt:

A New Heart

"Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen. Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations. Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord GOD..." Ezekiel 36:25-32

Promises, Not Exhortations!

It is very important to realize that the statements of Exekiel 36 are promises as to what God will do, not exhortations as to what Christians ought to do. These promises are unconditional and always fulfilled in every believer. God secures these results, not man. Notice again what God promises to do in these verses:

• " I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean."
• "I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols."
• "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you."
• "I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."
• "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances..."
• "I will be your God."
• "I will save you from all your uncleanness."
  

In response to such "precious and magnificent promises," (2 Peter 1:4) every Christian should lift shouts of praise to God!

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AMEN! I don't know about you, but that makes me want to shout for Joy! What an exciting portion of scripture to read before a busy day :) He has done this for me, a filthy, rotton sinner! Praise the Lord!

O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Psalms 118:29

loveliness

Some of you may recall me meeting Emily at the Christians at the Crossroads Conference in February. Well, Emily and her sister, Breezy, have recently started their own business publishing paper dolls!

Noble Rose Press

I just received mine in the mail and I had to share some pictures with you! They are pure loveliness :)

 

 

 

These will now be carefully placed in my hope chest for safe keeping until my little girls are able to play with them :) what a wonderful play toy these will be!

Now, you really must go to their store and look around!

If you're wanting some inspiration and encouragement, just read this snippet from their about me page:

The vision of Noble Rose Press is to glorify the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by uplifting daughters, the future wives and mothers, through products that will inspire them in their biblical roles as virtuous women.

beautiful, isn't it?! What a wonderful vision!

Thank you Emily and Breezy for being such wonderful young ladies! I don't know about others, but you have inspired me :) can't wait to see you at the conference in December!

FF Challenge: day seven

Wow! Today is the last day of the Feelin' Feminine Challenge! It's hard to believe that a whole week has already passed...

Today I wore my purple/aqua blue skirt, a white undershirt and a purple shirt. For accessories, I wore an aqua blue scarf, white necklace, and silver earrings. I did my hair up in a simple twist, like I did yesterday.

 and now your links:

and that's it! Like I said, I can't believe this is already over... I have thoroughly enjoyed it! Thanks so much to those of you who joined it :)

Childhood Friends

Long, long ago, there were two little girls who became best friends. These girls did nearly everything together - weeded gardens, made cider, painted houses, celebrated birthday, butchered chickens, schemed of pranks, sewed clothing, tipped canoes, played tag, made stew, dreamed of life, gathered hay, canned food, and all together loved life. They would talk of many little girls subjects, from the importance of not being a snobby old person and never playing games, to why the south was right, to the unique proposition of making homemade bombs out of coconut shells and why volleyball is such a boring sport. All of these things were very important in the lives of these two friend.

But then a very sad day came when the young pretty blonde, with bouncy little curls drove away to live in the land of Michigan, where, at least in those young minds, no good thing could live. No, no good thing could live in the northern land of Michigan where the snow buried people alive, the ice never melted, and the Eskimos made their abode.

As time passed, those two girls grew up - changing, growing, learning, and loving - but never quite forgetting the other friend who lived so far away. They corresponded by letter, then email and a spuratic phone call. Occasionally, one family would travel to visit the other and the old bond of friendship would rekindle again.
Through it all they learned the beauty and pain of growing up, that Michigan was not all together a god-forsaken place, and most importantly they began to fully understand the special blessing and beautiful gift of friendship. Truly the best kind of friendship is one that has been tried and tested by time, distance and troubles.

And now those two girls are grown. They are no longer the little girls they used to be, though truth be told, the occasional girlish smile, twinkling eye, or nod of understanding proves that not everything has changed and the simple bond of childhood friendship has never been broken.

Instead of trivial conversations, they now turn to the more weighty topics of children, marriage, doctrine, life, and the nutritional importance of chocolate-covered coffee beans :) As a matter of fact, when they get together, a certain brown headed girl talks so late into the night, that she talks herself horse :) ah the joys of reunions.

above photo curtisy of Lincoln :)

special thanks to Bekah for the pictures!!

FF Challenge: day six

I was going to try and not have so many pictures in and around the cabin, but alas! It's too tempting for me :)

You may remember my being extremly excited in my Saturday post about Lydia coming down - well, she arrived, and she is that lovely lady standing beside me :) I'll post more pictures in another post :)

As to what I'm wearing, it's pretty obvious, but I'll state it anyways :) I'm wearing a black skirt, purple striped shirt, and my black flats.

and now your links!

FF Challenge: day five

 

 Today we spent most of the day in Nashville with some friends. I wore a blue floral shirt, brown skirt, and blue scarf. For shoes I wore my black flats and Bekah did my hair up into french braids.

Post your Feelin' Feminine Challenge day four links below: