Watching for the Morning
~Special 1st Anniversary Edition~
Summer 2008

A LITTLE HISTORY
My name is Candace and I live in a small town in VA. I just celebrated my 28th birthday in July. I still live at home with my parents, helping care for my dad who has Alzheimer’s. I have been on one official “date” in my life, and though I was not home-schooled, God’s hand of protection upon me is undeniable as I look back on my life. His grace alone has preserved and kept me and without Him, I am and can do absolutely nothing (John 15:5). In my teen years, God began planting seeds that would eventually grow into a full blown vision from His heart- to not date, flirt, or defraud any young man that I was not seriously planning to marry. Rather, He called me to wait on Him with all of my heart for the husband He has chosen especially for me, and will provide for me in His perfect time. I need not pursue a husband. God is the Master Match Maker and He is trustworthy! I am saving my heart along with my first kiss for the man God has ordained for me to marry. In the mean time, my heart belongs fully to Jesus and He is my true Husband. I seek to please Him in all I do and to obey Him from the heart. “Watching for the Morning” was God’s dream birthed in my heart to encourage young ladies all over the world to watch and wait for the Lord, and to desire His return even more than an earthly marriage. May you be abundantly blessed as you walk in His plan for your life!

HOW IT ALL BEGAN. . .
It is truly hard to fathom that it has been an entire year since God’s big dream through this tiny newsletter was born in my heart! I still remember that night as though it was yesterday! Last July, I went on a search for God’s heart as I ran up towards the mountains near our little home, taking no thought of the wild animals that lurk in the night or the fact that I had left my shoes inside! I felt so desperate for Him, to be alone with Him, to be quiet before Him and to just listen to what was on His heart. Once again, I laid down my dreams at His precious feet and asked Him to use me for His glory. I can still see the bright half moon shining directly above me framed with glistening stars. I can still hear the cadydids and feel the prickly grass on my face mixed with tears. So soon, He answered my call. Before I could get inside, He dreamed His dream in my heart and instructed me exactly how to do it. He allowed me to be His vessel, not because there is anything special about me- just because I was willing. When I laid my dreams down, He lent me His own. Thank You, precious Lord! Thank You for using me!
This year has brought change in my family and periods of stretching and growing. Thankfully, my parents are alright for now, although my dad’s health seems to deteriorate almost daily. Mother seems to be on the go most of the time, tending to my widowed grandmother. Her arthritis is about the only thing that gets her down. The garden is growing beautifully. I find so many miracles when I spend time in the garden and enjoy it to the utmost. However, it is rather sad now that my dad is unable to come outside to even see the garden. I have been taking videos of it for him. I do miss watching him care for his prized half-runner green beans and doing yard work. I also miss my grandfather walking with a slight slumped back around the land with his cane. He was a very hard worker. It’s been nearly a year since his passing and it is not the same here without him Seasons change. God’s grace abounds, and His faithfulness is as sure as the sunrise. He has blessed us in ways we cannot count. I find such comfort in knowing that He remains the same…always. (Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8)

The Lord has been so incredibly faithful to allow Watching for the Morning to continue to go out bi-monthly. He’s been faithful to provide the themes, finances, inspiration and strength to put each issue together. It is such a joy to complete each one and to send them out to each of you precious young ladies. I am so blessed to receive your e-mails and letters saying how you have been encouraged by the newsletter. I am humbled that God would see fit to use “even me” and I am honored to serve you and encourage you in the Lord Jesus. I am so thankful for each one of you. Because of the prayers, support, and submissions of local friends as well as far-away readers, Watching for the Morning now goes to seven different countries! It is growing quickly for the glory of God! I am so thrilled to present you with a special, slightly better quality issue this time, with more photos, wisdom-filled articles, God-glorifying testimonies, and a beautiful front (and back) cover! I am excited for you to read the submissions by all the other writers this time. Many thanks to all who have taken time to submit articles from the heart!

As you hold unswervingly to the Master’s hand- waiting, hoping, trusting in Him every day, and as you keep your faith in Him alone and His Word rather than leaning on your human understanding, may you be blessed with an even greater perseverance (Proverbs 3:5, James 1:3).

BEING A TITUS 2 WOMAN (EVEN ESPECIALLY IN SINGLENESS)

Most people think that the character traits of the Christian woman in Titus 2 are reserved for married woman only. Sadly, many professing Christians even tend to overlook this godly mandate all together! Over the years, God has shown me that I do not have to wait for anything to be a true Titus 2 woman, and neither do you! Even if you are only 12 years old, you can live now to love your future husband and your children, as well as fulfill all the other qualities mentioned in these verses. I encourage you to allow the Lord to have every part of your heart on this journey. For truly dear ladies, it is all about the heart. If our hearts are pure, then we needn’t worry about displaying an outward behavior that will be offensive- convicting maybe, but not offensive. I challenge you to allow God to remind you of His amazing grace which you were saved by through faith (Ephesians 2:8). The understanding of His grace, His unconditional love, will cause you to desire to give Him your whole heart, holding nothing back. He is not looking for good works as much as He desires to have your whole heart. For if your whole heart belongs to Him, good fruits will inevitably follow. He is after your heart, and He desires for you to seek more of His own (Deuteronomy 30:6, Mark 12:30). It is so important to strive to be a “Titus 2 woman” in singleness for many reasons. Some may think, “I will do all those things when I get married, but not now”. I must tell you, dear sister, if you do not have godly character traits now, they will not magically appear on your wedding day. This is the season of preparation. We must not waste it, but make every moment count for the glory of God. I urge you to look at the below definitions and examine your heart. Ask the Lord to help you with areas you may struggle in, but whatever you do, do not procrastinate, thinking that when you get a little older, these things will fall into your lap or be easier to strive for. You must begin now! Let’s take a closer look.
“…that they [the older women] may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, workers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be blasphemed”. Titus 2:4,5

1. Sober- to make of sound mind, disciplined, plain, subdued, marked by self-restraint
2. Love your husbands.
ome may say, “How can you love your husband if you’re not even married or in a courtship?” It can be done! You just have to look a little deeper. You can love your husband by living a pure and holy life before the Lord. You can love him though you’ve not yet met him by dressing modestly, behaving appropriately while in the company of other men and brothers. You can love him by saving every little flirtatious act for him alone. You can love him by not giving in to the worldly pressures of dating. In doing all these things, you are guarding your heart against counterfeits and actively reserving yourself for the husband God has for you- your one and only earthly true love.
3. Love your children.
You can love your children even now, while their souls are yet hidden in God’s bosom by practicing “mommy skills”. How? Baby-sitting, serving and helping guide younger siblings and family members. You can love your future children now by praying for them and consecrating their lives to God before they ever enter your womb. You can place yourself in the company of godly families and take notes of wisdom from well-seasoned mothers. You can also love them by taking care of your physical body, eating healthy and keeping their future “house” in good shape.
4. Discreet- showing prudence and wise self-restraint, modest, self-controlled.
5. Chaste- pure, innocent, modest, clean
6. Keepers at home (domestically inclined, stayer at home).
You can figure this one out fairly easily. What can you do now to prepare for home-making in the future? You can sharpen those skills by putting them to use every chance you get. Cooking, laundry, sewing, cleaning the house, washing dishes, etc. Coming to a place where you are able to do these things with joy will cause the adjustment of “married life” to be a lot less difficult.
7. Good- well, kind.
8. Obedient/submissive to their own husbands.
If you cannot cheerfully submit to your father, you are probably not ready to be married. Your husband will not always ask things of you that you enjoy or wish to do or even agree with 100%, but as your head, you are commanded to submit to him whether you understand or agree with his view on the situation or not, as long as it does not go against God’s Word. You can practice submission today by obeying and submitting joyfully to your parents whether it makes sense to you or not, knowing that submitting to authority, you are obeying God. In honoring them with the right heart attitude, you are making yourself ready to be a godly wife in the future.

LOVING YOUR FUTURE HUSBAND NOW

By: Molly Sipling
A lot of young women don’t realize that you can start loving your husband before you even meet. A lot of young women go about their years believing that they can’t start loving their husband until they know who he is, and as a result, they miss out on the truth that you can start loving your future husband even now. Paul explains what love truly is in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. The first thing he says in these verses is that love is patient [vs. 4]. I find it so meaningful that he puts this phrase first: “Love is patient.” That is such a deep statement! Especially in our society today, where so many teenagers rush into love; and it is so often a cheap, superficial love that ends with a broken heart. So how can we be patient in love for our future husbands? Well, by not only saving ourselves physically for him, but also emotionally. We need to be careful to not give our hearts away to any guy other than our future husband. When we become emotionally attached to a guy, we often give our hearts away to him –– and other guys –– and that leaves our hearts scarred, used, and broken. However, if you’re patient, you will have a pure, whole heart to give to the guy that God has set apart specifically for you. What a gift that would be!
Paul goes on to say that love is kind [vs. 4]. And in verse 5, he says that love is not rude. How are you treating the guys around you? It doesn’t matter if the guy is your future husband or not, we should be treating every guy as if he were married. If he’s not your future husband, he most likely will be some other woman’s. We need to be kind to everyone and show them the love of Christ by extending His kindness to them. Love does not envy or boast. It is not proud [vs. 4]. Love does not envy some other woman because of her husband or close male friend. We like to tell ourselves that we would never do this, but most of us have probably done it to some extent at some time in our lives –– even by feeling a little twinge of jealousy or bitterness because we think we see the “perfect, happy couple” and wonder why God hasn’t blessed us with that. This all goes back to the first statement of love –– love is patient. When we wait on God, He will give us a man in His will and timing. This brings us to Paul’s next point. When God does give us a man, we must never boast about ourselves or be prideful because God has finally given us the “perfect” man to love.
That is clearly not in God’s will for love. Love does not envy or boast , and it is not proud. Love is not self-seeking [vs. 5]. Basically, love is not selfish. If you want your future husband to be a godly man, then you need to be a godly woman. If you’re asking for your future husband to follow God wholeheartedly, then you also need to follow God wholeheartedly. Be careful not to be selfish or self-seeking in what you’re looking for in your future husband. Love is not easily angered and keeps no record of wrongs [vs. 5]. This goes for all relationships. Love does not get angered easily. It holds no grudges. If you are easily angered with a friend, with a potential husband, with God –– search your heart. Love is not easily angered. It also holds no grudges. It doesn’t bring up things of the past that are over with and forgiven. Love moves on and starts anew in God.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth [vs. 6]. Real love is not of this world. The cheap, superficial, twisted love that this world offers is not true love.

Love does not delight in the lies that this world throws out at you about “love”. Instead, it rejoices with the truth of true love that only comes from God.

Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres [vs.7]

And most importantly, as you go about your life, waiting for God to send the “right one” your way, always remember that love never fails.

Molly is 15 and lives in PA with her parents and siblings.

 THE HEART OF THE BRIDE
By: Edee Moore
Our house church sometimes sings this cute little song. Do you recognize it?
“The Church is not a building, the Church is not a steeple,
The Church is not a resting place, the Church is a people.
I am the Church! You are the Church! We are the Church together!
All who follow Jesus all around the world!
Yes we’re the Church together!”

You are part of the Church, the bride of Christ. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?“ (1 Cor. 3:16) As you watch for His coming and await for His perfect plan to be revealed for your life, what should you be doing? What does this look like?

I got myself in a bit of a predicament recently. I am the opposite of a pack-rat – call me an “unpack-rat” if you will. If I don’t use it, I lose it! If it has to be dusted, I’d rather the kind folks at the local Goodwill find a new home for it! This is usually a good philosophy which results in more space, less stuff, and just better management in our home with 9 children. There have been times, however, that it got me into trouble. Like the time I good-willed (as we call it) my small daughter’s favorite doll. After tears, prayer, and several conversations with the employees at Goodwill, a gracious customer actually returned the doll to the store where we were allowed to retrieve it!

This time, our family was trying to adjust and bring closure to a very busy and emotional time of caring for my aged grandparents. Eighteen months prior, when their health had deteriorated to the point of needing assistance, the Lord had sweetly and providentially orchestrated our situation to be able to move them from a neighboring state to the home next door to us where my children, my husband, and I literally took care of all their needs – from dispensing their medications twice a day, providing some of their meals, paying bills, taking them to countless appointments, grocery shopping, cleaning, hygiene, you-name-it. My Granny had been this much help to me and more 17 years earlier when I became a new mommie. I was eager and happy to return the support. I love her so much.

Alzheimer’s is a ruthless disease. We watched as my spunky, loving, nurturing Granny seemed to change into a person we didn’t recognize. Those of you, like Candace, who have cared for an aging loved one, sympathize with the frustration and pain. When God brought that 18-month roller coaster ride to a screeching halt, we were left with a home full of memories – and STUFF!! Here’s where I get back on track!
I’ve already told you how I feel about STUFF! I feel that it’s one of our worst enemies – anxious to rob us of our precious time! Seeing how I’m blessed with a life-time of precious memories of my grandparents and time spent with them, with the exception of a few heirlooms such as Granny’s biscuit cutter and my great grandmother’s tea kettle and framed doily, I set out to pack up their belongings and get rid of STUFF! I informed other family members to let me know what they wanted to keep first, then I bagged up garbage bags full and blessed Goodwill as well as the local dump. Our family managed to get everything moved out and cleaned up, ready for some closure.

A few weeks later, a distant aunt e-mailed me with a question that made my heart do a flip. “Do you know what happened to the white ceramic light-up church with silk flowers?” I had apparently Good-willed a keepsake! I felt terrible as the memories of my past hasty contributions (like the doll) came to mind. I was in a pickle, again. Although this item meant nothing to me, it apparently meant something to her. I called Good-will and was so relieved to discover that they had a church that fit my description! I hurried down, explained my folly, and was given a deal on “the church,” buying it back for only about $10!
Now, what does this little story have to do with you, the bride of Christ, the lady in waiting? The Church is the bride of Christ. What should it look like? Well, let me first tell you what it doesn’t look like. Contrary to popular belief, the Church is not an ornamental, stained-glassed, light-up trinket with a steeple that sits around collecting dust! Nor is it the stately brick building on the corner, with its clever marquis sign declaring man’s “wisdom” each week. The Church is a working, serving, lowly, and humble body that lives, breathes, and dies for its Bridegroom, Jesus! I recently excused myself and a fussy baby from a service in a large church building where our family had been asked to sing and share. Since we’ve been part of a house church for six years, I found the large church setting to be strange but familiar. As I sat in a dark, empty Sunday School classroom nursing my hungry baby girl, gazing at the colorful stained-glass windows, I suddenly felt as if I were sitting inside that little light-up ceramic church. I could hear the preacher preaching fervently, the choir singing angelically, the organ playing beautifully, and the Lord’s Supper being served. It was as if all this were taking place in my little ceramic church. Tears came to my eyes as the Lord gently reminded me what His Church – His bride – looks like. It looks like mothers selflessly giving of their bodies and time to comfort and nurse a fussy baby. It looks like children running up and down the hill day and night, in rain, sleet, and snow, to give elderly grandparents their medicine and meals. It looks like a gentle father bending to the floor to clean and trim an aging grandmother’s toenails. It looks like young ladies serving their families with countless hours of preparing meals, changing dirty diapers, milking goats, mucking the stable, bandaging scraped knees, writing notes of encouragement to struggling souls. In short, being the Church, the bride of Christ, is serving Him whole-heartedly where He has placed you. He sees inside His Church. He sees her very heart. He doesn’t want her to merely “look like” a church. He wants her to be the Church.
My husband and I had a conversation recently with a young man of marriageable age. When we asked him why he had not pursued one of the many eligible young Christian ladies in his fellowship, his response was this: He saw many wonderful qualities in these young ladies – they were learning homemaking skills, serving their fathers in their homes, waiting on their husbands to be revealed; in short, doing many admirable things. But, he noted, there was one very important quality he has yet to find. He told us with a heart full of longing that he desires a wife that is ZEALOUS AND PASSIONATE about the role of wife and mother. He desires a bride with a heart to serve those around her, not a bride who will just go through the motions because she knows it‘s “the right thing to do.” My sweet husband is always reminding our family that “it’s all about the heart.” Don’t you know this is how our Heavenly Father feels? Oh, how he longs for His Church – His bride – to love him with all her heart. It’s so important to Him that Jesus Himself states that it’s the greatest commandment. “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment” (Mark 12:30). There is a temptation among many of us who are “doing the right things” (I.e. home schooling, homemaking, waiting on the Lord to reveal your husband if it’s His will, etc.). The temptation is to go through the motions, look the part, and not pay close attention to our own heart, which is “deceitful above all things.” (Jer. 17:9). “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23).

My friend, if you have just been merely going through the motions, but your heart isn’t joyfully and fervently serving your Lord, then you’re like that little white ceramic church. It’s pretty, but it’s also pretty useless. JUST STUFF. God sees inside it. He “understands my thought afar off” (Psalm 139:2). Won’t you repent today? I have. Let’s pray “create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). He will. He longs to give you the heart that He desires to see in you!
When the heavenly Bridegroom makes His glorious appearance, may He find you, His lovely bride, serving Him wholeheartedly. Wherever He has planted you, put your heart into it! Serve Him fervently! Don’t just look like His Church. Be the Church.
If I ever see another little white ceramic church, I may break my own rule and purchase it, plug it up, and let it serve as a reminder to me that God is peeking inside the door of my heart and desires to see me being His church!

“…the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

Edee and her husband, Shane home-school their 9 children and live on a dairy goat farm in VA.

ANOTHER GOD WRITTEN STORY
By: Genevieve Smith de Deugd

I have always believed that if it was part of God’s sovereign plan for me to marry, that He was preparing me for a young man and preparing a young man for me. I didn’t need to worry about who he was, for the Scriptures indicated that the Lord would as He does all things else  bring a marriage about in His perfect timing.Dad and Pete wrote back and forth for seven months. It would have been easy if Pete didn’t believe the same as us. The communication wouldn’t have lasted long at all. But the more they communicated back and forth, the clearer it was that there was a huge amount of common ground, unity of thought and vision. In fact there was little if any disagreement. So Dad invited Pete to come and visit us, which he did in June. Everyone knew why Pete was visiting, and as Dad had approved Pete through their communication, I was free to allow Pete to get to know me and to seek to get to know him. So we spent a great deal of time asking one another questions.
A year earlier an American friend had given me forty pages of questions that courtin’ couples would like to ask one another. The questions covered everything from convictions to preferences to ideas and experiences and likes and dislikes. With these questions in front of us, we just talked about everything under the sun. Every morning I would also spend time talking with Dad and discussing with him what we were learning about Pete. And every evening Pete and Dad would get together for a mutual question and answer session, Pete being especially concerned that he was honouring Dad’s position, role and responsibilities as my father and protector and that he was not engaging emotions prematurely. Pete really made sure Dad was happy with all of this. We were all very impressed by the end of his 10-day stay. When he got home, Pete told his parents about the trip and asked for their blessing to court me. Now when Jonathan had first told Pete about me, Mr de Deugd had gone online and had “googled” me. He read my articles and interviews online and found out about us Smiths through our website. He was so keen back then that he’d told Pete he’d buy Pete and Mrs de Deugd tickets to fly over and visit us straight away! So when Pete told his parents of the success of his trip and asked for their blessing on courting me, they had no hesitation in giving it. As a courtship was evidently the next step, Dad and Mum and I thought it would be a good idea for us to travel to Australia to see Pete in his natural environment, to meet his parents and see how he related to them before officially entering into a courtship. So we quickly planned a trip to visit there in July.
The trip was a real blessing and an important part of our growing friendship. My parents and his parents got on like a house on fire! I really liked his parents and felt within a short period of time that if it was possible to order grandparents for one’s children, I would want to order Mr and Mrs de Deugd. It was wonderful to observe Pete treating his father with honour and his mother like a queen. He was so gentle and tender with her. I met a lot of Pete’s friends, neighbours, relatives, church friends and some of his customers. They all made a point of telling me what a treasure he was, like pure gold, how skilled he was, what potential and talent he had and how good he was to work for and with. He has lived in the same place all his life and attended the same church for 20 years, so it was really wonderful hearing these things. I haven’t had the advantage of observing Pete over a long period of time, but these people, through their common report, made it obvious that he had a sterling reputation. Two married women who are friends with Pete (one who has known him for 13 years and the other for 10 years) both opened their hearts to me and offered friendship. We are now writing. This was lovely! When Pete and I marry, and I move to Australia, it is wonderful to know that I already have friends there. You see, God is as sovereign over friendships as He is over marriages. He didn’t have to organize kindred spirits for me, but He has! And I thank Him for it! My time in Australia was spent doing more talking. The discussions between Pete and I and his parents and my parents were really great. It was wonderful getting to know Pete and his parents and also spending time helping Pete with his woodworking business. The de Deugds took us out sightseeing as well which was lovely. Towards the end of the trip when our courtship became official, Pete said to his mum, “Mr. Smith has given me permission to pursue his daughter.” Mrs. de Deugd flew to me and gave me a big bear hug and said to Pete, “Well, you better pursue her hard!”
A couple of days later we Smiths returned to New Zealand. Pete and I continued to email one another and also began talking on the phone each day. We did this for nearly two months until September when Pete came to New Zealand again for four days. Talking on the phone was wonderful. We shared normal friendly things such as what we were doing each day and also talked about theological and philosophical subjects such as the approaches we would take to teaching our own children at home. We’d often read and discuss articles and discuss the husband and wife roles.
Pete is self employed and owns his own mill and woodworking establishment. He has been building up this woodworking business of his and preparing to support a family since he was about 14. His vision with his business is that it be something his wife and children can help him in. That thrills me, because I had hoped to marry someone who I could really help in such a tangible way. When families work on something together, it can really strengthen the family and pull them closer together.
Pete said to me recently that the fact I have been working to help Dad without being paid really gave him confidence; in fact it inspired and encouraged him to think that I really would be loyal to him in the same way, and that I would be willing to work and help him without always wanting to go off and do my own thing or pursue my own life. The idea that I’d be desirous of being his helper and working to make him and our family successful and strengthen us rather than working to make myself successful and fulfill myself was very precious to him. And it was moreso to him because it wasn’t just an idea to me, but something I was actually doing now in my own family. And in seeking to die to myself and serve in my family, I have found that I have been very, very fulfilled.
The week after we Smiths arrived back in New Zealand, Dad and Pete talked on the phone a few times. I was blissfully unaware that this was going on, which is good as they were discussing such things as what my favorite place was in Palmerston North and where would be a good place to propose!
So by the time Pete came and visited in September, it turned out that he’d had a ring for about a month and a half or so and was eager to propose. The first day of his visit we went for a picnic at a favorite place of mine,  a little white church built in 1895 which had a church bell and was surrounded by beautiful gardens and a white picket fence. We explored the gardens and decided to have our picnic sitting on a bridge with our feet dangling over a stream.
After we’d eaten, Pete said he had a gift for me. He told me he had made me some flowers. Knowing of his incredible woodworking skills, I was imagining 3D flowers made from maple or something! He pulled out a gift-wrapped box. I unwrapped it to discover an exquisite wooden box which Pete had made with a myrtle burl veneer and flower marquetry on the top. He had used beautiful woods such as ebony and sycamore to make the inlaid flowers. The box was locked, and he inquired if I’d like to see inside the box. Naturally I said yes, and he handed me a beautiful old-fashioned key. It turned smoothly, and when I lifted the lid it was to see the most beautiful ring sparkling away sitting in the bottom of the box in a sea of blue satin. That is when Pete spoke those beautiful words: Will you marry me?  
When we arrived home, I was expecting to show the ring to my family and tell them that we were engaged. Instead my family was showing us some engagement party invitations they had drawn up. Could we quickly check them, and then they’d send them out?  Apparently, knowing that Pete planned to propose, they were hoping he’d do it on his first day with us so we could have an engagement party two days later on Saturday night. They’d been planning this for quite some time and had told a number of people to keep this day free. I just had to laugh! What a wonderful family I have!

So there you have the history! I couldn’t have orchestrated this. It is a story of how I was found! It is a story of how the Lord brought two people together into a courtship and an engagement, and Lord willing, He will bring our engagement into a marriage in the future. I’m very thankful for wise parents like mine and a father like mine who would take the time to get to know Pete to protect me from becoming emotionally attached pre-maturely or unnecessarily if Pete and I proved not to have similar convictions. And I’m thankful for the wisdom and understanding of Pete and his submission to authority, that he would be willing to work with Dad in the beginning.
God has prepared me for this courtship with Pete and a potential marriage with him in so many ways, but I’ll just mention a few: 
I have always tried to obey God and honour my parents in the area of modesty, but at one stage in seeking to be modest and to be covered up, I fell into looking very masculine. One day it really struck me that while I was probably pleasing God with my modesty, I probably wasn’t pleasing Him by looking masculine. I realised that I needed to dress femininely to please Him. So I set out to build a feminine and beautiful wardrobe that was also modest. Pete has commented so often on the way I dress. He calls it elegant. God teaching me this was again preparing me for this courtship with Pete and preparing me to be a fulfilment of a desire in Pete’s life of a wife who was modest and feminine and elegant.
One of the best ways God has prepared me is in the area of communication. Dad has taught me to say or ask what I mean and not use manipulative tactics. For example, instead of saying, What are you doing on Friday?  One should be direct by asking, Would you like to come around for dinner on Friday?  He has taught me not to hint at things, but to talk to the point. I could have laughed off Dad’s lessons or not listened, but I didn’t. I tried to please Dad by communicating in the way he wanted. And now I’ve found that communicating like this is a real blessing to Pete. So again, God was working through my parents to prepare me for marriage. I didn’t need to know that that was what God was doing, I just needed to obey my parents like God required of me.
Back in 2001 I heard a girl say that when she is struggling with feelings towards a young man, she would tell her dad about it and ask for his help in guarding her heart. As soon as I heard her say that, I thought, That is the type of relationship I want with my dad.   Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life”.  So when a time came when I was struggling with feelings towards a man, I thought to myself, Well, here is my opportunity!  So I talked to Dad. I tried to concentrate on what to say rather than thinking about actually doing it because I didn’t want to chicken out! But it was great! Dad was great. “Well, Genevieve”,   he said, “This shows that you’re wired up normally and everything’s working just fine”.  I grinned. “But you know you should probably avoid ever seeing this man again”.  I know.  There was a whoosh of something straight into my heart at that point. It was love and gratitude towards Dad and the Lord. It was peace and joy and contentment. And I found my sense and reason returning and a freedom from the feelings I had been experiencing. When God created the world, He created it to operate in a certain way. Resting and trusting in the authority and protection of parents is His idea. It is the proper order of things, and if we operate within this order, we are blessed as a result. Anyway, that opened the door to being able to speak to Dad about things on my heart. And I built up this sort of relationship with him. This was such a blessing when Pete came on the scene because when I was confused or uncertain or had questions, I could go so easily and talk to Dad about these things. We had learned to talk on this level. And it meant that Dad could ask me how I was going emotionally and monitor where Pete’s and my hearts were and how we were emotionally by simply asking. Because he could monitor this, it meant he felt free to let Pete and I spend a lot of time together asking one another questions and getting to know one another to establish to our satisfaction that, if we were to marry, it would be an equal yoking. For me, being able to talk to Dad was a huge blessing at such a crucial time of deciding whether to enter into a courtship. And another huge blessing which has come out of learning to open my heart to Dad is that it now comes naturally to be open with Pete. Within marriage I trust that will lead to wonderful intimacy with one another.
So God sovereignly organized this courtship.  Living in obedience to God and my parents is not always easy. Doing my duty as a daughter is not always a bed of roses. Sometimes there are thorns! There is a constant struggle against the flesh and my own sinful will. But with the help of the Holy Spirit and because of the Lord’s grace and mercy, victories have been won and progress has been made. And now on the brink of marriage I am excited to say that the struggle, the difficulties are so worth it!
Marriage in one sense is a starting point and in another sense a finish line. I’m now catching a glimpse of the finish line of maidenhood and seeing in a new way, with a sharper focus, the true abiding value of these years of preparation for marriage  learning home-making skills, working on family relationships and helping my father. The closer I get to marriage the more humbled and blessed I feel that the Lord brought me onto this track of preparing for marriage in these years of maidenhood. As you too prepare for marriage, do not grow weary in doing good. Persevere!
One thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14.

GOD IN MY GARDEN (The Parable of the Green Beans)
A garden reflection taken from WFTM blog by Candace

It’s amazing to me how often God speaks to me while I’m working, or at times, just sitting and reflecting in the garden. It’s one of my favorite places to be, and He regularly whispers something to my heart while I am there. Perhaps that is why I love it so. Today, I headed out to the garden to see how things were growing. I hadn’t been in a couple of days, as things have been quite busy and God has provided sufficient rain, so no need for watering. I started at one end where I had planted yellow squash seeds two weeks ago.  I went on to look at the tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, onions, cabbage, garlic, herbs, and then glanced over towards the “bean area” expecting to see covered rows of dirt where I had planted beans only 6 days ago. . . but WOW was I surprised! Forget rows of dirt! What did I see, but 8 beautiful rows of very leafy, very healthy green bean PLANTS! HOW did this happen?! I was amazed, and very excited. Each year, I check every day or two and watch for the first tiny seedlings, count them and rejoice with each new one. This year, it went from nothing to abundant healthy, growing plants in all 8 rows! I was so thankful. I had prayed that God would bless the beans and all of our crops this year, but was I expecting this?! As I pondered this, I began to realize God had something deeper to speak to me through it.  I realized this only when I heard myself saying out loud to anyone who would listen, “How could this be?! I was only out there two days ago and there was nothing! There was absolutely nothing! I saw nothing! NOTHING!” Woah. It started to sink in.  “And today, there are plants that appear to be at least 3 weeks old!” Woah again. Could it be that in our seasons of “nothingness”, absolute nothingness, seasons of silence and fruitlessness by the natural eye, that God could be at work “under the dirt”? Could it be that only a few days ago or a few weeks ago, there was ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, but next time we look, He has caused something beautiful to come forth, and it is progressed beyond it’s time, to make up for lost time? Could it be that when all we see is death and drought, that LIFE is about to spring forth from God’s heart into a natural manifestation? Of course! Of course! Of course it could be! Let that sink deep into your soul today.
I’m sure you’ve studied and heard this Scripture taught many, many times, but since His Word is so fresh and alive, I’m going to challenge you to read it again and just be still before the Lord and absorb what He has to say to you like a sponge.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die, it abideth by itself alone; but if it die, it beareth much fruit.  John 12:24

If a seed does not first die, it will never be able to live and flourish. . . it just remains a hard, cold, little useless seed that sadly never sees the very purpose God created it for. The beans had to first die before they could emerge and flourish and excel. What good would they have been safely kept inside the seed packet, or even lying on top of the dirt? A BURIAL must take place in order for life to come forth.

Do you have visions, God-given dreams that you are a little (or a lot) afraid to let go of, to trust God with? It would surely hurt to toss them onto the ground, but even harder still to dig a hole and BURY them, no? You see, when they are buried, we can no longer see them or touch them, and our flesh really likes to see what is going on. It likes to see God working and answering our prayers. Imagine, burying your most treasured heart’s desires, and *blindly* trusting God to have His way in your life no matter what. Wow. What a calling. It’s my calling and it is also your calling, dear sister. To be totally, wrecklessly, abandoned to our Master, our Master who has called Himself “Husband” to us, His Bride. This whole burial process doesn’t mean you will forget what you buried, or even stop desiring it. (For surely, God has placed many of the wholesome desires in our heart with His own loving hand.) It just means you will want Him more, and it will become very real to you that “better is one day in His courts than a thousand elsewhere.” and your soul will pant for Him as the deer pants for the water, and you will seek Him relentlessly until you find Him, and He promises that you will!  Can we do this on our own? Never. But. . . He is able to grant us the courage and the grace to bury all these things we hold dear.  Then, one day when you are not expecting it at all, He may very likely surprise you with rows of resurrected, flourishing promises fulfilled- prayers answered, and they may just be far bigger and heartier and greater than you would have imagined! Are you willing to sacrifice your “Isaac” today for a greater calling of walking solely and utterly with your God?
As you pass by the garden that you have sown in, but see no outward signs of life springing forth, be assured that God works even when we cannot see Him. He has promised to satisfy your soul, to make you totally complete in Him alone, and His grace covers all of your doubts and fears. If you are willing, He will do a work in your heart. Be encouraged by this verse of Scripture:
“The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and give strength to your bones, and you will be like a watered garden, a spring whose waters fail not. Isaiah 58:11

PROMISES FULFILLED
By: Pami Dick

Generations have threads of consistent character traits that are evident as one looks back over the history of the family. Some of these traits are inspiring; look for them in your own family. Ours has a wonderful legacy of love for children. This, I do not feel arrogant in saying, because it is about my husband?s family of which I am going to elaborate. Grandma Fleischmann was an only child who desperately longed for siblings. She would walk down the street with her baby buggy full, saying she was going to have eleven babies when she grew up. Time passed and the Lord allowed her to have two healthy girls, seven years apart. The younger of the two daughters was Janet. Janet too, loved babies and children. Early in her life, God birthed in her a desire to build an orphanage. It is so important to keep our focus on the God-given desires we have. A trip to a Chinese orphanage in 1997 revealed to Janet a beautiful piece to the work of God in her life, her name was Zhang Li. She was eight years old. I thought that perhaps we should adopt her because of my mother and father-in-law?s age and the challenges that might come with such an adventure at their age. My husband, Gary prayed about us adopting her and felt that we should not adopt her but that God had twin girls for us. So, Janet and her husband, Harry, went to China to adopt this precious little girl the same year and named her Rachel. They went back to the same orphanage the next year, and adopted Rebecca, another nine year old girl. This, from my perspective, was a sacrifice because they had a granddaughter who was almost as old as their new daughters. (Of course, larger families witness this benefit as many times the children and grandchildren can be close in age.) So, rather than take the easy road of retirement, they went back to grade school days with children. There were more trips to China as Janet helped others adopt. She would, and still, begs people to adopt these little ones who need mommies and daddies. On one trip, there was a little girl who had no arms. My heart broke for her, thinking that she had no one to attend to her great needs. I told Gary that many times he would remind me that when someone has a need, you don?t pray for provision if it is in your capability to provide. So, he prayed about us adopting this little girl. The Lord again said, no, and that He had twin girls for us. We really got a hold of the promise this time. I was ready to begin the paperwork. At the same time, we prayed for a family for this little one and in time, heard that she was adopted. We began our process in April of 1999 when the Lord answered a prayer to help me find the key to our firebox so that we could get our birth certificates out. After a year and a half of progress, the Chinese government was ready to refer a child to us. Gary told the agency that we did not want a referral of one child, only twins. We believed God fulfills His promises and we believed we had a promise, so we stood on faith. We were told that our paperwork would probably just be set aside and forgotten. Five months later, Janet found out that there were twins in the Kunming orphanage (this was the same orphanage that Janet?s daughters came from.) These twins were ours. Janet travelled once again, with me this time, to adopt our little Janet and Jonilyn. What a blessing they are. They were born the month we began the adoption process, which was April of 1999.

Janet has since begun a non-profit organization to help orphaned children. She named the organization Esther?s Haven, after her mother, Esther Fleischmann, who loved children with such a passion. Esther?s Haven exists to give the love of Christ, provide a safe home and to meet medical and educational needs of children around the world. Although much emphasis is on the children in China, there have been needs met in other countries as well. The method that the Esther?s Haven board has established for determining what projects to take on is through prayer. All of us on the board pray for God to bring a project to us and direct us as to what He wants us to do. Then, we petition both the Lord and people for funding for specific projects. We have been working on raising funds to renovate the first floor of an orphanage in China for special needs children. Someone has relocated near the orphanage to work with officials there. He has worked for many years helping establish safe surroundings for special needs children; Janet?s daughters knew him during their early years in China. These, we believe, are all incremental steps toward actually building an orphanage one day, which was the vision originally given to Janet.

If your family is interested in adoption or helping support our project, Janet Dick can be reached at (412) 487-4469, or by writing to Esther?s Haven, 2109 Middle Road, Glenshaw, PA 15116.

Pami, and her husband Gary have five children and live near Pittsburgh, PA.

*Note from Candace: I met Pami’s oldest daughter, Julie on a summer mission trip in Tennessee last year and instantly came to love her as my own precious younger sister before I ever knew about her family’s heart for China. I was so blessed to be able to be present for her home-school graduation in May. While there, I also had the honor of meeting all of her precious family, and of course my heart completely melted at first glance of little Janet and Joni.

CHALLENGE
Live this day as though it was your last.
Have you truly ever done this? We hear it all the time, but I wonder how much more fruitful our lives would be if we really lived in this frame of mind? God’s Word talks about numbering our days (Psalm 90:12) and explains how our lives on this earth are but dust, vapors (James 4:14). When all is said and done, the only thing that will matter is what we did for the glory of God. So I would urge you to savor today like you do not have a guarantee of tomorrow, as we do not. Enjoy the details of God’s creation and give thanks for the things you normally take for granted. Don’t miss a chance to serve cheerfully, worship heartily, share Jesus freely, or pray unceasingly.

RECOMMENDED READING:
Mother
by: Kathleen Norris