A True and Godly Woman by Anna Naomi Lofgren

Anna Naomi Lofgren of Maidens of Worth wrote this beautiful poem:

A True and Godly Woman
Today the roles of men and ladies
Are often blurred or shared
Leaving one to wonder,
"So, what has God prepared?"

Some people would try to tell us
That we're the same in every way
That girls should strive for equal rights
And not be stuck inside all day!

But I want to be a lady,
Following after God.
Striving to do what pleases Him
Though it might look rather odd!

I want to have noble character
Like the women in God's word
Worth far more than rubies,
And living by trusting in the Lord

I want to learn to bring my future husband
Good, but never ill
Honoring him in all I do,
Learning to submit my will.

I strive to teach my hands eagerness
In all the daily tasks
Working hard from dawn 'til dusk
To make a home where nothing ever lacks.

Learning to sew and cook and clean,
To make a home lovely.
Learning to be an excellent wife and mother,
So that everyone shall see

A woman delighting in the gift
Of graceful femininity,
Clothed with strength and wisdom,
And possessing dignity.

Dressing with grace and honor,
Radiating modesty,
Letting there be no doubt that I
Am a girl of propriety.

Knowing and showing that
True beauty comes from within.
Not caught up in my outward appearance,
But praising God with all I am.

Learning to develop a spirit
That is quiet, gentle, and kind.
Shunning gossip and idle chatter,
But speaking with wisdom in mind.

Glorifying God with every
Word, thought, and deed.
Living as God would have me live,
Helping everyone in need.

And as I live each day,
I hope that it'll show,
That I am a true and Godly woman,
Delighting that it's so!

A Modesty Survey in The Rebelution

The Rebelution has a new project - The Modesty Survey.

The Medical Mission

Medical Mission
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The Registration Table: Before the patients could enter for a check-up, their names and other first-hand information had to be written down on sheets of paper, as well as on the major list. Christin was assigned here, as well as my sister Hannah, and Zarah, our pastor's daughter.

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The Vital Signs Booth: Several caregivers and nurses-to-be were assigned to this area. Their job was to get the blood pressure, pulse rate, temperature, weight, and other vital information of the patient and write them on the patient's sheet for the doctor's reference.

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The Waiting Room: Here, the patients had a chance to talk to the counselors (some of our church's members) while waiting to be called.

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The Doctors' Area: This was where all the doctors (there were six of them) saw to the needs of the patients. My sister Damaris and I were assigned here as runners. It was our duty to see to the needs of the doctors and to escort the patients to the Pharmacy.

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Pharmacy: Here, the nurses and other nurses-to-be were assigned to give the prescribed medicines to the patients. [The little boy in the middle of the picture is my brother, Jotham. He was assigned to give out the foot wash. :)]

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Snack Table: In this area, snacks and tracts were handed out to the patients before they left the church. Some of them went back to the waiting area to talk to the counselors.

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Thanks so much for your prayers!

Prayer Request: Medical Mission

On Sunday, our church will be having a Medical Mission. Throughout the past few weeks, the Missions Committee of our church has been preparing for this big event. We have been contacting doctors and nurses, gathering medicines, planning, and praying. And now, the big day is near.
Please pray for us, especially on Sunday, that we'll be able to minister to the people who will be arriving, and that we'll also be able to share to them about Jesus.

Thanks, and God bless!

Across the Street, Around the World

THE MISSION

There's a call going out
Across the land in ev'ry nation,
A call to all who swear allegiance
To the cross of Christ;
A call to true humility,
To live our lives responsibly,
To deepen our devotion
To the cross, at any price.

Let us then be sober,
Moving only in the Spirit
As aliens and strangers
In a hostile foreign land;
The message we're proclaiming
Is repentance and forgiveness,
The offer of salvation
To the dying race of man.

Chorus:
To love the Lord our God
Is the heartbeat of our mission,
The spring from which
Our service overflows.
Across the street or around the world,
The mission's still the same,
Proclaim and live the truth
In Jesus' name.

As a candle is consumed
By the passion of the flame,
Spilling light unsparingly
Throughout a darkened room;
Let us burn to know Him deeper
Then our service flaming bright
Will radiate His passions
And blaze with holy light.

November is Missions Month in our church. But really, every day should be seen as a chance to share the gospel to a friend or loved one. Whether they may be the next-door-neighbors across the street, or a relative from across the sea, they need to hear about the Love of a Saviour. Why not take the time to talk to them or even sit down and pray for them? There's a world full of people who may have never heard of Jesus.

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
Matthew 28:19, 20

"Mirror, Mirror on the Wall"

In the well-known and much-loved fairy tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, there is a part when Snow White's wicked stepmother asks her enchanted mirror: "Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?", to which the mirror would respond by saying the name of the most beautiful woman in the land.

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Girls are always trying to find some way to make themselves more attractive. They pore over latest fashion magazines. They spend hours in front of the mirror - primping their hair, fussing over their clothes, worrying about their looks.

Being a girl, I admit that there were times when I used to worry about my looks. Everyone seemed to think that physical beauty was very important for a girl, and I guess I thought so too.
By God's grace, as I grew older, I learned that what matters most is not how you look, but what you are.

Proverbs 31:30 says:

"Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised."

Favour, or charm, may look good, but once you have it, you'll find it unsatisfying. Physical beauty is nothing. It won't last forever, and it isn't essential to life.
Instead of focusing on our looks, we need to focus on the Lord and how to become more like Him.

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Most people have grown used to judging others by their physical appearance. Instead of looking at a person's heart, we tend to focus on what the person wears and how he or she looks. We judge people by the way we see them, often stopping at the looks and never proceeding to know the real person behind them. Nevertheless, that is not how God wants us to regard people.
The Bible says:

"...man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)

God does not look at our face or our clothes, or what we have. He looks at our hearts, and He wants us to do the same. He wants us to see people by who they really are deep within - the heart.

The same applies to ourselves. We are oft times so busy focusing on trying to look beautiful that we forget that it's the heart God looks at, and not the face.
We spend all our time, money, and effort in making sure we look beautiful, but we never stop to think about what kind of heart we have and what kind of life we live. People may judge you by your physical appearance, but remember that what is in your heart is what matters most.
Being physically beautiful is not what counts - being beautiful from within is. Instead of poring over fashion magazines and worrying in front of the mirror, spend that time with the Lord, getting to know Him more. Our purpose should be focused on becoming more like our Heavenly Father, and not like the fashion magazines.

There are still times when I catch myself looking at the mirror and worrying about my looks, and then I am rebuked by the Holy Spirit - "Beauty is vain."

Here's a challenge for all of us (especially girls): Every time you look at your reflection and wish you were more beautiful, think about what your heart and life would reflect if you could see them from a mirror.

Eight Reasons Why I Don't Share My Faith

Stop and Think: Online Video Evangelism

Check out The Rebelution for more information

God's Perfect Choice (Author Unknown)

A very good friend gave me this poem several years ago.

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Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone
To have a deep soul relationship with another
To be loved thoroughly, and exclusively
But God to the Christian says, No…
Not until you are satisfied, fulfilled and contented with being loved
By Me alone, with giving yourself totally unreserved to Me
Discovering that only Me is your satisfaction to be found
Then you will be capable of the perfect human relationship
That I have planned for you.

You will never be united with another until you are united with Me
Exclusive of anyone or anything else
Exclusive of any desires and longing
I want you to stop planning, stop wishing,
And allow Me to give you the most thrilling plan existing
One that you cannot imagine
I want you to have the best, please allow Me to give it to you
Just keep watching Me, expecting the greatest things
Keep experiencing the satisfaction that I am
Keep listening and learning the things I tell you
You just wait…that’s all!

Don’t be anxious, don’t worry
Don’t look around at the things other have gotten or I have given them
Don’t look at the things you think you have
You just keep looking off and away up to Me…
Or you’ll miss what I want to show you…

And then, when you are ready, I’ll surprise you with a love
Far more wonderful than any of you dream of
You see, until you are ready and until the one I have for you is ready
(I’m working to have you both ready at the same time),
Until you are both satisfied exclusively with Me and the life I prepare for you
You won’t be able to experience the love that exemplifies
Your relationship with Me and is thus the perfect time.

I want you to see in the flesh a picture of your relationship with Me
And to enjoy materially and concretely the everlasting union of beauty
Perfection and love that I offer you myself
Know that I love you utterly,
Believe and be satisfied.

"Everyone's Doing It"

A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with a friend who said she enjoyed peer pressure. When I asked her why, her response was "Well, at least you get to do what everyone else is doing."

Needless to say, I was horrified. Although some peer pressure may be good - like teaching you to have more self-confidence, helping you grow, et cetera - most of it will lead you the wrong way.

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Everyday, teenagers face struggles brought on by media, peer pressure, and other factors. Everyday, culture tries to influence us by presenting something that looks "good."Almost all teenagers will accept anything, try anything, and do anything that will put them in the "cool crowd." Ask them why, and you'll get the same answer - "everyone's doing it."
Often, we Christians blend in with the rest of the crowd, going with the flow, and allowing ourselves to be influenced by our friends and by our culture. Often, we make excuses and say "everyone else is doing it, so it can't be wrong", yet deep down inside, we know that what we're doing is not right.

Romans 12:2 says:"And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind..."

It means that we shouldn't adapt to the low standards of our culture, but rather, we should live as we had been transformed when we received Christ.Ephesians 4:23, 24 says that we need to put on the "new us" created to be like God.
I admit that I find it easier to do what everyone else is doing and go where everyone else is going. Nevertheless, I am constantly reminded that I need to live like Jesus; that I need to take a stand and be different; and that I need to go the opposite - but right - direction.
It's so easy to go with the flow. It's so easy to follow the crowd. That's not what God wants us to do, however. He wants us to do what is right in His eyes, even if that means turning your back to the crowd.
Before I end, there's a true story I'd like to share:
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A college freshman at the University of Arkansas banded together with another Christian friend or two and pledged Sigma Alpha Epsilon (a social fraternity). This particular fraternity was notorious for its wild and crazy reputation. But these young Christian men were on a mission. They began praying for their "brothers." They modeled the Christian life and shared their faith. Four years later, when these two men graduated, there were some 50-60 Christians in the chapter!

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See what a difference those Christian men made!If we tried to be different, if we went against the flow, if we did things not because "everyone's doing it" but because God want us to, then we'd make a difference.
Don't blend with the background. Stand out. Be different. Go against the flow.