Response is what matters- Elizabeth Elliott

Just yesterday I began feeling a little bit normal again. Weeks of laying on the sofa too miserable to pick up  the remote much less a book. If I was not talking myself out being sick, I was asleep- so much for quiet time with the Lord. It was more like praying I could survive yet another pregnancy without too much damage to my falling-apart order in my home. Kids acting like they had never had a Mommy to teach them, a house almost too gross to live in and then worries, of worries, our yearly Fall Festival approached.
The Lord miraculously gave me the strength and energy to complete the long week leading up to the big day, but the week afterwards, I thought I was going to die with the migraines, strep and morning sickness that culminated by stressing out an already tired body. Sounds pretty pathetic, but it is my reality. A reality that lead up the end of "me". I felt like a failure, useless and ready to throw in the towel.
So, getting on my knees, I cried out to the Lord for His strength and His wisdom. After talking to my dear friend, my sister, she read this devotion below by Elizabeth Elliott to me. I just had to stop my heart from all of the trouble and frustrations and remember that God has assigned me my portion and my cup. He has perfectly orchestrated my days and I can rest in His loving care for me, not worry about my inadequacies and weakness. My response to the circumstances He has given to me is what He is after.

I hope this encourages anyone who reads this as it did me:

"What do we really want in life? I am surprised at how few of us have a ready answer. Oh, we can come up with quite a long list of things, but is there one thing above all others that we desire? “One thing I have desired of the Lord,” said David, “that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life…” (Psalm 27:4, NKJV).

To the rich young man who wanted eternal life Jesus said, “One thing you lack. Go, sell everything” (Mark 10:21, NIV).

In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus tells us that the seed that is choked by thorns has fallen into a heart full of the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desire for other things.

 The apostle Paul said, “One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14, NIV).

A quiet heart is content with what God gives. It is enough. All is grace.

 One morning my computer simply would not obey me. What a nuisance. I had my work laid out, my timing figured, my mind all set. My work was delayed, my timing thrown off, my thinking interrupted. Then I remembered. It was not for nothing. This was part of the Plan (not mine, His).

“Lord, You have assigned me my portion and my cup.” Now if the interruption had been a human being instead of an infuriating mechanism, it would not have been so hard to see it as the most important part of the work of the day. But all is under my Father’s control: yes, recalcitrant computers, faulty transmissions, drawbridges that happen to be up when I am in a hurry. My portion. My cup. My lot is secure. My heart can be at peace. My Father is in charge. How simple! My assignment entails my willing acceptance of my portion in matters far beyond comparison with the trivialities just mentioned, such as the death of a precious baby. A mother wrote to me of losing her son when he was just one month old. A widow wrote of the long agony of watching her husband die. The number of years given them in marriage seemed too few. We can know only that Eternal Love is wiser than we, and we bow in adoration of that loving wisdom.

Response is what matters. Remember that our forefathers all were guided by the pillar of cloud, all passed through the sea, all ate and drank the same spiritual food and drink, but God was not pleased with most of them. Their response was all wrong. Bitter about the portions allotted to them, they indulged in idolatry, gluttony, and sexual sin. And God killed them by snakes and by a destroying angel.The same almighty God apportioned their experiences.

All events serve His will. Some responded in faith. Most did not.Think of that promise and keep a quiet heart! Our enemy delights in disquieting us. Our Savior and Helper delights in quieting us. “As a mother

comforts her child, so will I comfort you” is His promise (Isaiah 66:13, NIV). The choice is ours. It depends on our willingness to see everything in God, receive all from His hand, accept with gratitude just the portion and the cup He offers. Shall I charge Him with a mistake in His measurements or with misjudging the sphere in which I can best learn to trust Him? Has He misplaced me? Is He ignorant of things or people which, in my view, hinder my doing His will?

God came down and lived in this same world as a man. He showed us how to live in this world, subject to its vicissitudes and necessities, that we might be changed, not into angels or storybook princesses, not wafted into another world, but changed into saints in this world. The secret is Christ in me, not me in a different set of circumstances."

Sister's- Devotion story for Keepers

Tamsey and a family of May's

Part 1-Tamsey meets the May's



"Get your self down from that tree, young man!" came the shrill voice of Mrs. Hewlit. Her narrow eyes squinted up into her prized Pink Lady apple tree where a ragged form sat perched precariously atop a high branch . The figure paid no mind, but dangled it's feet temptingly above Mrs. Hewlit's head and threw the core of an apple at her feet.

Mrs. Hewlit's cheeks glowed as pink as her prized apples and the sight of that eaten core made her fairly burst with rage. Mrs. Hewlit was not accustomed to being ignored, she prided herself on her wisdom and power by all those in the town in which she lived. Never had any child ever been so impertinent as this little ruffian, except the time when Tom Deen drowned a cat in her well and then lied about it when she caught him in the act. He never tried that again after the punishment she gave him. And she was certain no other child would dare to to trifle with her from that time out. And none ever did... until now, nonetheless one who dared step into her yard and steal an apple not even the Reverend would dare take without her strict permission.

With all the fury she could muster in her plump hands, she took hold of the trunk and shook that tree so hard, apples and all rained down about her.

"Ouch!" came a cry from a pile of leaves collected from the shake.

Mrs. Hewlit stretched out her hands and took both the child's ears in her hands and pulled it up to it's feet. She yanked the knit cap from off it's head intending to give it a sound scolding, but instead she dropped the hat, and exclaimed, "Your a girl!" The child's brown curls toppled from her head and revealed a elfish face covered in soot and all manner of dirtiness.

"Yea, and what of it?" snapped the creature as she bent to retrieve her belongings. Mrs, Hewlit kept a firm hold of the ear keeping the child from bending over much less moving her head lest the pain make her cry out.

"Well! Speak out, you little thief! Who do you belong to?" and she squeezed a little tighter.

" No one, Mam. I belong to no- one. I was just grabbin me a bite to eat seeing as I haven't eaten in a week."

Mrs. Hewlit wasn't going to allow herself to be fooled. She raised herself to her full height and gathered up her skirts with one hand dragging the creature out of the pile of leaves it was standing in with the other hand. " If you won't tell me whom you belong to, you will give me your name at once!"

" Names Tamsey. Ooooo, but that hurts. Could I have my ear back?"

"What is your Sir name, if you please?" said Mrs. Hewlit ignoring Tamsey's pleas.

"a sir-what?"

"Your last name, you idiot."

"Don't got one, and I'm no idiot, you mean, ol...ouchhhh!" Tamsey found herself being dragged violently by the ear down the long lane and without mercy she was forced to walk down to the town square where her fate no doubt be in the hands of the sheriff.



"What you got there?" Called a voice from a lovely little house situated in the corner of the last street and across from the town square. Three little heads popped their heads from behind a tree looking like pictures from out of time.



"Your Mama ought to be ashamed allowing you children to dress so scandalously! " cried the shocked woman.



" We just haven fun." said a sweet choice of a brown headed little boy.



"Well, you can tell your Mother that I shall have a talk with her soon, but first I have another issue I must deal with." she said as she shot daggers at Tamsey with her eyes.



" You can tell me now." came a voice from inside the house. Another figure, obviously the children's Mother came out to greet Mrs. Hewlit and her prisoner.

" Why! I never..." cried the poor woman. " Reverend May will have an earful when I tell him that his family has been scandalizing this perfectly respectable town!"

" Mrs. Hewlit, please excuse our attire. We were having a lesson about our forefathers. We dressed up for the part. Didn't your family come aboard one of the first ships, Mrs. Hewlit? Such brave souls..." said Mrs. May in a wistful tone.

Mrs. Hewlits face softened at the mention of her family's ancestors.

"Who is this, Mrs. Hewlit?" Mrs. May asked kindly.

Mrs. Hewlit told the story in a dramatized way and finished with, " Well, I suppose I shall overlook your attire Mrs. May if you would do me the favor of seeing this ruffian properly punished when her family is located. I was planning on seeing her to the sheriff myself, but I've changed my mind. I'm feeling a bit charitable and so I'll oversee the matter this once. Well! I've stayed here long enough! I have to take my pies out of the oven before they burn, this child has tormented me log enough for one day. See that Reverend May does his duty." she sighed a long sigh and "tissked" as if she feared the world as she knew it was going to be punished on judgment day.



The clan of black and white and the one lone and ragged figure watched as Mrs. Hewlit tottered away and then they all sighed one collective breath of relief.

"Well, according to Mrs. Hewlit, you are quite the thief!" said Mrs. May not in an unkind way. "But, " and she leaned in close to Tamsey, " you need not go hungry while you are here. Now if you will tell me where you come from, the Children can walk you home after a meal. This is Clara," nodding to the tallest, and prettiest girl looking to be about twelve years old, " and that is Daisy," she said looking at her youngest daughter who was all smiles looking to be about seven, " and last by not least, is Avalon." all eyes looked upon the littlest one, a curly haired boy with eyes soft like heather and a smile that betrayed his love for mischief. When he noticed that all eyes were upon him he ran and hid behind Clara's skirt. His big sister bent to pick him up and gave him a nuzzle sending into a fit of laughter.

" Well, Mam, I's gonna tell you like I tole that fat, mean 'ol lady, I ain't got no Sir's and I belong only to myself." She nodded decisively.

Mrs. May looked puzzled for a moment, but she kept silent and said after a few moments, " Well, Tamsey. You'll stay with us until Mr. May arrives and we'll see what's to be done. For now, there is nothing to be done but play for a while while I make something to eat. " She smiled again and re entered the house to prepare dinner.

The children all stood looking at Tamsey and Tamsey stared back at them. Daisy took hold of Clara's hand and Avalon wrapped his fat arms tighter about his sister's neck.

"Why are you all staring at me? I ain't gonna bite!"

Clara's brown eyes twinkled and she laughed a big hearty laugh. " Your funny Tamsey! I see we're gonna get along just fine. You ever played Blind Man's Bluff?"

Tamsey shook her head, "Well, that's okay, We'll teach you. I'll be it. Tamsey, you just run and don't let me catch you. Understand? Alright, I'll close my eyes now... go!"

Clara, Daisy and Avalon understood the game, having played it before and not knowing how anybody could not know how to play, they had no idea that their newly found friend would run for dear life as if pursued by attack dogs and be gone as quickly as she came, they very quickly realized they should have spent more time explaining the game to her.

Clara opened her eyes when she heard the exclamations of Avalon and Daisy and joined in the cries of " Come back Tamsey! Where you going? Look at her run. Where do you suppose she's running to?"

"Looks like she's runnin from the debol." said little Avalon in an innocent way.

"hush, Avalon! You shouldn't say that. Do you think she'll come back?" asked Daisy.

" I hope so. I don't think we'll be able to catch her as fast as she's running. I suppose she'll figure out that no one is chasing her she'll be back." said Clara.

" But what if she doesn't want to come back? " Asked Avalon

" Oh, she'll be back, alright." said Clara. " Momma promised to feed her, remember?" Avalon smiled and said, " Oh, yea."

Clara gathered her siblings about her skirts and entertained them with stories for over an hour when all of a sudden, in the middle of a story about Squanto and the first pilgrims a filthy little head poked it way around a tree.

"How long have you been standing there, Tamsey?" cried Clara.

Tamsey rolled her foot along the ground in a circle while she shrugged, "Dunno"

Clara patted to a spot at her feet and said, " You been running all this time?"

Tamsey shrugged.

" You must be pretty tired. Momma brought dinner and some lemonade. Want some?"

Tamsey nodded eagerly and came close.

"Come on. don't be afraid. Sit and eat and listen to the story with us, Tamsey. You're part of our family for now."

Tamsy came closer bashfully but obviously a little hurt.

Daisy took the piece of lavender she had tucked into her hair earlier in the morning, now limp and thirsty and gave it to Tamsey as a peace offering.

Tamsey took the flower but kept her eyes on the ground.

" Where you go, Tam- a-sey? I never seed even a cat run as fast as you! You run fast! I wanna run fast like that!" cried Avalon seriously, eyes wide with wonder.

Tamsey smiled and said, "guess it comes from being chased all my life."

" Poor little goose. You don't have to run anymore dear, until we find out about your Momma and Papa, you just rest here with our little family." Clara leaned over and kissed Tamsey's cheek, dirt and all but Daisy and Avalon just patted her head affectionately. They fed Tamsey a plate of fried chicken, boiled egg and a large glass of fresh, cool lemonade and tried not to watch as Tamsey ate the best meal she had eaten in her life.



Discussion:

We are beginning a story about siblings. Today we will discuss the joy a sister can bring to a family. The happiness of a home depends on the conduct of daughters, they can make a home sweet and pleasant.

1. How do you see the May family in this brief glance?

2. Who helped make the family seem so pleasant?

3. How do the siblings treat each other?

4. How do the youngest siblings feel about Clara? Why?

5. How do you think Tamsey feel about the Mays on her very first meeting with them?

6. Do the kids make her feel welcome?


Scripture Memory:

" A cheerful heart is good medicine." Proverbs 17:22

Keppers devotion- Honor your parents with your Words

Honor your Parents with your Words
Phil 2:14" Do all things without arguing and complaining"

Rosa and Mrs. Heart had been invited to stay as guests with the Preston's until the doctor gave Mrs. Heart a full release. After being treated by a good doctor, and fed healthy meals, and after resting in a warm bed and having her mind at ease that her daughter was being cared for, Mrs. Heart showed great progress in her health and was even beginning to have color back in her cheeks, and her thin face and hands were beginning to grow plump yet again. Rosa and Katherine had become like sisters in the meantime, and there was but little time they were never away from each other. Rosa showed great patience with Katherine and though she was slow to change completely, Rosa's good character was beginning to have an effect on Katherine which made the entire family take notice.

However, Katherine still had much to learn and as usual as it is with all of us, she would have moments where it seemed she had forgotten everything she had learned.

One morning at the breakfast table, a morning which Rosa chose to stay with her Mother and read their Bibles and pray, the bright morning light touched the white table cloth draped over the large table in the dinning room making the pastries and fruits loaded on platters look glittering and happy. The widows were cracked halfway ajar to let in the fresh air, stirring the air with all the good smells mingled together; toast, honeysuckle, roses, and strawberries . Perhaps all of these things played a part in stirring within Katherine a feeling of power and superiority; whatever the case and without thinking of anything else, Katherine sprang into the room with pink cheeks and bright golden curls. She flopped on to her chair with a flourish and said in a sing song voice, " Mama, I think I should like a new dress."
Mr. Preston folded down one corner of his newspaper and looked severely at his daughter and Mrs. Preston turned her head to gaze at her daughter, " Katherine, eat you breakfast and we should discuss this later."
Katherine, oblivious to anything else but her desires wished only to have her question answered and her heart contented, pressed her Mother further, " But I would like to have your answer now."
"Katherine." Her father said in a severe tone as he folded a corner of his newspaper down and looked at her with an arched eye which clearly told her he was annoyed with her tone.
Katherine gave a smirk and ate her food with a relish. Soon after, she asked to be excused and then skipped upstairs to find Rosa. Rosa and Mrs. Hart were through with their time together and with a loving peck, Rosa left her mother to join Katherine.
"Rosa, I think we should have new dresses. Yours are positively ugly and I simply just want a dress cut to the latest fashion." Katherine gave a little grimace as she looked at Rosa's dress; a thing she had been aching to do since she first met Rosa.
"Well, mine are not so nice, I do admit that, but I should not want to put your Mother out." Rosa said patiently.
"Oh, it's nothing. Nothing but convincing Mama, that is." Katherine grasped Rosa's hand in hers and dragged her to the sitting room to find her Mother.
Lady Preston sat prettily on a padded chair, tediously mending a piece of clothing. She put her work down as Katherine stood be for her.

Katherine gave a Rosa a side glance and winked her eye, " Mama?" she said in her sweetest tone, " Look at Rosa's dress. Isn't it about time she had a new one? Why its all faded and so out of fashion, if ever it was in fashion!" she said in a snicker.

Lady Preston's face colored as she set her sewing down. "Kate!"

"Well, is it not? I've been thinking. Why not make a new dress for Rosa and make one for me as well, while we're at it? It will be a cinch. Rosa need not have a fancy dress, just a practical one for her stay here and I can use rest of the material for a nicer dress that will make me look all the fashion."

"Katherine, that is quite enough! Rosa, would you please excuse us?"

Rosa, horrified that Katherine had used her as an excuse to get what she wanted, turned to leave the room, but Katherine kept her put by grasping her hand and applying pressure on it.

" Mama, please." Katherine's said in a whiny tone, her eyebrows pinched in the middle and her lips pucked into a frown, "I want a dress!"

"Katherine, please don't make this difficult. I would be happy to make you and Rosa" this said in a slow way, "a dress next week, when I have time to devote to it, not today."

"Oh, Mama. Why ever not? It's not too much work.You don't do anything of much importance anyway. I can help you cut it out and sew it together. Momma, Please?"

" No, Katherine."

"Oh, but Momma, please? I don't understand why you don't want to do it" and Katherine gave her most beseeching look and forced tears into her eyes.

Lady Preston looked helpless and she sighed a great big sigh, " Darling, please don't cry. I so don't like it when you do it."

Katherine squeezed a few tears out like a good little actress fit for the stage, " Momma, I'll stop if you promise to make me a dress, Oh, Mama it would please me so much!" cocking her head in a most innocent way.

"Alright, Katherine, We'll begin looking at the patterns of the Lady's Goody's book tonight, we will discuss patterns tomorrow."

Katherine and Rosa left the room hand in hand, but Rosa left with heavy eyes and dejected face.
Katherine turned to her like a conquering soldier and said in a satisfied tone, "Now, Rosa, aren't I the smart one?"

Rosa dropped her hand from Katherine's hold and smoothed back her loose curls with the other hand, " No, Katherine! I think you have shamed me, your Mama and Christ today!"

Katherine's eyes widened in surprise, " Why! That's gratitude for you, you mean thing! You could at least say Thank you."

Rosa stepped back against the wall, " No, Katherine, I should not say thank you. I don't want a dress. Please tell your Momma that I will be busy tomorrow."

"But why ever not, you goose?"

" Katherine, " Rosa said in a solemn tone, " I should think that a gift given in a loving and generous way would be a wonderful thing, but when it is gotten deceitfully, I despise it!"

Katherine's face grew hard as she said, " Tell me what is the matter, you ungrateful girl! I should not ever want to be the friend of a poor girl who thinks she is too good for me!"

Rosa colored and cried, "Katherine, You should be ashamed at the way you talked to your Momma! I have never stopped loving or praying for you, yes daily. I have prayed you might see how you never fail to get whatever you want by controlling everyone about you.

You controlled your Momma by arguing a wheedling and complaining until she gave in and gave you what you want and it is shameful! I do love you, very much, but I must go to my Mama who can council me now when I am in need of it. She does not turn me away when I am in need of her prayers. You should go to God and ask for his forgiveness for the way you treated your Mama and brought shame to the One who you should please! "

Katherine stood back in indignation, " I don't care what you think! Go away you ungrateful girl, go and look like a little beggar that you are!" she turned and ran to her room throwing herself on her bed with a temporary heart of stone to the friend who loved her enough to tell her the truth.
Happily enough however, Katherine did not stay angry. She made amends with Rosa and learned a lesson in honoring her mother by obediently doing as her mother said the first time without complaining or disputing, for Katherine was truly tenderhearted and did not like to know she was as naughty as she was, when exposed, she learned to take a good look in her heart and see the dirtiness that hid itself there. And with God's help, she learned this lesson in time.

Discussion Questions:
1. How are we to obey? (Without arguing and Complaining) Phil 2:14
2. How did Katherine obey?
3. What is God's promise to us if we obey? Col 3:20
4. Consider this quote: "When Children answer back or argue against the commands of parents, it is so much as saying that they are wiser than their parents." in the Bible God punished this offense in this manner: " He that curse his Father or Mother shall surely be put to death."
5. Do we offend God by arguing?

Take home:
Review: Did we write in our journals last week when our parents told us to do something? Did we try our best to obey even when they were not in the room with us? How ?
Ask God to forgive us for times we argue and complain- perhaps we need to take steps to ask God to forgive us and then we can ask our parents to help us not complain and argue with them.

Honour Your Parents in your heart- Keepers Devotion

I almost did not want to post this one, because I had to write it on the fly, so it needs quite a bit of work- I want to continue to save these for future use, so I'm posting it with a promise to myself to make the changes it needs to help the story along...

Honoring your parents with your heart
Katherine and Rosa- continued


Prov 1:8 " Hear the instruction of thy father and forsake not the law of thy Mother; for they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck."



"Momma, I think today we should get some fresh air." Rosa propped the pillows behind her mother's head lovingly and helped her sit up.

"Yes, I do feel stronger today. I think a little fresh air might do me good. Where shall we go?" Mrs. Hart sat up slowly and rested while she tried to get her strength.

"Sit there, Mama. " Rosa bustled about the room and gathered things her mother needed for dressing. "Miss Mary is coming in the Preston's carriage today, Momma. She said the Doctor would be in to see Sir Preston and Lady Preston asked her husband if they might extend the services of the Doctor to you since Miss Katherine told her about us- free of charge!"

"My, that is a kind thing to do! " Mrs.Hart dressed slowly, her body being weak from prolonged sickness. She and Rosa enjoyed conversation with each other, reminding each other of God's rich mercy toward them and laughing in pleasant conversation with each other . Rosa's tone was soft and honoring, giving up her own desires to make her Mother comfortable. Rosa's face shown with light and beauty, (and I personally feel it is directly related to her love for her Savior and her heart to honor how Mother. )

Presently Mary arrived in a carriage laden with blankets and pillows to make Mrs. Hart's drive a more comfortable one. They arrived at The Preston's estate in the late morning and were escorted into the house where Mrs. Hart was made comfortable on a large sofa to rest from her journey.

"Katherine, take Mary to your room and show her your things, dear , and please put these scissors away in my sewing basket as you go up." Mrs. Preston handed her daughter a pair of scissors and smiled sweetly.

Katherine looked at Rosa and gave a stiff smile, but showed Rosa up the great staircase leading to the largest room Rosa had ever seen. "What a beautiful room, Katherine. I'm sure you must enjoy it very much."

Katherine screwed up her button nose, threw the scissors into a drawer filled with all sorts of odds and ends and sat upon the floor. " Its alright, for a child, I suppose, but Mama won't let me change it to suit me now that I am growing older."

"How so, Katherine? I can't imagine changing a thing. Why just look those porcelain dolls and your draperies! What richness!" Rosa looked around in awe and amazement as she tried to take in every detail.

"Oh, Mama is so old fashioned, she won't consider letting me change a thing. She says she spent enough money on me when she did my room up, she won't hear of me changing it again until I am ready to begin courting! Imagine that! What with her style and all being so frumpy , I should not imagine my Mama having a lick of taste in her bones! I might be dead before I get a new room!"

Rosa colored and cried, " Katherine, I don't think you should talk so about your Mama."

Katherine looked at her in amazement and said, " What! All of my friends talk so of their Mother's. If you knew how my Mama treated me, you would not have said so!"

Rosa sighed and said, "Katherine, honoring our Mama is honoring God. Even if you think your Mama is unfair, and from what I can see, your Mama is a kind woman who loves and indulges you very much, you should have kind thoughts for your Mama. God watches everything, and you should try to please him by loving and honoring your Mama."

Katherine rose and sat beside Rosa she took Rosa's hand in hers and said, " Rosa, don't be angry with me. I am just a silly girl who doesn't know any better, though Miss Mary tries to to teach me, she must think I am the stupidest girl she has ever taught. I like you, and I think you will be very good to me, even though you are funny about things, but I hope you will be my friend and teach me how to be good like you."

Rosa pecked Katherine on the cheek and said, "Of course, Katherine. It is only because I love Christ so very much that I don't wish to see such a lovely girl as yourself dishonor him. I will only share with you everything I have learned from the one person I love the most in the world- my Mamma. I hope you can know the love and happiness I have with my Mamma one day. But I promise to be patient with you. "

Katherine smiled and said, " I do hope I should know how to love my Mama like you do yours- but I think it might be impossible."

Rosa shook her head, " Not impossible, Katherine. You must first honor your parents in your heart and then tender feelings for them will come out of it. Do as your Mama says and show her that you love her. "

Discussion Questions:
Quote to consider: "When you honor your parents in your heart, you will obey their councils and commands whether they are present or not. If you throw off their authority as soon as they are gone, you greatly dishonor them. But if you obey them at all times, you show that your God is living in your heart."

1. How do we honor our parents in our hearts? ( to obey when they are present or not)
2. How did Rosa honor her Mother in her heart?
3. How does Katherine serve as an example of not honoring her Mother?
4. What should Katherine do to show her Mother the honor she tossed out?

Take home:
1. Write in your journal the first command your Mother or Father tells you tomorrow morning.

2. Write down the next day whether you did what your parents asked of you.

3. What was happening in you heart when they asked you to do it?

4. Ask God for grace to honor your parents even when they are away from you.

Honour Your Parents- Keepers Devotion

Honour your Parents
The story of Katherine and Rosa

Prov 1:8 " Hear the instruction of thy father and forsake not the law of thy Mother; for they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck."


Mary, a governess in charge of the education of a rich and beautiful young girl, one day grew very impatient with her young charge after a usual display of spoiled temper.

The day had begun when Katherine threw her plate of eggs and toast across the room in a huff and ordered the maid who delivered the breakfast to pick up the mess declaring, "My eggs were undercooked again! If that good-for nothing cook cannot make a decent egg, then I shall have to tell Mama to let her go, and you as well for not seeing that my plate was exactly the way I like it!" The maid quietly cleaned up the eggs and recalled that yesterday Katherine said her eggs were overcooked and threw a similar temper tamptrum.

Later, the handmaid entered Katherine's room to dress the young beauty and was ordered out because she did not do up Katherine's hair precisely as she wanted.

Shortly after, Katherina's mother, came in into the room in her calm and gentle way and admonished , "Katherine, my darling, you must learn to lower your voice. The maids are all chattering down below about your behavior."

" Oh, Mother, if I am ever to be a lady, you must hire proper help or I shall be forced to tell Papa that you are an ungrateful Mama who cared nothing for me!" Lady Preston's face turned pale at her daughter's words, "Get out, Mama! I shall not have you trifling with my hair or my ribbons, today, I shall be left to do as I please! Come Mary, you shall help me dress, for you are the only one who can please me; everyone else is too stupid."

Mary stepped between Mother and daughter to tie up Katherine's silk ribbons and said, "Lady Preston, would it be alright with you if I took Katherine on an outing today, there is something I should like for her to see that would be beneficial to her education, only first I must make a slight detour to visit a friend."

"Do what you will, Mary. I cannot do anything more here, I see." was the hurried answer Mary received as Lady Preston whisked out of the room.

Without any question, Mary soon gathered up Katherine's things and ordered the carriage be ready to carry them off as soon as possible. They drove on for a time passing the country side and then came to the shabbiest homes Katherine had ever seen. The carriage came to a stop and the young girls blue eyes grew large as she was ordered to stepped out before the tiniest in the village. Katherine pinched her nose and sidestepped the muddy holes as they entered.

Soon her face grew pensive as she quietly looked around. The one room home was a well cared for space. The room was certainly tiny, but it was cozy with a crackling fire blazing in the fireplace in one corner , a cane chair was neatly propped before the fire and all manner of dried herbs hung from the ceiling. On one side of the room, a bed was neatly made up with a colorful quilt and in it, a thin and fragile woman lay with her head resting on a pillow.

Mary ordered her pupil to be seated by the fire and stay put while she cared for her friend. "How are doing today, Mrs. Hart?" came Mary's voice in a tender and affectionate tone.

The lady opened her feeble eyes and smiled, "Mary! Oh, I am tolerable well, thanks to the good broth you sent with my Rosa yesterday. I am stronger; prop my pillow for me so my eyes can look on you a little better."

Mary fluffed the paper thin pillow which hardly raised the poor woman's head at all. Just then a humbly dressed girl came in carrying an empty basket and ran to greet her guest, "Mary! Oh, how good it is to see you!" and she kissed Mary on her cheek heartily.She was as thin as air, poorly dressed, but a happier and cheerier face was not to be found. A rare light shone in her eyes and her smile illuminated her sun browned face.

The three women chatted and laughed in a companionable spirit while Rosa fluttered about the house sweeping, cooking a simple broth and smoothing blankets and quite regularly leaning over to kiss her Mother's forehead and smooth back her hair in a loving gesture.

After some time, Mary finally called out to the silent statue beside the fire that the time had come to leave and it was with a less careful foot that Katherine stepped out of the house and into the carriage.

"Miss Mary?" came the thoughtful question after some time, " I understand you tricked me into coming to see this pitiful scene. How can you bear it? No telling what kind of illness and disease is lurking in that house! I do want to ask one question which puzzles me. How can that girl care for her mother in such a way as to tend to every little thing the dreary woman might need without one care as to her own comfort? The Mother was despicably sickly, I should be horrified If I were forced to tend to my Mother in such a way."

Mary sighed, " Despite her poor garments and her thin frame, Rosa is the most beautiful girl I have ever met. Her family was once a well-to-do and well bred family, but by some unfortunate circumstance her father lost all of his fortune and then later died from shock. Her Mother soon after became ill and unable to work, and so out of pity and because someone remembered the constant kindness of the family when they were rich, this home was given to them.

Rosa hires herself out to do any little task she could perform in order to buy bread enough to feed them both. Mrs. Hart, in her day was a woman who was kind to the poor and needy and took great pains to teach her daughter to love God and Honor her Parents. Rosa took the lessons to heart and in her love for her Savior, she delights in Honoring her Mother. She shows untiring gratitude to her Mother by doing all she can for her; by working hard for small wages, by keeping the tiny home a cozy and tidy abode for the bed-ridden woman and by kissing that face she loves more than anyone, even herself. You see, soon Rosa will have to live alone and will no longer have a Mother to honor, yes, Mrs. Hart will not live much longer, but Rosa will not live with the regret that an otherwise proud and unloving little girl may live with if she does not learn the lesson of Honor."


Discussion Questions
1. How did Rosa appear so beautiful? (Nothing will make you appear so lovely in the eyes of others as a loving and caring daughter to your parents.) How can you make yourself lovely?

2. Was Katherine, with all of her fine clothing and pretty face, a lovely young lady? (Nothing will make you appear so unlovely as a disrespectful and dishonoring attitude toward parents)

3. To Honor your parents is to exercise a tender and loving feeling toward them such as the feelings you exercise toward God- what does this mean, and how can you exercise your feelings?


4. What do think would happen if Katherine does not heed Rosa's story? What will happen if she takes Rosa's story to heart and makes a change?

Loving God Privately - devotions for girls

I enjoy writing- but before you read this devotion, you must keep in mind that I do not write with an editorial eye; I am not even a very good writer whatsoever- I write very flawed, very inadequate stories, but just for the sake of keeping track of the devotions, I want to post them here (that is my disclaimer!). This is purely fictional- but it serves the purpose of helping me lead a devotion for the girls in our Children's Ministry. I and my kids learn best through stories,a and that is why I love to apply God's word in story form:
Here Goes!



Loving God Privately


Scripture Memory
Proverbs 14: 22 "Do not those who plot evil go astray? But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness."

In the early days, before cars or streets or even big cities crowded the west, when young girls lived either in the country or in tiny little towns, there were two girls from two different families who would meet in the early morning out in a field of fresh clean grass and field daisies. There they would bring their cows, dragging them along with a long rope to the stakes driven securely into the ground and then tie the rope to the stake so the cow could not wander too far; there the cows ate all the fresh clean grass it wanted in as wide a circle it's rope allowed it to go.

While the girls waited for the cows to graze, they used their time stitching on samplers or on quilts and chatting about their dreams or telling stories to pass the time.

"Do you think a white daisy crown suits me, Patience?" laughed the slight red headed girl beside the taller, serene looking girl as she strung a wreath of white daisies together and hung it over her forehead.

Patience, true to her name, smiled but kept her focus on her needle work. "Sarah, you are lovely without any ornaments."

Sarah turned a full circle and laughed, " Oh, Patience, I do hope I am beautiful when I grow up. I once saw a finely dressed woman when I was in town , what richness! I could only imagine the luxuries of the rich! When I grow up, I do hope I marry a rich man!"

Patience kept her eyes down and her fingers moving as she answered, "Sarah, we must trust in God's goodness for our future, besides there are no rich men this far out west. They are all coming out here poor and penniless. But, we must obey God where he has placed us knowing that He alone knows what is best for us and not desire the richness of this life when it is not for our best."

"Oh, Patience, how can you say that? I know God is real, but he cannot want all my obedience! I get simply bored to death always thinking about God. It might be fine for you; being such a quiet and loving girl, but I was meant for something far grander!" Sara picked another daisy and plucked the petals in a distracted way.

Patience put her stitching down on her lap and leaned over to grasp Sara's hand . "Sara, dear. Look over in that direction," she pointed a finger to the north.

"What, Old Amos' field? They say he's crazy you know; always walking barefoot and singing to the sky in the scariest way, it simply makes my skin crawl and besides he is the oddest looking man I've ever seen with that dark skin and snow white hair."

"Yes, I do mean Amos' field. Later, I'll take you over a little closer and I will show you a gravestone my Father showed me one year ago, but I will tell you his story and you can judge for yourself if desiring riches is better than loving God ."

"I think I heard my Papa say that there is some mystery about his place." Sarah's green eyes twinkled with curiosity.

Patience sat back down and took up her stitching once again, "Sit Sara and do your work while I tell you the story so your Mama won't be angry when you go home empty handed."

This made Sarah sit on a low stone and pick up her needlework."Alright, Patience, go on."

Patience continued, " About sixty years ago, before even our folks knew about this part of the country and before any other homesteaders were living out here, Amos and his wife and two children lived here on the land.
He was much younger then and a fine piece of land he owned, growing corn and wheat. Back then, Indians roamed the plains freely and as fierce as the stories we have heard them to be, curiously, they left Amos alone.
You see, he was a dark skinned- negro ( he had been an indentured servant in the east and when he gained his freedom, his master gave him all he needed to move west and make his own mark on the world, Amos married the white daughter of another servant and took her with him to the west) oddly enough, the Indians thought he was protected by good Spirits with his deep coloring. He also knew a few things about medicine and once when he helped a tribe infected with a disease they had complete trust in him since then- but only him as you will soon see.

Although they lived in peace with Amos, they were a fierce people, killing off new settlers as they passed this way without so much as a blink.

But Amos was a godly man. He tried to teach the Indians about God but none of them would listen to the stories, except to understand that there might be another God they had overlooked and so they not only prayed to their gods but to Amos' God to make sure they appeased all the gods and spirits. This made Amos very sad, but he continued to teach about God anyway.

Eventually an Indian boy did come to trust in the Savior. He was not just any boy though, he was the son of the Chief. The Chief became very angry when his son came back to camp telling the great warriors they must stop the massacres and stop worshiping the Spirits. The great Chief became so angry he made war on Amos' family and slaughtered his wife, and two sons.

Amos was so grieved over the loss of his family and how they were killed, and for days he could not even get up from the ground because of his grief. Amos finally gathered himself together and took the best of all he had- clothing, half his crops, his fine horses and he led them through the mass of curious Indians for it was not their custom to be given gifts after a massacre. The Chief stood proud and arrogant before Amos and without even a hint of remorse took all of Amos' gifts without question.

Amos stood tall before the red-skinned Chief and shouted out so all could hear, " The same way you have killed my sons and wife, it is the same way the one true God's only son was killed- cruelly by the hands of a proud people like you. God freely gave up his son though and then forgave them just as I forgive you. As I have given you the best of all I have, God has freely given us the gift of Salvation!" And then Amos told them of God's son and all he did for us and from that time on, the Indian Chief came to know the Savior.
The Indian people lived in peace from that time on, and the ones who did not wish to believe, left the tribe to join others or form their own.

Amos never was the same after that, but he loves God and so should we, Sara, because we may never know when difficult things will be asked of us and if we don't have good Character through trusting and loving God now, we may never know who's soul needed to hear the Good News of the Gospel."

Sarah wiped the tears from her eyes and said, "Poor family. Poor man. Yes, I see that I could never have forgiven that Chief if he came and killed my family."

"No, not on our own strength, Sara. We must study God's word and love God privately in the quiet moments of our lives, not thinking meaningless thoughts or wishing meaningless lives because we won't be ready to trust God when life becomes truly difficult."



Discussion questions:
1.
Think about this quote:
A cup of sweet water could never spill a drop of bitter water, no matter how heavily it was jolted."
-Amy Carmichael
What does it mean to have sweet water in your soul? Who in this story showed a spirit of sweet water?

2. How do you think someone can be so filled with sweet water that there is no room for bitterness? (Prov 14: 10- Each heart knows its own bitterness...)

3. How do we become so filled with love for God?

4. What does it mean to have good Character? How do you get good Character?

5. How can you love God privately?

Girl's Devotion for Keepers of the Home

My husband and I are Children's Pastors; we have a passion for the spiritual souls of not only our own children, but that of others. On Wednesday nights we use a curriculum called Keepers of the Home where we ask men and women to come in and teach a practical skill to the boys/girls and then we focus on a character devotion. The boys are studying Proverbs and us gals, well- we focus on biblical girlhood. Here is the devotion I wrote for tonight- I thought I'd save it here for posterity sake ;)


Once upon a time, a little seedling grew in a meadow with a heart full of hope for the day.

"Oh, I wish I would be picked today and be placed along with the lovely flowers on the center of a table to be admired and talked about! "

"Ha!" scoffed a voice nearby, "what makes a little seedling such as yourself think that anybody would care to place such an plain thing such as yourself in the center of their table?"

"It is only because you are a giant tree that you think you are important!" cried the little seedling as it stretched its neck to look all the way up the the crown of a great oak tree growing beside herself.

"Don't speak of things you know nothing of, little seedling. You just mind me. The longer you stay in your place, the deeper your roots go and soon you will find that you will be thankful you were never picked to be merely enjoyed for a day and then tossed away."

This made the little seedling angry and she choose not to listen to the good advice, She grew sad and bitter as the days went by and finally she thought she would not be happy unless she was admired just like the little flowers growing beside her.

One day, as she sat brooding, she noticed a little sprout shooting up from the ground beside her and as it shot it's little head up, and began to look about, the first seedling began to complain, "Oh, now I have some competition, I see! I see I will have to work even harder to look beautiful and flounce my head about when the little girl comes today because I'm sure it is not living unless I have been plucked from the ground and put into a vase along with all of the lovely flowers!"

"What!" cried the little voice of the smallest sprout, "How can you wish to be like those silly little flowers? As for me, I want to be lovely and grow large like Old Mother Oak here..."

"Shush! You are just a little thing, and know nothing! No, I don't wish to stay here day after day, year after year to be an ugly little seedling, doing nothing and not having an important role! I wish to be loved and admired !"

"Well, as for me," said the timid little sprout, "I wish to enjoy my littleness for a while longer and hide beneath the shelter of this lovely oak beside me. I want to be strong and glorious just like her !"

"Spoken wisely, little one." said the voice of the wise Old Mother Oak.

By and by, the little girl came as usual on her daily walk through the meadow to pick her flowers.
As she came to the shade of the majestic oak, she bent to pick a handful of morning glories and as she did so, the first vain little seedling, hiding beneath the head of a beautiful flower, was plucked along with with it.

As she was being carried away by the careless and tiny hands, she shouted out, "Ha! you see, Mother Oak, one can get what one wants if it is wanted badly enough!"

"Yes, one does get what one wants eventually, I suppose." said the Oak in a sad voice. For what the Wise oak knew was that the little girl came daily and plucked her flowers , but they were only to be forgotten beside a stream or rock as she explored the day. The flowers were never placed in a vase to be admired. Instead, they only grew thirstier and thirstier and eventually died a wilting death within a day.

As for the patient, little sprout, it contented itself with being who it was and learning from the wise old oak as much as she could. It laughed and enjoyed the days it lived year after year in love and happiness. But the day eventually came when she no longer could be called little any longer. Old Mother Oak had grown too old and feeble to live and so had passed all of her wisdom to the humble tree beside her.She submitted to death and had all of her limbs chopped down when at last she grew brittle and finally began to break.

"Bless the world with your lovely beauty, little lady!" She whispered as her poor broken limbs were finally carried away by the wood chopper.

"Thank you, dear oak!" said the lovely tree as the spring winds drew up life within her, "I will do all that you said and live my life as quietly and helpful as I can, never complaining when I am pruned and living my life for the purpose I was made for!"

And the beautiful tree waved and kisses the air as old mother oak was finally gone.

She grew to be the loveliest tree ever seen in the meadow. For she was really an apple tree who's seed was dropped by a bird all of those many years ago. In all of the country, there could not be found a more graceful and beautiful tree. Her fruits were the best that could be found and for the many years she lived, she blessed the lives of all who came to admire her. In the spring, she was like a bride covered in white blossoms, and her strong limbs were played on in the summer time by the children, and in the fall, her fruits were turned into pies for neighbors and cider was made to keep bodies warm in winter.

She never forgot the seedling who foolishly desired to be picked and become something she was never meant to be. And as little seedlings grew around her, she lovingly told the story of the useless death made by a foolish heart and hopefully kept others from desiring the same foolish wish.

Discussion:
What does it mean to be content with where you are?


Tell me a story about something you used to do when you were a little girl that made you feel grown up?

Girlhood is the time to make ready. Maturity and Independence come later. How did the first sprout show she did not make ready for her future? What was the result? How did the second sprout make ready? Who was the loveliest?

What are some ways you can make yourself ready for loveliness later?

Bible Scriptures to consider:
Proverbs: Is very black and white. Fools and Wise men and women. It gives us warnings and also exhorts us to be wise.

Proverbs 8: 17 "I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me."
Lets be wise and search for wisdom.

From Proverbs 31
" A wife of Noble character, who can find? She is worth far more than rubies"

This verse is a good preparatory verse to learn because a noble wife is not automatically made when they are married, they are trained. Contentment is learned when girls are young because when girls are young, they are tempted with the voices of the age to be unlike there mothers and godly wives one day, womanhood should be elevated and wives should be elevated so our girls desire a good thing when they wish to one day be wives and mothers. God is elevating wives here by stating that she is worth more than rubies! So, girls can be content with learning from lovely women to one day become lovely themselves.

How can you as a young woman learn from your Mom or another godly woman this week?

Application Exercises:

1. Ask your mom a story about her dreams when she was a young girl and what she learned that can serve as a warning to you or serve as wisdom.

2. Ask your mom to give you a chore to do that would serve her and your family

3. This week, start a journal!