Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Happy Birthday, Ashley!

Today is Ashley's birthday and she is 15! Here's a great big birthday wish for you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ASHLEY!

I just wanted to take a moment to say how much I appreciate Ashley. She is one of the most sincere girls around. She is also a true friend.

Ashley, you are such a blessing to me on a personal level. You have faithfully for months now text me everyday to see how I am doing. You have prayed for me and my health consistently for some time now. Thank you for being so faithful to me. I truly appreciate it.

Ashley, you also have a servant's heart. You are always willing to help out and do what needs to be done. And, you don't do what needs to be done to just get by. Rather, you do it with style and go the extra mile. I remember asking you to set up the doughnuts for class one day and you served them on a silver platter and made everything look so nice.

I look forward to watching you continue to grow in the Lord. You have come so far in Him. Never forget your confidence must be in Jesus Christ and in no one else. What He thinks of you is all that matters. May God bless you abundantly this 15th year of your life!

Love,
Sis. D

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Twitter

Have you noticed the new Tweets from Sis. D on the right side of the blog? Now I can update you through texting.

You can follow me through this blog or Twitter and know what I'm doing throughout the day. I can send you a quick word of encouragement, a scripture, or a funny in just a short text and it will post right here on our blog. Now how cool is that?

Stay tuned here for my blogging and my tweeting!

Love,
Sis. D

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Congratulations, Graduates!

It's been a busy time for all of us lately. And, one of the main reasons is school. Finally, school is over and summer vacation is here. And, here's a great big shout out to our graduates!!!

Congratulations to Christina and Elycia who graduated from junior high school Wednesday, June 10th. Your in the big time now! You are officially High Schoolers now! WOW!!!

Congratulations to Brooke and Priscilla, who graduated from high school Thursday, June 11th. I'm so proud of you two. Hard to believe your mandatory school years are behind you. Now its up to you if you go on for more schooling. And, I believe both of you are. Last I checked Brooke is thinking about going into nursing and Priscilla is thinking about being a dental hygenist.

The coolest thing about the two of you though is that you are seeking God's kingdom and His righteousness first. You won't go wrong putting Him first. In doing so, God will order your steps and you won't be one bit disappointed with His plans for your life.

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord,
And He delights in his way.
Psalm 37:23

I'm so proud of all of you! Congratulations!

Love,
Sis. D

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Where Do I Find It?

Brooke left a comment on the "Challenge" post and was wondering where she could get the book we are going through in class. I'm not requiring everyone have their own copy but if you want your own, here are some ideas of where to find it.

The book is called Set Apart Femininity by Leslie Ludy. It appears to be out of stock at Borders in Sand City. I'm thinking you are going to have to order it if you want it. There are several places you can get it.

You can either have a store order it for you and pick it up when it comes in or you can order it online. I know The Carpenter store in town will order it for you as will Borders. You can actually order it on http://www.borders.com/ and pick it up in the store.

You can also order it at http://www.cbd.com/ or http://www.amazon.com/ or your favorite book store online.

Let me know if you have any trouble getting the book.

Love,
Sis. D

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Happy Birthday, Allena!

Yesterday was Allena's birthday. She turned 15! I didn't have access to my computer yesterday so I was unable to post my birthday wishes for Allena until today.


HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALLENA!


Allena, I have been so impressed with the commitments you have made to the Lord in the past year or so. Your tenderness to the Lord and His word is praise worthy. I have watched you go from resisting the things of God to whole-heartedly embracing them. According to your own testimony, your classmates have noticed and commented on the changes you have made in your life. Well, I have noticed too. And, I am blessed watching you grow in the Lord. It is beautiful to watch you develop your own relationship with God.

And, I would be remiss if I didn't mention your flair for fashion! It is always fun to come to church and see what you have put together this week. You have a real eye and knack for fashion. I love you dearly and I'm so glad you are a part of our teenLife group.

I trust your birthday was wonderful. And, hopefully you got those cowboy boots you wanted!

Love,
Sis. D

Thursday, May 7, 2009

The Challenge

Wasn't Sunday's class AWESOME? Are you up for the challenge God is giving you? I am!

Hopefully this week you've been thinking about the areas God may be wanting you to recklessly abandon for HIM. I am confident the Lord will amaze you with the plans and purpose He has for your life. It is up to you if His purpose for you is ever fully recognized or accomplished.

Please be prepared to share in our next class what the Lord has been speaking to you. And, if you're thinking, "Well, Sis. Manley, I'm not hearing Him say anything". No worries, keep listening. I have a hunch He will say something to you.

I mentioned it Sunday in class. I do believe God is calling all of you to a reckless abandonment to Him. The questions remains. Are you up for His challenge? I hope your answer will be without hesitation, "YES".

You won't want to miss a single class as we go through Leslie Ludy's book Set Apart Femininity. I encourage you to purchase a copy of your own. Read it, highlight it, write notes in the margin, and most of all, apply it to your life. I'm looking forward to the great things He has in store for us.

Love,
Sis. D

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Where and Who is "Mr. Right"?

Not all of you may be worried about "Mr. Right" right now. Some of you may be very worried about him. But this I know, ALL of you will be at one time or another. So given this is a common concern for young women, here's ONE of my thoughts on the matter.

Have you ever heard of Sadie Hawkins Day? Do they still have the Sadie Hawkins Dance at school? Well here the interesting history of it. I copied the following from Wikipedia:


Original story
The 1st Sadie Hawkins Day
In Li'l Abner, Sadie Hawkins was the daughter of one of
Dogpatch's earliest settlers, Hekzebiah Hawkins. The "homeliest gal in all them hills", she grew frantic waiting for suitors to come a-courtin'. When she reached the age of 35, still a spinster, her father was even more frantic - about Sadie living at home for the rest of his life. In desperation, he called together all the unmarried men of
Dogpatch and declared it "Sadie Hawkins Day". Specifically, a foot race was
decreed, with Sadie in hot pursuit of the town's eligible bachelors - and matrimony as the consequence."When ah fires [my gun], all o' yo' kin start a-runnin! When ah fires agin - after givin' yo' a fair start - Sadie starts a runnin'. Th' one she ketches'll be her husbin." The town spinsters decided that this was such a good idea, they made Sadie Hawkins Day a mandatory yearly event, much to the chagrin of Dogpatch bachelors. In the
satirical spirit that drove the strip, many sequences revolved around the dreaded Sadie Hawkins Day race. If a woman caught a bachelor and dragged him, kicking and screaming, across the finish line before sundown - he had to marry her!
Sadie Hawkins Day was first mentioned in the November 13, 1937 Li'l Abner daily strip, with the race actually taking place between November 19th and November 30th in the continuity. It would prove to be a popular annual feature in Li'l Abner, and a cultural phenomenon outside the strip.


In popular culture
Capp's creation captured the imagination of young people, particularly in high schools and on college campuses. In 1939, only two years after its inauguration, a double-page spread in
Life magazine proclaimed, "On Sadie Hawkins Day, Girls Chase Boys in 201 Colleges" and printed pictures from Texas Wesleyan. Capp originally created it as a comic plot device, but by the early 1940s the comic strip event had swept the nation and acquired a life of its own. By 1952, Sadie Hawkins Day was reportedly celebrated at 40,000 known venues. It was a female-empowering rite long before the modern feminist movement gained prominence. It became a day-long event observed in Canada and in the United States on the Saturday that follows November 9th. Outside the comic strip, the practical basis of Sadie Hawkins Day is one of simple gender role-reversal. Women and girls take the bold initiative by inviting the man or boy of their choice out on a date - almost unheard of before 1937 - typically to a dance attended by other bachelors and their assertive dates. When Capp created the event, it wasn't his intention to have it occur annually on a specific date, because it inhibited his freewheeling plotting. However, due to its enormous popularity and the numerous fan letters he received, Capp obligingly made it a tradition in the strip every November, lasting four decades.
In many localities the tradition continues. Many U.S. high schools, especially in the
south and midwest, hold
Sadie Hawkins dances, as do some Canadian high schools. The dances are characterized by girls taking the initiative, and couples wearing matching "farmer" clothes and rural attire to the dance. The dance is also occasionally called "WPA" (Women Pay All) or "Turnabout," in which girls invite boys, pay for dinner, dance tickets, etc



Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like every day now is Sadie Hawkins Day. It is the girl who is initiating anything romantic with a boy. It is the girl who is doing the pursuing. It is the girl who is calling the guy. It is the girl who is asking him out for a date. It is the girl who is paying for dinner. It is the girl stating her intentions to the guy. It is the girl saying "I love you" before the guy does. It is the girl who is proposing marriage.

My mother taught me growing up that good girls don't call boys. Good girls don't declare their intentions in hopes of building something more out of the relationship. Good girls don't ever ask a guy out on a date. Good girls don't ever propose marriage or even bring the subject up first. In a nutshell, good girls should NEVER be the pursuer of a guy. I know that sounds really antiquated and old fashioned. But there is so much wisdom in this kind of teaching.

It is in the base nature of every man (unless he has been stripped of his masculinity and thoroughly feminized) to be a "hunter". When you are the pursuer, you are going against the very natures God created in men and women. It also goes against the roles God intends for men and women. Scripture teaches us that men are to be the leaders in our marriages.

No wonder when women get married, they are frustrated because their husband won't take leadership in the marriage and in the family! He has been "trained" from the very beginning that this girl is going to "take charge" and LEAD.

When you are tempted to be the pursuer, ask yourself this question: Do I really want to be doing this my whole life? Remember, what habits you establish in your dating, become the habits you live with in your marriage.

Still not convinced? Still think, "Well this is one of those areas where Sis. Manley is just showing her age!"?

He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from
the Lord. ~Proverbs 18:22

Notice scripture doesn't say "SHE who finds a HUSBAND..." It is God's plan for a man to pursue a woman and claim her for his bride. And when he does, he will receive favor from God. When you are the aggressor, you are robbing the man of the favor God wants to bestow on him for finding a wife.

I know this sounds very Neanderthal, but it is God's way. You are the prize to be won and it is up to the guy to win you. Don't make the prize so easy to win. In doing so, you only cheapen your value and worth in the eyes of your man and you rob him of God's favor.

God's way takes the pressure off of you. You don't have to find "Mr. Right". You just need to be a woman worthy of winning and God will grant a good man the favor of you for his wife. Letting God have control of this area of your life is another act of your submission to Him and trust in His purpose and plan for your life.

So, ladies, don't be a trinket from the Dollar store but rather be a precious jewel from Tiffany's. Any man can scrounge up a dollar from the coins in his car. But it takes a hardworking, prudent man who is willing to earn and save enough money to buy a precious jewel from Tiffany's.

Don't give yourself away so easily. Mr. Right will find you one day and he will be favored by God.

Love,

Sis. D