Because I Love You

In a few short weeks, we're going to have several visitors ~ some just staying a few days and another staying for a couple of months.

I decided I had better organize the stacks of vintage books I've been collecting to use for some of my whimsical collages and 3D paper art creations.

Well, in the process I came across this Max Lucado book called Because I Love You and as I sat there on the carpet, I read the whole book!

I won't give the story away but suffice it to say that the story and how it made me think of God's love to me personally, brought tears to my eyes and joy to my heart!!

If you have young children or grandchildren, read this book to them and if you don't, get a copy and read it to yourself --- trust me ... you'll be blessed :)

One Thousand Gifts

Ann Voskamp is an amazing writer whose words never fail to touch my heart or to ignite a memory or simply to paint a picture in my mind's eye!

She has written a book called One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are and I ordered it for my daughter as one of her Christmas presents even though it's not going to be available for delivery until the first week of February!

I'm also going to ask for a copy for my birthday in the middle of February because I don't think I can wait to borrow someone else's copy and would love to read it at the same time as my daughter so we can share thoughts :o)
 
Blessings,

What a Treasure!

What a treasure is the Word of God!

Here we have ...

• Light, to dissipate our darkness;
• Truth, to guide us amid the mazes of error;
• Consolations, to gladden us in a world of misery.

The Bible is ...

• the Revelation of our Father's love;
• the Expression of Jehovah's grace to sinners;
• the Depository of heavenly blessings;
• the Charter of our highest privileges;
• the Religion of true Christians;
• the Glory of our churches;
• the Poor Man's Friend.

Everything sublime in conception, and tender in expression, it is to be found in the sacred Scriptures. 

The Eternal Jehovah has there revealed Himself as . . .

• clothed with majesty and honor;
• glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders;
• of purer eyes than to behold iniquity;
• in whose sight the heavens are not clean.

In the sacred Scriptures, He has manifested forth His glory, as mighty to save; forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. 

In that blessed volume, Mercy is seen to arrest the arm of Justice, and all the tenderness of the Father is displayed in the person of the Son. 

Love breathes throughout its sacred pages.

from Thomas Reade's, "Christian Experience"

A Child's Riches

Good Housekeeping ~ Oct 1921

You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be ---
I had a mother who read to me.

~ Strickland Gillilan - The Reading Mother ~

I was at a friend's home yesterday for lunch and an afternoon visit and one of the things we talked about was the importance of a child SEEING their parents read and having their parents READ TO THEM.

Without words, the 1st shows the child how enjoyable reading is and what value the parents place upon it in their own lives.

The 2nd shows what value the parents place upon time spent with their child and how very much they enjoy the closeness and wonder of reading with them.

In our family, I read stories to our little ones at various times through the day. But the close of every day was always highlighted by a bedtime story, something we all looked forward to and something that helped soothe and calm them before they fell asleep.

This continued for many years and my daughter and I shared chapter books well into her teens and these times engendered many wonderful conversations.

I don't know how they feel about it, but I know that I treasure every one of those moments :o)

Blessings,

The Search -- A Book Recommendation

"When you're dead, you're dead." Or are you?

This book is the poignant story of one Jewish woman's ardent quest to find the ultimate answers about faith, God, life after death and was it possible to find peace about one's soul's eternal destiny?

You'll be enthralled by her true story and long remember the heartwarming stops on a journey that finally brought her to undeniable truth that is relevant for all of us today."

The author Lorna SIMCOX holds at B.A. in history from the University of Vermont and is a graduate of the Word of Life Bible Institue.

For many years she worked as a newspaper reporter and editor and that background is part of what led her to search so diligently for the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

She is presently the Senior Editor for The Friends of Israel and her articles appear regularly in their Israel My Glory magazine.

A friend came over for supper Wednesday evening and lent me this book!

As I waited for my son to phone me back yesterday, I began to read . . . and could NOT STOP until I turned the last page!!

A Typical Day

by David Loftus courtesy of AllPosters

My typical mornings are spent reading my portion of God's Word [I am presently in the book of Titus] and writing in my journal, eating my breakfast, getting any laundry that needs doing into the washer and making the bed.

I try to decide the night before what I'm going to make for supper but am not always that prepared :o)

Once I complete the tasks that require attention around the house, I sometimes bake, but that usually depends on what's in the freezer, what's needed and what events are coming up! Otherwise, I'll check my email and then wander outside to our mailbox to see if there's anything interesting waiting.

Later, I will poke around in my craft room and decide whether I feel like making some cards OR painting a watercolour *wash* that can be used as a background OR working on one of my recent butterfly collages.

This is a recent experiment that has helped me to figure out the measurements and layout so I can make them as personalized baby gifts ~ I didn't have any coloured ink in our printer so had to use black instead of some soft pastel shade :o(

I've got to re-do the test one for a boy as well as do a practice one appropriate for either a wedding or anniversary . . . they will make great gifts from my heart to the recipient as well as new additions to my etsy shop :o)

I'm blessed to be able to chat with my daughter who lives 3,000 miles away because she phones me almost every day during the work week while she's walking to buy her lunch :o)

Since my husband works about 1 hour away, he doesn't get home until later and we eat later so I'm finally in the mode of NOT needing to get supper started at 4:30 pm anymore although I still do the prep at that time while I'm making myself a cup of tea . . . habit, I guess!

What's YOUR typical day like? I'd love to hear all about it :o)

Blessings,

Living a Set Apart Life

It's been a very long while since I've posted an ABOUNDING HEARTS story . . .

On my daughter's recommendation, I am sharing about a couple that many of you may already know about ~ Eric and Leslie LUDY.

I must admit I hadn't ever heard of them and knew nothing of them or their amazing story that they have been asked to share over and over again all across the land and then began to put into books.

Their book SET APART FEMINITY made a huge impact on my daughter's life when she first read it, with her Bible by her side!!


She has now read most of Eric and Leslie Ludy's books and can't say enough good things about them. Using the Scriptures, this husband and wife, share their own life experience of having had God write their love story and from their website:

"This is a powerful, candid, conversational book in which I pass on a compelling vision for femininity that can forever alter your existence and take you far beyond the unfulfilling trends of modern culture ...

It’s a radical call to a counter-culture lifestyle in which every aspect of your femininity – from the way you relate with guys to the focus and direction of your life – is shaped by an intimate relationship with the King of kings. It’s the kind of heroic femininity that the world-changing women of history understood. And it’s well within your grasp, no matter where you’ve been."

Leslie Ludys' book AUTHENTIC BEAUTY was the 1st one she read, given to her by a friend of ours when she was in her early teen years . . . eventually leading her to want to read as many of their books as she could ---

Blessings,

Teen Girls Define a "Real Man"

Here's the companion piece to the previous post ~ may all who read it be blessed.

This list was compiled in 2006 by Lori Hainline, age 19, and her good friend, Rebecca Chandler, age 17. Their closing comment: This list is not exhaustive and men like this do exist!

It was originally published in *New Attitude Magazine* but the quote that I'm using is directly from The REBELUTION BLOG by Alex and Brett Harris.

A real man . . .

…understands and lives according to the basic purposes for which he was created: to worship, honor, and serve God. (Romans 12:1-2)

…values and carefully handles the scriptures. (2 Timothy 2:15)

…doesn’t pride himself on being knowledgeable in the sinful ways of the world. (1 John 2:15-16, James 4:4, Philippians 4:8)

A real man . . .

…isn’t embarrassed to worship God and pray in a group setting. (Mark 8:38)

…is wise, yet humble. (Proverbs 2:1-10, 1 Peter 5:5, Romans 12:16)

A real man . . .

…takes leadership in a self-sacrificing way. (Ephesians 5:25-28)

…is kind because, “What is desirable in man is his kindness” (Proverbs 19:22)

…doesn’t try to prove himself but is simply confident as he walks in the fear of the Lord. (Proverbs 14:26-27)

…doesn’t put others down with his actions, attitude, words, or his strength. But on the contrary, he affirms and builds others up (Proverbs 15:4, Ephesians 4:29)

A real man . . .

…treats his sisters and mother with as much respect as he would treat a prospective wife. (Matthew 25:21)

…not only respects but appreciates a young lady’s purity and innocence. In our culture innocence isn’t retained by accident. (2 Corinthians 11:2-3)

…values his purity as much as he values a young lady’s purity. He is not ashamed to live and act differently from the world in order to guard himself. (1 Thessalonians 4:1-8, Ecclesiastes 7:26)

…can look a girl straight in the eye without communicating any impurity. (Proverbs 20:11)

A real man . . .

…isn’t ashamed to identify himself with his family (Ephesians 6:2-3)

…is a gentleman. He is polite and shows women honor in everyday things such as opening doors, etc. (1 Peter 3:7)

…has no desire to be gross in order to impress other men. He doesn’t burp, swear, or tell disgusting stories. (Proverbs 13:5, Ephesians 5:4)

A real man . . .

…shows by his actions that he loves children. (Matthew 19:13-14)

…is pleasant and expresses joy rather than feeling that it’s masculine to be sullen. (Proverbs 21:29, 1 Thessalonians 5:16)

…doesn’t blame others for his own problems but embraces responsibility. (Proverbs 12:27)

…can accept correction (Proverbs 12:1, Proverbs 29:1)

A real man . . .

…is mature in his emotions and his expressions of them. He can deal with the trials of life logically, with wisdom, not on a basis of emotional instability. (Proverbs 14:29, Proverbs 17:27, Proverbs 12:18)

…understands the value of work and is financially responsible. (Colossians 3:23-24, 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12, Luke 16:10-11)

…expresses himself with intelligent words rather than using “street talk”. (Proverbs 17:20, Titus 2:6-8, 1 Peter 4:11, Ephesians 4:29)

A REAL MAN in PDF format for download and print out

www.therebelution.com

reb•e•lu•tion (reb’el lu shen) - n. a widespread teenage rebellion against the low expectations of an ungodly culture.

The Rebelution Blog

© 2006 Lori Hainline & Rebecca Chandler

The Rebelution Blog has this Creative Commons License at the bottom of their pages and it indicates You Are Free: to Share— to copy, distribute and transmit the work as long as it is understood that they do not endorse my blog in any way!

3 Teens Define a "Real Woman"

I discovered this awhile back when browsing through *Blog-Land* and was so amazed by what these teens have put together from Scripture verses on a subject close to my heart, that I'm quoting it directly from the The REBELUTION BLOG.

It was written by Philip Hainline, Heidi Reimer, + Maria Reimer at the respective ages of 16, 19 + 17.

Blessings to all who read this :o)

A real woman . . .
…is glad she’s a woman and rejoices in her femininity, expressing it through her attitude, appearance and bearing. (1 Timothy 2:9-10)

…does not compete for equality with men or chafe at God’s design for male and female, but delights in and understands the importance of her calling to complement man’s role. (1 Timothy 2:11-12, Ephesians 5:22-24)

…values the cultivation of her mind and diligently seeks after wisdom and knowledge. (Proverbs 22:17-21, 2:2-6)

…realizes her imperative need to allow the Holy Spirit to control her emotions and expressions of them. (James 1:19-20)

…does not wallow in self-pity or make a habit of voicing complaints, but radiates cheerfulness and joy. (Proverbs 15:15, Proverbs 17:22)

A real woman . . .
…appreciates her father’s protection, and respects and submits to his authority.
In so doing, she is preparing herself to exercise the Biblical role in her relationship with a possible future husband. (Ephesians 5:33-6:3, 1 Peter 3:1-2)

…is trustworthy and gains the respect of those around her. (Proverbs 31:11)

…restrains herself from listening to, or participating in gossip, but instead speaks with wisdom and discretion. (Proverbs 11:12-13, 22, 20:19, 3:11)

…encourages and builds up those around her instead of criticizing and tearing them down. (1 Thessalonians 5:11, Ephesians 4:29)

…does not have a nagging, contentious or manipulative manner in which she deals with others. (Judges 16:16, Proverbs 21:9, 19, 26:21)

…is not boisterous or loud in her speech or actions but is characterized by a gentle and quiet spirit. (Proverbs 9:13, 1 Peter 3:4)

A real woman . . .
…portrays chastity, modesty and reverence in her manner, and wears the ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is her true beauty. (1 Peter 3:3-4, Titus 2:4-5)

…is not offended by respect shown her through gentlemanly courtesies (opening doors, etc.) but cultivates the differences between the sexes that make her worthy of this deference. (1 Peter 3:7, Mark 10:6)

…seeks to make God her number one desire and the Lover of her soul, knowing that only He can fully satisfy. (Psalm 73:25, Psalm 63:1)

…uses her years of singleness to seek and serve God without distraction, and is content to leave the details of her future to Him. (Psalm 73:25, Philippians 4:11)

A real woman . . .
…does not relate to members of the opposite sex in a flirtatious or forward manner, but instead saves all her passion for her future husband. (Thessalonians 4:3-8, Proverbs 6:25, 1 Corinthians 7:1)

…holds her virginity before marriage sacred and will not compromise it for anything.
(This one goes for guys too!!)
(1 Timothy 5:22)

. . . Does Hard Things.

A REAL WOMAN in PDF format
for download and distribution.

www.therebelution.com

reb•e•lu•tion (reb’el lu shen) - n. a widespread teenage rebellion against the low expectations of an ungodly culture.

The Rebelution Blog
© 2006, Philip Hainline, Heidi & Maria Reimer

The Rebelution Blog has this Creative Commons License at the bottom of their pages and it indicates You Are Free: to Share— to copy, distribute and transmit the work as long as it is understood that they do not endorse my blog in any way!

Trust and Obey

When Papa hears the Lord's call to move his family from Manitoba in Canada to Chicago in the USA, Mama doesn't want to go and when Papa tells her that it is God's will, she says:

"All right ... if this is God's will, then He will have to tell me. If it involves me, I have a right to know!" ... Without a clear order from Him, God cannot expect me to give up the only home I have ever known ...

Mama sang happily as she polished her linoleum, worked in her garden, and baked her bread. God was a good God, and He wouldn't take this precious house from her ...

"Now Lord, I want to obey Your will, but I must be sure it is Your will. If someone comes to buy this house, without any signs or advertisement; and if that same person wants to buy the red linoleum for what I paid for it, one dollar, then I will know it is Your will. I must be sure."

Since few houses were selling, Mama was confident no one would be looking at her small house.

"Excuse me, please." A pleasant lady stood in the doorway, viewing the flowers and talking to Mama. "I just passed by this darling house. Would you consider selling it?"

"Oh no," Mama answered. "I could never sell this house. Oh, just a moment. Please come in and have a cup of coffee."

"What a beautiful linoleum ... Would you sell that linoleum to me? I always wanted a red one!"

With her lips she said YES to the smiling lady. With her heart she said YES to the will of God. God had spoken! She would trust and she would obey!

from FIRST WE HAVE COFFEE by Margaret Jensen

Graphic Neighbour by Merryl Jaye

As Sure as the Sun Rises

"At noon, Mama always stopped for lunch and naptime. No one -- on any day -- escaped the nap. Papa went quietly to his study. The house grew still. The children slept. Mama rested 30 minutes [surely she didn't sleep], then rose quietly. She brushed out her long brown hair and put on a crisp starched dress and apron.

To complete her preparations for the second half of her day, she sat down and opened her Bible. After reading, she quietly slipped to her knees for her afternoon talk with God. Mama's prayer time was a sure as the sun coming up in the morning. Even the youngest child knew to be quiet until Mama finished.

The Bible closed, Mama, smelling fresh like Palmolive soap and starch, put on the coffee pot. That was the sign that made the sleepy house bound with life. Papa emerged from the study. The children, dressed in starched, afternoon clothing, came to the table for *coffee*. For the children, hot water with milk and sugar accompanied the rye bread and jam and the coveted treat -- a lump of sugar dipped in Papa's coffee..."

from FIRST WE HAVE COFFEE by Margaret Jensen

Travelling the High Road

"Poor Mama. That night, December 23, 1919 Grace was born and 9 days later the winds from the cold Atlantic mourned across the snow-covered graveyard where three lonely figures stood beside a tiny coffin ... [her little 2 year old daughter Bernice had just died of diptheria] . . .

"Mama's young face had quiet peace, for she had dealt with her grief at the throne of grace. God's promises would never fail! She had looked unto the hills and found, in God, a very present help in her time of trouble.

Some travel the high road in the hills, from peak to peak, where light lingers linger. Some travel in the valleys where they walk in the darkness of their own shadow. Mama would choose to walk the high road with God. She would walk in the light of His grace."

~ from *FIRST WE HAVE COFFEE* by Margaret T Jensen, a book that I found at a local thrift store a few months ago.

Just in the past few days, 3 visitors have told me that it is a wonderful story and yesterday afternoon I began to read ... I was hooked before the end of the 1st chapter, which is a very good sign :o)

. . . so this is the 1st of what will likely be several quotes from this warm and inspiring story.

Blessings,

Treasury of Vintage Homekeeping Skills

Unfortunately, I only heard about this book last year because it is most definitely a book that I would dearly love to have had when I was a new bride, setting up my 1st home with my dear husband 29 years ago!

This TREASURY written by Martha H. Greene is a complete album of everything I would share with a younger woman that desires to be the keeper of her home.

It is a beautiful hardcover album with heavy weight papers and fully concealed wire binding containing about 240 pages and 7X10 in size, available to order ONLINE for $29.49 at Marmeedear's Mother's Bookshelf.

"Sprinkled with vintage graphics and nostalgic advertisements from yesteryear. Filled with inspiration and information for the keeper at home with plenty of room to make notes and paste clippings or photos to make it your own keepsake."

Description from the back cover:

"Reminiscent of the old-time home journals kept by homekeepers of the past, this treasury is to be passed from mother to daughter. This will be a treasured album of homekeeping skills, something fast becoming a lost art in our day.

Filled with inspiration for the homekeeper, with plenty of room to paste snippets and clippings and to journal in your own handwriting, keeping the way "Mother always did it" from becoming forgotten in this ever-changing world. This beautiful album is filled with these topics:

HOMEKEEPING

• Cleaning
• Scrubbing
• Bedding & Linens
• Laundry
• Ironing

HOME DUTIES

• Daily Duties
• Duty ever at Hand
• Children's Duty to Parents
• Snippets & Clippings

HOSPITALITY

• The Hostess
• Preparing Hearth and Home
• The Fare
• Our Merry Guests

FIRST AID IN THE HOME

• Medicinal Cupboard
• Emergency Care
• Burns and Wounds
• Home Remedies
• Family Medical History
• Resources

GARDENING

• Garden Basics
• Vegetable Gardens
• Herbs
• Planting Records
• Garden Sketches
• Old fashioned Flowers
• Harvest Bounty
• Resources

COOKING & BAKING

• Meal Times'
• The Pantry
• Kitchen Tools
• In the Kitchen
• Well-planned Menus
• Measuring
• Butcher, Baker, Happy Homemaker
• Family Recipes

RESERVES FOR THE FAMILY

• Preparing for Emergency
• Home Canning
• Dehydration
• Freezing
• Recipes for PreservingReserve Records and Recipes

HANDIWORK

• Sewing Basket
• Basic Skills
• Embroidery
• Tatting
• Stitching Projects
• Quilting
• Crocheting
• Knitting
• Patterns

BUSINESS OF THE HOME

• Simple Home Repairs
• Documents and Necessary Paper
• Home Inventory
• Frugality

FAMILY RECORDS

• Sacred Union
• Genealogies
• Births
• Marriages
• Deaths
• Family Crest
• Family Creed
• Mementos

Let Me Hold You Longer

After reading all the touching comments I received for my last post, I was reminded of 3 wonderful books that I have read and want to share :o)

I'm sure many of you have had the same experience as me ~ every time I read *I Will Love You Forever* by Robert Munsch to any of my children when they were young, I got choked-up and could barely read after awhile ... because I was crying!! Well, here's another book that will touch your heart even more!

In Let Me Hold You Longer, Christian author Karen Kingsbury talks about how we celebrate all of the firsts in our childrens' lives, but often overlook the lasts.

To quote the author: "There are no photographs or parties when a child takes his last nap or catches tadpoles for the last time. For the most part, it's impossible to know when a last-moment actually occurs.

Nothing signals a mother to stop and notice the last time her little boy runs and jumps into her arms ... Would I have held on longer if I'd known it was the last time?"

With the tenderness of a mother speaking directly to her child, Karen reminds us not to miss last days of kindergarten and last at bats in Little League amidst the whirlwind of life.

Adapted from a poem in Rejoice, mothers and grandmothers everywhere will identify with the tenderhearted reflections in *Let Me Hold You Longer*. It makes an idea gift book for special occasions, from baby showers to graduations!

Here are a few lines, out of order, to give you a little glimpse:

Long ago you came to me, a miracle of firsts:
First smiles and teeth and baby steps, a sunbeam on the burst.
But one day you will move away and leave to me your past,
And I will be left thinking of a lifetime of your lasts . . .

The last time when you ran to me, still small enough to hold.
The last time you said you'd marry me when you grew old.
Precious, simple moments and bright flashes from your past---
Would I have held on longer if I'd known they were your last?

The last time I comb your hair or stop a pillow fight.
The last time I pray with you and tuck you in at night.
The last time when we cuddle with a book, just me and you.
The last time you jump in our bed and sleep between us two . . .

My life keeps moving faster, stealing precious days that pass.
I want to hold on longer----want to recognize your lasts . . .

I've watched you grow and barely noticed the seasons as they pass.
If I could freeze the hands of time, I'd hold on to your lasts . . .

For some bright fall morning, you'll be going far away.
One last hug, one last good-bye. one quick hurried kiss.
One last to understand just how much you'll be missed.
I'll watch you leave and think how fast our time together passed.

Let me hold on longer, God, to every precious last.

Another book that would make a wonderful gift as well is a book called Someday.

I came upon it when browsing for something for our grandson and as I stood there reading it, I very soon was so choked-up and teary that I had to inobtrusively wipe my eyes before I purchased it :o)

It made a beautiful gift for my daughter for her birthday that year, especially since she had moved across the country by then!

"One day I counted your fingers and kissed each one," opens Alison McGhee's understated yet emotion-charged expression of a mother's love and hopes for her daughter.

Peter Reynolds's wispy pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations give an ethereal quality as the the young mother speaks to her daughter of milestones to come in her life, first recalling her infancy: "One day I counted your fingers and kissed each one".

She then contemplates her future: "Someday you will swing high—so high, higher than you ever dared to swing" then her adulthood: "Someday I will watch you brushing your child's hair".

Quietly the emotion builds, as the mother thinks of the future in store for her daughter, its joys and sorrows: "Someday I will stand on this porch and watch your arms waving to me until I no longer see you." Here Reynolds depicts the woman, older than she was at the start of the book, gazing forlornly across the white expanse of the spread.

At the end she refers to her daughter's own old age: "Someday, a long time from now, your own hair will glow silver in the sun. And when that day comes, love, you will remember me".

This story's deeply personal quality will resonate with mothers of all ages and seasons and touch hearts long after the back cover is closed, gently :o)

Blessings,

A Fine Book is a Lifelong Friend

"I think, on the whole,

books make the most satisfying presents.

A fine book is a lifelong friend.
Time does not stale it, it becomes dearer.

In happy hours, it is a delight;
in time of sorrow, a comfort."

~ Gladys Taber, STILLMEADOW CALENDAR ~

Ever since I was a child, reading has always held a special delight for me. I could always be found with *my nose in a book* as my mom used to say!

When my children were very young, I introduced them to the magical world of books by reading to them and sharing what I loved and what I thought they would enjoy.

If a child sees their parents reading books and finding wonder and enjoyment in doing so, they will be more likely to develop a love for reading too.

Our role in helping to instill and develop this love of reading in our children is one example of the wonderful and amazing opportunities we have as mothers and parents to influence our children in a beautfiul and positive way that will benefit them for the rest of their lives!

Truly, reading is a family affair!!

Who Calls Me Beautiful?

I had heard about this book and read several reviews of it and based on that, I decided to send it to my daughter ~

"Before the beginning of time, I knew you. I knew what color your eyes would be, and I could hear the sound of your laughter.

Like a proud father who carries a picture of his daughter, I carried the image of you in My eyes, for you were created in My image before the beginning of time, I chose you.

I spoke your name into the Heavens, and I smiled as its melody resounded off the walls of My heart.

You are Mine. My love for you extends farther than the stars in the sky and deeper than any ocean.

You are My pearl of great price, the one for whom I gave everything. I cradle you in the palm of My hand. I love you even in the face of your failure.

Nothing you say or do can cause Me to stop loving you.

I am relentless in My pursuit of you. Run from Me ~ I will love you. Spurn Me ~ I will love you. Reject yourself- I will love you.

You see, My love for you was claim before the foundations of the world and I have never regretted the sacrifice I made for you at Calvary.

When I see every part of who you are, I marvel at the work of My hands, for I whispered words of longing and desire and you came into existence. You are beautiful, and I take pleasure in you- heart, mind, and body. You are my desire.

When you turn your head in shame and despise what I have made, still I reach for you with gentle passion. You are My beloved and I am yours."

~ the above is Regina Franklin’s adaption from:

• 1 John 3:2
• Isaiah 43:1
• Matthew 13:46
• Ephesians 1:4
• Revelation 13:8
• Psalm 194:4
• Song of Solomon 7:10 & 6:3
  

~ * ~ * ~

This is an except from a book I just finished reading called “Who Calls Me Beautiful?” by Regina Franklin.

I randomly got a package at work the other day, no name on it or anything, with this book inside and since my mom had told me about a sweet website online to order books from, I assumed it was from her.

I called her on my lunch and thanked her, thinking I’d read it eventually, but knowing her taste in books and the fact that I am in the middle of about 3 books at the moment, I didn’t think I’d get to it any time soon!

However, my mp3 player died on the way to the bus that day, so I thought I might as well read the first chapter on the way home and see what it was like.

I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN!!

Besides my Bible, I didn't touch any other book for 3 days! I read it at every chance I could get and finished it on the 3rd day during my lunch hour.

It took me 3 days of lunches, bus rides, even part of a friend's karate class! And I wish it wasn’t over.

This book has changed the way I think about so many things in only 3 days. I am absolutely in love with it and will probably read it 2-3 times a year until I die. I don’t think it will ever get old or boring or be something I cannot relate to.

So thanks Mom, for the random yet wonderful book that changed my view on the way I look, and the way God sees me!



DALLAS' NOTE:
In 2007, Regina Franklin has published a 2nd book called ~ *Designed by God: Honest Talk about Beauty, Modesty, and Self-image* where she speaks honestly but sensitively to young women about who God created them to be.

Since I first sent my daughter the above book on the recommendation of several excellent reviews of this book, I was so pleased that she loved it as much as she did.

I'd like to get a copy for myself now :o)

Hana's Suitcase

FROM the PUBLISHER of the BOOK

"In March 2000, a suitcase arrived at a children's Holocaust education center in Tokyo, Japan.

Fumiko Ishioka, the center's curator, was captivated by the writing on the outside that identified its owner -- Hana Brady, May 16, 1931, Waisenkind (the German word for orphan).

Children visiting the center were full of questions, such as:

• Who was Hana Brady?
• Where did she come from?
• What was she like?
• What happened to her?

Fueled by their curiosity and her own need to know, Fumiko began a year of detective work, scouring the world for clues to the story of Hana Brady.

Writer Karen Levine follows Fumiko in her search through history, from present-day Japan, Europe and North America back to 1938 Czechoslovakia and the young Hana Brady, a fun-loving child with a passion for ice skating.

Together with Fumiko, we learn of Hana's loving parents and older brother, George, and discover how the family's happy life in a small town was turned upside down by the invasion of the Nazis."




To learn more about Hana, you may want to visit the following websites:

1] HANA'S SUITCASE ~ a site created by her family. Her brother George was the ONLY member of her immediate family to survive and he moved to Canada.

2] HANA'S SUITCASE - CBC ~ a documentary by the author of the eventual book, Karen Levine in which Hana's own brother George also helps retell his and Hana's story. You can view photos from their family's life as you actually listen to George share their story!

The photo of the book cover is from the online Amazon bookstore and if you CLICK on it, you'll be taken there where you'll be able to read what others have said about this amazing story and how it has affected them.

Although written especially for the ages 10-14 reading audience, this compelling story will of interest to every age group since all will be interested in and be blessed by, reading it.