Happy Birthday, Daddy!!

Today is my Daddy's birthday. I will not tell you how old he is but he is not old at all. Since it is his birthday I have decided to dedicate this whole post to tell you about him.

 My Dad has been married to my mom for twenty years.

 So far they have seven children. Daddy loves his family and he seeks to be a godly leader. He has taken us all over the country on family vacations

 Daddy loves history and he shares his love with us by taking us to different historic landmarks. We have been to Plymouth, Boston, Washington.D.C, Gettysburg, Fort Sumter and many other places. 

Daddy is also the co founder, pastor and elder of a smallish, reformed, family integrated church. He is a loving shepherd to the families in our church, teaching, discipling, counseling and leading. He preaches the best sermons (their a little long perhaps but I am used to it and they are worth it). He has also preached at several conferences.

My daddy is also the director of two charter schools that support homeschoolers. He is a godly witness to lots of people every day.
I could go on and on. I could tell you about how much he loves reading or I could talk about his love for Yosemite and the outdoors.

 Yes, I could go on but I just want to say that  love my Daddy and I am very thankful for him.
                                                              HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!! 

My Hope is Built on Nothing Less

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus' name.

On Christ the solid rock, I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand, 

All other ground is sinking sand

When darkness veils his lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace;

In every high and stormy gale my anchor holds within the veil.

On Christ the solid rock, I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand,

All other ground is sinking sand.

His oath, His covenant, His blood support me in the whelming flood;

When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay.

On Christ the solid rock, I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand,

All other ground is sinking sand.

When He shall come with trumpet sound, O may I then in Him be found;

Dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne.

On Christ the solid rock, I stand:

All other ground is sinking sand,

All other ground is sinking sand.

by Edward Mote

Doll Dress

 I made this for my special friend, Jessah.  It is a princess styled dress. I used a Simplicity pattern but I altered it a little bit

Are You Simply Surviving?

As daughters God has made us to be pillars of strength in our parent’s house and we are to be happy in our position as daughters.  God did not make us to simply survive with our families until we are eighteen and can move out. Instead he made us to have a very important part in the workings of a family. He wants us to be helpers to our Dad and Mom and encouragers for our siblings. I know, this is not what we commonly hear in our culture today but God’s ways are not usually our ways.  It is so rare in our day to see daughters who are happy to be living in their father’s house and who actually enjoy helping their mother.  I love my family. I love my dad and my mom.  I love my sister and my five brothers.  I am so glad God put me in this family.  There may be certain times when I am not necessarily happy with them all but overall I am glad to live with them.I would not trade families for anything.

A Good Daughter

A Good Daughter

There are other ministries of love more conspicuous than hers,

But none in which a gentler, lovelier spirit dwells,

And none’twich the heart more joyfully responds.

As son’s occupations carry him more abroad,

While a good daughter is the steady light of her father’s house.

Her idea is indissolubly connected with that of his happy fireside.

She is his morning sunlight and his evening star

The grace and vivacity and the tenderness of her sex

Have their place in the mighty sway which she holds over his spirit.

The lessons of recorded wisdom which he reads with her eyes

Come to his mind with a new charm

As they blend with the beloved melody of her voice.

He scarcely knows weariness which her song does not make him forget,

Or gloom which is proof of the young brightness of her smiles.

She is the pride and ornament of his hospitality

And the gentle nurse of his sickness,

The constant agent in those nameless, numberless acts of kindness

Which one chiefly cares to have rendered

Because they are unpretending, but all expressive of her love.

And then what a cheerful share is she

And what an able lightener of her mother’s cares.

What an ever present delight and triumph to a mother’s affection

Oh, how little do those daughters know

Of the power which God has committed to them!

And the happiness that a parent’s eye that rests on them

Bring raptures to a parent’s heart.

Author Unknown

I found this poem in a book I recently read titled The Family Daughter  by Sarah Bryant. When I read the poem I thought “If that is a good daughter then I have a long ways to go!” but it does give me something to strive for.

Bread Baking Day

Today was bread baking day for me and my sister.  We have found a recipe for yummy, nutritious bread. We use freshly ground whole wheat flour and we use honey instead of sugar to sweeten it. My family loves to have our bread fresh out of the oven. 
Homemade bread is only a fraction of the cost of store bought bread. One loaf of homemade bread costs $1.00 while a good loaf of store bought bread is usually 3 or 4 dollars. 
Our family of nine easily consumes almost two loaves of fresh bread so we usually make four loaves to last us the week.
Here is our bread recipe.
Whole Wheat Bread
2 1\2 cups warm water 
2 cups whole wheat flour
1\3 cup coconut oil
1\3 cup honey
1 1\2 tablespoons Dough Enhancer
1 1\2 tablespoons yeast


Mix all the ingredients together and let it sponge (sit without mixing) for 20 minutes. Add 2 1\2 teaspoons salt. Add 3- 6 cups of flour, one cup at a time, until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl or until the dough does not stick to your finger. Knead for 8 minutes. Divide the dough in two and shape into loaves. Place into a greased 8 inch bread pans and let rise until doubled. Bake for 28 - 32 minutes at 350 until the tops are brown and sound hollow when you tap them. Brush with milk to soften the crusts. Take the bread out of the pans and place them on their sides to cool.
ENJOY!!

My Purpose

My purpose with my blog is to encourage you as young ladies in your walk with Christ as you  seek to follow His word in all aspects of life. God’s design for the family and for young ladies specifically is so beautiful.  As a young lady there are so many things to discover, create and enjoy.  I want to share with you things I have learned and am learning while being a follower of Christ and a daughter in my father’s house. In Psalm 144:12 it says “… that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace.” What does it mean to be a polished corner pillar? That is what I want to explore. My desire is to become that polished corner pillar and to encourage you in that same calling.