Back in March, I read a wonderful speech by Anna Sofia Botkin, and I just thought I would blog some of my thoughts that I sent to some of my dearest friends. This speech was written for younger ladies, but I think that we can all apply it to our lives, in whatever stage of life we are...high school, college, post-college and awaiting God's calling on your life, mothering children, grand-children, or perhaps even great-grandchildren! We are still all Christian daughters that desperately need each other's encouragement! She reminds this generation of women to be good, faithful daughters of the King by yielding our hearts to Him.
I think everyone that knows us knows that I/we often wish that we could just live in our "little house on the prairie" and not look evil in the eye. Yet our lifestyles today do not allow us to hide...everywhere we go, evil and sin are blatantly in our faces. This is such an evil generation that we are in! I appreciated Anna's statement, "This generation is arrogant; it has no respect for its parents, for its heritage, for authority. They are blinded by their pride." Yes, we are! And she was also so right when she said that we are tempted to get used to such blatant and open sin...the more we see of it...the more desensitized to it we become! What great encouragement this article was to me...she reminds us that when we do see this blatant and open sin (or feel tempted to become desensitized by it), we have to see it with the Lord’s eyes... and that every time we see it, it should be even more despicable to us.
One of my favorite recent sermons was our Pastor Kevin's sermon that he preached on a Christian's life being viewed as a moving picture and not just a snapshot! In other words, we can not form a picture in our minds of one another as we are; yet we are to view each other as a work in progress. And that is also so encouraging to me, for I know that I am definitely a "work in progress"! And yet tomorrow I should be closer to God and more aware of my tasks at hand than I am today!
I so greatly admire Anna Sofia's ability to speak graciously and with such strength and confidence. Consistently articulate, I am not; however, I am here if any of you need anything. I can listen, pray for you and walk with you by your side as we together pray for a better relationship with God as well as a thankful heart for His putting us in this generation, for there is so much for us to do! I am thankful that He made me a woman, born into a family of believers, given to a man of God, and has been given the honor to give life to three additional women of God! What an honor...and also what a task at hand!
So may we continue to encourage one another by prayer and friendship as well as encouragement to stay rooted in His word! I love you all, my sweet sisters! And as I've told you, Ruth and Ivey, we must remember "to stand firmly...with confidence"!! He will bless those who are obedient to Him! If you know that you are walking in the Lord's ways, trust and have faith that in His timing He will bless you with the desires of your hearts!
I think everyone that knows us knows that I/we often wish that we could just live in our "little house on the prairie" and not look evil in the eye. Yet our lifestyles today do not allow us to hide...everywhere we go, evil and sin are blatantly in our faces. This is such an evil generation that we are in! I appreciated Anna's statement, "This generation is arrogant; it has no respect for its parents, for its heritage, for authority. They are blinded by their pride." Yes, we are! And she was also so right when she said that we are tempted to get used to such blatant and open sin...the more we see of it...the more desensitized to it we become! What great encouragement this article was to me...she reminds us that when we do see this blatant and open sin (or feel tempted to become desensitized by it), we have to see it with the Lord’s eyes... and that every time we see it, it should be even more despicable to us.
One of my favorite recent sermons was our Pastor Kevin's sermon that he preached on a Christian's life being viewed as a moving picture and not just a snapshot! In other words, we can not form a picture in our minds of one another as we are; yet we are to view each other as a work in progress. And that is also so encouraging to me, for I know that I am definitely a "work in progress"! And yet tomorrow I should be closer to God and more aware of my tasks at hand than I am today!
I so greatly admire Anna Sofia's ability to speak graciously and with such strength and confidence. Consistently articulate, I am not; however, I am here if any of you need anything. I can listen, pray for you and walk with you by your side as we together pray for a better relationship with God as well as a thankful heart for His putting us in this generation, for there is so much for us to do! I am thankful that He made me a woman, born into a family of believers, given to a man of God, and has been given the honor to give life to three additional women of God! What an honor...and also what a task at hand!
So may we continue to encourage one another by prayer and friendship as well as encouragement to stay rooted in His word! I love you all, my sweet sisters! And as I've told you, Ruth and Ivey, we must remember "to stand firmly...with confidence"!! He will bless those who are obedient to Him! If you know that you are walking in the Lord's ways, trust and have faith that in His timing He will bless you with the desires of your hearts!
To read The Thirteenth Year by Anna Sofia Botkin, click here.
