Tuesday Talks: A Maiden In Waiting

Today is Tuesday Talks here at Stay-At-Home Daughters.



I am reviewing "A Maiden In Waiting", compiled by Crystal Paine.



This booklet is really good. Basically, it is filled with articles and testimonies from young women just like us, sharing what they are learning in their single years about contentment.

Some of the articles include:
"Trust and Obey" by Genevieve Smith (now Genenvieve Smith De Deugd)
"Her Price is Far Above Rubies" by Annie Kolb
"Service: The Key to Contentment" by Sarah Race
"Wait on the Lord" by Victoria Lind
and several more!

I really enjoyed reading this. I know you will too!

We would love to read your reviews! Leave your link below and don't forget to comment! :)

God bless,
~*~Courtney~*~

A Thought For Thursday: J is for Joy

This is a neat little memory tool for prioritizing your time and how you spend it:

J- Jesus First

O- Others Second

Y- Yourself Last

Although it seems so simple, JOY is a great way to remember to put the most important priorities first.

Many times (and I am guilty of this myself!), we put ourselves first, without thinking about others and what they might need. There are so many people who are hurting or just need a helping hand, and we are so occupied with ourselves that we miss the bigger picture. God wants us to help and be more mindful of others.

Sometimes we shove God aside, saying or thinking things like: "I will read my Bible later" or "Praying isn't that important".

God is the very backbone for my life. If He wasn't here, my life would be totally different. He loves and cares about me. If I truly loved Jesus, why would I put Him aside? I try to remember this before thinking of my own time.

JOY has really helped me place my priorities in order, and I know this will help you too! :)



You can feel free to place the graphic in your sidebar.

Wishing you all a lovely day!
~*~Courtney~*~

The Service Of The Lord

The Service Of The Lord





I love being in the service of the Lord.

I may not be a missionary, a Bible study leader, or a prophet.

but, I love being in the service of the Lord.

My ministry consists of my home and neighbors,

and I love being in the service of the Lord.

I may not be a minister to the poor or the mentally distressed,

but I love being in the service of the Lord.

I love to encourage others as they walk along the same path.

and I love being in the service of the Lord.

I thrive from moments spent in His loving word,

and I love being in the service of the Lord.

Wherever He places me, I shall go, joyfully pondering each monent along the way.

And, I love being in the service of the Lord.

--Ellie Arnatt

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

"The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,

he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever."



~*~Courtney~*~

Finding Joy in the Home

One of the pitfalls facing young ladies today is the yearning for something outside of the home. So many young ladies say, "Oh, if only I could get out of this house and travel the world!","I need to use my skills in the workplace!","I could accomplish great things!" It's easy to lose focus and become distracted with the glamorous temptations of the world. Satan can make so many things look appealing and harmless. Proverbs 23:17-18 says, "Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long. For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off." Remember that God's calling for women is to be in the home, whether as a daughter or a wife and mother.

A lot of girls have trouble being content in their role as daughter. "I'll be happy once I have a husband." If you aren't happy in this season of your life, you won't be happy in the next season either... contentment must be cultivated early. God wants us to make the most of our time now, not when we finally get married. Spend your time making the most of being an unmarried daughter by serving your family and your church with joy and not pining away the days yearning for marriage and children.

Though marriage is most commonly a lady's calling, sometimes God calls girls to singleness. While this may strike terror in the heart of many young ladies, it's important to keep your heart soft and turned to the Lord for His guidance. If He were to call you to singleness, would you be content? If you are content as an unmarried woman now, it will be much easier should you be called to remain single.

As much as I hope to be married one day with my own children, I absolutely adore my family and would be happy to stay here forever. A very wise lady once told me, "Bloom where you're planted." And that's exactly what I try to do on a day by day basis by serving my family within my home. I find great satisfaction and joy in cooking a simple dinner, clearing land for a garden, and playing piano with my siblings. Finding joy in my work is the first step to finding joy in the home. My mother has been teaching us to do our work cheerfully ever since we could walk! No matter how we hated to do the chores, if everyone did them with a cheerful heart, soon we were all smiling and conversing with each other during our work - which made it much more fun! Whether or not your work is a pleasure or "household drudgery" is up to you.

I would encourage you not to dwell on the petty inconveniences that come with homelife. Let those things be quickly forgotten and sometimes even laugh at them! Take time to step back and not only analyze the big picture and true vision, but keep the wonderful aspects in the forefront of your mind. In my house, there is absolutely no way anyone can be in a sour mood when my baby brother has a laughing fit! Everyone of my family members has a brilliant personality and is a tremendous joy! Our home is filled with music, laughter, and playful drama. When the weather is nice, I love nothing more than to be outside with my family enjoying God's creation. Sometimes it's the small, simple things that can bring the most joy to my heart. Most importantly, I take joy in my work because I know it's a blessing to my family. It's just another way I can show God's love to them through my own attitude of contentment simply by finding joy in everything I do!

Look to the Lord for your strength and your encouragement. With constant prayer and trust in Him, He will grant you a truly contented heart.

For those of you who are already content in the season of unmarried womanhood, praise the Lord! It is so wonderful to have blessed friendships with like-minded Christian girls. It has been such a blessing to glean wisdom and encouragement from other girls following the same path. My mother has always been the most influential person to me in this manner as well. I especially love to sit at the feet of the older Titus 2 women in my church. They have so much to share about their lives and their spiritual journeys. It's amazing to look back and see how far the Lord has brought them, and it reminds me how far I still have to go!

The Lord is good!

But godliness with contentment is great gain. 1 Timothy 6:6

Why I Wear A Dress

A lot of people ask me why I wear dresses, and why I prefer them to pants. I decided to post some of the most common questions I receive about the dress/pants issue.

Why would you want to wear a dress/jumper/skirt? Wouldn't you rather have the "freedom" of wearing pants?
I find that I can still do everything I could do in pants in a skirt or dress. I can do home construction, ride a bike, mow the lawn, and do it all in a skirt! There is very little that I "can't" do in a skirt. Right now, I can't even think of one thing.

Pants are more comfortable and less constricting, right?
For me, I found that this was totally different. There was actually more room to move about in most skirts. There are some skirt styles that do have less leg room, but I find that it helps me to take small, lady-like steps.

OK, I like the idea of wearing dresses, but I can't find anything decent!
Most of my skirts/dresses are found online or secondhand. I also have sewn many of my skirts/dresses. One of my favorite skirt patterns can be found for free here, and I would also like to make this pattern here. It really is easier than it looks.

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A few reasons I like to wear a skirt
They are more feminine
They are more comfortable
They can be dressy or casual
They twirl so nicely
My list could go on and on!

How about you? Why do you like/dislike dresses and skirts?

Have a great day!
~@~Courtney~@~

Dealing with "The College Issue" and Other Difficult Questions

As a follow-up on the last post, I'd like to address how I deal with difficult questions from family members and nosy neighbors. ~wink~

The most popular questions I get are:

The college question: This comes in the form "What college are you going to attend?", and more indirectly, "What are you doing after you graduate?"

For all questions I follow a simple rule of thumb: if the inquirer is genuinely interested in my convictions, I answer gratefully and sincerely all of the questions they ask. The purpose is then to benefit the inquirer. If, on the other hand, the inquirer is asking for the simple reason of trying to question my sanity, be rude, or they simply think it's their responsibility to make sure I "get started in the right direction", I answer briefly, change the subject, or "smile, nod and back away." I find with most people, when I state that I'm staying home after I graduate, they can't change the subject fast enough.. (My mother wrote a wonderful post on answering questions here.)

I usually answer with, "I'm staying home after I graduate and furthering my education on my own." and leave it at that. I have very rarely had to expound, because most people don't care. (my thoughts on this issue can be found here, here, and here.)

Testing: This is when someone tries to test me and my siblings by asking various academic questions. This is usually only performed by those who are against homeschooling or want to make sure my mother is doing what she should. I never answer these questions, it's simply not their place to test us. I have had to intervene when my siblings were being tested before. I never want to be rude, but I usually say lightheartedly that they get enough testing in school. It aggravates me that people try to mess them up by putting them on the spot. Most often, my parents intervene before this goes too far.

So, what do you do?: People ask me this question now, since I'm not bombarded with extracurricular activities, and I'm sure I'll get this question much more after I graduate. I answer truthfully with all of the things I do to help my family around the house. There is quite a lot when you think about it! Courtney wrote a lovely post about this very question recently.

"When are you going to get a job/your driver's license/etc.?": This comes from people who are quick to assume I'm not content at home. Once again, I answer with discernment, depending on what exactly their intentions are and I let them know that I am perfectly content to be at home with my family. (I am going to get my driver's license soon. But, the reason for having a license is not to be "free" from being tied down to my home, as most assume.)

Sometimes I get a snide comment which I have to answer. For example: "I know you just can't wait to get away from all these kids." (talking about my siblings). Most of the time, I ignore snide comments completely.

Whenever I know I'm going to be around those who are not like-minded, I prepare by reminding myself why I believe what I believe. Though, it's not very often that I get questioned thoroughly, always being prepared is a help to me. There was one evening when I stayed up very late into the night studying and reminding myself how to answer tough questions. I knew I was going to be around my extended family for a long period of time, and I was very glad to feel prepared. I never want to be prideful when asked questions like this, nor do I want to feel disheartened.

I don't answer correctly every time. When I was first asked to defend my convictions I made many fumbles and embarrassed myself continually. I was always too passive. I had to practice and learn to stand firm in my beliefs, without being rude, and now I can answer much more clearly and confidently. I still make mistakes from time to time, but I trust the Lord when I'm feeling inadequate.

Some very wonderful answers to some of these questions (namely the college question) can be found here at Visionary Daughters, the blog by the authors of So Much More and the documentary, "Return of the Daughters".

I hope this has been a help to you! God bless you as you live for the Lord as a Stay-At-Home Daughter.


~Flibby