An Inspiring Article

20-Something Reasons to Live at Home

"So Rachel," my new friend said, joking in that not-so-subtle way that meant she wasn't joking at all. "Want to move out and get an apartment with me next fall?"

I chuckled slightly and said, "Nope. I'm pretty happy at home." "But you could be so independent!" she insisted. "Living on your own is so great. You'd have your own space; the ability to do whatever you want; your own bills to pay. It really makes an adult of you."

I stuck to my guns. When she got to know me a little better, my friend changed her mind. Instead of asking me to move out, she expressed a desire to live close to my family. She saw something in our home that she wanted to tap into...

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I'm going to seek His face, by fearing the Lord and keeping His commandments, for this is the whole of man.

Ah. This weekend I had the most wonderful, God-honoring graduation ceremony. It was truly a sight to behold, and I wanted to share some of it with our readers here at Stay-At-Home Daughters.

If nothing else, fast-forward to the message. It's about 25 minutes in.

("right-click/Save Target As" to download)
Click here for the audio of the ceremony.

Wow. I was speechless and overwhelmingly grateful to God when I heard the message preached on Saturday. The graduation ceremony was much more meaningful than I had expected and the message was given so straight-forward, and so eloquently that everyone listening had no means to contradict.

Our pastor gave Scripture to support everything he was saying, and praised the high-calling of women to be wives and mothers. No one could have thought of giving me grief about my decision to forgo college after that.

Since there was also a young man graduating this year, our pastor also preached on the role of the man as leader.

It was truly amazing. I’m grateful to God for such a wonderful church family, and wonderful parents who care enough to bring their children up in the fear and admonition of the Lord.

My mother, Lady Why, also put up a wonderful post about it on her blog. And my sister, Poppy, posted pictures.

While on this topic... Carmon, over at Buried Treasure, also re-posted a very timely article just yesterday on her blog. Head on over and take a look!

Thursday Thoughts: Sibling Spats

As most of you probably know, I am the oldest of 9 children. My siblings are such a delight to me each and every day. We all love one another very much, but even so, there are some sibling spats, as we are not perfect.

While I have been reading more and more about sibling rivalry, I have been trying to apply some new principles to decrease the number of "issues" that come between us, therefore, creating greater harmony here at home.

• Step back and take a deep breath. Give both parties some time to cool off.
  
• Really listen to what the other person is saying, don't plan your next statement while they are talking.
  
• Ask forgiveness, even if you don't think you did something wrong. Make sure you don't just say it, but really mean it.
  
• Talk to God about your problem. Ask Him to guide you through this hard time.
  
• Ask if there is anything you can do to help. Everyone needs a helping hand sometimes. This person may just need a listening ear.
  
• Apply the verse "do not let the sun go down on your anger". Do your best to solve the problem before it gets worse.
  

For more great ideas on getting along and truly loving your siblings, I recommend "Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends", available through our Astore.

I hope these help you stop fights with the siblings in your home. God bless you on this Thursday.

~*~Courtney~*~

A Couple of Links

As you might have noticed, as we've grown increasingly busy, Stay-at-Home Daughters has been a tad silent! Yikes!

While we get back on the bandwagon, I want to share with you a couple of articles that have been a blessing to me in the recent past.

First is a wonderful article called "The Merry Future Homemaker" from Ladies Against Feminism.

Here's an excerpt.

"A few years ago, I embarked on a new phase in my life. In the summer of 1999, I completed my formal academics, and that autumn was an adjustment for me. When people inquired what grade I was in, I replied with a phrase that seemed strange to my ears: “I am graduated.” Graduated? What exactly does that mean?

To any young woman who desires a joyous life of serving the Lord, family, friends, and, Lord willing, building a new family for the glory of Christ, it means something entirely different from the worldly ambition of a selfish life of pursuing a career for a “better, happier life that won’t tie us down.”

People often ask me what I am doing now that I am finished with my formal academics. I happily reply, “Training to be the best wife, mother and homemaker I can be.” And what better way to be trained and prepared than to continue practicing those household skills that my mother has so carefully taught me—right here at home?"

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The second article is called "Daughters at Home" from Stacy McDonald's blog. This is an excellent one!

"What is a corner stone?

A cornerstone is the foundational stone at the corner of two walls. It is not used in just any structure, but is typically found in temples, churches, mansions, or elaborate buildings. A cornerstone is set in a prominent location and typically has an inscription that communicates to others the details of the structure’s history.

So by looking at the cornerstone you should know who designed the structure, how old it is, who built it, who owns it and possibly what its worth as a historical monument....

...For the record, a maiden isn’t called to be weak or helpless; she is literally to be a pillar of strength – His strength. She is also to be beautiful – to radiate His beauty with all purity and love. She obtains this type of loveliness through His faithful craftsmanship of her character and demeanor; not from her own vain efforts at the fading kind of beauty—though her outward appearance in not unimportant."

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I hope these are encouraging to you!

--Flibby