Natural Beauty

2008 Poetry Contest Results

The day is here - time to announce the winners of the Maidens of Virtue Poetry Contest! We got some very good entries and it was difficult to choose!

Here are all the "announcements" and the actual poems follow:

The Grand Prize Winner in the 9-12 age category, "Having Joy in My Heart," is:

Miss Kiah C.!

Honorable Mentions for this category are:

Miss Rebecca G. & Miss Robyn G. (sisters! :-) )

The Grand Prize Winner in the 13-25 age category, "A Sister's Role in Her Sibling's Life," is:

Miss Kathryn I.!

Honorable Mentions for this category are:

Miss Heather E. & Miss Moriah O.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And now for the poems...

Joy - 9-12 Grand Prize Winner

By Miss Kiah C.

Joy is as heavy as a hug

And as light as air.

Joy is in serving your family.

It is uplifting

And a trial to hold

And may be a sunbeam to carry

But most of all you find your joy

In the Lord. He gives it to us through

Friends and neighbors.

Joy is in the Lord Jesus.

 

Having Joy in My Heart - 9-12 Honorable Mention

By Miss Rebecca G.

I have joy in my heart with His love and His kindness,

I have joy in my heart with His mercy and grace,

I have joy in my heart with His loving care,

I have joy in my heart with His outstanding power

I have joy in my heart with His outstanding care,

Oh I have joy in my heart from Him!

Let's Remember Paul - 9-12 Honorable Mention

By Miss Robyn G.

When I’m feeling low I turn to the bible and that gives me joy!

God wants us to read His word so we can have joy!

The book I love most is Philippians; I love all the verses in it!

Paul tells us to rejoice in all things and that we should count it all joy!

He also says to think on right things, so when we grumble and complain,

Are we counting it all joy? No.

So let's remember Paul when he was sitting in chains in a Roman prison,

If he can count it all joy so can we.

We who live in comfortable houses and don’t have to wear chains!

So when we are tempted to grumble about doing the dishes or just doing our chores;

Remember Paul and have

JOY!!!

Blessed Sisterhood - 13-25 Grand Prize Winner

By Miss Kathryn I.

There is a special role, which only girls can fill,

Created by the Lord, part of His Sovereign will.

A mighty power have we, who have sister for a name,

A role to be desired, much more than wealth or fame.

We as sisters must be gentle, - patient, loving, kind,

Not thinking of ourselves, but having others on our mind.

Whenever you speak, seek to build up another,

Give loving praise, to your sister and your brother.

We must submit to authority, and respectfully obey,

Carrying fully out with joy, all that our parents say.

For we set an example, we are watched in all we do,

May our actions honor Christ, our words please Him too.

I tell you dear maiden, with siblings in your life,

Be a blessing unto others, not to them a source of strife.

Embrace the role of sister, thank God that you can see,

That He’s placed you where you are, in your own family.

When eager little hands, wish to join you in a task,

Do not sigh within your heart, and wish they did not ask.

Instead, pause and pray, that God would give to you,

Patience and forbearance, for those who follow you.

Speak of the Lord, and all that He has done,

From the beginning of each day, to the setting of the sun.

We are told to remember, the mercies of the Lord,

So speak often of His deeds, the blessings He’s out poured.

How often we forget, who’ve been blessed with sisterhood,

What a help we can be, a blessing if we would.

God’s given us a task, may it be our great delight,

To embrace this noble call, serve Him with all our might!

A Sister's Influence - 13-25 Honorable Mention

By Miss Heather E.

A sisters role is needed,

To make the home a happy place;

To gently guide and encourage,

Her vital role can never be erased.

Her siblings depend on her instruction,

They look to her to lead;

To be the example of obedience,

The cornerstone of the family.

O Sister, I know your life is busy,

With many burdens along the way;

Do not neglect your duty,

Care for them day by day.

You have the power to influence,

Use it wisely and you shall see;

The fruitful vines rise up,

Around that olive tree.

Sister's Place - 13-25 Honorable Mention

By Miss Moriah O.

A sister sits -

hands covering face.

What is my duty -

where is my place.

Little does she know

her place sits all around.

Her siblings lives

is where her duty's found.

A kind word -

a cheerful smile,

these things can lighten

a sibling's trial.

Her encouragement

and her grace,

bring a smile

to a sibling's face.

Oh, sister

look and see

what kind of person

each aims to be.

Encourage them

along life's way.

Encourage them

in Christ to stay.

 

Congratulations everyone! You all did wonderful work!

Deadline Extended!

Well, it looks like we will be having a repeat of last year, and the Maidens of Virtue Poetry Contest deadline will have to be extended! I will let you in on a little secret and tell you that I have had an amazingly low number of entries. I won't tell you how many, :-) but I will say that chances of winning are extremely good as of today.

If possible I do not want to have to cancel the contest... and it is that bad... so I beg of you, if you enjoy poetry, PLEASE consider entering! You have nothing to lose except 41¢ (unless you submit electronically, which is free!) and there are fantastic prizes...

The contest is now in effect until Tuesday, May 20th, 2008. And if you need to see the complete contest details, click here.

Don't Forget!

Just a reminder that the deadline for the Maidens of Virtue poetry contest is just one week away!

Get your entries in soon!

(Haven't heard about it yet? Click here to find out more!)

Send Someone a Letter

Do it today - send a letter or even a short note to someone you know. Letter writing is becoming a lost art in today's world of fast, free email. It's sad, because letters are such wonderful things, both for the sender and the recipient. Who doesn't like getting "real" mail - something other than catalogs and bills? Sure, it costs 41¢ (and counting...); but think about it. You're paying 41¢ for a relative miracle that will bring joy to someone else - I mean, really, isn't it amazing that you can simply write a person's name, and some more words that are represent where they live, and it will get there even if it's somewhere on the other side of the world (most of the time...)?



So, that said, write a letter to someone. It can be a simple note card or a volume that's bordering on breaking the world record. Just do it. When you mail it know that you are sending off a day-brightener - and it only cost you a little time and 41¢.



(End note: Rumor has it that letter writing can be a double blessing - if you send mail, you are more likely to receive it! Makes sense to me...)

Thought for the Day

"Some people complain that God put thorns on roses, while others praise Him for putting roses on thorns."

- Anonymous

Home

By Miss Melanie K.

Home is where a traveler can find a place to stay,
Home is where the children gather at their play.
Home is where a mother works and oversees,
Home is where God's word brings gentleness and peace.
Home is where a baby coos in soft delight,
Home is where the husband comes back to every night.
Home is where the lawn shows special loving care,
Home is where flowers are sprinkled everywhere.
Home is where a new life begins and where it ends,
Home is where you gather in safety with your friends.
Home is where History is taught and where it's learned,
Home is where forgiveness abounds, where apologies are returned.
Home is where the daughter trains to be a wife,
Home is where the son prepares himself for life.
Home is where families begin and where they end,
Home is where Jesus is found the best of friends.