New Poems!

I Will Live for My Redeemer
By Miss Baylie W.

I will live for my Redeemer ~
All earth’s joys are but a name,
When compared to Christ my Savior,
Through all ages still the same.
Oh, how can I help but love Him,
Who for me God’s judgment bore!
Showered love and blessing on me,
Bid me fear and weep no more.

I will live for my Redeemer ~
He and only Him I’ll praise,
Who has purchased my salvation
And who keeps me with His grace.
O the joy of sin forgiven,
Hell and death I fear no more!
Death for me holds no more terror
For it opens heaven’s door.

I will live for my Redeemer ~
‘Tis the debt to Him I owe.
Oh, I can withhold Him nothing
Since He deigns to love me so!
O what boundless grace and mercy;
His own life for me He gave.
Out of love I pledge forever
To be His most willing slave.

I will live for my Redeemer ~
‘Till my life on earth is o’er,
And throughout the endless ages
I’ll adore Him more and more.
Laud and honor to the Savior!
Praise and blessing to the One
Who did purchase my redemption
By the death of His own Son!


Deliverance and Patience
By Miss Baylie W.

In a wee and stout fort
On the shore of the James,
Lived a small group of settlers,
Determined and brave.
They had battled the natives
And suffered much pain;
Now starvation threatened
To dig them their graves.

Discouraged and weary,
They gave in to despair.
Setting sail for their homeland,
They left Jamestown there
Amidst their dashed hopes and dreams.
On the shore frontier
They had tried, and now failing,
Old England looked fair.

But lo! In the distance
Two ships did draw near,
With supplies and provisions
To last them a year.
God had, in His providence,
With safe passage blessed
The Deliv’rence and Patience.
History tells the rest…

So ‘oft in our lives
We begin to despair,
And abandon the vision
That once seemed so clear.
Then God lovingly sends us
Deliverance from fear,
And Patience, the fruit of
Our trials and tears.

Press on, weary pilgrim!
Never fear or despair.
Deliverance is coming,
I see her just there.
And Patience along with her,
God’s promised reward
For those who are faithful.
Stand strong in the Lord!


My Girlhood
By Jill Novak

My girlhood is a pleasant place
Where life and love abound,
For here it is that all I am
Is waiting to be found.
In play I spend an endless time
Where only I can go,
A child still inside the girl
A pure-white, budding rose.

My girlhood is a time for God
His hand, His voice, His face,
His steady stream of steadfast love
Within my days I trace.
I rest assured of this one thing
He'll never leave my side,
For in my girlhood heart of hearts
He always will abide.

My girlhood home is all I need
To learn of servant-hood,
For here my Father and my Mother
Seek only what is good.
They take the time to teach me well
And help me understand,
That girlhood is a time of life
To lend a helping hand.

My girlhood is a priceless gift
A training ground, you see,
Where love for others, sisters and brothers
Will always be the key.
For God will cover my girlhood years
In all I do and say,
'Till someday a woman I will be
When girlhood passes away.

Taken from The Gift of Family Writing by Jill Novak
Used by permission of Remembrance Press • www.RemembrancePress.com

This is Adorable!

Someone sent this to my mom, and it is so cute I just had to post it here! This little girl is precious!
Click the red arrow to play.

Summery Salads

Since summer is definitely upon us, a salad is the perfect meal for a hot day. Refreshing and healthy, salads are one of my summer favorites! Here are couple of my most-liked recipes:

Southwest Layer Salad
Serves approx. 6 to 8 people

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3/4 cup salsa (chunky works well)
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 large orange or yellow bell pepper, diced
2 to 3 medium tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup diced red onion OR thinly sliced green onion (with tops)
12 to 16 oz. (or about 10 cups) iceberg lettuce salad mix
1 to 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sliced black olives

Instructions:
In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream and salsa. Mix well and set aside.
After preparing the vegetables, layer the beans, bell pepper, tomatoes, green onions, and lettuce in a large bowl (shallow is better). Evenly spread the sour cream/salsa mixture over the top and sprinkle on the cheese. Top with the black olives and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Note: Because of the layered nature of this salad, it is easiest to serve it with a large flat spatula, as you would serve lasagna. If you prefer, you can toss it all together instead of layering it.

Miss Kathryn's Pasta Salad
Serves approx. 6 people

Ingredients:
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/3 cup Italian salad dressing
3 cups penne pasta (or other pasta), uncooked
20 pitted black olives
16 cherry tomatoes
1 medium cucumber
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:
In a small bowl, whisk together mustard and basil. Gradually stir in dressing and whisk until smooth. Set aside. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain in colander. Rinse with cold water and drain well. Place pasta in large bowl.
While pasta is cooking, cut olives and cherry tomatoes in half. Cut cucumber in half lengthwise, peel, and remove seeds if desired. Cut cucumber halves crosswise into slices. Add olives, tomatoes, and cucumbers to pasta in the large bowl. Pour dressing over pasta mixture and mix lightly. Add Parmesan cheese and toss. Cover and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes, and serve.

Enjoy!

New Resource

I started another resource site to go with Maidens of Virtue and this blog. It's made with a site builder called Squidoo. There's a kitchen section, and a sewing section, (and more!) plus you can buy books, CDs, and other products. I update this site monthly so be sure to check back! Take a look here: www.squidoo.com/maidensofvirtue.

Speaking of Modesty...

Have you seen the Modest Handmaidens Essay Contest?

This contest is for girls ages 13-17. It begins on June 30th, and the deadline for submissions is August 31st (2007). The subject is "Maidens Modeling Modesty in an Immodest World."

Lots of great prizes are being offered, and there will be 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes awarded. Click here or on the image to the left to get the full details!

Happy writing!

Summer is coming...

... and with it comes the heat and the challenge of staying modest! Swimming is one of our favorite activities in the summer season, but I think it goes without saying that finding an appropriate swimsuit in the stores is like searching for an invisible needle in a haystack. That is why I would like to provide you with a couple of modest swimwear resources, that, I hope, will be helpful to you.

Modest Swimwear Solutions
This site provides a swimsuit pattern, ready-made suits, and custom-made suits, as well as swimsuit fabric if you are sewing your own.

Wholesome Wear
This site features 3 styles of swimwear - culottes, skirted, and "slimming," which is like the skirted only not gathered at the waist. There are currently 4 colors of the slimming swimsuit on sale!

So far these are the only sources that I know of, but if I come across any others I will post them here!

The Beauty of God's Creation...

I have a little hobby of taking floral photos, so I hope you enjoy!

















If these pictures do not show up for you, I apologize! I will try and fix it as soon as possible.