Another Interesting Book...

I found a book that's so interesting, thought provoking, and well written that I wonder it hasn't been republished in recent years. Here's the opening paragraph... 

"There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither bond nor free; there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." 

~ Galatians 3:28 ~

"Woman was the finishing grace of creation. Woman was the completeness of man's bliss in Paradise. Woman was the cause of sin and death to our world. Woman was the means of our redemption. Woman is the mother of the human race; our companion, counselor, and comforter in the pilgrimage of life; or our tempter, our scourge, and our destroyer. Our sweetest cup of earthly happiness, or our bitterest draught of sorrow, is mixed and administered by her hand. She not only renders smooth or rough our path to the grave, but helps or hinders our progress to immortality. In heaven we shall bless God for her aid in assisting us to reach that blissful state, or amid the torments of unutterable woe in another region, we shall deplore the fatality of her influence."

Guess What I found...

Before you watch this slide show you might want to click on the button below that says youtube. You can see everything in more clarity on there.... Enjoy!

The Irony of the World's Thinking

‎"Of course, much of the world would agree that being a housekeeper is acceptable as long as you are not caring for your own home; treating men with attentive devotion would also be right as long as the man is the boss in the office and not your husband; caring for children would even be deemed heroic service for which presidential awards could be given as long as the children are someone else's and not your own."

~Mrs. Dorthy Patterson~ 

Why I started this blog...

Some of you might wonder, "why did she name her blog 'The Opportunity"? Well, it all started with this poem and others like it.
Opportunity
By Edward R. Still
This I beheld, or dreamed it in a dream:-
There spread a cloud of dust along a plain;
And underneath the cloud, or in it, raged
A furious battle, and men yelled, and swords
Shocked upon swords and shields,
A prince’s banner wavered, then staggered backward hemmed by foes.
A craven hung along the battle’s edge,
And thought, “Had I a sword of keener steel –
That blue blade that the king’s son bears– but this
Blunt thing!”– he snapped and flung it from his hand.
And lowering crept away and left the field.
Then came the king’s son, wounded, sore bestead,
And weaponless, and saw the broken sword,
Hilt-buried in the dry and trodden sand,
And ran and snatched it, and with battle-shout
Lifted afresh he hewed his enemy down,
And saved a great cause that heroic day.

After I had read this I thought about how much we have changed from the way in which the Reformers and Puritans lived. How we have strayed so far from having that straight line drawn between right and wrong, godly and sinful. We, as Christians, should stand up for our faith, not run when the battle gets hard or looks like we will loose! What kind of example are we to the world if we just shrug our shoulders and say "we'll just live and let live"? Did Christ do that when He spoke to the Pharisees? No, very much the opposite. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness." Matthew 23:27

So what then should we do as His ambassadors? 

For myself I enjoy writing and talking about issues and at times a bit too much. So I chose to have a blog where I can share what God has put on my hear. I hope this blog is an encouragement and exhorts you in your God given roles. Please feel free to leave a note or thought. Is there something that you disagree with or something that you would like to hear my opinion on? I'd love to hear from you!

I hope you all enjoy my Opportunity. 

What a Godly Keeper at Home (Or Housewife) is Not

By Stacy McDonald
(An excerpt from Passionate Housewives Desperate For God)       

       A godly keeper at home is absolutely not a lesser human being, a mindless robot, or a placid doormat under submission to all men; rather, she is created in the very image of God and equal worth and value compared to man (Genesis 1:26-28). She is the crown of her husband (Proverbs12:4, a helper suitable for him (Genesis 2:18). Because she trusts God's wisdom in establishing perfect order for His creation, she willingly submits to her own husband as unto the Lord (Ephesians 5:22-24).

      In God's economy, the godly housewife is no man's slave or piece of personal property; for her worth is “far above rubies” Proverbs 31:10. Nonetheless, she eagerly admits to being Christ's slave, which paradoxically makes her free indeed (1 Corinthians 7:22). She laughs when she hears rumors that she is an oppressed victim of a male-dominated dictatorship, because she knows that god's will is perfect and his Word timeless. Her place in society isn't ruled by the culture, but by God's unchanging and eternal Word. By His grace, she has no desire to question His ways (Isaiah 55:8); on the contrary, she rests in them.

      Hardly childish or unintelligent, a godly keeper at home opens her mouth with wisdom (Proverbs 31:26) and her husband and children praise her (Proverbs 31:28. She has opinions and ideas, and uses them for god's glory—not her own. She takes joy in being a helpmate to her husband so that her “husband is known in the gates” Proverbs 31:23 and so that his heart “safely trusts in her” and he “has no lack of gain” Proverbs 31:11.

       Though the counterfeit lure and charm of the seductress seeks to deceive and entice the housewife's husband, the godly woman's garden is filled with fragrant spices and delicious fruits (Song of Solomon 4;16). As she ravishes her husband's heart he sings of how her love is better than wine and her scent finer than expensive perfume (Song of Solomon 4:9-10). She is a “fruitful vine” at her husband's table Psalm 128:3, and the fruit of her body is blessed (Deuteronomy 28:4).

        Far from being a household drudge chained to her stove, the godly keeper at home is “like a merchant ship; she brings her food from afar” Psalm 31:14. Proverbs 31 reveals to us how a godly housewife impacts her community in various ways—feeding the poor, making purchases for the proper running of her household, dealing in wisdom with employees, and selling her homemade hoods. She is known in the community and honors her husband by representing him well while in public, yet her hub of productivity and her primary focus is the place she most loves to be—her home.

         The godly keeper at home wisely governs the household that God places in her care so that prudence ad sound judgment rule her decisions rather than covetousness or folly. Though she may wear pearls and high heels, she realizes that “charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised” Proverbs 31:30.

Dispelling the Myth

Stacy McDonald

(Excerpt from Passionate Housewives, Desperate For God)

'Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is price is far above rubies'

Proverbs 31:10

       In the 1970s, the pro-feminist bestseller Stepford Wives turned the traditional housewife into a mindless, husband-pleasing, yes-woman who was literally heartless—because, come to find out, she was actually a robot. The message was clear: a woman who faithfully serves her family, loves pleasing her husband, and joyfully takes care of her home (from home) is not a “real person,” but a contrived fantasy of her overbearing and selfish husband.

       Instead of treasuring women and properly utilizing their gifts, our culture has attempted to discard the beauty and uniqueness of biblical womanhood and create an emotionally androgynous power-woman whose worth is measured only by the degree of her ambition, the shape of her body, and her money-making potential. Rather than women renouncing this affront to their dignity, amazingly, the slaves are demanding their slavery!

       In place of the glorious picture painted for us in Scripture of the passionate keeper at home, a hollow counterfeit has emerged—a desperate image concocted and promoted by Hollywood stereotypes, magazine models, and women's self-help books.

      The rise of the Internet has only added to the confusion. As women have gravitated to the web en masse, they have met a flood of men and women of all backgrounds and persuasions propounding conflicting notions of what it means to be a woman. The cacophony of ideas and teachings that today's Christian women must wade through as they contemplate their rightful place in God's created order can be simply overwhelming.

      Of course, the challenge of determining the meaning of true biblical womanhood is not unique to our time. While today's women may be bombarded with more media steams than their counterparts of previous generations, biblical femininity has always been an unusual quality. This is what led king Lemuel's mother to observe, “who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.” Proverbs 31:10. Virtuous women have always been rare, and oh, how precious they are!

Books That You too Might Enjoy!

 I just noticed that it's been almost 3 years since I've posted some books that I've enjoyed reading. So here are a few that I've read and enjoyed! 

First up is Hostage Lands By Douglas Bond. Mr. Bond has done a wonderful job writing true Christian historical fiction. Not at all like those "Christian" historical fiction books that all focus around "true love" and how the guy can marry the girl. No, these books are using real times in history and bringing them to life with fictional characters. Also every book is full of Christ and His word. 

Prisoners of the Sea By Florence M. Kingsley is wonderful! I just finished this book last month and loved it. It's a fictional story of the Huguenot persecution in the 17th century. I don't want to give away the story line but a group of shipwrecked people end up on an island with mysteries around every corner. Who built the lovely château and gardens? Where did everyone go? It's a wonderful story of adventure, courage, trusting in God no matter what, and never compromising our Christian morals. 

The White Knights By W. E. Cule is another Lamplighter book that I have greatly enjoyed! It is about a young boy and his sister in England who's parents are missionaries in China. The boy, Horace was interested in knights, shining armor, and battles as most boys his age normally are. Through time he is mentored by the pastor in the town. Slowly he learns that he too can be a knight, righting human wrongs and saving the day. It's a wonderful book to read aloud to younger children as well as to just your self!

I must say this is my favorite poetry book of all time!
Worthy is the Lamb - Puritan Poetry In Honor of the Savior Edited by Dr. Don Kistler & Joel Rishel
This book has the best collection I have seen yet! Men that most have never even heard of, yet their writings are of such God honoring, praise rendering, soul humbling poems that one can't help but look to Christ through them! I have posted a few poems from this books in the past year and I hope to post more of them this year. If you don't have the book, get it! It's worth every cent!

Then there is Passionate Housewives, Desperate for  God By Stacy McDonald and Jenny Chancey. This book I'm in the middle of reading right now and enjoying it very much!  I hope to post some portions of it throughout this year. It covers many of the topics, from a true keeper at home to what women were made to be and do vs. men. All based on God's word.
It's easy to read and understand. If you're married, have children, going to have children, or even a young single women, this is a wonderful book of encouragement, reminders, and soul satisfying trues of the Christian woman's place, goals, and duties. 

I have enjoyed reading this book.  I have yet to read all of the articles that it contains. It has such a wonderful selection of subjects that anyone who wishes to grow stronger and delve deeper in the Word would enjoy it. I've posted a couple of the articles this last couple of weeks and later this year I'll make sure to add a couple more. 

       Do you have some of these books? Please feel free to comment on this post and share what you enjoyed about that book! 

Here are a few of the best places to get good true Christian books ~ 

       Lamplighter who sells only reprints of long lost Christian literature. They also just started making some of those books into dramatized audio books which I think are amazing! I have 4 of them so far and found them to be well acted, good sound, and very good in recreating the books their copied from. 

     Banner of Truth  is a wonderful resource for adding godly books to your bookshelf. You'll never see more amazing works form some of the greatest Puritans, Reformers, and men that gave their lives for spreading God's Word. 

    Vision Forum has lots of books for the whole family and individuals to read! You can find books on family health, starting a farm, raising God fearing children, what to look for in a possible spouses for your children, history from a biblical prospective, beginner books on reading, historical fiction for young and old alike, and much more!

Start your own library of good Christian books! You'll be amazed at how much you'll learn and grow as a godly man or women when you fill your mind with wonderful Christ honoring books! 

Creating a hope chest...

     Creating a hope chest is not that hard to do. It's exciting to look for things that you know you'll need when your married, such as, serving dishes, books, cooking utensils, furniture, table cloths, etc. Or maybe you would like to have a certain theme in your future home and you want to collect things to fit that theme.

      In this day and age we women have lost the desire to be wives and mothers. To look forward and plan for a future home and new responsibilities. We look at that role as a secondary plan, an after collage plan, or not even a goal. Yet, who are we to tell God when we will or will not be marry or what we should be or not be? He has everything planed out for our lives and as women our biblical role is to support our fathers and brothers (when we're not married) and if God so blesses, to support a husband someday. We're use to that fast pass "All I care about is now" attitude. Yet, in the "old days" (grandparents or for some great-grand parents time) when women were raise with the goal of  being a wives and mothers someday. 

They worked on creating a hope chest, such as; baby cloths, quilts, pillows, dishes, etc.

     So I thought it would be fun to share with you some of the things I've been collecting over the years for my future home. Maybe this will encourage you ladies out there to start your own hope chest. You don't need to have actual wooden chest, you can put things in a plastic storage container(s) or in a closet. 

Be creative!  

        When I turned 19 my mom and I went to a nearby flee market for a girls day out. When we were there I fell in love with a set of dishes. Now I never looked at dishes as something to buy before but that set was a keeper! Then I found a hutch. It had leaded stain glass windows and was beautiful! Mom said I could get it, so we put it on layaway. That day was the start of my hope chest or in this case hope hutch.

My "hope chest" is now overflowing with all sorts china and serving wear.

This is the set that I found at the flee market. It's from Pfaltzgraff called Naturewood.

Since then I have collected bits pieces at Goodwill, antique shops, and flea markets.  

Wedgwood is hard and expensive to find.
This was a unique find at a Goodwill that my mom found for only (drum roll please) .99 cents! 

Another find from my mom (not Wedgwood) but very cute. 

What designs or patterns would you like to have in your future home? 
I enjoy the old Winne-the-Pooh and Beatrix Potter stories, so I thought I'd decorate my nursery with Beatrix Potter and Winnie-the-Pooh stuff.

This Christmas my brother, Mom, and Dad refurbished Mom's old hope chest for me to use.

This is the most unique thing I think I own. My mom found it last year for my birthday. If anyone can figure out what the third glass shaker is for please let me know! 

You can collect china to add that delicate feminine touch to your future home...

Or something fun, yet practical...

Maybe you like more of a country style...

Another thing I've collected a bit of is stoneware. I really like baking bread and muffins in it, so when I was able I would buy some here and there. Sometimes I even found some at flea markets!

I find that we always need a plater to put things on and when it is decorative it  adds to the table.

Serving dishes are nice to have when you have friends or  family over. 

If you enjoy sewing, knitting, or crochet, why not make quilts, pillow cases, hand made pot holders, or baby cloths? 

I also like to collect old books. My Mom bought many old books through year, many of which  my brother and I have enjoyed!  

You can also collect  informational books that you would like to use for when you have children. I have been slowly getting good poetry books, good cookbooks, history books, biographies, good fiction books, etc. for when I have children and start homeschooling them.
What about good children book that you enjoyed when a child?  It's amazing what comes to mind when you start brainstorming!  

Maybe you have fond memories of playing dress-up with you siblings. Why not collect some dresses, hats, gloves, and so on for your own children to play with some day?

Or maybe not that long ago....

Get inventive!
Another thought to pass on to you young ladies, 'what would be something that you could have that would bless your future husband?' It could be collecting things that would make the  dinning room table decorative at dinner time. Or maybe it's not items but skills, such as knowing how to do finances and bookkeeping.  

What ideas do you have? Feel free to share your ideas and suggestions.  I'd love to hear them. 

An Article to Consider

Here is an interesting article in an age when feminism was becoming more and more the standard for a woman, yet this article has some very true and insightful guidelines to follow.

In case this is hard to read in spots I have transcribed it:
Housekeeping Monthly, May 13 1955
The Good Wife's Guide


- Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready, on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal (especially his favorite dish) is part of the warm welcome needed.


- Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.


- Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.


- Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives.


- Gather up school books, toys, paper, etc. and run a dust cloth over the tables.


- Over the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will think he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering for his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.


- Prepare the children. Take a few minuets to wash their hands and faces (if they are small), comb their hair, and if necessary, change their cloths. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part. Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, minimize all noise of the washer, dryer, or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet.


- Be happy to see him.


- Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your in your desire to please him.


- Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first- remember, his topics of conversation are more important then yours.


- Make the evening his. Never complain if he comes home late or goes out to dinner, or other places of entertainment without you. Instead try to understand his world of strain and pressure and his very real need to be at home and relax.


- Your goal: Try to make your home a place of peace, order and tranquility where your husband can renew himself in both body and spirit.


- Don't greet him with complains and problems.


- Don't complain if he's late for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this a minor compared to what he might have gone through that day.


- Make him comfortable. Make him lean back in a comfortable chair or have him lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.


- Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.


- Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgement or integrity. Remember, he is the master  of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.


- A good wife always knows her place.


     Now there is obviously some things that wouldn't be right for a husband to do. 
If my husband went somewhere to eat or a place of entertainment for work then that would be understandable. But if not then I could see a problem with that. Yet, it's best to save that discussion for after he's had a good meal and rest.  
    The other one that didn't seem quite right was the second to last one. "Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness." 
    Now they are correct that he is the master of the house, but that he is always going to do or say what is right isn't biblical. We men and women are all sinners, so we don't do what is fair or truthful save through Christ and even then we stumble. But if there was a problem in that realm, that too could wait until dinner is over and a bit of quiet time is observed before bringing up that subject.
   This article all in all is a good guide line for what a man likes to see or not see when he comes home from a hard days' work. We as the women of the house need to make sure we make our home a place of relaxation and enjoyment for the men when they come home. Send them off to take a nice hot shower, get them something special to eat, or whatever they like to do to relax and unwind. 
     Picture coming home after running tons of errands all day with the children home working on chores. But when after being gone all day you find that the dishes are still sitting where everyone put them after breakfast with more added to the pile, the house yet to be vacuumed or even picked up, trash is in need of removal and even the beds haven't been made. 
    Now change it around, picturing how you would feel in that moment, but instead with your husband coming home to see disaster all around him. His wife is frustrated, a child has just been spanked, another coming close to the same disciplinary action and dinner has yet to be thought of. It's the same feeling. 
    I know our family has the same problem. We've had this scenario and similar ones happen more then once and it never helps dad relax or made any of the situations better. Though I'm not the wife nor mother in the house, I am the eldest and the only daughter, so it is up to me to make sure we have an idea of what is for dinner and dessert. I need to make sure things look organized, counters are clean, laundry is going, my room is cleaned up and maybe have something ready for him to snack on. (My dad is always hungry when he gets home, so a snack is a must for him. Unless of course dinner is on the table and ready to be eaten.) It's a hard habit to start and keep going. But when everything is ready and organized the way it should be, you do feel ready to relax with everyone else and enjoy a good family-time together. 


The world would say, "why bother I've had just as hard of a day as he has. Probably worse!" But as a Christian we are meant to serve others, even when we'd rather not.

"Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen."

1 Peter 4:9-11

   I'd love to hear what you think about this article! It has much food for thought don't you think?
I hope to be posting more with this next week so stay tuned!

The Baby Conference

The Baby Conference Audio Album from Vision Forum on Vimeo.
This is a life changing conference that makes you really think of your stand on abortion, having many children, taking care of your aging parents or grandparents, and if what you believe is really what God says is right. 
You can buy this at Vision Forum on MP3 or CD.
Or you can download this entire set on bluebehemoth.com
This Conference will change your life! These issues are serious and effecting our lives today. This world has fallen so far away from God and the Word. No longer are things black and white but obscured by this corrupt world. 
It's time to change our world views to what God says is right not what the world approves of.

"Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me. 

“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’"                                                        ~Matthew 25:34-40~

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,

The Fruit of the womb is a reward.

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,

So are the children of one's youth.

Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;

They shall not be ashamed.

But shall speak with their enemies in the gates."

~Psalm 127:3-5

"And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."
~Colossians 3:17~