Daughter of the King

Camping with my family

Good Lord's Day! I am leaving now to go on a camping trip with my family. We are headed up to Elkhart to worship this morning. We will be coming home on Wednesday afternoon.

Feel free to leave me a note. I just won't be able to get back with you for a while.

Remember Christ our King.

posted by Becca @ 6:58 AM 3 comments

Ok so this us me two years ago at ECHO. It should be noted that my hair is in 59 braids. I miss ECHO, and I am thinking/praying about going back. What do you guys think, when I take pictures should I post them on my picture blog and keep that up and going, or should I just post them here?

posted by Becca @ 1:23 PM 3 comments

something to think about:

Think about the authors of these quotes, and think about what God's Word tells us. I do not agree with everyone of these, and some I am surprised to agree to:


1. To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right. ~Confucius (a wise pagan)

2. Love, like truth and beauty, is concrete. Love is not fundamentally a sweet feeling; not, at heart, a matter of sentiment, attachment, or being "drawn toward." Love is active, effective, a matter of making reciprocal and mutually beneficial relation with one's friends and enemies. ~Carter Heyward

3. When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.~ Helen Keller

4. It is a wholesome and necessary thing for us to turn again to the earth and in the contemplation of her beauties to know of wonder and humility.~ Rachel Carson

5. An optimist is the human personification of spring.~Susan J. Bissonette

6. Love at first sight is easy to understand; it's when two people have been looking at each other for a lifetime that it becomes a miracle.~ Amy Bloom

7. We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms -- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.~Viktor Frankl

8. You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working; and just so, you learn to love by loving. All those who think to learn in any other way deceive themselves.~Saint Francis

9. The heart has its reasons which reason knows not of.~ Blaise Pascal

10. The most noteworthy thing about gardeners is that they are always optimistic, always enterprising, and never satisfied. They always look forward to doing something better than they have ever done before.~ Vita Sackville-West

11. If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.~ Buddha

12. Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.~ Martin Luther King, Jr

13. The pain passes, but the beauty remains.~ Pierre Auguste Renoir

14. In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can't build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery and death.~ Anne Frank

15. A garden is always a series of losses set against a few triumphs, like life itself.~ May Sarton

16. A person will worship something, have no doubt about that. We may think our tribute is paid in secret in the dark recesses of our hearts, but it will out. That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts will determine our lives, and our character. Therefore, it behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping we are becoming. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

17. Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.~ Margaret Mead

18. Love is a choice you make from moment to moment.~ Barbara De Angelis

19. Of all the wonderful things in the wonderful universe of God, nothing seems to me more surprising than the planting of a seed in the blank earth and the result thereof.~ Julie Moir Messervy

Which means the most to you, and why?

posted by Becca @ 9:39 AM 2 comments

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
to sprout up before all the nations.For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet,
until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,
and her salvation as a burning torch.

The nations shall see your righteousness,
and all the kings your glory,
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will give.

You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

Isaiah 61:1-11; 62:1-2
Isn't this beautiful? The last several chapters of Isaiah are awesome!

posted by Becca @ 7:59 AM 0 comments

New Beautiful Day

Indiana has had some odd weather lately. I know this is normal, but yesterday it hailed again, and I was really upset about the danger my garden was in. I can not imagine what it would be like to farm from a living and then see all my crops distroyed by a strom. Praise to be God the hail didn't last long enough to kill more than two corn stocks. I did have to re-establish most of them, but they are ok now.
The bunnies are doing well, and Luke brought home a turtle from his backpacking trip last weekend, so we are starting a miniture zoo at our house. Animals are fun.
Today is a beautiful day. I don't know where you are in life or in the world exactly, but just remember that today is a day the Lord has made. He made this day. He made you to serve and honor Him on this day. There is a reason you are breathing. It's not chance. Remember the way Jesus Christ lived, and follow His example.

posted by Becca @ 8:07 AM 2 comments

I Leave in Less than Two Weeks

It's been a busy weekend. We did get our room painted. It's a bright pink, and the three of us really like it. We had to do two coats because we were painting over a light blue, so it took longer than expected, but we love it.
I spent the weekend with friends. I love my friends. I love being so close to people. I love loving people this much.
I just got back from evening service at Northside. I am not going to be worshiping there for five Sundays in a row. This was my last time, and I am really sad because I will miss our church so much. I enjoy visiting other churches, but when I worship away from 2RP for more than two Sundays in a row I get homesick. I'm excited though, because I know that I will grow to love the Ridgefield Park congregation and then when I get home and miss them.

It's it interesting that life is full of loving people and missing people. The best feeling is not really knowing a person, but loving them. There are several example of this. One would be waiting for a new baby. The nine months it takes for a baby to come can seem like an eternity (I say that now who knows what I will be saying when it's actually my baby.) I love my little brother/sister so much before they are even born. Another example would be future spouse. It's weird to think, but I love the man I will someday marry. I love him, and I have no idea who he is. Yet, an example that is closer to home is this mission trip. I really love the people in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey. I really love my team. I have not met anyone of them, and I miss them now. Emotions are funny things. Missing people is a funny thing. Paul talks about missing people in a really awesome way in Colossians 2: "For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ." The love of God makes it so that we can love with a love that is beyond human ability. It's really awesome to think that I can love God's people, and never really have to bear the pain of separation in a spiritual sense. I don't have to really say goodbye to my brothers and sisters in Christ, ever. I will firstly spend all of eternity with them worshiping the Lamb, and secondly even here I am with them in prayer, I am with them in rejoicing, I am with them in love, because the love of God transcends the physical presence of a person.
Ok this may be wacko, and you can tell me if it is, but since God is love (I John 4) then love is not simply one of God's attributes. It goes beyond that somehow, to be part of His essence. So does true love transcend time and space because God transcends time and space? Is love in a sense omnipresent? Well, it is isn't it because when God tells us what love is (I Cor. 13) He uses words like always, and love is more than a noun, it's more than a verb, it's more than a adjective. When I love someone, I always love them, and it's not a passing thing.
Well, I don't understand love. I will say with John, "What manner of love is this, that we should be called the children of God?" I can't explain what manner of love this is, but I know that when a person is saved by the love of God, that he is also transformed by the love of God. I know that love is the essence of the Christian walk. To love God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength with all our body, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Love is really what it's all about. John also warns us that when do not love Christians, the love of God isn't in us. Actually, I John has a lot to say about love. If you are intrigued by what I have been rambling about at all read through John's first letter and see how vital love really is.

I need to go.
Love ya,
Rebekah

posted by Becca @ 9:23 PM 1 comments

Sisters and Funness

I just got back from a wonderful time of sisterness. Beth and Jacob got home from ECHO around dinner time and then the three of us older girls went out for some stuff. We picked out a color to paint our room and we all actually agree! It is a great thing when three sisters can agree on a color for their room. Anna, Beth and I have some different opinions about just about everything, but tonight we were just getting along like... the best friends that we are.
Oh I thank God for my sisters. They are the best and I just love them like none other, and I am going to miss them so so much when I am gone next month. I'm not just talking about the older girls now, the baby girls are the best as well. Sometimes I just think about how blessed I am to have four sisters. The cool thing about sisters is that we will always be best friends. See, in life friends come and go as you change and grow up, but sisters are always there for you. We face life as a team, and it doesn't always seem like we are united, but when push comes to shove we would give our lives for eachother.
Well, it's been a great day. I hope that it will be an even better evening. Beth and Anna need their hair cut, and I am going to go do that now. Oh I am so excited. Life is so full, and God is so good. I really mean that. There are just moments in life where my whole being just feels the goodness of God. It's a awesome thing to be His child. We don't thank Him enough. Let our love be genuine. Let's show the world who we are and Who we serve. Let us live life as a song of praise to our God, and let's pray that people will recognize the tune, and maybe sing along.
Alright, Anna's calling. *Smile of farewell*

posted by Becca @ 8:48 PM 2 comments

Four Little Bunnies

On Friday night God decided to send us four little bunnies. A family called, and said that they found some bunnies and Mom relented and told me if I took care of them then we could keep them. I am so excited. I feel like my summer is complete. I wasn't asking or looking for bunnies but they are exactly what I needed for my compost pile. We may be giving one or two of them to the Mangans, and Margaret already took one, so we'll prolly end up with two which was the original agreement anyway, so it's all very fun. As you can imagine Jerusha and Kez are having a blast playing with them.

Beth and Jacob get home Wednesday. I really miss them so I'm glad that ECHO is only two weeks long. I am leaving a less then three weeks! Oh extreme happiness, I am already working on my "before I leave" to do list. I have several things to accomplish, so you can be praying that I will stay focused these last few weeks and get things done like Mr. Pulliam's writing assignments.

Well I'm babysitting the kids this morning, so I should go. Thanks for listening. I hope to be posting a little more often. Have an incredible day. Do not live to your own glory, rather live for the eternal purpose that Christ has appointed for you.

posted by Becca @ 7:52 AM 3 comments

Grace Everlasting

This week has been an incredible one. I have not fully figured out why some weeks are good and some weeks aren't, but I know that God has really been gracious to me this week in a way that I don't deserve. He always is gracious, but there is a special grace; one that gives me the right perspective. He's wonderful.
Flo and I drove to her house yesterday, and I got back this morning. It was such a blessing to spend five days with her. She is an amazing girl, and I love to be with her because than I hope I will be more like her. She is the best. I think since we are cousins we have a sister/friend relationship. We tend to be more family'ish than friends, and yet we don't get to see each other as much as sisters so spending time together is a treat.

How awesome is it that we can read the same Book over and over and over and yet it is always powerfully applicable? The Bible is so full of life. It's always the same, and yet to think that saints throughout the ages have looked to it for comfort, truth and guidance is just amazing. The same portion of Scripture can be read fifty times and yet will remain to God's child intriguing and insightful. We are so blessed to have the entire Scriptures in our own language along with the freedom to read them. No book can even compete with it. Name one piece of literature that can even begin to impact the soul to such depths for years on end. There is no work that has meant so much to so many multitudes of diverse people. It's just intense to think about. Wow... we serve an awesome God.

posted by Becca @ 11:06 PM 4 comments

I'm still here...

Well, Flo and I have had an excellent week thus far. We have gotten a lot of good things done and it's been wonderful spending lots of quality time together. My garden is coming along very nicely. We had a bit of an emergency when I was transplanting some sunflowers because as the beginner that I am I didn't realize how quickly one must water a transplanted sunflower. In literally second the small plants wilt to a deathlike position, and I sorta freaked out. It's going ok now. They aren't as happy as they were, but I think after another long drink today they will be on the mend. They will soon realize that their new place of life is better than where they were, but at the moment they haven't seen the light.
I thinned my corn last week. Well actually, I rearranged. I don't like to let anything go to waste in my garden. See. the corns that were too close together had to be transported to a part of the row that had a gap. It's true that this takes longer than thinning, but it is defiantly easier for my heart to handle.
We said goodbye to Evelyn and Rut on Sunday night. Agh, everyone is leaving. I know that it's all good, and I am glad that things change...
Change is hard.
I have been trying to get a digital camera, but it appears to be that God does not intend for me to have one as of yet. I'm ok with that, (yeah, good move Bec) because I am confident that there has to be a perfect little camera out there for my needs.
Well, I think Flo and I are going to go on a bike ride like old times. We used to spend many summer afternoons bike riding at our old house. Have a wonderful week. May God face shine upon you. May you glorify and enjoy Him forever.

posted by Becca @ 2:52 PM 6 comments

PRAISE THE LORD!

I am done with my SAT. I feel rather good about the results that I will be getting, but then who really knows what that means. Or should I say Who? He was with me. Oh goodness, it's really awesome when you do something that you don't want to do, just because you know He wants you to do it (and parents might be playing in there somewhere too,) and then when it's over you feel His pleasure.
I got out at 2, and the sky hadn't looked bluer in my entire lifetime. I just wanted to breath in every ounce of His presence. I don't pray enough. This is something I need to change. I don't make a habit of beginning my morning with prayer. Today I did, and even though I spent a total of six and a half hours at Butler waiting for or taking the SAT, I am having one of the better days of my life.
I don't know, it's funny how emotions work out. Someday I want to do a study on all of this, but until then I'm just going to enjoy the gift of joy. There's something truly glorious about doing something just because He wants me to, and then realizing that He is honoring me by filling me with His pleasure. Ya know what I am talking about? Ahh, He finds our service delightful. Don't ask me how or why, but He does.

Come, magnify the Lord with me, let us exalt His name together!

posted by Becca @ 3:14 PM 5 comments

He Cares for Me

A small girl quietly stood,
wrapped in her coat and hood.
She was thin and she was pale.
She held a bird bold and frail.
To the creature I heard her say,
A thing I remember to this day:

"Shh, I know it's cold.
Baby bird, we'll be bold.
I'm here to care for you.
You see, it is my job to do.
Pain is here to help us learn.
Pain is here to make us turn.
Baby bird, God really cares.
He hears, and our burden bears."

She removed her coat at this,
and wrapped the bird in carefulness.
She didn't cease to watch him,
Even when the sky grew dim.

I decided I had to help her out.
Truly, I guess I had a doubt,
that God could really care for a bird
Because it seemed to me, very absurd.

"Little girl, why are you crying?"
She pointed to where the bird was lying.
I looked at her with a frown and a sigh.
Didn't she understand that things die?
She said, "Sir, he has a broken wing."
I said, "God cares about such a thing?
What makes you think that He would care
whether the birds on ground or in air?"

She said something I'll never forget.
At the moment when our eyes first met.
"God has to care Sir, it's His way.
I don't understand, but I will some day."

I would have turned around.
But what she said was so profound.
"I care, because He cares for me.
I used to be like this bird you see.
He loves. It's His way.
I hope you'll understand someday."

"...What manner of love is this, that we should be called Children of God?"

posted by Becca @ 9:22 PM 2 comments