Announcement; The Dawsons are back; Funeral

I am proud to announce a new web-site my dear friend has recently created for the purpose of female femininity. The goal of the blog states:

Encouraging, inspiring and challenging young ladies to rediscover the treasure of dressing femininely modest.

Isn't that wonderful? Not only is modesty needed and important, but femininity is as well. We are not only to be modest in our dress and behavior, but we are also to look like young ladies in the process!

I think the site is just beautiful and I am very excited to see how the Lord will use it. Jocelyn did such a great job!

So, go check it out and promote it! (Click) ---> Feelin' Feminine


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Tonight was very nice as we were able to visit with friends who have recently moved to Texas. They are going to be staying here for a few days then they will be going to Virginia for a few weeks to take care of some business there. So, we get them for a little while :-) The church has missed them dearly and it was just great to see them again!!

We met at the church and enjoyed pizza and a few games tonight.

We played a couple games of spoons. Lots of fun :-)

Tomorrow my family and I are going back to Alabama but this time for a funeral. My great uncle and aunt's grand-daughter died in a car accident Saturday. We didn't know her but we grieve with everyone else in this loss. Please pray for all of the families related in your prayers.

So, we are going back to Alabama once more. I am hoping God will use us however He will in comforting others or hopefully witnessing or ministering to someone. They said that a young man had been in the car with the girl, but he walked away with little injuries. If he isn't saved, I hope this incident has really got him thinking about his eternal destination. Pray that God will open doors.

God bless,
~~Miss Brooke~~

Work For God's Eye

(By: J. R. Miller)

"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness'
before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you
will have no reward from your Father in heaven."
Matthew 6:1

No grace shines more brightly in a Christian,
than humility. Wherever SELF comes in—it
mars the beauty of the work we are doing.
Seek to do your work noiselessly. Do not try
to draw attention to yourself—to make others
know that you did some beautiful thing. Be
content to pour your rich life into other wasted,
weary lives—and see them blessed and made
more holy—and then hide away and let Christ
have the honor. Work for God's eye—and even
then, do not think much about reward. Seek to
be a blessing—and never think of self-glory.

"Then your Father, who sees what is done
in secret, will reward you." Matthew 6:4

Things I Take For Granted

During camp there were sore throats going around and two kids had even lost their voice for a few days. I remember walking with a young girl to the girl's cabin and she could barely talk and I felt so sorry for her. Little did I know that I'd later be one of them...And can you believe that of all days it had to be the day of our family reunion? Talk about torture!

I had to whisper to everyone at the reunion. It was really annoying. I never thought before how much I valued my voice until I lost it for the day. It was so hard! I am sure my sisters enjoyed it as long as it lasted though :-)

During the day I got to the point that I didn't say anything because I couldn't say anything. I went back to the guest room at Grandma's and pulled out my Bible. During that time I talked to God and it dawned on me---even though I could talk to no one else, I could still talk to God. He could still understand me. Wow.

I wrote the following in my journal:

This experience makes me think of two things. First, I take things for granted WAY too easily. How I thank God for my voice! Second, how I love God. No one in my life is better than He. Even when my voice is gone and I can't talk to anyone else---God can still hear me. How awesome He is.

Thoughts of who God is has been consuming me lately. There is no one like Him. And there will never be anyone like Him.

Psalm 77:13

...who is so great a God as our God?

God is all I will ever need. He is all you'll ever need. He fills me and completes me. He is my joy and purpose. He is always with me, loves me like no one ever could, promises to never leave me, and He gives me hope. I have hope because I am His child. There's no situation too complicated or deep that I can't have hope. God is more than enough for me.

A song that has been really speaking to me lately is "By Your Side" by Tenth Avenue North.

The lyrics read:

Why are you striving these days?

Why are you trying to earn grace?

Why are you crying?

Let me lift up your face,

Just don't turn away.

Why are you looking for love?

Why are you still searching?

As if I'm not enough?

To where will you go child,

Tell me where will you run?

To where will you run?

I'll be by your side wherever you fall

In the dead of night whenever you call

Please don't fight these hands that are holding you

My hands are holding you

Look at these hands and my side

They swallowed the grave on that night

When I drank the world's sin

So I could carry you in

And give you life.

And I, I love you

And I want you to know

That I, I'll love you

I'll never let you go

That song gets to me ever time. God is everything to me. He's always by my side and He'll never leave me. Why should I look elsewhere? It doesn't matter where I am; God is always there. If I wake up in the middle of the night and everyone else is asleep, He's still there to listen to me. If I am lonely, He's next beside me. Even if I am in the shower, it doesn't matter. God is with me and He promised to never leave me.

God really does love me. The death of His Son proved that. Selfless love. Genuine love. No one could ever do what God has done or be what God is.

I can't imagine my life without God in it. He is my purpose. Without the Lord my life would be such a mess. I'd be looking for love and affection in all the wrong places, trying to cram all I could in the depths of my heart to try to fill it up. Only God can fill me and satisfy me completely.

Back to the subject of taking things for granted (like my voice), you know, it can be easy to take God for granted as well. I have been thinking lately about my salvation. I was saved at a young age and have grown up in a Christian home, so God has spared me from a lot of heartache and pain including some things that other believers may have had to go through before they were saved. I never really experienced my life without God in it. He has been in it as long as I can remember, so because of that it can be easy to take my salvation for granted.

But when I think of what my life could have been, or what my life would be without God in it, I am humbled and more grateful than words could ever say. I could never imagine what my life would be without the Lord. It's a very scary thought. I honestly don't want to think about it. Hopeless, full of fear and desperate would be to name a few. I will honestly tell you that if I wasn't saved I would not want to live.

God is my everything. He is has saved me, given me hope, given me joy, given me purpose! I was created for His glory!! I have a reason that I am here on the earth. I do not fear death. I would die for the Lord if I had to. If you threaten me with a gun you only threaten me with Heaven. I will be forever with Him one day when I leave this earth at His choosing.

God is so good. He loves us and He is merciful. If anyone is reading this who does not know God as their Lord and Saviour, I only pray that they will. I wish everyone was saved and knew the Lord. If only they knew what they were missing. Without the Lord you have nothing. There's nothing like being God's child.

This life on earth is just a vapor and is as bad as it's going to get for the Christian. There's always hope for the believer. Anyone can have this hope if they'll just trust in Jesus. I just can't wait to go to Heaven and see my Saviour's face one day!!

I guess I got a little carried away in what I was getting to. I feel like my thoughts are a little jumbled, so forgive me if they are, but I feel like I really needed to share this. I guess my main message would be is this: if you are a believer, don't take God for granted. It has been said that you get as much out of God as you put into Him. James 4:8 says: "Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you..." It has also been said that many people are willing to die for Christ but few are willing to live for Him...

Don't wait to be saved if you are an unbeliever and don't wait to live for God if you are a believer. Like the song said, don't fight God's hands. There's nothing else worth living for. God is everything we'll ever need and He desires a relationship with you. Don't put it off. And don't take it for granted. We've been given a gift that money could never buy.

God is all we could ever ask for.

Great Week at Camp

Camp is over and I am back home. Last week is one I will always remember. I had the best time and God did so much in my life. I met some awesome people that I hope to always keep in touch with. God also taught me a lot as well. Oh, I miss that place! I hated saying goodbye...

I don't know where to start!! Boy did I fill my journals up...

I awoke each morning at 5:50 a.m. and started working in the kitchen at 7. I set the tables, helped prepare the food, served the food and helped clean up. Serving the food was my favorite part. Three times a day I served the campers and staff. So, three times a day I was able to see everyone's faces and get to know some of their name's because of their name tags. So, even though I wasn't a counsellor and was in the kitchen a majority of the time, I still got to know some of the campers. I love all the kids that came. They all were precious!!

I know I would have been really lonely stuck in the kitchen all day if Carolina and Jonathan weren't working in there as well. Carolina works for Mrs. Gail, and Jonathan mostly does jobs outside but helped serve and clean up. I got to know them both by working with them and they are both just grand!! I also met some great girls in my room, both counsellors and campers.

Between breakfast and lunch Mrs. Gail gave me about an hour and thirty minute break where I usually went back to my room and read my Bible and journaled a bit most of the time (I am addicted to journaling.)

After lunch I helped in the snack shack, which I really enjoyed. The snack shack is a little building full of snacks, candies and drinks where I helped Carolina work the "cash registers." (I put that in quotations because there were no cash registers but we worked with the money.) The little thing quickly filled up with campers ready to purchase something. I enjoyed it...

Between that and dinner and after dinner I was free to do whatever. I enjoyed doing different things: watched the kids fish, tried my hand at some archery, went canoeing with Carolina (that was fun), took a walk, danced with Austen (to praise music), talked to the kids, watched any special activities, slipped into chapel (I was only able to do that once, but the message really spoke to me), took a nap, journaled, took a little swim in the lake, and I even had the privilege to go to Carolina's house one day (I love that girl!).

Wednesday we had a shaving cream war. That was sooo much fun!!! Ahh, I loved it. Austen was helping Jonathan and I in the kitchen that afternoon and we were rushing furiously to get it clean so we could participate in time. Thankfully we did. Jonathan (great guy and great friend) got us there fast by driving us down to the field in the golf cart.

Basically, everyone was handed a can of shaving cream and in a marked off area everyone sprayed each other and whatnot until not one person was left unconvered. So, random people were spraying and slapping shaving cream on each other. After that, they had an slip n' slide. I didn't have the nerve to do that...

This picture is of Leslie and I. The fun wasn't even over when we took this pic ---------->

Rinsing off was torture as the water was freezing!! The camp has a tradition that if you don't scream you are part of the "polar bear club." Guess I am now a part of the club :-) It was so funny because as I was walking off Alex (my fishing buddy) called me and goes, "Brooke! Don't forget that the polar bear club rules," and gives me a high fist. LOL--I couldn't help to laugh.

We had a very worshipful time at the campfire Friday night and it really touched me. I don't think I could properly describe it...Slowly and quietly each person in the dark walked to the campfire on a path lit by candles. Once at the campfire kids one by one gave their testimony as they felt led. That was really special. After that we had an lovely time of talking to God Himself. Oh, it was amazing!! Each person took turns as they felt led to tell God one of His attrobutes by saying, "God you are ----." It was beautiful and I know it must have blessed God's heart. Everyone kept going around describing something God is.

God, you are love.

God, you are my Shepherd.

God, you are merciful.

God, you are my joy.

God, you are unchanging.

God, you are powerful.

God, you are forgiving.

God, you are faithful.

God, you are my rock.

God, you are the only thing worth living for.

It kept going on and on and on and on. He's undescribable! Oh, it touched me so much just to know what a great God we serve. I could strongly feel His presence and I was very humbled of how wonderful He is. I will never forget that night.

We then sang praises to the Lord. Anyone (again as they felt led) would start a song and everyone else would join in.

The last part of the campfire was real significant to me. It was a time of surrender. You picked up a pinecone (which represented something in your life) out of a bucket then you threw it onto the campfire as a symbol of letting it go. I knew exactly what the Lord wanted me to surrender, something that I had been wreshling with through most the week at camp. But that's just between Him and myself :-) I threw the pinecone unto the fire and watched it burn until it turned to dark ashes. It is His now. It was hard but I know that He knows best.

I know the kids must have learned a lot last week. The main message was about the two greatest commandments: loving God and loving others. The missionary taught about having a full heart for God, not an empty or half-hearted one. It was so neat because I only had the privilege to sit in on one chapel messages but what the man spoke I knew God was teaching me as I had read the same verse he referred to that very morning. I could feel God basically tugging on my heart the whole week at camp.

I am very thankful that I was able to be a part of this camp last week in some way. This post was just a short summery of my week. Man I had a blast despite the hard work in the kitchen. I am so grateful I was able to go!!

Thank you to all who prayed for me. God is good!

Hopefully I will write more at a later time. Below is a slide show :-)

God bless.

~Miss Brooke~

Will be back next week!

 I am leaving tomorrow to volunteer at a Christian camp for kids about 2 hours away from here. I will be working in the kitchen and will be there for almost a week.

Please keep me in your prayers. Please pray that I will have a servant's heart, will have opportunities to witness and minister, and that I would be a blessing. 

I'd appreciate it  :-)

I will post when I return!

Blessings,

~~Miss Brooke~~

Tabernacle Model

My church is having a study on the Tabernacle. We're studying about the overall significance, the meaning and symbols of each piece, what it represents, lessons we can learn from it, and more. What I have learned so far (I have missed a few sermons due to being out of town) has been really neat.

My sister and I are putting together a model of the Tabernacle for our pastor. We picked up the paints today and have started working on it.






The model our pastor gave us is very detailed just as the real thing. We're hand painting each piece the same colors that are mentioned in the Bible. I worked on spray painting the fence posts bronze and then carefully painting the tops and hooks silver while Holly painted the Tabernacle frame and curtain frames a nice gold (we happened to buy paint that is actually 18 karat gold!) and the tops silver. We also painted the Tabernacle furniture, brazen, laver and all the animals.

We have a good start and it is coming along quite nicely. It's a detailed but very profitable project. I really think this project is going to put everything we are learning into a greater understanding as we bring it all to life.

I hope to keep you updated on its progress! I so can't wait until the finished product.

On a side note, I finished my Driver's Ed program I started a year ago this morning! Today was pretty enjoyable as we were able to actually drive through a track, learn how to brake fast and to drive the "skid car." The skid car was pretty amazing because we were able to experience what it felt like to drive on ice and what to do if your vehicle ever got out of control. I was thankful to learn what I did and surprised how it all really worked! After hours in a classroom and hands on experience---I have learned a lot through this driving program. The deputy proudly said about Holly and I that: "these girls can drive!" :0)

Today has been a good day...I need to get ready for bed now.

Give Me Your Heart By Arthur W. Pink

Give Me your heart

By: Arthur W. Pink

"Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)

"My son, give Me your heart." (Proverbs 23:26)

A "willing" heart (Exodus 35:5)--which acts spontaneously and gladly, not out of necessity.

A "perfect" heart (1 Chronicles 29:9)--sincere, genuine, upright.

A "tender" heart (2 Chronicles 34:27)--yielding and pliable, the opposite of hard and stubborn.

A "broken" heart (Psalm 34:18)--sorrowing over all failure and sin.

A "united" heart (Psalm 86:11)--all the affections centered on God.

An "enlarged" heart (Psalm 119:32)--delighting in every part of Scripture, and loving all God's people.

A "sound" heart (Proverbs 14:30)--right in both doctrine and practice.

A "merry" heart (Proverbs 15:15)--rejoicing in the Lord always.

A "pure" heart (Matthew 5:8)--hating all evil.

An "honest and good heart" (Luke 8:15)--free from deceit and hypocrisy, willing to be searched through and through by the Word.

A "single" heart (Ephesians 6:5)--desiring only God's glory.

A "true" heart (Hebrews 10:22)--genuine in all its dealings with God.

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do." (Proverbs 4:23)

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Compliments of Grace Gems!

A treasury of ageless sovereign grace devotional writings

Beach Vacation Photos

Click here to read of our trip last year


Brooke2008