Virtuousencouraging modern-day maidens

maiden

Volume 1 ~ Issue 4 ~ Spring 2011

The Intertwining of Lives

A Fountain of Life - Encouragement!

From A to Z: Inside the Mind of a Teacher

Modesty

Featured....

Virtuous Maidenhood

Devotionals

Fiction and Poetry

Just for Fun

contents

5

4

20

From A to Z: Inside the Mind of a Spiritual Teacher

Purity: A lesson from the Waterlily

Modesty

A Fountain of Life - Encouragement!

The Intertwining of Lives

Love

Success

Poem: Roses

Poem: Spring

Story: Talent

Book Review: The Robe

Craft: Folding Napkins

Craft: Beautiful Butterflies

Just for Fun

photography credits

cover - arielle pages 5, 14, 20, & 21 - arielle pages 22, 23, & 24 - christine

pages 12, 13, & 5 - alannapages 4, 10, 11, & 27 - cheyenne

pages 6, 7, & 8 - krystin anne (krystinannephotography.blogspot.com)

pages - 14, 15, 18, 19, & 24 imagebase.davidniblack.com

scrapbooking embellisments by marie (freedigitalscrapbooking.com)

Copyright 2011. The Virtuous Maiden.Virtuousmaiden.webs.com

Our Vision

Our vision is to give young maidens a fun, yet edifying and God-glorifying magazine via the internet. We desire to enrich their spiritual lives through beautiful devotionals, encour-age their faith through testimonies of God’s grace, and help them as they grow into virtu-ous maidens by frequently giving them arti-cles on such worthy topics as modesty, purity, contentment, and so much more! We long to prepare maidens for their future homes by providing homemaking tips and tricks, from crochet to baking, from preparing a hope chest to organizing a home, from decorat-ing to gardening. As if young women won’t already be receiving plenty of guidance, we also wish to help them with reviews of our favorite books and films. In addition to all this, we will offer a bit of pure fun to their lives with crafts, fresh hair ideas, and party tips.

All in all, we want to see girls blossom into virtuous, lovely young maidens.

design by cheyenne s.

contents

5

Mag News

New Look!

We’d love to hear what you

think about the new look of

the cover, table of contents,

and ‘bulletin board.’

You can contact us at

virtuousmaiden.webs.com

Help us get this resource out to as many girls as possible by telling your friends about the Virtuous Maiden!

To get ideas on how to spread the word, or to find ready-to-print flyers, go to our website and click on the “Spread the Word!” link under “magazine.”

A Review By Cheyenne

The Robe, by Lloyd C. Douglas, is an intriguing and inspiring story about the Roman tribune who crucified Jesus... and afterwards gambled for his robe… and won. Follow Marcellus, the young tribune, and Demetrius, his loyal and strong Greek slave, from their comfortable home in Rome to a ramshackle fort in Minoa, and from there to the foot of the cross. Dem-etrius is convinced this Jesus is the Son of God. Marcellus is determined to prove he is not.

Caught up in the whirlwind of activity in the 300+ page book are other characters, each distinctly unique, such as beautiful Diana, the Big Fisherman, and Barsabas Justus. Will Marcellus finally be convinced that Jesus is the Son of God? Will Demetrius be freed from his slavery? Will Diana be taken as the wife of the insane new emperor, Caligula? Read The Robe to find out!

This book is action-packed, touching, and very well written. When I finally put it down, I was almost in tears. I heartily recommend reading it. The only negative aspect was that a few (not all!) of Jesus’ miracles were somewhat discredited. The writer was definitely Christian, but be wise and read it through the eyes of Scripture.

I also recommend the movie, “The Robe.” Very interesting, and it always leaves me inspired to live my life completely for Jesus!

I drifted slowly like the treesThat grow so high above my head.When all at once I saw, although the breeze,A bunch of roses all so red;Sways in breeze, blows in wind,And all at once, the roses bend.

Flowing just like the milky wayBeautiful like the mountains highThat never cease to always stayWhere God put them, below the sky.They twinkle like the diamond bright.Their scent is not scared to take flight.

The birds above them dance and sing,Because the day is beautiful.If only roses did have wingsThe day would not be quite so dull.I thought about it for a while,And saw the roses go a mile.

For on my table roses lie.They’re always so very cheerful.They are so easy on the eye,And never make my kitchen dull.They make me want to toss my head,And dance with the roses red! -Maggie Bushway

Flowers wake up to skies of blue and gentle rain showersShake off winter sleepiness and open their hearts to the worldSinging of new life as the sun warms the earth Shoots of vibrant green wriggle from the earthSmells of rain and rich, moist dirt fill the air as the plants sproutSinging of new life as the quiet rain falls Butterflies fly with stained glass wingsFlitting, undecided, from flower to flower in the golden sunshineSinging of freedom and joy as the gentle breeze blows -Erika D.

Spring

Roses

One of my dearest sisters in Christ recently returned from her missions trip to Africa. I cannot describe how joyful my heart was to have her back and to hear her voice again, but as I read her blog, I could not help but feel my heart just leap in my chest. She de-scribed the beauties of the African com-munity and the people. And while I was most definitely blessed to have her back in the U.S., I was also absolutely floored as I thought of the amazing journey the Lord had taken her on; that same amazing jour-ney put a joy in her voice and an undeniable bounce in her step as she returned to her life in the United States. I could say that dur-ing those two months I would have loved to have her talking with me multiple times a week or texting me every day, but in truth, I would have loved more to just take the jour-ney with her.

See, those two months of praying daily for

her and praying that the Lord would touch and move her heart did not just result in His providence for her safe return home, but it also deeply touched my heart. As I prayed for her, I would imagine and simply contem-plate on what she was doing or what she was learning during her time over there, whether she was in boot camp or in Africa the day. It took me literally weeks to finally let the realization hit me that though we could physically not be in contact with each other, we were in contact with each other spiritually every day. And I am sure our Fa-ther was rejoicing with us as we walked our different paths those two months together. We believed our thoughts brought memo-ries of each other in the small, every day things, but truly, it was simply the Lord re-minding us that He was directing both of our paths with a beautiful and mysterious deliberation. Her journey taught me though my prayer for her while her journey was

teaching her through physically taking part in it. Is not our God just absolutely breath-taking? He showers blessings on us so freely when we deserve none of them.

It is with this story that I realized how much each and every child of God is no more than a piece of a large and very intri-cate puzzle. So many people think that their life is the only life that matters and that they need to live it out to the best of their ability for themselves. Oh, how those people are missing out on the magnificence of life! My life is not worth living if I do not hand over pieces of it to others, if I do not devote time to praying and pondering the lives of my brothers and sisters in Christ. Each person has their own journey to take, yes, but that is not the only journey we are taking. Each prayer said for another, each hand reached out in compassion and love to another, each leaping of the heart for those hungry souls out there, each gathering of His children to-gether holds an amazing amount of power because we learn just as much from their lives, sufferings, joys, mistakes, and success-es as we do our own. It is such a privilege, an unspeakably glorious gift, to be a witness to God’s hands working in our neighbors, our best friends, and our strangers lives.

In the same way, our lives can teach others lessons. We do not walk our journeys alone; we walk it collectively with every other fol-lower of Christ. We are running for the same prize, ready to be taken to the same home, serving the same Father, being shaped and molded by the same Lord, and being cov-ered in white by the same Savior! Not a single moment of our lives is worth wasting, is worth sitting with our hands in our laps, is worth watching the clock tick away. Our lives impact others more than we can ever imagine. One loving look and word of com-

fort to a stranger crying at a grave can mean more than a thousand hours of their stum-bling through the next few days of grief and learning to live life all over again. Why do we waste our time? Why do we waste our words? Why do we flounder in life when we already know the end?

However, I must caution that we not equate serving the world with all of our hearts with never allowing ourselves time to rest and let His Spirit move our thoughts and longings. We need refreshment, not just every week, but every day. We are weak; we are human. While we must understand the impact that the body of Christ can have on this world, we must also realize our depen-dence on each other and the Lord’s timing. We must not become so caught up in mak-ing an impact that our hearts harden to His gentle nudges to rest or to sit quietly and simply listen. Using our time wisely is not being always busy. Using our time wisely is

purposely grasping and utilizing every second for His glory, whether that be sitting in a chair and resting for a few minutes or actively studying material for school or getting our hands dirty building houses for those that have none. The question is not so much of time as it is how much we are willing to give up our entire lives in pursuit of His Spirit, His truth, and His guiding.

See, the moral of the story is not that we need to work to be better time managers (though we all can). It is the simple fact that we must be willing to constantly soften our hearts and let our eyes be-come perceptive of all that surrounds us. It is not about living our lives to the fullest (though that we must and can only do by pursuing Him); it is about being able to let others leave footprints on our hearts. It is about letting every single person and ev-ery single person’s journey teach us something and to leave an imprint on our lives and hearts forever. The Lord does not only use our personal situations to affect the manner in which we live; He also uses our prayers to others, our aid to others, and our wondering thoughts about others. The Lord used my dearest sister’s journey to Africa to touch and move my heart with love for all that surround me, for ap-preciation for the smallest blessings, and to reveal to me how much further I have to go in letting Him soften my heart. The Lord used my prayers for her to move both of us. What God would do that? What God would find so much joy in moving His children to realize the interweaving of our lives? My God would. The Lord of Heaven and Earth would. The Father of every single human being on this Earth would.

So next time we step outside our door, let us use every second for soaking in all He provides for us to observe and learn from. When an opportunity to aid another presents itself, let us not be hesitant to take it. When we sit down to pray about our dear friends or fellow brothers and sisters or His lost children, let their lives and their plights touch your hearts. You never know; He may change your entire life in one, simple moment.

Lora Parcha

modesty

Modesty is a big topic in my home and always has been. The way we dress and present ourselves is one of the most attractive part about us. On the other hand, if we do not dress or present appropriately, it reveals what’s in our heart, and sometimes that’s not so pretty. I believe that Jesus clearly desires us to honor Him in all aspects of our life as it says in Colossians 3:17, “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” What is in our heart will show in our lives, Proverbs 4:23 “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

We please Jesus when we dress our bodies for His glory and not to please men. When we dress immodestly, we not only dishonor God but we cause others to lust and sin. For instance, I won’t wear spaghetti strapped or long V cut shirts because it draws atten-tion to that which should not be seen and will certainly cause others to think lustfully or impurely in some way. I won’t wear shorts because it causes men to desire to see up them. I usually draw the line at my knees, never anything above. Sometimes it may be ok to be halfway above if you wear stretchy pants underneath that are seeable. I try to be careful that my shirts are not too tight and even my pants.

Listen, our bodies are for Jesus and only Him until we are married and even then we must be careful not to cause other men to sin. This is something we must practice and be so very wise about all our lives. 1 Corinthians 6:13b and 15, 19-20, “Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. So, we are to live in all areas unto God, our bodies are for God and so we should dress as unto Him....ALWAYS! It only makes sense.

I hope this will help us to make better decisions in the future but ultimately we must seek our Lord Jesus’ guidance. We must guard our heart with all diligence and out of it will come the way we dress, which will be the way we present ourselves - either as unto God and His glory or unto men. Unto God, and we will be rewarded with a good future of a growing relationship with Jesus, the beauty of honoring His heart, and a good hus-band who has the same standards. (Remember the person you are is the person you will attract.) Unto men, and we will cause others to sin by lusting and comparing. We will not attract the right godly man when we work through our own devices. However when we are pure and holy through Jesus, it will shine out and radiate in every area of our lives! So you have a choice to make, a decision to be sought out. Let me end with this, “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:27

“Love

Erika D. Love. To us humans, especially us girls, this is such an obtuse concept. We use the word “love” all the time. “I just love your new sweater.” “I love this book!”

And yet the real meaning of love is so amaz-ing, so perfect, that mere words cannot de-scribe it. The English language, or any other language, in fact, fails to capture the pure awesomeness of real love. For me, the only thing I can liken it to is the feeling I get when I hear a beautiful harmony intertwined with a melody. It feels like my heart is singing. This is what real love means to me, but it is so much more.

It is life.

It is God.

You’ve heard and read the phrase, “God is

love.” He is! He is the embodiment of “The Love Chapter” in 1 Corinthians (chapter 13). He is patient, he is kind, he is all. He is more than beauty. He is love.

How do we know this? Jesus. What larger sacrifice could God have made for us? He poured out his son’s blood to save us – his disobedient, sinful creations. If that isn’t true love, then nothing is.

In 1 Corinthians 13, it says, “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clang-ing cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body

is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no re-cord of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes,always perseveres.”

1 Corinthians 13:4 – 7

to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” Nothing. We are noth-ing without love. It isn’t enough to just accept God’s love like a celebrity basking in the ado-ration from her fans. We are called to love as Christ loved us: unconditionally. That means loving everyone, from the most annoying kid at school to your grandparents.

I’ve found it’s very easy to make resolutions when you’re all alone and in a good mood. It’s simple to think, “Oh, ok, well now I’ll start loving everyone. That’s easy enough.” But the moment your little brother crashes into your room without knocking – again! - you’ll forget all about loving unconditionally and go back to the old human standard: unconditional abuse.

So, how are we supposed to love others, then? After all, we’re only human! The answer is: with a lot of God’s help. Don’t expect to pray once and then suddenly be gifted with super loving powers. It takes time, and a lot of work. You have to be willing to pray a lot, to concentrate on keeping your temper – and your tongue – in check, and to fight through bad moods and extremely annoying people. (As your parents used to say – count to ten!)

But the results are worth it. Of course, deter-mination alone won’t turn you into an uncon-ditional lover. You have to arm yourself. How?

With Bible verses. This may seem unhelpful, but really there’s nothing more beneficial than seeing a Bible verse right be-fore you lash out. It instantly reminds you to love others, and often even gives a word of encouragement to help you. Writing verses on sticky notes and putting them on places like the bathroom mirror and in your locker is a good way to remind yourself throughout the day. If you’re the type of person who likes to write on your hands, scribble down a short verse on your palm so it’s always there to jog your memory. Although there are plenty of

verses about love in the Bible, here are a few to start you off: Luke 6:32, 1 John 4:7-8, 1 Pe-ter 4:8, 1 John 3:11, and Luke 6:27.

By thinking positive about other people. It sounds kind of cheesy, but if you always think about someone negatively, it’s not likely that you’re going to love them very much. For example, instead of thinking, “Ugh, he’s such a jerk,” slam a men-tal lid on those thoughts and try to find some-thing to compliment them on. “He’s not my favorite person ever, but at least he doesn’t cuss like some people do.” Build up from that until you’re at the point where you think, “You know, I was wrong about him!”

Asking someone to signal when you’re getting mean. A lot of the time we don’t even know that what we’re saying hurts someone’s feelings, but the people around us think we’re being totally nasty. To prevent this, ask a trusted friend or family member to give you a signal, like coughing loudly or raising their eyebrows, when you’re getting out of hand. You’d be sur-prised by how much this can help you keep your words in check.

Remember, loving others isn’t always easy, especially when they’re not exactly being love-able! But, to quote Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Erika D.

PurityA Lesson from the Water Lily

“If you would earnestly seek God and make your supplication to the Almighty, if you were pure and upright, surely now He would awake for you, and prosper your rightful dwelling place.” Job 8:5-7 A few years ago my sisters and I decided to write a book on purity and what it means to be pure in our culture today. When we first started writing it, the Lord gave us this verse from Job which answered our question, what does the Lord promise to those who are pure? This verse gives me all the answer I need. The Lord says He will awaken for you! He will awaken your desires, your dreams, your long-ings and He will bless and “prosper your right-ful dwelling place.” In other words I like to interpret this as the Lord allowing you to pros-per in everything you do in the place He has you in, the place He’s given you a right to! So what does purity look like in our culture today? First, purity not only means keeping our bodies pure before marriage but it also means living in integrity before God. Purity means full strength! When you choose to live in purity and walk with the Lord, your strength is untouchable! The Lord has so much reward

for you because you have chosen purity. Psalm 84:11 is one of my all time favorite verses. It says, “No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” He will not hold back His goodness from those who walk in pu-rity before Him. What a promise! My sisters and I studied the beautiful water lily because we were curious why such a beau-tiful flower would thrive in such a murky, gross place. Ever wondered that? Here’s what we found out. The water lily is a symbol of purity. This sub-tle plant lives in ponds and still water, and al-though it looks delicate, it’s very sturdy and well anchored to the nourishing soil beneath the surface. As the water lily grows up from the muddy bottom in the pond, its slender stalks reduces wave action, making the sur-rounding water calm. The sweet-smelling flow-er that blooms from the plant rises out of the water, ever reaching toward the sun. But the most interesting thing about the wa-ter lily is that it’s used to purify the water from poisonous heavy metals. It can also serve as a mini-waste-treatment plant for wastewater

Jordyn Wilson

from household or industrial sources. God’s miraculous design for this flower is a striking picture of our call to purity as women. How amazingly profound is the design of this flower! It’s a symbol of the purity to which God has called us—a reflection of His power and beauty. As the water lily reaches toward the light, so we lift our hands to glorify our Lord and reflect His light in the darkness. Just as the lily looks delicate and yet is well an-chored in the soil, so we as women are called to express our strength in a delicate way as we anchor ourselves in the Lord. Just as the water lily is a calming presence in its environment, so we are called to bring the calming presence of our Lord to the culture. Just as the water lily grows up from the muddy, murky bottom if the pond to bring beauty to our natural world, so God raises us out of the muddy, murky soil of our culture to bring a supernatural beauty and grace to the world. And, most importantly, just as the water lily helps to purify the water from deadly toxins, so God brings healing to our culture through us and purifies it from the poisons that threaten to destroy it. As we fix our eyes on Jesus, He flows through us from the root system of His word to bring healing, beauty, and wholeness to our world. There are so many ways we can live in purity today.

1. Pure Gaze We must choose what we gaze upon. Psalm 119: 37 is a beautiful prayer we should pray on a daily basis as we strive for a pure gaze. “Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.” Ask the Lord to keep your eyes from dwelling on those worthless things like some books, mov-ies, or magazines. We must guard our eyes and keep our gaze fixed on Him as Mary did in Luke 10:38-42.

2. Pure Choices Choice demands discipline. We can’t just flip-pantly make a choice to serve others, to spend time with the Lord in the mornings, to obey our parents and follow their lead. No, choice takes a lot of effort! That is why it is so impor-tant to spend time with the Lord and ask Him for the strength to choose well every day. Ask Him to help you live purely in the area of your choices. Choices can either bring order or cha-os. Look at what Eve’s choice to eat the apple brought (Gen. 3:6-19). Her choice brought the curse. But then we see the incredible power of redemption the Christ brought when He chose to obey the Father’s will (Philippians 2:5-11). His choice brought miraculous redemption! What kinds of choices do you want to make?

3. Pure Thoughts. Oh how crucial it is to guard our thoughts today! How do we do this? Well, I think Phi-lippians 4:8 gives a beautiful answer to this question. “Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, what-ever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” Once we get in that habit of meditating on “these things,” then we’ll find contentment, peace, and much joy! So, dear maiden, I encourage you to strive for a life of purity before the Lord. Remember the promise we have in Psalm 84:11. He with-holds no good thing from those who walk up-rightly. His goodness for you is overflowing! Ask Him for it! Be encouraged that this kind of life is blessed by our Lord. I’ve seen it with my own eyes! (for more in-depth teaching on this topic, see Lauren, Khrystian, and Jordyn’s book Purely Woman—Awakening the Heart of God Through Pure Living in Our Generation, avail-able at purelywoman.com)

Jordyn Wilson

1. Lay out napkin face down on a flat surface, preferably the table you are place setting.

2. Fold the four corners into the center as shown until it looks like the picture on the right.

3. Fold the four points into the center again as shown.

4. You should have something like this.

5. Hold the center together as shown and slide your other hand underneath the napkin and flip it so that the other side of the napkin now faces up.

Folding Napkinsby Elise Forte

6. Fold the four points into the center again as shown, holding them in place if necessary.

7. Once you have completed step six, hold the middle in place with one hand.

8. Now comes the fun part as the lily starts to take form! Don’t forget to keep holding the middle in place. :) Feel un-derneath one of the corners an pull out the petal spreading it with your fingers to your desired width.

9. Once you have fluffed out all the petals, continue holding the middle with one hand, and pull out the leaves from between the petals.

10. Your finished product should look similar to this photo, but if it is not exact don’t worry! Everyone folds and spreads differ-ently, so enjoy the uniqueness and have fun with this!

As a side note, I like to place the napkin on top of the plate when I set the table, so it doesn’t take up extra space but still looks beautiful and isn’t crunched in a tight space. You can place a fresh flower in the center or just leave it how it is.Experiment and see what you like best!

Folding Napkins

Elise Forte

Success in today’s world brings to mind thoughts of expensive mansions, several nice cars, a sizable bank account, fame, and a good public image. But what is true suc-cess? Does it lie in material wealth or is it something from within? When Sir Winston Churchill defined success as “the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm,” he acknowledged an impor-tant truth–success is determined by a pas-sion to ultimately triumph, rather than by the immediate results. Undoubtedly, constant failure does not al-ways prove that a person is successful. In fact, history focuses more on those who overcame their trials, rather than those who never realized their goals. Unfortunately, determination and enthusiasm are often not enough to succeed. Success is not when the task is accomplished. Failure is not when the original goal remains unachieved. Success is a choice to learn from failures and a deter-mination to continue on through difficulties and setbacks.

Many inventors failed numerous times be-fore reaching success. Thomas Edison found over two thousand ways a light bulb can-not be made. He never lost his enthusiasm, but instead persevered, and as a result, to-day electric lights are the universal means of illuminating homes and businesses. The Wright brothers dared to believe that hu-man flight was possible even when others thought it was absurd. Orville and Wilbur built several different “aero planes” before being able to fly for more than a few sec-onds without crashing. The Wright brothers, Marie Curie, and Louis Pasteur, are just a few examples of people who persevered to the end. These men and women were suc-cessful because they didn’t give up even in the face of many failed attempts.

Failure teaches appreciation for success. When a young child is learning to walk, he naturally falls down and gets back up again many times before he experiences the ela-

tion of walking on his own. The same is true of success. Without some failure that must be overcome, ultimate success cannot truly be valued. The English statesman William Wilberforce fought for 20 years to abolish slavery. His bill for the Abolition of the Slave Trade was defeated 11 times before it finally succeeded. Unfortunately the bill only abol-ished the buying and selling of slaves not ac-tual slavery. Wilberforce fought another 26 years to abolish actual slavery. Three days before his death, William Wilberforce’s ul-timate goal was realized and his bill for the total abolition of slavery was passed. Gen-eral George Washington only won three bat-tles in the American Revolution, but he was able to lead his army from one failure to another until they finally defeated the Brit-ish. Washington had the ability to keep up the courage of his army even while suffer-ing defeat after defeat. He faced the mighti-est power in the world with a rag tag army of volunteers many of whom were too old or to young to be fighting. Washington was able to keep up the morale of his men even in the face of these overwhelming odds. His resolve to succeed won him this epitaph: “First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.” Both Wilberforce and Washington faced and overcame insur-mountable obstacles creating the successes that continue to impact millions even today.

Failure is only failure if it is allowed to pre-vail. Winston Churchill once said that “Suc-cess is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” Winston Churchill was prime minister of England at a very pivotal time in world history. When France was occupied by the Axis powers during World War II, it seemed as though the only thing that stood between Hitler and ruling the world was England. Churchill refused to accept failure and defeat; instead

he stood his ground and stated: We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confi-dence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God’s good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old. Many people today view Winston Churchill as a successful person. He was the driving force that influenced England’s determina-tion to stand and fight against the Axis pow-ers. Nevertheless, during his day Churchill was disliked by many of his peers. He was thought improper and common, and a man not fit to lead the nation. Looking back, who could have led England better? Win-ston Churchill rejected what his peers and the majority thought and determined to tri-umph regardless of the circumstances. That is what true success looks like.

Success is “the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”

S is for Spiritual gift: T is for Teacher. Like the other gifts God has given his people for the pur-pose of extending the work of his Kingdom, the gift of teaching is unique, exciting, and helpful all at once. If you think you may have this spiri-tual gift, or you are especially close with some-one who does, prepare yourself: today I’ll be confirming a lot of facts. Speaking of facts, that’s one of a teacher’s fa-vorite things. She loves to verify the truth and validity of a statement, and to find out what she does not already know. The teacher who -from a societal standpoint- is actually a student, will try to verify that their teacher is worthy of their respect and attention (in other words, possess credentials in their area of expertise). If a teacher is found “worthy,” the student with the

From A to Z: Inside the Mind of a (Spiritual) Teacher

by Meridian

gift of teaching will persevere. When a teacher actually teaches, material is often presented systematically, in hopes that it will make it easier for the student to understand. Overall, this is a pretty special gift. The teacher will be best able to fur-ther the Kingdom by using her im-mense research skills, her persever-ing spirit, and ultimately her ability to see deeper truths. A great place to use these is right in the home. For in-stance, if your father is a pastor, you might consider becoming his research assistant for sermons. If you are partic-ularly knowledgeable in a certain area of study or skill, you could bring in ex-tra income to your family by teaching a class in this area, or maybe choose to serve the community and teach for free. Your eagle eyes for seeing deep truths could also come in handy in leading a Bible study for young wom-en, or simply mentoring your younger

encouragement you need to go ahead and pursue those goals and dreams. If all her friends were prophets, a teacher would be a fairly lonely, dry person. But if all her friends were those with mercy, she might be per-ceived as a little bit of an over-achiever, and maybe even unrealistic. The two strongly balance each other out, and make for great friends- though you may find meaningful relationships in other people, as well. Teachers are remarkable people. Gifted in research and instruction, they are very help-ful around the home and elsewhere, wheth-er as a research assistant, a tutor, or simply a role model. Yet, they are humans and have their down-sides. Great friends with people gifted with prophecy and mercy, they will both dream and stay level-headed. Thanks to the work of God, they will expand his kingdom and make his name great.

siblings. There are so many things to be done with this gift of teaching: it’s worth considering what you can do! On the flipside, there are some potential negatives to being a teacher that you must get rid of and be wary to avoid. Note that no human being is perfect: we all sin and make mistakes far more than we would like to, while God is still working in us. But until that point where we are without sin, we must try to rid ourselves of all unrighteousness, as Paul puts it. Some areas you will especially want to watch if you are a teacher include arguing over minor points, being prideful or showy in your knowledge, despising those who lack credentials, and ultimately put-ting reason above God, as many before have done. Particular times to watch yourself would be when you disagree with your par-ents on a point, when you are introduced to new people (especially those you disre-spect), and whenever your faith seems to be lacking due to your “overload” of school or similar academic activities. These are all situations in which Satan would love to take command of your life: ask God for the strength to say “no!” While teachers can get along with people of all spiritual gifts, you will often find that your best friends will be those who are prophets and those who have the gift of mercy. While these two seem contradic-tory, they are a good balance for surround-ing you. Prophets keep you level-headed, because you have to admit that sometimes teachers can be lofty in their aspirations of what can be accomplished, learned, or taught: but the prophet will get your ideas and your goals in check, reminding you of your own need for validity. On the other hand, your friends who have been gifted with mercy will give you the confidence and

teachers are great!

From A to Z: Inside the Mind of a (Spiritual) Teacher

A Fountain of Life

A Fountain of Life - Encouragement!Encouragement!

“Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” Prov. 11:25 NIV I love this verse, because it is a promise. What happens when we refresh others? The verse tells us that we will be refreshed back! If refreshing others refreshes you back, doesn’t it make you want to go and bring encouragement and refreshment to everybody you know? We can’t just think, “People should come and meet my needs,” we need to go to others and refresh and en-courage them, because as much as we need encouragement, others also need it. The word “refreshes” in the Hebrew lan-guage means “to drink to satisfaction, quench the thirst; to drench, refresh, sat-isfy.” Isn’t that a beautiful picture? When you refresh someone it gives the picture of quenching their thirst; filling them up with refreshing, life-giving water. And then what happens? Our thirst is quenched too! We can drench others with words and actions

that give them the strength to go on! In the movie The Inheritance the main actress was a wonderful life-giver and re-fresher! She knew how to give life, yet when someone insulted her she would just gra-ciously walk away and not let it get to her. One character in particular causes her much grief by making her feel unimportant, con-stantly discouraging her, and is just plain mean! What is remarkable to me though is how the main character, Edith, responds. Instead of matching her level of condescen-sion and meanness, she rises above it and exudes dignity and grace toward this unde-serving person. Why is refreshment important? I think this world without encouragement would be very hard to live in… and without en-couragement, it would be devastating. It is important because everyone needs encour-agement. For example, if you performed on stage in front of an audience of people and everyone just looked at you afterwards and didn’t applaud and didn’t encourage or con-

By Kameryn Wilson

~If someone in your family or a friend is having a bad day, take them a beautiful tray of tea with a note to tell them how much you love them and encourage them.

~Every time you know someone is ner-vous about something, encourage them.

~Be expressive and always listen well when a friend is talking to you.

~Ask how you can pray for someone. ~Ask the Lord for creativity in the ways you can refresh others, because His resourc-es are endless. Let’s be life-givers, ladies! Let’s quench and satisfy the thirst in others’ souls! What a privilege to have the life-giving waters of Christ himself flow through us!

gratulate you, wouldn’t it discourage you from ever performing again? That is why we need encouragement, it lifts others to a higher standard and they feel like they want to do the best they could ever do for you. How should we practice encouragement? Someone who was an amazing life-giver and refresher is my Mom’s friend Mrs. April Miraldi. She has beautiful blonde hair, spar-kling blue eyes and a very warm and cozy voice, the kind that makes you want to curl up under the softest blanket and fall asleep. But what I love most about her is how at-tentive she is toward me. She is my mom’s friend, but she treats me with the same value as she would her own daughter and here’s the thing: she doesn’t need to. Her very expressive eyes tell me how much she cares, her big hugs tell me how much she loves me, and her words tell me how much she thinks about what I am saying and she brings encouragement. Her very presence refreshes me! I just love her! I’m sure Jesus refreshed others all the time! Every time he healed someone, they were probably so refreshed by His loving kind-ness. He cared enough about everyone that he wanted to give all he had to these bro-ken, sinful people. He touched. He wept. He sighed. He longed. He embraced. He reached out with the Fathers love to refresh others. He gave his life so that we could learn how to encourage others, and refresh them. We need to give life at every opportu-nity we have because that’s what Christ did. So, what are some practical ways we can refresh others? Here are a couple I came up with.

By Kameryn Wilson

TalentTalentTalentErika D.

Chelsea smiled and bowed one last time as roars from the audience begged her, “Encore! Encore!” The crowd tossed long-stemmed red roses at her feet, and she could hear a chant starting up – “Chel-se-a! Chel-se-a!” “Chelsea? Chelsea!” “What? Huh?” Chelsea blinked as her best friend, Roxy, waved a hand in front of her eyes. “Oh, sorry. I zoned out.” “Obviously.” Roxy said dryly, tossing her shaggy auburn bob out of her eyes. “We’re almost there. Are you excited?” “Am I!” Chelsea stared out the bus window. It had begun to drizzle, and silvery drops slid down the window pane, blurring her view. “I can’t wait! I’m so nervous!!!” “You’ll get the part for sure.” Roxy laughed, patting Chelsea on the arm. “I hope so. It just seems right for me, you know?” Chelsea murmured dreamily. “Uh, no, I don’t know that feeling. You’re the actress, not me.”

The bus screeched to a stop and the girls stepped off it. “Perfect.” Roxy grumbled as the bus started up again and splashed through a puddle, soaking her jeans up to the knee. Chelsea laughed at her friend and pulled her along. “Hurry up!!”

The friends burst into the auditorium of the school, where the auditions were be-ing held. Chelsea took a deep breath and inhaled the dry, slightly dusty smell of the room. Some butterflies still fluttered in her stomach, but somehow she just knew that the audition would go well. It seemed as though the role, the female lead, had been made for her.

“Ready?” Roxy asked, taking a seat. Chel-sea nodded and let go of her friend’s hand.She walked up toward the drama teacher, Mrs. Young, whose back was turned. “I’m here.”

Mrs. Young turned around and smiled at

her. “Chelsea! Excellent. You’re third – just sit over there.”

Suddenly breathless, Chelsea walked over to where a cluster of other girls was sitting and plunked herself down in a chair, think-ing. The play was a fantasy comedy, with a lot of hilarious lines. The main character was a headstrong princess who, determined to become a hero, leaves her tower and runs straight into all sorts of adventures. This was the role Chelsea wanted – the one she knew was meant for her.

At long last, it was her turn to audition. Chelsea took the script Mrs. Young handed her and quickly skimmed through the lines. It seemed easy enough. Clearing her throat, she declaimed as the princess, just after she escaped her tower. Although Chlesea stum-bled over a few words, she thought she had done almost perfectly.

Smiling, she made her way over to where Roxy sat in the empty rows of seats. “How was I?” She asked feeling slightly breathless after her exertions. “Awesome.” “Thanks. Do you think I’ll get it?” “Probably. Who else is trying out?” “Um… I’m not sure. Madeline, Rachel… and Hannah.” Chelsea’s face darkened. Hannah was an extremely popular girl whose tal-ent for being mean was unfortunately only matched by her skill at acting.

“Ugh. You have to get it, Chel. I mean…

Hannah? No way is she right for the part.” “Thanks.” Chelsea smiled, but she still felt unease in the pit of her stomach. “Hey, look, she’s about to try out.”

Simultaneously, the girls turned their heads to look at the stage, just as Hannah was climbing up the steps. Her long, blonde hair swung perfectly behind her in its high, straight ponytail and her pink sweater and black miniskirt looked effortlessly casual and cute. She flashed a million-dollar fake smile at the mostly-empty room as she turned and faced them.

Then she started to read her lines.“Oh, you’ll get it, no problem.” Said Roxy with false enthusiasm after a minute. Chel-sea didn’t respond, but stared at Hannah with awe and something like resentment in her eyes. The truth was that Hannah was good. Really good.

“Come on.” She muttered to Roxy. “Let’s go. I can’t stand another minute of this.”They stood up and left the theater, Roxy trying to encourage Chelsea as they let the door swing shut behind them. “Look, she was good, but you were just as good, and it’s obvious that you’re the right one for the part.”

“Gee, thanks.” Chelsea said in a skeptical tone. “You’re just saying that because you’re my friend.”“No, I’m saying that because you’re way nicer and way better than Hannah! I’m sure

Talent

you’ll get the part.”

Chelsea was starting to feel marginally bet-ter, but still butterflies were in her stomach. “Whatever. Let’s just not talk about it until tomorrow when the cast lists are posted, okay? Let’s go get ice cream.” “If you force me to…” mock-whimpered Roxy as she followed Chelsea down the street. Then, as they laughed, she suddenly started to sprint. “Race you – last one there pays!!” “No fair – you got a head start, and you’re a track star!” Yelled Chelsea as she ran after her, splashing through a puddle in her haste.

To the casual passerby, they might have looked completely carefree. But although the issue of the auditions was pushed to the back of Chelsea’s mind for the moment, it still lurked there, waiting.

“I’m so nervous!” Chelsea exclaimed as she and Roxy tried to see over the heads of the crowd. She jumped up and stood on her tiptoes. “When are they going to post that list?” “Like, now.” Roxy peered up as a janitor tacked a white sheet of paper to the mes-sage board. Instantly, the air was filled wit cries of astonishment, excitement, and dis-may. “Oh my gosh, Ellie! You got it!!” “No!!! Come on, that part should’ve been

mine!!” “They put me down for that? There must be some mistake!”

Pushing and jostling with everyone else, Roxy and Chelsea finally got close enough to read the list. Her eyes scanned down it, looking for the word “Princess.”“Oh.”

Roxy’s voice gave Chelsea that feeling of foreboding again, stronger this time, which intensified as her eyes lighted on a small line of print.

Princess: Hannah Campbell

“Oh.” She heard herself say, as if she were far away. “Oh.”

Be sure to read the rest of the story in the next issue of the Virtuous Maiden!

Talent

Make beautiful, colorful paper butterflies to decorate rooms, give to friends, or even use as quick gifts. All you need for this craft are colorful magazine pages (ads work well) and pipe cleaners.

1. Choose two colorful magazine pages and cut them into squares – cut one pa-per into a square 5 by 5 inches, and the other into a 4 by 4 square.

2. Starting at one corner, accordion-fold both papers.

3. Pinch the center of each folded square. Bend a 12-inch pipe cleaner in half and twist the end in a small loop. Then, arrange the folded squares to look like wings in between the fold of the pipe cleaner. Twist both ends to secure and curl the tips of the pipe cleaner to look like antennae.

Beautiful Butterflies Erika D.

Craft:

Copyright The Virtuous Maiden. 2011

www.virtuousmaiden.webs.com