BOOKINGS, BOOKS, AND BOOK MARKS!

I know this picture is a bit hard to view because of the lacy contrasts, but I wanted to share another of my winter projects with you.

These are the tatted Bible BOOKMARKS that I've been making. Occasionally I vary the design as I did in the one on the left. When completed, they are pinned to my lace pillow (used for bobbin lace) for stretching. After they are stretched and pressed they are ready for sale or gift-giving! Very easy to make and low cost! These make great gifts and I never keep them in stock for long!

Praise the Lord with me for the provision He has already set in place as with very little effort, Clint filled three of the four Sundays on the February calendar with preaching dates (BOOKINGS) at various churches! It feels like a confirmation from God in the direction we were sensing! The little tatted bookmarks will go well if we start a traveling ministry where we set up a BOOK table. Some friends told us they have been "seeing us for a month or more" (before we resigned) in traveling ministry and having my books offered on a book table! Amazing! May the Lord's will be done! Blessings, LORI

MORE HINTS AND EVEN A RECIPE SUGGESTION!

The continuing discussion on modest clothing. There's a bit of a joke around our house that if there were such a thing as the "modesty police," that would be Mom's (Lori's) dream job! Well, I do wish I could somehow help folks understand that modesty is a GOOD thing, not a drudgery.

The true and lasting qualities of beauty are best discovered by first getting to know a person on the level of their self, not their body. This is one of the reasons that covering your body appropriately is just plain, wise, living. Because of the themes of my books, "courtship," modesty goes right along with the subject. In a courtship, the couple is supposed to be praying about each other and getting to know one another based on lots of important spiritual and character qualities and not focusing on physical attraction alone. I tried to bring that out in "The Fields of May."

I hope to someday be able to direct readers to a place where they can purchase dresses that are designed to look like Carrie's clothes from the book. I purposely described Carrie, the main character, as a young woman who makes very careful efforts to dress modestly and beautifully. I have actually been talking to various folks about the possibility of getting a few of Carrie's dresses on the market. It's a dream that I hope one day comes true!

So how can women dress modestly in an immodest culture? If you sew, you have an advantage because you can make your own items. However, I find that I barely have enough time anymore to make all the clothes necessary to outfit myself. Plus it's getting harder to find good fabrics and patterns since many sewing stores are going out of business. I do what I can and make alot of my more dressy clothes, but even modest everyday stuff is getting hard to find anymore. I find that layering is a good option. If you find a blouse, but the sleeves are cut too deeply or the neckline a bit wide; a blouse, shirt, or sweater worn over it can solve the problem. The longer, fuller skirts like I have on in the cowboy boot picture (yesterday's post) are also a staple in my wardrobe. I find they are very cheap and quite popular right now. They can be dressed up or down by the tops you wear with them.

Another good indicator of whether your outfits are appropriate is to ask you husband or your father (if he is a Christian). A few times Clint has suggested to me that I needed to wear something under a certain blouse. He will honestly tell me if something is just a bit on the edge and doesn't look like it should. Sometimes it's hard to see how an outfit looks on you from all angles, but another person can help you.

Pray before you shop. I once had a friend that prayed before going clothes shopping for the simple reason that she needed to find bargains that fit her budget. She testified that the Lord helped her find what she needed!

And please---do not fall into the trap of looking frumpy in the name of modesty. Improper and ill-fitting clothing that isn't pretty does nothing for your Christian witness and certainly draws a different kind of negative attention to yourself. While neatness, cleanliness, and modesty are tops on the list; beauty should not be sacrificed. Just read the detailed descriptions of the tabernacle furnishings and realize the importance God put on the items surrounding and adorning His dwelling. Our God loves beauty. The people who worked on the tabernacle were skilled artisans, many were workers in fabrics and dyes, emboiderers and weavers. The priests' clothes were carefully and skillfully made and described in detail. Offer your best to the Lord in everything you do, whether it is your service, your appearance, your time, or your money.

Switching gears: I invented a new recipe last night that you might like to try. I dipped chicken breasts in coating (Fryin' Magic) and browned them on both sides. I then placed them in a glass baking dish and covered them with foil. Baked them at 400 til I knew they were done (thermometer). Meanwhile I had boiled about two tablespoons of concentrated orange juice and barbeque sauce together with a few dashes of soy sauce. When the chicken was done I basted it with the sauce mixture and baked a while longer. Really, really good! Kind of a "teriyaki" flavor. Yum, yum. Experiment with sauces and see what flavors you like.

Another tip: tonight I made a casserole of ravioli. I buy the frozen ravioli and then just put it in a glass pan (greased) and cover with a quart of spaghetti sauce. My homemade sauce always seems a bit watery compared to store-bought, but that's absolutely perfect for ravioli since the little pasta pockets need the extra moisture as they bake. I covered this with shredded cheese and baked til crispy and bubbly. Very good and very easy. I buy the day old deli breads as often as I can. The whole grain buns are my favorite. I cut them in half and top with butter, garlic salt, parmesan, and shredded cheese and broil for a few minutes. Great side dish and cheap too! Blessings, LORI

MORE ABOUT COURTSHIP

Happy Friday to you! I have not accomplished much in the last few days, it seems. I just got lazy after doing all that corn. Plus while my cousins were here we were pretty busy for the evening and the next early morning. We regretted they had to leave so soon.

One thing I did accomplish was alot more writing on the third book in my series. I hope it will be released in the spring of 2010. Sometimes I think that it will never be done, but then when I sit down at the computer to write, it seems the words and ideas just flow. The third book is part of the series that started with "The Fields of May." The series as well as the second and third books are yet to be named. Each book in the series is centered on courtship and finding a mate in a way pleasing to the Lord. Each one builds on the character's lives from the previous book. This last book takes place mostly in Africa with a couple on the mission field. If you enjoyed my first book, please plan to read the sequel and then the third one as well. I'm anxious to have the entire series completed. A fourth book is forming in my mind that will require some research. This is something I am unskilled at. I am not sure where to begin with it, but I think it will be interesting!

I have been wanting to take time to write a bit more on courtship. The particular subject I want to mention today is how the society affects our ideas and attitudes toward dating and pre-marriage relationships. In re-reading the stack of 1915-1920 letters that went back and forth between my then unmarried grandparents--he a WW1 soldier and she a farm girl; I made several observations. One of the main things that I noticed was how polite their communications seemed to be. They joked about things in their lives and seemed to have a sense of humor in their letters, but with an ever-present and overriding respect and politeness that often seems lacking among people today. He addressed her with affection and respect. His letters were often signed, "Your loving friend," etc. In one particular letter he comments on something she had written after he had given her a service pin of his. She apparently mentioned not feeling that she had any right to wear it and he corrected her. I think from the tone of the letter he was attempting to show her how interested he was in her that he would choose her to receive this gift. He told her that she had someone in the service who was or wanted to be her dear friend. His comments carried a tender sweetness that was very endearing.

Back in the time when these letters were written, it is obvious to me (and anyone that studies history) that society itself played an important role in preserving the integrity of marriage and pre-marriage relationships. In other words, everyone you knew was watching to make sure you behaved in a polite, honorable manner. The society itself was geared to helping maintain certain standards. Did they have their troubles back then? I'm sure they did; all was not perfect. But I remember my father telling the story that when grandma was a young girl the entire downtown of a nearby town caught fire. The town was approximately 6 miles away and surely the smoke could be seen from grandma's farm. A neighbor boy who was highly respected by my grandma's family offered to take my grandma in his buggy up to the town to see the commotion. Her parents declined the offer since it would be considered too far for a young girl to ride alone with someone she was not married to! Imagine that! But that makes my point exactly. Your reputation was carefully guarded and if you weren't wise enough to guard it yourself, someone would do it for you! We've certainly strayed a long way from that. I think that might be why courtship has become a talked-about subject among more conservative Christians in the past few years. Someone has to bring some sanity back to this whole process. Back in the day it might not have been as necessary to think along these lines since there were so many checks and balances in place already. I suppose that the old days relationships resembled courtship quite a bit anyway. America was once a predominantly Christian culture with a Biblical worldview. That alone helped to protect even the non-Christians in the society. Now we have strayed so far that even kids raised in the church are falling prey to the same evils that plague their peers.

Shouldn't a society have a vested interest in preserving values and integrity among its young people? I think so. Even more so, the church should have this interest. Nowdays we see the exact opposite. Much of our media and institutions seem to serve the opposite purpose. Take a look at some of the headlines of the common magazines for teen girls and you will soon see what we as a society value and are promoting for our young women. Most of the articles have to do with looks, clothes, and how to get a guy to pay attention to you. Really, is that all life is about? When we promote such ideas we are basically telling a young girl that her looks are all that matters.What about lasting values and character qualities? What about beauty that will not fade? What about promoting Godly wisdom and virtues that will carry you through the tough times in life? Someone needs to speak up and swim against the current, countering the culture.

I think that's why there is an increasing interest in courtship. It's a return to a more biblical approach to marriage and a reaction to the devastation that the dating system has wreaked on us. More on another day......

Today I got to have lunch in the beautiful gazebo at a friend's home. Wow, how lovely it was eating a nice salad while watching a profusion of birds come to feed with the lovely garden in the background. I think I was made for porch sitting and sipping tea on the veranda! Well, weren't we all really made for that--after all...Eden! It was very relaxing and serene. We had a nice leisurely visit and I found myself wishing there were more time in every day for this kind of relaxation and fellowship! Blessings, LORI