March 2009

From the Editor's Desk
Greetings dear Sisters in the Lord! I was able to attend a Ladies Conference this weekend that I used to be able to attend yearly. With four children at home, homeschooling, and supporting my husband in ministry I have not been able to go in a couple of years. This year was extra special and I'll tell you why. This year I invited my dear friends, Miss Charlene, her sister Mrs. Fry, and their mother, Grandma Marlene to attend with me. Our Pastor's Wife also serves in the deaf ministry, but was also scheduled to teach at this conference.

A sweet lady of our church offered to sponsor Lady Jess to attend with us to interpret for our dear deaf sisters. I have thanked the Lord multiple times for allowing me to serve Him by serving these wonderful ladies. They have truly been at the top of my life's greatest blessings! In addition to this, it was a genuine joy to see Lady Jess interpret full speaking sessions at the age of sixteen. I am overjoyed that my daughter has been gifted with interpreting for the deaf. It is a tremendous blessing to be able to serve these ladies and to serve them alongside my own daughter.


Editor-in-Chief
Growing in Grace Magazine

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Featured Articles:

GGM Interview: Miss Jocelyn: A Lady of Grace
by Lady Jess


Spring Song
by Mrs. Brown

The Silent History of Deafness
by Guest Author, Miss Charlene



Educational Articles:

On Purim:

Haman's Hatred
by Miss Jessica

J.S Bach: Baroque Composer
by Miss Alyssa

Columns:

Fact of the Matter: Search the Scriptures
by Sisterlisa

Remote Controll: Danger Lurking at The Store
by Lady Jess

Healthy Steps: Healthy Steps: Home Remedies
by Lady Jess

Reviews:
Basic Cake Decorating Tutorial
by Lady Jess

Graphics coordinated by designer G's
Some photos from iStockphoto
and sxc.hu Stock Exchange


Editor-in-Chief: Sisterlisa




Special thanks to:
Layout Coordinator: Sisterlisa at designer G's

Miss Jocelyn: A Lady of Grace

by Lady Jess

I am very pleased to introduce you to our March 2009 Girl of Grace, Miss Jocelyn. It has been such a blessing to me to have become friends with Miss Jocelyn since we started GGM. She has been an inspiration to me and I am thankful to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for bringing our families to have such a sweet friendship.

Lady Jess: Could you please tell me how you decided to raise goats?
Miss Jocelyn: When I was about fourteen I decided I'd really like to get some goats to raise for dairy and to start my own business with lotions, soaps, and cheeses. I cannot recall what suddenly made me want goats, but I suddenly wanted to start really living a country lifestyle and figured goats was as good as any place to start. I decided to get Nubian goats because of the way they looked. I had not even counted for that they were also one of the best breed for diary. Anglo-Nubians are also called the "lop-eared Goat" for obvious reasons. They have a long "roman" nose and floppy-ears. They are also one of the largest breeds.

I began looking around online and in the paper in early May to see if any were for sale at a reasonable price. I found several but I think Father Sir decided a definite "yes" when they were only a mile or two down the road from us. After that we had about a week to put up fencing for them and clean out the stalls. I was so excited and nervous about getting the goats. It was a very strange thought to me having our own livestock because it was just something we'd never done before. They arrived as the first on the Dixon Homestead: Chloe and Heidi. It was a joy every morning and night to go down and take of them.

It's been three-years now since we bought them and both Chloe and Heidi have had three kids, and their kids have all had kids as well. We thought about raising the bucks for meat but ended up selling them instead. We currently have nine goats, six does and three bucks. I've really enjoyed having the goats, though we've had a few snags here and there, and they been a really joy for me. I looking down there, especially in the summer, seeing them lounging in the sun or eating the fallen apples.

Lady Jess: What is your favourite thing to study?
Miss Jocelyn: I think the subject I most enjoy studying is history, which in turn also means the Bible. I cannot ever recall not enjoying studying history, learning about the things of the past, and knowing how they impacted the future. I've been blessed to be put into a position where education isn't something of uniform but something that I can enjoy while furthering my knowledge of the world and God. I know Mother Dear has said many times that there was no opportunity for her, in school, to enjoy or really know history. It was just something she was expected and had to do. More specifically my favourite subject to study in history is the Medieval times, the reign of Queen Elizabeth the I, 1800's England, and that of pioneer life in the 1800s.

Lady Jess: What inspired you to start making graphics and building blogs?
Miss Jocelyn: I've always been an artistic child and designing graphics is just an extension of that. I love being able to express things in graphics and photos. When I started blogging I didn't even know how to read any HTML or CSS. I was so frustrating trying to put in an image and stat code in my template, thinking that anything else was beyond my intelligence. As the months went on and I saw other sites with beautiful designs I determined myself to learn. Mother Dear really was the one who started figuring out the coding, but I guess I just caught on quickly and
advanced my knowledge of coding as best I could from online help and books. For about two years I was just designing templates for fun or to help someone out. Then this past year I decided to set up a business site where people can order custom graphics, and it was also a way for me to help those in need. As created beings with traits of our Maker there is just something inside of us that makes want to beautify the world with our creations, even if they only be graphics.

Lady Jess: What kinds of things would you like to learn how to cook that you have never done before?
Miss Jocelyn: Well, I think I would really like to learn more about cooking authentic Mexican food. Father Sir was born and raised in New Mexico so he knows what real Mexican food tastes like and I would love to learn how to properly prepare it, though I was taught how to make enchiladas and Spanish rice from my mother who was taught by Father Sir's mother and grandmother. Other than that I think European food would be something to learn how to cook. Whenever I get the chance I love to watch cooking-shows where you not only get to see how to prepare certain foods but history and reasoning behind the dish. Food is an art so it does take training, and what can be a more welcome homemaking trait than to know how to cook good food?

Lady Jess: How has having a large family brought you all closer together?
Miss Jocelyn: We've not always had a large family, really, I mean while growing up we had only five children until I was twelve when Issac, our sixth, was born. So during those years I had a lot of church-friends whom I spent time with, but it wasn't until we went through many hardships with churches that we started to come together as a family. After that my sisters became my best friends and so did my mother. I've especially enjoyed the closeness I have with her, and because we do not have many outside friends, close, we are able to truly be best friends and to
learn and encourage one another. Knowing that your family will always be your family and having so many people of all different ages has not only brought us closer together, but closer to what the Lord has in store for us. Being in a large family as also given me great opportunity to prepare myself for, not only all ages and people, but how to handle situations from all stages of life. Many time people don't get to learn how to get along, to raise young ones, or to just work through the tough times until they're already grown up, married, with kids, and at a loss of what to do. I've been able to explore childhood at all aspects, including the knowledge of knowing how a three-old acts just as I did when I was three, though I will say boys are a bit different than girls! My little siblings, especially my princess LucyLillie, bring so much smiles and laughter into our lives.

Lady Jess: What is a few of your favourite things about homeschooling?
Miss Jocelyn: I used to be a very disciplined person. I remember at age eleven getting up at early hours to begin my schoolwork for the fun of it, but as I got older and was allowed to stay up later my schedule slowly waned. Being homeschooled, not on anyone's schedule, has been a big blessing for not only sleeping hours but in every area of our lives. Another thing I love about homeschooling is the opportunity to be able to learn and advance my knowledge in subjects and fields that best suit my future. Not being constrained by someone else's standards.

Lady Jess: What is your favourite home keeping thing that you've learned?
Miss Jocelyn: I don't think there is one thing I could name, but perhaps the skill of managing. You can learn all other arts of homemaking, such as launder, cooking, sewing etc, but the key of all that is managing. You have to manage time, finances, and tasks. Otherwise the home will fall apart from lack of care.

Lady Jess: I know you do gardening, what is your most favourite fruit or vegetable that you grow in your garden?
Miss Jocelyn: Tomatoes. I love tomatoes. It's been many a dreary months since the last of our tomatoes from the freezer ran out. I don't like tomatoes by themselves, but make a soup, dip, sandwich, dish, or roast them is simply irresistible. I we're planning on growing a great deal this year so we can stock up on them and I'm looking forward to having a bigger garden than we've ever had - with lots of tomatoes!

Lady Jess: How old were you when you began to write so deeply for the Lord on your blog?
Miss Jocelyn: Nearly sixteen I think. Before that it was just a here and there article on the Bible and quotes. The Lord placed something on my heart that I needed to use my readership for His glory, and from then on no matter how confrontational or "judgmental" I may have sounded I wrote what the Lord placed on my heart. It's hard sometimes to contain the passion I have for sharing what He's placed on my heart because it seems that the Body has fallen so far away from what is truly holy and cannot understand it. I have many topics I would love to speak my mind about, but the Lord has not led me to write or share those things on my blog. Once I gave my blog to the Lord he took it to new heights and made it something I never thought it would be.

Lady Jess: You wrote on your blog about how the Lord spoke to you about your then favorite film LOTR, can you describe how the Lord brought you through that and what kind of battle the flesh attempted to attack you with and how you overcame that?
Miss Jocelyn: Giving up Lord of the Rings was, honestly, easier than I would have ever thought. "Favourite film" is an understatement of how involved I was with LOTR. I not only prided myself in knowing the histories and facts, but also how to understand some of the Elven language. Since I was eleven (six-years) this was, though I didn't realize it, an idol in my life. The years before I was convicted of this sin of idolatry and sorcery I was growing spiritually but still spending more time in my "LOTR-Bible" than I was in the Word of God. When the Spirit finally hit me with an article written by a former-witch about the subtle witchcraft laced within the entire series I was so distraught by what I had slowly allowed in my life. I pondered and chewed on it for weeks so confused at what had been done. Looking back, about five-six months before this I had really just dropped having anything to do with LOTR and I think the Lord was preparing me for this so when the time came it wasn't so hard to let go. Through much prayer and meditation I decided to search out what the Word of God had to say about things contained in the series, and that made my decision. Sometimes it's easier not to think about it, just do. There was yet a harder decision to make... to sell my collection or burn it. In the end I figured that if I shouldn't read it no one else should either, and I certainly didn't want to make a profit on something that the Lord had convicted me was evil. It could also be seen as a way of "getting what I get" for having such abominations before my eyes, above the Lord. If the Spirit is being allowed to work in your life things that are unGodly won't be hard to overcome.

Lady Jess: Many of us know that you take hits from people when you blog about your standard of living. Many girls become fearful of that happening to them and it causes them to be quiet about their beliefs. What can you tell them to help encourage them to stand for what they believe in?
Miss Jocelyn: The best way to show people what and why you believe in something is by living it out, even online. You don't have to write an article directly about your beliefs to stand for them. You just have to make it known that you are striving to live a Godly life and nothing, not the weight of this world or remarks of others, will drag you down. Use the Word of God like a two-edge sword, to defend your beliefs and to cut down Satan's lies. Keep a positive look on trials and tribulations you face because the Lord is always in control and He has allowed you to go through them for a purpose.

Lady Jess: After you graduate, is there a subject(s) you are considering studying in depth on for your college level homeschooling?
Miss Jocelyn: I don't know that it would be on a "college-level" but I would like to finish the math and algebra I have now and then perhaps study more of it for teaching my own children. I would also like to get into publishing my writings that will take a great deal of study, finances, and business-dealings.

Lady Jess: We know you have a desire to homeschool your own family one day, in what areas does your mom train you as a future homeschooling mom?
Miss Jocelyn: I think the best thing she's taught me is how to work with different ages and personalities. Sometimes some kids are more advanced, have more patience, or are just apt to learning while some will take a little longer, and to be successful in training children you really have to know how to look at a person and determine what is best at that particular time. We've changed our schooling methods around several times so it has given me a broader knowledge of how or what is best for each family and what different ways to incorporate school if you don't just use the classical method. The most important thing I've been taught is in everything, schooling or not, to meditate and heed the Word of God. The Bible says the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and wisdom is what we are trying to gain through our education so what better place to start!

Lady Jess: You have been such an encouragement to me over the past years that I've known you. Do you often have girls write to you for encouragement?
Miss Jocelyn: Yes, I get my fair share of emails from ladies and I am always happy to encourage them in their walk with the Lord, no matter the area. Sometimes I write directly to them and/or sometimes their questions lead me to write up an article for my blog to encourage anyone who may be wondering the same thing. It is such a blessing to know that the Lord is using me to be a source of encouragement to other young ladies. I always try to encourage them to seek their parents counsel, study the Word, and to pray fervently for whatever they're facing. There are times when I'm at a loss of what to say, but the Lord will use you if you let Him. There are also times where ladies have no other support, other than what they find online, and it is so important to always be encouraging others to trust fully in the Lord because things of this world will never be steady. I try to check in on friends as often as I can too, just to let them know that I was thinking and praying about them. I am also blessed with emails of encouragement from readers to me here and there.

Well now you can see why Miss Jocelyn has been a gift from God in my life. Miss Jocelyn thank you so much for sharing your life with us this month. We look forward to reading what God lays upon your heart to publish. I have no doubt it will be astounding! May the Lord Jesus Christ be with you always in everything you do and write.

Lady Jess is a teen lady who is homeschooled along with her siblings. She assists her mother in teaching her younger siblings, is an interpreter in her church's deaf ministry, sings in two local choirs, and is in training to be a homeschooling parent herself one day.

Spring Song

by Mrs. Brown

When barren white renews the land;
When frozen ice comes from Godʼs hand
And all the world in quiet sleeps,
Until spring wakes new from the deeps...

As one, all life holds silent form;
As seasons waken from the storm,
The ceaseless nothing bursts with green
And solid glass becomes a stream.



The breathless still erupts with praise.
The sun stretches her sleepy rays.
The monotone of color breaks
As each hue of the spectrum wakes.

First a chirp, a squeak, a trill,
Then a chorus, an anthem, a thrill.
First a seed, a sprout, a bud,
Then full laughter, full life, full love!

In abundance, our slumber ends;
We bid farewell to winter friends
And rise refreshed and washed with dew
To worship God in strength renewed.

All glory to the Giver of Life,
Who uses even the silence of night
To plant His seed in fertile land
And grow in us all He has planned!

Mrs. Brown is a GGM contributor and owner of a small custom crocheting business/ministry named Bundled In Prayer. She enjoys Bible study, writing, scrapbooking, sewing, reading and more. She is happily married to her best friend, Russ and is in her 12th year of homeschooling her five children.

The Silent History of Deafness

by Miss Charlene

I was honored to be asked to write an article on deaf history. I love every opportunity I can to teach others about deafness. I will list some facts and history about deafness, and I also encourage all of you to do extra research on your own. This is a fascinating topic!

Unfortunately, deaf people have had a hard struggle all throughout history. Many were misdiagnosed as mentally retarded. This happened for a long time until the seventies. These deaf people had to live a life confided in homes for the mentally ill when they could have led normal lives. Times were very hard back then and they are still a struggle today.

This can be found far back in history. Aristotle the philosopher said that deaf people could not be educated and that people without hearing are incapable of learning. A lot of people accepted this saying and it became accepted for a long time. From this saying, the deaf son of King Croesus of Lydia could not be recognized as the heir to the throne.

Deafness was also recognized as "sin." St.Augustine told people that they had deaf children because God was angry at the sins of the parents. We see that in some churches today where deafness is viewed as a sin, but I want to remind everyone of the verse in Exodus 4:11:

"And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?"

During the renaissance, people started experimenting with symbols and sign language to educate the deaf. Juan Pablo Bonet wrote the very first book of alphabet sign languages for the deaf in 1620. The French were the first place that started sign language when Abbe Charles Michel de L'Epee of Paris developed a system of gestures, hand signs and fingerspelling.

Signing was also found in America by the Great Plains Indians. Although this was originally for intertribal communication, it is still surprising to see the similarities of their signs and the present signs today. In America, we have established a national sign language system called 'American Sign Language' also known as ASL. Each country has their own and it can vary slightly in different areas of each country.

The first American school for the deaf was founded by Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. Abraham Lincoln signed the charter for the college to open in Washington D.C.

(Interesting Fact: The sculptor of the Lincoln Memorial statute of Abraham Lincoln in Washington DC, Daniel Chester French, designed Lincoln's hands to sign an A on one hand, and an L on the other to pay tribute to him for having signed the federal legislation giving Galludet the authority to grant college degrees. Daniel had a deaf son and was familiar with sign language.)

The college is still standing today in Washington D.C. and another deaf college has opened in Rochester, New York called National Technical Institute for the Deaf. There are two in America today.

In the 1870's, Alexander Graham Bell experimented with the conduction of sound through electrical devices that were originally intended for deaf children to hear but he made the telephone instead. Miller Reese Hutchinson invented the first electrical hearing aid in 1901. The early versions of hearing aids were very heavy, and awkward to wear. They consisted of separate microphones, amplifier, headphones and a bulky battery. It wasn't easy to carry around. The designs improved more over the years and now we see digital and lightweight versions that can easily be hid inside the ear.

In 1920, Galludet University's football team would huddle around and sign their secret plays to each other. That started a new tradition of huddling and using hand gestures in football.

Closed captioning was established in 1972 and they are typed words that go on the bottom of the television screen. Those words tell the deaf audience what is being said in the movie. Deaf people had to buy a separate captioning box to hook up with the television for captioning, but now we have captioning and subtitles already included with the television and dvd players. We can see the symbol of a square with a CC inside on the back of movies to check if it includes closed captioning.

Marlee Matlin became the first deaf actress to win an academy award. She won the award for the movie, "Children of a Lesser God." She has performed many movies since then, including the most recent movie, "Sweet Nothing in My Ear." I recommend these movies to understand the deaf culture better!

A deaf woman named Heather Whitestone from Birmingham, Alabama won the title of Miss America in 1995. She performed ballet en pointe to the song "Via Dolorosa" as her talent in spite of being profoundly deaf. She also wrote an inspiring book about her experiences called "Listening with My Heart."

Many deaf people throughout history have made amazing accomplishments. Imagine living in a world where people thought you couldn't do anything, and then being able to enjoy the exhilaration of proving that you could. Disability is only in the mind and it is the result of not believing in yourself. We are all able, with whatever body God gives us. It has been proven many times in history.

Here is a good website to learn about all the deaf people and their amazing accomplishments.

http://www.deafpeople.com/history/index.html

Personally, I was born deaf and I come from a deaf family. My cause for deafness is hereditary and that does not happen often. I am very blessed to have a deaf family. This is my 'normal' and I wouldn't change it even if I had the chance. Many of us feel the same way.

Deafness is also the only disability that has formed it's own culture. We have our own history, our own language, characteristics, technology and things that we embrace in our 'deaf world.' It is a gift from God to enjoy a variety of cultures and meeting different people. I encourage all of you to take some time and learn about the deaf culture. There are so MANY deaf and hard of hearing people out there and it is a blessing to see more people take an interest in learning about us.

Thank you for reading this article!

And here is a fun fingerspelling guide that you can practice if you're interested in learning!

Charlene is a deaf mom of two boys, one being hard of hearing. Her heart for God shines through her life and she has the 'law of kindness' in her words. She writes for AGMinistries, and you can read more about her at 'Bring on the Rain'.

Search the Scriptures

by Sisterlisa

There are days when I don't get enough sleep, don't have time to sit and eat a nutritious meal, and last minute things spring up just in time to stop me from having my prayer time and personal devotions for the Lord. Many times all this rises all before I get my first cup of coffee in the morning. The enemy knows he has but a short time to pack us with his biggest punch before the return of our Lord. For a wife and mother, he will attack us first thing in the morning, so that we will begin our day with frustration and full of negative emotion. This also happens to young girls as they wake up on the 'wrong side of the bed'.

God's Word says that the enemy is as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, and he is actively seeking to devour a young lady before she can protect herself from the onslaught of today's culture. Yet, in most homes I have seen the culture trap isn't from the world itself, it comes from their own circle of friends within their own homeschool or church groups.

Many people have said that the Body will not be scattered by the outside world, but rather from within itself. We need to be very careful to not compare our growth in the Lord against another Christian. We are not to compare ourselves with another person, when we do so we interfere with what the Lord has for us. He wants us to compare ourselves against scripture and grow in HIS grace.

Proverbs 6:20-22, " ²⁰My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: ²¹Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. ²²When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee."

It is a nice thing to be able to have someone we can look to as our example, yet we must be very careful with that. Just as young girls desire to have a lady to look to as their example, adult women need a godly example too. Women need to have a godly example to help guide and mentor them. My three girls look to me for their example, yet even I look to another to help me stay on the right track. We will never 'arrive' in this life here on earth. There will not be a time when we will 'have it all together' until the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, until then we must always have a teachable spirit.

As we seek the Word for God's guidance in how we should be living, we should have support from those who will lift us up to that level of accountability. If the people we are spending time with do not support our growth in the Lord, and cannot have a conversation with us about God's Word without demeaning our decisions for Christ, then we must pray for God to send us someone who will.

2 Timothy 3:5-7, " ⁵Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. ⁶For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ⁷Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."

I have been so blessed to have my sweet deaf friends in my life. Although I've been walking with the Lord for fourteen years, I have grown so much since I have known them. Their own desire to walk with the Lord inspires me to work even harder. There have been times when they have brought something to my attention in my own life that needed adjustment and I have needed to humble myself and swallow pride in order to keep a right relationship with them and our Lord. It has been a long time since I have had a friend apologize to me with such sincerity, yet I got such an apology just today that pierced my heart about my own sin. These is the kind of friends we need to have!

I have heard marvelous speakers before and read awesome books by seasoned Christian authors, yet having a person to talk to that can keep you accountable and mentor you to walk closer to Christ our Lord is a very special gift. When the Lord shows you who that person is, accept that gift as God is giving them to you. For such a gift is a very rare find indeed.

Be sure your mentor is someone that gets their own influence right from scripture, and not from the culture they may have been infected with in their own past. It's sad to think that Christians will teach their cultural philosophies to others by words or actions, so we need to be careful who we allow to influence us.

Titus 2:4-5, " ⁴That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, ⁵To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed."

Every bit if mentoring we receive must be diligently compared with scripture. Acts 17:11, "¹¹These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so."

Although some leaders may seem to know the Bible, we are responsible and accountable to God to search the scriptures to be sure we have the right information being given to us. Searching the scriptures is something we should make a habit out of. I know the Dixon family and Miss Charlene do such a thing. Each week they speak to me about areas of their lives and scriptures in which they are seeking diligently and it is such an inspiration. Quite contagious in fact!

Let's all know what we believe and why we believe it, as we diligently seek to know the Lord's answers for life's queries.

Sisterlisa is the owner and Editor-in-Chief of Growing in Grace Magazine and owner of AGMinistries, a devotion blog for women. She is married and homeschools her four children while remaining active in community service and serves in the deaf ministry at her church.

Remote Controll: Danger Lurking at The Store

by Lady Jess

I have written about different things in the past, but I think that I should write about the angers of the movie store.

Although there is fun in going to rent a movie for the family, I have been sick over some of the things that I have seen in the movie store. I really dislike ever going into one. 'Adult' content is openly displayed, horror movie posters are on the walls and awful video games about killing and
immorality are being played.

Every time I end up going to a movie store, I feel like there's darkness all around me and I have to look at the carpet to avoid seeing anything that I shouldn't. As Christians, we should be a light in this dark world.

The Bible says in Psalm 101:3 "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes:
I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me."

If a man walks into the movie store and sees a woman on the cover of a movie posing in a sensual way, what do you think is in his mind?

Matthew 5:28 "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."

If God has not given us the spirit of fear, who do you think has? Why would you want to watch a movie or look at something that will cause you to have fear?

II Timothy 1:7 "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

Please, fellow Christians, we need to think twice before we walk into a movie store. We could call ahead and have them hold the movie at the front desk and wait for you so you don't have to walk through the store. Consider trying Netflix instead and parents can make the selection without exposing children to what is at their eye level in the movie stores. Maybe you could just stop renting movies all together or borrow one from a trusted friend. We need to be a godly example of Christian ladies and beholding such things brings a snare to our souls.

Lady Jess is a teen lady who is homeschooled along with her siblings. She assists her mother in teaching her younger siblings, is an interpreter in her church's deaf ministry, sings in two local choirs, and is in training to be a homeschooling parent herself one day.

Healthy Steps: Home Remedies

by Lady Jess

Since so many people are sick right now, here are some home remedies for getting better quick. We have found that it is better for our bodies to fight off illnesses as naturally as possible and many home remedies are made of ingredients you may already have in your kitchen cabinets.

For the flu, the cold, and bronchitis.

-1/2 tsp. Turmeric w/ 1/2 C warm milk 2-3 x's a day on an empty stomach.

-Bath soak in Epsom Salt 2-3 x's a week for 20 mins.

-Breathe steam infused with tea tree oil to clear sinuses and loosen phlegm
from lungs.

-Rub chest w/ olive oil & tea tree mixture or GOOT, you can also make a chest
rub with olive oil and pure eucalyptus or lavender oil.

-Fasting, it purifies the body of toxins.

-Chicken broth with fresh crushed garlic and a sprinkling of Cayenne pepper.

-1 tsp onion juice every morning to help coughing.

-You can use the GOOT oil in ear for ear infections. CAUTION: Pure tea tree
oil added directly to an ear infection will hurt. You must dilute it with olive oil and garlic oil (from fresh crushed garlic).

-Echinacea and Goldenseal complex which is available at most stores that have a pharmacy. This is a natural anti-biotic and is to be taken as directed on the package.

-Local honey: If you are suffering from allergies due to pollen you can get local honey from a Farmer's Market and eat a tablespoon a day. The local honey is made from local trees by local bees and when you digest this your body builds up an immunity to that pollen.

We have become so dependent on the government to fix us with chemical medicines. We need to get back to doing things the more natural way.

I hope that these will be of help to you. They have worked for us.

Lady Jess is a teen lady who is homeschooled along with her siblings. She assists her mother in teaching her younger siblings, is an interpreter in her church's deaf ministry, sings in two local choirs, and is in training to be a homeschooling parent herself one day.

Haman's Hatred

by Miss Jess

Long ago, long before the time of Queen Esther, there lived a small nation, called the Amalekites. Ever since the time of Abraham they mocked and were enemies of God’s people. Repeatedly the Israelite army had gone to battle against them – with Joshua, Saul and David leading – but none of them ever completely wiped the enemy out. Although the Israelites were victorious every time, the Amalekites mysteriously survived. Continually they picked on the Israelites, blockading the land as the Israelites moved into Canaan, invading the land during crop planting time, blocking the land, and teasing the people.

When Saul attacks the Amalekites, which we read about in 1 Samuel 15, he does not kill their King, Agag, although the prophet Samuel kills him later. I do not know how anyone survived to carry on their line, but someone did because just a few chapters later, in chapter 30, there are hundreds of Amalekites, and all but four hundred were killed.

Queen Esther
What does this have to do with Queen Esther? I find it interesting that Haman wasn’t a Persian by blood, but an Amalekite; or more specifically, an Agagite. Throughout the book of Esther, we find references to his father and himself being an Agagite. I think this explains why Haman hated the Jews. In Esther 3:5 and 6 it tells us:

" ⁵And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath. ⁶And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai. "

When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged. Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.

To my mind, this verse explains it all: why Haman wanted to kill the Jews. It was more than just Mordecai – it was the pride of his heritage!

As we know from the rest of Esther’s biography, Haman succeeded in finding a plan for the destruction of the Jews, but Esther, Xerxes new Queen, also a Jew, finds out the plot and bravely reveals the evil scheme to the King – resulting in Haman’s death and the Jew’s deliverance. Ever since that date, the Israelites have celebrated God’s faithfulness, on a holiday called Purim.

Miss Jessica is a 14year old homeschool girl who lives in Australia. She loves the Lord and enjoys music, reading, history, computers and sewing. Jessica has a warped sense of humour and is always ready for a giggle. She helps her mum around the home and participates in the local church music team. You can find out more about Jess at her blog Little Miss Giggle.