From the Hetricks'. . .
Hey! I hope all is well with
you and your family. As the holidays approach, our lives will undoubtedly get much busier. There will be parties; family get-togethers;
church socials; tasty treats; last-minute shopping; and cards, letters, and pictures from distant friends. Remember the formula
for joy: first Jesus, then others, and self last.
About my family, we live
in Irvine, Kentucky. Dad (Mike) is a bi-vocational pastor. Mom (Louetta) stays at home and home schools my brother Jedidiah
and me. I am 16, a high school senior, and a Taco Bell employee. In my spare
time, I enjoy reading good books, writing, playing the piano, and cooking. Caleb (14) is a freshman and enjoys juggling, unicycling,
and playing basketball. Currently, he can't do the latter two, however, because he just got his leg out of a cast! Jedidiah
(9) is in the fourth grade and enjoys riding his bike and playing with his cat. He is excited to be on a primary basketball
league with other boys his own age.
Wishing
you and yours a blessed Thanksgiving,
a merry Christmas, and a happy New Year!
Naomi
Having Blessed Holidays
by Naomi Hetrick
"For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though
He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might become rich." (2 Corinthians 8:9)
"I believe in Santa Claus,
I believe in him because
Every Christmas he'll appear,
With all his love and Christmas cheer,
Leaving lots of Christmas toys for good little girls and boys.
I believe in Santa Claus,
I believe in him because
With his reindeer and his sled,
His snow-white beard and suit of red,
He makes ev'ry Christmas day so beautiful, bright, and gay.
Now don't be a doubting Thomas,
and ridicule his name.
Or he may take you off his list and that would be a shame.
So with Christmas on the way,
What a thrill it is to say,
I believe in Santa Claus,
And the joys of Christmas day."
I Believe in Santa Claus,
by Raymond B. Egan
and
J. Fred Coots
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Christmas? I must confess, any significant holiday makes
me think of seeing and talking to family I haven't seen in ages as well as baking and tasting special treats that show up
only at such times (have you ever had Poppy Seed Strudel? Mmm!).
By
the way, forgive the song at the left. I know it doesn't really apply to conservative Christian girls. We believe in Jesus,
not Santa Claus! I found it while flipping through one of our many books of Christmas carols and thought it so hilariously
unbelievable that I just had to share it!
Honestly,
what odd reasons to believe in someone! Santa brings us gifts, looks nice, and makes things colorful and "gay." Compare with
Jesus, who came in utter humility, to be raised poor by poor people with an end of a cursed death while His enemies laughed,
and all so that we could be His. (See Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53.) And while Santa may be a nice children's fairy tale for the
month of December, Jesus is a reality that will last and enrich your entire life - and then eternity! "I believe in Jesus
the Christ, and the joys of Christmas day."
It seems
to me that the world and its philosophies do influence Christians at Christmastime, however. They would love to pull us in
and get us to focus on gifts, socials, and decorations. They want us to get so caught up in the hustle and bustle that our
Christian activities become routine rather than worshipful.
But that
is not where our eyes should point. The Bible says, "Looking unto Jesus" (Hebrews 12:2a). Our focus, first and foremost, belongs
on God, His Word, and prayer. He should be the top priority in our hearts as well as our time.
As the
holidays approach and life assumes a faster pace, are we neglecting our daily time with the Lord? Do we fall into bad habits
or action patterns and then, instead of immediately "confessing and forsaking them" (Proverbs 28:13), shrug it off with an
excuse? "Oh well, I'm so busy" or "It's not that bad of a sin" or "God understands. My mind's just overwhelmed right now."
That
is not the Bible way. Besides, doesn't Jesus deserve better than that after all He did for us? My dad likes to put
new words to old songs,
and one song he changed like that is "I'll Be Home for Christmas." His rendition is "I'll love Christ this Christmas. You
can count on that. He saved me; He set me free; He's worthy, that is a fact. I'll love Christ this Christmas. You can count
on that."
Another
important focus should be fellowship. Doesn't that sound good? :) But seriously,
when Luke wrote in Acts 2:42 what the early Church "continued steadfastly" in, the list included "the apostles' doctrine [the
epistles] and fellowship, and . . . breaking of bread, and . . . prayers." Now this word fellowship does not imply gossip,
or socializing with an inner circle of peers alone, or any such trivial thing. Fellowship - two fellows, one ship - is the
God-glorifying, spiritually-uplifting interchange between fellow believers.
What
are we to do in our fellowship with other Christians? Well, we are to "provoke [spur one another on] unto love and to good
works" (Hebrews 10:24). "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your
heart to the Lord" (Ephesians 5:19). Wow! Do you speak to people that way? I know I sure don't. And by the way, these verses
don't refer just to our friends our own age. This means everybody - elderly people, little kids, family members, . . . everybody!
Do you ever find yourself snapping at younger siblings for the pettiest of provocations when you're really busy? Let us pray
that "the words of [our mouths] . . . be pleasing in Thy sight, O Lord, my Strength, and my Redeemer" (Psalm 19:14).
Finally,
we need to look for opportunities to serve other people. Even Jesus "came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and
to give His life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28). And He has instructed us to be servants as well, saying, "But whosoever
will be great among you shall be your minister: and whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all" (Mark
10:43-44). "By love serve one another" (Galatians 5:13b). "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men,
especially unto them who are of the household of faith" (Galatians 6:10).
Do you
notice a girl at a get-together standing by herself? Initiate a conservation with her. Nine times out of ten - or maybe more
like 99 out of 100 - she'll be encouraged and a smile will light up her face. Who knows? Maybe a close, lasting friendship
will result. Or is there a little child who looks up to you? Bless their hearts with a small Christmas gift, a card, or even
a hug and an enthusiastic "Merry Christmas!" Ask God to show you ways you can serve others this year.
Once
the holidays are over and life goes back to normal, as Gretchen Glaser (webmaster of ylcf.org) says, "Don't throw Jesus away
with the wrapping paper." Along this same line, allow me to share with you the words of another Christmas song.
We
can have Christmas throughout the year
The joy that I've found gives me peace on the earth
It's more than a feeling of holiday cheer
The gift Jesus gives us gives on and on
And we can have Christmas all year.
Long after all of the carols are sung
The holly and tinsel have all been unstrung
You keep shining His light to wherever
we are
If we are willing to follow His star.
-Author Unknown
Food
for Thought______________________________
Without Christmas, there would
be no Good Friday,
there would be no Resurrection
Morning, and there would be no Christianity.
"Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable
gift!" (Romans 9:15)
From an Older Sister's Pen . . .__
We Have This Moment
by Kim Knox
While going through some old music, I
came across a song entitled, "We Have This Moment." One verse of the song reads -
We have this moment
to hold in our hands,
And to touch as it slips through our fingers like sand -
Yesterday is gone and tomorrow may never come,
But we have this moment today.
Many of our lives are so busy with day
to day responsibilities. It seems life is passing by so quickly. In reality we only have this moment in which to live. And
oh the need to make each moment count.
As Christian
ladies we have special opportunities to make pleasant moments, precious times, and meaningful memories. We are taught in God's
Word to redeem the time. We are to make the most of the time that God has given us. Make every moment count for God, for God,
and for His glory.
The Scripture
says our life is even as a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. Here today, gone tomorrow, like
a wave tossed on the ocean.
Whatever
we are doing, whether it be cooking, sewing, cleaning, studying, teaching, or reading, we need to keep in mind the need to
make good use of our time.
Time is a
precious gift from God. We should have a desire to use this gift to serve Him. We should redeem the time and make good use
of every moment. But while making the most of our time, we should remember the moment in which we are living.
Treasure
moments spent with family and friends. Treasure the moments spent with the Lord in sweet communion. May we learn to make meaningful
moments and to treasure them.
A gentle
word, a tender touch, holding dear those we love, day by day treasure this wonderful gift of time.
We should
make good use of our time, but I believe that the Lord wants us to enjoy it too. Jesus said, "I have come that they might
have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." The Lord does want us to enjoy the life that He has given us.
Stop to smell
the roses along the way. Develop talents, be creative, learn something new. Enjoy the life God has blessed you with.
May we each
love God supremely and love others dearly. May we give of ourselves to help others have more meaningful lives.
Life is precious
and life is sweet. But we have only one moment at a time to live. May we make each and every moment count for good and for
God.
Mrs. Kim Knox resides in
Clay City, Kentucky with her husband Bobby
and their three children - Amy (20), Rebecca (14), and Amanda
(12).
Prayer Requests
Thanks to Hannah Robinson for the suggestion!
Did you know that God's Word commands us to pray for each other? That's right. James
says, "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of
a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16).
So on this page, there will be a spot for you to share
your prayer requests with your fellow Young Ladies for Christ readers! The deadline
for the Winter 2006 issue is December 23. Here are some requests that have already been shared:
"Please be in prayer for my cousin Chase; he has been in the hospital with a low blood platelet count. The low end
of normal is about 130, and it was down to 9. He had to stay in bed constantly so as to not bump or hit any part of his body
that might start bleeding. The doctors were literally running out of options. However, his platelet count has come up to 57,
and he got to go home. Please pray that he won't hurt himself or get sick at home. Also pray for his family as they are going
through a lot with this."
-Hannah Robinson
"Please pray that I will be a good testimony
to the young women at my workplace, most or all of whom are unsaved." -Naomi
Hetrick
Lovely Young Ladies
"A gracious woman retaineth honour" (Proverbs 11:16).
Next year, I would like to have a series about
being godly, gracious, ladylike girls. I would love to hear your thoughts. How do you think a lady should dress? How should
she talk? How should she conduct herself in various situations, or around various kinds of people? What is the proper, ladylike
way to do things? I am interested in things related to posture, etiquette, modesty, speech, actions, activities, and whatever
else you can think of. Please feel free to share your thoughts (or those of others - just give me the name and source [book,
magazine, etc.] from which the thought originates).
Don't Forget!
*All submissions for
the Winter 2006 issue are due by December 23.
*Next year, due to my
busy schedule, Young Ladies for Christ will go out quarterly instead of bimonthly.
That's four issues instead of the usual six.
Be His Lighthouse
by Hannah Robinson
We all know what a lighthouse is, what
its purpose is, and that it has saved many a sailor and kept many ships from wrecking on rocky embankments. Lighthouses were
important when ships were one of the fastest forms of transportation. Most lighthouses now are only used as a tourist attraction,
since ships have been replaced by the semi-truck and airplanes.
I believe
that we as Christians should be a lighthouse. And when you pray, ask God, "Help me to be a lighthouse." This might sound funny
to you. Let me try to explain to you my point. We all know that Jesus said in John 8:12, "I am the Light of the world: he
that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." Jesus is saying these words; He is the Light
of the world. A Light or the Life for those living in the darkness, sin, and death of this world.
Let's think
about this: Jesus said He is the Light. Jesus is no longer on the earth, so those of us who are saved must take His place.
I am not saying that we are the Light, but that we must shine His Light. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may
see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). Notice the words your light. Jesus is our Light; we are not the Light, just the ones who are supposed to be shining it. Our good
works or actions are supposed to show God's Glory, Love, and Light.
God wants
us to be His Lighthouse. The Lighthouse on the hill is not the Light but a home or a place for the Light to be seen. We are
not supposed to take the glory; our actions should show forth His Light and give Him glory. God wants each and every one of
us to be His Lighthouse and to shine His Light to those in the darkness of sin.
How can we
shine His Light? First of all, you must be saved so you have His Light to shine. If you are saved, you must keep your lamp
clean and burning brightly. When you have unconfessed sin and bad habits in your life, people don't see a difference in you
- you act the same way that they do.
Your walk
talks and your talk talks but your walk's talk ALWAYS talks LOUDER than your talk's talk. If you are not different from others
in your dress, actions, attitude, and lifestyle, you are living your life in a way where they can't see His Light in you.
They can't see your heart; they can only see the outside, your actions, your walk. Your life is the only Bible that some people
are ever going to read.
Matthew 5:15
says, "Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are
in the house." You don't turn on your flashlight when the electricity goes out and then sit on it. You turn it on so you can
see and not fall or run into something. God didn't save you so that you could go hide in your closet, church, or home. He
saved you so that you could tell others about Him through your words, actions, and attitude. Don't hide the Light He has given
you. Share it, shine it, and send it to those who are in this lost and dying world.
If you are
reading this and thinking to yourself, "I can't shine His Light because I don't have it to shine," God is calling you; He
wants you to accept the Light. His Light is eternal Life with Him in heaven. All you have to do is Believe that Jesus died
and rose again. Accept that you are a sinner and need forgiveness and that you can't get to heaven by yourself. Trust that
His death on the cross can save you from your sins, and that you will go to heaven to live with Him when you die. And lastly,
ask Jesus to come into your heart and save you. Please pray right now something like this, "Dear Jesus, I know I am a sinner
in need of forgiveness. I believe that You died and rose again to save me from my sins. I now ask You to come into my heart
and save me from my sins and take me to heaven when I die to live with You. I am trusting in You and You alone for my salvation.
Amen."
If you have
already done this, praise the Lord! One question though: Are you shining His Light? Is your lamp clean and burning bright?
There are lost sailors out there in the storm; sin has blinded their eyes; please shine the Light!
Please live
your life in such a way that somebody can see Jesus in you. When you get to heaven will somebody, just one person, be able
to say about you, "I saw Jesus in her"? My prayer for you is that you who are saved will start shining the Light even brighter
for Him. For those of you who don't know Jesus as your personal Savior, I beg and plead with you that you will follow the
steps. Ask God for His wonderful Light, which He freely gives to those who Believe, Accept, Trust, and Ask.
May God bless
you all!
And may someone
be able to say, "I saw Jesus in that Young Lady!"
May you be
a Lighthouse for Christ!
And may you
truly be a Young Lady For Christ!
Hannah Robinson (15) resides in Albany, Georgia
with her parents and her three siblings - Rachel,
Ethan, and Gladys.
Christmas in the Good 'Ole Days
An Interview with Walter and Bethel Robinson
By way of introduction, Bro. Robinson and his wife (pictured on the cover of this issue) are wonderful family friends
who live here in Irvine, Kentucky. He was a Baptist pastor for more than 50 years before he "retired." I interviewed them
recently to find out about Christmases long ago.
Would you mind telling me about what Christmas was like
when you were children?
Bro. Robinson: We'd fix the Christmas tree. Why, we'd go out in the summertime
and find a tree. We wanted it just right. And about the middle of December, we'd
cut that tree, drag it in, and set it up in the house - just a few days before Christmas. We didn't allow Christmas trees
to die down, get dry and brittle. Then we'd decorate it. We'd pop popcorn and
take some thread and thread it up; it'd make a big long string of popcorn to hang around that tree. It had a lot of advantages,
you know. When you took it down, instead of throwing it in a box, you ate it.
But, we'd
go ahead and start preparing for Christmas, oh, about the first of December. Folks now, they just start the first of September.
*laughs* But we started planning Christmas, saving our money, going out and gathering in hickory nuts and walnuts and things
like that. . . .
And always
when buying Christmas presents we'd buy things that we need, instead of toys, things
like that. We had so many needs, when we'd buy Christmas presents we'd go ahead and buy jackets, and socks, and shirts, things
that we'd wear and that we actually needed.
One Christmas
I got a .22 caliber rifle. In 1939, they bought it from Sears Roebuck. It kept food on our table, winter and summer, for years.
That was the first Christmas that I really remember enjoying. I remember a lot
of them before that, but. My brother, he got him a two-tone guitar. . . . He got a guitar, and I got that rifle. There were
a lot of Christmases before that that I remember, like I said. I mean I was 10 years old. But that's the first one that I
can really remember enjoyin'.
It was such
a different world. I know I'm getting ahead of myself, but the thing that bothers me today is that they're making Christmas
fictitious instead of real, really celebrating. In those days I can remember we
realized Christmas was Christ's birthday, and we were celebrating it as His birthday. It brought back the realization that
He came into this world, was here, and lived among people. Everybody realized it back then. The young people realized it.
We were worshipping Christ. On Christmas, we would always read the Christmas story from the Bible, always kept a Bible handy.
We'd gather around the fireplace, and sing Christmas carols and the old hymns.
It was a
time of, of appreciating - I guess that's a good word for it. Appreciating who
God really is, and He still is today. The young people today - and most of the older people, too, now - have gotten to the
point where they think, "Let's just have a good time."
But back
then, Christmas was a time of celebrating, realizing what it was all about. And even the kids who grew up in homes where they
didn't go to church, that's the time of year when they were taught about Christ, even in a loose way. Maybe they didn't give
them a description of His death, burial, and resurrection, and all that they needed to, but still, you know, "That's God."
Anymore,
we celebrate Santa Claus. "His eyes watching you" and all that. Well, that's fictitious. And we have brought Christ down to
the level where we just celebrate Him as a fictitious creature, but we celebrate Santa Claus as real. . . . Our young people,
I'm afraid, are tending to look upon Santa Claus as the know-it-all. God sees everything, sure, but Santa Claus isn't God.
I'm sure he [St. Nicholas] was a great person and all, with some of the history I've read about him. I'm sure he was, in a
way, a saint - but so is everybody who's saved, we're all saints.
The biggest thing that I've seen, in our growing up, is that Christmas is a day of celebrating Christ's birthday. Christ
was real. We realized that He was real. We need to worship Him, and serve Him, and be faithful
- all year long. But I don't see anything wrong with picking out a day, and setting it aside, and saying, "That's the
day we recognize His birth, His coming into the world."
You talked about a tree, but did you have a nativity?
Bro. Robinson: Well, over at church, we usually put on a little bit of a program. We didn't have little dolls in a cradle or anything
like that.
Back then,
there were a lot of people that didn't believe in trees. They said they were a carryover from another religion; they call
themselves Christians now, but back then they weren't recognized as Christians. Trees were a carryover from the old Catholic
group. But we didn't mind that. We did our thing. We realized we were worshipping God, our way. God put that tree there, it belonged to Him, too.
What was your favorite memory of Christmas, Mrs. Robinson?
Mrs. Robinson: I don't know. We didn't get many gifts. If we got an apple, or
an orange, or a little piece of candy, that was - that was - really important. I guess just family gettin' together. I guess
that's my favorite memory. Family. And friends.
When did you start to see it start to change over from the necessities, the apples and oranges,
to more frivolous things?
Bro. Robinson: About the close of the thirties and the start of the forties.
I hate to say it, but World War II started the economy rolling, and people had to go to work. I think that's when it changed
from the old ways, starting in to the new ways.
Mrs. Robinson: Well, I can't remember gettin' a wrapped gift - you know, like you give gifts today
- until I was in the 7th or 8th grade, around 1941.
What was the gift? Do you remember?
Mrs. Robinson: Oh, I've still got it! It was from my teacher. It was a glass powder dish.
Did your family have a tree too, Mrs. Robinson?
Mrs. Robinson: A small one. Not real big, just a little small one, maybe two foot. And we'd decorate it. If you remember those little
apples, we'd use those - and the purple crepe paper.
Bro. Robinson: Those were good old times, for eatin'. . . . We appreciated the apple, and we knew
that God gave it to us. We enjoyed that apple. We knew where everything came from. That's what I'm saying; even people who
didn't go to church still would recognize [what Christmas was about]. And that's what I'm getting at. It's just become a fictitious
time - it's not real anymore, like it was growing up.
Mrs. Robinson: I don't remember Santa Claus - that word - being mentioned.
Bro. Robinson: Well, he wasn't mentioned much. Like I say, he was just fiction. We didn't know fiction back then. Everything had
to be real. That's what I'm talking about, that's what worries me so much, now. We grew up with realities. *points to Bible*
That's the center of attraction when we were growing up.
How about you? What word best summarizes your Christmastimes?
Is it Fiction? Reality? Appreciation? "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above" (James 1:17).
