Issacharian Daughters – ID067 – click on link below for correct layout and photos
id067-questions-for-suitors.pdf
Dear Girls,
The next newsletter is attached as a pdf and the text follows
this note for those of you who have difficulty opening the pdfs.
Also attached is an Issacharian Catalogue. This will be of particular
interest to those of you in New Zealand and Australia. In it I have
advertised all the books that I sell?? and they are all on special!
The prices all include shipping (including international shipping).
In response to ID066??
Boutique Narelle
Oh my goodness, Genevieve!
How wonderful…. I feel so much
like laughing and bouncing off
the walls. Just a few days ago I
was contemplating with my
mother about sewing my own
clothes, and maybe one day,
starting my own clothing
businessthat offers girls pretty
clothes.But I was wondering
how to get started! Ha ha ha.
And you sent this newsletter!
My prayer has been answered.
*Shakes head.* God has
answeredme again through
yournewsletters. =) Thanks so
much, and I’m looking forward
to all of Narelle’s projects in the
boutique!
Lisamarie from the USA
In response to ID058 and ID059??
Beautiful Words?? My Engagement Story
Dear Genevieve, the beautiful bride to be,
Oh, we are so excited over your engagement with
Mr. Pete de Deugd! I'm typing this in the library
so I can't giggle with joy. This is so glorious!
The Lord has used the both of you to bring honor
to His Holy name. We'll be praying for the Lord
to bless your continued preparation, wedding and
marriage. May you be the mother of tens of
millions, and may your children posses the gates
of your enemies.
I'm so excited about all that the Lord has done,
and is doing with your courtship. I've been praying,
both for wisdom for you and Pete, and that this
courtship would bring glory to God and bless the
Church of Jesus Christ. And God has done abundantly
more than anyone could imagine! Sarah, who is 14,
said today,??it's like a storybook. I agree, and
the best thing is, it's all real. Life is so much
more exciting than I could ever dream, once we
yield to God his rightful sovereignty. He is good
and his mercy endureth forever!
I love that note from Jackie (Sunnyside WA), what
wise words she has written. What a blessing that
these young ladies and young men are learning to
obey God and serve Him with all their hearts
while they are still children. Oh, I enjoyed
learning how Pete has been building his
multigenerational vision woodworking business
since he was 14. That is so exciting! I kidded
my little brother Matt that he only has 4 years
(he's ten).
I was thinking about what Dr. Voddie Baucham
spoke about on?? The Centrality of the Home in
the Evangelism and Discipleship of the Next
Generation. He explained how so many young
(and old) men in seminary don't want to get
married, they want to get their "ministry"
together. Well, I realized that Pete has a
most biblical ministry, both to the people
you mentioned (his family, church, neighbors
and customers, etc) but he also has a
thriving ministry to young ladies. A legion
of his little sisters in the Lord are taking
very careful notes about what God's word says
on the characteristics of a godly husband.
I love to see how the names of people and
their lives fit together. Jonathan was a true
friend to Pete by introducing you (ha ha,
I lovethe wanted poster). It reminded me of
the friendship of David and Jonathan, how
Jonathan was so selfless toward David.
And just think about it, God was preparing
you to be Pete's helpmeet your whole life:
as your parents invested in your life
through home education, as the Lord turned
your heart to home, as you practiced
sacrificing your desires and helping your
father. And from the beginning, God was
leading Pete to prepare for you, giving
him mercy, grace, wisdom, strength and
biblical convictions. For I know the plans
I have for you saith the Lord...
I was so excited about your engagement
and so wanted to give you an engagement gift.
I considered books, but I didn't know how
that would work out. As I was mowing the lawn,
I realized that I could pray for your marriage
for one year, starting on your wedding day.
I really like Dr. SM Davis's messages. He
speaks about how Satan tries to undermine
a marriage in the first year, and that the
first year is such an important foundation
for the rest of the marriage. The Old Testament
gives commands about a newly married man being
excluded from the army of Israel so he can cheer
up his wife.
:) So my prayers will be my present to you!
The box that Pete made for you is so lovely;
how exciting it is to think that your children
will be able to enjoy looking at it's beauty,
and remember the beautiful story of God's
providence in your marriage! I love to hear
about when my parents were children and about
their early marriage. My parents were engaged
by a bridge between Del Rio, Texas, and Mexico.
My father was at Laughlin AFB for pilot training
when he asked Mama to marry him. I once asked if
Daddy knelt down when he proposed, but Mama says
that he was on crutches because he had sprained
his ankle. But that's still very romantic, (to
us, his daughters, Daddy is our prince, and
nearly anything he does is wonderful).
Daddy is our hero!
Love,
Erin in the USA
Regards,
Genevieve
Monday, 3 December 2007
Dear Girls,
Questions for Suitors
Imagine...the day comes when a suitor appears on the scene. Great! What next?
An excellent next step is to determine whether a marriage between you and him would be an equal yoking. That is, if you were to enter into a relationship or courtship, could it culminate in a marriage? Do you believe the same things? Is there anything which would hinder the two of you from marrying? For example, for me, I wouldn't marry a man who didn't want to educate his children at home. So when my suitor came along, that was one of the first questions my dad asked him!
Your suitor might be a complete stranger or at least you may not know him well enough to know whether you'd like to marry him. So, as well as learning about his beliefs and convictions, it may be that you would like to get to know other aspects about him: his interests and preferences, likes and dislikes, views on various things, practices, personal history and family background, etc
This is where the following list of questions for suitors is helpful. They can help you get to know him. And as you ask him these questions, he might use them too to help him get to know you!
As you read through these questions, there may be some that will make you think,??I don't care about that. I don't need to know the answer to that question. ?? That is fine! We all have different things we are looking for and wondering about. Maybe as you read through you'll think,??What about asking him this or that? ?? Excellent!
There are over 70 questions on various subjects on the next three pages. Use them as a launching pad to help you think about other things you'd like to discuss with a suitor. If you do think of any other questions, jot them down and email them to me. The questions following are all ones that different Issacharian Daughters have submitted to me. Many thanks to the girls who contributed the questions! I'd love to email out more in another newsletter if any of you have any more questions you would like to email me.
A way that myself and other girls have used questions that we have compiled is to go through the questions with our parents/family. This can be a wonderful exercise. It can iron out what is really important to your family and can help you and your father communicate accurately about what he is looking for in a husband for you and what you are hoping for in a husband for yourself. If you do that with these questions, you might come up with others you'd like to ask in addition to or instead of some of these questions. Feel free to email those questions to me too and, Lord willing, perhaps I can email those out in a future newsletter.
Entertainment
Are sports just something fun to do, or are they a big part of your life?
What music do you listen to? (some examples) Does your family like/enjoy it too?
What is your standard for Godly music?
? What are your views on television in the home, and what is your family's history with television?
? What are your thoughts on computer/video gaming?
? What's your favourite sport?
What kind of music do you like?
Family
What family traditions, holiday or otherwise, would you like to incorporate into your family?
Do you want your children homeschooled? What role would you play in that? Would a 'hodge-podge' of curriculum be a part of the schooling plan?
What are your views on circumcision? Would our sons (Lord willing) be circumcised?
How would you go about testing suitors for your daughters? Or mates for your sons?
What are your ideas when it comes to medical vs. natural/herbal remedies, or emergencies?
? Is homeschooling a preference or a conviction and why? What does your family think about it?
? What methods of discipline did your parents and grandparents use, and what is your opinion about this?
? If a visiting child misbehaves in your home, how do or would you handle it?
? What are your family's holiday and anniversary traditions and how do you feel about them?
? As an adult living with or away from your family, what parts do your mother, father and grandparents play in your life?
? In your family, whose responsibility is it to mow the lawn and take care of other yard work?
Is that the way you think it should be? How do or would you establish division of labour indoors and out?
? Does your family have an history of health challenges, and what is their and your view on this?
? How would you discipline a child if the child needed it?
Would you want your children home educated or sent to a school?
Finances
Do you only buy/wear name brand clothing/shoes, or are finds at thrift stores just fine?
Would you be the only money-maker, or could (I) continue one or more cottage industries (which were begun before marriage), either throughout the marriage or as needed?
Do you have a student loan or credit card debt? If so what are your plans for paying it off?
Food
Do you like 'leftover' meals or something fresh for each meal?
What food(s) will you absolutely not eat? 🙂
? When your family visits friends for a shared meal, what do you like to do after you've eaten?
? Do you ever do the dishes? When?
? What are your views on nutrition and supplementation?
Personal Habits/Skills/Hobbies/Direction
? Is there anything about your current lifestyle or habits that you would change if there were children being raised in your presence?
? What are your views and practices regarding male dress/appearance?
? Are you a home handyman, do you hire a professional, do you expect your mother/sister/wife to fix it, or do you just ignore it?
? Do you enjoy and initiate intellectual stimulation?
? What is your view on speech standards, in regards to education as well as uprightness?
Do you alter your speech style when evangelizing or amongst differing levels of society and for what reason?
Why have you chosen courtship over dating? Was it your parents' view to start with, or have you dug deeper yourself, and as you have, has God spoken to you about it?
Would you rather make a large difference in one person's life or a small difference in the entire world?
What God-given gifts and talents do you have, and how do you use or plan to use them for God's service?
What weaknesses do you have that I can pray about for you? How are you trying to overcome them, and is there any way I can help?
What ministry(s) do you have?
Is there any way I would be able to help you in this ministry(s)?
Have you travelled much?
Do you have a vision for your future family? What is it?
Do you play any musical instruments?
? What do you like doing in your spare time?
Politics
What's your view on our present government? Do you think people should protest against some of the laws that have been passed or may be passed soon? Or would you rather only pray about it instead of moving in action?
Do you ever criticize the leaders of our country?
What do you think of society's total exception and toleration of homosexuals?
Would you smack your children even though it is illegal to do so? Is it right/wrong to obey this law?
Preferences
Do you like the town or the country better?
What's your favourite animal?
What kind of books do enjoy reading most?
What's your favourite kind of take-aways?
Theology/Church
? What part does the Bible play in your life, and what is your view on modern translations?
? What do you consider appropriate music in the church and in the home and why?
? How do you spend your Sabbath and why?
? If your church leadership taught or promoted something you considered errant, how would you respond?
? What is your view on mid-week or evening church meetings that require the presence of husband and/or wife?
? What is your opinion of youth groups and children's Sunday school?
? What is your attitude and activity regarding missions and evangelism?
Do you believe in pre-destination?
Do you believe in??once saved always saved ???
How much time do you spend talking to God? Is He always the main factor in all of your decisions? How has He impacted your life? When/how did you become a Christian? Are all the members in your family Christians or not?
For the Greater Glory of God through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
Genevieve SmithIssacharian Daughter
Notes: I have sent this email to girls who have embraced a vision of victorious daughterhood as well as those who may be thinking about doing so (and even to some girls who may just like some encouragement regarding different areas of home life). Some of the girls are in the USA, UK, Australia and other parts of the world. Most are in New Zealand. You are welcome to forward this email on to others so long as you do so in its entirety. If you do not want to receive these emails please just send a return email to me stating that fact. If you know of other girls who would be encouraged by receiving these emails, feel free to forward the email to them or send me their email address.