pdf of Issacharian Daughters – ID057 – click on link below for correct layout and photos
Dear Girls,
Thank you so much for your lovely emails congratulating me on my engagement. For those of you who asked, yes, Pete did give me a ring. He picked it out himself. It fit perfectly and I love it! And, no, we don’t have a wedding date as yet?? though it will probably be early next year. I hope to share our story with you all in the future.
Letters from readers
Good morning Genevieve,I’ve wanted to email you for some time now, just to let you know that I grow increasingly grateful for the weekly Issacharian Daughter email. At least the last month or so, the content of the ezine has been “hitting the nail on the head” for me, so to speak. I’m continually finding it dually encouraging and challenging. I just want to thank you for the effort, time and thought that you (and your family) put into Issacharian Daughters.
Also, the book you kindly gave me– “So Much More”–is living beside my bed again. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that has so head on challenged my thought patterns–patterns I’ve simply adopted without really delving into the heart of the issue(s) and understanding the whys and hows. “So Much More” is soooo thought provoking for me. I’ve held a very staunchly independent view on life and my roles. This has healthily challenged that and opened up to me so much more. I’ve been asking Dad to have a read of it (like the book suggests) since early this year. Since he is a pastor he already has a STACK of books to read that others have given him or he’s wanted to read himself, and he’s also working on the church building project and our own home, so it hasn’t worked out so far although he knows I’d really like him to read it. So, just this week, I came up with a plan!! Monday nights are usually our family nights. And, I realized that I could read one of the chapters aloud to the family. It worked. I read the one that dealt mostly with the root of feminism and then we got into discussions till after ten that night!
One of my sisters has also expressed interest in the book and has asked that we read it together some nights before we go to bed. So thank you Genevieve. Your gift to me is getting a lot of use and it’s challenged me and continues to challenge me ALOT. I’m starting to have a different view than that of the friends I’ve kept. I’m starting to get a better handle on why an independent career world view isn’t as beneficial as I once thought it was. My heart is starting to break when I walk past day care centers. I’m starting to see the value in encouraging my dad and brothers to be real men, and how important real Christian men are. More and more I’m getting built up on the inside that it’s not embarrassing or belittling myself to say that I want to be a mother. Before, I was embarrassed to admit it and I felt that when people asked me what I wanted to do, I had to have a list of career moves stacked up so that it looked like I was heading on one swish pathway to success.
Gradually, it’s settling different in me. I’ve always known that motherhood is going to be a huge part of my calling, but I wrote it off to “outsiders”. I was ashamed to tell others about it. I’m starting to see how shameful it is not to be confident in that valued calling where so few are bold enough to be what God called and designed them to be without getting tangled up in what others think. Another beautiful thing is that I find myself growing more and more grateful that I am at home with my parents. Four years ago–I was despising being at home and I moved out!! What a turn around.
I realize I have a long way to go, but I wanted to thank you again Genevieve for giving me the book. It’s been the best thing I’ve read in a long time and what it presents, will challenge, encourage and pursue me for a lifetime. I definitely know that other Christian women need to get this book into their hands and hearts!!
God bless. Thank you, thank you, thank you so, so much for the wonderful encouragement you are. I’m so blessed!
Love,Anny Edwards
The emails you send every week are such an encouragement to me. It’s a
time where I can be reminded about Biblical standards in amongst all the
comings and goings of my week.
At the end of this year I will have nearly finished my degree in music, with only two papers to finish next year, one being a theology paper and the other a dissertation. I am so looking forward to finishing and have decided to stay at home and to not do anymore study. I will start a music-teaching studio here at home. This way I can help mum with homeschooling the twins and take part in cooking and cleaning which she can’t do very much because of her back. I finally feel satisfied and in my decision now have an answer to that famous question “What are you going to do when you finish school?” ;-)Through your emails and G.F.C conferences I have become aware of the real role of womanhood. Thank you. 🙂
From Emma in New Zealand
Regarding My Engagement
Hi Genevieve,
Congratulations!Your fiancé is a wise man to have chosen you for his wife. Ü How exciting. I’m sure your father will have a challenging time when he gives away his dearest, eldest daughter. Ü “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) God continues to amaze me. He knew Pete would marry sweet Genevieve even before you two were ever born. He knows who your children will be, their children, and their children’s children. Don’t we have a faithful God? Sometimes we may wish to see our future, but why? God’s plans for us come as a mystery. How exciting. We’re living His plan for us every day. I laugh when I think how God loves to surprise us. (He probably chuckled (past tense! Ü) and said, “Won’t Genevieve Smith be happy when I send Pete de Deugd for her husband.” Ü)
May God bless your upcoming marriage and your new life together.
Love from afar (Sunnyside, WA, USA! Ü),Jackie Kilian, 13 yrs old(a new subscriber)
I love this note from Jackie. In it she demonstrates a wonderful faith and trust in God. And what she says is true. If we are to marry God is preparing us for our husbands and preparing our husbands for us. He will bring us together in His perfect timing. We don’t have to worry about it! ~ Genevieve
Response to ID053 – Can’t My Husband Be
My Helper?
My dear Miss Genevieve,I love your newsletters!They offer such a refreshing perspective, even for an “older” married woman, such as myself.I had to laugh (in sympathy), though, at your story about giving up your dream of starting an African orphanage. For years and years, I treasured such dreams, although I’d think I’d rather go to cooler climates.Amy Carmichael was such an inspiration to me.I prayed for God to give us a large family, so I could have many children, even if I didn’t get my orphanage.However, God had other plans.After three miscarriages, God has only given us two daughters on this earth.I’m no longer able to have children, and I’ve been struggling…really struggling with surrendering my dreams of more children.My husband and I used to discuss adoption, but there was just no way, given where God has placed us financially.The past two years I keenly felt the death of my dreams and really worked to further cultivate contentment with our small family.
Your newsletter caused me to laugh, because God has recently re-awakened my dreams of having several children, but in a way I never dreamed of before!My husband and I are in the process of becoming foster parents.We expect our first foster baby sometime in October.You can read more about our decision to become foster parents at http://www.positivelyfeminine.org/maternal/aw/foster.htm
I would encourage all the young women who still have those desires to serve orphans to first of all cultivate their homemaking skills, especially organization and child care.Then, with their parents’ permission, find a foster family to bless.Foster families are under tremendous stress, from within (these children have serious baggage) and from without (government regulations, non-understanding friends and family, etc.).And they desperately need help. I recently read of one woman who showed up at the front door of a foster family and took all of their laundry – weekly – to the laundry mat, did it all in 3 hours, and returned it all dried and folded.The family called her the “Laundry Angel.” What a blessing!
I would also encourage young women to pray that their future husbands would have a tender heart toward orphans.Maybe even consider becoming a foster family themselves, after they get married.There are over 500,000 foster children in the US alone.The numbers worldwide are staggering.There are millions of Christians world-wide.If 1 family in 10 took just one orphan, the impact world-wide would be nothing short of revolutionary.
One doesn’t need to go to the ends of the earth to find an orphan to bless.I’ve found that they are right here in my own hometown, and they need me and my family to love them.The dream has been resurrected, and I’m more excited than ever, waiting to see what God will do in our family.And I prefer the climate in Indiana much more than the climate in Africa!
For more ideas on blessing orphans, please read:http://www.familylifetoday.com/hopefororphans/TenWays_inside.pdf
Blessings on you and your ministry,Anni WelborneWest Lafayette, IN
The next newsletter is attached as a pdf and the text follows this note. To see the pictures you will need to open the pdf.
God bless,Genevieve
Monday, 24 September 2007Dear Girls,
Is She a Lady?
We often give the title of lady to those who do not deserve it. A lady is a woman who is honourable, truthful, refined; who regards the comfort of others before her own; who never forgets how important little courtesies are to the happiness of life; who is loyal to her friends and never betrays a trust; who scorns to think a mean thought or speak a mean word or perform a mean act; who reverences age, protects weakness, and maintains her own womanly self-respect.
~ Taken from The Girls Own Annual, 1896For 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.