First Post of the New Year! (I know, kind of sad) :-)

Hello All! I am so sorry for neglecting to update my blog! Believe it or not, I have neither forgotten nor abandoned it, but other things have taken priority! :-)

By way of personal update I am happily home again with my family after spending 32 days (Dec. 27-Jan. 28) helping some dear friends, the Phero family. I thought about trying to do a post to sum up my time in Pennsylvania, but decided I really couldn’t do any justice to the people and events! As a very quick recap, I had a wonderful time! I really enjoyed being able to work alongside Sarah, talking with her and learning from her; Sarah, you are such an amazing example and I am so thankful for the way you made me a part of your family while I was with you! Sarah and her husband made a point of making sure that I was able to get some good, encouraging fellowship during my stay and I am so grateful! There are two families I really came to love and hold dear: the Einwechters and the Martins. I think the best way to describe my time with these precious families is: contagious laughter; sober discussions; studying the word; randomness; snowball fights (the epic snow battle, fighting for our rights!); and a bunch of “long time no see”! Karen and Abigail, Carmen and Candace, you all hold a special place in my heart! Bet you didn’t know I have five sisters! :-D

The Einwechters and Martins opened their homes and hearts to me and became my “family away from family”, thank you all so much and may the Lord bless you in a special way!

My flight home was pretty good, I flew out of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and went from there to Philadelphia, about a 25 minute flight and from there home, which was about 3 hours. I missed my family so much and I am so grateful to the Lord for safely reuniting us! Dad and Mom, Joseph; Samuel; Noah; Timothy; Benjamin; David and Victoria, you all deserve a word of praise, I never would have been able to serve the Phero’s if you had not shouldered my responsibilities while I was gone, I know it was a sacrifice on everyone’s part and I thank you for your love, support and service!
A special word of thanks to my adopted Christian Grandmother, Mrs. Linda Fordyce; your prayers, love and support carried me through some interesting times, thank you! :-)

Not long after I got home and started trying to get back into the swing of things we received a call from some friends in Illinios, the Smiths, whose mother/grandmother had just been treated for cancer in Texas. The elder Mrs. Smith lives about 45 minutes north of us and was in need of someone to come and stay with her for about six days while she got readjusted at home. So, that is where I am currently, I go home tomorrow for the weekend. If she needs me again, she’ll call, otherwise I get to stay home :-)

So, things are busy, in the midst of this we are gearing up for the busy-ness of Spring. Joseph trying to get his own business up and going, he is selling naturally raised beef and possibly chicken. So he is busy developing contacts for that. I am getting ready for the milking season to start up. Samuel has egg laying chickens and he is trying so hard to get an egg business up and going, unfortunately predators have done a number on his hens, I believe they’ve killed over 20! Poor Samuel! He, Joseph and Dad and trying to track the varmints down and ‘remove’ them. We’ve found several cats, some we got in live traps and took elsewhere and then I think we’ve shot two. Last year we had barn owls taking the chickens out. Owls are protected by law (wish the chickens were too!) so all we could really do was trying to owl proof the chickens’ home, thankfully we haven’t had any problems with them this year. Unfortunately, we have had some problems with coyotes. They try to get the chickens, they good news is that we built the MCCU’s (Mobile Chicken Containment Unit) securely, the unpleasant part is coming out the next morning and finding a chicken running around missing a wing, or scratched and bloody inside the MCCU. I won’t go into details, but you can learn quite a bit about chicken anatomy that way! Actually, the dogs were worse. We haven’t had any problems this year but last year they got I think 3 or 4 of the chickens. Do you have any idea what it’s like to try and convince your dog to give you a chewed chicken? Unfortunately, dogs don’t reason, so you have to get your hands in there and open the dog’s jaw and pull out the chickens. The cool part is when you can identify the various organs, the nasty part is that there are visible organs to identify!

We are also trying to prepare for a family garden, we’ve never really had good success with gardening, but we are determined to master it at some point! We aren’t licked yet! It looks like the plan is going to be to give each person a portion of the garden for their own, to plant as we please and to be responsible to care for. We kids are pretty excited and trying to figure out what we are going to plant. My grandfather Hoffman passed away Thanksgiving 2007, one of his favorite things while he was living was gardening. He had come down and helped us start our gardens many times. When we were stationed in Norfolk, Virginia he brought up potted tomato plants since we were renting and couldn’t tear up our landlord’s lawn J As we prepare for the garden this year there is an underlying sadness, we really miss him :-(

I am also hoping to get some sewing projects done, I want to make a few dresses for the Spring/summer and I really want to start on a quilt, Sarah, Karen and Abigail have inspired me! It’s something I’ve wanted to do for four years now, but after actually seeing some homemade quilts I decided to get a little more serious about it!

Well, by the grace of God this former suburban, military family is really having fun living on 38 acres and learning to be a little more self-sufficient.

I have contemplated adding pictures to my blog, to give some visuals. It would be anything amazing as I am not camera savvy in any way, unlike some good friends of mine, but it would be fun just the same. Unfortunately, I am not sure how I would do that just yet. We have s-l-o-w internet access, it takes about six minutes to upload a single photo L So, unless I can figure something out, it might not work. We’ll see.
That’s it for now.
His servant,
Monique Hoffman

Some Frequent Concerns

*Note: I received a comment from Mrs. Milton for the post “True Power for Women”. Because many of the concerns she brought up are ones that frequently come up in relation to family integration and/or daughters at home I wanted to post her comment and my answer. I tried to ensure that I answered her concerns with the respect due an older woman (1 Timothy 5:1-2) and the love due a fellow sister in Christ.
I have taken it apart and answered it point by point. (The original comment is in black, mine in purple)

Enjoyed the post for it's call for women to remain firm in the roles set forth by the Lord, but I do have to take issue with a couple of things. One is that the family is the foundation of society. It is God who raises up and maintains societies for His purposes. We are to be obedient to His Word to bring glory to Him but God has determined the direction society will take to fulfill prophecies.

To the best of my knowledge God, in scripture, never establishes Himself as the ‘foundation’ of society as He does the church (1 Cor. 3:10-11). He establishes rulers (Rom. 13:1-4) and calls leaders to account (Ps. 2:10-12) but He never claims to be society’s foundation. By the same token I am not aware of any passage of scripture where God explicitly calls the family the ‘foundation of society’. This is rather an extra-biblical assumption based on history and logical deduction. For example, as American’s we look back over our relatively short history and see that at the beginning of our foundation we had strong families, a strong church and a strong government (not in the sense of a powerful government, but one where politicians at least were willing to take responsibility). We were a culture that understood that freedom is derived from God, that understood that the government was accountable to a ‘higher power’; where men and women understood and were dedicated to their roles as fathers/husbands and mothers/wives. We then watch as over history the family was attacked through feminism (which did not start in the 70’s and 80’s); Marxism; public, government funded education (which is by the way an unconstitutional institution) and we see the decline in the church, and the government as the next generation arises under the training of Darwin, Spock, Stanton, and others. As the say, the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. Men such as Hitler and Lenin understood that in order to build that order they sought (whether it be Nazism or Socialism) they had to train the next generation from a young age.
Destroy the family, you destroy the country. -- Vladimir Ilyich Lenin

We must be careful not to assume that just because we maintain a right standing before the Lord that our society will remain untouched.

Neither Miss.Brodock or myself ever made this comment. However, I would remind you of passages such a Deut. 28 and the entire book of Proverbs where God says that He will bless obedience and curse disobedience, notice He does not make salvation a prerequisite for these blessings.

We live in a very important time in history where we have the joy of demonstrating to the world Christ's work in our lives. God's word calls us to live a quiet life of honor toward the Lord which speaks volumes in our society. We must always keep in mind that this life is not about our comfort, rights and privileges; but taking up our cross and following the One who paid our debt. It's not us against them, our fellow sinners. We are just privileged to have been chosen and must be about in all humility urging others to follow the way of the King of Kings and praying that He will open their eyes.

agreed, but I don’t understand your point, it was never said that we should do otherwise.

Yes, the family is very important as it is one of the institutions the Lord has used to demonstrated how authority and submission in the Godhead works, but should not be elevated as the foundation of society. Christ alone has that honor.

Nowhere in scripture has Christ given Himself this ‘honor’. See first point.

We should not be offended nor surprised that our society does not recognize the importance of the Christian woman's role, but excited when we see a glimmer that they do.

Speaking for myself, I am not offended nor surprised that neither society nor the majority of Christians for that matter, do not recognize the importance of woman’s God-given role (Gen 2:18-24, Titus 2:4-5). The purpose of my blog is to encourage young ladies who are going against the grain and seeking to be obedient to this calling.

This nation has never been "Christian" as many in the believing community purport. We are just fortunate that God, in His mercy, has allowed us the freedom to worship Him without physical persecution over the 200+ years. Yes, many came here to have that freedom, but our government has never been truly Christian; moral, yes, but not God fearing.

I don’t recall ever commenting on this blog that our nation was Christian, though I may have made the comment verbally. Perhaps this needs some explaining, this nation has never been Christian in that there was never at one point all citizens born-again believers. Even Israel can’t claim that! However, the people I know who make comments like this or similar are referring to the incredible influence of Christianity on this nation, her laws and her founding people. For instance, even men like Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, who were not saved, made comments such as “I tremble for my country when I think that God is just” and requesting prayers and fasting for God’s intervention on behalf of America. So, it is true that America was never a nation where all people were born again believers, but there was a time when the majority were under the influence of the word of God.
All this to be said, I don’t see the purpose of this comment since there was no mention of America being Christian in this post.

I know this was a lengthy response, but I see many young ladies making some assumptions which go outside of Biblical teaching, and thus am genuinely concerned about the increase in legalism within the Christian community.

In this comment the word, ‘legalism’ is taken way out of context. Having been accused of this often our family has taken some time to research it. The basic definition of legalism is, “adding work based requirements to salvation.” I have never stated that a woman must be a keeper at home or else she won’t be saved. There is nothing legalistic about evaluating woman’s role in light of scripture and in contrast to our society.

Always remember that there is a distinct difference between the specific do's and don'ts of scripture and the preferences which we choose to set up in our personal lives to assist us in remaining holy before the Lord. These are not the same for everyone. It's really OK that the society in which we live does not embrace our choices. We need to make sure that we are not trying to impose our choices on others(this includes other believers as well). Then it becomes sin for us rather than the holiness which we desire. We must stop looking around us and strictly look up, otherwise we compare ourselves to others and elevate parts of our lives to a level where it was never intended to be... we begin to judge in ways we were never instructed to do.

Our lives must be evaluated in light of scripture rather than compared to society, I agree. By the same token it is important to hermeneutically evaluate the cultural shifts in America and it’s effects on us today. We need to know what God says and how I am to live and to also understand that our society has by and large rejected biblical truth. While we are not called to pass self righteous judgments we are called to discern.

Believe it or not, I am simply trying to encourage young ladies to make sure they are living according to the Word of God and not according to personal preference which leads to unrighteous judging of others and a critical spirit as time goes. We become like the ones who we say judge us for the choices we have made personally to serve our Lord in holiness. (Titus 2:3-5, I Corinthians 10:23-33, Romans 14: 1-15:13, 1 Corinthians 8:1-13, 11:1)

I believe you :) , but I think you missed the point entirely.

Thinking Biblically on these issues:1. Remember we are not the one who accepts our brothers in Christ, Christ is. (Rom 15:7)

How have we rejected our brothers? I still have fellowship with sisters who work outside the home, girls in college, etc. We still pray together and love each other. How is that a rejection? Where in Miss. Brodock’s post was there any inference to rejecting our Christian family over this issue?
I think you have misjudged us.

2. Remember we are not their Lord, Christ is. (Rom 14:4-9)
3. Remember you will not be their judge, Christ will. (Is 45:23, Romans 14:10)
Agreed.

We are to confront sin and error not the morality of the issues of conscience. We must not take pride in our convictions. We must leave room to grow to see God's Word is sufficient.
not Moses.

What about the verses like Titus 2:4-5 where God says that young women need to learn certain qualities so that the word of God is not blasphemed? That is not an issue of the conscience, that is truth, it is sufficient and it is serious!

I think you misread the post entirely. The post asked “why the inconsistencies? Why am I praised if I am out in the world and condemned if I am at home?” and then answers those very questions, “because our culture has lost sight of something it once treasured, Motherhood in the home. We once understood that a mother’s influence in her children’s lives was invaluable. Right now we’re too busy worrying if she got the right raise, how soon she can return to work after the birth of her baby, if her husband is contributing 50/50 rather than leading in love and on it goes. Our culture is decaying and becoming horrific just looking at the news reports will prove it. Yet another mother has murdered her own child-outside of the womb, a young college woman murders her roommate, children are failing in school, marriages are falling apart, young girls committing suicide and we could go on.
To be very honest, if I had to choose something to point out in this post it would have been this, the example of Moses it a very weak one. His mother nursed him for somewhere around two years and then he was raised in the pagan house of Pharaoh. Moses is, if anything, a good example of God’s divine intervention to prepare a leader for His people despite the child’s surrounding. I would have put someone else up there like maybe Benjamin West, who said, “It was my mother’s kiss that made me a painter” ie her love and support. Or Abe Lincoln or George Washington, or John Quincy Adams, but not Moses.

True Power for Women, from Miss. Brodock

Here is a beautiful post from Miss. Olivia Bodock over at "Heart of a Southerner". Before I let you read it I do have to take a moment and note that we Northeners are 'open minded' (and I say that carefully in light of it's cultural context!). I actually read several southern blogs :)
Okay, now that I've made my point, I hope that you are blessed by Miss. Olivia's
"The True Power for Women".

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

The True Power for Women
If I cook great dishes, make them into literal works of art as I work them up in a commercial kitchen, and serve them to people I've never met, or will ever meet again, I am called a chef, an artist!

But, if I cook those same dishes for the ones I love most and I nourish my family in the realm of my fathers home, it is said that I am wasting my talent.

If I go to school for years, become a CPA, and manage books for other people that I have absolutely no ties with; I'm a career woman, I'm independent, I am a woman of the twenty first century!!!!

But if I, after years of studying, keep my dad's books, I am then wasting MY life, all that training down the drain!

If I take care of a other people's children, I become their nanny, I am then a childcare professional, I am valuable and important!!!

But, if I take care of and nurture children GOD gives me, then I am old-fashion. I am repressed by a sexist society of dominate males! I am told I am WASTING MY LIFE!

If I care for rooms, homes or offices that belongs to strangers; I'm a housekeeper, a cleaning professional.

But, if I remove dust bunnies out of my own home and make it clean and orderly for my family; It is thought that I am a house wife and am wasting my life with coupons and soap operas! (who has time for soap operas???)

What is the difference between the examples above? Why is nanny-hood OK, but motherhood frowned upon? Why is professional respected and domestic criticized? Why is going through a secular college an assumed event in every high school graduate's life, but simply learning at home and continuing education in many mediums highly disregarded?

The answer is clear. Karl Marx saw it plain and simple. Feminism. If we as a culture can get Mom out of the home, make her feel that she has to bring in a paycheck or other wise she is useless, then we can easily destroy the family. When you destroy the family, you will then destroy the local church. If the churches are destroyed what is stopping the destruction of communities and countries?

Everything... EVERYTHING has a foundation. The foundation for society is family. God gave us this order for governing:

Self-Government

Mother & Father

Church Elders

Government Officials ( Police\Judges etc..)

GOD HIMSELF

In the end we end up answering to God. This is the pecking order so-to-speak, plainly laid out before us. If we can destroy this order by neglecting self-government (personal responsibility), remove parental athority, reject church athority, believe ourselves above the civil law, then God help us as we place ourselves in the hand of an angry God. If you think God is not serious about His principles and precepts, I suggest you read what happen to the Israelites.

To sum it up, we as women cannot listen to the ridiculous lies of the Feminist society. Period. Our culture KNOWS the power of a strong, Biblical woman. The problem is, I don't think we as Christian women realize the power we possess!!!

The power we possess is not a corporate power, not a power in the sense that we are as physically strong as men, but it is a deep power that determines the culture of tomorrow. The power Moses' Mom knew she possessed. By raising that baby, she helped lead Israel out of slavery into the PROMISED LAND!! The power of Moms, who for centuries have rocked the cradles of the men WHO CHANGED THE WORLD!!!

The feminist idea of power has taken that true power away from us and we MUST get it back. No one else can do what God has designed us as women to do.

Let our sons in their youth be as grown-up plants, And our daughters as corner pillars fashioned as for a palace;Psalm 144:12

Family Culture, Part 2

A Sister's Contribution to Family Culture

As I have been thinking about family culture, I have been asking the Lord to show me how I as a sister can contribute to the culture in my home. What I have done is looked up what my father calls the “one another” verse and separated them into basic categories. As with all topics I present before you, this is not an all comprehensive study but rather some fundamentals to help you in your personal study. You will notice as you look up the following references that some are in the context of the church. The reason I believe they are still applicable in the family, or at least the believing family, is this: the church is the body of Christ, or Christians, therefore a believing family is part of the church and under the same obligations. Profound, isn’t it? :)

Peace:
Mark 9:50, “Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.”
Romans 14:19, “Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.”
Love:
John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 15:12 & 17, “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another.”
Romans 13:8, “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.”

1John 4:7, 11, 12, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.”
1 John 3:11, 23, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.”
Prefer one another:
Romans 12:10, “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;
Ephesians 5:21, “submitting to one another in the fear of God”

Colossians 3:13, “forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”

1 Peter 5:5, “likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject to one another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud and giveth race to the humble.”

Same Mind, Unity:
Romans 12:16, “Be of the same mind toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend* to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.”

Romans 15:5, “Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 Corinthians 12:25, “That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.”

1 Peter 3:8, “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous.”

Edify:

Romans 15:1-2, “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification.”

Romans 14:19, “Let us therefore follow after the things which make of peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.”

Romans 15:14, “And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.”

Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly with all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

Hebrews 3:13, “But exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”

Hebrews 10:24, “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:”

#In the above verses, the emphasis is mine#

*i.e. humble yourself.

Life After High-School Part 2 . . .

Okay, as we get back into this I want to make sure that I clear up some issues.


The question I asked specifically was, "What do we do with our unmarried years?" and as I was going over my notes form the previous post I think that question is answered by 1 Corinthians 7:32&34. The application of this truth will look different in each person's life, depending on where God has them, but the basic truth remains the same: single years are for service and spiritual growth in ways that married people may not be able to based on the difference in responsibilities.

Therefore I am posing a new question to you:
How does college and higher education fit in? Earlier we discussed the fact that many people, not all, attend college for various reasons that do not fit within the biblical guidlines for this period of life.

One point I want to make sure that I am very clear on is this: in and of itself college is not a sin. It can most certainly be a breeding ground for all sorts of sins, but of itself it is not a sin. Higher Education (which sometimes includes college and sometimes does not) is not only not a sin, but it is vitally important to the preservation and passing on of life and liberty. Also, there is the concern of the many influences on campus (1Cor.15:33).

So, some questions to ask as we muse about college are as follows:

1) Why am I doing what I am doing? Does this have eternal value (2 Cor.5:9-11; 1 Cor. 3:10-15)?

2) Is this going to inhibit my ability to serve the Lord?

3) Is there another way that I can learn and grow without exposing myself to the negative influences? (i.e. distance learning, self teaching, etc)

4) Is this going to help prepare me for the future calling of wife and mother?

There are questions I cannot answer for you; you have to evaluate them through prayer, searching the scriptures and the counsel of of wise believers (preferrable your parents, though I realize that not all people have the blessing of godly Christian parents. In this situation, seek godly advice from an older, mature believer).

Some References for you:

"So Much More" by Anna Sophia and Elizabeth Botkin

"What's a Girl to do?" by Doug Phillips, cd

" The Return of the Daughters" by Anna Sophia and Elizabeth Botkin, movie/dvd

"Making Wise Decisions About College and Life After High School" by Doug Phillips, cd

Life After High School

When I graduated in the spring of ’07 most people knew of my desire to be a wife and mother at such a time as the Lord should choose to bring me a husband. The biggest questions I was asked was, “What was I going to do between now and then?” Hmmm. Good question. Most of my peers (actually, all of the ones I know) headed off to college, for various reasons. All of my female peers went to college and most went for what my father calls the ‘MRS’ degree (i.e. to find a husband). The majority of women are headed off to college to have a good time, often find a husband, and/or get a bunch of letters attached to their names (such as BS, PhD, AAS, etc.) . Many young women head to college because they don’t know what to do with their lives and since everybody else is going, they might as well go too. Now, lest you think me overly judgmental, there are some who go for education, but, we’ll address that in a little bit.
Now as we dive into this I’ll give you one of my father’s favourite Doug Phillips quotes, “Does a fish know it’s wet?” Well, not necessarily. A fish can certainly tell when it’s dry because it cannot breathe anymore, but other than that, wetness is all it has ever known and the only way they know they’re wet is when they’re dry. I know what you’re thinking, “Okay, great, thanks, that helps a lot” :) It truly does and let me show you how:
We live in a corrupt, pagan culture which hates God and rebels against Him in all that they do; dress, music style, forms of education, disregard for the blessings of children, divorce, murder, adultery, dishonouring parents, homosexuality, etc. Unfortunately we also see the church mimicking this rebellion in similar ways (dress, music standards, forms of educations, disregard for the blessing of children, etc) although, we do it in a more ‘holy’ manner, a nice ‘Christian step’ above the world. Now, to bring this full circle, how do we treat our single years after we’ve graduated? Do we follow the trend, spend around four years at college and go get a job in some corporate business? As part of my answer let me share a bit of my testimony.

My desire from the time I was young until now has pretty much always been to impact the world for Christ; the only difference is how I used to desire to execute that plan and how I now desire to do so. At one time, I was going to be president of the United States and I was going to turn us around. I was sick of the sin and wickedness and by golly I was going to change all of that! That was when I was eight. Around the time I was ten I wanted to be a missionary in China and die as a martyr (which, if it be God’s will, is an honourable call). Around the time I was fourteen I was going to attend Patrick Henry College and become a lawyer to use my argumentations to turn the legal system around and get us back on track, or at least give it my best shot. Again, noble ideas, but not the preferred method of execution. Around the time I turned fifteen God used my father to change my direction 180 degrees. As my parents were searching the word and seeking God’s direction on my future the Lord led my father to 1 Cor. 7:32&34, “. . . He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord-how he may please the Lord. There is a difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world-how she may please her husband.” As my father sought to translate that into daily living what he realized was that the unmarried years are set aside as time to ‘care for the things of the Lord-how I may please the Lord.’ Also, through both his searching and the work God was doing in my own heart we became conscious of a biblical principle that our culture has lost- a daughter remaining under her father’s authority and protection until God brings her a husband and that authority is transferred. This brought about some changes, to say the least because you have to understand the above principles in light of the role of woman as designed by God.

In order to understand the role a woman has and how that applies in each season in her life we must look back at the original creation account. In the beginning God created the universe and all therein and then created man to be His representative (image) and care for this wondrous creation. Adam immediately set to work naming the animals and found in the process of exercising dominion that there was not a helper suitable to him. God in His wisdom also knew this and knew that is ‘is not good for man to be alone’. So He created woman to work by Adam’s side and be his fellow dominion taker, his helper, complimentary to him and his needs. So, the question is, based on the origins of our first mother’s creation, based on the role we are designed for, and in light of 1 Corinthians 7:32-34, what are we to do during the unmarried years?

. . . You’ll find out in a week! :)