Messages and Mentoring

As I mentioned before, this year was the sixth Father Daughter retreat that Dad and I have attended, and I think that this year was the best yet.  The fellowship was so encouraging and the messages were excellent. 

Saturday morning started out with Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin speaking on "Adventuress Femininity", something very near to my heart.  I have always been what my Dad calls an "All-American girl", I love being a girl and I love adventure.  When I talked to the Botkin sisters on Friday they told me "we actually thought of you when we were writing this". 

A spirit of adventure is a wonderful and necessary thing for a girl to have.  A spirit of adventure doesn't mean we have to become Nancy Drew or Jane Bond.  Life is an adventure, and if we don't embrace it then we are living in fear.  A spirit of fear is not from the Lord (2 Tim 1:7) and is something that we must overcome with the Lord's help (Phil 4:13).  The Bible says that we are to fear God (Prov 9:10) and nothing else (Deut 31:6).  God is in control, we can rest assured in that (Rom 8:28).

Then Mr Scott Brown spoke on the topic of modesty.  He posed an excellent question that every family must answer, "what is your dress code, and do you get it from God or man?".  Then he gave the following verses for families to study:  1 Tim 2:9-10, 1 Pet 3:1-6, Deut 22:5, Prov 7:4-27, Gen 5:21, Rom 12:1-2, 1 Thess 4:1-7, 1 Cor 6:1-20

Now I can't cover this entire topic here, Lord willing I will in a future post.  But just remember this, modesty begins in the heart and is reflected in the way we dress.

Then Mr Geoff Botkin spoke on "What godly young men will be looking for in your daughter".  Dominion marriages are crucial in reclaiming the family, and that is why it so important that we know what the right kind of young men are looking for. 

The average young man is directionless, without a mission and without a message. 

"If you don't know where you're going in life, any old wife will get you there."  Isaac Botkin

But the young man with a mission and a message is developing discernment, looking for a wife who is friendly, confident in relationships, confident in doctrine, humble and teachable.

I always wonder how young women can have such high standards for their future husbands, while having almost none for themselves.  Just as we have standards, don't you think they do as well?  By thinking that all it takes find a husband is being cute, we are not only devaluing them but ourselves as well.

"You still think you're the belle of the county don't you?  That you're the cutest little trick in shoe leather, and every man that meets you is dying of love for you." Rhett Butler to Scarlett O'Hara, Gone with the Wind

Saturday night  Mr Phillips spoke, but I didn't take many notes.  I had a little friend on my lap for those 3 hours and was enjoying her company.  Little Virginia is too precious for words!

                                                        Virginia's tulip garden!

Also part of the Saturday evening line-up were two audience participation activities.  Mr Phillips would call for volunteers and almost every hand in the room shot up.  The first five were brought on stage where their fathers sang "You Are My Sunshine" to them.  The winner was chosen using the "Clap-O-Meter"

Then it was time to help daddy get ready for work.  Anyone who has been here before knows that this is when things get messy.  5yr olds and shaving cream are quite a mix!  Mr Phillips says every year that he is going to get Dad up there, but hasn't been able to yet.

With all the mess cleaned up, Dad and I had dodged the bullet yet again, or so we thought.

After this Mr Phillips said "We don't believe in grudge matches at Vision Forum, but there are some old debts that need to be settled.  So we are going to have a special old-timer round".  At this point Faith Phillips looked at me "raise your hand, Dad would call on you!" "No way! That is one thing Dad says he never wants to do."  I started praying "dear God please don't have him call on us"  but it was to late "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome my good friend..." and he finally got us.  Dad was great, and went through the whole thing with a big smile, what a trooper! 

As wonderful as the messages were, the fellowship was even better.  Outside of a family reunion I have never hugged so many people!  Catching up with old friends, making new ones and just enjoying time with like minded young women was a tremendous blessing. 

Up next- High Tea, a Hailstorm and a Tornado!