Straight From the Heart

Victorian Getaway by Randy Van Beek, from Lovely Whatevers

The Lovable Child

by Emilie Poulsson (1853-1939)

Frisky as a lambkin,

Busy as a Bee--

That's the kind of little girl

People like to see.

Happy as a robin,

Gentle as a dove,

That's the kind of little girl,

Everyone will love.

If you want to read more about this poet, click here --http://www2.soe.umd.umich.edu/quigley/book_index.php?link=61 and have a look at the illustrations in the books she wrote for children.

This simple childhood poem has a big message for any female from 2 to 92. When resourcefulness and busy-ness is taught early in life, people tend to be happier and more content in life. One thing that busy-ness will teach you, is that no matter what others do to take up your time or discourage you, you have lovely endeavors that will always absorb you.

Many young girls have discovered the exhilarating joy of living a life of giving. If a girl is careful to live by the words of poems like this, there can never be any need for boredom or idleness, and say this straight from the heart. When a girl is aware that time slips by and can never be recovered, she will come to see the difference between wise thinking and harmful idleness.

The list of things to do that truly benefit others and build the character of the young woman is seemingly endless, and may include things like:

Study: After completely academic studies, a girl should be eager to increase her knowledge in various things, and look for opportunities to learn to master various new skills. You can go to The Pleasant Times to look at ancient skills that are gaining new interest these days. It doesn't matter how old you are, you should be eager to broaden your awareness of the many things there are to learn that will add to your skills and enhance your character. The Bible is an excellent book to study and the book of Proverbs is the best philosophy/psychology book in the world.

Help the Sick: These days people are reluctant to be around too much illness, for fear they will be afflicted with the same thing, but if you are susceptible to illness, there are still many ways to minister to the sick or the shut-ins. Baskets, which have been around since before Moses, are a perfect vehicle to deliver comfort and love to those who are incapacitated. There are books you can read that show how to fill a basket and decorate it for any occasion. You can personally deliver such a gift that is straight from the heart. Consider making and mailing a beautiful card to someone who is not feeling well. Such a gift really does help a sick person get well.

Entertain: Home hospitality seems very rare these days and to be invited to someones home is a gift that is truly straight from the heart. To invite someone to your home is to give them part of yourself. The young girl who learns to make an art of this will find the time well spent. She can begin early in the week to prepare the home, plan the activities, select the tea service, and all the accents. When she gets involved in hospitality, she learns that it is far more involved than it looks. Entertaining is not just a matter of making a cup of tea, but presenting your very best in homemaking and relaxation to your guests, and to prepare for this will require a lot of time.

Teach Younger Women: The New Testament is clear on the teaching of younger women learning from the older ones about the family. If you are not an older woman, however, there is always someone who is younger, to teach. I have seen older girls teach younger girls how to knit and sew or bake or wash dishes and sweep a floor, and serve their families in many ways. If you know something good to do, it is very motivating to share it with someone else. Invite younger girls over for a card-making day or a book report day, or any number of things that enhance the lives of others. One-on-one tutoring is the most effective kind of teaching there is.

Steer clear of vice: When young women indulge in vice, such as drinking, for example, they will lose a sense of who they are, and forget their many talents. Adam Clarke, who wrote in the 18th century, said "When the drink came into a person, their wit went wholly out of them." Vice is an inferior choice for young women, and when it is offered, they should choose the superior things that improve their character and increase their learning.

Keep Your Eye on Whatever is Good and do not be distracted by attractive new philosophies. The truly beautiful young woman is not someone who wants to follow the cheap styles or try to be more like men, but the one who accepts the way God created her as a female, and does not want to compete with men. Those who follow the philosophy behind things like feminism and its derivatives, modernism or progressive-ism, will find themselves leaving the paths of whatever is good, pure, lovely, or creative. Don't get caught up in these false doctrines, but stay with the word of God. You will always get what you aim for and it is important to observe what direction people are going in, and where it is getting them. You don't have to be a great sociologist to observe what happens to girls who reject the teachings of their parents or who rebel against the care and protection of the home and family.

Be Creative. I can't emphasize enough how important it is to put your hands and mind to something good and useful and productive. The world is full of the problems that occur when people have nothing to do or who choose to do nothing. Remember that even though you are young, you do have an influence on others and you are a testimony to your own upbringing. Creativity is a very big subject that embraces many beautiful things. Try a dip and a dab of everything, and you will find something that appeals to you. Don't be close minded at a young age, but look to learn something. The things listed here will all help you when you have your own family in the future.