Anna Sofia Botkin's Blog, page 7

David and Nadia's Wedding

On May 14, 2011, our brother David was wed to our dear friend Nadia Noor, in one of the most blessed days of our family's lives.

"Semper Reformanda" has always been our family's motto — Always Reforming. When David and Nadia got engaged, they knew they wanted to apply this principle to their wedding as well. One of the many ways in which they're equally yoked is in their ability to think outside the box, and the spirit in which they tackled building a wedding plan from the ground up, examining every wedding-related tradition of men, made David and Nadia's wedding truly unique and unforgettable.

From the beginning, David established that he wanted to set an example of a short engagement, an inexpensive wedding and reception, and a wedding-atmosphere that pointed to real life instead of fantasy-land pageantry. He also wanted to communicate the relative jurisdictions of family and church, and remind all of us what the proper role the church plays in the forming of the marriage covenant. Big churches are great for seating many people, but so was the riding ring at our local county fairgrounds. David's main goal (aside from getting married) was to use the day as an opportunity to teach, encourage, and exhort the attendees. The day was not meant to point to the bride and groom, but to the marriage between the Eternal Bridegroom and His Church, and the message of the gospel.

"I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels." (Isa 61:10)

Anna Sofia helps adorn the bride.

Nadia's big brother David prays with her before she leaves her home as an unmarried woman for the last time.

David had planned for a number of messages to be given on that day.

Our father spoke on the importance of marriage in an anti-marriage culture.

Our recently-married brother Benjamin gave a fervent message on what we can learn about Christ's relationship with His Church through the picture of marriage.

David's highest priority for this day, this opportunity, was to see the gospel of Christ preached and to draw everyone's focus to their need to be united with the Eternal Bridegroom. David Noor gave one of the clearest and most passionate presentations of the gospel we've ever heard.

David speaks on the love of Christ as the foundation and the purpose of all other relationships.

Rather than have bridesmaids or groomsmen, David and Nadia wanted their families to stand with them as witnesses — and to participate. All of the family members of bride and groom had a word to honor and exhort the new couple, as our mother is doing here.

Anna Sofia thanks David for over twenty years of close friendship and discipleship.

Elizabeth thanks David and Nadia for their passionate love of God's law, word, and truth.

Nawelle shares her love and appreciation for her big sister and best friend.

I, Josiah David Botkin, a sinner saved only by the grace of God through the blood of Christ, do by covenant take you, Nadia Joy Noor, to be my wife. I confess that it is God who is joining us together, not according to our merit, but by His grace according to His perfect will. I enter this covenant in faith and with a clear conscience before God based on these facts:

You and I have determined, insofar as we are able, that we are equally yoked. (2 Corinthians 6:14) We have earnestly sought God and He is answering our prayers. We have determined that God has uniquely prepared us to serve Him together in marriage, that He is building this house, and it is His will that we marry in order to better serve Him. We have sought counsel from family and friends who have confirmed and supported our conclusions.

I have received permission to marry you and on the 29th of March, 2011, you agreed to become my wife. I love you and desire to take you as my wife and faithfully execute all my God-given duties.

Therefore:

I take you, Nadia, to be my wife, and embrace my God-given responsibilities as defined in Scripture, which is the final standard and requirement for all of life. (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 2 Timothy 3:16-17)

I promise, Nadia, to love you as Christ loved the church, laying my life down for you. (John 15:13, Ephesians 5:25) I promise to lead you in righteousness and to wash you with the water of the Word. (Ephesians 5:26) I promise to live with you in an understanding way, giving you honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life. (1 Peter 3:7)

I promise to be faithful to you always and to always rejoice in and be exhilarated with your love and beauty. I shall love, nourish, and cherish you as my own flesh, which you shall be. (Proverbs 5:15-19, Ephesians 5:28-31, Genesis 2:24).

If God is pleased to reward us with children, I promise to raise them in the fear and admonition of the Lord, teaching them God's Word when we sit in our house, walk by the way, lie down, and rise up. (Deuteronomy 6:7, Ephesians 6:4)

Further, I promise to search Scripture in order to better understand how to obey God and be more pleasing to Him. I promise to pursue sanctification and the fruits of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, knowing that against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

I confess the need to seek God and His Kingdom above all else, and purpose by God's grace to execute all my duty faithfully. I confess that God's perfect law is binding on all men and my knowledge of God's law and speaking it publicly today increases my responsibility to obey. May God, who witnesses all things, judge righteously if I do not keep His Law and the words of this covenant. (Nehemiah 5:13)

I have no confidence in my own strength, and I make these promises based only on the promises of God; that He gives grace to the humble, that He gives the ability to overcome every temptation, and that as one of His saved elect I have the strength to obey Him. (1 Peter 5:5, 1 Corinthians 10:13)

May God get glory, honor, and praise through this marriage. Amen.

I, Nadia Joy Noor, a sinner saved only by the grace of God through the blood of Christ, covenant to you, Josiah David Botkin, to be your wife. I confess that it is God who is joining us together, not according to our merit, but by His grace according to His perfect will. I enter this covenant in faith and with a clear conscience before God based on these facts:

You and I have determined, insofar as we are able, that we are equally yoked. (2 Corinthians 6:14) We have earnestly sought God and He is answering our prayers. We have determined that God has uniquely prepared us to serve Him together in marriage, He is building this house, and it is His will that we marry in order to better serve Him. We have sought counsel from family and friends who have confirmed and supported our conclusions.

I have received permission to marry you and on the 29th of March, 2011, I promised to be your wife. I love you and desire to be your wife and faithfully execute all my God-given duties.

Therefore:

I take you, David, to be my husband, and embrace my God-given responsibilities as defined in Scripture, which is the final standard and requirement for all of life. (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 2 Timothy 3:16-17)

I promise, David, to submit myself to you as to the Lord, being subject to you in everything, as the Church is subject to Christ. I will respect and honor you as my earthly lord and head. (Ephesians 5:22-24, 1 Peter 3:1-6)

I promise to help and support you, making your work and vision my own. (Genesis 2:18) I promise to follow you to the ends of the earth, wherever our beloved King sends you. I will not shrink from discomfort, uncertainty, opposition, or hardship, but welcome them, looking to Christ, longing to share in His sufferings and lose my life for His sake. (Matthew 28:18-20, 1 Peter 4:13, Matthew 10:39)

I promise to be faithful to you always, joyfully welcoming your authority over my body and gratefully accepting mine over yours. (1 Corinthians 7:1-5) If God is pleased to reward us with children, I will help you raise them in the fear and admonition of the Lord, teaching them God's Word when we sit in our house, walk by the way, lie down, and rise up. (Deuteronomy 6:7, Ephesians 6:4)

Further, I promise to search Scripture in order to better understand how to obey God and be more pleasing to Him. I promise to pursue sanctification and the fruits of the Spirit — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, knowing that against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

I confess the need to seek God and His Kingdom above all else, and purpose by God's grace to execute all my duty faithfully. I confess that God's perfect law is binding on all men and my knowledge of God's law and speaking it publicly today increases my responsibility to obey. May God, who witnesses all things, judge righteously if I do not keep His Law and the words of this covenant. (Nehemiah 5:13)

I have no confidence in my own strength, and I make these promises based only on the promises of God: that He gives grace to the humble, that He gives the ability to overcome every temptation, and that as one of His saved elect I have the strength to obey Him. (1 Peter 5:5, 1 Corinthians 10:13)

May God get glory, honor, and praise through this marriage. Amen.

Husband and wife share their first embrace.

Daniel Noor reads from Genesis 24:60: "And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them."

"For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee." (Isa 62:5)

Rejoicing in song.

"He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled." (John 3:29)

The three Botkin families.

"My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away." (Song of Solomon 2:10-13)

Siblings say farewell.

Three generations of strong women say their goodbyes.

Ben and Audri reminiscing over their wedding day seven months ago.

"Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it…" (Song of Solomon 8:6,7a)

Photos of the wedding feast coming soon!

Announcing… Yet Another Botkin Girl!

Twelve years ago, a young man in New Zealand began praying for a godly wife. About four years later, a young girl in New Jersey began praying for a godly husband. Over a few years of tests, changes, and international and cross-country moves, God brought the paths of these two very remarkable people together. This week, they became engaged to be married.

Rejoice with us, as we celebrate the engagement of our dear brother David to our beloved friend Nadia Noor! The Lord has brought our brother his perfect match and complement, his "good thing," and "helper suitable." Seeing the Lord's hand in preparing these two for each other, and leading them to each other, has been an overwhelming reminder of the perfection of His sovereign plan and His wonderful lovingkindness.

David, Nawelle, Nadia, and Anna Sofia butchering chickens. It shouldn't normally take four people.

This was a relationship forged through blood, sweat, and tears (sometimes literally…) Nadia had become like a sister to us since her family moved to Tennessee last year, and she and David had the opportunity to work on a number of projects together over the last year (see one of them here)

It wasn't long after David met Nadia that he was struck by her fear of the Lord, her gentle and quiet spirit, her bold and fearless shepherd's heart, and her devotion to her family. She stood out to him as a woman of unusual thoughtfulness, wisdom, and intelligence, tempered with humility. Most importantly, he saw in Nadia a heart wholly the Lord's — a hunger and thirst for righteousness, a passion for the Word, and a desire for God that matched the deepest desires of his own heart.

"House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD." (Proverbs 19:14)

"Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD." (Proverbs 18:22)

Right after she said yes — Dad, David, and Anna Sofia give thanks to the Lord.

Ben, Audri, and Elizabeth doing the same.

It is a beautiful thing to see a couple fully united in their mutual love of the Lord and His law, their humility, and their tender hearts before God — and in their resolute stands in the battle. We can't wait to see where God takes this dynamic couple. Our prayers are with them as they prepare to serve Him with the rest of their lives together.

End of the Year Sale!

Western Conservatory is celebrating the end of the year by offering a 25% off sale off of all our products, plus free shipping! May God bless all of your families in 2011.

Navigating History Begins Tonight!

Don't miss this evening's inaugural session of Isaac's "Navigating History" series! The Egypt team is starting off the series with an audio Q&A session on the eve of their voyage, explaining more about who they are and what they're hoping to do. Bring all your questions, get to know the team, and gear up for the adventure to begin! Go here to subscribe — it starts 8PM CST.

Below, our brother Isaac explains the vision for the trip.

And here is a clip from an early brainstorming session, where Chris speculates about spiritual sustenance in the afterlife.

The Navigating History Project

Our oldest brother, Isaac, is about to spearhead an exciting online video series designed to teach history, geography, and current affairs to a young Christian audience. He and his team will be starting with a 6-episode adventure history series about an expedition to Egypt, to help viewers understand Egypt from a biblical worldview. The team departs and the adventure begins in two weeks, for an educational journey you don't want to miss!

As the guys prepare for launch, we girls are having the time of our lives helping with the research for this amazing project. Egypt teaches us so many lessons that apply to our present day. Through our research, we've been seeing in whole new ways:

How God works through history

How religion externalizes itself in a nation's culture

What bad government does to the arts

What superstition does to the world of medicine

What bad theology (Islam) does to gender roles

What a nation of ruler-gods does to law

How art shapes the world-view of a society

How God judges infanticide and racial extermination

How hydraulic empires work

How the pyramids were built

What Greek and Roman influence did in Egypt

What the Ottoman Empire did in Egypt

What British and French imperialism did in Egypt

How modern Egypt is affected by its past

And much more.

If you've ever wanted a crash course in historic civilizations, government, law, economics, architecture, technology, sociology, and the arts – and how religious ideas drive all of these – you will want to join the Egypt expeditionary team for this incredible learning adventure.

Discover the Egypt that Abraham sojourned to, that Joseph sustained during famine, that God judged with the Ten Plagues, that the Hebrews were delivered from, and that Mary, Joseph and Jesus fled to. See the wonders of the ancient world through the lens of a biblical worldview. Learn about the big issues of the world you live in today. Go to NavigatingHistory.com to learn more.

Greater Expectations

By Anna Sofia Botkin

I just turned 25. Oddly, it seems a lot more than one year older than 24. The realization that I have lived a quarter of a century brings new awareness of the preciousness of time, the reality of aging and death, and the fact that life unfolds at a speed and in a way that I can't control. I'm past feeling like my life is stretching out endlessly before me — I'm a good third of the way into it (Lord willing) and the ticking of the clock seems to grows louder.

I think these feelings are normal; observation has taught me that it's at some point around a young woman's twenty fifth revolution around the sun that she experiences a messy head-on collision with certain rock-hard facts of reality. Often it's her point of disillusionment – the point when she finds out that the world is not what she thought. That life did not deliver what she expected. That things didn't happen according to her plans. That she didn't get her way and that her dreams didn't come true. And to cap it off… she doesn't get another shot. This is the big moral test in every girl's life, and I am no exception.

It's at this crisis point that a young woman's true faith and motivations emerge, sometimes in ways that surprise everyone; over the years I've seen many whom I counted as friends and allies change course dramatically and walk away from the principles that they fought alongside me to defend — namely, the tenets of biblical daughterhood.

The reasons are many and varied:

It got too hard. The level of self-sacrifice turned out to be more than they bargained for.

It did not produce the desired result (a husband).

The stigma of being an adult daughter who still lives at home with Mommy and Daddy became too much to bear.

The barrage of probing questions about why they were so "different" became too wearisome.

There really was no vision for life at home. For them, home was never really home, just a port to be stranded in, waiting for the soonest ship.

The feeling that God did not hold up His half of the bargain – He didn't deliver what they assumed was coming to them for their good deeds.

Rarely do the reasons spring from an honest reexamination of their convictions on biblical womanhood, but rather a disappointment with what those "convictions" yielded.

Sometimes before we start to question what we believe, we should question why we believe – is it because it's easy, it's convenient, it's socially acceptable to the crowd we're in, it's eventually going to pay… or because we know it's true? If we believe something because we know it's true, then we will keep believing — even when it becomes hard, inconvenient, socially unacceptable, and appears to be costing, not paying. It's good to stop and question why we believe – yes, even if those beliefs have been in a published form for five years, permanently set into the stones that make up the bedrock of a so-called "movement."

This month is also the fifth anniversary of the release of my sister's and my first book, So Much More. Many speculated that time and experience would dampen our idealistic notions, and change our convictions. Some have asked if I still agreed with the naive 17-year-old me who started that book eight years ago. After all, haven't I changed?

Well, yes, I have: By God's grace, my grasp of the Scriptures and the issues is firmer, my communication skills have been sharpened through combat with an onslaught of criticism, and an acquaintance with hundreds of young woman and their unique situations from around the world has broadened the scope of my vision and taught me to have more compassion. But one thing I hope never changes — that I never grow out of — is a child-like faith in the plain teachings of Scripture and youthful zeal in proclaiming them.

I have changed, but the Bible hasn't, and I still believe it means what it says. Time and experience have further proved to me that God is a much better Author of a woman's destiny than she is. Her plans will go awry. His can't.

This week I have been reflecting back on the expectations I had for my life: my goals, my plans, my hopes and my dreams. I don't know if it's possible for my present reality to have deviated more from my past fantasies. As a teenager, I projected for myself an early marriage (at say, 18) and a quiet, private life, as my three biggest fears were writing, public speaking, and being on camera – in short, anything that would expose me to public scrutiny. So, how do I feel about the fact that seven years have elapsed since my speculated marriage date, that my little brother, four years my junior, just got married, to a good friend of mine five years my junior, and that my life has been characterized by the three things I used to dread above all?

First of all, my feelings have nothing to do with it. Gratitude or bitterness are not really feelings but decisions, decisions that have nothing to do with the circumstances themselves, but with how we choose to perceive to them.

For example, let's do a retake:

How do I feel about the fact that God has given me seven more precious years to spend with my family and prepare for the future; that I have been able to play a part in my little brother's transition into adult life which culminated in his marriage to a dear friend of mine (now a dear sister of mine); and that God has brought me many unsolicited opportunities to serve Him that have stretched me and helped me overcome my horror of vulnerability? I should be on my face before God, thanking Him for His overwhelming goodness to me.

God did not give me what I expected – He gave me far more. He has blessed me above and beyond what my little human mind could have imagined.

This year my heart is overflowing with gratitude that my plans didn't work out, that I didn't get my way, and that my little dreams never came true.

Maybe when we ruminate over life's unfulfilled expectations we should stop and consider that God's "withheld" blessings might not have been withheld at all – just presented in a way we did not expect. Let's hope that we're not so fixated on what we had on our wish-lists that we scorn the better gift.

My desires to one day be a wife and mother are still alive and well, but they must bow to God's will. They may be fulfilled soon, or much later on… or they may not be fulfilled at all. If our desire to be placed in marriages really springs from the belief that we will be more useful to God thus, then we won't feel let down if He decides to deploy us somewhere else. He knows where we will be the most useful to Him.

At 25, I'm reminded of the bigger picture: marriage is just one front in the context of a much larger war. Whether I get married or not, the war goes on. My life is defined by the fact that I am God's soldier, not by the fact that I am 25 AND STILL NOT MARRIED.

I'm grateful for another year to stand by my post as a daughter at home, to:

Build strength into my family and make them as powerful as possible

Invest into the relationships that God has put into my life right now: my brothers, my sister, my parents, and others in the community.

Prepare my heart and attitude for the greater sacrifices that marriage and motherhood might bring

To learn new skills to add to my armory

To read more books

To explore more fields of learning

To have more of God's word written on my heart, imprinted on my mind, and ready on my tongue

To be more joyful and optimistic

To be more like the unmarried woman in 1 Cor. 7:34, who is "…anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit."

To be an even stronger witness as an adult daughter who still lives at home with Mommy and Daddy

Standing at the threshold of my 26th year, God has given me the grace to repeat the hardest statement ever made by any woman:

"Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." Luke 1:38

Introducing "Voices From the Past"

When we Botkin children were little, our mother would read aloud to us for a couple of hours each day. We loved the sound of her voice, and we loved the books she chose to read. She had a knack for finding books that would be both educational and exciting — not the twaddle that insults a child's intelligence — and dramatizing them in a way that riveted us and imprinted them on our memory.

In the last few years, Mom has had many mothers beg her for tips on good literature for girls, when so much of what's available is fluffy, saccharine-sweet, or unrealistic — especially, they ask, books with good role models for their daughters. Where are the figures young girls are supposed to be looking to for examples? Though much of it is re-told through a feminist lens, or simply not told at all, America has a history of great stories and great heroines — you just have to know where to look. After years of collecting little-known diaries, memoirs, and letter-books of such American heroines, our mother decided to combine her cache of good stories with her love of reading aloud, in this exciting new audio book series.

Introducing "Voices from the Past"

The Historical Heroines Audio-Book series by Victoria Botkin

This summer, our family dove into making Mom's idea a reality. She wanted to produce high-quality audio books, drawn straight from the words of the historical heroines themselves, and enhanced with period music and sound effects. We previewed dozens of book options, chose four favorites to begin with, and spent the next couple of months working on researching, editing, recording, editing audio, arranging and composing music, and designing the cover art.

Anna Sofia edits the letters of Abigail Adams, and adds historical commentary.

Research.

The Voice, at work

17-year old Lucas placing the sound effects.

Elizabeth takes the maestro's chair.

The most fun part was researching the popular tunes of each book's era, arranging and recording them, and placing them into the most fitting places in the audio books. Our brother Ben, a gifted composer, was too busy preparing for his wedding and working on other projects to do the music, but he let us requisition his composing station for a couple of weeks. You can hear a few of our musical attempts here:

The Old Chisholm Trail

Duke of Kent's Waltz

British Grenadiers

Johnny has Gone for a Diplomat

Projects like these always make us reflect on the diversity of opportunities that can be explored by girls that work with their families. Plugging ourselves into our family's endeavors has opened up many new avenues and interests we'd never dreamed of. It also reminds us that femininity is not limited to the trends of generic "feminine" activities (baking muffins, knitting tea cozies), but can include any manner of activities that help and support one's family in the context of the home. We're inspired by our friends who, for instance, help out in the family concrete business, do bookkeeping, help run a family bakery, help research alternative energy solutions, do market gardening, and more. One of our favorite historical examples of this highly competent, dominion-oriented femininity is Eliza Lucas Pinckney, whose story made it into our audio book series (see below.)

And so — after a couple of rigorous months of family teamwork — here are the finished products.

Abigail Adams: Her Letters

The letters of Abigail Adams bear faithful and moving witness to one of the greatest epochs of world history: the American War for Independence. They also attest to the remarkable life of a wise and witty New England woman who was her husband's chief adviser and war correspondent, who raised and educated four children, managed a farm on a war-time budget, and served her country as its ambassadress and First Lady. This spell-binding narrative takes the listener from the bustling hub of Boston, to Penn's Hill, where Abigail stood with her son and watched the slaughter of her people and Charleston going up in flames, to the glittering courts of Europe, where she came face to face with the perpetrator of these crimes, King George III himself.

A Bride Goes West

A well-bred West Virginia bride begins the adventure of her life when she marries a young Montana rancher, who takes her back with him to share his life among the cowboys. Follow Nannie's adventures in adapting, with grace and pluck, to her new life in the Wild West — one of the few white women there, trying to bring civilization to the range, amidst a host of rowdy cowboys, Indians, and outlaws. Colorful and unforgettable characters, cattle roundups, bucking broncos, Indian attacks, and pioneer spirit, make this a thrilling Wild-West-show of a story. Nannie T. Alderson's tale is a true story of honor, courage, resourcefulness, and faith, on the range.

The Letters of Eliza Lucas Pinckney

When 16-year-old Eliza Lucas's father was deployed to Antigua in 1740, he left the management of his household and three plantations in Eliza's capable hands. In these lively letters, she describes her adventures handling her father's affairs, cultivating and exporting indigo, educating her sister and the black children on the plantations, and helping to build up the economy of her fledgling colony through her many business schemes. Hear her words of encouragement and exhortation to four generations of men in her family, including her two sons, both Revolutionary War heroes, over the full and fruitful lifetime of this great mother of our country.

An English Family in the American Wilderness

In 1831, Rebecca Burlend, with her husband and five small children, said goodbye to their homeland of Yorkshire, England after years of struggle to survive as tenant farmers, and emigrated to America. Through her first-hand account of moving to a new country, we can feel the anguish of standing on the deck of a ship, watching one's homeland disappear into the distance, the experience of traveling steerage on an Atlantic voyage, and then of the pioneer's experience in what was truly a New World — the virgin wilderness of the interior of the continent — and their family's struggle, ultimately, to prosperity. A true picture of the stark beauty, hard work, and hope of the pioneer adventure.

We are having a 30% introductory sale on the individual audio books and on the entire series. Go here for more information.

A Great Opportunity!

Sign Up Now For Becky Morecraft's Elocution and Composition Course

"If we mean to have heroes, statesmen, and philosophers, we should have learned women." – Abigail Adams

It's striking to note how many of the Bible stories featuring women pivot around each woman's willingness and ability to speak, and speak well. From Esther's boldness and tactfulness, to Rebekah's initiative to be warm and gracious, to Abigail's diplomacy and winsomeness, to Ruth's respectful but bold address, to Deborah's good counsel, and more, the communication skills of biblical women are often in fact a major plot point — and point of praise. The aptness, eloquence and poetry of their words are striking examples in themselves.

The aspiration we should hold is to follow their examples. The challenge is to learn how.

We have always encouraged girls to think outside the box, and pursue creative and resourceful ways to cultivate their minds. We were thrilled, then, to see this new online course in Elocution and Composition become available. Taught by the eloquent and erudite Becky Morecraft, herself the quintessential example (and one of our greatest role models) of the skills she teaches here, this promises to be a great resource for young women looking for ways to augment their educations.

It's not too late to sign up; you will be able to download the classes you missed. Go HERE for more information.

From the Botkin Boys…

We're proud to introduce an excellent new CD message by our brothers Isaac, David, and recently-engaged Benjamin.

What Our Father Taught Us About Girls

How to Relate to Sisters in Christ: A Practical Guide – by Isaac, David, and Benjamin Botkin

You can tell a lot about a nation by the boys are trained to treat girls. Will boys grow up with the ability to respect, cherish, and lead women into the future, or will young men continue to exploit and degrade women? Is it possible for American boys t...

Is It My Fault That I'm Not Married?

Our last article, "Why Am I Not Married?!?" has brought in our most diverse range of feedback yet. We've received some of the most grateful, convicted, excited letters ever (with the strongest support and thanks coming from young men, interestingly, though we didn't write it for them). We've also had a couple of angry or tearful reactions. Mostly, though, we've been sent a wide range of questions, from how to become more eligible, practically, to how to deal with unrequited love, to how to...