The end of this past summer, my girls and I went through a bible study called, Real Girls of the Bible. It's a devotional. In the book, you will find 16 Old Testament girls to study and learn from, and 14 New Testament girls. As I said, we started this at the end of the summer, so when school time came around, time for this particular study was limited. Plus, our family does daily devotions before school. So I definitely didn't want to "overload" them.
Last night, I wasn't feeling well so couldn't go to Bible study at church. Anytime we have to miss for sickness, I try and have some kind of lesson or devotion with the girls so we're not skipping out. So I decided to go ahead and finish out the O.T. girls...we only had 2 left to study. Our girls are 10 and 7. After I read the story, and we talk about it for a little bit, both girls are to jot down something in their notebooks that they learned from this particular girl of the Bible. Because Macayla is older, I ask for her to think of ways she can apply it to her own life, based on what the story is talking about. Some of their answers are longer, some are short, some are to the point, some tend to be on the "rambling" side...and some are confessions or ways they want to live their lives better for Jesus. That's what it's all about anyway, isn't it? Being REAL, not fake. Being open, not hiding things from others or God. Being honest, not deceitful. Being a REAL CHRISTIAN, not just saying you are but your actions show otherwise. Being a devoted follower, not just a fan of Jesus. Being REAL.
I hope and pray they have learned something from this. Pretty soon, we will start taking a look at the girls of the New Testament. One of my life goals is to raise my girls to love, to trust, to serve, to follow and obey Jesus with everything they have. After all, they are on their way to becoming a "real girl" too! I have included what they wrote in their notebooks below. Just maybe you will learn something too.
EVE
Macayla: Satan wants to attack us. Stay away from Satan.
Rachel: Don't disobey God.
SARAH
Macayla: Don't sleep with another spouse. Don't sleep with another person you're not married with. Don't start families you're not married with. Don't doubt God!
Rachel: Don't marry 2 people.
HAGAR
Macayla: Listen to God. Don't just leave your kids in the desert (I had to laugh at that one!:), pray to God instead. God's watching over us.
Rachel: Don't make fun of other kids.
LEAH (& RACHEL) (this was my Rachel's favorite one...I wonder why? ;)
Macayla: Leah wasn't pretty, but Rachel was. Don't judge a person by their outside.
Rachel: It's not good to judge other people.
JOCHEBED
Macayla: That you can always trust God. Jochebed wanted her baby to be safe. So she hid him in some weeds, and God allowed her to be with her baby even longer.
Rachel: She wanted to keep her baby safe. Ask before you ask to have her take care of the baby. :)
MIRIAM
Macayla: She trusted in the Lord. Miriam was very brave. Later she became a worship leader. She saved her little brother. She was smart.
Rachel: She helped her baby brother.
RAHAB
Macayla: She trusted God. She took a very big risk to keep those spies safe. She saw her town destroyed, but she had her heart in God still.
Rachel: She kept them safe.
DEBORAH
Macayla: Deborah was a good leader. She was an only female judge. I would love to be a great leader to my friends and lead like Jesus. I would like it if Dalton joined a church because he said they might. (Mac is a good little inviter)
Rachel: She was a leader. A good leader.
JAEL
Macayla: Jael chose to kill God's enemy, instead of keeping him safe. She chose to do something right, but I mostly do wrong because it's easier. I don't want to do wrong any more. I want to be a better Christian.
Rachel: Don't follow the crowd.
NAOMI
Macayla: Naomi had a lot of bad things happen to her in her life sort of like mine. I think I'm very mean to Rach but I don't mean to most of the time. My anger gets control over me sometimes, but I'll ALWAYS worship the one true Lord. Naomi had people die, and I've had pets die. So I can try to not be so sad that I'm bitter like her.
Rachel: She praised God. But then she was sad.
RUTH
Macayla: Ruth left her hometown. Ruth was faithful to Naomi. I want to be faithful with my family too. And also be a great friend too like the verse said.
Rachel: She went with Naomi and cared for her.
HANNAH
Macayla: Hannah had a pure heart. Peninnah made fun of Hannah for not being able to have children, but she did. Later, God blessed her with 4 boys and 2 girls. I gave my life to the Lord by getting baptized, like Hannah kind of did to her son.
Rachel: She "telled" the truth. ;)
ABIGAIL
Macayla: Abigail saved her husband from being killed by David. After she made it right, she went home and found her husband drunk. I want to be like Abigail and do the right thing. (She also wrote...I have a cousin named Abigail or Abby!) :)
Rachel: Stepped in and it's good that Abigail does the right thing.
HULDAH
Macayla: Huldah was a prophet and had courage. I could listen with my ears and heart like Huldah. Huldah means weasel which fits her very well. (An example Macayla gave in her own life is she gave back a Russell Stovers coupon b/c she already had one. Her teacher gave her one, but Macayla was honest and told her teacher she already had one, so she gave it back.)
Rachel: Huldah was a prophet that knows what God wanted to say. King Josiah was eight when he was the king.
VASHTI
Macayla: Vashti means lovely. Vashti is a Queen too. Vashti got her crown, home, and all her privileges taken away because she took a stand for what was right. Sometimes I don't do what I'm told, then I get my privileges taken away. Ex.'s: DS, Computer, T.V.
Rachel: Vashtis name meant lovely. Vashti was a Queen.
ESTHER
Macayla: Esther means star. Esther took a BIG risk of being killed when she went to talk to the King without being invited. Esther told the truth when it was the right thing to do. When I tell the truth, I won't care if it's painful to tell.
Rachel: Esther's Hebrew family had been captured and exiled to a foreign country. Esther means star.
So which "Real Girl" are you? Which of these can you learn from the most right now in your life? I would love some feedback! :)
