Letters From:
Unfolded Hearts
|
Encouragement...
Dear Summer and Melody,
Thank you so much for “Young Women Stepping Heavenward”! I really enjoyed
it!
Thank you, again, very much for the Psalms. I have memorized several,
and they are such a blessing. If you get a chance (after you sit down to
rest :-) ), I would like the music for Psalm 145. Please do not feel pressured
about this though.
Summer; you did a good job on “The Two Grudges”. It was convicting.
I would do well, when I am angry with someone, to remember Christ’s words.
(Matthew 5:21,22)
I also appreciated “The Fountain of Life”. What a testimony Crystal
has! God’s grace has no limits!
Thank you for printing the ad for “Heavenly Bread”. I had heard of
the Whisper Mill, but did not know how, or where to get more information
about it.
Thank you for the simple zipper instructions. Mom also has come up
with a pretty good way to do a zipper, so now I have a choice :-)!
Thank you, Melody, for "Be A Servant." I, too, find it difficult
to serve others; but the Lord’s grace is sufficient.
I also enjoyed “The New bonnet” - a humorous way to teach a lesson.
I really appreciated everything :-)! Thank you. I am praying for you.
For His glory,
Esther Joy Pinzur
"Please send more!"
Blessings!!
Your first issue touched our hearts and will surely touch the lives
of many young people who are struggling with “choices” that must be made
daily in this evil world.
I shared our copy with a friend; so, if available, please send me a
couple of extra copies. I’m enclosing a few dollars to cover costs. (My
friend urged me to share it with others.)
We feel so blessed that the Lord gave you to us to love; and we praise
Him for your resolve to serve Him!
In His love,
Grandmother (Chapin)
"Washed by the Blood"
Hello, readers of the “Stepping Heavenward” magazine!
My name is Sarah Wilkerson. I am 12 years old. My birthday is Nov.
11, 1983.
I came to know the Lord at six years old. My Mom was talking to me
about salvation and being washed by the blood one night, and I came to
a realization of being a sinner. After that I always had a strong conscience
of everything I thought wrong or something I did or said wrong. I would
come to Mom and tell her what I thought or did and I felt much better after
that. As I got older and had grown more in the Lord, I started to see that
Mom isn’t the one I should go telling everytime I thought a bad thought,
but the Lord was.
I have grown to love the Lord more and more throughout the years and
I want to serve Him any way that’s possible. I’m anxious to serve Him on
the mission field if it be His will.
May each of you grow in the Grace and Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour!
Because of Jesus,
Sarah Wilkerson
By a homeschooling Mother...
Dear Summer and Melody,
I picked up your flyer at the PEACH used book sale in June and just
this morning finally READ it - Would you say, we might be a little too
busy around here?
I’m excited about the possibilities for your venture and am enclosing
a small check to get us started on your mailing list. I’m interested in
getting to know more about you and your personal testimony.
I am a homeschooling mom - we are just planning our seventh year -
of two daughters. Bernice will be fourteen in September and entering ninth
grade. Catherine will be twelve in August; entering seventh grade. I have
a twenty-four year old married daughter and a twenty one year old son,
also, whom I did not homeschool. When they were young, I was into “me”
and “doing what was right in my own eyes.” Yes, I have many regrets there,
but fortunately, God is merciful and gracious. He has forgiven me and lifted
me up!
I was very happy to work (as a registered nurse) and let “more qualified”
people teach my children until God (through His Word) began to challenge
all my life, and I began to see everything with a different perspective.
I now realize that He put children in homes and gave them parents for
many reasons. He expects us as parents to nurture them and bring them up
in accordance with His Word... to teach them and train them as servants
of the Most High. It is such a privilege to be a parent - especially a
homeschooling mom!
I make so many mistakes, but God has been faithful to work through
me as I yield myself in obedience and ask Him to give me a teachable Spirit
so that I can learn from Him in order to teach my children.
I look forward to receiving your first issue and getting to know you
better in the process. Since my husband and I are leaders of the McKinney
Area Christian Homeschoolers, we would love to have you come to a meeting
sometimes. We aren’t too far from you.
Until then,
Mrs. Sarah Lowe
"I recently got away
from secular magazines..."
Greetings in Christ,
I am wanting to subscribe to your magazine, to give it as a gift to
the 3 girls being baptized at my congregation the end of August.
This magazine sounds very intriguing to me. I am an 18 yr. girl who
enjoys magazines & recently got away from the secular magazines such
as Teen, YM, Glamour, etc. There is so much that appeals to girls in these,
but it’s not uplifting to God. Hopefully this magazine, “Stepping Heavenward”
will be what I want young Christians to dwell on.
Would it be possible to mail me a sample?
Enclosed are 57 stamps. I would like each girl to receive a full year's
subscription. (The extra 3 stamps are for my sample.)
Do you take & print articles submitted by the readers? I enjoy
writing and would love to write an article or two sometime.
In Christ,
Renee Hackman
Sending "YWSH"
overseas...
Dear Summer & Melody,
Thanks so much for the magazine. I really enjoyed reading it. I can’t
wait for the next one. If at all possible could you find out how many more
stamps you need in order to send the magazine to Singapore? If you could
find that out for me, I would really appreciate it.
Praying for ya’ll always,
Jamie Lynn Carman
(Sorry we couldn’t include overseas subscription information in the
first issue.. We just weren’t exactly sure about it yet! :-| For anyone
of you who may still be wondering about this, please read
page 1. Thanks! :-) - Ed. )
Psalms in vinegar and cucumbers!..
Hello Chapins!
I hope you all are well.
I hope these stamps are in time for the next issue!
I was wondering... Could we possibly have another copy of the Psalms
Sample tape? A few days ago my girls dropped it in vinegar and cucumbers!
We've enjoyed it so much; I've memorized almost all the songs- Sarah has,
too! We would really appreciate it; I feel lost without it. :-) Thank you.
In Christ,
Brandie Clayton
"This is my beloved..."
(A courtship testimony!!!)
“This is my beloved and this is my friend, Oh Daughters of Jerusalem”
- Song of Solomon 5:16
Summer Joy & Melody Hope,
Oh my dears, I just got my magazine in the mail - I am absolutely overwhelmed
with rejoicing and thanksgiving to our God. I have prayed about your working
on it so often these past weeks. I’ve known that if it was anything like
getting an issue of CHERISH up and out, your hands were very full and busy!
It turned out beautifully - the articles, the layout, the information -
EVERYTHING! I feel very confident that God has been glorified in its origination
and publication, and that he will continue to use it as it reaches farther.
I praise the Lord with you, and will not cease to pray for you as you prepare
for future issues. If you ever need any extra help, or any extra prayer
support, please let me know! Remember I’m only an e-mail away. I would
consider it my joy and a privilege to pray. Do keep me posted!
I’ve been busy sharing some very special news with my friends and family.
Like I’ve said, God has been working (BIG time!) in my life, and guess
what? GOD HAS SHOWN ME, FOR MY FUTURE, THAT HIS WILL IS FOR ME TO MARRY
MY VERY BEST FRIEND, HIS BEST BLESSING AND PERFECT GIFT TO ME! Are you
surprised, my sisters, or excited? I sure am! Perhaps you are wondering
why I didn’t mention this relationship before now; quite simply, I’ve wanted
to share it with you for some time, but the details were changing just
too fast! Also it is a very long story, going back about five years. I
never would have believed the ending (this far, to date, anyway) would
be this wonderful. I want to tell you all about him of course, and everything
he has become to me. One problem - I don’t know where to start!
Jared and I have known each other for almost eight years - he and his
family have been a part of our home fellowship group since it’s beginnings.
When we came to know the Lord, they were one of the families that we began
to meet with on a regular basis. In fact, the very first time I met Jared,
(boy this sounds funny now), I was eight years old, and he was fifteen.
We attended a worship meeting at his home, where we meet regularly. His
father had just returned from a 5 week mission trip to the Phillipines,
and we were going to watch the video of his trip. I remember that my hair,
at the time, was very short (much shorter than it is now), and after I
had left that evening Jared asked his mother “Mom, that new kid - was that
a girl or was that a boy?” This is his recollection of our first meeting!
So much for love at first sight! Someone needs to rewrite all those fakey
romance novels! But seriously, how could we have known, way back then,
how the Lord would draw us to one another?
For the first three years of our relationship, we were more acquaintances
than good friends. Our families met together for worship and Bible studies
with the rest of the fellowship, but that was about it, as far as immediate
contact between us was concerned.
When we started going to the nursing home together, Jared began spending
lots and lots of time at our home, and elsewhere, with our family. Jared
became involved in traditional archery (our Nelson family hobby); we became
involved in the Bridges for Peace ministry, which brought us (our families)
together much more often than before; Jared began teaching me how to sing,
and was also giving me a basic introduction to computer electronics. The
Lord slowly but surely began to draw our families, and the two of us, together.
Jared became the “big brother” I always wished I’d had - likewise, I became
his “kid sister” and his best friend. I was his confidant; he felt able
and willing to share things with me that he hadn’t shared with anyone else,
knowing that my love for him would never hurt or reject him. As an only
child, Jared has always been very lonely for someone to share things with.
He’s never really had a close and trustworthy friend before. I knew that
he cared for and loved me as such, and I was very comfortable with where
our relationship was standing.
As these things progressed however, there were concerns about the wisdom
of our friendship. Was it right for me to be so close to a young man? To
have such a deep friendship, such a love and a confidence in someone who
was, indeed, a man? I knew, in my heart, where I stood in my feelings for
him - Jared was my brother in the Lord, my closest and very best friend.
I loved him dearly. I never denied that. I was always careful to express
however, that this love I had for him was perfect and pure, and that because
of this love, I wanted God’s very best for Jared in every area of his life,
including (of course!) his choice of a wife. I always felt that should
the Lord call me to be this woman, then yes, I would be willing and consider
myself the most blessed in the world. I mean, I knew Jared so well that
I knew his strengths and weaknesses, and knew that he was the kind of godly
man I wanted to marry someday. Yet if I wasn’t the one that God chose for
Jared, then I was content and happy and thankful for the relationship that
He had given us. I knew, and trusted, that God alone knows what Jared needs
(and will need) in a woman to support him; if I wasn’t the one best able
to fulfil these needs (and again, only the Lord knew) then I wanted, in
no circumstances, to stand in this place, depriving Jared of what God wanted
to provide for him. I was going to let the Lord and Jared introduce that
idea, if that was what they had in mind. I didn’t feel that it was my place
to put my desires in that direction. I was willing to wait on the Lord...
...Six months ago, (actually, it has been almost eight, now), Jared
quite consciously put aside his lifelong desires and expectations of what
he wanted his future wife to be, and asked the Lord to build a perfect
relationship for him. And guess what happened when he did that? The Lord
opened his eyes to really see me! Jared suddenly realized where the Lord
had been leading us, over the course of the past five years, all beginning
with our beginnings at the nursing home. He began to see our relationship
in a different sense of reality, recognizing it not only in it’s existence,
but in it’s potentiality. Jared began to seek the Lord and his parents,
concerning me and my role in his life. His love and desires for me began
to change, from those of a sister and a friend, to those of a prospective
wife.
The rest of the story, complete with all the special details, could
take ten+ pages to tell all. And I will share details at a later date,
if you want to hear them. Quite simply, both of us received our parents
full blessing to be committed to each other, and to grow in our love for
one another. (I don’t think I can fully explain how special this is to
us - always before having restrained my love for him, trying not to love
or need or depend upon him too much, because I didn’t know where God was
leading us, together or apart - now, to experience a special kind of freedom,
KNOWING that we will have each other forever, that it is now my CALLING,
as well as my joy and privilege to love him as completely, and fully and
deeply as I can.) All of the formalities took place last minute the day/night
before we left for Denver (Jared stayed behind) - Dad talking to Steven,
Dad talking to me, Steven talking to Jared, Jared talking to Dad, and Jared
talking to me. By last minute, I mean MIDNIGHT the night before we left
at six AM! At least that is when Jared finally spoke to me, formally, asking
to court me until we were both able and ready for marriage, at which time
he would ask me to marry him.
It could be a while yet, my dears, or it could be an even longer while.
It will likely be a year before we even set a date. We want to spend the
time in the interim learning for and from each other how to be a husband
and a wife. I need to wrap up my education, and Jared, while he is financially
comfortable, is not financially independent. In the past, he has contributed
his paychecks to the operation of the family. He now needs to develop a
new kind of budget, that will enable him to support his own independent
household. Also, we need to spend time praying about the ministry God seems
to be calling us into. Whatever it is, wherever it may take us, we want
to be ready to follow in that path.
Someone asked me yesterday if I was “in love” with Jared. I have always
loved Jared. But I have always restrained my love for him. I’m still getting
used to the idea of having freedom to love him as fully and deeply as I
can. I know that I am falling in love with him more and more every day.
As Jared said to me a few days back - our love will continue to grow and
develop every day for the rest of our lives; this time is special in a
different way, however, for never again will we both be young and falling
in love for the very first time.
I cannot stress enough how glad I am that I did save my heart and my
emotions for Jared! I can say with all honesty that Jared is truly my first
and only love. It is so worth all the struggles and the waiting! It is
not easy - I know that very well; but believe me, my dears, if you remain
firm in the commitment you have made to wait for the Lord, you will be
forever grateful for it. Your husband too, will thank you. Love is such
a treasure, and something well worth saving for God’s will and timing to
be revealed.
I want you to know too, that when I made reference to falling in love
with Jared, I do not want you to think that this is the foundation of our
relationship. I did not allow myself to begin “falling in love” with him
until after all the details and commitments were made, and all parties
knew that this was the Lord’s will. As my good friend, George Fischoff,
observed so often and so clearly, our relationship has been founded on
the Lord alone. He has been our focus from the very beginning, and we have
committed to continue to focus on Him. We’ve even come to the point now
of putting aside some of the “fluttery feelings” (The stuff that really
makes those romance novels so deceptive - twitter-paitedness, my mother
calls it!) for the sake of focusing on what the real meaning of love is.
Emotions and feelings are wonderful, and even godly, but they are not going
to make us anymore ready or prepared or strengthened to begin our marriage.
In fact, in some ways, they have become a distraction. And right now, we
need to be focused, not distracted. I do enjoy the romantic little things
that make our relationship so personal and sentimental; but the real special-ness
of our relationship lies in our commitment to the Lord and His desires
for us as a couple.
Summer and Melody, I can’t really even begin to describe the confidence
I have that Jared and I and our whole relationship has been orchestrated
by the hand of the God. Always before, when I’ve thought about getting
married, about what a major decision and commitment marriage is, I’ve wondered
how I could ever feel 100% certain that it was the right choice. I mean,
what if I misinterpret the Lord’s will and direction for me? What if I
make a mistake? I know now that all these thoughts were a lack of faith
in the Lord’s perfect planning of my life. Now I DO know the Lord’s will
for me, and I have NO doubts, and NO questions. I am experiencing a peace
and a rest in the Lord that I never would have dreamed was possible, and
that I’m not sure even applies to any other situation. The Lord has called
me to be with Jared. I know this. I have never felt more confident in the
leading of my God. I have made my decision according to His word to me,
and I trust that he will complete what he has begun.
Do you know what? I wish that I could give you both a great big hug
right now! I’ve been thanking the Lord all this week for all of my pen-pal
sisters. As I’m writing to each of them, and sharing my news, I can’t believe
how blessed I am to have sisters in the Lord and to know them in Jesus.
I share with both you something very, very special, something that the
world cannot understand - a love and a closeness with one another, freedom
to share the works of the Lord, knowing that I can tell you about all of
these things, even my struggles and strivings and desires, knowing that
you share and understand my yearning for the Lord, the joy of seeing His
goodness as I’ve waited for His will! If I could say one thing to you,
to bless you through my recounting of these things, it is this: Learn to
be willing, my sisters, to wait for the Lord. And trust in his plans. And
above all else, pray, Pray, PRAY! He will show you his faithfulness, and
will make everything perfect for you - even when you can’t see His working
- if you remain focused on following his leading.
Please share any parts of this letter with your family, or in YWSH.
Both Jared and I want our story to be a testimony to the faithfulness of
God, and the goodness that comes from waiting on Him. I want to be an encouragement
and an example to you as my sisters as I’m seeking the Lord now to show
me how to be a wife! Proverbs 12:2 says “A virtuous woman is as a crown
to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.”
I want to learn to be a virtuous woman, a jewel of a wife in the crown
of my husband. These are the things I will be seeking to know, and will
probably be sharing about (though not exclusively) in my future letters.
Also, God has been showing us what this period of courtship really is,
and how it is really preparing us for our marriage. Jared and I both feel
that because of our parent’s leading in this courtship, we have the opportunity
to build a support and a foundation in our relationship, before our marriage,
that will make us more ready to approach any struggles later on. Where
before, each of us had built a strong personal relationship with the Lord,
on our own; now we are coming to know him together, learning to seek to
know Him as one. We want to share these things with other young people
- our testimony of how the Lord led us together, and the ways He is using
this time right now, to teach us and train us and draw us closer to each
other and to Him.
Thank you again for your family’s willingness to work so hard to get
this ministry up and going. Give my love and prayers to your mother (what
are her health problems, specifically?) and father, and all your brothers
and sisters.
Please send me an e-mail or a letter when you can - but don’t feel
like you have to respond to all of this right away. I know I’ve written
a lot of things, and quite possibly shocked you out of your socks by this
rather unprepared announcement - please, forgive and love me anyway! Just
rest in the Lord, Summer, Melody. ALWAYS, rest in the Lord. Put all your
trust in Him. And never forget how much I treasure you! The Lord bless
you.
Your Sister in Christ,
Crystal Rae Nelson
PS: I’m sending you some stamps in the mail, to pay for my subscription
and one for a friend of mine. You should get them relatively soon.
*(We thought we'd also print Summer's response to Crystal Rae's
letter. Here it is.... - Melody)*
Dear Crystal Rae,
“Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord
Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from
this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:”
- Galatians 1:3-4
Crystal, I am so glad for you! Glad that you were able to keep your
emotions for that one, and glad that you are suppressing them so that you
can keep the Lord and his will for your lives as the main focus of your
courtship... It is so important to keep God in the center! Psalm 127:1a
says, “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build
it.” So many couples of today are “building” their relationships on their
emotions instead of on the Lord, their commitments to Him, and their commitments
to one another. Hence the reason for so many divorces (Even among professing
Christians). Once the emotions are gone for them, there is nothing left
to hold the marriage together. :-(
TRUE love is commitment! Oh, that more would realize this... True,
unselfish devotion is true love. The emotions should be the “dessert after
the meal” as one preacher put it. :-)
About seeking to know how to be a wife - a virtuous wife... :-) Well,
I think the main thing is this - to be submissive, obedient, not self-
seeking, but rather, seeking to support and promote HIS interests, projects,
ministries, businesses, goals, etc. One way you can support and promote
him, is by making it possible for him to do these things. For instance:
A man needs a woman to keep house, clean ,and cook for him because a man’s
job is to go out and make a difference in the world! :-) But he can’t do
it very well without a woman’s help at home. (And shouldn’t his own wife
be that woman to support him?) So, you see, by helping her husband at home
by doing domestic duties, the woman is also (indirectly) making a difference
in the world, though she may not see it!
Also, I think that another calling of the virtuous woman is to raise
up her children in a godly manner (should the Lord bless her with children).
This is one of the ways she can really make a difference, if she does it
correctly.
I know that there is a way to teach your children how to love one another,
not to squabble, how to have proper manners, establish proper relationships,
and to obey and be a blessing to others. If the Lord enables you to raise
up godly, submissive children for Him, you will have all cause to rejoice!
I think it’s important that a couple discuss, during their courtship,
how they plan to raise their children, what the rules and standards will
be for their home, and what habits they wish to develop in their children.
(It’s important that the parents agree in front of the children. - “A house
divided against itself cannot stand.”)
I think that many couples have big plans for their family, but after
they marry, they discover that things just don’t work out the way they
had formerly planned... For example: The girl that grows up with the wish
that her house will be neat and orderly, but doesn’t take the time to keep
her own bedroom neat and orderly when she’s young, will definitely find
it to be a struggle to do so when she’s married. Likewise, young girls
who plan to never show anger to their children, will find it nearly impossible
to do, if they have not yet learned to control anger with their siblings.
:-|...
Also, when the couple decides what good habits they wish to develop
in their children, they should go ahead and develop them in themselves
before marriage (as children learn by example, you know...:-) :-() And
when I say “habits”, I mean even the little things that you want your children
to learn, such as: putting away things as soon as they’re finished with
them, picking up their dirty clothes, brushing their teeth ? many times
a day, etc... You know, just whatever you want your family to do! :-)
...Well, I guess those were just a few of my thoughts. -Things I’ve
been sorting through my own mind lately. I’d love to hear your thoughts
on the subject of being a virtuous woman! :-) Grace and peace be with you
always...
With Love In Our Messiah,
Summer Joy Chapin
PS: Sorry we didn’t mention in our first issue, (in “Meet
Our Family”) what my mom’s health problems specifically were.. ...
She has bad allergies which cause sinus problems and sometimes achey, flu-like
symptoms. She also has Hypoglycemia which causes spacey or dizzy spells,
weakness, and heart palpitations. She probably also has Candida. She just
recently had a very bad reaction to a cleaning agent. She is on a VERY
strict diet! Please pray for her!
Would
you care to write us a letter, too? We would love to hear from you at any
time, and who knows? Maybe we will even print your letter in
Young Women Stepping Heavenward! Just
click here! :-)