10 Ways to Prepare Your Daughter for Life

Chapman Annie

Description

Drawing on her years of being a daughter and a mother, the wisdom of God's Word, and practical insights from other women on the same journey, Annie Chapman encourages mothers to share 10 essential truths that will help their daughters lay a strong foundation for success, including how todraw on faith in Jesus for wisdom and strengthuse choice to transform circumstancescultivate inner and outer beautyunderstand and celebrate the differences between men and womenprepare for and establish successful relationships, including marriageHighlighting the traits of women in the Bible, Annie provides practical guidance for helping young women develop discernment, trust, and integrity. She candidly shares her own experiences to help today's mothers navigate the sometimes tricky, yet always fulfilling role of "Mom."Rerelease of 10 Things I Want My Daughter to Know

Informations

• Publié par: Harvest House Publishers, Inc.
• Date de parution: 01 mars 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780736946285
• Langue: English

Extrait

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS
EUGENE, OREGON
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible , 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Verses marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Verses marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible , Copyright 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
Italics in Scripture quotations indicate author s emphasis.
Cover by Dugan Design Group, Bloomington, Minnesota
Cover photos Diamond Sky Images / Digital Vision / Getty Images; Bigstock / Serg64
10 WAYS TO PREPARE YOUR DAUGHTER FOR LIFE
Copyright 2002 by Annie Chapman
Published 2012 by Harvest House Publishers
Eugene, Oregon 97402
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Chapman, Annie.
[10 things I want my daughter to know]
10 ways to prepare your daughter for life / Annie Chapman.
p. cm.
Originally published: 10 things I want my daughter to know. 2002.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-0-7369-4627-8 (pbk.)
ISBN 978-0-7369-4628-5 (eBook)
1. Mothers and daughters-Religious aspects-Christianity. 2. Parenting-Religious aspects-Christianity. 3. Daughters-Religious life. I. Title. II. Title: Ten ways to prepare your daughter for life.
BV4529.18.C435 2012
248.8 33-dc23
2011032580
All rights reserved . No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other-except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.
Printed in the United States of America
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 /BP-SK/ 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To Emmitt and Heidi Beall, Nathan and Stephanie Chapman, and all those who come afterward .
Acknowledgments
This book has been graced by the wisdom and insight of many friends who have shared what they learned while shaping their daughters lives. For their help, I am eternally grateful.
Marie Arritt
Nancy Harrell
Gayle Atwell
Linda Hershey
Heidi Beall
Jessica Jones
Tish Beall
Jamie Kearney
Kathy Bently
Marilyn Layton
Kim Bolton
Jeannie Martin
Sherly Bott
Teresa Martin
Melissa Brown
Becky Moore
Velberta Carr
Kim Napier
Susie Carson
Carolyn Norman
Lillian Chapman
Denise Peters
Alice Click
Melody Petrunak
Joan Cook
Patsy Powell
Barbara Crook
Teri Price
Becky DeCoy
Candy Richey
Nina Elkins
Hazel Slaughter
Karen Fletcher
Kay DeKalb Smith
Linda Goodman
Hilda Williams
Ronda Hardwick
Ilene Wilson
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1 Choices Not Circumstances
Chapter 2 Beauty or Beast?
Chapter 3 Pure in Heart and Body
Chapter 4 Marvels of Marriage
Chapter 5 True Motherhood
Chapter 6 Chicken 101
Chapter 7 Money Really Matters
Chapter 8 Mercy for the Mean
Chapter 9 Courageously Facing Fear
Chapter 10 A Shining Finish
Last-Minute Instructions from Mom
Honest Thoughts from Real Moms
Books I Want My Daughter to Read
Notes
Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name . Psalm 103:1
Introduction
When I brought my sweet baby girl home from the hospital that warm April afternoon, I had no idea what a daunting task I had before me. At the time, all that concerned me was whether my milk would come in and I would be able to satisfy her need for nourishment. Since I had been a finicky eater when I was a baby (something I have no recollection of and have managed to successfully overcome to a fault), I was consumed with worry that she would be the same. I was so afraid I would be unable to feed and care for her adequately.
As I stroked her velvety soft skin, traced her rosebud lips with my fingertip, and counted and recounted her ten fingers and ten toes, I was oblivious to all that would be required in the years to follow. God is so good to fill us with such a sense of awe for the miracle of new life that we are able to savor each moment, ignore the enormity of the task, and gladly endure each test.
Now, as I contemplate the 31 years of enjoying my lovely daughter, I see the picture more fully, framed by the years of time. Instead of seeing each brush stroke of instruction, each shading of darks and lights of discipline and guidance, I stand back and observe the beautiful gift and lovely painting her life has become. And that beauty was never more vibrant and evident than the day she got married.
For months, all of my thoughts and all of my efforts revolved around helping Heidi and Emmitt prepare for the anticipated day. The photographer had been secured, the church selected, the florist arranged, and the caterer hired. With reams of yellow legal pads filled, crossed off, and discarded, my life had been one continuous to do list. My entire existence was governed by small post em notes scattered throughout my kitchen.
The morning of the wedding was different than I had anticipated. There was truly a surreal feeling. Although the advance planning had been emotionally draining, I felt a comforting peace. Previously I had cried a bucket of tears just discussing ideas for the ceremony. I can recall being overcome with emotion while typing out the words, The doors will open and you will begin to walk down the aisle with your father! With this as my point of reference, I assumed I would be a complete basket case by the time the processional music started. I could hardly believe the sense of calm I experienced when the actual event unfolded in front of me.
Heidi s curly ebony hair tucked beneath the snow-white veil and her slim waist accenting a beautifully sequined bodice on her long flowing gown were sights I had envisioned with sadness, but now I saw the loveliness of the moment.
As the sanctity of the service proceeded, I looked on as a spectator in the truest sense of the word. Totally out of control of the process that had started, I waited for it to be over, accomplished, finished. I wanted to complete my role of finality, to walk out of the church no longer the mother of a little girl but now a partner in a sisterhood of adult women. And sure enough, it came to pass. Heidi was no longer my baby, she was Emmitt s wife. I knew nothing would ever be the same.
My chance to shape Heidi s life was over. I had more than two decades to do my job, but as I watched her I wondered if I had done enough. Had I prepared her to be the kind of woman she needed to be?
In the following pages I share 10 lessons learned from those years 10 things I wanted to impart to my daughter. My earnest desire is to encourage and assist you who are in the midst of raising girls to be beautiful, godly women. I also hope daughters, who may have been the recipients a generation unmentored by godly mothers, will receive this gentle instruction on how to be complete, strong, effective women.
1
Choices Not Circumstances

Life is not a matter of circumstances,
but issues of choice.
I want my daughter to build her life
on the rock-solid foundation of Christ.
I want to share with her the basics of discernment
and the best ways to make life choices.
There Are No Small Choices
A large billowy cloud of dust barreled up behind them as they roared up the loose gravel and dirt driveway. They skidded to a stop and threw the doors open. Two teenage girls jumped out of a bright red 1967 Barracuda. Janet, beaming from ear to ear, had just received the brand-new car as a sweet 16 birthday present from her parents. Her friend Sarah, who was one year younger, was just as excited as if it had been her car.
Come go for a ride with us! they begged. Puleeeze!
My life was considerably different from these two carefree city friends. Being a farm girl with chores and responsibilities, I couldn t just jump into a car and ride off. Looking around and seeing no one, I threw caution to the wind and the three of us crowded into the front seat.
At the last minute, Janet and Sarah changed places. Sarah took the driver s side. Unlicensed and inexperienced, she took hold of the stick shift, put the car into reverse, swerved around, and slammed it into forward. Gravel flew as we sped away. Winding around sharp corners at highway speed on the narrow country road proved too much for her to handle. She lost control of the car and, for a brief moment, the Barracuda went airborne before landing in a ditch. The shiny new vehicle came to an abrupt and costly halt. We climbed out of the car and began walking to the nearest house to call our parents.
Up until this moment my choices had not been large ones. Without question, it was foolish of me to get into an unfamiliar, fast car with two inexperienced drivers. However, it was utterly insane of me to stay in the car driven by a young, unlicensed person. I was in a pickle, and it was of my own making.
Then I faced another choice that would prove more impacting than the collision I had walked away from. After we got out of the car and realized we were all walking upright, my two friends began to plead, Please, don t tell anyone it was Sarah driving.
I ll lose my car, Janet cried. I ll be arrested, Sarah sobbed. They were relentless in their imploring.
The moment of truth came a few minutes after the arrival of our parents. Sarah s mother came straight to me and asked me point blank, Who was driving the car? My choice was obvious: Do I lie and save my relationship and Janet s driving privileges or do I tell the truth?
I replied without hesitation, Sarah was driving. The mother looked surprisingly relieved. She then said, I talked to your mother, Annie. She was working in the garden when you three drove by. She told me it was Sarah who was driving. If you had lied to me, I wouldn t hav