Emily Rachelle Writes

I talk about Bailey a lot on here.  I guess that's because, when I was new to the blogosphere, hers was the first blog that touched my heart and spoke about things with substance, rather than just cute photos or squealing about Christmas presents.  (Nothing wrong with either of those; they just don't speak to the heart like spiritual epiphanies or theological ramblings.) Many of my lovely readers know that I still admire Bailey, and that I actually have a post tag called " Inspired by Bailey ". So I'm going to take a moment and squee to all of you that she wrote a post inspired by me !

I haven't had a Friendlight (friend spotlight) in a good while.  Since Friendlights were inspired by my favorite posts of Bailey's, and her most recent post is a beautiful expression on friendship that touched my heart, I decided to bring them back - if only for today. Bailey from Big House in the Little Woods

I was just re-reading several posts on this blog, and I decided to see what I'd labeled "Inspired by Bailey."   I know that many more posts were affected by her influence than are tagged, but I only tag the posts that are directly inspired by her, and I wanted to see which ones those were.  As I was reading, I found myself for the millionth time wondering what was so amazing about her to me.  Some days I look up to her and other days I know (at least in theory) that she's no 'better' than me or any other girl out there - and she'd be the first to say so.  But still, we all have people we look up to, admire, aspire to be like.  Why?

Dear Emily, Happy sixteenth birthday! As a special treat, I’m going to repeat what everybody always says on teen birthdays—the whole “growing up so fast” thing coupled with depressing statements of irrevocable change and impending doom and then concluding with well-worn (though profound) assurance of how it won’t be so bad, after all. I spent most of my younger life studying upper respiratory infections in rats and bedding options for horses in hopes of being a vet/breeder/pet store owner. I planned on starting out the store in my bedroom, even had the floor plans all made out in my notebook, though I admittedly had some trouble squeezing in two bunk beds and four sisters between the guinea pig and ferret cages. Life made sense back then. The biggest decisions involved breakfast and what to name my new Littlest Pet Shop bobbleheads—quite a delicate procedure, I can assure you. I had my life planned before I finished elementary school. By sixteen I couldn’t even find square one ag...

Bailey from Big House in the Little Woods   I had friends -- I couldn't help myself -- but they weren't good enough. They all had some fault... I don't quite know how it happened, but a few years later I have several close friends who look nothing like me at all. Not a single one of my best friends is the same denomination as I or likes my same books or shares my same convictions or agrees with me in every single way. In that sense, we're not likeminded -- not in the sense I was searching for. Then again, I found girls who looked just like me -- homeschooled, skirt-wearing, homemakers-in-training types who had nothing in common with me. We weren't likeminded, in that sense, at all. I could not spill my heart in front of them like I could my other, different friends. I wondered at that for a long time. Really, it isn't a mystery at all. I had stumbled upon the profound truth that most "Biblical" Christians have sometimes swept unde...

Bailey from Big House in the Little Woods People have been convinced for two millennia that Jesus will return and return quickly, in our timetable. In terms of economy, morals, culture and persecution, I would not myself pin our time as the perfect pitch of turmoil. The Great Depression was horrible. So was the French Revolution. Rome's decadence. The World Wars. The Reformation period. For as many hits the world has taken, the current Western famine still has some pretty good pickings left. Things are lurching along at a troubling pace, undoubtedly. But while a good portion of Christendom predicts gloom and doom, I and many others hold out for hope. Hear me out. So much of Christianity has been wrapped up in Western culture that we think that losing the latter will lose the former. If America falls, all is lost! If we don't return to the Greatest Generation, we're doomed! If we don't wear suits and hats to church, we're heading for decay! Read...

Bailey from Big House in the Little Woods ...we define ourselves by marriage. Our unmarried years are marked by filling hope chests, overcoming crushes and trying to keep that binding verse: "She does him good all the days of her life." For all practical purposes, we're married to him presently. This becomes sticky when we start making life decisions. We fear going to college because what if that super cute, super spiritual boy at home won't pursue us if we're in another state? Or we go to college because that's where we find the good ones (to paraphrase godly women). We don't start this project or pursue that interest because, well, it doesn't really look good on a homemaker's transcript. Once precariously in the position of eligibility and yet perhaps on the brink of fifty years of spinsterhood, we stop asking, "What is Your will, Lord?" and start asking, "How will this help me find a husband?" This is frustr...

I know this post will be controversial; please, if you agree or disagree, the comment box is open to all opinions.  I have long felt this way about this popular series, but have never found the words myself.  Personally, some of Bailey's posts combined with my own thoughts and this post (its points on books in general and contentment) have made me rethink my stance on several issues.  I'd love to add your beliefs or thoughts to my considerations. Jane from Reviews by Jane   Romances today are unrealistic and have absolutely no purpose except make single girls fantasize about what they want to have and married woman uncontent with what they do. Most of them are painting images that are unpractical and are going to leave women disappointed with they life they have. Don't get me wrong, my opinion isn't that love stories are evil. Some of my favorite books have a side romance in them. But when the book focuses only on the passion with no discretion,...

If you have no idea what this devotional was written for, read this .  Oh, and guys?  This is another girls-only day. Sorry :P Anna has graciously invited me to write the first devotional for this chain, and despite the fact that I've twice tried to write devotionals and failed miserably, I said I'd do my best. Third time's a charm, right? Honestly, I wasn't sure what to write about until tonight. I've been going through a lot lately. To make a (very) long story short, we have doubly many people in the house this week; I just might be graduating a year early, which means I should be looking into my future right about now; and I, founder of the P.O. Box Club and role-model-wanna-be of church, have been struggling in my spiritual life yet again. I'll tell you a secret. I am a people pleaser. I only recently admitted this to myself, but it's been glaringly obvious since... well, forever. I am a perfectionist who always thinks about what someone mi...

Bailey from Big House in the Little Woods We preach the gospel as if heaven is the end goal in salvation: "Make sure you know where you're going when you die! It could happen any minute, you know." Christ died, so it goes, so that we can end up in heaven, as opposed to hell -- so we could walk the streets of gold eternally instead of fester and burn at the other end of the spectrum. That has much more appeal than the happiness of being free from sin, enslaved to Christ. Most "Christians" today are happy with a heaven without Jesus. Heaven to them is just a welcome relief from hell. That's the most exciting aspect about it. They'll see their friends. They'll be blissful forever. They'll sing songs and wear wings and occupy a mansion. We're just glad to get out of a hard world. But our primary obsession about heaven should be that finally, finally we see Jesus face to face. We'll be rid of the sin that clouds our relat...

She's brilliant.  She's beautiful.  She's witty, clever, gorgeous, understanding, kind, motherly and yet sisterly at the same time, open, honest, realistic while being idealistic, articulate... In other words, she's as close to perfection as humans can get.  At least in my eyes. Her name is Bailey, and you can visit her, too.  (Just don't tell her I called her perfect, 'cause she'll probably get upset with me.) www.bighouseinthelittlewoodsblog.blogspot.com

I skim through the third post, stopping to read anything in bold.  My middle finger races to scroll down the page, allowing my eyes to take in the entire blog within a few seconds.  Once again, I am very impressed by what I see.  My index finger now takes center stage as it scrambles to 'Join this site!' and add another quality Christian blog to my growing list of wonderful writers. Task accomplished, I click on the tiny gray x at the top of the page, and the blog disappears.  In its place is a different blog, also linked to my favorite.   After skimming only two posts I discover that this is just another 'coupon blog,' which can be very helpful... but not to a fifteen-year-old who rarely shops for anything food-related.  My finger skips right up to the x and a third blog appears. This is my routine.  I open a long list of recommended blogs from a favorite site, all in separate tabs.  Then I set to work: this one I like, this one I don't, he...

I recently discovered the ruby of all blogs, Big House in the Little Woods.   And after reading several posts, I was inspired to post something wedding-ish.  So I shall share my list with y'all. Seven Things To Learn Before My Wedding 1. Sewing with a sewing machine (specifically, making my own clothing) 2. Crocheting 3. Knitting (despite my previous failed attempts at just that) 4. Embroidery 5. Cross-Stitching 6. Regency dancing 7. Cooking (from The Secret Chef , from-scratch recipes, etc. NOT Kraft mac-n-cheese boxes)