It’s Father’s Day, and although I know it’s true that everyday is father’s day like you said, I wanted to take this time tell you how much I appreciate you.

Thank you for providing for and taking great care of us, your family. You’ve worked so hard and have given us a beautiful home to live in – thanks so much!

Thank you for being our hero. Whether it’s translating German words for us in the Jamestown 400 Treasure Hunt, or breaking up a teenage rumble, you’re always there for us, and being our protector.

Thank you for spending time with us. As I look around me, I see many families who’s fathers either are practically nonexistent, or have terrible relationships with their children. I realize how blessed I am, in having a Dad who wants to be with me, and do fun things together. Remember all the adventures we had when you took us camping every year?

Thank you for teaching us to fear and love God. He is everything to me, and I’m so glad I was introduced to Him at a young age, because I had you and Mom, as examples.

Though there are many things I could list that I love and appreciate about you, I just want to keep it simple and leave it at this, and say thanks Dad, for being Dad to me.

Happy Father’s Day!

Your,

Kasie

~Dad and me at the Jamestown 400

I.define:boudoir
a. A lady’s bedroom or private sitting room (citing from the illustrious pen of Master Google Internet, Sr., and with regards to him deferentially and with good will to shoulder the responsibility of solving this, somewhat troubling to some, but elegant epithet for takes place in my boudoir )
b. Small, elegant, feminine sitting- room where the lady would retire to read, write, or entertain some intimate friends (Angie’s acquired notion, confirmed by experience and knowledge through real life, [heh heh, that would mean trials and testings for those of you who want to know] effectially alters every aspect of my normal existance! Which means…relating to the girls of the past and hopeful of our future, also lumps of lace, ribbons, bows, rich satins and taffeta sashes draped over every single stand-alone structure we own )

I’m continually ruminating as the culmination of this week at the grand ball is right thereover the horizon (Just matter of hours so to speak!),  this what it was like for life in the old days for girls, maidens, the joyous wonder of the design of the Lord for womanhood. I’m experiencing a taste of it and it is more than covering my quiet moments alone with awe. Spending the bulk of the day preparing for the ball…girlish dreams… hope for the present and future…love continually pouring out from on high and turning around and pouring around to those around me… this is the theme that has been rippling through my mind, as I busily hum away trimming the dresses this entire week. I’m feeling “splendifourous” and I can’t ever think enough on, or sing praises enough for all God’s blessings to me.
So I’m off to finish up! Things to do….places to sew…hmm…strike that!

~Angie
———
Oh she spins and she sways
To whatever song plays
Without a care in the world
And I’m sitting here wearing
The weight of the world on my shoulders

It’s been a long day
And there’s still work to do
She’s pulling at me
Saying “Dad, I need you

There’s a ball at the castle
And I’ve been invited
And I need to practice my dancing
Oh, please, Daddy, please?”

So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
‘Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don’t want to miss even one song
‘Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she’ll be gone
-Steven Curtis Chapman
…………………………………

1. Revival begins with seeking the Lord, and personal reformation.

2Ch 34:3a For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father:

We pray for revival, but we rarely take time to truly seek the Lord, and reform our own hearts. Yet, this is where it all began – A young man with a heart for God.

And not just any old “God”. It appears from these passages that true understanding of Jehovah was virtually extinct! This is why the writer of II Chronicles points out that Josiah “began to seek after the God of David, his father”.

2. Take action – radical action!

2Ch 34:3b And in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.

2Ch 34:7 And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.

As king, Josiah had the unique opportunity to destroy all the pagan alters/groves in Israel. I might not be king but I do have areas under my influence – we all do. Family, work, friendships, etc.

Do not suffer or tolerate wickedness if you have the power to stop it. Fear not! Tear down those idols and alters.

3. Repair the house of God

2Ch 34:8 Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land, and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God.

Only after the first 2 steps are completed does Josiah move to point 3. It is here where he gathers faithful men together to repair the house of God, which had fallen into gross neglect.

There is so much I could say about this point. We see that this job is way bigger than one man, and requires many people from all walks of life and skills to get it done. We see that the workers were faithful in that precious work – which probably took a few years or more.

We see a return to the Word, and its ordinances and doctrines. We see a healthy fear of the Lord, and also his great mercy and kindness.

4. God worked revival and reformation in the hearts of His people.

Josiah was humble and obedient to the Lord. As a result, God worked a miracle in the hearts of the people of Israel. In one generation they went from “worse than the heathen” (2Chron 33:9) to “departing not from following the Lord, the God of their fathers” (2Chron 34:33).

Only God could do that!

They covenanted before the Lord to follow Him alone – and they kept it. They had the holiest, most joyful passover celebration that Israel had known since the days of Samuel!