As we did family devotions a few days ago, I was encouraged by something we read. We were reading about the life of Richard Baxter, a Christian leader and pastor. He was a Puritan in the Church of England during the late 17th century, and sometimes faced persecution. Yet he stood strong in his faith, and had a passion for God’s Word. He wrote over 160 books, and led hundreds of people to Christ. This is indeed a noteworthy man.

But what stood out to me was something Richard Baxter said when others praised him and his writing:
“I was but a pen in the hand of God. What praise is due a pen?”.

This profound statement reminds me that we are but pens in the hand of God. When a person writes a book or a paper, he is given the credit, not the pen he used write it with. This is what Richard Baxter was saying. When we do praiseworthy things, it is only by the grace of God in Christ Jesus. God alone is worthy of all the glory and all the praise! Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” We are God’s handiwork, His “pens” that He uses to make something beautiful for Him.

God is writing our lives, day by day, and all He does for us is for our good and His glory. When we are praised for good works, may our response be to humbly reply: “to God be the glory!”.

We had the joy of having two sweet girls, Hannah and Amanda, come visit us for two days with Amanda’s dad, Mr. Richter. (He and my dad had some business to do together, and so he brought Amanda and Hannah with him!) We know their families from living in Wisconsin. The girls and I had such a delightful time together, and we took lots of pictures!
Here’s a little snippet of our fun together:

Amanda, Hannah, and I on the first night.

Hannah makes amazing Chicago-style pizza. I asked her to teach me how to make it, and so that’s what we did in the morning.

We made some tea, put on aprons, and took a few pictures during the process! :)

The finished result!  We enjoyed them for dinner that night.

It snowed that morning for the first time this year. After baking, Hannah, Amanda, and I went outside to enjoy the cold weather.

Hannah had a snowball fight with my little brothers. Here she is approaching them with a snowball behind her back. It was funny to watch! :)

At noon, Mom took us girls out to lunch at our favorite tea room. It’s a very cute place, and it’s also an antique shop!

We had a delicious lunch and had a blast looking at all the antiques. Thank you, Mom, for our time-we enjoyed it so much!

Amanda tried this on for fun. It’s the most unique shawl I’ve ever seen! :)

And, of course, we tried on some hats!

This hat is so cute with the big bow on it!

Amanda found some greenish table-runners or curtains or something like that. We draped them across our shoulders like luxurious shawls. A new fashion statement, to be sure! :)

Our time together was short, but very sweet and memorable. I had a wonderful time, and I hope for many more like it to come!

Ever since I was little, Mom has looked forward to having a “Pearls of Wisdom” tea for me on my 16th birthday. I finally reached 16 years old yesterday, and Mom had a lovely tea for me.  What made it extra special is that each person who came shared a bit of wisdom with me. I am so incredibly blessed to have godly ladies in my life who love the Lord and who are willing to share with me what they have learned throughout their lives!

Mom also talked about a how pearl is formed when a foreign object gets stuck inside an oyster’s shell. The oyster responds to this irritation by coating it with a substance which eventually forms a pearl. She compared this to how we respond when God puts hardship into our lives. Do we respond rightly, trusting in God’s plan to make something beautiful with our lives? This is a wonderful challenge to me. Mom then presented me with a lovely pearl necklace to symbolize the “pearls of wisdom” that each of these dear ladies gave me.

I love tea parties! I love preparing them beforehand (making the tea dainties, setting the table, picking out the music, etc.). Mom and I had a sweet time doing it together. Here’s what the tea table looked like:

Mom got some pictures of the tea party. Here’s a few of them:

Aunt Diane,  Aunt Kathy, and my cousin Anna traveled several hours to come to the tea. It was honoring and so special to have them there!

We gave everyone a “how well do you know Brooke?” quiz.  Mom, Daddy, and I wrote it, and it was funny to see ladies’ reactions to some unexpected answers. :)

My sweet friends, Amber and Heidi.

They gave me some pretty flower-clips, and Amber put one in my hair. :)

Mom, Aunt Diane, and Aunt Kathy with their tea cups.

It’s been so wonderful getting to know Abigail. She has helped me with many sewing projects! :)

Becky, me, and Becca.

My Aunt Diane made me a beautiful plaque to hang up in my room.

I am blessed beyond measure for this opportunity to glean nuggets of wisdom from older and younger women. Wisdom is a priceless gift. It is mentioned many times in the Bible. Here are several verses I found:

Proverbs 4:5-9

Get wisdom; get insight;
do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
love her, and she will guard you.
The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
and whatever you get, get insight.
Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;
she will honor you if you embrace her.
She will place on your head a graceful garland;
she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”

Proverbs 9:10-11

 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
For by me your days will be multiplied,
and years will be added to your life.

It’s my prayer that I’ll take to heart all the wisdom that was shared with me, and grow in the Lord my 16th year. To Him be the glory!