Resurrecting Two Great Queens
Posted July 16, 2009

We think it is important for us to study the great women of the past — to be inspired by their examples, to learn from their mistakes, to study how God uses people for His glory.

For the Reformation 500 Celebration in Boston two weeks ago, we were given the opportunity to come as historical reenactors — a new experience for both of us, but one we’re very grateful for.

Anne Boleyn

I [Elizabeth] chose to portray Anne Boleyn, surely one of the most maligned and misrepresented women in history, for the chance to tell her true story.

Anne Boleyn was not only the catalyst for England’s break with Rome but one of the most active and influential reformers in England during her three years as queen. As a child, Anne was diligent to cultivate her mind and abilities, so that she became exceptionally well prepared for the role God had in store for her:

“Certain this was, that for the rare and singular gifts of her mind, so well instructed, and given toward God, with such a fervent desire unto the truth and setting forth of sincere religion, joined with like gentleness, modesty, and pity toward all men, there have not many such queens before her borne the crown of England. Principally this one commendation she left behind her, that during her life, the religion of Christ most happily flourished, and had a right prosperous course.” – John Foxe, author of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs

During her years of education in France, through exposure to men such as Jacques LeFevre and Guillaume Farel, Anne’s love for the pure gospel was fanned into flame, and she returned to England an ardent reformer during a time when England was violently persecuting its Protestants.

Upon being crowned queen, Anne used her position to promote and defend reformers such as William Tyndale, Thomas Cranmer, Hugh Latimer, Matthew Parker, and Miles Coverdale, to encourage the translation and dissemination of Scripture into English, and to make England a refuge for persecuted Protestants from around Europe. The martyrologist John Foxe called Anne “a special comforter and aider of all the professors of Christ’s gospel… What a zealous defender she was of Christ’s gospel all the world doth know, and her acts do and will declare to the world’s end.”

Brought down by a conspiracy of her papist enemies, who called her “the principle cause of the spread of Lutheranism in this country,” Anne was beheaded on false charges of adultery, incest, witchcraft, and “high treason against the King’s person.”

The power of reenacting took me by surprise. I felt overwhelmed as as one small boy suddenly realized that his religious freedom he was describing to me was due to “people like you!” …as I watched children’s eyes grow large as they realize the implications of “losing their lives for His sake;” …as young ladies told me they had been inspired to begin studying the world-changing works of the reformers… as I watched people’s eyes fill with tears as they heard my character’s own words of her courage and joy in the face of death.

As Anne Boleyn, I could look these children in the eye and tell them what it means to sacrifice your life for Christ, living or dying, and challenge them to consider how much they are willing to sacrifice for Him. I could tell them how I watched a small group of my contemporaries challenge the world’s strongest religious bureaucracy and turn the world upside-down for the Kingdom. I pray that those children who met Anne Boleyn will be inspired by her urging to pick up the work “we” had begun, where we left off, and continue the world-wide reformation that was never finished.

“But if you have already determined of me, and that not only my death, but an infamous slander must bring you the joying of your desired happiness, then I desire of God that he will pardon your great sin herein, and likewise my enemies, the instruments thereof; and that he will not call you to a strait account for your unprincely and cruel usage of me at his general judgment-seat, where both you and myself must shortly appear; and in whose just judgment, I doubt not (Whatsoever the world may think of me), mine innocency shall be openly known and sufficiently cleared.”

- From the last letter Anne wrote to her husband Henry VIII, while imprisoned in the Tower. This letter was recently found among the personal papers of Thomas Cromwell, likely to have never reached Henry.

Jeanne D’Albret

“We have come to the determination to die, all of us, rather than abandon our God, and our religion, the which we cannot maintain unless permitted to worship publicly, any more than a human body can live without meat or drink… “ ~From a letter by Jeanne to Catherine De Medici dated 1570 (two years before the St. Batholomew’s Day Massacre)

I [Anna Sofia] was excited to play the part of the brave Huguenot queen Jeanne D’Albret, whose incredible royal life was characterized by sacrifice, self denial and extreme hardship — themes that stand in stark contrast to modern notions of royalty and privilege and the glittery pink princess culture of Disney.

Jeanne D’ Albret was born a princess, the only child of Henri and Marguerite of Navarre, and was raised in all the luxury and grandeur of the French court by her uncle Francis I, from whom she received the nickname “La Mignonne des Rois” (the darling of the king).

In 1560 she surrendered her famously strong will to Christ and took action to manifest His reign over her entire kingdom of Navarre. Thanks to the efforts of Jeanne’s devout mother, Queen Marguerite, Navarre had become known all over Europe as a safe harbor for reformers, but Jeanne took her mother’s work a step further by reforming its legal system, abolishing Catholic ritual, commissioning a translation of the New Testament into Basque and Bearnese, and strengthening its borders against its vehemently Catholic neighbors, France and Spain.

Many of her contemporaries made special note of her strength through adversity; she defied popes, kings and queens to defend the faith and protect her people, and the threats of assassination, kidnapping and invasion were constant, but perhaps the most painful was the sting of betrayal and slander by childhood friends, family members and even her husband.

In a peace treaty that was meant to unite the kingdoms of France and Navarre and end the persecution of the Huguenots, Jeanne betrothed her son Henri to Catherine de Medici’s daughter Marguerite de Valois. Jeanne died mysteriously in Paris during the heat of the marriage negotiations with Catherine and did not live to see the conclusion of the wedding plans — now remembered as the St. Batholomew’s Day Massacre, in which an estimated 50,000 Huguenots were brutally slaughtered.

Upon her conversion, John Calvin sent her a letter of warm congratulations and a charge to take even more seriously her position as queen.

“Having then received so great and inestimable a benefit, you have reason to be so much the more zealous to dedicate yourself (as you do) entirely to Him, who has bound you so closely to Himself. And whereas kings and princes would often wish to be exempted from subjection to Jesus Christ, and are accustomed to make a buckler of their privileges under pretense of their greatness, being ashamed even to belong to the fold of this great Shepherd, do you, madame, bethink you that the dignity and grandeur in which this God of goodness has brought you up, should be in you esteem a double tie to bind you to obedience to Him, seeing that it is from Him that you hold everything, and that according to the measure which each one has received, he shall have to render a stricter account.”

~John Calvin Geneva, 16th January, 1561

I was very grateful for the opportunity to “resurrect” one of those heroines of the Reformation who sacrificed all for a generation of people she would never know and that has all but forgotten her. I was very humbled to portray a woman who was no doubt watching me from the cloud of witnesses, and also honored to be able to (in a sense) bring together two generations who will never meet on this earth. It gave me new realization of the huge debt of gratitude I owe to the past which has caused me to further consider the part I will play in history, and the sacrifices I will make for the future.

Note:

One of the most humbling things we see in history is how God chooses to work through imperfect people and the mistakes they make. Though they were both greater women than we, Anne Boleyn and Jeanne D’Albret were flawed — as are we — and we pray that God will use us for His purposes as He did them, imperfect though we are.

Crossroads 09 — Conference Recap
Posted February 22, 2009

Our family is praising the Lord for a wonderful “Christians at the Crossroads” conference. 700 people came from around the country — some from as far away as Washington state and the Bronx — to join us for this symposium on family relationships in tumultuous times.

Conference HQ was the Historic Columbus Ironworks, the Confederates’ largest manufacturer of naval machinery.

One cannon still held at the Ironworks was named the “Ladies’ Defender,” cast from brass collected by the city’s women.

The most popular (and most fun) talk of the conference was a panel with all seven of us siblings on Brother-Sister Relationships.

Coordinating our remarks.

Noah, 13, brought the house down trying to think of benefits to being the youngest.

Enjoying talking with girls afterward.

Our wonderful mother, Victoria Botkin, speaking from her 28 years of experience mothering and homeschooling.

Answering questions afterward.

Luke, 15, takes a turn manning the Western Conservatory table, beside our friend Martin Selbrede, representing Chalcedon.

We steal into a back corner to work on our upcoming speech.

The title of our talk was “Dominion Oriented Femininity — Ten Attributes of a Young Dominion Woman.”

Here our brothers speak on “The Difference Between a Playground and a Battleground and Why Young Men Must Live for Spiritual Warfare.”

The little girls are often the most fun to talk to.

Another panel discussion, this time on the 5th commandment, by the five eldest Botkins.

Candid camera: Caught taking a breather as the conference draws to an end.

“Christians at the Crossroads” Conference
Posted November 19, 2008

Announcing a rare opportunity in Columbus, Georgia, February 6th and 7th only!

This two-day event will give Christians a vision to turn tumultuous times into opportunities for advancing the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Our family will spend two days taking your questions, getting to know you, and speaking about everything from family relationships, to politics and the economy, to understanding “patriarchy,” to education, to finding hope for the future in the face of potential hardship. We hope to see you there!

Click here to learn more about the Crossroads Conference, the Botkin family, and the line-up of topics.

It’s Here: Father To Son — The DVD Release
Posted October 10, 2008

The Botkin family is pleased to make available one of our most significant products ever: a 6-part DVD series on the father-son relationship, titled “Father to Son: Manly Conversations that can Change Culture.” Click below to watch the trailer:

Fathers need to talk to their sons in manly and specific ways about the duties of Christian fatherhood. This series of informal conversations between Geoffrey Botkin and his five sons provides fathers and future fathers with a simple example of manly discussion about the pressing issues that weigh on young minds. Each of the five episodes tackles an age-appropriate discipline of manhood and how it is developed side by side with fathers.

The set also includes the bonus DVD “How to Talk to Your Sons” and over one hundred pages of discussion material and study guides in easily-printable PDF files.

Go to FirstPacificMedia.com to order now, and take advantage of our special introductory price of $60 (save $10)!

Jennie Chancey on “Curriculum Advice”
Posted October 8, 2008

From Jennie Chancey’s review of our mother’s two new CDs of homeschooling advice — “At Last: The Missing Link in Home Education Is Here!”

A lot of moms I meet wish they had older mentors who could guide them as they take baby steps into home education–or who could give them a reality check a few years into the journey. For them such a mentor is the “missing link” in home education and child training. I’ve been blessed to have my mother, my mother-in-law, and one other lady whose influence had a profound impact on both my husband and me when we were newlyweds just beginning this journey of parenthood: Victoria Botkin.

Matt and I first met the Botkin family shortly after our honeymoon, as we sat starry-eyed on a pew at church. The Botkins lived 45 minutes away from us and invited us over for a meal, then another, then more and still more until they moved away two and a half years later. We got far more than food. We experienced a spiritual and intellectual feast that gave us even greater clarity of vision for our goals as a couple and as a growing family. The Botkin home became legend and still lives in our memories, colored by the warmth of their fellowship and the depths of their conversation.

I’ve often looked back on the times we spent in the Botkin home and wished I had copies of our conversations on tap so I could replay them whenever I needed a boost or a shot in the arm of practical “how-to.” Well, now I’ve got exactly that, and you can get it, too!

Yesterday evening I received previews of two new messages Victoria has recorded for home educating mothers (augmented by sections recorded by her husband and children). Titled simply “Curriculum Advice,” these two messages are absolutely chock-full of practical, simple, breathe-easy guidance to help you create an atmosphere of learning in your home and lead your children to read, think, and communicate. Victoria explains things so clearly that you might begin to think, “This sounds too simple.” Don’t be deceived: It is simple. While training and teaching children is a lot of work and requires a great deal of sacrifice, it does not have to be stressful or difficult. Victoria demonstrates that we make it so when we load ourselves and our children down with textbooks and “methods” that we haven’t carefully examined or sifted through.

Be sure to read the whole review here.

Jennie is also sponsoring a giveaway of these messages — you’ll find the details in the full review.

Curriculum Advice from Victoria Botkin: CD release
Posted October 7, 2008

After much demand, our dear mother has just produced two CDs containing her top homeschooling tips. For the last 20 years Mother has been ministering to young homeschooling mommies around the world, giving them confidence, enthusiasm, and a vision for the importance of their labors. Now, for the first time, her pearls of wisdom are available to all.

VOLUME 1, Ages 3-8

Homeschooling. Lots of families have done it. But can you do it? How hard is it? What does it actually look like? How do you know if you’re on the right track for success?

Victoria Botkin has seven well-educated children who love home education and who plan to continue the tradition when they have children of their own. This inspiring home educator will tell you how you can teach your child ­ at home ­ successfully, inexpensively, calmly, and with the powerful confidence that you are doing the right thing before God. Her curriculum advice will motivate you and change your life.

Young mothers will not only gain countless practical ideas, but confidence, enthusiasm, and a vision for the importance of their labors.

Learn about:

Developing the right attitude
Choosing materials
Choosing curriculum
Inspiring them with creativity
Turning your home into an incubator of curiosity, exploration and discovery
And much more!

VOLUME 2, Ages 8-14

Curriculum catalogs tell homeschooling parents to choose from a confusing array of 25,000 products. Government educators say, “Don’t even try homeschooling unless you use our multi-million dollar curriculum.” Then there is Victoria Botkin.

Her advice will help you relax and enjoy the high calling of motherhood. This successful home educator discloses the wisdom needed to educate children 8-14 at home. As an added bonus, you will hear from her seven well-educated children. If you want to combine a godly home life with high academic standards, listen carefully to these CDs.

Learn about:

Guiding children into character, maturity and integrity
How children can take responsibility for their own education
Teaching children to love writing
How to use the media
Helping your child develop a vision for the future
Recognizing and encouraging your children’s gifts
Teaching life skills
And much more!

Go to FirstPacificMedia.com to purchase these messages today! These messages are also available as $8 digital downloads.

Announcing…
Posted August 19, 2008

We are proud to announce our family’s latest project: “Father to Son: Manly Conversations That Can Change Culture” — a six-part DVD series on the father-son relationship, coming this Fall.

We’re moving into the post-production process right now. We consider this to be one of the most significant productions our family has ever embarked on. We’d appreciate your help circulating the news about this exciting new series! Please also feel free to send us your marketing ideas. Your prayers, help, support and ideas are always welcome!

A Unique Opportunity
Posted June 3, 2008

There is a unique opportunity standing before our family right now. Doug Phillips was very kind to mention this on his blog.

As our family has been studying the history of Christendom, we see Britain featuring prominently, sometimes as the leading Christian nation in the world. The Lord has given them unique success, influence and power for the past 1000 years, using them to civilize and Christianize nations all over the world. But in more recent times many there have turned their backs on Him, and Britain is now a post-Christian society. The surviving churches there are smoldering wicks, surrounded by a secularism that belittles the Faith and Christian families in ways Americans can hardly imagine. Christianity has been marginalized to near extinction. But there is a remnant there: families who desire to turn back to the biblical model for family life, to raise up their many children to turn Great Britain back to Biblical foundations.

Homeschooling Families in Britain
With little to no biblical teaching, like-minded fellowship, encouragement, or practical advice in their own country, these families are starving for truth and good teaching, and they are asking for some outside help.

“Come Over and Help Us.”
In the last two years, we’ve received many letters asking that the Botkin family come over to speak to their nations about family life and family culture. These English, Welsh, Irish and Scottish families want to hear our family’s message of multigenerational success, and be able to ask practical questions about parenting, about sibling relationships, and how fathers turn their hearts to their children, and to hear from mature children how they work together as a family.

Our experience of living in the British culture of New Zealand for seven years gave us a real heart for the people of the U.K. We recognize our time in New Zealand as Providential, believing it makes our family uniquely suited to ministering to our British brethren.

If you would like to help make this opportunity possible, you can donate here.

Here is just a sample of the correspondence we have received in the last few days:

“Thank you so much for your book, it has been a blessing to me and I am so thankful that I read it! It has been such an encouragement for me to realise (through your book and your web-site) that although I do not necessarily know many people who share this vision, yet there are others out there who are living it out daily and God honours those who honour Him.” — Rachel

“Scotland is definitely in need to hear the message about the restoration of the Biblical family…May the Lord open a way to make that happen.” — James

“The Botkin family would bring a message to the UK that would speak to the very foundations of the nation’s heritage and shake the pillars upon which she stands. To truly call men to the age old foundations of biblical justice, morality and religion would be a call for men to remember the honor, dignity and godly character of their forefathers. It will shame the lethargy of the men of modernity and enrage the feminist agenda. It will also answer the prayers of those crying for revival. Please, Mr. Botkin, would you teach and train our family how to be key leaders in the Cultural Reformation of the UK and to the uttermost parts of the earth?” — DR

“Birmingham is quite a good spot really - just a little plug for you to consider us!” LA

“Come to [Lancashire!] The shape of Britain’s future can be seen here (unless the Christians get their act together): there’s a group here that has seized the dominion mandate with both hands, that have opened their own schools and do homeschooling, that have taken the principles of cultural distinction, modesty in dress and duty to the family seriously, that live close to one another in the terraced houses and care for their elderly in multigenerational housing units. It’s not the Christians, but the Muslim community, whose parents and grandparents were brought over from Pakistan to shore up the postwar cotton industry.” — CG

“The decline in the West is more advanced in Europe so we believe that your ministry is key to a revival of true Biblical concerns.” — Steve

“The main problem we seem to face here in the UK is the number of men who are prepared to take a stance on this from the pulpit is virtually zero. We, as a family, are thankful to ministries like yours who have helped us and others here in the UK.” — JN

“The Biblical message on family life which the Botkins live and share are what we in the United Kingdom need to hear.” — JH

“The message the Botkin family would bring to the UK would be very important. The UK has slipped even further into a post-Christian era than the US. The media will outright mock Christian initiative. The state schools have rewritten our history books. There is a deep-seated socialist agenda. It is an egalitarian society. I remember as a child my mother working as a bookeeper would calculate income tax for upper level income earners at 75% income tax. Nowhere have I seen the application of Scripture to every sphere of life other than personal piety. Feminism is of course rife. To ask a Christian man what is the condition of religion in his home is to ask a question that he no longer understands.

“There is tremendous need to shepherd and train these families in the right way. The process of discipleship of church leaders and heads of households will take generations to see men stand in the gates and lead in parliament for England’s revival.” — Father of six

“The Christian household here does not seem to know this biblically founded message of the daughters at home. It is on our heart to see this encouraging and eye-opening message to be brought to many here.” — Andreas

“We are excited about the opportunity to meet with the Botkin family and hear some of their teaching. The UK is in dire need of a spiritual reawakening and a turning back toward the biblical model of family life. The messages and testimony that the Botkins will bring will stir us as Christians, and encourage us as we seek to be salt and light in our communities.” — Liz

“It would be wonderful to have the opportunity to hear insights and wisdom from a home-educating family who have successfully raised their older children to adulthood.” — Nigel

“I have found all your materials an answer to prayer. When can you come to our city?” — David

“I would sadly have to say that the truth you espouse would be like a foreign language to most, so far have we fallen from such scriptural fundamentals. However there is a remnant and God is able to “turn the hearts of the fathers to the children”. — DW

“We need this inspiring family message!” - Beatrix

Please consider helping us spread a gospel message of family discipleship to Europe. If you want to help, or for more information about this trip, please visit this link: www.westernconservatory.org/donate.html

Announcing our latest project!
Posted March 11, 2008

We are pleased to make public the trailer for our family’s latest film project.

For more information go to BattleforCivilization.com

Research on Hidden Mountain
Posted March 4, 2008

Our family recently took a trip to the Hidden Mountain of New Mexico, doing research for an exciting new film project with our father. On mounting the summit, we discovered so many historically significant artifacts hidden in the craggy rocks and cliffs that Noah, the youngest of our five brothers, wanted to shoot an ENN report revealing our findings.

Stay tuned for more information on our upcoming project.

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