David and Nadia’s Wedding
Posted May 29, 2011

On May 14, 2011, our brother David was wed to our dear friend Nadia Noor, in one of the most blessed days of our family’s lives.

“Semper Reformanda” has always been our family’s motto — Always Reforming. When David and Nadia got engaged, they knew they wanted to apply this principle to their wedding as well. One of the many ways in which they’re equally yoked is in their ability to think outside the box, and the spirit in which they tackled building a wedding plan from the ground up, examining every wedding-related tradition of men, made David and Nadia’s wedding truly unique and unforgettable.

From the beginning, David established that he wanted to set an example of a short engagement, an inexpensive wedding and reception, and a wedding-atmosphere that pointed to real life instead of fantasy-land pageantry. He also wanted to communicate the relative jurisdictions of family and church, and remind all of us what the proper role the church plays in the forming of the marriage covenant. Big churches are great for seating many people, but so was the riding ring at our local county fairgrounds. David’s main goal (aside from getting married) was to use the day as an opportunity to teach, encourage, and exhort the attendees. The day was not meant to point to the bride and groom, but to the marriage between the Eternal Bridegroom and His Church, and the message of the gospel.

“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.” (Isa 61:10)

Anna Sofia helps adorn the bride.

Nadia’s big brother David prays with her before she leaves her home as an unmarried woman for the last time.

David had planned for a number of messages to be given on that day.

Our father spoke on the importance of marriage in an anti-marriage culture.

Our recently-married brother Benjamin gave a fervent message on what we can learn about Christ’s relationship with His Church through the picture of marriage.

David’s highest priority for this day, this opportunity, was to see the gospel of Christ preached and to draw everyone’s focus to their need to be united with the Eternal Bridegroom. David Noor gave one of the clearest and most passionate presentations of the gospel we’ve ever heard.

David speaks on the love of Christ as the foundation and the purpose of all other relationships.

Rather than have bridesmaids or groomsmen, David and Nadia wanted their families to stand with them as witnesses — and to participate. All of the family members of bride and groom had a word to honor and exhort the new couple, as our mother is doing here.

Anna Sofia thanks David for over twenty years of close friendship and discipleship.

Elizabeth thanks David and Nadia for their passionate love of God’s law, word, and truth.

Nawelle shares her love and appreciation for her big sister and best friend.

I, Josiah David Botkin, a sinner saved only by the grace of God through the blood of Christ, do by covenant take you, Nadia Joy Noor, to be my wife. I confess that it is God who is joining us together, not according to our merit, but by His grace according to His perfect will. I enter this covenant in faith and with a clear conscience before God based on these facts:

You and I have determined, insofar as we are able, that we are equally yoked. (2 Corinthians 6:14) We have earnestly sought God and He is answering our prayers. We have determined that God has uniquely prepared us to serve Him together in marriage, that He is building this house, and it is His will that we marry in order to better serve Him. We have sought counsel from family and friends who have confirmed and supported our conclusions.

I have received permission to marry you and on the 29th of March, 2011, you agreed to become my wife. I love you and desire to take you as my wife and faithfully execute all my God-given duties.

Therefore:

I take you, Nadia, to be my wife, and embrace my God-given responsibilities as defined in Scripture, which is the final standard and requirement for all of life. (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 2 Timothy 3:16-17)

I promise, Nadia, to love you as Christ loved the church, laying my life down for you. (John 15:13, Ephesians 5:25) I promise to lead you in righteousness and to wash you with the water of the Word. (Ephesians 5:26) I promise to live with you in an understanding way, giving you honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life. (1 Peter 3:7)

I promise to be faithful to you always and to always rejoice in and be exhilarated with your love and beauty. I shall love, nourish, and cherish you as my own flesh, which you shall be. (Proverbs 5:15-19, Ephesians 5:28-31, Genesis 2:24).

If God is pleased to reward us with children, I promise to raise them in the fear and admonition of the Lord, teaching them God’s Word when we sit in our house, walk by the way, lie down, and rise up. (Deuteronomy 6:7, Ephesians 6:4)

Further, I promise to search Scripture in order to better understand how to obey God and be more pleasing to Him. I promise to pursue sanctification and the fruits of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, knowing that against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

I confess the need to seek God and His Kingdom above all else, and purpose by God’s grace to execute all my duty faithfully. I confess that God’s perfect law is binding on all men and my knowledge of God’s law and speaking it publicly today increases my responsibility to obey. May God, who witnesses all things, judge righteously if I do not keep His Law and the words of this covenant. (Nehemiah 5:13)

I have no confidence in my own strength, and I make these promises based only on the promises of God; that He gives grace to the humble, that He gives the ability to overcome every temptation, and that as one of His saved elect I have the strength to obey Him. (1 Peter 5:5, 1 Corinthians 10:13)

May God get glory, honor, and praise through this marriage. Amen.

I, Nadia Joy Noor, a sinner saved only by the grace of God through the blood of Christ, covenant to you, Josiah David Botkin, to be your wife. I confess that it is God who is joining us together, not according to our merit, but by His grace according to His perfect will. I enter this covenant in faith and with a clear conscience before God based on these facts:

You and I have determined, insofar as we are able, that we are equally yoked. (2 Corinthians 6:14) We have earnestly sought God and He is answering our prayers. We have determined that God has uniquely prepared us to serve Him together in marriage, He is building this house, and it is His will that we marry in order to better serve Him. We have sought counsel from family and friends who have confirmed and supported our conclusions.

I have received permission to marry you and on the 29th of March, 2011, I promised to be your wife. I love you and desire to be your wife and faithfully execute all my God-given duties.

Therefore:

I take you, David, to be my husband, and embrace my God-given responsibilities as defined in Scripture, which is the final standard and requirement for all of life. (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 2 Timothy 3:16-17)

I promise, David, to submit myself to you as to the Lord, being subject to you in everything, as the Church is subject to Christ. I will respect and honor you as my earthly lord and head. (Ephesians 5:22-24, 1 Peter 3:1-6)

I promise to help and support you, making your work and vision my own. (Genesis 2:18) I promise to follow you to the ends of the earth, wherever our beloved King sends you. I will not shrink from discomfort, uncertainty, opposition, or hardship, but welcome them, looking to Christ, longing to share in His sufferings and lose my life for His sake. (Matthew 28:18-20, 1 Peter 4:13, Matthew 10:39)

I promise to be faithful to you always, joyfully welcoming your authority over my body and gratefully accepting mine over yours. (1 Corinthians 7:1-5) If God is pleased to reward us with children, I will help you raise them in the fear and admonition of the Lord, teaching them God’s Word when we sit in our house, walk by the way, lie down, and rise up. (Deuteronomy 6:7, Ephesians 6:4)

Further, I promise to search Scripture in order to better understand how to obey God and be more pleasing to Him. I promise to pursue sanctification and the fruits of the Spirit — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, knowing that against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

I confess the need to seek God and His Kingdom above all else, and purpose by God’s grace to execute all my duty faithfully. I confess that God’s perfect law is binding on all men and my knowledge of God’s law and speaking it publicly today increases my responsibility to obey. May God, who witnesses all things, judge righteously if I do not keep His Law and the words of this covenant. (Nehemiah 5:13)

I have no confidence in my own strength, and I make these promises based only on the promises of God: that He gives grace to the humble, that He gives the ability to overcome every temptation, and that as one of His saved elect I have the strength to obey Him. (1 Peter 5:5, 1 Corinthians 10:13)

May God get glory, honor, and praise through this marriage. Amen.

Husband and wife share their first embrace.

Daniel Noor reads from Genesis 24:60: “And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.”

“For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.” (Isa 62:5)

Rejoicing in song.

“He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.” (John 3:29)

The three Botkin families.

“My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.” (Song of Solomon 2:10-13)

Siblings say farewell.

Three generations of strong women say their goodbyes.

Ben and Audri reminiscing over their wedding day seven months ago.

“Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it…” (Song of Solomon 8:6,7a)

Photos of the wedding feast coming soon!

Introducing “Voices From the Past”
Posted October 16, 2010

When we Botkin children were little, our mother would read aloud to us for a couple of hours each day. We loved the sound of her voice, and we loved the books she chose to read. She had a knack for finding books that would be both educational and exciting — not the twaddle that insults a child’s intelligence — and dramatizing them in a way that riveted us and imprinted them on our memory.

In the last few years, Mom has had many mothers beg her for tips on good literature for girls, when so much of what’s available is fluffy, saccharine-sweet, or unrealistic — especially, they ask, books with good role models for their daughters. Where are the figures young girls are supposed to be looking to for examples? Though much of it is re-told through a feminist lens, or simply not told at all, America has a history of great stories and great heroines — you just have to know where to look. After years of collecting little-known diaries, memoirs, and letter-books of such American heroines, our mother decided to combine her cache of good stories with her love of reading aloud, in this exciting new audio book series.

Introducing “Voices from the Past”
The Historical Heroines Audio-Book series by Victoria Botkin

This summer, our family dove into making Mom’s idea a reality. She wanted to produce high-quality audio books, drawn straight from the words of the historical heroines themselves, and enhanced with period music and sound effects. We previewed dozens of book options, chose four favorites to begin with, and spent the next couple of months working on researching, editing, recording, editing audio, arranging and composing music, and designing the cover art.

Anna Sofia edits the letters of Abigail Adams, and adds historical commentary.

Research.

The Voice, at work

17-year old Lucas placing the sound effects.

Elizabeth takes the maestro’s chair.

The most fun part was researching the popular tunes of each book’s era, arranging and recording them, and placing them into the most fitting places in the audio books. Our brother Ben, a gifted composer, was too busy preparing for his wedding and working on other projects to do the music, but he let us requisition his composing station for a couple of weeks. You can hear a few of our musical attempts here:

The Old Chisholm Trail

Duke of Kent’s Waltz

British Grenadiers

Johnny has Gone for a Diplomat

Projects like these always make us reflect on the diversity of opportunities that can be explored by girls that work with their families. Plugging ourselves into our family’s endeavors has opened up many new avenues and interests we’d never dreamed of. It also reminds us that femininity is not limited to the trends of generic “feminine” activities (baking muffins, knitting tea cozies), but can include any manner of activities that help and support one’s family in the context of the home. We’re inspired by our friends who, for instance, help out in the family concrete business, do bookkeeping, help run a family bakery, help research alternative energy solutions, do market gardening, and more. One of our favorite historical examples of this highly competent, dominion-oriented femininity is Eliza Lucas Pinckney, whose story made it into our audio book series (see below.)

And so — after a couple of rigorous months of family teamwork — here are the finished products.

Abigail Adams: Her Letters

The letters of Abigail Adams bear faithful and moving witness to one of the greatest epochs of world history: the American War for Independence. They also attest to the remarkable life of a wise and witty New England woman who was her husband’s chief adviser and war correspondent, who raised and educated four children, managed a farm on a war-time budget, and served her country as its ambassadress and First Lady. This spell-binding narrative takes the listener from the bustling hub of Boston, to Penn’s Hill, where Abigail stood with her son and watched the slaughter of her people and Charleston going up in flames, to the glittering courts of Europe, where she came face to face with the perpetrator of these crimes, King George III himself.

A Bride Goes West

A well-bred West Virginia bride begins the adventure of her life when she marries a young Montana rancher, who takes her back with him to share his life among the cowboys. Follow Nannie’s adventures in adapting, with grace and pluck, to her new life in the Wild West — one of the few white women there, trying to bring civilization to the range, amidst a host of rowdy cowboys, Indians, and outlaws. Colorful and unforgettable characters, cattle roundups, bucking broncos, Indian attacks, and pioneer spirit, make this a thrilling Wild-West-show of a story. Nannie T. Alderson’s tale is a true story of honor, courage, resourcefulness, and faith, on the range.

The Letters of Eliza Lucas Pinckney

When 16-year-old Eliza Lucas’s father was deployed to Antigua in 1740, he left the management of his household and three plantations in Eliza’s capable hands. In these lively letters, she describes her adventures handling her father’s affairs, cultivating and exporting indigo, educating her sister and the black children on the plantations, and helping to build up the economy of her fledgling colony through her many business schemes. Hear her words of encouragement and exhortation to four generations of men in her family, including her two sons, both Revolutionary War heroes, over the full and fruitful lifetime of this great mother of our country.

An English Family in the American Wilderness

In 1831, Rebecca Burlend, with her husband and five small children, said goodbye to their homeland of Yorkshire, England after years of struggle to survive as tenant farmers, and emigrated to America. Through her first-hand account of moving to a new country, we can feel the anguish of standing on the deck of a ship, watching one’s homeland disappear into the distance, the experience of traveling steerage on an Atlantic voyage, and then of the pioneer’s experience in what was truly a New World — the virgin wilderness of the interior of the continent — and their family’s struggle, ultimately, to prosperity. A true picture of the stark beauty, hard work, and hope of the pioneer adventure.

We are having a 20% introductory sale on the individual audio books and a 30% sale on the entire series. Go here for more information.

A Great Opportunity!
Posted September 28, 2010

Sign Up Now For Becky Morecraft’s Elocution and Composition Course

“If we mean to have heroes, statesmen, and philosophers, we should have learned women.” – Abigail Adams

It’s striking to note how many of the Bible stories featuring women pivot around each woman’s willingness and ability to speak, and speak well. From Esther’s boldness and tactfulness, to Rebekah’s initiative to be warm and gracious, to Abigail’s diplomacy and winsomeness, to Ruth’s respectful but bold address, to Deborah’s good counsel, and more, the communication skills of biblical women are often in fact a major plot point — and point of praise. The aptness, eloquence and poetry of their words are striking examples in themselves.

The aspiration we should hold is to follow their examples. The challenge is to learn how.

We have always encouraged girls to think outside the box, and pursue creative and resourceful ways to cultivate their minds. We were thrilled, then, to see this new online course in Elocution and Composition become available. Taught by the eloquent and erudite Becky Morecraft, herself the quintessential example (and one of our greatest role models) of the skills she teaches here, this promises to be a great resource for young women looking for ways to augment their educations.

It’s not too late to sign up; you will be able to download the classes you missed. Go HERE for more information.

LAF Is Back!
Posted April 9, 2010

We are excited to announce the relaunch of one of our favorite websites, Ladies Against Feminism. This goldmine of articles, news and testimonies about everything related to the war between feminism and femininity, is now back and better than ever.

Head over and take a look, and while there, check out an article we wrote in honor of their relaunch:

The Truth About Women That Feminists Don’t Want You to Know

The recent naming of Nancy Pelosi as the “most powerful woman in American history” has sparked national discussion on both the history of women in America and the nature of woman’s power. As Speaker of the House, Mrs. Pelosi holds the highest civic position any American woman has held to date, and her hand in putting through the recent Health Care Bill will have huge historic implications. Though we don’t see it as a great advance for women to finally be oppressed by one of our own, this is undeniably a kind of power.

But behind this recent tribute to Mrs. Pelosi is this presupposition: “Women find their power in holding the positions of men – the traditional women’s role has no power. The power traditional women exercised in the past doesn’t count.”

Americans are ready to believe this because they long ago adopted a feminist view of history. (Go here to read the whole thing.)

A Review of “Homeschool Dropouts”
Posted January 20, 2010

A very kind review of our family’s latest documentary:

For Christmas 2009, I asked for the new DVD Homeschool Dropouts: Why The Second Generation is now Headed for a Spiritual Wasteland. And I got it! I was so excited to receive this DVD and I watched it that day. I was shocked, convicted, humbled, pricked, challenged, filled with despair, brought to tears, filled with hope, and awakened to a growing movement: Homeschool dropouts.

Why write a review of this product?

First off, I want to say that this DVD will anger and possibly cause division among those who view it. Certainly one of the purposes behind this project was to call the second generation of home educators to a renewed sense of duty and fulfillment. This film is not for the faint hearted.

I believe that this is a much-needed message that is not being widely circulated among the homeschool movement. As I have been a part of this movement for nearly two decades, I have seen major changes in the way people are “doing homeschool” and some of these changes are frankly, frightening!

The time to act is now, the time to keep silent has passed. The Botkin siblings do a gracious job of communicating hard truths to my generation (the second generation) of homeschoolers. A message long overdue.

The Deuteronomy 28 Woman
Posted August 8, 2009

Our dear friend Andrea over at ahthelife.blogspot.com adds some excellent insights and observations to our last post “But What If…?“.

Dear Anna Sofia and Elizabeth,

Just wanted to write and thank you both for your latest article on “But What If”. You handled so well what can be a touchy and emotionally fraught question. And one that many girls would probably like to avoid.

I was just reading this morning in Deut. 28 - the verses speaking of the ‘tender and delicate woman’ who ends up cannibalizing her children during a siege. I couldn’t help but think what a great example this is of why we should not accustom ourselves to ‘luxury and ease’. Compromise begets compromise. And what a contrast this is to the Prov. 31 woman.

Having been in both the public school system and the ‘real world’ [employed in the public sector], Kelly and I both give a hearty amen to what you have said concerning the means of educating a daughter. And it truly has been the ‘real life’ experiences at home that have been useful to us, both in tough times and in the discipling of others. I think it’s one of the sad ironies of our public school system that a person can come out of it believing that they are a thinking individual, ready to take on the world, when precisely the opposite may be true.

We’ve spent many an hour trying to flesh out what biblical womanhood is, failed and floundered a lot, but have always been encouraged by your example of consistently beginning at the law of God. Thank you again!

For Christ’s Kingdom,
Andrea

But What If…?
Posted July 31, 2009

Hello Anna and Elizabeth,

…I have one question concerning your book and the mindset my father has raised me and my siblings on. My father believes that it is right to send me and my sister to college to develop skills in our area of interest (like, for me, it is music) so that we have a degree and real-world skills to fall back on just in case something may happen in the future and we need to work. …My father is extremely practical and wants to prepare us for the real world well enough because he knows he won’t be around forever. He wants to prepare us for every circumstance and that means even the thought of 1. never getting married or 2. perhaps our father might die early or, if we marry, our husbands might die early. Is it right to dwell on the worse case scenario and prepare for it?

This world isn’t stable and with the new president in office, times are going to get tough. Life as we know it might change forever and many of the luxuries and ease we’ve experienced may not always be here. So, how does one go about this? I don’t know how to reconcile your writings on preparing at home now and my dad’s wish that we get “real-world” skills to equip ourselves for the future to be able to get a stable job if need be. Our dad would certainly love for us to get married and have families and homes of our own. But he does not believe life will be easy and allow for many of the comforts that many of us once enjoyed. While he is all for preparing ourselves as women at home now, he is also pushing us towards college and being able to fall back on a real job in case everything fails.

Just In Case…

This letter represents most of the “what if” questions nagging at girls who choose to live at home, or are considering doing so. Is living at home and forgoing college and workplace a realistic and sensible decision in our economy? Will we be prepared for “real-world” scenarios and crises, “just in case”?

These are responsible questions to ask, and we commend this young woman for being practical about the vicissitudes of real life and the economy. We believe the Proverbs 31 woman was able to smile at the future (v. 25) not only because she trusted in the sovereignty of God, but also because she made herself ready for it. A sensible education for a girl should prepare her for the most likely scenarios she may face. Of course, if we spend more of our time and money preparing for worst-case scenario than working toward best-case scenario, we may not be ready for God’s best. So how should a girl prepare to be ready for anything, while working toward the ideal? Let’s start by remembering this: The best defense is a good offense.

Strengthening Our Arms… For Work.

Widowhood, never marrying, being orphaned, etc. are very real possibilities. But even in a happy and stable marriage, economic hard times, lay-offs, pay-cuts, etc. are even more real possibilities. Is there a point where a girl may have to set aside her aspirations of being at home “to be practical” — to give up “luxury and ease” to work for money?

Here’s the forgotten principle that made home-working womanhood economically viable once, in good times and bad. Industry is a fundamental feminine virtue. Biblical womanhood has never been about luxury and ease. Biblical womanhood is diligent, resourceful and fruitful, and its axiom is “no lack of gain.”

Work — even paid work — is not something a biblical woman resorts to just when times get tough. Let’s go back to our Proverbs 31 woman. By all measures today, her situation was perfect — successful husband (v23), disposable income (v16) — even maidservants! (v15). Yet what do we see her doing from the darkness of the early morning through the night? Laboring. Producing. Earning. Increasing. Even in her comfortable circumstances, she embraced the privilege of productive work, the holy dignity in labor that the Lord first demonstrated Himself. Of all her virtues (generosity, kindness, wisdom, etc.), this chapter spotlights one virtue more than any other: her industry.

Regardless of our times or circumstances, Christians need to labor; not just to earn money, to keep food on the table and a roof over our heads, but to take dominion of the world under Christ — to increase, to spread civilization, to make disciples of all the nations. The goal isn’t only to sustain ourselves, or to pay for our play, but to increase and multiply. R.J. Rushdoony observes, “In any society where work is seen simply as an economic necessity and fact, there will be a decline in productivity towards the subsistence level. If men only work to eat (or to play) the meaning and the goal of work soon fades away.” (R.J. Rushdoony, Systematic Theology)

But we must define our terms. “Working” does not necessarily mean holding down a steady, paying job in the workforce. Though working is, we believe, a duty for all Christians, men and women alike, we also see in Scripture that God assigns different arenas of work for both. As the “Tenets of Biblical Patriarchy” summarizes it:

13. Since the woman was created as a helper to her husband, the bearer of children, and a “keeper at home,” the God-ordained and proper sphere of dominion for a wife is the household and that which is connected with the home, although her domestic calling, as a representative of and helper to her husband, may well involve activity in the marketplace and larger community. (Gen. 2:18ff.; Prov. 31:10-31; Tit. 2:4-5)

14. While unmarried women may have more flexibility in applying the principle that women were created for a domestic calling, it is not the ordinary and fitting role of women to work alongside men as their functional equals in public spheres of dominion (industry, commerce, civil government, the military, etc.). The exceptional circumstance (singleness) ought not redefine the ordinary, God-ordained social roles of men and women as created. (Gen. 2:18ff.; Josh. 1:14; Jdg. 4; Acts 16:14)

In the Garden of Eden, the curse God gave to the man was that he would have difficulty in providing, while for the woman it was difficulty in bearing children. Man’s duty to provide for his family was affirmed in 1 Timothy 5:8, while the Bible’s instruction to women never indicates that they are to go out to support themselves. Scripture goes into detail about how women without fathers or husbands are to be provided for, and both Old and New Testaments are filled with exhortations to protect and provide for the widows and fatherless. In other words: no matter how strained the circumstances, women should not have to become the vocational helpers of men other than their husbands and fathers for a paycheck.

But this does not mean that women can’t look for creative ways to augment the family income through entrepreneurial endeavors from home. [1] Though it is a man’s duty to provide, providing doesn’t mean creating a luxurious atmosphere where his wife and daughters don’t have to labor or do anything hard. Though we can safely assume the well-respected Mr. Proverbs 31 was a good provider, his wife nonetheless worked with her hands to enrich the lives of others, and increased their income at the same time — from home.

This used to be a mainstay of biblical economics. In times when women used to turn to their spindles and looms rather than to novels and soap operas, they didn’t have to feel financially helpless or useless.[2] Production, rather than consumption and entertainment, was their way of life, and thus their way of life was never in jeopardy. Nor were “real-world skills” something they kept stored away “to fall back on” — “just in case” they lost their life of luxury and ease — they were developing and using them every day.

Real-World Skills

We believe it would be wise for every young lady to amass a number of skills that could be used to generate income. Business, in its most basic sense, involves exchanging goods or services for money. Successful entrepreneurs are the ones who figure out what services are in demand, or needed. They develop marketable skills. We see that the Proverbs 31 woman had multiple marketable skills, and there was a demand for her services: her fine linen sold, and merchants bought her belts (v24). People will always have needs, and any smart girl should be able to spot one and find a way to meet it.

The tricky thing about marketable skills, though, is that they have to be actually marketable. Demands change: what was needed a hundred years ago may be useless to people now, and hand-crocheted doilies cannot compete with web-design today. When considering mastering any skill, we should ask, do people really need this? Our own hobbies, interests and fancies should come in second-place to what people around us need. Girls who learn to think outside of themselves and take responsibility for others will be well-armed to navigate the real world, not only as adults, but as leaders.

Some question that girls who have only lived at home will really be prepared for the “real world.” A real woman should already be living in the real world, whether orphaned, abandoned, widowed, or part of a loving family. Those of us blessed with happy families and comfortable homes shouldn’t use them as a buffer zone from the concerns of the real world, any more than as an excuse to be lazy and incompetent. It would be great if every girl knew how to manage a schedule, plan meetings, buy groceries, pay the bills, defend her faith to antagonists, balance the check-book, take a plane, start a business, give a presentation, change a tire, buy a house, make clothes, deal with emergencies, butcher a chicken, write a book, and learn any new thing as she needs to know it. Living in the real world is actually a great way to learn these real-world skills. Families do these kinds of things all the time, and girls who are very involved in their families’ affairs should get a lot of experience navigating the world the way real people do — even more than those who pay an exorbitant sum of money to learn so-called real-world skills in the artificial, insulated environment of a college campus.

But Don’t I Need a Degree?

That depends on what you want it for. You don’t need a degree to make money, as Bill Gates has sufficiently demonstrated for us. You don’t need a degree to handle or use money, to start a business, to buy low and sell high, to exchange goods and services, to prove that you have a skill, or to produce things people need.

If you want to impress a bureaucratic hiring agency and get a job in the workplace, a degree will likely help; but then, if you are a good businesswoman, you must consider whether this privilege is worth the $100,000+ it generally costs (not counting the time involved) and whether your earnings would equal your investment. One thing that will not help your husband is bringing a mountain of school debt into your marriage. This has happened to many of our friends — some even felt they had to put their dream of motherhood and homemaking on the shelf, even after marriage, so they could work long enough to pay off their degrees.

But even a degree will not guarantee security, any more than not owning a degree will guarantee poverty.

Appealing To Fathers

One thing we appreciated about the letter above is the way the writer demonstrated a respect for her father’s wishes, as a daughter should. We also have a lot of respect for fathers who want their daughters to be well-prepared and capable, ready to take on the world. (We have a father like this ourselves.) If your father loves you enough to care about your future, be especially grateful for him, and do not despair if his methods seem different than yours. A father who has his daughter’s best interests at heart is generally open to sensible, rational and humble suggestions from her — especially if his daughter has established a good rapport with him, and he knows he can trust her to be working with him and not against him. If a daughter thinks she may have discovered a better way, she should be able to appeal to him respectfully from Scripture, and able to suggest solid alternatives. Moreover, she must be able to diligently follow through with those alternatives. Often fathers send their daughters off to college because they know their daughters are not diligent or motivated enough to educate themselves or be productive at home.

Conclusion

The times certainly are uncertain, and more may be required of us as things become more unstable. Three things, however, remain certain:

1. We cannot rely on earthly promises of security (degrees, “stable” jobs) — only on biblical promises of security (the blessings of God upon obedience and diligence). In these unstable times, we will need to rely less on those things that will change and more on the things that will never change. The benefits of government accreditation, paychecks, personal peace and affluence, and the illusion of stability could pass away; the value of hard work, ingenuity, and faith will not.

2. Faithfulness is blessed; compromise is not. We will not deserve the blessing of God if we we respond to calamity by compromising our principles, disregarding gender roles, or acting out of desperation instead of faith.

3. Work is noble, and required of every person — “Not having to work,” or eating the bread of idleness, are not for Christian women. Every girl in every situation should strive after the example of the fruitful Proverbs 31 woman.

Both those who put their trust in a comfortable, easy lifestyle and those who put their trust in worldly pragmatism have reason to fear “what ifs”; but a productive, creative woman full of faith will have no lack of gain. Let us then strengthen our arms, work willingly with our hands, and smile at the future.

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” - Matthew 6:33

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Footnotes:

1. When we use the word “home,” we are referring to the borders of the family estate and endeavors. The Proverbs 31 woman’s family was clearly her first priority, and her work was in the context of her family, though it sometimes took her outside her “house.” We believe the principle here is that a woman works with and for her family, within the jurisdiction of her father/husband — whether her family works at home, on the road, in an office, in a family store, or in the fields.

2. This was more true in cultures where the society and economy were established according to biblical principles, such as colonial and pioneer America. In countries where work was despised, and woman’s function and value was primarily a decorative one, women were in a very vulnerable position. In feudal Europe, for example, a young gentlewoman without a wealthy father or large dowry often had to resort to either a mercenary marriage, becoming a spinster governess, relying on the charity of unpleasant wealthy relatives, or “falling into ruin.”

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.

Botkin Girls Interviewed for Chalcedon Podcast
Posted May 26, 2009

We were very honored to be interviewed by Andrea Schwartz for Chalcedon’s Law and Liberty podcast. You can listen to the interview here.

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.

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