Announcing: Homeschool Dropouts
Posted October 27, 2009

Our family is pleased to announce the release of our newest documentary, Homeschool Dropouts: Why the Second Generation is Now Headed for a Spiritual Wasteland.

Go here for more information, and go here for a sneak peak of the behind-the-scenes production.

Helping our Fathers by… Helping our Mothers
Posted October 24, 2009

Our dear friend Jasmine Baucham just wrote an excellent, very practical answer to the question, “How can I help my father without stepping on the toes of my mother, his one true helpmeet?” (our paraphrase — read the entire question here)

There is a reason we usually emphasize fathers in our writings (actually, there are six reasons), but it’s not because we think mothers are less important. (This is why one of the first articles we wrote up for Visionary Daughters was “What About Mom?“, one of the most foundational articles on our website.) The glorious importance of wifehood and motherhood is the subterranean theme that runs through our whole ministry. The role of the wife, the helpmeet, is also the thing that puts the daughter’s role in context, and gives us a vision for the future. This is why we devoted so much space in our book to the wife’s role. And this is why, when seeking to help our fathers, we should look to and defer to our fathers’ helpmeets — our mothers. We won’t understand where we fit into the family as daughters unless we can see:

Our parents’ marriage as the root relationship of the family

What it means for our mothers to be our fathers’ helpmeets (and what that leaves for us to do)

How a family should work together united under the headship of the father

Without that understanding, the role of the daughter doesn’t make sense. What is she? A deputy/rival helpmeet? A second-rate son? A pampered pet? An unpaid maid? A child? A sponge? An autonomous individual just rooming in her parents’ house (or not)? If we don’t have the right biblical presuppositions, we might look at the blueprint and interpret the daughter’s role any of these ways. And believe me, we’ve heard them all. But if we can see the whole picture, it becomes clear that a daughter is none of these things.

This is important to understand. A family of helpmeet hopefuls jockeying for the position of Daddy’s “primary helpmeet” is not a healthy family. And a daughter causing friction in the household is not helping her father or anyone else. The antidote is very simple. Many thanks to Jasmine for this very helpful article.

A (Lengthy) Reply to Kelsey’s Inquiry
by Jasmine Baucham

When my daddy comes home from an out-of-town trip, though the boys squeal and clamor next to the front door as soon as they hear the garage, all of us kids know that Daddy’s first priority when he enters the house isn’t going to be to scoop one of us up in a bear hug or tousle our hair. Daddy will walk into the house, his eyes searching, looking right past his children. He’ll part the clamoring crowd and make a beeline for Mama. And only after he’s said his hellos to her (sometimes making us gag playfully in the process) will he turn around and enthusiastically greet us.

It’s something we kids are used to, and something that, as we grow up, we learn to love. From a very young age, my parents have made it apparent that their relationship supersedes everything else in our family life. And that’s the first point of my reply to Kelsey’s question from yesterday:

Your Parents’ Marriage is The Most Important Thing

Their marriage is the foundation upon which your family is built, and it’s only because of their healthy marriage that we can have healthy homes. My daddy may be the head of his wife, and of his household, but when it comes to us kids, we are under both of our parents’ authority. If we’re doing anything to undermine that relationship, we’re undermining our family dynamic in a crippling fashion. As their children, we need to understand that we should be encouraging our parents in their pursuit of a godly marriage, not doing anything to hinder that pursuit. We know that a strong marriage is the stepping stone to a strong family unit, and that the relationships within that unit are what defines a strong family. We have to work to keep every relationship running smoothly -biblically.

Now, a strong mother and father who realize the importance of their relationship will be quick to let us know when we’ve gotten out of line. And, when they do, our response should be brokenness and repentance. “But what if I was just trying to help my father, and by doing so, better learn how to help my future spouse?” You know what will really help you serve our future spouse? Observing the union of your parents; they are as one, not to be divided by our overzealous efforts to help dad (or, in other ways: by us making snide remarks about one parent to the other, or running to one parent when another says or does something we don’t like, to name a couple of examples).

Setting Boundaries

A good way to set boundaries with your helpfulness, Kelsey, is listen to your mother when she expresses those feelings of discomfort or “jealousy.” Chances are, if you’re hurting your mother in this way, you’ve overstepped your bounds. You want to be sensitive to her feelings, and of the important, foundational relationship she has with your dad. You also want to honor your mother as you seek to become a woman of God. You need to remember that you are not a helpmeet until you’re married; there was only one man you were meant to be a helpmeet for, and that man’s your future husband. While you have a wonderful opportunity to learn skills that will aid you in that calling right now, realize that you are just an apprentice -not the master -until you have your own home.

Before you think to do something for your dad, ask your mom what her plans are. She is your daddy’s helpmeet, not you, and that’s a role that you should honor. Do things to show your mother that you recognize her place in the home, and that you understand that it is not your calling to usurp that place. And do things to show her that you appreciate Mom and Dad, and the importance of their relationship.

Something I like to do to show my mama that I care for her is to hint around to my dad when I think of something she might enjoy. My dad’s pretty romantic all on his own (I mean, come on! The man listens to opera and jazz and can name classic movie actors by sight -he’s awesome =), but sometimes, I’ll run across something to suggest to him. Several months ago, I saw an advertisement for a play I knew my mom would love. I booked the play (up till the payment finalization) and ran downstairs to show daddy that I’d found them front row seats at a great price, if they were interested. Of course he was (and later bought season tickets, just for them two). The night of the play -just like I try to do whenever my parents go out together -I assured them that I was completely willing to babysit the kids, and that they should stay out as late as they wanted and to have a great time.

Every once in a while, you might let your mom know you’re always available if she wants to do something special with your dad, that she doesn’t have to worry about the house while she’s gone (sometimes, for my parents, this can even mean a week-long vacation), that you’ll take care of everything so they can be together. It doesn’t have to be something as big as that -when you see your mom and dad sitting and talking on the couch, even if it’s just a leisurely conversation, you can gather your siblings and take them to another room to play quietly so your parents can have some downtime together. It’s a little thing, but it shows that you care.

Helping Dad and Mom

It’s important to remember that you have two parents, and both have a very important role in your discipleship. Your father’s role is to protect and guide you, and he is the head of your household, yes, but your mother holds an equally important role as your example of Proverbs 31 in action, and as your Titus 2 mentor. Having a good relationship with both of our parents should be a priority.

One commenter made an important point about helping where you’re needed. If your mom’s helping your dad with a project, your job isn’t to push her out of the way, but to find something else to do. This may be something to help your mom, or even something to help a lady in your neighborhood or in your church, from babysitting to teaching piano; perhaps you have a home business. Your mom might not have enough time to do more tedious office work for your dad; maybe that’s something you can take care of. Your mom and dad may need to go and minister to someone in the church; perhaps you can go grocery shopping for your mom that day. We can make a point to cook a couple of meals a week for our mom, to organize our dad’s paperwork, or any number of things, but we need to make sure that what we’re doing is really an asset to our parents before we forge ahead.

How it works out for me is that I’m my dad’s research assistant, but I have to balance that with my other responsibilities; most of my time is actually spent helping my mom with the boys, with the errands, and with the household chores. I try to tackle the things that will free both of my parents for more important pursuits, like spending time together. Our goal as stay-at-home daughters should be to help the whole home run smoothly, not just to focus in on one parent; it should also be to develop a well-rounded arsenal of tools that will help you down the line as a wife and mother. My job isn’t to be my dad’s primary helper, and it’s not a position I’m vying for, because I understand that my best preparation for being a wife and mom comes from understanding that both of my parents play a pivotal role in that process.

Having a Good Relationship with Both Parents

Do you know your mom’s favorite color? Do you know just what to get her for her birthday? Do you know what movie to pop into the DVD player when she wants to relax? What kind of music does she love?

It’s important for we girls to get to know our daddies, and to show affection to them as well -that’s something that seriously lacking in our day and age. Instead of developing fruitful relationships with our fathers, we’re looking for affirmation in all of the wrong places.

However, in righting this wrong, we cannot ignore our mothers, who are of equal importance. My mom is my favorite person to be with. It wasn’t always the case. I’m more like my father (they call me The Clone =). My first word? “Daddy.” My 21-year-old papa was bowled over the first time he saw his little girl (poetically speaking; I’m told his first words about me were actually, “Oh, she’s so beautiful… are you going to clean her up? =). I followed him everywhere. Our sense of humor, our thought process, our personalities in general are a lot alike. And I’m still Daddy’s girl. =)

But, you know what? I’m Mama’s Girl, too (when it comes to her, I’m called The Shadow =). I used to think that the personality difference made it difficult to have a deeper relationship with her. What made it hard during those adolescent years wasn’t a personality difference at all, but a misunderstanding of who she was in my life. I had a career-woman mentality from a young age (you know, twelve going on twenty-two), and didn’t think I had anything to learn from my mom. Boy, was I wrong! And I’m glad I was! The more I got to know my mom, the more I realized that both of m parents had shaped my character; yes, I’m more like my dad, but my mom and I have things in common, too! And Daddy’s no good with girl talk. =) We work together, we talk together, we laugh together, and I learn so much from her example, and I wouldn’t trade her for anything. At the risk of gushing, I have to say that our relationship is one of the most important in my life; Kelsey, it pains me to know that you may be missing out on such a beautiful relationship with your mom.

I wish you could have seen more of her in ROTD [Return of the Daughters], but my brother Asher had just come home three weeks prior to shooting, and Mama’s lack of sleep plus her usual camera-shyness made her sparse. =D You’ll just have to rely on my accounts -she’s an amazing woman. And I’m sure your mother is, too. And I’m sure she loves you tremendously as well.

The Goal

If we want to use this time in our lives to take advantage of the opportunity for discipleship and service in our home, we need to remember our primary goal: to glorify the Lord. In looking towards that purpose, we need to realize that our motive in acts of service and our drive to become the women the Lord has called us to be needs to come from a zeal for the Lord. Our parents have been given to us to guide, protect, and disciple us as we walk this path. In respecting both of our parents, in serving them both, in walking alongside them both -our mothers as they demonstrate godly womanhood for us to mirror, our fathers as they demonstrate the biblical manhood that we’re looking for in a husband -our goal is to please the Lord.

Our time for wifehood will come soon enough -God’s timing is perfect. But this season of daughterhood is pivotal for our spiritual development. We mustn’t become myopic in our focus; the big picture presents an inspiring reality: as single ladies, we have a unique opportunity to serve during this time in our lives. We must make sure that our acts of service are pleasing to the Lord, and we must act in submission to both of our parents, and be careful not to let ourselves become overzealous to the point that we lose sight of our place in the home. The headstrong independence that we claim to have gotten rid of in order to better serve our families is just directed a little differently -now, instead of wanting to skyrocket in a law firm, we sometimes try to control every aspect of our homes instead of taking a backseat. The sin is still there -it just has a different name. Once we learn how to rein it in (or rather, once we submit to our authorities, and submit to the Father, and he graciously reins it in), the opportunities for truly blessing others are limitless. And remember, supporting your dad’s vision means his vision for the entire family; those goals can be met even when you’re not directly helping your father; anything you do for your family, or as your family’s ambassador to others, under the direction of your parents, can be furthering your dad’s vision.

Go here to read the rest of the article.

Watch Our Father on AFA Channel Tonight
Posted October 13, 2009

This evening our father, Geoffrey Botkin, will be a guest on the American Family Association’s live two-and-a-half hour webcast “American Education – Do You Know What You’re Paying For?” Listen here, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (CT).

From the press release:

AFA promotes a Christian’s role in education

American Family Association (AFA) will be sponsoring a live webcast tonight providing a two-and-a-half hour look at the issues that challenge Christians regarding the education of their children.

“The problems facing education in our nation – as well as the options available for solving those problems – are numerous,” said AFA president, Tim Wildmon. “AFA is committed to helping Christian parents and other caregivers navigate through education’s troubled waters.”

The program, American Education – Do You Know What You’re Paying For? will air at 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 pm (CT).

Topics will include the biblical foundation for education; the history of modern education; current issues and philosophies in the classroom; and how parents can choose the best options for their children.

American Education will be hosted by AFR Talk’s Crane Durham. In-studio guests will include Geoffrey Botkin, Western Conservatory of the Arts and Sciences; and William J. Federer, author, speaker, commentator, historian and president of Amerisearch, Inc. Also joining the broadcast will be Congressman Todd Akin (R-MO); Congressman Pete Hoekstra (R-MI); and Dr. Ken Hamm, president and CEO, Answers in Gensis, and others.

The webcast will also take phone calls and comments/questions from the website from 9:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. (CT). Registration for the webcast is free at register now for the free live webcast.

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.”

Illustrated Timeline of the Reformation
Posted July 25, 2009

Often referred to as “the most important event in history”, the Protestant Reformation was actually a sequence of amazing events which exploded across Europe in the 16th century and changed history forever. Our family’s latest finished project is an illustrated timeline that introduces key Reformers, maps out strategic locations and orders the sequence of Providential historical events, chronologically.

Printed in full colour on heavy paper, the timeline measures 14″ high by 39″ long. You can order it for your family HERE.

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.

Our Father: Geoffrey Botkin
Posted June 21, 2009

This Father’s Day, we would like to talk a bit about the man we are privileged to call our father.

All our lives people have asked us what it’s like to be the daughters of Geoffrey Botkin, a man who inspires people with both awe and curiosity. Today he is becoming known as a visionary with seven activist children, a background in nearly every area of study, and a plan for international reformation. However, his understated modesty and relatively low profile make him mysterious to some.

Our father has led a remarkable life – we continually find out history about accomplishments that he never publicized. He has never sought fame or spotlight, but he has been influential in everything he has ever done. It so happens that much of his past professional work as a political advisor, and a pastor, involves confidential information about a large variety of people, from heads of state to royalty to rock stars. As a man who protects people’s reputations, that part of his life will always remain confidential.

And that is only part of what makes our father’s history enigmatic to some. That he is not the product of any group, denomination, organization or institution makes him impossible to pigeon-hole. Geoff Botkin doesn’t fit in any biographical box known to modern media.

So who is Geoff Botkin? First and foremost he is a family man, with an intense interest in the church and the condition of the suffering. Whether serving as an author, filmmaker, entrepreneur, mentor, or pastor, he is ultimately a shepherd whose whole life is about the essentials of the Great Commission.

From the beginning of his Christian life, which began in 1975, he understood the stakes in the culture war and wanted to take his place on the front lines. His is the story of a man who would raise or lower himself to any position to do what his times required of him. In our lives, we’ve seen him rise to meet any challenge, learn any skill, wear any hat, and go any place.

Man of many talents: Geoffrey Botkin snow-sculpts one of the great Reformers

Some people find him intimidating — until they get to know him. Beneath his gravitas and self-command, he has a heart for people that is unusually tender and loving. As children accompanying him on various outings and business trips, we were often astonished by the kinds of people he would stop to talk to. He could connect with the bums on the street, hardened D.C. power-women, teenaged neighborhood hellions, high-school cheerleaders, Army generals, and little children on the playground.

Almost 30 years ago Dad married his boyhood sweetheart, Victoria, and began the best adventure of his life: his family. Geoffrey Botkin loves being a daddy. The days of drawing with us and telling us Cowboy Joe stories, though, have given way to new adventures — traveling the country speaking together, making films together, fighting the culture war together. Instead of helping us build tree forts and doll houses, now he’s helping us start our own businesses and write our own books. Dad has always been a strong and visionary governor of his household, but a servant-leader with the compassion and humility of a man who understands that he, too, is under authority. He taught us honor and obedience primarily by his own example of it.

His uncompromising devotion to God’s Word has always brought him a share of enemies, cynics, and persecutors, but no one who knew him personally could reproach him for his character. We heard even his political enemies describe him as “an honorable man.”

Our father and brother Benjamin give a presentation illustrating the Seven Attitudes of the Auteur

Dad always taught us not to fear having critics or sparking controversy — by his example he showed us that the only thing that mattered was saying and doing what was right, and the only one to fear was God. Mammon also has no power over him. Consistently indifferent to fame, money, and worldly “success,” he has always reminded us of the heroes of the Faith , “Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.” (Hebrews 11:26)

His most striking characteristic is that he has no selfish personal agenda. He seeks to find and advance Christ’s agenda. More than any other man we have ever known, he has died to every part of himself. In Paul’s words, he has emptied himself out as a drink offering. From the day of his conversion he gave up all his own interests, ambitions, and desires, to be single-minded in the mission of making manifest the reign of Christ.

People who are products of post-modernism will have a hard time understanding this modest, self-effacing and understated man, sometimes interpreting him as mysterious and enigmatic, for he is of a character that was largely stamped out by modernism.

So who is Geoffrey Botkin? A devoted and gentle father, and a humble Christian gentleman. The kind of man our world has a hard time understanding, but future generations will remember with gratefulness.

What Hath Darwin Wrought?
Posted June 12, 2009

The 500th and 200th anniversaries of Calvin’s and Darwin’s births, respectively, have been the subjects much academic discussion and debate this year. Here our father weighs in on how Charles Darwin’s birth revolutionized the course of the last two hundred years — important reading for every young woman seeking to understand her times.

What Hath Darwin Wrought? Britain’s Totalitarian Scientist Class Throws a Party
By Geoffrey Botkin

In Britain, police are bracing for the summer riots. The year 2009 has become the year of runaway unemployment, social chaos, and cultural confusion. The authorities expect the summer riots to get ugly.

British citizens were supposed to be happy in 2009. They are not. This is an awkward disappointment for Britain’s social engineers, who had engineered a full year of celebratory splendor to honor a favorite son. 2009 was to have been the year of triumph for Charles Darwin — the greatest social engineer of them all.

Ever since Darwin published the idea that the English were one of the “favoured races”, one hundred and fifty years ago, Britons have been trying to make him a national and international hero. This year, Darwin’s 200th birthday year, was to be a great hero-making opportunity. The Church of England planned a formal apology to Darwin for “misunderstanding” his theology. The British Council, the Royal Geographical Society, the BBC, the University of Cambridge and dozens of other agencies, museums, and organizations planned extravagant memorials to Darwin. Each depict him as a historical superstar. Their exhibitions remind the world that Britain embraced Darwin as much more than a mere naturalist. This is a convenient spin. As a naturalist, Darwin was an incompetent observer, and his findings have been discredited.

The reinvented Darwin has great utility as the founding father of modern Britain. This is his official image for the year 2009, even in exhibitions where his own “tree of life” diagrams and improperly-labeled specimens disgrace him. The Natural History Museum, for example, is putting final touches on a £78 million landmark temple to Darwinism, part of their massive Darwin Centre, which opens this fall. They were expecting many proud and happy celebrants. Before the riots, that is.

Go HERE to read the rest of the article.

Happy Birthday, David!
Posted June 2, 2009

We are so grateful to God for our big brother David. From the beginning, David was a rough-and-tumble manly man who had great tenderness and affection for his sisters. He always had a lot of respect for the capabilities of the female mind, and started early introducing us to the wonderful world of military history, just war theory, economics, computer technology, biblical law, jungle snafus and self-defense, and how to tie our shoes. He gave us a great appreciation for manliness and the world of men, always encouraging our participation in his adventures. We are so grateful for another year of working together, studying together, and fighting the good fight together.

David and Anna Sofia on an international trip the two of them took together.

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