1

his July- September 2014

Captive Of God j

p. 21

Gift in a Pill Box

p. 44

Do it yourself

The Better Part p. 26

Refreshing Summer Coolers

p. 18

5

In thisthisthisthis issue

29

•••Opening -New Word

-Note from Elesa

-Meet the Staff

-Mission Purpose Statement

••• Live, Laugh & Style -This Princess of God {describing Me}

-Readers Question

-To Travel The World: Tokyo, Japan

-I Luv Photography!

-Refreshing Summer Coolers

••• Forever His Princess -Captive of God

- Encouragement for Everyday

Struggles

-The Better Part

-His Princess

-Waiting on His Time

39

-Mission Update: Haiti

-God’s Jewel for You

••• Color&Design

-Life Emblazon

-DIY: Gift in a Pill Box

••• Closing

-Closing Note

-October Issue

-Contact Us!

28

21

19

35

You will. Take a bow. Laugh. Do it again. It’s only those on the bleachers, bound by their own fears, who will mock instead of cheer. Pity them. Or hope that grace will give them the courage to get out of their seats.

What if people don’t like it?

They won’t. Not all of them. Do it

anyways. Do it for you.

What if you fall down?

You will. Pick yourself u

p. Try again.

What if it’s hard? It will be. It’s worth it.

Do it anyways.

What if I

embarrass

myself?

4

o Open your mind; prepare your heart o

{New Word} AddlepatedAddlepatedAddlepatedAddlepated

:\AD-ul-pay-tud\

Adjective 1: being mixed up : confused 2: eccentric

The patient was blabbering like an

addlepated fool.

5 Photo: Capturing Life Photography (Elesa Stoltzfus)

A note from › Elesa

And here we are, once again… in summer. Since this is a very busy season for us, we

are a little late in sending out this issue. But all in all, I really enjoyed designing it amidst

the business of life. I hope that these articles encourage you to grow in your walk with

God.

If you have feedback, or really enjoyed a specific article, you can send your feedback

to foreverhisprincessmagazine@gmail.com . We will make sure that the writers or

photographers get to see it! We love your feedback!

Good news: we are finished with our site! Check it out at

http://foreverhisprincessma.wix.com/foreverhisprincess!

More good news: We have reached our one hundred reader mark!

Enjoy your next few months to the fullest extent!

-Elesa Stoltzfus

6

Meet the

staff

Editor and creative designer

Co

-ed

ito

r a

nd

cre

ati

ve

de

sig

ne

r

Proofreader

Elisa Knicely

Elesa Stoltzfus

Destinee Stoltzfus

Harmoni Ropp

Pro

ofr

ea

de

r

7

Judy Yoder is a grandma who loves to plant, write, study, and give away what

she’s learned . She also loves to pass on to other maids the joy of finding oneself

in the presence of the Father. The humdrum facts of her: Her and her prince live

in the mountains of Virginia, surrounded by their grown boys and their families,

(and a new bride-daughter who has followed her prince to Pennsylvania) and are

adding new grandpa-ish things to their acres as their tribe increases: Sheep,

ponds, barns, horses, a pony, a calf, donkey, and perhaps someday, a lama.

Judy Yoder

In this issue Writer

Photographers In this issue

8

Alycia glick Hello everyone! My name is Alycia Glick from Perry, New York.

Photography is one of my main hobbies. It doesn't take much before I find

myself running for the camera. God Bless each and every one of you.

Andrea Stoltzfus

Ruth Yoder Ruth Yoder is 17 years old. She lives nestled in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountians in the small excentric town of Floyd, Virginia. Her family consists of five children at home (including herself), her parents, two married siblings, three nephews and one neice. She teaches 2nd - 4th grade at the small church school. In her spare time, however, she enjoys photography, graphic designing, playing banjo, and various crafts.

Andrea Stoltzfus is an ordinary girl from NY with an extraordinary God. She loves photography & designing, the outdoors, friends, scrapbooking, sewing, singing, volleyball, and a whole slew of other things. Some of the random things she likes include flip flops, sunshine, laughing, cloudy skies, raindrops, and bright colors. Her challenge for each of you is to, today, choose JOY!

9

Kristina Smoker is 15 years old and her birthday falls on the last day of the year. She lives in Chester County, Pennsylvania, pretty much in Lancaster County. She is a member at Mine Road Church and goes to Faith Mennonite High School. She will be a sophomore next year. She loves the color yellow and photography and sports, esp. volleyball and basketball. She also loves hanging out with people and meeting new people and almost anything people :). She loves horses and hates cats with a passion. Her number one goal in life is to serve God with all her heart, soul, mind, and strength. She has a passion for teen girls and wants to start a mission for them someday. One of her favorite quotes is: “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do

something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do

something that I can do.”

Kristina Smoker

{Our Desire}

••••We Are••••

God-fearing women who stand for the Christian faith and live strongly by it, applying it to our every-day lives.

Is for other girls to learn more about our awesome God we serve and to deepen their

relationship with their Savior.

10

Princess

of God {Describing me}

By Kari Weaver

Hi! I'm Kari.

My family and I live in Fairfield, Montana.

We moved here from Suceava, Romania

about 2 1/2 years ago, where we were

serving under Christian Aid Ministries. We,

means my dad and mom, Eldon and

Deborah Weaver, and five of my brothers,

Chris, Ryan, Eric, Kyle, and Karlin. My

oldest brother Kendal had already been

married before we left(we had previously

lived in Ontario, Oregon).

If I had one word to describe this area it

would be windy, but it is beautiful in its own

way. There are a lot of ranches and big

farms out here, and all crops have to be

irrigated. The main crops are wheat and

barley. Fairfield is known for being the

largest malting capital of the world. It is just

a little town consisting of 2 restaurants, a

bank, a grocery store, a hardware store, post

office, 2 gas stations, a coffee shop:) a

public school/high school, and for every

church there is a bar! We do most of our

shopping in Great Falls, about 45 minutes

away.

We have mountains all around us, so wild

life is no problem! We have a lot of

grizzlies, brown bears, elk, deer, antelope,

mountain lions, and a few wolves and sheep.

Since I have six brothers their is little girl in

me and I love hunting!! Montana is perfect

for that! My goal is to shoot a wolf and a

lion.

We live about 10 miles from our church and

school. The church has about 30 families,

most of them with younger children. The

school has about 25 students and 3 teachers.

Here we only go to 8th grade, so this was

my first year out of school. I recently joined

the youth group here. There are about 30

youth here so we have some decent v-ball

games.

A little bit more about my family; Kendal is

married to Jo and they have 2 children,

Coltan and Ryleigh. He is part owner in a

concrete business along with my brother

Chris. Chris is married to Oksana, a

Ukrainian. They met while we were in

Romania. Ryan, 23, is the farmer in this

family. He loves his job-spraying and

spreading fertilizer, on the side he farms.

Eric, 21, has a roofing business. Kyle, 18,

works for a farmer. Karlin, 13, goes off to

school every day. Myself - I'm 15. I babysit

a 4 year old once a week, sometimes more. I

have a cleaning job once a week. Right now

I'm working on getting my high-school

diploma. My dad works for my brothers

pumping concrete; and my mom and I keep

busy cleaning, cooking, baking, and doing

laundry. With four boys still at home it

keeps us on our toes!

12

What 3

things make

you smile?

Readers When someone compliments me,

when I get a good grade on a

test, and when I'm reading a book.

– Jaimie Sauder { }

Friends, kittens, and

little children

-Lydia Swartzentruber { }

{ }Flowers, jokes, and

meaningful songs

– Denise Amstutz

Seeing people who are happy no

matter what hardships they are

going through, being with friends, doing stuff with my family

-Breanne Reinford

{ }

SMILE: “Have you got any kittens going cheap?” Asked a customer in a pet shop.

“No, sir,” replied the owner. “All our kittens go “Meow.”

13

Ten-year-old Daphne brought her report card home from school. Her marks were

good...mostly A's and a couple of B's. However, her teacher had written across the bottom:

"Daphne is a smart little girl, but she has one fault. She talks too much in school. I have an idea I

am going to try, which I think may break her of the habit." Daphne's dad signed her report

card, putting a note on the back: "Please let me know if your idea works on Sally, because I

would like to try it out on her mother."

To Travel the World:

Tokyo, Japan

The metropolis of Tokyo is the capital of Japan. This metropolis is one of forty-seven chief cities. Tokyo is

in the Greater Tokyo Area. It also is the most populate metropolis in the entire world. This city hosts the

Japanese government. It also is the home of the Imperial Palace, where the Japanese Imperial Family

lives. Tokyo is considered to be in the Kantō region. This region is off of the southeast Honshu, the chief

island of Japan. The Izu Islands and the Ogasawara islands are part of Tokyo. The metropolis of Tokyo

came into being in 1943 from Tokyo city and a previous Tokyo Prefecture.

Many today picture Tokyo as a city, but it

is actually an official ruling metropolis,

known as a metropolitan prefecture. Tokyo

is in charge of the 23 Special Wards of

Tokyo. These Wards, each acting and

governed as a single city, are placed where

the former City of Tokyo used to be before

1943. These wards are heavily populated,

over nine million people. The ruling Tokyo

government also has thirty-nine

municipalities in the west of its ruling area

and the two chains of islands. These make

up the world’s most populous metropolis

with approximately thirty-five million

people. Their city-born economy is also the

largest of the entire world. Tokyo also

contains more Fortune Global companies

than any other city in the world.

Today Tokyo is an alpha+ city, rating third

in the number of expatriates. It is also very

expensive to live there (Economist

Intelligence Unit’s cost-of-living-survey),

even though it was dubbed as the third in

the world to be the Most Livable

Megalopolis by Monocle, a magazine.

Tokyo has also been awarded the most

Michelin stars of any city in the world.

15

Ingredients

Original rcipe makes 6 skewers

½ cup sake

½ cup soy sauce

1 T. sugar

1 clove garlic, crushed

! (2 inch) piece fresh ginger

root, grated

1 lb. skinless, boneless

chicken breast meat, cubed

3 leeks, white part only, cut

into ½ inch pieces

Directions

1. In a medium dish, mix

together the sake, soy

sauce, sugar, garlic

and ginger. Add

chicken, and allow to marinate for 15 minutes.

2. Preheat your oven’s broiler. Grease six metal skewers, and thread

alternately with 3 pieces of chicken and 2 pieces of leek. Place on a baking

sheet or broiling pan, and brush with the marinade.

3. Broil for about 5 minutes, baste again, then broil for another 5 minutes, or

until chicken is cooked through. Discard remaining marinade.

16

Photography

I

Jaimie Sauder

Lydia Swartzentruber 17

Macy Sheaman

Sharilyn

18

Zimmerman

Jennifer Kreider

Refreshing Summer CoolersRefreshing Summer CoolersRefreshing Summer CoolersRefreshing Summer Coolers

Berry- Lime Liquado

Raspberry Lemonade

Pomegranate Lemonade

Limeade

Hibiscus Iced Tea

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups strawberries

• 1 1/2 cups blueberries

• 1 cup ice

• 1 cup water

• 2 tablespoons lime juice

• 2 tablespoons agave nectar or sugar

• Garnish: fresh mint

Preparation

Purée strawberries and blueberries in a blender.

Place in a fine mesh sieve over a bowl, and strain

juice into bowl; discard seeds and pulp. Rinse

blender, pour in juice and blend with 1 cup ice, 1

cup water, lime juice, and agave nectar or sugar.

Serve over ice, and garnish with mint.

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh lemon juice

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 tablespoon fresh or frozen raspberry purée, strained

• Ice cubes

•

Preparation

In a bowl, whisk 2 cups water with the lemon juice, sugar, and

raspberry purée until the sugar is dissolved. Fill 4 glasses half-

full with ice, and pour the lemonade over the ice to chill it. Or,

chill mixture in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons sugar

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

• 1 cup pomegranate juice (such as POM

Wonderful)

• 2 1/2 cups water

• Crushed ice

Preparation

Combine sugar and lemon juice. Stir well to

dissolve. Pour lemon mixture and pomegranate juice

into a pitcher, and stir well. Add 2 1/2 cups water.

Pour into 4 (8-ounce) glasses. Add crushed ice as

needed to each glass.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water

• 1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar

• 1 tablespoon grated lime rind (about 2 limes)

• 1 1/2 cups fresh lime juice (about 13 limes)

• 7 cups ice water

Preparation

Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan.

Stir in sugar and grated lime rind, stirring until sugar

is dissolved; remove from heat. Stir in lime juice and

ice water

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup lemon juice

• 1 cup warm water $

• 8 hibiscus tea bags

• 1 1/2 cups sliced peaches

• 7 cups cold water

Preparation

Whisk sugar, lemon juice and 1 cup warm water in a bowl until

sugar dissolves. Add tea bags, cover bowl and steep for 5 minutes.

Remove tea bags. Fill a pitcher with ice and sliced peaches. Pour in

tea and 7 cups cold water. Stir well; serve cold over additional ice.

Berry-Lime Liquado Raspberry lemonade

Limeade

Pomegranate Lemonade

Hibiscus Iced Tea

20 *Taken from the internet

Captive Of

God

By Elesa Stoltzfus

Photography: Ruth Yoder, Kristina Smoker

j

My hollow cries pierce the darkness.

I see my life stretch on into the dark

and lonely night like a map before

me. I see the paths of my life as

bottlenecks and so many thorns on

the path. The brush scrapes my

skin raw, the trees hang over my

head. The vines entangle me and the

clouds are dark—almost black.

This scene describes some of us, at

times, in our spiritual life. There are

days—days that we just don’t feel

near to God. Days when we feel the

darkness surrounding our lives,

leaving us lost. But we long so much

to be in a better place—a place

where those weeds no longer snarl

our body, where the paths grow

broad. We want a place of JOY.

That place is in God’s gentle, loving

hands, the dwelling place where no

harm or danger can be flung onto us

by the devil. The place where no evil

enthralls us, and our joy overflows.

It’s the place where God meets us

and rejuvenates us.

We will forever be capsulated by the

darkness in this earth. Those hollow

cries will never leave us on this

earth. No. They. Will. Not. Leave.

But we can allow them to make us

grow closer to God. I want that

“closer.” I want to be held in his

arms. But I only can do that with

his power. I cry to him. And he

comes. He rescues me, captures me

with his love. I no longer need to sit

in the darkness with empty cries,

but I can be a captive. A captive of

God—a captive that can rest in the

arms of her lover and laugh like the

sun’s rays dancing on the

raindrops. But when those body

shaking cries come, this time they

are full of purpose, knowing that

God controls even the difficult

times.

Will you follow God with all your

being, living out every single

breath on this earth to His glory?

God lures me to his great power and

love. He gives me purpose for a

beautiful captivity of being bound in

his arms. But he wants you. The

choice is laid out before you. Will

you follow God with all your being,

living out every single breath on this

earth to his glory? To be able to rest

in God’s arms and be his captive

takes courage and trust—even

commitment. Will you trust him

enough to let him carry you through

the brambles? To trust means that

you will have to leave your heart to

him. It means that he may mold it to

any extent he wants, even if it hurts.

Will you leave that part to God?

That is what I want: an implicit

trust, knowing that God holds my

23

j

tomorrow. I want to be able to say

that through my storms, God saw

the rainbow that was coming later. I

want to be so close to him that

through every narrow path, through

each thorn in my map, I can say

That was GOD. I want to gaze upon

him throughout each day and that

my every day, hour, minute, second,

and breath may unveil God’s love.

Being captive of God’s love is

knowing that God holds those

nerve-racking cries that jolt this

well-worn, frail body in the storms

of life. It’s knowing that He takes my

rough, calloused hand in his own,

making it new once more. It’s

knowing Him—that He sees and will

calm my tempest and bring a new

hope for tomorrow.

…Through my

storms, God saw

the rainbow

that was coming

later.

24

Encouragement for

In this life we often get overwhelmed with

the circumstances, duties, jobs and

requirements that we need to do throughout

each day. Often the time we spend working,

overtakes our leisure time. In result, we

leave less time in our lives for God and also

others, and maybe even ourselves.

Sometimes the chaos of this life overtakes

the happiness and joy in our life. We forget

why we are here in the first place and what

we are living for. Sometimes all we are

living for seems just to be to get our days’

work done. Life is so much more than work

and surviving- it is about living, growing,

caring and serving.

God created each of us to be a unique

impact in this world and we each have a

great part in God's plan. Sometimes we

forget the big impact our life has on so many

people. How our life ties in with so many

other people's stories. How many things we

do that brighten other people's day and the

encouragement we bring to others. Often

people don't say how they really feel or

compliment us, but know that others do care

and they are impacted by your life.

It's hard leaving things in God's hands when

we want our own will to be done.

Sometimes we want something to happen so

badly that we pray for it continuously to

God. I have done this many times and I have

to remember not to pray for things to happen

that I want, but for God's will to be done.

God's way is often the harder way and quite

troubling, but when we get through it we

realize that everything was done the right

way and looking back we wouldn’t want to

change it. Sometimes I rush into things and

don't have time to ask for God's guidance;

later this leaves me feeling resentful and

wondering if it was the best choice. I have to

remember to take things slower and pray

about them first.

So whatever you may be experiencing

today- heartache, dread, stress, worry,

whatever it may be- know that God has it

under control. It may seem like He's more

silent than ever; He can't hear you; He

doesn't care what you are feeling; He doesn't

understand, but know that through it all He

sees your crushed heart. He knows your

worries, He knows the things that cause you

pain, He sees the mistreatment and takes

everything into account. Nothing is going to

get unnoticed by Him. Everything will be

made right. Keep trusting in Him because

He's got everything under control- you just

have to keep trusting!

25

Struggles

The

Better Part

By Joanna Weaver

Photography: Andrea Stoltzfus

Sometimes a picture is worth a

thousand words.

My thirty-something birthday had

dawned bright and busy. Tucked into a

pile of bills and credit-card applications I

found a card sent from my friend Janet

McHenry. The message inside wished me

a “hoopy birthday” and that made me

smile, but the picture on the front was

what really grabbed my attention. It

illustrated everything I’d been feeling that

dreary, getting-older day.

“That’s me,” I said to my husband,

poking at the black-and-white glossy.

Taken back in the early 1950s, the

photo showed a young woman in Greta

Garbo shorts with eight or nine Hula-

Hoops swinging madly around her waist.

“How does she do that?” I wanted to

know.

It had been a frustrating day of too

many responsibilities and not enough of

me to go around. One by one, I named the

Hula-Hoops I had been trying to keep in

motion: wife, mother, pastor’s wife,

friend, writer, piano instructor, cook,

cleaning lady, and the big one—Little

League mother. If we weren’t racing to

baseball games, we were rushing to

church; if I wasn’t folding laundry, I was

stealing a few moments to write.

“That’s me!” I laughed. I made

exaggerated motions with my hips, trying

to keep my invisible hoops afloat. My eyes

darted from the photo to my husband’s

concerned face then back again. “That’s

me!”

After a few cups of chamomile tea and

some chocolate-chip sedatives—I mean,

cookies—I calmed down and read my

friend’s letter while my husband ran our

kids to yet another ball game. Chatty and

full of humor, Janet shared her hectic

schedule and the things the Lord had

been teaching her.

“How does she do that?” I wanted to know.

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

28

“Teach me, Lord. Show me the rhythm of life,” I found myself

praying. “Be my center.”

29

I finished the letter, then closed the

card and looked once more at the girl on

the front. There were so many hoops,

but she appeared calm. Her upper body

seemed to be perfectly still, her arms

outstretched slightly, as the hoops raced

around her waist in synchronized chaos.

Her face captured me. Looking

straight into the camera, she smiled

peacefully as though she hadn’t a care in

the world.

Then it dawned on me—I saw her

secret. “She found a rhythm,” I

whispered to myself. “She established

her center, then let everything move

around that.” “ ooooo

She found a rhythm,” I whispered to myself. “She established her center,

then let everything move around that.” ooooo

That’s exactly what I wasn’t doing in

my life. All the things I’d been trying to

accomplish were important, but I had

lost my center. Busy being busy, I’d

forgotten to tend to my inner self, the

spiritual me. Like a wheel without an

axle, I’d careened through life, bouncing

off one duty and onto another.

If there was an adequate pause, I’d

spend some time with the Lord. But

lately, more often than not, my busy

days had slipped by without a quiet

time, and my life was revealing what my

spirit had missed.

“Teach me, Lord. Show me the rhythm

of life,” I found myself praying. “Be my

center.”

Hula-Hoops and Holiness

Life is filled with Hula-Hoops. We all

have responsibilities, important things

that need our attention. If we’re not

careful, however, our hearts and our

minds can be consumed with the task of

keeping them in the air. Rather than

centering ourselves in Christ and letting

the other elements of our lives take

their rightful place around that center,

we end up shifting our attention from

one important to-do item to another,

frantically trying to keep them all in

motion.

It’s easy to forget that while there is a

time to work, there is also a time to

worship—and it’s the worship, the time

we spend with God, that provides the

serene center to a busy, complex life.

Mary of Bethany didn’t fall for that.

She knew the difference between work

and worship. Martha didn’t. That is why

she nearly missed the Better Part.

I can almost see Martha as she

greeted Jesus on his way through

Bethany. I don’t suppose the Hula-

Hoops were actually visible as she came

out to meet him, but I wouldn’t be

surprised if there was a slight movement

around Martha’s hips. “Come in! Come

in!” she probably said. “Mi casa, su casa!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to check

the soup.”

I, too, have been guilty of giving my

Lord a breathless hello and a quick hug.

I’ve welcomed him into my life and

30

gotten him situated, but then moved on like Martha,

gyrating frantically as I pursued other duties.

Mary didn’t do that. She dropped her Hula-Hoops

and sat at his feet. Who has time for recess games

when you’re in the presence of the wisest Teacher

who ever lived?

Now it’s argued that Mary probably didn’t have

any hoops (the lazy thing!) “That’s why she had time

to sit at his feet,” we Marthas like to emphasize. But

we have no proof of that, and I believe Scripture is

vague for a purpose.

A heart centered in him alone.

Stereotypes keep us from embracing truth. The

story of Mary and Martha was never meant to be a

psychological profile or a role play in which we

choose the character with whom we most identify.

This is the story of two different responses to one

singular occasion. In it, we should find not our

personality type, but the kind of heart Christ longs

for us to have.

A heart centered in him alone.

31

Used with permission; Having a Mary Heart in a

Martha World- Joanna Weaver

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have

plenty. I have learned the secret of

being content in any and every situation,

whether will fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

I can do

Everything through Him who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:12-13NIV

33

You were given My peace when you let Me into your life. It is possible, My princess, to enjoy

your life with a peaceful mind and a content heart. You have so much to look forward to when

you're settled in your heavenly home with Me. But for now, you must remember that nothing you

buy or collect will calm your spirit or soothe your soul like I can. You came into this world with

nothing, and that is how you will leave it. Let Me do more than give you the good gifts that this

life has to offer. I will give you a place of peace, decorated with delight and filled with memories

that will be more cherished than anything this world has to offer. So let Me be your treasure, and I

will give you a rich life that will become more beautiful than anything money can buy.

Love,

Your King and Your Contentment

My Princess... I want you to be content

on His Time Waiting

By Judy Yoder

Photography: Alycia Glick

Once there lived a beautiful plant-shepherdess

who dwelt in a garden called Intensity. Every

dew-dipped morn it was her job to carry out all

the potted herbs under her care and place

them along the clean-swept walks under the

beaming sun, to check each one for any

dullness in their growth tips or brown crisp

edges on their waxy leaves. These she would,

with deft hand trim off, along with all that

detracted from the perfect spherical shape that

the King Shepherd desired.

“It seems I have worked so long and waited for years on end, and still the perfect time has not

arrived.”

From time to time there were discarded plants

dumped off at her arbor. Strange, lopsided

plants they were, wide leaves held only to one

side, yellowing tips, strange juice running

through their veins that made a brick-brown

crust oozing from where stems emerged from

the main stalk, harboring sour smells and

rotting cavities. From these, she was expected

to restore as many as she could to normal

healthy growth, finding a place for each in one

empty corner or another.

Sometimes there were also tiny seedlings

plopped down outside the ivy-covered wall and

when she looked through the gate she had to

watch where she set her slippers down, for

these orphans bounced about on their root tips

and generally made an ruckus, and she was

expected to feed each of them and constrict

them to jade-colored ceramic pots where they

could let their roots develop undisturbed, and

become established.

••• •••

35

It was a winsome task, yet an all-consuming

one, and a wearying one. Yet she had been

called by the great King of Shepherds who was

said to be of such beauty that those who saw

Him fainted in a moment, overcome by His

majesty. It was for Him that she worked, and

though she had never seen Him, she received

daily letters written by His hand--- letters filled

with words of tenderness that raised the color

in her cheek and made her want to do all she

could to please Him. There was a saying that in

the garden of Intensity, the Chief Shepherd

gave a special reward to a selected few of his

shepherdesses—a young handsome shepherd

to work alongside her, doing the brisk scrubbing

when she cleaned the fountain, and lifting all

the heavy pots and containers holding all the

plantlets under her care.

Sometimes she found herself daydreaming of the

sun-kissed evening when that tall dark-haired

stranger might step out of the dusk at the iron-

wrought gate and come to stand by her side---- and

in her anticipation, she neglected the plants at her

feet, clamoring for her attention.

One day a bent wrinkled shepherdess with

patched apron and gnarled fingers came to sit

beside her as she sat under the apple tree

eating her evening meal, and they ate their

seared beef and cheese curds together, and the

wise old woman leaned upon her cane and

looked with faded pleasant eyes upon her

young friend. “What are you waiting for?”

“The perfect time,” the young girl replied,

blushing. “It seems I have worked so long and

waited for years on end, and still the perfect

time has not arrived.”

“The perfect time, you say?” The old woman

gazed out across the gardens squares dotted

with boxwood, chives, and lavender and

nodded her head. “And I suppose you are

waiting and watching for someone special,

especially in the evening hours. They say he

always appears then…if there is to be one given

you.”

The young shepherdess ran her fingers through

her wind-blown hair, pulling it back from her

face, trying to keep her voice casual. “Are there

many that receive a special helper?”

The old woman smiled. “Many are.”

The younger looked up eagerly. “Are there

some traits that the Shepherd King looks for

when he decides who to give this special

calling?”

“The one who devotes herself to

tending the plantlets right around her

feet, gives off a certain radiance that

makes her especially attractive at

sundown, no matter how soiled her

hands or her dress from the work

of the day.”

“Aye, there are. Mostly to those who are so

busy that they forget to watch the sun go

down.”

Startled eyes followed the faded blue ones

looking across the ivy-covered wall. “And what

is it you mean?”

“Naught but that they feel their calling so

keenly that they are giving it their highest

concentration.”

36

“Oh.” The young eyes dropped. “How can one

prepare to be at one’s best when that special

moment arrives except by being especially

attentive as the sun trails her fingers for the last

time over the hills?”

A smile crept over the wrinkled face. “The one

who devotes herself to tending the plantlets

right around her feet, gives off a certain

radiance that makes her especially attractive at

sundown, no matter how soiled her hands or

her dress from the work of the day.”

Serious eyes stared silently, then lifted. “I think

I see how it is. One who pours her heart into the

plants at her feet will find their sap rubbing off

on her hands and giving a pleasant aroma to

every one she touches, and it is this sap that

makes the skin glow and the eyes light.”

The old one laughed delightedly. “Yes, my

young one. You have said it well.” She placed a

tired arm around the slender waist beside her.

“The Shepherd King alone chooses whether to

give a helper to those shepherdesses tending

those around her. There are many young girls

whom he reserves totally for Himself. And to

these He speaks in a special, holy way in the

evening hours. Theirs is a sacred calling—to

hear straight from His lips those things that

ones with handsome helpers do not hear.” A

small sigh escaped her lips.

One who pours her heart into the

plants at her feet will find their sap

rubbing off on her hands and giving

a pleasant aroma to every one she

touches, and it is this sap that makes

the skin glow and the eyes light.”

The young one turned quickly and saw a flash of

sadness fade and a radiance come over the old

face. “And you….?”

“Yes, I am one who was never given a helper—

though I waited years in anticipation. At last I

focused myself alone on the Shepherd King,

listening intently for his voice in the twilight,

and I learned to hear the calming wafting of his

presence even before he spoke” She smiled.

“And I learned that while helpers could hold the

hand and succor the heart, there were none as

perfect as the One whom I waited to commune

with each eventide.” She pushed her bent

figure to a stand. “And so I wait. I’ve waited

longer than most, but,” she took a deep breath,

“when I receive my groom, it will be in a time

and place when I am no longer trapped in this

worn body.” Her whole face glowed. “And I am

gathering my gifts for that my bridegroom—my

precious one! “ Her hands clasped together.

“Every day that I let his words come through

my lips, I am giving from His hand to others.

Transplanting luminous into these creatures,

from that far-away world where the Shepherd

37

King resides!” The rapture of those last words

lifted the young shepherdess to her feet and

she turned to the old woman beside her.

But the woman was already moving, her face

bent, her eyes glowing, her arms outstretched.

“I must go,” she gasped softly. “I hear His

presence coming….and I must not miss the first

prostrating myself before Him…” her voice

faded, even as her crippled gait quickened and

smoothed out to something almost lilting in its

movement as she hurried through the gate.

The young shepherdess stood in rapture, the

sun sinking behind the distant mountains,

shading her eyes to see. The brilliance of the

rays made an illusion of two figures becoming

one---or was it so? She stood transfixed, unable

to move until the golden air had dimmed and

then she ran, dew clinging to her skirts as her

bare feet sped over the meadow.

The old woman lay where she had fallen, her

skin not yet gone cold, but a fixed look upon her

face, her faded eyes open, brilliant, though no

life in them. The young girl dropped on her

knees beside the other, sobs convulsing her

whole figure until the last light had faded from

the sky and the stars came out one by one. She

clasped the wrinkled hand in hers, feeling the

last warmth leave and the skin grow stiff and

cold.

At last she rose. She must tell those at the

village of the old shepherdess’ passing.

And she? She took a deep breath. She would

listen, as the old woman did, for the presence

of the Shepherd King each evening, and let the

luminousness of his words flow through her lips

and her hands day after day, until it became the

very definition of who she was…and then….and

then---she swallowed hard. And then, if it was

the King’s desire, she would be formed rightly

for the helper He deemed to give her. And if

not—then she would save herself and all that

she was, as her most treasured gift to give to

Him alone-a virgin soul reserved to give

unreservedly for the first time—to the Perfect

Helper—the Shepherd King Himself.

Fireflies rose from the wet grass and the stars

made daisy meadows across the sky. The girl’s

pace quickened. She had a message to give, and

then her garden awaited her return. She would

wait, surrounded by them, for her own visit

with her King.

38

Mission Update:

Lydia Swartzentruber

On February 19 2014, my family and I, my

grandparents and my uncle, set out for what we

had been planning for 4 months. What a trip it

was, one that changed my look on the world.

While in Haiti, I realized, I take so much for

granted, the life they live is so much different

from ours. The mission we went with was

International Faith Mission or IFM. My dad had

gone 25 years ago and wanted us to see where

he was. IFM has a hospital about 3 miles away

from the mission house, so some of us went

down there a couple times to help with the

pharmacy, counting pills and putting them into

little paper holders didn't seem like much but

they said we did in a few days what would have

taken them a couple weeks:) It's amazing how a

2 hour flight can take you to such a different

culture!! When we

weren't at the mission or the hospital, we were

helping at an orphanage, or walking to market

to get some fresh fruit. While we were in Haiti

we visited one of our dear friends that started

an orphanage down there. We stayed at Gods

children orphanage for 1 day and 2 nights. I

think that's where I learned the most, just being

there

with

Boni

and

seeing

how

she

lives,

how

she gave up her perfectly good life to go live in

the muck

and mire

for those

kids. It's

just one

of those

things

you can't

explain

what you

feel. You

have to

be there,

with the

kids, eating the food, smelling the awful smells,

seeing how they live!! I never want to forget

how I felt when I was in Haiti. Seventy-five

percent of the population is 18 and under.

Think about it, that’s impossible for every child

to have two parents. I hope every one of us can

go to a 3rd world country. It changes you. It hits

you when you’re there how blessed and loved

we really are!!! I think it's amazing what Elesa is

doing. She changes lives every day because of

patience and love for the people in Liberia.

My name is Lydia Swartzentruber, God has

changed me and is working in me every day:)

God bless...

40

-Lydia Swartzentruber

those who sit in darkness from the prison house.

and will hold your hand; I the Lord have called you in righteousness,

I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, As a

light to the Gentiles, To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from prison

Isaiah 42: 6Isaiah 42: 6Isaiah 42: 6Isaiah 42: 6----7777

Photography: Capturing Life Photography (Elesa Stoltzfus) 41

Life

Yellow Why were Post-it Notes originally yellow?

“We were in the labs and if you imagine, this is my lab here, and then there’s a corridor, and then there’s another lab. They happened to have some scrap yellow paper – laughs – it’s absolutely true.”

“They had some scrap yellow paper – that’s why they were yellow; and when we went back and said ‘hey guys, you got any more scrap yellow paper?’ they said ‘you want any more go buy it yourself’, and that’s what we did, and that’s why

they were yellow.”

“To me it was another one of those incredible accidents. It was not thought out; nobody said they’d better be yellow rather than white because they would blend in – it was a pure accident.”

Freedigitalphotos.net 43

The color yellow is associated with warmth, happiness, fun, friendship, caution and electricity. But what facts do we know about this color?

Yellow is a primary color, along with red and blue. In Japan,

yellow is the color of courage. In Egypt, it is the color of

mourning. In American slang, a coward can be said to be yellow

or yellow-bellied.

Yellow is a color that is easily visible, this is why it is commonly

used to indicate caution, for example, on a set of traffic lights, yellow divides the red light and green light, meaning

drivers can go, but be cautious.

In some countries, taxis are commonly yellow. This practice began in Chicago, where taxi entrepreneur John D. Hertz

painted his taxis yellow based on a University of Chicago study alleging that yellow is the color most easily seen at a

distance. This idea has also been used with school buses and road warning signs.

Yellow is an appropriate color for a room used for studying because it has a stimulating effect on the mind.

There is a type of woodpecker called the Yellow-shafted Flicker (Colaptes auratus). They have yellow shafts on their

wing and tail feathers. Yellowtail is the general name for loads of different species of fish that have yellow tails or a

yellow body. Goldenrod is a yellow flowering plant in the Family Asteraceae. Also Goldenrod is a city in the Pokémon

world!

DIY:

Gift in a Pill Box

Take a Sunday - Saturday pill box and fill it with lots of little things. This could include candy, notes, etc. The person you give it to can get something each day for a week. *You could use other kinds of pill boxes such as a 3-week pill box.

Contributed by: Letitia Wadel 44

45

o Keep your mind open; keep your heart prepared o

Closing

Thank you for taking your time to

read this issue of Forever His

Princess! I hope you benefited

from the articles written by our

various team members. Just as

they encouraged me, I hope that

they encouraged you too!

A big thank you to our writers,

photographers, and

proofreaders! You make this

magazine possible by giving up

your time. And to the members:

your contributions also make this

possible!

Again, if you know of anybody

who is on the mission field that

you think would enjoy sharing—

let us know! We would be

delighted to feature them in our

future issues!

Once again, thank you for your

input! May you go forth blessed!

46

Note:

October issue 47

- The Princess of God {describing me}

- Readers Question: If you could do anything you wanted for a day, what would you do? - To travel the World: Ireland

- Laugh - I Luv photography

- God's Care And Protection - Encouragement for Everyday Struggles: Feeling Unpopular

- Comparing Yourself - His Princess

- 10 Practical ways to bless others - Mission Update: Liberia

- Life Emblazon- Orange - DIY: Throw a Party!

- Quote Center

We finished

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