As Constant as the Stars

{Written by Johanna Rose}

When I was a little girl, I remember the sense of delight I would feel as I watched fireworks light up the sky. Unlike a lot of children, I was never afraid of them, but rather, always looked forward to the time when I would be able to experience them again….

Daddy would be holding me in his strong arms, while we both stared up at the sky and watched it light up with millions of sparks! All different colors, shapes, and sizes -- and while each one was unique, and different from one another, they all had something in common – they were so very sparkly! *smile* I believe that my very favorite part was the finale, when dozens of fireworks would go off at once, and it seemed as if the entire sky was taken over with their beautiful glitter and glow!!

But, I was always sad when the ending ended. I always was sad when all of those beautiful colors fade away -- when all of those sparkles go out. When the glamour is completely gone – and is replaced with a dark, smoggy smoke. And that is when every one starts to pack up, and start heading back to their cars, ready to go home. I often times would fall asleep in the car, on the drive back home. I would pull out a little blanket, and cuddle up in my car seat. And while looking up at the shining stars, I would fall off to sleep....

The stars – They never disappear. They never grow dim. They are not temporary like the fireworks, but permanent. They will always be there, and will never fail to shine forth their pure light. They will never be replaced with a filthy smoke – no – the sky will always be filled with their sparkle, till the end of the world.

As I look back upon those childhood memories, I ponder the lessons to be learned here. So many times, the things of this world seem so sparkly, and glorious. But time after time, we find that they really are so very temporary, and will disappear so fast....

~*~

All of this will disappear

We are strangers here

We are strangers here

We will see {Jesus} face to face

And all will fade away

Yes, all will fade away

Our moments are fleeting

Every breath could be our last

These things that we're holding

Will only wither like the grass

There's no end of time with You

No treasure here compares to You

All of this will disappear

We are strangers here

We are strangers here

We will see You face to face

And all will fade away

Yes, all will fade away

Caught up, caught up with You my Jesus

Caught up caught up with You forever

In love in love with You my Jesus

In love in love with You forever

~*~

The above lyrics come from one of my favorite songs, 'All Will Fade Away' by Meredith Andrews. The reason why this song is one of my favorites is because, the lyrics speak so strongly to my heart. This song beautifully portrays how this world, and all that is within it, will someday disappear. It speaks of how, when we stand before Jesus, and see Him face-to-face, everything else will fade away, and only He will remain. And most importantly, Meredith ends the song with the beauty of being 'caught up' in Jesus -- 'in love with  Jesus -- forever.'

Ladies, so many times we forget just how temporary the things of this world are. So many times we put them above the things that are truly important. Just as the fireworks fill us with joy and delight, so will the things of this world. They will glitter, and sparkle, and try to draw us away from the things that are truly important. But, if we look closer, we will be able to see that these worldly fancies are temporary -- false.

We must look up -- we must look beyond what the world offers, and look at what the Lord has to offer. I promise you, ladies, it is so much better! Just as the stars will never go out, never grown dim, never cease to twinkle, so are the promises and blessings of God! They will never disappear. They will stand forever. They are permanent -- everlasting! We must focus on them, we must never take our eyes away from them.

~*~

In 1 John 2:17 it says that this earth, and its desires shall pass -- but the one who does the will of God shall live forever! Ladies, let us make it our desire to do the will of God during our stay here. Let us resist the temporary temptations of this world, and be faithful maidservants for Jesus Christ. Let us not store up our treasures on this earth, but rather store up our treasure in heaven.

Because, someday, when the Lord calls us to His side -- none of this will matter. It will all fade away, and only Jesus will remain.

Blessings,

~Johanna Rose~

Reversible Bible Cover :: Craft Tutorial

{Taken From Seven Sisters Blog}

Sewing Level--Medium

Materials:

What you’ll need for a reversible Bible cover:

• 2/3  yard main fabric
• 1 1/4  yard contrast (if you want it all to be the same color, then just combine these two amounts)
• 2-2 1/2 yards wide lace
• matching thread
• two 15 inch lengths of matching ribbon for bookmark

Non-Reversible Bible cover:

• 3/4 yard main fabric
• 2/3 yard contrasting fabric
• matching thread
• two 15 inch lengths of matching ribbon for bookmark

If you’d prefer lace over a ruffle, you can subtract a 1/3 of the yard of contrasting fabric. You’ll need the same amount of lace as for a reversible cover.

Measurements:

The measurements of the Bible cover itself are:

• 10 1/2″ long (this is from seam to seam, it doesn’t include the ruffle)
• 17 3/4 wide (when open, from seam to seam)

The Bible I have is 9 1/2″ long x 7″ wide x 2″ thick.  It also pretty comfortably fits my sisters’ Bibles that are 9″ long x 5 3/4″ wide x 1 1/2″ thick.

Method:

Cut out the material as directed below. If you are having trouble seeing the pattern, click here to print it off.

Cutting directions for a non-reversible Bible cover:

• Back and Back Lining: cut 2 of main material
• Front Pocket: cut 2 of main material
• Inside Pockets: cut 4 of contrasting material
• Handles: cut two of main material
• Pencil pocket: cut one of contrasting material
• Ruffle: same as for reversible, unless you’re doing lace, then just skip this.

Please note that the directions for cutting certain ones out of the ‘main’ or ‘contrast’ are only suggestions. You can mix it up however you like!

Step 1: Prepare your front pocket

Take your two pocket pieces and put them right sides together. Stitch a 1/2 inch seam along both long sides. Turn and press.

I did a slight variation here on mine and only stitched along the inside on the left seam, and then after I pressed it, I used a decorative stitch on the right side. You could also put a narrow lace on this side

Fold your back piece in half to find the midpoint. Line up your front pocket with the midpoint and top stitch it down. I don’t have this pictured, but baste across the top and bottom of the front pocket to keep it in place.

Step 2: Make your ruffle

Take your three ruffle pieces and sew them together with a 1/2 inch seam, so that you now have one straight and long ruffle piece. Press the seams open. Fold the ruffle in half and press it with a hot iron. Then take the edges and press them inside about 1/2 inch (as shown below) so that the raw edges are now inside. You can stitch across the ends if you’d like, to keep it from fraying whenever you wash it, however, if they are the salvage edges, you don’t have to worry about stitching across it.

Stitch all along the raw edge of the ruffle with a long stitch (4.0 or longer). Do one row close to the edge (with the edge of the material running alongside the edge of the presser foot), and then another row about 1/2 inch parallel to your previous row. Leave long tails…at least 6 inches long. Pull up the gathers until it fits around the back and pin it down. I like to put my pins in vertically so that I can just stitch right over them.

To help make sure your ruffles are evenly spaced, find the middle seam on the ruffle and line it up with the midpoint on the top. Then overlap your ruffle ends at the midpoint on the bottom. Arrange and spread the ruffle and pin it down. Baste down the ruffle, being careful not to catch the tops of the ruffles on the corners where it is more likely to flop down in the way and catch.

{showing where the ruffle overlaps at the bottom midpoint.}

If you are doing lace, you pin and baste it on much the same way. Pin the right side of the lace down to the right side of the fabric. Just make sure that you fold the ends of the lace so that the raw edges won’t show. I often “hem” the edge of the lace to keep it from fraying when it gets washed.

Step 3: Handles

Fold your handles right sides together and sew along the long raw edge with a 3/8 seam. Turn and press. Top stitch along both raw edges.

Baste your handles to the short sides of the back, 2 1/4 inches from the top and bottom as shown.

If you are doing a reversible Bible cover, repeat this for the other side. Only I don’t recommend doing a ruffle on both sides. I usually do lace on one side and a ruffle on the other to keep it from getting too bulky.

Step 4: Making the Pencil Pocket and Inside Pockets

Fold the pencil pocket in half on the fold line, and press. Take one of your Inside Pocket pieces and baste the pencil pocket on the left side of your inside pocket to hold it in place for the next step.

Now you can decide how many pencil pockets you’d like. I usually do two, and then leave a little pocket for small papers or an eraser. What I usually do is use a pencil to guide where to sew. I have allowed extra material on this piece, so that you have plenty to work with. You will actually be trimming some off because it is too long.

Okay, now you can pay attention to the other stitching in the picture! Remember that you are going to have approximately 1/2 seam allowance on that left side, so keep that in mind if you are making a pencil pocket! You can now trim the extra fabric on the pencil pocket, baste it down to the inside pocket, and finish the edge either with a fancy stitch, like is shown here, or you can just do a rolled hem. I’ve done it both ways before.

Do this for both your main and contrasting materials, just make sure that your pencil pocket is on the left Inside Pocket, unless you like having your pencils in the back of your Bible.

Now you can baste the pockets together. Do a pencil pocket side and a non-pencil-pocket side together, and baste along the three edges as shown.

If you are doing a non-reversible Bible cover:

Do the inside and pencil pockets the same way, only do one pencil pocket.

Step 5: Putting it together!

Lay out your Bible cover Back, with the front pocket on the left. Pin down the corners where there is extra ruffle so that both the corners and the pins don’t get caught in the 1/2 seam allowance you are going to take (see how the lace is done a couple of pictures farther down in the post.)

Now pin the inside pockets as shown. The purple pencil pocket should be facing the purple material, on the right. The pink pencil pocket should be facing you, on the left. Baste around the edges of the pockets.

Baste in your ribbons at the top midpoint of the Bible cover.

Now, remember the contrasting side you did with the lace?

Pin down the corners on your lace, so that both the extra lace in the corners, AND the pins don’t catch in the 1/2 seam allowance you are going to take on the edges.

Pin the ribbons up out of the way…

Now pin the purple Back to the pink Back, right sides together, making sure that the both are right side up! When you are looking at it like in the picture below, your pink front pocket will be on the right, and your purple front pocket will be on the left. Pin it well. Sew with a 1/2 inch seam allowance all the way around, except for a 5 to 6 inch space on the bottom side. Because the layers are so thick, I sew with a slightly longer stitch, like about 3.0 instead of the regular 2.5.

I also like to sew in between my gathering stitches, because it makes a nicer looking ruffle. You have to pull out the stitches that are showing later, so you may or may not want to do this!

If you are doing a non-reversible cover:

Just put your Back and Back Lining together the same way. Lay out your Back with the pockets and everything on it, and pin the Back Lining to the top.

Turn the Bible cover right side out to make sure you didn’t catch in the ruffles or lace, and just go all the way around to double check that you’ve caught everything else in. If you haven’t, go back and take a slightly deeper seam. I also like to check the seam on the inside of the Bible cover, because sometimes it looks like you caught it in on the outside, when really you just barely caught it on the inside. Those places make weak spots, so go over those, too!

Turn it back wrong side out, and clip the corners to reduce the bulk. You can also trim the seams a little, but I don’t recommend getting much closer to the seam than 1/2 inch or else it will weaken the seams. Now turn it right side out again.

Step 6: Finishing

Now your Bible cover will look something like this:

If there are any gathering stitches showing, use a seam ripper to pick or pull them out. Sometimes when you break the thread underneath, you can pull part of the thread out on top more easily (and vice versa) without having to sit and pick out every single stitch.

I don’t know if you can see what I did here, but I tried to take in a 1/2 seam allowance on the lace side and on the ruffle side so that later when I stitch it closed, it matches up with the rest of the Bible cover and doesn’t dip down…

Then I hand-stitched it closed, just using a small ‘back and forth’ stitch, so that the stitches would be pretty hidden. They’ll be hidden pretty well anyways, since the lace and ruffles are so full!

Ta-da! You did it! Now you have your very own reversible Bible cover!

{the inside pockets are good for tucking letters or bulletins into}

{The inside pockets are good for tucking letters or bulletins into!}

{The pink side}

~*~

Doesn't this sound like a wonderful craft idea! I think it would be lots of fun to make matching Bible covers for each member in your family! {To see the original tutorial post on Seven Sisters Blog then click HERE!}

Happy sewing!
~ Bethany Ann ~

Monthly Giveaway :: The Elegant Lady's Closet ePattern

Greetings, dear sisters in Christ Jesus! We feel so blessed to once again sponsor a giveaway for you all this month... especially as we know you will absolutely love the prize! *smile*

This month we will be giving the 'Elegant Ladies Closet' ePattern, which was so graciously donated by Mrs. Chancey from Sensibility Patterns! It is truly lovely.... 

{Taken from Sensibility.com}

"Here is a pattern with something for everyone! I took some designs I’d played around with years ago and turned them into a “mega pattern.” All of the pieces are totally correct for the time period and can be mixed and matched to create an entire wardrobe of gowns! You’ll be able to create day gowns, half-robes, visiting gowns, and evening gowns with ease. Best of all, this pattern is ideal for expectant and nursing mothers, since the drawstring gown accommodates a tummy, and both gowns are nursing-friendly!  Important: The gowns in this pattern were designed to be worn over period underpinnings and will not fit correctly over modern undergarments. Please make sure you have your proper underpinnings before you use this pattern!"

• Sizes 6-26DD all included.
• Illustrated instructions make construction easy!
• Options for long sleeves, fitted elbow-length sleeves, and short puffed sleeves, as well as two different bodice styles.
• Bonus: Includes authentic embroidery motifs as well as patterns for two “ridicules” (Regency era purses)!
• Click here for the Elegant Lady’s Closet yardage chart
• You will receive the instant download as an ePattern in PDF format!

Below are some pictures of finished gowns, made from this pattern ~

Wouldn't you be thrilled to win this lovely pattern? 

How To Enter :: {Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry, or it won't count.}

• MANDATORY :: Post about Royal Daughters of the King on your blog, including the giveaway information. Leave the link to your post in your comment please.
• Read an article posted in the past at Royal Daughters of the King.
• Put our blog button on your blog sidebar.
• Spend a moment in prayer for our ministry.
• Share with us five or more things that your feel thankful for at the moment.
• Visit Sensibility Patterns.

Additional Information :: Please leave a way for us to contact you in each of your comments (blog address, email, etc). Giveaway ends at noon, on the 30th of July, and {Lord willingly} the winner will be announced the following day!

Blessings,

~Bethany Ann & Johanna Rose~

Waiting for the Wedding Day...

{Written by Bethany Ann}

It had been an exciting time in my life. It was my parents 22nd wedding anniversary. We had just gotten word that my mother's cousin (who was in my mother's wedding as a flower girl!) was getting married in a few months. In the past we girls had enjoyed watching the Duggar wedding which we had recorded a while back. Weddings seemed to surround me! :)

     During this joyous time I couldn't help but start to think about what my wedding would be like. Who I would marry, and all the other questions that come to mind when the word wedding is mentioned.

     On my parents wedding anniversary we watched their video recording of their wedding  22 years back. It was fun to see what all took place since we weren't there when it happened. As we watched I started to feel that excitement that you get when you start thinking about your future. Unknowingly I started to mentally list things that I did and didn't want  for my wedding. I started to envision what it would be like to get married and before I knew it, the thought of weddings and marriage were constantly filling my mind. Instead of using this time to prepare for my wedding and future marriage, I was dwelling on unimportant details that certainly could wait to be thought of until later on! As I imagined walking down the isle slowly and repeating the vows I realize that thought these thoughts are okay if done in moderation and at the proper time, but this wasn't the proper time since God has not brought me to this point in life where marriage is visable as of yet.

     It seems like all young girls have this dilemma at one point in their life. God has given us the desire to one day be wives and mothers but so often we get caught up in the thoughts of married life that we don't take this time while we are single to prepare for it properly. Song of Solomon 2:7 b tells us "Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires." While this verse does say "until love so desires." this means when God desires, not when we feel it is the right time. We need to trust in Him, trust that He will work it all out, because He will!

     Until the proper time comes when we do marry (if we marry) then we should not  allow our thoughts to constantly dwell on marriages and weddings. If we allow ourselves to think on such things all the time, then once we do get married, we will be discontent in what we find married life to be. We will be disappointed  because our expectations were to high. This can be detrimental and fatal to any marriage! No matter how much we could like it not to be so, nothing is perfect. Nothing! There is no such thing as a perfect wedding. There is no such thing as a perfect marriage. There is no such thing as a perfect husband. We need to remember this when our mind drifts to thoughts of  weddings and the details of them. In Philippians 4:8 we learn to "Finally brothers, whatever is true...think about such things." Since there is no such thing as a perfect wedding, marriage or husband then we should not allow ourselves to think about such things and instead trust that God will work everything out in it's proper time. Besides, when we don't revolve our thoughts on what we want our marriage to be and let God take care of it, it will turn out wonderful since Jesus knows what He is doing!

     One thing that I have found extremely unhelpful is to read literature that portrays romance or marriage in depth. Even if it is a "Christian romance" then we should still take caution. I have found that many so-called Christian romances are only called so because it mentions the girl going to church on Sunday. This is not  true Christianity, sisters! These kinds of books can even be more detrimental than the other romance books because we feel that they are "okay" to read since they are given the Christian title. I find it most helpful to ask my mother what she thinks of a certain book before reading it. Our mother has been there and when we ask for her wisdom and advice she will have much to share! Now, I understand that there may be some clean romances out there, but to me, I don't want to have to read each of them to find out whether it really is clean or not. I try to read books that are encouraging and that will uplift me in my walk with Christ. Anything that doesn't do this is something I would caution you against. Some people are more cautioned in romances than others. There is the balance that needs to be found in between not reading just any book with even the slightest bit of romance and reading any and everything just becasue it is there. Ask your parents how they feel on this subject and ask them what their standards for you are in literature choices.

     I love this quote from Sarah Bryant's book, The Family Daughter: "We should not fuel the desires for marriage by feeding our minds with the media that stimulates this craving. This can be a difficult choice; it means we guard every single thought as we are told to do in 2 Corinthians 10:5. A married lady recently shared with me that she learned while single, to not stir up her desires for marriage. she used the illustration of a jar of water containing sparkles. When she shakes the jar of water they are stirred and "come alive" but when she lets it rest in peace, they settle. Until the right time, when the Lord brings along a mate, we must be careful not to stir up these emotions." This is so true!

     So what is the key? Being content where we are now, whether we are married or single. If we can't be happy were we are right now then how do we expect ourselves to be content once we marry? The button won't all of a sudden "click" once we are married, let's learn to be content in every situation now! Contentment doesn't come naturally, it is a conscious choice that we need to make every day (sometimes even more often than that!).We must be content to serve our father in his house and we must do it joyfully and willingly. We must view this time of singleness as a blessing and and we must use this opportunity to study God's Word and grow closer to Him, and learn skills that will not only benefit our family now, but our future family later on. In 1 Corinthians 7:34 we see that "An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband." Once we are married and have a home to run, we will not have as much time to study the Word or memorize it, much less learn skills that are valuable. We must use this time to prepare! Skills that we can learn are cooking and baking healthy meals, sewing modest clothing, growing food, schooling or helping watch the children and more!

     One habit I have been trying to form is to pray for my future husband each day. When your thoughts turn to weddings then turn that into a prayer. I try and pray for my future husband daily; pray that he would grow close to the Lord, that he would be kept pure and that the Lord would bring us together in the proper time. I also pray for myself, that I would be drawn closer to Christ and that I would use this time to prepare to be a wife and mother. I ask myself what things do I need to work on, such a patience and self-control, and what skills can I improve or learn? I encourage you to start this as well! What a blessing it will be to our future husband to know that we have been praying for him before we even knew him! This is a wonderful way to fulfil Proverbs 31:10 which tells us that the virtuous woman is like: "she does him good not harm all the days of his life." All the days of his life includes those where we don't know him!

     Always remember to keep Christ number one in your life! This way whether we marry or not, Christ will be our ultimate goal in life, our closest friend and the center of our life! I will be praying for you and hope that this article has been of encouragement to you!

Blessings,

Bethany Ann

Refreshing Smoothies :: Recipes

Summer is in full bloom at my home, and with every breath of air that I take in, I since the scent of summer gracing the air. As I step outside in the mornings, I love to just look about and listen. Every thing is alive with color and song, and it fills my very spirit with joy!

But, as the day's draw on, I feel the temperature rising, and find that our days are heating up fast.

~*~

One of my favorite ways to start days such as these, would be to blend together a refreshing smoothie! Smoothies are so very flavorful, and refreshing on hot summer days. Each and every one has its own, special, and unique flavor. But something that all of those flavors have in common, is that they are all so delicious! *smile* They all are made with luscious fruits, creamy vanilla yogurt, and enriching milk. There are so many different combinations you can try, but I find that when you blend together various kinds of fruit, rather then just one kind, that this makes for the best flavor.

Often times, when I think about a smoothie, and how refreshing and sweet they are on those hot July days, I think about the fruits of the spirit, and how we, as young woman of the Lord, need to be a refreshing reflections of Christ, in the heat of this wicked world.

But how do we become one such as these?? Just as a smoothie becomes sweet from various kinds of delicious fruit, it is the same with us. We need to first acquire the fruits of the spirit, so that we may retain the sweetness of Christ in all the we do.

~*~

Below, I have compiled a few of my favorite smoothie recipes! I pray that as you blend them together, and enjoy their refreshment, you would think on how to become like them. The Lord has given each one of us talents, opertunities, inspiration, and a longing to become a sweet reflection of Himself! But we must always have a perfect blend of the fruits of the spirit first, to become a tool in the Lords Hands.

Blessings,

~Johanna Rose

Banana-Strawberry Smoothie

You will need ::

1/2 cup orange juice, chilled
3/4 cup frozen strawberries
1 banana, sliced

In blender, combine orange juice, strawberries, and banana and blend until mixture is smooth. Enjoy!
Serves :: 1
Prep :: 5 min

Orange Sunrise

You will need ::

1 cup vanilla soy milk
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
2 ice cubes

In blender, combine soy milk orange juice concentrate, marmalade, and ice and blend until mixture is smooth and frothy.
Serves :: 1
Prep :: 5 min

Apple-Banana Smoothie

You will need ::

3/4 cup apple juice, chilled

1/4 cup frozen apple juice concentrate

1/3 cup applesauce
1 cup frozen diced Granny Smith apple
1/2 frozen banana, sliced
pinch ground cardamom

In a blender, combine apple juice, apple juice concentrate, applesauce, diced apple, banana and cardamom. Blend until mixture is smooth.
Serves :: 1-2
Prep :: 10 min {plus freezing}


Double-Peach Smoothie


You will need ::

1 cup peeled, sliced peaches {be sure to use large, juicy ones for best flavor}
1 cup peach juice or nectar, chilled
1/2 cup vanilla low-fat yogurt
3 ice cubes

In blender, combine peaches, peach juice, yogurt, and ice. Blend until mixture is smooth and frothy.
Serves :: 2

Prep :: 5 min

The June Giveaway Winner Is...

Greetings, dear Royal Sisters! What a beautiful summer morning this is, perfect for the joyous news that we about to share with you!

On Wednesday,  our giveaway for the lovely set of handmade stationary, so graciously donated by Farmgirl Treasures Etsy Shop, ended and we have have a winner!

We first would like to say thank you to all who participated in this giveaway... each and every entry was taken in with joy -- we were very surprised to see so many entries, especially since this is our first giveaway here at Royal Daughters of the King! It was such a blessing to get such a wonderful responce!

And of course, a huge thank you to the the Farmgirls for donating this beautiful prize! We pray that the winner will use these beautiful sheets of stationary to glorify Jesus, in all that she writes upon them.

And now, we would like to share who the winner is........

MISS BEKAH!!!!!

Congratulations Bekah! Please visit our Contact Page, and send us an email with your first and last name, address, and email. And be sure to let us know which set of stationary you would like from the Farmgirls Esty shop! :D

For those of you who did not win our June giveaway, we hope that you will visit again in July, as we will be hosting out next giveaway then, on the 6th. {Next month's sponsor is Sense & Sensibility Patterns, so you won't want to miss out!}

We also would encourage you to check out our Monthly Program, as we just posted our July program!

May the Lord bless you all, as we close out the month of June, and embrace the warmth of July!

Blessings,

Bethany Ann & Johanna Rose

Royal Council :: Modest Swimwear

Ah, I do believe that summer is here at last! *happy sigh* What a wonderful time of year this is! It is a time when sunshine covers our world, and nothing can possibly put a shadow on the joy and happiness it brings.

It is a time when the birds love to sing, and the bees love to hum, and the flowers love to bloom.....

But, another wonder that comes along with these warm summer months is time. While regular classes and activities commence, we find so much time to try out new pass-times. One of my favorite summer pass-times is swimming! Nothing can be so refreshing during those hot, sticky days, then to dive into a cool pool of sparkling water. But along with this fun activity comes a challenge, that we, as Christian woman, all struggle with, and that is :: how to remain modest.

~*~

Below, we have compiled some responses to the above inquiry. We pray that as you read, you would be encouraged to not give up on this challenge. We know that wearing modest apparel, especially when swimming, can be difficult to accomplish at times, but is by no means impossible. There is always an option out there, and hopefully, we can help you to find the option that will work best for your needs. Blessings ~

Bethany Ann :: 

Modesty is something that sadly, is no longer of any value to this world. However God sees it as something that it very important. We are told to not be a stumbling block to our brothers in Christ so we as daughters of the King must clothe ourselves properly and be modest when doing so.

It is easy to dress modestly on a day-to-day basis since you can find modest clothing in stores at a reasonable price. However so far, the only places I have found modest swimwear is online and they are all about $100 each! For our family to have a bathing suit from these sites it would cost a fortune! So what we have done is we have found modest shirts that people wear when jogging or exercising. They are made of a sweat resistant material and thus take less time to dry than a normal t-shirt. We have found that sometimes these materials are transparent when wet (my shirt is white, so when it is wet you can see right through it) so we ware a 1-piece bathing suit underneath our shirts for extra protection. While I could go without shorts since I have a bathing suit underneath my shirt, I chose not to. I have purposed to not show any part of my legs above my knee and have found that wearing Capri's with my shirt works well.

As I mentioned above, I have found these websites that sell modest swimwear:

• Swim Modest
  

  
• Wholesome Wear
• Modest-Kini
• Modest Swimwear 4 U
• Simply-Modest

I have a friend who said she made her own swimsuit using Fresh Modesty's neat e-book {click HERE for details} which shows how you can make your own swimsuit! I think this would be a neat idea if you know how to sew and they even have information on how to make a maternity swimsuit! You could be on the look-out for fabric store's sales and they buy swimsuit material when it is at a discounted rate.

In closing I would like to encourage you not to let the summer's heat or peer presser to lower your standards. Ask your parents what there standards are for you in modesty and truly delight in obeying them! Always remember that though we might look weird to others, it is better than causing a brother to stumble. Always keep your focus on Christ and serve Him wholeheartedly this summer!

God bless you!

~Bethany Ann

Johanna Rose ::

Summer is a lovely time of year. One which I always enjoy. And I must say, that one of my favorite summer activities, would be driving down to my Grandma's swimming pool for a splash, or running into the waves at the beach. But along with these delightful summer pass-times, comes a challenge. A challenge that I believe all young woman, who have a heart of purity, will meet. And that is, how are they to go about selecting a swimsuit? What are their guidelines? Where can you find a swimsuit that is God-honoring, but still functional at the same time?

Every year, I had these same questions swirling in my head. And sadly, I have noticed that every year, it becomes harder and harder to find the swimsuit that will fit my needs. So many times, when I return to the place I bought my suit last year, I find that their modest style has changed drastically, and for the worst. Other times, I find that buying a modest suit is much too expensive. The prices often times ranged from $75-$100! So how do we acquire a modest swimsuit? It must be impossible, right??

Dear Sisters, this is exactly what satan wants you to believe -- he wants you to believe that modest swimwear is impossible to find, and therefore you must lower your standards to what the world offers. But let me encourage you, by saying that there are still options out there. Though these resources may be few, and are at times difficult to find, there are still places out there where you can find a swimsuit that will fit your needs. I want to share with you some resources and ideas below, in the hopes that you may be inspired to search out a modest look --

• Last summer, I pieced together a modest swimsuit. This is an option which I have used many summers. One of my favorite places to piece together a swimsuit would be Lands End. At Lands End, they sell many swimsuit pieces separately. I love how they offer this, because this is a fun way to design your own suit. In the past, I have put something similar to this, together :: Find a modest swim-skirt, and a cute, conservative bikini top to match it. Then, I recommend you find a tight fitting t-shirt, to wear over the bikini top. {You want it to fit tight, because it loosens up a lot when in water.} I have done this many times in the past, and it turns out super cute, and very functional as well!

• Another option would be to find resources that offer swimsuits that are meant to be modest, and are designed for that reason specifically. Often times this option can be a bit pricey though. Sites such as Simply Modest, and Swim Modest -- among others -- offer beautiful, and modest swimsuits, but they are around $100 each! But this year, I was blessed to find Comstox.com. And, needless to say, this is where I will be purchasing my swimsuit for this summer! Jennifer is a young woman, who is using her talents to serve the Lord. She offers custom made suits for young ladies, ranging from $35 - $50 {depending on size}. One aspect that I loved about her site is how everything is custom made, upon order, to fit you exactly. She takes down every measurement, and tailors the suit to your measurements! And there are so many beautiful materials to choose from as well, that you will be sure to find something to fit your personal style. 

Both of the above options are perfect solutions to finding a modest style that is perfect for you. But one last thought that I would like to share with you would be this :: 

One aspect that I love about both of the above options is that, not only are they modest, but they are feminine and stylish as well. When I walk along the seaside, and young woman of the world encounter me, I not only want them to recognized that I have strong convictions about modesty, but also, that I found an alternative to the worldly dress with a beautiful choice. When they see me, I want them to be inspired. I want them to realize that beauty and modesty can be one.

May the Lord bless you, as you strive to honor Him in this!
~Johanna Rose

Miss Miriam ::

So, it is summer now. And it is also very hot. Hot weather, for most people, means swimming. And what does swimming mean? It means that you are going to need a swimsuit. For many years, when summertime came around and we started to shop for a swimsuit, I was already frustrated even before the shopping began. I would go to almost every store in town,with my Mom, and I would not find one single modest swimsuit. It was very disappointing to waste time looking for something that was probably not ever going to be there. When I was little, it was not as hard. I would usually just swim in a one-piece swimsuit with a long T-shirt over it. But, after the little girl years, the one-piece swim suit and T-shirt just wouldn't work. So, then, my Mom began searching for swimsuits online. We found a few that we liked and were modest but almost all of them were SO pricey! I did not want to spend almost $100 dollars on a swimsuit, but then, I did not want to lower my convictions and buy a swimsuit that I did not truly think was modest. We have purchased several that were from the Internet, but most of them just were not what we were looking for. This year, though, we have found a few really cute, modest swimsuits that don't break the bank!

1. Swim culottes from Dressing For His Glory. These swimsuits are basically culottes, but made out of swim material. Also, you can buy a swim shirt to go with the swim culottes or skorts. There are several different colors and styles for you to choose from!

2. Swimsuits from Modest Activewear. This is what my Mom ordered this year for my sister, herself and I. I am very satisfied with these swimsuits! They are really cute, modest, and easy to swim in too! It comes with a swim shirt, and a skirt with sewn in shorts. I have already received a few compliments on it!

3. Swimsuits from Fresh Modesty. This is actually a pattern that a young lady named Olivia designed. The pattern looks pretty easy and there are several really cute options that you can make. There is even a maternity option for those ladies who are pregnant and need a swimsuit too!

I hope that this helps you all when you are looking for a swimsuit!

The most important thing to remember is to be modest and dress in a way that Christ would be pleased. Don't lower your convictions or give up if you can't find a swimsuit that is modest; wait on the Lord and pray that He will help you find one!

Also, one thing I realized was that we need to be feminine too. To be modest, you do not have to be frumpy or drab! You can be feminine and modest at the same time!

May we all dress in a way that would reflect Christ and glorify Him!

~Miriam

-- Visit Miriam's website, Maidens of Virtue.

~*~

Do you have a suggestion for future Royal Council topics? We would be so blessed if you sent your suggestions by way of our Contact page! Thank you! We pray that you were blessed by this month's Royal Council, and are left refreshed and newly-inspired to live for Jesus.

Abundant Blessings,

Bethany Ann & Johanna Rose