Thank you to lovely Potts family for inviting me to participate in this blog. I present you with a rather long post about myself:

My birth place is a small city in Puerto Rico in July of 1994. My mom says that I was probably the laziest baby she’d heard of, fighting the pregnancy for hours without giving her much pain. I was raised for the first nine years of my life in the southern part of the island near a horse ranch. I still remember countless hot afternoons spent on my porch looking at those horses running in the distance, admiring Yah’s creation.

I wasn’t brought into this belief years down the road like a lot of people. My mother grew up with it and in turn I grew up with it. My earliest memory of church was of me falling asleep on a Friday night under the pew in one of my favorite white dresses. I remember my grandmother refusing to buy me chicken nuggets because we weren’t allowed to buy on Sabbath (try explaining that to a five year old enamored with Wendy’s).

Fast forward to age nine and I come home from school to find a ‘For Sale’ sign on the front yard. My parent’s worried I wouldn’t take the news lightly that we were moving to the United States. I’m all for adventure and I started packing right away, to their surprise. At that age I thought the US was only a car ride away. It wasn’t until I was on the plane and I saw the sadness in their eyes did I realize just what we were getting into. As my sister drooled on my arm, I came into reality that it would be months before I saw my family again. But I sucked it up, wiped the drool off my arm, and decided to enjoy the five hour plane ride to my new home.

*Enter Time Lapse* Alabama 2009. I’m in tenth grade thinking everything is going as planned. I have more friends than I can count. I’m in ten different extracurricular including Bible Study and Mathletes. I have a lovely home and my amazing family. But no matter how much I had, I felt something off. Something was missing from my life. The truth of it was that there was no congregation in Alabama. There was no little white church we could go to every Sabbath. We had tried several Messianic congregations but none reflected what we believed in entirely. Whoever tells you that you can make it spiritual without a spiritual network is a liar. We had fallen pretty deep. We had reverted to eating unclean, dressing immodestly, and participating in unholy festivities. There was a long period of time where Sabbath’s weren’t kept.

My mother, being the wonderful pillar she is, one day called us all into the living room. She sat us all down and told us we were reading the bible and singing praises because it was Sabbath. How foreign this was to me. Saturdays had become social events for my friends and I. I had to give that up now? Reluctantly I obeyed, knowing to honor my parents’ wishes. And deep inside, whether I wanted to admit it or not, I wanted to come closer to God again.

One night my parents inform us that once again we were to move. This time wasn’t so willingly for me. My friends and my future were in the little town of Morris, Alabama. I had trouble seeing past that, I had trouble seeing past what I wanted. What I needed. I cried during the whole packing stage, I even cried on the car ride up to Indiana. My parents reassured me that everything happened for a reason and that in the end everything would work out to reflect Yah’s will.

A few months into living in Indiana my father had a conversation with one of his coworkers (Lets call him Mr. W for privacy purposes) that changed our lives forever. They were sitting eating dinner with some colleagues. My father spoke up about not eating pork because of religious beliefs and Mr. W asked why, since he was kosher himself. As my father tried to fumble over the explanation because of how difficult explaining Hebrew Roots can be, Mr. W immediately understood and confided in my father that he was also Hebrew Roots. A few weeks later Mr. W contacted my father about joining in a little fellowship that they were putting together in his basement. My father immediately accepted, since we were already on the narrow path trying to live our life biblically again.

That Sabbath I made some of the closest friends. We were all a little awkward at first, since I was so different from them. They were all modestly clad and all were homeschooled. I picked at all of their brains in everything from skirts to boys to cookies (Have they taught you to make no-bake cookies yet? I slobbered every time they brought them).

During this time I began inquiring of them about modesty. It wasn’t until one of the mothers handed me the book “The Lost Art of True Beauty”. It all just clicked for me. The very next day I vowed off pants and revealing clothes and have been modest ever since. During this time my parents were teaching me in the way of handling boys and relationships. It seemed that each family had their own idea of how to come into a God centered marriage. Even though we are all different and we have all picked our paths I can reassure anyone that we are all waiting on that one husband brought to us by God. That we all have chosen to reflect God in our relationships and that we are will keep our hearts in check.

If it sounds like modesty and relationships were a big deal… They really weren’t. They were probably the easiest things to come in line with. There were weeks spent on studying one simple chapter. We spent over month examining the Tabernacle inside and out. And as time consuming as it was, as many rabbit holes we went on, I enjoyed every second of it. At the end of every study everyone came away with something new or something altered. We had to learn to work together. Even though we couldn’t see eye-to-eye on a hundred percent of things, we were together on at least ninety percent and that was enough to make it work. We kept Yah in the focus of things and it all worked in dysfunction to make something beautiful.

I spent three years with my fellowship before Yah led us back down to Alabama. I’m enrolled in the University of Alabama at Birmingham and I’m studying to follow in my father’s footsteps, Yah willing. I live at home right now. I live here because my family grew up with the belief that a young lady should stay under her father’s covering until the day she marries. My parents allowed me to go to college under one simple warning. The minute they saw my faith slipping they would pull me out. They weren’t going to sacrifice my salvation for a career, no matter how much society pressures us to.

College is not for everyone. Let me repeat that… COLLEGE IS NOT FOR EVERYONE. I was raised in public school and in this belief. I have prepped my whole life for going through college. I entered in deep prayer and I got baptized the break before school started. I was confident that college was not going to change me for the worse. In fact it has helped me in all the ways staying at home couldn’t have. I have grown stronger in what I believe in seeing the hypocrisy and the sin that people demonstrate here, believers and unbelievers alike. I have stood in front of a classroom full of students and defended my way of life and won. I have contended with teachers and students alike. I have had numbers of friends confirm that they knew this was the right walk and some even start living in biblical lifestyle.

 But that is my walk. This is the path Yah has allowed me to pursue and this is how I’ve developed as a young lady. But not every young lady needs to go on that path to develop in that way. I see my friends from this site and I admire the way they have matured and the way they have helped so many young girls. Bethany stated recently in a video that there are always two sides to every issue. College can be the pitfall of so many believers, trust me I’ve watched them fall, but it can also help young believers grow closer to Yah. It all depends on the will of God and what He wants you to do with your life.

Here is where I end my post. I’m not sure if I said the right things in the right way. But I know how I want to leave you. Life has a lot of ups and downs, a lot of heartache and a lot of joy. Please don’t turn away from something because you fail at first or because it does not go as plan. Seek YHWH’s will and His love first and everything will fall into place.

Deuteronomy 6:4-5
"Sh’ma, Yisra’el! Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai echad [Hear, Isra’el! Adonai our God, Adonai is one];  and you are to love Adonai your God with all your heart, all your being and all your resources."

Shalom,

Yarelis Rivera

Hello everyone! My name is Kaity and I’m 21 years old. I was born and raised in and out of the “church” until I was about 10 years old. My Family and I came into the Hebraic Roots/ Messianic movement about the time I turned 6. Growing up I believed that Yahweh (God) existed, because of all that my parents instilled in my siblings and me. Instead of grasping the deeper concepts and meanings of the Bible for myself, I just went along with whatever my parents did. My own personal growth seemed stagnant. As we were growing in learning Torah, we had absolutely no one to fellowship with and no teachers to learn from. But after a move to a different state when I was 15, we discovered that we were not alone. There we found a fellowship of like-minded believers and my spiritual growth started to blossom. Today, I can honestly say that I have more of a deeper understanding of who the Creator is and what the Bible says. I praise Yahweh for my parents making the choice of looking deeper into the scriptures and realizing that the church was missing something. Personally, I don’t know what lies ahead in my future. But I do know this, the Creator of the universe has a plan and a purpose for my life and I can’t wait for Him to reveal His amazing plan to me as I grow in Him.

What makes you, you?

Let me paint you a picture of how I see myself. I am a person who loves and cherishes life and strives to honor YHWH with all my heart. Weekly, I look forward to our fellowship meetings on Shabbat and our monthly H.U.B.(Hebraic Understanding of the Bible) meetings, where people come from around Indiana to study together. I’ve learned much through these venues and, of course, I enjoy meeting other like-minded folks, too. I love to have a good time. Even though I am 21, I still enjoy playing with children; it keeps me young at heart. :)  My favorite hobbies are baking yummy deserts, crocheting, knitting, playing the piano, taking walks, understanding history (especially American History), reading a good book, volunteering at a Therapeutic Riding Center and most importantly spending time with family. 

Are you involved in Ministry?

At this time I am volunteering at a couple of different organizations. The first is a women’s shelter. There, with a few of my friends, I help sort out clothes and items donated to the center to be sold in their thrift store. The second place I volunteer is a therapeutic riding center. This riding center offers classes for children to adults with disabilities like Autism, Down syndrome, ADD, ADHD, etc. This is an amazing blessing to watch the interaction between the students and the horses. It is our job to help them prepare the horse for their ride and keep them safe while riding and interacting with the animals. Working with these organizations enables me to have the opportunity to share with others what I believe and in turn I learn not to take for granted the blessings and abilities that He has given me to share.

What words of encouragement would you give to other young ladies who are seeking to please the Most High with their lives?

I would encourage young ladies to keep on striving to do the will of our amazing Father. Pray, study YHWH’s Word, memorize verses and most importantly, don’t believe anything you hear, test everything you hear. If you think about it, our walk is like that of a fish swimming against the tide or current. The world is the tide or current and wants to drown us but YHWH’s Truth sustains us at all times. We just need to ask our Heavenly Father for His protection and guidance for our lives.

2 Thessalonians  2:16-17 states, “And our Master יהושע Messiah Himself, and our Elohim and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement and good expectation, through favour,  encourage your hearts and establish you in every good word and work."

Kaity

Edit- Kaity has a blog, stop by for a look! daughterofyhwhathome.weebly.com

Shalom to the readers of “Every Day Set-Apart”! I am so privileged to have this opportunity to share with you all- -  thank you, Bethany, for inviting me here! I pray that as you all read on, you would become inspired and encouraged in your own personal walk with YHVH. So, grab your cup of tea (I have mine!) and let’s begin:

A Little About Me: I’m from the beautiful Midwest (love all four seasons!) and I have five siblings, three of which are married. I have eleven nieces and nephews who I love to pieces, and who are always keeping us on our toes! I’m a homeschool graduate, daughter to a preacher, and sister to a cancer patient in remission (Halleluyah!). I’m a guitarist, artist, seamstress, photographer, writer, and creative designer. I love traveling, and was blessed to meet the young ladies behind “Every Day Set-Apart” this spring when my family traveled to Tennessee for “United in Worship 2013.”

Every day is an adventure for me, but this past year the Father has brought my family through many storms. We’ve gone through cancer, chemo, surgeries, and deaths of loved ones, amidst much more.  However, it’s in those times that your faith becomes stronger- you learn to rely on God alone for strength and trust that He will get you through. We serve an ever-faithful God! He has taught me so much through this hard season, and I will always be grateful for that. Remember that He does work all things together for your good (Romans 8:28). Even though you cannot see the beauty through the pain, He will cause life to spring forth from the ashes (Isaiah 61:3)!

A Little About Our Journey: I grew up in a very loving family with parents who were constantly evaluating their walk with the Lord. They were always learning, always growing, always eager to dive deeper. We were constantly “church hopping” as we discovered different truths and shed man-made doctrines- the joke in our family is that we’ve never stayed anywhere more than four years. By the Father’s grace and my parents’ relentless desire for truth, He led us out of the church system and opened our eyes to the Truths in His word when I was about nine years old. We stepped out in faith by beginning to keep the Sabbath on the seventh day- Saturday. As they say, “The rest is history!” We’ve been keeping YHVH's commandments ever since, following in the steps of Yeshua, and my family now leads our own small congregation. We’re so blessed to fellowship with these families that the Father has placed in our path!

A Little About The Vision: Having your family involved in ministry is a big responsibility. As a daughter of a preacher, people watch me to see if I represent my father’s vision and beliefs. If they come to a negative conclusion about me, they will likewise have a negative view of my father. I must set the bar high for myself and strive for a standard above reproach- to truly be set-apart in all that I say and do. It’s not easy, and yes I slip and fall, but by YHVH’s grace He is leading me along a path of holiness. Notice I did not say a “path of perfection”- I am far from perfect. I’m a broken human with a sinful nature and every day I must wake up choosing to overcome it, and let YHVH have His perfect way in me.

In the same way that I choose to represent my earthly father, we all must choose to represent our Heavenly Father. I encourage you all to examine your own lives and hearts- does what you say, do, think, act, and wear bring glory or shame to YHVH? When people see you, will they form a positive or negative conclusion about the Mighty Elohim who we have the honor of serving? In addition to furthering your Heavenly Father’s vision, are you furthering your earthly father’s? As daughters in our father’s house, we play such a vital role- let us not take it for granted!

A Little About The Mission: As YHVH led my family to start our home group, He also began to open my eyes to see a great need. I began to see young ladies in the community who were unenthusiastic about their faith, immodest in actions and attire, and who only seemed to be following Torah because it was what their parents did. The Father placed a burden on my heart to reach out to these young women, and ever since then, ministering to the young women around me has been (and is!) a huge part of my life. Over the years, it has been in different ways and forms, but it has always been something that I try to make a priority in my life. I published a magazine for about 5 years to encourage these girls in the Messianic/Hebraic community, and I also led a discipleship group from materials I had written. I’ve had young ladies over for craft or baking projects, and as we work together the Father always presents opportunities to talk of Him (a side note: I’ve found that when girls are busy with their hands, they’re more likely to open up and share rather than just sitting down over a cup of coffee). This weekend, I’m hosting a 3-day girls discipleship internship- as well as a modest clothing swap at its conclusion for the rest of the girls in my community (prayer would be very much appreciated- may the Father be glorified!). I’m always asking YHVH for direction and to bring the opportunities- and, as I said before, He is faithful!

A (Not So) Little Challenge: It’s easy to “copy” others and think that in order to be a Godly daughter of Yah, we must be just like “so-and-so”. However, I pray that as you read these “Daughters of Yah” articles, you would be encouraged that we’re all unique. What binds us together is that we are all young women who are earnestly seeking after YHVH with all our hearts, and we’re willing to do whatever He has asked us to. Our hearts are the same, our missions are different. Don’t feel like you have to conform to be like any one of the young ladies here. You are you- beautiful and with a special mission from the Father that only you can accomplish. Ask Him to reveal it to you, to show you where your place is in furthering His Kingdom! I would like to challenge you young ladies to relentlessly pursue YHVH with all that you are, holding nothing back. Pursue Him until He becomes your greatest passion, your deepest love, your most precious treasure. Once you’ve come to this place, you will find that He will open doors and reveal to you great and unsearchable things that you mind has not been able to comprehend before (Jeremiah 33:3). As you remain firmly fixed in the center of His will, He will provide ways to serve and bless those around you if your eyes are focused on Him and willing to do all that He asks.

May the Father bless you as we all journey on this path to become set-apart Daughters of Yah!

Victoria

Hello! First of all, I really want to thank Naomi, Bethany, Emily, and Lydia for giving me the opportunity to share my testimony! I’m Kelsey Bryant and I’m 22 years old. I live in Texas and I love to study the Bible, write, read, play piano, and practice martial arts. However, I think the two largest, most defining facets of my life are 1) that I have a relationship with Yeshua (imagine how much that entails!) and 2) my older brother and I were homeschooled K-12. He, my parents, and I agree that homeschooling was one of the best decisions we ever made!

My mom gave us a fulfilling, God-centered education. I was taught the Bible throughout my childhood, and I was baptized when I was seven. I was blessed to grow up with lots of homeschooled and/or Christian friends, so I was never exposed to the agonies of bullying, cliques, or other petty meanness. I witnessed them only occasionally on TV shows … but even that was limited since we were careful about what we watched.

Even though I grew up in a spiritual home, and had the life of Yeshua within me (I knew Him as Jesus then), there were still issues in my life that needed to be yielded to God. My strongest spiritual awakening came while I was twelve to fourteen. Mostly I was afraid of the fact that I didn’t know YHWH’s will for my life, and that I might be displeasing Him. I even doubted my salvation at times. But YHWH was faithful: when I look back, that period of worry and depression was the gate to the narrow, thorn-hedged path onto which He was leading me. Spiritual parents and activities weren’t going to be enough -- I had to be closer to God than anything this world contained or else I wouldn’t survive. That’s how I felt … life would be meaningless if I didn’t fully grasp Him.

Besides the Bible, YHWH led me to read several amazing books that were like a breath of fresh air as I struggled to figure out what a life yielded completely to Him looked like  -- books by Hannah Whitall Smith (The God of All Comfort, Safe Within Your Love, with David Hazard) and Hannah Hurnard (Hind’s Feet on High Places, Mountain of Spices), the revised Elsie Dinsmore series by Martha Finley, Ester Reid, by Isabella Alden, The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom, Dear Princess by Mary M. Landis, Jesus Freaks by DC Talk, and Road to Reality, by K. P. Yohanan, the founder of the mission Gospel for Asia. The Father used these to get my spiritual life in order. Any of these I would recommend as something to help you understand how to yield your life more completely to God.

Toward the end of 2005, my family learned we could keep more of the Torah than we’d thought plausible before, so we discovered how to set apart YHWH’s Sabbath and feast days as well as more aspects of our personal lives. That’s been an exciting spiritual journey.

I graduated in 2008; a few months before that I read So Much More by Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin, which really changed my way of thinking. I didn’t know what I wanted to do after I graduated (besides write novels); I didn’t rule out college; but So Much More convinced me that college wasn’t where God wanted me, especially fresh out of high school. This was hard for most of my extended family and acquaintances to understand. But God increased my heart for my family, friends, and home, and He showed me how wonderful it is when a woman can be free to serve in that capacity and not be distracted by a full-time, outside job. The Return of the Daughters, a documentary by the Botkin sisters, and Joyfully at Home, by Jasmine Baucham, also encouraged me during this time after high school.

He’s kept me busy. Besides what I do to help my mom and dad, I work part-time for a friend and neighbor, learning light remodeling and tons of other life skills; take martial arts classes and teach them; teach piano lessons; and do my favorite things of all -- study the Bible and Hebrew, write fiction and non-fiction, and read. Most important has been the time I’ve gotten to spend with my Abba and with my parents.

Because I’ve chosen to remain in my family home, I’ve been able to pursue a writing ministry, which wouldn’t have happened had I chosen college, career, and independence. I’m taking a course with a mentor, keeping a blog, writing for an online magazine (Imagine Mag), editing for another (Harvest Mag), and writing novels that will hopefully touch people’s lives. I don’t know what all is in my future, but God has shown me to continue what I’m doing now, and if there are any other opportunities that arrive, He’ll let me know whether I’m to follow them or not. The future is in His hands and He leads me day by day.

If a person has lived any length of time, he or she learns a few lessons, and, thankfully, I’m not an exception! Here are some that have been important to me:

1) God put you in your family for a reason; don’t be in a hurry to leave them, and don’t hesitate to put them first.

2) Life is happening right now; don’t wait for anything before you start to live, to feel content, to realize that you have everything you need and want right now. No prospective husband? Rejoice in the extra time you have with your parents and siblings, to pursue your gifts without having the responsibility of a household, and to grow and mature into someone a godly man would want to marry.

3) No matter where you are in your life, your life has value now. You’re not wasting time. As long you live according to the way God wants you to live, you’re fulfilling your purpose, right where He wants you.

I hope you are blessed as you seek to yield ever more to YHWH’s will. He gives us more than we ever think of requesting … in Him you’ll find everything you ever desire. The most significant thing you can do is lose yourself in His love … and the other important things will follow. Be strong, be prayerful, and trust in Him!

“I exalt You my Elohim, O sovereign; and bless Your name forever and ever. All day long, I bless You, and praise Your name forever and ever.”  –Psalms 145:1-2

Shalom!

First off, a special thanks to the lovely ladies of Everyday Set-Apart for asking me to do a post for them.  I am so thankful that I get to share a bit of my story and walk of faith.

Everyone is led on different paths and lifestyles. We each live a life specifically designed and unique for a purpose—bringing glory to our beautiful Elohim.

My name is McKenzie Mauck, and I am 19 years old.  I, like some other believers out there, live in a household with a family that is not Torah observant.  My walk of faith is supported with that of a loving fellowship and mispacha of like-minded believers. 

A little background story of where my walk began. I went to public school, and graduated from Westfield High School in 2012. I came to faith about four years ago when I met my best friend in English Class at the end of sophomore year.  She had just moved to Indiana at the time and asked if she could sit with me at lunch. That very moment… we “clicked”. We became like two peas in a pod. At the time, I was not a believer of any sort. I claimed to be “Christian”, but my actions spoke other things.  She was a friend when I needed her the most and then it came to a point that I had to start thinking seriously about my actions and most importantly my faith.  This friend had ministered to me and because of Yahweh’s light shining in her, I had learned about who He really is.  I learned about the feasts, Sabbath, worship, prayer, more than I could ever imagine.  She became like a sister to me, and when she moved out of state that became a real turning point in my walk with Yahweh.  I had to learn what it meant to have a personal relationship with the Creator and not depend on another person or family. This was MY relationship and not anyone else's.

My story takes a twist, because I chose the path of college.  I go to Indiana State University and I am studying Special Education.  Yahweh has shown me that I am meant to help people and I have always had a passion for those with disabilities. After asking for guidance and confirmation that this is the path intended for me right now, I can say that this decision was meant for me. This past year at school I was able to learn so much. I’ll let you in on a secret…it wasn’t necessarily about school things either. Don’t get me wrong, that plays a part though. Honestly though, in the big scheme of things, that is little to what Yahweh has done.  He has shown me a lot about my faith and what it truly means to be set-apart.  Yah has shown me many things and given me wisdom and guidance when I needed it most.  I have learned what trusting Him really means and living everyday set-apart for Him. Through Yahweh’s unfailing love and mercy He has shown me the blessing that it is to be called His. He has given me strength to endure the tough times and the peace to go along with it. It is through Him that I receive strength and it is only through HIM that I left my first year of school stronger than I came. Leaving home was scary and at times I really wanted to give up. This college experience though has helped me grow in my faith. I learned more about who I am and my personal stance. I am still learning and always will continue to learn. My passions have grown stronger and many doors have been opened. Being off on my own really opened my eyes to different things and coming to Terre Haute was probably one of best decisions that I have been led to thus far. This past year has been filled with adventures and trips that I would have never taken before.  I have made wonderful friends and met so many diverse people!  I have learned so much more about scripture and how it plays out in your daily life.   I learned the importance of being a light and letting that light shine.  The list could go on and on.  If I could take all the things I have learned and combine it into one short phrase it would be that Yahweh works in such wonderful and mysterious ways.


I was also asked to give some resources that have helped me in my walk. I have read several books over the last year, but here is a list of my top three:

Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge

The Lost Art of True Beauty by Leslie Ludy

A Woman After God’s Own Heart by Elizabeth George

Remember to keep faith and prayer constant in your life. It is important to give yourself anew every day and continue to grow. Open your heart and mind to Him. Yahweh will only take you as far as you are willing to let Him. 

Blessings and peace be to you!

McKenzie

I am an only child and was born and raised in Florida.  When I was in my early teens, my family moved to Ohio where we live out in the country with cows, chickens, and cats.  I have enjoyed learning and having my hand in our food production as almost all of our meat (beef and chicken) as well as eggs and milk come from our own animals. I was homeschooled which I feel was a great benefit – not only in protecting me from the world, but also by enabling me to grow in many ways beyond the typical reading, writing, and arithmetic.  I’ve learned scrapbooking, cake decorating, sewing, crochet, tatting, smocking, and so much more as my parents sought to provide me with well rounded training.  

I accepted Yeshua as my personal Savior just before I turned seven and was baptized a few months later. Since I was saved at such a young age, I struggled in my teen years with feeling as though I did not have a “dynamic” testimony like many people who have been saved out of a difficult lifestyle. I was sharing this with someone who had a “dynamic” story, and his reply will always stick with me.  “Jocelin, you have a more amazing testimony.  God saved you from having to go through all the trials and tribulations. That is an even greater illustration of His love and protection.”  It really made me appreciate my testimony, and I share this because I know many young people who have grown up in believing homeschooling families have asked this same question I once asked.  

My family came to a Torah life and understanding of our Hebrew Roots in late 2004/early 2005. After growing up Southern Baptist, we had been going to a Mennonite church which had challenged our typical thinking on modest dress and the headcovering.  It allowed us to ask the question of “What else have we been taught based on tradition versus the Bible?”  That question led us to realize that Christmas and Easter were pagan and Yahweh’s seventh day Sabbath had never been done away with.  As a result, my family began keeping Shabbat, the Biblical Feast Days, eating Biblically clean, and keeping Torah.  

I have the privilege of serving through Standing in YHVH’s Hand Ministries, which I founded in February 2011, where the mission is to train believers how to be stronger in their walk with the Messiah and free of the "world" through lifestyle, finances, and relationships. Since I worked for Crown Financial Ministries (founded by Larry Burkett) and was over the financial coaching department with approximately ten thousand coaches, I brought that passion for Biblical finances into my ministry.  I have also always had a heart for purity and have taken that into working with singles particularly focused on that topic.  Also, I have had the blessing of working with many of the top Torah Teachers here in the US and learning much from their willingness to mentor and teach. My life goal is to take what I learn and pass it on to others.  Luke 12:48 (CJB) “From him who has been given much, much will be demanded.”  I want to encourage others to come along on the journey with me! 

One question I was asked to address in this post was “What words of encouragement would you give to other young ladies who are seeking to please the Most High with their lives?” I would say that the three most crucial pieces for me personally growing in my walk as a believer are having a daily quiet time of reading the Scriptures, faithfully praying and communicating what is on my heart with Yahweh, and having an open relationship with my parents.  If you are not connected with your Heavenly Father, you will struggle in all areas. I would encourage every young lady to make sure she takes the time in our busy world to be connected with and have a deep relationship with Yahweh.  He cares about us and wants to know us intimately.  If you are not healthy in your personal life at home, then it will play out into the rest of your life.  I feel that I can tell my parents everything that is on my heart, and they will be a good sounding board helping me think through each area logically and Biblically while understanding my emotions that play into the situation. I have also been blessed to have two close girlfriends who are believers.  We encourage each other in our walk and do not mind holding one another accountable when needed.  Taking the time to have deep relationships where you can be open and vulnerable is very important. 

Finally, I was asked to share some lessons that Yahweh has taught me in the past year.  This past year has been one of learning to trust Yahweh even more so…and I continue to learn that lesson every day. 

I had the privilege of hosting Purify 2013 – Retreat for Hebrew Roots Singles a little over a month ago.  The entire seven months leading up to the event was a faith walk of seeing Yahweh work from the smallest detail to the grand climax. I had to take a leap of faith that the event would even go, and as I followed His leading by faith and obedience, He blessed beyond measure. You can read the entire story here.  It encouraged me to be secure in His plan for my life and know that as long as I’m in the center of Yahweh’s will, He will take care of even the most minute points! 

I hope and pray my sharing has been an encouragement to you!  Feel free to write me at jocelin@standinginyhvhshand.org.  

Shalom! 

My name is Joanna, and I am from Ohio. I have been home-schooled all my life in a large, loving family. Like a lot of girls, I enjoy reading, dancing, flute, laughing, praying, baking, exercising, playing with my sibs and taking care of animals. One of my main interests is Israel: praying for Messiah to come and the restoration to take place. And not only praying, but taking part in the work in any way I can.

Growing up I have always had a desire to be a missionary. Reading missionary accounts of countless wonders worked by God on the mission field never ceases to amaze and challenge me. How I long to be able to do likewise, to see YHWH work through my hands to touch others. One of my main struggles has been with fear. Not really a particular fear of anything; just fear. One of the ways that Abba has helped me to overcome is by listening to his voice. Also, just walking forward. Focusing on others and rejecting the bad thoughts best as I can. Lately I've felt convicted that I need to not blame God. I've had to forgive him. This doesn't mean that I believe that he was at fault, It's really just so that I won't be bitter. This morning I was struggling with feeling fat. I tried to pray, but I couldn't seem to think about anything else. I repented for listening to the spirit of fear of fat and asked him to come and speak to me. Do you know what I heard? "You're beautiful". That was enough to turn my day around.
 
About a year ago I was invited by some friends to attend a week-long midwifery class. I didn't really think much of it, but I thought that it would be a neat thing to learn a little bit about. What mother wouldn't benefit from that kind of knowledge? So I went, and a whole new world was opened up to me. Ever since I have been feeling like God may be calling me to midwifery. This is kind of a hard thing for me, because I haven't actually been to a birth yet. But I'm following his voice the best I can, one step at a time. I graduated from high school a year ago, and felt that the LORD was leading me to take a year to seek him. I felt a peace about it, and prayed that he would  lead me to somewhere I could really focus on seeking him. I had in my head that maybe I would help an elderly person, but still have lots of time to go walk in the woods to seek him. Well, that dream came true! Sort of. :) Last fall I felt led to go volunteer in Israel where I met a widow. She asked me if I would be willing to come and help nanny her boys. In Canada. Yeah. But I knew God was in it, so I went and had an incredible time of seeking God and growing. Growing in many ways; maturing into someone more dependable. Learning to work hard and wake up early. Learning to trust him. To seek him. To depend on him. Sometimes God has to get you out of your comfort zone to do that. Since then I've come back to my family in Ohio. Long story short, I'm signed up to attend a 3 month intensive midwifery class in Idaho taught by missionaries who serve in the Philippines. www.mercyinaction.com
Check it out.
 
Chase after him with all your heart. He loves you more than you know.

Joanna

Dear Readers,

This July marks our very first anniversary of writing this blog- “Everyday Set-Apart”.

Everyday Set-Apart was started with the intention of encouraging young ladies in their walks with God. We understand that every girl is different and God has a unique purpose for her life. Because of our unique callings Yahweh has situated us in different geographical locations, placed us in very different families and given us all different visions for life.

In celebration of this 1 year anniversary we have asked some of the young woman we know to guest post on our blog.

We girls are honored to be sharing a series of guest post by several godly young women of Yah. This series is titled “Daughters of Yah”; we will post a new article once or twice a week and will continue until the end of July. All of these young women are 18 years and older, followers of Yahweh- the one true God. All of them come from different geographical locations, different families and they are all pursuing Yahweh’s special plan for their life. We have asked them to write about their lives and what makes them different.

Even though they all believe in same God and are seeking to obediently follow Him, their lives are vastly different, yet strikingly the same. Through their articles we think you will be touched at the beauty and holiness that these young women exude.

We hope you are encouraged and intrigued by the beauty of their lives as they seek to live everyday set-apart.

Naomi, Bethany, Emily and Lids 

This is the finished product.

Here is what you need:
Two pop cans
Tin snips
A metal file
Gasket glue
A pair of needle nose pliers
A punch and small hammer 
A sharpie
1 penny
a small handful of attic insulation

Draw a level line around both pop cans, one should be slightly higher than the other, the higher one will be the top of your stove.

Cut about an inch above the line on both cans.
This gets the can out of the way so you can cut on the line.

After cuting, file the sharp points off.

With your penny mark where it will sit in the center of the larger can.
Within the penny's cirle punch 5 small holes.

mark 16 dots around the edge,
then punch holes carefully.

Push the cans together leaving about a 1/4 " showrng on the smaller can.
File off sharp edges.

Glue all the way around the place where the cans meet. This is to make a seal.

Fill with denatured alcohol through the center fill holes.
Light and slide the penny over the fill holes in
the center.

I like my short one better.

Be safe!

                                       
                                                               Clayton

I was so excited when the Potts asked me to make a guest post for their blog! So, this my everyday perspective from a sister that has THREE brothers and NO sisters! Did I mention that two of those three are identical twins!?! OY!

First, the bad news:
1. They find the most creative ways to annoy me. Like during school, the twins (one on each side of me), would make their art erasers climb “Mt. Eden” (that’s me) to “conquer” it. Of course, they’ve never conquered  Mt. Eden, because I always flick them off before they reach the peak (the top of my head!).
2. If I don’t hide when they play army, I become the target of their manhunt. So, no matter what I am doing, I must stop and hide when I hear them playing army. My favorite hiding spot recently (shhhh, don’t tell them!) is under our air hockey table in an old toy box.
3. They find all kinds of ways to distract me from what I’m doing … Elijah just LOVES to show me any and every thing he’s learning in school … even though I’m trying to get school done too! I mean, I don’t show HIM everything I’m learning – he’d go NUTS!
4. I’m always being tricked or scared by someone… Just the other day, I was working on my Bible narration when Jonah sneaked up behind me and I about jumped all the way TO the Holy Land!
5. They seem to do whatever they want no matter what I say … I’ve asked them (okay, yes, I’ve even yelled at them –nicely, of course!) not to mess with my toy sheep (Sheepy), but they just think it’s a big joke – APPARENTLY. On top of that, every time we go to see my grandparents, they bring along my special Lego dinosaur so that they can hide it and make me think it’s going to get lost … EVERY time we go!!! 

Okay, I could keep going, but I think you probably get the point. Besides, I really do think that the good outnumbers the bad… 

Now for the good news:
1. They’re my best friends…and my mom keeps telling me to hang in there when it’s rough sometimes (like the days I think  Sheepy is my only friend) because they’ll always be there for me in the long run.
2. There’s always someone around to be my hero. I can’t count how many times one (or all) of my brothers have come to my rescue or stood up for me.
3. I actually kind of like all the rough-housing, playing outside, racing our bikes and all that stuff … besides, I get stronger when I wrestle them … and I’m still trying to figure out  a way to get faster at running than Jonathon (he’s really fast!).
4. Since they tend to play in pairs, there’s always one of them around for me to play with and that gives me the chance to get to know them personally. I love that time. 
5.  I love that my little brother just LOVES me to read to him. Even though I get kind of tired of reading out loud to him sometimes, I love that he wants me to so badly. It makes me feel pretty special…and I feel really bad when I don’t have the time to read out loud to him.
6. I don’t have to mow the lawn, weed-eat or do other things of that nature. With three brothers and a very hard-working dad, there’s always a “man” around to take care of those sorts of things, which frees up my time to be able to do some of my favorite things, like help my mom in the kitchen, pick strawberries from our strawberry patch and work on my knitting (I’m making a scarf right now & working on a blanket for my brother).
7. There is always someone around doing SOMETHING to make me laugh…always! And they don’t even have to try!