Bekah's Feast...

This is our sweet Rebekah. She's almost 16 and she's an introvert.  Most people assume she's shy.  She really isn't.  She just doesn't seek people out.  She likes people- if you take the time to start a conversation with her, you'll never find someone more personable.  She likes to read and draw. She draws pictures of fairies with antlers.  I'm not sure what that means. She isn't overly emotional- if the book has a sad ending, she's still likely to say it was a great book (where Eva wouldn't even want to talk about it.)  Bekah's my Barnabus.  She's full of encouragement.  If you're doing well, she cheers you on and when things aren't going so well, she'll put things in proper perspective and cheer you up. She's great at reassurance.  She's very grown up for her age- in spite of the whole girls with antlers thing.  She's a joy to be around.

Her feast was Saturday night.  She had a Jane Austin theme.  It was spectacular!  She was dressed for the part and had her hair swept up in a torrent of curls.  Borrowed my pearls.  The table was set with linen and lace, china and crystal.  She had candlesticks with white tapers.  The napkins were lacy handkerchiefs- Joe whispered to me during the meal if it was alright to use them.  She had the theme music from the Pride and Prejudice movie playing when she invited her guests in.  Upon each plate, sat copy of Captain Wentworth's legendary love letter, folded neatly and sealed with wax.  I can hear all of the women out there swooning!  Every male family members' copy had lines highlighted and they had to take turns around the table reading their lines, out loud.  Bekah figured a great love letter should be in every man's repertoire.  Hearing Phil get all poetical... now that was funny.  But he gave it a very good effort -as all of the guys did.  And with the candle light... yeah, it was very romantic.  

All of her dishes were set on the table- pretty bowls and platters. Her appetizer was scones- fresh cranberry and chocolate chip.  She had a variety of teas.  And I was surprised by how the guys jumped on that boat.  Abe has taken to drinking hot tea ever since.  Her main dish was a spiral sliced ham, boiled red jacket potatoes("What excellent boiled potatoes. Many years since I've had such an exemplary vegetable." ~Mr. Collins Pride and Prejudice),  steamed peas, steamed carrots, gravy(in a real bowl and gravy ladle.  I didn't even think I owned one!  Around here, gravy usually involves a soup ladle.) fresh pineapple and mandarin oranges, and buns. (Can I just take a moment and relate a reality that may only exist in the Koen household?  We don't pass dishes at the table.  Ever.  There are so many people, the dishes that hold that much food are just too heavy or ungainly to pass.  Plus, we have no dishwasher that doesn't sound an awful lot like someone's name. So we either set the pot in the middle of the table and a couple people help dish it out for everyone else or we eat buffet style from my Grandma's hutch.  On Bekah's feast night, we passed dishes.  How cool was that?  Like real people. Boy, did that girl have a lot of dishes to wash!)  She kept  everything replenished so we never ran out.  The food was excellent. She had sparkling punch for her beverage.  Dessert was orange sherbet and biscuits(Danish butter cookies.)  For her gifts, she gave pens with big feathers taped to them. I almost forgot, she had little quotes from some of Jane Austin's books written on slips of paper scattered around the table.  The kids had fun guessing which book the quotes were from. If you're considering reading a Jane Austin novel, we all agreed that Persuasion is the best. It was a magical night. 

Bill spoke on Philippians 4.  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,  whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. 
 ~think on these things  ~do these things  ~not optional. 

Captain Wentworth's letter to Anne Eliot:

I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago. Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant. You alone have brought me to Bath. For you alone, I think and plan. Have you not seen this? Can you fail to have understood my wishes? I had not waited even these ten days, could I have read your feelings, as I think you must have penetrated mine. I can hardly write. I am every instant hearing something which overpowers me. You sink your voice, but I can distinguish the tones of that voice when they would be lost on others. Too good, too excellent creature! You do us justice, indeed. You do believe that there is true attachment and constancy among men. Believe it to be most fervent, most undeviating, in F. W.
"I must go, uncertain of my fate; but I shall return hither, or follow your party, as soon as possible. A word, a look, will be enough to decide whether I enter your father's house this evening or never."