| Painting, fishing, sidewalk chalk, hair braiding, journaling, bonfires, baking, soccer, crocheting, nature walks, cooking, bird watching, and volleyball are some of the activities we enjoy participating in with the girls in our home. We consider these hobbies to be positive contributions to the healing process that can take place in the hearts of the young ladies we care for. However, at the end of each day we believe that the time we spend in the Word of God is most beneficial for any transformation to take place in the residents’ hearts.
My husband Seth is currently leading the girls through the Book of Proverbs, found in the Old Testament of Scripture. The Proverbs were primarily written by King Solomon, and these writings deal with the basics of God’s instructions for man and the reciprocity of our obedience or disobedience of our following His commands. This book promotes virtues such as forgiveness, patience, charity, and self-control while warning against carnal elements like personal vengeance, greed, lust, and theft. In addition to promoting or discouraging certain attitudes and actions, Proverbs gives specific examples of both positive and negative consequences of our choices, between our options of submitting to God’s Word or rather choosing to sin.
Being written from the perspective of a father talking to his son, this particular book is full of Godly wisdom written in such a way for a young person to easily understand. The girls often share during the devotion time where they have seen the truths shared in Proverbs played out in their lives and how God’s Word rings true in their personal experiences. While Seth is sure to distinguish that we are only saved by the grace of Christ’s finished work on the cross, our actions beckon natural reactions in life, and God’s Word makes plain what we can expect depending on how we choose to honor Him and other people. These lessons can apply directly to the girls’ current situations, such as The Joy House home, The Joy House Academy, and their own family relationships. As well, our hope is that the girls will hide God’s Word in their hearts where it will prove to be a guide for their lives in the future. But more than anything, our hope in all of sharing God’s Word with these young ladies is that as they will not only come to further trust in the practical wisdom of the Bible, but in the heart of its Author to write the stories of their lives. | 
