Visions of Mercy

2011-05-16T14:44:00.001-07:00

The Greatest Obsession

2011-04-04T18:23:00.000-07:00

I figured I'd post something about this for all my marriage/prince charming- obsessed girl friends. Lately, I've been battling with the whole "I want to get married, but I don't want it to become an idol," thing, and God's also reminded me that maybe He doesn't have marriage in my future. Either way, idolatry is a biggy for God: He takes it super seriously. Just read Ezekiel 14. He hates it, and since He is my standard, I've got to hate it too. I've come to the realization that I've got to love God with all I've got, no matter what. If I get married and God blesses me with a husband, then super! But I still have to love Him more than my husband. If I don't get married and God doesn't have that in His plans for me, then I can't just pine all the time for something I'll never get. I've got to love God more than anything else, and then not being married won't bother me, because I'm living for Him, not myself. You know how we Christians should be putting off the old man? Well, we also have to be putting on the new man. My biggest problem for a long time was the fact that I was trying to get rid of all the idolatrous thoughts of marriage and Prince Charming, but I didn't put anything in it's place. And since I have this habit of idolatry (being a sinful human and all), I would easily slip back into my old train of thought. On Tuesday night, however, I was talking to God in my journal, and all of a sudden, it hit me. When I like a guy, I think about him allll the time and I want to tell everyone about him. He invades all of my thoughts: when I'm sleeping, when I'm eating, doing homework, anything! I'm always thinking about what he's doing and what he's done and about his personality. I tell my girl friends all the cute little things he does for me and what I can't wait to do for him. Basically, it's an obsession. But what if I felt that way about God? What if I couldn't stop thinking about Him all the time, invading all of my thoughts with what He's doing, what He's done, and about His personality? What if I noticed every little thing He did for me and for the people around me and couldn't wait to tell my friends about it? What if every moment of every day, I was planning things to do to please Him, and to bring Him glory? What if I was heartbroken when I displeased Him and felt terrible until I confessed it to Him and asked for His forgiveness? What if all I wanted in the entire world was to be with Him forever and ever? That would be the greatest obsession.

Think You're Unqualified for Radicalism?

2010-11-04T14:57:00.000-07:00

"Lukewarm [Christians] will serve God and others, but there are limits to how far they will go or how much time, money, and energy they are willing to give." (Crazy Love 74, Francis Chan)

It's Not About You

2010-10-30T16:40:00.000-07:00

I’ve been reading “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan and I’m really enjoying its insight and getting “shots in the arm” so to speak about my walk with Christ.

Here’s an excerpt from the very first chapter that really hit home for me. I hope you enjoy it.

“Why are we so quick to forget God? Who do we think we are?
I find myself relearning this lesson often. Even though I glimpse God’s holiness, I am still dumb enough to forget that life is all about God and not about me at all.
It goes sort of like this….
Suppose you are an extra in an upcoming movie. You will probably scrutinize that one scene where hundreds of people are milling around, just waiting for that two-fifths of a second when you can see the back of your head. Maybe your mom and your closest friend get excited about that two-fifths of a second with you… maybe. But no one else will realize it is you. Even if you tell them, they won’t care.
Let’s take it a step further. What if you rent out a theater on opening night and invite all your friends and family to come see the new movie about you? People will say, “You’re an idiot! How could you think this movie is about you?”
Many Christians are even more delusional than the person I’ve been describing. So many of us think and live like the movie of life is all about us.
Now consider the movie of life…
God creates the world. (Were you alive then? Was God talking to you when He proclaimed “It is good” about all He had just made?)
Then people rebel against God (who if you haven’t realized it yet, is the main character in this movie), and God floods the earth to rid it of the mess people made of it.
Several generations later, God singles out a ninety-nine-year-old man called Abram and makes him the father of a nation (did you have anything to do with this?).
Later, along came Joseph and Moses and many other ordinary and inadequate people that the movie is also not about. God is the one who picks them and directs them and works miracles through them.
In the next scene, God sends judges and prophets to his nation because the people can’t seem to give Him the one thing He asks of them (obedience).
And then, the climax: The Son of God is born among the people whom God still somehow loves. While in this world, the Son teaches His followers what true love looks like. Then the Son of God dies and is resurrected and goes back up to be with God.
And even though the movie isn’t quite finished yet, we know what the last scene holds. It’s the scene I already described in chapter 1: the throne room of God. Here every being worships God who sits on the throne, for He alone is worthy to be praised.
From start to finish, this movie is obviously about God. He is the main character. How is it possible that we live as though it is about us? Our scenes in the movie, our brief lives, fall somewhere between the time Jesus ascends into heaven (Acts ) and when we will all worship God on His throne in heaven (Revelation).
We have only our two-fifths-of-a-second-long scene to live. I don’t know about you, but I want my two-fifths of a second to be about my making much of God. First Corinthians 10:31 says, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” That is what each of our two-fifths of a second is about.
So what does that mean for you?
Frankly, you need to get over yourself. If might sound harsh, but that seriously what it means.
Maybe life’s pretty good for you right now. God has given you this good stuff so that you can show the world a person who enjoys blessings, but who is still totally obsessed with God.
Or maybe life is tough right now, and everything feels like a struggle. God has allowed hard things in your life so you can show the world that your God is great and that knowing Him brings peace and joy, even when life is hard. Like the psalmist who wrote, “I saw the prosperity of the wicked…. Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure…. When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God” (Ps. 73:3 ,13, 16-17). It is easy to become disillusioned with the circumstances of our lives compared to others’. But in the presence of God, He gives us a deeper peace and joy that transcends it all.
To be brutally honest, it doesn’t really matter what place you find yourself in right now. Your part is to bring Him glory—whether eating a sandwich on a lunch break, drinking coffee at 12:04 a.m. so you can stay awake to study, or watching your four-month-old take a nap.
The point of your life is to point to Him. Whatever you are doing, God wants to be glorified, because this whole thing is His. It is His movie, His world, His gift” (Crazy Love 42, 43, 45).

Close your eyes...

2010-09-22T12:50:00.000-07:00

Ever thought about what the phrase, "Walk by faith and not by sight," means? I particularly like the part about "not by sight." I like to think about that literally for my spiritual life. Sometimes I'm so ready to plan my own life and the steps I will take that I forget to trust God. I am not perfect. So, my choices, if I'm making them apart from God, won't be perfect. Therefore, my steps won't be perfect and I'll fall. But Christ is perfect. If I let Him guide my steps in the path of righteousness, my ways will be perfect.

Have any of you done a ropes course or trust exercise (sometimes known as "team-building activity")? Well, sometimes, people have to pick you up and put you through spaces in tires or guide you along a wooded trail without touching you. I don't know about you, but it's hard to trust someone to take your life and well-being into their hands.

When I think about my spiritual life, I see how sometimes I can say that I'm trusting God, but I'm still watching what else I could be doing, and even though I am letting God direct my steps, I trip over other things like pride, hurt, hatred, frustration, etc. I wouldn't call it "blind faith," but I think that making sure I'm not comparing what I'm doing to what I could be doing is like closing my eyes. I want to live for God and I want to walk in the steps of righteousness, but I've noticed that if I'm allowing myself to be distracted by all the sin and temptations around me, I trip up.

So now I pray that God would take His hand
And cover my eyes and make me rest in Him.
I pray that He will direct my steps
So I will not stumble
And make the temptations dim;
So all I can see is His glory
Etched in His crucified palm.
And I'll be forced to reflect on His glory
And dwell on the things of above.

"A man's heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps." (Proverbs 16:9)

Hopeful's Conversion (from Pilgrim's Progress)

2010-09-19T10:59:00.000-07:00

Chr. Then Christian began and said, I will ask you a question: How came
you to think at first of doing as you do now?

Hope. Do you mean, how came I at first to look after the good of my soul?

Chr. Yes, that is my meaning.

Hope. I continued a great while in the delight of those things which were
seen and sold at our Fair; things which I believe now would have (had I
continued in them still) drowned me in perdition and destruction.

Chr. What things were they?

Hope. All the Treasures and Riches of the World. Also I delighted much in
Rioting, Revelling, Drinking, Swearing, Lying, Uncleanness, Sabbath -
breaking, and what not, that tended to destroy the Soul. But I found at last,
by hearing and considering of things that are Divine, which indeed I heard of
you, as also of beloved Faithful, that was put to death for his faith and good
living in Vanity Fair, That the end of these things is death. And that for
these things' sake the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience.

Chr. And did you presently fall under the power of this conviction?

Hope. No, I was not willing presently to know the evil of sin, nor the
damnation that follows upon the commission of it; but endeavoured, when my
mind at first began to be shaken with the Word, to shut mine eyes against the
light thereof.

Chr. But what was the cause of your carrying of it thus to the first
workings of God's blessed Spirit upon you?

Hope. The causes were, 1. I was ignorant that this was the work of God
upon me. I never thought that by awakenings for sin God at first begins the
conversion of a sinner. 2. Sin was yet very sweet to my flesh, and I was loth
to leave it. 3. I could not tell how to part with mine old Companions, their
presence and actions were so desirable unto me. 4. The hours in which
convictions were upon me, were such troublesome and such heart-affrighting
hours, that I could not bear, no not so much as the remembrance of them upon
my heart.

Chr. Then as it seems, sometimes you got rid of your trouble.

Hope. Yes verily, but it would come into my mind again, and then I should
be as bad, nay worse, than I was before.

Chr. Why, what was it that brought your sins to mind again?

Hope. Many things; as

1. If I did but meet a good man in the Streets; or,

2. If I have heard any read in the Bible; or,

3. If mine Head did begin to ake; or,

4. If I were told that some of my Neighbors were sick; or,

5. If I heard the Bell toll for some that were dead; or,

6. If I thought of Dying myself; or,

7. If I heard that sudden Death happened to others;

8. But especially, when I thought of myself, that I must quickly come to
Judgment.

Chr. And could you at any time with ease get off the guilt of sin, when
by any of these ways it came upon you?

Hope. No, not latterly, for then they got faster hold of my conscience;
and then, if I did but think of going back to sin, (though my mind was turned
against it) it would be double torment to me.

Chr. And how did you do then?

Hope. I thought I must endeavour to mend my life; for else, thought I, I
am sure to be damned.

Chr. And did you endeavour to mend?

Hope. Yes, and fled from not only my sins, but sinful Company too; and
betook me to religious duties, as Prayer, Reading, Weeping for Sin, speaking
Truth to my Neighbors, &c. These things did I, with many others, too much here
to relate.

Chr. And did you think yourself well then?

Hope. Yes, for a while; but at the last my trouble came tumbling upon me
again, and that over the neck of all my reformations.

Chr. How came that about, since you were now reformed?

Hope. There were several things brought it upon me, especially such
sayings as these: All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. By the works of
the Law no man shall be justified. When you have done all things, says, We are
unprofitable: with many more such like. From whence I began to reason with
myself thus: If all my righteousnesses are filthy rags, if by the deeds of the
Law, no man can be justified; and if, when we have done all, we are yet
unprofitable, then 'tis but a folly to think of Heaven by the Law. I further
thought thus: If a man runs i001. into the Shop-keeper's debt, and after
that shall pay for all that he shall fetch; yet his old debt stands still in
the Book uncrossed, for the which the Shop-keeper may sue him, and cast him
into Prison till he shall pay the debt.

Chr. Well, and how did you apply this to yourself?

Hope. Why, I thought thus with myself: I have by my sins run a great way
into God's Book, and that my now reforming will not pay off that score;
therefore I should think still under all my present amendments, But how shall
I be freed from that damnation that I have brought myself in danger of by my
former transgressions?

Chr. A very good application: but pray go on.

Hope. Another thing that hath troubled me, even since my late amendments,
is, that if I look narrowly into the best of what I do now, I still see sin,
new sin, mixing itself with the best of that I do; so that now I am forced to
conclude, that notwithstanding my former fond conceits of myself and duties, I
have committed sin enough in one duty to send me to Hell, though my former
life had been faultless.

Chr. And what did you do then?

Hope. Do! I could not tell what to do, till I brake my mind to Faithful,
for he and I were well acquainted. And he told me, that unless I could obtain
the righteousness of a man that never had sinned, neither mine own, nor all
the righteousness of the world could save me.

Chr. And did you think he spake true?

Hope. Had he told me so when I was pleased and satisfied with mine own
amendments, I had called him Fool for his pains: but now, since I see mine own
infirmity, and the sin that cleaves to my best performance, I have been forced
to be of his opinion.

Chr. But did you think, when at first he suggested it to you, that there
was such a man to be found, of whom it might justly be said. That he never
committed sin?

Hope. I must confess the words at first sounded strangely; but after a
little more talk and company with him, I had full conviction about it.

Chr. And did you ask him what man this was, and how you must be justified
by him?

Hope. Yes, and he told me it was the Lord Jesus, that dwelleth on the
right hand of the Most High. And thus, said he, you must be justified by him,
even by trusting to what he hath done by himself in the days of his flesh, and
suffered when he did hang on the Tree. I asked him further, How that man's
righteousness could be of that efficacy to justify another before God? And he
told me he was the mighty God, and did what he did, and died the death also,
not for himself, but for me; to whom his doings; and the worthiness of them
should be imputed, if I believed on him.

Chr. And what did you do then?

Hope. I made my objections against my believing, for that I thought he
was not willing to save me.

Chr. And what said Faithful to you then?

Hope. He bid me go to him and see: then I said it was presumption: but he
said, No, for I was invited to come. Then he gave me a Book of Jesus his
inditing, to encourage me the more freely to come; and he said concerning that
Book, that every jot and tittle thereof stood firmer than Heaven and Earth.
Then I asked him, What I must do when I came? and he told me, I must entreat
upon my knees with all my heart and soul, the Father to reveal him to me. Then
I asked him further, How I must make my supplication to him? And he said, Go,
and thou shalt find him upon a mercy-seat, where he sits all the year long,
to give pardon and forgiveness to them that come. I told him that I knew not
what to say when I came. And he bid me say to this effect: God be merciful to
me a sinner, and make me to know and believe in Jesus Christ; for I see that
if his righteousness had not been, or I have not faith in that righteousness.
I am utterly cast away: Lord, I have heard that thou art a merciful God, and
hast ordained that thy Son Jesus Christ should be the Saviour of the world;
and moreover, that thou art willing to bestow him upon such a poor sinner as I
am, (and I am a sinner indeed) Lord, take therefore this opportunity, and
magnify thy grace in the Salvation of my soul, through thy Son Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Chr. And did you do as you were bidden?

Hope. Yes, over and over and over.

Chr. And did the Father reveal his Son to you?

Hope. Not at the first, nor second, nor third, nor fourth, nor fifth, no
nor at the sixth time neither.

Chr. What did you do then?

Hope. What! why I could not tell what to do.

Chr. Had you not thought of leaving off praying?

Hope. Yes, an hundred times twice told.

Chr. And what was the reason you did not?

Hope. I believed that that was true which had been told me, to wit, that
without the righteousness of this Christ all the world could not save me; and
therefore thought I with myself, If I leave off, I die, and can but die at the
Throne of Grace. And withal, this came into my mind, If it tarry, wait for it,
because it will surely come, it will not tarry. So I continued praying until
the Father shewed me his Son.

Chr. And how was he revealed unto you?

Hope. I did not see him with my bodily eyes, but with the eyes of mine
understanding; and thus it was: One day I was very sad, I think sadder than at
any one time in my life, and this sadness was through a fresh sight of the
greatness and vileness of my sins: and as I was then looking for nothing but
Hell, and the everlasting damnation of my Soul, suddenly, as I thought, I saw
the Lord Jesus look down from Heaven upon me, and saying, Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.

But I replied, Lord, I am a great, a very great sinner. And he answered
My grace is sufficient for thee. Then I said, But Lord, what is believing? And
then I saw from that saying, He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he
that believeth on me shall never thirst, that believing and coming was all
one; and that he that came, that, is, ran out in his heart and affections
after salvation by Christ, he indeed believed in Christ. Then the water stood
in mine eyes, and I asked further, But Lord, may such a great sinner as I am
be indeed accepted of thee, and be saved by thee? And I heard him say, And him
that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. Then I said, But how, Lord, must
I consider of thee in my coming to thee, that my faith may be placed aright
upon thee? Then he said, Christ Jesus came into the World to save sinners. He
is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believes. He died
for our sins, and rose again for our justification. He loved us and washed us
from our sins in his own blood. He is Mediator between God and us. He ever
liveth to make intercession for us. From all which I gathered, that I must
look for Righteousness in his Person, and for Satisfaction for my sins by his
Blood; that what he did in obedience to his Father's Law, and in submitting to
the penalty thereof, was not for himself, but for him that will accept it for
his Salvation, and be thankful. And now was my heart full of joy, mine eyes
full of tears, and mine affections running over with love to the Name, People,
and Ways of Jesus Christ.

Chr. this was revelation of Christ to your soul indeed; but tell me
particularly what effect this had upon your spirit.

Hope. It made me see that all the World, notwithstanding all the
righteousness thereof, is in a state of condemnation. It made me see that God
the Father, though he be just, can justly justify the coming sinner. It made
me greatly ashamed of the vileness of my former life, and confounded me with
the sense of mine own ignorance; for there never came thought into my heart
before now, that shewed me so the beauty of Jesus Christ. It made me love a
holy life, and long to do something for the Honour and Glory of the Name of
the Lord Jesus yea, I thought that had I now a thousand gallons of blood in my
body, I could spill it all for the sake of the Lord Jesus.

"Bless me, Lord!"

2010-09-16T14:01:00.000-07:00

"Lord, that you would bless me indeed,
And enlarge my territory;
That your hand would be with me.
And you would keep my heart from evil, Amen."

Last night, my youth group and I sang this song arranged by Paul Baloche together. I had heard it a few days before and dropped all other music options so that I could share this with them. It touched my heart and I loved it: the sounds of so many voices from many different lives, and in different situations all singing this one prayer, this prayer of Jabez.

Now, if you don't know who Jabez is, that's ok. He's tucked away in a lonely little chapter in 1 Chronicles. In a line of sons and fathers and "begats," there is an interruption for this man saying, "Jabez was more honorable than his brothers... call[ing] upon the God of Israel... And God granted what he asked." Why would there be this slightly random man in the middle of all of this genealogy? Like Tabitha from Acts (see previous posts), I think that although there are so few verses for this individual, their testimonies are the most important.

Jabez was just an average man; he was probably a farmer with herds of sheep and goats. He was probably a landowner with fields of grain or corn. Jabez called upon the name of the Lord and asked that He would bless him and enlarge his territory and keep him from evil. God did all these things for him.

Why would I choose this song for my youth group to sing? And how does it apply to our daily lives?

First, when Jabez asks God to bless him, he's not being selfish. The word "bless" in this context means supernatural favor. Jabez is asking for God's favor, not the "blessings" we think of as general pleasures. In the book, The Prayer of Jabez, by Bruce Wilkinson, he says, "When we seek God's blessing as the ultimate calue in life, we are throwing ourselves entirely into the river of His will and power and purposes for us." That's what Jabez was doing. He was throwing himself into the favor of God.

But why should we plead for "territory?" Here is a request of God to enlarge your life so that you can make a greater impact for Him. Every day, we need to ask for more opportunities to bring Him glory--whatever that may mean.

"That your hand would be with me." This is acknowledging that you are dependent upon God. "The second you're not feeling dependent is the sencond you've backed away from truly living by faith," said a Bible teacher to Wilkinson. It's true! We need God's hand upon us to sustain and continue the great things that God does in our lives.

"That you would keep my heart from evil," is the last part to this simple prayer. Jabez prays that God would protect him from Satan's proven power to make him gloat over blessing. So easily, we can become prideful when God blesses us-- sometimes He then takes those blessings away, but sometimes He leaves them with us. We need the grace and protection from that evil. Note that Jabez doesn't ask to not be tempted to evil. Why wouldn't he ask that? Well, if we are not being tempted to evil, then Satan is not really worried about us anymore. We're not engaging in the spiritual warfare that we should as Christians. Rather, we should pray for strength to endure the temptations and for victory over the attacks!

And God granted what Jabez asked for. Why? Because this is the prayer that God wants to hear. I would encourage all of you to get and read "The Prayer of Jabez." It's a small book and I think you can get them from CBD for about $1 each. If you don't get this, read 1 Chronicles 4:9-10.

"How great is our God, sing with me, how great is our God; and all will see how great, how GREAT is our God."

Getting the full view...

2010-09-05T15:00:00.000-07:00

I love reading Dr. Wile's blog (http://blog.drwile.com/) and this post was just too good to pass up posting here. Thank you, Dr. Wile, for your great insight on this topic, among many others :)

Some Perspective on the Deepwater Horizon Disaster

The disaster at the Deepwater Horizon oil rig was horrendous. Let’s make no mistake about that. Because not enough attention was paid to safety and environmental concerns before the explosion, an estimated total of 4.9 million barrels of oil (210 million gallons)1 were dumped into the ocean. The oil killed wildlife and will probably negatively affect parts of the environment for years to come. With that said, however, I want to look at the disaster from a scientific perspective. If nothing else, such a perspective will give you a deeper appreciation for the wonderful creation God has given us.

The first thing you need to realize is how much oil seeps into the Gulf of Mexico naturally. Probably the best estimate done to date was published by the National Academies Press. It indicates that about 140,000 tons of oil (about a million barrels) leak into the Gulf of Mexico each year due to natural oil seeps.2 So the Deepwater Horizon disaster dumped as much oil as 5 years’ worth of natural seepage.

Now, of course, there are some big differences between the way the Deepwater Horizon disaster spilled oil into the gulf and the way the natural seeps do it. First, the natural seeps release oil into the gulf much more slowly. Second, they release oil into the gulf over a wider area so it is not as concentrated. Third, since no one is trying to stop them, there isn’t all the pollution associated with engineers doing everything they can to stop a leak. As a result, the natural oil seeps do not produce the environmental devastation that the Deepwater Horizon disaster did.

However, because oil seeps naturally into the ocean, you would expect that the ocean has a way to deal with it, and indeed it does. What we have seen already as a result of the Deepwater Horizon disaster tells us just how well the oceans have been designed to deal with oil pollution.

A recent study published online by the journal Science3 examined the dispersed plume of oil that came from the Deepwater Horizon disaster, and the authors note that the ocean’s “natural cleanup crew” is already working to reduce the effects of the disaster.

What is the ocean’s “natural cleanup crew?” Well, when it comes to oil, it is a host of bacteria that love to feed on oil. Remember, oil seeps into the ocean naturally, and that oil needs to be cleaned up. The Designer of this planet understood this, of course, so among the plethora of bacteria He created are those that can digest oil so that it doesn’t build up in the oceans.

When the scientists involved in this study looked at the oil plume, they found all sorts of these bacteria busy digesting away the oil. As the authors state in the abstract:

Here, we report that the dispersed hydrocarbon plume stimulated deep-sea indigenous γ-proteobacteria that are closely related to known petroleum-degraders.

So when they looked at the bacteria in the oil plume, they found ones that are very similar to other bacteria that are known to degrade petroleum. In the end, they say that the oil plume stimulated these bacteria. Of course, this makes sense. Give the bacteria more of what they want to eat, and their population will increase.

The details of the report are even more fascinating. They analyzed the genes of the bacteria found in different parts of the oil plume, and they found that those genes varied depending on the specific hydrocarbons that were in that area of the plume. Remember, oil is a mixture of chemicals that contain hydrogen and carbon (hydrocarbons), and the molecules range from very small to very large. Thus, you might worry that these bacteria are good at degrading specific hydrocarbons but will leave others untouched. That’s not what the researchers found. Instead, they found that different bacteria tend to be better at degrading different hydrocarbons, and each type is found where the hydrocarbons they are good at degrading can be found.

So the researchers conclude:

These results indicated that a variety of hydrocarbon-degrading populations exist in the deep-sea plume and that the microbial communities appear to be undergoing rapid dynamic adaptation in response to oil contamination.

So the “cleanup crew” that was designed to take care of the oceans seems to be doing its job and doing it very well. Indeed, it seems that the “cleanup crew” was even designed to adapt to the specific mixture of hydrocarbons they encounter, so that no matter what type of oil is spilled, it can be taken care of! The paper ends on a very hopeful note:

These results also imply that there exists a potential for intrinsic bioremediation of oil contaminants in the deep-sea, and that oil-degrading communities could play a significant role in controlling the ultimate fates of hydrocarbons in the Gulf.

So at least based on this study, there is a good chance that a large amount of the ecological damage caused by the Deepwater Horizon disaster will be mitigated by the incredible design of the ocean and its inhabitants. Does that let BP off the hook? Of course not! Does that mean we shouldn’t work to keep this kind of disaster from ever happening again? Of course not!

What data like these tell us is that the oceans were made for us, and even when we mess up royally, there are safeguards in place that will mitigate the effects of our mistakes. Let’s be thankful that God has designed our world so well, and let’s do everything in our power to make sure we don’t have to “test” His awesome design again!

REFERENCES
1. Campbell Robertson and Clifford Krauss, “Gulf Spill Is the Largest of Its Kind, Scientists Say,” New York Times, August 2, 2010. available online
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2. Committee on Oil in the Sea, Oil in the Sea III: Inputs, Fates, and Effects , National Academies Press, 2003, p. 70 available online
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3. Terry C. Hazen, et. al., “Deep-Sea Oil Plume Enriches Indigenous Oil-Degrading Bacteria,” Science DOI: 10.1126, 2010, available online with subscription
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This one's for the ladies! (the guys can read too:)

2010-08-28T14:31:00.000-07:00

"Sometimes the barn needs to be painted every now and then," my mom commented while she and I were putting our makeup on for an event. In my family, the girls get makeup for their fifteenth birthday. My sister just turned fifteen and I now have the job of teaching her how to put eyeliner on correctly and which color eyeshadow flatters her. It's fun, sometimes, to get to play with her look and she is learning very quickly and well!

My mom's comment (^^) made me think a little bit. Now picture yourself driving down a road in your car. In a field, there is a barn painted with lots of bright colors and funny pictures of people with big heads and little bodies. It seems like a tourist attraction, so your whole family gets out of the car and walks over to inspect every side of it. Your mom pulls out the camera and you all pose for funny pictures in front of the barn. Your sister decides that it's a great place for a photoshoot, so you have pictures of you peeking around the corner, pretending to hug the picture of the bear on the side, and leaning against it looking off into the distance. Then you all get back in the car and start back on your roadtrip. There are a bunch of barns that you pass: brown ones, red ones, white ones, and some that don't seem painted. They seem a bit abandoned, but they've all served their purpose at one place in time. But you don't really notice them. They are everywhere, so it's a habit to just let them blend with the trees passing by.

Think of a woman's body as a barn. The barn that is obnoxiously painted and loud with drawings is like a woman who puts on too much makeup (more than what's attractive) and draws too much attention to herself. She has no mission except to look very good and get attention. The barns that you passed on your way home: they are like women who put on attractive amounts of makeup... or none at all, but don't try to get attention from passerbys. They do their duties and work well and efficiently.

Which barn are you?

Proverbs 23:17-18

2010-08-24T05:58:00.001-07:00

/my photography/

Are you hoping for something? Are you trusting God, or praying that you would, for something in your life? I am. I hope for things. My strongest desire, the thing with which I have the hardest time trusting God, is to get married. Why is it so hard? Because I see some of my friends getting close to guys and striking up relationships with them at 16... and I know that I wouldn't have to wait too long if I wanted to follow in their footsteps.

I was doing my devos last night and I read my "daily Proverb". Proverbs 23:17-18 brought tears to my eyes...

17Let not your heart envy sinners,
but continue in the fear of the LORD all
the day.
18Surely there is a future,
and your hope will not be cut off.

I realized that I'd been jealous of my friends and the general world... the world that I was striving so hard not to be part of. This verse didn't just tell me where I was wrong, but also what to do to fix it. I have to continue to trust God all day: from the moment I wake up to the moment I fall asleep. I love verse 18 too. Just because it feels bleak now... or a long way off... there IS a future, and my hope will not be cut off. It doesn't mean that I'll definitely-no-doubt-about-it walk down the aisle on my daddy's arm someday... it doesn't mean I'll be chasing my little ones around the playground ten years from now... It just means that my hope and my desire will not be just dashed to pieces. God will bless me because I am His daughter. So why should I be worried? I just have to give up the deepest desires of my heart to Him... learn to want only Him, and I will be satisfied.

Do Not Grow Weary

2010-08-17T12:09:00.000-07:00

I have such amazing girl friends! My friend, Abby, started an email group with a bunch of girls (myself included) and every day, someone writes to remind everyone to do their devotions. Then the rest of the girls write back and affirm or deny the action. Yesterday, she wrote a little note to all of us to check out Hebrews 12: 1-3. I did and verse 3 really stood out to me; verse 4 went along with it:

"³Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. ⁴In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood."

Do you live with people who don't encourage you? Do you find yourself trapped in the company of those who don't build you up? Do you feel discouraged or worried? Are you sometimes tired with the trials and the temptations that God puts you through? Do you find that you are always working on something: faults, habits, convictions?

Every time you feel this way, think of this: Christ went through so much more. And He went through it so that you could be strong and courageous. You haven't had to shed your blood to live a Christian life. He had to because He's perfect and God's will is perfect.

Another Scripture that I'm planning to put to memory and enter to my letter box is Proverbs 3:11-12:

"¹¹ My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline
or be weary of his reproof,
¹²for the LORD reproves him whom he loves,
as a father the son in whom he delights."

If you are learning, and God is teaching you, He loves you! Isn't that encouragement enough to make you joyful when you feel weary?

One of my church's former pastors (http://cafebiblia.com/?page_id=2) came to speak at my church this past Sunday. He spoke on redemption, using Ephesians 1. It reminded me of a study he did a few years ago on Philippians. Chapter 2:12 says,

^"12Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling..."

What does is mean to work out your own salvation and make sure you are really saved? This past Sunday, my pastor said some things that really made me understand this. He asked a question: How do we know we are sealed with redemption? He told us to reflect on our lives: do we enjoy spending time in the word? Do we find ourselves wanting to sing and talk about Christ and His gospel all the time? Do we feel the urge to pray all the time? When we read our Bibles, do we really understand it? Are we convicted when we read His word? Do we see ourselves needing to constantly work on our sinful nature and we find we need to be so dependent upon Him? If the answers are yes to all those questions, you can be sure that you are sealed. And if the answers are yes to all those questions, you may have felt weary or fainthearted. But don't be weary, because these trials and temptations come only to those who have been redeemed!

Lastly, my pastor gave us a list of things to remember:

1. Be amazed that God would care this much for you.

2. Take time to take note of the Spirit's work in you life.

3. Rejoice that your redemption is permanent.

4. Be thankful and hopeful in the face of trials.

5. Don't give up and let down your guard in the face of persistent sin.

6. Long for your full redemption and possession of heaven!

Thank you Pastor Craig, and Abby! :)

My Letter Box

2010-08-06T13:22:00.000-07:00

For Christmas last year, someone, a very dear elderly lady, gave me a beautiful box. There was nothing in it, but it was a perfect size for anything. At first I put little odds and ends, papers and receipts that I'd need later. Then I had a need for something in which to keep my cross-stitching supplies. Then, this summer, I started using it for my letters and stationary and pens.

I've been writing to a few friends every few days: a friend in Washington, a friend in Virginia, and a friend at West Point. Just little notes about life and new songs I was learning and books I was reading. I kept the letters I needed to reply to in the box with my envelopes and paper and purple stamps. I'd keep something that smells especially good (like a candle) in there to make the paper scented (I've always enjoyed a letter that has a faint scent to it).

But now I have been adding new things to my letter box: things that help me to think. Every time I open my box, I not only get a pleasant aroma from the candle or little bottle of lotion I've left in there, but I see the verse cards that mean a lot to me.

I've had a new project come to my mind. Things that I write down, or little trifles that remind me of something Jesus said (like a little bottle of mustard seeds), I put in my letter box. You may think this clutter or a bunch of junk that could be thrown away, but I'm going to keep these things. I'll add them slowly, but surely, and eventually, when I have a daughter, I just might show her my box, and then buy her one to start for herself. Whenever I need to be reminded of what God has taught me through the years, I'll go through my letter box and be rekindled or re-reproached.

I've heard of young ladies keeping a "Hope Chest" for their future home someday, and I've always wanted to do that. But, if any of you have seen my room, I have absolutely *no* room for a hope chest. My letter box will be sort of like my hope chest for now. :)

Patience, Love, Forgiveness...

2010-08-02T14:39:00.001-07:00

It's harsh to hear that your best friends have gone behind your back and started rumors or assumed things they shouldn't. I know. It's happened to me before. I'm the type of person that hates to know that anyone is on bad terms with me. I like to be friends with everyone and know that there is nothing between us. When I hear that someone is not on good terms with me, and that they have to work through something, I have to take a deep breath. Then, all these questions flood through my mind: "What did I do? What did I say? Did I do something wrong? Why?" My patience is at my wit's end waiting for the confrontation. It's hard for me to trust and rest. I find myself over and over, praying, "God, I'm impatient, and worried, and wanting to know what is going on. Make me trust you." Sometimes I find it being put first in my mind, before God and before everything else important so that I find myself praying, "God, I'm making this an idol. My relationship with so and so is being put above you right now. Help me to put you before this worry and impatience." As the days go by, I get upset that this person is taking so long. I say to myself, "Why is this taking forever? Don't they know that I am nervous and itching to know how to fix this? Do they think that I did whatever I did maliciously?" Whoa, back to prayer, I must go: "God, make me to love this person. I value our friendship with which you have gifted me. Please help me to be thankful that this person is bringing whatever of my faults to my attention so I can work on them."

Then, the day finally comes when my fears are relieved and the confrontation or the confession of my friend is expressed. If it is a confrontation, it makes me thankful. I have a friend who was not afraid to tell me what they thought and saw, even if it meant their relationship with me. If it is a confession of something they did to me or behind my back, I have a whole new set of things to think about. First, forgiveness. Usually, it is not hard for me to be forgiving. I just want things to go back to normal again and life to go on and nothing to be in between us. But then I struggle with pride. I get puffed up in my mind saying, "Yes, they sinned against me and they really don't deserve the forgiveness I've given them." Guess what? Yup, prayer time again. "God, you know I am thankful for these friends and their willingness to bring to my attention something they did against me. I thank you that I'm ready to forgive them. Now, Lord, when I'm tempted to be prideful about my giving them forgiveness, help me to remember the undeserving forgiveness with which you've forgiven my sins. Help me to be humble."

Then, while I'm working on all these things, I think that the friendship should go back to normal. Ah, we're back to the beginning. Patience again is what I need.

"I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry." (Psalm 40:1)

The Lost Ornament of Society

2010-08-02T14:32:00.000-07:00

I've been getting ready for my much anticipated AP English class this year by reading as many books as I can possibly manage. Many of you know my endearing love for Jane Austen and her works. As I write I slowly draw close to the end of Mansfield Park which has delighted me more than I could possibly imagine reading a book after the movie. For those of you who have read Jane Austen books, you know how long and wordy and sometimes tedious they can be, so I find that in order to finish these books before the start of the class, I have to use every spare moment to read a paragraph or a chapter. Every day I've been thinking about what Miss Fanny Price would have to do next and what turmoil or delight would be stirring in her mind. I think about how graceful and patient she was when treated condescendingly. I couldn't help but laugh to myself when Edmund and her discussed with appalled attitudes the character of Mr. and Miss Crawford and how their scruples would have no affect on our acceptance of them today.

My mind would continue to wander, as it often does, on how lost this perception of a lady has become with the increasing years. The loss of the sensitivity and gentleness of a woman's character has deprived the world of it's grace and beauty. Today it is not proper for a woman to be submissive to father, brother, and husband, and no distinguishable difference is made between a mother and daughter. No quietness of spirit and no thoughtfulness of mind is acceptable to the women of today. We must have glory and importance, equality with men and their ambitions. I am not saying that God did not create man and woman equal. He made them equal in that they are both His explicit creation, and no mistreatment of one or the other is to be withstood. But He did create them different: the woman to be submissive to authority, and the man to be a good master, leading others, and loving his Savior, wife, and family (1 Peter 3). But it is all lost! A young woman's goal is not to be married, keep a home and raise children, and submit to her husband. No, she is ready to take on the world and as soon as her father gives her freedom (if he ever had assumed any restraint on that point), she runs off to make as much money as possible and find as many men to indulge her. Now, am I saying that it is wrong to go off into the world, go to college, and learn how to make good money? Absolutely not! The Proverbs 31 woman was a businesswoman in some respects. She considered a field and bought it in which to plant a vineyard. With that vineyard, she either sold the wine and grapes or used them in her own household to save a few pennies. She made linen garments and sashes and sold these to the local merchant as well. No, having an education and making money is not wrong at all. The point I try to make is that there is no meekness in gaining wealth by a woman's hands. There is indelicacy in the way she goes about it. She is very prominent and speaks loudly to be heard by all. And then, when she and some man finally decide to end a period of dating, marriage is just an alliance with someone of the opposite gender where bank accounts are jointed and cars are shared and rings are worn. The woman cannot bare to think that just because she where's a ring on her finger and has set off her veil, she should forsake all those years of work and accomplishment in her line of business. So, she continues to work and comes home when her husband does. Then she remembers that children would just hinder all of this, and so the proper arrangements are made to prevent any such occasion to upset the bliss of success.

Does this mean I think that women are to stay at home, wear long dresses, not pursue a job, and to have ten children? No! But consider the women of God, and think: Was any of this necessary to make a woman true, perfect, acceptable, and successful? Do you really think that God designed women to be as strong and qualified as men? Do you think that maybe God had a delicate flower in mind when He created woman: one who was beautiful to look at, serves its proper purpose, and brings forth seeds with which to populate the Earth?

Danny Boy

2010-08-02T12:49:00.000-07:00

My sisters and I love to learn new songs that we can harmonize. This is our first video! We are singing "Danny Boy." I hope you all enjoy :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pUc0pb5j7k

(Sorry it's a little cut off)

Recipe of Mercy

2010-07-30T10:24:00.000-07:00

Think about your favorite food. Mmm, it's so hard to choose! There's the yummy, creamy macaroni and cheese or the rich beef roast that only your mother can master. But maybe you have a sweet tooth. Maybe you find a nice bowl of pudding sufficient to make any night the best. Or perhaps you like that special apple pie that your friend's mother makes for you. But then again, your sister's pumpkin cheesecake really does the trick. Why is she torturing us with all this food!? you might be thinking. Sorry, not trying to torture ya'll, but you might want to grab a snack or something because this whole post is going to be about food.

In our kitchen, we have a nice cutting board that someone gave to us. It has Psalm 34:8 on it: "Oh taste and see that the Lord is good." I was waiting for my lunch to heat up in the microwave (gotta love leftovers :)) and started to think about what that verse meant.

Now that I just got you to think about all the good foods that you love to eat, think about what t would be like if all of those foods had no taste or a metallic flavor to it. Everything tasted the same; herbs had no essence and spices had no savor. What pleasure would there be in eating? None, unless you are like my little brothers and had contests over who could take the biggest bite. I thought, "Wow, God found it pleasing to Him to please us with the different special flavors of different foods. He designed our tongues in such a way so that we could taste them and enjoy them, or in some cases, not enjoy them."

But wait a minute, we don't deserve even the grace to live each day. And God gave us this pleasure? Such a small gift compared to His salvation, but we don't even notice it. Thinking of that makes me remember all of these other blessings: music for our ears, pictures for our eyes, smells for our noses... the list could go on for miles and miles.

"Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky." (The Love of God, Frederick M. Lehman)

Tabitha: A Woman of God

2010-07-29T04:33:00.000-07:00

Last night, I went to my Wednesday night Bible study. We are going through Acts right now, and it's really fascinating and stirring. Acts 9:36-43 was one of the sections we went over. For some reason, I hadn't heard about Tabitha (aka Dorcas) as one of the leading women of God in the Bible. When I think women of God, I think of Deborah and Esther, Rachel and Sarah, Mary and Mary Magdalene. They all did important acts and outstanding deeds. But this woman Tabitha I have hardly even heard of. She doesn't have a book written about her, or even a whole chapter for that matter. A few verses in chapter 9 of Acts are hers, but even in so few words, a shining character comes forth.

"³⁶Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity. ³⁷In those days she became ill and died, and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. ³⁸Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him, "Please come to us without delay." ³⁹So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them. ⁴⁰But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, "Tabitha, arise." And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. ⁴¹And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. ⁴²And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. ⁴³And he stayed in Joppa for many days with one Simon, a tanner."

Now, reading this at first may draw attention to the miracles of Peter. But I like to look at the least important and see their worth. First, it says that Tabitha was a disciple. That doesn't mean she was a pastor or a deacon. She was merely a follower of God out to evangelize. How did she evangelize? Through "good works and charity." Again, she didn't have to have a pulpit or a standing before hundreds of people. In verse 39, after Tabitha had died, the ladies that she associated with were heartbroken and were showing each other and Peter all of the tunics and other garments that she made for them. Tabitha's ministry was weaving and sewing. She used a talent that she had, as a woman, to minister to the women around her.

What did I take away from this? To be a disciple of Christ, you don't have to be miraculous or outstanding in worldly terms. You don't have to be named as a winner. You don't have to be known for miles around. But simple things like making clothes can reach the hearts of people far quicker than a loud sermon or an altar call.

"She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands... She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle." (Proverbs 31: 13, 19)

The Intense Workout

2010-07-27T14:15:00.000-07:00

I don’t know about you, but I’m not a sports fanatic. I don’t do sports or watch sports; I know hardly anything about them. The most sports I watch is an occasional football game and the Superbowl. One day I was thinking, though, about the work that goes into being a good athlete. It takes practice and precision, endurance and patience to get the game right and to keep going through the physical or mental pain and discomfort. Christians are sort of like athletes: not like the ones who are merely on a junior team, but like the Olympic athletes. They train for the biggest and hardest games of the year against other skilled athletes of the world. First let’s take into account the work it takes to qualify for those games. An Olympic athlete has to put in at least 6 hours of practice a day to be even barely acceptable for the competition. This means studying, preparing, seeking others’ advice, and doing the actual game many times.

When I think about it, Christians tend to think that an hour a day is a long time to be spent as a devotion to God in prayer and searching His Word. We think that an hour a day must be enough time with God to prepare us for the spiritual competition in which we engage every day. If every Christian put in 6 hours of prayer and searching the word every day, then we would be even more prepared to face the battle against sin and temptation. An athlete would never be able to enter the Olympics if he or she only entered 15 minutes of practice a day. Thank God that His mercy fights for us when we are not prepared to! There is no way that we can carefully take care of the responsibilities that God has given us and pray and read the Bible for 6 hours of our day. Only by the grace of God can we conquer the day.

Lessons from the Ropes

2010-07-25T13:28:00.000-07:00

Doing teen service at CGN this year, I got to meet a lot of new people. I also got to strengthen already standing relationships. Our leaders decided, on the second day of our being there, to use our free time in doing ropes course. Imagine this: first off, we hardly know each other. Second off, we are going to now be lifting each other and carrying each other. Third, we are going to be catching each other when they either purposely fall, or lose their balance. That's crazy. No one knows anyone's strong points or strength.

The first thing we learned was who were the cautious and scared ones and who were the daring and courageous. Slowly, as we tackled the various obstacles, we learned who were the leaders and who were the back-up plan people and who were the followers. You might think that straight off, the daring and courageous were the leaders. To my surprise, one of the less daring stepped up and led the group and was ready to think out how to overcome every course. The sweat was abundant and the physical pain sometimes great, but that's when we learned more about each other. We learned who were the compassionate ones and who were those ready to care for the hurting. Later we saw who had the most physical endurance and to our surprise the strongest people of our group were the smallest.

Later that day, we talked about how it all went. Our leaders mentioned how doing the ropes course is just like going through the Christian life. It's challenging (believe me, it's wayy harder than it looks). It gets hard. But you cannot do it alone. There is no way for you to walk out on a tight rope without someone else to keep your balance (unless you are really special). You can't get over a smooth 15-foot wall without someone to lift you over or hoist you up. And you always need someone to make sure you don't fall and to encourage you to reach for that rope you feel like you can't grab. In the Christian life, we need other believers around us to hold us accountable so that we don't fall and to encourage you along the way. That was really cool and I just thought I'd share that :D

To Sisters

2010-07-23T10:08:00.001-07:00

This is an excerpt from "Daughters of Destiny" by Noelle Wheeler. I thought it was very good and a reminder to me to be a sister that my brothers (and sisters) can look up to and confide in. I hope it encourages you ladies out there. :)

The Brother's Confidant

A good sister's love always holds a cherished place in the grateful memory of the brother! Many men have found a sister's love their ready and cheering resource. His confidence is set in her counsel and he is satisfied with the assurance that it will be uprightly and considerately given. How intimate is the friendship of such sisters! What a reliance for warning, excitement, and sympathy has each secured in each! How many are the brothers to whom, when thrown into circumstances of temptation, the thought of a sister's love has been a constant, holy presence, rebuking every wayward thought!

The relation of brothers and sisters forms another important element in the happy influences of home. A boisterous or a selfish boy may try to domineer of the weaker or more dependent girl, but generally the latter exerts a softening, sweetening charm. The brother animates and heartens; the sister mollifies, tames, refines. The vine-tree and its sustaining elm are the emblems of such a relation-- and by such agencies our "sons may become like plants grown up in their youth, and our daughters like cornerstones polished after the similitude of a temple."

Sisters scarcely know the influence they have over their brothers. A young man once testified that the greatest proof to the truth of Christian religion was his sister's life.

A Healthy Heart

2010-07-22T15:55:00.000-07:00

When I was working at CGN this year, my youth pastor (also the camp staff pastor) preached on the heart. Here is a great little list that he made using Matthew 5 that determines what a healthy heart is. Thought I'd share it with ya'll :)

a. Poor in spirit (I need God)

b. Mournful over sin (I am not good on my own)

c. Meek (I am willing to do what God wants)

d. Hungering and thirsting after righteousness (I long to do what is right)

e. Merciful (I want to help those in need)

f. Pure (I will not tolerate inconsistency)

g. Peacemaking (I will not tolerate contention)

h. Sacrificial (I am willing to do what is right even if I suffer)

What the Heavens Declare

2010-07-21T09:51:00.000-07:00

How many times have you sat outside and looked up at the stars or poked your head out the window of the car to stare up at the moon? You admire a sunset or (for those early birds) a sunrise. You can't very well look up at the sky and not believe that this all could not have happened by chance. It's all so perfect and beautifully put together; there must be and intelligent design behind its face. But it gets really crazy when you go farther out than your eyes can see. When you go to other galaxies and see the different make up of each, and that God has named every one of them and knows their place in the universe, you get this picture of how big God's knowledge is. When you see how big those things are and see how small earth is in accordance with the rest of the universe, you wonder what the psalmist wondered: "What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?"

I don't know about you, but I was astonished when I saw this on Louie Giglio's "Indescribable." This is the Whirlpool Galaxy.

Pretty beautiful, huh? In reality, all those pinkish clusters are scary star incubators that are producing stars every second. The Hubble telescope decided to aim their telescope in the middle of this galaxy. This is what they saw:

I don't know about you, but that looks pretty close to a cross to me. Can you believe it? The heavens are there and they are declaring everyday that God is here, God is real, God is powerful, and He's loving. His promises are everywhere. Those stars up there aren't doing anything incredibly important except giving God all the glory. He knows all of the millions and billions of stars and galaxies by name and He knows yours too and cares about you right now. We have such a big God and He still wants to have a personal relationship with us. That's an amazing God right there.

Look up Louie Giglio's "Indescribable" if you ever get the chance. It's on youtube.com. It's not that long, but you will be blown away by what you will see and hear.

Just a Blurb on Love

2010-05-24T12:40:00.000-07:00

It took a lot of love to leave a glory beyond all else to come down here to Earth- to dwell with sin and man and accept a human body and the life of a person. It took strength to walk on a vulgar land and understand temptation and pain. If you were God and had all splendor and glory and power in your right hand, would you have stepped down to save the sin of mankind?

Ah, but there is something missing here. Yes, He is glorious and powerful and terrible. But He is also love. He doesn't just love- as an action- but He is love in its entirety. We can't possibly understand that truly. We can love- we can even love with Christ's love- but we can never be love.

What does love mean? 1 Cor. 13:4-8a is the most commonly referenced passage when it comes to defining love. "Love is patient." Are we always patient? I'm not. "Love is kind." I'm not always kind either. "Love does not envy or boast." I certainly can think of times when I've envied others and boasted about myself. "It is not arrogant or rude." Most of the time when you see arrogance in a person and they are rude to you, do you think that they are loving you at the same time? I've been arrogant and rude before... something I definitely regret. "It does not insist on its own way." I don't always give preference to another's opinions or choices. "It is not irritable or resentful." I can think of more than half a dozen things that I hold against others and resent. "It does not rejoice with wrongdoing." This sort of ties in with the previous phase. When I resent someone or hold something against them, I like to see them fail because it makes me feel better than them. "But love rejoices with the truth." I know many times when I hated the truth and I didn't want to hear or accept it. "Love bears all things." Do I endure everything with the people around me? The hurt, the trials, the hardships, the failures, as well as the bliss, the triumphs, the easy roads, and the times of succeeding? "Love believes all things." Do I doubt those people around me? Not only what they might be saying, but also their capabilities? "Love hopes all things." Do I easily give up hope and forget to trust God? "Love endures all things." (I already went over that.)

Now, I just went through that passage accepting "love" as a verb- an action. I certainly am not love. I am not consistent in any of those aspects of love.

One thing that I thought was really cool while thinking about this was what the passage sounds like when you replace "love" with "Jesus". After all, Jesus=God and God=Love, so Jesus=Love. See the difference:

"Jesus is patient and kind; Jesus does not envy or boast; He is not arrogant or rude. He does not insist on His own way [Luke 22:42]; He is not irritable or resentful; He does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Jesus bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Jesus never ends."

How perfectly does that fit? I'd say it's pretty perfect: it's perfect love.

A Speck in an Ocean of Grace

2010-05-21T08:11:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, I was reading in 2 Corinthians 12 for my devotions. I don't have much to say today (haven't had much time to think because of school tests and closing out), but I did want to post this for ya'll to think about. Paul is so clear here, it almost blows my mind. Have a look:

"So, to keep me from being too elated by the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said unto me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." There fore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (12:7-10)

This spoke very clearly to me. I get very excited when everything is going well and the glory of God is so apparent to me. But then sometimes a thorn gets put in my side and I'm reminded about my weaknesses because I fall or make a mistake. Like Paul, I plead with the Lord to take those weaknesses away. But He says "My grace is sufficient for you;" in other words, "rest in my grace, it is enough." And "for my power is made perfect in weakness." This passage really reminded me to be content with all weaknesses and hardships, calamities, insults, and persecution. I may be a speck in the ocean, but if that ocean is God's grace, then I am content... or, at least, I should be.

What will it be like?

2010-05-12T11:53:00.000-07:00

Try to imagine what it'll be like when Jesus comes. Will you be excited? What will be your reaction? Will you feel like dancing? You know your own personality. What will you feel like doing? Will you fall down in amazement, with your head to the ground in reverent worship? Will tears fill up your eyes and you run to meet Him? Will your heart beat faster than it has ever beat? Or will it stop in complete and utter disbelief? He is coming. There's no doubt about it.

"He who testifies to these things says, "Surely, I am coming soon." Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:20)

Will you jump for joy, like a child? Will you sigh in relief because you've waited and watched for so long, and He's finally here?

When I imagine it, I think that when I heard those trumpets sound, my heart would jump like I had just gone over a big hill on a roller coaster. Then, I think I would jump up and down like a crazy person shouting, "Yes! YES!" At the same time, tears may just come to my eyes because I know that all this imperfection in me is over. The race is done. Then, I'd have a thought in my head- that one of my lifelong hopes was to never experience death and instead witness the coming of Christ from an earthly view (although, anything that God has for me is good ;)). Then, I'd sing "Great is Thy Faithfulness," if I could find my voice. And at the same time, I'd run as fast as I could to feel God's embrace. I've always wanted a big hug from God- to feel completely surrounded by His power. I think that I'd love to take Jesus by the hand and show Him everything He's told me, just a like a little child takes his mother by the hand to show her all the new toys that she bought him. He knows all the things, because, after all, He showed them to me. But to repeat them back to Him would make my heart so glad (if it could get anymore glad than it already was). Then, like an impatient 4-year-old, I'd wait to see heaven and spend the rest of eternity (Eternity- think of that. Infinity- can you fathom it? And then pair that with God- can you understand or appreciate that enough?).

What about you? What's your story? There's also the possibility that you don't know how you would react. Or, there's the possibility that you do know, and it's terrible. You know that at that time, you'll shirk away in fear and shame, knowing that your heart is not covered by Christ's blood. If that's so, don't wait!! Jesus could come anytime. He could come before I publish this post. At any moment, He could come again. Are you ready?

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great god and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works." (Titus 2:11-14)

"My son, do not despise Me"

2010-05-04T15:11:00.000-07:00

Have you ever felt worn out and wearied from your walk with God? The temptations come without yield and no matter how hard you try, you seem to just fall flat on your face all the time. I have periods in my life like that. Every once in a while, when God is teaching me something major, I feel like all I can do is fail and conquering sin, even with God, seems impossible.

Last night, I opened my Bible before bed to read the "daily Proverb," as I like to call it. Proverbs 3:11-12 was like God speaking to me. It says, "My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights." After I read that, I entered this in my journal:

"You totally just said something to me, God. I've been resentful, not thankful for the trials and temptations that you've been putting me through. I've been upset about falling flat on my face so many times. Sure, I should be mournful about my sin. But not about what you teach me through it."

I recall certain phrases that I may have said, and most likely thought, like, "I wish I didn't have to learn so much," or "Sometimes I wish I'd just learn it and be over with it." But with this verse, I'm changing my perspective. I'm going to purpose to thank God every time I fall on my face. It hurts sometimes, and definitely can be uncomfortable and disappointing, but I can learn more about God's grace, mercy, and forgiveness through it.

Just my little blurb for today :)

Highlights

2010-04-28T14:14:00.000-07:00

I posted some pictures below (and if you haven't already, you should check them out). I want to post a few things that God really showed me while I was in Honduras.

- God doesn't hear our voices or our language, He hears our hearts. He really touched my heart with this when my team and I were at a church singing a song that we all knew: two different languages, two different types of people, but worshiping the same God, with the same song and words. That hit me incredibly hard.

- God can speak very clearly to you if you just listen and watch. Our leader, Mr. Williams, touched on the fact that we were "unplugging" from our normal routines and iPods (although a few people did bring those ;)) and tvs. We were out with nature, exchanging the blaring of sirens and car horns for the blaring of cicadas and obnoxiousness of chickens (yes, they were very unpleasant at 2 in the morning). But with that unplugging came a plugging into God. The distractions gone, you could see how God wanted to use you and what things God wanted you to work on in your life.

- That life is not about how much you have or when you get it, but how you live it, and the relationships that you have with each other and God. Working at the village and on the mountain, I got to see the apparent poverty in which they lived. Indeed, it was very clear. Most people didn't have a bed. They cooked on a clay formation with fire inside of it. Most don't have latrines (causing a lot of sicknesses). Once, I went to a family's house that had no walls. It was a roof with tarps to make some sort of boundary between their living space and the outside world. I take for granted the "too small big house" that I have and all the food possibilities I could make with just a stove and an oven. Having an indoor bathroom and clean running water never seemed so delightful to me. Without all these things, though, these Hondurans are so very hospitable and want to spend time with you. They aren't in a hurry to get things "done". The village leaders even stopped building latrines, just so they could finish them with us. They are more concerned about the work that goes into friendships than the work that makes their lives easier. I see where I fail this in my life. I get so worried and boggled down by all my "responsibilities" that I let my friendships and relationships go. Sometimes, it's better to let the paperwork slide to have that 10 minute talk with my sisters or brothers. There is a time and a place for everything, but the focus and goal always need to be the same.

- Joy should be found in little things. We had the privilege to give to each child at the village a blessing bag that was filled with little toys, soap, toothpaste and toothbrush, and other little gadgets. The joy that each child had in their eyes when we gave them that little Ziploc bag full of things we would easily push away said a million words. We also got to give almost everyone in the village a Bible of their very own. The men on our team gave the men of the village each a Bible one day. A man named "Don Juan" immediately took his Bible to a tree sat down, and opened it, devouring each word. Later, he told us that he had had a dream many years ago that someone would come to his village and give him a Bible. He had been waiting for that day.

I also got to know a young lady in the village. I never learned how to say her name right, but I know it started like "Tani," so I'll just call her that. Anyways, she was 13 years old- graduated from school (only goes to 6th grade there) and had come to the school to visit our team. She and I befriended each other and, with our broken Spanglish, played games together and took pictures. At one point during that morning, I had the urge to ask her if she had a Bible. She looked at me with a sort of disappointment in her eyes and said "No." I really wanted to give her a Bible but I knew that we only had so many. I went to our leader, Mr. Williams, and asked him if I could give her one. He said yes. When I put that Bible of her very own in Tani's hands, her face was priceless. She immediately wanted me to come with her to her home and put it safely away. (That was actually my favorite moment of the entire trip.)

- Just because we are from different countries doesn't mean we don't go through the same things. Sure, our physical lives are as different as it gets. But in our spiritual lives, we all struggle with honoring God and His commandments, forming commitments and keeping standards, and following God and loving His word.

There are so many more things that I could share. But time only permits me this: that with all that physical hurt and sickness that I dealt with there, I would, in a heartbeat, jump a plane and be there tomorrow to do it all over again. I have such a love for Honduras and the people I met there and the work that needs to be done. Sure, the weather is a LOT different from what I'm used to, and the food is hard on my stomach, and the ants bite like crazy, and sleeping is almost impossible with the noise of cicadas and dogs and chickens. But, hey! Everyone gets used to that eventually. I'd deal with it all again, just to be with those people... and those amazing mountains.

^^Don Juan^^

Back from Honduras

2010-04-26T17:33:00.000-07:00

I am finally back from my missions trip to Honduras. We had a wonderful time, and saw God working in many people's lives. He was very graceful with us and merciful in that everything went as planned. Here are a few highlighting pictures :)

A Woman Named Hannah

2010-03-27T17:49:00.000-07:00

God does these little things for me. I went to a friend's house last night to babysit their daughter while they went to a concert. When I babysit, I usually bring a few books from my house that might interest them (because I know that when I was little, I loved new things!). Anyway, one of the books I brought was a Bible story about Hannah, the mother of Samuel. Most people know who Samuel is in the Bible: the priest who anointed the first king of Israel, Saul. But a lot of people don't know about his mother, Hannah, who plays a great example in the Bible.

I had read a few other books to this little girl and then, when she was eating her bedtime snack, she asked if I could read this story to her. I started to read this child's version, and I realized how much I needed to hear that story. I've heard that book many many times since I was a little kid, but yesterday, I just really needed to hear it.

Hannah was one of two wives of Elkanah, a good man living in the land of Israel. The other wife had many children, and was very blessed. Hannah really had the desire to have children of her own, but she wasn't able to conceive. She went into a depression and didn't eat; she cried all the time. Her husband felt very sorry for her, because he loved her more than anyone in his family.

Every year, the family went to a town called Shiloh to worship God in the temple. One day, Hannah went into the temple alone to pray to God. She was really upset, and asked God to give her children. And if He granted her wish, she would give her firstborn back to God to serve Him. After she prayed, she was very much relieved and was able to eat again.

What do you know? She eventually had a baby boy and named him Samuel, which means "asked of God." A few years later, after she had weaned him, she remembered her promise to the Lord, and brought him back to Shiloh to live with the priest there. He grew up to be a man of God, and did tremendous works for the Lord. Hannah had other children, and visited Samuel every year at the temple.

How did this really hit me? I realized that every problem and distress that I have, I need to go to God first. I usually go to my parents or a friend first, and there is nothing wrong with that because God gave us those people for those things. But I realized that there is nothing that a human could do in comparison with what God can do. If Hannah had gone to the priest to tell her problems to, then she wouldn't have gotten anywhere. The priest couldn't open her womb! But God could.

This makes me also marvel at how personal God is. He *hears* our prayers. He doesn't have a mail service that delivers our request; there are no priests that have to be trained to make known our requests to God. We don't have to travel to a church or monastery in order to pray. (I suspect that Hannah went to the temple so that she would have some peace and quiet in which to talk to God.) Anywhere we are, no matter what we are doing, no matter how we say it: God hears us.

He answers us too. Sometimes He says yes, other times He says no, but still other times He says wait. We have to trust Him, that He knows how to take care of us, and how to best care for our needs.

Along with trying to be a Proverbs 31 woman, ladies, let's endeavor to be a Hannah-woman. Let's make every effort to make our requests known to God and to rest peacefully and happily in Him knowing that He holds our future in His perfect Hands.

With A Servant's Heart

2010-03-24T19:55:00.000-07:00

From April 15-25, I am going on a missions trip to Honduras with my online school, The Potter's School. It's a group of teens and adults who will be building latrines, leading a VBS, performing health and wellness checks, and ultimately, sharing the gospel. I am so excited, and I hope that I can find some time to post a few extra blogposts before I go. I covet your prayers for the team and the work that we'll be doing; and mostly for the hearts of the kids and parents that we'll be witnessing to. Thank you.

As I'm going into this, I have to remember that I am a servant. It's so easy, especially for me, to get caught up in the moment that I'm doing a good thing, and I forget to give all glory and motivation to Christ and the gospel. I am very prone to think about all the good ways my works can make my life better.

Just tonight, God definitely brought this to my attention. Since I've started specifically asking Him to show me what He wants me to learn every single morning, I have noticed a lot of things I need to work on. But tonight, at my youth group bible study, we were studying Mark 10. A section in this chapter really hit home for me.

Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem (on His way to sacrifice His life) and saying things that the disciples could not understand. They always asked Him "What did you mean by...?" after Jesus spoke. In spite of all this, James and John decided to ask of Jesus a favor.

"And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, 'Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.' And He said to them, 'What do you want me to do for you?' And they said to him, 'Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.' Jesus said to them, 'You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?' And they said to him, 'We are able.' And Jesus said to them, 'The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.' And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. And Jesus called them to him and said to them, 'You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'" (Mark 10:35-45)

Oh my goodness! So easily, I and you can look at James and John and think, "How foolish and naive!" But then again, when we look at ourselves, we do the same thing too. As a Christian, I have been called to serve and follow Christ. And yet I still want to be known for what I do; in other words, I want praise and adoration for my good works. James and John had been called to follow and serve Christ, and they were asking for a favor- and no small one at that.

Being a disciple of Christ is not to get a title or a name- it's not a label. Being a disciple is an action. It's being a servant. The goal in the Christian walk should not be, "How can I be the best Christian in heaven?" No, it is "How much glory can I give Christ?"

It's so hard for me to remember, but it is so so important and true. As I go on this missions trip, I am praying that God will help me to have a servant's heart that wants to bring Him glory and none for myself.

For Spring to Have Sprung

2010-03-12T08:41:00.000-08:00

Do you think that maybe God designed nature to make us laugh at our lives sometimes? For example, the past few days have been dark and dreary, cloudy and sometimes rainy. The grass is all brown and full of dead leaves and sticks. It's supposed to rain like this for a while. But I know that at the end, the grass will start getting greener, the leaves will come out on the trees, a few flowers might pop up!

And then, it'll rain again, and there'll be thunder and maybe lightning... and it'll be dark and cloudy again for a while. But after that, the grass is even greener, the leaves even bigger, and the flower buds even more abundant.

Sort of like our lives- every once in a while God rains down on us lessons and trials, trips in the road. But eventually, it stops, and our lives are more enriched, our minds more mature, and our walk with God more fortified.

But we so quickly lose hope when the rain starts. We think that the darkness will never end, the thunder will never cease. If we just looked out the window, we'd see that the end of the Lord is very merciful. We buckle under the weight of the raindrops, we forget that the taller we stand, the fuller we'll grow.

Did you know that after every rain, there is a rainbow? You don't see it every time because the sun has to be at a certain angle, and you have to be at a certain distance for the sun's rays to reflect off of the water molecules in the air.

Yet another one of God's object lessons! After every trial, temptation, and lesson God gives to us, His promises are always sure. His rainbow is always there. Even though we can't see it, it's proven to stand.

It amazes me how thoughtful and detailed God has been in His creation. Such a wonderful thing to be able to see God's work of art, and see our lives. It's like watching an artist paint a picture based on a feeling that you have-- only better.

Expectations

2010-03-09T05:25:00.000-08:00

I've been talking with a dear friend lately about marriage and the time before marriage- what to do, how to prepare, what mentality one must have.

I would love to be married and be a wife and a mother; I dream of keeping my own house and providing for my children and husband. I feel very strongly about waiting for God's Prince Charming to waltz into the dance that is my life instead of walking around looking for the perfect man for myself. I still believe that if I follow God's calling in every aspect of my life and make Christ my true Prince Charming, that marriage, if it is in God's plans for me, will be a blessing.

But I did realize that one thing I was doing was striving to be faithful with the expectation of blessing. My dear friend pointed this out to me. "God will bless faithfulness -- but we mustn't be faithful so we can receive blessing. We must be faithful because that is the least we can do since we have been redeemed from a life of slavery to sin," she said.

I see that I should be faithful only because He was faithful on the cross to forgive me my sins... Not because I want Him to bless me. The fact is He already has blessed me. He has blessed me with Himself. What more do I need? What more should I want? I now will be faithful to Christ alone, and remember that I need to love Him more than anyone else- even a husband.

If I live my life with no expectations, I will never be disappointed or discouraged. I only can expect Christ, because He is the only truth and faithfulness that can fulfill my expectations.

I still pray for my future husband, if he is out there somewhere. I know God has put this desire in my heart for a reason. I still ask God that, if it is His Will, that I will be given the blessing of marriage and motherhood. But now, I look on it as a request, not a necessity- a hope, not an ambition.

"And God Knew"

2010-03-04T05:34:00.000-08:00

I was reading my Bible during my daily devotions today; I just started Exodus. I was reading through Chapter 2, and the last verse just hit me. It's a simple verse; not very long-- short and straight to the point.

"God saw the people of Israel-- and God knew." -Exodus 2:25

God knew. Knew what? Everything. The preceding passages were talking about how Israel was weary and groaning because Pharaoh was inflicting them with slavery in Egypt. They had cried out to God in their distress, and He heard them, and knew.

God knew about everything: their physical pain, emotional pain. He heard their tears and sighs. He saw their weariness and discouragement. And He knew.

It's still the same for us, I think. Even though God doesn't generally talk to us through a burning bush, He still hears us and knows. He knows our failures and weaknesses. At first thought, that should make us tremble. But even so, He comforts us and heals us, and when we cry out to Him, He, by His grace, does answer. He knows our sorrows and the discouragement that we feel sometimes when we just can't get it right. He doesn't just hold our hand-- sometimes he picks us up and carries us. God knows how much we need Him. And, praise be to God that He helps us!

Today, I think that God told me that He loves me more than I ever realized, in spite of myself. If God knows everything, and He still loves me... What God could be more amazing than that?

"He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young." -Isaiah 40:11

Too Much Confidence?

2010-02-26T05:20:00.000-08:00

The exciting show American Idol is on and running with its 9th season, keeping people up a little later and getting people to use their phones to vote for their favorite in the middle of the night. Some people really enjoy the criticism from the judges:

"It was way too pitchy."

"You need to work on your stage presence."

"That was not the right song for you, dawg."

(or, as Simon simply states,)

"That was horrendous."

A lot of times, especially at this stage of the competition, you hear this phrase: "I don't see any confidence in you; you need to be confident when you get up on that stage."

Looking at my life, I can see where I can place a lot of my confidence in the wrong things-- sometimes, even with the right motives. Sometimes, I feel like my relationship with God couldn't get any better, and I start thinking how great it'll be when I've gone through life with this amazing relationship with God. I've been reading my Bible and praying a lot, and I just always feel God's presence. But, interestingly, after these little bouts, I make some sort of mistake-- I do something that makes me feel bad and I know that I have definitely fallen short. I always make mistakes, even when I am really close to God, but these particular falls always are harder from which to get back up. Then, I wallow for a while in that sin and sometime in the next couple of weeks, get back up and start back at the beginning.

God has been really working in my heart over the past couple of days on this subject. When I heard that phrase, "You need to be confident," I started to think about my confidence. Where was it? How did I handle it? And how much of it do I have?

I thought about how I usually feel right before I fall. I feel really zealous about the gospel, and sharing everything I've learned with everyone else. I feel like I know God really well. Then I started to get a queue. Every one of those sentences had "I" in it. It was all about me. I recognized this as self-confidence. I was excited for what I was doing, how I was thinking, praying, reading. I realized that I really needed to get rid of this self-confidence.

Ephesians 4:20-24 says, "But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." So, I've put off the old self. What's the new self?

God has convicted me to never be satisfied with my relationship with Him. I need to want more and more of His Word and time with Him in prayer. My confidence, pride, and trust need to be in Christ and His salvation. It needs to be all in Him, and not in me. While some people struggle with too much self-confidence, there is no such thing as too much confidence in Christ.

"Is not your fear of God your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope?" ~Job 4:6

"For the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught." ~Proverbs 3:26

"This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him." ~Ephesians 3:11-12
"

Holding Hands with God...

2010-02-16T13:33:00.000-08:00

Holding someone's hand can bring along many different feelings. Maybe you love this person very much, and it's a form of affection. Maybe you are sad or afraid, and holding someone's hand is an act of reassurance and security. Maybe you are lost and you can't find your way, and holding someone's hand is a way to show that you are following close behind. But you wouldn't hold just anyone's hand. You'd only hold someone's hand who you trusted, and loved, and who loved you.

It's like that with God. The difference: He fulfills all of those things at once. When one is a Christian, he or she can experience God's unfailing love, His reassurance and the security of salvation, and His direction and leading in all aspects of life. If you are a Christian, you must trust and love Him. Here are a few little verses and excerpts from hymns and the Bible.

He leadeth me, O blessed thought!
O words with heav’nly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be
Still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.

Refrain:
He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful foll’wer I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.

Sometimes ’mid scenes of deepest gloom,
Sometimes where Eden’s bowers bloom,
By waters still, o’er troubled sea,
Still ’tis His hand that leadeth me.

Lord, I would place my hand in Thine,
Nor ever murmur nor repine;
Content, whatever lot I see,
Since ’tis my God that leadeth me.

And when my task on earth is done,
When by Thy grace the vict’ry’s won,
E’en death’s cold wave I will not flee,
Since God through Jordan leadeth me.

~He Leadeth Me, Joseph Gilmore

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you." ~Psalm 32:8

"And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left." ~Isaiah 30:21

"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."

"And the LORD will guide you continually
and satisfy your desire in scorched places
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters do not fail." ~Isaiah 58:11

While I'm Waiting

2010-02-11T19:23:00.000-08:00

A dear, dear friend of mine told me to listen to this song. It's really amazing. I can't believe how much I love this song! I'll just post the lyrics and a video and you can find out for yourselves.

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Takeing every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

Casting All Your Anxieties On Him

2010-02-10T17:54:00.000-08:00

When I have a dire decision to make or have to wait for someone else to make a decision that might change my life, I get anxious. I feel like I have to know what the next step in my life is before I get there. I like to prepare and organize my life before I jump into cold water. Lately, I've been coming to some decisions that I have to make: decisions that will change my life. I don't really know what exactly God wants me to do. I've been praying extensively about it. A few days ago, I wrote in my journal that I wish that God would just write what He wants me to do clearly on the wall. I thought that if God would just scribble in Sharpie on my wall, I'd do the right thing and I could get ready and prepare for that next step. But last night, I was talking with my mom: one of those late night talks in the kitchen. She told me that I really should not be so anxious and worried because, if I was praying about it and was seeking God on it, then I shouldn't have any reason to be anxious or worried. That really opened my eyes. I saw that I had been really worried about what wasn't even happening yet and trying to run my life faster than the world turns.

With all this in mind, I looked up some verses on the subject. It's amazing how many verses there are about being anxious. God knew how much people can get boggled down with useless things and stress themselves out over little things. So many of these verses are really familiar to a lot of us. But sometimes we just read it, underline it, and then forget about it the next day. But these are really going to stick in my mind.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:25-34

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." 1 Peter 4:6-7

Being Salty Salt

2010-02-09T05:14:00.000-08:00

"You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet." (Matthew 5:13)

This verse has recently taken on a new meaning for me. Sure, I've read it many times. I can recite it. But lately, it has a significance that I can't get off my mind. I've said to myself, "Sure, this passage means that I should be a difference in a world of sin; that I should be drawing attention to the gospel." But last Friday, I heard a great quote. It made me really think.

About a quarter of the American population claims to be born-again Christian. Listen to this quote:

"A pound of meat would surely be affected by a quarter pound of salt."

It's so true! Picture yourself taking a bite of hamburger: a quarter of it's weight is salt. You wouldn't be able to stand it. You would spit it out immediately. Christ used "salt" for a reason. Salt is unmistakable. You can't miss it. Even if only an 1/8 of a pound of salt was in a pound of meat, it would still be too salty.

It's my motivation to be SALTY salt :)

In Perfect Peace

2010-02-05T05:43:00.000-08:00

You know that time between shutting off the light and falling asleep at night? That time that you have nothing to do, so you think about your day or things that made you mad, or things that might happen tomorrow. I've always been a person who would lay awake at night and just think about random things until I fell asleep.

Well, the night before the January SAT, I was really nervous that I wouldn't get enough sleep, and I wasn't feeling well. So, as I climbed into bed that night, I decided I was not going to think about the test. I wasn't going to even think about what I needed to do in the morning. I set my alarm clock, turned off my light, and closed my eyes. As I was just waiting for sleep to come, my mind kept going to the test. I'd mentally slap myself when I got that nervous feeling again. But they still just kept coming to me. So I decided to pray and say Bible verses to myself until I fell asleep. I prayed that God would help me to sleep well and to do well in the morning for His glory. Then, I started say John 1 to myself. I've memorized about 6 verses in the KJV and so I just said that over and over again. I would say part of the verse and then explain that part to myself. Then I would say the rest of the verse, and explain that to myself. Eventually, I fell asleep. The next morning, I woke up with no problem. I felt very rested despite the fact that I only got 6 hours of sleep. I got ready to go. When we got to the school, I felt very calm and collected. The whole test, I didn't feel rushed or worried. It was amazing.

Ever since then, I've tried to go to bed praying and reciting God's Word. I also tell God exactly what He is... or try, at least. I fall asleep thinking of words that describe God. It's great to know that if I died in my sleep, my last conscious thought was about God. God truly does keep me in perfect peace.

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." - Isaiah 26:3

"In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." - Psalms 4:8

"Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep." - Psalms 121:4

A little Christmas cheer...

2009-12-26T19:26:00.000-08:00

My friend, Veronica Temple, has been working on a song for Christmas. She was even offered the opportunity to make a music video out of it. In all things, it came out beautifully! She is extremely talented and has a beautiful voice! Please enjoy this video. There are a couple commercials before the actual video, so hang in there :)

She not only has this music video, she has also maintained titles in the Miss Alaska Pageant.

I hope that you enjoyed the video as much as I did! I love you, Veronica. You did an amazing job!

Lydia

Baby Dress I Made :)

2009-12-23T20:11:00.000-08:00

This is sort of a toddler shirt that I made. I didn't have a pattern, and I've never made one, but I think that it came out pretty well. Enjoy! :)

"21She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet." Proverbs 31:21

Finishing a hat with the Knifty Knitter

2009-12-23T13:33:00.000-08:00

At the request of one of my friends, I am posting some more pictures that demonstrate how to finish a hat with the Knifty Knitter. I hope this is helpful :)

Introducing Knifty Knitters!

2009-12-22T08:49:00.000-08:00

I have done my first "for-sure" craft: making hats with the Knifty Knitters! My grandma sent my sisters and I a set of Knifty Knitters last year for Christmas and I've just learned how to use them. Lately, I've been making hats! They are so soft and warm, and I think that they look really nice. Here's a demonstration:

The finished product:

These will be wrapped and put under the Christmas tree for my two brothers :)

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-21T14:59:00.000-08:00

Hey readers!

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Happiest season of all! Why? The tree is decorated, the gifts underneath, the yummy smells of cookies, and (one of my favorite parts)- Christmas break. But the best part of Christmas is the essence- the reason. It's the birth of Christ, the Savior of the world. Without His birth, we would have no salvation! And without salvation, we would not have eternal life! What a glorious day! This year, make sure that you thank God for sending His Son.

"18Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." 22( All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23 "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name "Immanuel"(which means, God with us). 24When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus." Matthew 1:18-25

New Years Resolutions!

2009-12-18T05:18:00.000-08:00

For the first year in my life, I've actually made a list of things I want to accomplish this year! I'm excited, and I hope to be posting about them as I do them this year. Here is my list:

1. Learn Macrame
2. Learn tatting
3. Do an embroidery project.
4. Learn crewel embroidery.
5. Make a doll.
6. Do a decoupage.
7. Learn to crochet a doily.
8. Do a counted cross-stitch project.
9. Learn candlemaking?
10. Learn soapmaking.
11. Do a latchhook project.
12. Try an oil painting project.
13. Press flowers.
14. Learn to make bread.
15. Learn canning and drying food.
16. Plant a garden.
17. Learn sign language?

The reason I want to learn all these things is because I want to prepare for a home and learn skills that will help me run a home in an inexpensive way :)

"13She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. 14She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar. 15She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens. 16She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. 17She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. 18She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night. 19She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. 20She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. 21She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. 22She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple. 23Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.24She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.25Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come." - Proverbs 31:13-24

A few good quotes to think about...

2009-12-15T14:36:00.000-08:00

I've been reading some really great quotes lately. Some of them are harder to understand than others, but they all have simple, yet profound meanings. Enjoy them!

"Be assured, if you walk with Him and look to Him, and expect help from Him, He will never fail you."- George Mueller.

When life knocks you on your knees, your in the perfect position to pray!~ anonymous

"Every time satan tries to remind you of your past, remind him of his future."~anonymous

"Let my heart be broken with the things that break God's heart" -- Bob Pierce, World Vision founder

"A woman should be so lost in God that a man needs to seek Him in order to find her."

"Let the winds blow, and the billows roll, Hope is the anchor of my soul. But can I by so slight a tie, an unseen hope, on God rely? Steadfast and sure, it cannot fail, It enters deep within the veil, It fastens on a land unknown, And moors me to my Father's throne." ~Charles Spurgeon

"Our God! how pleasant is the sound! How charming to repeat! Well may those hearts with pleasure bound, who thus their Lord can greet!" ~Charles Spurgeon

"True Loveliness" (Anonymous)

2009-12-11T14:38:00.000-08:00

My mother's face is wrinkled now,
And not so soft and fair,
And silvery threads are shining where
There once was jet black hair;
But when I see the love light shine
From out her dimming eyes,
It seems but a reflection from
The gates of paradise.

Her hands, once soft and lovely,
Are thin and aged now;
But oh, how many, many times
They've soothed some aching brow.
They might not seem so lovely if
Their shape alone you see,
But oh, I know their deeds of love--
They're beautiful to me.

Her steps are feeble, faltering,
That once were firm and light.
How many steps her feet have made
By day as well as night!
She may seem old to others--not
So beautiful to see;
But she'll always be the loveliest
Of all on earth to me.

~taken from Daughters of Destiny, by Noelle Wheeler.

Footsteps in the snow...

2009-12-09T11:52:00.000-08:00

Who knows where they came from... I didn't make them. Maybe my father.. but no, he's been inside for a while now. I examine the footprints... Couldn't be my sisters or brothers: the prints were too large. Perhaps it was my mother. But she dosn't have shoes of that type. I search the streets, looking for a face. But the night is quiet, and no one stirs. The snow still falls softly around me. I wonder who it could be. I walk back inside and make myself a cup of tea. As I wait for the kettle to whistle, I continue to ponder the footsteps. What if it was an angel?

My Sweet Sixteen (featuring Andrew) lol :)

2009-12-05T12:55:00.000-08:00

I decided to do a less serious post spotlighting on my birthday. My parents organized a fondue party and they cooked and cleaned and did a lot for me. So thankful to them. I'm posting some pictures below, the first of which is my good friend Andrew who suggested this post (on condition that I would "feature" him). Enjoy :D

Mary Jones's Bible, A post by Carolyn Mahaney

2009-10-27T11:39:00.001-07:00

Last week I was reading A Place of Quiet Rest, edited by Nancy Leigh DeMoss, and came across this inspiring story:

“I must have a Bible of my own! I must have one, if I have to save up for it for ten years!”

The year was 1794. For as long as she could remember, little Mary Jones had yearned to hold a Bible in her hands so that she might read it for herself. For years, she had sat at night on her weaver father’s lap and listened to him tell stories of Abraham, Joseph, David, and Daniel. But her family was far to poor to afford a Bible, even if one had been available, for Bibles could scarcely be found in all of Wales during those days.

Two years earlier, Mrs. Evans, the wife of a nearby farmer, having learned of Mary’s longing to read the Bible, had promised the child that when she learned to read, she could come to their house and read their Bible. As soon as the first school opened in a neighborhood village, Mary had eagerly set about learning to read.

Now, the ten year old girl had just walked two miles from the North Wales village of Llanfihangel to the Evanses’ farm. The distance was no object to the eager child: “I’d walk farther than that for such a pleasure, ma’am!” she said to Mrs. Evans.

When once Mary finally was left alone in the room with the Bible, she reverently lifted off the white napkin that covered and protected the cherished Book. Then, with trembling hands, she opened the Bible to the fifth chapter of John where her eyes lit on the words, “Search the scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39, KJV). Confident that God had spoken to her directly, she earnestly vowed to search His Word with all her heart.

Every Saturday from that point on she made the journey to the Evanses’ farm where she read, studied, and memorized entire chapters from the borrowed Bible. All that time, however, her heart ached, so great was her yearning to have a Bible of her own. She purposed that she must have a Bible, at any cost.

For the next six years, in addition to her studies at school and the many chores to be tended to at home, Mary used every available moment to do odd jobs for friends and neighbors. Every penny she earned was carefully laid aside, until at long last she had saved enough to buy a Bible of her own.

When she learned that the closest place a Bible could be purchased was the town of Bala, some twenty-five miles away, there was no question in her mind about what she must do. With hope in her heart, she started out early one morning, walking barefoot so as not to ruin her one pair of shoes Before she reached her destination, her feet were blistered and cut from the stones in the road.

Physically weary, but barely able to contain her excitement that her lifelong goal should be so nearly realized, Mary finally arrived in Bala where she poured out her story to the minister, Mr. Charles. When she had finished, Mr. Charles reluctantly informed her that the last of the Bibles available for purchase had already been sold and that the remaining Bibles had been promised to others. Furthermore, the Society that had printed the small quantity of Welsh Bibles did not intend to print any more.

So great was Mary’s disappointment, that she began to sob uncontrollably. Touched by the intensity of her passion to have a Bible of her own, Mr. Charles decided that she must have one of the few Bibles left in his possession. Words cannot describe the ecstasy Mary felt as Mr. Charles placed into her hands the precious treasure for which she had prayed, wept, and hoarded all these years. Her heart sang as she walked the twenty-five miles back home, carrying her very own Bible, the Book that would remain her dearest friend and companion throughout her life.

The footnote to this story goes on to tell how: “Mr. Charles Thomas’ encounter with Mary Jones deeply impressed him and led to the establishment in 1804 of the British and Foreign Bible Society, a society dedicated to publishing and distributing the Word of God throughout the world.”

Mary’s passion for God’s Word forces us to consider: “Do I have the same infectious passion for God’s Word?”

Thankfully, most of us don’t have to save for ten years or walk twenty-five miles for a Bible anymore. All you may need to do is come back to girltalk tomorrow.

Something i was thinking about....

2009-10-16T10:34:00.000-07:00

Early last year, I went to a youth event at a nearby church with some friends. I was looking forward to a fun time of worship and fellowship with other Christian teens. My friends told me there'd be music and singing, games, food, and a little message from a guest speaker. It was an outreach to non-Christian teens in the area. I was excited. A friend and I carpooled and my dad drove us there. Once we got inside the building, we were instantly welcomed by our friends and we all got into conversations and were just hanging out. First we did a few fun games, and then we all got to singing. We sang some pretty good Christian songs from bands like Skillet and stuff... But then we started singing this song from U2. Like, wait a minute... I thought we were at a Christian teen outreach program here. hmm. Well anyway, after the songs, we all sat down on the floor and listened to our guest speaker. He was a nice guy- tall, blonde (I think), and he had a nice smile. He said he had little kids at home and a good wife too. He did a good visual to illustrate something he was talking about in the beginning and then he got started on talking about Jesus' life. This is where it got pretty bad.

I'm sure that the man had every good intention, but the way he was explaining the gospel to these teenagers was just wrong. First he was talking about how Jesus may have acted as a teenager.

"He probably was told to take out the trash my his mom and he probably was like "aww Mom...""

"Jesus probably even farted; hanging out with the disciples and Peter says, "Whoa, Jesus, what are ya doin'?"

What?! Is this was the gospel is all about? Jesus was just like us?! First of all, He never dishonored His mother because He was "holy and blameless" before God. Second, even if Jesus did fart, WHO CARES?! The point of Jesus' life was not about how He was God and so much like Man. He was God and Man. Christ came down as a Man so He could pay the sacrifice for our sins. Not so He could show us how much He was like us... because He wasn't.

And why were we even talking about Jesus' life without even mentioning His death? 'Cause we're talking to a bunch of unsaved teenagers here. The point of Jesus' life was His death. Everything He did paved the way so that we could have eternal life by His death. That's what made Christ's life so amazing! And that's what salvation is all about.

This was just a little bit about what I've been thinking about in the past couple of days. :)

Sarah Palin's Message to Pro-Abortionists

2009-10-06T08:21:00.001-07:00

Great Movie

2009-10-03T20:05:00.001-07:00

A True Mother's Love

2009-09-29T14:01:00.000-07:00

This is a story taken from the book Jesus Freaks by DC Talk and The Voice of the Martyrs. It's a very touching, true account, of a God-fearing mother's love for her God and her son.

“Tell us!” the officer shouted, as he brought the whip down again across the pastor’s back. “We must know who else is working with you.” Day after day, the Chinese Communists tortured Rev. Fang-Cheng, but no matter what they did to him, he steadfastly refused to give them the names of his fellow Christians.

One day Cheng was brought again before the examining officer. In a corner of the room, he saw a heap of rags and heard a rattling of chains. As the image became clearer, he realized it was his mother. Before she did not have white hair; but now she had. The color of her faces was like ashes. He could see that she too had passed through heavy suffering.

The Communist spoke to Cheng: “I have heard that you Christians have Ten Commandments, supposedly given by God, which you strive to obey. I would be interested in knowing them. Would you be so kind as to recite the Ten Commandments?”

Cheng was in a terrible state of heart, but any opportunity to acquaint a Communist with God’s law must not be neglected. He began to list the commandments. When he arrived at “Honor your father and mother,” he was interrupted.

The Communist told him, “Cheng, I wish to give you the opportunity to honor your mother. Here she is, suffering in chains. Tell us what you know about your brethren in faith and I promise that tonight you and your mother will be free. You will be able to give her care and honor. Let me see now whether you really believe in God and wish to fulfill His commandment.”

It was not easy to make a decision. Cheng turned to his mother: “Mother, what shall I do?”

The mother answered, “I have taught you from childhood to love Christ and His holy Church. Don’t mind my suffering. Seek to remain faithful to the Savior and His little brothers. If you betray, you are no more my son.”

This was the last time that Fang-Cheng saw his mother. It was likely that she died under torture.

Be Still My Soul

2009-09-28T13:40:00.000-07:00

As a Christian, I really love to get up and do something really amazing for God. Like volunteer at a camp, or help someone move, or make someone a meal. Something hard and fast that people can see and feel. Something that I can feel and be satisfied about. Sometimes I get frustrated with doing my personal devotions because it seems like all I'm doing is staring at a page with red words on it, trying to hear God's voice coming through. Problem is I can't make God talk. God will say what He wants me to hear in His own good timing. Sometimes he calls for us to be still and wait. Time to just reflect on the being that is God.

"Be still, and know that I am God." -Psalm 46:10

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.

Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last.

Be still, my soul: begin the song of praise
On earth, believing, to Thy Lord on high;
Acknowledge Him in all thy words and ways,
So shall He view thee with a well pleased eye.
Be still, my soul: the Sun of life divine
Through passing clouds shall but more brightly shine.

What have we become?

2009-09-25T08:50:00.000-07:00

After watching this movie, please read the following:

Exodus 20:3 "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."

Psalm 149:1 "Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise in the congragation of the godly ones."

Barack Obama has become an idol in the minds of many Americans. Some people believe that he has made society better already (in less than a year of office). They can't believe why one would be opposed to his leadership. Has he REALLY benefitted the country? I'm not saying that he won't do something great for our country. But has done anything yet? He's said quite a few speeches about what he wants to do. People have been almost brainwashed by him. Now we have young children being taught to praise President Obama through song. They are putting Obama in the place of Christ. Will our coins begin to say "In Obama we trust" instead of "In God we trust"? Will our hymns be turned from "Jesus saves" to "Obama saves"? I would like to doubt these possibilities. But I cannot doubt that the minds of Americans will be changed from that of "God is holy" to "Obama is holy". Not only is America forsaking its history and founding, but it's forsaking our God. What have we become? Recall World War II. Hitler's Youth paraded the streets singing Hitler's praises and asking other children to "convert" to Hitler. It was as if Hitler had become a religion. Will that happen to our country? I don't know. I certainly pray not. We have become a self-indulgent people. We are so happy with ourselves and our choices and even our ability to choose, that we forget to choose truth. Will America wake up from this happy slumber of self-gratification? Or will it continue to dream beyond reality and be ruined by crushed visions?

Please join me in praying for our government and our President. We need to be thinking seriously about the well-being of the souls who are making the life-changing decisions for Americans. It is all we can do while submitting to our authorities.

Psalm 46:10

2009-09-18T05:30:00.000-07:00

"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted among the earth!"

My new dress

2009-09-09T14:48:00.001-07:00

Hey, so I've been working on this Edwardian style costume for a while now, and I've finally finished it. Here are some pictures! Enjoy!

1 Thessalonians 1:2-10

2009-07-21T17:29:00.000-07:00

2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our
prayers, 3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and
patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, 4
knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God. 5 For our gospel did not come
to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much
assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake. 6 And
you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much
affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became examples to all in
Macedonia and Achaia who believe. 8 For from you the word of the Lord has
sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your
faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. 9 For
they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and
how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to
wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who
delivers us from the wrath to come.

- What does it say about God and us?

Those who are chosed are loved by God; the gospel comes to unbelievers by power and the Holy Spirit; believers become imitators of the Lord with the joy of the Holy Spirit. God is living and true and He raised His Son, Jesus, from the dead, who delivers us from the wrath to come.

- Are there any cross references?

no.

- What is the main verse of the passage? Write it in your own words.

vs. 6: So you became imitators of us and Christ, because you received the gospel with much affliction, with the joy of the Spirit.

- Is there a command?

There is not a direct command, but there is a command that has been acknowledged.

- What is the command?

Work in faith, labor in love, have steadfast hope, become imitators of Christ, have joy in the Holy Spirit, set forth an example, turn to God from idols, and wait for his Son from Heaven.

- How can I follow this command?

1) Work in faith that God will accomplish the task for you. Whatever God needs done, He will accomplish Himself. God does not need us to accomplish His will.
2) labor with a love for God and your neighbor
3) ALWAYS hope in Christ
4) always ask the question: "What would Jesus do?" before anything you do and therefore, become an imitator of Christ
5) be joyful, rejoice in everything
6) set forth an example: live in a way that shows Christ in your life; actions speak louder than words
7) Every idol in your life set aside for God.
8) anticipate Christ's coming

'Tis So Sweet To Trust in Jesus

2009-04-30T09:52:00.000-07:00

Ah, the blessing of resting in Christ. When you are first saved, it seems really easy to be a Christian. Your faith is new and strong and everything seems to be going right. Then, the first "bad" thing happens to you. You lose your job, your car breaks down, your bank goes bankrupt, you are not able to pay your mortgage or rent. Then, you start to wonder if Christianity really makes your life better. Be strong. This is where you prove your faith. Christ didn't promise a smooth journey on Earth and a wonderful reward in heaven at no extra cost to you. No, Christ said, "Take up your cross and follow me." Everyday, you have a cross to bear for Christ. Do you think Christ carried His cross easily up the hill of Calvary? No, He buckled under the weight of it. But, although chased with whips and denied any assistance with His burden, He kept walking, all the way, step by step, to make the supreme sacrifice for us. He walked alone, forsaken by the world and seperated from His Father. Our cross is significantly lighter than His was. And we aren't trudging away to our death. We are hiking to our victory in Christ Jesus. We don't walk alone, but we walk with our Savior and with the fellowship of believers. Christ said, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light." To our mortal bodies, our yoke may not seem so easy and so light. But look at what you are comparing "easy" and "light" with. You are comparing it to the standards of the world. According to some people in the world, having a burden that is easy and light would be owning a million-dollar home in Hawaii, with no debt, and a yearly income of $3 million dollars. However, according to the standards of the Bible, having a burden that is easy and light is not paying for your sins with your blood, and having a Savior who did it for you. This is what Christ has promised. This is what you should expect, and receive. This is what salvation is. Your daily mission as a Christian must be to glorify God in everything that you do. So what about that bankruptcy? What about that car that broke down? Give it all to God. He gave this to you for a reason. Whatever mishap or trial you are going through now is all because of His grace. He has put this in your life for a reason. God will never inflict you with something that you can't take. If you put your trust in Christ, then you will find rest.

When it all boils down, no matter what happens to you here on Earth, you will always have a Savior whose promises never fail. And no matter what, you are still going to have the wonderful reward of living in heaven with Jesus, if you keep your trust in Him, and find delight in His grace and bringing Him glory.

With Love, your Savior

2009-04-05T06:26:00.000-07:00

The beauty of salvation is love. Salvation is not dependent upon whether we are good enough for it or whether we deserve it. If it did, no one would be saved because "ALL have sinned and fall SHORT of the glory of God". Salvation is not about us. It's about Him. Christ is the only one worthy of the glory of God, but, in His amazing love and mercy, He gave Himself up for us and made the supreme sacrifice for all of our sins. Not just a few of our sins or just a bit of all of them- every single one, fully paid for. We can't reach the standard to have this glory unless we are covered with the blood of Christ. If you have not been covered with the blood of Christ, this is something that MUST be done for eternal life. If you want to partake in the glory that is Christ's, then He must live in you and you in Him. If you don't, God will not pardon you because you did not accept the covering for your sin that Christ offered.

With love, Christ came down from heaven and its glory to walk on this lowly land as a man. With love, Christ made disciples and taught them of God's plan. With love, Christ bore the ridicule of those who did not believe in Him. With love, Christ bore the pain of being beaten, caned, pierced with thorns, spit upon, and mocked. With love, Christ bore the sentence of death for not doing anything wrong. With love, Christ took all of your sins, all of my sins, and all the sins of the rest of the world. With love, Christ paid the price so that we could take part in His glory. With love, Christ hung on the cross. With love, Christ said "It is finished." With love for His Father and His will. With love for us. When did we deserve this love? Our SIN put Christ on that cross and yet He will forgive us? What a wonderful Savior! Don't wait another minute if you have not accepted Christ! Another minute could be too late!

On Thursday, April 9, 2009, we remember the torture that Christ went through for us! On Friday, April 10, 2009, we remember how Christ was nailed to a cross for our sins. On Saturday, April 11, 2009, we remember that Christ was laid in a grave with a big stone rolled over the door. On Sunday, April 12, 2009, we remember that the grave was empty! He arose! And He LIVES!

Long time no post...

2009-04-02T16:26:00.000-07:00

Hey,

Yes, I'm still living and breathing and being myself. I'm so sorry that my blog has just sat here with no post. Truly my life has been so busy, I can't narrow it down to one thing that I want to post about. Well, today, it's different. I'm going to talk about how a God can exist even with so much torture, crime, and death in the world.

First of all- We are all sinners. There is no way to explain any goodness in us except by the blood of Christ. And even then, it's not our goodness, but the goodness of Christ in us. The fact that we have moral laws is based upon Christ, our ultimate standard. We know what sin is because of God's ultimate righteousness. Seeing God's amazing goodness, we are able to see how horrible we are.

Second- God is just. His punishment falls on us- the sinners that only deserve eternal hell. We only deserve to die by His Holy Hand. We have only earned the right to be punished for our sins.

Third- God is merciful. Even though we deserve hell and eternal damnation, He gave us the option of eternal LIFE through Christ Jesus. He sent His Son to take the wrath for us so that we don't have to bear the unbearable pain of being subject to His punishment. We can't be saved on our own- we need Jesus!

This is all I have time for today, but if you have any questions, please post. I hope you enjoyed this post and I hope that it was encouraging to you!

From your sister and friend-

Lydia

Most People Don't...

2008-12-27T12:08:00.000-08:00

"Most people don't expect you to undestand what we're going to tell you in this book. And even if you understand, the don't expect you to care. And even if you care, they don't expect you to do anything about it. And even if you do something about it, they don't expect it to last.

Well, we do."

This is how Alex and Brett start our journey to learn how to do hard things. "We believe our generation is ready to rethink what teens are capable of doing and becoming." The Harris brothers are not out to talk about a new fangled idea that they invented. They believe that this is something that God is doing in the hearts and minds of our generation. This book is about a movement that is changing the attitudes and actions of teens around the world: a movement that is about rebelling against the low standards of this world. Are you excited yet?

I look around at teens who have made a visible effort to separate themselves from the world. In order to be able to rebel against the low standards of this world, we must separate from the world. However, as we put off the world, we have to put on Christ. This is all about God, guys. We have to keep in mind through this book that this is not about ourselves or a radical new movement, or even about changing the world, necessarily. It's about bringing glory to Christ's name and spreading the AWESOME news of His saving grace! Alex and Brett give us a few radical questions to explore:

- Is it possible that even though teens today have more freedom than any other generation in history, we're actually missing out on some of the best years of our lives?

What this question is asking is it possible that even though teens are given more privileges by the world and are allowed to have "fun" because "they are teenagers", we are actually making our beds for our future life in adulthood?

- Is it possible that what our culture says about the purpose and potential of the teen years is a lie and that we are its victims?

The culture's view of the purpose and potential of the teen years is to have fun! To try new things and be who you want to be. But is that REALLY what the purpose of the teen years is?

- Is it possible that our teen years give us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for huge accomplishments-- as individuals and as a generation?

Instead of the time in our life where we are all happy-go-lucky, could it be that we could change the thinking of the teen years instead?

- What would our lives look like if we set out on a different path entirely-- a path that required more effort but promised a lot more reward?

What if we tried to work for something more eternal and more rewarding, even though it may take a lot more effort and we may have to do hard things in order to get it?

This is what doing hard things for Christ is about. The more eternal reward is that of Christ and his glory, than for our temporary fun that could ruin our entire lives. In order to get this, we have to do hard things!! For the temporary fun, it's not too hard to get. But as Christian teens, we should strive for more than that. The temporary fun is not worth our time or trying. The eternal reward is worth all our efforts and trying.

What is doing hard things? Alex and Brett give an example of a cold monastery in Germany where monks constantly try to do hard things. They sleep on stone floors, wear extremely uncomfortable clothing, and eat sludge and lukewarm water. This is NOT what doing hard things is. The Harris brothers are challenging us to grab hold of a more exciting option for your teen years. They are not saying that if you work harder or make yourself more uncomfortable on purpose, God will love you more. That's not true. They are saying that we could redicover the way to reach higher goals, dream bigger, grow stronger in our spiritual life, love and honor God, live with with more joy, and quit wasting our lives.

That's all for now. I'll get Chapter 2 to ya soon!

Lyd

Do Hard Things, by Alex and Brett Harris

2008-12-27T11:58:00.001-08:00

Hey guys,

I trust that you all had an enjoyable Christmas. I sure did! One of the things I received from my parents is the book called "Do Hard Things" by Alex and Brett Harris. These boys are the younger twin brothers of Joshua Harris (I Kissed Dating Goodbye, Boy Meets Girl). I thought that I would do a series of posts on the book as I go through it. So far, I love it a lot. I hope you will enjoy hearing about it!

Lyd

Wanna good laugh?

2008-12-20T07:36:00.000-08:00

Check out these movies and more of Tim Hawkins. Tim Hawkins is a Christian comedian who was homeschooled. In his shows, he keeps his audience laughing with good clean humor that will crack you right up. Enjoy!!

Hope you enjoyed that as much as I did!

Lyd

Samuel and Esther Smith need kidneys!!!

2008-12-15T09:59:00.000-08:00

^^Samuel and his dad before his surgery on Friday^^

Hey everyone!

Some homeschooling friends of our family, the Smiths, have three children who have a rare genetically-recessive kidney disease, Juvenile Nephronophthisis, and retina pigmentosa, which together are called Senor-Loken Syndrome. Samuel was diagnosed first of all of the kids. His father donated one of his kidneys for Samuel. Unfortunately, complications during the surgery damaged the kidney and almost cost Samuel his life. After a long time of pain during recovery, he had kidney failure. A few days ago he had surgery for multiple hernias all along the incision line. He is recovering, but is in great pain right now. Please be praying for his encouragement. If you can, please share his story with your church families and please remember that he needs a kidney badly. Anyone who would like to see if they are a match for Samuel can contact his mom at smiths@smithfamilyfarmvt.com. If you wonder about what it's like to be a donor, you can contact my dad who donated his kidney last year to a friend of ours in NJ.

Second, Esther needs a kidney as well. Although not as severe as Samuel, she too has limited kidney function. She is in surgery today for a fistula. Pray that she will recover nicely as well. the Smiths are hoping that she will have a kidney donation before she will ever have to use her fistula. Please pray that they will find one soon, and spread the news around!!

Katie, their eldest daughter, was diagnosed with the same thing after Samuel. She had a kidney donor and is doing fantastic.

I hope that you won't hesitate to share this with your church family. This is a real need and they need all of the pray that we can give them.

Lyd

Christmas Decorating..

2008-12-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

Hey,

So last night, my sister Valerie and I decided to get crazy with the decorations. We watched the movie "Henry the V" while decorating wreaths and doing the staircase. Later today, we are going to do the outside. It should be nice. For now, here are some pictures!

I decorated the staircase! It came out quite nicely.

I decorated this wreath.. it's a little messy.. =P

Valerie decorated this wreath. It came out GREAT!!!

I'll get more pics of the porches when they are finished!

'Til then,

Lyd

An amazing pianist

2008-12-12T16:57:00.000-08:00

Ok, this girl is on my online school. She was looking at my profile and asked me to be friends on youtube. Since then, I've been updated on her movies. She plays piano and harp and sings!! Check out some of these videos!

No need to say anything else, eh? She's amazing!

Lyd

So, I haven't posted in a while...

2008-12-09T16:01:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd put something on here about what's happening in my life in general. I celebrated my birthday a little over a week ago and it was wonderful. I got lots of gifts from my siblings (being the big sister is AWESOME) and also my parents and grandparents (Thanks you guys!!!). Some of the new things I got are Celtic Thunder and Michael Buble cds, a cute necklace and earrings set (from my little brother), nail polish, a Spanish-English Bible!!!!!!, and a Joshua Harris book. The highlight of the evening was another present I received from my parents: makeup. yup.. Since we were little we girls were told that at 16-years-old we could wear makeup. Well, I guess mom and dad changed their mind. Low and behold, I open a present and there is this cute little handbag. Naturally i thought, "what an AWESOME purse.." but my sister kept on saying, "Lyd, look inside it." And, what d'ya know, there's makeup in there. lol.. yah.

Cake was really awesome. It had roses on it for my name Lydia Rose. Fun fun. and like the week before my birthday, i had planned to have a Southern meal for my birthday... ya know? Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, rolls, mac 'n' cheese, and iced tea (Arizona brand, of course)... the works! So, since my mom didn't have a really good recipe for fried chicken (and didn't want to ruin it with one we'd never tried before), I asked for KFC chicken. yup! and my dad made sure that there was PLENTY of Arizona Iced Tea!! Yay! (I love that stuff)

The night ended on a beautiful note. I looked up into the sky and saw a bunch of stars (a rare sight, considering the factories down the road) and i just had to say how amazing God was to me to give me an amazing family, parents, brothers, and sisters... and friends (congratulations to SarahR who said happy birthday to me FIRST in the student hangout.. lol..). I just can't believe how much he's blessed me, even though i don't deserve one bit of it.

Some other things that have been happening:

Well, yesterday was my first official day on the floor at the hospital. It was great; we are currently working in the skilled nursing unit with the older nursing home residents. I basically hung out with a group of old people, holding one old lady's hand. It was fun!

School continues to bring it's challenges, especially in chemistry.. I'm struggling to keep up the grades. I constantly have to remind myself that I need to do my best, for the glory of God.

I'm getting ready to do my yearly house decorating for Christmas. I usually do the banisters and the porches with garlands and stuff. I'll post pictures as soon as it's done. (If I don't, keep bugging me about it.)

I have two friends, Kim (15) and Sam (13), who have been coming to our youth group with us! They are amazing girls and I'm hoping that they will come to know Christ soon. If you happen to go to our church, please make them feel welcomed and just share with them the warmth that Christ has given us!

Well, I guess that's all from here. I hope to see you all in class or at church or WV or wherever. lol. Until next time, have a great and wonderful evening!

Lyd

Graduation from the Level 2 of the Daring To Care Student Program

2008-12-02T13:58:00.000-08:00

YAY!!! I made it! FINALLY! yes, and next week, i go on the floor! It's great and I'm very excited. Here are a few pics! enjoy..

For those of you who really know me, you will laugh when I tell you that I was described as the "quiet and serious one" of the class... lol...

My team from left to right: (back) me, Rhyan, Gabbie, Christina, (front) Nikki, and Chelsea

Can't wait to go to work!!

Lyd

Are men and women equal in the sight of God?

2008-11-25T14:45:00.000-08:00

Hey,

So on the TPS forum, a friend of mine started this topic. Quite a few people posted before I got to it, but it was really awesome. One of the scriptures that was posted was "your desire shall be for your husband and he shall rule over you". I've always been puzzled on this topic because of this scripture, but I decided to post what I thought on it anyway. I wanted to post it here to see if you all had any comments on it.. So here it is...

"........OK. Here we go. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (you can find it) This is, no doubt, saying that EVERYONE, male AND female, are both equal in the sight of God regarding sin. One of the verses that has been used alot here already is Genesis 3:16 (oh, my, i even have it underlined in my bible.. lol). Because Eve did not listen to the voice of her husband, God said that she would have 1) great pain in giving birth to children, 2) a desire for her husband, 3) her husband as ruler. I think that the big thing here is what we are exactly talking about. Are we talking about equality in sin? or are we talking about equality in righteousness. This verse from Genesis really says nothing about equality between men and women; it explains the marriage relationship. Same in Titus 2:4 where it says that the young women are to love their husbands and children. Again in Proverbs 31 it says that "she does him good, and not harm". See, this is all NOT about equality between men and women. This is about the biblical wife. Equality, however, in the sight of God, has nothing to do with being humble or proud. It has to do with our sin and our righteousness. Psalm 36:1 says that there is no fear of God in their eyes. It goes on to say that all have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. This proves that none of us are righteous without the saving grace of Christ. Therefore, we are equal in righteousness. Using my first verse, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, proves that we are all equal in sin as well; we all fall short of the glory of God.
Therefore, I believe that in the marriage relationship it involves a love for Christ and a humility to take the God-given roles of husband and wife. In the instance of equality I believe it has to do with our sin and our righteousness.
I'm REALLY eager to hear your thoughts on my post here. I actually have gone 10 mins over time, but I could talk about this all day.
I'll be seeing ya. Good topic, Ben.

<3 Lyd"

So, please, post and let me know what you think. I'm very interested in this topic!

Cya,

Lyd

Time for a little music.............

2008-11-22T19:15:00.000-08:00

Ok, so, yeah, before WorldViews class last Thursday evening, I was dancing in our EMPTY livingroom (empty because our woodfloors are being redone). Mom got this new Christian album on our family iPod and i LOVE IT TO DEATH. So, this is me dancing in the weirdest way ever. So, I hope you enjoy. Just a goofy vid of me. This is what i look like when i'm dancing. Don't watch if you are faint of heart, have nausea, headache, backache, or any ailment of any kind, or you might die.

Are YOU a New Englander?

2008-11-21T11:00:00.000-08:00

Forget Rednecks .......here is what Jeff Foxworthy has to say about NewEnglanders....If your local Dairy Queen is closed from October through April, you live in New England. If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don't work there, you live in New England. If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you live in New England. If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you live in New England If 'Vacation' means going anywhere south of New York City for the weekend, you live in New England. If you measure distance in hours, you live in New England. If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you live in New England. If you have switched from 'heat ' to 'A/C' in the same day and back again, you live in New England. If you can drive 65 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you live in New England. If you install security lights on your house and garage, but leave both unlocked, you live in New England. If you carry jumpers in your car and your wife knows how to use them, you live in New England. If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit, you live in New England. If the speed limit on the highway is 55 mph -- you're going 70 and everybody is passing you, you live in New England. If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow, you live in New England. If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter and road construction, you live in New England. If you have more miles on your snow blower than your car, you live in New England. If you find 20 degrees 'a little chilly', you live in New England. If there's a Dunkin Donuts on every corner, you live in New England.

I'm a New Englander, that's for sure.

Lyd

Music Time

2008-11-17T16:56:00.000-08:00

Hey guys and gals,

So, what's up? Nothing much here. Can't wait for Thanksgiving break and it's gonna be so fun.

Lately I've been doing a lot of music stuff. First, I've been teaching myself guitar chords. So far so good. Takes a while but my fingers are getting used to it gradually. Second, I've been writing songs lately too. I've been writing lyrics and I have a friend who's trying to write the guitar chords for them as well. My first song, called "Made for You", is almost completely finished. I have the lyrics copyrighted and i've figured out most of the piano. It sounds pretty good except for the fact that my piano needs to be tuned... Here are the lyrics and if you have any comments please post them:

Made for You © November 13, 2008

1.Fear not
For I am with you
Be not dismayed
I am your God
I will strengthen you
Yes, I will help you
I will hold you with my righteous hand

Refrain:
God, I love you
You have given me everything
And I wanna live my life for you
I want to glorify your name
I want to glorify your name

2.Though I’m
Just like dust
Compared to you
In all you do
And I will try to live
According to your word
In all of your truth

Refrain

3.So now
I’m in your light
Clothed in you
Made for you
So now I know I will
Be yours forever
Throughout eternity

Refrain x2
Verse 1

And yes, the copyright is actually existent; I copyrighted it so you can't say it's yours. It's going pretty well.

I've also been gradually learning a song for my friend. It's a spanish song and she wants to sing to it when I can play it well. It'll be fun.

So, listening to music is cool too. My friend, Alisha, posted on her blog about the Celtic Thunder band that is out. It's SO amazing so I encourage you to look them up. Heartland is THE best song. And Damian has an amazing voice for someone who looks so little.

This is not about music, but I've also been making a dress for those of you who don't know. It's almost done. It's an empire waist dress and it's coming along beautifully. All I have to do is hem the bottom, finish the sleeves, do a few little odds and ends, and lace a few places. I'm so happy it's almost done. I'll put pics up when it happens. lol.

Well, this post draws to a close. I hope you all have a blessed Thanksgiving break and have a LOT of good food and fun with friends on your holiday! I'll be seeing ya.

Lyd

Just a few words...

2008-11-10T16:37:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,

So I was thinking that I needed to update and I couldn't think of anything really to post about. But, I thought that I would share a verse that I really really love. I have it posted on my wall in my room and next to my desk. It's Isaiah 41:10.

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will uphold you with my righteous hand."

I've also really enjoyed listening to some gospel songs that have encouraged me in a new way lately. The first one is "Yesterday, Today, and Forever" by Vicky Beeching. It's really amazing. Here's part of the song.

Everlasting God

The years go by but you’re unchanging

In this fragile world

You are the only firm foundation

Always loving, always true

Always merciful and good, so good

Yesterday today and forever

You are the same, you never change

Yesterday today and forever

You are faithful and we will trust in You

The second is "God of Miracles" from Twila Paris. It's so awesome and it's just really really encouraging.

Tiny baby, born too soon
Not much future to hope for
Tears and whispers fill this room
And hearts will burst with love
And gifted hands will do their best
And care so very much
But it is not enough
It is not enough

God of miracles, come and be with us
We will trust in You to deliver us
Kind and noble King, kneeling in the dust
So predictable, so mysterious
God of miracles

Your voice is powerful
Nothing is difficult
You can do what we cannot
Your grace is beautiful
Stronger when we are small
You are God
You are God

So, although it's not an interesting part of my life, it's really meaning a lot to me.

Btw, if you guys have any prayer requests for me, I'd love to pray. I'm trying to pray a lot more now, so if you want me to pray for anything, please let me know.

Love you all!

Lyd

Dr. Wile

2008-11-08T06:07:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,

So the awesomest thing happened on Wednesday morning.... The author of a whole bunch of our science books subbed for my chemistry class!! Yeah, so Mr Hughes (my teacher) went away to watch is daughter play volleyball at some big games this past week. So, Dr. Wile subbed for all his classes. HE IS HILARIOUS, let me just tell you that. And another thing, his laugh is CONTAGIOUS. It's so funny.

Anyway, yeah, I was really thrilled and he was really awesome.

Anyone remember when the Colts won the superbowl? Ever wonder what was going on in the stands? Check out this movie (of Dr. Wile) in the stands of the stadium. =D I love it and can't stop watching it.. lol.

So yeah, i hope you enjoyed and please comment. lol.

Lyd

Sarah Palin Dropped By!!!! AHHH!!!

2008-10-28T14:08:00.000-07:00

Ok, guys, seriousness please.. Sarah Plain dropped by and posed for a photoshoot at OUR HOUSE!!! (crazy huh??) Unfortunately, I didn't get to see it.. Only the pictures. (bummer). So, enjoy the pics. She is REALLY good at multi-tasking.

Can't mess with Sarah's plans.

She is absolutely determined.

Every now and then, she gets away from the kids for "me-time".

She even folds the national laundry.

What's God like?

2008-10-21T15:34:00.000-07:00

NOTE: DON'T READ THIS POST UNTIL YOU HAVE READ MY PREVIOUS POST!

Once you understand and believe that there is a God, you have to learn about him. Who is he? What is he like? The Scriptures are a great source, as well as just the world around us. First, let's look at Scripture:

"Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps
covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,
to a thousand generations," Deuteronomy 7:9

"Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never
forsaken those who seek you." Psalm 9:10

"Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the
skies." Psalm 36:5

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and
to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

Those are only a FEW of the thousands of verses in the Bible that explain God's love and faithfulness to fulfill his promises.

Next, look around you. There's a mother helping and encouraging her child to take his first steps. There's an old man being helped up the stairs by his granddaughter. There's a church where, if you step inside, you may find a prayer meeting, where believers wrap their arms around each other and pray for one another. That's God's love displayed through a human being. But God demonstrates his love to you directly as well. He allows you to have food on your table, money in your pocket, people who love you. Perhaps you don't have an ample amount of food, clothing, money, or people who love you. What love has God shown you? Well, first of all, HE loves you. He created you and gave you life and breath and everything that you are able to do and think about. You are his workmanship. This is a wonderful gift, don't you agree? God's love is the best thing that anybody could ever have! Ever. What else has he given you? He's given you his promise to be faithful and just to forgive your sins. If you will only believe.

If you believe this, then you are ready to hear about the saving grace of God and the free gift of salvation to anyone who will believe.

Lyd

The existence of a triune God: is it proveable?

2008-10-21T14:26:00.000-07:00

On TPS's forum, we've been discussing the existence of a triune God. How do you prove it? Here's an excerpt on what I posted. I just thought I would share it.

Why do you believe in the wind? You can't see it, you can't smell it. You can
only hear it and feel it. It brings the sweet smell of cookies to your room
from
the kitchen. You can see the trees sway when it blows. But you can't
see it or
smell it.

Why do i believe in God? I can't see him or
smell him. I
can only hear it and feel it. I can hear his voice calling me
and telling me
what to do. I can feel him holding my hand when the going
gets tough. I can see
all of the things he's made and that smell of those
cookies is the smell of the
blessings of food and a sister to make them.
This is why I believe in God. Where
did I come from if there was no God?
Where did the beauty of the world come from
if there is no God? How come
there is such thing as love, or joy, or peace, or
suffering, or desperation?
The only logical answer is that there is a God who
takes care of me and you
and the world around us.

To add to that, I thought I would post a little part of what I read in my chemistry textbook today:

Even though we need oxygen in order to live, we cannot have too much oxygen.
Breathing elevated levels of oxygen for prolonged periods of time can have
serious consequences such as lung damage, chest pains, and even blindness! In
addition, the frequency of natural forest fires increases significantly when the
amount of oxygen in the air increases. For every 1 percent increase in the
amount of oxygen in the air, the chance of a natural forest fire occurring goes
up by 70 percent! Thus, we need oxygen in our air, but there can't be too much
of it.

The air in our atmosphere does not have too much oxygen in it
because the oxygen has been “diluted” with nitrogen. It turns out that nitrogen
is the perfect gas to accomplish this dilution, because it does not react with
our bodies in any way. We breathe in nitrogen with every breath, but then we
breathe it right out again because it does not interact with our bodies. Almost
all other gases - carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, etc. - are poisonous to human
life, so we are very lucky that those gases do not make up any significant
fraction of the air we breathe.

Doesn't this seem like an amazing
coincidence? The air on this planet just happens to have oxygen, but not too
much oxygen. It has the perfect amount of oxygen for human life. The other gas
that makes up the vast majority of the rest of our planet's air just happens to
be one of the few gases that does not affect our bodies in any way! Clearly,
such a perfect mixture of gases would never have come about by chance. The air
around us has been made by God to be perfect for sustaining human life. As we go
on in this course, you will see that there are thousands and thousands of
“coincidences” like this one that clearly show that this world has a Creator.
This is why I say that real science points unerringly to God.

The belief in God is something that EVERYONE needs to understand before further acceptance of Christ. If you don't believe that there is a God that you cannot see, then just look around you and take in well known facts. How could any of this have happened by chance?

Thanks for listening!

Lyd

Free will/Predestination/limited atonement.. etc.

2008-10-11T17:53:00.000-07:00

hey guys,

Finally, here is another post. IF anyone still comes on here, I hope you will enjoy it.

Well, last Thursday in Worldviews, my classmates and I had a discussion about free will. Those of you who debated with me on TPS last year probably know what I believe. But, I thought that I would post this on here with my supporting verses and belief on this topic.

First, I want to quote my classmate, Chris, and other debating opponents on what most Arminians and free-will-ers believe: "It is unjust that God would send some people to hell and others to heaven without giving them a chance. God is a just God, and he would never go against His Character." Alright. Here we go.

I want to point out that the only just thing is for all of us to go to hell. But, God, in his infinite mercy, has chosen some for his people. It is unjust that any of us go to heaven, since we do not deserve it at all. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Most people think that predestination and limited atonement is not Biblical. The first passage I want to post is a long one, but it explains it thoroughly.

Romans 9:14-23: 14What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! 15For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." 16So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. 17For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." 18So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

19You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?" 20But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me like this?" 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—

It says it right there: God has predestined some for vessels of his wrath (hell and judgement) and some for vessels of mercy (salvation and heaven). How is that not clear?

According to those who agree with free will, we are able to accept or reject salvation. Well, look at this passage.

Romans 11:7-10: 7What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, 8as it is written,

"God gave them a spirit of stupor,
eyes that would not see
and ears that would not hear,
down to this very day."

9And David says,

"Let their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them;
10let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,
and bend their backs forever."

Did these people harden their own hearts? No. God actually MADE THEM not understand ("God gave them a spirit of stupor").

Read Romans 9:17: 27And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved

Hmm... A remnant? Ok, what if every single Israelite decided (with their free-will) to repent and wanted to be saved. Would you say that this verse is incorrect?

Ok, you may ask, "Why would God inflict wrath and punishment on somebody HE predestined to sin?" Ok, logical question here. Look at the Bible's answer.

Romans 3:5-8: 5But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? ( I speak in a human way.) 6By no means! For then how could God judge the world? 7But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.

The answer's very clear.

Another thing people say is that we have to accept the gift of salvation in order to be saved. Well, look at this passage.

Psalms 14:1-3: 1 The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."
They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds,
there is none who does good.
2The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man,
to see if there are any who understand,
who seek after God.

3They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt;
there is none who does good,
not even one.

Nobody can save themselves. Nobody "understands" or "seeks after God". There is no "little good part" in our souls that will make us choose to follow God.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says: 8For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Our salvation is "not of our own doing". Why? So that no one can boast in saving themselves.

So, how are we saved? Check out these two passages.

Romans 8:14: 14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Romans 8:29-30: 29For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

It's as simple as that.

Many people have used the verses that say "Christ died for all," and have told me that that means that we now have the choice to accept the gift of salvation or not. I have to confess that i am not quite sure how to interpret those verses, but I do know that if Christ died for all, then all would be ransomed, and therefore, everyone would be saved.

Thanks for makin' it through all that. I hope you enjoyed it. I may be off on a couple of points there, but this is where I am so far.

Cya,

Lyd

EDIT: I believe that EVERYONE is invited to partake in salvation. But, those that do become saved are a work of God and are only saved by the grace of God, through HIS leading and calling.

"I'm Here to Entertain Myself.." Watch hilarious movie!

2008-09-28T11:53:00.000-07:00

This is so funny. From this year's Britain's Got Talent.

Grape Lady Falls... Totally Pathetic and HILARIOUS!!!!

2008-09-27T11:35:00.000-07:00

"I can't breathe... oh oh oh.........." HAHA!!!

How I feel this school year...

2008-09-23T13:10:00.000-07:00

I'm supposed to LEARN this stuff???

uh oh... late homework..

at the end of the day, I definately need a rest. =P

amazing

2008-09-18T10:57:00.000-07:00

This is an amazing video... I was literally crying. I've never seen anything so touching.

MUST WATCH!!! Baby Preacher

2008-09-17T10:42:00.000-07:00

Check this movie out; it's so hilarious. You can tell this kid's been listening to the Word of God when it's taught... LOL!

CBD Booksale!!!

2008-09-08T10:38:00.000-07:00

Yeah, so on Saturday was the CBD booksale in Peabody, Mass. There was a little group from my church going, so, I joined in. It was really awesome. In order to get there at a good time, we had to leave the area by 4:05am. So, I was awake at 2:45am. Mmmmhmmm.... =P Yeah, my mom's friend, Mrs. Clogston, picked me up on her way out. Our group was:

Pastor Johnson

Dave Burch

Heather Lambert

Mrs. Clogston

and ME! =)

We went in a Windstar mini-van. The way down was great, but the way back, with all of the books we got, it was crazy. My pastor is CRAZY (sorry, man, but you are... lol... JK) and we got AT LEAST 25 Macarthur Study Bibles, and AT LEAST 200 other books for our church... told ya he was crazy.. you'd think our whole church needed to be converted... lol. That whole time, Heather and I were forced to pull the heavy luggage and transfer the books from Mr. Johnson to our bags.. and we had to keep up with him... and I thought he was JOKING when he said, "If you come, I'll look for the books you want, IF you carry books for me..."... HA!

In the midst of this forced labor (you'd think he'd preached enough on loving one another to do it himself... lol... jk), I did get a chance to find some REALLY good deals. I bought two novels, two Bibles, two cds (one had a DVD with it), and a purse with a matching new testament inside. ALL for under $20.00.. (I did spend $3.00 extra for one of the Bibles to be imprinted.)

Afterwards, on our way back, we dropped by Cracker Barrel (a rare thing in my neck of the woods) and we had lunch. It was a great time of fellowshiping together and having some good laughs and singing a song or two in the car... =) That's how you make memories... lol... oh, and the deals were GREAT!

Here are some pictures that I took while on the trip.

Waiting for Mrs. Clogston:

In the car:

^^Heather^^

^^Left to Right: Heather, Mrs. Clogston, Me^^

At Cracker Barrel:

^^Pastor Johnson: "You are interupting my meal."^^

^^Pastor Johnson: Definately digging in^^

~Lyd

World Views

2008-09-05T05:17:00.001-07:00

Hey,

So last night was the first class of worldviews... It was AWESOME... I think I'm gonna learn so much from my teacher, classmates, and books (of course). My classmates are totally cool (all homeschoolers), some of whom I've known for years.

Classmates:

Jen
Priscilla
Hannah
me... =)
Philipp
James
Dan
Chris
Andrew
and.... I think that's it... unless somebody didn't show up... LOL.

Teacher:

Mr. Tengdin (He's awesome... and I'm gonna get his blog on my bloglist as soon as he sends me the link...)

So yeah, it's been great so far. I've read Beowulf, watched two episodes of How Should We Then Live (Francis Schaeffer)... and read chapter two of Universe Next Door (James Sire). Yay!... So I'm going to the doctor's (for just my yearly visit) and I'm bringing francis schaeffer's trilogy along and I'm going to get going on the other half of this week's work.

I just wanted to update my blog so... yeah...

ttyl,

Lyd

The PRESSURE!!!! =D

2008-08-28T15:03:00.001-07:00

School is FINALLY here!! YAY!! (and no, I don't read with a whole bunch of books in my arms.

Lyd

My handiwork?

2008-08-26T13:04:00.000-07:00

My sister, Jubilee, just turned 13.. (the little twerp... JK) yesterday. I spent the whole afternoon making the cake and I just wanted to share some pics. Please don't overlook my bottom post with the movie. =D

Lyd

A Tribute to Chief Bill

2008-08-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

The former programs director for Camp Susque has been a dear friend of our family's, fondly called Chief Bill by all the campers. He's taught us so many hilarious tricks that are hard to forget. Here's is the proof! (We all love and miss you Chief Bill!!!) Btw, Chief Scott is the new programs director... He's awesome too, but in a different way than Chief Bill.

Our responsibility to stay pure...

2008-08-15T17:16:00.000-07:00

Most girls look forward to getting married someday. We thirst for male attention and the slightest notible action makes us blush. I've struggled with flirting, one of my worst downfalls. Sound familiar?

Recently, my mom bought two Josh Harris books: I Kissed Dating Goodbye and Boy Meets Girl: Say Hello to Courtship. Flipping through I Kissed Dating Goodbye the other day, I came across two sections: A Guy's Responsibility and A Girl's Responsibility. Yay. Reading through, I was amazed. Guess what the guy's responsibility was? To defend the honor and righteousness of their sisters. WOW!!! I had never heard of that. I mean, really, who would think of that?

Most of you are girls so you are probably waiting for the girl's responsibility, right? This is it: to keep our brothers from being led astray by our charms. Joshua Harris tells us to be aware of "how easily your actions and glances can stir up lust in a guy's mind." Now that was really helpful to me! Like most of you young ladies, I have a particular young man in mind who meets up to my standards. Man, I fight all that junk that keeps bugging me when I see him. "Stand closer to him," "Tease him a little; it won't hurt," "Make sure you hug him before he leaves." Ring a bell? So, to hear this bit of advice coming from a guy is SO awesome. Now, when I feel tempted to be a little bit too friendly, I can say to myself, "Both of us are trying to follow Christ and keep ourselves pure. Will me being too friendly help him?"

I want to close with the last paragraph of this section:

"'And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds'
(Hebrews 10:24). It's time to start seeing other people's purity as our
responsibility."

Lyd

Camp Susque

2008-08-14T15:44:00.000-07:00

Every year, for about 10 years, my family and I have taken our little van and a WHOLE BUNCH of stuff down to Pennsylvania for Family Camp. By the number of times we've been there, you can tell that we are the biggest fans of Camp Susque (which, btw, is pronounced "sus kuah"). My mom went there as a kid and I've gone since I was 4. In a few days, we'll be on the road again for our 7-8 hour drive back to that place that we look forward to every year! WOOHOO! Since I'm going to try to put a post on here every day while I'm there, I thought that perhaps I should tell you about it.

Camp Susque is not a normal camp. Almost everybody knows almost everybody... but of course, there are the inexperienced newbies that we show around. There's a great camp crew that makes meals for those who buy a meal pass and take care of the grounds and the pool... yes, there's a pool. A very nice one, I might add. We all stay in different cabins or platform tents. Some people even stay in their own campers. The cabins and platform tents have their own bunk-bed cots. There are 3 cabins that have electricity, and we get one of them (because we don't actually camp).

Family Camp is completely unscheduled. The only times that are enforced are wake up time, pool time, chapel, evening service, and lights out (which is like midnight). Chapel is about 30 minutes of a quick devotional and singing. Evening service is an hour long done by a pastor who is invited to preach for the week. A lot of times, we have John Reissinger, a pastor and author of many books. It's pretty sweet.

Most of the time, there are activities in which you can take part like pottery, rocketry, ropes course, crafts, canoeing, etc. They also play this game all week with a wooden duck. The first day, the duck is hidden by a person who works there. Then, at chapel, we hear a clue and everybody tries to find it. The person who finds it hides it and gives a clue. And it goes on and on for the week. Pretty awesome!

On Friday or Thursday, we have a talent/skit show... it can be really funny and then really weepy. Most of the people there are VERY talented.

We had a great time last year and were very sad to leave. I CANNOT wait until we get on the road... I even enjoy the long trip! I'm thinking of bringing a portable radio, sewing (I'm making a dress), books, and writing. It'll be fun.

So, hope you liked learning about it. I'm going to try to take LOTS of pics and put some on everyday.

Love you,

Lyd

http://www.susque.org/

Girls having fun!!

2008-08-12T08:34:00.001-07:00

Wow, I can't believe I haven't posted anything since last week! Well, here's one for ya.

This past weekend, my sisters and I had a sleepover party for two of our friends, Elizabeth (12) and Kathryn (11). We had a blast!!! We decided that, since they had 6 brothers and one little sister, they should be treated to a weekend with no guys (except for my brothers and dad which is only 3). So, we picked them up on Saturday at 11 and went to the library to look for movies, but they didn't have any exciting ones. And the rest of the afternoon was spent shopping at thrift stores and consignment shops. We bought iced teas somewhere in between there too. There was this really great deal at Apres Vous and I bought two awesome shirts and a pair of jeans for $6.50... (how much better can it get?). At one shop, I decided to try on a $20.00 wedding dress (already used, but in GREAT shape).. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me... it was hilarious... I barely fit in the dressing room, but it fit PERFECTLY...

When we came home, I got Elizabeth to put on an old bridesmaid's dress that I had grown out of, and then i did her hair. She thought she look horrible. I thought she looked beautiful. Decide for yourself who is correct; check out the picture.

Anywho, we watched two movies: The Game Plan (hilarious) and Love's Unfolding Dream (pretty good for a Janette Oke movie). Then we were up until like 3 am (at least Jubilee, Kathryn, and I were). When we woke up the next morning, to my surprise, most of us were actually bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. We got ready for church and then went church (no, really?). When we got back, we had lunch and then we wanted to go swimming. But weather would not allow us. So my mom took some pics of us being weird. Check it out:

Yeah, that's us...

In the evening, we went to youth group at church and afterwards, their older brother, James, picked them up and took them home... 'Twas a sad parting. LOL.

It was so awesome! We had so much fun. I don't think that I've ever had that much fun for a long time. We're hoping to do it again really soon.

I'll post again ASAP. There's this GREAT book that I'm reading and I want to share it with ya'll.

Love you all,

Lyd

PS. Everyone should post a comment on here!!! I want to know that you are actually alive.

Rainbow...

2008-08-06T09:08:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share this picture I took of a rainbow a few weeks ago.. I was thirlled that they turned out. It's a beautiful picture of God's promise to never flood the whole earth again.

12And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me
and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations:
13I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between
me and the earth. 14When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in
the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every
living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to
destroy all flesh. 16When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember
the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that
is on the earth." 17God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant that I
have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth." Genesis 9:12-17

SCHOOL!

2008-08-05T16:30:00.000-07:00

Hey there,

You're probably thinking: "School??? Don't even say that; it's summer, Lydia." I know, but for some reason, with getting ready for school and stuff, I seem to look forward to it. To be sure, my school gets REALLY tough especially around April-May when I just want to be DONE. But right now, I'm looking forward to it. Last week, my mom went to the store and came back with a big bin full of school stuff she found for like 50 cents each thing at Wal-mart (that's a first, right?)... She bought crayons, scissors, highlighters, and PAPER (my favorite school supply since I use it like CRAZY)... Even though i'm not going to be using some of that stuff, it still made me get excited about the stucture and drill of the school year. Lately, since we are going on vacation soon, my mom's been getting our schedule and school stuff all situated. So far, we are getting up early and finishing school around 2 pm (which is really good) and that includes our classes and homework. Yipee!!!!!!!! My classes are Geometry (yuck), Chemistry, Spanish 2 (uh oh), and World Views which encompasses literature, history, social science, etc. (hmmmm... idk how I feel about that). Anyway. That will be a lot of homework and World Views is the worst... you would not believe how many books we are reading in one year (and they aren't the most amusing books ever either). I think that, if I REALLY try to do my best, I can make it amusing though. I mean, when I read an informative, but boring, book, I usually read and explain it to myself (concealed in my room of course). If I let you in on my study world you would hear something like this: "So, that means that, in order to choose a president, they have to..." yeah... I'm weird. Math's weirder (that's a word right?)... I say things like "well, it can't be A because x has to = y, and B is out of the question... so it must be C because y=x and x=3.." That's me!

Anywho, I just wanted to blab about something, so I could put a post up.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to finish a Shirley Temple movie with my siblings. =D

Luv,

Lyd

THE BEST BOOK FOR TEEN GIRLS!

2008-08-04T10:57:00.002-07:00

Hidden Pearls

By Abbie Benton Bonsteel

A great book for pre-teen and teenage girls! This book is about keeping your purity as you go through the years before you are married.

It starts out talking about a young girl, Marcia, and a present that is given to her from her father: a wedding dress. She was probably about 12 or 13 years old when this gift was presented to her with this little note:

"For your wedding dress, my daughter. And on that day may your heart and
life be as beautiful and pure as is this gift today."

When she received it, she was determined, with God's help, to try to be as spotless as the wedding dress.

Throughout her life, when she would be tempted to do something inappropriate or impure, she would walk to her room, open the trunk that held her dress, and pray. This dress kind of became her friend with whom she could talk about anything.

When she was of the college age, she realized that she loved her childhood playmate, Tom. She missed him terribly when she and him were sent to different colleges. But at one piont during the year, Marcia's college had a party, inviting the students at Tom's college, which was not far away. Tom was coming! To Marcia, that was the best thing that could ever happen to her. She was very excited and her mother sent her a beautiful dress, not extravagent, but simple and becoming. She looked forward to the night of the party.

But, of course, every story has a problem. Marcia's problem was that this party was going to be dancing. She didn't hear of it until a few days before the party and when she did, she knew that she couldn't go. She knew that if she was at a dancing party, it would cause her to stumble into impurity. For Marcia, dancing was something that couldn't be done until marriage. You can only imagine how upset Marcia was. Now, she wouldn't be able to see Tom. In her mind, Marcia made excuses. "I'll go to the party, but I won't dance," or "It'll only be with Tom." But, her wedding dress wouldn't let her. As she was making these excuses, the wedding dress didn't look as bright as it used to. Marcia got up and started on her way to the party, even though she felt it was wrong in her heart. Then, on her way, she remembered that she had forgotten to lock the trunk that contained the wedding dress. She retraced her steps quickly. When she saw her elements of purity, she broke down crying. She didn't want to listen to her conscience, but she knew she had to.

This is where I'll stop. The rest of the book is for you to discover. It is probably one of the best books I have ever read in my life (and that's a LOT of books). If you ever want to borrow it, just let me know. Otherwise, I think you can find it really cheap online.

I really encourage everyone (even guys) to read it, but especially girls, because I know that in our culture, all we ever think about is how to get guys to notice us.

Enjoy!

Lyd

Welcome!

2008-08-04T10:57:00.001-07:00

Welcome to my blog! I'm so glad that you decided to stop by and I hope that you will come by often. What will you find on here: anything! It could be pictures from a trip to Pennsylvania, or it could be a recommendation to some restaurant. Whatever it may be, I hope that you will enjoy it.

Remember that our lives were created for the glory and delight of God our Father.

With love to each and every one of you,

Lyd

^My Family^