READY: April 23, 2010

Today's Passage: Genesis 16, NIV

What ladies can learn: Girls can be mean. God knows. God is with us through every trial, every time we feel betrayed or hurt or alone because of other girls' mean actions and mean words.

Highlighted characteristic of God: God cares about everyone. God knows everyone by name, He knows everyone's past, and He knows everyone's future.
In two words: God knows.

Highlighted characteristic for us: God's will is accomplished through His methods, and we need to have faith in Him. Before making any big decisions about how we're going to "make His will possible," we need to ask if those decisions are in His plan at all...if they aren't, then we won't be helping Him at all by making those decisions.
In three words: Trust God's methods.

Learning to be Thankful, Joyful, & Content

(Hi! I'm Megan, one of the co-authors on Modern Christian Girls. Please be sure to read my profile, and feel free to visit my other blogs!)

 In theme w/ Mondays post, & what I have been learning this week, my first post on Modern Christian Girls will be on learning how to be thankful, joyful, & content in all circumstances, & becoming a  godly woman who honors God. Now, it is MUCH easier said than done; believe me! These are 3 traits that God has been sanctifying me in these past few months. (Along w/ patience)

I am in the middle of reading the book "Created to Be His Help Meet" by Debi Pearl. So far it is great!  The book is on learning to be a godly woman, & how to honor your husbands, & God. Now, I'm not married, but this book is great in helping to prepare young ladies & teach them how they can honor their future husbands, & God by honoring your father (or those who are in authority over you,) while you are still under his authority, & roof. It's not directed towards un-married women necessarily, (I'm only on chapter 9) but we can still learn from it so we are prepared for when that time comes!

The first several chapters are on learning to be thankful & joyful in ALL things! (Hebrews 3:15, Psalm 27:6, 1 Chronicles 16:8, 29:13, 2 Samuel 22:50, Psalm 33:1, Colossians 1:11-12 3:15 . That's just a few! Search on Bible Gateway, or in your Bible for more verses.) This really got me. Our present living situation isn't ideal, but God has us here for a reason, & I need to stop complaining, & instead, ask God to give me the patience to endure it, and to be thankful we are all together, healthy, & we have shelter!

" ¹⁵Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude(which is thankfulness) in your hearts to God. ¹⁷And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Colossians 3:15-17 (NIV - emphasis & definition mine)

READY: April 22, 2010

Today's Passage: Genesis 12, NIV, courtesy of BibleGateway.com
What ladies can learn:

• Submission. When God told Abram "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you," Abram left--and Sari went with Abram. She could have complained. She could have argued. She could have resisted. Maybe she did; it isn't recorded. But if the Bible did record Sari complaining, arguing, and resisting, wouldn't it make Sari look bad? The same goes for our lives. When God leads through a husband or an authority figure--and when we're sure it's God leading--we need to follow.
• Honesty. A half-truth isn't truly a half-truth. A half-truth is a whole-lie, and a lie that could cause a whole lot of trouble.
  This passage shows us more than the importance of honesty, however. It shows us an important fact about following: the ultimate "following goal" of each lady's life should be to follow God. Sometimes--many times--husbands, parents, or other authority figures "represent" God's authority. God tells Adam not to eat from the tree, and Adam tells Eve not to eat from the tree. God tells Abram to travel, and Abram tells Sari to travel. That's why it's important to submit to the leaders God has placed in our lives. Nevertheless, sometimes these leaders don't represent God's authority. In this passage, Abram tells Sari to lie. God never told Abram to tell Sari to lie; God never told Abram it would be okay to lie to protect himself; in fact, God commands us to stay away from dishonesty! Therefore, in this case, Abram was not representing God, and Sari would have done better to not follow. Perhaps Sari was not aware that God was anti-dishonesty, or perhaps she assumed God would rather have her follow Abram's guidance. We will never know. But here's the interesting part: even though Sari suffered the consequences of dishonesty along with Abram, Abram was ultimately held responsible for her dishonesty because he was her spiritual leader. This is yet another situation showing the hierarchy of the family.

Highlighted characteristic of God: God doesn't always tell us what He's planning, but we have to be okay with that. Sometimes, God will ask us to go somewhere without telling us why He wants us there. Sometimes, God will ask us to talk to someone without telling us much more. Nevertheless, it's important to follow God no matter where He leads (just make sure you're following God, not some other voice in your head).
In two words: God leads.

Highlighted characteristic for us: I'm going to re-state my point about honesty: a half-truth is really a whole lie. If we're lying for protection, we're basically telling God, "God, I don't believe You can protect me, so I'm going to lie. I know You said not to, and I know You know everything, but I need to have some extra help right now." God would have protected Abram even if Abram and Sari had told the truth about their marriage, and God can protect us, too. On the other hand, if we're lying because "we want to be nice"...well, I know that when I ask peoples' opinions, I want them to be honest, even if that means the truth is hard to take. If one of your friends is wearing an ugly pair of plaid pants that clash with their shirt, and they smile and ask, "What do you think of my outfit?" you don't have to say "It's so cute! I love it!" or "Man, that's UGLY. Can't you match colors?" You can tell them it's unique, it's their style, it's creative, or other similar things, but don't lie and tell them you love their outfit if you don't. Trust me, they'll thank you in a few years. If you're getting ready with your friend, and they're trying to decide what to wear, that's a better time to say "That shirt doesn't really match" or "Plaid isn't really my thing...you can wear it if you want, but I kinda liked the jeans better."
In three words: Just be honest.

All That Matters

Hi there,

My name is Abi F. My blog is Abi's Newsletter so I will rarely be posting on this blog, but wanted to share something with you. I heard this song by Addison Road and thought it would be a great as my first post on Ruth's blog. The whole essence of our beliefs, our faith, and this very blog is daring to step out and be different. Dare to be 'odd' and run against the grain and not fit in. This is our purpose! We're not here to be like every other girl out there. We ARE different. We are made to be different because we have been called to something higher than this world. Some girls fight against it and eventually drop their purpose and what God has in store for them all together, but I pray that we learn to embrace our job of spreading the Truth, and boldly rise up and meet our calling. So, let's get out there and go against the grain. Let's NOT blend in!

All That Matters

Addison Road

I may never be the one that gets a second glance
I may never be the one they call the prettiest
But thats alright with me

And maybe I don't follow every crazy passion
Spend all my time trying to get a good reaction
But thats ok with me

This world is like a trampoline
High and low no in between
Jumping at the chance to please
Everyone but thats not me

Cause all that matters is
All that matters is
I know your love has set me free
And thats all that matters to me

Cause all that matters is
All that matters is
I know your love has set me free
And thats all that matters to me

Some people tell me to step out and do my own thing
And others say I got to blend in just to be the same
And stop being me

But this shallow world is no longer what I'm made of
I've been changed by grace
I've been saved by love
What more do I need

All that matters is
All that matters is
I know your love has set me free
And that's all that matters to me

My life comes from the One
Who made the stars and brought the sun
He loves me more than these
So I don't need another identity

All that matters is
All that matters is
I know your love has set me free
And that's all that matters to me

READY: April 21, 2010

Today's Passage: Genesis 3, The Message version, courtesy of BibleGateway.com

What ladies can learn: One of the biggest events of human history; definitely the biggest goof-up in human history. No girl likes to read this story, because we all know Eve messed it up for the rest of us. Stupid Eve.
But before we judge Eve, let's look at the facts: Eve disobeyed God. She didn't submit to God's rules, God's authority, her husband's leadership, or her husband's spiritual authority. She rebelled against God and against her husband (we mentioned earlier that Adam was Eve's spiritual leader and that Adam was probably the one to tell Eve not to eat from the tree). She sacrificed all the good she had known, all of God's good plans for her and for humanity. Why? Because she wanted to know everything.

Ahem. Remind you of someone? Yourself or somebody you know?

Ladies are, naturally, quite curious. I've seen girls do all kinds of things, just because they want to know "everything" about a friend or situation. These girls aren't satisfied with the information God brings their way; they "need" to have more information, and if God won't bring it their way, then they "need" to go get it themselves (even if it means rebelling against God's authority, God's rules, their parents' authority, and their parents' rules). Gossiping, lying, breaking promises, backstabbing, secret-telling, eavesdropping, snooping--I'm sure you've experienced some of these things, too. In the process, however, these girls mess up the wonderful plans God has for them and for everyone around them. Look around: you're surrounded by Eves. You may even be one of them.

Don't gossip. Be content with whatever God chooses to reveal to you and whatever God chooses not to reveal to you.

There's another part to this passage I'd like to touch on: it's the influence girls have on men. Look at the passage. Eve gave some fruit to Adam, and he ate it. Even though Adam was the spiritual leader, Eve influenced him. From this passage, we could infer that he trusted her, too. Maybe he'd taken her advice in other situations, as well. Good ladies are trustworthy, and they're able to give their husbands good advice.

Notice something else: in this incident, Eve did give Adam advice, but she didn't leave it at that. Eve decided to go farther: Eve led Adam, attempting to act as his spiritual "head." She didn't leave the tree, go to Adam, and say, "Sweetie, I have something to ask you. I know you said God doesn't want us to eat from that one tree, but the serpent said we'd know everything if we ate from it. What do you think? Will you eat from it first?" She just ate from it, then led Adam in eating from it. This doesn't just apply to Adam and Eve as a couple; Adam and Eve represent mankind and womankind. Do we try to snatch the spiritual leadership away from men, or are we submissive to them?

A couple more points, and we'll be done:

1. Notice that, even though Eve tried to be a leader, she still wasn't really the spiritual leader. Death didn't enter the world until Adam ate the apple.
2. Eve received a couple consequences for her actions. First, childbearing (which she was still commanded to do) would be painful. Second, there would no longer be any "perfect" marriages. Wives would work hard to please their husbands--losing sight of the ultimate purpose, which is helping God and pleasing God--and would be disappointed, because they would not be able to please their husbands. Men, in turn, would "lord over" their wives in domineering fashion, totally taking their wives' work for granted. That doesn't mean God doesn't want any more marriage, but it does mean that we need to be on guard against these problems in our relationships with authority figures, parents, dating relationships, and--eventually--our marriages.
3. Notice that Adam was given the curse of difficult work and Eve was given the curse of painful childbearing. This doesn't mean that income is suddenly Adam's job and his alone, and that childbearing/rearing is suddenly Eve's job and hers alone. Men are the primary income-workers, and only women can give birth, but collaboration is still beneficial.

That was quite a long post, so I'll just sum up our last two points: Righteous God and Obedience through trust.

READY: April 20, 2010

Today's Passage: Genesis 1, NIV, courtesy of BibleGateway.com
What ladies can learn: Okay, I know--we read Genesis 2 first and then Genesis 1. There's a reason that we read the chapters out of order: Genesis 2 details the creation of woman, while Genesis 1 tells about God's first command for Eve (and ladies in general). So, technically, we're going in chronological order.

So, what is the first command recorded in the Bible? Verse 28: "God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.'" (emphasis mine)

This is a command given to both man and woman. As we learned yesterday, woman's job is to help man. Now we know specifically what man needs help with: increasing in number, filling the earth, subduing the earth, and ruling over the creatures of the earth.

There's a lot of ground to cover here, but I'm going to try to do it simply and briefly.

First, God gave this command to both man and woman. Eve's role in filling this command was just as important and necessary as Adam's role. As we saw before, however, Adam was to be the leader in deciding how to carry out this command, while Eve might help with anything from suggesting things to helping carry out the plan.

Second, God gave the task of "filling the earth" to both man and woman. It's not the woman's job to raise a child--it's both parents' jobs. In fact, the husband, as the head of the family, once again, has the important position of "leader" in this area.

Third, women help men rule. Men can't "subdue the earth" by themselves. They need their wives' help. The role of the wife, remember, is that of a necessary, indispensable helper, but not a primary conqueror.

Finally, let me clarify that in all these areas, men are to be as involved as women. It's not man's job to sit around on the couch planning things as a leader, and it's not woman's job to slave around doing whatever her husband tells her to. The best leaders are active! The best leaders participate in carrying out their plans just as much as the followers participate in carrying out the plans.

Highlighted characteristic of God: God has awesome, amazing power beyond our comprehension.
In two words: God created.

Highlighted characteristic for us: We are living in a beautiful world that God shaped with His own hands. Let's savor every minute of our time here.
In three words: Notice God's creation.

15 reasons why I love skirts

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pgorrindo/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

1. Skirts are feminine. It's impossible to wonder if someone is a guy or a girl when they're wearing a skirt.
2. Skirts are durable. Whereas pants are always getting frayed at the bottom, holes in the knees, tight in the waist, and wrinkled where you bend your legs, skirts hold up pretty well.
3. Skirts are (usually) more modest than jeans. The exception would be, of course, very short skirts or windy days, but in general skirts are much more modest than jeans.
4. Modest skirts are easier to find than modest pants of any style. Whether you're shopping for modest sweatpants, jeans, capris, or exercise pants, you'll find that a modest skirt counterpart is easier to find.
5. Skirts have more character than pants. Think about it: blouses have prints, t-shirts have prints, sweaters have designs, shrugs have lace, and sundresses have prints. Most pants are solid-colored and smooth or solid-colored with a little texture to them. Those that aren't just look eccentric. Many skirts have beautiful prints.
6. Skirts are easy to make. If you want to make your own clothing, skirts are an easier starting point than pants.
7. Skirts instantly make an outfit very feminine. No more searching for the perfect scrunchy, hairclip, ribbon, belt, top, jacket, jewelry, or shrug to make your outfit look feminine--just slip on a skirt!
8. Skirts keep me from obsessing over my outfit too much. Since I don't have to spend a lot of time worrying as to whether my outfit is "feminine enough" or "modest enough," I spend less time worrying about my appearance.
9. Skirts can be casual or dressy. And if you're not sure how to dress for an event, going in blue jeans or dress pants is more risky than just picking a skirt that could act as either.
10. Skirts flow nicely.
    
11. Skirts look graceful.
12. Skirts can fit at the waist. Jeans today tend to fit only at the hips, making it extremely difficult to find tops--I'm even having trouble layering with long camis--that "cover you" when you bend over. Skirts, on the other hand, can fit at the waist, ensuring your bend-over safety.
13. Skirts help me double-check my posture and behavior. There are a lot of not-ladylike--and even not-Christlike--things you can do and ways you can stand/sit in pants that you either can't do in skirts or can't do as easily in skirts.
14. Skirts help me not care so much about what others think of me. Since the trends usually center around blue jeans, when I wear skirts I automatically stop caring about others' opinions of my clothing. Many times, skirts are just as "socially acceptable" as jeans anyway, and they're more expressive of each person's unique style.
15. You can easily convert an old pair of pants or shorts to a skirt.

So, what are your reasons? :)

READY: April 19

Next week, I will be taking the Feelin' Feminine challenge...but more on that in a later post. To prepare, I'd like to study godly womanhood during this week's READY. It's sometimes hard to tell what a godly woman would act like in today's culture, but God still wants us to try to become godly women. To fit this study, I'm going to add a new element to READY: "What ladies can learn." It's a flexible element that examines the role of womanhood in the passage. So, with a heart devoted to following God's perfect will, let's start learning about godly women from the very beginning :)

Today's Passage: Genesis 2, NCV, courtesy of BibleGateway.com

What ladies can learn:

1. Our purpose is directly tied to man's purpose. God gave man the purpose of working in the Garden of Eden; he gave woman the purpose of helping the man. Our purposes are not distinct or independent of each other; rather, when we are following God's will completely, we will be aiding godly men. The reverse is true, as well: when we aid godly men, we fulfill a part of God's will for us as ladies.
   
   
2. God told man not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Then God made woman--after He gave the command (maybe that's why Eve didn't follow the command...?). Now, we might not know how Eve found out about God's one rule, but I believe that if God had been the one to tell Eve about His command, God's words to Eve would be in the Bible. I could be wrong. But if God didn't tell Eve, who did? Adam must have told Eve about God's command. In this way, God put the man in spiritual leadership over the woman. We see this theme (the man is the spiritual "head" of the woman) throughout the Bible. In areas of spiritual leadership, men are to be the primary leaders, while women are to be helpers. I personally believe that the exception to this rule is when women give other women spiritual advice relating to womanhood.
   
   

Highlighted characteristic of God: God knows our needs. God knew that Adam couldn't work the whole garden by himself, and God knew exactly what kind of helper Adam needed. God knows about our needs, too.
In two words: God knows.

Highlighted characteristic for us: We need to trust God to fill our needs in His timing. God didn't fill Adam's need until after Adam had named all of the animals. In the same way, God may not fill our need until we fully realize that only He--not other people, material things, or whatnot--can fill it.
In three words: Trust God's timing.

Bethany Dillon's "Beautiful"

This is an amazing song. I was just listening to it, and every time I hear it I'm reminded to stay secure in Jesus. I highly recommend buying this song on iTunes! :)

Here are the lyrics:

I was so unique
Now I feel skin deep
I count on the make-up to cover it all
Crying myself to sleep cause I cannot keep their attention
I thought I could be strong
But it's killing me

Does someone hear my cry?
I'm dying for new life

I want to be beautiful
Make you stand in awe
Look inside my heart,
and be amazed
I want to hear you say
Who I am is quite enough
Just want to be worthy of love
And beautiful

Sometimes I wish I was someone other than me
Fighting to make the mirror happy
Trying to find whatever is missing
Won't you help me back to glory

You make me beautiful
You make me stand in awe
You step inside my heart, and I am amazed
I love to hear You say
Who I am is quite enough
You make me worthy of love and beautiful

Swimsuit shopping

It's almost time for summer! No school. Sunny days. Bike rides. Picnics. Beaches. Pools.

If you haven't gone swimsuit shopping yet, now's the time to hit the stores (sooner is always better than later). But before you spend days searching for the perfect, modest (according to therebelution.com/ModestySurvey) swimsuit, take a look at these stores (the names are links to where you can buy the suits). They are sorted by modesty grade.

SwimModest
Style: A-
These swimsuits are, for the most part, in prints and styles that are amazingly trendy while staying modest. The downside is that there is not a huge variety of prints, so if you don't like floral prints (which happen to be very in-style right now), you don't have much to choose from.

Modesty: A+
These swimsuits could practically double as normal outfits.

Price: D
Ladies' swimsuits cost $75, unless you fit into a $50 girls' size. Better than expensive stores, but still quite a lot.

Overall grade: C
It's worthwhile, if you can swing the cost...but if you decide not to pay $75 for a swimsuit, I don't blame you.





Upstream Girl

Style: A-
Pants, shirts, and skirts are available in floral prints. They're really cute and really in-style.

Modesty: A+
Upstream Girls' swimsuits could be worn as normal outfits.

Price: B
Prices are a little less than double department store prices, at about $20 for a bottom and the same for a top...but believe me, it's worth it.

Overall grade: A-
These are some of the most cost-effective very modest swimsuits available!





Dillard's Swimwear

Style: A+
Whether you're looking for a one-piece, one-piece dress, or two-piece, Dillards has your style, print, and cut. They're pretty snazzy, too.

Modesty: A-
For a secular store, their modesty is superb--from long swim shorts to skirts to dresses, to tops that come to your collarbone, these swim outfits are definitely as modest as you can expect outside a Christian setting.

Price: F
The pictured swimsuit is $60, and that's about normal. Some get up to over $100; I noticed one that was over $200!

Overall grade: C+
A great union of modesty, style, and try-on opportunity (you don't have to order these online--you can go to the store and see if you like how they fit); that is, for those who can afford the suits.

Kohl's Swimwear

Style: C
Modest swimsuits come in just one style: halter-top shorts-bottom two-pieces. And with fewer prints than you have fingers, Kohl's drops the style meter waaaay low. However, they're not devoid of style, so they're worth a look.

Modesty: B
Halter tops, low backs, plunging v-necks, and short short shorts characterize junior swimsuits, but they're much more modest than many suits...women's suits have a little more modesty on top than juniors, and a few of the bottoms are more modest than junior bottoms as well. Overall, it's not ideal, but it's much better than most (getting a pair of long swim shorts to wear would probably be the next step after shopping at Kohl's)

Price: A+
If you'd like an affordable swimsuit, Kohl's is the place to go. They have a sale going on right now, so swimsuits are about $20 for an entire suit (both pieces)

Overall grade: A
Not as immodest as many; not as modest as some; definitely a good price. You decide.

Nordstrom's SwimShop
Style: C
In immodest, they have great style. In modest...not so much.

Modesty: B-
They do have modest items, and some of their skirts are much longer than other stores' skirts, but they don't have a great selection.

Price: D-
Well, they're not as pricey as Dillard's, but many of their suits are $100+...so they're still pretty "up there."

Overall grade: C
Without much selection, and with high prices, Nordstrom's stands as yet another shop you might go without--if it weren't for the fact that the few modest pieces they have are, for the secular world, quite modest (though for Christians I'd say they were simply "acceptable")


So there you have it--now go out and buy a suit! ;) Keep safe, keep modest, and have fun this summer! :)
God bless!

Happy 50th post! :)

Thank you so much
to everyone who has
read this blog--
thanks to you,
and thanks to Jesus,
we've reached our 50th post!

Even if we can't have a party with cake and streamers, let's celebrate.
Treat yourself to a little something special.

Let us know if we can improve anything about the blog for our next 50 posts!
God bless!

No Worries

Here's another post I wrote awhile back for another of my blogs. :)

Fix your hair. Are your jeans wrinkled? Put on make-up – don’t put on too much! Are your shoes cool? Make sure to pick a t-shirt that’s “in.” Hurry – you’re going to be late!

These are the worries society flings at us every day. We must do things that will make us look the way people expect us to look, or else they might reject us. We have to get to the party a little late but not too late, or leave a little early (but not too early).

This, however, is not the way Jesus wants us to live. He wants us to live without worrying whether our hair was messed up by the wind, whether we dressed too nice for the occasion or whether our shoes are the latest thing. He wants us to live without worrying whether the snow made us late or the party ended sooner than we’d expected. He wants us to always be thinking about how our behavior can be pleasing to Him! All of the things we tend to worry about are outside our control, but they’re in His hands.

Instead of wondering what others will think of you as you get ready, try to pick out clothes and make-up that expresses your personality and your identity in Him. If you like cabled sweaters when casual longsleevers are in….so what? Maybe you like wearing less make-up. That’s just fine. Be who you really are, because that’s who people will like you for. It’s much more beautiful to be the person Jesus made you to be than the carbon copies our society produces. Yes, you’ll stand out – but it won’t be in a bad way.

Build your vocabulary

Hey everyone!

This is a post I made awhile ago on another blog. I decided to post it here, too :)

I thought it might be fun to see what really long, obscure words I could spell and build into my vocabulary. I love how God gave our minds the ability to come up with new words.

Here’s what I found (I’m only including the words I can use frequently to help me remember them):

• Thaumaturgy: miracles or magic (Jesus’s thaumaturgy proved His diety)
• Phrontistery: an establishment for learning (the University of Wisconsin is a phrontistery)
• Logorrhea: an excessive (and many times incoherent) stream of words (my 2-year-old sister’s logorrhea is tiring at times, but I am thankful to have such an adorable sibling!)
• Acersecomic: someone whose hair has never been cut (most people in our society give being an acersecromic for their stylish haircut)
• Achromatopsia: color-blindness (the girl with achromatopsia could not tell whether the stoplight was red or green)

Interested in more fun words like thaumaturgy, logerrhea, acersecomic, and achromatopsia (yes, there was a lacuna in that list)? Go to your local phrontistery (there’s our missing word!), or find them online at http://phrontistery.info

A Maiden's Prayer

I found this online and thought it was really cool (let me know if you know where it originated so I can credit it!) :)

Lord grant me...
...the willingness of Mary Jesus' mother
...the obedience of Ruth
...the devotion of Esther
...the serving spirit of Martha
...the listening ear of Mary
...the leadership of Deborah
...the trust of Hannah
...the searching heart of the Queen of Sheba
...the boldness of Priscilla
...the humility of Abagail

"Hard" things

For someone who has run a marathon, running a mile is a piece of cake. For someone who writes an essay every week, typing up just a few sentences is an easy load. For someone who works out with 100-pound weights, 10-pound weights might as well be feathers.

So, how are you living? Are you working at the bare minimum, dragging through life with 5-pound weights? Or are you pushing yourself, giving your absolute best in everything, and not shirking challenges?

Once laziness finds a place on the couch of your heart, it doesn't want to give up its spot. So don't let laziness take hold. Push yourself. Do hard things. And enjoy life.

Whatever work you do, do your best. --Ecclesiates 9:10a, NCV

In all the work you are doing, work the best you can. Work as if you were doing it for the Lord, not for people. --Colossians 3:23, NCV

If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. --Matthew 5:41, NCV

Quotes book

I've always wanted to keep all my favorite Bible verses, quotes, and sayings somewhere convenient and easy-to-find.

I picked up this cute notebook several months ago (I love collecting notebooks with nice designs), and I started using it to keep all my favorite quotes in one place.

(the first page)

(a page spread--I write each quote in a different color)

I've been writing in this book for awhile, and I love it! So I thought I'd share the idea with y'all :)
God bless!

READY: April 18

Today's passage: 1 John 4, NIV, courtesy of BibleGateway.org.

Highlighted characteristic of God: Jesus is God. There are so many facets to that statement that we can't examine them all in one paragraph--Jesus gave us commandments, Jesus loves us enough to come to earth, Jesus lived a perfectly exemplary life, etc.--but the main point in this passage is that remembering Jesus' life (and following it) can help us stay strong in God. God wants us to have a relationship with Jesus, and He wants us to follow Him.
In two words: Jesus empowers.

Highlighted characteristic for us: Test your moods! Okay, the passage deals with spirits, but I think it's a point worth making...girls, we know we're moody, and as teens, it's pretty easy to be moody most of the time. So stay on your guard. What you perceive as "unfair" may or may not be worth your time arguing about. What you perceive as "defending your--and God's-- reputation" might actually be a flare-up of pride. Be careful. Ask yourself the WWJD question, remember Bible verses you've memorized about Jesus, and ask the Holy Spirit if your mood is from Him or from sin.
In three words: Strength through alertness.

Thoughts

Okay, so I slacked off a little on the "READY" thing...sorry about that. Life gets busy, and blogging is not very high on my list of priorities...however, I did find something in my Bible reading today that I thought I'd share. :) This is 1 John 3:17, NCV:

Suppose someone has enough to live and sees a brother or sister in need, but does not help. Then God's love is not living in that person.

Note that the verse says, "Suppose someone has enough to LIVE," not "Suppose someone has everything they wish for" or "Suppose someone has enough money for a comfortable life." God gave us money for a reason. The reason is NOT to provide ourselves with an abundance of fluffy, worthless comfort items. It can be really, really, really hard to deny ourselves our favorite, designer brand of make-up, snazzy gadgets, or concert tickets to all our favorite bands' concerts...that is, until we realize that some children face foot infections from living without shoes, which only cost 50 cents a pair (ChildrensHungerFund.org). Or we remember that the money spent on two good tickets to a concert could support a victim of modern-day slavery for a month's stay at a safe house where she can receive love, personal attention, and an education (RaphaHouse.org).

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying we should all go live in sheds, wear no make-up, dress in rags, and eat Ramen every day. Not that there's anything wrong with that--it takes a strong person to get through financial hardship, and I admire people who handle situations like that with hope and joy. But if we have the funds for adequate shelter, good food, and quality clothes, then God usually wants us to have those things. The Proverbs 31 woman serves imported food, buys enough property to plant a vineyard, and wears expensive purple garments (purple dye was very expensive in Biblical times), but she's also described as someone who is very kind to the needy. God's given us the mission of representing Himself to others, in all His majesty and respectability and all His compassion, and to loose sight of one mission while embracing the other is to follow no mission at all. A person working towards respectability only will care too much about what others think--and come off to non-believers as one of their own kind--while a person sacrificing their necessities to feed the poor may be seen by non-believers as someone totally nuts! Not that we should care about what non-believers think. But it's important to remember that Christians, when avoidable, are not supposed to give non-believers unnecessary distraction from the Gospel. That's why I advocate wearing pants in some situations. That's why the most effective missionaries to China were effective (they wore what the Chinese wore). We need to serve non-believers by not confusing them. Yes, stick to everything that the Bible says, and be the most Biblical person you can be. No, don't add to the Bible's doctrines.

But I'm getting off topic...my point in the post is to encourage you to pick one need (it can be local, national, or global. You can't save the world, so just pick one) to put all your excess money toward. If you seriously consider buying something you don't really need and you won't really use to God's glory and to your edification, put the money toward your cause instead. Keep track of how much you're giving and how much of an impact you're making, and it'll be encouraging.

Please note, if you know me in person, I'm not going to judge you if you go to a concert, carry around an iPod Touch, etc. Those things aren't necessarily bad! "Needs" and "wants" are different for every person. God may want you at that concert. God may want you to have a device with iPod Touch capabilities. It's up to you. Your life is your life, and my life is my life.

So there you have it...my little soapbox. :) Have a great week!
God bless!

READY: April 11

Today's passage: 1 Peter 1 NIV, courtesy of BibleGateway.org

Highlighted characteristic of God: God is our source of joy.
In two words: God gives.

Highlighted characteristic for us: If you're having a rough day, just remember all that Jesus has given us. It'll brighten your day!
In three words: Joy through Jesus.

READY: April 9

Today's passage: Hebrews 1, NIV, courtesy of BibleGateway.org

Highlighted characteristic of God: God speaks to humans through Jesus, His one, powerful, exalted Son.
In two words: God speaks.

Highlighted characteristic for us: Are you listening to Jesus today? Are you following Jesus? Are you doing what Jesus would do? Jesus was 100% God, and by following what He tells us to do, we are following God.
In three words: Be like Jesus.

READY: April 8, 2010

Today's passage: Romans 9, MSG, courtesy of BibleGateway.org

Highlighted characteristic of God: God is supreme. We are in no position to say, "God, that's not fair!"--He's God. He does what He wants. And it's right. So, when He chooses to make us spiritually insightful, chooses to give us a great grade on a test, chooses to use us to do His will in an incredible way, chooses to love us, chooses to send us to heaven, we can't take any credit.
In two words--God gives.

Highlighted characteristic for us: We can't take credit. There is absolutely no ground for boasting. We are incredibly blessed beyond words to be chosen to be God's people. We need to take lots of care to stay away from getting wrapped up in doing what the Message calls "God-projects"--trying to prove that we are a good choice for the Kingdom of God by doing good things, or trying to prove that God is with us by doing incredible things for Him. Don't get me wrong; doing good things is good. Doing them for the wrong reasons is bad.
The ironic part is that our "God-projects" aren't really "God-projects" at all, because they originate with us and our desire to be "good enough." They aren't "God-projects." God's goodness comes from God, and true "God-projects" come from Him.
We can't get distracted with trying to prove anything, whether it's proving to God that we're worth His time or proving to others that we're good.
In three words--Alone, we're helpless.

READY: April 6, 2010

Today's passage: Mark 4, NCV, courtesy of BibleGateway.org

Highlighted characteristic of God: God is willing to share His love with those who will stay growing strong in Him (the subjects of His kingdom, if you will). God's kingdom is always growing, even if we don't always see it. God, like a true Divine regent, has power beyond what we could imagine--and He's willing to use that power to help us, if we ask and if it's His will.
In two words--God rules.

Highlighted characteristic for us: We can read the Bible all we want, but if the Holy Spirit isn't explaining it to us, we won't truly get the full meaning and the full benefits...but that's why it's important to ask God questions about what He means by His words and how He's working in our lives.
In three words--Listen to understand.

Mark 4 (New Century Version)

A Story About Planting Seed

¹ Again Jesus began teaching by the lake. A great crowd gathered around him, so he sat down in a boat near the shore. All the people stayed on the shore close to the water. ² Jesus taught them many things, using stories. He said, ³ "Listen! A farmer went out to plant his seed.⁴ While he was planting, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and ate it up.⁵ Some seed fell on rocky ground where there wasn't much dirt. That seed grew very fast, because the ground was not deep.⁶ But when the sun rose, the plants dried up because they did not have deep roots.⁷ Some other seed fell among thorny weeds, which grew and choked the good plants. So those plants did not produce a crop. ⁸ Some other seed fell on good ground and began to grow. It got taller and produced a crop. Some plants made thirty times more, some made sixty times more, and some made a hundred times more."

⁹ Then Jesus said, "Let those with ears use them and listen!"

Jesus Tells Why He Used Stories

¹⁰ Later, when Jesus was alone, the twelve apostles and others around him asked him about the stories.

¹¹ Jesus said, "You can know the secret about the kingdom of God. But to other people I tell everything by using stories ¹² so that:
'They will look and look, but they will not learn.
They will listen and listen, but they will not understand.
If they did learn and understand,
they would come back to me and be forgiven.' " — Isaiah 6:9–10

Jesus Explains the Seed Story

¹³ Then Jesus said to his followers, "Don't you understand this story? If you don't, how will you understand any story? ¹⁴ The farmer is like a person who plants God's message in people.¹⁵ Sometimes the teaching falls on the road. This is like the people who hear the teaching of God, but Satan quickly comes and takes away the teaching that was planted in them.¹⁶ Others are like the seed planted on rocky ground. They hear the teaching and quickly accept it with joy.¹⁷ But since they don't allow the teaching to go deep into their lives, they keep it only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching they accepted, they quickly give up.¹⁸ Others are like the seed planted among the thorny weeds. They hear the teaching,¹⁹ but the worries of this life, the temptation of wealth, and many other evil desires keep the teaching from growing and producing fruit in their lives. ²⁰ Others are like the seed planted in the good ground. They hear the teaching and accept it. Then they grow and produce fruit—sometimes thirty times more, sometimes sixty times more, and sometimes a hundred times more."

Use What You Have

²¹ Then Jesus said to them, "Do you hide a lamp under a bowl or under a bed? No! You put the lamp on a lampstand. ²² Everything that is hidden will be made clear and every secret thing will be made known. ²³ Let those with ears use them and listen!

²⁴ "Think carefully about what you hear. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you, but God will give you even more. ²⁵ Those who have understanding will be given more. But those who do not have understanding, even what they have will be taken away from them."

Jesus Uses a Story About Seed

²⁶ Then Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is like someone who plants seed in the ground. ²⁷ Night and day, whether the person is asleep or awake, the seed still grows, but the person does not know how it grows.²⁸ By itself the earth produces grain. First the plant grows, then the head, and then all the grain in the head. ²⁹ When the grain is ready, the farmer cuts it, because this is the harvest time."

A Story About Mustard Seed

³⁰ Then Jesus said, "How can I show you what the kingdom of God is like? What story can I use to explain it? ³¹ The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, the smallest seed you plant in the ground. ³² But when planted, this seed grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants. It produces large branches, and the wild birds can make nests in its shade."

³³ Jesus used many stories like these to teach the crowd God's message—as much as they could understand.³⁴ He always used stories to teach them. But when he and his followers were alone, Jesus explained everything to them.

Jesus Calms a Storm

³⁵ That evening, Jesus said to his followers, "Let's go across the lake." ³⁶ Leaving the crowd behind, they took him in the boat just as he was. There were also other boats with them.³⁷ A very strong wind came up on the lake. The waves came over the sides and into the boat so that it was already full of water.³⁸ Jesus was at the back of the boat, sleeping with his head on a cushion. His followers woke him and said, "Teacher, don't you care that we are drowning!"

³⁹ Jesus stood up and commanded the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind stopped, and it became completely calm.

⁴⁰ Jesus said to his followers, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

⁴¹ The followers were very afraid and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

READY: April 3, 2010

Today's passage: Ephesians 1, NIV, courtesy of BibleGateway.org
Highlighted characteristic of God: God has plans for us. We don't have to earn God's love. God already loves us, because He created us. He just wants us to live out the purpose that He created us for, and He wants us to love Him and bring Him glory.
In two words--God predestined.

Highlighted characteristic for us: We can have hope because, no matter how much even our best efforts at pleasing God fail, God always loves us and always uses us.
In three words--Hope through faith.

Ephesians 1 (New International Version)

¹Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:

²Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Spiritual Blessings in Christ

³Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. ⁴For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love ⁵he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— ⁶to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. ⁷In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace ⁸that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. ⁹And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, ¹⁰to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

¹¹In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, ¹²in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. ¹³And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

¹⁵For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, ¹⁶I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. ¹⁷I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. ¹⁸I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, ²⁰which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, ²¹far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. ²²And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, ²³which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

READY: Good Friday passage

Hi! I'm starting a post series called "READY." It stands for "Righteous, excellent, and admirable daughters? Yes!" The purpose is to help us truly "get ready" for the day!

Each post will highlight one good character quality, one quality of God, and provide one Bible chapter.

Today's chapter is inspired by Jesus' words on the cross: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" It turns out that Jesus was referencing Psalm 22. As today is Good Friday, I thought this would be an appropriate place to start. The text is NIV, courtesy of BibleGateway.org.

Highlighted characteristic of God: God is worthy to be praised in all circumstances, because He is holy and He plans good for His people.
In two words--God plans.

Highlighted characteristic for us: We need to go beyond trusting God in our circumstances--we need to praise Him for our circumstances! We can praise Him because He plans good things for others.
In three words--Hope through praise.

Psalm 22 (New International Version)

For the director of music. To the tune of "The Doe of the Morning." A psalm of David.

¹ My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from the words of my groaning?

² O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, and am not silent.

³ Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the praise of Israel.

⁴ In you our fathers put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.

⁵ They cried to you and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not disappointed.

⁶ But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by men and despised by the people.

⁷ All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads:

⁸ "He trusts in the LORD;
let the LORD rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
since he delights in him."

⁹ Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you
even at my mother's breast.

¹⁰ From birth I was cast upon you;
from my mother's womb you have been my God.

¹¹ Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.

¹² Many bulls surround me;
strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.

¹³ Roaring lions tearing their prey
open their mouths wide against me.

¹⁴ I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted away within me.

¹⁵ My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me in the dust of death.

¹⁶ Dogs have surrounded me;
a band of evil men has encircled me,
they have pierced my hands and my feet.

¹⁷ I can count all my bones;
people stare and gloat over me.

¹⁸ They divide my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.

¹⁹ But you, O LORD, be not far off;
O my Strength, come quickly to help me.

²⁰ Deliver my life from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dogs.

²¹ Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
save me from the horns of the wild oxen.

²² I will declare your name to my brothers;
in the congregation I will praise you.

²³ You who fear the LORD, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!

²⁴ For he has not despised or disdained
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.

²⁵ From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
before those who fear you will I fulfill my vows.

²⁶ The poor will eat and be satisfied;
they who seek the LORD will praise him—
may your hearts live forever!

²⁷ All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the LORD,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,

²⁸ for dominion belongs to the LORD
and he rules over the nations.

²⁹ All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
those who cannot keep themselves alive.

³⁰ Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.

³¹ They will proclaim his righteousness
to a people yet unborn—
for he has done it.