Tradition, or Truth?

Take this quiz really fast...see if you really know what the Bible says about Christmas, or if you've just listened to the songs and long-held traditions:
Questions start out easy and then get hard.
1. The name of the mother of Jesus was:
Martha
Mary
Eve
Deborah

2. Jesus was born in what town?
Jerusalem
Nazareth
Bethlehem
New York

3. Joseph was a:
Carpenter
Doctor
Engineer
Fisherman

4. Why didn’t Joseph and Mary stay at the inn?
It was too expensive
There was no inn
There was no room
None of the above

5. How did Joseph and Mary get to Bethlehem?
Colt
Mary rode a donkey and Joseph walked
Wagon
Who knows?

6. After being born, Jesus was placed in a:
Basket
Manger
Pile of hay
On the back of a donkey

7. A manger is a:
stable
feeding trough
wooden table
barn

8. Which animals does the Bible say were housed in the stable?
cows, donkeys, sheep
lions, tigers and bears
goats, sheep and cows
The Bible doesn’t say.

9. From what area were the three kings that visited Jesus?
the west
the east
the orient
none of the above

10. What sign were the shepherds told to look for by the angel?
a lion and a sheep together in peace
a tree with a star on top
a star over Bethlehem
none of the above

11. With what words did the heavenly host of angels praise God?
"Joy to the World, the Lord is Come"
"Glory, Glory, Hallelujah”
“King of Kings and Lord of Lords”
"Glory to God in the highest,"

12. What is frankincense?
a form of gold
incense from a tree
a jewel
none of the above.

13. What is myrrh?
a musical instrument
a spice used for burial
a valuable wine
none of the above

14. How many wise men came to see Jesus?
One
Two
Three
The Bible doesn’t say

15. What does "wise men" most likely refer to?
lawyers
star gazers
priests
doctors

16. The wise men met Jesus in a:
manger
castle
stable
house

17. Who told Joseph and Mary to go to Bethlehem?
an angel
Caesar Augustus
Herod
No one told them to go

18. The child Jesus went to Egypt:
to meet pharaoh
because Joseph was told in a dream to take him
Joseph did not take Jesus to Egypt
none of the above

19. According to the Bible, the little drummer boy met Jesus:
when Jesus was in the manger
at a house
When Jesus was about two years old
none of the above

20. In which books do we find the story of Jesus’ birth?
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John

21. December 25th has been celebrated as Christmas since the Bible was written.
True
False


How'd you do??? Here's the answers:
1. Mary- Matthew 1:18
2. Bethlehem- Matthew 2:1
3. Carpenter- Matthew 13:55
4. There was no room- Luke 2:7
5. Who knows?- The Bible doesn't say. Generally, it is assumed that Mary rode a donkey, as she would be nine months pregnant. But, it does not say, so we can't be sure.
6. Manger- Luke 2:7
7. Feeding trough
8. The Bible doesn't say- It is supposed that there would be animals in the stable, however, nowhere in the Bible can you find that idea.
9. None of the above- Matthew 2:1- It is only in the song ,"We Three Kings" that the idea that the kings mentioned are from the orient.
10. None of the above- The shepherds were told to look for a "babe wrapped in cloths, laying in a manger."
11. "Glory to God in the highest,"- Luke 2:14
12. Incense from a tree
13. A spice used for burial- John 19:39-40
14. The Bible doesn't say- Matthew 2:1- Traditionally, people suppose there are three wise men, because there are three gifts. However, nowhere in the Bible does it say that there were three wise men.
15. Star gazers
16. House- Matthew 2:11
17. Caesar Augustus- Luke 2:1,4
18. Because Joseph was told in a dream to take him- Matthew 2:13
19. None of the above- Sorry! The Bible doesn't say that the little drummer boy met Jesus!
20. Matthew and Luke
21. False- December 25 is celebrated in some part by the fact that Charlemange was crowned Holy Roman Emperor on that day. Also, it was originally a pagan festival, so the Christians decided to have a Christian holy day on the same day.

Well, I'm sorry you had to put up with my boring post! But, Meggy said to post. So, I did. :)

An angel? Uh-huh. Now What???

I do believe it is Grace's turn to post. Can I get an uh-huh?

The message at my church last Sunday was a lot about the story of when the LORD conceived in Mary. But for once, it did not center around her - it was about Joseph.

Imagine this: You're a guy in the very early A.D. (hard, yes but stay with me). One day your bride-to-be comes back from a 3-month visit to her cousin that you've never met. You know she's back, it's been a couple of days, but she hasn't come to see you yet. Curious. She usually comes to your shop every day. But you can't go to her house today on account of all this woodwork to do. You impatiently set to work, keeping a eye on the window. Suddenly, she is in the doorway. Somehow she got in without you seeing her. You start with a smile, but end in a horrified expression as you see her more closely. She is three months pregnant. Screebees! You stand there with your mouth wide open, not saying a thing, not knowing what to think, even though there is an extremely limited list of things to think. She does not seem ashamed. She looks straight into your eyes and tells you that an angel appeared to her and told her that her child was conceived of the Holy Spirit and she would be the mother of God's Son. Uh... well, what would you think if somebody told you that? Sure. No. She's lying or mad. You are still flabbergasted. What to do? What to DO?

"Well," you think. "Disappointing for the poor guy since he doesn't quite believe her. But why is there a dilemma on what to do?" Let's stop imagining and talk about rules.

Rule #1 for your average girl in the very early A.D: If you were engaged, you would already be considered married! You were to stay pure for a year, but in every other way, you were considered husband and wife. Back then, these promises were taken seriously.

Rule #2 for your average girl in the very early A.D: You did not divorce. You just didn't. It was allowed, but if it did happen, you would make the papers and become some sort of strange alien thing to society. Point: it barely EVER happened. What God has joined together let NO MAN put asunder.

Rule #3 for your average girl in the very early A.D: If you were found pregnant without being married, guess what happened - you were stoned. As in, people gathering around you with big rocks and throwing them at you until you died. You stayed pure for your husband - NO EXCEPTIONS!

So these rules are what Joseph was pondering. If he exposed her, the rock-throwing party starts. He doesn't want her dead. Next option: Marry her anyway. But that messes him up. If she's immoral and, knowing this, he marries her anyway, he's considered a bad guy too. Social outcast. Immoral man. There goes the carpentry shop. Last option: That divorce thing. Supposing he did that. Rare, but necessary he supposes. If he puts her away quietly and doesn't call the papers about it, things should be somewhat related to alright. Messy, messy, messy situation. BUT... God told him in a dream that what she said was true, and to marry her anyway. Oh dear. There goes the carpentry shop. There goes his good-guy, law-keeping image. But the Bible says he obeyed right off the bat. Without question. What a guy! That would be a REALLY hard thing to do.

Now for a little food for thought. Let's go over those rules again. But this time, with the opinions of today:

Rule #1 for your average girl in the very early A.D: If you were engaged, you would already be considered married! You were to stay pure for a year, but in every other way, you were considered husband and wife. Back then, these promises were taken seriously.
The average girl in 2007 Argument: If you're engaged, it's fine to break up if you happen to change your mind. And your purity doesn't really matter. As long as you feel good about your own decision.
Rule #2 for your average girl in the very early A.D: You did not divorce. You just didn't. It was allowed, but if it did happen, you would make the papers and become some sort of strange alien thing to society. Point: it barely EVER happened. What God has joined together let NO MAN put asunder.
The average girl in 2007 Argument: Divorce is your choice and right. There's more fish in the sea. 50% of marriages end in divorce? That's fine.
Rule #3 for your average girl in the very early A.D: If you were found pregnant without being married, guess what happened - you were stoned. As in, people gathering around you with big rocks and throwing them at you until you died. You stayed pure for your husband - NO EXCEPTIONS!
The average girl in 2007 argument: Gimmeabreak! That's so harsh! I think we've already established that your purity doesn't matter. Stay pure for your husband? Heehee! Has ANYBODY done THAT? It's old-fashioned and way overrated. It just doesn't happen, ok?

What happened between then and now? Mary's surprise for Joseph happens every day - except without the angel and the Lord and baby Jesus involved. What have we become?

"Believe in Yourself"...uh, I'd rather NOT!

Chasen – Crazy Beautiful
From the album – Shine Through The Stars

Whoa you’re oh so beautiful,
you don’t need anyone’s approval
You’ve got to believe in yourself
you know you are
You’re crazy beautiful

There's no need to change
We're different but the same
In the eyes of the King
We're beautifully made
In his image we're made
Take a look it’s all around you
See the world from different views
The way you shine from the inside
I know with out a doubt
It’s more than what you’ll be In the world’s eyes.

Have you ever had somebody tell you to believe in yourself? At least you've heard it said. This is the song, Crazy Beautiful by Chasen. I dunno who that is, some new guy they're playing on Air 1. I think.

"Whoa you’re oh so beautiful,
you don’t need anyone’s approval
You’ve got to believe in yourself
you know you are You’re crazy beautiful"

It's got an extremely catchy tune, and will make about any girl dance. Those artsy "Who-oa"s are real neat. But the lyrics give the wrong idea about, well, YOU! So, we're supposed to believe in ourselves because we're the way God made us. Well, if God made us the way we are, why believe in ourselves? Why not believe in Him?
Say your mom made some brownies. Now for some reason, maybe you had a nightmare the night before about brownies being very salty. Oh, dear. It has messed up your entire day and you REALLY think they are going to be salty! Nightmares really mess you up that way. Do you say, "Well, these brownies LOOK good." (personally I think EVERY brownie is CRAZY BEAUTIFUL!) "So I'm gonna trust these brownies not to be salty." Could be correct, from a certain point of view. But if you really were worried, why not ask your mom about the amount of salt put into the chocolate goodness. About a teaspoon. Now you're thinking, "Ok, I know my mom didn't make these brownies salty. I'm gonna believe what she said."
That was an extremely last ditch attempt at an example, but you get my point. Consider Phillipians 4:13. "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me." Not, God made you good. You can do it! "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." - John 15:5. NOTHING. You cannot do ANYTHING apart from God. You are nothing without the Vine! If you are faced with an important decision, you can't go the Hollywood way and believe that you'll make the right choice, more than likely you'll make the WRONG choice! Listen to what God has to say about your life! After all, he knows what's going to happen, so isn't it in your best interest to hear him out?
Now I'm not saying don't be confident. Being confident is different than believing in yourself. Confidence is all in where you put it. Our only REAL confidence is in God, because he is the only perfect one. Can you think of anything else you can put your confidence in that won't let you down? But don't walk around with your head down thinking you're junk. God made you to be his tool. You can't believe in the hammer to drive the nail in straight - it's all in the hand that hammers and that's God. Being God's tool is awesome! And God has personalized you different than any other hammer. Hence you are.....(sing this out loud)........CRAZY BEAUTIFUL! Just put your confidence in your loving Hammer-er and not in your own metal. I think you (as a hammer) know it's hard to drive a nail on your own! And this is just a matter of opinion I suppose, but I sure need somebody's approval... God's!!!!!!!! Nobody else's matters. As long as I'm right with the Hammer-er!

Valor Without Renown

Here's that thing Lady Lana! I tried about everything to e-mail it to you.

Do you remember why the female race was made? In Genesis 2:18 God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone." If you'll notice that is the first thing about God's creation that he found "not good". So Adam, the first man, met all the animals and named them, but it says that among them God did not find a suitable helper for him. And the rest is history. Eve was made to help Adam. That was God's purpose for her, and so, to quote Louisa May Alcott's EIGHT COUSINS, "girls were made to look after boys". Numerous books have been written on this subject, and I am not about to state all the reasons woman was brought into the world. I am just going to use one of my favorite blends - The Word of God and the Lord of the Rings! (Can I get a round of applause please?) This particular part in The TWO TOWERS just drives me wild. If you have not seen it just try to follow me here. Rohan is chaotically preparing for battle and are outnumbered more than 33 to 1. Every man and strong lad is given a weapon, knowing that death is near. The women and children are sent to the caves inside the fortress where they will be safe. But the niece of the king has an objection. She runs to Aragorn stating hotly, "I'm to be sent with the women into the caves!" "That is an honorable charge." says Aragorn. That is one of his truest and best lines in my opinion! "To mind the children? To find food and bedding when the men return? What renown is there in that?" He replies with the perfect picture of womens' purpose. "My lady, a time may come for valor without renown". Suppose all the women of Rohan had Eowyn's attitude. The men (and women) would come back battered and bloody after their miraculous victory and look around. No shouts of joy and welcome. No food. No bedding. The unattended babies and children would be crying and upset because they had no one to feed them. I call that doing a husband harm instead of good. If nobody was waiting at home, what renown would there be in a battle? What would men fight for? Of course, I'm not married. I'm just writing what God - and my mom have told me so far. I do have a lot of practice "looking after boys" with five little brothers running around with guns:) But God didn't make woman to go get jobs and put their kids in day-care and have a husband warming up frozen dinners while she's late again at that business meeting. He made her to work behind the scenes to help him achieve success. Valor without Renown. Her arms are strong for her tasks. Her weapon is a wooden spoon and of course, the occasional fly-swatter. Glorious? YES! Minding children, getting food and bedding, and dishes is what God made woman to do! Fulfilling God's purpose for me sounds like the most exciting thing ever do-able. How about you?

I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart!

Newsboys - Something Beautiful

From the album Go

I wanna start it over

I wanna start again

I wanna a new beginning

One without an end

I feel it inside

Calling out to me

Chorus:

It’s a voice that whispers my name

It’s a kiss without any shame

Something beautiful

Like a song that stirs in my head

Singing love will take us where

Somethings beautiful

I’ve heard it in the silence

Seen it on a face

I’ve felt it in the long hour

Like a sweet embrace

I know this is true

It's calling out to me

Chorus

It’s the child on her wedding day

It’s the daddy that gives her away

Something beautiful

When we laugh so hard we cry

Oh the love between you and I

Something beautiful

That is a great upbeat NEWSBOYS song! Many times we forget to think about something beautiful...and let it show on our face! I have actually seen people who think Christianity is some...thing that sobers people and beats them down and keeps them afraid to play cards because somebody might see them and think they're playing poker. I say "actually" as if you haven't seen those people. But I think it's amazing that they could even THINK that because it's so untrue!!!!!! Even some movies nowadays. Like when somebody gets saved in a movie they instantly change into something that never smiles anymore. Or when some movies portray Jesus the guy looks like he's so much holier-than-thou and real mopey! Ha! I just laugh!!! It misleads people to see those movies! I mean, it even messes me up when I think, "Ok, is Jesus REALLY gonna be like THAT?" or, "I'm saved and I sure don't act like that guy! It's not right... is it?" No, it's not, I'll tell you that right now. On the radio I heard a thing about how some people think heaven is going to be boring. DOINK! My head pops up! The guy said how could heaven possibly be boring? God is the source of fun and happiness and making people want to have fun, not Satan! And if we walk around with those "holier-than-thou" attitudes how are we gonna make people want what we have? If you see somebody like that do you go, "Whoa! What have they got that I don't? I wanna be like them!" Heheh. No. Christians should be the joy of the earth!!!!!! Come on people, lighten up and show your joy!!! If you have Jesus you have it, why hide it under a bushel? God raise up a world of happy-go-lucky Christians!!!:P

I Want To Be....Radical

One of my life verses is Romans 12:1&2. It says,
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (emphasis mine)
"Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." In our youth group we talk a lot about radical worship, and being a radical Christian. Altogether too often, Christians think of being a living sacrifice as being radical. It's not. This verse says that it is our reasonable service. It doesn't say that that's anything that makes you extra spiritual or something. It's just what you are supposed to be doing.
My desire is to be a radical Christian. Someone that witnesses fearlessly, and with everyone they know. Someone that people can look at and now that they have been, and are in the prescence of God. Someone that makes a difference, and spreads revival wherever they go. Can I do this? No. Can I do this with God? Yes.
Honestly, I know that I have a very very long way to go before I can even begin to be radical. But, that's what I think God has called me to. Verse two says, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind..." God doesn't call me to be as close to the world as possible, he calls me to be transformed! He calls me to be different. But, he calls me to that and so much more. The last part of the verse is this, "that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." God's good, acceptable, and perfect will is for us to be transformed. And he calls us to live that in front of others, so that they can see what God requires of us.
Altogether too often, Christians (or so they call themselves) don't live differently than the rest of the world. They do exactly what the world does. Lost people see them doing these things, and assume that they aren't any different from them. So, why should they change? They don't have a reason at that point. But, God calls us to live differently, and to let the world see that we live differently. This is your reasonable service.

What if I Was Honest?

There's a KJ-52 song that really talked to me, it says:
What if I spoke w/ complete honest-ness
What if told you that I’ve broken some promises
I dealt with pride ever since a little kid
I’ve comprised and I’ve doubted like Thomas did
I can’t hide though he sees the way I live
Every single time I told every little fib
I can’t deny cause he’s already knowing this...
I still got issues that’s hard to let go
Still got some bitter situations with a few folks
Still got a temper that I work hard to control
I gotta remember your standard that’s the goal

Can I be honest?
Can I be real?
Would they still just to how I feel?
But if I was honest ?
If I was real?
Would they even care about how I feel?

I’ve wanted to get back at those who tried to doubt me
I’ve wanted to hit back every time they tried to clown me
I’ve said some things about those that tried to down me
I’ve been too hard on some people that’s been around me
I’m a workaholic addicted to the game
Plus sometimes I’ve been addicted to the fame
I look deep inside things that I’m ashamed
Still the little kid conflicted still in pain

I’m so grateful when I think though how you found me
I used to be hateful of everything that’s around me
I’m so thankful of the way that you still surround me
So shameful yet you love me still confounds me
See I’ve put myself first
I’ve gone days sometimes without reading your word
I’ve acted like a huge jerk
Yet you still love me that’s the thing that I’ve learned...
Hindsight is 20/20 so I’m like whatever

But I regret some of my broken relationships
No matter how hard I’ve tried to just make em fit
And I don’t blame myself and I’m not blaming them
But too many up in my life have just came and went
I’m not perfect I serve a God who is
I serve a God who lives who says that I’m his kid
When I shoot for the mark but I shoot and miss
I serve a God who gives a new start and he forgives
And takes every thing I ever did
Then he throws it in the sea of forgetfulness
See I’m just being honest I hope your getting this
Cuz he’s my promise the reason that I live

I struggle with things everyday that no one knows about. Not even my closest friends. This song describes me. There were a few more lines to the song, and they're great, but they don't describe me. I tend to hide behind a smile, to pretend everything is okay, when it isn't. I cry on the inside, and long for someone to know, but how can they? I know God is there, he's the only thing keeping me from myself. I know he cares, he saved me. But, at the same time, I need someone there. And when I think I've hit rock bottom worst, I find that he's pulled me out, and given me the people in my life that I needed. He's always there, always providing for me.

So, what if I was honest? What if I told you that I feel like the hypocrite I am after most of my posts? What if I told you that I struggle everyday with giving everything to God? What if I told you I wanted so bad to do something I knew was so wrong? I'm being honest. I'm being real right now. I struggle everyday. I cry myself to sleep some nights. I long for attention from the people that don't give it to me. I do things for the wrong reasons. Why? Because I'm a sinner. And, yet, you know what? God always forgives, and sets me back on track.

You know how hard it is to write this? Harder than you know. Because, I have a pride problem. I tend to talk down to people, because it makes me feel smart, I guess. I hate to put myself in a bad light. But, you know what I've realized? I can be honest, because God saved me solely because of his wonderful grace. I don't have to care what people think, because my Savior loves me, and that's worth dying for.

Consuming Fire

The band Third Day has a song called Consuming Fire. Here's the chorus:
and yes our God,

He is a consuming fire
And the flames burn down deep in my soul
Yes our God He is a consuming fire
He reaches inside and He melts down this
cold heart of stone.

God is our consuming fire. At our church we talk alot about having a fire for God. But, one thing God really showed me is that to have a fire for God, it has to consume things in our lives. The only thing left when he's done is himself.
God should consume every ounce of your being. He should be all you need to live. You should be consumed in God. But, to get there is a very long and painful process.
God should be at work in your life. And, many times you will know it because you're experiencing pain. Discipline hurts. But, to be fully on fire for God, that's what you need.
Everyone's probably heard the saying: No pain, no gain. Well, it's true. Without pain, you wouldn't get the wonderful benefits of being on fire for God.

LOST

No not the TV show. When you think about people who are lost, what do you imagine? Is it those people so addicted to their sin, they just can't and have no desire to quit? You've shared Jesus with them, but they roll their eyes, scoff, and otherwise make fun of you and Him. You just throw up your hands and say, "Welp, they're just LOST!" Those kind of people are lost, but they've heard about Jesus. They have a seed planted in their hearts. Whether that seed is going to grow into anything is up to God, You've just gotta keep watering with your life. But those people are not who I'm talking about. I'm talking about the people that live well; people would think they were a Christian if they saw them. They don't go to bars, they're humble, they don't swear or shoot anybody. Whoo! But they have never heard the name JESUS. They wonder, "Is this it? We just be good and die and that's all? Is there something more to this life?" They want to know. They've never been to church - never been invited. You think, "If somebody would tell them JUST ONCE they would listen! They would know that there is more and act accordingly! God would love to have them for his kingdom!" Here's the thing...PEOPLE LIKE THAT DIE EVERY SINGLE DAY! And not just death. It's DEATH. The death of being tortured forever and spending eternity under God's frown - that's AWAY from God. And why is that? Why do they go to hell? BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T KNOW. It talks about it in Ezekiel 33:2-7

"Son of man, speak to your countrymen and say to them: 'When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not take warning and the sword comes and takes his life, his blood will be on his own head. Since he heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning, his blood will be on his own head. If he had taken warning, he would have saved himself. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes the life of one of them, that man will be taken away because of his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.' Son of man, I have made YOU a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning for me."

So whose fault is it that that person, never being told that the sword was coming got slain? YOURS. MINE. Imagine you are a watchman on a big city wall, looking out, enjoying the view, eating your Crispy Cremes, and lookin good in your armor. *Oh, boy! This is the life* Then... wait a minute? What's that over there? Thousands of soldiers with weapons and scary stuff headed right for the city! What do you do? Say "Whoa! Check THAT out! Hey looky there! There's a guy going out of the city, what's HE doing? Whoops, they got him. Guess he didn't know they were out there." Uhh...no. What we do today with our cowardice and chickeness about sharing Christ with people is a thousand times worse. Watchman, you're supposed to leap up (forget about your Crispy Cremes:P), start blowing the little trumpet, and make a lot of noise. "The Sword is coming!!!! Save yourselves!!!" A LOT of noise:O THE SWORD IS COMING!!!! What are you doing about it? God said very clearly to give them warning. You gonna let that awesome chance to share pass by? We need to GET LOUD!!!

Think on These Things...

Philipians 4:8 says, "Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things."
Oftentimes, in our modern day world, we fill our minds with worthless things, and hence, think worthless thoughts.
We have to consider carefully whatever we "feed" our minds. The movies we watch, the books we read, the TV shows we watch, the music we listen to. Is it true? Is it honorable? Is it just? Is it pure? Is it lovely? Is it commendable? Is there any moral excellence and praise? If the answer to any of those questions, you probably shouldn't consume it. I love to read. But, I know that if I read the wrong kinds of books, my mind will be filled with the wrong thoughts. Another thing is that is our minds are filled with bad thoughts, we can't think about things that are true, honorable, just, pure and all that. We can't dwell on the things of the Spririt if we dwell on the things of the world. Sure, you might be able to cast an occasional thought towards God during church, but you won't be getting what all he wants you to get from the service. God has so many things for us, but so many times we think only of the world, and miss much of what he wants for us. So, before you read a book, watch a movie, turn on the TV to that one show, ask yourself, "Is this everything good listed in Philipians 4:8?" If not, don't watch it, don't listen to it, don't read it. It may seem boring and stupid at times, and even somewhat useless, but it helps your walk with God, and "feeds" your mind only the good things.

A Fit

Little Annie was running around the house with her doll, happily playing. When she came to the kitchen she saw her mother stirring something over the stove, and dollies became quite a boring play. "Mommy, can I stir it?" she asked.
"No, not right now. Right now it's hot. I don't want you to burn yourself."
Annie pouted and fussed, fumed and pushed, not realizing that her mother knew what was good for her and wanted the best for her.
Similar things have happened in our house with our babies, and it seems ridiculous that they would choose to wail and waller around on the floor because they can't do something that would hurt them. Why don't they just TRUST us?

Do you do that when God denies YOU something? All things work together for the good of those who love him. He ALWAYS has the best plan for you and if He says no do you pitch a fit? It's all a matter of trusting God. Right now we want to sell our house and find a house in Colorado. Nothin. God hasn't given us one. Now do we say, "WaAaAaAaA!!!!! But I WANT a house!!!! Being here without Dad is no good!" In other words, "But I WANNA stir it on the hot stove!!! Playing dollies is no fun!'', or do we say, "Well, alright, just tell me when you're ready to give us one" and go give our dollies a tea party? He has our best interest at heart. God will give us what he wants us to have when He's ready to give them to us. He gives good and perfect gifts.

I'm A Masterpiece!

I went to a retreat this weekend, and the focus of the whole thing was that we are God's masterpiece. When you look at the Mona Lisa everybody thinks of Leonardo da Vinci. When people see you, they should think of God.
But, the question for me was, "Do they?" When people look at me, do they see a work of God, or a thing that the Devil is using? Can they see the radiance of God in my face? Can they tell whether or not I'm saved by my actions? I can't tell you your answers to those questions. You have to deal with that.
Anyway, there were three sessions: The Price of a Masterpiece, All of My Best Friends Are Sinners!!!, and The Purest Place.
The Price of a Masterpiece was about how God has his signature on our life (like Leonardo da Vinci's!), but it comes at a great price. It also talked about how God individually designed each of us, so that no two are quite alike. Just think about that! God made you special, and unique! There isn't another one of you! God has a plan and a purpose for your life, which he reveal in his timing, not ours.
Another thing we talked about is how God is our Prince Charming. You know how in all the Fairy Tales, the Prince rescues the beautiful maiden, and they get married. But, God is our Prince! So many girls look to guys for the things that they think that they "need." But, God created those flowers for you, made that chocolate for you. And all that. But, God made it just for you! That guy might buy it for you, but God made it for you. That is more special than anything else. In a sense, God is your boyfriend.
Here are some scriptures that went with that session:
For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10

The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. John 10:10

Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Romans 12:2

My thoughts are completely different from yours, and my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. Isaiah 55:8

If we have trusted Christ with our salvation, we can say with certainty, "I am completely forgiven and am fully pleasing to God. Romans 5:1

Clean House

Remember when God first moved into your heart? It probably had a lot of dust everywhere, the strawberries were all moldy in your fridge, and all your rated R movies were all over the floor. You probably thought, "This place isn't fit for the King of the whole universe!" You did a lot of house cleaning - getting rid of all the junk and dust that you'd been living in before. But He helped you. You may have actually liked all that bad stuff so the habits were hard to break. I'm sure you're still cleaning up now!
But maybe Christ has lived in your heart a long time or most of your life! You think, "NOW the house of my heart is clean! God can relax in the living room without getting dust all over himself!" The living room maybe. But what about the closet of your heart? You know. The one you shoved some of your little bad things in. The one that has cobwebs in it. The one you don't like Him to go into. Perhaps it's not even a closet, maybe it's more like a drawer. The one you put your rolly-eye attitude in and THAT DRESS that shows a little too much. Your might think, "Well that's OK. Just a closet or a drawer doesn't matter." But...where's God gonna put his shoes? I'm sure you occupy your WHOLE house that you live in right now. I mean, there aren't any rooms that have nothing in them at all! God wants to occupy your WHOLE heart the same way. He wants that closet that you keep all your bad habits in to put his shoes in.
You might have tried to clean it before, but you gave up and said, "no matter how hard I scrub it, it just keeps coming back!" Ask God to help you scrub it. He may not do it right away, but not because he's forgotten. HE WANTS THAT CLOSET! With both of you working together as hard as your can, believe it or not, that closet can be clean! The dust probably will come back after awhile, but stay on top of it so it doesn't build up like it did before. Whether the dust is a lying problem, a temper problem, or just some kind of bad habit, you and God make a great cleaning team!

God, You Couldn't Understand!!!

Have you ever said that? Laugh, if you will, but this is serious. Sometimes we think God just doesn't know about that little thing. "Well, you know. God doesn't want to hear the details of my personal life!" Oh yes he does! God wants you to tell him everything. Everything. If something bothers you, God cares about it, because God cares about you. God wants to hear what that girl said, or what that guy did. Tell him what they did. Repent. But, just pour out your heart to God. God wants to hear what you thought about this or that. Because, God just wants to hear from you. Because, he delights in you. He loves you. He already knows what you're going to say, but he just wants to hear you say it. He loves you that much. He delights in just hearing your voice. So many times we treat God like a person who doesn't really know. He couldn't have know, could he? Well, yes God does. He knows about every little thing going on. And, he knows the answers to life's questions.
However, God is not a spiritual vending machine. God is your Father, and he wants to talk to you. And, he wants you to talk to him. Tell him everything. God truly understands what you're going through. Talk to him, and then listen for what he has to say. For he knows.

Purpose

Do you ever think, "Why was I put on this earth? What needs to be done that God would make ME to do it?" God makes everybody for a reason and believe it or not, you were put here for more than just to take up space.

I got one of mail survey forward things a while back and one of the questions was:"What is your dream?" I filled it out with what I figured I was gonna do when I grew up; get married, have those e-kids, etc. and went on to the next question. But for some reason WHAT IS YOUR DREAM stuck in the back of my mind. I began to think of what that WAS. So now I call my purpose in life "my Dream". I may not know what it is yet, but my dream IS to do what God made me to do.

My mom found her dream. She thinks God put her here to raise nine kids to do what He wants with. My brother's dream is to be a professional soccer player - the one that shares his faith during interviews. I'm still praying about mine. I still don't know what my PURPOSE is. Right now it's to be where I am! But an offering I someday want to make is to make a powerful christian movie I have in mind. (Don't laugh! I know it sounds weird) I want to do my best and hand it up and say, "this is for you God! You can do whatever you want with it!" He can shelf it, He can watch it a couple of times, or He can use it to win thousands for Him and I'll see that WAS my dream. I don't know. I just want to try my best (and get Him to help me!) and give everything I do to Him.

Your purpose in life takes work to achieve. Whether it's raising people that all have purposes of their own, sharing God with other people by the way you juke somebody out and shoot a ball, or making Him full-length films with no experience at all, it takes work. Your purpose, I can promise you IS NOT to be a sofa spud! You have to get up and pray, and honor God with your life and before you know it, your dream will jump out in front of you! My mom had no clue when she had her first baby that 8 more were on the way! My brother didn't know that when he said he wanted to play soccer when he was four, it would maybe be a statement he would say and mean for years and years to come. I don't know what your dream, your purpose is, but just do what God puts in front of you and do it your best so that it's like one of those white little lambs that they sacrificed to God. With no spot or stripes or bad stuff. And trust him. My sister's favorite quote is:"If God is your co-pilot, SWAP SEATS!" He drives you, so let him!

"God can do whatever He wants to do however He wants to do it. He can open what He wants to open and shut what He wants to shut." ~ Coach Grant Taylor

You're here for Him so live for Him.

Meggy T

Hello Ladies!

This is Meggy. God's Grace invited me to do this blog and I think tis a wonderful idea! Keep in mind she is more insightful than me!:) So anyway, I have 8 brothers and sisters and I am a HUGE Jesus Freak!! My other blog site is www.mt-thoughts.blogspot.com Hope you girls will benefit from this blog! God bless!

Meggy T

Emotional Purity

There are essentially three kinds of purity. Today, I want to briefly speak about the most difficult to keep: Emotional Purity.

One of the reasons why emotional purity is hard for so many is that our culture constantly bombards us with images, descriptions, tv shows, movies, songs, news reports, and other things, that honestly, shouldn't be spoken of with such freedom.
Purity is a beautiful gift that we must treasure, and guard. You see, the Devil would like nothing more than to take our purity. We must guard our purity.
But, first you might ask, "What is emotional purity?" Well, emotional purity is remaining pure in your mind. I can't tell you what that would mean for you. That, you have to work out with God, through the Scriptures. But, generally speaking, it means that you don't think romantically about a guy.

Emotional purity is essentially hard as it looks innocent when it comes. Maybe just a little crush on that one guy-it won't hurt anybody, right? Well, before you know anything, it grows. Pretty soon, everytime you see that guy you flirt with him. And, you dream about him at night. You wonder if maybe you'll marry him, and you hope so. Well, that is wrong. Here, you started out thinking, "Hey, if this hurts anybody, it's just going to be me, so, why not?" But, essentially when you start flirting with the guy, you are affecting him. And, you're affecting those watching you and judging Christianity by you. You tell them that Christians aren't any different than the rest of the world, and they don't need what you have.

We need to guard our emotional purity. When you feel yourself be attracted romantically to a guy, pray for him as your brother in Christ. You'll truly see a difference.

Part of the reason we have to deal with this is because all girls long for affirmation. Especially from guys. So, they think if they flirt they'll get that. And when they don't get that, they keep going until they are deep in sin. But, you won't ever find satisfaction in that kind of love. Ever. The only love you will ever find true satisfaction in is God's.

Hello to Everybody Out There!

Hi! My name is God's Grace, and I'm one of the people who will be posting on this blog. There is another girl doing it too, but she can talk about that later.
This blog all started a couple of months ago when I decided to get a blog (https://onlyforgodsglory.blogspot.com). But, after about three or four months with one, I really felt like God was calling me to do a team blog with a friend of mine. I prayed about it, and asked God what his will really was for this, and then, I asked my friend if she would be willing to co-author a blog with me. After a few days, she responded and said that she wanted to!
Anyways, as you can see in the blog description, we're not ordinary teenagers. We're teenagers with a mission-to serve Jesus and to glorify him forever, which is my whole purpose in life, actually. We are trying to be different from the crowd, and to make a difference in our world.
Enjoy Girls of God!