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under the Son
Apr. 5, 2008
Getting into the Son...
Springs back! There is absolutely no reason not to smile now... not that there was before...
This morning I was sitting out on our back porch. It was gorgeous out! I was surrounded by green grass, birds were singing, pink buds were blooming. I had a long awaited, toasty bagel with oj. Which the dogs were certain they deserved a bit of. I was very comfortable, all nestled up on the glider, eating my breakfast, reading my Bible. But there was one thing that kept me from fully enjoying this morning..
Though the sun was out, I was sitting mostly in the shade of our porch. So every time a breeze would come along, I would sit there slowly freezing. I knew if I got up and moved to our steps, which were completely exposed to the sun, I would be warmer. But I wanted to stay right where I was. Sitting on a cushy glider has always held more appeal to me than sitting on concrete steps.
So instead of moving, I slipped on my jacket.. this helped a little bit. But the breeze kept coming, and I was still freezing. Yet still too stubborn to just move.
Aren't we all that way sometimes? As Christians. We get in a spot in life, where we're comfortable. Where we can watch God's grace and love flow, yet sit in comfort at the same time. We even indulge in the scriptures, and let our toes get a little bit of God's rays. Yet God calls us to more. He tries to pull us out in the Son, and yet we are too satisfied with where we are to get up and go.
Why? Because we doubt that the "concrete steps" won't be as comfortable as the "glider". We doubt that God's way will provide the "happiness" that we are currently experiencing, and fear to give it up.
But if we would just take a few steps of faith, and walk out into the Son. We would never wish to return to our comfort. There is overwhelming peace and joy when we simply trust God entirely and let Him have His work in us. But you would never know that if you just stay where you are. Being satisfied to watch others bask in God's glory.
We also put on "jackets", to ease the urgency of the calling. To numb the cold, so we can stay in comfort longer.
I know, because all to often I am too satisfied. It's a dangerous place to be, because we are unknowingly dodging the awesome possibilities God has for our lives. To take advantage of those possibilities we must get up and move to where God can use us. He can't use us sitting down. As Christians we should always be desiring to do and learn more. Never be satisfied to just dip your toes in the Son. Go out and bask in Him! 
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Mar. 21, 2008
~*The Charm Bracelet*~...
wow! isn't it beautiful outside?? at least here it is... 
about this time every month I'm super happy because I get more in the mail than college brochures and Verizon bills, I get Brio!!! Brio&Beyond if you want to be technical. After flipping through it a few times, admiring the designs and noting every article I then go back and actually read the new material.
The first article I read was this one, and I thought it was so good that I would share it with you! Hope you like! 
~The Charm Bracelet~
~*Sweet 16 had finally come! I never thought I'd make it. But I did. And it was amazing. My parents threw the birthday party of the century, and I had more people than I could count. The whole day had been awesome. But as I watched the sun begin to set, I knew the best part was soon to come.
It was late in the evening. Confetti had been swept up, helium balloons had started to sag and gift wrap had been folded neatly and tucked away for my Mom's later use. As I sat at my window studying the dusky sky, Dad peeked into my room with a smile.
"Ready to go, Sweetie?" he asked.
Was that a trick question? I wondered as I scrambled to my feet. I'd been waiting 5 long years, and it was finally here! I was now officially allowed to date!
The plan was for my parents and me to go to my favorite restaurant on the night of my 16th birthday and officiate the agreement, go over standards and discuss rules and such. And now we were finally on our way.
I sat across from my parents in a quiet corner booth. Having just placed our orders, I figured it was time to get on with it. "So. I can go out with any guy I want to, right?" I squealed, hardly able to contain my excitement.
Mom and Dad chuckled. Dad answered, "Well, we agreed to that, didn't we?"
"Sweet!" I exclaimed, doing a little victory dance in my seat. My parents had held me off for years, but now that the time had come, they would let me date any guy I wanted! Of course they knew I had a good relationship with God and wasn't too short on common sense either.
"Now wait just a second," Mom interrupted with a smile. "You have to agree to a little something yourself."
I was expecting a lecture of some sort, so I was already prepared. "So what do I have to do now?" I asked, leaning forward on my elbows.
"Just open this," Dad answered, producing a small white box. He gave a mysterious smile. ~
I hesitated a moment before removing the curly pink ribbon. I slowly opened the lid and saw a beautiful silver bracelet. But not just any bracelet. It was a charm bracelet. And they weren't just any charms. They were gemstones, small but gorgeous. A dozen dainty charms dangled gently.
"Wow." I didn't know what else to say. I wasn't expecting this at all.
"Now you have to understand this isn't just any bracelet," Mom informed me.
"I know," I said. "It's so beautiful!" I studied it closer. There were six small charms alternating with six tinier ones. The smaller ones were a deep blue. Sapphires, I guessed. And the other six were each different. One appeared to be just a rock, one was pink, a white one, a red one, green ... and was that a diamond?
"This charm bracelet is symbolic," Dad explained, leaning in closer to study it with me. "It represents you and your purity. This is what will guide you through your dating relationships. Your mother and I can only tell you what's right. We can't make you believe it yourself. Hopefully, this will."
I looked up solemnly. "I'm listening."
"This represents the first time you hold a guys hand," Mom said, pointing to the gray one. "It's just a piece of polished granite. Seemingly cheap, yes, but it's still a part of your bracelet. This is pink quartz." She gently rubbed the next one between her fingers. "It represents your first kiss."
"This green one is an emerald," Dad continued. "This is your first boyfriend. the pearl is the first time you say 'I love you' to a man other than me."
I giggled. This was so amazing.
"The ruby stands for your first engagement. And the diamond represents the first time you say 'I do'", Mom finished.
After letting it all sink in, I cleared my emotion-clogged throat. "What do the six tiny sapphires stand for?" I asked.
"Those are to remind you how beautiful and valuable you are to us and to God", Dad replied. "Now here's the hitch in all this, the one and only rule you'll ever have to follow when it comes to dating."
Only one rule. Sounded good. But little did I know...
"Whenever you give one of these actions of love- a kiss, an 'I love you', a hand to hold- you also have to give the recipient the gem to match."
I must've misunderstood. "I have to give him the gem?"
"You have to give it to him," Mom restated.
I was silent for a moment. I thought they must be joking. But they weren't even thinking of cracking a smile.
"But Daddy!" I suddenly shrieked. "These are insanely expensive! I can't just give them away!"
He gave a soft, loving chuckle. 'Did you hear what you just said?"
I thought about it.
"Baby, your purity, your heart, they're far more valuable than a few little rocks. If you can't find it in your heart to away your little charms, I don't think you should be giving away the things they represent."
I could feel my insides melting, ready to gush out my tear ducts. On the one hand, it made me feel valuable and precious. But the on the other, it made me furious. It made no sense. But it would.~
A few weeks after that night, I was hanging out with my friends at the beach. Chad wouldn't swim because I wouldn't swim. I was more interested in reading than getting caked with sand, and he was more interested in sitting with me than swimming with his buddies. He was sweet. He was cute. And he tried to hold my hand.
I was thrilled for a nanosecond when a certain piece of ugly granite flashed through my mind and made me move out of his reach. I was severely annoyed- annoyed at my parents, annoyed at my bracelet-turned-handcuffs, but most of all, annoyed at myself. I was letting a little rock dominate my romantic life.
I furiously glared at it during the walk to the bathhouse. But then God hit me upside the head with a shocking epiphany. I couldn't give up my little chunk of granite. It was part of my bracelet, which in a sense made it a part of me. I wouldn't be whole without it. It wasn't a priceless gem, yet it was still valuable. It made sense to me after that.
Kevin came along eventually. We had fun. We hung out a lot. I thought I might love him. I thought I might tell him so. I thought of my pearl. It turned out that I didn't love him as much as I thought I did.
So my parents had been right. They couldn't make me believe the things they wanted me to believe. So they let God and my bracelet do the work instead. Among the four of them, I figured out how valuable I was. How valuable my purity was. How not valuable guys were who just wasted my time and emotions. If they weren't in it for the whole bracelet, why should they get one part of it?
Nate. He thought my bracelet was awesome. So he never tried to hold my hand. He never tried to kiss me. But he asked me to marry him.
I never knew that so many years of torture could amount to so much happiness. I'd thought it was silly. I'd thought it was overrated. But now, I've never been more glad of anything in my life. As I gave my husband the charm bracelet in it's entirety, I wondered why I had found it so hard to hang on to those little rocks when it was so amazing to them all to the man I truly loved.
But it didn't end there. Now our daughter wears it. *~ |
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Mar. 19, 2008
Dost thou not knowest...
...that a glorious event is about to occur?? Tis this Monday on which it falls...
Spring Volleyball Tourney!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Canst thou hardly contain thyself? Tis truly miraculous indeed!
K, so everyone can understand... our tourney is this monday! YAY! I cunna way man! It's at Messiah College if ya want to know... prolly all day...
Of course i must add some spiritual sentiment.. unlike all previous tournaments this one will be different! no, i do not have new knee-pads or newly acquired skill...but God has taught me something. nothing really new, but one of those times when the lesson finally penetrates the brain and it all makes sense.
so, do you want to know what it is?? weeeelll, i suppose i can let you in on it.
very simple.. here goes:
as a Christian volleyball player i should be playing for God and not myself!!!
i told you it was simple! but this simple phrase had not entered into my very selfish heart in all these years of v-ball playing. it was not until now that i was able to put it to work in my life.
ya see, i often went to practice to prove i could play well, to make A team, to achieve every sports goal possible! I separated my sports from my walk with God.
"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess His name." Hebrews 13:15
"Rejoice evermore." 1 Thessalonians 5:16
"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children.." Ephesians 5:1
"Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men."
2 Corinthians 8:4
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
Romans 12:1,2
According to these verses, we are to continually uplift Christ. Continually praise His name. 24/7 for the rest of your life. By giving God the game, it's tons more enjoyable. Because we are no longer focused on ourselves and the stress of the game. We are instead playing in the glory of the Lord, no matter how good or bad we are.
We are to imitate Christ, hence W.W.J.D.? Especially in front of other people. So that Christ is revealed to them through our Christian walk. People are always watching. It doesn't stop on the court, or anywhere else. It challenged me to stop playing for myself. So that maybe people will see Christ in me, even while playing a sport that can be frustrating. So often sports are associated with angry sports fans, and athletes that curse and are selfish. Did you know that they even make little cloth footballs to throw at the TV when you're mad at the game? That's why it's so vital that Christians emanate Christ in sports, and other hobbies and interests that so often are cut off from Christ. Sports aren't wrong, it's not wrong to have fun and enjoy a good competitive sport. But let's make sure that Christ is evident in all we do. People are watching your reactions, listening to your words... what do they see when they look at you? |
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Feb. 28, 2008
~*The act of living a set apart life...
In preparation for my upcoming internship, I've been surrounding myself with literature and websites that encourage the same beliefs and morals which GOV stands for.
One of my all-time favorite authors, or "couple" has been Eric and Leslie Ludy. I've read books of theirs over the years and have always come away greatly inspired.
Today I re-visited their website to refresh my memory and I was blown away with all the new additions to the web since I had last been on. Needless to say, I was "re-inspired" [yes, another "Cherylism"] by their amazing passion for the Lord and the unique bond they have as a couple, especially after 13 years together.
It's almost too-good-to-be-true. It's hard to fathom that what they share is fact, not mushy romance novel material. Eric and Leslie have focused primarily on uplifting true masculinity and pure femininity amongst a world of people who mix the two together. They have also written an abundance on Godly marriage, being faithful to your future spouse, and relationships.
Why don't ya just visit the sites and see for yourself! I think you'll enjoy it...
Eric and Leslie main page www.setapartlife.com
and Leslie's page [ just for girls ] www.authenticgirl.com
And I guess since I'm on the subject.. I'll recommend some other sweet sites:
www.worldviewweekend.com [ participate in the online institute for a small fee, you won't regret it!]
www.generationsofvirtue.com [I think this is self-explanatory ]
www.therebelution.com [a growing ministry by Josh Harris' younger twin brothers]
www.purefreedom.org [author and speaker Dannah Gresh's webpage]
www.joshharris.com [author and speaker Josh Harris' website]
www.briomag.com [Focus on the Family's Brio magazines' website]
oooo... don't cha just love these colors?? They remind me spring is not far away!! Can't wait!
Have a sweet almost-spring day!
everythingurl
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Feb. 23, 2008
Being 5 again...
Do you love snow too? Maybe you've gotten older and snow has lost it's appeal. It's cold, it makes you wet and numb, it can hurt, than you have to come in and get all itchy when you warm up ... so why go out in it? 
But today was a perfect day for snow. It was untouched and crisp. Until Lisa and I got our feet in it... mwahahaha. You can feel and act as mature as you want, but when you climb on a sled and start off down the hill, you are transformed into a 5 year old again. Suddenly the cold and wetness goes away, and your mind is completely focused on getting back up that hill and sliding down again. After awhile your body starts to revolt, it's cramping and it wants to go home. But you, intent on sledding, push that to the back of your mind and keep going. If you think about it too much, you might sit down and maybe give up. It' s gets harder and harder to dig your feet in, and every leg muscle is frozen and screaming. As you walk uphill with the burden of your ever-so heavy plastic sled. Which in reality is just above the weight of air. But it doesn't matter, because you know when you get to the top, you will swell with pride on having made it once again and have another glorious turn on the slope. 
Why can't we be the same way with Christ. Christianity can be fun at first, but as you go on it gets hard to face the world and many temptations to just give in. You and I both know how amazing God is, yet as we tire with spiritual fatigue our minds can lose clarity. We can do some pretty crazy things when we're tired. But if we push on we eventually make it to the top and get to have that amazing rushing feeling. As we become more determined and believe that we can make it, the hill becomes less antagonizing. And we begin to see the joy in all of the situations, like my thinking "it really hurts to walk up this hill, but this is awesome cardio...thus worth it". We also tend to make our burdens much worse than they are, or forget to turn them into growing experiences. Eventually we have to stop, but we can go in to warm PJ's and hot chocolate. How perfect! 
Eventually we will all pass away, but if we persist in climbing those hills in our spiritual lives how worth it it will all be when we can go home to heaven and hear "well done".
Have fun on the slopes!!!
Everythingurl
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Feb. 13, 2008
*Answered Prayers*
Hi everyone! I still can't believe that I am writing this. I just received a letter today stating that I have been accepted to the GOV internship. I got through the first two sentences and started crying. Not so much because I was accepted, but because I know that God has opened this door and I am taking a step towards Christ in going. 
I have to be honest, I was ready to send out the e-mail that I hadn't been accepted and to pray that God would open another door, since they were letting everyone know by the 15th. God really used this past month to work my patience and faith in Him.
I have been extremely blessed. With so many replying to my first e-mail and promising their prayers it was very encouraging and helpful. I want to thank you all very much for taking the time to do so. I can say with all sincerity that it meant everything to me.
Now that I have been accepted there's a lot to do. And I would like to ask if you would somewhat change my first prayer request and pray for the upcoming internship in the following areas:
*Mental/ Emotional/ Spiritual Preparation - That God would prepare me as much as possible within the next two months. That He would cultivate my servants heart so that I will be the best tool possible for Him while serving that month. Also, I hope that it will be time in which God will reveal my most painful weaknesses so that I may grow closer to Him. Pray that I would be open and accepting of this mentoring process and my eyes peeled for God's direction for the future. 1 Peter 1:13-16
*Schooling- Within these next two months, I need to finish all of my schooling for the year.  Pray for grace and an attentive mind.2 Chronicles 16:9a
*Financial support- I have to raise a total of $1,295 before March 31st. $500 of which must be in by Feb. 25th. I have no doubt that God will provide this in time. Phil. 4:19
* Health - Some of you know that I have been struggling with physical problems for over 1 1/2 years now. My only concern in this area is that I won't be able to physically handle one month of long hours on my feet, with fewer hours of precious sleep. Just pray that God will give me an abundance of energy, a strong immune system, and the strength and ability that I need to carry out every task that comes my way. Isaiah 40:31
*Unity - Even though it is still two months away, I ask that you would pray for unity between the GOV team, the other intern and myself. That each and every person would be open and accepting of the other, and that together we will form a dynamite team doing great things for the Lord and to His glory. 1 Peter 1:22b 1 Cor. 12:12,13
These are the requests at the time. I want to thank you all again and again!
[ x10]
All glory and praise to God!
May He profoundly bless you all!
Cheryl
"...the joy of the Lord is your strength." Neh. 8:10 |
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Feb. 10, 2008
~*It's all about love...
There's a lot cut out for Thursday. Cute little cards will be swapped. Necco will have made a fortune in Sweethearts. Lots of people will take hard earned money out of their wallet for expensive dinners and cuddly teddy bears. Some nervous guy might whip out his latest investment and propose. If he's lucky..he might get to put the ring on his new fiance's finger. Others, who have been married for eternity will celebrate those unforgettable years on that one day. There's something special about Valentines Day... it's one day in the calendar year set aside for love. 
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
By now the idea of Valentines day should be engraved in your head. Basically, if you're single... ya lose. End of story. However if you are like me, a single [who won't be getting any Sweethearts or teddy bears] wanting more than just the romanticism of the chic flicks and to get in on the action of Valentines I've got a secret...
This whole love thing... isn't just for couples! In fact you are not single! Yea, sure you may not have that person called a boyfriend. [ or girlfriend.. if you are a guy who is surprisingly reading this] But did it ever occur to you that there is more to love than just the mushy Pathos kind? What about Agape? Now if you haven't heard the Adventures in Odyssey's interpretation of true love.. Agape is a love found between God and His children. Because we are to be Christlike this love should also be found between Christians. It is a warm, unselfish, brotherly love. If a person does not know this type I am truly sorry for them; because it is this love which enables me to go on day after day.
So my point is... if Valentines day is a celebration of love, than why can't we [singles] also join in the festivities? A boy/girl relationship is only one way to demonstrate love. There is friendship, family, within the local and worldwide church, and my favorite.. the love between Christ and us. So break out the party gear and get going! The ultimate reason to celebrate is Christ's unfailing love for each one of us!
Now you don't know me very well if you think that that is the end! In fact, this may be my longest blog yet. I might have to split it into two parts. So don't exhale that sigh of relief yet, I'm just getting warmed up.
On Saturday night, I was given a golden opportunity to help at my new church. From 5 to 9:30 I helped to serve at the annual Valentines Banquet. I had a wonderful time, and left feeling that I had done something good for Christ. But that's another story... As couples and singles alike were exiting the building little books were handed out entitled "Moments for Each Other". It was not extremely surprising when our pastor whipped it out for use in the Sunday morning services. And God used even a book meant for marital means, in my very single life. It challenged me, as a lover, to a new level. And I think you'll understand after you read this excerpt:
Lovers
Some people in a family are "gifted" lovers. They somehow know how to make all the folks around them feel the love they share, especially the love of Jesus Christ. The principals are the same in families as well as in churches or anyplace people meet.
LOVERS smile a lot. Something caring and contagious flows through them. it's inviting, warm, gentle, and kind.
LOVERS treat you as someone really special. Warmth and welcome quickly turn into genuine friendship. They like you as a wonderful person and do not hesitate to say so.
LOVERS' faces light up every time they see you. Their hugs, handshakes, and personal words make you feel totally accepted. Quickly they invite you into their conversation, group or home. Instinctively you know that you have a place in their hearts.
LOVERS make knowing Jesus and living in Him so attractive. If coming close to Him is something like coming close to them, it has to be wonderful.
LOVERS know God. You sense that they tap into the true source of love often and regularly. The overflow of their lives show that the fruit of the Spirit is love.
LOVERS are generous with compliments from the heart, quick to see your strengths, and tender with your weaknesses.
LOVERS hate flaws. Sometimes their weaknesses hurt us more than those of others from whom we expected so little.
LOVERS sometimes become victims of our rising expectations. We, and so many others, want to treat them like close friends. No one can keep up with the many demands of true friendship for so many people. We can easily expect lovers to do more for us than is reasonable.
LOVERS need to be loved too. Weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, even funerals, say something significant.
LOVERS have many who will rise up and call them blessed. And rightly so. They have blessed so many for so long that is only seems right to give them a little gratitude and appreciation in return.
LOVERS do incredible good to all within their sphere of influence. It's little wonder then that the most often repeated commandment in the New Testament is "love one another".
LOVERS are made and not born. To become a lover is a matter of decision, attitude, and commitment to become and be a lover for the rest of your life.
To be loved is better than to be famous. ~ Eleanor Doan~
This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 1 John 3:11
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Jan. 31, 2008
Tag #2
Ok, I've been randomly tagged to tell all, more quirky info and habits. Here goes...
I was tagged by MomOnAJourney...
Here are the rules:
1. Link to the person that tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.
My six non-important things/habits/quirks:
1. My ideal Saturday afternoon is curling up with a blanket, in my PJ's, and watching a chic flick with random junk food after a long week of school, so I can rest with some sense of acomplishment.
2. I have my Pap's blue eyes
3. I also inherited [from an anonymous parent] my habit for having conversations with myself, I tend to do this while preparing a testimony or something to share at youth. Don't worry, I hear about it from my sister...
4. Home-cooked meals are my second love
5. I adore the Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha from Starbucks, in my opinion Starbucks is the place to be.
6. A good run can be the most relaxing thing, especially on a sunny day where God's love for life is extra evident.
Here's who I tagged:
mylouisianasky
theSpaceyAstronomer
vbsmily
lilgirly
volleybabe
ClassyCassie
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Jan. 30, 2008
In honor of life...
The entire month of January has become known as "Pro-Life Month". So to partake in this I decided to post an essay which I had written a few years ago and read in front of my church. It's short and sweet, barely scratching the surface of the issue. Also, in the course of 3 years I've gathered more info and ideas. Plus picked up on better writing teqhniques.  I'll refuse to make needed adjustments.  But I think that this essay can do some justice, so here goes....
"Abortion. Confiscating an unwanted child's life. Termination and the expulsion of a child still in the womb. In the words of Gianna Jessen, 'Today a baby is a baby when convenient, it is tissue or otherwise when the time is not right... why is that?' Gianna Jessen is an abortion survivor and her testimony has touched many, including myself.
Abortion is a symbol of how far we've come from God. If abortion was of God's will then why is it such an issue? Everything God made was good. Genesis 1. We as humans have distorted it. Genesis 3. If abortion was made by God then how are it's effects so painful and devastating?
-Abortion leaves a mother in distress, feeling guilt. They are scarred for life. Former Abortion Clinic Owner, Eric Harrah in sharing his experiences; said how there is no compassion for the women who decide to abort. The doctors come to look at them as dollar bills instead of struggling women. And when counseling a women they would provide options for her, but make abortion the most appealing. The easy way out. In all the stories I have heard..of women who abort find no pleasure in the memory. Whereas birth seems to leave a mother happy, with indescribable joy. When a women is expecting and goes for her first check-up she will receive a chart from her doctor explaining each stage of development. When one talks to a mother about her pregnancy, she will love to reminisce about the Ultra-sounds. When they could look at their baby for the first time, while it was still in their body. It brings good memories. God created birth, not abortion.
-Abortion is murdering a human being. Many people cause a controversy over war because of the loss of lives due to war. They want peace. Yet the same people allow unborn babies to be murdered without giving it a second thought. Most simply do not want to face the issue.
-Finally it's against God's will. Psalm 139:13-16 states that God "knit" us together in our mother's womb. He saw us when we were shapeless. to deny a baby being 'alive' in the womb is to go against God's word. Alive, is the opposite of dead; a being that is growing, developing, maturing, and replacing it's own dying cells. If one were to research the development in the womb they would find it is very much alive. Therefore 'it' is a living human being. Hence abortion is murder. In addition there is always physical dangers to the mother and child if the abortion is not successful. Gianna has cerebral palsy because of such a failure.
'All life is valuable. All life is a gift from our Creator. We must receive and cherish the gifts we are given. We must honor the right to life.' Gianna Jessen ended her testimony with these words. 'I believe there is no one else on earth that can appreciate life than those who very narrowly received it.' How can we, who have never been threatened with our lives, understand and be as grateful for it in the way they are. Gianna can teach us a lesson. Too many take their lives for granted. We can pray, and trust in God. We can be there to stand up for the unborn. Be the voice for those who do not have one. Be their chance for life."
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Jan. 23, 2008
I'm drawin' a blank...
OK, I give up! I have no clue what to write about! Does anyone else ever feel the same way? This goes far beyond writer's block and is touching lame-o. I wish I could give everyone a hug and a big smile because words can't even begin to describe those silent moments of infinite happiness. Sometimes, do you ever just feel like dancing or jumping up and down? If you do, you should ya know. Who's watching, just jump up and praise God! Be silly, let it all go. Every thing in my life today has threatened my happiness. We watched a depressing old movie about a guy who murdered two people for money, I am drowning in essays, I am sick and tired of analyzing "the Crucible" one of the most depressing plays ever, the past threatens to make me miserable with my endless flaws, and even the birds don't look happy today. But that's when I have to determine with every inch of my being that I am going to be happy! The world will always have a way to make us miserable. I'm one of God's children, and I'm not going to waste a moment of possible praise with self pity and depression. Sometimes we just have to let it go. I don't know about you, but I let people get to me. Especially the nasty, mean ones. Sometimes I worry about the future. I'm all for God's will, and sometimes it seems like He's 10,000 light-years away. Sometimes I let the green monster come out in me, even towards the people I love the most. And today was good for all of these things.Sometimes we need to let these things go and trust God, it seems like I have to learn that over and over again. Like it won't go through my watermelon head and stay there. I have this tiny little voice in my head, do you have one of those? It is determined that I worry and stress and over analyze every thing on this earth. Does anyone have a pillow? Cuz ya need to beat me with it. I wish we could just enjoy God and his wonders, no strings attached. Just sing and smile all day, but then I guess that's what heaven is for. Man!  I think the only working remedy is to pray and spend some time with God. So ya know where I'll be in 10 minutes. I think, ok I think alot, that it is at the most miserable times that we need to smile the most. Because who knows, maybe it's that smile that will cheer someone else up. We also need to peel our eyes open, God is showering blessings on us everyday and we need to look out for them. It could be in your devo's, or in a testimony, or a smile. Who could know, but do not let misery win the battle. Go to God, he's in this battle with you. He knows the strategies to help you win, he's only waiting for you to ask. Don't turn to the comfort food or chic flicks... relax in the palm of God's hand.Smileon!everythi
nggurl
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Jan. 13, 2008
~Prayer Request~
Hi everybody! I was on the Generations of Virtue blog today and I thought you might be blessed by this one [ below] like I was. Also, while I'm writing I would like to ask a huge favor of everyone.
A few weeks ago I applied for the GOV internship. The goal of GOV is to "wave the banner of purity" while providing resources for teens and their parents in the US and parts of Asia.
The internship is a month long. If selected, I would travel to 4 conventions with the team helping to set up booths and minister, while Julie Hiramine, the founder, speaks. The big bonus to me is that I would have a great opportunity to see an active teen ministry behind-the-scenes. While being mentored by the staff.
I sincerely believe God has been leading me to full-time ministry. My dream would be to start an outreach ministry. I have a specific burden for pre-teen and teen girls who struggle with depression, self-image, who ultimately lack God's joy and peace in their lives; for the teens who do not have the opportunity to attend a seminar or read a devotional, teens who are growing up without the blessings that I have. Of course I am not 110% sure if this is God's plan and so I am waiting and praying for his leading. At this point I am planning on a Youth Ministry major in college, after that I draw a blank. However I am anxious to see where God will lead me in the future. I want so desperately for God to inspire me with an idea of how I could service this people. I am open to his leading but I still pray for the chance to help instill joy in people's lives.
I think that this internship would enable me to get a step closer to ministry than I have ever been. I would have the chance to question Julie Hiramine about how she started the ministry, what inspired her, etc. It would truly be a blessing...
"Then said I, Ah Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord. Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth: and the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in your mouth." Jeremiah 1:6-9
I strongly believe that if it is God's will, I'll be accepted. But in the past few days I've been extra nervous about it. In a couple of weeks, Feb. 15th, it will be determined who the staff has picked for the internship. The scary thing is, they only pick two girls per session! So if I am picked, it would truly be God working.
Right now I really need your prayers. Not just for me, but for God's will in it. I would not want to be accepted if I were not the right girl for the job. So pray for the GOV team as they select the interns. That God would lead them to the right ones. Then I would be extra blessed if you all would pray for my bundle of nerves, and that God would use this "one-of-a-kind patience working" experience to make me a better servant and tool for Christ.
Thanks a bunch!
Love in Christ,
Cheryl
"Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth into those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12-14
*GOV Blog*
One thing the Lord’s shown us (the Generations of Virtue team) is that God’s idea of friendship and our culture’s idea of friendship are two totally different things. Our culture says: “If you like to hang out with someone and they are nice to you and would never think to offend you or make you feel bad, that person is a friend”. Basically, if you get something out of the relationship like acceptance, justification for your sin, or an elevated social status, then by all means, make friends! On the other hand, the minute you get bored with the person, they offend you or start competing with you–forget it!
But God’s Word has a different perspective on friendship: “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. Proverbs 27:17”. In other words, when God gives us friends, He gives us people who are going to help us become more like Jesus Christ. They’re not going to sit around and flatter our flesh. A true friend is someone who is willing to lay aside his or her own desires for the best interest of the friendship. I’ll be the first to admit that I get upset when God uses my friends to pull me up to a higher standard or expose my flesh. But I have to realize that this is what true friendship is: helping and enabling one another to honor God. Sometimes it is really difficult to be in relationships like these, and they may even seem downright cumbersome at times, but boy are they worth it! I would rather have one good friend who is sensitive to the Holy Spirit and not afraid to be used by Him in my life than ten friends who are always flattering me and making me feel as if I didn’t have a single flaw. Godly friendships really are like Old Ironsides in that they are able to weather the storms of life: disagreements, tough times, separation, etc. True friendship is worth fighting for–which usually requires one to fight one’s own iniquity. Compared to God’s idea of friendship, our culture’s model for friendship is nothing more than a plastic toy sailboat–hardly worth fighting for.
Isn’t this always the way with the good things God has for us–things that really help us in our pursuit of righteousness? Things like trials, tests, discipline, correction, and honest, Godly friends can seem undesirable at first, but you have to admit they really are good for us and we should be so thankful for them!
http://generationsofvirtue.wordpress.com/
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Oct. 23, 2007
long time no write
it's true i'm no longer worthy of the title 'blogger'. but i'll try in vain to make up for lost time.
it's a fact that i had neglected my blogging duties before a variety of life-changing events occurred, however! the past, let's say 2 months, after endless hours of painting, packing, eating lots of chocolate, and even more taco bell my family moved 50 miles away to icannottelluwhere!
i'm supposed to be barely alive, refusing food because it gives no comfort, becoming a hermit, blinded by tears, losing all sense of good hygiene ....
but then God threw something in there, i actually like it here! imagine that.  and the fact that we have an in-ground pool and are 10 minutes from shopping heaven has nothing to do with it! really..
so i'm still waiting to see what exactly it is that God planted my family here to do. but i've been making changes in my own life since we've been here.
that's the exciting thing about moving somewhere new. you have the ability to start over with experience you didn't have when you first started life. ya know all those embarrassing mishaps.... getting way too excited with the eyebrow plucker, thinking you were cool when really... yikes, bad hair cuts, fights that never should have happened, or being quiet when someone new came to church, saying something completely stupid and bizarre to someone ya liked making you look alien, all those chances to speak up and yet you didn't. the fact that i'm a firstborn doesn't help any.
and as long as i sat and moped about all the terrible and stupid mistakes i've made or worried about how someone perceives me, i came to realize that without all those experiences i wouldn't be where i am today. i would have to be perfect, and as awesome as that sounds what about learning and growing. all the laughs over a terrible clothing year or the chance to share your testimony possibly effecting someone's life.
so i kinda like the idea of being not so perfect, of spending a lifetime attempting to serve God and then spending eternal perfection later on.
and before i go, i have a praise. some of you were aware of the abusive bathing conditions i was undergoing. picture a small, crude shower stall. dirt so thick my sister took to doodling aliens in it, an almost certainty that you would run into some other creature when attempting to shower, and the absolute need to wear flip-flops and if possible ... blinders. yes this torment has finally ended ... approximately 1 month after we anticipated. oh joy, oh rapture we have a normal shower. life can now resume.
everythingurl
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Aug. 17, 2007
Tagged
All right, here are the rules.
1. We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.
2. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight
things and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged
and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.
~1. I love wearing big baggy sweatshirts and curling up into a ball when it's freezing outside.
~2. My dream is to one day start a ministry outreach to pre-teen and teen girls.
~3. If I could go anywhere in the world right now, it would be to Gubbio, Italy
~4. I have an awesome beta named Tuna, the next will be named Sardine. :]]
~5. I love playing any sports, whether I'm good at them or not.
~6. My Dad used to call me Napkinhead due to a McDonald's encounter
~7. I have a tendency to blog inconsistently, but you already know that
~8. I prefer a Bunny Burger to a Quarter Pounder any day
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Jun. 23, 2007
these are Jeep driving days..
Of course... that's if you have one...
My mood: BLAH...slightly off, slightly upset, slightly happy, slightly everything. How do you approach this behavior? I'll let you know later...
So we start another summer where I'll have to survive without a jeep... I suppose I can make it.
Now on to other less depressing news... except those of you I see on the road..woohaha. I went this past Wednesday to a little place I like to call... Driver's License Center. Let me tell you, standing there in line I could've sworn up and down I was going to fail that day. I couldn't convince myself that I had studied enough! The grumpy man at the desk didn't help much either. And when I sat down at the little cubby containing a computer that glared PA Knowledge Test... my heart was beating 10x's faster than it should. Ya know like those cartoons with the heart's beating out of their chest.
I can't say I took a deep breath.. because I didn't... all I knew was 2 minutes later I had passed with a perfect score! Who would've known? I couldn't wipe the smile off my face...and I've been happily driving ever since. Even on roads!
My life has been so busy... isn't it coincidence...everybody seems to be saying that. But I'll give you an insiders look at my life the past few weeks: I've seen Fantastic Four, passed and got my permit, scooped manure for a week, started my own little fan club with 10 and 11 year olds, went shopping, took akazillion pictures, went shopping some more, worked around a 30 hour week, passed 10th grade, upheld the 30-day Brio challenge, planned a Girls Nite, packed and unpacked and packed again, talked to myself, sang in the shower a few times, got next years formal dress, established a myspace, discovered i have two new favorite songs, re-started working out, tested my 6 person tent, received 1.. kazillion bug bites, broke my awesomest sunglasses, alright i'm done now.
But i think i work best with a plate full.
OH.. since I'm on here i'll give you my MySpace address...
www.myspace.com/anngirl89
But it's private..so if you don't have a myspace you cannot gain acsess! Therefore... everyone needs to get one! Alright i better get off before i do permanent damage to my reputation!
To blog another time, when my eyelids aren't drooping..
everythingurl
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May. 31, 2007
~*~Inspired by a Quote..~*~
Hey guys,
I, for once, don't have much to say. But I had to share this quote that I read during devo's with you all.
"When I was a young man[woman], I wanted to change the world. I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation. When I found I couldn't change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn't change the town and as an older man[woman], I tried to change my family. Now, as an old man[woman], I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an IMPACT on my family. My family and I could have made an IMPACT on our town. Their IMPACT could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the world."
~Unknown Monk, A.D.1100
"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Matthew 7
I won't say my thoughts on this one, I want to hear what you have to say... and also to lighten things up a bit. I have a "would you rather" question for you that I also am requiring feedback on. Yes, if you read this post you are bound to commenting!
"WOULD YOU RATHER ... drink a mug of steaming hot coffee in the middle of the dessert OR sip on a brain-freezing Slurpee during a snowstorm??? " I want to know why too...
Hasta la Vista,
everythingurl
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