A hymn is defined as "A song of praise or thanksgiving to God or a deity." Yesterday in church, as I was singing a hymn with the choir, I realized how powerful hymns are. A lot of modern churches have moved away from traditional hymns, and focused more on praise and worship. That's fine, but they sometimes don't realize how hymns can be songs of praise and worship. Here are the simple, but amazing words of Great Is Thy Faithfulness.

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father; There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not; As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided; Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness; To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth; Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

God does supply all our needs, no matter what happens. God has everlasting faithfulness, that surpasses all understanding. Next time you hear a hymn, don't just tune it out. Let it speak to you, as words about our wonderful, loving Father.

Last night our church had a father/daughter banquet.  It was lovely, and we had a great time!  I know it's not Father's Day yet, but I'd like to say a few words about fathers.  They have a tremendous job, raising girls... I can imagine it must be hard... especially if they never had sisters, like my dad.  (Beware, I'm biased, my dad is the best in the world) 

Don't be afraid to spend time with your dad.  Laugh with him, cry with him, tell him how you're feeling.  A relationship with your dad is precious, don't let it waste away.  We had a speaker at the banquet, and he expressed how if he could raise his girls again, (they're all older now)  he would spend more time with them.  While you're still young, don't let the days pass without letting your dad know how much you love him.  You never know, spending time with your dad may create the best times in your life!

Here is a poem I found by Ginger C. Smith:

I'm just sitting here thinking about what you mean to me,
Remembering all the things you've done for me,
You've been there for me from the start,
Knowing what to say to keep me from falling apart,
Taking everything that comes your way good or bad,
Even though you're not my father you'll always be my dad,
I can't count high enough for every time you've went out of your way,
Knowing you're there keeps me going everyday,
When I need encouragement, you're the first to give it,
When I have a problem, you always have the best advise to fix it,
I could sit here and say Thank-you from now till I die but it wouldn't be enough,
I can only wish if I went through what you did I could be so tough,
I'll always love you unconditionally,
From now till an eternity.

Thank you Deb, for prompting this long awaited updated. 

I am very excited, for I am finally getting out of the house today.  We had a major ice storm, and all the events that I would have been part of, were cancelled.  It may not sound all that impressive, but we live back in the woods (I'm very thankful for such a great place to live, don't get me wrong), and I have been stuck in this house for almost 6 days straight.   For me, that's an eternity not seeing my friends, and just... people.  =]  I love my people... hehe!

When you are faced with a quiet world of ice and snow, however, something amazing happens.  I looked up into the bright sky, with the ice shining from the trees, and I realized I wasn't as lonely as I thought.  Sure I haven't talked to a person outside my family for 5 days, but that kind of melts away as I saw the brilliance of God's creation.  It reminds me of how the simple love of the Father could create such a magnificent masterpiece.  We humans have tried to be master minds and create things... but nothing compares to God's unfailing talent.  It reminds me of Psalm 19:1, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands."

There is part of a song by Avalon, (The Good Way) that wraps up my point:

Traffic noise, expensive toys
A love that never lasts
Broken homes and self-made thrones
We're livin' life too fast
That we forget the things that His love brings
Beyond what this world is
I can hear it still today
What the preacher used to say
This is how you live
You've got to..

Believe in your heart
Right down to your soul
And speak the true things
And know that you know
'Cause this might be the day
So live like it is
Find the good way
And walk in it
Walk on

Check this out:

http://www.therebelution.com/modestysurvey/

I think it's great that fellow teens still care about modesty.  We should take a stand for what we believe.  Since our bodies are temples of the Lord, we need to keep them holy, and pure.  Till that one special person comes along, we need to guard our thoughts and actions, as we prepare ourselves for our true love. 

God, give us the grace, and mercy each and every dayto live like you.  As we dress every morning, keep it in our hearts and minds how we could dress to glorify YOU, not ourselves. 

It's almost Valentine's Day, and everyone is giddy with excitement. =] Here is a writing assignment I did a while back, I thought it was appropriate for this time of year.

                                               

“I love you.” This is a phrase commonly used, especially during Valentines Day. However, people take delight in saying it year around. Often times it looses its meaning as it is used to describe feelings toward objects as well as people. Love is a word which is nowadays abused as a common word. Looking deeper at the word love, it is evident that there is more to this word than meets the eye. A clearer understanding of love can be found by examining its definition, the five love languages, and some excellent examples of true love.

In today's society, love is defined in so many different ways, it quickly looses its true meaning. In the dictionary love is defined as “a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.” Obviously the original meaning was meant towards a person, not an object. It is the immense liking of another person that grows into the word “love”. In the Bible, love is defined in this way in I John 4:10: “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” God has a passionate love for us, so much that He let His only Son die for us. The definition of love began with God himself, as He created the world, and sent His Son.

Another way to examine love is presented by a Christian writer, Gary Chapman, and he explains that there are five main ways of expressing love. He calls them the five love languages. The first is words of affirmation, meaning the act of giving a compliment, or encouragement. The second is quality time, spending time with those you love, and showing them how much you care. The third is giving gifts, expressing your appreciation towards a person. The fourth is acts of service, going out of your way to provide aid to a person. The fifth language is physical touch, which is giving hugs or a shoulder to lean on. The five love languages presents a clear look of what love means.

Finally, there are many examples of love throughout history that show true love. The best example of love is when Jesus died for us. By doing this, He showed what true love is, laying down your life for someone else. Another example is much more recent, but still relevant. In 1979, Chuck Colson started a ministry called Prison Fellowship, because he felt a love for inmates and their families. History reveals a picture of how people from long ago defined love, and how they demonstrated this love.

Now that love has been defined, sorted into five love languages, and expressed through history, it is easier to see what love really is. The dictionary tell us how love is a strong feeling of affection towards someone. By exploring the five love languages, it can be seen how to express this love. Then, searching through history, it can be found how people all around the word value love. Everyone wants to be loved, and have a true understanding of what love really is.

Sorry I haven't updated in so long.  It's been a tough week.  Things didn't turn out like they were supposed to, things were cancelled... and I was just not feeling at peace with it all. 

Thankfully God helped me through, and thanks to a lot of encouragement from family and friends, I'm back on the right path.  I think. 

I've learned a lot this past week.  Never touch a hot lamp.  Never play a card game while playing the quiet game.  Never think you know more than God.  Never get out of bed before opening your eyes.  Always trust God, no matter what.  Learn to love the ones closest to you.  Never run on ice.

That's when my education stops.    Thank you all again for being there for me, and have a great weekend!  Enjoy your Fridays. 

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  -- I Corinthians 1:3

I was tagged by the lovely and magnificent Emma.

A- Available or married?  Available I suppose, but not really.
B- Best Friend? Aneila, Rachel, Jasmin, Elisa, Caleb, Zeke, and Jared.             
C- Cake or Pie? Cake
D- Drink of Choice? Lemonade
E- Essential Item? My clothes
F- Favorite Color? Green and blue
G- Gummi Bears or Worms? Bears... worms are gross
I- Indulgence? Vanilla ice cream with strawberries
J- January or February? I can't decide, I have a sibling with a birthday in January, and one with a birthday in Febuary.
K- Kids & names? n/a
L- Life is incomplete without? Pizza
M- Marriage Date? I'm not quite sure yet.... =]  I would like a spring wedding though.
N- Number of Siblings? Six
O- Oranges or apples? Apples
P- Phobias/Fears? Bugs, spiders, roaches, crawling bug creatures, hairy bug creatures... you get the idea.
Q-Favorite Quote? There are too many  =D
R- Reason to Smile? Pizza
S- Season? Spring
T- Tag three people! I think everyone I have on my list has done this. 
U- Unknown fact about me: I have never broken a bone.
W- Worst habit? Sitting on my hands to warm them.
Y- Your favorite food? Pizza!
Z- Zodiac? Who cares?

I was tagged by a few people I think.  I don't really have enough people to tag, and I think you've all done it anyway, so I'm a dead end. 

Seven Weird Things About Me:

1.  I check under my sheets for insects/spiders/roaches before going to sleep every night.

2.  I like ketchup on my maccaroni (sp?).

3.  I put my shirt on backwards by accident a lot.

4.  I am DEAD scared of static electricity.

5.  I always wear jeans.

6.  My favorite thing to watch is the Home and Garden Channel.

7.  I get confused really easily.

^^  My heroes

It has been a very busy week, and I am enjoying looking forward to a nice, calm weekend.  I hope... =] 

Remember, God made you special, and He loves you VERY much! 

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. --I Chronicles 16:34

Sorry I haven't been very faithful in updating this. 

I would love to spend time with you all... so why don't you post, and tell me one thing you LOVE to do.  Maybe I can find some things that we have in common.

It would be wonderful if you could pray for some friends of mine.  They are ages 17 and 19 (Hannah and Sara)... their mom is not doing very well at all.  Their mom has had cancer for about three years now, and they think it is almost near the end.  This family has 3 other kids, between the ages of 10 and 22.  They are missionaries, and were in the Philipines till they came over to better hospitals.  They are SUCH an inspiration... and have been trusting God through it all.  It is sad to think that these kids may soon not have a momma here on earth... but WOW, they have so much faith, and courage that everything is going to be alright, no matter what.  It makes me feel really bad about complaining about little things.  This family has been through so much.  Thankfully God is always there for us to talk to, even if there doesn't seem to be much hope.  Here is something their family has shared in their many emails to us.

“All the way my Savior leads me -- What have I to ask beside?

Can I doubt His tender mercy, who through life has been my Guide?

Heavn’ly peace, divinest comfort, here by faith in Him to dwell!

For I know, whate’er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well;

For I know, whate’er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well.”

I have been reading Like Gold Refined, a book by Janette Oke. The characters were talking about memories and Clark Davis says, “Treasure 'em. The days when yer young and spry- an' hardworkin'... Ya don't really have time to treasure 'em when yer rushin' about. But at least set 'em down as a memories so that ya can pull 'em out an' treasure 'em later.”

Sometimes I feel like I'm always rushing, never taking time to really stop and look at my life. What do I want to remember most years from now? Sometimes at the rate I'm going, I think won't remember anything, and it will all be a blur. I don't want that to happen. It's hard to make time to spend time with the people you love, to create memories with them. But it is well worth it (and you can probably get an amen for that from your grandparents. =]) It comes down to the great commission. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." --Matthew 28:19-20

What are we doing with our time here on earth? How can I spend it to make the most of every opportunity to spread God's love with others?

When I look back to when I was younger, I remember mostly, all the fun stuff that I did with my family. How they spent so much time teaching me how to love, care, and respect others. They are still teaching me, as well as all my fantastic friends from SL and elsewhere. Sometimes I can be stubborn and hard to get along with. (ask my family... =D) Somehow, they all stick by my though, and for that, I am VERY grateful.

As I continue making memories, God, please remind me to slow down, and enjoy even the smallest things you placed here on earth. Thank you for everyone who has stood by me, even through the storms.

In my teen class at church we just started a Bible study on David.  Right now we're at the very beginning, when Saul disobeys God and Samuel has to search for someone to anoint as the new king.  The Bible describes David as handsome , brave, and it says that the Lord was with Him.  David's gentle spirit, his courage, and understanding of God's commands stands out to me.  It makes me want to be like him. 

We also read a very encouraging verse in I Samuel 16, when Samuel is searching for a king.  "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."  In this day and age it's hard to keep from only looking at the outward appearance.  Thankfully, God never changes, and will continue to look at our hearts, no matter what we look like on the outside. 

It seems an elderly gentleman had serious hearing
problems for a number of years. He went to the doctor
and the doctor was able to have him fitted for a set
of hearing aids that allowed the gentleman to hear
100%.

The elderly gentleman went back in a month to the
doctor and the doctor said, "Your hearing is perfect.
Your family must be really pleased that you can hear
again."

To which the gentleman said, "Oh, I haven't told my
family yet. I just sit around and listen to the
conversations. I've changed my will three times!"