Hi! I'm Hannah, a 16-year-old homeschool student in Alabama. Dad encouraged me to start a blog to share brief Scripture thoughts with my sisters in Christ. Hopefully others will join in, and we can encourage each other in the Lord! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HannahJoy/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Sat, 5 Aug 2006 22:06:00 -0500 Sat, 5 Aug 2006 22:06:00 -0500 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah." -- Psalm 46:1-3 We've been going through the book of Revelation at church, and so we've been studying some about the end times. Have you ever read the last chapter of a book to see how the book ends? We can do that with the "book" of the history of the world. We know how it will ultimately end -- Jesus Christ will be the Victor! This is why we can be without fear "though the earth be removed." No matter what kind of tribulation comes, God is our Refuge and Strength. He says, "Be still [cease striving], and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." -- Psalm 46:10Praise God for the victory that He has won and will win! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HannahJoy/174824/ Sat, 5 Aug 2006 22:06:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HannahJoy/174824/ Well, it has been a long time since I last posted. I am going to try to start posting more regularly again.By the way, my sister Becca fixed the puple template for me. Thanks, Becca! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HannahJoy/172888/ Tue, 25 Jul 2006 21:15:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HannahJoy/172888/ Here is a quick thought from first John..."Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world." - 1 John 4:4"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? - 1 John 5:4, 5Those of us that have believed in Christ and so are born of God are told here that we are overcomers... victors through Christ!1 John 5:18 says that "that wicked one toucheth [us] not." The devil does not have the authority over us.  In Christ, we should be living as overcomers! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HannahJoy/172882/ Tue, 25 Jul 2006 21:17:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HannahJoy/172882/ "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness...?" -- 2 Peter 3:10-11 If I kept in my mind what is going to happen to this earth, I think it would change my perspective. Really, who would put their affections on things that they knew would someday be dissolved? What kind of people should we be in light of 2 Pet. 3:10? http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HannahJoy/112465/ Tue, 4 Apr 2006 21:34:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HannahJoy/112465/ Just a quick thought here...   Galatians 5:25 says, "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."   I thought the definition for the Greek word translated "walk" was interesting.   From Strong's Concordance: "To march in (military) rank (keep step), i.e. (fig.) to conform to virtue and piety:--walk (orderly)."   I like the picture of "keeping in step" with the Holy Spirit. That is exactly what I should be doing, moment by moment. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HannahJoy/77063/ Wed, 1 Feb 2006 18:32:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HannahJoy/77063/ Here is a quick challenge... in the words of Paul: "'...Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord, 'and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters,' saith the Lord Almighty." - 2 Corinthians 6:17 "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." - 2 Cor. 7:1 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HannahJoy/71779/ Sun, 22 Jan 2006 19:46:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HannahJoy/71779/ I discovered this poem while browsing through a book of Havergal's poems on Saturday.   Another Year   Another year is dawning! Dear Master let it be, In working or in waiting, Another year with Thee.   Another year of leaning Upon Thy loving breast, Of ever-deepening trustfulness, Of quiet, happy rest.   Another year of mercies, Of faithfulness and grace; Another year of gladness In the shining of Thy face.   Another year of progress, Another year of praise; Another year of proving Thy presence 'all the days.'   Another year of service, Of witness for Thy love; Another year of training For holier work above.   Another year is dawning, Dear Master, let it be, On earth, or else in heaven, Another year for Thee!   ~Frances Ridley Havergal (emphasis mine)     http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HannahJoy/63113/ Tue, 3 Jan 2006 11:52:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HannahJoy/63113/ "...If God be for us, who can be against us?" - Rom. 8:31 "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth." - Rom. 8:33 "Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." - Rom. 8:34 We, as God's people, are so blessed. Just think about these verses from Romans. If God Himself is for us, surely there is nothing that can prevail against us. If the Lord has justified me, and if Christ is interceding for me before the Father, can even Satan condemn me? I think not. Praise the Lord for His wonderful grace to us! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HannahJoy/61125/ Thu, 29 Dec 2005 10:15:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HannahJoy/61125/ "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." -- Romans 6:11   I need to think of this throughout the day, and remind myself that I am dead to sin... I don't have to let sin get victory over me. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HannahJoy/58865/ Wed, 21 Dec 2005 16:38:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HannahJoy/58865/ Sorry it has been so long since I last posted. Let me catch up just a bit here, and share a couple of thoughts from the last few weeks... ~~~~~~   John 2:46 says: "And Nathaniel said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Phillip saith unto him, Come and see."   Two chapters later, we find the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. The Bible says that many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman's testimony and then that many believed because of His own word. (see Jn. 4:39-41)   They said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world." (Jn. 4:42)   I am thankful that Christ can be personally experienced, and that we can invite others to "come and see" Him for themselves. Those who know Him personally can say with conviction that He is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world. ~~~~~~   Acts 4:13, 14 says: "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it."   Isn't this an amazing thing?! These people saw and heard Peter and John and they knew that "they had been with Jesus." More than this, they could say nothing against what they did because the evidence was right before their eyes.   Oh that others, seeing me, would know that I, too, have been spending time with Jesus, and that God's power would be so evident in my life that they could say nothing against it. ~~~~~~   Finally, let me share these verses from Hebrews 11. "And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for He hath prepared for them a city." (Hebrews 11:15, 16)   The Greek word used here for "desire" gives the idea of reaching for or longing for something. Let us reach out for and strive toward that heavenly country, never turning back to the world.     http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HannahJoy/51840/ Mon, 5 Dec 2005 18:30:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HannahJoy/51840/