Saturday, June 28, 2008 - Bekka Awarded Me!

Soli Deo Gloria-It's all for HIS glory.

Bekka awarded me! Don't I feel special??? :) No, I really do. Thanks, Bekka!

So, I don't see any rules...So, I'll just go about it as I please. :) First, I'll award my dear brother

Luke (Warrior of the Dawn)- Not only is he a great older brother, he's a great blogger (when he blogs :P). He shares what's going on, shares stories, essays, and so much more...Love ya, Luke!

Meggy T- Meggy's a great friend, and her blog is excellent-truly deserving this award. Her post on starting a blog revival was....inspiriing, to say the least, and it inspired my post on a similar strain. :)

Jesusfreakteens- Man. Emma started this blog a little while back, and I've greatly enjoyed the discussions I've been able to be a part of. I'd highly encourage visiting this blog, and joining in...we'd love to have you!

Stories4Him- Messenger is a girl whom I'm proud to call my friend. This is her writing blog...one that I've intensely enjoyed over the last few months. She's an excellent writer, and a highly imaginative and creative one.

Kate (formerly ElvishMaiden14)- I've had the privelege of being Kate's SSA for the last two sessions, and I've really enjoyed it! Kate's an excellent writer, as well, and I've really enjoyed reading her posts.

Oh, and on a side-note...This is my 80th post on HSB. :)

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Tuesday, June 17, 2008 - Youth Groups

Soli Deo Gloria-It's all for HIS glory.

Let me say this first. I'm in a youth group. I've been in a youth group since the end of 6th grade (I just finished 8th). My Dad is a pastor. My big brother Luke is a youth leader. My older brother Daniel leads worship with Luke....we're extremely involved in our youth group. If they're doing anything, we're there, and we're in the middle of it. And I love it. :)

Youth groups. I'm involved in one, quite heavily. My youth group runs about thirty every week. We're closely knit, and we're all friends with one another. It might sound like boasting, but honestly, there aren't any cliques in our youth group. Certaintly, groups of friends get together during dinner, but everyone feels free to sit wherever and with whomever they like. On an average Wednesday night, we gather about 4:30. We play ping-pong, basketball, football sometimes, and the girls help cook and talk and ride the waves.  (the skateboardy things) We eat dinner about 5:15. After that, we hang out until the guys go back and pray, and then we clean up dinner, and set up the chairs and stuff for the service. That starts at 6:30. We sing three or four songs, sometimes have a skit or two-minute warning, and then we have a message brought by one of our youth leaders. Really, we just have a regular service. We finish up about 8:15, usually.

Whenever we get together just to hang out as a group, we have some sort of devo, and an oppurtunity to share the gospel. We don't really do much together. Well, besides just hanging out. We don't go to water parks, go bowling, really, anything. We go to church camp in the summer, and host a youth event for teens in our area in August. That's our youth group. I suppose we're kinda strange. Our leaders are really good about reminding us that youth groups aren't for meeting that guy or that girl. That's not the reason we go to church...or it shouldn't be anyways.

Recently, Miss Jocelyn wrote a post about your family being your best friends. I agreed with almost everything she said...it was an excellent article. My family are some of my best firends. My 16yo brother is absolutely one of my very best friends. I tell him everything...he tells me most everything. We listen to music together, he takes me where I need to go, we spend a lot of time together. I'm right in the middle of four boys. I don't have a sister....well, I do have a sister-in-law, but they don't actually live with us. :) So, I have some very close girl friends...from church. From the youth group.

I've gotten pretty close to these girls. Emma and I have only been friends for a year or so, but we're really close. We tell each other almost everything, and it's really great to have someone to pray for you, even when you can't tell them why yet. Tara, otherwise known as Jazzy, is a great friend. Not to mention that she and my 16yo brother are....well, very good friends. But, Tara's been there for me. She's quick to slap me back to reality, crush the sappy moment, tease me when I need it, and laugh at some of my bad puns. (the others didn't deserve it) Stuphy is another friend....she and I are accountability partners right now in several areas of my life. I told her that if she saw me going too far, to tell me. It's great.

I have a lot of great guy friends too...many of them are almost like my brothers.  But, my point isn't that I have great friends. Though...I do, and I love them all. But, my point is that my youth group is like an extension of my family. My spiritual family. They're there to hold me up, encourage me, tell me when I'm living in blatant sin....they're part of the body of Christ. I do the same for them. To me, the Church is vitally important.  I need my church family. I need my blood family more, but I still need my youth group.

So, I guess what I'm trying to say is this: our youth group isn't the average group. Our service isn't a "hookup time", but rather a time of worship and truly praising God. Our sermons aren't about not doing drugs...that's expected of us. One example of one a couple of months ago, was when Dusty preached about making (and keeping) vows to God. Or we talked about being a dreamer for God. And so much more. It's amazing to get to fellowship with people my age that also have a strong walk with God.

With this post...share your opinion. Do you go to a youth group? Why, or why not? Please remember to be respectful. :) Thank you!

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Thursday, June 12, 2008 - Church Camp was...absolutely...

Soli Deo Gloria-It's all for HIS glory.

Church Camp was amazing...incredible....absolutely undescribable, if that's a word. There's no way I can describe how it feels to be in a room full of people broken over their sin. How it feels when everyone around you is worshipping just like you are. How it feels to be able to let go of things...forgive yourself. How it feels to absolutely be in fellowship with God. To just be still....to see Him in the breeze, the people around you, the sounds, the music, everything. It's a truly amazing time.

God really worked in my life....I'm a different person. I could've stayed another month in many ways, but, in some, I was ready to come back. I want to "rub off" on people what God has given me. He's shown me so much...blessed me so heavily with His presence last week....I can't hold it inside. I won't. (that's a paraphrase of a verse from Jeremiah, by the way)

Let God change you. Just get out of His way, and prepare to be blessed. It may hurt at first, it may exhaust you emotionally. But, otherwise, it's the best feeling you'll ever feel.

PS Bekka awarded me! I'll post about that as soon as I can....

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Sunday, June 1, 2008 - Church Camp....

Soli Deo Gloria-It's all for HIS glory.

Our youth group is leaving for church camp tomorrow. The goal of the week is to get alone with God-completely isolated from the computer, television, radio, iPods, etc. Anything. It's just you and God. For some, that's a really joyous thought...others come home emotionally torn up. I'm both ways...I'm already emotionally exhuasted.

But, I'd like to ask you to pray for us this week at Church Camp. It's an incredible experience...I got saved at church camp, I dedicated my life to missions at church camp, I made a friendship with one of my cousins at church camp. It's an amazing experience for me.

I'd like to ask you to pray that:

• One, my focus and everyone else's in the group will stay completely on God.
• Two, that I won't totally lose my temper with the girls going (trust me, a week in one room with all of them...it's hard)
• That God would reveal himself in a mighty way to all of us.
• For a friend and I-we're having an interesting time, and I really wanna see healing on both sides.
• That throughout the week, no matter what, everything would glorify and magnify the Lord Jesus Christ.
• That we would grow closer to God as a youth group, and be more unified.

Thank you all so much! I appreciate it! I need to go finish packing, as we leave tomorrow morning.

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Thursday, May 29, 2008 - Alas...

Soli Deo Gloria-It's all for HIS glory.

To the people that probably don't even still read my blog:

Hi! Yes, I'm alive. But, the wedding, and Memorial Day...I had to take some time off. As it is, I'll post as I can, but we're going to church camp on Monday. But, anyways, I need to go to bed. But, here's a tag from CountryKell

1) What was I doing 10 years ago? 

 Uhhh....probably finishing up a year of preschool. I was only 4. :)

2) Five things on my to do list for today

bed, clean off bed, get in bed, pull covers over me

3) Snacks I enjoy

uh....those frozen strawberry things at wal-mart, chips....Man, my brain is fried.

4) five things I would do if I were a billionaire

start my own missions organization, build a family life center for my church, let my Mom adopt five or six kids from Ethopia, buy a car, put the money where it can grow.

5) Three bad habits

playing with my purity ring, twisting my earrings, doing things I regret. :)

6) Five places I have lived

There's only one, and that's where I live now....

7) Jobs I have had

babysitting, I really haven't had any others... 

I'm tagging....whoever has green eyes, or is wearing green, or has flip-flops within five feet of them. There, consider yourself (if that's you) tagged.

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Thursday, May 15, 2008 - Just Life

Soli Deo Gloria-It's all for HIS glory.

It's one of those months. Just Life months. One of those when you work like crazy to get everything done...and sometimes do. Where you try so hard to remember to do things...and forget.

My brother Luke is getting married a week from tomorrow. We're finishing school tomorrow. A friend of mine is coming back to our state on Monday. We're going to Church Camp a week after Luke gets married. I have an orchestra concert tonight. Prince Caspian comes out Saturday. Yeah, I'd say I have a life. A very busy life.

Altogether too often, we forget. We remember where we have to go, what we have to do, the things we just HAVE to do...But, we forget to bring God into the equasion. Manytimes, I find myself wondering..."How am I going to do this? How am I going to get through this? Is there any way at all I can deal with this?" It's too much for us....Sometimes, I feel like I'm going to break. I start crying for no apparent reason. I snap at anyone and everyone around me. I take refuge in my silent, still cocoon. I have to have my "me" time, or I go simply crazy. Emotionally, I'm overloaded right now. I'm dealing with losing a brother, getting a sister, finishing up eighth grade, going into summer, and so much more. I'm dealing with repairing broken friendships, building new ones, trying to just make it day to day...week to week....month to month. But, it doesn't have to be this way anymore.

Whatever happened to "casting your cares upon Jesus"? Peace? Stillness? Can I, will I have a peaceful...still heart? We have a choice. We can truly trust Jesus to take care of things for us, or we can freak out upon the slightest provacation.

Take that time you don't think you have today...just for a minute or two. Worship Him. Talk to Him. Seek His will. Whatever short amount of time you've lost, I know you'll never regret it. The key is not to think about time....things might not get done, some things may be strangely neglected. But, worship. Just worship in what you do. Pay no attention to the distractions of this world......just focus on Him.

Worship. Peace...I think they go hand in hand.

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Tuesday, May 13, 2008 - The Backyard

Soli Deo Gloria-It's all for HIS glory.

Hello! I wanted to tell you all about a great blog for the "younger" people of HSB. The Backyard is for people 17 years old and younger. :)

 Presently, the Backyard is having a contest! They're giving away one of the The Homeschool Boutique t-shirts.

The contest ends on Friday, so hurry up and enter for a chance to win!!!!!

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Friday, May 9, 2008 - Happy Birthday, Miss Jocelyn!!

Soli Deo Gloria-It's all for HIS glory.

Today is Miss Jocelyn's 17th birthday! Happy birthday!!!!

For your party, we're going to have a ball! Very similar to the one at Netherfield during Pride and Prejudice....can't you just picture yourself dancing with Mr. Darcy? *smile* That'd be so fun!

For food...well, we have to have Dr. Pepper. I really don't know what you like to eat... :) I suppose we'll have a dinner like they do at a ball....English food, of course. :)

After you've danced all evening, and never sat down (it IS your birthday!) you've got to rest a minute or two...how about a nice, leisurely stroll through the rose gardens? They're quite lovely this time of year....

Now, for my prayer for you on your birthday. I pray that God would bless you beyond your wildest dreams, and that you would know His will for your life in this upcoming year. I pray that you would be able to sense God's hand on your life, and be surrounded by His love. I pray that you would have an enduring peace that passes all understanding, and a love no matter what happens. I pray that God would continue to mold you into the woman He wants you to be.

Thank you, Miss Jocelyn, for the influence you've been in my life! I appreciate you!!!!!

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Wednesday, May 7, 2008 - Quotes from Charles Spurgeon

Soli Deo Gloria-It's all for HIS glory.

"Why, man, thou mayest laugh sometimes at religion; but in thine own solitary moments it is no laughing thing. The greatest brags in the world are always the greatest cowards. If I hear a man saying, "Oh, I am not afraid of dying, I don't care about your religion," he does not deceive me; I know all about that. He says that to cover up his fears, when he is alone of a night. You should see how white his cheek is if a leaf falls against the window When there is lightning in the air you should look at him. "Oh that flash" he says. Or if he is a strong man perhaps he does not say a word, but he feels in such horror all the time the storm is on. Not like the Christian man: not like the man who has courage. Why, I love the lightnings; God's thunder is my delight. I never feel so well as when there is a tremendous thunder and lightning storm. Then I feel as if I could mount up, and my whole heart sings. I love then to sing—

"This awful God is mine
My Father and my love,
He shall send down his heavenly powers
To carry me above."

-C.H. Spurgeon, "The Destroyer Destroyed"

"Satan, my brethren, may to-morrow get much power over you, by tempting you to indulge in the lusts of the flesh, or in the pride of life; he may come to you and say, "Do such-and-such a thing that would be dishonest, and I will make you rich; indulge in such-and-such a pleasure, and I will make you happy. come," saith Satan, "yield to my blandishments; I will give you wine to quaff that shall be richer than ever came from the wine-vats of Holy Scripture; I will give you bread to eat that you know not of. Eat thou the tempting fruit; it is sweet; it will make thee like a god.". "Ah!" saith the Christian, "but Satan, my Master died when he had to do with thee, and therefore I will have nothing to do with thee. If thou didst kill my Lord, thou wilt kill me too if thou canst, and therefore away with thee! but inasmuch as thou layest down silver for me, and tellest me I can have it if I do wrong, lo, Satan, I can cover thy silver with gold, and have ten times as much to spare afterwards. Thou sayest I shall get gain if I sin. Nay, but the treasures of Christ are greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt. Why, Satan, if thou wert to bring me a crown, and say, 'There! thou shalt have that if thou wilt sin.' I should say, 'Poor crown! Why, Satan, I have got a better one than that laid up in heaven, I could not sin for that, that is a bribe too paltry," In he brings his bags of gold. and he says, "Now, Christian, sin for them." The Christian says, "Why fiend, that stuff is not worth my looking at. I have an inheritance in a city where the streets are paved with solid gold; and, therefore, what are these poor *****ing bits to me? Take them back!" He brings in loveliness, and he tempts us by it. but we say to him, "Why, devil, what art thou at? What is that loveliness to me? Mine eyes have seen the King in his beauty and the land that is very far oft; and by faith I know that I shall go where beauty's self, even in her perfection, is excelled—where I shall see my Saviour, who is 'the chief among ten thousand, and the altogether lovely.' That is no temptation to me! Christ has died, and I count all these things but dross, that I may win Christ and be found in him." So that you see, even in temptation, the death of Christ has destroyed the devil's power
"You will not yield, will you?" says the devil "You cannot be tempted! Ah! well," says he, "if you cannot be drawn aside, I'll pull you aside. What are you, that you should stand against me? A poor puny man! Why, I have made angels fall, and I am not afraid of you. Come on!" And he puts his foot to our foot, and with his dragon yell he frights the echoes till they dare not reply. He lifts his blazing sword, and thinks to smite us to the ground. You know, my brethren, what the shield is that must catch the blow. It is the shield of faith in Christ that died for us. He hurls his darts, but his darts hurt not, for lo, we catch them also on this all-powerful shield, Christ and his cross. So that, let his insinuations be never so direful, the death of Christ has destroyed the devil's power either to tempt or to destroy. He may be allowed to attempt either the one or the other, but he can be successful in neither. The death of Christ has "destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devil."

-C.H. Spurgeon, "The Destroyer Destroyed"

I'm praying for Cuba in the 20 Days of Prayer. I'll try to post more about that tomorow. :)

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Sunday, May 4, 2008 - Psalm 13

Soli Deo Gloria-It's all for HIS glory.

I meant to post Thursday, but schoolwork prevailed, and I didn't have time. :) But, I will try to post more often.

For the 20 Days of Prayer, I decided to pray for Cuba. With all the political and social problems in that country, they need it! I had read God's Call by Brother Andrew (which I very highly recommend) and he talked about his ministry in Cuba. God has really layed them on my heart, and I can't wait to be able to research that country more!

This is a paraphrase I did for Psalm 13:

How long will you forget me, Lord? Forever? How long will you hide from me? I've looked at the back of your head long enough. Long enough I've carried this ton of trouble, lived with a stomach full of pain. How long will my enemies triumph over me?

Take a good look at me, God, my God; give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death. Then no enemy can get the best of me, or laugh when I fall on my face.

I trust in your love. I've thrown myself head-long into your arms-I'm celebrating your rescue. I'm singing at the top of my lungs, because you have taken care of me.

~Psalm 13 (NIV, NCV, The Message)

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