Like a Best Friend

Whenever someone says they don't know how to pray, what's the most common response (besides being directed to the Lord's Prayer)?
The one I've heard, and given, the most often is, "Just talk to Him like you do your best friend."
And yet, how often do we really do that?
Hanging on to the coattails of my last post, What can you do for me?, I have an excerpt from the book I mentioned in it that really shows what I'm trying to say here.
My friend turned toward me and said, "Suppose when you picked me up, the first thing I said to you had been, 'Larry, I need you to come by our house tonight. Mary and I need your advice about something. And could you run by the drugstore? I need to pick up a prescription.' When we sit down for lunch, I ask you about one of my kids. 'And oh, by the way, any chance of a loan? Things have been pretty tight. To be honest with you, I'm hoping you'll pick up lunch, if that's OK.' "
He continued, "How would you feel if I talked to you like that? Yet that's how I talk to God. As you were telling me about your book, that just popped into my mind. I'd never do that to you. I like just being with you. But I don't know how to just be with God. So I ask Him for lots of things."
And that's exactly what I find myself doing to God. I would never do that to one of my best friends. It's a horrible way to treat someone, so why do we feel okay doing it to God? Sure, I ask my friends for things every once in a while, but it's not the dominating factor in my relationship with them.
Is it the dominating factor in your relationship with God?
Think about it.

[Picture compliment of funnyanimalpictures.net]

Have a blessed day!

What can you do for me?

How do you pray?
For the past thirty-ish days, the Student Leaders in Paradigm (my youth group) have been doing a fast where we don't ask God for anything, but instead pray relationally, just cultivating our relationship with Him instead of giving him our glorified wishlist throughout the day. This was inspired by the book PAPA Prayer by Larry Crabb.
Well, I was praying about that in Pre-Service Prayer and praying that we would have that desire to just sit at His feet and want to be with Him instead of just getting what we want from Him.
As I was doing this, I felt like the Lord dropped this passage on my heart.
Luke 10: 38-42
38Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 40But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

41And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

You see, Martha was only concerned with what Jesus could do for her. She asked him to get her sister's lazy butt moving. She wanted Jesus to make her help. She had the best of intentions. She was trying to serve Him and just wanted her sister to share the workload.
But she was placing her serving Him and her annoyance at her sister's lack of work above her relationship with Christ.
The difference between Mary and Martha is that Mary decided that what was most important was to sit at Jesus' feet. He tells Martha this. He reminds her that her relationship with Him is more important than anything else.
Only ONE thing is needed. Her relationship with Him.

His relationship with you is more important than anything you can ask from Him. We just have to learn how to sit at His feet and just listen, just learn, just seek out who He really is. It's not about us. It's all about Him.

[Picture compliment of Google Images]
Have a blessed day!

To Save a Life: Movie Review

"What's the point of all this if you're not going to let this change you?"

That's the point of To Save a Life, summarized in one question from the main character. The question is posed to a youth group, many deep in the throes of blatant hypocrisy. A new Christian, his girlfriend had just walked out after feeling judged by the congregation of teens who had given her scathing looks at her presence there.

The question is a fantastic one and one that Jake, the main character, tests out. The death of a childhood friend that might have been prevented by a kindness from him has turned his world upside down and ends up leading him to Christ.

"Jake Taylor should be teaching us what it means to follow God."

Jake seeks God's plan for his life wholehertedly. As he tells the youth pastor, he only wants to do it if it's worth it. If it's not worth it, there's no point in saying he's a Christian and living like he's not.

When he realizes it's worth it, his life changes.

To Save A Life is a great movie that speaks to us whether Christian or not. It reminds us that one person can make a difference, that one person can save a life. But as Christians, a deeper message hits home- that we are the salt and the light, but we're too afraid to step out and let Christ change us. We wallow in the darkness and hide our light.

The purpose of being a Christian isn't to add another label to our cache. It's not to add us to the Bible-thumping social group. The point is to follow Christ, to step out in faith where He tells you. This message is supposed to change your life, not merely make you feel good.

"Why didn't God prevent it? I think he often asks us the same question."

In closing, I really enjoyed to save a life. It's blatantly Christian, not sugarcoating or hiding it, but it appeals to a wide audience through it's message of reaching out to those who feel unloved. There are a very few curse words, inserted for the purpose of making the plotline real. 

In the Plugged In article linked to at the end of this post, Jim Briggs says that "There are probably no other screenwriters that pray over every curse word [they write], as I did."

I caution parents of younger children in the viewing of this movie for that reason, as for bits of sexuality.

But overall, for teenagers and adults, I think this is a fabulous movie that reminds us why we became Christians in the first place. And it pushes us, urging us not to settle, but to pursue our Yahweh no matter how much it costs.

To see Plugged In's review of To Save A Life, check it out here. There are a few spoilers, but it's very helpful.

Have a blessed day!

Crafting Update

It's time for a crafting update, because it's been quite a while since I've updated on what I'm creating.

First up is one of my favorites- my lavender merino wool scarf.
Dad bought the yarn (100% merino wool) for me for Christmas while we were in Paris this year. I immediately set to work on it and this was the resulting creation. Rather wonderful, I think.
This yarn was fabulous to work with. I loved the feel and the way it looks as a finished product. I hope that I can get more in the future.
The yarn, like I said, was pure merino wool made in France. It's texture is soft, but keeps you incredibly warm.
I was rather tempted to keep it for myself, but have instead posted it on the Living Water Shoppe here.

This next creation is one I've had finished for a while now. I had kept it off Etsy in hopes of keeping it for myself, assured that I would need it while I was in France. While it would've been useful there, due to the fact that my ears do get terribly cold very quickly, it looked ridiculous with my bright purple jacket and rainbow scarf (How's that for blending in when most of the Parisians wear variants of gray or black in winter? My brother wore a bright orange jacket and Daddy's was bright yellow.What can I say?- We're Americans. :).
This crocheted earwarmer works as a fashionable headband whose tight stitches will protect your from the harsh winds sure to be encountered this time of year. The color is a bit brighter than it is shown in this picture (check out the other pic where it's listed on my shop here). I couldn't get it quite right in this one.

My Orange Dream scarf that I posted on Etsy has been sold! My first sale- I honestly did a happy dance when I heard the news. :D Though it was my sister, Valerie, who bought it- it was just as exciting as if a stranger had.
And delivering it was terribly easy- I just handed it to her the next time she came over and gave her back the $2 for shipping.
She was terribly fond of that scarf and hope she continues to be. I really liked that yarn and want to get more in the future (though I think the merino wool yarn is still it's superior, but I can get this one at Hobby Lobby).
I hope I will get plenty more sales in the future, but for now I'm perfectly happy with my single sale. :D

On a related note, the manager of a really cool consignment shop on the square in Rockwall has asked to see my wares. She's thinking of selling them in her shop, Echo Wear! I haven't gotten to go up there yet and show her the products of mine that haven't been posted on Etsy, because these past two weeks have been beyond hectic. However, I plan to go this coming week. Don't let me forget, y'all!

I suppose that's all for today, though I'm working on a ripple-stitched crocheted scarf right now. And my yarn basket is getting dangerously low. You know what that means- TIME TO BUY YARN! :D I can't wait. Still trying to decide if I'll try purchasing it on Etsy or just at Hobby Lobby, though I'm leaning toward trying out the former.
Guess I need to cash those Christmas checks I received earlier this month...

Have a blessed day!

In the Trough

This is an excerpt from one of my favorite books, The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis (one of my favorite writers). The book is written in the form of letters from one more experienced demon to his 'nephew'. So keep that in mind as you read it.
*By 'trough', he is referrring to the high and low points in our ever-growing relationship with Christ.

"But there is an even better way of exploiting the trough; I mean through the patient's own thoghts about it. As always, the first step is to keep knowledge out of his mind. Do not let im suspect the law of undulaton. Let him assume that te first ardours of his voncersion might have been expected to last, and ought to have lasted, forever, and that hs present drness is an equally permanent condition. Having once got this misconception well fixed in his head, you may then proceed in vaious ways. It all depends on whether your man is of the deponding type who can be tempted to despair or of the wishfu-thinking type who can be assured that all is well. The former type is getting rare among the humans. If your patient should happen to belong to it, everything is easy. You have only got to keep him out of the way of experienced Christians (an easy enough task now-adays), to direct his attention to the appropriate passages in scripture, and then to set him to work on the desperate design of recovering his old feelings by sheer will-power, and the game is ours. If he is the more hopeful type your job is to make him aquiesce in the present low temperat ure of his spirit and gradually become content with it, persuading himself that it is not so low after all. In a weeek or two you will be making him doubt whether the first days of his Christianity were not, perhaps, a little ecessive. Talk to him about 'moderation in all things'. If you can oncde get him to the point of thinking that 'religion is all very well up to a point', you can feel equite happy about his soul. A moderated religion is as good for us as no religion at all- and more amusing."

Have a blessed day!

Why We Do This: Homeschool

This post has been looming over me for the past few days. I had decided I would write this sometime last week, and after reading these posts my Jocelyn Baucham ( "I realize you're just parrotting what you've been taught." and The Harsh Truth ), I was even more inspired to do so.
Yet it's a hard topic to start off on, how am I supposed to introduce this? How do I present it without getting all tongue-tied and making my words unintelligible (which I tend to do when talking, thus the beauty of writing and editing :)?
I suppose I'll start out by agreeing with the words of Jasmine in saying that I don't believe that public school is a viable option for Christians.
Everyone gasp, faint, or otherwise react negatively to what I've just announced.
Just kidding... I hope. :D
I understand that in today's culture, public schooling is quite the popular choice in raising the next generation. While Mommy and Daddy are at work, we drop the kids off at the nearest school and leave them there for 8+ hours a day, five days a week.

My question is "When did our children become wards of the government, rather than our own blessings to teach and raise up?"

We send our kids to a school that has curricula that is decided on by the state and government- teaching them whatever they believe. First of all, I think we've all become aware of the fact that America is no longer a fully Bible-believing nation. It's ridiculous to think that they're going to get a Biblical education in a secular school. I hope you're not expecting that.

Yet that's where the problem lies. We're subjecting our children and teenagers to hours of indoctrination in an institution that teaches evolution, feminism, and socialism in many different forms. How do we expect the young people of this generation to see things from a Biblical standpoint when their constantly being spoonfed the opposite by the local school system?

"If we continue to send our children to Caesar for their education, we need to stop being surprised when they come home as Romans." -Dr. Voddie Baucham

I'm not saying that Christians can't rise up out of the public school system. I happen to know some fantastic public schoolers who are strong Christians in spite of the constant opposition. But this is the exception, not the rule.

If we don't give our children strong Biblical foundations, then we are letting them slip through the cracks. By sending them to public school, parents are spending more time having to unravel the lies that their children are being taught than they are teaching them more about God's word. If they're spending all their time fixing what they've been taught, when will they have the time to build on true biblical foundations.

This is why I'm a strong advocate for homeschool. Yahweh put parents as the head of families so that they could oversee the education of their children and that's what we should be doing, not sending them off to get an indifferent education that would much rather teach them lies than Truth.

He has ordained parents for this task. It's not a monumental hardship. Yes, I'm sure it's hard to be a homeschool parent, but it's worth it in the end.

Proverbs 22:6

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Have a blessed day!

Bolt!

[Picture Credit: (c)Kirsten Erin]
My two year-old niece, Lyla, and I had an interesting conversation the other day.
"Hey Lyla, you wanna watch Balto?"
"Bolt!"
"I'm sorry, honey, but we don't have Bolt. You have it at your house."
"Bolt! Peese! Bolt!"
"Here we'll watch Balto."
At this point she sees the cover of the dvd and that it, in fact, has puppies on it (or rather wolves, but she doesn't know that) and hurriedly motions for me to put it in the TV.
"You want to watch Balto?"
"Bolt!"
"Okay, you want to watch Bolt?"
"Sure."
And we lived happily ever after, watching Balto until she got bored and wanted "Chull!" aka. Mitchell.
The End.

Less than Perfect

Guess what, guys! I'm back in Texas!! :D It's so good to be home!
Yesterday was my first day back at Paradigm Student Ministries, my fantastic youth group.
During Pre-Service prayer, I was nearly in tears. I was on my knees, telling God how sorry I was that I didn't pursue him the way I should have. I was pouring out my heart in repentance for not being the bride I should be, for not being completely motivated in my relationship and in the end, not being worthy of Him.
His response?
Were you expecting to be?
It was then I felt him speaking comfort to me. He reminded me that I'm not perfect and I'm never going to be. My pursuit of Him will never be what He truly deserves. I will never have a perfect prayer life or perfect worship time. Until He takes me up to Heaven, I will continue to be unworthy of everything that He is.
Here comes the shocker.
Even in all my sinful glory, He still loves me. Honestly, I think we need to get a good reminder of that fact every so oftenn. He finds me captivating and He pursues me. Me, Little Miss Sinful, because I will never be Little Miss Perfect.
That was exactly what I needed to hear. I needed to be reminded that I will never be perfect, but I should still try my best anyway. I will never get it all, but I should still pursue him with my all.
Have a blessed day!

To Drink or Not to Drink?

Honestly, this isn't a question that I have to answer until I turn twenty-one. However, being in France where the drinking age 'might be' 16 (I'm told by a waitress that they don't really bother to keep up with it because they drink wine from near infancy) and England, where the drinking age is 18, I begin to wonder if I will drink when I 'come of age'.

Now before anyone gets worried, I never plan on drinking just to get drunk or any of that nonsense. I'm talking about the harmless glass of wine or beer to go along with the nice meal I just ordered at the restaurant.
Nearly everyone has a different stance on this. Some choose not to drink because of a past issue with alcohol or simply because they don't want to tempt themselves with it. Others say that there's not problem as long as you do it in moderation and they follow this in their own lives. Of course, there are always those who will take either stand to its furthest extreme, but I'm talking mainly of the two I've presented.
The Bible never says anything against drinking as long as you don't take it too far. We are often warned against getting drunk, but wine itself is never condemned. In fact, Jesus drank it and it was included in his first miracle. And don't give me that junk about it being the same as grape juice. Yes, their wine was more watered down than ours, but it mentioned party guests usually getting drunk. I've never heard of anyone getting drunk on grape juice.
1 Peter 4:3
3For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.
So really, it's a matter of personal preference and conviction- whether one should drink or not. So far, I have not come to any conclusion on the matter except that I should do whatever God leads me to do. I still have plenty of time to make a decision.
I just thought I'd bring up this interesting topic as a point of interest. If you have personally made a decision on the matter, feel free to share about what caused you to make that decision in the comment section. I'd love to hear from you!
Have a blessed day!

2010!!!

Wow! It's 2010 already? It's funny how each year seems to go by faster than the last.
I feel like I've been waiting for this year since I was in second grade! Why? Because this is the year I graduate from high school. :D I can't wait to see what all God has in store for me in the years to come!
For my first blog post of the New Year, I thought I'd show you a few of my New Year's Resolutions. It seems no one in my family wanted to make any this year, but I love making them and seeing if I carry them out.
I'd tell you about last year, but seeing as I'm still in Paris, France, I don't exactly have access to the journal I was using at the time. So I can only tell you about this year.
Here are a few of my resolutions for the year 2010!:
1.Get closer to God.
-I know, I make this resolution every year- but every year it's true! And every year I can safely say that I followed through with it. I'm not at the same place in my growth as a Christian that I was last year at this time. Thank goodness! I don't want to be a stagnant Christian who's all too comfortable sticking with the things that are familiar to me. Through all the ups and downs, all the times I feel like I've got a static-free connection with God and the times I have trouble hearing him, I know that those have been used to make me into the woman I am today and pray that He will continue to mold me into the righteous woman He created me to be.
2. Learn to sew relatively well. Should be able to make a dress.
-I asked for a sewing machine for Christmas LAST year and still can barely use it. It sits on the desk in my room and taunts me half the time. Kerri got a sewing machine during the summer and has already made a cute little dress for my assistant youth pastor's wife's baby! (Yes, I know that's a mouthful!) She tends to understand the instructions better than I do and can usually orally tell me how to do it and I'll get it. Weird how things work with us that way. I think the main reason I have so much trouble with it though is because I don't really try with it that hard, so that's what I plan on doing this year- trying hard and getting somewhere with my sewing skills.
3. Sell at least 15 items on Etsy.
-I joined Etsy like forever ago. Actually it was in May, but it feels like forever ago. I still haven't had anyone buy my stuff. *tear* This is the part where you feel sorry for me and buy it all! Lol! Just kidding! Well, the Living Water Shoppe has been on hiatus for the past three months while I've been in France, but it'll be back in business on January 5th most likely. I have a couple more items to add on and a brain full of new projects that I can start once I get back to getting some money from nursery work and such. Anyway, this 15 item goal will hopefully spur me on to better and greater products in the future.
4. Read at least 30 books.
-I keep a notebook where I record each book that I read, the day I finished it, the number of pages it had, and if I own it or not. When I looked back at it yesterday, I found out that I had read 29 books in 2009! How awesome is that? So my goal for this year is to at least read 30 books, but hopefully I'll get to more than that!
5. Gain more self-control/ patience.
-I tend to get mad easily, particularly with my family, and I want to change that. Patience, in particular, is a hard lesson to learn, I know. But I'd rather learn such an important lesson now than at a later date when it'll likely be even harder for me. Both of these character traits- self control and patience- tend to go hand in hand and are particularly important when people look at us as Christians to be examples of what the gospel teaches. I don't want to wait until I've managed to hurt everyone I love in some way or another before I learn this. I want to learn now.

Those are just five of my lovely New Year's Resolutions. So here's my question: What are yours? How are you seeking to better serve the Lord this year? What are you seeking to accomplish with your time? How are you seeking to better yourself as this new year represents another new start?
Have a blessed day!