I'm back!

My family recently returned from a 6 day trip to Covington, Kentucky (right outside of Cincinnati, Ohio) where we attended the NCFIC’s Sufficiency of Scripture conference.

The conference was fantastic. I was blessed to spend 2 ½ days listening to dynamic speakers such as Doug Phillips, Voddie Baucham, Geoff Botkin, Paul Washer and others! It was an amazing time of hearing the truths of the sufficiency of Scripture proclaimed and applied to many different areas of life. We were about 30 minutes away from the Creation Museum and had the opportunity to go there as well!

My little brothers enjoyed watching the planes land.

Our plane was small (46 seats I believe) but it was so fun being up in the clouds! We haven't flown in 7 years, so we loved it!  And it was my youngest brother's first time to fly, so he was ecstatic!

You can find pictures and a few videos from the conference at the NCFIC blog as well as pictures on Mr. Phillip's blog. 

Are you a perfectionist?

Are you a perfectionist? I often am. But have you ever thought about who sets the standard for perfection? If you think about it, when you want things done “perfectly”, isn’t perfectly your own standard, your idea of how something should be done? And usually when others don’t follow that standard we’ve set in our minds, we get angry at them as if they’ve broken a rule or sinned.

Think about a recent circumstance where your perfectionism was disclosed. Did you expect someone else to do a task exactly how you do it? Perfectionism is usually “me-focused”, wanting to achieve (or wanting others to achieve) a standard of “perfection” we have set. So ask yourself—what is my heart’s motivation? Why do I want this to be done in a certain way or to a certain caliber?

I’m not suggesting that you not do things well. It is good to do things thoroughly. God commands us to do all our work “unto the Lord”. Additionally, He desires for us to work diligently and hard at what we are given, and to be faithful whatever task He has set before us. But if perfectionism is an extra biblical standard that we’ve set, when does thoroughness and hard work turn into perfectionism and sin?

Most of the time when we desire for ourselves to reach a level of perfection it is for the wrong reasons. Could it be…
So others will recognize and praise you?
So you can feel confident about your status or accomplishment?
So God will be pleased with your achievement?

If this is your motivation for getting things to a certain standard or until they are just right, your heart’s motivation is wrong. Whatever we do should be done well, and we should work with all our might as unto the Lord, but it needs to flow from an earnest desire to love and obey Him, not anything else! Reaching your standard of perfection isn’t going to please God any more. He wants your heart, not things done right outwardly.

A glimpse into my life...

I decided to divert from my regular posts and give you a peek at what we’ve been doing lately outside of the daily routine.  

For Thanksgiving I decided to send a few special pen-pals Thanksgiving cards.  You have to keep in mind that I am not the creative one of the family, and so my cards end up being quite plain and simple.  But it's the thought that counts, right?  :)  Oh, and the pictures are worse than I realized too, sorry about that. 

Saturday my sister and I made pumpkin and banana bread to take to our neighbors. Katie made cute little tags to tie onto our loaves.




Sunday our church celebrated our Thanksgiving, and we had a huge and delicious meal. We also learned about the fortitude and faith of pilgrims and their sacrifices, as well as emphasized missions by gathering our Operation Christmas child boxes and praying over them.

no, we didn't just eat pie ;)

As a Thanksgiving craft, Katie helped our little brothers make these adorable Indians and pilgrims out of toilet paper rolls! Aren’t they cute? :)

Recently we celebrated our dad’s birthday as well. We had a yummy banana cake which was his request.

 Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Thankfulness

It’s nearing that day of Thanksgiving, the day that we as a nation have set aside to remember the things we’re thankful for. This is a special time of year, and we do need to ponder and consider the many blessings God has given us. But as believers, we also need to remember that we are to always be thankful. Thankfulness should not just be reserved for one day of year when we have a big dinner with family; thankfulness should be a continually evident quality in every believer.

Sometimes it’s hard to be thankful in the midst of challenging circumstances and daily problems. But what would it be like if instead of focusing on the problems, you found something to be thankful for in them? How ‘bout…

• The next time your sibling irritates or does something mean to you, thank God that He’s given that sibling to you and be grateful for what they do for you.
• The next time someone does something kind to you…even something very small, thank them for it! Show a spirit of gratitude.
• The next time things don’t go your planned way, thank God that He knows what’s best and is in control, no matter what happens. Also remember to thank Him for giving circumstances that reveal your sinful heart and enable Him to refine and shape your character!
• The next time you are interrupted by a sibling needing help or a parent asking you to do something, instead of grumbling about it, be thankful that God has given opportunities for you to serve, and that you have a family to serve.

A complaining, sharp tongue is contagious. One person with a bad attitude in the family often upsets the entire household. Don’t let that person be you. When tempted to be upset or ungrateful, remember all the things you do have, and learn to continually be thankful! Many Scriptures remind us of the importance of a grateful heart. Colossians 2:7 tells us to be “abounding in thanksgiving”. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 exhorts us to “give thanks in all circumstances”. And Colossians 3:17 tells us “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Believers should be the most thankful and grateful people around, because we are the ones who have been saved from the depths of our sins! Let’s set aside time to thank God during this season of Thanksgiving for all He has done for us and all that He has blessed us with, but let’s not associate thankfulness with Thanksgiving alone, let’s learn to be thankful daily!

“I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart”

~Psalm 9:1

Purpose of Education

Education is a vital function in society. But what is the purpose of education? Is it simply for children to be able to claim that they reached a certain intellectual level validated by a piece of paper? And does is matter who educates the children?

To society in general, if you were to ask what the purpose of education is, you may come up with answers that express the importance of knowledge and skills to benefit themselves and society. Perhaps the answers will vary slightly throughout our culture, but the answers should differ greatly for Christian parents who are educating their children at home. Homeschoolers need to have a much greater vision!

In Webster’s 1828 dictionary, education is defined as: The bringing up, as of a child, instruction; formation of manners. Education comprehends all that series of instruction and discipline which is intended to enlighten the understanding, correct the temper, and form the manners and habits of youth, and fit them for usefulness in their future stations. To give children a good education in manners, arts and science, is important; to give them a religious education is indispensable; and an immense responsibility rests on parents and guardians who neglect these duties.

Isn’t that an amazing definition? The most important reason for Christian parents to educate their children at home is to pass on the faith—to actively and purposefully disciple their children. Those who are around the children most, who have the ability to pour time and into their lives and teach them, will be the ones who disciple the next generation. As Webster aptly conveyed, it is the responsibility of the parents. Leaving it up to a school is not only shifting the parents’ responsibility onto another, but also neglecting to actively be involved in their learning and discipleship.

Pastor Baucham stated:

“I am commanded to bring my children up in the nurture and instruction of the Lord (Eph. 6:4), and to do so by teaching them God’s statutes when I sit in my house, when I lie down, when I rise up, and when I walk along the way (Deut. 6:7). I am also admonished not to place myself, or by extension my children, under false teaching (Col. 2:8), or to expose them to teaching that undermines God’s Law (Matt. 5:17-20). Instead, I must teach them to “take every thought captive” (2 Cor. 10:5), to refuse to be “conformed to the pattern of this world” (Rom. 12:2), and meditate on God’s Law day and night (Ps. 1:2).”

For those of you who have not reached the point of having children to teach and train, consider your motive and purpose for your future children’s education. There should be a larger purpose in homeschooling than to protect your children from ungodly peers. It should be first and foremost to obey the Lord! Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin articulated that:

“The object of education then is twofold: to develop the faculties and to direct them; to bring out the energies of the soul, and to bring them to operate to the glory of the Creator. In other words, it is to render you useful to the extent of your ability.”

Reformation Day

Our church celebrated “Reformation Day” yesterday. It was a great event, remembering the sacrifices, boldness and firmness of the reformers, and connecting the importance of the reformation to us today. Not only did we hear a great sermon on the importance of the protestant reformation and reformation today, but we learned about Calvin and his influence and listened to a short debate between Calvin and some others on transubstantiation. Several people sewed costumes this year, so we were surrounded by monks, reformers and well-dressed ladies.

There is much to learn from the men of the reformation, who were willing to endure whatever it cost for the sake of Christ and the Bible. They were not willing to compromise, to give in even a little. Their ultimate authority depended on the Bible alone, not the pope or the leaders of the church.

Reformation involves repentance. It involves change. It involves being willing to stand for Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone) and not compromise to the world’s standards. It is not an easy life; many of the reformers were burned at the stake or tortured in other ways because of their biblical convictions. But the ultimate purpose is to glorify and obey the Lord. And there is nothing on earth that should bring more joy and fulfillment than knowing that you are obeying God.


Will you be a reformer?

"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed."

1 Peter 4:12-13

Lucky who?

"Good luck!"

Someone has probably asserted something similar to this to this phrase to you before, or perhaps you've used the same phrase yourself. But have you ever thought about what you or someone else might be implying when stating something using the words luck, fate or chance? 

R.C. Sproul expresses:

“There is a crucial difference between the providence of God and fortune, fate, or luck. The key to this difference is found in the personal character of God. Fortune is blind while God is all-seeing. Fate is impersonal while God is a Father. Luck is dumb while God can speak.”

So using a term such as "luck" can express a reliance on a force that is not even there!

Why do we, even Christians, use words such as "luck"? I believe one reason is because of the influence of our culture upon us. It is so deep that often times we simply do not comprehend the meaning of such wording when we wish someone "good luck".  I mean, it just means that you hope someone does well, right?  If that is all you're really meaning, then is it possible for you to find alternate wording that will express your thoughts better?

Christians should use wording that evidences their complete reliance on the providence of God, His power and His might alone.

I have to admit, when I catch someone saying some form of the word "luck", I sometimes remind them that "there's no such thing as luck". If someone asks me what to say instead, I suggest wording that reveals a dependence on God and not on chance. John Calvin expresses that:

"If every success is God's blessing, and calamity and adversity His curse, no place now remains in humans affairs for fortune or chance."

He goes on to say,

“We make God the ruler and governor of all things, who in accordance with His wisdom has from the farthest limit of eternity decreed what He was going to do, and now by His might carries out what He has decreed.”

It brings joy to me to hear my brothers and sisters in Christ expressing how God has worked in their lives, how He has been good to them, or how they are praying for me.  Honestly, I'd much prefer to hear that other than "good luck".  :)  What about you?

Talking to yourself...good?

I always thought talking to yourself was kinda silly, even though I sometimes do it. It’s not something generally encouraged. However, recently I read Humility: True Greatness and C.J. Mahaney suggested talking to yourself! Surprised?

Mr. Mahaney quotes Martin Lloyd-Jones who expresses:

“Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?”

Think about that. As strange as it may seem, it’s true! When you daydream, you’re allowing your mind to wander—you’re listening to yourself. Daydreaming isn’t always “bad”, but often times it decreases our productivity, distracts us from things we should be doing, or even disregards the command to think whatever is true, noble, right, pure…

Mr. Mahaney continues:

“Take a moment to review and examine your pattern of thinking yesterday. Did you spend more time speaking truth to yourself, or was most of your time spent listening to yourself? Most of us spend more time listening to lies than we do speaking truth to ourselves.”

Our hearts are prone to wander, so we must take every thought captive. Our actions follow our thinking, so we must actively take each thought captive to the obedience of Christ. And in order to learn to think what is honorable and pleasing to God we must replace our wrong thoughts with right thoughts. Only Christ can give us the power, strength and ability to do this, but it also involves talking to yourself. Not silly, made-up conversations. On the contrary, learn to speak truth into your life. This involves meditating, memorizing and quoting Scripture and reminding yourself of the promises and commands God has given in His Word. Diligent study of Scripture will reap great rewards.

Forming Friendships

Becoming close friends with people should be a slow process. Not because the people you’re around are necessarily bad or unworthy of your friendship, but because friendships need to be built on Christ.

Prov. 22:24-25 reminds us: “Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.” The wisdom found here is that being around someone who character is ungodly can result in negative parallels in your own life. Hastily rushing into a close friendship can also easily end up as a broken friendship later on. Usually instantaneous close friendships are built on the current similar interests that don’t always last because of change of interests, instead of being built on Christ, the only strong foundation.

The people you want to be close friends with are those who not only share similar convictions, but can fulfill some of the ideas I shared in the purpose of friendships.

Henry Blackaby says:

“Be careful in your choice of friends! Jesus chose His closest friends wisely. He did not look for perfect friends, but friends whose hearts were set to follow God. It is equally important to examine the kind of friend you are to others. As a friend, it is your duty to put the needs of others first (Prov. 17:17). Strive to find godly friends who will challenge you to become the person God desires. When you have found them, be receptive to the way God uses them to help you become spiritually mature. Strive also to be the kind of friend that helps others become more like Christ.”

Also, don’t limit your friendships to people your age. You can learn and glean so much from those older than you, and you can use friendships with those younger than you to practice things like encouraging, inspiring and ministering!

Influence, part 2

What if I’m not trying to influence anyone but am? You are known by your deeds but you also influence by them. The way you act, speak, and respond to different circumstances can influence others, whether for good or for bad. It is likely that you are silently influencing others, whether you are trying to or not. Remember that “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Col. 3:17). While our motivation for doing what is right should not be to simply influence those around us, we need to be aware that we often have the opportunity to do so. “Walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory”. 1 Thess. 2:12

Why should we desire to influence others? Because leading, inspiring and encouraging others in godliness is a great privilege! 1 Thess. 5:14 urges us to “admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.” We should love to allow God use us to influence others for His kingdom. We also need to use our time wisely, and by clarifying the purpose of our friendships we can wisely use our time while making an eternal impact in those around us! “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” Eph. 5:15-16

Who are we to be influenced by? Those who are godly, who will encourage, exhort and inspire you. “Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good.” (3 John 11) Unbelievers and less mature friends should be influenced by us, not the other way around. When I was younger, my mom used to tell me that if I wanted to play with neighbors that I needed to always be influencing, not being influenced. This is incredibly important because allowing ourselves to be influenced by people that we don’t spur us towards godliness will reap bad fruit. Remember, someone is always influencing; either you are the one influencing or you are being influenced.

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Phil. 1:9-11

Influence, part 1

Although the size will vary with each person, everyone has a realm of influence. For you, it may be your younger siblings, friends or neighbors. It could be younger kids who enjoy playing with you. You might not even realize who and how you are influencing, but I guarantee you that in some way, you are. This may strike a little fear into your heart, because if you’re like me, you know that there are so many things you do that you don’t want others mimicking. But I’m not here to scare you or tell you to straighten up because others are watching you, but hopefully to remind you of the influence you can have and how to use that to build up the kingdom of Christ.

Watch how others imitate your actions. This is most clearly seen in younger siblings. When you see a sibling doing something wrong, ask yourself if they’ve picked up on it from you. You are silently influencing them. Does your own behavior espouse godly character or the opposite?

What is the purpose in influencing? Is it to gain more recognition or approval? Is it to have more authority? Is it to control others? No, no, no! It should be to lead others to Christ, allowing God to use you as a humble vessel to impact them. Your obedience to Christ, even in the little things, can be used mightily by God to influence others. Ultimately then your life will bring the honor and glory to God because of His work in you.

How are we to influence others by our words? By speaking gently (Prov. 15:4) graciously (Col. 4:6), lovingly, kindly, words fitly spoken (Prov. 25:11), with wisdom (Prov. 31:26) and by speaking words that will build up (1 Thess. 5:11).

Do things that you want to encourage others to do. If you exhort your siblings to obey your parents yet display a disobedient or reluctant heart when they give you an instruction, do you think they’ll take you seriously? If you want to encourage godly behavior you need to watch your own heart for evidences when you are not obeying the Lord. A change in your own heart and a desire to follow the Lord completely is the most likely way to inspire, encourage and influence those around you. Henry Blackaby wisely conveys:

“Your life should convince those around you of the wisdom of following God.  Do not underestimate the positive effect that your obedience will have upon those close to you.”

You never know who may be watching you, but your actions speak clearly for your character. What do people see when they watch how you act? Relate with others? Speak to your parents? Just by your actions, are you encouraging things like obedience and respectfulness to your parents and other authority? Are you inspiring others towards a deeper walk with God? Towards a love of holiness and godliness? Are you involved and supporting meaningful conversations, or are you always joking around? By your actions and behavior, do you encourage joyful serving, or is helping others a chore? Do you set the example by talking with or including those younger than you in games and discussions, or do you give the impression that it’s only fun to talk with people your age? Do you encourage language that honors and reverences the Lord’s name?

Don’t rely on others to set the standard—you set the standard! Set a godly example (1 Tim. 4:12).

I purposely didn’t answer all the questions I asked. I hope that you will think and pray through them. In addition to searching your own heart, pray that God would use you as a humble vessel to influence others for Him and encourage them in godliness. Also remember to pray for specific people that you feel you might be influencing.


*In my next post I hope to answer a few more questions regarding influence.

Honest Scrap Award/Tag

This award was given to me by Moriah, Katie and Caleb.  Thanks guys! 
Rules:

• Say thanks by giving a link to the person's blog who tagged you.
• Share ten things about yourself--be truthful!!
• Present the award to 7 others whose blogs you find brilliant in content and/or design, or those who have encouraged you.
• Tell those 7 people that you have awarded them.

 I figured that since I was given this by 3 people that I should do it.  ;)  However, I've shared 50 things about myself (they're all honest ;) and other facts in various tags, so I thought I'd twist it a little like Jasmine and Katie have done.  So I'm sharing 10 honest music related things about me... :)

1. I’ve always struggled with playing by ear. I need the notes in front of me!
2. In the past year though, I’ve worked on chords for worship songs and so can now play a little better by ear.
3. I teach 4 piano students that range in age from 5-15.
4. I love teaching piano, and it’s good learning experience for me!
5. I’m working on a degree in music via distance learning.
6. I don’t like music theory, but I’m about to start a distance learning theory course for college credit.
7. I can play the beginning part of “The Entertainer” by Scott Joplin, otherwise known in our house as the “ice-cream man song”. It’s really fun!
8. I’ve played the piano for 11 years, but don’t really have musical gifting, so I’ve had to work hard at it. Lest you think that I’m some amazing pianist now, let me assure you that I’m not. I didn’t work as hard or quickly as I should have and so despite my many years of playing am not that great. I’m continually learning though…
9. I love singing harmony and playing duets on the piano with my brother. I also love playing harmony on instruments (with my siblings or friends)!
10. The guitar has a beautiful sound and I would really like to be able to play decently. I’ve tried teaching myself chords and will sometimes be found in my room “playing” and singing. But my siblings will attest to my incredibly poor playing. :P


I decided not to award anyone this time, but if you're reading my blog and would like to do it, feel free!  Just let me know so I can read it.  :)

Reformed Theology?

Reformed theology magnifies God. I’m convinced of it. Last year in school I read parts of John Calvin’s Institutes in Christian Religion. While I don’t agree completely with every single thing Calvin believed, I’ve been so blessed to learn from this 16th century reformer. The reason I believe reformed theology magnifies God is because it reveals that without Him we would be swallowed up in the depth of our sins, unable to escape. When we begin to take that away by saying that man has some good in him with the ability to choose God, we lose that overwhelming gratefulness for all that God has done. Calvin explained it this way:

“Men indeed ought to be taught that God’s loving-kindness is set forth to all who seek it, without exception. But since it is those on whom heavenly grace has breathed who at length begin to seek after it, they should not claim for themselves the slightest part of His praise. It is obviously the privilege of the elect that, regenerated through the Spirit of God, they are moved and governed by His leading.”

Because God is the one who begins and works the process of salvation, HE is the only one who deserves the praise—we cannot claim any of it for ourselves as Calvin stated. God does not save us because He foresees anything good in us though, it is nothing righteous we have done! With this understanding we begin to realize that we should not complain about any type of suffering we face in this life, because we deserve nothing but death and the wrath of God.

“For if it had not been clearly stated that the wrath and vengeance of God and eternal death rested upon us, we would scarcely have recognized how miserable we would have been without God’s mercy, and we would have underestimated the benefit of liberation.”

To say that we deserve better reveals that we believe we have done something to merit favor. However, for an unbeliever, even the “good” things we do are sinful and wicked in God’s sight because they are done with selfish motives.

“As long as we do not look beyond the earth, being quite content with our own righteousness, wisdom, and virtue, we flatter ourselves most sweetly, and fancy ourselves all but demigods. Suppose we but once begin to raise our thoughts to God, and to ponder His nature, and how completely perfect are His righteousness, wisdom, and power—the straightedge to which we must be shaped. Then, what masquerading earlier as righteousness was pleasing in us will soon grow filthy in its consummate wickedness. What wonderfully impressed us under the name of wisdom will stink in its very foolishness. What wore the face of power will prove itself the most miserable weakness. That is, what in us seems perfection itself corresponds ill to the purity of God.”

What an amazing thought. What we claim to be "righteousness" compared to God’s complete and perfect holiness is nothing but filthy rags. And yet God loves us and draws us to Himself to save, justify and sanctify us. What a blessed thought!

*quotes all taken from Institutes in Christian Religion

How to Foster Unity Among Your Siblings

“How good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity”!
Psalm 133:1

Becoming best friends with your siblings isn’t something that comes naturally, or at least for some of us! :) So how can you foster unity and friendship among your siblings?

Spend time with them. If you’re never with them, how can you expect to become best friends with them?
Talk to them. Communication is the key to developing relationships. :)
Ask questions. Find out what their favorite food is, know their likes and dislikes, ask how you can pray for them, ask how God is working in their life.
Listen to them. If you’re reading a book, typing on your computer or half-listening, your siblings will get the picture that something else is more important to you than they are.
Take interest. Demonstrate to your siblings that you care for them. Whether that’s listening to them tell something they think is important, describe their day or something they learned, or playing something they think is fun, show your interest in everything that happens to them.
Pray for them.
Pray with them.
Get to know them (really!). This sounds so silly, but do you really know your siblings? This is what flows from conversations and being with them.
Show love to them. Remember, true, biblical love is a choice, not a feeling. You may not “feel” like loving your siblings every moment of every day, but God commands to you love. By choosing to love our siblings even when we don’t feel like it, we are developing the godly character God desires for us, and the feelings will eventually follow!

I am no way perfect in any of these areas; in fact, as God began to reveal them to me I realize I fall short in many ways!

One last thought. Satan wants to destroy the family, so when you harbor bitterness, anger or just don’t enjoy being with your siblings, you are helping Satan advance his plan! He understands that a godly family is capable of so much in the kingdom of God, so his desire is to see it destroyed! Don’t join the enemy forces, study God’s Word and learn how to kindly relate and develop loving relationships with your siblings. You will be blessed!

Mark of Biblical Friends...

“The mark of biblical friends is that their friendship draws you closer to Christ. They ‘sharpen’ you and motivate you to do what is right. True friends tell you the truth and even risk hurting your feelings because they love you and have your best interests at heart (Prov. 27:6).”

-Henry Blackaby

*emphasis mine

This stuck out to me this morning and I thought it fit well with what I've been sharing on friendship!

My Friendship Story

I've given you my thoughts on the purpose of friendships, but now I would like to share where God has brought me throughout my life trying to find friends.

“Your siblings are your best friends” is something my dad has always reminded us. When Luke, Katie and I were little and would fight or argue over something, dad would remind us that we were best friends. But what does that mean? For many years I had a hard time understanding how my younger brother and sister could be my best friends. But today I consider them the best friends I have! When did the change occur?

I’ve always been a loyal friend, or at least that’s what I’ve been told. I’ve treasured the many friendships I’ve had, but sometimes gone a little too far in “loyalty” by idolizing them. For many years I considered my siblings my good friends, but my best friends were outside of my family. I mean, you have to be friends with your siblings because you live with them, but how could they be your best friends? For many years I couldn’t seem to grasp that concept.

As I neared the age of 10 I began to pray for a like-minded friend my age. In the midst of a move I was hopeful that the Lord would provide a friend for me in our new state. But that was not in God’s plan. Because I had no best friend to invest in (really no friends at all), I ended up spending a lot of time with my family. Even then I didn’t realize what kind of blessing God had given me. As I look back I know that if God had given me the friend I desired I would have spent way too much time with her and neglected my siblings. Instead, I spent a lot of my time with my siblings because they were the only ones there, meanwhile still praying for a like-minded friend.

I prayed and prayed.

For years I prayed, and after multiple moves Lord began to graciously reveal to me that if He had given me a friend when I first prayed that I would no longer be near her. And He was still trying to impress upon me the significance of developing close relationships with my siblings.

Really in the past few years is when Luke and Katie, my siblings closest to my age, and I have become quite close. Through different circumstances God has given us opportunities to really invest in one another and work on becoming best friends, and realize the importance of being best friends. And you know what? It’s been an incredible blessing! We are with one another all the time and we love being together. Even when we’re with other friends, we’re often together!

I’ve also changed my view of friendship in the process. In the past I regarded “friends” and “best friends” as girls my age—outside of my family. Now God has given me the desire to have my siblings as my very best friends. Do I have other best friends? Yes, but as I’m sure they can tell you by my infrequent letters and emails, they are not the #1 priority in my life. But I also have many people that I consider friends that I would not have really thought of as friends years ago. My friends are all ages! Little ones to adults. Because my purpose of friendships has changed, my definition of who is my friend has changed also.

Do my siblings and I always get along perfectly? Absolutely not, because we’re all sinners. But by God’s grace He has united our hearts and given us a love for one another that wasn’t so deep several years ago. Soli Deo Gloria! (to the glory of God alone!)

First Day of School

Our summer was a busy summer, with productivity and fun intermixed. But it’s time to head back to the books, and today we had our first day of school!

Of course, the first day is always longer, trying to get everything figured out and then completed. And today, I did worldview for two hours and then mom realized that I was doing 2 days’ worth of work! ;) Oh well, I like being ahead. :)

So for this semester, some of the things I’m studying include…

• Math (algebra review and prep for the College Mathematics CLEP)
• World Views of the Western World, year III
  
• English/writing (part of writing is essay prep for the English Comp CLEP)
• Computer textbook (prep for the DANTES Information Systems & Computer Applications exam)
• Music Theory
• U.S. History review (in prep to retake the U.S. History I CLEP)

Vacation Adventure

Our goal was to leave Granny’s house and be on the road by 8:30 Wednesday morning. And we left by 8:30. We were off to a great start—for about the first 5 miles. We all sat silently driving down the freeway...

All of a sudden, we heard a “Pop!!” and then a “Thud!” We instantly turned out heads towards the back window to find that the top half of our luggage shell had popped off our van and one of our suitcases was in the middle of the road. Dad instantaneously slowed down and pulled to the shoulder of the road. We all continued to sit with our mouths gaping open, watching cars try to swerve around our stuff. Not wanting to cause a wreck, dad tried to motion for cars to pull over a lane while he pulled our torn up bag and stuff off the freeway!!

We happened to be in the right hand lane, so most of the stuff was in the closest lane; however, some of the stuff was getting blown across the freeway because of the cars zooming by. Thankfully, only one bag, our swimsuit/towel bag, and a bag of shoes flew out of the luggage shell. In the midst of the traffic, dad crossed the 3 lane freeway in its entirety to retrieve a tennis shoe of Katie’s that was thrown around and the top of the shell that was hit by a car and thrown to the other side of the road. (the car was fine!) It’s somewhat amusing to think of all that dad did at that moment, but believe me, we were holding our breaths as he tried to grab our stuff in the midst of the speeding traffic.

Dad called Granny who drove to us to put our luggage in her car. We returned to her house and dad made a trip to Wal-Mart to find some adjustable bungee cords. An hour and 45 minutes later, we were finally able to leave Granny’s, with our shell securely strapped on. Dad said we wouldn’t leave again until our top was secure, and it was! We made it home safely.

Our beat up top

Bent back into place and strapped on tight!

There were so many things to be thankful for in the midst of our dilemma. Dad wasn’t hurt during all his freeways crossings and retrieving our stuff. Only one bag and a plastic bag fell out. If all our suitcases had come out I doubt we would have been able to get all our stuff. The shell was reusable despite being beat up. We were 5 miles from Granny’s and not 100. And we didn’t cause any wrecks! Praise God!

After our adventure, God brought this song to my mind.

You Have Been Good
Oh Lord, You have been good
You have been faithful
Through all generations

Oh Lord, Your steadfast love
And tender mercies
Have been our salvation

For by Your hand we have been fed
And by Your Spirit we have been led

Oh Lord, Almighty God
Father unchanging, upright and holy

For by Your hand we have been fed
And by Your Spirit we have been led

O Lord, You have been good
You have been faithful
You have been good

Home!

Although I didn’t mention it on my blog, my family just returned from an 8 day vacation. It was a fun time of resting and seeing family and friends!

On our trip we visited some friends that have a boat on a lake. Even though it rained every day except the day we left, we still had a great time boating, swimming, tubing and talking. While boating, one of the days we got caught in a storm on the way back to the dock, and sat in the pouring rain and wind, while watching the lightning strike close by. The whole time, dad just laughed! It was an interesting experience! :) In the evenings we played a lot of Catch-phrase, and now our friends are going to buy it!

After spending a few days at the lake we drove to our Granny’s house. There we spent time with her, took family pictures and got to see some relatives. On the day we drove home we had the most interesting experience, which I will share in my next post. :)

Meanwhile, here are a few pictures I took at the lake.

evening fog

sun setting

Hopeful or Hopeless? part 2

Calvin’s application of the truth of Scripture brought great hope not only to himself but to countless others. Calvin believed that even government should be rooted in biblical truth. Government was a covenant between the people and their leaders. Law should be an overflow of biblical truth, as all people, even kings, are accountable to God. Courageously, he emphasized that the government shouldn’t control the church and that resistance to kings is necessary if they require violation of God’s commands. The Pilgrims and Puritans fled persecution, carrying these ideas of liberty in their hearts. These reformation ideas were again stirred to life during the Great Awakening between 1735 and 1750. The Great Awakening, as well as the widespread memorizing of the Westminster Shorter Catechism, unified the colonists and laid a reformed, spiritual foundation for the birth of a new nation. Specifically, the founding fathers of our nation embraced the belief that man is sinful, having been greatly influenced by Calvin’s writing. This vital foundational principle was the reason that our government was designed as a system of checks and balances. The founding fathers knew that “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely” and thus were cautious to not allow one monarch to rule the newly established nation. Because of Calvin’s diligent endeavors the principles of the Reformation spread from nation to nation. His exposition of biblical doctrines were understood and practiced by thousands following him. Calvin’s studying and understanding of truth brought enduring hope.

Darwin and Calvin clearly had opposing ideas. Darwin’s rejection of the Bible as the source of truth resulted in the devaluing of human life and the acceptance of false philosophies such as psychology (see my dangers of Psychology posts parts 1 and 2). These ideas bring hopelessness because they bring death. Calvin on the other hand brought hope to many through his thorough understanding of Scripture and belief that biblical truth should rule all areas of life. In indirect ways he influenced millions, birthing denominations, churches, and a new nation. All ideas have consequences. Accepting Darwin’s evolutionary ideas leads to a gloomy, self-focused hopelessness. Embracing Calvin’s belief in Scripture alone leads to a glorious, God honoring hope.

Hopeful or Hopeless? part 1

I realized that in my two posts about Darwin I kinda left you in a depressing state; speaking of the hopelessness and destruction Darwin's philosophies brought. So these next two posts are going to contrast the hopelessness by explaining the hope that Calvin brought through accepting the unswerving truth of Scripture!

In contrast to Darwin, John Calvin did not reject truth, but wholeheartedly sought truth as found in the unchanging Scriptures. As a 16th century pastor, theologian, and reformer, he was known as a gentle, loving man who had a heart for people. His thorough and meticulous study of the Bible and the writing that flowed from it brought many to embrace biblical truth. Studying the doctrines of the Bible led to his belief in the depravity of man and the perfect holiness of God. His work Institutes in Christian Religion is one of the results of his detailed effort, as it is outstanding in its explanations, refutations, and overall establishment of doctrine, as well as one of the most influential Protestant works. He significantly affected western civilization through his theology that led to the beginning of reformed denominations and the growth of many churches. Calvin believed God’s Word.

Unquestionably, Calvin’s understanding of biblical truth, especially the doctrine of the depravity of man, led to a clear and accurate understanding of man. Calvin believed that man was completely depraved and unable to do good. Calvin explained this in the form of the doctrine of original sin, which states that when Adam sinned we all sinned. Calvin expressed,

“Original sin, therefore, appears to be a hereditary, depravity and corruption of our nature, diffused through all the parts of the soul, rendering us obnoxious to the divine wrath”.

Because salvation is not of ourselves and dependent solely on the grace of God, it brings great hope and joy because we can trust and be certain that we have been saved from the wrath and judgment we deserved for our sins. In Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion he states,

“For if it had not been clearly stated that the wrath and vengeance of God and eternal death rested upon us, we would scarcely have recognized how miserable we would have been without God’s mercy, and we would have underestimated the benefit of liberation”.

From Calvin’s studies emerged ideas that would effect great change.

Rejecting truth leads to...

If you read my post on the importance of understanding what you believe, you saw how Darwin’s rejection of the truth of Scripture led to his theories of natural selection. However, what else did it lead to?

Rejecting truth led to dire consequences for Darwin and his followers, including the devaluing of life. Darwin proposed the theory of natural selection, or survival of the fittest. He believed that the animals that possess the traits most capable of surviving in future generations would live, and the weak would die. Because there is no God and man is merely an evolved animal, the purpose and importance of each life of is diminished. But Darwin expanded this concept further and further by encouraging people to marry those who had desirable genetic traits and suggesting that those with defects should not marry, because the undesirable traits would be passed on. He asserted that instead of the “random chance” of natural selection we should actually take control of natural selection in order to improve it. Darwin articulated:

“There is reason to believe that vaccination has preserved thousands, who from a weak constitution would formerly have succumbed to smallpox. Thus the weak members of civilized societies propagate their kind. No one who has attended to the breeding of domestic animals will doubt that this must be highly injurious to the race of man.”

From Darwin’s theories developed eugenics, human selective breeding, which declared that only the strongest, smartest and most beautiful were of value. Tragically, Hitler embraced this dreadful philosophy and applied it by murdering millions in order to achieve a more perfect mankind. When man is lowered to the category of a mere animal, it’s easy to rationalize horrendous behavior. His ideas, which have infiltrated the school system, have resulted in our nation accepting evils such as abortion, birth control and euthanasia for the purpose of assisting the ongoing process of evolution.

So once again, please study the truth found in God's Word and begin to apply it by refuting the lies that come from our culture! :)

*second paragraph taken from my essay submitted to the Darwin vs. Calvin essay contest by Vision Forum.

To any who haven't noticed....

My sister Katie has returned to the blogging world. If you don't remember or weren't here when she "left", she took a three month computer break and came back in the beginning of June. Since then she's been posting frequently, so be sure to keep checking her blog! During her time offline she evaluated the purpose of her blog, and now has posted some great stuff, with more to come!

I know she would love for you to stop by her blog. :)

The Purpose of Friendships

What do you think is the true purpose of friendship? Why should we bother to become good friends with people? Is it just because we share a common interest or like being around them? What should be our purpose in developing friendships?

Here are my thoughts on the purpose of friendships:

To Sharpen. Prov. 27:17 says “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another”. By our words and conversations we can sharpen one another!

To Encourage. Friendships are good to develop “that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith”. (Romans 1:12)

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up”.
1 Thess. 5:11
“We...encouraged you ... to walk in a manner worthy of God”
1 Thess. 2:12
“Therefore encourage one another with these words.”
1 Thess. 4:18

To Exhort. “He exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose” Acts 11:23. 1 Tim. 4:13 tells us to “devote yourself to… exhortation”. Heb. 3:13 even reminds us to “exhort one another every day”. What a great goal to set—to exhort someone every day!

To Hold Accountable. Everyone needs accountability. So use your friendships to ask questions and hold each other accountable!

To Challenge. How can you challenge your friends today? Is there a specific situation going on in their life that you can challenge and encourage them in?

To Learn From. Phil. 4:9 declares “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things”. No one is perfect, and we each have different strengths and weaknesses. But we can each learn from one another in so many ways! This is especially true with those older than you; make sure you listen to those who are older and wiser to learn! And don’t forget that there are always those younger than you, and you are the person that those younger friends are learning from!

To Inspire. 1 Timothy 4:12 “But set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” Through discussions and example we can inspire one another towards godliness! Isn’t that an amazing thought?

To Minister. Friendships should not be selfish, thinking of what you can get out of the other person, but instead giving. Think of how you can minister to those around you, the ones God wants you to be friends to.

Do you have other thoughts? Other reasons why you think it is healthy to develop godly friendships? Practicals on how to develop godly friendships? I would love to hear your thoughts. :)

Do I have to understand what I say I believe?

The topic of “worldview” is frequently mentioned and discussed in our home. Because every single thing you read, watch or listen to has a worldview, we have to be careful to not passively allow anything to fill our minds. We need to closely analyze and determine whether or not the things we fill our minds with are in line with what we believe, because they do have an influence on us.

Another thing to note is that we need to know and understand not only what we believe but why we believe something; whether doctrinally, theologically, or practically. The reason it is important is because if we do not understand why we believe something we cannot refute it, nor can we stand against the many philosophies the world will throw at us. (Col. 2:8)

I have a sorrowful example of this. Everyone knows Charles Darwin as the “founder” of the theory of evolution and natural selection. But at a point in his life Darwin actually believed in God (the extent or depth of this belief I do not know) and intended to become a clergyman! If you are exclaiming “Unbelievable!” right now, allow me to disclose how someone could go from a belief in God to the complete opposite...

After discarding the ideas of becoming a doctor or clergyman, Darwin, aged 22, was invited to go on the voyage of the HMS Beagle as company for the captain. Darwin used this time to study specimens and the environments of animals. Because of his weak understanding of the Bible, he gradually began to doubt the doctrine of creation and started speculating that animals could have changed from one species to another. Darwin read the writings of Lyle, who believed that new varieties could only be formed within the species. Making a huge jump, Darwin claimed that animals could evolve into new species. Likewise he read Malthus’ theory that population exceeds the amount of available food, and thus asserted that there is a continual “struggle for survival”. Darwin’s repudiation of the truth of the Bible initiated when he doubted the first chapters in Genesis. In his autobiography he stated:

“I had gradually come by this time, i.e. 1836 to 1839, to see that the Old Testament was no more to be trusted than the sacred books of the Hindoos or the beliefs of any barbarian”.

A miserable decline continued as he rejected the gospels, the New Testament, and eventually God completely.

Did you pick up on that? Because of his weak understanding of the Bible, Darwin began to doubt the truth of Scripture. My friends, Scripture is infallible! If there is anything that we are uncertain about when it comes to whether something is the truth or not, we should immediately turn to Scripture and allow God’s Word to teach us. The reason I can assert that Darwin had a weak understanding of the Bible is because of his statements regarding it. Let me give you an example:

Darwin declared:

“I cannot persuade myself that a beneficent and omnipotent God would have designedly created parasitic wasps with the express intention of their feeding within the living bodies of Caterpillars.”

It may sound like a reasonable statement, but it reveals a weak understanding of the doctrine of the Fall and sin. The reason we have sin and death is because of Adam and Eve’s disobedience to God and giving into the temptation of Satan. God originally created everything “good” (Gen. 1). He did not desire for the world to be full of evil and suffering, but a holy, just, and righteous God could not allow disobedience without consequences. Since the Fall there has been sin, destruction and death.

I hope that if you didn’t already comprehend the significance of knowing why you believe something that you’re beginning to grasp it. I am not suggesting that you come up with great ways to debate your opinions. Instead, please turn to Scripture, the source of all truth, and study it! Also ask your parents or pastor questions to help you understand difficult truths. We need to actively study the Bible and learn what we mean when we say we believe something so we can refute the worldly philosophies that are thrust upon us, especially the ones under the title “Christian” that sound pretty good.

The Power of the "Delete" Button

I’m generally not a saver, of material stuff or electronically. If I don’t need it, I get rid of it. Sometimes I’m a little too hasty, because I’ll get rid of something only to wish I hadn’t. Some of my friends know that I’ve deleted things on my computer with the intention to “save space”, without realizing that I deleted something important.

Well, it happened again.

You see, I like to write down my thoughts for blog posts, even if they are never developed or published. On my computer desktop I have multiple folders, one titled “Blog Stuff” (which reveals my lack of creativity). Here I would type post ideas, posts I’m working on/thinking through, and sometimes I would just write, with the intention of developing something later. I had many, many documents, some written many months ago that I didn’t post, others started that I didn’t develop enough, and others that I was working on with the intention of posting them in the next few weeks.

Well my dear readers, all my plans for posting have changed, for I accidentally deleted my blog folder. Gone. Vanished. All my work never to be seen again. It’s a long story, and I’m still not positive how it happened! I was very dismayed because I can’t retrieve all the time and work I put into those blog posts. Unfortunately I haven’t backed up my computer in over a year, so the documents backed up are very old.


But don’t think I’m telling you this to pity me, no, the reason I’m informing you of this is so that you can understand if my posts are scattered few and far between. Because of this “dilemma”, I may not be so quick to rewrite all the things I had before; in fact, many will probably be forgotten forever. I had fully intended to post at least once a week this summer, but because of this, it will largely depend on how much time I have. I do hope that I can still manage a post per week, but we shall see how all goes.

So here’s a reminder for you…backup your computer! In fact, I might be good to go do it now if you haven’t done it in a while. Especially if you have important things like schoolwork and such, for losing it would be disastrous.

Courtship thoughts

Last night while we had a group of friends over we had a discussion on the topic of courtship, so I thought I would add to my previous post with some more thoughts on this subject.

My dad defines courtship as: the process by which a couple seeks to determine their readiness for marriage and seeks to discern God’s will for a covenant marriage that will be God honoring.

An important distinction in courtship from dating is that courtship is for those who are ready for marriage. It is not a romantic thrill-ride or for someone who simply desires a relationship, but for a man and a woman who desire to honor the Lord by exhibiting a godly relationship without emotional attachments before they make a lifelong commitment. In this way you experience the great blessing of saving all feelings and expressions of feelings until you are married.

There are also many different ways that families choose to court, and that must be determined by each family. I believe however, that the general vision is that instead of just getting married to be married that we actively prepare for marriage now and when God brings us the right person we commit to them permanently. Remember, the person you choose to marry is who you will live with the rest of your life, so you don’t want to make a wrong decision that could be avoided!

So what are the requirements of courtship? Mr. Bill Gothard explains that you must have:
• A life purpose bigger than marriage
• A “one-man, one-woman” commitment
• A restraint of affection
• A loyalty to parents
• An ability to deal with infatuations
• A readiness for marriage responsibilities

Girls, one thing you must understand is that you must marry a man who you can joyfully submit to and follow his vision. So what is your vision for life? What do you sense the Lord wants for your life? Begin to think and pray through these questions even now. In marriage you (as girls) are to complete your husband and help him further his vision in greater ways than he could do alone, ultimately bringing all glory to God.

As an end note, I must clarify that while I highly esteem courtship as the biblical process before you marry, I do not declare it to be a perfect process in any way. In our world of sin there is nothing perfect. You cannot trust that because you choose the process of courtship that you will have a great marriage or a wonderful spouse. But I believe courtship is the best decision because the parents are actively involved in determining whether the two of you are compatible in crucial areas so that your marriage can be to the glory of God alone!

Representative of Christ

When you see someone with a Christian t-shirt but who is (in your opinion) not acting in a God-honoring way, what do you think? Do you think of how they are poorly representing Christ? It’s easy to do that, because many people claim to be Christians yet do not glorify and honor Christ accurately in their speech and actions. But instead of looking at others, let’s search our own hearts…

What do you think people’s first impressions of you are?

When someone who has never seen you before notices you—in a store, playing in your yard, taking a walk, or anything else, what do you think their first impressions are? Do you think it’s clear that you’re different? Does the love and joy of Jesus clearly shine through you?

This came to my mind this weekend as my family and some families from our church attended a homeschool conference and wore matching shirts with our church logo. Of course, since we all matched and a handful of us were seen walking around often, my thoughts were directed to the question, “What kind of impression am I giving for our church when people see me?” But even more importantly, my thoughts were turned to the question, “Am I properly representing Christ in everything I do?”

The purpose is not to give people a good impression so they think you’re such a great person. On the contrary, anything “good” seen in you should be to the glory of God the Father and all praise and honor should be directed to Him. But if we want others to see the difference Christ has made in our lives and want to make an impact, we have to be on guard to not do things to disrepute the name of Christ!

So let me leave you with a question and a couple Scripture verses…
Are you actively making sure you are representing Christ in an honorable way?

“For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” 2 Cor. 2:15

“You yourselves are our letter…to be known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ… written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God” 2 Cor. 3:2-5

Recent Happenings...

School is officially over for us, so especially because I don’t presently have any more CLEP tests to study for, I have some time to write a post!

May was quite a busy month, partially because Luke and I had two hard CLEP tests to take, and partially because May always ends up being a busy month! You probably remember my mention of a post on 4 Homeschoolers that I directed you towards. The one on failure. After failing two CLEPs in a row, I took my own advice and began to try harder and work diligently so I would be more prepared for my upcoming tests.

I can’t attest to my great knowledge or wonderful test taking skills, but rather to my amazing God and the power of prayer. Right now my heart is just overflowing with joy and gratitude for God’s goodness which I am so undeserving of. Luke and I both passed the Government and Biology test, which are generally known as harder tests. Because of my mom’s diligent work with us, her encouraging us to persevere and work hard and the many, many people who prayed for us while we tested, God heard and gave us the grace to pass! To God be the glory!

Saturday we took the Biology CLEP, which is why my last post informed you that I wouldn’t have time to post in the upcoming week. The reason being of course, because we were quite busy studying!

The day before we took Biology the Lord brought the verses in Philippians 4:6-7 to mind:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Whenever I would begin to become anxious before or during my test, I would pray and the peace I had during my test was clearly not from me!

So let me encourage you that whatever you are facing is not bigger than the mighty God we serve. If you feel anxious or worried, lay those anxieties at the feet of the Father and ask Him for His peace. God wants to use any trial or blessing you are given to turn you to Him and bring you to complete dependence and reliance on Him.

New Poll!

Even though the end of May draws close and school is inching its way to completion, I'm still not done and I doubt I'll have time to post in the next week. So how 'bout taking a moment and filling out the new poll on my sidebar? I'm interested in learning the age range of my readers and where a majority of them fall. Don't worry, I won't ask you to tell me your specific age!

Have a blessed day,

floral pictures

Because I choose not to post my family's faces on my blog, I thought I'd share some floral pictures I've taken with my new camera.

This one is a bit bright, but the colors are so pretty!

Gradual Exposure to Evil?

It’s very common to in our culture to hear the complaint directed toward homeschoolers—“You’re too sheltered”, or if it’s towards the parents, “You’re sheltering your kids too much”. Culturally, it’s a well known thought that in order to not be shocked when you “go into” the world, you need to be gradually exposed to evil. Is this a biblical thought? I don’t believe it is. God’s Word says that we are to be “wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil”. (Romans 16:19) We don’t have to “know” or “experience” evil to know that it is wrong. Such logic states that in order for me to know that drinking alcohol is bad for me, I need to taste a little. We as God’s children should desire to stay as far away from evil as possible; we don’t need to experience it or see it to know that it is bad. In contrast, the more we study God’s Word and know what is RIGHT, the more we’ll be able to recognize what is evil. So make sure that you are hiding God’s Word in your heart, meditating on it and studying it!

"I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."
Psalm 119:11 (ESV)

My New Camera!

I love photography and have been saving for an slr camera for many months. Finally, after much searching, prayer, and waiting, I was able to purchase a Canon Rebel xsi! My old camera served its time well and was of good use and practice, but I wanted to upgrade to an slr so I could improve my photo skills.

Pictures below are of my old camera and new. Of course the pictures of my new camera were taken with the old point-and-shoot, so they aren't as great...

Canon A570

Rebel xsi with 28-135mm lens

Most of my future pictures posted will be taken from this camera. :)

Sending you to 4HS

God has used some recent CLEP tests to refine and shape me. I encourage you to hop over to our homeschool blog and read my recent post. :)
Hopefully this blog will be updated within a week!

field trip

Wednesday my family took a day trip and drove a couple hours to take pictures in the Texas bluebonnets, tour the Blue Bell factory and visit the Rose Emporium. Here are some pictures I took (unless otherwise noted)...

(picture above taken by dad)

Rose Emporium:

Luke and I decided to have some fun with the cameras :)

Tagged again!

Thanks to Lindsay for tagging me! Now I shall attempt to answer the following questions...

What do you enjoy most? Talking, laughing, photography, being with close friends and family, teaching piano

What are some lessons you have taken? Gymnastics, swimming, ballet, tap, tennis

Your favorite authors? Hmmm… Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin, Pastor Voddie Baucham

What do you like to sing in the shower? Haha! Well, when I sing in the shower (which actually isn’t too often) it’s just whatever random song is stuck in my head

Have you ever broken any bones? Yes

What languages do you want to learn? Sign language

What Jane Austen movie is your favorite? I’ve only seen three…Pride and Prejudice maybe?

What are your favorite books of the Bible? Such hard questions! Two of my favorites include Deuteronomy and James.

Your favorite singers? Chris Tomlin, Paul Baloche, Phillips, Craig and Dean, my mom (she doesn’t have CDs though…)

Your favorite types of music? Specific. I’m very picky! Certain praise and worship songs, certain hymns, classical.

Your favorite animals? Rabbits

Your favorite things about nature? The beauty that displays God’s handiwork!

If you were suddenly dropped into a movie, which movie would you like to be in? No clue!

If you could go back to any time period, where would you go? Colonial America probably

What are your favorite writing projects you have done/are doing? Narrative/short stories, some of my worldview writing

Your favorite fictional characters? Never thought about that! Perhaps Millie Keith.... I’m not sure who else.

What phrases do you say/write most often? lol, we need to clean up (my middle brother informed me that I say this often)

How tall are you? 5’4” I think

Your favorite piece of jewelry? I don’t have an absolute favorite!



I know my answers are pretty pathetic. I either try to think too much on tags thus making the question way more complicated than it was meant to be, can’t choose an answer or simply don’t know! Oh well. Perhaps you learned a tad more about me through this!

I will not tag whoever reads this and would like to participate! If you have a blog and decide to do this, leave a comment, and if you don’t, do it in the comment section! :)

The Widow's Might in Theaters!

From today through the 18th, the film The Widow's Might will be in select theaters nationwide! This is the film that won the Best of Festival award and the Audience Choice award at the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival. If you have not seen this film, go see it!! You can view the trailer here.

Here's what Mr. Geoff Botkin said about the movie:
“The Widow’s Might is a groundbreaking film, even though it is a first feature film from a young director. It is one of the most original high-concept features in recent film history. The story is innovative in ways that can inspire the next generation of filmmakers, many of whom are looking for ways to break out of tired cinematic clichés, especially the weak theological clichés of the Christian ‘altar call’ movie. This film attempted and achieved a wholesome family message, illustrating the difficult-to-capture functional family environment. Its message addressed a very complex theological issue which is a defining issue of our generation: a form of taxation that asserts the state's presumed authority over God‘s. The clash over sovereignty between man and God is a topic Christian filmmakers will be exploring for decades to come. The film employed a clever story line to make rich use of complex subplots, including an illustration of the abusive use of media. Finally, the film used aesthetic elements to set new standards for taste and humor, charting a delightful course for tomorrow‘s filmmakers who will make a clean break from patterns of discourse that have taken American culture in the wrong direction for several decades.”

**John Moore, director and actor in The Widow's might, noted the following about the theater playings:
"Some theaters are not showing every day 13-18, and some are showing longer. Some showtimes are not yet listed on Fandango. If a showtime is not listed, you can call the specific theater in your area to confirm showtimes. We recommend that you call your local Carmike cinema to confirm the times and dates of The Widow's Might. "

Abundance of pancakes!

One of the ladies in our church is due with child #9 any day now, so Katie and I mixed up a whole bunch of pancakes and I flipped 108 pancakes for them. Most we've ever made at once, although I was hoping to get about 130-140 out of the batter. We stuck them in the freezer so they'll be able to pull however many pancakes out when they'd like to eat them.

big bowl of batter

cooking on the griddle, 8 at a time

We had a lot of fun, and made a game out of "how many pancakes we could fit on one plate". ;)

bagged & cooling

Carpetball

For my brother Luke's birthday, my dad and our visiting friend built a carpetball table. It's an exciting and entertaining diversion with pool balls! We had played at a family camp we've attended in the past and loved it, Luke especially. So he received a huge birthday present this year!

Your goal is to knock your opponent's balls into the hole on their end. Normally you use a cue ball to knock the others in, but since we don't have one we've been using one of the normal balls.

But before we could play, they had to build it. If you purchase one, they can cost $1,000 or more, so building saves you a lot of money!

After building the frame, they glued the carpet down

It's pretty long!

To play, set up your 5 five balls however you prefer on your side of the table

A common way is to line them up on the edge because it's more difficult to knock them into the hole

Then you roll the ball to hit your opponent's balls in!

Loads of fun!!

Sorry, our table looks a little dirty in some of the pictures. Pollen has been falling from the trees over it!

My 19 Minute Survey

Caleb tagged me with this survey a couple weeks ago and I finally filled it out! Actually, I filled this out yesterday but didn't take the time to post it.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The longest survey you'll ever fill out! Do the world a favor: fill it out and post it for all your friends. Do this because the person who sent it to you didn't sit here for ages for nothing. Answer all the questions honestly, no lying to avoid stuff.
___
Starting Time: 6:57
Name: Allison
Sisters: 1
Brothers: 3
What are you wearing? Purple hoodie with black shirt underneath, jeans, jewelry and a hair clip :)
Favorite Number: none (no, I don't mean the number zero, I have no favorite number)
Favorite Drink: Dr Pepper, Sunkist or chocolate milk :)
Favorite Month: In Houston, probably March or April because it’s usually pretty nice outside and we have park days with our church!
Favorite Breakfast: something homemade—crepes, waffles, baked oatmeal—it’s all good!
Love someone so much who made you cry? I don’t quite get why this question is on virtually every tag. But to answer it, I don't believe so.
Broken a bone: yes
Been in a police car: I don’t think so
Been on a boat? yes
Came close to dying: no
Been in a hot tub: yes
Swam in the ocean: yes
Fallen asleep in school: Almost, but no
Cried when someone died: Can’t say that I have, no one has died that I’ve known well
Fallen off your chair: yes


***********What is****************

Your room like? Peaceful, organized (most of the time), beautiful, blue

What’s right beside you? a CD
What is the last thing you ate? applesauce


--------------------------Ever Had--------------------------------

Chicken pox: no
Sore throat: yes
Stitches: no

-------------------Do You------------------------------------

Like picnics? Church picnics? YES!
Like School? I enjoy learning new things, but some subjects aren’t so fun. So most of the time I like it.

------------------------Questions----------------------------------------

Who was the last person you danced with? I don’t dance, except when my sister and I are acting really goofy, so Katie would probably be the person and that would have been a long time ago
Who makes you smile? Almost anyone I'm friends with! But my family especially.

--------------------------Who---------------------------------------------

Who Did you last yell at? Umm…Seth probably. But I hope I'm not known to yell often!
Do you like filling these out? Most of the time
Do you like yourself? Yes, too much at times!

-------------------Final Questions---------------------------

What are you listening to right now? My sister messing with her stamping stuff, my brothers/dad playing baseball outside
Do you hate someone in your family? No way!
What car do you wish to have? Don’t care about cars
Good singer? “Good”? I think so
Indoors or outdoors? Indoors, unless it’s beautiful outside.

----------------------------Today did you------------------------------

1. Talk to someone you like? Yes, it would be a sad day if you did not talk to someone! And I pretty much like everybody.
2. Get sick? no
3. Sing? I’ve got to sing at least once a day, so YES!
4. Miss someone? yes

--------------------------Last person who---------------------------

7. You talked to on the phone with? Mrs. Head
8. Made you cry? No clue
9. Went to the mall with? My mom, sister and I went to a store at the mall recently, but we didn’t go through the mall…
10. Been to Europe? No
11. Been to Asia? No
12. Been to Russia? No
13. Been to the Bahamas? No
14. Been to Mexico? Yes
15. Been to Canada? No
16. Been to Africa? No

----------------Random-----------------------

17. What books are you reading right now? Bible (2 Peter, Psalms, miscellaneous other passages). That's all I'm reading consistently.

18. Best feeling in the world? Peace and joy only the Lord can give!
19. Future kids name? Where’s the apostrophe supposed to be in that question? :) Honestly, I don’t know because I can’t choose names for future children on my own! I like names with great meanings, or Bible names. A few names I like include Emily, Timothy and James…but I like many names and have no particular favorites.
20. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal? no
21. What's under your bed? Shoeboxes that include scrap paper, boots, cosmetology supplies, and probably other junk
22. Favorite location? home or church

23. Who do you really hate? Satan
24. Do you have a job? Teaching piano and babysitting, but I prefer to refer to them as ministry or teaching
25. Are you lonely right now? Nope!


Time Finished: 7:16

With however long it took you to complete this, post as
"My _ Minute Survey"

I tag...
Vanessa
Lindsay
Kristen

If you have the time, please do this! I'd love to read your answers. If you were not tagged but would like to do this, I tag you--just make sure to leave me a comment so I know you've done it! :)

Fun filled weekend approaching!

Hello!
I'm sorry I've neglected my blog as of late, it's been a little crazy. I have a thousand ideas floating around in my head for posts, but not the chance to write any! Tomorrow morning (Friday) a good family friend is visiting us, and he'll be with us until Wednesday. So I'm afraid I won't have a chance to really post until late next week. Hopefully you'll see at least one post by next weekend!
May the Lord bless and keep you!

Dirty and Callused Hands...

....are signs of hard work. (and sunburns too if you're me!) Today we took off school to plant some citrus trees we bought Saturday. Naturally, we ran into some issues. As we struggled to dig through the clumpy, hard black gumbo we struck some concrete. Yes, we found some large chunks of concrete about 4 inches below the grass! Working through that problem we eventually dug the amount we needed and shoveled 5 loads of dirt from dad’s truck to raise the bed for the trees. We planted 6 trees today!

Here are some pictures from the day...

shoveling the dirt

getting there...

watering

5 of the trees

One of our small orange trees already has blossoms!

Sorry, some of the pictures are not the best because I just took quick snapshots and did not bother with taking multiple or trying to get better shots. Someday I'll probably post more pictures of our "orchard". :)

Two awards!

Wow! I've been blessed to receive two separate awards about the same time! :)

First I received the "Excellence in Blogcasting Award" from Lindsay, and then Katie. Thank you both so much!
Rules are:

1) Post the award on your blog;
2) Pass it on to some friends, up to 15; and
3) let them know they've received the award.

Although I haven't quite determined who/why you give this award, I choose to award:
Vanessa
Kristen


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


And my second award was the Lemonade Blog award, which is presented to bloggers who show thankfulness and gratefulness. Thank you very much Faith for blessing me with this award!
You are supposed to tag up to 10 bloggers. Here are the ones I believe have demonstrated the qualities this award is designed to go to!
Kristen
Vanessa
Katie
Rebekah

I'm very humbled to be given these awards. I'm very grateful for my readers! To those who I awarded, thank you for your wonderful posts! For those who I did not award, please do not think I do not enjoy your blog, I just chose to limit the number of people I awarded, and some of my friends have already been awarded! :)

Re-post #3

As I was thinking about what type of post I should do next, I browsed through my old posts and decided this was a good one to repeat (for me!). Originally posted here.

Imitating Christ's Humility
Serving should be a characteristic of every believer. However, teenagers especially need to be encouraged to use their time wisely, and serving is one way of doing that. Here is a definition that I think is appropriate—

Humility: Recognizing that God and others are actually responsible for the achievements in my life.

“Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of selfless humility.” –quoted from The MacArthur Bible Commentary.

Philippians 2:5-8 says this, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!

These verses give a beautiful picture of Christ’s selflessness. But wait; there’s even more to those verses! It continues in verses 9-11, “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” You can see here the blessings Christ received for humbling obeying the Father. The Scripture also says in Matthew 20:28 that “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Wow! So if Christ, the spotless Lamb of God, demonstrated humility, shouldn’t we? “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' ” 1 Peter 5:5

Serving could be connected to numerous other virtues. In order to serve, you must love, first God and then others. Also, you must be humble and meek. You must be joyful in the tasks you are given and choose to do. These and others are all, in someway, connected to serving. Of course, the only example we need is Christ, as displayed in these verses: “When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. "You call me ‘Teacher’ and 'Lord’, and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” John 13:12-17 (emphasis added)

So here’s what I think teenagers need to do: 1) conduct themselves in godly manner, imitating Christ’s example so that younger ones may find nothing bad to imitate in them; and 2) live lives of humble servant hood. “Serve one another in love” Galatians 5:13

Here is a poem taken from Through Gates of Splendor, by Elisabeth Elliot,that rightly fits in with the subject of serving.

Do all the good you can,
By all means you can,
In all ways you can,
In all the places you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.

This was a public college?

I love to read things such as this—the requirements for Yale University in the 1700s that encompass character qualities that must be evident when you begin college, as well as daily obligations. Read these outstanding conditions for Yale that were written and utilized less than 300 years ago!

Requirements/Regulations for Yale 1745
Chapter 1
Concerning Admission into College
1. That none may expect to be admitted into this college unless upon examination of the president and tutors, they shall be found able extempore to read, construe, and parse Tully, Virgil, and the Greek Testament; and to write true Latin in prose and to understand the rules of prosody and common arithmetic, and shall bring sufficient testimony of his blameless and inoffensive life…

Chapter 2
Of a Religious and Virtuous Life
1. All scholars shall live religious, godly, and blameless lives according to the rules of God’s Word, diligently reading the Holy Scriptures, the fountain of light and truth; and constantly attend upon all the duties of religion, both in public and secret.

2. That the president, or in his absence one of the tutors, shall constantly pray in the college hall every morning and evening; and shall read a chapter or suitable portion of the Holy Scriptures, unless there be some other theological discourse or religious exercise; and every member of the college…shall seasonably attend upon penalty that every undergraduate who shall be absent (without sufficient excuse) shall be fined 1 d.

3. The president is hereby desired as he has time and opportunity to make and exhibit in the hall such a public exposition, sermon or discourse as he shall think proper for the instruction of the scholars…

[emphasis mine]

Can you imagine what it'd be like to have such regulations for a public college now? Unthinkable, but amazing!

50 Things

My sister tagged me with this adapted version of tags she's seen. Hopefully some of the information in this will be new for you, but some you probably already know!

Rules are: Try to come up with 50 facts about yourself as you can. If you're tagged you must try to do it! Its o.k. if you don't make it all the way to 50. You may use things from previous tags. Just have fun!

1. I’m a firm believer in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
2. I’m a Reformed Southern Baptist
3. I really, really, really, really don’t like Algebra (can’t say hate!)
4. I love getting college credit through CLEP tests!
5. I love fixing grammatical errors
6. I’ve cut two of my brothers’ hair before
7. The first time I cut my brother’s hair it took nearly an hour!
8. I’m an extrovert
9. If you don’t know what “extrovert” means, I’m a people person and draw my energy from being around friends/family
10. I’ve had the same favorite color (light blue) for many years
11. I think everyone looks good in blue :)
12. I’m practical
13. I love everything to be organized and clean
14. I have many folders inside folders on my computer to keep my documents organized
15. I used to be a minimalist (I still can be, but not as much). One summer I boxed up all but 4 or 5 shirts and wore the same shirts every week!
16. I love baking for my family
17. I had braces for a little over a year
18. I played in homeschool band (clarinet) for three years
19. I hate spicy food and my taste buds are really bland
20. I love to have worship music playing while I clean up. When our parents are gone, my siblings and I turn it up loud and sing merrily while we work! :)
21. I have a number of pen-pals and email-pals, but I’m terrible at consistently writing! (even though I love it!)
22. My family will tell you that I have a general dislike of dogs and cats (because I’m allergic). That’s not true; I actually think some are cute—it’s the work and trouble they (cough…our dog) cause(s) that bothers me.
23. I’m a rule-follower!
24. I attended a Monopoly tournament at the library and surprisingly won even though Monopoly is one of my least favorite games. I received a Borders gift card, which made it worth it. ;)
25. I’m not the person to ask about how a movie is the first time I see it. I think most movies are great the first time I see them because I miss so much!
26. My very best friends are my siblings, but I have a lot of other best friends outside of my family that follow behind them
27. I’m not funny, but…
28. I love to smile and laugh!
29. I’ve always been homeschooled and am convinced it is the biblical way of discipleship and training
30. I don’t watch T.V. (it’s a VERY rare occasion if I do), but I sometimes watch movies
31. I like my laundry to be folded a particular way—and read in a book how to fold “correctly”
32. I think trinkets are a waste because all you do is dust them. Teacups are okay because you use them, but they are the only “trinkets” I have
33. I like to throw things away. Seriously. When we clean and someone asks “What should we do with this?”, I say, “throw it away.” :)
34. I’m a city girl. The country doesn’t really appeal to me.
35. Caleb taught me some basic HTML, and I’ve taught myself a little as well
36. My sister has curled my hair using perm rollers
37. I have a Hope Chest, and it’s full!
38. I “ran away” from a family that was babysitting me when I was 18 months old and took their little girl with me. We left out the open back door and roamed the streets of L.A.
39. I love to play duets on the piano—or sing in parts
40. I usually have 3 or more tabs open while I’m online. Sometimes I’ll open too many and it will freeze up my computer.
41. My parents planned to go to Russia as missionaries when I was a baby, but God kept them in California church planting
42. I participated in a Dr. Seuss writing contest in 1st grade and won second place prize-a thousand dollar scholarship plus got my story published in the paper.
43. I love to collect great quotes
44. The one time I broke my wrist I was running backwards—racing a friend who was on rollerblades
45. I wanted a violin when I was younger and begged for one. When I finally got one for my 8th birthday, I played for a few months then decided it was too hard.
46. I have always been really picky about reading books in order. I read a majority of the boxcar children books in order, until I realized they weren’t written that way! Many other series I have also read that way, unless I couldn’t find the next book.
47. I really want another sister! :)
48. I took a Safe Sitter class at the hospital when I was 11.
49. I am a morning person; I am usually wide awake, cheerful, and think well in the mornings.
50. My name means “truthful one”. And guess what? I cannot tell a lie—even joke—without it being completely obvious!

I tag the following people:
Vanessa
Kristen
Sara
Kira
Taylor
Lindsay

I do not require that you do this, but I would really like it if you would!! :)

Obedience, part 2

In my first post, I discussed how it is critically important to obey your parents in all things. But does that mean you have no say in anything that pertains to your life? That you have to obey even though you are convinced you have a better alternative?

An appeal is where you approach your parents, suggesting something because perhaps you don’t agree with what they are asking you to do. This is appropriate only if you do it respectfully. Demanding anything from your parents or arguing with them is not what God desires.
For instance, if your parents wanted to go somewhere or do something, but you thought you had a better idea, you could approach them and say, “Dad and mom, may I make an appeal?” Instead of saying, “But I have a better idea!” or “That won’t work! This is better”, asking to make an appeal is a respectful way of giving your input to your authority. However, once you give them your suggestion, you still need to submit to their final decision. If it’s not what you suggested, you need to be content with whatever they choose. On visionarydaughters.com Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin say:

“Don’t panic if your father makes a decision you don’t agree with. Have faith in God’s ability to lead through your father, imperfect though he is, knowing that God will bless your obedience.”

They also encourage whole-hearted obedience in their book, So Much More, by stating:

“Obedience is more than outwardly obeying with a resentful, grudging attitude. Obedience means inwardly obeying, from the heart, with eagerness and cheerfulness. True obedience means obeying even when it’s hard. But obedience doesn’t have to be painful. When we have a deep, abiding inner reverence for our parents and their wishes, it can become a joy to obey them with our whole hearts.”

Proverbs 20:20 reveals that “If a man curses his father or mother, his lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness.” Anna Sofia and Elizabeth address this verse by articulating:

“When we reject [our parents’] opinions, their restrictions and their punishments, that lamp, that blessing that God gives us to guide us, is snuffed out, leaving us blind and unable to see that we are stumbling around, making a mess of our lives.”

Lies Young Women Believe, by Nancy DeMoss and Dannah Gresh, encourages that

“Submission places you under God's protection. Rebellion opens you up to the influence of Satan in ways you may not even realize. When we place ourselves under the spiritual covering of the authorities God has placed in our lives, God protects us. On the other hand, when we insist on having it our way and are stepping out from under that protection we become vulnerable and give the Enemy a new opportunity to attack us.”

“My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not your mother’s teaching.”
~Proverbs 6:20

Fantastic Reads...

The ladies at Girl Talk posted a thought-provoking article about developing skills and learning while you are young.
Here are some questions they asked:
"-Which do your parents hear more: complaints about schoolwork or gratefulness for your education?
-Are you diligently working to improve the skills God has given you for His glory?
-What gifts has God blessed you with and how can you develop them for use in the local church?
-How much time do you spend reading? Do you read books that teach you about God and His creation?
-Most importantly, are you daily studying the Bible to learn all you can about God’s character and how to walk in His way?"
Click here to read the entire post.

Also, Ms. Nancy DeMoss has been doing an incredible series on deception. Here is the main page for her programs, where you can read what comes on the radio each day.
A couple quotes from this series...
"Deception doesn’t usually come through this big, huge, ugly monster. Then we wouldn’t buy into it. It’s more often subtle, alluring, attractive, enticing, just little distortions of the truth, but you get off by a matter of degrees, and before long, you’re way, way off. They disguise themselves as angels of light and servants of righteousness."

"If there's some relationship, some connection, some habit, some reading, some types of movies you’re watching, if they’re sending you in a wrong direction, they’re pulling you away from the truth that is in Christ, if they’re diminishing your heart for holiness, cut if off!"

And here are a couple of my favorite programs from the amazing series:
January 29th and
February 4th

Instead of being deceived by the empty philosophies of this world, we need to carefully examine and filter everything--Christian or non-Christian, book or movie-- through God's Word, the ultimate standard!
Please take the time to at least skim these articles; you will find them helpful!

P.S. I'm working on completing part two of Obedience; hopefully it'll be posted this week, or at least by early next week!

Obedience, part 1

We all have to choose at times to joyfully submit and obey our parents’ directions. Yet sometimes we don’t realize exactly how critically important this actually is. Do you know that even our first president, George Washington, had to choose whether to submit or follow his own wisdom? Consider this story…
It all occurred when George Washington was at the ripe age of 14. Friends aroused the interest in him to pursue military service, and George Washington was ready to hop on a ship. Although his reluctant mother was persuaded to allow George to join Navy, she later had apprehension. Willingly, George submitted to his mother’s authority and did not pursue his dream to be in the Navy. What a fantastic example of submitting to authority! Think about it… what if George Washington had joined the Navy, how would our history be different? But not only did Washington submit when he was 14, submission to authority was a principle that he maintained throughout his life!

God brings blessing when we obey our authority, even if we don’t like what they are doing or disagree. If George Washington had done his own thing and followed his dream, God would not have blessed him because he would have been ignoring his wise mother’s advice. He would have been rebelling against his mother’s authority, and I Samuel 15:23 states, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is as the sin of idolatry.” Similarly, Proverbs 12:15 states that “The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.”

So encourage your younger siblings to obey your parents with a happy heart. Remind yourself that you need to obey your parents in all things, joyfully! If we only obey half-heartedly, and do it angrily or with bitterness towards our parents or other authority, we are still not obeying to the full extent God desires. Proverbs 5:12-14 even says “You will say, "How I hated discipline! How my heart spurned correction! I would not obey my teachers or listen to my instructors. I have come to the brink of utter ruin”. Many other Proverbs speak of how the wise son listens and obeys his father and mother. May God bless you as you obey your parents!

“Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”
Deuteronomy 5:16

*Disclaimer: The only time when it is biblical to disobey your parents is if they are clearly asking you to sin!

Have a laugh!

I collected my favorite resume bloopers a few months ago. These are hilarious!!!! I find it interesting what people will put on their resumes. :)

* Personal: Married, 1992 Chevrolet.
* Have had littel luck in finding a new and challenging position.
* Proven ability to track down and correct erors.
* Personal interests: Donating blood. Fourteen gallons so far.
* I have an excellent track record, although I am not a horse.
* I was proud to win the Gregg Typting Award.
* Excellent memory; strong math aptitude; excellent memory.
* I am quick at typing, about 25 words per minute, 35 with caffeinated coffee.
* Minor allergies to house cats and Mongolian sheep.
* Thank you for your consideration. Hope to hear from you shorty!
* Please don't regard my 14 positions as job hopping. I never once quit a job.
* Finished eighth in my high school graduating class of ten.
* You will always find me to be an extremely trying person
*Special Skills: Speak English
*I am very detail-oreinted
*Married, eight children. Prefer frequent travel
*Accomplishments: Completed 11 years of high school.
*Am a perfectionist and rarely if if ever forget details.
*My goal is to be a meteorologist. But since I possess no training in meteorology, I suppose I should try stock brokerage.
*Received a plague for Salesperson of the Year.
*It's best for employers that I not work with people.