Doxology, Praise God

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

This song and verse came into mind :).

Blessings,
MaidenOfEmmanuel

Who wants to help Dad get in shape?

EDIT: I'm making a list of those who plan on joining on my sidebar :).
I aplogize, first, for not posting often. School started, essays and exams were due, my birthday came and went, and missionaries are now visiting for my church's annual conference. But I've been meaning to post about this for a while now.
My dad, as most of yours are, is completely out of shape, and one of my new year's resolutions was for me to be able to touch my toes at some point (yes, I am inflexible for my age, or for any age), but then I thought, "Why not help Dad lose some?" I hate seeing the fact that he might become an old man sitting around. I got him interested and by mid-January we started exercising. Walking for now is fine, later we might jog, but it's all just the start and staying with it.
So why not you guys get out there too? We don't exercise for long. Our schedule isn't typical, but we fit in the three days by exercising every morning on Saturdays, Mondays, and Wednesdays.
Yes, we have missed some days. In fact, because of my birthday and just a busy week, we have missed all of last week, but we're trying not to.
Forty-five minutes to an hour every morning, so by the end of every month we have tried to exercise for twelve hours.

Starting March, would you like to join us for a whole year? You can exercise by yourself, or you can exercise with your dad or mom or any family member!
For those of you who think you don't have the means to exercise but want to, realize that it's not hard to walk around your neighborhood, or in your house, or on a track for a little while :).

So you may comment and tell me you're joining me or you can join from afar, but it's way more fun to communicate and encourage each other. Remember that we can and do use this for God's glory. We keep our bodies healthy, and who knows if we can witness while out there with other fellow exercisers :)?

You can appoint any time.
You can appoint how.
You can appoint any where :).

Blessings,
MOE

Who are You to Tell Me I'm Beautiful?

I apologize for not posting in so long. I've been really packed with school and also I spiritually I need prayer.

This was written by someone I know, and they were fine with their name being placed for credit, so if you'd like to every repost this, please give credit :).


Who are You to Tell Me I’m Beautiful?


By: Carolyn Diez




A few years ago before I really committed my life to Jesus, I was a jerk. Honestly, God has been very merciful and gracious to help turn my life around. I was rude, I lived on gossip, and I focused on what other people thought I should be. I was very insecure, so I tried to make other people insecure about themselves too, so I could feel better about myself. I knew people who were real about themselves, but I only strived for superficial.



I think what encouraged this horrible me, was the people I hung around. They weren’t awful, but they certainly brought me down spiritually. Everything they looked for was image. I grew up being mostly a tomboy, and with a lot of siblings, and with my dad being a pastor we’ve never had a lot of extra money to spend on trendy clothes or hair.



Well that’s what these kids were about. They were all about how you looked, how you dressed and who you hung out with. They were like the queen bees, and they would cast you out of their group if you did NOT fit in. Well no one was really sure that I fit in. I was good friends with a couple of them, I was nice to them, and I trash talked the people who weren’t a part of them, but did I really fit in?



The obvious answer (mostly to anyone who knew me from back then) is that I didn’t. At all. I was desperate for attention and admiration… and I wanted to feel good about myself. It didn’t click that God was the only One who could fill me up with joy and self-worth. These kids made me feel left out when I couldn’t shop at the same stores or wear the trendy clothes… They trash talked with me behind other peoples’ backs, and trash talked me with other people behind MY back. I never had the same bag as them, or my hair was never styled (--in fact, it was in a pony-tail most of the time), they told me I would be prettier with this and with that. I never wore makeup and my clothes were “too modest” at times. They indirectly stated that they were “beautiful” and I was not.



So a year later, after always coming home crying and never feeling pretty, God gave me a lot of amazing experiences; things and people who never judged me on how I looked. They took everything from my personality and faith and assumed it was who I was/am. That year I really started to commit my life to Jesus and I knew I need new friends. So I prayed to God that He would give me new friends that were striving to grow spiritually and wouldn’t be into all the junk the other ones were into…



But, of course, the newly Christ-committed person I was, wandered around looking for these friends on my own, instead of giving the search completely to God. The new friends I found were “nice”. They told me I was “SO PRETTY” and that I fit in with them. They made me feel good about how I looked and how I acted, but the gossip I had been a part of was even worse, and the trash talk seemed to be non-stop. But I seemed to be okay… No one really said anything bad about me… They had actually praised me and treated me like one of them. They had invited me to their parties and welcomed my participation. But only because it made THEM feel good about THEMselves, I realized. I looked just like them, and I acted just like them. Together we were ‘one’ for ourselves, and even though we spoke of Him, we were not FOR Him. As soon as I realized I didn’t want to be a part of something that was not FOR God, it was easy for them not to accept me, not to talk well of me, and to make me feel like a traitor.



Well that’s too bad for them, I told myself. While this process had been going on, God had started placing life-changing, life-valuable, and life-long friendships in my way. They weren’t strong at first… In fact, they were undesirable. But when I completely gave my friendships to God and He gave me noticeable changes of friends, you could tell their “worth.” You could see their love and their own starting passion for God.



They didn’t pull me down spiritually, and in their own ways supported me and helped me to become stronger in the Lord. They weren’t perfect, but neither was I. The only thing that mattered to them was your heart. How we lived our lives out for God and for each other was what mattered. These people were truly beautiful. In fact, I had never seen people as beautiful as the newly found friends I had. They seemed to glow for God and for each other. Weight wasn’t counted, specific eye/hair/skin color wasn’t specifically desired, and in fact, none of the closest of us looked the same. Our hearts matched though, and that’s what brought us together, and hopefully forever.

I was once of the world, and that’s where I found my only temporary happiness. Now, being completely of and FOR God, (of course still a sinful being), my happiness only resides in the continuing joy of the Lord, through friends and family.



The changes/differences are this:



In the dictionary, made by a worldly man, ‘beautiful’ is defined as –

— ‘having beauty; having qualities that give great pleasure or satisfaction to see, hear, think about, etc.; delighting the senses or mind.’

— ‘excellent of its kind’

‘Beauty’ is defined as –

– ‘the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations (as shape, color, sound, etc.), a meaningful design or pattern, or something else (as a personality in which high spiritual qualities are manifest)’



Other than that TINY, little, bitty ending, how horrible are these definitions of beauty and being beautiful???



THIS is how GOD defines beautiful:



“Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,

But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.”—Proverbs 31:30.



This passage should be clear enough… But it’s not just for women, I see it in men too… Men who are looked up to for their looks and charm, who don’t seem to fear or display God in their lives are totally unattractive. I know that when I see a man, (young or old), that display God’s love, no matter what background or situation they’re in, I can’t HELP but look up to them and admire them. I know I’m not the only one.



”Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us;

And confirm for us the work of our hands;

Yes, confirm the work of our hands.”—Psalm 90:17



God doesn’t favor our outward beauty, but we want Him to be rejoiced with our actions. Actions that come from love, His love, which is the most pure and beautiful thing in the entire world.



”Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able

to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”—Romans 12:2.



Once again, such a clear and commanding passage…



Our world seems to be living in this contest. Every person we meet has a ranking, and one of you is going to be higher than the other or just about the same. The rankings are categorized spiritually, mentally, popularity, kindness, etc; anything that makes you a somebody. The world always has a new trend and look, and every time we reach that lifestyle and/or look, no matter how we get there, the world throws a new look or lifestyle at us. This world is sin, and sin has standards, and every time we meet those standards, they rise higher. We’re expected to follow the expectations from sin, and LIVE it out.



People we’re intimidated by seem far higher than we are, but in reality, God’s just waiting for us to live our lives not for people but for Him. I know that this past year I’ve been intimidated by a few people because they seem SO much more prettier and stronger and everything to the more extreme than I am, and they’ve looked down on me as if it were true. Looks and lifestyles are HIS because He made US to worship Him.



I wish kids these days realized that as long as they live their lives out for God, they’ll have so much more admiration and encouragement. But it’s not to take away the fact that we are persecuted for our faith and how we walk in our faith.



“If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to

the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” – John 15:19.



“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.”

—Matthew 5:11.



But we have encouragement…



"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord

Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”—Acts 20:24.



“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is

undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ,

after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be

the power forever and ever. Amen. “—1 Peter 5:8-11.

I hope you enjoyed :).
Posting soon.
Blessings,
MaidenOfEmmanuel

Noche Buena, a glimpse into the Hispanic culture

This is not my image.
For those who are not aware, I am half American and half Cuban. I have decided to write about Buena Noche, the Cuban part of my Christmas.

Noche Buena is spanish for Christmas Eve. On Christmas Eve all of the Cuban side of my family goes to my abuela's "grandma" house around dinner time. We eat a feast, and all of the girls have to grab for spoons to serve themselves the moment prayer is finished since the boys are beats from the jungle.
Then we wait.
And wait.
And play games.
And watch movies.
And sing karaoke.
And almost fall asleep.
And watch tv.
And drink soda.
Until it is finally 12 AM!
Everyone shouts Merry Christmas. The little kids run to the gifts under the Christmas tree and everyone walks quickly, but slowly, at the same time so they don't look too eager. Gifts are opened, people are thanked, and then everything is enjoy for about half an hour to an hour.
After that we go home, and by that time it's already 2 AM. Everyone crashes and we wake up again for my American Christmas :).

Send me a link if you post about they way you celebrate Christmas :).

MaidenOfEmmanuel

God IS Love, He can be your valentine, and so can another - Valentine's Day Special

Song of Solomon is basically like a book about and of love in the Bible. There are also poetic books of the Bible. I'm in the middle of reading the book of Psalms for my devotions, and it has plenty of praises to God and plenty of verses that show how loving God is.

God is Love.

My reading of the Psalms have showed me He is so merciful.
My sinning nature and the fact He sent His Son shows how powerful and loving He is.
David KNEW He wasn't going to forsake him. God is also trustworthy.
Adonai answers prayers as well (and in this post I have a story on my prayer this past week :D). God listens.

There are so many more things about Him. Those are just a few.
BUT Valentine's Day is what I'm focusing on today. I would've posted this on the 14th (the literal Valentine's Day), but I wasn't feeling very well. So here I am two days after.
V-Day is a day on love. And there are different ways people celebrate this day, especially if you're a Christian and single.

Many Christian single young ladies and ladies will take Jesus as their "valentine". But you can just say He is your love. There's a difference between Jesus being the One that holds your heart-- and your valentine.

The definition of Valentine: "val⋅en⋅tine / Spelled Pronunciation [val-uhn-tahyn]
–noun 1. a card or message, usually amatory or sentimental but sometimes satirical or comical, or a token or gift sent by one person to another on Valentine Day, sometimes anonymously.
2. a sweetheart chosen or greeted on this day.
3. a written or other artistic work, message, token, etc., expressing affection for something or someone."

It's a little bit more of a physical sweetheart (that term is used for both a boy and girl) than a spiritual one. But it is true that God holds everyone Christian's heart. :) Jesus saved us, so He has us. And He does show His love.
All the time.

The difference on Valentine's Day is one for physical, but its okay to say Jesus is too. He once was physical. Though not anymore. Which is pretty cool.
I prayed two weeks ago for a cold front on my birthday (last week), when it was pretty hot. Guess what? Almost our whole contry received snow and I got my cold front -- on my birthday and Valentine's Day. You can bet I was praising.

God shows His love many ways.

God is always there for you. Even on days that aren't for a day of love. He IS love.

God bless,
MOE

Miracles happen even in the midst of disaster - HAITI

Most all of you should know there was a terrible earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Very tragic and very sad. Thousands of people died, and are still dying.

But something about Haiti was pretty clear-- most all Haitians were involved in voodoo and witchcraft-- which was/is even more tragic. Our church has some missionaries there that own churches and an orphanage. One couple created and runs the orphanage, and they basically take almost every child that Hatians bring that are abandoned. Along with the orphanage, they also have a clinic there. They take care of children that ned help-- and even adults who need help. They live in Pion, Haiti. So they felt some of the tremors in the earthquake, but not much.

There was one lady, not a missionary, but she had a nephew in the earthquake and he survived in a three-story school building that collapsed during the earthquake. Her e-mail was forwarded through my church and to me. This is what is said:

I have seen many people turning to prayer as their last and only option--it should be a first choice and best choice. It does change things. I'll give you an example. My family has been sharing about more and more of their experiences. You can't tell about all the trials in a disaster like this at one time. Things keep coming out as time goes by. That first night after the quake, it was supposed to rain. The forecasts all predicted it and the Haitians said that the temperature and sky all indicated that it should have rained. Can you imagine if that would have happened? There were so many buried but still alive, the dust everywhere, and even the ones saved were sleeping outside and still in shock. It is cold for Haiti right now and rain would have killed many more people. My family said that their whole neighborhood who was outside that night prayed and prayed for the clouds to go away--as I'm sure many, many others did. It started to sprinkle just a little and everyone lifted their hands and shouted praises and supplications--and it didn't rain at all in Port that night or any other night since then. My sister, lifting up her hands as she recounted this, said that the clouds opened up and the stars showed over the whole sky. Amazing! God is good.



My nephew Louine, that was buried under his school, still suffers from the shakes. He can't sleep through the night. But, his story is a story of grace. He was on the second story of a 3-story building. His class room faced the street. He was sitting in his desk when he felt the earthquake start. He stood up immediately. It didn't take long for the building to collapse. He fell onto his desk instead of being crushed in it like others of his classmates were. But, when the quake ended his head was resting on the folding chair and one arm was under his desk and the ceiling of the 3rd floor was less than a foot above his head. He couldn't even sit up or turn his body at all. For a long time, the students didn't even know that it was a earthquake, they thought that only their building had fallen. But, after a lot of time had passed and no one arrived to help, they believed it had to be a quake and the whole city was affected. They knew they had to help themselves. It was already dark by this time and they only had the light from their phones. They couldn't call anyone. The ones that were still living encouraged each other not to cry or loose hope. They touched hands or feet or any part of the body, if possible, and sang hymns to keep their courage up. At around 9:00 PM, their professor, who was talking up to that point, passed away. He was 'sitting' right behind Louine. Then the students nearest the door were able to move the broken chalkboard to clear a hole near the doorway. It took a lot of painstaking work with their bare hands to clear even a small space. As each person was freed, it opened a small route to reach the others. Louine was one of the last. He is a tall young man and the hole wasn't big enough for him. He had to take the rubble and make the hole larger. By this time, there were people that were helping from the outside. And he made it out. One of the things that struck me the most is when he talks about the period of time when he was waiting for the others to get out. The cement ceiling was less than a foot away but it kept descending. Louine says that he kept passing his hand over his head to see how close the ceiling was to him. When his turn came, the ceiling was resting on his forehead. When he got out, the first people he saw were his dad and our cousin. They had arrived at the same moment that Louine left the building. Praise the Lord! Louine attributes his class being saved because they prayed together. The class next to his had many who survived the initial collapse but they panicked. Louine said his class mates tried to help them to be calm and pray and not to scream but they couldn't seem to stop. After a couple of hours, these students succumbed to shock and their injuries. No one was able to leave. Louine also prays that his professor was able to turn to God in his last moments because he cursed and mocked his students efforts to pray. But, Louine emphasizes that God can change hearts, even at the last moment. When one of his fellow classmates broke down, the rest of the class was able to sing and pray for them. In this way, they were able to stay encouraged and united. Louine thinks that 12-13 students were able to walk out of the rubble and 8-9 had to carried out of the building. Three students died instantly and the professor died after several hours. In all the classes, Louine's had the most survivors. Again, he attributes it to God's grace. The earthquake was at 4:45PM and Louine left the building at 10:30PM. Others followed him until into the early morning hours. Louine didn't leave the scene right away. He knew how the shock left so many tremendously thirsty. He and others went to find water and lowered it to the trapped students below. He believes that saved many others.



Louine wants me to say this to you: I want to tell my story because I didn't know for a long time whether I would die or not. I checked the time on my phone often so as to know the time of my death. But, there came a moment when God spoke to me. He said, 'You will not die, I want to show you my greatness.' Louine says it is for this reason that he not only wants to tell his story, but is able. I can attest to that as he is sitting beside me shaking. I pray that remembering God's grace and love in the midst of all the horror will heal him as nothing else can. He pleads with you to never stop praying because God does not allow anything to happen for nothing. God gives VICTORY.



God bless you, Kristie

Miracles still happen today, and they prove He exists.
God should be praised and exalted, for He is everywhere, and everyone is in His ultimate plan. :)

God bless,
MaidenOfEmmanuel

New Years 2010 - Life as we know it and DON'T know it

[[EDIT: I actually didn't realize that I have at least one or two other posts relating to this topic. Your Time]]

Well its the New Year (and a little bit after it). Finally 2010 and most people have been planning on making changes and keeping their New Year's Resolutions.
And then some people aren't.
This post isn't to depress anyone, but its definitely to make you all realize some something if you haven't.

Let me start of with a fact.

According to records of births and deaths (the average): Did you know that every twelve seconds someone dies? And every eight seconds someone is born.

That's a lot of people being born-- and that's a lot of people dying.

But here's something else.

I've already heard of TWO little boys who have died right around New Years.

The first I heard, was in a bad neighborhood New Years Eve, and by the time it was New Years, someone (drunk, assumingly, since people get a bit insane) shot him.
The second I heard, choked on food.

Both were their times, but I'm pretty sure neither of them knew they were going to die. And so far only ONE of them heard the gospel and it is unknown if he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour.
But when are any of us ready to die?
--When we accept Jesus as our Saviour, believe that He died for us, and repent of our sins (becoming a Christian), we're ready to go to heaven. Truth be told, that's when we're ready. But you don't know WHEN you will.

So becoming a Christian is not something you should delay.

There are a lot of people who don't realize how much God is in control of our lives. You can die in the next moment.

Think about it.
In ten seconds you could-- if God wants you to.

The rapture.
Every Christian could be gone from this world-- whenever He wants to come back for us.

What is everyone waiting for? Those times? Because they won't be able to accept Him the moment death hits them physically.

The poor little boys. One was probably exposed to a lot of junk. Who knew if he really listened to the Gospel. The other one, the same.
I bet you that the one who was eating during lunchtime at his school (in Brazil, I think), had NO idea that the next moment he bit into whatever he had on his utensil or plate, was going to suffer (by CHOKING) and die.
It kind of makes you realize that you don't know how much time you have left.

Since when did we all think about that?
~LIFE is about GLORIFYING the One who MADE YOU~

You know that He sees what you do, what you think, what you say, what you see, what you hear, what's in your heart.
But some people don't listen and don't care. So they spend an eternity in severe incomprehensible pain. Fire, ladies and gentleman.

Which would you rather choose? Glorious golden streets -- or a lake of fire?
Yes, I would like to pick the golden streets, thank you very much.

Life as we know it-- living in peace, knowing exactly where I'm going to go (which is Heaven)-- and as we don't know it.
How long will it take to glorify His name before you lose the opportunity? And how long will it take to realize you only have so much time?

New Year's resolution - Living more for Him.

Blessings,
MaidenOfEmmanuel

P.S. Info I got from those two facts are from the site http://www.census.gov/population/www/popclockus.html .
Also, the kids I found out through my cousin, and through a missionary from my church (the one who choked was a student the missionary taught).

God - He loves and exists

I was driving to my grandma's house tonight. And I was listening to this Christian radio with my mom. It was this lady, who's a Christian author (Lisa Harp? the radio just said she wrote the book "A Perfect Mess" or something rather), and she was talking about the book of Psalms. How the book is almost like a diary of David.
Complaining to praising, he just let all of his emotions out. But what she was also stating was that God loves us no matter what. That was pretty cool to hear.
He wants to hear it all.

So what about being a goody-two shoes, or TRYING to be perfect? No one is perfect, but it's nice to be Christlike. No matter what, though, God still shows His love. He doesn't want you working on yourself and not being dependent on Him. He wants to HOLD you-- tightly, and He won't ever let go of you. That's awesome.
Without His love, you wouldn't have hope to live. <-- That's even more awesome knowing He's always loved you.

--Which brings me back to tonight. My mom, after the radio ended there, asked if we wanted to hear anything (my sibs were in the car too). She'll let us listen to our music during carrides, which is pretty nice of her. :) And I think she was happy when I suggested a Chris Tomlin CD (I'm a huge fan of Christian artists and I think I've gotten her hooked on the guy's CD :P). Anywho, as we got on the freeway, the music started and I noticed a ton of car were lined up at a streetlight. We passed them and sped up and more cars we passed, but this time, on the freeway with us. And each and every person's face was focused on something. Yeah, it was their driving, but I couldn't help but think "There is no possibilty that God doesn't exist."
THINK ABOUT IT FOR A JUST A MOMENT.
What if God didn't exist and there was no heaven or hell?
What if there was no God that didn't show us His amazing love? <--[Through Jesus Christ, our Savior, Creation, and the Bible.]

We would be dead. -- But I don't feel dead because I accepted Jesus as my Savior.
But looking at all those people... There's just no possible way that you can just die and stay dead. Never go anywhere. The realization has to hit everyone.
It's IMPOSSIBLE. You've worked so har for -what?- nothing, and then just die? I don't think so. Baseball players to ballerinas to preachers to people who don't do anything. We all will be equal someday. I'll be equal with everyone in heaven, but I'm GOING somewhere. God sent Jesus Christ, His son, to earth to save us all. That's in history.
And that's absolutely cool.

I love the fact that I'm going to live forever, and spend the rest of my life (after death on earth) with Him.

Blessings,
MOE

(BTW, the song by Chris Tomlin was "Sing, Sing, Sing"... Or something liek that. Anywho, it added great affect. :D)

My Comfort Zone

OVER a month guys. Can you believe that? It's been a little over a month since I've last posted.
I know most of you are fine with tha-- but I'm sure not.
Sooooo... I'm sorry. Hah, I will make sure you update WAY more than I have lately.
I haven't even been on the forums at all, for those of you who are a part of it
School has gotten in the way, and I spend a lot of my free time doing something else.... Or yeah. I haven't spent as much time on the computer in the past month as I used to. But I'll make sure you keep in touch here again often like I used to. :)
Anyway, I've officially decided I don't need to do another "I'm Not Alright" post. There's not much more to talk about.
Buuuuuuut, I do have some little things I'd like to say.

So lately I've been a little more.... sensitive about things. And, in a certain sense, it's helping a lot. I've been convicted about some stuff, and I sooo want to be closer to God than what I am now. I want to follow Him better.
Something I realized, though, was that in order to get closer to Him, I needed to figure out some stuff and get rid of some other stuff.
Well, it just so happens that a very close friend of mine sent me a package RIGHT when I needed it about a few weeks to a month ago.

I had received this package earlier on in the day and it had letters, pictures, Christian CDs (T.A.N & other worship), and this humongous card. I was extremely happy about it, and then after went on to do other stuff. But later I wasn't having such a hot day, and I wasn't in a very good mood... I had frustrated and feeling entirely out of it with myself. So I decided I needed to do something about it. It was later on in the evening and I most definitely did not want to go to sleep feeling this way.
I went over to my bed, sat down for a moment and realized what I was really craving was a worship time. Well wait-- maybe craving isn't such a right word. I NEEDED something that would help me. Who or what could help me at such a time when I really just didn't know what I was searching for? Certainly a friend or family member wouldn't understand the inside feelings I didn't even know HOW to explain.
Who? Who?? WHO?
Oh yeah. God. That's Who. ;)
I sat down, remembered that in the package, on that very large card, were verses my friend found. She said that they were verses on peace. She also claimed that they made her feel really good, so they'd make me feel good.
A lot of verses could make me feel good.
But whatever. I decided to get a CD and look up the verses.
Crying and highlighting, I looked every single one up. And I've decided to share some with you. (By the way, I'm feeling way better. Just for everyone's curiosity sake)

[[From the NIV]]
"For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
John 6:40
"For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;"
Psalm 91:11
"But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one."
2 Thessalonians 3:3
"And again, 'Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples.'"
Romans 15:11
"Many nations will come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths. The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem."
Micah 4:2
"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him."
Jeremiah 17:7
"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you."
2 Thessalonians 3:16
"The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion."
Psalm 116:5
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
Matthew 11:28
"Sing to the LORD! Give praise to the LORD! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked."
Jeremiah 20:13
"A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished."
Proverbs 28:20
""
John 14:6
"Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Psalm 144:2
"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. (23) They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
Lamentations 3:22-23
"'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
(4)Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
(5)Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
(6)Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
(7)Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
(8)Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
(9)Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
(10)Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 5:3-10
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize."
1 Corinthians 9:24
"O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago."
Isaiah 25:1
"Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."
Proverbs 16:3
"(2)He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart
(3)and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman,
(4)who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the LORD, who keeps his oath even when it hurts,
(5)who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.
"
Psalm 15:2-5

They may not have the same effect on you guys, but I'm sure you'll enjoy reading them. :)

God bless,
~MaidenOfEmmanuel

Your Time

Yesterday was very tragic.
Why?

A girl in a school somewhere here in my city (I believe), got stabbed to death.
&&&&
Someone got shot, thirteen rounds put in him, and was put to death.

This reminds me of a very old post of mine, when I wasn't very good at writing. It was called Me or You?

The person who stabbed that girl to death yesterday-- he or she hasn't been found out, I don't think.
I'm pretty sure, though, that whoever shot that boy, he was arrested.
--I'm not exact on these though, because I hate reading or wtchings the news, so I just listen to everyone else telling their stories--

The point about this, though, doesn't have to do with how they were killed. It's that they died. And by some of the stories, I'm doubting they were saved. I'm not completely sure, but there was a police officer I know that saw the boy who was shot to death, the night before, assuming he was robbing a house, but didn't have proof. He just lectured him.

This is sad. Really sad.
Do you realize that neither the boy or girl knew they were going to die?
That they didn't know they only had several hours to decide where to go (heaven or hell) left?

Because I think a lot during car rides, my car ride back home last night, when I was out, was spent thinking about this.
Everyone, no matter how much someone might supposedly "hate" life, have dreams and something they're hoping for. Whether its for the end of the week, the month after, a year later, a decade later, etc.

They didn't know that they only had so much time to decide a very important life choice.

A friend of mine and I had been discussing the new school year a few months ago. We were excited, and we had worries that are small compared to the new one we both have now.
Suddenly we find out her dad has a tumor in his head, probably placed in the worst spot. And it MUST be treated right away. Must.
Yes, they're all Christians, and that's absolutely AWESOME, and if her father DOES die, he'll be heading to spend forever with Jesus. YAY!! :D
But the less yay is, what if he wasn't? He is, but if he wasn't, he now only has so much time left.

I honestly don't know what's going to happen tomorrow to me. But I do know for a fact that I'll be in heaven if I die on the spot. I DO believe in Jesus, and I've repented, and I've made a commitment to spend an eternity with Him.
But what about you? Or the people around you? It's so sad to see people you know for a fact that haven't made that positive decision I've made.
I keep thinking about it, and the only thing I CAN do is pray.

Pray for the people around you to be saved.
It CAN make a difference, even if it doesn't seem like it at first.

God bless,
~MaidenOfEmmanuel

"I'm broken inside, And all I go through, it leads me to you..." I'm Not Alright - Part Two

The second part of "I'm Not Alright"! *cheers* Hahh, okay, you guys might not be cheering, but yeah. :D
I would've posted sooner, but I've been suffering from laryngitis and fevers. :P JOY.
Anywho, my last post was about the issue of giving in, giving up, and being "cool". This one's a little different.

If weakness is a wound that no one wants to speak of
Then "cool" is just how far we have to fall
I am not immuned, I only want to be loved
But I feel safe behind the firewall

Can I lose my need to impress?
If You want the truth I need to confess


I'm not alright, I'm broken inside
And all I go through, it leads me to You

Burn away the pride
Bring me to my weakness
Until everything I hide behind is gone
And when I'm open wide with nothing left to cling to
Only You are there to lead me on.

'Cause honestly, I'm not that strong.

I'm not alright, I'm broken inside
Broken inside
And all I go through, it leads me to You
Leads me to You
Closer to You
Closer to You
Closer to You

I'm not alright I'm broken inside
Broken inside
I'm broken inside, Broken inside
And all I go through leads me to You
Leads me to You

I'm not alright, I'm not alright
I'm not alright ... that's why I need You.

Vs.(part of)2 and chorus:

(...If you want the truth I need to confess

I'm not alright, I'm broken inside
And all I go through, it leads me to you)

Have you ever had a problem with at least two family members or friends, and the more you talked to one of them aabout it, you actually become better friends/closer with that person? It's happened to me before. I'm trying to work out a problem, and I end up becoming better friends with a person involved.
--I think that can relate to "I'm broken inside, And all I go through, it leads me to You."
*FOR EXAMPLE* There's being "...broken inside...", and that can count as "one person", there's also "...You...", and we know that's the second person, then there's "...I...", and that's you, as the third person.
In the song, You, refers to God, and I'm referring it to God too. --As the second person.
~Everytime there's an issue that involves being broken, me, and God, I always end up "discussing" it with God, and I feel closer to Him.
Look at the first verse for a moment. The last line mentions a firewall.
"But I feel safe behind the firewall."

+++Christians feel safe behind our/the Firewall. And there is absolutely no turning back.+++

When you become closer with Him, He becomes your Firewall, your Shelter, etc. Who wants to run out in the middle of a thunderstorm instead of being safe? Some crazy person.
>Well, even when it becomes stupid stuff, or just being broken inside... God will help in so many ways.<
___________

This post wasn't very long, but I didn't intend it to be. I hope you guys liked it though. :)

God bless,
~Bookie

"Can I lose my need to impress? ...I'm not alright..." I'm Not Alright - Part One

Part One: The Issue of Giving In, Giving Up, and Being "Cool".

I wonder if you guys have heard the song "I'm Not Alright" by Sanctus Real. I know there's at least a couple of you that have listened to Sanctus Real. They're a reallllly good Christian band-- but that's not the point.

Read the title, por favor.

The actual song goes like this:

If weakness is a wound that no one wants to speak of
Then "cool" is just how far we have to fall
I am not immuned, I only want to be loved
But I feel safe behind the firewall

Can I lose my need to impress?
If you want the truth I need to confess


I'm not alright, I'm broken inside
And all I go through, it leads me to you

Burn away the pride
Bring me to my weakness
Until everything I hide behind is gone
And when I'm open wide with nothing left to cling to
Only you are there to lead me on.

'Cause honestly, I'm not that strong.

I'm not alright, I'm broken inside
Broken inside
And all I go through, it leads me to you
Leads me to you
Closer to you
Closer to you
Closer to you

I'm not alright I'm broken inside
Broken inside
I'm broken inside, Broken inside
And all I go through leads me to you
Leads me to you

I'm not alright, I'm not alright
I'm not alright ... that's why I need you.

The first verse really kinda... well made me think. I mean, that sounds normal compared to usual, because we all think deeply a lot. But I'm referring to the fact that most kids/teens(/even adults) we're all wounded with a weakness. And it DOES have to do with being "cool".
--I did a bunch of blog posts on creating ourselves (1, 2, && 3). They weren't written very well, but they got my point out.--
There's a lot of things haveing to do with peer pressure. And you may not think you're dealing with it a lot, and you might not, but usually in the back of your mind there's always the little "What will ____ think of me then?" or "Maybe I SHOULD do this...".
The issue is whether it's the right thing to do or not.
Yeah, I deal with that a lot. Of course, I can't think of any THING that would give someone pressure, but I know people do.

~Sometimes those people don't even realize what they're doing to you.
~Andthen, unfortunately, sometimes they do.

But it doesn't really matter if they do or not, does it? It only matters about what your decision is...
I'm not going to give some huge lecture about what you should and shouldn't do, no worries. I know you guys already have the sense of "wrong and right". It's your choice; but I am going to tell you my feelings for it.

Vs.1: It's sad to see a lot of people having their weakness like that, and "cool" IS where they fall. They DO feel safe not being criticized, and the only reason why they feel safe like that is because feeling loved is what we want most.
I know for a fact that if I don't feel loved I feel awful. It makes me want to cry that I'm not good enough for some people--that I'm NOT behind the firewall. But then, when you think about it... Well, I'm still loved by the One who's MOST important:
God
...In the end, everything will be fine. We all need encouragement sometime rather. We all face tests, whether its pressure or something else. Please, it's a lot of things.
But I finally figured out WHY there are so many tests in life.
I thought it was just how far we'd be able to get... And it is, in a sense. But it's also preperation. If I can't even last very long in one trial, I won't be able to last in the future with whatever had to do with that.
That made me realllly determined.
God won't ever give you something you can't handle-- but people give up sometimes. They think they can't make it or aren't strong enough handling something, when that's not the truth. But the only way you CAN get past whatever pressure it is or trial (or whatever you'd like to call it), you must seek God.
"Cool", I've figured out, is just a way of saying that people think you're...well, neat or fascinating. At least that's what I've noticed so far.
**But I've also noticed that not giving in to a lot of things, or not giving up, has made me still "cool"--especially to God.

And it's a pretty great feeling.

End of part one.
God bless,
~Bookie

P.S. Sorry it was ended abruptly! Gotta run. :)

"...Mountains bow down and the seas will roar, at the sound of Your name. I sing for joy..."

I'm sure at least some of you guys recognize that song. I would have used ten billion others, but I already have in other posts, and this one seemed to work.

...Well, what's the main point of that title? Specifically those lines that are part of the lyrics to "Shout to the Lord".

~"Mountains bow down and the seas will roar, at the sound of Your name." --WHOA. Hey, I don't know what you think, but that's kinda intense. Even creation praises God! That's awesome.

Yesterday I went ice-skating with my youth group... And there's always been a reason why I like staying home more than going out to places. I always thought it was because, at least where I live, people can be really rude. I also don't like being in huge public places where there are TONS of people. But why? That makes almost no sense. It sounds like I'm crazy. I'm acting like a hermit... for no apparent reason.
I got off the ice pretty soon (compared to everyone else who stayed on) after, and I found my cousin and asked for money to get something to drink. She hands me some cash and I stand in line by myself. --But there was this weird looking dude in front of me. I mean, his mohawk only added to the odd look. He was just strange.
--I was trying to be polite and look around, even though I knew exactly what I was going to say to the lady when she was done with him, but he started mumbling and stuff! There was obviously something wrong with him... And though I wouldn't wanna be in a back alley with him, it was... really sad to see. His wife didn't look much better than he did. And I didn't know if those were his kids or not. All I could automatically tell was
this guy needed Jesus.
So did his "wife".
So did his "children".
It was awful. And ofcourse... as a girl and as a "teen who knows nothing", I couldn't say anything about God or Jesus, or how much his life could be so much better.

Same goes for the next guy I saw. And the other people that were there... My heart was suddenly burdened. How come mountains show more glory and praise to God than we do?!
I'm looking at these people, and though I'm not fully sure they're saved or not... I can hear cursing, and I see people doing wrong stuff, and it's just... absolutely not right.

"Shout to the Lord, all the earth let us sing. Forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand. Nothing compares to the promise I have-- in You."

I'm so burdened with the knowledge of this suddenly--that I would rather stay home and be "safe" than out there. Though we should ALL go out there. We're here to spread the Word, not keep it locked up.

I hope you guys liked this post. It wasn't the happiest, but it had really knocked me around last night...

God bless,
~Bookie

Praise in our prayer

It's been a LONG time since I've posted my "Important Thoughts", so I decided to do so. I was going through my comments on my first few ones, and you guys were amazing enough to take in my posts! :D Such nice things said, I'm shocked now. But anywhooo, here's another one you can choose to endure or not. ;)

Praise in our prayer
--What a topic! :P

I pray ALL the time. Do you? Or... Maybe it's one of those "every time I eat, I ask God to bless the food" or a "Lord, let me sleep well. Thanks." Is it?
I just finished a conversation with a friend today about prayer... And how you sometimes just forget about God. You may not mean to... And He may be in the back of your mind, too..... BUT, prayer is extremely important.
And if it's just repeated prayer, it suddenly becomes unimportant. Not only do you ask for the blessing of your food or a goodnight's rest, but also requests about other things, asking for forgiveness of your sins--and PRAISE.
Praise?
Oh yesssss. A very important thing. Why do you believe in God anyway? Why do you trust in Him? Hmmm?
I know, for a fact, that God is almighty and powerful. I've been taught that forever, and I completely believe it.
-I also believe that He's awesome. In everything He does, it's for better not worse.
--So... Wouldn't you want to PRAISE Him? Your joyful for even having Him in your heart! He makes you happy and different from all the others that don't believe in the One.
Another thing I mentioned already about was asking for forgiveness. We're all still sinners. No matter who we are, no matter what we do, no matter where or what time it is, we're still sinners. On this earth, we're just here to witness. Jesus' dying on the cross for us... yeah, that was amazing. Tell Him that! He sent Jesus to DIE for all of us. PRAISE.
I don't do enough of it. It's sad how a lot of us just take it for advantage.
There are way more things we could praise Him for... This could be way longer.

*What are the other things you can think of?
*I'm pretty sure we can praise Him in more ways than prayer-- so suggest! :)

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Thanks for reading!

God bless,
Bookie

I appreciate living a little more...

Okay, well... WOW. I wonder if my title brought curious visitors to those who have me in there blogroll/update thingy. ;) Hahh.
YESTERDAY was just full of excitement--and pain. I really do mean that I appreciate living a little more.
June 06, 2009, I was going to a baby-shower and I was in bascially my church clothes (except for my jeans), and all happy-go-lucky. It had just finished POURING and my mom parked the car across the house from where the part was being held, and along the street (parallel, on the grass). I hopped out of the car with my twin and while my mom started crossing the street, we were faced with a pretty long-- and kind of wide-- puddle right on the street. We basically couldn't go around it, and I didn't want to get wet, but I didn't have my sneakers on. But my sister did. She held my hand and we were about to jump, but then I hesitated and didn't. She made it across, but I was still standing on the street before this puddle.

Alright, news-fact for the people who didn't know: I'm not only scared of heights, but I'm scared of jumping things. Those kids that jump off those high stairs, making it to the ground all excited and not hurt--oh man, I could never do that. BACK to my story...

-----So then, my sister looked back at me and started laughing. And I was not happy with that, it made me look like I was just really scared or delicate--so I jumped. Here's where everyone rolls their eyes and calls me stupid, idiotic, etc.
The moment my church shoes (which DO have line 1-inch heels) hit the ground, they went flying up in the air.

[[Okay, remember in those cartoons how when a character would fall, their feet would REALLY fly up from underneath them, just making it look even more fake? Yeah, IT CAN BE REAL. Because it literally happened to me.]]

Nahh, my back didn't hit the street first. --My head did. Oh man, oh man, was it painful. All I remember is jumping and then my head exploding on me. My sister came running over to me, because while she and mom were walking away, my collision with the ground made a pretty great sound.
The first thought that came to my head was
"Oh, Lord, I love you."
-I was so thankful. Why? Not only did it not SO MUCH sense INTO me, but I hadn't died. Just a little worse and I probably would have lost consciousness.-
I had a SEVERE headache for two hours. None of the two "*starts quoting in commercial voice* Extra-Strength Tylenol" worked. I was at the baby-shower for an hourand a half, starting to feel nauscious-- I ended up at our Children's hospital, and FOUR HOURS of being there, the CAT Scan said I was clear, all I have is a mild-concussion.
Guess what I FEEL LIKE doing (because I'm not permitted to doing so) right now?
Happy-dancing. =D
I cried at how many times people called to check up on me. My sister left her Facebook status that I was in the ER, and so many people responded to it. Everyone that said they were praying/hoping I felt better and asking for updates either called or e-mailed. --And it made me feel so much better. I didn't realize that even adults cared about whether I was feeling alright or not. I also realized that life was a little more precious to me than I thought.
You know how there are some people that say they really couldn't care whether they were alive or not. How they absolutely hate life? Most people call them emo or something, but there are people that aren't even stereo-typed and they act like they couldn't care what life is. I started JOKING around with people who were like that, I would always pretend that maybe it wasn't so important as I thought--as some people would say it was.
I probably wasn't close to dying, but my head got hit pretty ridiculously hard. When I had left I had rushed out the door, but this morning I just sat with my youngest sister because I was making up for the time I hadn't said goodbye to her yesterday.

God IS awesome, amazing, powerful, merciful, great, all-mighty, and everything else great you could ask for. He's BIG and He can carry you anywhere, anytime.

*~*~*~*~*~*
So there's my story. :P It's okay if you didn't even read the whole thing, it was pretty long... I'm stuck here at home while everyone's at church, so I had the time. ;)
Though if you did, I hope you got my meaning in the whole thing. It's pretty clear. I used to love life. I just love it even more now.

God bless,
~Bookie

Not ANOTHER stereotype-- just people. :)

Alright, I finally decided to write another serious(ish) blog post. :)
Yessiree, either stop reading now or continue with a warning. ;)
___________

Today we had a work day--with my church. Or at least some of my church. And everytime we have a work day, I find it SO much fun. Otherwise I'd just find a way to stay with my mom or something. But I love helping people. And if you [guys] have been reading my blog for a while, I'm sure you have noticed my Honduras posts. I love the whole fact that I'm not being lazy and I'm actually doing something worth while. =D
Anywhooooo, we were working at a Child Ministry building that an "elderly" (they honestly aren't that old...) couple owns. They do a Bible school during the summer and a ton other stuff. But they go to my church, and that's one of the reasons why we were helping. :)
--The building is pretty big, but we were just doing the front lawn (since there's really no other lawn), and it was on VERY busy street. There were not only adults, but kids and teenagers working! It was fun, and we no one is ever excluded from any type of work unless it's children with dangerous tools. :P
Some of the young-adults and kids were out on the sidewalk trimming and raking a hedge. I had a pair of clippers and I noticed there were people looking at us from the bus stop that we had to pass in order to get to the hedge on the outer side.
I wasn't proud of them staring, but I was happy.
Wanna know why?
After our work we had a devotion. And usually at every event/gathering (whatever) we have we have a devotion. It's really nice.
Well this one was about missionary work-- and how we seperate people, even if we're Christians. There are the missionaries. And what's so different about them? Well people just seperate them by saying they go out to a foreign country and start preaching the gospel. This might be missionary work--but... it's not about leaving the country. The work is about preaching/witnessing (because ladies should not be preachers, thats why I added the slash) EVERYWHERE we go.
Some of the greatest work of telling people about Jesus could be inside your neighbors house! It does NOT have to be somewhere special. It's already special enough that you witnessed.
The people watching us... Some us were asked what we thought about the devotion. And everyone's answers were great. I also found that we were doing missionary work ourselves. See, what I saw was people standing by a building that ministers to children about the gospel--with a huge sign saying "Children Evangelistic Ministries", which was INCREDIBLY obvious to others-- looking at Christian kids to adults working and helping another person.
It was a great feeling. And I loved it. And I learned that we don't need to do something extremely important in order to tell people about Christ. :)
_____

God bless!
~Bookie

(P.S. I saw on the poll that most people wanted a new layout--and I couldn't agree more. It wasn't the best, even if I did like it some. So I hope you guys like this one better!! :))

Material Possession Addiction - M.P.A

I know I haven't posted in a while since my 100 post/100 facts-about-me entry--BUT I wanted people to actually know that I wrote something like that. I know people who scim through, and it's fine... But my own mother is shocked I got to 100, just because I was having trouble at number 20. :P

ANYWAY, I've finally come up with something to post! And what is that?? WELL, I recently started thinking about how people are....obsessed, addicted, so involved, ETC--in material things.

So yeah-- the other day I was noticing how easily people get offended. And I was really wondering why. And the answer that came to me was: We try so hard to be liked. AND HOW do we try? We try dressing super nice, [for a female] most of us tend to fix up ourselves with make-up, we show people we have money, we try to act like the people we want to please--you get the point.
If someone that I was trying to please said "I hate you" to me, yeah, I think I'd be pretty upset. WHY? Because I worked pretty hard to make that person like me, and here my "friend" is telling me that they don't like me.

Last night I went out with my uncle, and little did we know that there was a carnival going on RIGHT where we went to. And that was fine--it was busy, but fine. And we looked at some art pieces and such, and we noticed that there were more than a few paintings (by different people), that had someone smoking a cigar. And then MORE THAN A FEW TIMES, in that crowded place, someone blew a puff of smoke from their cigar, and ungaurded, we walked right through the smoke. Yes, it was gross. And that brought up the discussion of a couple reasons why people smoked those stupid things.

Have you ever noticed that in some movie, when someone's having a problem, they pull out a packet of cigar(ette)s and they start smoking--and then they offer the packet to their friend? And etc. The whole point. They had a problem (and it's mostly men who do this in the movies), they start smoking. The world's a better place.
Or is it?
Are they really problem free?
Did they just FIX the problem by smoking?
Haha NO.
They just caused an extra problem called LUNG CANCER. --BUT, they think it's fine and that it looks manly and whatever.
Some material object they love for no reason. NICE.

Remember that cathedral I visited? The one really nice, and I had a post all about it? That there was a man kissing these pictures of whatever those people/saints were? POINT AGAIN. It's SOME other MATERIAL possession. --NO WAIT, some IDOL. It's one thing to like whatever object--the other is to WORSHIP it.

Girls and clothing/hair/jewelry/etc.
Boys and video games/movies/hair-product(oh yes)/etc.
You get the point.
In the Bible (somewhere, though I forget right at this moment), it says not to make objects idols.
What people have done these days. It's SO easy to hurt someone's feelings now these days because we spend all of our time working on ourselves for other people, but never for God.
Most people wouldn't care if God told us in person whether he liked this or not about us.
But as Christians we should. If He told me, "Bookie, I hate what you're doing and how you look." I think I'd be on my knees sobbing and repenting.
--Though some people wouldn't care. I hate how the world's turning. It's sick and wrong. Material possesions addiction is only the beginning of it.

*sighs*
Oh well.

Anyway, since I have a little sister begging to use the computer, I'll leave it like that!
:D lol

STAY IN SCHOOL KIDS!
~Bookie

P.S. SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG TO POST THIS ONE! (For some reason, I didn't realize that I hadn't pressed PUBLISH. *smacks forehead*)

When? How? I'll never know... But that doesn't matter.

WOW. I never thought I'd be posting this much on one topic. Everyday I keep thinking back about my "Creating Yourself" posts, and I've already put the links into my "Important Thoughts" section, but this, my friends, is part THREE of the whole thing.
I'm now asking questions, and I'm almost sure I won't keep going after this--but I'm not fully positive. Every day I have new questions. (*sighs*--lol).

If you haven't read my other posts on this, it's fine. And you'll probably still be able to understand everything--for I pretty much try not to go back a lot onto other posts when I blog, but if you'd LIKE to read them, here's PART ONE and PART TWO.
______________________________________________

Oki-dokes, just like my title of this one I've been thinking. Is there going to be a time when I actually know I've fulfilled WHATEVER it was I was supposed to fulfill? How WILL I ever know? I mean... Here we go about our business, doing the things God wants us to do (or at least we all try, right?)--and as a young lady/man (lol) we can only do SO MUCH, right??
*Whistles and looks away* And since we, for now, can't be the President or can't be a famous person, how do we know we've done something useful? When will we find out we've done something useful?
The other day I was asking myself, "I wonder what it'd be like if 'POOF' I just didn't exist. I was never born." I still wonder that. "How would so-and-so have done this, if I hadn't helped that person?" And then I think, "Nah, she/he would've survived. It wasn't THAT big of a deal." And there I go--the world can move along without me.
But then somewhere around my existence, I will do something. And if my death is the only thing that will effect someone, then so be it--but I'm still trying to figure that out.
Have you ever thought that?? . . .
What if I never started this blog? I wouldn't have the friends I have today.
What if I decided that you weren't worth my friendship? So, nah, we never became the best of pals. (lol)
What if God decided that I didn't need to be born? So therefore--it was just my twin sister, who would be the oldest of everybody.
Would you be able to cope if your best friend was never alive? Would you say, "It's fine, Bookie didn't make much of a difference."? Ha, maybe you would, but there are tons of other people, besides me you could think about--if they never existed. There is you, y'know. :P
POOF! You're gone. What now?
You might figure it out--I'm sure all of you are very smart people, with great noggins.
Or you could still be Einstein/Eisteinette and never figure it out. It's all according to God's plan, just make sure He's proud of you.
--If you decide to get back at someone, you're not showing mercy. They could've done without you for that one time.
--If you decide not to be strong about someone that's bugging you, you're not showing honor. That person could've done without you for that one time.
--If you decide to leave a friend in a time of need, you're not showing love. That person could've done without you for that one time.
There's more, but the point is, even if somebody could've done without you for that one time--I'd feel awful. One time's enough for me. It's the fact that I wasn't acting like a maiden of God, I wasn't making Him proud of me.

No matter what, glorify Him. :)

Have a great Sunday (and week :D)
~Bookie

P.S. BY THE WAY, TODAY IS TWIN4GOD'S BIRTHDAY! WISH HER A HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! Even if you've never commented on her blog before, you don't know who she is--I'll bet anything she knows you read my blog. Just say hello and happy birthday!
*HAPPY BIRTHDAY TWIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D*

What Am I Going To Create Myself?

This is a slight continuation of my last post. Meaning it's got part of what I said in it from my last one.


FAVORITE QUOTES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THIS (in a sense) :
1)"Happy moments, Praise God. Difficult moments, seek God. Quiet moments, worship God. Painful moments, trust God. Every moment, thank God."
2)"Be a fruitloop in a world full of cheerios."
3)"No Jesus, No peace.--Know Jesus, Know peace."
4)"I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me." (Phil. 4:13)

My last post was talking about how first, instead of FINDING yourself, you need to do more of creating--and I think I got the fact straight out when I mentioned we shouldn't be committing any suicide, murder, other crimes. It's a fact--EVERYONE knows that.
But it's not just those three things... I mean, come on...That's pretty easy. I pretty much have fully created "myself", because I haven't done any of those.
Nuh-uh. Don't even go there. You haven't even gone to do anything. So you know some right from wrong things. WHOOPEE.
BUT, how DO I know that I'm... you know... Bringing about a person that is unique? I, personally, haven't even fully done that. I'm just a teen who happens to be realizing that.
(Numbers are referring to the numbered-quotes up there)
Starting with 1), I think that has to do with everyone--but not everyone knows that. I know tons of non-Believers who would want nothing to do with something like that quote, and they've already created themselves (in a sense). It's the thing that you ARE creating.
WHAT is it?
WHO are you now?
Seek God all the time, sure--but does that help? Heck, yes. No duh, you're reading scripture, talking to God, listening to Him--OF COURSE it's creating who you are.
What's 2)? Oneof my favorites. Everyone wants to be different from everybody else. It's something that's always inside. You want to be so unique, people will always remember you.
I'm sure you've found that a smidge hard.
*winks* Just a tad, eh?
I'll tell you guys something I never really told anyone. It's something EVERYONE want(ed/s), and not just me. It's kind of selfish too--at least my version of wanting it.
Have you ever wanted to be President? (If so--) WHY? Was it the power?
Have you ever wanted to be a singer/actor/actress/musician? (If so--) WHY? Was it the money?
Have you ever wanted to be known for something (ANYTHING) important? WHY? Was it both the power AND the money? I've always wanted to be the second. Doesn't it kinda look cool to be up on a stage? Uh YEAH--it kinda does!
My reason wasn't really the money (I could be a doctor if I wanted the cha-chings), it was the fact that all these options meant you'd be famous. Known for whatever. I'd create myself to be someone IMPORTANT. But it doesn't come easily. Being a fruitloop in a world full of cheerios is extremely hard.
I've wanted to fit in with groups that I might not have wanted to fit in. But they were the popular ones. (I never did--only maybe for just a little while...but then I said no...END of that) I wanted people to know me for whatever. But everytime--it was me becoming just another cheerio. Does that make you or me feel good? Sometimes... I mean, if you think about it--is it really so bad?
Uh, yeah. Sorry to break it to you, honey, but it is sometimes. I wanted to be President. I wanted people to remember me for doing things right, for making that stuff happen, and then when I died, EVERYONE would be sad. (WELL, at least the country. ;) Then Hillary Clinton crushed my dreams...JKJK. ----> But you can still be a fruitloop even if you don't make it that high.
Wasn't 3) cool?! Haha, I saw it on an icon, but I decided to save space in this entry. :D
If there was absolutely no Jesus in you--there would absolutely be NO peace. If you KNOW Jesus, you do, absolutely-positutely have peace. PERIOD.
And I think that 4) is really neat/cool/whatever-positive. I mean, I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME!
Oh yeah, that's pretty awesome. And since you can do ALL things (except for the fact that it's in CHRIST--you can't do wrong things), you can CREATE yourself to be more involved with him. I mean, you can be a GOOD fruitloop, you can do ALL things, you can HAVE peace, and all that good stuff when you're with God. Be known for the great things.
:D

God bless,
~Bookie

Life Isn't About Finding Yourself, It's About Creating Yourself

I saw this icon on some site, and I don't know... I just loved it. I'm always hearing about everyone say they don't know who they are, they don't know what to do in life, they want to find themselves, etc. You really get into it after a while. I used to think things like that--and, honestly, sometimes I do. I don't know what God has in store for me in the future. I could die tomorrow, or I could live till I'm a hundred years old. You never know... But what I do know is that I'm here for a reason. Obviously you may not be sure of it right now, but you could be sure soon or never. I started thinking the other day, of how random I'm placed. Of just how perfectly I fit in with my family, friends, everyone.

The way I was created--I'm a girl, not a guy.

The family I was born into--most everyone's Christian.

The friends I have-- enough to be able to be myself.

Sure, there are problems everywhere. Does no ever not go through trials? We do! All the time. Dude, read the Bible and figure out that God tests you. He won't NOT test you. He'll never give you anything you're not capable of handling. Never. He's better than that. Some people commit murder, some people commit suicide, some people just commit crimes, and a lot say "Sorry, God just made me this way."

EXCUSE ME?!

OR, they say, "I found what my purpose was in life."

I don't think it was to destruct.

WHAT, so you think that since you don't know what to do in life now, there's never going to be a purpose, mine as well live it out doing what your sinful nature wants?

Ha, yeah, "(*mockingly, of course*) I don't know what to do with myself, so I mine as well die, kill, or do something wrong. There's no point in living anyway."

Uh, no.

I don't think so. I actually remember this one specific conversation with my mom when we were in her room. I was younger then, but I was thoughtful. I asked her the time when you finally find out what you're here for.

And I forget the answer right now, but I can tell you this moment, that you've already done what you're called to do, you're already DOING what you've been called to do. There are probably more than a hundred reasons why you were born, why you're family with so-and-so, and why you're friends with whomever. You've probably established more than what you thought you COULD do. I just started realizing that my past friendships with a couple people, that didn't make it until now--only a few years, still had an effect on both me and the person involved.

Everything you do, everything you read, everything you think about, whatever it is, you're CREATING yourself. You may be finding yoursef too... The talents inside you never knew about, but they HAD to be created first.

Never would I have thought I'd do NaNoWriMo and be writing an over-55k-story when I was younger.

Never would I have thought I'd be playing the violin.

Never would I have thought I'd know people I didn't know before, today.

It's crazy to think about, but every moment you're just more and more involved. There may be one MAIN reason why you're here, but I'm sure there are several others that haven't caught your attention yet.

Stay creating,

~Bookie