Comparisons

Have you ever looked at another girl and thought, "Wow! I wish I looked like her"? Or "Man! I wish I could sing like her!" Well, I have thought that many, many times. I have laid awake at night planning a diet that I could go on just so I could come somewhat close to looking like another girl. But ya know what? It never works. I always end up eating too much chocolate or having one coke too many. I always fail. But you know what? God did not fail when He made us. Ecclesiastes 3:11a says that God has made everything beautiful in HIS time! He made us just the way we are and for a specific purpose. Even if we think we aren't as pretty or as talented as someone else, we are absolutely gorgeous in God's sight. He also does not want us to compare ourselves to other people. Don't look at someone else and wish that you could be like them. Look at Christ and wish to be like Him. He is our ultimate example of what a person should want to be. Never compare yourself to other people. Compare yourself to Christ!

First

I just got home from an amazing week at camp. Now I know what you are thinking. Trust me. I thought that it would be another year at teen camp and everyone would "make decisions" like they do every year. But this year was different. I went alone. I went without my close friends and I didn't really understand why at first. Now I do. The Lord did an amazing work in my life this week at camp. I made many decisions and I would like to tell you about one in particular.

While I have been "serving the Lord" I always seemed to get frustrated and tired of all that I did. I would get "weary in well doing". And I never knew why. Well this week I figured out why. While I was "serving the Lord" I wasn't really "serving the Lord". I was really just serving myself. But this week I made the decision to legitimately serve the Lord and not do it for myself. I can't do it alone! I can't do it alone!! I CAN'T DO IT ALONE! How can I serve the Lord when he isn't first in my life!! I can't!!! And that is what my problem was from the beginning. Doing it for myself because he wasn't on top of my priority list. But now HE is and I want to serve Him with my whole heart! I also decided to take time and blog more often. I am very sorry for neglecting to do that! But I ask for you prayers and I start my life over with the Lord as #1 in my life!!

But just remember as you read this: you can't do it alone either. Just as I can't do it alone! But the Lord is always there! Put Him first and you will see what amazing things He will do in your life!

Through the Pain

Have you ever been through a situation where you felt like you could not go on even if you tried? Have you ever just wanted to quit because it feels as if everything is crashing down around you? I know there has been many situations in my life where I felt as if there was no way to move forward. But Paul tells us that he went through many sufferings for Christ. He was beaten, shipwrecked, and robbed. At times he was hungry, cold and unclothed. (2 Cor. 11:24-28) But in all these things, he never once questioned God. He knew that all he did was for Christ and HIS glory! I know that sometimes we might not want to do something because the motivation is not right. If we have the right motivation, we can work through the pain. We can serve Christ through the hard times. We can love him through all the difficulties that life brings our way. Through the pain, Christ is always there right there with us. No matter what happens Christ will never leave us nor forsake us! (Heb. 13:5) A reward awaits for those who endured through the pain. Will you press on, even through the pain?

Hope

Today I attended what most people think would be a very sad thing. I went to a funeral today. The lady that passed away was 93 years old! Now to me, being a 17 year old, that sounds like a long happy life to live and it was. God blessed this amazing lady with a long happy life and a huge family that serves God! What more could one ask for? But back to the main topic. Sometimes death can be a very tragic thing to have to cope with. If you have ever lost a loved one you know what I mean by this. I have lost several close family members and I can say from experience that it is a very difficult to thing to have to go through. But I know for a fact that the family members that I have lost are now with Christ in heaven. They aren't in pain anymore! And I can have hope knowing that their life after death is with Christ! If I didn't have Christ I wouldn't have that hope. If you do not have this hope of Christ Jesus, please respond to this blog. I would love to share this hope of Christ with you!

SImple Joy

OK, so while I was writing my last blog about silence, I thought of a cool idea. So many times when we feel like God isn't listening to us, or He is distant, we forget the many things that He has given us that bring us simple joy. I decided that I am going to do several things in order to remind myself that God DOES listen to me, and DOES love me.

1) Write things I am thankful for on a piece of paper and put them in a "Thankful" jar, then when I am feeling lonely and sad, I will pick one out and pray and thank God for it!

2) Look at pictures of times I felt extremely blessed by God.

3) Listen to a song that always reminds me of God's presence and greatness.

So these are only a few things that can help remind me of God's love. Do you have any other ideas? Or anything that YOU do to help you remember God's goodness?




This is Brooke and me. She is in K4 and I get to teach her almost every day! She is always so eager to say hi to me and loves helping me choose what color to paint my nails :)


This is Natalie. She is in K5. Natalie is so sweet and thoughtful. Her smile is such an encouragement, and she aways tells me "I love my Mommy." She's so precious.


And of course, Kristin and me. Kristin always makes me laugh and smile! She is awesometastical and I couldn't ask for a more amazing friend!

Silence

"Can anybody hear me? The silence is deafening." These two sentences set a light bulb off over my head. For the past two days, I've just felt distant from God for some reason. Almost like He wasn't with me, but when I heard these two sentences in a song by Meredith Andrews, I knew exactly what it was. Because I was so focused on feeling like God wasn't there, I missed His quiet presence. The silence was so "deafening" that I was too focused on it! Even when I cried out to God, I couldn't hear His reply. So many times, I know I have experienced this, the feeling of being unheard by God. Almost like He doesn't want to listen to me anymore. But, my friend, this is so untrue! My Heavenly Father hears me at all times, and never leaves my side. And nothing I do can separate me from His unending love. No amount of wrong I do will turn Him away. He will forgive me over and over. His love is unconditional and His mercy is new every morning. If I do something that seems worthy of His wrath, He will forgive me, and go right back to loving me. As I write this, I have to smile. That is just so amazing. His love is truly a comfort at all times. Even when I'm lonely, and I feel like He is a thousand miles away, He is right by our side, and ready to reveal Himself to us!

Check out Meredith Andrew's newest single "Can Anybody Hear Me?"

The Remodel!

The remodel of our kitchen and dining room has officially begun! As I speak, my boyfriend, dad and uncle are hard at work tearing the place apart! I must say it is quite loud here! Jacob is sawing, my uncle is hammering, and my dad is tearing up boards!! As I sit here listening to the noise, I am reminded of how this remodel can relate to life. Sometimes the noise drowns out what Christ has to say to us. We get so caught up with all that is happening around us and we forget that Christ is right there waiting to whisper in our ear. But life gets too loud and we sometimes can't hear what He has to say to us. We just need to concentrate and focus on what the Savior has to say and trust in Him! Forget about all the chaos of life and focus on the One who gave it all for a relationship with you!

How Long?

How long? So many times I find myself asking this question. How much longer can I stand? How much longer can I wait for an answer? Through certain situations, I've learned that I shouldn't be asking myself this question. Rather, I should be asking God to give me guidance to help me get through my problem, and help me learn something in the process. Seems like I should have figured this out years ago right? I agree. But sometimes it takes longest to figure out the simple things in our Christian life. And once we grasp the concept, it is something we will never let go.
I have found that God has been showing me just how important this concept is. While I know I'm not facing huge problems, to me they are extremely important. And because they are important to me, I know that they are important to God too, because I'm His child! That is so exciting isn't it? It definitely is to me! No matter what I'm going through, I know that God will take care of me and hold my heart.
I found the song "Hold my Heart" by Tenth Avenue North extremely encouraging. Not only does it talk about God holding our hearts when we can barely stand, but it makes a good point. So many times we have questions for God, and we want answers immediately. But our Heavenly Father has perfect timing, and He will provide the answers for us when He knows we can handle them. Even though the answers won't always be what we want to hear, God has a far bigger plan, and everything will work out in His time! Just as my favorite verse says, "He hath made everything beautiful in His time...", Ecclesiastes 3:11a. Will you ask God to hold your heart and allow yourself to rely on His promises?


If you want to learn a little about "Hold My Heart" and hear it check out this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh4IGvMzOzw

Prayer

Ok, so let's all be honest. How often do we pray? I know the question is more often phrased, "How long do you pray?" but to me (Riley), I think it's more about just praying. When we are talking to God, the time doesn't matter to us. Speaking from personal experience, I can say that once I start praying, it is easy to keep talking to God. Talking is a word that is important to God. So many times we think that a prayer has to be some outstanding speech we recite to God, but this could be no further from the truth. When we pray, all we have to do is talk to God. Just like we would talk to a friend, because Jesus is a friend that sticks closer than a brother, and He wants us to tell Him everything. Even if you're just sitting in class worried about a test, tell Him how you feel, and how you need Him to help you. There is nothing God enjoys more than talking to His children! I challenge you to start talking to God more each day and see just how loved you feel. When you talk to God, He will reveal Himself to you in ways you couldn't imagine!


Tip: If you have trouble focusing while you are trying to pray...pray out loud! It helps you concentrate and keep on track! Praying with a close friend is also a blessing. It will help you keep each other reliable and focused on God together.

Welcome 2010!

Well readers, we made it through one more year. The Lord given us one more year to serve Him and to give Him glory. We could not have done it without our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This post might seem kind of unusual. But I would like everyone who views this blog to leave just one thing in the comment box that the Lord has done for you in 2009. What a better way to welcome in 2010 than to give God the glory for 2009!?! If you would like you can definitely stay anonymous. But please leave at least one thing that the Lord has done for you in 2009. It can be a small thing or a big thing, but the only thing that matters is if God gets the glory! And to all of our readers, we thank you so much for your support! :)