Chances are you've heard about the Jonas Brothers. And if you haven't, well you must have been living under a rock the last couple of years. ;P They are a singing group of brothers that formed their own band. Now, all the brothers have dispersed and are doing their own thing. I have to say i'm slightly disapointed in some of the choices they have made but I am in no position to judge them. They initially came out as strong believers and introduced alot of people to purity rings. Regardless of what they're up to now, I still enjoy some of their older music.
Recently, one of my favorite songs has been "Dear God." Now this song isn't from the band "Jonas Brothers" but is from the youngest brother's (Nick) solo career before he started the band with his brothers
Here are the lyrics to "Dear God" by Nick Jonas
Dear God
I hate to be a bother
But I gotta say
This world is getting crazier with every day
I hope you'll hear me out now
As I stop and pray
Dear God
People take your words
And try to twist 'em round
I know you can't be happy
With what's going down
I'm searching for some answers
But they can't be found
Can you help me out?
Dear God
Dear God
Just the other night I heard somebody say
"What's the use believing in you, anyway?"
I guess it was just heartache
Talking through the pain
It's a crying shame
Dear God
I know you're disappointed
In the things we've done
Can't they see the truth
That they're all running from
Try to preach your message with a loaded gun
What are they thinking of?
Dear God
Everybody's searching for an easy solution
They can't see beyond
The selfish world they're living in
Your words of love get lost
In all the confusion
Yes, they do
But I still believe
Someday you're gonna speak to me
Dear God
I know you've got a million other calls to take
You're dealing with a lot of things
That just won't wait
But there is one request
That I just gotta make
Dear God
Won't you send a sign down
Just to ease my doubt?
I'm trying to hear you
But the silence is so loud
I think I see a rainbow
From behind the clouds
And I hear you now, dear God
Isn't that awesome? It's like a story of someone who is desperately trying to grow in a relationship with the Lord. I think it's pretty cool, and pretty relatable. So Check it out! Download it! Put it on your ipod! In my book it's definitely an Oldie but a Goodie! ;)
2/28/2012
2/26/2012
Leap Year of Faith
So 2012 happens to be Leap Year! Which means that February will have an extra day, Yipeee! I love extra time, don't you? It seems like I never have enough time to complete everything I have to get done. And then I start to stress about not getting everything done. ;P
Funny thing is, i've been stressing alot lately. And lately, I have also been reading and hearing about not worrying and trusting in God. Coincidence? I don't think so...I'm pretty sure it's God sending me a message. And the message is clear and something I need to hear: Stop worrying and trust in the Lord! God is here to help you!
This morning in church service my pastor preached about taking a leap of Faith and broke it down like this:
L - Lent -- Consider a time of fasting
E - Earnest Prayer -- Commit to more persistent prayer
A - Acknowledge God -- Cultivate a closer relationship
P - Prioritize -- Change your list of what's important
The underlying message in all this is, "Do all you can and let God do what you cannot do!"
Now that's a pretty big message for a worried person like me. I know me, personally, I'm trying to put all these steps in action because I know it's what I need to do. And what I want to do.
In fact, I've already started some of these steps!
In my own way, I'm fasting. Now I say in my own way because it's not a traditional type of fasting. In the past I have fasted, not food, but television. Let's face it, TV is a BIG time waster! I've done it several times and it has been great for me; most recently I did it for 20 days last month. It's great not to waste all your time in front of the tv, but I found that although I wasn't watching tv, I often spent my time doing other things and not spending it with God. That's why this time around, I'm setting away time. Yep, I said it, Time. I typically spend most of my day doing school and etc. but when the sun starts to go down is when I watch tv, surf the internet, go on facebook, and essentially waste time. So instead, I spend time in the Word, reading one of my Christian perpective books, in prayer, and writing this blog! (This blog helps me get my thoughts and feelings out ;P) Now i'm not saying I don't ever watch tv or go on the internet, because I do. It's just that I try to prioritize. Hey look that's another step i've taken in my LEAP, prioritizing! Woohoo! Actually, I think through "fasting" the other steps have followed and fallen into place. It's a great feeling to know that you're inching towards making that Leap of Faith. :)
"Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works." - James 2:26 NLT
Let's give feet to our Faith and make that Leap!
Funny thing is, i've been stressing alot lately. And lately, I have also been reading and hearing about not worrying and trusting in God. Coincidence? I don't think so...I'm pretty sure it's God sending me a message. And the message is clear and something I need to hear: Stop worrying and trust in the Lord! God is here to help you!
This morning in church service my pastor preached about taking a leap of Faith and broke it down like this:
L - Lent -- Consider a time of fasting
E - Earnest Prayer -- Commit to more persistent prayer
A - Acknowledge God -- Cultivate a closer relationship
P - Prioritize -- Change your list of what's important
The underlying message in all this is, "Do all you can and let God do what you cannot do!"
Now that's a pretty big message for a worried person like me. I know me, personally, I'm trying to put all these steps in action because I know it's what I need to do. And what I want to do.
In fact, I've already started some of these steps!
In my own way, I'm fasting. Now I say in my own way because it's not a traditional type of fasting. In the past I have fasted, not food, but television. Let's face it, TV is a BIG time waster! I've done it several times and it has been great for me; most recently I did it for 20 days last month. It's great not to waste all your time in front of the tv, but I found that although I wasn't watching tv, I often spent my time doing other things and not spending it with God. That's why this time around, I'm setting away time. Yep, I said it, Time. I typically spend most of my day doing school and etc. but when the sun starts to go down is when I watch tv, surf the internet, go on facebook, and essentially waste time. So instead, I spend time in the Word, reading one of my Christian perpective books, in prayer, and writing this blog! (This blog helps me get my thoughts and feelings out ;P) Now i'm not saying I don't ever watch tv or go on the internet, because I do. It's just that I try to prioritize. Hey look that's another step i've taken in my LEAP, prioritizing! Woohoo! Actually, I think through "fasting" the other steps have followed and fallen into place. It's a great feeling to know that you're inching towards making that Leap of Faith. :)
"Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works." - James 2:26 NLT
Let's give feet to our Faith and make that Leap!
2/25/2012
10 Ways to Get the Right Guy to Like You
Recently, I was on Facebook and a friend of mine posted a video about homeschoolers from a youtube user called "blimeycow." Naturally I was interested in the video (with me being homeschooled and all). As I watched the video I laughed lots and decided to watch some more of blimeycow's videos. Now if you haven't heard of limeycow you should definitely check them out! They approach alot of social issues and scenarios, and offer practical reasoning with a Christian perspective. They have a web series that they call "Messy Mondays" and every monday they upload a new awesome video! They're very talented in what they do and I thoroughly enjoy their videos. ;-)
A little while ago, blimeycow posted a video titled, "Messy Mondays: Ten Ways to Get the Right Guy to Like You." This is SUCH an awesome video and as soon as I watched I wanted to share it with all my girlfriends. Here it is so you know what i'm talking about:
In this video they give 10 points. The points are as follows:
10. Be Willing to Wait
9. Respect Yourself
8. Be Kind
7. Learn About the Things Guys Like
6. Make Him Feel Needed
5. Support Your Local Chivalry
4. Put Some Clothes On
3. Be Liberated From Hollywood
2. Set Boundaries
1. Be Yourself
I think the best part of this video is that it was made by guys! Ladies, don't sell yourself short! You're worth it! The way you catch a guy is the way you're going to keep him. Just think about that. Your personality and character should capture the right guy's heart, not anything else.
"If being yourself isn't good enough for someone, then maybe they aren't good enough for you. Oh...wait a minute...I'm getting a phone call....Hello? Oh hey there..(It's Prince Charming)..Oh, ok, all right i'll let them know. He says he loves these ideas and he can't wait to meet you. And that you guys are gonna live Happily. Ever. After." ~BlimeyCow
In this video they give 10 points. The points are as follows:
10. Be Willing to Wait
9. Respect Yourself
8. Be Kind
7. Learn About the Things Guys Like
6. Make Him Feel Needed
5. Support Your Local Chivalry
4. Put Some Clothes On
3. Be Liberated From Hollywood
2. Set Boundaries
1. Be Yourself
I think the best part of this video is that it was made by guys! Ladies, don't sell yourself short! You're worth it! The way you catch a guy is the way you're going to keep him. Just think about that. Your personality and character should capture the right guy's heart, not anything else.
"If being yourself isn't good enough for someone, then maybe they aren't good enough for you. Oh...wait a minute...I'm getting a phone call....Hello? Oh hey there..(It's Prince Charming)..Oh, ok, all right i'll let them know. He says he loves these ideas and he can't wait to meet you. And that you guys are gonna live Happily. Ever. After." ~BlimeyCow
2/24/2012
Oh to make a decision!
When they said with age comes responsibility, they weren't kidding!
As a child I was one of those kids that never wanted to grow up. If I would have found me some pixie dust I think I would have flown off to Neverland and never came back. At any sign that I was growing up, I'd ignore the fact and continue with my child lifestyle.
Now that I'll be turning 18 this year, I realize why I never wanted to grow up. When you grow up, suddenly, your parents don't make your decisions for you anymore; you actually have to make them yourself!
You have to understand that I am one of the most undecisive people on the planet. It takes me a lifetime just to figure out what i'm ordering at Wendy's! On top of being indecisive, I also worry about just about everything from wasting too much paper to questioning myself a million times as to when an event starts. Being worried and indecisive do not make for the best combination, and often lead to some anxiety on my part.
Recently, I have been confronted with a huge decision to make. Two events that are very important to me are happening on the same week! One, is something that I've been looking forward to for a reeeaaalllyyyy long time. The other, is something i've worked extremely hard on and am not ready to just let go. So there's my dilemma, two very meaningful things happening at the same time. I have to be honest, this decision is really stressing me out. I haven't decided yet, but I know that I need to trust in God. Even though I don't understand why, God does. There is a reason for this and I just have to trust in him. It's not easy, letting go of the worry, stress, and anxiety, but I just have to. At times, this is easy to put my faith in him; but, at other times, I can become overwhelmed. It's at the times when i'm overwhelmed with worry that I have to remember Matthew 6:27, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"
Jesus is right, worrying isn't doing me any good. I just have to let it go and put it in his hands.
As a child I was one of those kids that never wanted to grow up. If I would have found me some pixie dust I think I would have flown off to Neverland and never came back. At any sign that I was growing up, I'd ignore the fact and continue with my child lifestyle.
Now that I'll be turning 18 this year, I realize why I never wanted to grow up. When you grow up, suddenly, your parents don't make your decisions for you anymore; you actually have to make them yourself!
You have to understand that I am one of the most undecisive people on the planet. It takes me a lifetime just to figure out what i'm ordering at Wendy's! On top of being indecisive, I also worry about just about everything from wasting too much paper to questioning myself a million times as to when an event starts. Being worried and indecisive do not make for the best combination, and often lead to some anxiety on my part.
Recently, I have been confronted with a huge decision to make. Two events that are very important to me are happening on the same week! One, is something that I've been looking forward to for a reeeaaalllyyyy long time. The other, is something i've worked extremely hard on and am not ready to just let go. So there's my dilemma, two very meaningful things happening at the same time. I have to be honest, this decision is really stressing me out. I haven't decided yet, but I know that I need to trust in God. Even though I don't understand why, God does. There is a reason for this and I just have to trust in him. It's not easy, letting go of the worry, stress, and anxiety, but I just have to. At times, this is easy to put my faith in him; but, at other times, I can become overwhelmed. It's at the times when i'm overwhelmed with worry that I have to remember Matthew 6:27, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"
Jesus is right, worrying isn't doing me any good. I just have to let it go and put it in his hands.
The One About Beauty
I'm no blogger but here goes nothing...(or something)....
Beauty, The definitions are endless between what society defines it as and what it really is. Unfortunately, the view of beauty from society is often unrealistic and just flat out wrong.
I'm in the process of reading Captivating by John and Stasi Elderidge. In their book they write alot about beauty but something that really struck me were these words, "Every woman has a beauty to unveil. Every woman. Because she bears the image of God. She doesn't have to conjure it, go get it from a salon, have plastic surgery or breast implants. No, beauty is an essence that is given to every woman at her creation."
Now to be truly honest, I never thought about beauty much, but reading that statement made me think. We all have days where we don't feel beautiful. I know that for myself, sometimes, I don't feel beautiful. And when I don't feel beautiful, at times I lose my joy. I don't know why I care so much about having my appearance look presentable, it just makes me feel good. Now I know that probably sounds really shallow but when I feel beautiful, I feel more joyful.
This statement from Captivating made me realize, I (along with every woman in the world) have already been presented with the essence of beauty. Whether we always feel it or not we are beautiful. I have come to realize that we should never try to live up to Hollywood or any other person's standard of beauty. The only standard we should hold up to ourselves is the word of God. The best part of that is that the Lod says YOU are beautiful. We are made in the image of our creator. And as Christians we are being perfected daily in the image of Christ. We have to always remember, our value is found in JESUS, not in the fake "perfection" of the world.
God has created us in his image and he loves us very much. Psalm 139:14 says, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful
Beauty, The definitions are endless between what society defines it as and what it really is. Unfortunately, the view of beauty from society is often unrealistic and just flat out wrong.
I'm in the process of reading Captivating by John and Stasi Elderidge. In their book they write alot about beauty but something that really struck me were these words, "Every woman has a beauty to unveil. Every woman. Because she bears the image of God. She doesn't have to conjure it, go get it from a salon, have plastic surgery or breast implants. No, beauty is an essence that is given to every woman at her creation."
Now to be truly honest, I never thought about beauty much, but reading that statement made me think. We all have days where we don't feel beautiful. I know that for myself, sometimes, I don't feel beautiful. And when I don't feel beautiful, at times I lose my joy. I don't know why I care so much about having my appearance look presentable, it just makes me feel good. Now I know that probably sounds really shallow but when I feel beautiful, I feel more joyful.
This statement from Captivating made me realize, I (along with every woman in the world) have already been presented with the essence of beauty. Whether we always feel it or not we are beautiful. I have come to realize that we should never try to live up to Hollywood or any other person's standard of beauty. The only standard we should hold up to ourselves is the word of God. The best part of that is that the Lod says YOU are beautiful. We are made in the image of our creator. And as Christians we are being perfected daily in the image of Christ. We have to always remember, our value is found in JESUS, not in the fake "perfection" of the world.
God has created us in his image and he loves us very much. Psalm 139:14 says, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful
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