First off, I am excited to introduce two new authors, Jylian and Daniel. Jylian has already posted (her insight was wonderful!), and Daniel will begin soon. There are a couple of others who we are expecting to join us soon! It is simply wonderful to be able to share this experience with my good friends, and though I can't speak for the others, writing for this blog has only brought me closer to Christ and deepened my relationship and understanding of Him.
We had a snow day at school yesterday, and there has been a thick layer of snow on the ground since Thursday evening. As Jylian said, this snow simply radiates God's beauty in everything - both through the uniqueness of each snowflake and through the sparkling beauty of all the snowflakes blended together. As I looked at the dazzlingly white snow blanketing the earth this morning, I thought of how pure the land looked compared to its usual brown, dead appearance common in the winter. Reflecting upon my spiritual life, I thought of how the snow is analogous to Christ's redemption. In Christianity, the color white is widely known as a symbol of purity and cleanliness, and Christ died so that we could be made pure in heart and spirit. Psalm 51:7 says, "Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow!" We were once dead in spirit, but Christ has covered us in our blood, so that God sees not the brown deadness of the soul, but the dazzling white which has made us new! We have been "Washed by the Water", as says the song by Needtobreathe. So, whenever you see snow, think about what Christ has done for YOU, his child. He dies so that you could be whiter than snow; all you must do (if you haven't already) is accept Him as your Savior!
May you be Blessed!
Well it's friday. This week has just flown by. But it had a very been a very good week!
I want to explain the title of my post. It has two meanings. The first is that this past week has been my first week back to school after my Christmas break. The second is that with the new year i have decided to change some stuff in my life that is well overdue for change. It's not a new years resolution...i don't believe in those. It's just a life style change that i'm determined to make, and it just happened to start with the beginning of 2010.
I want to challenge yall to pray, read your bible, and listen to what God has to say and see if there was anything that you gfeel you need to change in your life. And don't put it off for so long...like i did. It's not good to wait. If you need to change...start working on that now.
I want to share a song with you that to me and many of my friends is a convicting song. It's called 'Give Me Your Eyes' by Brandon Heath. Here are the lyrics.
Looked down from a broken sky
Traced out by the city lights
My world from a mile high
Best seat in the house tonight
Touched down on the cold black top
Hold on for the sudden stop
Breath in the familiar shock
Of confusion and chaos
All those people going somewhere,
Why have I never cared?
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
Ones that are far beyond my reach.
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see
Step out on a busy street
See a girl and our eyes meet
Does her best to smile at me
To hide what's underneath
There's a man just to her right
Black suit and a bright red tie
Too ashamed to tell his wife
He's out of work
He's buying time
All those people going somewhere
Why have I never cared?
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
Ones that are far beyond my reach.
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see
I've Been there a million times
A couple of million eyes
Just moving past me by
I swear I never thought that I was wrong
Well I want a second glance
So give me a second chance
To see the way you see the people all along
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
Ones that are far beyond my reach.
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see
This song is pretty clear on the message. And the message is simply awesome. It's so true and completely relevant to our lives today. In our busy and fast pased life, how many time do we just simply go through our lives caring about only ourselves? I know for me it's too often. How many people could need our help, advice, support, prayers, or encouragement, but because we are so wrapped up in our lives that we miss that opportunity? I want to challenge yall to do yet another thing. As you go through your day look for opportunities to help the people around you, in whatever way they need. This will be hard for us all, but just think how more rewarding our lives will be. And just think of the people whose lives we could change and show God's light to. Just think about what i said...and i will try to do this as well.
Hi everybody! This is Jylian aka ~*Jilly Bean*~. After Hilary (MsHilariosity) told me about this blog, then asked me to be a Coauthor, I was stoked but could not think of what to post. Finally, I have thought of something good to publish as my first official post.
Today was a snow day for us students in our little ole' town. I was admiring the white blanket of snow that covered our yard when a realization hit me: this is another form of God's beauty. This led me to think of all of God's creations, including us, His children. Every snow crystal, like us, is created uniquely. You know all those pictures of a snowflake that make you think, "Wow, it's so beautiful and intricate"? Well, God created us the same way. Fashioning us in His own image, He created us uniquely, an intricate design. We are always beautiful in His eyes.
So to anyone having doubts about how special they are or that they are plain, boring, whatever it is, remember: God created us in HIS image with a purpose and plan for us all. You are NOT plain, you are NOT boring, and you ARE special. God loves us all and we are all beautiful and special to Him.
Onto a different topic, I found a site with awesome Christian backgrounds, wallpapers, and screensavers: http://wallpaper4god.com/. I love switching up my backgrounds and such, so I figured others might as well. It is also a reminder to me of God's words and love. If you post scripture or even inspirational quotes around places you frequent, you have a boost to keep you going. : ) I am constantly looking up backgrounds/wallpapers, pictures, etc. that have Bible verses or are Christian based, so when I find more, I will post it!
On another note (a little irony there, since this is about music...Haha...), Hilary told me about this new song titled "Hold My Heart" by Tenth Avenue North. It's a fantastic song as are the other songs on the album. The band itself is phenomenal. Another fantastic song is "Temporary Home" by Carrie Underwood. Very heart-touching and so true.
Alright, that is it for this post, but hopefully I will update again soon. God bless!
"For I thy Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, 'Fear not; I will help thee.'" ~ Isaiah 41: 13
I found several wonderful poems and verses to usher in the new year; my resolution is to become closer in my walk with the Lord and put everything into His hands...no matter what this year brings! Enjoy these touching poems, and consider how you can relate them to your daily walk with Christ throughout 2010!
Just One Request
Dear Master for this coming year
Just one request I bring:
I do not pray for happiness,
Or any earthly thing—
I do not ask to understand
The way Thou leadest me,
But this I ask: Teach me to do
The thing that pleaseth Thee.
I want to know Thy guiding voice,
To walk with Thee each day.
Dear Master make me swift to hear
And ready to obey.
And thus the year I now begin
A happy year will be—
If I am seeking just to do
The thing that pleaseth Thee.
--Unknown Author
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The New Year
Dear Lord, as this new year is born
I give it to Thy hand,
Content to walk by faith what paths
I cannot understand.
Whatever coming days may bring
Of bitter loss, or gain,
Or every crown of happiness;
Should sorrow come, or pain,
Or, Lord, if all unknown to me
Thine angel hovers near
To bear me to that farther shore
Before another year,
It matters not—my hand in Thine,
Thy light upon my face,
Thy boundless strength when I am weak,
Thy love and saving grace!
I only ask, loose not my hand,
Grip fast my soul, and be
My guiding light upon the path
Till, blind no more, I see!
--Martha Snell Nicholson
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Another Year Is Dawning
Another year is dawning,
Dear Master, let it be,
In working, or in waiting,
Another year with Thee.
Another year of mercies,
Of faithfulness and grace;
Another year of gladness
In the shining of Thy face.
Another year of progress,
Another year of praise,
Another year of proving
Thy presence all the days.
Another year of service,
Of witness of Thy love,
Another year of training
For holier work above.
Another year is dawning,
Dear Master, let it be
On earth, or else in heaven
Another year for Thee.
--Francis Ridley Havergal (1874)
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Some verses to encourage you in your new year!
1 Peter 1:3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
~When we are saved, we are a new creation in Christ! We are able to start fresh and live for Him. In this new year, put Christ first! This is a chance to start clean and have a wonderful year.
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Philippians 3:13-14 No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.
~ Now is the time to focus on the future and put the past behind you. Follow God's lead, and he will guide you in the right path - that straight and narrow path which we can not follow on our own. Though we still have faults and the materialistic and pleasure-seeking world seems to distract us, we must STRAIN to focus on God! Paul speaks of STRAINING to finishing the race - obviously it is not a simple task! Runners know that it takes months and years to train for that big race; no pain, no gain. This is the same with following God. We will not fail to stray, but we must continue on with our training, listen to the Coach, and STRAIN to finish! With God, all things are possible, so never give up!
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Jeremiah 29:11"For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
~ God knows what plans he has for our future, and they are ones of blessings and spiritual fortune! All we have to do is follow Him and do his will, even if it clashes with our own desires. We experience disaster when we need a wake-up call or when God knows something better can come of it - take Job's story. He lost absolutely everything he had, and his own wife told him to curse God. He was in severe physical, emotional, and spiritual pain, yet he refused to do anything but bless God. BECAUSE Job was faithful, God blessed him many times over, making him wealthier than before and multiplying his livestock and family. If we choose to follow God through thick and thin, we will make it. We can only see our meager little goals, but God sees the grander plan, and it is one of prosperity and joy!
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Ecclesiastes 3:11He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
~ God's timing is perfect. As it says in verse 1 says, there is a time for everything under the sun! There is a time to rejoice, a time to mourn, a time to laugh, and a time to weep! These things should be done in God's time, and they will be blessed. You single guys and gals who get frustrated by being single? Wait on God! He may have the perfect mate for you, but He knows you may miss them if you try to search out a relationship now. Another big one - the taboo, premarital sex. That is God's marriage gift, use it in God's time! If you choose to open the gift early, it will be old and not blessed by God. So, whatever you choose to do in this new year, do it in God's will and God's timing!
In my quiet time every morning i have started going through the book of Ecclesiastes. A great book to study! I have been reading small portion each day and the breaking down what those sections say so i can get a better understand what Solomon was saying. Today i thought what i read and found out was interesting. I'd like to let you see some of the stuff i wrote down about it.The verses i read this morning were from Ecclesiastes 1:12-18. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ecclesiastes%201:12-18&version=NIV
"King Solomon studied any thing and everything he could. But he found out that knowing so much was meaningless. He was the wisest man who ever walked the earth (besides Jesus). But although he was so wise, it meant nothing to him. He said that the more wisdom you have, the more sadness you will have. And the more knowledge you have, the more grief you will have. (vs. 18) Solomon had a heavy heart cause he was missing the ONE and ONLY thing he would ever need, but didn't have...God."
From this we can learn the the point of being in this world is not to just go to school and learn and then grow up and learn even more stuff. God placed us on this earth to learn and study about Him. To find out who He is, and then accept that as what we believe. Then after we has Him in our hearts and are committed to follow Him, we are to shine His light to all the world. Show the world what God has done for us. Show the world what God has done for them.
I challenge you to start today living you're life as God wants you to, and living it boldly. Show God's light to the world!
Hi! My name is Rachel and i am very excited to be co-writing this blog with Hilary! I'm excited for the chance to shine Christ's light to all who will listen! Hilary has already explained what this blog is here for...so i won't go into that. But i want to thank Hilary for giving me this chance to co-write this awesome blog!
As she said, Hilary and i are best friends! We have known each other since early elementary school. We have a really cool past as friends. But sadly cause we live 100's of miles away from each other in different sates we only get to see each other once a year...if that :( But we talk all the time. And are able to keep in touch, encourage each other emotionally and spiritually, and talk about life. Hilary is such an amazing friend and is always an encouragement to me! God uses her all the time to speak to me! She is one of the strongest Christian girl i know!
I'm excited to see what God has in store for this blog! I hope Hilary and I are able to boldly and clearly shine Christ's light for all of yall who are reading! And i hope in the process Hilary and I will come closer to our Heavenly Father and to each other!
Well, it is difficult for a high school senior to keep up a blog alone, so I enlisted the help of one of my very best friends, miss Rachel Ross! She is a strong Christian girl, and I am incredibly excited to be writing with her, especially since we only see each other about once a year. We have been good friends for at least 10 years now, though my poor short-term memory doesn't allow me to remember far beyond that! Anywho, I digress....
Enough of my poor introduction, let me allow the girl to introduce herself!
