Standing Strong

This year has gone by so fast!  Christmas is just around the corner!  Someone from church shared this with my family and I thought it was pretty interesting. They found it on the internet.   Here's the meaning behind the song of the Twelve Days of Christmas: The twelve days of Christmas are the 12 days between Christmas Day, Dec. 25th, the birth of Jesus, and the Epiphany, Jan. 6th, which is the day Christians celebrate the arrival of Magi (Wise Men) and the revelation of Christ as the Light of the world.  The Christmas song,  "The Twelve Days of Christmas,"  may sound silly and contrived to many of us, but it actually had its origins in religious symbolism- and with a serious purpose. It dates from a time of religious persecution.  The song was written as a kind of secret catechism that could sing in public without fear of interest-  a learning memory aid to Christians, in fact. The song can be taken at 2 levels of interpretation- the s...

I've been reading and learning a lot about prayer lately.  Part of the reason is that I'm writing a novel, and the main theme's prayer is powerful, so I've been looking up verses.  Writing it has really helped me in praying. I have a book called, Please Give Me Another Chance, Lord by Lorraine Peterson.  I suggest you look it up.  It's for teenagers, or anyone, who is learning how to pray. One of the chapters in the book is called "What If You Asked God 1,487 Times, and There's No Answer?"  That's the hardest part of praying- waiting for an answer. A cartoon in the chapter shows two girls walking by a church sign that reads, "pray every day."  One of the girls tells the other, "I'm not talking to God again until He gives me the TV I asked for nine months ago!"  This is exactly what a lot of people go through.  They ask for something, but when they don't receive it right away, they make a "deal" with ...

" 1 Those who go to God Most High for safety will be protected by the Almighty.   2 I will say to the Lord, 'You are my place of safety and protection.  You are my God and I trust you.' 3 God will save you from hidden traps and from deadly diseases.  4 He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you can hide.  His truth will be your shield and protection. 5 You will not fear any danger by night or an arrow during the day. 6 You will not be afraid of diseases that come in the dark or sickness at noon. 7 At your side one thousand people may die, or even ten thousand right beside you, but you will not be hurt.  8 You will only watch and see the wicked punished.  9 The Lord is your protection, and you have made God Most High your place of safety. 10 Nothing bad will happen to you; no disaster will come to your home.  11 He has put His angels in charge of you to watch over you wherever you go. 12 They will catch you...

There is a point in every marathon where the runner gets weary and wants to quit.  He doesn't feel like he can finish. His strength is running out. I've been a runner in a few races before.  In one particular race, it was sort of like a relay, with both bikers and hikers.  I think that was probably the toughest race I've done yet.  I started out great.  I had a lot of strength, and it helps when there is at least one or two people not too far away from you.  I was behind this one girl, but then she sped up a little, and I was all alone.  (Keep in mind that this was in a woods area, and there were different check points with a person at each to time us.)  Well, for a little while I was doing okay.  But at one point, I was kind of scared and weary, and I felt like it was taking forever to get to the next check point.  Finally, I asked God to give me the strength and to help me.  I made it to my destination-  but only with God's...

Just recently I was searching for a summer job.  I already had a cleaning job with my mom, but she said it would be good if I had a job where I was actually interacting with the public. So, I went to work trying to find a job, with the help of my parents. Unfortunately, I didn't have much luck.  I looked around, but couldn't find very many places that I was actually interested in, and the places I was weren't hiring.  Then I found a well-known amusement park that I really liked. Luckily, they were hiring. I filled out an application and set up an interview. When I went in the administrative building, there was a lady who started talking to my family and I about how she made the costumes for the place. When my interviewer called me in, and I was getting up from my chair, the lady said to me, "Use your gifts and talents for God, sweetheart." She then turned to my interviewer and pointed at me, saying, "She's the one for the job."  I was really exc...

There is an old hymn that goes like this: "I surrender all, I surrender all, All to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all.All to Jesus I surrender; Humbly at His feet I bow, Worldly pleasures all forsaken; Take me, Jesus, take me now." That song really ministered to me in church today.  I realized that I needed to surrender some things to God that I had been dealing with, like carelessness about certain things, attitudes I was having, and fear of different situations.   "Worldly pleasures all forsaken."  After I surrendered those things to Jesus, I felt His peace all over me.  It felt like someone had just lifted a heavy weight off my shoulders, like Christian in the "Pilgrim's Progress" got rid of all those burdens when he kneeled at the cross. What do you need to surrender to Jesus?  Surrender all to Him now, and He will give you peace!

So I have been reading this amazing book called Ten Time Bombs by Ron Hucthcraft.  I admit that when I pick up a non-fiction book, I usually start it and not finish it.  I get more hooked on books by Dandi Daley Mackall (who happens to be my ultimate favorite woman fiction author) and Jerry B. Jenkins (my favorite guy author).  But Ron Hutchcraft has gotten me hooked on his book, and I have been spending more time reading that than any of my exciting, suspenseful mystery books.   This book is for both teens and parents of teens, and it teaches on how to "defuse the most explosive pressures teenagers face" in a Christian's perspective.  He brings up topics like friends, family relationships, sex, things that make you angry, things that make you depressed, things that make you hurt, and the lonely times.   I have to say that I am really impressed in this author's writing talent, and it seems as if he's actually talking to you. I just finished reading a ch...