Lots of things were on my to-do list yesterday. Writing a blog post was one of them. Lots of things got done. Writing a blog post was not one of them. *sigh* Consistency in my writing around here has been... spotty at best. But I'm trying. I hope my effort pleases Him. It's all I have: this worn, body with a tired brain but full soul. It's what He gave me, and I'm going to use it to the best of my ability to please Him. So what are we talking about today? Testimonies. Testimonies are powerful. A lot of Christians think that theirs isn't because they were born and raised in Christian home, never broke the law outside of a speeding ticket, etc etc etc. Maybe you can relate. All I can say is that God gave you your testimony, and so He will use it to impact someone, somewhere. In Acts 22 Paul shares his testimony in a simple way: he shares who he was before Christ, how he came to Christ, and who he is now. This is an easy way to share your testimony, because it's three things that every Christian can speak on, even if they don't think there's much of a "before and after" difference. If you think that, maybe you should make one! I'm not saying that you should go out, do drugs and alcohol, and then come back to Jesus, I'm just saying if there's no difference in your life since you've accepted Christ, isn't there something wrong? Live radically for Him and that's all the difference you need. Next week I'll share my testimony as an example.
-Emily (saved by Him)
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Sunday, January 25, 2015
More Sunday Inspiration
This is fun! It's easy enough for me to start a busy week with a song and a verse, and it keeps me going. I've decided my new blogging schedule will be Sunday and Wednesday, because Tuesdays just haven't been working. Anyways, here's some inspiration for you!
Say It by Britt Nicole:
I like this song because it talks about embracing the God who created you and living your life to the fullest every day. Britt Nicole has a beautiful voice and I really enjoy this song that inspires me to make the most of every opportunity. (Colossians 4:5b)
Matthew 10:8b
Freely you have received, freely give.
This is a verse for everyone to remember in our daily lives. Whether it be sharing a cookie with the girl you don't like or giving when you don't really have the money, we give because God gave us life, the ultimate gift. Nothing here on this earth is ours, nor did we do anything to earn it, and so with that mentality we should give with reckless abandon, knowing the God will supply our needs.
Friday, January 23, 2015
Prodigal God
For the past week, I've been reading Prodigal God by Timothy Keller. I got this book thinking it would be about, well, God and that was about it. But I was wrong! It's about the Parable of the Prodigal Son. I was like, "A whole book about the Parable of the Prodigal Son? That's crazy!" Maybe it is, but I really liked this book. There is so much more to this parable found in Luke 15 than just "like the father, Jesus welcomes us back with welcoming arms." Timothy Keller eloquently explains how, really, both brothers are lost and the fault in our church in regards to being "older brothers." Did I pique your interest? I hope so! I would tell you more about how much I loved this book, explain it to you, and express my love for the last chapter, but I don't want to spoil it for you and I want you to read this book! I would strongly encourage you to check this book out from your library or buy it. It would be a great aid for your small group study, and I hope to read through it again with my friends at youth group this summer. It's not your typical God-relating book, and it's just so awesome, a wonderful resource for diving into the Bible. Keller has written other books, and I can't wait to read them!
-Emily
-Emily
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Sunday Inspiration
So I think I'm going to start something new here on the blog: posting a song a verse every Sunday as some spiritual inspiration for the week. So this week.....
Lay Me Down by Chris Tomlin:
(Sorry, I can't figure out how to embed the video)
I love this song. So much. It's my favorite song of all time. (yes, even more than Roar by Katy Perry) (that's not saying much cause I don't really like that song) But anyways, I love this song because it so accurately describes what I'm trying to do every day in every part of my life: lay it down. I don't understand why this song isn't more popular. I've never heard it on the radio. They never play it at church. My friends have never heard of it. Why? I don't know. I love it and it's been very powerful in my life.
My verse of the week:
Acts 13:38-39
Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through Him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.
I love this verse because it's similar, but not the same, to John 3:16. I love this verse because it centers on Jesus, the center of my life. I love how it's basically saying, "Through Jesus you are not only saved from your sins you would normally be saved from by sacrificing, but also those from which not amount of sacrificing could save you from." Jesus is not only the greatest sacrifice, He is all the sacrifices and more.
-Emily
Friday, January 16, 2015
On Why There is a God
Hey guys! Sorry I kind of dropped out of the blogging world for a week :( Things have been pretty busy. I've been prepping for a debate in my biology class this week. My topic is, "Is there a God?" Since I'm on the creation side of the debate, I have been prayerfully writing my short speech on why there is a God. I've decided to post it here as well. Enjoy!
First of all, no one can definitely say whether or not there is a God. The arguments on both sides are just too good, however, with faith, many people have come to believe in the infinite, powerful God.
Let's talk about faith for a minute. Faith is a word many Atheists tend to shy from, because they think it implies religion. Truthfully, it doesn't, it simply implies belief, and while you can believe in a religion, you can believe in other things as well. But even if it did imply religion, it wouldn't matter because Atheism can be classified as a religion. There are many accepted definitions of religion and one is this: a pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance. I know of a lot of Atheists who definitely ascribe supreme importance to Atheism, so I'd say that Atheism counts as a religion. So, we can say that Atheists believe in Atheism, therefore they have faith. Why? Because of the definition of belief, "Trust, confidence, or faith in something." So, now we see that having faith is not an unreasonable thing. But what about faith in God? Is that crazy? Is it crazy to believe that there is a divine creator behind this world, or did we just evolve? Do you know the chances of a snowman just appearing? Yeah, that's crazy. So why is it crazy to believe that we were created? I don't know! Obviously humans are much more complex than snowmen! So, you might say, maybe there is a God. But, there are still arguments again one, like the fact that there is definitely bad in this world. If there is a God and He is good as you say, then why did He create bad? To answer your question, God indirectly created bad. He created an angel named Lucifer, and Lucifer, on his own free will (a gift from God) turned against God and went into the world to create sin. Now, of course, God could have stopped Lucifer, but He had a better idea. That idea? Jesus Christ. (yup, it all points back to Jesus!) You see, God so loved the world that He was willing to sacrifice His only son so that we sinful humans could spend eternity with Him. Because God is good, He cannot be in the presence of bad, but Jesus washed away our sins, making us good before God.
So, getting back to the main point of God and faith, what do we say now? That we did evolve because, given billions of years, it could have possibly happened? Why, then, do we see evidence for an earth that is only 6,000 years old? I think most evolutionists would agree that us evolving in just 6,000 years is quite crazy. What evidence for a young earth is there? you may ask. There are many examples, but for times sake I'll just give you two. Take, for example, the recession of the moon. For complicated, science-y reasons, over time the moon moves. If the earth is indeed 6,000 years old as creationists say, then the moon has moved about 800 feet, no big deal. If, however, it's billions of years old, then we are in trouble, because about 1.5 billion years ago, the moon would have been touching the earth. That, my friends, is bad, very bad. So there's the whole moon-touching-earth thing, and another example I have: the world's population. We can get a relatively conservative estimate of the population by simply taking the starting number of people and doubling it for every 150 years humans have been around. When we do this, we get figures consistent with the age of the earth being 6,000 years. If however, we draw out our calculations to figure that humans have been roaming the earth for a mere 50,000 years, we get a giant figure: 10 to the 99th power. Yeah, that's a lot of people. So, those two examples plus many others that can be found on the Answers in Genesis website provide ample evidence for a young earth.
Now we see that while the idea of a young earth isn't absurd, the idea that we evolved is, creating a basis for a divine creator. One final argument comes to mind now: if God created us, then who created God? I don't know if you were listening earlier when I said that God is infinite, but, well, He is. That means that He wasn't created, He has simply always been and always will be, a Biblical principle hard for our tiny little finite human brains to understand.
In conclusion, the only thing that will truly convince a person of the existence of God is their own faith. We might not ever prove that there is a God because it's one of those things that can't be proven, but I think it's pretty cool that this God is a God who doesn't force Himself upon us, but rather lets us, in faith, make our own decisions as to whether or not we believe in Him and love Him.
-Emily
First of all, no one can definitely say whether or not there is a God. The arguments on both sides are just too good, however, with faith, many people have come to believe in the infinite, powerful God.
Let's talk about faith for a minute. Faith is a word many Atheists tend to shy from, because they think it implies religion. Truthfully, it doesn't, it simply implies belief, and while you can believe in a religion, you can believe in other things as well. But even if it did imply religion, it wouldn't matter because Atheism can be classified as a religion. There are many accepted definitions of religion and one is this: a pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance. I know of a lot of Atheists who definitely ascribe supreme importance to Atheism, so I'd say that Atheism counts as a religion. So, we can say that Atheists believe in Atheism, therefore they have faith. Why? Because of the definition of belief, "Trust, confidence, or faith in something." So, now we see that having faith is not an unreasonable thing. But what about faith in God? Is that crazy? Is it crazy to believe that there is a divine creator behind this world, or did we just evolve? Do you know the chances of a snowman just appearing? Yeah, that's crazy. So why is it crazy to believe that we were created? I don't know! Obviously humans are much more complex than snowmen! So, you might say, maybe there is a God. But, there are still arguments again one, like the fact that there is definitely bad in this world. If there is a God and He is good as you say, then why did He create bad? To answer your question, God indirectly created bad. He created an angel named Lucifer, and Lucifer, on his own free will (a gift from God) turned against God and went into the world to create sin. Now, of course, God could have stopped Lucifer, but He had a better idea. That idea? Jesus Christ. (yup, it all points back to Jesus!) You see, God so loved the world that He was willing to sacrifice His only son so that we sinful humans could spend eternity with Him. Because God is good, He cannot be in the presence of bad, but Jesus washed away our sins, making us good before God.
So, getting back to the main point of God and faith, what do we say now? That we did evolve because, given billions of years, it could have possibly happened? Why, then, do we see evidence for an earth that is only 6,000 years old? I think most evolutionists would agree that us evolving in just 6,000 years is quite crazy. What evidence for a young earth is there? you may ask. There are many examples, but for times sake I'll just give you two. Take, for example, the recession of the moon. For complicated, science-y reasons, over time the moon moves. If the earth is indeed 6,000 years old as creationists say, then the moon has moved about 800 feet, no big deal. If, however, it's billions of years old, then we are in trouble, because about 1.5 billion years ago, the moon would have been touching the earth. That, my friends, is bad, very bad. So there's the whole moon-touching-earth thing, and another example I have: the world's population. We can get a relatively conservative estimate of the population by simply taking the starting number of people and doubling it for every 150 years humans have been around. When we do this, we get figures consistent with the age of the earth being 6,000 years. If however, we draw out our calculations to figure that humans have been roaming the earth for a mere 50,000 years, we get a giant figure: 10 to the 99th power. Yeah, that's a lot of people. So, those two examples plus many others that can be found on the Answers in Genesis website provide ample evidence for a young earth.
Now we see that while the idea of a young earth isn't absurd, the idea that we evolved is, creating a basis for a divine creator. One final argument comes to mind now: if God created us, then who created God? I don't know if you were listening earlier when I said that God is infinite, but, well, He is. That means that He wasn't created, He has simply always been and always will be, a Biblical principle hard for our tiny little finite human brains to understand.
In conclusion, the only thing that will truly convince a person of the existence of God is their own faith. We might not ever prove that there is a God because it's one of those things that can't be proven, but I think it's pretty cool that this God is a God who doesn't force Himself upon us, but rather lets us, in faith, make our own decisions as to whether or not we believe in Him and love Him.
-Emily
Friday, January 9, 2015
Modesty: The {Outside} Scoop
Talk of modesty (as in clothes) is a very popular topic on Christian blogs, especially in the summer. It's winter, but why not talk about it? It's still relevant. So many posts by middle-aged women go viral because, well, because why? Their views and words on modesty are eye-opening, sometimes saying modest is the only way to go, and sometimes saying to throw it out the window. My views and words will probably lean towards the former, I can assure you that, but I hope my personal views help someone, open their eyes, as they come from a 14 year old girl following hard after Jesus.
So, first thing's first: why do we dress modestly? Sadly, one of the number one reasons I hear is that "we don't want boys to be distracted." I, personally, hate this reason. (Just wait. I'm not trying to be insensitive to boys, it's just that there are reasons far more important than boy's minds) Especially when I was younger, I blamed boys for having minds like that and didn't care. Now, I don't hate that reason because I hate boys and want them to fall into a lustful path (I don't, believe me), but because that's the reason Christian bloggers are putting first and foremost as to why girls have to dress modestly. For boys, so they don't daydream about girls and their bodies. I think the logic here is flawed. There should be one reason we girls dress modestly, and everything else should be a benefit. That reason? Because God tells us too! 1 Timothy 1:9, "Likewise, also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control." All the other reasons are, as I said, simply benefits. And let me say, there are a lot of benefits. Guys not being distracted is one of them. It's helpful to them, and to us girls. Because they're not distracted by the skin you're showing, they can get know you, your personality, your heart, not the skin of your upper thighs or lower chest. That, my friends, will get you a boy who loves Jesus and values modesty. Getting a boy isn't the only thing, but if I'm going to get married, I want a boy who values modesty and loves Jesus. If you want a boy who values modesty, dress modestly! Another benefit, I suppose, is that when you dress modestly, it's an outward expression of your heart, or at least that you are trying hard to follow Jesus. People notice, boys notice (in good ways), and you'll earn respect, especially from your elders. Now, respect from your elders might not be what you want right now, but trust me, it's awesome when your elders treat you like the person you are: a girl following hard after Jesus.
Now we know why we dress modestly: to honor God, first and foremost. But what does dressing modestly look like? For some odd reason, it looks different for everyone. I hope I'm not the only one who finds this strange, but that's how it is. I know some pastor's daughters who wear bikinis, and some who don't. Some who wear short shorts, and some who don't. Interestingly, I find the ones who don't wear bikinis or short shorts to have better attitudes..... That's an example of how being modest on the outside effects your inside.
I've seen many modesty surveys, and they all have similar results from Christian men: short shorts/skirts/dresses, bikinis, and see-through shirts (even with a tank underneath) are not modest, studies show. I was very surprised by that last one. Really? That's what the men say.... Of course, low-cut shirts, tight fitting shirts, and tank tops are also not modest. And your bra strap? Don't let it be seen! This one kind of bothers me. I mean, all girls have to wear bras! I would think these lumps under our shirts would be just as, if not more provoking than a bra strap. But, in efforts to please God, aid men, and dress modest, I don't let mine show, but, and maybe I'm crazy for saying this, but I'd like to at least have the option. As for swimsuits, most men in these studies I read say only one pieces are modest, not tankinis. (although, some are divided, saying both are modest) Now, personally, I wear a tankini. One piece suits simply do not fit me. However, I really don't like there being any chance of my stomach being seen, so what do I do? Well, first of all, I buy tankini tops I know are one the longer side, and to go with them, a pair of coordinating, high-waisted bottoms. Being able to buy separate tops and bottoms is, like, the only thing you can do these days, and along with the fact that high-waisted is "in," makes for the perfect success story for modesty, because then there's a 5 inch overlap, making the chances of my belly being seen slim. Things like that, little successes against the battle of immodesty, makes myself and God happy, because it's definitely a battle worth fighting. So there's swim suits (I'm not even going to go into the topic of one pieces versus swim dresses), but what about the rest? Shorts are probably the hardest thing for me, because I had a pair of shorts this summer that I wore everyday (except to church) that I absolutely loved. My dad? Eh... He didn't like the length. But it was those or Nike shorts, and I know my dad hates those. My friends complain about their parents not letting them wear Nike shorts (I see where their parents are coming from, though) and I just kind of sit there with my mouth shut. When I wear Nike shorts, I can practically see the disgust on my dad's face. Does that make me want to wear them? Nope, it only discourages me. If my earthly father doesn't like them, does my heavenly father? Not at all. Wearing a different pair of shorts to please my dad is the perfect metaphor for dressing modestly to please God. I'm sure God's face is the same as my dads's face when I wear short shorts. (*Note: I'm not condemning Nike, their shorts, or anything. It's just that it was a good metaphor to use. I do wear them at ballet, to sleep, and on occasional lazy summer days.)
In conclusion, modesty is a battle we girls (and everyone) fight everyday. Why do we dress modestly? For God! That's the thing I want all of my readers to get out of this: that I'm writing this to get the message out about modesty: it pleases God, aids men, and helps your heart. I want to please God! How do I dress then? It looks different for everyone, but some principles are the same, and well, I'm just gonna say them: no bikinis, no short shorts, no low-cut shirts. Those are the modesty standards I hold for myself, and if you don't have the same, I'm not judging you, but that's what I have objectively found to be true. I hope this post helps you as we enter into summer (in like 5 months).
-Emily
What are your thoughts on modesty? Comment below, I'd love to know!
So, first thing's first: why do we dress modestly? Sadly, one of the number one reasons I hear is that "we don't want boys to be distracted." I, personally, hate this reason. (Just wait. I'm not trying to be insensitive to boys, it's just that there are reasons far more important than boy's minds) Especially when I was younger, I blamed boys for having minds like that and didn't care. Now, I don't hate that reason because I hate boys and want them to fall into a lustful path (I don't, believe me), but because that's the reason Christian bloggers are putting first and foremost as to why girls have to dress modestly. For boys, so they don't daydream about girls and their bodies. I think the logic here is flawed. There should be one reason we girls dress modestly, and everything else should be a benefit. That reason? Because God tells us too! 1 Timothy 1:9, "Likewise, also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control." All the other reasons are, as I said, simply benefits. And let me say, there are a lot of benefits. Guys not being distracted is one of them. It's helpful to them, and to us girls. Because they're not distracted by the skin you're showing, they can get know you, your personality, your heart, not the skin of your upper thighs or lower chest. That, my friends, will get you a boy who loves Jesus and values modesty. Getting a boy isn't the only thing, but if I'm going to get married, I want a boy who values modesty and loves Jesus. If you want a boy who values modesty, dress modestly! Another benefit, I suppose, is that when you dress modestly, it's an outward expression of your heart, or at least that you are trying hard to follow Jesus. People notice, boys notice (in good ways), and you'll earn respect, especially from your elders. Now, respect from your elders might not be what you want right now, but trust me, it's awesome when your elders treat you like the person you are: a girl following hard after Jesus.
Now we know why we dress modestly: to honor God, first and foremost. But what does dressing modestly look like? For some odd reason, it looks different for everyone. I hope I'm not the only one who finds this strange, but that's how it is. I know some pastor's daughters who wear bikinis, and some who don't. Some who wear short shorts, and some who don't. Interestingly, I find the ones who don't wear bikinis or short shorts to have better attitudes..... That's an example of how being modest on the outside effects your inside.
I've seen many modesty surveys, and they all have similar results from Christian men: short shorts/skirts/dresses, bikinis, and see-through shirts (even with a tank underneath) are not modest, studies show. I was very surprised by that last one. Really? That's what the men say.... Of course, low-cut shirts, tight fitting shirts, and tank tops are also not modest. And your bra strap? Don't let it be seen! This one kind of bothers me. I mean, all girls have to wear bras! I would think these lumps under our shirts would be just as, if not more provoking than a bra strap. But, in efforts to please God, aid men, and dress modest, I don't let mine show, but, and maybe I'm crazy for saying this, but I'd like to at least have the option. As for swimsuits, most men in these studies I read say only one pieces are modest, not tankinis. (although, some are divided, saying both are modest) Now, personally, I wear a tankini. One piece suits simply do not fit me. However, I really don't like there being any chance of my stomach being seen, so what do I do? Well, first of all, I buy tankini tops I know are one the longer side, and to go with them, a pair of coordinating, high-waisted bottoms. Being able to buy separate tops and bottoms is, like, the only thing you can do these days, and along with the fact that high-waisted is "in," makes for the perfect success story for modesty, because then there's a 5 inch overlap, making the chances of my belly being seen slim. Things like that, little successes against the battle of immodesty, makes myself and God happy, because it's definitely a battle worth fighting. So there's swim suits (I'm not even going to go into the topic of one pieces versus swim dresses), but what about the rest? Shorts are probably the hardest thing for me, because I had a pair of shorts this summer that I wore everyday (except to church) that I absolutely loved. My dad? Eh... He didn't like the length. But it was those or Nike shorts, and I know my dad hates those. My friends complain about their parents not letting them wear Nike shorts (I see where their parents are coming from, though) and I just kind of sit there with my mouth shut. When I wear Nike shorts, I can practically see the disgust on my dad's face. Does that make me want to wear them? Nope, it only discourages me. If my earthly father doesn't like them, does my heavenly father? Not at all. Wearing a different pair of shorts to please my dad is the perfect metaphor for dressing modestly to please God. I'm sure God's face is the same as my dads's face when I wear short shorts. (*Note: I'm not condemning Nike, their shorts, or anything. It's just that it was a good metaphor to use. I do wear them at ballet, to sleep, and on occasional lazy summer days.)
In conclusion, modesty is a battle we girls (and everyone) fight everyday. Why do we dress modestly? For God! That's the thing I want all of my readers to get out of this: that I'm writing this to get the message out about modesty: it pleases God, aids men, and helps your heart. I want to please God! How do I dress then? It looks different for everyone, but some principles are the same, and well, I'm just gonna say them: no bikinis, no short shorts, no low-cut shirts. Those are the modesty standards I hold for myself, and if you don't have the same, I'm not judging you, but that's what I have objectively found to be true. I hope this post helps you as we enter into summer (in like 5 months).
-Emily
What are your thoughts on modesty? Comment below, I'd love to know!
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Searching for Answers in the Midst of Silence
The need to write a blog post engulfs me. For some reason, I feel that every Tuesday and Friday/Saturday I must post here. Why? I don't know. Perhaps in hopes that my words will make a difference, or because I believe that's what I need to do to be fully committed to this blog God has called me to. Sometimes, when facing a decision, big or little, it's hard to know what to do. People say, "Ask God, He'll give you direction." But if God doesn't speak audibly, how can we hear Him? This is what I'm going through right now. I'm searching for answers. I'm about to make a big decision in my life (as big as they can get when you're 14), and I want solely God to influence the answer. I feel He is calling me to quit my hobby, so I can better follow Him. I don't feel like this hobby is taking time away from Him, but maybe, maybe it is. I don't want to regret my decision, but if I say, "Yes, God, I will give it up" when it turns out He wasn't calling me to give it up in the first place, is there any reversing it? I don't know. Sometimes, I'm okay with not knowing, but right now I want to know, I want answers. But in the midst of this "silence", I feel so close to God, so intimate with Him. How can this be? How can I hear silence when He is teaching me so much? I suppose His answer is, "Wait, little child. Wait and I will tell you in My perfect time."
For those seeking answers from Him, I encourage you, be patient along with me. God, in His perfect timing, will reveal the answer.
-Emily, waiting for answers
For those seeking answers from Him, I encourage you, be patient along with me. God, in His perfect timing, will reveal the answer.
-Emily, waiting for answers
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Mexico Mission Trip 2014
This holiday season, I was blessed to be able to go on a mission trip to Mexico with 9 others from my church and 150 other people from 5 states. It was amazing! I love going on mission trips (this was my seventh) and seeing God work. There is just something about being in a foreign place and sharing Jesus that is just so.... amazing. I saw God work in a lot of ways, the big and the little, but most of all I saw him through our worship every morning and evening. It was amazing to see 160 people singing in unison to one God, the True God. Can you imagine how God-orchestrated it was? 160 people, 5 states, 6 churches, multiple planes, vans, and buses- all for us to gather in one Mexican city to make a difference for Jesus! It's beautiful, it really is. I hope I'll go back next December, as well as March and maybe November.
God is moving in Mexico! I was reminded of that Sunday morning when I could hear a church meeting in progress- they must have been singing for over 30 minutes! They really trust the God that sustains them, for He is their hope on this earth. I pray that that will be true for me on this earth as well. Overall, it was a great, God-ordained trip, and I can't wait to go back!
-Emily, pumped for Jesus
God is moving in Mexico! I was reminded of that Sunday morning when I could hear a church meeting in progress- they must have been singing for over 30 minutes! They really trust the God that sustains them, for He is their hope on this earth. I pray that that will be true for me on this earth as well. Overall, it was a great, God-ordained trip, and I can't wait to go back!
-Emily, pumped for Jesus
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