Saturday, July 31, 2010

New Country Already!

Did you see my last post??? Well, I posted it a few seconds ago, but still. This. Is. A. First. Nine countries already! By now, you're probably like, "Gosh, this girl is going crazy! A new country in a matter of seconds!"

Norway visited! I know that some of them are visiting on accident, but that's what makes this a huge deal! We can all be blog-missionaries! If I keep it up---and if YOU keep it up---maybe this blog, and even your very own blog can be a huge global hit! Keep up the good work!

New-ER Country!

Countries from all over keep popping up on my Live Traffic Feed! You're probably like, "Okay, this girl has EIGHT countries now??? Seriously???" Well, yes, I do. And I'm not afraid to say what the new country is.

Thailand!

We're still waiting on:

-Africa
-Australia
-China
-Mexico
-Russia
-Anywhere in the Middle East
-Brazil... I think
-France

This new thing also means:

-New music
-Learn a little bit of their language (I know, cool!)
-Buy a map and stick a needle everywhere someone's visited
-More Bible-based posts, less Me-based posts
-Giveaways! (awesome!!!)
-And I want EVERYONE who comments to make it appropriate!

This blog is ready to hit global status! Today, we're learning French. You will learn this simple convo:

CASUAL
Person 1: "Salut!"
Person 2: "Salut!"

Person 1: "Comment vas to?"
Person 2: "Tre Bien, comment vas to?"
Person 1: "Commeci, commeca" (spelled it wrong.)

Person 1: "Junepel Esperance."
Person 2: "Junepel Charity."

And so on... here's what I'm saying...

CASUAL CONVO 1:
Person 1: Hi!
Person 2: Hi!

CASUAL CONVO 2:
Person 1: How are you?
Person 2: Very good, how are you?
Person 1: Okay.

CASUAL CONVO 3:
Person 1: My name is Hope.
Person 2: My name is Charity.

I hope you learned! Next time, who knows what language it'll be??? Notice I'm American, so I spelled a few things wrong...

Stick around for August!

"Au Revoir!"

Friday, July 30, 2010

NEW COUNTRY!!!!!

Now, including the U.S., SEVEN countries are reading my newly-international blog! You're probably thinking: "What country? What country? WHAT COUNTRY?! Why won't you tell me???" So, now I am gonna tell you.

I saw Japan's flag show up on my NEW! Live Traffic Feed! That's great! Possibly, my family could know someone, but I highly doubt. I blogged to let you know:

If you have been doing any work telling people about my blog, THANK YOU! It doesn't have to be out of the country to matter! I've seen places pop up like:

-Portland, Oregon
-Salt Lake City, Utah (2002 Olympics!)
-Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
-Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
-Ococee, Florida (something like that.)
-West Palm Beach, Florida
AND MORE!

And since I know where a lot of you live, I don't have to ask if you've visited this week or not! So, for those of you who have just about one last nerve because of me and my blog talk, you may get the rest of your nerves back. That is, unless your city doesn't show up...

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

All Around The World

You may have heard that one song by Francesca Battistelli that says:

"it's your life, what cha gonna do, the world is whatchin' you..."

Well, for me, it's true. Guess what countries are reading my blog:

-Canada
-Italy
-Poland
-United Kingdom
-Malaysia

Wow! I know that you can be a missionary from your computer, no matter HOW young you are! Let me tell you a story:

Remember the buddhist I told you about? Well, in Utah, there are many mormons. When I lived there, the people knew we weren't interested in converting, but still were great friends to us. I have a friend in Ohio who is a mormon, so I simply gave her my blog address. Your very own blog can save many people so NEVER stop blogging, and ESPECIALLY never stop blogging for Jesus!

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Excited;)

I'm really excited about this year because not only will I be in the seventh grade, but this is one of the best blogging years of my life.

In 4-H, my writing was thought of very highly, as well as my beginner's sewing project. I made a pink shirt with white polka dots and bias tape straps. If I can, I'll show you a picture of me wearing it.

As you know, my 2nd birthday is coming up very soon February 24th. The blog book is gonna be wonderful, so if you want one, let me know.

Soon, I'm gonna have a vacation where YOU head down South (without the car trip) because I took LOADS and loads of pictures for you to see, from pins to parks, hotels to torches. Every post will have a story, because a picture has a million words, right? This is the ultimate staycation because you see all the sights at your computer. Isn't that a blog at your fingertips? Learn history as well as Olympic history.

I went to the King Center where [sadly] I saw where Martin Luther King jr. and Corretta Scott King were buried, which I'll show you. (Corretta has a Bible verse on her grave thingy, Martin has a quote.)

You'll see Martin's house and the wagon that carried his coffin, you'll also see a quilt that says:

"I have a dream that all God's children will hold hands"

And a quote:

"Free at last! Free at last! Thank God almighty, I am free at last."

Much more to say, but that's a surpise for you. I have no plans this week except for one, so I probably will be on the blog quite often.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Great Christian Blogs

Blogging sure doesn't start out very fun, no kidding. It takes awhile to learn how to blog CORRECTLY, how to correctly punctuate, to get people to comment on your blog, and to get followers. Most importantly, you need to get people to READ your blog. So, here are some REAL blogs that I recommend you to read.

www.the-goodwinfamily.blogspot.com
The Goodwin Family
This blog rocks! Who's blogging it all? [ms.] Jenilee! Miss Jenilee's blog is probably (no offense to other great bloggers) the BEST blog I've EVER read! She has 100+ followers, and only needs sixteen more followers until she has 200. If you're already following her blog, follow mine. If you're already following my blog, follow hers. I learn so much from her blog and it helps me write better everyday.

www.cheetahbec.blogspot.com
Trumpet Soon
Are you already reading Rebecca Hoskins's blog??? It's great, and working on becoming the best blog ever! Becca writes great poems, and now is publishing them on her blog! (my idea.) Read her blog debut "Players" poem today! (it's probably been on Facebook already)

www.life-jesus-amazed-starryamazement.blogspot.com
Life.Jesus.Amazed.=)
Starry Amazement is an average military brat/teenage girl/high school sophomore. Okay, so that's not so average. She's not literally a brat, though; and her name is not Starry Amazement. Some of you may even know who she is. She works hard on her blog, so you NEED to read it!!!

www.kaylaelizabethvice.tumblr.com
Life
This blog is cool! Kayla [honestly] probably isn't even reading this, but she'll appreciate you reading her blog! I learn a lot about her life and a lot about what she does with it.

WEEKLY BUT NOT WEEKLY QUESTION
You have a life. I have a life. But what do you choose to do with your life???

Sunday, July 25, 2010

The Bible Challenge vs. Prayer Challenge

This is my OMG testimony, soon to be someone else's testimony. Charity was doing a thing which was praying for the unsaved, and you won't believe what happened!

Lacey* is a girl who goes to Charity's school. Her mom is Vietnamese and was born and raised there. (Lacey is a U.S. native I think) Her mom is a buddhist. Well, turns out....

Lacey's mom wants to go to church with us!!!!!!!! Prayer works!

The news on the Bible Challenge is that after we finish our Proverbs Challenge in August, we will begin a Love Challenge, which would be Song Of Solomon. Trust me, it's not mushy, but it is romantic and lovely. After that, we will have a walk with Jesus in Matthew, and perhaps learn how to fix your life. Afterwards, God will give us a Revelation, and by then, it should be the end of November! That is our Back To School Challenge. Then, come Winter, we will do a Prayer Challenge to pray---and learn to pray---about the things that bother us and much more.

After our Prayer Challenge, that should only last through Winter, we will do fun things for Spring. Learn about Spring Cleaning, and preparing for the best Summer of your life.

On February 24th, 2011, we will celebrate the 2nd Your Birthday Celebration. We will have $14 soft cover blog books for you to purchase from me. Expensive??? Think about it like this--- right now, we are (estimated) 30 posts away from 300 blog posts! I expect three more followers by then! That's a great price for so many posts! We will show every comment you commented and every photo I posted. You know it's a good deal!

I just wanted to let you know what my 2010-2011 School Year plans are. Bye!

Friday, July 23, 2010

Your Gift: From God

Maybe you know God as a giver. Maybe you know God as a taker. Well, in the song "Beloved" by Tenth Avenue North it says:

"I'm the giver of life, I'll clothe you in white, my immaculate bride you will be. Come running home to me!"

God also takes away. What does he take away? He takes away what we don't need, what doesn't matter. In "Beloved", it says:

"Give me your life, the lust and the lies, and the past you're afraid I might see. You've been running away from me."

This verse mentions God as a taker. It uses God as a knowledgable person. Someone who disciplines.

Psalm 94:8-11
Take heed, you senseless ones among the people; you fools, when will you becom wise? Does he who implanted the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see? Does he who disciplines nations not punish? Does he who teaches man lack knowledge? The LORD knows the thoughts of man; he knows that they are futile.

It says that even though people are all like: "God can't hear me. God can't see me. God doesn't care about me. God doesn't know anything about me, blah blah blah blah blah." The Bible doesn't have one single lie in it, so if this verse answers that question, it must be true that God knows us like the back of His hand.

So, just think: everday is your gift adressed:

Your Daily Gift
To: You
From: God

Accept this gift everyday like there's no tomorrow. Sure, there probably IS a tomorrow, but don't be so sure...

Next in The Bible Challenge: Summer is coming to a close! The Bible Challenge takes a break as we enter August and start reading a brad new book: Proverbs! In honor of our Proverb Challenge, I added brand new songs to make your day:

"Cuppycake"-Unknown singer
"A More Beautiful You"-Jonny Diaz
"Beautiful, Beautiful"-Francesca Battistelli
"I Like Me"-Kirk Franklin feat. Da Truth
"There Will Be a Day"-Jeremy Camp

Monday, July 19, 2010

My God's Enough... Enough For Me

Have you heard the song "Psalm 73" by BarlowGirl? (on the playlist, press play) The song lyrics are:

"I've had enough, of living life for only me.
And reaching just
for things that keep destroying me!
So sick of envying, yeah
The lives of so many I see
Somehow believing that they have what I need

[chorus]
My God's enough for me
This world has nothing I need
In this whole life I've seen
My God's enough, enough for me
la la la la
la la la la
la la la la
la la la la"

Pause that. There's more, but this is why it's called "Psalm 73" (a.k.a. "My God's Enough") Because Psalm 73 says:

Psalm 73:1-17, 26
Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; and I nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. From their callous hearts comes iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits. They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression. Their mouths lay claim to Heaven, and their tongues take possession of the Earth. Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance...

There's more! I know, I chose a long chapter to talk about, but please keep reading! Press play now:

"I can't explain why I suffer though I live for You
those who deny You, oh
They have it better than I do
Cover my eyes now
So that my heart can finally see
That in the end only You mean anything"

Then, play the chorus and pause afterwards. Now, let's continue...

...They say, "How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?" This is what the wicked are like--- always carefree, they increase in wealth. Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain I have washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning. If I had said, "I will speak thus," I would have betrayed your children. When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.

Now, listen to the bridge. It may only sound like a man rapping, but pay attention to what he's saying:

"Who have I in heaven but You
Nothing I desire but You
My heart may fail but not You
You are mine forever
My heart may fail but not you
You are mine forever"

it sounds just like Psalm 73:26 which says:

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is my strength and my portion forever.

That's where the chorus comes from:

"My God's enough... ENOUGH FOR ME."

Next in The Bible Challenge: It's the final Psalm and final lesson of July--- don't miss it! Psalm 94:8-11

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Psalm 52

The song of the day is "Break Me Down" by Tenth Avenue North, just for today. It's on the playlist.

Oh, how baseball leaves you tired. I wasn't even playing, and I was drained! My head feels SO much better today! So, THIS is what I call the blogging mood! How are my followers doing??? Have you invited anyone???? PLEASE DO!!!!!

Psalm 52 talks about enemies and uses quite a few examples. There are several ways to be "mean" or "rude" or "clique-ish". Let's see, then, we'll explore.

Psalm 52
Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man? Why do you boast all day long, you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God? Your tongue plots distruction; it is sharpened like a razor, you who practice deceit. You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth. You love every harmful word, O you decietful tongue! Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: He will snatch you up and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the land of the living. The righteous will see and fear; they will laugh at him saying, "Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!" But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love forever and ever. I will praise you forever for what you've done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints.

Long? Sound a bit... negative? Yes and yes. But, let's see if YOU fit into that category? I honestly don't wanna know if I fit in there, but it's better to know than to know on the last day. Let's see...

BAD
-You brag a lot
-You gossip a lot
-You'd rather do something bad rather than good
-You lie more often than speaking the truth
-You can be a bit sarcastic at times
-You roll in what you own, but never even glance at your Bible.
-You bring down others (read the gym blog for more on that!)

Do you NOT fit in that category at all??? All of us do, so don't be afraid to really look deep and don't feel like a jerk just because you show one of those things. But, let's see about what's going RIGHT in your life right now:

GREAT!
-You only brag every once in a while but try hard not to
-You keep what you know about someone else to yourself, if you can
-You love being called "Goody two-shoes"!
-You're honest, even if it's a bit TOO honest
-You try not to be sarcastic, even if it seems funny at times
-You read your Bible, even if it means not watching your favorite movie
-You love to encourage EVERYONE, even those you DESPISE
-You take it as a compliment when people call you "perfect" but are quick to add that you aren't.

We all are great, and we're all bad. But if you've asked for forgiveness at least once and keep praying that prayer, you aren't only a Christian, but you aren't bad anymore!

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Psalm 52 Will Show Up, Soon Anyways.

Oh, you don't know how tired I am. I went to a baseball game and it was quite hot out there. Then, I went somewhere else where I bumped my head underneath the stage grabbing three balls, (don't ask why.) and now here I am, too tired to even type a few things onto my blog.

My goal??? 180 followers by the time I'm sixteen! How can I fufill that??? I can't without you! I need you to do everything you can to make this blog the most popular it can be. I need your help. There are some features I need to help me know who's visitiing and how many are visiting. If you aren't visiting, trust me, I'll know...

So, on my "shopping but not shopping list", I need live traffic feed, and that thing that shows up at the bottom of your blog that shows how many visits there are.

But, most importantly, I need YOUR help to give me more followers! Please, send out emails to EVERY FRIEND YOU HAVE with my URL. I would like more than 180 followers, and I would like this to happen before age sixteen! Talk about my blog on your Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, AIM, everywhere. I trust you!

I'm too tired today, so Psalm52 is gonna have to wait... sorry:*(

Friday, July 16, 2010

Dear God...

Have you heard the song "Let The Waters Rise" by Mikeschair? By now, you have, because it is, or might be playing right now. If it's not on right now, it's on the playlist somewhere.

P.S. I added new, more Christian music by the hottest artists around!

Back to the subject, this song is not just catchy and makes me wanna dance, (I'm... not the BEST dancer, I need my leg pirouette and I plain just can't dance.) but this song is also like a prayer. Here's the chorus and the bridge:

"There's a raging sea, right in front of me, wants to pull me in, bring me to my knees. So let the waters rise, if you want them to, I will follow you, I will follow you. I will follow you...

"God your love is enough, you have pulled me through, I'm holding onto you. God your love is enough, I will follow you, I will follow you!"

(Just then, Hope struggles with her chair.) This song is saying that you should trust God because... well, you should. Why not??? At the beginning of the song, it says:

"Don't know where to begin, it's like my world's caving in. And I try but I can't control my fear. Where do I go from here? Sometimes it's so hard to pray, when we feel so far away, but I am willing to go where you want me to. God I trust you."

Trust God! JESUS ROCKS! Next, it talks more about Mike's trust. (Mike is the one singing it--- NOT Mike Donehey. Different band.)

After the chorus, it says:

"I will swim in the deep, cuz you'll be next to me. You're in the eye of the storm and the calm of the sea. You're never out of reach. God you know where I've been, you were there with me then. You were faithful before you'll be faithful again. I'm holding your hand!"

Just like today's verse, which says:

Psalm 25:20
Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.

Very short, but the next Bible Challenge will be long. The verse and the song backup each other--- just trust God and that's all you need to get through life. It'll pay the bills, it'll help you graduate, it'll get you a job, it'll pay for a new Bible, it'll make your college dorm the absolute best. And whether or not he broke your heart (this is off subject) you will find someone right with God's trust.

Dear God... Only YOU can fill in the blanks!

Next in The Bible Challenge: Psalm 52 (we're reading the WHOLE chapter!)





Thursday, July 15, 2010

Even Though I Walk Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death

I've heard a song somewhere that says: "Even though I walk, through the valley, of the shadow of death". That's seriously all I remember! And in a Steven Curtis Chapman song, called... I don't know, but the chorus is:

"It's all yours, God, yours, God, everything is yours from the hmhmdada, to the dada of the ocean floor, it's all yours, God, yours, God, everything is yours, you're the dadadadada, dadadadada da everything. It's all yours.

"I've walked the valley of death's shadow, so dadada that I could barely breathe..."

Okay, so that's a bit longer than the chorus, but it mentions the valley of the shadow of death. A lot of "ofs" isn't it? Well, today's verseis different, but Psalm 23:4 says "even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me."

Today's verse reminds me of the song "Why". (change the song you're listening to on the playlist to "Why" by Nicole Nordeman) Here's today's verses:

Psalm 22:16-19
Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all of my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. But you, O LORD, be not far off; O my strength, come quickly to help me.

It's shorter than what we've been studying lately, but read it one more time.

Think about Jesus' crucifixion.

Replay the song.

Listen to Jesus' part. It says:

"Father why are they screaming? Why are the faces of some of them beaming? Why are they casting their lots for my clothes? This crown of thorns hurts me more than it shows! Father please, can't you do something? I know that you must hear my cry. I thought I could handle a cross of this size. Father remind me why. Why does everyone want me to die? Oh when will I understand WHY?!"

Now look at the scripture again. And you better be reading the WHOLE post!!!!!

That really happened when He was crucified. People really casted lots for his clothes. In fact, pause it right after Jesus' part ends. Just like in the Psalm, it says "You, O LORD be not far off, O my strength come quickly to help me". Now, press play, and listen to God's part.

"MY PRECIOUS SON! I HEAR THEM SCREAMING! I'M WATCHING THE FACE OF THE ENEMY BEAMING! But soon, I will clothe you in robes of my own. Jesus, this hurts me much MORE THAN YOU KNOW! BUT THIS DARK HOUR, I MUST DO NOTHING, though I've heard, your unbearable cry.

"The power in your blood, destroys ALL of the lies. Soon you'll see past their UNMERCIFUL eyes. Look there below, see the child. Trembling by her father's side. Now I can tell you why.

"She is why you must... Die..."

Isn't it sad??? Yes it is! It's sad that Jesus would do that when really, WE should be the ones doing that!

Now, listen to the following song, which completely has to do with it. For more on the song, read John 19:24.

Jesus rocks, doesn't He???

Next in The Bible Challenge: Psalm 25:20

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Call On Jesus (All Things Are Possible!)

Have you ever reached a time in your life when you've felt so anxious that your whole day was based on that thought??? I know I have. Here's a few thoughts that have REALLY gone on in my head:

First of all, this one happens in my mind very often: That I've said or done something that I may have thought was supposed to be funny or sarcastic, but when no one laughs, it makes me wonder... "Did it sound disrespectful? Did I hurt anyone's feelings?" That's the thing about loving to laugh: sometimes, people won't always laugh, and you won't always know why. That kind of makes me panic a little, because in the moment of "Uh, what did you just say?" it's like, OMG did I say something wrong???

Another thing, of course, is performance day. No matter what the sport, drama, or dance is, I get CRAZY nervous! However, there are categories. In sporting events, I get nervous that I'll kill my toe touch and forget my cheers, (cheerleading) I'll screw up on the back walkover and hear the words, "try again" once again, (gymnastics) bump the coach in the back of the head again, (back in the volleyball days) or worse. Drama is when my worst fears come out. I can't pretend I'm mad if I'm NOT MAD. It just doesn't work. I've been doing human videos for nearly three years now, but:

"If you aren't nervous, it's not a competition."
-Gretchen Blailer, Halfpipe Olympic Medalist

If you feel anxious about anything, like... parents divorced, family death, major friendship break/split up, or even just worried about tomorrow, read this:

Psalm 17:1, 6, 8-10
Hear O LORD, my righteous plea: listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer, it does not rise from deceitful lips... I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer... Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me. They close up their callous hearts, and their mouths speak with arrogance. They have tracked me down, they now surround me, with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground. They are like a lion hungry for prey, like a great lion crouching in cover. Rise up, O LORD, by your hand save me from such men, from men of this world whose reward is in this life.

This verse reminds me of two songs:

"Call On Jesus"-Nicole C. Mullen
"Hallelujah"-Tenth Avenue North

It reminds me of "Call On Jesus" because it's saying "LORD, listen to my cry, I call on you God, for you will answer me." It's saying, when you call on Jesus, all things are possible. He'll answer you.

Only one verse reminds me of "Hallelujah", which says:

"To hide my face in the shadow of wings, O LORD"

And in Psalm 17 it says:

"Hide me in the shadow of your wings"

See the resemblance? I know I do.

I hope this reminds you to call on Jesus, because ALL things are possible!

Next in line on The Bible Challenge: Psalm 22:16-18

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Atheists

Oh, atheists... they're everywhere. Barely anyone believes in God anymore, as it may seem. (An atheist is someone who does not have a religion at all.)

Have you ever met someone who doesn't believe in Jesus??? Well, I remember one time in Tennessee when I met a girl my age named Kayla. She said she attends church, but does not really believe that there is a Heaven. I told her that there IS a God, and even though she doesn't believe that herself, at least it's good that I do!

Many people aren't raised in Christian homes. Don't you know how fortunate you are to be raised in a Christian home??? I just now thought about that at camp, how lucky I was to even own a Bible.

Okay, first of all, it's not that I'm lucky. It's not a coincidence, either. In the world today, we need the Bible like we need to get dressed everyday. We need the Bible like we need to wash our faces. We need the Bible like you should be taking a shower everyday or every other day. (I don't care as long as you're taking a shower often enough.)

Notice, all those things are optional. Yes, you should get dressed. Yes, you should wash your face. Yes, you NEED a shower. And you need the Bible, but it's optional. No one can make you do it. Read these verses:

Psalm 14:1-3
The fool says in his heart, "There is no God". They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. The LORD looks down from Heaven on the sons of men to see if there is anyone who understand, any who seek God. All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, NOT EVEN ONE.

These verses are SO true in every way, because, well, it's just plain true. It leaves me with nothing to say, because even if you're homeschooled like me and you've basically grown up around Christian people, you know that the world isn't like that. You know that millions and billions aren't saved. In gymnastics, and even cheerleading, (including when I took private gymnastic/cheer lessons) I've met tons of non-Christans, which is why it was neat to find out that some people I had met through sports were also Christian.

Just because someone is an atheist doesn't mean they're evil, it just means that they don't belive in... anything. What can you do about it??? Nothing less than pray for them and talk to them, even bring them to church. Here's a guide:

WHEN IN CONTACT WITH AN ATHEIST
You don't have to do a big sermon, just... talk. You can say the simplest things, even. Like, you can say:

"The sky looks soo pretty today!"
"How are you?"
"How's life?"
"Excited for school to start?"

Or, if you REALLY wanna know about them, say:

"How's life going with your friends?"
"How's life going with your family?"
"What grade are you entering?"

Those simple questions will lead up to the big stuff. No need to interrogate, just talk. That's how you'll end up getting someone saved.

Here's some inspiration:
Watch the Tenth Avenue North Video Journal, "Strong Enough To Save" on the playlist! Remember, it is a free podcast on iTunes, and you can buy the song for one dollar, from their new CD, "The Light Meets The Dark".

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Psalm 13 & Hold My Heart

Have you heard "Hold My Heart" by Tenth Avenue North??? If you haven't, you need to hear it on the blog playlist. Many Christians nowadays get so caught up listening to "Your Love Is My Drug" (Kesha), "Put A Ring On It" (Beyonce), and "Empire State Of Mind" (Alicia Keys, which is not a bad song, if you aren't listening to Jay-Z's version.)

But because barely any Christians actually LISTEN to Christian music, this blog is FULL of Christian music. Today, we're talking about Tenth Avenue North's famous song.

In the song "Hold My Heart" written by the band's lead singer Mike Donehey, (Mike Donehey was in the video podcast journals we learned about a while ago.) with Jason Ingram and Phillip Larue, it says:

"How long must I pray, must I pray to you? How long must I wait, must I wait for you? How long 'til I see your face, see you shining through. I'm on my knees, begging you to notice me. I'M ON MY KNEES, FATHER WILL YOU TURN TO ME?! Yeah.
(CHORUS)
One tear in the driving RAIN! One voice in a sea of PAIN! Could the maker of the stars hear the sound of my breaking heart??? One life, that's all I AM! Right now I can barely STAND! If you're everything you say you are would you come close, and hold my heart."

When this song was first written, the writers must've checked out Psalm 13 because it says:

Psalm 13:1-6 (the full chapter)
How long O LORD will you forget me forever??? How long will you hide your face from me??? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and everyday have sorrow in my heart??? How long will my enemy triumph over me??? Look on me and answer, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; my enemy will say, "I have overcome him," and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your UNFAILING love, my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.

Pretty good chapter, huh? Where it says "How long O LORD will you forget me forever" reminds me of the "Hold My Heart" bridge of the song where it says:

"So many questions with out answers..."

Where it says "How long will you hide your face from me" reminds of the beginning of the song where it says:

"How long 'til I see your face, see you shining through..."

And lastly, where it says "he has been good to me" reminds me of the bridge in the song where it says:

"...Your promises remain. I can't see but I'll take my chances to hear you call my name. TO HEAR YOU CALL MY NAME."

Psalm 13 says that God answers us, even though you're in the car, listening to K-LOVE, singing "Hold My Heart" and you really wonder... 'Does God REALLY love me?' Listen to the lyrics more and you'll hear: God DOES love you.

Next: Psalms 14 talks about atheists. (those who don't believe in God)

Friday, July 2, 2010

Bible Challenge: YOU Willing To Take It???

I was listening to the song "Can't Take Away" by Mikeschair on the blog playlist and came across Job in my Bible during it. It totally has to do with Job in a way because it says:

"You can take away everything that I've been holding, you can take away the sun, you can take away the very air that I've been breathing, but you can't take away MY GOD."

Just as for Job, his health went downhill, his kids died, everything went down for him... No kidding, he was depressed. But he remained faithful in the LORD and received twice as many of pretty much everything. He had seven kids before--- so that's a lot. And that totally goes with the song: "You can't take away MY GOD!"

I started a Bible challenge lately during camp after I found a few verses I liked, so here's my Psalm for today:

Psalm 12:1-6
Help, LORD, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men. Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception. May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful toungue that says "We will triumph with our tongues; we own our lips--- who is our master?"
"Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise," says the LORD. "I will protect them from those who malign them." And the words of the LORD are <3flawless=D like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.

The verse(s) is (are) saying that even though everywhere you turn there is non-Christian acting people, trust me, Ke$ha is the perfect example of a person who not only probably isn't a Christian, but shows ungodlieness to EVERYONE. Everywhere you turn, someone doesn't believe in God or has a separate religion. (and Christianity is NOT a religion! Well, it's a religion but not a religion!) Everything has become horrible nowadays, and everyone thinks that they are in charge of themselves, but they're not. God's in charge. God is flawless and nothing is more perfect than Him, and HE owns our everything. That new DSi you got? That snazzy new car? The newest lipgloss? Your $40 purse? You may own that, but God owns YOU.

Check out the next Bible challenge, and see how Tenth Avenue North's song "Hold My Heart" almost matches Psalm 13!