Good stuff.

I've been meaning to write this blog for what seems like AGES, but I haven't had a chance to actually sit down and do it. Shelbie so kindly (ha) informed me that she has been checking my page daily and has found nothing!

So I suppose I should write it now. Ha.
__________________________________________________

Silent Christians

I was skimming through my bible one day just looking for some verses, when I saw something that caught my eye. It was an "Instant Access" (an article that shows up in my Bible every once in a while, explaining and comparing different subjects) that was talking about "Silent Christians".

It talked about kids that claim christianity but never really voice their religious beliefs or stand up for God. Some even attend "very un-holy" places and do very "un-holy" things. They are basically just like any other kid, but choose the label: Christian.

That's a problem. BECAUSE, since when is Christianity a LABEL?! It's not meant to be a stereotype or category, it's meant to be a way of life, THE way of life.

It then goes on to say that those who stand up for God, or voice their religious oppinions sometimes face persecution.

This "persecution" can come in many forms and fashions. Sometimes big and sometimes small.

It says something like, "Say you have a bible study in the morning before school for those who are Christians. People start to talk bad about you and make fun of you, so people stop coming, because they don't want to be made fun of."

That could be a persecution.

OR, you could face more serious types such as:


"On a Sunday morning, people were having church services, just like always. Only right in the middle of the serman a group of men, burst in with guns in their hands. They grabbed a bible and through it in the floor at the front of the sanctuary.

They had the people line up behind the bible and spit on it, one by one. Those who refused to spit, were shot right in the head.

Everyone -scared literally to death- did as they were told, completely forgetting about their faith, and spit on the Bible. But as a little girl approached, she quietly wiped the Bible clean with her blouse.

"Forgive them Father." she said, and was instantly shot in the head."
__________________

Scary, right?!

BUT...where do you think she went as soon as the man pulled the trigger? Where do you think she is RIGHT NOW?!

Worth it? I'd say so.

Instant access finishes with this,

"So if you do begin to face persecution, it means that you are starting to get to satan. Your making him sweat a bit. It also means that YOU are becoming a spiritual success."

That's awesome, haha.

So ask yourself this question:

"Why am I here, on this earth?"

Is it to be popular?
To worry about what others think of you?
To have the nicest clothes or have the most friends?

OR IS IT because GOD put you here and gave up His son to save you from sin.

Don't you think you owe Him A LOT?!

After all, life is pointless without God.

Life is the small picture here. HEAVEN (eternity) is the big picture. THAT is what we need to be focused on.

So why don't we stand up for God? Why don't we devote our complete selves and everything we are to HIM? He is why we are here. The one and only reason we are here.

We need to forget about everything else in the world, and FOCUS.





------------------------------------------------------
Switching subjects.

One quick thing I want to talk about.

Once again, I was skimming through my bible and found an amazing verse.

The first of it said,

"Do not worry about your life."

That's deep. As simple as it sounds, it's very very deep.


Why are we always so worried about what comes next.

We worry that we won't have this...or that..when material things don't even matter.

It says "do not worry about your food."

God is going to provide for us...ALWAYS! So why do we worry so much?

I'm going to share this quick story and then I'll stop.


You should seriously read this, though! :)


_________

In the 18th year, Abijah became the kind of Judah.

He went into battle with four hundred thousand men.

However, they had to face Jeroboam.

Jeroboam's troops doubled the amount of Abijah's, with EIGHT hundred thousand men.

When the people of Judah began doubting their abilities, Abijah stood on a hilltop over everyone (including Jeroboam & his men) and said,

"Jeroboam! You have resisted the Lord and His kingdom!..."

2 Chronicles 13:10: "As for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken Him." 13:12 "God is with us; He is our leader. His priests with their trumpets will sound the battle cry against you."


As the war began, Jeroboam's men surrounded Abijah's from front to back.

They called out to the Lord, and the priests blew their trumpets.

At the sound of their cry, God routed Jeroboam and everyone before Abijah and his men.

13:18 - "The men of Judah were victorious because they had relied on the Lord, the God of their fathers."


Later, Abijah took everything from Jeroboam (countries, land, etc.). And Jeroboam was struck and killed by the Lord.

Abijah lived a long and happy life, filled with many children. He grew even stronger and more bold and when he died, his son Asa took over the land.

They were at peace for ten years, even after that.

_____________________

Awesome, right?


So I'll end with this:

A.) Let's stand up for our God -the one who saves us-, for HE put us here, and HE is why we live!

B.) We should never worry, no matter how large our problem/issue is, GOD is bigger than all, and controls all. The only thing we have to do, is have faith and trust Him. Simple enough, right? :)

and,

C.) No persecution is scary enough to lead us away from God. We will face what we have to face, and if it does come our way, than we know we are getting to the devil, making him sweat, changing the world, and becoming a spiritual success!


Thanks for reading! :)

"Well at least we know it's not just for his looks."

I have a lot of good news.

Or so it seems to me, anyway.


The first, and most EXCITING:


1. VOLLEYBALL SEASON BEGINS IN 31 DAYS!

Like, wow, I'm excited. I've missed it. It seems as if it's been FOREVER since I last played in an actual game. Last year was REALLY fun, but everyone on our team hated eachother, and everyone was always fighting. Everyday in the locker room, (or after each game) someone would say "Hey (name here), you really need to pass better", or they would say things like, "CERTAIN PEOPLE need to really start working harder, and blah blah blah", which would lead to other people joining in, and other people fighting back.

It would always become a big mess, and then you would hear people saying, "Everyone just calm down, we shouldn't be fighting like this, we're a TEAM."

Now, I'm sure you wanted to know all of that, but anyway the point is: Last year's team (freshman) couldn't get along on the court or off, which made it very hard for us to do well. Although sometimes, we did.

We still had fun though.

Also, at the end of the season I got to play with the JV team a lot. That was really fun because they didn't fight. Ever. And they were all really good. Which was kind of scary at times, but I made it through, haha.

SO ANYWAY. I think this year is going to be a lot more fun because we are no longer the freshman, and we actually know what's going on this year. And I'm betting we'll all get along better. I don't know why, I'm just hoping I suppose.

Okay, that was WAY longer than I intended it to be, so let's move on.


Now for number two,

2. Stefani, Shelbie and Audrey all came (or are coming) home today!

Stefani, my sister, has been at Camp Dreamcatcher, where she is a councelor/leader person for the children with cancer and disease. She's been gone since like, last Thursday, and I'm beginning to miss her. She is coming home today, but won't be home until probably 12 to 1 o' clock in the morning.

Shelbie and Audrey, my best friends, have been at their church camp, MO Ranch since last Sunday. And they got home today! But we're waiting until tomorrow to hang out, because they obviously need some rest.

3. Tomorrow is the fourth of July!!!

I LOVE July 4th. It's exciting. Especially all the fire works. Every year we go to Abilene to watch the HUGE show. It's crazy seeing all those gigantic and absolutely BEAUTIFUL fire works. It's like freaking Disney World, hahaha.

And then a few nights later, my family, Shelbie and Audrey, and I are going to the lake to shoot our own fireworks. Yay! :) Fun.

4. I got me teeth pulled out!

Ha, okay this normally wouldn't sound like good news. BUT: I've been dreading getting my teeth pulled for over a month. I thought about it everyday, and thought about all of the things that could go wrong, and I could just imagine how much it hurt!

It was probably the day of my appointment that I figured I had prayed hard enough, and begged God enough, that I had nothing to worry about.

Which was so very true. The only thing that hurt (or I actually even FELT, shall I say) were the shots. They weren't too bad, just the ones in the roof of my mouth.

Though, I'll admit, gobs of bloody gozz and mouthful after mouthful of blood, isn't always comforting, I got through it. And now I'm doing great and that HUGE burden was lifted off my shoulders! :)

5. I got the CUTEST bag at Old Navy yesterday.

As my mom and I were walking through the store, simply glancing over at the bags, I saw the cutest bag I'd ever seen. It as colorful, and abstract and I KNEW no one else would have it. I HAD TO HAVE IT!

After begging my dad, I was able to get it. It's going to be my school bag, because it is freaking HUGE and could carry a crane if it wanted to. So I figure it can handle my books and junk.

Seeing as I bought my bag ALREADY, I feel (almost feel) "excited" about school starting. I'm sure you're all probably falling out of your chairs right now, because to hear me say that is like watching a cat dance in the rain.

It just doesn't happen.

I've never been excited for school, nor have I ever even LIKED school.

And as of now, I'm pretty sure it's less of the beginning of school, I'm looking forward to, but the END that calls my name! :)




And abunch of you are probably saying right now, "Don't rush your life away, you're going to miss these days. You'll wish you could do it all again."

Blah blah blah! I don't care! :) Haha.




So there's tons of other good news I could share with you, but I'm starting to believe this is so LONG and boring, no one's reading it anyway ;] Hahaha.




HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!