Patiently Enduring...

   Have you ever thought during some type of trial either physical or spiritual, "Lord, how much longer are you going to make me go through this? I'm tired and I can't handle it anymore?" It can be through health, provocation, people trying to cause you problems, or you fill in the blank. I think one thing that the Lord is definitely trying to teach us through these different trials is patience and to learn to trust Him that He knows what He is doing and is in control. A Fruit of the Spirit that describes this is long suffering. Long suffering is having or showing patience in spite of troubles, especially those caused by other people or things that we necessarily can't control. Some synonyms are patience, forbearing, forgiving, tolerance, and uncomplaining. 

   I know the trials we go through may seem unbearably long, but God does have a purpose and plan for us. The first step in doing this is total surrender to Him. At first I was a little confused at the statement "total surrender" what does it mean? I looked it up and it means this: I will let God do in me whatever is necessary to get Himself glory, and whatever is necessary to make me into the person He is after. Though we may not understand what God is doing, He does, and whatever He does is always perfect and exactly what He wants. Knowing this, we just simply need to trust Him.

   The Lord is the perfect example of how to show long suffering. The many times that He reached out to us in salvation, when all we did was reject Him. After His first offer, He could have left us, but He didn't. Now that we may be saved He shows it in how He constantly will forgive us of our sins that we commit against Him. We must NOT take this for granted, but thank Him for His longsuffering and never ending love towards us.

   I heard a Pastor mention this a long time ago and and it really stuck with me....

   To have FAITH is a choice of the will and toTrust is a surrender of the heart!

A Time for Every Season

   With the unseemingly long winter that we've experienced this year, it got me to thinking about how blessed we are here in Pennsylvania to be able to experience all four seasons. What does God say about the different seasons? The seasons offer a lot to be thankful for. Let's start naming them...

Winter
Job 37:6 ~ "For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the Earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of His strength."

   For me personally, winter is not my favorite season mainly because I don't care for the cold. Yet, there are still some things that I'm thankful for. First of all, I love the first snowfall. The snow makes everything so beautiful and pure as it glistens.  Also, can't forget all the fun things that you can do in it! :D (sledding, snowball fights and building snowmen) Then there is the crisp winter air, and just being near a cozy fire.

Spring
Zechariah 10:1~ "Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make      bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field."

   You know the old saying, "April showers bring May flowers." One of my favorite things about
spring would have to be the flowers.  Just the thought of all the different flowers the Lord made is simply amazing!  Bluebells, tulips, and hyacinths would have to be my favorites!  In winter everything is asleep and quiet but in the spring everything is awakened and comes alive.  There are many things I look forward to at this time of year. The blossoms on the fruit trees, the warmer weather, the baby animals, and as a bird lover I enjoy seeing the robins come back.

Summer
Luke 21:30~ "When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is nigh at hand.

   One of the best things about summer for me is NO SCHOOL! :-) I have such great memories of
summer especially celebrating the Fourth of July. My great-grandpop's  birthday was on the Fourth of July and my Grammy Joanie would always have a big family picnic to celebrate his birthday.  Fireworks are always a thrill to watch too. Some of my other favorite things are swimming, catching fireflies, family vacations, and having my bedroom windows open at night while listening to the symphony of the chirping crickets and waking up to the serenading of the birds in the morning.

Fall
1 Chronicles 16:34~ "O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endure for ever."

   Now for fall....my ultimate favorite season!  There are so many wonderful things I can list about this time of year!  The beauty of the colored leaves would have to rank the highest on my list!  Then would come the pumpkins, cider, hikes and beautiful night skies! The ladies in my family also have a yearly tradition of going to Gettysburg for the annual Apple Harvest Festival!  We have been going since I was was a little girl.  What wonderful memories I have treasured in my heart!

Wow! It was really exciting to stop and think about all of the beauty of each season that God has created. Our world is a beautiful masterpiece made by a perfect Creator. It baffles me how someone can say that this world just happened by chance, when everything we see has the touch of Him and shows His handiwork. Our God is simply amazing! He makes everything perfect in His time.

3 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A Reminder for Valentines Day

   Since Valentines Day is today and February is considered as the month of love, I figured it was about time that I talked about this love business. :o) What exactly is love and what does God say about it?

   First, let's define what love is. Love is a feeling of strong or constant affection for a person; a warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion to someone or something; or an unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another. Some synonyms of love are appreciation, affection, devotion, friendship, and respect.

   Secondly, it's so important for us to show love to each other. First among many reasons is that God commands us to. (John 13:34) Secondly, because why shouldn't we want to show love. I know I like to feel loved, so why wouldn't you want to make someone else feel it too. There are so many ways that we can show that we love and care about each other. For example, praying for them, writing a note of encouragement, giving a little gift, a smile, saying hello and taking the time to talk to them...the list can go on and on!

   Lastly, on this Valentines Day we should take the time to remember God's love for us. A good word used to describe God's love is agape love. Agape love is unconditional love. It is love by "choice" even if you are not pleased. A good example is "God loves us even with all of our faults." To know that God loves us unconditionally is so special and comforting to remind ourselves.

   On this Valentines Day, I give you the challenge to remember those you love and hold most dear, but also to take the time to remember the greatest love we will ever have, God's love.

Did You Smile Today? :o)

      I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart
                                     Where?
                             Down in my heart!
                                     Where?
                             Down in my heart                                   
       I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart
                         Down in my heart to stay

                               And I'm so happy
                                  So very happy
                  I've got the love of Jesus in my heart
                                Down in my heart
                                 And I'm so happy
                                    So very happy 
                  I've got the love of Jesus in my heart.

  Can this be said of you? I think one of our most powerful tools that God has given us is our smile. God loves when His children smile. Smile! Seriously, just do it! You’ll enjoy this post more if you do. :o)

Proverbs 15:13 says...
"A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken."

  I think what this verse is trying to tell us is that happiness comes from within. In other words, if you choose to be happy within, choose to show it on the outside! When you are walking with God it should be so easy to have a cheerful countenance. Even though we may go through trials and storms, 
we should go through them with a smile on our face, because we have God's promise that He will be with us and get us through them. Psalm 23:4~ "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for though art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."

  So put a smile on your face (trust me it will not hurt you). It will not only make you feel better, but it could also make someone else's day. If you really think about it, there are so many reasons for us to smile! Some of my reasons are that I'm saved by grace, on my way to Heaven, I have a wonderful family and church family, Starbucks coffee, and frozen yogurt. ;-) What are some of yours?  

Philippians 4:4~ "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice." 

What is a friend?

Hi everyone!

   Sorry it's been awhile since my last post, not too much is going on. (Lol) On Friday, I did the second bible study of the series and it was on the topic of kindness and being a friend.

   During the Bible study we discussed many examples of Biblical friendships (Ruth and Naomi, David and Jonathan, and Mary, Martha, Lazarus, and Jesus) An exciting thought for me about Jesus' friendship with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus was that they had such an intimate and personal friendship to the point where they could speak plainly to Him. True friends are able to speak their minds honestly to one another, whether for good or bad. Meanwhile, true friends do what they can to
tell each other the truth and help one another in any way possible. This study was meant to be a nice refresher to remember to have Christ as the center of our friendships and to be kind to everyone.

    In closing, I just want to say how much I appreciate and feel so blessed to have the opportunity to 
be able to share my Bible study with the other teen girls. One thing that really spoke to me personally while writing this Bible study was the subject of being a friend of God's. In James 2:23 it says, "And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for
righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God." I believe that it is possible to be a child of God and not be a friend of His. Friendship is built through having an intimate or very close relationship with someone. It's more than just a casual acquaintance. If we want to be known as a friend of God's, 
then we need to do our part and learn to know Him better in a personal way.

Begin first of all by ...


- Accepting Him as your Savior.
- Trusting Christ in every aspect of life. 
- Be willing to follow His direction.
- Totally surrender to His will.