Honoring your Parents: Whew! That is hard sometimes huh!?

Hey all you fellow bloggers out there!
So, the older I get the more I realize how blessed I am to have parents that love the Lord Jesus Christ and strive to serve Him with their whole life.
The Lord has really been working with me on how I treat them and when to honor them both outwardly and inwardly...I found this really cool list of stuff by John Piper on honoring parents and I thought I would share it with ya'll.

Teenage Resolutions in Honor of Mom and Dad

1. Resolved: I will obey your instructions and do what I know you expect of me, even when it is not mentioned. I will not force you into repeated reminders, which I sometimes call nagging.

2. Resolved: I will not grumble or complain when I do my chores but remember what a great thing it is to have a family, a home, clothes, food, running water, electric lights, and central heating in a world where millions of teenagers have none of these.

3. Resolved: When I think your demands are unfair, I will move to do them first, and after showing an obedient attitude, I will ask if we can talk. Then I will explain my side and try to understand yours.

4. Resolved: I will not stonewall you and give the silent treatment, which I dislike when my friends do it to me. If I am depressed and want to be left alone, I will say, “I’m sorry, I don’t feel like talking now. Can we talk later? I’m not mad. I just need to be alone.”

5. Resolved: When I do something wrong and let you down, I will apologize sincerely with words that you can hear. Something like, “Mom, I’m sorry I didn’t pick up the pile of clothes.”

6. Resolved: I will call you by affectionate family titles like “Mommy,” “Daddy,” “Mom,” or “Dad.” I won’t let other kids pressure me into calling you nothing or calling you something disrespectful as though true affection were embarrassing or childish.

7. Resolved: I will say thank you again and again for the ordinary things you do for me. I will not take them for granted as though you were my slave.

8. Resolved: I will talk about my feelings. Both the positive ones (like happiness, pity, excitement, and sympathy) and the negative ones (like anger, fear, grief, loneliness, and discouragement). I will remember that unshared feeling lead to estrangement, coldness, and even more loneliness and discouragement.

9. Resolved: I will laugh with the family and not at the family. I will especially laugh when my little brother or sister tells a simple joke with expectant excitement.

10. Resolved: I will give two compliments for every criticism. And every criticism will aim to help someone improve, not just belittle or cut down.

11. Resolved: I will enter into family devotions and treat Bible reading and prayer with respect and do my part to help others in the family enjoy them. When I don’t feel spiritually strong, I will pray about this as a personal need rather than pouring it on others as a glass of cold water. I will remember that confessed weakness knits hearts together.

12. Resolved: I will not return evil for evil or try to justify my meanness because somebody treated me meanly first.

13. Resolved: I will read my Bible and pray every day, even if it is only a verse and a brief cal for help. I know that teens cannot live by bread alone but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.

14. Resolved: I will come home at the time we agreed on. If something happens to stop me, I will call and explain and ask for your guidance.

15. Resolved: I will greet our guests with courtesy and respect and try to make them glad they came.

16. Resolved: I will always tell the truth so that you can trust me and give me more and more freedom as I get older.

17. Resolved: I will pray for you as along as I live, that we will be united in faith and love, not only now in this world, but for all of eternity in the kingdom of God.

Aren't those really cool and really convicting? What do you think? Pls. comment or write me!
Blessings to you all!

Boys: Why is is such a big deal?

Hey All You Fellow Bloggers out there!
Interesting title huh? I made it up myself [see I am able to think up some small things! LOL :)] Well, I just wanted to share with you some personal stuff concerning guys that I have been really dealing with lately...Here is a poem that is just amazing though 1st:

On His Plan For Your Mate

Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone, to have a deep soul relationship with another, to be loved thoroughly and exclusively.
But God says to a Christian, "No, not until you are satisfied and fulfilled and content with living, loved by me alone, with giving yourself totally and unreservedly to me alone. I love you, my child, and until you discover that only in me is your satisfaction to be found, you will not be capable of the perfect human relationship that I have planned for you. You will never be united with another until you are united with me, exclusive of anyone or anything else, exclusive of any other desires or longings.

"I want you to stop planning, stop wishing, and allow me to give you that most thrilling plan existing, one that you can't imagine. I want you to have the BEST! Please allow me to bring it to you. You just keep watching me, expecting that satisfaction, expecting the greatest things, and know that I Am. Keep learning and listening to the things I tell you. You must wait!

"Don't be anxious. Don't worry. Don't look around at the things others have received. Don't look at the things you think you want. You just keep looking off and away up to me, or you'll miss what I want to show you.

"And then, when you're ready, I'll surprise you with a love far more wonderful than you would ever imagine. You see, until you are ready and until the one I have for you is ready (I am working this very minute to have both of you ready at the same time), until you are both satsifeid exclusively with me and the life I have planned and prepared for you, you won't be able to experience the love that exemplifies your relationship with me...and this is perfect love.

"Dear one, I want you to have this most wonderful love. I want you to see in the flesh a picture of your relationship with me and to enjoy materially and concretely the everlasting union of beauty and perfection and love that I offer you with myself. Know that I love you utterly, I am God Almighty. Believe and be satisfied."

--Author Unknown

Isn't that just the most amazingly wonderful and just yeah! I love that poem!
Anyway, Here is my personal scoop on what has been doing on in my life lately with the whole guy aspect of it: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!
That about sums it up! :-) Seriously, the Lord has just been so good to me lately. I am finding myself being attacked by the enemy really on all sides about this topic and I must say taht it has been really hard. I have been feeling very lonely and left behind...See, most of my friends and other really close people have started pairing off and dating and I am just still here waiting...it has been a struggle not to be jealous let me tell you! The neat thing is though that somewhere out there there is a guy that will love me for ME and I just have to be patient while the Lord prepares him and I for the time when we will be together.
I dug out that poem today and was just so reminded of the fact that it has to be the Lord's timing and not ours. It was so neat...when I read it it was as if the Lord was just whispering those words in my ear...just encouraging me to hold on. And so I in turn encourage you all that are out there and maybe have been feeling down and out in the romance department to ust turn your eyes upon Jesus and look full on HIS wonderful face! If you ever want encouragement or just to talk you know my email (it is on the top of the page for those who don't)...May the Lord bless you and keep you in HIS love and grace!

"Don't try to do something about your singlehood...do something with it!"

Very interesting Article!

Hey all you fellow bloggers out there!
Here is a really great article that my friend sent me this morning! Take a look:


Prince Charming in Retrospect

Ruth Bell Graham wrote the following at 19 years of age:

Dear God, I prayed, all unafraid
(as we're inclined to do)
I do not need a handsome man
But let him be like You

I do not need one big and strong
nor yet so very tall,
Nor need he be some genius
Or wealthy, Lord, at all

But let his head be high, dear God,
And let his eye be clear,
His shoulders straight, whate'er his state,
Whate'er his earthly sphere;

And let his face have character,
A ruggedness of soul,
And let his whole life show, dear God,
A singleness of goal;

Then when he comes (as he will come)
with quiet eyes aglow,
I'll understand that he's the man
I prayed for long ago.


Obviously Ruth's beautiful prayer was answered in the form of her husband, Reverend Billy Graham. But don't forget, Ruth is the same woman who is also accredited for stating, If God had answered every prayer of mine, I would have married the wrong man seven times! and, Have I ever contemplated divorce? Divorce, no; murder, yes!

Marriage- like any other of our womanly desires and dreams- is often idolized and idealized prior to and taken for granted afterwards. How many young single women do you know who are so busy seeking marriage that they are little good for anything else? And how many married women in your circle of acquaintances live so distracted by the daily grind of life that their marriage suffers in the process of simply living?

Marriage is a beautiful, Biblical covenant that rightly deserves our appreciate both before and after the vows have been said!

If you are a single young woman, don't lose heart that God is preparing a Prince just for you. At the same time, don't become so distracted by your desire for marriage that you neglect the beautiful season of singleness. God's will entails every chapter of your life; it is not limited to some future time or date. Pray for your future husband and marriage but don't forget to enjoy the here and now, as well!

As for us married ladies: How easily we forget all the hopes, dreams and prayers that are wrapped up in the form of the man whose name and life we share! Every now and then we all need a good reminder to put on our rose colored glasses and once again become a starry-eyed girl with a stolen heart. Consider this your reminder. :o)


Forget about his faults for once; ignore them if you must. Focus on the qualities that won your heart in the first place and strive to win his heart anew, as well! Prepare his favorite meal, rub his feet, sratch his head, or whatever else suits his fancy! And don't forget the manly soul-food: I appreciate you, I'm proud of you and Thanks for all your hard work.



A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. Mignon McLaughlin



Isn't that really something great to think about :) Blessings to you all!

Boy am I sore!

Hey all you fellow bloggers out there! Well, today it is raining! :p Yesterday was gorgeous though! OH MY WORD! Last night at Tae-kwon Do I tested for my blue belt (which means I am now a high rank with 5 ranks to go until I am a black belt and 5 ranks below me.) I was the hardest thing I have done in a looooonnnnggggg time! See, with a test they push you to the point physically where you think you can not go on and then once you get to the point...yeah it was tough and I almost cried but i passed and now me and abby and Jen a blue belts together! I am so excited! :) I will have to post some pics. So yeah, I was so tired after the test that I fell into bed at like 9:33 and slept till 9:00am. Now I am kinda sore but I have my blue belt! Sorry I was just rambling but I thought that maybe you would be interested in that :) lol :) Here are some pics (they aren't the greatest but hey they give the general idea!): Me doing basic motion...I was so wiped out I thought I was going to collapse! Breaking boards...this was the last part of my test...I was kind of in a fog! One of the hardest things I have ever done is testing alone! Let me explain what I meant by testing alone. All 4 of us kids have tested together for 5 ranks (yellow stripe, yellow belt, green stripe, green belt, and blue stripe.) Then Danny decided to retire from TKD and it was just us 3 girls. On Tuesday Abby and Jen tested for their blue belt w/o me! I was in a childrens lit class and had a break so I got to see them get their extra strips (they waited to get their actual blue belts with me). So I had to test alone of Thursday. Testing alone is harder because the instructer is focused on you and only you! Hence, it was very hard! lol :) THe whole time though I was just praying and repeating "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." That yeah, it was so neat when I was to the point where I truly thought I could not go on (they pushed me that hard) HE was my strength and helped me finish strong. We serve an AWESOME God! :) And here are us 3 girls getting our BLUE BELTS!!!!!!















Whew that took awhile! Blessings to you all!