On the Tenth Day of Christmas, I Choose to Give

On the tenth day of Christmas, I choose to give ten prayerful minutes.
Nine celebrations, eight homemade cards, seven sweet treats, six teacher thank yous, five things away, four lending hands, three encouraging words, two loving hugs, one hour of help.

Today, will you stop for ten minutes to lift others up in prayers. Some one around you or close to you has a cloud hanging over their holidays. The gift they need is something you cannot buy. But you can come before God and lift them and their situation in prayer. So will you give up ten minutes of your day just to pray?

My life, I choose…

*to write the verse above on my mirror: John 3:16
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for my selfishness.
*as I brush my teeth, thank God for sending the greatest gift his Son.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see those in need who I may help and share the greatest gift.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

On the Ninth Day of Christmas, I Choose to Give

On the ninth day of Christmas, I choose to give nine celebrations.
Eight homemade cards, seven sweet treats, six teacher thank yous, five things away, four lending hands, three encouraging words, two loving hugs, one hour of help.

Nine celebrations, you ask? When you do well on a test, in a sport, in music, whatever it may be, you like to hear good job. If you stop and look around, I am pretty confident you can find nine people who need to hear good job. Some of your peers, teachers, etc never get a "Woohoo" from anyone. Day in and day out some of them only hear how they fail. So, let's get out there and give the biggest and loudest "Woohoos!" And even add a litte dance with it :)

My life, I choose…

*to write the verse above on my mirror: John 3:16
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for my selfishness.
*as I brush my teeth, thank God for sending the greatest gift his Son.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see those in need who I may help and share the greatest gift.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

On the Eighth Day of Christmas, I Choose To Give

On the eighth day of Christmas, I choose to give eight homemade cards.
Seven sweet treats, six teacher thank yous, five things away, four lending hands, three encouraging words, two loving hugs, one hour of help.

Just because you are not in elementary does not mean you cannot be creative and make some cute Christmas cards to hand out. Use your computer or use your crayons and make special cards for special people in your life.

My life, I choose…

*to write the verse above on my mirror: John 3:16
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for my selfishness.
*as I brush my teeth, thank God for sending the greatest gift his Son.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see those in need who I may help and share the greatest gift.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

On the Seventh Day of Christmas, I Choose to Give

On the seventh day of Christmas, I choose to give seven sweet treats.
Six teacher thank yous, five things away, four lending hands, three encouraging words, two loving hugs, one hour of help.

Nothing puts a smile on your face than a special unexpected treat. For a dollar you can buy a box of candy canes or for a couple of dollars you can buy a bag of kisses. Maybe you can make brownies or muffins. But I want you to give them to someone other than your best friend. Find that person who may not usually get that special treat. Lay it on their desk or put it in their locker. And if you do not even have a dollar then make a sweet card. Whatever you do, make it SWEET!


My life, I choose…

*to write the verse above on my mirror: John 3:16
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for my selfishness.
*as I brush my teeth, thank God for sending the greatest gift his Son.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see those in need who I may help and share the greatest gift.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

On the sixth day of Christmas, I choose to give

On the sixth day of Christmas, I choose to give six teacher thank yous.
Five things away, four lending hands, three encouraging words, two loving hugs, one hour of help.

Yes, I want you to say 'thank you' to your teachers today. They may not be your favorite or even nice, but you are still going to say 'thank you for teaching me.' You may be the first person ever to say those words to your teacher. Two simple words may brighten their day, week, year. Teachers hear when they mess up and face disrespect everyday. So today, please give the gift of thanks.

My life, I choose…

*to write the verse above on my mirror: John 3:16
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for my selfishness.
*as I brush my teeth, thank God for sending the greatest gift his Son.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see those in need who I may help and share the greatest gift.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

On the Fifth Day of Christmas, I Choose To Give

On the fifth day of Christmas, I choose to give five things away.
Four lending hands, three encouraging words, two loving hugs, one hour of help.

If you look in your closet, drawers or under your bed, I imagine you have something you do not wear, read or use. Why not donate it to someone else? Many places collect, books, clothes, toys and food to give to the needy or sick. It should be pretty easy to find five things to give away. If you need ideas on where to give, just let me know. If you are in Fort Worth, my church is collecting clothes and books this Sunday to donate to two places.


My life, I choose…

*to write the verse above on my mirror: John 3:16
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for my selfishness.
*as I brush my teeth, thank God for sending the greatest gift his Son.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see those in need who I may help and share the greatest gift.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

On The Fourth Day of Christmas, I Choose To Give

On the fourth day of Christmas, I choose to give four lending hands.
Three encouraging words, 2 loving hugs and one hour of help.

Today open your eyes to see someone who may need a quick hand. Maybe help carry something, opening a door, helping a teacher or elderly neighbor. It does not have to be a big project but just pay attention and notice when someone needs help for a minute.

And remember I want to hear your stories, And if you complete the 12 Days, I will will embarrass myself on a video.


My life, I choose…

*to write the verse above on my mirror: John 3:16
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for my selfishness.
*as I brush my teeth, thank God for sending the greatest gift his Son.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see those in need who I may help and share the greatest gift.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God

On the third day of Christmas, I choose to give...

On the third day of Christmas, I choose to give three encouraging words.
Two big hugs and one hour of help.

Today as you see and talk to people, lift their spirits by encouraging them. Finish this statement in every conversation you have today, "You are...(amazing, sweet, intelligent, awesome, beautiful, talented, athletic, compassionate, loving)."

Three simple encouraging words can change some one's day and maybe even week. And throw in a couple of hugs today too.

My life, I choose…

*to write the verse above on my mirror: John 3:16
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for my selfishness.
*as I brush my teeth, thank God for sending the greatest gift his Son.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see those in need who I may help and share the greatest gift.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

On the Second Day of Christmas, I Choose to Give...

On the second day of Christmas, I choose to give two loving hugs.

Who in your path today is feeling alone this holiday season? Who needs a loving hug to brighten their day? Ask God to open your eyes to someone who feels alone and lost today. And receiving that hug back may just help you remember the love Christ showed you.

My life, I choose…

*to write the verse above on my mirror: John 3:16
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for my selfishness.
*as I brush my teeth, thank God for sending the greatest gift his Son.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see those in need who I may help and share the greatest gift.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

On The First Day of Christmas, I Choose To Give

It is Christmas time!!!! You probably have a Christmas wish list already. But I hope you have thought about ways you can give this Christmas. so i thought we would spend 12 days choosing little ways to give to others and it will cost us nothing. And if you give I will humiliate myself and sing the 12 days of Christmas with actions for you on a video.

On the first day of Christmas, I choose to give one hour of my time to help someone in my family.

You can help with dinner, help a younger sibling with homework or just play with them, help clean the house, etc. But to get a video of me making a fool of myself, you have to share what you are doing on here or on the fb page.


My life, I choose…

*to write the verse above on my mirror: John 3:16
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for my selfishness.
*as I brush my teeth, thank God for sending the greatest gift his Son.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see those in need who I may help and share the greatest gift.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

You Choose What You See

Do you choose to see the storm clouds or the rainbow?
Do you choose to see what is missing from your cup or how much is left?
Do you choose the faults or the good in others?
Do you choose to look at what you want or see all that you have?
Do you choose to wish the day was over or live for that moment?

As we approach Thanksgiving, I challenge you to choose to see the positive and blessings in your life? Look for the rainbow, the good, the blessings that are all around you. What you choose to see is your choice? I pray you choose to see the good.

So post on facebook, on here or write it down. I want to know about the rainbows and blessings in your life.

Write this verse on your mirror:
Psalm 107:1
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

My life, I choose to offer prayers of thanks this week.

Count Your Blessing Not Your Worries

Drama, parents not understanding, difficult teachers, homework: these are all focuses that steal our joy. Our focus so easily switches to the negative instead of taking a few moments to focus on the positive. But as we approach Thanksgiving, why not stop and focus on the good.

We are going to make a 100 things to Thank God for this next week. I want you to post as a comment on here or on your facebook status or the My Life facebook page 10-15 things a day you are thankful for yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Here are 10 ideas:

1. Who made you smile today?
2. Who was there for you when you were sad?
3. What is a gift God has given you?
4. Name one person who loves you and would do anything for you.
5. What is the last present you received?
6. Did you wake up alive this morning?
7. What food will you have to eat today?
8. Are you able to have a Bible?
9. Do you have the freedom of communication?
10. Who is someone who has been teaching you (life or school)?

Let's start making our list of thanks.

Write this verse on your mirror:
Psalm 107:1
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

My life, I choose to offer prayers of thanks this week.

You Are Beautiful

This week a word or words may have hurt you. Or, maybe you felt as if you had failed. Maybe you just do not feel like you are good enough. I disagree. My friend, you are beautiful.

Listen to this song: "Beautiful" by Mercy Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq29Owv_8yU&feature=related

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Psalm 139:14

Which means you were created by God and are beautiful!! When you look in the mirror, do not see what others say about you, but see what God says about you.

I love each one of you and hope you have a blessed weekend.

Your Words

Whether you face insults today or not, someone around you will. A fellow classmate may be insulted for their looks, family, intelligence or beliefs. You and I know how much it hurts to be the one insulted. So today, let's be the one to make a difference and make someone's day a little better.

My challenge for you today is no matter what type of day you are having, for you to choose to encourage a peer. In the first thirty seconds you see him/her, give a sincere compliment. Be a light in their day. So, let us not worry about what others say about us, but choose to focus on encouraging one another. And you never know, it might just make your day better.

Please share your stories with me.

"If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you ." 1 Peter 4:14

My life, I choose…

*to write the verse above on my mirror
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for being mean to others.
*as I brush my teeth, ask God to use my mouth to encourage others and respond in love.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see the hurt even my enemies carry.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

Rejoice When Isulted

Have you been ridiculed because you choose not to be like the world and honor God with your choices? If you have, then give me a woohoo!!!

No, I am not going crazy. Just read our verse for the week. If those in the world insult you because you have chosen to be a follower of Christ and obey Him, do not get upset. Be happy because others notice that you are different and love God.

And let me know when you are insulted because you stood for Christ and I will do a woohoo dance with you.

"If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you ." 1 Peter 4:14

My life, I choose…

*to write the verse above on my mirror
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for being mean to others.
*as I brush my teeth, ask God to use my mouth to encourage others and respond in love.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see the hurt even my enemies carry.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

Choose The Lies or The Truth

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.

Lie. The statement above is a lie. Words hurt. Sometimes words can stab your heart and your very soul and spirit. Other times they are just annoying and make you wonder if they are true. And some words become super glued to your mind. But there is one way to overcome these words, by knowing the truth.

Girls, I am going to be blunt. You must spend time with God and His Word so you know who you are in Christ. His Word, the Bible, is the truth that will set you free from the lies. And because the hurtful words never stop, you cannot no stop or randomly choose when you are going to listen to God. Just like you practice to get better at something, you must spend time daily with God to know the truth.

Once you begin to cover your mind and heart in truth, the hurtful words will bounce off a lot easier. But only you can choose what you want to believe and to know the truth. No one else can do it for you.

I remember growing up and my friends like to mess with me. Most of them were very skinny and while I was not fat at all, I was bigger than them (size 7). So they would always sing the song, "GaLynn's got a big old butt." Those playful words begin to hurt and I started struggling with my body image. Every time I looked in the mirror, I saw something that was not really there.

Now fast forward 10-12 years to me as an adult. After all those years of feeling fat, I am skinny. I am not the big one anymore. But this time, I am told because I am in shape and the way I look, I cannot serve in a certain way in the church. It was a stab to the heart. And I am going to be honest, it was as if I had been pushed down into a pit and rocks were being thrown at me. At it was not just once but several times this person would tell me these things.

But, and this is a good but, once I remembered who I am in Christ, and I went to Him, I read His Word; the truth set me free. And today, I will have to remind myself again of the truth and tomorrow I will remind myself again.

So my dear friend, will you choose to know who you are in Christ? Will you choose to read His Word and listen to Him so you know the truth and it can set you free form the lies? I wish I could make the choice for you, but you are a big girl and this choice is up to you. You can listen to the lies or you can know the Truth.

And know this, I love you and think you are wonderful!!!

"You are a daughter of God."

"If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you ." 1 Peter 4:14

My life, I choose…

*to write the verse above on my mirror
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for being mean to others.
*as I brush my teeth, ask God to use my mouth to encourage others and respond in love.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see the hurt even my enemies carry.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

So Mean...

My family and I are Taylor Swift fans so I bought her new CD this weekend. As I was listening to it, one song made me laugh. It is called "Mean." It describes a person who will never out grow being mean to people. And I imagine you can probably think of someone who fits that description.

Whether the person is mean and insulting to you or someone else, you know the pain it causes. But Taylor goes on to say in the song that she is still going to make something of herself no matter what mean things they say to her. So I have to ask you, can you choose to overcome the insults and ugliness of others? Will their words determine who you will be today and tomorrow or will what God says about you determine who you are?

My opinion is that you choose to believe God over others, especially the opinions of your peers. As we go through the week we will talk more about dealing with others, but for now know:

"You are a daughter of God."

"If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you ." 1 Peter 4:14

My life, I choose…

*to write the verse above on my mirror
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for being mean to others.
*as I brush my teeth, ask God to use my mouth to encourage others and respond in love.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see the hurt even my enemies carry.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

A Couple More Songs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nQy-aP_Koo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHgNCj4DU_M&feature=related

This week I want you to make a simple but very important choice. I want you to choose to start your day with God and have your own personal worship. I will be posting songs everyday to help you. Let's just choose God first this week and see how it goes.

Song: Sanctus Real: "I Am Not Alright"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fki04dpFD-0&feature=related

The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1

My life, I choose…

*to write the verse above on my mirror
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for the times I stumbled and sinned.
*as I brush my teeth, ask God to use my mouth to bring glory to Him..
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see those who needs God's love.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

Simple Choice Day 3

This week I want you to make a simple but very important choice. I want you to choose to start your day with God and have your own personal worship. I will be posting songs everyday to help you. Let's just choose God first this week and see how it goes.

Song: Bandon Heath Give Me Your Eyes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2cYxOkR2-g&feature=related


The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1

My life, I choose…

*to write the verse above on my mirror
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for the times I stumbled and sinned.
*as I brush my teeth, ask God to use my mouth to bring glory to Him..
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see those who needs God's love.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

Simple Choice Day 2

This week I want you to make a simple but very important choice. I want you to choose to start your day with God and have your own personal worship. I will be posting songs everyday to help you. Let's just choose God first this week and see how it goes.

Song: Hillsong United: From the Inside Out (great song to use as a prayer)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdMJ9LH-Lc0


The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1

My life, I choose…

*to write the verse above on my mirror
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for the times I stumbled and sinned.
*as I brush my teeth, ask God to use my mouth to bring glory to Him..
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see those who needs God's love.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

A Simpe Choice

This week I want you to make a simple but very important choice. I want you to choose to start your day with God and have your own personal worship. I will be posting songs everyday to help you. Let's just choose God first this week and see how it goes.

Song: Came to My Rescue
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWPABE3gycs&feature=related


The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1

My life, I choose…

*to write the verse above on my mirror
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for the times I stumbled and sinned.
*as I brush my teeth, ask God to use my mouth to bring glory to Him..
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see those who needs God's love.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

Choose To Trust in Something Big, Not Fear Something Small

Psalm 27
Of David.
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When evil men advance against me
to devour my flesh,
when my enemies and my foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.

3 Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then will I be confident.

4 One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.

5 For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle
and set me high upon a rock.

6 Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the LORD.

7 Hear my voice when I call, O LORD;
be merciful to me and answer me.

8 My heart says of you, "Seek his [b] face!"
Your face, LORD, I will seek.

9 Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
O God my Savior.

10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
the LORD will receive me.

11 Teach me your way, O LORD;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.

12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
breathing out violence.

13 I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.

14 Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.

David was hiding in a cave, hiding to save his life. He was to be the next king, but at this moment Saul was searching for him. The Psalm above expresses David's fear yet his hope, trust and faith in God.

Whether your fear is a loved one leaving you (v. 10), fear of fellow peers (v. 2), fear of more trouble in life (v. 5), all you have to choose to do is call out to God. Cry out like David did to God. Give God your fears and claim the truth and promises you have in God. Say this truth out loud like David. Believe this truth:

The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?

The world is full of humans and those humans will do stupid things that cause you to fear. But just like David, we have to choose to replace those fears with a trust and hope in something much bigger. And like David, we have to continue to trust, wait and depend on God to rescue us.

I wish I could tell you not to fear because nothing bad will happen, but I can tell you do not fear because God is there. So when the fear starts to consume, start quoting these scriptures out loud. Mark Psalm 27 in your Bible. Memorize Psalm 27:1. Remember God's Word is your sword so use it to cut through the fear.

I love you all very much. If you have any fear that has consumed you, please talk to me or talk to a godly adult who can help you. Do not be embarrassed to ask for help.

Isaiah 41:13
For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you

Romans 8:15
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father"



My life, I choose…

*to write one of the verses above on my mirror
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for letting fear control my life instead of him.
*as I brush my teeth, cry out to God to take away my fears.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see and believe He is here..
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

The fear of failing keeps you from succeeding.

The fear of being hurt keeps you from loving.

The fear of disappointment keeps you from living.

The fear of the unknown keeps you from taking the next step.

Things happen in our life that sometimes create a fear in our life. Once the fear gets hold of us it can entrap us. We become a prisoner to the fear. But my friend, you do not have to live in that fear.

When I was 7 years old, a man broke into our home. Many nights I laid in bed fearing it would happen again. At the age of 15, I experienced an awful tragedy. It led me to not trust anyone. 11 years ago, I attended a church where a gunman walked in a killed 7 people, injured others and killed himself. The one place that I thought was safe was no longer safe. Fear finally took me prisoner. It was then I had to choose to continue to live in fear or to trust in something bigger.

As I was growing up, I always wanted to do my best in school or whatever I did. My fear of not succeeding created an anxiety in me. Even though I gave it my all, I still fear the end result. I had to choose to conquer the fear and just do my best or let the anxiety keep me from seeing how well I was doing.

Maybe you can relate to my story or maybe your fear is something different. Whether it is fear of failing or fear of someone close walking out on you again or losing a loved one, you can release that fear and live in freedom from the fear.

Before we can begin releasing ourselves from fear, I have one question to ask you.

Do you believe your Heavenly Father loves you and wants you to live in freedom from fear?
Because of what has happened in your life, can you trust God or is your fear keeping you from trusting Him?

Spend some time talking to God. Be honest with God about why you can or cannot trust Him. Try to be still and listen to God respond.

Today, talk to God. Tomorrow we will continue looking at letting go and trusting God.

Isaiah 41:13
For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you

Romans 8:15
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father"



My life, I choose…

*to write one of the verses above on my mirror
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for letting fear control my life instead of him.
*as I brush my teeth, cry out to God to take away my fears.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see and believe He is here..
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

To Fear or Not To Fear

October is here and it means so is all the scary things that come with it. Scary movies will be coming out. Haunted houses try to scare you to death. While some of it is fun, many of you live with daily fears. Some of the fears are minor while others may haunt you. So I ask you, are we suppose to live in fear and what should we fear?

Before we go any further, I want you to stop right now and pray. Even if you do not understand why, I want you to give all your fears to God. (we will go into more detail later.)

Some common fears for your age are passing a class, being accepted by your peers, no one else having the same prom dress, not getting asked to prom or homecoming, a boy not liking you, etc. While some of you have even more fears like; whether you will have food to eat, if your parent will not walk out on the family again, or if a loved one will live one more day. Whatever the fear may be, small or big, it can consume you. Fears can take the life right out of you.

My dear sweet friend, you do not have to live in fear. You have something greater on your side. We will discuss this more this week, but for now I want you to read the two verses below until you start to believe them. Tomorrow we will discuss it.

Isaiah 41:13
For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you

Romans 8:15
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father"

My life, I choose…

*to write one of the verses above on my mirror
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for letting fear control my life instead of him.
*as I brush my teeth, cry out to God to take away my fears.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see and believe He is here..
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

Choosing Between God's Will and Your Dreams

When you are little you start to dream of what you want to be when you grow up. Not only do you believe in your dream, you start preparing, training and practicing to make that dream come true. But how do you respond when God reveals He has other plans for you and all the doors are shut? Does a crushed dream lead to sulking or opening your eyes to see the awesome dream God has for you?

I personally knew a middle school student who had big dreams. The dream led to a certain college doing a certain thing. But as the teen approached high school, the doors to those dreams seem to shut. For awhile, the teen kept trying to make them happen and grew very frustrated. But God was trying to show the teen the plans He had and how the teen's time needed to be committed to that dream. But once the teen finally stopped fighting God and put energy and time into God's plan an amazing thing starting to happen. God begin to give the teen gifts and amazing abilities. Plus the teen experienced joy every time. This story is still in the process, but it is going to have an amazing ending as long as the teen chooses God's will.

You may be at a point in your life where God is saying choose my plan for you, not your dreams. Your heart breaks at the thought of not following your dreams. Wrapping your mind around another plan for your life seems too difficult. But my sweet friend, I ask you this,

"Do you trust God? Do you trust the creator of everything including you with your life?"

Let's look back at a verse,

Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

God is not a dream crusher, He just has bigger and better dreams or you. God is not crushing you. Going against God's plan will crush you. You were designed by God with special gifts and talents to be used for Him. My friend, you must choose to seek God's will instead of your dreams. And as you do, God will reveal so much to you and you will experience a joy inside that is like no other.

Choose to seek God's plan for you. Choose to trust God's plan for you. And you will be choosing to experience true joy when you are fulfilling God's will.

My life, I choose…

*to write Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for putting my dreams before his will.
*as I brush my teeth, ask God to use my mouth to speak the truth.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see his will.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

Glee Episode

Tell me your thoughts on the Glee episode tonight. What did they get right about religion? What did they get wrong? Can you identify with any of the characters and where they are in their relationship with God or lack of one?

This is not a test. I just want you to share with me or all of us.

Choose Glorifying Dreams

Whether your dream is to be the next big music artist, actress, lawyer, stay at home mom, etc, you must choose to be willing to evaluate it according to God's Word and will. Does your dream keep you in line with being like Christ? Does it reflect Christ or the world? Can your dream be fulfilled by making a few changes?

While these answers are between you and God, I can give you guidance.
1. Does your dream glorify God? How can it glorify God? If your dream is to be an actress, you cannot ask God to bless that dream if you are willing to take roles that go against His will. If you want to be a lawyer, will you be willing to answer God's calling to help the less fortunate? There are ways to use the gifts God has given you to glorify Him. Make your dream about glorifying God not yourself.

2. Does your dream bring people to God or to the world? Can you fulfill your dream and still reach the lost? As I think back at the friends I did not lead to Christ, my heart breaks. I want you to understand the importance of you desiring to bring people to Christ. Make sure living your dream does not cause others to stumble and fall.


3. Do you have to justify why it is okay? If you have to justify and make excuses on why it is okay to have a dream that goes against God, then let's find a new dream.

Before you ask God to make your dreams come true, really look at the three things in the above list. You may have to just do some small adjusting before God will answer. If you are blessed with a voice, maybe He wants you to use it for Him. If he has blessed you with beauty, maybe He wants you to use it to show others the importance of inner beauty. The simplest way to say it is to choose to make sure your dreams glorify God and bring others to Christ.

Spend time really listening to God. You may have some tweaking of dreams. Tomorrow we will look at the possibility of giving up our own dream so we can fulfill God's will.

My life, I choose…

*to write Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for putting my dreams before his will.
*as I brush my teeth, ask God to use my mouth to speak the truth.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see his will.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

Choose To Let It Go

Before you can even know if your dreams are God's will, you first must choose to give your life to God. Once you are willing to give your life to Christ then He can begin to reveal His plans for you. So before we get into the next three posts on this subject, I want you to really evaluate if you have given your life to Christ. Play the song below. (lyrics are below also)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzdBQrr7fIw


Let It Go by Tenth Avenue North
I've been holding on so tight
Look at these knuckles
They've gone white
I'm fighting for who I wanna be
I'm just trying to find security

But You say let it go, You say let it go
You say life is waiting for the one's who lose control
You say you will be, everything I need
You said if I lose my life it's then I'll find my soul
You say let it go.

Well it's hard enough to hear
Harder still, to move beyond this fear
We know there's nothing I can bring,
So tell me what do you want from me?

But You say let it go, You say let it go
You say life is waiting for the one's who lose control
You say You will be, everything I need
You said if I lose my life it's then I'll find my soul
You say let it go, You say let it go

What do I love?
What do I hate?
What will I lose?
What will I gain?
How do I save my soul?
What if I bend?
What if I break?
What will it cost?
What will it take?
For you to save my soul.

You say let it go, You say let it go
You say life is waiting for the one's who lose control
You say You will be, everything I need
You said if I lose my life it's then I'll find my soul

You say let it go, You say let it go
You say life is waiting for the one's who lose control
You say you will be, everything I need
You said if I lose my life it's then I'll find my soul
You say let it go, You say let it go

Are you willing to let it go? Letting go does not mean every dream ends. It just means you are willing to give up anything He asks so you can fulfill His will. Whether the dream ends, changes or is just tweaked a little, you first must choose to give it all to God.

And if you have never accepted Christ and given your life to him. Please contact me. I would love to talk to you, answer questions and help you understand the importance of following Christ.

My life, I choose…

*to write Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for putting my dreams before his will.
*as I brush my teeth, ask God to use my mouth to speak the truth.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see his will.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

Choosing my dreams or His will

My life, I choose...

A simple statement seems to be an innocent statement, right?? It's your life. Every day you make choices that impact your life in one way or another. But some of you are starting to make choices on your future. But what choice will you make when God shuts doors to your dreams? Will you try to keep pushing the door open or will you choose to look for the open door?

Since your generation has been raised as the “ME” generation, it is easy for you to feel you have a right to get what you want. And with reality TV shows, a lot of girls are hoping to be the next big thing. And while none of that is wrong, it can make you and I lose focus. So how do your dreams and God’s will come together? And what do you do if they are not the same? Do you trust God enough to choose His will over your dreams if needed?

This week we are going to look at your dreams and God’s will. Some of you may see them come together. Others may see God take your dreams and make them fit His will. While others may have to give up their dreams in order to follow God’s will. And we will see how choosing the path God has chosen is so important.

For today, I just want you to lift up your dreams to God. It is important to share them with Him. But also ask God to stat showing you the gifts He has given and His plans for you. And if trusting God with your future and dreams is a little hard then tell Him. Ask God to strengthen your faith.

My life, I choose…

*to write Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive for putting my dreams before his will.
*as I brush my teeth, ask God to use my mouth to speak the truth.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see his will.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

Choose to Stand and Believe

Today, all I ask is

"Do You Believe?"

"Will You Stand?"

Listen to "Nothing Is Impossible" by Planetshakers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPRQR-5E9gg&feature=related

Your age does not matter. You may feel you are standing alone at times. You may be scared to stand for what you believe. But with God all things are possible. You can do anything. You can do all things through Christ.

Now this time sing the words until you believe them.

You can choose to stand for Christ today. Now go do it!

To write on my mirror: "The Lord delights in me"
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive for not standing up for Him.
*as I brush my teeth, ask God to use my mouth to stand up for Christ.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see those who will stand with me.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

Choose To Stand When You Are Young

"12Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. 13Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14Do not neglect your gift, "

1 Timothy 4:12-14a

Yesterday we discussed standing up for Christ. How many times have you thought or said, "I will when I am older." Do you keep making choices to wait?

Paul is very clear to Timothy that even the young can do great things for Christ. I agree with Paul and even believe your generation can do great things for the Kingdom of Christ. Your generation is very passionate about their beliefs and feelings.

Imagine for a moment if you shared your passion for Christ. How would it impact those around you? Your school? Your family? Your friends? If God can create the world, you and I, can that same powerful God use you and I to impact the world?

Waiting until you are an adult may be too late. God has plans for you today. God needs you to reach out to someone. Will you, like Timothy, let God use you while you are young? Remember, it is your choice, choose carefully.

To write on my mirror: "The Lord delights in me"
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive for not standing up for Him.

*as I brush my teeth, ask God to use my mouth to stand up for Christ.

*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see those who will stand with me.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

Choose To Stand

First, I hope you chose to attend See You At The Pole. It is always an encouragement when you come together with other believers. If you didn't I hope you do next year. On that note, let me ask you, "Are you ready to choose to stand up for Christ?"

You would think that standing up for something so great as God would be easy. But when you feel you are standing all alone, it can be difficult. If you have to be different and go against your friends, it can be extremely difficult. But what if there are others wanting to stand up and you just do not know it.

All over the country, teens gathered around flag poles to pray. Some may have been alone, but most had someone stand with them. Today, you were not alone. Why not stand up together everyday for Christ? You do not have to stand alone. Join hands and stand together today, tomorrow and for the rest of the year.

You have two choices. One, you can choose to make the excuse that you are alone and cannot stand up for Christ. Or you can choose to find others to stand up with you. Which will you choose?

My prayer for you is that you choose everyday to stand up for Christ like you did today.


To write on my mirror: "The Lord delights in me"
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive for not standing up for Him.

*as I brush my teeth, ask God to use my mouth to stand up for Christ.

*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see those who will stand with me.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

Choose Delight

To be honest, my Monday morning is already starting off kind of yucky. It is hard to find motivation to write when by 6:30 am you're already having a bad day. At this moment I can choose to be in a bad mood or I can choose to find joy in the Lord.

So, this morning I am going to choose to find joy in the Lord by thinking how he feels about me not how others may feel.

Psalm 149:3-5 (New International Version)
3 Let them praise his name with dancing
and make music to him with tambourine and harp.

4 For the LORD takes delight in his people;
he crowns the humble with salvation.

5 Let the saints rejoice in this honor
and sing for joy on their beds.


Zephaniah 3:17

17 The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing

While my Monday has started on a bad note and others seem to already be irritated with me, I am going to remember God delights in me. My prayer for you in that no matter what kind of day you are having, you choose to remember that God delights in you. (And so do I)

*To write on my mirror: "The Lord delights in me"
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive for letting others determine my attitude.

*as I brush my teeth, ask God to use my mouth to let others know he delights in them.

*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see those who need encouraging today.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

Choose God To Open Your Mouth

Psalm 51:15
"O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise."

Do you have days when it is hard to find anything nice to say? Do the words out of your mouth just complain and gripe? As we let those words come out of our mouth, our attitudes start to go down hill with it. So what do you do?

It is very simple. You pray the words above and choose to obey them. Read the verse above a couple of times. Have you ever thought about asking God to open you lips to declare his praise?

Today, I want you to choose to keep asking God to open your lips so you can declare his praise (speak the things you are thankful for today). No matter what mood you are in right now, no matter who may have upset you, no matter what happens, can you choose to find things to still praise and thank God for at that moment? I think you can.

*To write on my mirror: 1 Peter 3:8
"...live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble."

*as I brush out my tangles, praise God for forgiving me for repaying evil with evil and insult with insult.
*as I brush my teeth, I surrender my mouth to God so it may live in harmony.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see those I need to live in harmony with today.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God

Choose To Be An Alien in Harmony

"11Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." 1 Peter 2:11-12

Last blog, we discussed living in harmony with others. But that does not mean we live in harmony by choosing what others in the world choose. It means by our actions, the words we speak, and the way we treat others always reflects God.

But, if you also look closely at the verse, it tells us that others may still accuse us of doing wrong no matter how we may act. Yet, we are still to choose to live in harmony and live to please God so they may see it. So, what does this all mean?

It is pretty simple if you think about it. You and I need to choose to live a life of harmony with others by being like Christ and responding in love no matter how others may act. So if someone continues to be ugly to you or say hurtful things, you must choose to still show love and respect to them. As you make those choices, they will see the difference and you will make an impact in their lives.

So let's choose to be a Harmony Alien!!!

*To write on my mirror: 1 Peter 3:8
"...live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble."

*as I brush out my tangles, praise God for forgiving me for repaying evil with evil and insult with insult.
*as I brush my teeth, I surrender my mouth to God so it may live in harmony.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see those I need to live in harmony with today.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

Choose Harmony

Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 9Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10For,
"Whoever would love life
and see good days
must keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from deceitful speech.
11He must turn from evil and do good;
he must seek peace and pursue it.
1 Peter 3:8-11

"Live in harmony" sounds like it would be simple, but you and I both have people in our lives that make it difficult to live in harmony. He/she likes to push our buttons until they set us off. You may never hear a nice thing come out of his/her mouth about you. But you and I are suppose to choose to live in harmony. Can I get a "say what???"

How do you live in harmony with someone who is like an out of tune piano? Is it possible to choose to live in harmony with an out of tune piano (the person)? Look at scripture again.

"9Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult"

You cannot choose what someone else is going to say or do, but you can choose your response. And God tells us directly not to repay evil with evil or insult with insult. Remember, do not spark a fire with your tongue. It will not be easy, but you have to choose not to act like an out of tune piano yourself. Instead, let a beautiful tune always come from your mouth. Unfortunately, others will still be off key, but if you keep going with harmony eventually the next person will too. And even if they do not change their tune, someone else might because they heard your beautiful tune.

So today, choose to live in harmony :)

My life, I choose...


*To write on my mirror: 1 Peter 3:8
"...live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble."

*as I brush out my tangles, praise God for forgive me for repaying evil with evil and insult with insult.
*as I brush my teeth, I surrender my mouth to God so it may live in harmony.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see those I need to live in harmony with today.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

Choose Not To Start A Fire

5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. "

James 3:5-6

The tongue can do so much damage, but the typing tongue, ouch, it burns others and keeps burning others. As we talked on the last blog about our tongue, we need to remember that the scripture not only applies to the words we speak but also the words we type.

It breaks my heart to see some of the things said on facebook and myspace. For those of you who have been hurt by words online, I am sorry you have been burned. But I also have to ask if you have chosen to hurt others with the words you type?

Once hurtful and ugly words are typed, they are out there for all to see and stay on that page. Think about it this way, typing hurtful words on someones page is like standing in front of them yelling the same thing again and again at them in front of a large crowd. The pain from your words continues to grow and cause damage to the person. And the damage has led to the suicide of high school students. So, I ask, actually beg you to never choose to type anything hurtful, rude or demeaning. Please do not start a massive fire with words online. The words will cause a raging fire that you will not be able to control once it is started.

And if you are a victim of online words, please make sure you keep your settings to private. And save yourself from the hurt by not being online friends with someone who is going to hurt you or mock you online. Also, if you have been beaten down by words, please talk to someone or message me. Don't let other's words tear you down.

My life, I choose...

*To write on my mirror: Psalm 19:14
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.


*as I brush out my tangles, praise God for forgive me for the fires I have started with my tongue.
*as I brush my teeth, I surrender my mouth to God and claim Psalm 19:14.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see how my words would burn someone before I speak them.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

Choose The Sting Not The Fire

"Dear Lord, please keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth" is listed as a statement you can like on fb. And while it does make us giggle, it would probably not hurt us to use it as a prayer. We are great at asking God to protect us or make things better, but do we ask him or give him control of our mouth??

"5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. " James 3:5-6

How many times has your tongue started a fire? Out of those fires how many times did you or others get burned? How easy is it to put out those fires? They are like a California forest fire, easy to start but difficult to put out.

Here is a thought, "is it more painful to bite your tongue or to get burned by the fire from your tongue?" Think about it for a minute. Hmmm...

While biting the tongue may cause a little sting, the burns from the fires take a lot longer to heal. Maybe it would be the wise choice if we learn to bite our tongues and not spark a fire. Are you willing to choose to control your tongue, bite it when necessary?

Memorize the following verse this week and quote it every time you need to control your tongue. Remember, God's word is your sword. Why not choose to use it in the battle with your tongue??

My life, I choose...

*To write on my mirror: Psalm 19:14
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

*as I brush out my tangles, praise God for forgive me for the fires I have started with my tongue.
*as I brush my teeth, I surrender my mouth to God and claim Psalm 19:14.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, help me see how my words would burn someone before I speak them.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God.

Sometimes Just Choose To Pray

I had been debating on what to write today and I feel you do not need to hear anything. Instead, I feel you need someone to pray for you. So that is what I am going to do for you today.


My dear and Heavenly Father, our provider, our friend, I come now before you to lift my special friends to you. Lord, you created each one of them with your hands. You love each one them so much you know the number of hairs on their head. I thank you for sending each one of these precious girls into my life, even the ones I have not met yet.
And Lord since you are Mighty, Loving and filled with forgiveness, I come to ask for your protection over each one of them. The world is such a mean place so may they find a place of refuge in your arms. When the world speaks hate may they remember how much you love them. When the world attacks, may they come to you so you can fight the battle for them. When they feel alone, may they sense your presence and know you are with them. When they cry, may you wipe their tears and turn them into joy. When they mess up, Lord may they remember you forgive and still love them.
Lord, we know you have a special plan for each one of these girls. May you guide them and send people into their lives to help them follow that path. May they find strength in you to turn from temptation when it comes their way. May they choose to honor and follow you in every decision they make.
Thank you Lord that they are not alone. Thank you that they rest in the shadow of your wings.
Lord. Use each one of these girls to change the world for you. Amen



My life, I choose to call out to God (write these verses on your mirror)

6 I call on you, O God, for you will answer me;
give ear to me and hear my prayer.

7 Show the wonder of your great love,
you who save by your right hand
those who take refuge in you from their foes.

8 Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings

Psalm 17:6-8

Choose to Say Thanks

It's Friday!!!! Can I get a woohoo?!?!?

Today, I am going to make it simple. Name three things you can thank God for this week. How has God blessed you? We seem to have time to give God our needs, but how about taking time to acknowledge how God has blessed us.

Here is my list:

1. Celebrating and thanking God for cool mornings and rain so I can open my windows and feel the cool breeze.
2. His constant provision for my needs.
3. After a week of some hurts from others, God sent encouragement last night through others.

What's you list? Feel free to share it with us on here or the fb page.

Psalm 150
1 Praise the LORD.
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.

2 Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.

3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,

4 praise him with tambourine and dancing,
praise him with the strings and flute,

5 praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.

My life, I choose:

*as I brush out my tangles, praise God for forgiving me.

*as I brush my teeth, praise God with my lips.

*as I put on eye make up/contacts, praise God for what I see around me.

*as I get dressed, thank God for his armor of protection.

Choose Your Response

(We are going to go totally off subject today, but I know that some of you have had a really rough start to school and this is needed.)

Unfortunately in life, you and I will face the ridicule of others. It may be from fellow peers, teachers or even our loved ones. While the words, the laughs, the looks may hurt our feelings, only you can choose how you will respond to it.

First you need to look at the source. Now a mom would say that they are just jealous and while that may be true it is not always the reason. You may feel it is just because he/she is a jerk. But in the words of one of my teen friends, "(Insert name) is not a jerk, he/she just needs Jesus." Someone who ridicules others may or may not believe in Jesus, but they probably don't have a close personal relationship with him.

After you really look at your source, you must decide how their words or actions are going to effect you. If it is from fellow peers, you almost have to smile and say Jesus loves you. (It would totally take them off guard). If it is from an adult, please let another adult know what is being said. But please do not let their words bring you down or ruin your entire day. You are precious and worth more to God than they understand. (If the words are inappropriate or truly offensive, immediately go to another adult.) And finally if it is from a parent/guardian, please talk to a counselor or trusted teacher at school. Please let someone help you deal with the hurt correctly.

Most importantly, please remember who you are in Christ. (see last week's blogs) You have a Heavenly Father who loves you and you are precious in his sight. Nothing can separate you from his love my friend, especially someone trying to bring you down. You are worth so much more to God.

So my friend, do not get angry or even frustrated, just remember,

Matthew 10:29 (The Message) "What's the price of a pet canary? Some loose change, right? And God cares what happens to it even more than you do. He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head! So don't be intimidated by all this bully talk. You're worth more than a million canaries."

This is my life, I choose:

*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for responding with anger.
*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), ask God to help me see who I am to Him.
*as I brush my teeth, ask God to help my mouth to encourage not ridicule.
*as I put on my clothes, to put on the armor of God

Listen...Cry Out

Today, I am not going to write to much. I am going to speak to you through your language...music. Listen to the words of each song. Some are a letter from God, others a prayer for you to cry out.

He is there, the one who loves you. He is reaching out, calling you...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjP4goR49cA

What worries, struggles are you holding on to right now? Will you let go...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66njprg_fq8&feature=related

He made the stars. He cares for the birds and lilies. He cares for you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsEgU1Ph_jk&feature=related

Do you feel like your calling out and no one hears, use this song to call out to God:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALh7NOEbBT0&feature=related

God is speaking to you...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNoXM0KzVO8&NR=1

You Can Choose Worry or Faith

33bSteep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

34"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

Matthew 6:33b-34 (The Message)

Read the first line again and the first part of verse 34. What is getting your attention right now, worries or living life? As we talked yesterday, we do not have to let our worries take time away from our life. We can trust our life to God.

Let me share a little story.

A friend of mine had been caring for her ill husband for many years. After years of surgeries and complications, his health began to fade more. Doctors finally gave up hope and placed him on Hospice (care for those who are going to die). But his precious, godly wife chose not to believe and worry about reality, but to believe and trust in her mighty, healing God. When she was told by doctors and others to face the truth and realize he was dying, she did not begin to worry. She began to pray and found others who would truly believe God could heal to pray with her.

Two years ago, he was put on hospice. A month ago, I sat down at the dinner table with them to celebrate their anniversary. He is not on hospice anymore. While he still has more healing to come, this man who looked liked he was dead, now looks alive and responds to others and has a wonderful smile.

My friend chose faith over worries. At times worries would start to creep up, but she would not give them control. She was "steep in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provision."

What about you and I? What are we steep in? Worries? God?

Do you think just maybe that you and even myself, could turn our worries into prayers and trust in God? Could we not start to worry when God may provide a different way than we wanted?

You worry about having friends, but instead you choose to trust God to provide the friends he sees best. Maybe you worry about getting into a certain class or school, can you choose instead to trust God to open doors to the school or class he sees best? You worry about the mistakes of going to far with your boyfriend, can you choose to remove yourself form the situation and trust God to give you a godly boyfriend at the right time?

It seems like it would be so easy, but I personally know it is not. Many times I start to worry before I choose to trust. But let's make a pack that next time we worry, you or I will stop worrying, pray and choose to trust God.

(And please do not hesitate to contact if you need someone to pray with you.)

This is my life, I choose:

Write this verse on my mirror and memorize: Matthew 6:33
33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for letting my worries consume me and distract me.
*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), ask God to help me see the worries that keep me from seeing and believing him.
*as I brush my teeth, ask God to help my mouth claim the his truth and faith in who God is.
*as I put on my clothes, to put on the armor of God

Choose To Be Like the Birds

"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"

Matthew 6:27

I like the question Matthew asked. Is all this worrying going to change anything? Is worrying about making friends or what your friends think going to make a difference? Is worrying if your grades are good enough going to get you accepted to college? Is worrying about pleasing your parents going to please them? Is worrying....

Together for a minute, let's just think about all the time we spend worrying. Can you even calculate the minutes, hours that you worried this past week or even today? Matthew asked if worrying added an hour to our life, but I am going to ask you if worrying takes an hour away from your life?

For a moment imagine what you could accomplish if you were doing instead of worrying...now reread the scripture below. This time I am using The Message translation.

25-26"If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.

27-29"Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.

30-33"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

34"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

Hmmm...makes you think a little more. So my question for you to ponder and discuss with God is:

"What if instead of worrying,

you focused on God, trusted God, and followed His will for you? "

Ponder the thought of not worrying, but just choosing to live for and trust God for provision, for the future, for this minute. And if you made this choice, what would God be able to accomplish through you when you change your worry to action?

This is my life, I choose:

Write this verse on my mirror and memorize: Matthew 6:33
33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for letting my worries consume me and distract me.
*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), ask God to help me see the worries that keep me from seeing and believing him.
*as I brush my teeth, ask God to help my mouth claim the his truth and faith in who God is.
*as I put on my clothes, to put on the armor of God

Choose Not To Worry

What are your worries today, tomorrow, next week or this year? What worries consume your thoughts, maybe even keep you up at night? Do you control your worries or do they control you?

While the teen years come with new freedoms and experiences, they also come with worries. Worries about the clothes you wear, your hair, being accepted, passing the class of the evil teacher, getting along with your parents, your future after high school. They all start to consume you. Eventually they do not only consume you, but can bring you down. This week we are going to look at what God says about worrying and learn how to handle those worries.

Today, I just want you to read the passage below. And instead of worrying on the way to school, notice the birds of the air, the flowers, the trees and remember these words:

Do Not Worry
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[b]?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:25-34

This is my life, I choose:

Write this verse on my mirror and memorize: Matthew 6:33
33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for letting my worries consume me and distract me.
*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), ask God to help me see the worries that keep me from seeing and believing him.
*as I brush my teeth, ask God to help my mouth claim the his truth and faith in who God is.
*as I put on my clothes, to put on the armor of God

It is Your Choice

I wrote, you read. You probably agreed or thought I made a good point. So, today all I have to say is:

Will you choose to apply it to your life?

Will you choose God?

Will you choose to let God influence you by spending time with him?

Will you choose to work on your inner beauty?

Will you choose to believe who you are in Christ?

I pray that you do.

This is my life, I choose:

Write this verse on my mirror and memorize: Philippians 4:13
"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for not choocing him first.
*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), ask God to help me see who I am in Christ.
*as I brush my teeth, ask God to help my words glorify him.
*as I put on my clothes, to put on the armor of God

Choose To Believe Who You Are

Your parents have an opinion of who you are and who they want you to be. Your friends and fellow classmates have an opinion of who you are. If you asked them to describe you in 5 words there would be some similarities and some differences. Maybe even your school friends would have a different view of who you are than your church friends. But today, I want you to know who you are...who you are in Christ.

1. You Were Created By God
Psalm 139:13
For You formed my inward parts;You wove me in my mother's womb

Genesis 1:27
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them

2.You Were Chosen By God
2 Thessalonians 2:13
But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth

3. You Are Loved By God
Romans 8:39
39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5:8
8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us

4. Read your verse for the week.

Whether you are cool or not, size 0 or 12, blonde, red or brunette, tan or pale...You, my sweet girl, were created by God (every part of you), you were chosen by God, you are loved by God (to the point He gave his son for you), and God will never leave you and is with you.

Now, choose to believe it!!

This is my life, I choose:

Write this verse on my mirror and memorize: Philippians 4:13
"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for not believing who I am in Christ.

*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), ask God to help me see who I am in Christ.

*as I brush my teeth, ask God to help the words I speak and believe who I am in Christ.
*as I put on my clothes, to put on the armor of God

Beauty 101: Inner Beauty Shine

The hair, the outfit, the make up...you care about it in some sort of way. Whether you spend hours or minutes you care about your appearance. And while there is nothing wrong with make up, clothes and cute hair, why do we not choose to care or even think about our inner beauty? We do not usually leave for school in our pj's (even though pj days are great), why do we leave without preparing and beautifying our attitudes?

If a bad hair day can ruin our day, just think about what a bad attitude can do. And just like we wash, spray, whatever to our hair to fix it, we need to spend the time cleansing and preparing our mind, soul and spirit. Trying to throw a fake smile over a bad attitude is like trying to throw a cap over a bad hair day, people see right through it.

This week we have been talking about letting God influence us. And most days as a teenager, you need help and some positive influence on your attitude. So as I have said before, why not start your day with God and his word.

Seeking forgiveness for your mess ups is like washing your hair to get the crud out. Filling your mind with God's word is like using your hair product to make your hair shine. So as I have asked before, why not start your day with God so your inner beauty will shine? Why not turn heads because everyone notices there is something different and special about you.


This is my life, I choose:

Write this verse on my mirror and memorize: Philippians 4:13
"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for not living my life for him and losing sight of what is important.
*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), ask God to help me see and understand how to live my life for him at school this year.
*as I brush my teeth, ask God to help the words I speak glorify him.
*as I put on my clothes, to put on the armor of God

Choose to Let God Influence You First

For something or anything to influence you, you must be around it or spend time with it. So if you truly want God to influence your life you need to....

Even though I know you are smart enough to know the answer, let's still discuss it.


You start your day either rushing because you slept too late or you start your day checking facebook. Or maybe you turn up the radio and blare music to get you going. Whatever your choice, something is influencing you just like the weather influences what you will wear. So, why not choose to let God influence your first thoughts, your first actions?

Choosing to talk to God as you get up and moving and claiming the truth in his word is the best influence to start your day. Why not be encouraged about who you are in Christ every morning? Why not remember who is on your side? Why not remember that you are not alone? Why not remind yourself that God loves you?

So, unless you have an argument on why you should not let God be your first influence...then try this for the first month of school:

1. Write our weekly verse on a bathroom or bedroom mirror. (I choose the mirror because we all know as girls that is where we look the most.)
2. Repeat the verse as you get ready. Claim it as truth in your life.
3. Pray as you get ready. Use the prayer ideas I give you if necessary. (brushing hair: seek forgiveness, brushing teeth: pray for your mouth, eyes: open to see things, getting dressed: put on armor of God, etc.)

And remember trying it is not going to do you any harm.


This is my life, I choose:

Write this verse on my mirror and memorize: Philippians 4:13
"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for not living my life for him and losing sight of what is important.
*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), ask God to help me see and understand how to live my life for him at school this year.
*as I brush my teeth, ask God to help the words I speak glorify him.
*as I put on my clothes, to put on the armor of God

My school year, I choose...

Unfortunately, you cannot choose for it to stay summertime. But the new school year brings many choices for you to make and so far the choices have included clothes and school supplies. But I have a question for you, have you thought about who you are going to live for this school year? Who is going to influence the choices you make?

Parents and teachers will have some influence, but friends will probably have the most. You may be living your life to please your parents or friends. Now, while neither of those may be bad, should you choose to live for something else? Should you have something else that influences you more than anything else?

Or maybe you are choosing to live your life for a guy, a boyfriend. You make your choices based on what he wants or what will get his attention and love. You cannot decide anything without knowing it is okay with him (even the clothes you wear.) But when one person influences your choices so much, you might be heading down a road that leads to heartbreak.

My prayer for you this school year is that you will choose to live your life for Christ and choose to let God influence every choice that you make. And I pray you will see the difference you will make when you live your life for Christ.

Just think about a typical school day for a minute, and say "what if.."

* you choose to pray every morning and give your day to God.
* you choose to quote scripture on who you are in Christ before you walk in the school doors.
* you choose to let your inner beauty shine by being kind to all who cross your path.
* you choose to fall in love with God this year.
* you choose to do your best as if everything you do is for God.

Will you think about it? Will you pray about it? Will you talk with me about it?

I will be writing daily again on the blog as we start this journey and choose to live this year for Christ. Please join me every school day. Before you go on facebook, read the blog that will discuss the choices above and so much more.

(If you are new to the blog, you may want to go back and read the first blog to understand the next part.)

This is my life, I choose:

Write this verse on my mirror and memorize: Philippians 4:13
"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for not living my life for him and losing sight of what is important.
*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), ask God to help me see and understand how to live my life for him at school this year.
*as I brush my teeth, ask God to help the words I speak glorify him.
*as I put on my clothes, to put on the armor of God

GRRRRRRR...

Danger Ahead Warning:

Prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour...

Will attack anything that looks at it, breathes too loudly or refuses to give it its way.

Has no patience in getting what it wants.

Does not want to follow rules

Will eat you alive even if you are just a bystander

And I am not just talking about Satan. I am talking about your fellow peer who is angry and out to devour who ever crosses his/her path. It may not just be a peer, it could be a close friend who will bite off your head when she has a bad day. Or maybe it is you when you feel something is unjust. Whoever it is, you fear greatly when his/her lion side roars.

How do you deal with the lion? Are you a tamer, prey or do you roar back? Maybe you are the one feeding the anger? Maybe you get all the other lions going?

First of all, you and I should never be the one feeding the anger. And I am not just talking about doing something to make them mad. You and I cannot encourage their anger over a situation. It is wrong to justify the reason to seek revenge. When the complaining starts, never encourage a negative behavior especially one that intends to cause harm to others. Also, do not sit there and feed your own anger.

Instead of feeding the anger, we should become the tamer. Holding on to anger, fighting, quarrels do not help us. Just look at the list of scriptures below.

Proverbs 26:17
Like one who seizes a dog by the ears is a passer-by who meddles in a quarrel not his own.

Proverbs 15:18
A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel.

Proverbs 17:14
Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.

Ephesians 4:26
"In your anger do not sin" : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,

Ephesians 4:31
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

Proverbs 29:11
A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control

Proverbs 22:24
Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered,

Are you seeing any positives to anger? Will it do any good to come to school and let the whole world know you are mad and someone is going to pay? Does anyone win when you or your friend start biting off every one's head?

In life you will have reasons to be upset. But, destroying those around because you got detention for no homework...really are you helping anyone including yourself? Is giving looks that could kill because someone complimented someone else more than you going to help?

Maybe it is just time for teens and some adults to take a chill pill and be a little more forgiving. And if you think your anger and ugliness is justified, just think how God responds to you when you ignore Him, use His name in vain, worship others instead of Him. He loves you and forgives you.

Choose forgiveness instead of resentment. Choose serving instead of selfishness. Choose love instead of hate. Choose breathing instead of stewing.

This is my life, I choose:

Write this verse on my mirror and memorize: 1 Peter 5:8
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me letting my anger destroy others.
*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), ask God to help me see how I feed my anger so I may change my thoughts.
*as I brush my teeth, ask God to help me speak words of a tamer.
*as I put on my clothes, to put on the armor of God

Alone

Keep me as the apple of your eye,

hide me in the shadow of your wings...

Psalm 17:8

Discouraged? Defeated? Tired of trying to avoid trouble? Feel alone? Weary of enemies? Well, I have some good news.

You are the apple of God's eye.

You can find protection and rest in God's arms.

You are at a time in your life where you are constantly surrounded by people (in person or online) yet you probably feel more alone than ever. The loneliness comes from having no one with same morals and convictions, no one understanding you, tired of trying to fit in or maybe you are actually alone at home and/or school. But my friend, you are not alone.

In those dark and lonely times, choose to be like David and call out to God. Before David was king, he hid in caves to save his own life. The man knew loneliness and fear. But in that darkest time, he called out to God.

You my friend can do the same thing. When the weight of the world is on your shoulders, when the darkness overwhelms you, when no one answers your cries, call out to God. He will hear you. If you do not know what to say, use one of David's Psalms like Psalm 17 to cry out.

The world will be mean. Sometimes the world may be actually trying to devour you. But do not worry, God will hide you in the shadow of his wings because you are the apple of His eye. Just choose to cry out to God.

This is my life, I choose:

Write this verse on my mirror and memorize: 1 Peter 5:8
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for depending on the world.
*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), ask God to help me see Him in my darkest times.
*as I brush my teeth, cry out to God and share all your worries, fears and loneliness.
*as I put on my clothes, to put on the armor of God

Spring fever: Spreading Quickly

Health News Bulletin:
Spring fever is still on the rise and spreading quickly. It seems to be very contagious. Symptoms include stupidity on choices that lead to harming self or others. Treatment should be started immediately and include not hanging out with others showing signs of stupidity and by keeping your focus on God not coolness.

Alright, maybe there is no actual illness called Spring fever, but a lot of fellow peers seem to have the symptoms. For some reason teens think they become immune to consequences this time of year. Just because school is almost out, your generation thinks they can do whatever. And the whatever seems to include slacking in school, disrespect, shop lifting, smoking, drinking, sex and for some reason pot or prescription drugs.

You want to hear the other breaking news? The consequences of the actions are the same in the spring as anytime of the year. The end of the school year does not mean, you can choose to do whatever you want with no consequence. But the only word I can think to say is "DUH."

My words of wisdom to you this morning, do not hang out with other idiots. Remove yourself from situations or places where spring fever is out of control. Remember the only way to survive this dangerous spring fever is by keeping your focus on God and His purpose for you. And just in case you are unclear on your purpose, it does not include frying your brain, lungs or any other organ with any chemical or drug. It also does not include spending time in jail or failing in school.

Look, the next few weeks are going to be a little insane. Temptation and stupidity will be all around. Your flesh is going to long for fun. But fun does not have to be stupid.

Choose carefully these next few weeks. Be aware and alert. Be prepared. Use wisdom from God.


This is my life, I choose:

Write this verse on my mirror and memorize: 1 Peter 5:8
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for unwise choices and for following spring fever.
*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), ask God to help me see the situations I need to remove myself from before I am in them.
*as I brush my teeth, to ask God to help me speak to my friends so they do not make stupid choices.
*as I put on my clothes, to put on the armor of God