Week 8 Day 1: Choose the Truth

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

LIE!!! Words hurt. Unfortunately it is a hurt that stays with you and can tear you apart. And you, my poor, sweet friend, are surrounded by peers who know how much words hurt but don't hesitate to blurt them out. Sadly, some of you face those hurtful words in your own home. (I am so sorry and know I love you.) How can you choose to avoid those words? Is it possible?

Unfortunately, you cannot avoid people. Even if you locked yourself in your house, words could still attack through text, MySpace, facebook, etc. You cannot avoid those hurtful words completely, but you can choose to fill your mind and heart with the truth. The truth can defeat the hurtful lies.

What is the truth?

1. You were created by God and in His image. And as the old saying goes,"God don't make no junk."
Psalm 139:13
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb

Genesis 1:27
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them"

2. You are a child of God.
John 1:12-13
"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

3. You were worth saving, the ultimate sacrifice was made for you.
John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

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

5. God has a plan for you.
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 hope and a future."

These are just a tiny bit of the truths from God's Word. But everyone one of them are important just like you.

You are the daughter of the King of kings. He loves you so much he took your punishment and hung on a cross. Your Father took the time to knit every piece of you together in your mother's womb.

My friend, others may tell you all your faults. Some may say you are unworthy of love. You may be called stupid, ugly, worthless or names much worse. Some of you may have been told that you deserve whatever happens to you. A few of you may even face verbal attacks on a daily basis from those in your home or a bully at school. I am here to tell you that those are all lies. The truth is in the verses above and all throughout God's Word.

Will you choose to believe the lies, or the words of your Heavenly Father? My prayer is that you choose to believe your Heavenly Father.

*If you are facing verbal abuse in your home or at school, please talk to your youth pastor, pastor, christian counselor or me. Please seek adult help. There are adults to help you and they will not judge or condemn you. They will love you and help you.

This is my life I choose:

Write this verse on my mirror
Pick one of the verses above to write on your mirror.

* as I brush out the tangles, to ask God to forgive for not knowing His Word and truth.
*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), ask God to help me see who I am in Christ not to see who I am according to the world.
*as I brush my teeth, to ask God to help me speak the truth of who I am when verbal attacks come my way.
*as I put on my clothes, to put on the armor of God.

Week 7 Day 5

Most of you will be enjoying Spring Break next week. I will be taking the week off from writing but I do not want you to take the week off from God. Write your favorite bible verse on your mirror. As you get ready, continue to pray and talk to God. And even though you will be chilling, take time to read God's Word.

To close this week, I wanted to give you a song to help you remember all we have learned this week. Cage and I kept thinking of kid songs. So I guess we will have a sing along.
And even though they are not a hit song, they will stick in your head. Let's grab our swords and sing!! (Yes they may be silly, but they speak the truth.)

The B-I-B-L-E

The B-I-B-L-E yeah that's the book for me (repeat 4 times)

I have a book it teaches me everything that I know
And in this book it shows me how I need to grow
In my life, I read it every single day
It is the truth, it is my life, and it's my way
It is how God speaks to me

The B-I-B-L-E, yeah that's the book for me
I stand alone on the word of God
The B-I-B-L-E

The B-I-B-L-E yeah that's the book for me (repeat 3 times)

Sometimes my friends they sing a different song
And I'm not sure if they're right or if they're wrong
So I go and get this book off of the shelf
And learn from God the Creator of Life Himself
It is his letter to me

The B-I-B-L-E, yeah that's the book for me
I stand alone on the word of God
The B-I-B-L-E

How did life being? it's in there
How will the world end? Guess what? That's in there too
Any burning questions rolling around in your mind
It's all here to find

The B-I-B-L-E, yeah that's the book for me
I stand alone on the word of God
The B-I-B-L-E

The B-I-B-L-E, yeah that's the book for me
I stand alone on the word of God
The B-I-B-L-E

The B-I-B-L-E yeah that's the book for me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Maf3WnQvXHo


On The March (I know some of you remember this one)

I straighten up, I stand my ground
I'm in the army of God now
I'm not alone there's many more
We're gonna change the world.

I'm not afraid, How can I be?
My God is here, He's with me
I shine a light a light for you
In everything I do.

We're gonna change the world, We're gonna change the world
The army of God is on the march again
Hey, Hey
We're on the march again.

Have you got your belt of truth?(I've got that)
The breastplate of righteousness?(I've got that)
On your feet put the gospel of peace(I've got that)
Hold up the shield of faith(I've got that)
Put on the helmet of salvation(I've got that)
Lift high the sword of the spirit(I've got that)
Now you're wearing the Armour of God
'Cause we're a part of the army now

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lkfd7FRJjo


This is my life I choose:

Write this verse on my mirror

Matthew 26:41
"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

* as I brush out the tangles, to ask God to forgive for specific sins.
*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), ask God to help me watch for temptation and be prepared.
*as I brush my teeth, to ask God to help me speak His Word to fight temptation.
*as I put on my clothes, to put on the armor of God.

Week 7 Day 4: Choose To Share

All week we have been talking about fleeing and resisting temptation. Today, I come to you asking how I can specifically pray for you.

My heart brakes for the temptations and trials you are facing. I feel that one or several of you need me to pray for you. So please email or message me on facebook. Both links are on the side. I promise not to share it with anyone else.

And whether you share with me or not, please go before the Lord and share your struggles. Do not face the battles alone.



This is my life I choose:

Write this verse on my mirror

Matthew 26:41
"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

To spend time just talking to God today.

* as I brush out the tangles, to ask God to forgive for specific sins.
*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), ask God to help me watch for temptation and be prepared.
*as I brush my teeth, to ask God to help me speak His Word to fight temptation.
*as I put on my clothes, to put on the armor of God.

Week 7 Day 3: Choose Your Sword

Battles, not if you will have them but when will you have them. How will you be able to resist or flee from temptation battles?


Read the story below:
Matthew 4
The Temptation of Jesus
1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
4Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'[a]"

5Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6"If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:
" 'He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'[b]"

7Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'[c]"

8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."

10Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'[d]"

11Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

How did Jesus withstand temptation?

Jesus used the sword of the spirit for his battle. If you remember from our first week, the sword of the spirit is the word of God.

If you have grown up in church, adults have been trying to persuade you to memorize bible verses since you could talk. And it is for this reason alone. Each one of them have loved you enough to prepare you for battles by helping you memorize God's Word. It was not just an assignment, it is a preparation for battle.

My question to you, are you prepared for battle? Do you have your sword?

If your answer is no or maybe, what changes can you make to start learning God's Word?

You would not go to a dance without preparing yourself. Hopefully, you do not take a semester exam without preparing yourself. A solider does not go to battle without his weapon. So why would you choose to continue to fight the battle of temptation with no sword?

I plead one more time with you to memorize God's Word and to spend time reading it. Please choose to be prepared for all the teenage battles that lie ahead.


This is my life I choose:

Write this verse on my mirror

Matthew 26:41
"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

* as I brush out the tangles, to ask God to forgive me for not knowing and using His Word.
*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), ask God to help me watch for temptation and be prepared
*as I brush my teeth, to ask God to help me speak His Word to fight temptation.
*as I put on my clothes, to put on the armor of God

Week 7 Day 2: Choose To Flee

Resist the devil and flee!!! It was so much easier to flee from temptation when you had to leave your home to find temptation. But if you have a cell phone, computer or TV, temptation is one click away or the add on the screen.

How do you flee when it is in your back pocket, your purse or on your desk? How do you avoid images, videos and music that are a sin in themselves? Can you choose to flee?

I have couple of suggestions that I would highly recommend you follow.
1. Keep the computer in a main room. If any one could catch you in a second, you usually resist the urge of temptation.
2. Put an accountability software on your computer. It will send info to a friend or parent’s email about any sites you visit. If you know someone is going to know what you are doing and you will get caught, you usually choose to avoid temptation.
3. If you have Internet on your phone, you should ask your parents to make sure your provider knows it is a teen’s phone and will not allow you on inappropriate sites.
4. If students at your school are known to send inappropriate pics to embarrass other students, you might ask your parents to have your provider block you from receiving pics by text. You can still Bluetooth pics and music, but you are protected from receiving things you do not want.
5. If you have a TV in your room, set the Chip so adult only material does not come up when you flip channels. Protect yourself and your mind.

Now that you have read my suggestions and finished rolling your eyes at them, please listen to me. Choosing to flee by protecting yourself from temptation is very important. Those images or words you can hear will mess with your mind and stay with you. The devil will mess with your head once they are in there.

Another reason to have your computer and phone set to protect you is it also keeps other people from using them inappropriately. You do not want to end up grounded or in trouble at school because one of your friends used your stuff.

Choose to flee from temptation. Why choose to fight a battle if you can avoid it altogether...right? Life is hard enough without falling into traps of temtpation online. You can choose to be smart and protect yourself before it even happens. And imagine how proud your parents will be and how much more they will trust if you ask them to put things on your phone and computer to protect you.

This is my life I choose:

Write this verse on my mirror

Matthew 26:41
"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

* as I brush out the tangles, to ask God to forgive me for falling into the temptation of gossip, anger and lies.
*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), ask God to help me watch for temptation and to fight the battle for me.
*as I brush my teeth, to ask God to help me speak out and flee from temptation.
*as I put on my clothes, to put on the armor of God

Week 7 Day 1: Choose to Resist Temptation

Matthew 26:41
"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.

The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

Leaving childhood behind and becoming a teenager seems so thrilling and exciting. You look forward to all the privileges like make up, dating, going out with friends and no parents, cell phone, etc. As you start your teen years, you think it is going to be the greatest thrill of your life. So much hope for junior high and high school until...

Reality hits you in the face. The teen years bring broken hearts, betrayed friendships, and temptation at every corner. Some days you think, "how will I ever survive?" Other days it seems easier to give into the temptation than to fight it. You can't avoid any of it, so what are you going to do?

Jesus's words to his disciples in his last hours with them before his death can help us today. Read the verse at the top of the blog. It has a few key points.

1. Watch

Jesus was telling them to be alert and be on the look out for temptation. It is going to be there. Of course, you know the big temptations like drugs, alcohol, sex. But what about those little temptations that sneak in on you. The temptation to wear a shirt that is too low or the temptation to tell the little lie. And what about the temptation to argue with your parents or to send the text that is gossip. Are you watching for those or are you letting them slip by you?

2. Pray

I have said this before and I will say it again. Choose God first thing in the morning. Put on your alarm to shout at you to choose God first thing in the morning. Pray, pray, pray!!! Put on your armor of God. And pray throughout the day. Pray before you speak. Pray before you type that text. Pray before you walk in the house or school. You cannot fight the temptation battle on your own. You need God.

3. The body is weak.

Admit you are weak when it comes to temptation. Do not lie to yourself that you can avoid it and fight it alone. You need friends to hold you accountable and you need a relationship with God that can guide and help you through these years of such temptation.

Just because you will never have the desire to drink, do drugs or even have sex, you still are facing all those little temptations. So will you choose to watch and pray and be prepared to resist temptation?



This is my life I choose:

Write this verse on my mirror

Matthew 26:41
"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

* as I brush out the tangles, to ask God to forgive me for falling into the temptation of gossip, anger and lies.
*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), ask God to help me watch for temptation and to fight the battle for me.
*as I brush my teeth, to ask God to help me pray all day and everyday about every temptation,no matter how small.
*as I put on my clothes, to put on the armor of God

Week 6 Day 5

It is Friday!!! Yippee!!! I hope you have time for some fun. So I want to end this week by looking at your scripture of God's love for you. Remember, God will always be your first love.

1How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
1 John 3:1

5 You are forgiving and good, O Lord,
abounding in love to all who call to you.
Psalm 86:5

34 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever
1 Chronicles 16:34

17 They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them.
Nehemiah 9:17

5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation
Psalm 13:5

For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies
Psalm 57:10

Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you
Psalm 63:3

No matter how many boys break your heart, God will always love you. You cannot run or hide from it. Even when you mess up, God loves you. If you have a broken heart or have been wishing so bad for someone to love you, you need to look no further than God.

It is my life, I choose...to enjoy the love of God.