Merry Christmas!!!

What a blessed time of year!
How amazing it is that the Creator of all would care to come down to our sinful world to save rebellious people.
But Jesus did care, and He did come, and He did save us!
This is why we celebrate and rejoice.
May you all have a wonderful new year.

Oh What a Fire a Little Matter Kindleth!

I was reading today from a book called "Respectable Sins" by Jerry Bridges. (On a side note, I highly recommend it!) and found this excerpt which was so... convicting, thought provoking, (produced a checking of the Bible passage... Yup it says "NO" !) and prayer stirring, that I just had to share it with you!

"The Scripture passage that has helped me most to deal with the sins of the tongue is Ephesians 4:29: "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." This is an application of Paul's "put off/put on" principle that he set forth in Ephesians 4:22-24. The principle is that we're to put off the sinful traits of the old self and, at the same time, give diligence to putting on the gracious traits of the new self created in Christ.

As we look at Ephesians 4:29, we see that we're not to let any corrupting talk come out of our mouths. Corrupting talk is not limited to profanity or obscene speech. It includes all the various types of negative speech—including lying, slander, critical speech (even when true), harsh words, insults, sarcasm, and ridicule. Note Paul's absolute prohibition: No corrupting talk. None whatsoever. This means no gossip, no sarcasm, no critical speech, no harsh words. All these sinful words that tear down other people must be put out of our speech.  (Excerpt taken from Respectable Sins)

Stand Firm, Hold Fast!

This last month has been so crazy. For several days I have felt like a top, spinning wildly from point to point.
 2 Peter, has been a great source of encouragement to me personally over the years, so I thought I would share some compiled thoughts about that book, that I wrote a few months ago.

"The second letter written by Peter, starts be encouraging believers to grow in faith, and to continually prepare, so that when Jesus comes, He will find us faithful. 2 Peter 1:5-8 (Oh to be found faithful! )"


"There is a solemn warning.
For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 
We 'have escaped the pollutions of the world'. But I MUST be on my guard. I MUST hold fast to the Word, and stand up against evil. Jesus says in John 15:19 'if you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.' "


In America we do not face persecution like believers in other countries do. And because I have been raised in a very shielded home, and have been home educated, I haven't really experienced anything that could be labeled 'persecution'.
Up until about 6 months ago I could have honestly said that not a one of my friends were unsaved.
But for the past few months I have been volunteering at our community hospital and I am part of a team of teens who's sole purpose is to visit and cheer up the patients. I love it! But there are two sides to every coin, and the flip side is that I am in a non-Christian environment. As the novelty of actually having a relationship with non-believers fades, I have had to stand up for what I believe. I know that being called a bad name or catching a dirty look are in comparison to what some have faces minuscule, but it is hard.

"The closing chapter of 2 Peter gives a glimpse of what I, as a Christian can look forward to.
"Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the long suffering of our Lord is salvation..."  ('and consider that the long suffering of our Lord is salvation' What I have suffered does not even begin to compare. This is my prayer- To "... grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen." "