Alcohol

     I was flipping through my Bible trying to find a verse, when I came across this one.  Proverbs 20:1 "Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise."
     Well I believe the verse explains what this post is going to be about.  "...Whoever is led astray by them is not wise."  What do you think that means?  What it means is that if you are led astray or have a problem with beer and wine, then you are unwise.  Now I know some of you are thinking, "What me? NEVER!"  But, there are some people out there that so struggle with this problem.   Drinking alcohol can give you a lot of problems.  I believe it is obvious what those problems are.  But, whenever you find yourself being tempted by this sin remember this, what good will come if I do this?  Will Satan be laughing saying, "You fell into my trap!"  or will God be smiling saying, "Great choice!"

Trials

James 1: 2-4  "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
     So what does that mean???  Whenever we go through times and trials be grateful?  Now I bet you are already saying "What!  Be grateful?  Why would I be grateful that I am going through painful situation?!"  But look closely at what this verse is saying..."because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance..."  Perseverance is a good thing to have, what is perseverance?  Perseverance is to keep on, to persists.  So when God gives us trial some of us eventually have perseverance.  Sadly some people break down and turn away from God when hard times come.  They think that God has turned His back on them.  But that is NOT true, and never will be true!  God is always with you!  He will never leave you.  He is just testing you faith, to see if you truly love Him.  Because if you did then you would never leave Him.  So consider if PURE JOY when God gives you testing in the faith. 
     A saying that I have heard many times is that "God will never place you, where he cannot reach you."  Aren't you glad that that is true?  So I bet your saying "Then why did some people leave God?  Why would He let those things happen if He knew they would not take the pain?"  But, here is another question.  Did they really love God and trust Him.  Mrs.Carmen my Co-op teacher, (A co-op is a homeschool group)  says "Through the whole entire Bible, God says 'I love you', and we are suppose to trust and obey."  We are suppose to trust God and obey all his laws. So if we truly love God then we would not leave God or think that He has left us.  Another question you might be asking is, "Then why did God let those things happen to people who don't know God?  Won't that make them more lost?"  You see the cool thing about God is this, He can see everything that will happen.  When we only see a piece of the puzzle. 
     For example,  God is the puzzle maker and the pieces of the puzzle is our lives.  God knows everything so He know exactly what the puzzle is going to look like, and in the end He will put you in a beautiful frame and admire His work, forever.  We don't see what God is doing but, all we do is trust and obey, and in the end you will be a beautiful art work for all to see.

Being Mature

Hebrews 5:11-14 says, "We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand.  In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!  Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.  But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."
     Wow, that is a really bad insult!  I mean in other word in other words that is saying, "Dude!  When you are suppose to be teachers you are little babies still learning the most simple things.  Your not even mature enough to eat solid food, you drink milk!"  I would be insulted if someone told me that.  So what does this passage mean?  It means that the writer wants to tell these people so much, but he can't, because the people are not mature yet.  They would be able to understand yet.  That's really sad.  But we are the same way.  People want to tell us so much but we won't be able to understand.  Why?  SOME okay remember I said SOME!  Some of us are not mature yet.  So we are not able to learn more and more about God, and SOME of us are not even seeking God.  If we are not mature enough and if we are not even seeking God then how would we know good from evil?
     Now I know you are thinking, "Heck yea!  I still would know what to do.  Trust me just listen to my parents!"  But what happen when your on your own and nobody is there to tell you what is right from wrong?  What if something might not be illegal, but it is still wrong?  That is why we need to study God's word.  I mean yea everybody knows telling a lie is wrong, and stealing.  That's obvious!  But, you will find a time when you really don't know what's right and what wrong.  And that's when you will remember something the Bible says and you will be grateful.  Yes, there will be times when you still chose wrong, but we're not perfect.  But, still one day you will come upon a problem and when that day comes will you be eating solid food or still drinking milk?

Question of the Month!!!

     Hello everyone here is the Question of the Month!  Answer honestly!
     Okay, you are talking with your friends and you talk about how good God has been to you, and how you are so thankful.  But then your friends start picking on you calling you a "Jesus Freak" and other things.  What do you do???
A.  Run away and never talk to them again.
B.  Try to change the subject.
C.  Ignore the names.
D.  Say, "I am glad that I am with Jesus and if you want to know more about him I would be glad to share."

The Narrow and Wide Gates

Matthew 7:13-14
     "Enter through the narrow gate.  For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to a life, and only few find it."
     So what does that mean?  To me it means that narrow is the path that leads to heaven, and wide is the gate that leads to hell.  Sometimes we all start to lean over to the wide gate, and when we do we need to catch ourselves.  We need to always be on our guard, twentyfour/seven.  Satan is always at our shoulder tempting us and trying to make us sin.  But, God is always with you at that same time.  You may not think so but he is.  That's one really cool thing about God.  He is with everyone on the face of this earth. (and if someone is in space, He is with them too)  He's always near us and He will NOT EVER leave you.  So enter through the narrow gate,  the wide gate may look easier but, it leads to death and an eternity in hell.

Awesome Book

 I finished this book today, were these two girls share a dorm, and start a great strong Christian friendship. But one friend Andi, has lived what she calls a "safe life" were she has been a Christian and been a good little girl, in college she starts to want to live a risky life, a life without GOD, and his protection. On the other hand, Bailey, the other girl has also lived a "safe life" but her faith is strong in GOD, and all in the book people talk about how she has this shine that radiates from her, and what it is, is she is still pure, and always looking to GOD, a women of Him. She is constantly trying to tell Andi that she needs to stay pure for her husband, because in the end it will defiantly be worth it. She has so many great stories, like for example, everyone is a white sheet of paper, but sometimes people want to "experience life" and they start to yellow, but they don't realize it, they think they are still pretty white, but when they come across someone who really did everything GOD told them to do, the yellow-white person realizes that they aren't so white anymore. That's the thing people talk about, when they say that something just seems to beam out of someone else.
So for now Andi is still pure but it's only the first of a whole sires!

Forgiving

     Today many people hold grudges against someone else.  Have you had a fight with your friend and now your mad at him or her?  Has your little or big sister or brother done something to make you mad?  Well are you not forgiving them?  In the Bible it says to forgive one another, or God will not forgive you.  If you don't believe me it is in Luke 6:37,“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven."  There are bound to be many more verses from where that one came from.  So what am I saying?  I am saying we need to forgive others, but not just so God can forgive us.  But, also because this may be the last day you are alive.  This maybe your friends last day to live, or you siblings.  We need to make every minute last. 

     Try not to make regrets and live like your dying. (To tell you the truth were all dying!)  So make every minute count.  This may be your last day to tell someone you love them.  Like a saying I have said before, "The past is the past, what's done is done.  The future, who knows it may never come.  But today, huh, well there is a reason why it's called the present." 

Freedom

     So, I've been wanting to get my ear pierced for a second time for a while, but my parents are really unsure about this and have decided to talk about this for sometime. So, I was trying to state my case, in a restaurant. And one of the things I said was, "You can't always shelter me, I have to learn to make my own decisions." Don't you think that was the best answer ever!?!? But all in the Bible GOD says that he will shelter, but its always a good thing, he's trying to protect us and keep us safe, because he loves us! GOD shelters you all the time, just imagine how dangerous and hard it would be, if GOD didn't shelter us from all the evil Satan does.

So, next time you get upset at your parents because their "sheltering" you, be grateful because they love you enough to protect you instead of just saying what ever, go do what you want to do. Remember that they love you.

Be Optimist Part two, Joy

     Joy.  Many people misunderstand the meaning of joy.  The joy I am talking about is a unique joy that is only found by God.  This kind of joy is given by God also.  When you have this kind of joy people will notice.  You seem brighter and you seem to be lifted off the ground, even if you're on the ground.  The joy I am talking about is so strong that even when hard times come you seem joyful.  Some people say happy, but what makes you happy?  Is it maybe things that HAPPen in this world?  Did you notice something?  In HAPPy and HAPPen they have the same first four words.  So, to my point of view, you are happy for things that happen in this world.  But, you are joyful for things that are "out of this world", just to let you know I mean things that God gives us.  Not really out of this world, like in space. : 0 )Things that you should be joyful about God gives you.  Pure joy comes from God.  When you are joyful you always look on the bright side.  Just like the kid with the baseball and the bat. (If you have not read that post, it's right under this one)  So today be joyful.  There are many things to be joyful about.  Would you like to me to list them?  If you do comment on this post.  You don't have to have a blog to comment here.  You can always e-mail us at leeparkgals@hotmail.com 

Be Optimist! Part One

     Yesterday I read a short story about a little boy.  He had a baseball and a baseball bat.  He shouts "I am the greatest baseball batter there ever was!"  and he tosses the ball in the air, and swings the bat.   But he misses, then he says "Strike one!."  He then says "I am the greatest baseball batter in the world!"  and he tosses the ball in the air and tries to hit it.  Bet yet again, he misses, "Strike two!"  He yells.  He tosses the ball in the air one last time and says "I am the best batter that has ever been born!"  and he swings again and misses.  But he's not upset or mad, all he says is "Gee, I may not be the best batter... But I am the best pitcher!"
     You see how that boy was so optimist.  He always looked on the bright side.  He wasn't frustrated or mad that he did not hit the ball, but instead, he cheered himself up by saying he's the best pitcher.  Now when you are optimist you always look on the bright side.  Have you ever heard the saying "I see the cup half full not half empty."  Well that's another way of being optimist.  Have any of you watched the movie Finding Nemo.  That's such a cute movie.  Well remember the part where Nemo's dad and Dori are stuck in the whale, and the water start to go away.  Remember the part when Nemo's father says "Look, the whale's mouth is half empty!"  and Dori says, "No, I think it's half full."  I always thought that was so cute!  So let's all be like Dori and the boy with the baseball and the bat.  Be Optimist!

Worried

     Hello everyone, did you have a good New Year?  I know I did.  Yet I can't help but always worry what's going to happen in the future?  What tragedies and trials will I go through?  How will I change in the future, is it for better better or worse?  All these things are natural to worry about.  But, why?  We have God.  He feeds the birds and gives them what they need and aren't we more valuable than birds?  Yes, God loves his creation, but he loves us more.  So He will always take care of us.  So the next time you catch yourself worrying over something remind yourself, God loves me and He will take care of me.  Also I have said this saying before, "The past is the past, what's done is done.  The future... well it may never come, and the present, huh, well there is a reason why it's called the present."  So be thankful that God blessed you with this day.  Because, without God we are nothing with God we can move mountains.  If it wasn't for God we would not have this day, or the week before.  We would not have even been here.  So thank God for what you do have and stop worrying about the future.  Like I said, who know it may never come.