Standing Alone

I just wanted to share a cool picture I got a few days ago.

On June 7th, at Marlborough School, put on by Ambassador Baptist Church in West Windsor, we are having a carnival to reach out into the community. (If you want to come, information is at the bottom)

So a few days ago, myself and two of my siblings went around to the neighborhood houses delivering cards for it, and one house I came to had a really interesting thing in front of their porch.

There was a beautiful single tall yellow tulip beside the steps, it far out-shone the flowers around it. But the others, for whatever reason, were all bend away from it, as though they were avoiding it.

At first I just thought it was weird, but as I thought about it, I came to realize that it shows a picture of what the world is like.

God is awesome.

The more I know about Him, the closer I come to Him, to more I realize that. He seems to get better and better every time I learn something new.

I feel like something that beautiful should attract people, should draw them in, but instead, they are all shrinking away. Leaning as far away from Him as they can, even though their stems might break because they are so bent.

I just thought that was cool.




And now for anyone who is interested in the carnival that we are putting on, here is the card with the details. :)

A Familiar Smile

Siblings are gifts.

This is something I learned again yesterday.

Yesterday was just one of those days. I probably seemed totally normal to everyone around me, but through most of the day I was fighting a battle inside my head, trying to weakly fight off attacks of "You aren't good enough," "You'll never achieve your goals," "You can never work hard enough," etc., and failing miserably.

Near the end of the day, I was stretching after a ballet class in my living room, and I came to a point where I looked over and saw my sister who is way more flexible than I am, and pretty nearly had a break down.

But just then my older sister walked in and started to make me laugh. Within seconds I had forgotten the weight of the day and was able to laugh and appreciate her company.

I thought about it a lot afterwards. It's amazing how big a blessing something as simple as talking and laughing can be.

And I am thankful for the familiar faces around me, the ones that can snap me out of a depressed mood simply by walking over and smiling.

In This World You Will Have Trouble...

Hey again!

So...in the beginning when I created this blog, I was meaning for it to be just looking into life's blessings and showing them to Christians and non Christians alike, but as I keep posting, my posts are more and more from a Christian perspective.

I hope you guys don't mind, there is just too much that I love about God to not post it on here.

So, I have another one. :) Surprise!

If anyone has checked out my business that I own with my two little sisters, you will probably have discovered that we are trying to raise a lot of money for ballet lessons and time is our enemy.

Recently I have been feeling very overwhelmed by it, because I feel like there is no way I am going to get the money when I need it, and I won't be able to take lessons.

Some of you might say, "Well that is okay, just save up for next year."

The problem with this is that I am already 15 years old, and that is LATE to be starting taking lessons. If I want to be a professional someday, ideally, I should have started when I was 2 or 3.

So I am feeling the pressure. A lot. And I really want to take lessons this year.

I keep telling myself that if God wants me to get lessons, He will make sure I get lessons. I am doing my best to raise the money, so I need to leave it in His hands. But then I get bombarded with thoughts like, What if He doesn't want you to take lessons? What if He wants you to do more than you are doing to raise money? What if... The doubts never end.

But then yesterday I went to prayer meeting at our church, and my dad read John 16 to open up, and right at the end this verse just stood out like it was taking up the whole page, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

I can have peace in Him. I can rest in Him. The matter is really in His hands.

In this world I will have trouble, I will have doubts and fears, and maybe I will never get to take dance lessons, but He tells me to take heart, because HE HAS OVERCOME THE WORLD.

"Mary."

Wow, yeah, it's been a while.

Sorry about that.

But here I am again, and I have something AMAZING to say! Well, it is amazing to me. I hope someone else is amazed as well.

I have always known this, it's one of those things that Christians grow up hearing all of their lives, and then one day you are just like, "WOW! Seriously?!?! YEEEEEEEESSSSSSS!!!!!"

This thought came from our Easter Sunday service at church, in which our pastor was talking about Mary Magdalene.

In case anybody doesn't know who she is, you can read about her in Matthew 27:56, 61; 28:1; Mark 15:40, 47; 16:1-19; Luke 8:2; 24:10; John 19:25; 20:1-18. Although if you are going to read these, I suggest reading before and after these verses, because these don't tell you the story, they just tell you where she is mentioned.

Mary Magdalene has been one of my favorite women bible characters ever since I first read Luke 8:2,
And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,...

I've always felt like I can relate to her, because when I became a Christian, I was lifted out of TONS of bondage. It was like a million pound weight had been lifted off of my back, and I know that the more God brought me out of, the greater reason I have to be thankful.

I didn't have seven demons. Mary was under that much more bondage, she had that much more weight on her back, and Jesus lifted it off for her just as He lifted mine off for me.

So although I know I did not come from nearly the same place that she did, I have always felt like, We both have so much to be thankful for.

Before I go on to my awesome moment, I want to tell you another thing which made it even better. I am not a very quick learner. When it comes to bible stuff I feel a little bit helpless, and like I want to know these things, I want to know about Jesus, but I can't, because I don't know how to teach myself, I don't know how to study. So for years I have been asking God, "Teach me, because I can't do it on my own. I don't know how to study, so show me. I don't know how to understand, so open my eyes and teach me."

And He answers prayer! He has been teaching me all the way, and I know that He will continue to teach me. He is my Teacher.

So when our pastor was reading the story, and he came to John 20:16, (read before this before reading on, if you have not before. It makes it all that much better.) Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).

That is about enough to make my heart stop.

All He said was her name, but she knew it was Him. That...I can't even...just WOW. Hearing that was like hearing Jesus saying, "Keturah." It was Him talking to His friend, He didn't just say her name, He said it in a personal way because He knew her personally. He knows me! He knew her! And He knows me! He knows my name. This is so amazing.

And then, in response, she turned and said to Him, "Teacher!" Another personal thing, because He taught her. Not just as a face in the crowd, but He taught her. And He teaches me. 

I'm sorry if I am really repetitive, I am never sure if I made the point clear enough.

Have a great day, and know that you are not just a face in the crowd, but Jesus knows you, and He knows your name. Listen for it, He's calling it.

I Can Never Seem to Be Thankful Enough

Today I am thankful for SO many things!

I just came home from ten days spent at my cousins' house in Lansing, Michigan. The week was super fun, I got new books, (most people who know me would know that that alone excites me like crazy) I got to spend time with my awesome uncle and aunt and cousins, and go to a bunch more places...you don't need all of the details. Let's just say it was a lot of fun.

Anyways, when I returned home and looked back on the week I was just amazed at how God has blessed me!

Not only has He blessed me like crazy with the things that I have and the country that I live in, but He has blessed me with the family that I have and the friends that I have.

I want to tell you a little bit about my cousins.

A few years ago they took a HUGE step of faith towards Europe. They traveled, (the whole family, three kids and two parents) to Ukraine to adopt a little girl named Kataryna.

Kataryna is severely disabled and (was) extremely malnourished. Her body was completely straight, this is what she looked like.

 

They went through a long adoption process with lots of difficulties and nearly lost her many times, but they have trusted God to pull them through every situation, and He has.

They are still looking to move forward, they have done work on her knees so that they can bend, and I believe are now looking into surgery so that her hips can bend and she can sit.

Through their faith and faithfulness, this is what she looks like now.

 

(If you would like to read about her and their family's story you can HERE.)

When we arrived home after this trip, we came home to a loving family, and then we went to our church's nightly prayer meeting, where we have close friends who are all bound together with one purpose, to build the kingdom of God and to seek His face.

I love the legacy that I live in.

I am surrounded by godly people who love me! It is AMAZING!

I am just so encouraged by this, I can't express it.

I don't deserve the circumstances that God has put me in. I don't deserve the amount of love with which He loves me.

Miracles

Good morning! :)

I don't know how many of you have looked at the Senn Twins Facebook page since I posted about them, (read my earlier post, So Strong) but one of their recent updates was about Ellanie, saying that they were heading to the hospital, most likely to say goodbye. She was on life support and was not seeming to turn the corner, so they expected she would not make it.

But yesterday, they posted, "We are so thankful as this evening ends that both of the babies are currently stable." 

PRAISE THE LORD!!! He is GOOD!!

Please continue to pray for them as they are both still very sick, but it has been over a week and both of them are stable.

What I loved the most about the post they put out yesterday was this, they said, "We also received great news from her brain scan that her bleeding has disappeared! The Dr thought it was a mistake at first because she said that its nearly impossible. We just smile because it is impossible...which reminds us that only God can receive the credit for it."

God is faithful, and He is working wonders in this family's lives!

My dad sometimes reminds people, and I love the way he says this, that, "God is still in the miracle business." He didn't just work miracles in the "Bible times," but He is the same God with the same kind of power that He had back then.

Please keep praying for them and keep passing the word around, your prayers are working.

If you want to know more about Malachi and Ellanie Senn or would like to receive their updates, click on this - Senn Twins, to get to their Facebook page.

So Strong

Hallo again!

I have been meaning to make blogging a weekly thing, but I don't want to blog if I have nothing special to blog about, so I have not done it for the past...about 13 days. I apologize.

BUT.

I believe that there was a reason I felt no strong urge to post earlier, and the reason has just revealed itself now.

Please, anyone who reads this, share it on Facebook, tell your friends about, get the word around.

We have just been made aware that one of our family's friends from a long time ago just gave birth to twins at 24 WEEK AND 4 DAYS.

They weigh only about 1 pound each, (a little over a pound I think, I don't know the exact weight) and have only 20% chance of survival.

The mother's name is Naomi Senn and the babies are Malachi and Ellanie. The Senns also have a little boy.


Naomi has left the hospital for the night leaving the babies in the care of the doctors and nurses, and will be going back tomorrow, please pray that these twins will be alive and breathing when she gets back!

Also that there will be complete healing and normal development in their bodies, as, were they to survive, this situation could cause damage in a number of ways physically.

If you want to find out more about them, look at their Facebook page Here.


As I heard about this I was just in awe at how these babies are so strong. They are so tiny, and can barely breath, yet, without any real reason in their minds, they struggle and are still alive.

Praise God for these tiny lives! Praise God for His ability to make something SO small be SO strong! They are so precious to Him, and I don't think He would ever want them to suffer. Your prayers are really appreciated.

Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. (Jeremiah 1:5)