Two Thousand and Eleven

Saturday Morning, January 1st 2011- NEW YEARS DAY!!

It is so weird to write 2011! Happy News Years Day! :) I'm sure everyone enjoyed celebrating the New year...I would love to hear what everyone did!

I am actually pretty excited for this year. I know God can and probably will do something amazing to me and through me in this up coming year. What am I looking forward too? Well...I turn 17 in a month from tomorrow!!! (That sounds kinda old hahaha) And I don't really know what else is going to be happening, but I know that God is in total control and that He is very capable of doing amazing things-I just have to be looking for them. God, I want You to be ahead of my every step this year. I want you to make me bold for you and strong for what I know is right. Like the song, give me your eyes for the ones who are hurting, Lord. And give me your heart for those forgotten. I am so excited to see where You take me in 2011 and I pray that You keep me just as excited as I start school again and go about my daily life. I pray that You help me to keep my priorities straight and help me to love and serve others above myself. God, I know You have an amazing plan for my life. Right now I don't know what that is. But help me to make that my mission for 2011. I might not be able to figure out the whole puzzle in one year, but I can make it my goal to figure out one piece and to see how it fits! I pray that You will help me to focus on the beautiful memories and times and to endure the hard and not so fun times. Help me to keep you ahead of me in every thing (no matter how small they may seem). I have some serious growing to do in my areas, I know, but I ask that You shape me to be the Young Woman that You want me to be. I pray that You start revealing to me why I am here on this earth-and why I am where I am. I pray that You will help me to work really hard on school and all of the stuff that I don't really enjoy but I have to do and that you help me to find time to do the stuff that I love to do and also to help Mom. Help me to stop wasting time and to start making a difference in this broken world, even it its on the internet or with my closest family and friends. This is my prayer for 2011...I will probably end up adding to it day-by-day-Help me to live out my Faith!!

The above is what I wrote in my journal when I came home from church tonight. I just thought I might share this with you all. I would love for someone to comment or post something on your own blogs about what you're hoping for in 2011. I love you and I hope to become a better friend and a closer friend to whoever reads this :) Have a wonderful year!

(By the way-you better make this the best year of your life because according to Jay Sean the world is going to end in 2012! haha I'm just kidding...I don't believe that we know when the world will 'end' but I do know that I intend to make this the best possible year for me that I can! Who's with me?!) 
*******

It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. (Deuteronomy 31:8)

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? Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident. (Psalm 27: 1, 3)

You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. (Psalm 32:7-8) 

Her Last Prayer

[Girl, 16 or 17 years old, Asia, 1970s]

The Communist soldiers had discovered their illegal Bible study.

As the Pastor was reading from the Bible, men with guns suddenly broke into the home, terrorizing the believers who had gathered there to worship. The Communists shouted insults and threatened to kill the Christians. The leading officer pointed his gun at the pastor's head. "Hand me your Bible," he demanded.

Reluctantly, the pastor handed over his Bible, his prized possession. With a sneer on his face, the guard threw the Word of God on the floor at his feet.

He glared at the small congregation. "We will let you go," he growled, "but first, you must spit on this book of lies. Anyone who refuses will be shot." The believers had no choice but to obey the officer's order.

A solider pointed his gun at one of the men. "You first."

The man slowly got up and knelt down by the Bible. Reluctantly, he spit on it, praying, "Father, please forgive me." He stood up and walked to the door. The soldiers stood back and allowed him to leave.

"Okay, you!" the soldier said, nudging a woman forward. In tears, she could barely do what the soldier demanded. She spat only a little, but it was enough. She too was allowed to leave.

Quietly, a young girl came forward. Overcome with love for her Lord, she knelt down and picked up the Bible. She wiped off the spit with her dressed. "What have they done to your Word? Please forgive them," she prayed.

The Communist soldier put his pistol to her head. Then he pulled the trigger.
~*~
Most of those facing persecution today could have escaped if they had denied their faith. The question is not whether we are persecuted, but whether we are willing to lay down our life for our faith in Jesus Christ.

YOU are Fearfully and Wonderfully made

"Hanging On" lyrics by Britt Nicole:

you see my anxious heart
you see what i am feeling
and when i fall apart
you are there to hold me
how great your love for me
now i see what You're thinking
You say i'm beautiful
Your voice is my healing

without You i just can't get by
so i'm

hanging on to every word You speak
'cause it's all that i need
hanging on to every word You say
to light up my way
even every little whisper i'm
hanging on as if it were my life
i'm hanging on

and when the darkness falls
i can't see what's before me
Your voice is like the dawn
always there to guide me

without you i just can't get by

so i'm

hanging on to every word You speak
'cause it's all that i need
hanging on to every word You say
to light up my way
even every little whisper i'm
hanging on as if it were my life
i'm hanging on

You know me better than i know myself
better than anybody else
Your love is sounding like a ringing bell
oh, oh, i won't let go

hanging on to every word You speak
'cause it's all that i need
hanging on to every word You say
to light up my way
even every little whisper i'm
hanging on as if it were my life
i'm hanging on

This is a video of her explaining this song:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE0EnhkX6pw
And this is the whole song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRgEO40glG8&feature=related

I will Praise God because I am fearfully and wonderfully made!!

Comment if this meant something to you. I have said this before, but I totally admire Britt Nicole. She is basically my role model. That might sound stupid but I love her music & everything.

Trust vs. Worry

Why is it that we have more faith that the pieces of a puzzle made by a company in Taiwan will all fit together than we have that the pieces of our life that are presented to us by God will fit together? One person chooses to put like pieces together first, while another chooses to put the edges of the puzzle together first, but neither individual ever really doubts that the puzzle will somehow fit perfectly. The edges in and of themselves probably have little to do with the main image or idea of the puzzle, yet without it, the puzzle is incomplete. In fact, although these pieces appear to have little to do with the main idea or image, they are nonetheless as important to the puzzle's completion. In the beginning some pieces, even when they fit perfectly together, might not help you to understand what the puzzle is about; only in its completion can you appreciate the parts that at first seemed insignificant and pointless.
-James Blanchard Cisneros, You Have Chosen to Remember: A Journey From Perception to Knowledge, Peace of Mind and Joy, p. 55

Do you trust God? If you were asked this question, your immediate response would probably be, "Yes, I do trust God." If you were also asked: Do you ever worry? Your answer would probably be, "Yes, I worry sometimes." My friend, let me say that if you truly trust God, then you would never worry. If you choose to worry in any situation then know that you are not fully trusting in God.

Trust God or worry. Those are the two choices you have in every situation. Trust God and be at peace. Worry and experience stress. Your choices are that simple and you will make your life as peaceful or stressful as you choose to make it. Trust God and be at peace. This is all that is asked of you. Yet, over and over again, you choose worry over trust, and make your life a living hell. 

- James Blanchard Cisneros, You Have Chosen to Remember: A Journey From Perception to Knowledge, Peace of Mind and Joy, p. 128 

*This one really got me. How many times do I choose worry over trust? Why am I so stupid? haha

 

You're not Safe and that's Okay

God has an amazing plan for your life-and mine. Don't be afraid to step out in faith and accept what He has for you. I know sometimes I am so afraid to go somewhere that isn't familiar...that I've never done before. But I know that fear is not the right approach. After all, when God is with us who can be against us? Safe is another song by Britt Nicole:

You keep tryin to get inside my head,
while i keep trying to lose the words you said
can't you see i'm hangin by a thread,
to my life what i know, yeah i'm losing control and
oh no, my walls are gonna break
so close, its more than i can take
i'm so tired of turning and running away
when love ju--st isn't safe
(your not safe, mmm-mm)

i'm strong enough, I've always told myself
i never want to need somebody else
but I've already fallen from that hill,
so i'm droppin that guard here's your chance at my heart and

Oh no, my walls are gonna break
so close, its more than i can take
i'm so tired of turning and running away
when love ju-st isn't

everything you want, but its everything you need

its not always happy endings but its hap-py in between
its taken so long, so long to finally see
that your love is worth the risk

Oh no, my walls are gonna breeeaakk
Oh no, my walls are gonna break
so close, its more than i can take
so tired of turning and running away
when love ju-st isn't safe

Oh no, my walls are gonna break
Oh no, my walls are gonna break
so close, its more than i can take
so tired of turning and running away
when love just isn't safe

your not safe
and that's okay

I think she says it better than I ever could: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FWt_4CRv3M

This is the whole song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLQduUi1tW4

I Am a Soldier of Christ

[Roy Pontoh, 15 years old, Indonesia, 1999]

The teens could tell that the shouts and chanting were getting closer and closer. An older teen looked nervously at his friend. "The Muslims are coming. We'd better hide the kids," he said. Others, following his lead, helped the smaller children find hiding places in the buildings nearby. Then they hid themselves.

It was January and a crowd of mostly Christian children and teenagers had gathered for a Bible camp at the Station Field Complex of Pattimura University on the island of Ambon, Indonesia. When the campw as over, cars came to take the laughing, rejoicing children back to their homes. But there were not enough cars to hold the young people.

Mecky Sainyakit and three other Christian men had gone to Wakal village to try to rent additional transportation to take the rest home. But they had not yet come back.

What the kids waiting for rides home didn't know was that on their way to the village, the men were attacked by a Muslim mob, who pulled them from their car and out onto the road. Mecky and one of the other men were stabbed to death, and later their bodies were burned by the mob. The two other men escaped with their lives.

Before long, the mob reached the University. They found many of the teens and forced them to come out of hiding. Roy Pontoh was forced from his hiding place and made to stand before the mob.

"Renounce your Jesus, or we will kill you!" they threatened.


Roy was terribly frightened. Though trembling, he answered, "I am a soldier of Christ!"

At this, one of the Muslim attackers swung a sword at his stomach. The sword hit the Bible Roy held, and ripped into it, knocking it out of his hand. The man's next swing sliced open Roy's stomach. His last word was "Jesus."

The mob dragged Roy's body out and threw it in a ditch. Four days later, his family found it. Even though they were wracked with grief, Roy's parents stand proud of their song, who stood strong in his faith to the end.
~*~

Whoever declared openly-speaking out freely- and confesses that he is My worshipper and acknowledges Me before men, th e song of man also will declare and confess and acknowledge him before the angels or God.
   -Jesus (Luke 12:8 AMP)

Walk On The Water

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAFup_5dPaQ

Britt Nicole is such an inspiration to me. I love all of her songs. They are so well written and most of them totally apply to my life. :) I would love to be like her one day. She seems to be not afraid to step out and to follow God and do what He has called her to be.
This is one of her songs called Walk On The Water:

You look around
It's staring back at you
Another wave of doubt
Will it pull you under
You wonder

What if I'm overtaken
What if I never make it
What if no one's there?
Will you hear my prayer?

When you take that first step
Into the unknown
You know that he won't let you go

Chorus:

So what are you waiting for?
What do you have to lose?
Your insecurities try to hold to you

You know you're made for more
So don't be afraid to move
Your faith is all
It takes and you can
Walk on the water too

Verse 2:
So get out
And let
Your fear fall to the ground
No time to waste
Don't wait
Don't you turn around and miss out
Everything you were made for
I know you're not sure
So you play it safe
Try to run away

If you take that first step
Into the unknown
He won't let you go

(chorus)

Bridge:
(step out)
Even when a storm hits
(step out)
Even when you're broken
(step out)
Even when your heart is telling you telling you to give up
(step out)
When your hope is stolen
(step out)
You can't see where you're going
You don't have to be afraid

So what are you waiting,
What are you waiting for?

So what are you waiting for?
What do you have to lose?
Your insecurities try to hold to you

You know you're made for more
So don't be afraid to move
Your faith is all
It takes and you can
Walk on the water...
Walk on the water too

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=125Ppy25QIw&feature=channel

Released From Death Row

[Gul Masih, Pakistan, 1992]

The judge looked at Sajjad Husain, who was the only witness against the Christian Gul Masih. The judge liked what he saw:Sajjad was young and fervent, college-educated, and with his full beard he looked like a true Muslim.

No one else had heard the conversation between the two neighbors. No one could confirm that Masih had defamed the Islamic prophet, Mohammed. It was Sajjad Husain's word against Gul Masih's word.

The judge looked at Gul Masih. Despite constant persecution, Gul Masih had chosen to be a Jesus Freak. In fact, his name "Masih" means Messiah. Many Christians in Pakistan, especially those who convert to Christianity, unashamedly use this as a public source of identification with Jesus Christ.

Pakistan's blasphemy laws are harsh: every critical word about Mohammed or the Koran, their holy book, is considered blasphemy, and violators are sentenced to death. (12 other Pakistani Christians have been accused in recent years under these laws. Five of them were acquitted by the courts, but then illegally murdered by Muslim extremists. Many others are still being accused.)

The judge nodded toward Husain and said, "I have no reason to disbelieve this witness."

Then he turned to Gul Masih. "I sentence you to death by hanging."

When news of Gul Masih's situation was published, Christians from all over the world wrote to him in jail to encourage him that people knew of his situation, that they cared, and that they were praying for him. He responded to a Canadian woman:

"First of all, I am thankful to you that you have encouraged me. My Lord has come to me twice in my prison cell. One day, I was sitting in my cell thinking about this injustice in a sad and hopeless mood. Suddenly athe cell filled with light and my body trembled. I saw my Lord. Four days after this, my Jesus came again and overshadowed me by raising His hands & blessing me. From that day on, I have been happy & at peace. My Lord is with me in Jail. He doesn't leave me alone. We are five members in our family. We have a great love for each other. I am very grateful to my Lord. He has fulfilled all my needs in the best possible way. I am also thankful to you and my other brothers & sisters who have supported me. I hope that by the grace of God we will see one another. Let us not forget the power of prayer."

In addition to writing to Gul Masih, many also wrote to the Pakistani Ambassador saying they were aware of the "unproven and unjust" sentences of Gul Masih and two other Pakistani Christians. One Christian leaders says the law is used as a weapon against the Christians in the country. Many blasphemy charges are lies from a jealous, neighboring shopkeeper or farmer.

These letters were used by God to help facilitate Gul Masih's release after almost 3 years in prison. In a miraculous turn of events, on November 29, 1994, the Lahore High Court of Pakistan cleared Gul Masih of all charges of violating the blasphemy law and removed him from the danger of certain death.

Being released from death row does now exactly mean freedom for Gul Masih. His life remains threatened by Islamic fundamentalists who were outraged by t he court's verdict. Within a month, the leader of the Muslim temple in Sarghoda issued a fatwah, an order for Gul Masih's assassination. Wanted posters were placed throughout the city of Sarghoda, pleading for his execution. Death threats were called out on the loudspeaker from the tower of the local mosque. Gul Masih remains fearful for his life and is in hiding despite his release from prison.
~*~

There will even come a time when anyone who kills you will think he's doing God a favor. They will do these things because they never really understood the Father. I've told you these things so that when the time comes and they start in on you, you'll be well-warned and ready for them.
-Jesus (John 16:2-4, The message)

I Will Follow

"I Will Follow"-Chris Tomlin

Where you go, I'll go
Where you stay, I'll stay
When you move, I'll move
I will follow...

All your ways are good
All your ways are sure
I will trust in you alone
Higher than my side
High above my life
I will trust in you alone

Where you go, I'll go
Where you stay, I'll stay
When you move, I'll move
I will follow you
Who you love, I'll love
How you serve I'll serve
If this life I lose, I will follow you
I will follow you

Light unto the world
Light unto my life
I will live for you alone
You're the one I seek
Knowing I will find
All I need in you alone, in you alone

In you there's life everlasting
In you there's freedom for my soul
In you there joy, unending joy
and I will follow <3

I will trust Him

I will trust Him. Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him; in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him; if I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. My sickness, or perplexity, or sorrow may be necessary causes of some great end, which is quite beyond us. He does nothing in vain.  -John Henry Newman

I still have two years (more like one and a half now!) of high school left. Sometimes that seems like forever...like I will never get out of high school! ...But sometimes it seems like its going too fast. I am so excited to go to college...I mean I'm sure parts of it are really fun-and its something different! I am also scared, though. It will be hard, I know, and a lot of work. But even though I'm not sure what He has in store for my life, I will trust Him! I am so excited to see where he takes me...where he leads me. I'm not even sure what I want to major in in college and I have no idea what to do after college. To be honest I haven't really thought about it much yet! That seems like an eternity away!

If you've never heard this song, check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6X71sXagUY