Chapter Two: Stay

      "I'm hanging on to a hope I don't remember. I'm 21 and life still hasn't come together. Stay, stay with me. Don't leave me all alone picking up the pieces. My heart can't bear you leaving. Just another night of feeling so alone. There's nothing for me without you. Where was I before I knew you? I AM YOURS!" ~"Stay" by Lexi Elisha.

                                    

Well, the first chapter to this story is Chapter One: My feet are bruised but they'll follow where You lead. This is the second chapter of my story. Over the summer I have forgotten about the dream God has placed in my heart to help others. I haven't done my volunteer work like I normally do. And though I have traveled many places this summer, I haven't had the courage to tell others about God on my trips.

To be completely honest, I've gone what some would call "lukewarm" in my Christian walk. The Bible says "So, because you are lukewarm- neither hot nor cold- I am about to spit you out of my mouth." ~Revelation 3:16. I don't want to be this kind of Christian and I don't want to be a disappointment to God. I had to get to a low point in my life to realize I needed that fire in me to be blazing again.

The Bible says "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans." ~Psalm 118:8 and "Do not put your trust on princes, in human beings, who cannot save." ~Psalm 146:3. Yesterday, on the way home from Tennessee, I realized I had been putting my faith in people close to me instead of God. Needless to say, these people let me down one by one until I felt completely alone. I don't think these people meant to let me down, but I think it was all a part of God's plan to get me attention. The Bible does say that God will take away what we worship instead o Him. Sometimes a relationship can turn into what we are worshiping instead of God.

I'm getting back into my routine of spending time with God, my heart is slowly being mended back together and the fire in my soul is starting to blaze again.

I haven't set out and conquered the world yet. But I am still a work in progress and, Thank God, He is still working on me. More "chapters" of my life story will be shared with you as they are revealed to me. God's timing is PERFECT!!

(Other) Women of the Bible & Proverbs 31 Women of the Bible-Continued

    

It's been 8 months and 3 days since I wrote about the Proverbs 31 Women of the Bible and Other Women of the Bible series. Here's the posts in the series so far:

Proverbs 31 Women in the Bible-part 1

Proverbs 31 Women in the Bible-part 2

Proverbs 31 Women in the Bible-part 3

Proverbs 31 Women in the Bible-part 4

Other Women of the Bible-part 1

Other Women of the Bible-part 2

Other Women of the Bible-part 3

Other Women of the Bible-part 4

Proverbs 31 Women of the Bible-part 5

Other Women of the Bible-part 5

Proverbs 31 Women of the Bible-part 6

I am going to be starting these series back up in June. I am going to be using my Bible as a reference, of course. I will also be using She Reads Truth's Bible study "Women in the Word" and the American Bible Society's book Women of the Bible: Heroines and the Lessons They Can Still Teach Us. I have really enjoyed doing these and I'm so excited to be able to start it back up this summer!

So far the women I have written about are: Noah & his sons' wives, Sarah, Hagar, Rebekah, Shipharh & Puah, Moses' Mother (Jochbed), Zelophehad's Daughters, Rahab, Aksah, Deborah, Jephthah's daughter, Ruth, Hannah, Abigail, Shumannite woman, Eve, Lot's wife, Keturah, Leah, Rachel, Bilhah &Zilpah, Dinah, Tamar, Potiphar's wife, Zipporah, Miriam, Jael, Abimelek's killer, Samson's pagan bride, Delilah, Micah's mother, Levite's Concubine, Wives of Benjamin, Samson's mother, Naomi, Orpah, Michal, Bathsheba, Tamar, Rizpah, Queen of Sheba, Widow at Zarephath, Medium of Endor, Wise woman of Tekoa, Solomon's pagan wives, Maakah, Jezebel, Athaliah, The Adulteress woman in Proverbs, Gomer, Esther, Jehosheba, The Psalms girl, Song of songs woman, Jerobom's wife, the prophet's widow, Naaman's maidservant, Huldah, Vashti, Job's wife, Job's daughters, The Daughters of Jerusalem, and Mary the mother of Jesus.

I'll do a small refresher course next Saturday and then Saturday, June 6th I'll start back on the series. I hope you all enjoy it and thank you for coming along with me on this journey through the lives of these women!

Other Women of the Bible- part 1

 

Okay, so I've been doing a "Proverbs 31 Women of the Bible" series. I started thinking we could learn something from all of the women in the Bible. So here is another branch in the "Proverbs 31 Women in the Bible" series called "Other Women of the Bible". We will be looking at all the other women who I didn't put as a Proverbs 31 Woman. Some of these women are good role models and others are not, but we can learn something from them all.

Eve: She was first woman. God made her from the dirt and with one of Adam's ribs. She got to enjoy the Garden of Eden and talking to God. She got to see a time when there was nothing but peace in the world. She made a mistake and sinned by eating fruit from a tree God told her not to eat from. As a result, she and Adam had to leave the garden and live a hard life. She knew how perfect the world was before sin and she had to watch the world become a sinful place. Nonetheless, she was a big part of history! (Genesis chapter two.)

 Lot's Disobedient Wife: Lot and his wife traveled with Abraham and Sarah. Lot picked the land of Sodom and Gomorrah to live because it was the best land. But this land was filled with a lot of sin. God spared Lot and his family. But Lot's wife loved the place where she lived, a place filled with sin, so much that she disobeyed God and turned into a pillar of salt. Lot's wife loved the world more than God.

Keturah: She was the second wife of Abraham and she had six sons with him. At times Keturah probably felt like she could never be good enough. She did have some big shoes to fill after Sarah. But Abraham loved her too.

Leah: She was Rachel's older sister. She obeyed her father and married Jacob. What was her reward for this? She lived her whole life knowing that her husband loved her younger sister more than her. I can't imagine how that felt! God blessed her though by giving her children. Out of her children came the Israelites line of Priests and the family tree of Jesus Christ.  It's quite obvious God showed Leach how much He loved her!

Rachel: She found her true love in Jacob. But she had to watch as her sister married him first. When she finally married Jacob, she had to split her time with him with her sister for the rest of her life. Then Rachel found out that she could not have children, but her sister could. It had to be hard on Rachel to watch her husband with another woman and seeing her sister's children when she couldn't have any herself. But instead of relying on God she got competitive and caused more fighting with her sister. She played a big role in history and was blessed with two sons of her own.

Bilhah and Zilpah: These two women were the servants of Leah and Rachel. I can not imagine how these women felt when they were giving to Jacob as "wives" just to produce babies! Yes, they were taking care of but it was still probably very hard on them knowing that their children, in the eyes of society, belonged to someone else. I do admire them for willingly doing what Leah and Rachel told them to do and having hearts like a servant. God rewarded them by allowing their children to be a part of Israel's heritage.

Dinah: She was Jacob's daughter. Leah was her mother. Not much is said about her. But the Bible does tell us that she was raped by the prince of the town her family was staying in. The result of this was that her brothers killed all the men in the town. Dinah had to live with what happened to her and probably would not find a husband because of this. I wonder what Dinah was thinking going out by herself. Had she grown up a tomb-boy because of her twelve brothers? Did she think she could take care of herself because, maybe, her brothers had taught her a little self-defense? Ether way, Dinah became a silent victim.

Tamar: She was Judah's daughter-in-law. Her husband sinned and died. Keeping to the law, her brother-in-law married her. But he sins and died. Now Judah did not want to give his other son in marriage for fear of death. But he wouldn't help Tamar by arranging for her to marry someone else. Tamar didn't rely on God and took matters into her own hands and tricked Judah. She kept the family line alive, but we can learn that if God has a plan HE will see it finished. We just need to have faith and not try to fix it ourselves.

Potiphar's Wife: This woman probably had everything money could buy. After all, her husband worked for Pharaoh in a very high position. But maybe she didn't feel loved and cherished. Maybe her marriage was having problems. Potiphar could have been working long hours and not being there for his wife like he should have been. Ether way, what Potiphar's Wife did was not the way to handle things! She found Joseph attractive and she tried to get him to sleep with her. Had she tried this before with other servants? We don't know. But the Bible does tell us that Joesph said no. I believe the lesson we can learn is that no marriage will have a chance of truly being happy without God in the center of it.

Proverbs 31 Women of the Bible- part 4

 

Well, it's time to explore more women of the Bible! So here we go.

Ruth: She was a woman who didn't really know much about God. But she trusted Him and followed her mother-in-law to a new place. She left everything and everyone she knew just so her mother-in-law wouldn't be alone! She worked to provide for the two of them and she didn't ask for any help, she just trusted God! She was known as a woman of noble character by many. Finally, the book of Proverbs came after Ruth in the Hebrew Bible. So the Proverbs 31 woman was Ruth! Therefore, Ruth fits EVERY verse! Her story can be found in the whole book of Ruth.

Hannah: She was a woman who just wanted a child. So she prayed to God and told Him that she would give the child back to Him. She  became pregnant and sure enough, she kept her promise and gave her child back to God by letting him be raised in the temple. She fits verses 11, 12, and 30 of the Proverbs 31 woman. Her story can be found in 1 Samuel chapter one.

Abigail: She was an intelligent and beautiful woman. Her husband had no compassion and all of his household about died because of that. Abigail saved her household by preparing food and asking for forgiveness. She fits verses 17, 18, 20, 26, and 27 of the Proverbs 31 woman. Her story can be found in 1 Samuel twenty-five.

A Shumannite Woman: This woman and her husband opened their home up to Elisha. This woman asked for nothing in return. But Elisha wanted to give her something for her kindness. So she asked him to pray that she might have a child. Sure enough, she had a son. But one day her son complained of a headache and he died in her arms! Did this woman cry and blame God? No! She put the boy's body on Elisha's bed and without telling her husband that their son was dead she went and found Elisha. When Elisha asked her how everyone was she told him they were all fine! I think this is because she knew God was going to save her son, she had unshakable faith! Elisha went back with her and sure enough God, through Elisha, raised the boy from the dead. What did the woman do when this happened? She got on her knees and PRAISED God BEFORE she went to her son! Wow! She fits verses 20, 22, 28, and 30 of the Proverbs 31 woman. Her story can be found in 2 Kings chapter four, verses eight through thirty-seven.

A Fairy Tale in the making

 

"Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeing; but a woman who fears The Lord is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gates." ~Proverbs 31:30-31 (NIV)

      Today is the last blog post for the Modest Is Hottest Prom 2014. I have really enjoyed doing this "advice" segment and I hope that I have been some help to girls who are wanting to glorify God this prom season. To finish out I have put poses, hair, makeup, jewelry, and nail ideas on my board on pintrest. If you have been reading these prom posts and would like to be on this blog, you can send a picture of your prom dress to atravelersthoughts@yahoo.com and I will post it in my May blog when I come back to the idea  of prom. Just include your first name and what state you live in so I can put it under the picture.

      I'm ending with another verse from Proverbs because we are never to young to start becoming the person described in Proverbs 31 and I think that is very important to remember. I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe prom this year. Here are the last two dress options i just had to post:

Don't take more than what you need

 

"When the turn came for Esther to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king's eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her." ~Esther 2:15 (NIV)

    Sometimes prom can feel like a beauty pageant. You have all these other girls dressing up in beautiful dresses with their hair, makeup, and nails done. So you look for the dress that's going to make everyone keep their eyes on you all night. Well, Esther was in a beauty pageant. A beauty pageant for the king's heart! When it came time for her to pick beautiful things from the king's palace she didn't take everything she could carry like the other girls did. She let her inner beauty win the king's heart!

    Now there is nothing wrong with getting dressed up and having good, clean fun with friends. Just remember that it's your true beauty that will win hearts. Esther was modest even though she became queen. She was there to save her people and help be a great leader for God. When you are at prom you are still working for God, so shine for Him. Read the book of Esther and keep her kind spirit and modest beauty while you are picking out your dress.

An ocean of dresses

"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. She is clothed in strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days t come." ~Proverbs 31:10,25(NIV)
      Okay, so I will be continuing my Modest prom tips on the blog until March ninth. Hopefully I will have given good tips and in time for all of you looking for prom dresses this year! Be looking on my twitter, instagram, and pintrest for modest prom dress ideas too. The user name for all three is "Itsbrandirose".
      Now the Bible verse in bold is about the Proverbs 31 woman. She is a woman I want to be like and she is a picture of the person we become when we let God into our hearts. There is no age of when to start becoming a Proverbs 31 woman and I believe prom is a good time to put that into practice. So girls think about what you want to be telling your future children about your prom and what your husband will know about your character when he sees prom pictures. Here are some blue themed modest prom dress ideas for you: (P.S. I LOVE the last two!)

Unfading beauty

"When they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." ~ 1 Peter 3:2-4 (NIV)
    Okay, so lets continue our talk about modest prom dresses for this year. Also, I know this verse is very long. So, lets break it down verse by verse.
    "When they see the purity and reverence of your lives."(V2) So this verse is telling us that what should draw people to us is our purity and reverence. Pretty much our love for God and how we respect ourselves.
    "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes."(V3) Remember, outward beauty will fade, but inner beauty will last forever. Think of the most beautiful older lady that you know and think about what makes her beautiful. For me it is how she always has a smile on her face even when she is having a hard time. She has this smile because she trusts in God fully. So don't base all your beauty on clothes, jewelry, and hair. Base it on your relationship with God.
  "Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."(V4) Wow! Lets just take a minute and let this verse soak in. A gentle and quiet spirit is of GREAT worth in GOD'S sight! Wow! The Creator of the whole world and galaxies thinks YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL! How could you not think you are beautiful with modest clothes on when the King of kings says His Princess is beautiful in modest clothing!
  Now with that being said, here are some more modest prom dresses:

This is beautiful and very elegant. 

Sweetheart with a beautiful lace covering!

Simple with some sparkle.

The defamer ion of a princess ball-gown with a jacket cover up.

This dress was made for the girl who wants modesty and has glitter running through her veins!

Elegant, pink, and slight sparkle.

The Ultimate Valentine

"We love because He first loved us." ~1 John 4:19
        Today is Valentine's Day. A lot of people will be receiving flowers, chocolate, jewelry, and other beautiful gifts form people who love them. Some people will wish they could just go back to bed and let this day pass because it's "single awareness day" and they don't want to see what they don't have. Then some people will be planning a friends night so they are not alone on this day and at least have friends with them. Finally, some people will just see this as another Friday and not a special holiday.
       When I was young, Valentine's Day was about getting to hand out those cute Valentines to my class mates and getting candy from said class mates and parents. My parents also had this tradition of sending me flowers to school to just let me know that they love me and are always there for me. I can't tell you when that tradition started, but it was something I always appreciated. As I got older I went through a phase where Valentine's Day was "single awareness day" for me and I just wished it would pass. Last Valentine's Day my sweet and loving boyfriend took me to the Cove for a Brandon Heath concert and it was so special and I'm so thankful for that.
     This year I am single, but I am not upset and thinking about how horrible Valentine's day is. I'm not handing out those cute little Valentines to class mates. Instead I am drowning in the love my God has for me! I mean think about it.. GOD LOVES US!! As the verse at the top reminds us, the only reason we love is because He loves us!
"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, God died for us." ~Romans 5:8
       My God is SO amazing! He planned me. He has my life mapped out. He is always on my side. He died for me even though He knew I would reject Him for a long time!!
"and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." ~Ephesians 5:2
      God is all about love. I don't see how we could not want to show love when we learn about what Jesus did for us at the cross! Maybe this Valentine's Day you can also think about the strangers that you can show love to with just a simple smile while showering your family and friends with love!
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." ~John 3:16
     I really think this verse speaks for itself about God's love. So Thank You my Ultimate Valentine, God for Loving Me!
    Guys, God love YOU! Strive to seek and serve Him and the right girl will come into your life! Now one more point that I want to make, girls this concerns you who are looking for prom dresses. Girls remember the Bible is filled with tons of verses about how much God Loves YOU. So with that in mind, please pick out prom dresses that would please your Heavenly Daddy!

Kari Jobe in a beautiful and slag rnt red dress.

So beautiful!

True modesty during the prom season

    "I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God." ~1 Timothy 2:9-10 (NIV)
     I want to do some posts on modest prom dresses since prom season is around the corner. I feel that it is getting harder and harder to find modest clothes these days, but especially prom dresses! Girls it is important to remember that no matter what the event we are suppose to be a light for God and He wants us to dress modest. Guys in the same way you need to look for girls who you know will e modest and has virtue.
    Here are a couple of dresses I have picked out that I think are modest and very cute for prom:

This dress is so beautiful! I love the color and the tulle bottom! It has just enough sparkle and the straps work great with it!

  This beautiful blue one is short but not too short (one of the hardest things to find.) The top does not show too much and the sparkle is amazing! I love the one shoulder strap too!

Okay, so everything about this dress is gorgeous! The fabric, the style, all of it. You can't go wrong with this dress!

      Keep checking back here for more modest prom dress reviews. You can also find a board on my pintrest that is labeled ModestIsHottestProm. Plus I try to post at least one or two pictures to my twitter account today. I pray that all of you getting ready for prom puts God first in this very special event!

Being Happier

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." ~Isaiah 43:18-19.
Okay, so this month has been really busy. My days are pretty much scheduled around classes, but that's okay because I'm at least getting to learn. The biggest change I have seen though is that I am happier!!!
Happy is defined as delighted, pleased, or glad, as over a particular thing, and I believe that is what has happened with me. I have let go of some things that only God can control. It has taken me quite awhile to come to the realization that only God can control these things.
The main thing that I have let go of is probably worrying about boys so much. I use to feel like I had to have this amazing love story of how my husband and I had known each other our whole lives before we fell in love. Or that we were college sweethearts. Just some kind of unique story that they would think was a fairy tale. So I guess with worrying about all of that I became, oh I can't believe I'm even labeling myself as this, "boy crazy". Okay, there I said it, it's now out in the open.
If I saw a boy I thought was nice looking I would wonder "is he the one?" I prayed to God for a certain situation to work out with a guy. It was kind of like I was saying "Okay God, You can have the pen to write my love story as long as I get to pick the guy." Well I'm here to tell you that's not how wonderful Christ-centered love stories are written! Having the idea of trying to fool yourself and even God into thinking you are stepping back so He can write your love story is just going to leave you heartbroken and questioning God when He is standing there sadden by the fact that you don't want to accept His wonderful story He has penned out just for you! 
So how did I realize this was what was standing in my way of me being happy? It started sinking in on New Years Eve when I was trying to find a Bible verse to be my verse of 2014. It was like Isaiah 43:18-19 was jumping out in my face. In that moment I realized that verse was for me and I knew exactly what God was trying to tell me. He was saying "Hey, my beautiful daughter. You are my Princess and you need to sit back and let Me hand pick the Prince I want my daughter with instead of chasing frogs!"
As soon as I started looking at that verse everyday I started letting go of writing my own love story little by little. Now it is eighteen days later and I feel that I have given the pen over to God one hundred percent. I've realized I don't need this elaborate fairy tale to tell my future kids, because however my husband and I end up together will be the best fairy tale ever told anyways because God is writing it! So yeah, I've chosen to be happy and I'm happier now that I'm just holding the pen to only my fictional characters lives and not my own!

Hello There.

First of all may I say HAPPY 2014!!! I hope everyone had a safe New Years and that this year is great for you!  My New Year consisted of my best friend and I watching TV. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way though!
I haven't posted in awhile and I am sorry about that. Writers block has controlled my brain lately! But I am back now and I don't have a Bible book to write about every Saturday so my posts will probably just be on topics and life. Whatever God wants me to write about.
So first off, my second semester of college started. I have a busier schedule this year, but it has been fun so far. I'm working on Appalachian Culture, Math, Dance Appreciation, and Sociology. I also have a class with another friend of mine and a college class is how we met in 2012!! So that's pretty cool! Right now my favorite class is Dance Appreciation, but it might change as the semester goes on.
I'm still working on my book, but yet again Writers Block is making the process slower. Plus the crazy college classes don't make it easy to write! I'm thinking about trying to get some articles published in newspapers and, maybe, magazines this year and just really work harder as a writer. So prayers and encouragement are appreciated!
The last thing I really have to say is that I might be going on a mission trip in August and I am so excited about that!! I've never been on a Mission trip but I have gone to passport, once is like a training ground to do mission work and I loved that. So yeah, that's all that is going on right now and I will post again on Saturday. Thank you for all the love you guys show this blog! God bless!!
"For we are God's Masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago." ~Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)
Passport Camps

A CHRISTmas Praise

On Christmas as I read all the Facebook statuses and Tweeter posts about Christmas and people celebrating Jesus' birthday I thought about how I wanted to post something to show how Thankful I am to Jesus for coming to earth to die for me! I didn't want the regular "Happy Birthday Jesus" or "Merry Christmas", I wanted something from the heart. So I picked up my journal and just started writing my thoughts. This is what came flowing from my pen:

"God thank You so much for loving me and sending Your Son to be born a little, helpless baby and to grow up and die for me! Thank You Jesus for coming to the earth as that helpless baby and being born in a place that honestly had no room for You. Jesus thank You for running for Your life as a child and then working in a town that would not claim You. Jesus thank You for picking true friends and doing what was unpopular, but right. Jesus thank You for facing this hard life and then allowing people to betray, beat, mock, and kill You for me! Thank You for coming out of the grave and going to Heaven to prepare a place for me. Thank You for having a plan for my life and always being with me. Thank You for the Bible, my friends, family, and life I love. Thank you Mary and Joseph for obeying God. Thank you Mary for setting an example of purity. Thank you everyone who obeyed God and listened to Jesus so that the world could have the Bible, the guide book of life. JESUS, EMMANUEL, PRINCE OF PEACE, WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, LOVE OF MY LIFE, BEST FRIEND, GOD, MY KING. Merry Christmas." ~Brandi

The Best Gift Of All

Okay, so I am learning so much from the book of Psalms as I study it more this month. It also helps that my mom just happened (God knew I would need what she brought home) to bring in a devotional on the book of Psalms and that is one of my biggest sources! There will be a link to buy said book from Amazon at the bottom of this post. Now, let's get started.
Psalm 19 really dealt with God's handy work. An example of this is someone watching a sunset and shouting "Way to go God, Fantastic!" This shows someone praising God for what He has made. Now for some science, Did you know that a single human chromosome contains twenty billion bits of information? That would be like having forty-thousand 500 page books! Wow! God is very creative!  Now some people like to say that there is no God and that the earth just happened on it's own, but Romans 1:20 backs up that God created the earth and Paul, the guy who wrote Romans, tells us that we have no excuse not to praise God! Here's the thing though, make sure you are praising GOD nor nature and not NATURE for nature. Some verses warning against praising nature are: Job 31:26-28, 2 Kings 23:5.
Now lets switch gears for a minute and talk about what Psalm 19 teaches us about asking for forgiveness. Verse twelve tells us that we should ask for forgiveness from God and for Him to cleanse us from sin. Verse thirteen tells us that we should ask God to keep us from future sin. Wait! What?!?! Let's read that verse. "Keep Your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression."(NIV). Oops! This is something I don't really do. What about you? Let's remember this verse and ask God for help everyday! Finally verse fourteen tells us to stand firm on the rock of our Salvation. God is wonderful!
Let me tell you a story I read. On March 8, 1839 thirteen miners were caught in a collapsed coal mine in Musselburg, Scotland. Did these miners panic? Did they start blaming each other? The answer is no. Instead they gathered together and started singing Psalm 20! Yeah, you read right, they sang! Psalm 20 is a Psalm that speaks of hope. The opening verse says: "May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you." Psalm 20:1 (NIV). I don't know about you, but I can't think of anything better to be protecting me! Now do you want to know what happened to the miners? Well, people were frantically searching for them, and they were running out of oxygen. They were finally rescued and as all thirteen came out of the mine they were still singing Psalm 20!
Now lets go to Paris on March 4, 1437. This was the day that Henry IV of France was imprisoned in Paris because he had Protestant beliefs! Over time he managed to escape and find refuge with the Huguenot, members of the Protestant Reformed church of France. During a service Henry heard Psalm 21 being sung. After hearing this he felt God had prearranged for him to be there and he was in awe of God's providential leading. He knew God had gone before him paving the way just like God did with David in this chapter.
Another interesting fact is that Psalm 20 and Psalm 21 go hand in hand. Both speak about the king. Psalm 20 could be an intercession as the king goes out to battle and Psalm 21 is a thanksgiving, maybe for when the king returns triumphant. Also verses four and nine of Psalm 21 show a deeper meaning of this chapter. It reminds us of Jesus in Revelation 6:16. Many consider Psalm 21 to be speaking of the Messiah, Jesus.
The best gift is knowing that God is going before every one of us and preparing what will happen in our lives. He is standing by us and ready to listen to us and help us not to sin if we ask for His help. He is ready to show us that there is always hope. He is ready to show us His master piece everyday in nature and everything else. For me this is the best gift I can have this Christmas season and all year long!
Psalms Devotional I have been using

Lessons from Psalms

I know this post is late and I am sorry for that. Finals and a cold kept me busy. But enough about me, lets dive into the book of Psalms some more! With today being the eighteenth that means that we have studied up to chapter eighteen in the book of Psalms. Here are some things that caught my eye and some of the tools I have been using to study with.
First in Psalm one I have learned by using Eight Girls of Faith's Instagram is that we need a root system to grow! If we have strong roots in God we will not be unsettled when hard times come our way. Proverbs 12:3 backs this up by stating "No one can be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted." (NIV) So here are some ways to grow a strong root system: hang out with the right crowd, be grounded in God's word, Pray, and mediate day and night on God's word.
Now skipping to Psalm three I learned some more insight through Eight Girls of Faith. This chapter helps us to be confident in God. God shields us, lifts us up, answers us, and sustains us. This quote from Eight Girls of Faith really drives home the point that God is with us. "Would we be afraid if Superman was protecting us? Well, Superman is an ant to God. How much more confident should we feel with the Maker of the universe on our side?" Wow! (read the girls stuff here: Eight Girls of Faith)
Now lets take a giant leap and go to Psalm sixteen. This chapter has always confused me just a little bit, so while reading it I searched the web for studying tips about it. I came to this website A Study in Psalms - Vol. III; No. 1. This site showed that Psalm chapter sixteen is really broken down into five parts. Part one: Taking refuge in God (verses 1-2). We also learn that hard times really keep us leaning on God, once is something we should do everyday and that prayer is very important in our Christian life! A great example of just how important prayer really is can be found in Hebrews 5:7 "During the days of Jesus' life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission." (NIV)
Part two is taking up God's cause (verses 3-4). Part three is accepting God's provision (verses 5-6) and Philippians 4:11-13 is a great example of being thankful for what God has given you. Paul is praising God in a Roman prison for what he has in these verses! Talk about being 100% thankful! Part four is listening to God's counsel (verses 7-8) and finally part five is the reward of eternal life (verses 9-11).
In Psalm seventeen many people believe David wrote this prayer while 1 Samuel 23:24-28 was happening. Saul was chasing David and David was hiding. God saved David when Saul had to return to his Palace because there was an attack. No one is 100% sure when this was written. Verse 8 in Psalm seventeen is amazing! It is revealed that we are the apple of God's eye! How amazing is that and what other proof do you need that we are His children!
Finally we reach Psalm eighteen. David wrote this when the Lord delivered him from all his enemies and the hands of Saul. David calls God "my strength", "my rock", "my fortress"'"my Savior"' "my shield". "the strength of my salvation". and "my stronghold". If you go and read 2 Samuel 22:1- 51 it is almost exactly the same as Psalm 18:1-50!  In Psalm 18:7-19 David uses words we can really understand to show God coming down to save a Shepherd boy who prayed to Him. This God is not gone, He is our magnificent God who is ready to rescue us!! I have to ask, what should we be afraid of?
Now continuing with Psalm eighteen in verses 20-24 it sounds like David is just bragging, but this is the David who says "Compared to You, no one is perfect" (Psalm 143:2) and "I was born a sinner" (Psalm 51:5). So maybe David isn't bragging and this Psalm can be read like Paul's remarks in Philippians 3:6 "I obeyed the Jewish law so Carefully that I was never accused of any fault."
Okay, so this was one of my longest posts. But the book of Psalms is filled with great teaching. I hope this post helps you in your study of the book of Psalms and you will be back on Saturday for another study!

A Psalm a day challenge

Well, December is already here and it feels like it is moving just as fast as all the other months. Before long Christmas is going to be here and then it will be a new year! I just can't believe how fast this year is going and I'm starting to see how a person should take in every moment they get.
I did not realize while I was waiting for Saturday to get here that I didn't know what I would write about this month. On December 5th, while I was reading my Bible, God answered a prayer I didn't know I had been praying. He showed me that I want to do a challenge this December. The book of Psalms is filled with great comfort and support. I go to it a lot when I feel really sad and I don't know what to do. I realized I have only read the book of Psalms two times. It is the longest book in the Bible and sometimes it's still hard to  understand. That is why I am going to challenge myself to read a chapter in Psalms a day this month.
I hope to grow closer to God while studying my Bible and have a more personal relationship with Him and not just a knowledge based relationship! I will post pictures of my favorite verses to my Pinterest board daily with the label A PSALM A DAY. Also on Twitter I will be using the hashtage #APsalmADay. A great link that also will help me is that eight girls on instagram, known as Eight Girls of Faith, are posting pictures about verses from Psalms and talking about them. Here is the link: eight girls of faith. I hope you will join me in this and you all have a blessed December!
Also here is the reading schedule for the month of December:

Highlights of November

"I Consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." ~Romans 8:18 (NIV)
 Wow! Can this really be the last day of November already? This month has gone by so fast and for me personally it has been a month of growth. I want to first start by finishing up my THANKFUL NOVEMBER
Day24: I am thankful for all of my family being together.
Day 25: I am thankful for God giving me the strength to chose purity.
Day 26: I am thankful that I live somewhere where I can continue my education.
Day 27: I am thankful for my health.
Day 28: I am thankful for another day to give thanks.
Day 29: I am thankful that I am saved by grace and that God loved me enough to die for me.
Day 30: I am thankful to be alive right now!
  Now for the November milestones. The very first day of November at 6:30 AM a beautiful baby girl was born. No she isn't mine but she is truly a gift from God and an answer to my prayers for her daddy! On November third I was blessed with the chance to celebrate another birthday with my Nana. The next day on November fourth a twelve year dream came true and I got to go with my daddy and see WWE Raw live!!!
  This whole month I have been going to a different church and meeting more teens that I can be friends with who will help me grow in my walk with God. This month was also the first month in nine months that I was not dating anyone and had more time for friends, family, and most importantly God. I also became very dedicated about finishing my book on Figment called "The Girl with the Blue Mask". It is still being written but I will finish this story!
  God has also opened my eyes to the importance of letting Him guide me all the way. Especially when it comes to relationships. He is teaching me to be patient and He has opened my mind to ways to make dating even more godly and less worldly.
  Finally, tonight I found out about the unfortunate death of Paul Walker. I loved him as Brian in the Fast and Furious movies and my heart and prayers goes out to his family and friends and all of his fans. It is a tragedy to lose someone so talented and young.

  I do not want to leave this blog post on a sad note so I will leave it with this: "God allows us to experience the low points of life in order to teach us lessons that we could learn in no other way.: ~C.S. Lewis. God is in control of all things!

Let's travel with Doctor Who

Day 23: I am thankful I can spend time with God & be in His Word!!! (THANKFUL NOVEMBER)
Ecclesiastes 8:7 "Since no one knows the future, who can tell someone else what is to come?" (NIV)
Have you ever heard of Doctor Who? It is a British TV series that was started on November 23, 1963. This show has been running for 50 years today! Now this show is about a man named The Doctor, and no one knows his real name. He is a Time Lord and he has a blue police box called the TARDIS which means "Time and relative dimension in space." The TARDIS is a spaceship that can take him anywhere in space. This Doctor has many faces because he can regenerate after he has been hurt. He is the same man, just with a different face.
The Doctor also takes companions with him on the TARDIS. He doesn't like being alone and he normally chooses a human companion, see the Doctor is an alien. He is not violent though. He is 100% against violence and he saves the world with reasoning. I absolutely love this show because of how I feel about traveling. The Doctor is the ultimate traveler!
So why did I bring this up in my blog? Well, I think this show can teach us a lesson about God making plans for our travels. In Ecclesiastes we know God tells us that no one can know what the future holds and in Doctor Who we see more than once that the Doctor ends up in a mess by being in the same place two different times. Also in Matthew 6:34 says "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." While you watch Doctor Who you see that the Doctor is always happy and ready to go with the flow. 
I think Doctor Who is a great show for all ages and can show a good message about needing to trust in God's Travel Plans instead of our own Travel Plans. So This is my thoughts on the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who, which is premiering today. 
Another Doctor Who Devo

Some more things I am Thankful for!

                                                                   Thankful November continued:
Day 17: I am thankful for having hope.

Day 18: I am thankful for plenty of healthy food.

Day 19: I am thankful for God preparing my heart.

Day 20: I am thankful for getting to spend a lot of time with my cousins.

Day 21: I am thankful for Disney movies that show hope and love.

Day 22: I am thankful for God never leaving me!

My family is going through a pretty big storm right now. We have a couple of deaths in the family and plenty of heartbreak. But even through all of this I will be thankful and praise God!
"weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5 (NIV)

The Gift of Giving

   So today my two cousins and I packed Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes. This is what Operation Christmas Child, or OCC, is: it is an organization where you pack a shoe box, or clear food storage box full of things for kids in third world countries who might not get a Christmas gift. This box can be filled with a number of things such as: washcloth, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, socks, pencils, sharpeners, erasers, pens, notebooks, coloring books, crayons, hair bows, combs, socks, shirts, hats, hard candy, gum, sunglasses, a personal letter from you, and of course toys.
  Some toys can be Slinky's, yoyos, cars, jump-ropes, stuffed animals, anything girls would like to play with, and anything boys would like to play with that will fit into a box. Just no toy swords, knifes, fake guns, or army men because these boxes could be going over to war areas. The ages for the children are 2-4, 5-9, 10-14. After you pack your shoe box you drop it off at a drop off location during National Drop Off Week. From there the boxes go to the OCC headquarters closes to you. At the headquarters volunteers go through all the boxes collected to make sure everything can go overseas. Then the boxes are taken to their destinations.
   As the boxes are being handed out volunteers teach sort of like a vacation Bible school to the kids and they learn about God. Some of these kids have never heard about God until they get a shoe box! There is still time to do a shoe box if you want to. Here is the link with all the information in it. http://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/

  This year my cousins and I did eight boxes. Now I have done a box since I was in first grade (I went to a privet school my whole life.) but for my nine-year-old and three-year-old cousins this was their first time doing a box. They loved it and I do believe we have started a new family tradition. What a blessing today was. Here are some pictures:

Have you packed a shoe box? Leave a comment and let me know.
THANKFUL NOVEMBER CONTINUED:
Day 15: I am thankful for Christian Bookstores
Day 16: I am thankful for OCC and my cousins wanting to help with boxes.