Boasting in Weakness

These past few weeks, I guess you could say, I've been confronted with my own weaknesses. I was feeling so discouraged and down as I considered my failings which are oh-so common. It seemed like I was messing up everything and that I couldn't do anything right. One particular issue was frusterating me, because I'd been trying over and over and over again to overcome it and still every time I would slip up. However, as I was studying my Bible today I decided to look for as many verses as I could that talked about God being the Strength for the weak. It occured to me that I was trying to do everything on my own instead of accepting much needed help from God. Here are a few of the verses I found~
Psalms 28:7~ The Lord is my strength and my sheild. My heart trusts in Him and I am helped.

Philipians 4:13~ I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Isaiah 40:31~ Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

I was so convicted...God told me clearly to stop looking at my weaknesses and start seeing His strength. So often I've told God that there was no way I could go through with what He was telling me to do because it was just too much for me. Yes, too much for me to handle alone, but so easy to handle with God! We need to recognize our weaknesses, because our weakness will show us our need for Him. Yet, so often all we pay attention to is our own failings and we ignore His power. Recognize your need. Recognize the One who answers that need. I was especially touched by 2 Corinthians 12:9 because it felt llike it was speaking directly to me: "But He said to me, "My grace is sufficent for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ's power may rest upon me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I felight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

God is the answer to our weakness. The power in our limitations. The strength that makes up for our flaws.

Bug

Thursday 7

7 of the weirdest/freakiest things that have ever happened to me:

1) I've been chased by a baby weasel. A wild one I might add...and it was in our shop. :P It was scary cuz it was HISSING at me!!! lol.
2) I almost got a guy arrested. (note the almost...well, i wish he had been...BUT we won't go there)
3) I almost picked up a deer's leg to throw for our dog Belle, thinking it was a stick. BOY, did i SCREAM when I saw a hoof attached to the "stick". :P *shudders
4) I've been chased by a mentally unaware man. yikes.
5) I almost died once. I dunno when, where, why, or how, but i'm sure at some point I've almost died.
6) I was bitten on the cheeck by a poodle when I was little
7) This really has to do with all of us girls, cuz I won't take full responsibility, but we messed up our neighbors field so badly that we were kicked out. that was weird. and slightly embarassing. anyway, that's all for now! ;)

blessings,
~becca~

I'm. going. to. a. football. game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HEY EVERYBODY!!!!
mesa going to a Duck football game on Saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *jumps up and down* I'm SOO excited! hopefully it will be nice weather cuz last year I went and I got Drenched. like, soaked to the bone. tee hee. anyway, i just had to tell that to somebody. ;)

~becca~

Wait...

This is an amazing poem I found on another blog. It was really convicting, and I thought I'd share it with you.

Wait
by Russell Kelfer

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried;

Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.

I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate...and

the Master so gently said,"Wait.""

Wait? you say wait?" my indignant reply.

"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!

Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?

By faith I have asked, and I'm claiming your Word.

My future and all to which I relate

hangs in the balance and you tell me to Wait?

I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign.

Or even a 'no,' to which I'll resign.

You promised, dear Lord, that if we believe,

We need but to ask, and we shall receive.

Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry:

I'm weary of asking! I need a reply."

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate

as my Master replied again, "Wait."

So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut,

and grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting...for what?"

He seemed then to kneel,

and His eyes met with mine...and He tenderly said,

"I could give you a sign.

I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.

I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run.

I could give all you seek and pleased you would be.

You'd have what you want, but you wouldn't know Me.

You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint.

You'd not know the power that I give to the faint.

You'd not learn to see through clouds of despair;

you'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there.

You'd not know the joy of resting in Me

when darkness and silence are all you can see.

You'd never experience the fullness of love

when the peace of My spirit descends like a dove.

You would know that I give, and I save, for a start,

But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.

The glow of My comfort late into the night,

the faith that I give when you walk without sight.

The depth that's beyond getting just what you ask

From an infinite God who makes what you have last.

You'd never know should your pain quickly flee,

what it means that My grace is sufficient for thee.

Yes, your dearest dreams overnight would come true,

but oh, the loss if I lost what I'm doing in you.

So, be silent, my child, and in time you will see

that the greatest of gifts is to truly know me.

And though oft My answers seem terribly late,

My most precious answer of all is still

"WAIT".

~Bug~

Fruits of the Spirit: Faithfulness

Faithfulness:
There are so many applications for the word. Faithful to a friend, or husband. Or, maybe a promise. But I'm going to talk about the Lord's faithfulness to us. It's amazing how many times I don't realize it. And then, there are those time's when it's just overwhelming. It is amazing to think, no matter WHAT I do, it's never going to change his love for me. It's SO faithful, that there is nothing that can be compared to it. His unswerving devotion is not understandable to us fully, because we can't grasp it.
"He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow..." Just think about all those moody people out there isn't it great He isn't like that?! Not the least little bit. He will always be there, He will always love us. When he fail, we ex-communicate ourselves from Him, it takes time for us to realize what we done, and come to Him again. Lay everything at his feet, and whole-heartedly seek his forgiveness. It is then that we see his faithfulness to except us, and he waits until we see what we have done, he convicts us of it...and waits for us. He is always forgiving. Always. And each time he's completely forgiving, and forever loving. How amazing is our God?! No one compares to him! Nothing compares. I want to live my life completely devouted to the only one, the holy one.

<>Byrde<>

Food For Thought

For my devotions today, I read a part of the book "Knowing Scripture" by R.C. Sproul. He brought out the most interesting point, so I thought I'd share it with y'all:
(he's talking about why people don't study the Bible and the myths they believe about it)
"Myth: The Bible is boring.
If we press people for an explanation for what they mean when they express the first myth [the Bible is too difficult to understand], usually they respond by saying, 'Well, I guess I can understand it, but frankly the book bores me to death.' This statement reflects not so much an inability to understand what is read as a taste and preference for what one finds interesting and exciting.
The preponderance of boredom that people experience with the Bible came home to me sveral years ago when I was hired to teach the Scriptures in required Bible courses at a Christian college. The president of the institution phoned me and said, 'We need someone young and exciting, someone with a dynamic method who will be able to 'make the Bible come alive'.' I had to force myself to swallow my words. I wanted to say, 'You want me to make the Bible come alive? I didn't know that it had died. In fact, I never even heard that it was ill. Who was the attending physician at the Bible's demise?' No, I can't make the Bible come alive for anyone. The Bible is already alive. It makes me come alive."


foreverHis,
~becca~

I'm baaaaaack!!!!

Hey all!
I'm back! Did ya miss me?!?! :) My week was crazy insane. This morning was even worse! lol. If that's possible. Basically, a few days before, our electricity went out for awhile...and I forgot that when that happens it changes my alarm clock from a.m. to p.m. :) SO, as you can imagine, bedlam ensued this morning, when I woke up at 7:36...and I was supposed to have left the house at 7:30. Hey, ya know, at least I woke up! I could have slept all the way til 12! :)
But, I was appeased when I got my score today for my German class!!! WOOT! Listen to this those of you who heard me whine about my oral exam last Friday...I got 100%!!!!! I was like NO WAY! Yes way! lol. My mind was blown away to oblivion. Then, I got my score for the whole class this far and it's really good too! (but not 100%, just so y'all don't think I'm some kind of brainy-ack) Pretty much, it was a good day...after 8 a.m. :) And I was really productive and bathed Callie. She reeked. I mean bad. But, now she smells like flowers. (we were out of dog shampoo and I used our cheap old shampoo). ;)
Oh, more random nothings: Just so y'all know where I stand on the World Series, I'm SOO rooting for the Tigers to win!! ALL THE WAY DETROIT!!! WOOHOO! Any red birdy fans can just click that little red x at the top right of your screen and all will be well. No leaving hateful/spiteful/nasty comments on this blog! :)
Also, anybody ever seen "The Importance of Being Ernest"? (or is it Earnest?? whatever...) My point is, it's the most hilarious spoof on Jane Austen movies I have ever seen! *sees a movie night in the future* (MJ, call me! mesa home ALL day tomorrow! :)

peace out~

~becca~

*wins blog award for the most random post ever*
*although, your post below, byrde, was kinda random too* lol. Glad to have ya back, girl! POST AWAY!!!!!! tee hee

Wow...

Okay, it seems we've all been declining our blog! ;) So, i just wanted to let ya'll know I'm doing fine...can't really speak for the others! ;) I, for one, have been pretty darn busy with school....yatta yatta. Whatever else female teens do...yah know, get make overs, do your nails, watch movies, hang with friends, hit the mall. No, not really. :) I'm not THAT bad! ;) I just wanted to "stop in" and say "hi!" LOL. Your prolly all thinking what a pointless post this is. But, HEY! That's what I'm here for!


Love you all,
><



Ha-ha-ha---ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-HEY!

My Favorite New Quote!!! :)

A woman's heart should be so close to God that a man has to seek Him to find her.

Thursday 7

Seven things that scare me: :)

1. Mannequins. They.terrify.me. Dead serious. I will walk past one at the mall or whatever and literally jump cuz they "startle" me. :P
2. Squishing spiders. Bugs don't really bug me (lol), but hearing them go "crunch" is beyond my tolerance level.
3. Public Restrooms. No, not cuz of the germs, but who knows who could be hiding out in there???
4. Seaweed, or any underwater objects. It's really weird cuz I LOVE swimming and doing anything in the water, but I will seriously PANIC if I see anything in the water. (I'm working on that you know) :P My imagination is way too wild.
5. Doing stuff in front of a class. Like speeches or demonstrations. ARGHHHH on computer apps class! :P
6. Losing my dog. She's gone missing before, and it's always freaky. :(
7. Spooky people. w00t. ;)



~becca~

my new mini-series

So, now that I finished my posts on music, I thought I'd start another series on friendships.
There are many qualities to look for in a friend. I'm going to focus on one today. This really isn't just "how to find a great friend", but "how to BE that amazing friend". I want to talk about showing interest in others. It is one of the most important things in a friendship. The biggest turn-off for me, is talking to someone for 15 minutes and never answering one question. I can't tell you how many times that has happened to me. It's SO discouraging and makes me never want to hang out with that person again! Not that I'm selfish and only want to talk about myself all the time. Think how unloving it is to never show interest in other people's lives.
(Just to put all your hearts at ease, all the people I know who read this blog are AMAZING at showing interest in others! Seriously! :) This is just something to keep in mind though.)
It is unkind and unloving not to show interst in other people. It screams "I don't care about your life, my life is way more important." Maybe they don't mean it that way always, but seriously. Sometimes I wonder.
One way to show interest in people's lives is to learn to be a good listener. I really love listening to people talk. Even if I have no idea what they are talking about, I love seeing them get excited about something that floats their boat. :) Some are better listeners then others, but we ALL need to grow in this area. If you're not a listener, you can't resolve conflicts, be a good friend, or discuss anything for that matter!
I am closer to some friends then others. I'm sure you can say the same thing about the people you know. Some are just better friends. Those who I am closer too are the ones who know the most about me. And how do they know stuff about me? They ask questions. And we are closer because of it. It's really quite simple. And it's NOT HARD!! It's FUN to get to know people! Everyone is different. Everyone has different interests, likes, dislikes, backgrounds, etc. It is an adventure to talk to people if you know how to listen!


ForeverHis,
~becca~

Hanging by a Moment Here With You

"desperate for changing
starving for truth
closer to where I started
chasing after you

I'm falling even more in love with you
letting go of all I've held onto
I'm standing here until you make me move
I'm hanging by a moment here with you

forgetting all I'm lacking
completely incomplete
I'll take your invitation
you take all of me now

I'm falling even more in love with you
letting go of all I've held onto
I'm standing here until you make me move
I'm hanging by a moment here with you

I'm living for the only thing I know
I'm running and not quite sure where to go
and I don't know what I'm diving into
just hanging by a moment here with you

there's nothing else to lose
there's nothing else to find
there's nothing in the world
that could change my mind
there is nothing else
there is nothing else
there is nothing else

desperate for changing
starving for truth
closer to where I started
chasing after you

I'm falling even more in love with you
letting go of all I've held onto
I'm standing here until you make me move
I'm hanging by a moment here with you

I'm living for the only thing I know
I'm running and not quite sure where to go
and I don't know what I'm diving into
just hanging by a moment here with you

just hanging by a moment
hanging by a moment
hanging by a moment
hanging by a moment here with you."

<^>Lifehouse<^>

HOT! A fact about Bug....

I am having way too much fun posting random things....Sorry, one last thing. This is my favorite perfume! Woot!

Far Side...completely random

Bug

Jesus Christ Satisfies

There's not a craving of the mind

Which Jesus cannot fill.

There's not a pleasure I would seek

Aside from His dear will.

From hour to hour He fills my soul

With peace and perfect love;

While rich supplies for ev'ry need

He sendeth from above.
The joys which this vain world bestow

Have lost their charm for me.

Once I enjoyed its trifles too,

But Jesus set me free.

Its joys will perish in a day,

Its pleasure quickly fly;

Its mirth like mist will pass away,

And all its honors die.
He stilled the angry tempest's power,

Which raged within my heart;

And bade each sinful passion there

To speedily depart.Y

es, Jesus is my All in All,

He satisfies my soul,

For me He died on Calvary,

And now He makes me whole.
Yes, Jesus is my Lord alone,

My Rock, my Strength, my Song,

My Wisdom and my Refuge safe;

To Jesus I belong.

He is my Advocate with God,

My Way, my Life, my Light,

My Great Physician and my Friend,

My Guide by day and night.

~Bug~

After all this time...

Girls, after all this time I've just discovered what kind of person I am! :P I was in a very random mood and took a bunch of online personality quizzes...they were very..ummm..interesting! So, here's the several daily facts about Bug told by someone other than Bug! I thought I'd share a laugh with you and tell you what I "learned" about myself:

• Evidently I am independent, stubborn and definitly the scientist or engineer type. (the last part made me laugh) :)
• I like words and love expanding my vocabulary. (Okay, this maybe does fit me. LOL)
• According to studies, I generally drive like the typical female. (Phew!)
• I'm 100% yankee without a snip of red-neck in me! (Hallelujah and do the splits!)
• Evidently if I'd been born in the 1950s my name would be Loretta Yvonne.
• I have a high self-esteem! (Oh goody!)
• I love this one, it was a quiz to find out how old you are at heart: I'm 25! Woot!
• I also discovered I'm a pretty quirky person...but just normal enough to hide it. :P ROFL. ROFL. ROFL. ROFL.
• At first glance people see me as warm and well balanced. However, my true self is reserved and logical. In stressful situations I'm cheerful and optimistic. With friends I am dramatic lively and quick to react. When in love, I am mysterious and interesting. LOL.

Well, you've all had your laugh. So, you now all know that you are friends with a quirky-scientificky-mysteriousy-25 year old. Hope you all will still love me! =0)

???Bug???

How to Get the Most From Reading your Bible

I love lists...and this one it especially cool, so I thought I'd share it with you. I am not sure who wrote this, so just be aware that it wasn't me. :)

How to get the most from reading your Bible~

1. Remove hindrances. (a) remove the love of every sin (b) remove the distracting concerns of this world, especially covetousness [Matt. 13:22] (c) Don't make jokes with and out of Scripture.

2. Prepare your heart. [1 Sam. 7:3] Do this by: (a) collecting your thoughts (b) purging unclean affections and desires (c) not coming to it rashly or carelessly.

3. Read it with reverence, considering that each line is God speaking directly to you.

4. Read the books of the Bible in order.

5. Get a true understanding of Scripture. [Ps. 119:73] This is best achieved by comparing relevant parts of Scripture with each other.

6. Read with seriousness. [Deut. 32:47] The Christian life is to be taken seriously since it requires striving [Luke 13:24] and not falling short [Heb. 4:1].

7. Persevere in remembering what you read. [Ps. 119:52] Don't let it be stolen from you [Matt. 13:4,19]. If it doesn't stay in your memory it is unlikely to be much benefit to you.

8. Meditate on what you read. [Ps. 119:15] The Hebrew word for meditate' means to be intense in the mind'. Meditation without reading is wrong and bound to err; reading without meditation is barren and fruitless. It means to stir the affections, to be warmed by the fire of meditation [Ps. 39:3].

9. Read with a humble heart. Acknowledge that you are unworthy that God should reveal himself to you [James 4:6]

10. Believe it all to be God's Holy Word. [2 Tim 3:16] We know that no sinner could have written it because of the way it describes sin. No saint could blaspheme God by pretending his own Word was God's. No angel could have written it for the same reason. [Heb 4:2]

11. Prize the Bible highly. [Ps. 119:72] It is your lifeline; you were born by it [James 1:18] you need to grow by it [1 Pet 2:2] [cf. Job 23:12].

12. Love the Bible ardently [Ps. 119:159].

13. Come to read it with an honest heart. [Luke 8:15] (a) Willing to know the entire and complete will of God (b) reading in order to be changed and made better by it [John 17:17].

14. Apply to yourself everything that you read, take every word as spoken to yourself. Its condemnation of sins as the condemnation of your own sin; the duty that it requires as the duty God would require from you [2 Kings 22:11].

15. Pay close attention to the commands of the Word as much as the promises. Think of how you need direction just as much as you need comfort.

16. Don't get carried away with the minor details, rather make sure to pay closest attention to the great things [Hosea 8:12].

17. Compare yourself with the Word. How do you compare? Is your heart something of a transcript of it, or not?

18. Pay special attention to those passages that speak to your individual, particular and present situation. e.g. (a) Affliction -- [Heb. 12:7, Isaiah 27:9, John 16:20, 2 Cor 4:17. (b) Sense of Christ's presence and smile withdrawn -- [Isaiah 54:8, Isaiah 57:16, Ps. 97:11] (c) Sin -- [Gal 5:24, James 1:15, 1 Peter 2:11, Prov 7:10&22-23, Prov 22:14] (d) Unbelief -- [Isaiah 26:3, 2 Sam 22:31, John 3:15, 1 John 5:10, John 3:36]

19. Pay special attention to the examples and lives of people in the Bible as living sermons. (a) Punishments [Nebuchadnezzar, Herod, Num 25:3-4&9, 1 Kings 14:9-10, Acts 5:5,10, 1 Cor 10:11, Jude 7] (b) mercies and deliverances [Daniel, Jeremiah, the 3 youths in the fiery furnace]

20. Don't stop reading the Bible until you find your heart warmed. [Ps 119:93] Let it not only inform you but also inflame you [Jer 23:29, Luke 24:32].

21. Put into practice what you read [Ps 119:66, Ps 119:105, Deut 17:19].

22. Christ is for us Prophet, Priest and King. Make use of His office as a Prophet [Rev 5:5, John 8:12, Ps 119:102-103]. Get Christ not only to open the Scriptures up to you, but to open up your mind and understanding [Luke 24:45]

23. Make sure to put yourself under a true ministry of the Word, faithfully and thoroughly expounding the Word [Prov 8:34] be earnest and eager in waiting on it.

24. Pray that you will profit from reading [Isaiah 48:17, Ps 119:18, Nehemiah 9:20].
Natural obstacles You may still be able to profit from reading even though:

1. You don't seem to profit as much as others do. Remember the different yields [Matt 13:8] though the yield isn't as much as others it is still a true and fruitful yield.

2. You may feel slow of understanding [Luke 9:45, Heb 5:11].

3. Your memory is bad (a) remember you are still able to have a good heart despite this you may still remember the most important things even if you cannot remember everything, be encouraged by John 14:26.

Good, isn't it?!

~Bug

Music and Lyrics

It is extremely important to make sure that the music you listen to has good lyrics; lyrics that are wholesome and uplifting and you wouldn't be embarassed to sing them in front of your parents. :) Music has a way of getting into people. That's what makes it music. If the melody is catchy, and the music is the style you like, it is beyond easy to remember the lyrics. Funny how you can remember the words to a song you never saw written down, but you can't remember the Scripture memory verse you studied the week before. I have all the songs on ALL my CDs memorized. And I never read the lyrics. (well, on some I did, because some Kutless songs just aren't clear ;)
Are the things you are listening to and "commiting to memory" good, right, pure, and lovely? If you listen to a song that has questionable lyrics, pretty soon it starts rolling around in your head. I'm sure we have all said this phrase at least once: "I have this song stuck in my head!!!" Well, too bad we can't have Scripture verses "stuck in our heads". Wouldn't that be wonderful though? If as many times as you remember a song, you remembered a passage of Scripture? That is why it is SO important to monitor the songs you listen to. It is easy to fall short in this area. I'm sure you all can agree! So many times I find myself singing the chorus of a song, and my Dad says "you did not just say that!" And I could be completely ignorant of what I had just said, not even realizing sometimes that it had slipped out of my mouth. I'm not talking about Christian songs here. I'm talking about "secular songs", like country and pop. There are some Christian songs though, that are off on their theology, so you should really always be aware of what you are listening to. What goes in must come out. Either in our way of thinking, or even our actions. Approach this subject with a humble and prayerful heart, asking God to keep you from evil thoughts, and ask for forgiveness when you stumble!

ForeverHis,
~becca~

Friday funny

LOL, check out this bumper sticker I found:





I'm so printing that off and pasting it on my car! :)
have a great weekend!
~becca~

Comments

Hey y'all,
Some tips on leaving comments. Please use your name or nickname when you comment. It makes it easier for us to reply to your comments, and know the validity of them! :)
Also, when leaving links for sites, please use your name and email me first before you do. We have been having problems w/ anonymous people leaving links for gamblings sites, etc. We don't want to delete yours, so let us know first! And, don't follow any links unless you "know" the person who commented.

thanks,
~becca~

CUUTE OVERLOAD

AWWWWWW!!!

Fruits of the Spirit: Goodness

Goodness gracious me!
What in the world is goodness?
It could be defined as moral excellence, virtue, kindness, or generosity. Or it could mean just being good.
All right y'all, here's where you help me. What IS goodness? Is it any different from kindness? No, I don't have all the answers...that's why I'm asking you! (or I could just let Byrde or Bug post on goodness...but then we'd be stuck for awhile! lol) :)

~becca~

Thursday 7...or 10...which ever comes first. :)

So, 7 things about me...

1. I love Starbucks. (who doesn't??)
2. My favorite restaurant is the Olive Garden. oh, and the Rheinlanders. :)
3. I love the feed store in Forest Grove. tee hee. They have THE cutest puppies for sale there...and you can hold em! ;)
4. I love swimming
5. New Years Eve is my favorite day of the year. :) We always get together w/ our totally awesome cousins and have a totally way too awesome time. ;) *think all singing Phantom of the Opera around the piano, video taping murder plays, screaming w/ laughter over the game spoons and mafia, talking about everything under the sun, eating until we can eat no more...but still eating, etc* lol.
6. Besides church and home and co-op, the place I'm at the most is the library. :P
7. I love tigers and lions and monkeys. *random*

blessings,
~becca~

More on music ;)

Alrighty...this has become my own little mini-series...I will post on the fruits of the Spirit soon, I promise! :)
SO, more about music. Actaully more like more on worship. What exactly is worship and how should Christian music reflect that? Well, I have to admit I've just stumped myself w/ my own question. lol. Well, at least the 2nd half I haven't completely come to any conclusion. Anyway, the dictionary definition of worship is:
1.
reverent honor and homage paid to God
2.
adoring reverence or regard

Ok, so what exactly is reverence?
1.
a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe.

wow, wow, and wow again. For some reason I really truly can't see half of the Christian artists I know fall under the "reverent" category! That's sad. Where did we go wrong? I think we just lost our focus. Like I said in the last post, we have become too focused on man. Songs these days are about what? How I think, how I feel, what I want. Shouldn't we be singing about God rather then ourselves? Check out the songs the angels sing to God in Revelation: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."
Explore the Scriptures...read Psalms. See what God wants from us regarding worship.

blessings,
~becca~

Fruits of the Spirit: Kindess

Wow...the angelic-sweet-perfect-articial word to describe the amazing girl: "kind". Is it just me or does that seem so...lame...so....fake...so...silly. Kind. "How kind of you to come!" "Oh that was TOO kind." "That was SO kind of you!" How many times do I get sick of saying that word when I don't mean it. "kind" slips off my tongue so many times, when the REAL emotion is not felt.

Ephesians 4:32 ~
"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving eachother just as Christ forgave the church."

The word "kind" is used for SO many different meanings, but all have the same basic principle. It is the giving of self, selflessness, thoughtfulness of others, the "dieing of oneself daily." Kindess is truely a beautiful trait, longed for and sought after. But it all starts in our hearts...not with books, and tapes, and cds, and seminares. The change come from a will to not be self-centered. It is pleasing in the sight of the Lord.

It's All For Him,
><

Music, cont.

I was gonna put this on a comment thing, but I think I'll just post it, cuz I got myself thinking again and it got long enough! :)
Back to the music topic...
Also, I think that we can get obsessive w/ music. I fall under that ALL the time! But everything in moderation is the key. When we give too much time and attention to something, it really becomes our "idol". And I think the thing w/ Christian music is how secular it is becoming. If you were to compare CD covers (for example) of bands such as Kutless w/ some other worldly rock band out there, I don't think you'd see a difference. What is the world to say to that? That this is a form of worshipping GOD? How does that work? And yes, I really hope that all bands play music for God's glory, and try to keep the spotlight off of themselves, but how often do you see that happening? They can say all the right words, and I will believe them, until their actions speak loudly otherwise. Take concerts for instance. What is a concert really all about? Yes, it is fun to have a good time and enjoy people's amazing talents, but the bigger issue is really worship. Even the artists say that themselves! That they are worshipping God. Ok, so what does jumping up and down on stage, throwing water on the audience, getting them to jump up and down, making them sick w/ flashing lights, blasting away the roof w/ loud music have to do with worshipping our God? In my ever so humble opinion, I believe it hinders it. I really do. Instead of focusing on the words of the song (if you can possibly make them out), you can get so caught up in everything else you forget what the song is really about! and that's Jesus...hopefully.
Now for some examples of my above points:

tell me if this is a guy from a Christian band or not:What do you think? Was it hard for you to decide? It was for me...I even had to go back to "double check" it was who I thought. I'm not saying music is bad. Nor am I saying mowhawks are bad. HOWEVER, when they say that they are up there worshipping the ONE HOLY, TRUE, PERFECT, TERRIBLE God, what am I to say? We are to approach the subject of God with reverrance, not fling His name around like some quirky lyric to a rock song.
Again, look at it from the world's perspective. Is there a difference between us worshipping our God and them worshipping theirs (lust, money, drugs, etc)? Remember we are IN not OF the world!
In addition, people tend to worship artists. It's true. There are music magazines out there with articles covering all sorts of juicy issues. Just like with celebrities. Are they becoming our idol? Do we talk about them non-stop, and stand in awe of them when we see them at a concert, or rush to get their autograph? How can we so easily forget what we are really truly here on earth for? And that is to glorify God. Not worship some other Christian! I must be careful here though, because honestly these things themselves are not bad! But when it causes us to lose sight of God and focus on man, then it becomes a sin. Let us not fall into that trap!

For His glory alone,
~becca~

weird stuff

I'm in a random mood. hehehe. I took this online quiz to see which literary woman I am most like, and this came up:
That's SOO me! lol. Yes, even the quick to judge part *blush*. I'm working on that though! So, you can all call me Ms Bennett. Just kidding! :-P

Then, continueing in my random mood, I took another quiz...this one to see "which color of green I am" :)


You Are Emerald Green
Deep and mysterious, it often seems like no one truly gets you.Inside, you are very emotional and moody - though you don't let it show.People usually have a strong reaction to you... profound love or deep hate.But you can even get those who hate you to come around. There's something naturally harmonious about you.

LOL. do you think I am naturally harmonious?? *hmmm*
This is the color of red I am:


You Are Apple Red
You're never one to take life too seriously, and because of it, you're a ton of fun.And although you have a great sense of humor, you are never superficial.Deep and caring, you do like to get to the core of people - to understand them well.However, any probing you do is light hearted and fun, sometimes causing people to misjudge you.

I don't think I probe people light heartedly. I do it SERIOUSLY! lol. And yes, I LOVE to get to the core of people and understand them well. ;)

ok, no more weird stuff!

Auf Wiedersehen! (MJ, that means 'goodbye'...add that to your German vocab list!) lol

blessings,

~becca~

Thoughts on Music

Here's an excellent article. It's written for parents but I think we can all get something from it! Let me know what you think! :)

blessings,
~becca~

celebrities and other famous people

Hey y'all!
A certain topic has been weighing on my mind for some time now and I finally decided to post about it, and see what y'all thought. That is the topic of famous people/celebrities.
Ok, so I'm a football fan. I think you all know that by now. :) It hits me every time I watch a game, at how revered athletes are. So, they are good at sports, but to some people they become an idol. Everything revolves around them.
Let's take celebrities. How many magazines about celebrities do you see at the stores? Oh, only about 5.5 million. Why is that?? For the life of me I can't figure it out. Why in the world would someone be so obsessed with someone else? Is it because they are envious? Because they are "cool"? I certainly am not that interested in knowing so and so broke up with so and so after finding out that so and so cheated with so and so after divorcing so and so and having so many number kids. What's the draw??
For my part I am inclined to feel sympathy towards celebrities. That's just what they are. People. With an acting job. Just as lost as the rest of the world is. And yet every cotton pickin' part of their lives are exposed to the world and if there isn't something exposed, rumors spread like wild fire and end up on the front page of the New York Times. WHY? Why does anybody care what Brad Pitt ate for lunch, or who Orlando Bloom kissed last?!?! I wonder if it's just cuz people like gossip or if it's more then that. Maybe they believe that their life is nothing in comparision with these rich, famous, beautiful people? Maybe everybody has to have something to worship? I'm sure that foreigners, when they think of America, think "Brad Pitt" or whoever (I can't come up with another actor's name. lol). WHY???
Somebody help me...this is going to eat my mind until I have a good answer! :)

blessings,
~becca~

quote of the day :)

"If you run, you might lose. If you don't run, you're guaranteed to lose."

Hebrews 4:12-13

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper then any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him whom we must give account."

Patience...from Bug

In a "Me, myself, and I" centered society, patience is easily forgotten, even to believers. Personally, most of the time even the mention of the word evokes an annoyed response inside our minds. Picture this: you are living in a house full of females and it's a busy Sunday morning. Unfortunatly, one of the gals has been locked in the bathroom for fourty-five minutes and everyone else is left outside waiting. As they desperatly pound on the door the only reply they receive is "patience is a virtue!" yelled over the racket of the hair dryer and the blaring radio. In the end, tempers flare and nerves are frayed. (Ya, this was a real life scenerio....'cept it was me in the bathroom. LOL. *sheepish grin*) Okay, I'm sure all of us have experianced something similar and had the same reaction. Yes, we blow the whole patience-thing daily!
Patience, however, is the giving up of our own rights for that of someone else. We all have this in-born surge to justify ourselves and demand what WE DESERVE! However, this is not what God desires our attitudes to be like. In the scenario explained above, both of the parties involved failed to show patience. The people outside the door could have waited quietly for the person to be finished instead of demanding entrance NOW. However, the person hogging the bathroom could have displayed patience by setting aside what they had to do for a moment in order to serve the others. Everyday moment of our lives calls for a conscious decision to let ourselves fall into the second place category. Phil. 2:3-4 says: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceat, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." We can't be loving if we don't have patience!
Okay, now that we'ev looked at how to be patient to others, let's look at how we can show patience in our relationship with God. I'm the kind of person that wants to know exactly what I'm going to do in my life, where I'm going to do it, and how I'm going to get to there. Unfortunatly, God has not given us a detailed outline of exactly what we'll be doing and when we'll be doing it. Pateince is the ability to wait for God's timing and trust that his plan is perfect. In these past few months I've experianced a lot of things falling apart and it's hard not to want to pound the gates of heaven demanding why??!! However, God calls us to wait for his perfect timing. He calls us to wait for his better plan...his better timing...and ultimatly, his better purpose. I'd like to end with a quote from "My Utmost for Hs Highest":

"Patience is more than endurance.

A saint's life is in the hands of God like a bow and an arrow in the hands of an archer.

God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, and He stretches and strains,

and every now and again the saint says-

"I cannot stand anymore."

God does not heed, He goes on stretching till His purpose is in sight,

then He lets fly.

Trust yourself in God's hands.

Maintain your relationship with Jesus Christ by the patience of faith.

"Though He slay me, yet I will wait for Him."

Show patience in love to those around you, and wait for God's perfect purpose.

poem

Is the midnight closing in 'round you?

Are the shadows dark and long?

Ask Him to come close beside you,

And He'll give you a new, sweet song.

He'll give it and sing it with you;

And when weakness slows you down,

He'll take up the broken cadence,

And blend it with His own.

And many a heavenly singer

Among those sons of light,

Will say of His sweetest music,

"I learned it in the night."

And many a lovely anthem,

That fills the Father's home,

Sobbed out its first rehearsal,

In the sahde of a darkened room.

George Matheson

blessings,

~becca~

quote of the day

Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore

thoughts

If your anything like me, you have so many thoughts rolling around in your head but you can't quite put them into words. Well, whoever wrote this expressed my thoughts EXACTLY. Wow. It was so freaky when I read it cuz this is JUST what I have been thinking about! :)

Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone

To have a deep soul relationship with another

To be loved thoroughly, and exclusively

But God to the Christian says, No…

Not until you are satisfied, fulfilled and contented with being loved

By Me alone, with giving yourself totally unreserved to Me

Discovering that only Me is your satisfaction to be found

Then you will be capable of the perfect human relationship

That I have planned for you.

You will never be united with another until you are united with Me

Exclusive of anyone or anything else

Exclusive of any desires and longingI want you to stop planning, stop wishing,

And allow Me to give you the most thrilling plan existing

One that you cannot imagine

I want you to have the best, please allow Me to give it to you

Just keep watching Me, expecting the greatest things

Keep experiencing the satisfaction that I am

Keep listening and learning the things I tell you

You just wait…that’s all!Don’t be anxious, don’t worry

Don’t look around at the things other have gotten or I have given them

Don’t look at the things you think you have

You just keep looking off and away up to Me…

Or you’ll miss what I want to show you…

And then, when you are ready, I’ll surprise you with a love

Far more wonderful than any of you dream of

You see, until you are ready and until the one I have for you is ready

(I’m working to have you both ready at the same time),

Until you are both satisfied exclusively with Me and the life I prepare for you

You won’t be able to experience the love that exemplifies

Your relationship with Me and is thus the perfect time.

I want you to see in the flesh a picture of your relationship with Me

And to enjoy materially and concretely the everlasting union of beauty

Perfection and love that I offer you myself

Know that I love you utterly,

Believe and be satisfied.

amen. and again amen.

blessings,

~becca~

Thursday 7

woohoo. okeyday:
eins: I have a cellphone (soory, Byrde!!) lol. But i only have 60 minutes for THREE months!! YES, you read that right! ugh.
zwei: I love eating pizza and watching movies on Friday nights...and sometimes Saturday nights...and maybe Sunday nights. (oh, never all 3 the same weekend...just so we don't sound too heathen! :)
drei: I love action comedy movies. w00t.
vier: I don't really like chocolate
funf: skittles and smarties are my ALL TIME favorite candies!! yay.
sechs: I pretty much like picture frames. *random*
sieben: I'm getting tired of counting in German
acht: I have hardly any hw...and only 4 classes this term. :) how happy is that???
neun: my room is a mess right now...everything just...kaaput everywhere
ZEHN: tee hee


~becca~

Thursday 7

1. Well, I got braces today! (Call me Metal-Mouth! :)
2. I want a pet skunk
3. I've been on a coast-to-coast trip when I was very tiny!
4. I LOVE yellow Kiwis
5. MUSTANGS KICK BUTT! wait....does that count? is that random?
6. I don't have a cell phone...wow...that is like revolutionary!
7. I HATE mashed potatoes.

<>Byrde<>

AHHHHH! *flips out*

YO, all you dog people out there, beat this little beagle's eyes!! OH MY WORD!! Send out a cute alert quick!
gah. this pup is WAY TOO adorable! :)





~becca of course~

The Room

Here's an excellent article from the blog, The Rebelution.
Hop on over there and read it, then let me know what you think! I found it very powerful!

blessings,
becca

A cool blog...

Hey guys and gals!
I just dropped in to let you know that I am still alive and well. Life has been so downright busy! My goodness! Anyways, I wanted to just draw your attention to a new blog that's been added to the links list. It's called the Rebolution. It's a great blog with great topic discussions, etc. The authors are Joshua Harris's younger, twin brothers. Anyways, check it out!

~Bug~

Are you weary?

I really hope I'm not the only one who feels this way, but sometimes I just get plain weary. Not physically, but spiritually. I can't wait for heaven! Now I'm not trying to be some morbid pussycat who hates life, but do you ever wish you could just...be HOME?!?
That your faith could be made sight?
That the devil will no longer tempt you?
That you ccould be perfectly holy?
That you could worship Jesus Christ around His throne with all the other saints who have gone before?
And every tear will be wiped from your eye and every sorrow gone.
All the pains and illnesses and worries and trials will just roll away.
In heaven we don't always have to be on the lookout for false teaching...the church will be utterly perfect.
Yes, there are days I wish with all my heart God would take me home. Yet, I am still here. I guess I still have stuff to do! :)
The sufferings in life make the reward all the sweeter and the crown all the more glorious!

stay strong,
~becca~

Two profound mind treasures

fascinating title, no?! Lol...that's my new word...fascinating...isn't it fascinating? Lol, and my new song is "Dead man" by Jars of clay....OH YAH BABY..."carry me, I am just a dead man lying on the carpet, can't find a heartbeat, make me free, i wanna be a new man, tired of the old one, off with the old man..." YEH! Checka! Lol...now, where was I?! Oh, yes...thoughts:

1. So, when you read the verse that says: "Be still and know that I am God" I always thought like...okay, get away from distractions, sit down, close your eyes, don't move. But, no...it's being still MENTALLY. Focusing your brain, listening with your mind. It doesn't have to do with physically being still...but mentally.
2. So, the next one is about tithing...it's a quote: "We tithe with our money, but what about our time...do we tithe with our time?" I thought that was an amazing thought...what else can I say...it pretty much explains itself. I give the Lord part of the money I earn, but do I ALWAYS give Him part of my time????

Meme Checka,

<>Byrde<>

God's Beautiful Creation

Our family has been blessed with many opportunities to travel over the years. There is not one place like another. From the beauty of the national parks to the coasts, they all are so uniquely different. However, it was all created by God. For His glory. And when we see creation, we are getting a glimpse into the mind of God. That never ceases to be overwhelming, no matter were I go.
Psalm 36:5-7 says "Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O Lord, you preserve both man and beast. How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings."
Whenever you are out in God's world, don't forget to look around you and marvel at the creative, amazing work of God and stand in awe, that this God loves YOU more then all of the universe!

ForeverHis,
~becca~