Fight

I fight like a boxer who is hitting something- not just the air.

If you are like me, boxers intrigue you. You wonder WHY someone would do that for a living.

Maybe they like hitting things and feeling powerful. Sometimes that is how we feel too- like hitting things. Did you know that Paul encourages us to fight like a boxer throughout life?


God wants us to make a difference, push through, to fight. He wants us to fight for saving souls. He wants us to fight for changing lives.


Paul was a fighter, he fought so hard so he could reach the finish line.

1 Corinthians 9:24-26 (New International Version)

24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.

As you go through today, fight like Paul. Be a fighter.
Change one person at a time.

Your sister in Christ,
♥♫•Madison

Priorities

Do you ever fell like your life is chaotic and out of control? Like you never have enough time for everything? Maybe it's time to get your priorities straight, "For God is not a God of disorder but of peace." (1Corinthians 14:33) How do you do that?
First, make a list of things that you spend time doing daily and a list of things you do weekly. Reorder the lists with things you must do (sleep, eat) at the top and then list the remaining activities in order of what means most to you.
Map out approximately how many hours you spend doing the mandatory things and subtract that time from 24 for your daily time and 168 for your weekly total.
Start analyzing the want-to-do activities and adding them into your schedule, asking with each one, "Will the time I have to spend on this be enough to do it to my full ability in order to glorify God?" If not... you need to seriously think of giving it up. Remember that you need time enough to put forth your best effort for Christ and also to be alert and learn from Him!
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." -1 Corinthians 10:31

In Christ Alone,
Becky :)

Sweet and Sour Chicken Wraps

Hey girlies!

I felt like doing something different today. I'm going to post a recipe! I really like to cook and I love it when we make this for dinner! So I thought I would share this with you all. It's really simple and delicious. :)

Sweet and Sour Chicken Wraps (6 servings)

1 Large Rotisserie Chicken
1 bag of coleslaw (not prepared; dry)
6 Tortillas
3 Tablespoons of Soy Ginger Sauce (Royal Asia is what we use; if you can't find any you can use whatever you think looks good in the Chinese/Asian aisle in your grocery store ;)
Sweet and sour sauce
2 cups of uncooked white rice

Make rice according to package directions.
Dice chicken; place in a stir-fry pan and saute with the soy ginger sauce until heated through (about 2 or 3 minutes).
Warm tortillas in microwave covered with a paper towel for about 25 seconds. Place one a tortilla on a plate and fill with rice, coleslaw, and chicken as desired. Drizzle with sweet and sour sauce and fold to make a burrito/wrap.
Enjoy!

In Christ,
Jessica ♫♥

Just say NO!

What do you say when your peers are trying to convince you to do something you know is wrong?

Maybe they want you to try drugs, gossip, or watch something you know you aren't supposed to. It may even be your boyfriend trying to get you to go physically further with him.
What do you do? Do you give in, say no?

Mark 14:38 (New International Version)
38Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

When you have your daily quiet time, pray that you won't fall into temptation. I know it's tough to remember, but God will give you strength and endurance.

How do you say no?
Well chances are your friends know what they are doing is wrong, so they are feeling guilty. Just say no. Keep it nice, but just turn away and like the picture above run away!

God says that there isn't any temptation that can go past what we can bear.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (New International Version)
13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

YOU CAN DO IT! STAY STRONG! BE COURAGEOUS! GOD IS ALWAYS BY YOUR SIDE!

Your sister in Christ,
♥♫•Madison

Isn't it hard to live in this wicked world, and not participate in the sinful things that others partake in?
How do we influence the lost for Christ without being influenced by them ourselves?

Ephesians 6:13-18
¹³Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

When we daily put on God's armor, we can guard our hearts and our minds against evil; against all those worldly temptations that we face daily. When we daily renew ourselves in God's Word, and spend time with Him, He will grant us the strength to endure. Be in the world, but not of it! And do that by putting on your armor everyday. :)

Your Sister in Christ,
Jessica

Share the Love :)

Ephesians 5:1-3

¹Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children ²and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. ³But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people.

We are saved by the grace of God. And as believers we need to be aware of that fact that we are called to a higher standard then others. We have to live a life worthy of that calling. That connection with God enables us to live on a whole different level than other believers and understand a whole new dimension and depth to the word love. Our life should be ordered and controlled by love. And just as we are exposed to the love of God; we need to expose others to that love. Your actions, words, and the way you carry yourself, should emulate God's love in all aspects of your life.

Matthew 5:44-48

⁴⁴But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you ,⁴⁵that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? ⁴⁸Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Just as that verse says- don't even the unbelievers and the "sinners" love one another? How much more should we show that love to our enemies? (or people that are just a tad more difficult to get along with :) I challenge you this week to find some verses about God's love and His characteristics, and strive to imitate His love towards others. And remember: Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. (Proverbs 16:24) Give some kind words and love to someone who doesn't normally receive that from you. That will speak volumes about your heart, and your special relationship with God. It may give you a chance to reach out to someone who doesn't fully comprehend God's love. Wouldn't that be amazing if you could share that unfathomable gift of love and eternal life with someone else?

In Christ Alone,

Jessica

Fun things to do with you Dad!

Fun things to do with or for your dad:

1. Go watch a local sports game together! It could be basketball, softball, football, soccer, whatever ya’ll like!

2. Catch a movie together! If there is a good movie out grab some popcorn and go watch it!

3. Bake him cookies. Throw together some of his favorite cookies and present them to him as a surprise! Make sure he doesn’t know about it!

4. Go outside and play football with him. And don’t listen when he says you throw like a girl!

5. Stick an encouraging note in his car so that when he leaves for work in the morning the first thing he’ll see is that!

6. Go on a father/daughter date. Just him and you! Make sure that you go to a fun restaraunt!

7. Grab a girlfriend and her dad and do something fun together!

8. Go play some mini golf! If you have miniature golf parks in your area go play! Don’t worry if you’ve never played before- there is a first time for everything!

9. Go shopping! Hey you may be into more than him, but it’ll be fun for both of you! It’s really interesting to see what men like on girls!

10. Plan a short weekend trip together! Maybe it’s just a tournament or something. Just have fun! I know that when I went with my dad to a racquetball tournament it was a blast!

There are 10 fun things to do with your Daddy!

Have fun!

♥Madison

Awesome. Wonderful. WORTY.

Have you ever been out on the road late at night or early in the morning? You would think there would be no cars... but there are. It just goes to show how many people are really living. Have you ever thought about that? The world is immense. Huge. Breathtaking. It's easy to forget others and become self-centered - and it happens quickly. Are you having trouble relying and focusing on God? Does it feel like everything is caving in on you? Like it's to big to handle? Give it to Him. Tell Him about it... and get out in His creation. It is easy to forget about the Lord when we are surrounded on every side with sinful, man made objects. Spend some time alone with Him, standing in awesome wonder of His holiness.

Psalm 104:24
²⁴ How many are your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.

Exodus 15:11
¹¹ "Who among the gods is like you, O LORD ?
Who is like you—
majestic in holiness,
awesome in glory,
working wonders?

Your sister in Christ,
Becky ♫

P.S.- Thank you all so much for the birthday wishes. I had an absolutely wonderful day and am so thankful to the Lord for all He's done for me- and for you sisters in Christ! Thanks again!

Happy Birthday Becky!

Hey girls!

Today is Becky's 15th birthday! Yahh!! :) Most of you can tell by her amazing posts on here that she loves God with all of her heart and strives to live her life according to His word. I'm sure she would love it if y'all left her a comment with wonderful birthday wishes. :)

Becky, your friendship is cherished by me and I am so happy to have you as a friend. I hope you have an awesome day! :D


Love in Christ,
Jessica ♥

To Save a Life

Hey Girls!
Well, it's my turn to post on Movie Monday and I am super excited!

To Save a Life is a movie about a popular guy who learns what it really means to live life. Sometimes it's easy to fit in with the crowd and be self centered, but that isn't what Christ called us to. He called us to save some lives.

To Save a Life:



Your sister in Christ,
♥♫•Madison

"I'm giving you my heart, and all that is within"

Luke 20:20-25
Paying taxes to Caesar
²⁰Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be honest. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. ²¹So the spies questioned him: "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. ²²Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"

²³He saw through their duplicity and said to them, ²⁴"Show me a denarius. Whose portrait and inscription are on it?"

²⁵"Caesar's," they replied.
He said to them, "Then give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."

What is God's? We are! We are made in the image of God... but have you really given yourself to God? Does He have control over what your hands do, where your feet go, what your eyes see, what your ears hear, what your lips say, and what your mind thinks? Often it is hardest (I know it is for me) to control sins of the mind- because unless you tell someone, no one else knows about them! That's a tough one! The other reason it is hard is because when we see the sin, we try to fix it. Wait- who took our sins? Jesus Christ! He should be the one you turn to and trust to take care of your sins. He will give you verses to encourage you, and He will put friends in your path to help you. Try and tell those friends what you're struggling with; it makes it easier to give God control of it. God wants to have control of our lives, and why shouldn't He? His Son gave up His life for ours! We are "Twice His- He made us and He bought us!" It's hard to give up control to anyone. As sinful people we see how we screw stuff up and we see how others screw stuff up. It's amazing to think that God never changes! Everything He has done has been in perfect accordance with His character; loving, loyal, and just. He has a perfect plan. Can't we trust Him?

Love in Christ,

Becky :)

Breaking free?

We all have our little bubbles, our comfort zones. Usually we don't go beyond them. We are only so outgoing, so open about our faith. I really do believe that as Christians we are called to do more. To go a little bit further. I can easily ask my "church friends" what they are reading in their quiet time, or where they are spiritually. That doesn't phase me a bit. But when you get me around a bunch of girls, who have no idea what they are doing, they aren't saved, they don't know their purpose in life. I start to freak out. I'm like, "Okay, Jesus you really want me to talk to them? Are you sure their isn't someone else?" I know that's what I have to do... so here I go, "so, um... do you guys know for sure if you're going to heaven if you die? I really don't want you guys to go to hell." Okay, maybe not the best thing to say at first but hey, at least I said something... right? :P

I'm sure all of us are that way to a certain extent. :)

In Matthew 28:19 Jesus says to his disciples to "go and make disciples of all nations" and then in Acts, you see them bring 3,000 people to Christ in one day. One day. Do you think that the disciples wanted to be ridiculed, they wanted to be persecuted? Of course not! But they were on fire for God! They did not want to keep this amazing news to themselves! They took God seriously, and did something. I challenge you to get outside of your comfort zones. Take what God says to you seriously.

James 2:17
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Luke 15:3-7
Then Jesus told them this parable: ⁴"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? ⁵And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders ⁶and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' ⁷I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Jesus left the 99, to go after 1. One lost sheep. One lost soul, who needed a Savior. Don't you think that even though it makes you uncomfortable to stand out, or it makes you nervous to talk about your faith in front of others, that if you brought one person to Christ, it would all be worth it? Faith without deeds is worthless, make your faith worth something.

In His Love,
Jessica

What seed are you?

You may have heard this parable many times before, but I wanted to share these verses:

"Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times."
Then Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. He told them, "the secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, " 'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!' "
Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like the seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive ti with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop- thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown."

~Mark 4:3-20 (NIV)
Although the seeds in this parable mainly address non-Christians (accept for that which fell on the good soil); but I think we as Christians might be able to see a bit of ourselves in each of the seeds.
Do you:

• Allow Satan to effect what you learn? (the seed that fell on the path)
• Clam up and back down when persecution comes? (the seed that fell on the rocky soil)
• Let worries and the stress of life draw you away from Christ? (the seed that fell among the thorns)

Even as a Christian you may see some of these portrayed in your life. Focus on making your heart the good soil.

In Christ,
Becky :)

Blessed

There is a lady at my church who is an amazing women of God and a true inspiration to me.
Whenever people commonly ask, "How are you?" she always simply responds, "I'm blessed". About a year ago she was run over by a car while out shopping. She broke most every bone in her body. When she was in the hospital she had loads of people coming by to cheer her and ask her how she was doing. As always she would answer, "I'm blessed"
You would look at her and think, "Oh the poor lady!" No, that's where your wrong! She is blessed, blessed, blessed! Most people in her situation would go around in their wheelchair and mumble how awful it was. She looks at the real picture- she has everything. Her heavenly Father is watching every step. She is blessed! After she had recovered enough to start coming to our service again, she got up in our prayer service. She testified about how for the first time, she had a pity party. She gave up, she was sick of going around with her legs and hands wrapped up. She was asking God, "Why me?" God gave her these verses:

Matthew 5
The Beatitudes
1Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2and he began to teach them saying:
3"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

WE ARE BLESSED! We, as Christians, are blessed more than we see. If you are reading this- you are blessed. If you are a Christian- you are blessed. If you have clothes to wear and food to eat- you are blessed. If you keep walking in God's path then all you can get is more and more blessed.

So as you go through today remind yourself how truly blessed you are!
Your sister in Christ,
♥♫•Madison

Movie Monday

This is a pretty funny video, but at the same time is very true! A lot of the time we go to church expecting to get something out of it. Which is true, in a sense. I mean we go to church to learn more about God's Word and to grow closer to Him in our relationship. But also, that is our time to give to God. To worship Him, and show Him that He is worthy of our praise. God desires our devotion and awe. Next time you are at church, think about how you can give God the honor and praise that He is worthy of!

Revelation 5:12

¹²In a loud voice they sang:
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!"

Love In Christ,
Jessica ♥♫

Yup, I'm totally going to do something for God. When? Oh... not for awhile. It's got to be huge.

Have you ever wondered just how much influence you can have as a teenager? How much change you can bring about? Sometimes I am fearful to speak up to someone older than me, afraid they won't hear what I have to say, because I am younger. Elihu, one of Job's friends, had the same problem.
~Job 32:6-9
⁶ So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite said:

"I am young in years,
and you are old;
that is why I was fearful,
not daring to tell you what I know.

⁷ I thought, 'Age should speak;
advanced years should teach wisdom.'

⁸ But it is the spirit in a man,
the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding.

⁹ It is not only the old who are wise,
not only the aged who understand what is right.

~2 Timothy 4:12
Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity.

God obviously says that, for us as young people it is possible for us to set an example for those who are older... So why don't we see it happening? I'm not talking about big projects. We can see plenty of teens who have stepped up and run campaigns, raised money to fight poverty, and numerous other things. However, not every one of us has been called to that. If you believe that, why aren't you making a difference right now, where you are? Maybe you're still thinking larger scale. God for you. Maybe God has that for you sometime. Don't give up. BUT, in the meantime, how are you making a difference in the people around you? How are you influencing your family and friends? Look for opportunities in everyday life to share with someone-anyone- what the Lord has taught you that day. We can begin making a difference for Christ where it is tragically needed- right where we live.

If you haven't already, I strongly recommend you read the book Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris. It's all about how teens can make a difference.

In Christ,
Becky :)

Burdens

Matthew 11:28-30

28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Do you ever feel like you have something that just weighs down on you? Some things in life just tend to burden us and bring us down. Recently I have struggled a lot with my friends. I really don't know many girls at all that love the Lord and are striving to live their life according to His purpose. And the few that I do know are in high school. So I feel very separated from them, especially when it comes to things at my church. They have their Sunday school class, I have mine. They go on high school retreats and I stay home. I felt left out and frustrated with my situation!

For some reason God had decided not to give me any close friends my age that are in 8th grade. That burdened my for a long time. But in the end I had to ask God to take care of it. He took my heavy yoke from me and gifted me with His light one. In replace of that frustration I have contentment with my situation. I had to realize that life isn't about me and what makes my happy. God strategically placed me in that situation for a reason. Even though it seemed wrong and unfair to me, to God it was a whole different thing. It was an opportunity for me to rely fully on Him and to befriend some younger girls and help grow them up and encourage them in Lord. Only God can take those burdens and turn them into something beautiful!

Maybe today you are struggling with something that makes my burden look like a walk in the park. Is your family having financial problems? Are your parents divorced? Have you recently lost a family member? I don't know what is going on in your life, but I do know that God will always be there. In Hebrews 13:5 it says:

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

Let the Lord take your burden, and find contentment in whatever circumstances you are in. :)

In Christ,
Jessica :)

"Your such a girl."

We girls get this comment directed towards us quite often usually when we cry about something that is emotional to US, but not usually to OTHERS(meaning guys).

We're girls-we cry a lot-it's what we do. We often cry over meaningless things such as a dinner gone bad or a romantic movie. Or maybe it's more serious such as a friend turned down the wrong path or a fight with your dad. Whatever it is, did you know that God cares about every single tear you shed?

Psalms 58:6

You have collected all my tears and preserved them in your bottle. You have recorded every one in your book.

Our tears are precious to God-so precious He keeps them. He has recorded every tear that has rolled down your cheek whether happy, sad, angry, or pained.

Do you remember the story of the sinful woman who washed Jesus's feet with her tears and hair? I believe she was tearful from all her past sins,but was also crying because of the joy of being in Jesus's presence.

Luke 7:44-47 (New International Version)

44Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."

Jesus loved her tears and her humility. Please take this to heart- don't be afraid to cry.

Tears are beautiful to God.

Your sister in Christ,

♥♫•Madison

Movie Monday

It's a funny video, but it makes a good point! How is your light shining?

In Christ,
Becky :)

Hey Girls!

I want to start out by saying, "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" I hope you had a good time yesterday and made some good resolutions.


Speaking of resolutions what ARE your goals for this year? Well, to be honest I didn't make mine until last night. hehe.

How do we stick with our resolutions. It's not as easy as it sounds is it? In fact, I'm ashamed to admit that I've already broken two of mine and it hasn't even been 24 hours. However, as I was thinking about how I already messed up I was reminded of the verse Philippians 3:13

Philippians 3:13 (New International Version)
13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,

Wow, so if we forget how we broke our resolution and start again then we will still be right on track! Does this mean that it is okay to break our promises? Nope. But, if we do mess up we are human) we just move on.

One of my resolutions was to make some more friends this year. I'm going to push myself more and be a little more outgoing(because I'm pretty quiet). Each day, I'm going to start off by praying that I'd be a light in this world and people would be drawn to me. That they would WANT to be my friend.

Anyways, keep your resolutions- if you mess up start again!

Today is a new day- new starts!
Your sister in Christ,

♥♫•Madison