Advent Bible Reading Plan

With the end of Thanksgiving and the last few days of November comes the Advent season, a season for reflecting on Christ's birth and the salvation it brought.

To encourage you to focus on the real meaning of the season, I have put together a Bible reading plan for December. If you don't want to read all of that, that's okay. Pick and choose the passages you want to read, or do the whole thing just as written.

So, here goes:

December 1 to 5: Jesus Created
December 1: John 1:1-5
December 2: Genesis 1:1-13
December 3: Genesis 1:14-25
December 4: Genesis 2:4-9
December 5: Genesis 2: 18-23

December 6 to 8: Jesus was Needed
December 6: Genesis 3:1-13
December 7: Genesis 3:14-15
December 8: Romans 3:23-25

December 9 to 14: Jesus was Prophesied
December 9: Isaiah 7:10-14
December 10: Isaiah 9:6-7
December 11: Isaiah 40:1-5
December 12: Micah 5:2-5
December 13: John 1:9-13
December 14: John 1:14-18

December 15 to 18: Jesus was Prepared For
December 15: Luke 1:26-38
December 16: Luke 1:46-55
December 17: Luke 1:57-66
December 18: Luke 1:67-79

December 19 and 20: Jesus was Born
December 19: Matthew 1:18-25
December 20: Luke 2:1-7

December 21 to 25: Jesus was Worshiped
December 21: Luke 2:8-14
December 22: Luke 2:15-20
December 23: Matthew 2:1-12
December 24: Luke 2:22-35
December 25: Luke 2:36-38

What do you think? Will you follow this plan? Do you have a different plan you follow that you could share? What is your favorite part of Advent?

Thanksgiving Challenge Conclusion

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

As of yesterday, the Thanksgiving Challenge officially drew to a close. I hope many of you experienced the blessing of thanking God for the everyday things in your life. And if, like me, you fell far behind and did not get to the goal amount of things on the list, it was still beneficial to do. Even if you only wrote five things down, you are getting a start on forming a lifelong habit of giving thanks to God every day.

A few things I learned:

• It's hard to put this sort of thing as a priority. At night, I would often be too tired after a busy day to give much thought to what I was thankful for in the day. 
• Every little bit helps! I found myself, after writing down just a few things during the month, beginning to thank God whenever I found myself appreciating a good thing or circumstance in my life. Most of these did not get written down, but I was forming a habit of thankfulness.
• We tend to take things for granted. Don't take it for granted if you were with family yesterday, with a roof over your head, eating turkey and pumpkin pie. Someone had to work hard to make all of the food you ate. If you think about it that way, you have more of a tendency to be thankful instead of complaining about what you don't have. 

What do you think? Did you participate in this challenge? Did you find that it helped you be more thankful in your everyday life?

3 Ideas for Celebrating Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is almost here! Yay!

Everyone loves Thanksgiving because of the delicious food. Of course, you can only eat so much in one day though, so what are some other ideas for meaningful ways to spend your Thanksgiving?

• Do some fun family activities. Break out some board games to play with your siblings or put in a movie that everyone will enjoy. If your family is the active type, organize a family football game or walk around the neighborhood. Spend your Thanksgiving having some quality family time.
• Have a reading marathon. If reading for pleasure gets pushed to the end of the list during the school year, Thanksgiving break is a prime time to get a stack of books you have been meaning to read and spend hours curled up with them. Check out my Recommended Reading page for some ideas!
• Spend some time thanking God for blessings of the past year. As November ends, we are nearing the end of 2014. On Thanksgiving, spend some time praying and reading your Bible, thanking God for the many blessings in your life. If you participated in the Thanksgiving Challenge, read over your list and thank God for everything on it.

So there are some ideas for how to spend your Thanksgiving in a meaningful way and make some new, fun memories!

What do you think? What are you doing for Thanksgiving? Do you have any other ways you typically spend the day? 

Lights of the World (Matthew 5:16)

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

-Matthew 5:16

People judge other people. That's just the way we are naturally in our sinful nature. We are prone to make split-second judgments based on what people look like, what they are wearing, or who they hang out with, often putting people into stereotypical categories after we observe them for about fifteen seconds.

So, how do you come across to other people? 
Do you seem like another typical teen giggling with their friends or constantly on your phone, nothing special, nothing that will get a second glance? Many people would feel that this is a successful image. But that is not the mindset you should have!

When people look at you, you want there to be something different, something that will make them take a second glance. You want to live in a way that honors God all the time. Your faith should be written on your face as you go about your daily life.

For example, I tend to have a reputation among my friends and teachers at school for being someone who is good at everything, works hard, and gets good grades. Why? I believe firmly in Colossians 3:23, which says "Whatever you do, work heartily, as to the Lord and not to men". I work hard and try to do my best in everything.

And people notice, whether you think they do or not. You don't know who may be looking at the moment, who may influenced by your good works. The other day I saw a boy from my school  giving a bag of groceries to a homeless man standing with his family in a parking lot. I had seen this boy at school every day and never really given him a second thought until I saw this. He probably didn't know that I noticed; I was in a car at the time. But I did, and who knows who else was watching and how that may have impacted their life?

You can't know if someone is watching, so always act like they are! You can never know how your actions will witness to someone else!

What do you think? Do you like this verse? What are some of your favorite verses you would like to see featured here?

God's Gifts and Good Works

Everyone has something that they are good at. Some people can create beautiful pieces of art, while others love to perform. Some are stellar athletes or genius mathematicians. Some can write, others can draw, and others can play a musical instrument. These gifts can sometimes just seem like hobbies, when they are actually God's gifts to us.

If you are good at something, you can be sure that there is a reason that God gave you that gift. He wants you to use it for Him in some way. Don't let it just become a hobby that you do when you have time. If you love it, take it to the next level. Take classes. Plan to study it in college. Find a way to glorify God using your interests.

For example, I started this blog because I love to write. I saw that there was a need for Christian teen material and advice on the web, and since that is where most teenagers spend a lot of their time, I decided to fill that need using my love for writing. Someday, I hope to publish young adult novels with good, appropriate content and so improve some of the reading options that are out there for teens right now.

If you play an instrument, does your church need some more accompanists? Could you organize a concert with some of your friends and donate the money to charity or your church?

If you are good at a school subject, could you help tutor kids? Could you get a degree in it and use your title to influence the world for good?

These are just a few ideas as a jumping-off point to show you what I'm talking about. Find a way that you can use your gift for good, now or in the future, and then work hard to make it happen!

What do you think? What are some of your gifts? How can you use them to glorify God and change the world?

Introducing the Recommended Reading Page!

Today I am adding a new page: Recommended Reading. This is an in-progress, growing list of books that I enjoy and that are appropriate to read. I hope this will provide something for everyone! I took all of the current books on there from my previous book reviews and November reading list, but I will continue adding as I read more! If you have any suggestions, leave them in these comments or the comments on that page! I'm definitely always open for reading recommendations!

Do you like this idea? Are you excited to start reading some new books?

The Proverbs 31 Girl Is...Trustworthy

Today I am beginning my series on Proverbs 31. (I introduced it last week; you can find that here.)

I want to look at Proverbs 31:11 today. This verse says, "The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain." From this verse, we see that the Proverbs 31 girl is trustworthy. 

Many verses will talk about husband, children, and family while still presenting virtues that we can emulate in our everyday life. This is one such verse. Her husband trusts in her, which makes her trustworthy. Being trustworthy is something worth striving for in our everyday teenage life, even though we aren't married yet. 

Being trustworthy basically means that other people feel as though they can tell us personal information or confidential secrets without us telling the world. It also means that people can trust our word and that we don't have a reputation of lying. 

How to do it:

• Try not to gossip. Often, we participate in gossip without even realizing what it is. If you're talking about a person who isn't with you and it isn't something you would say to their face, it probably classifies as gossip. A gossip will often not be trusted with the secrets of even her closest friends. Try to steer the conversation of your friends to something else if it becomes gossip, and never, ever, start gossip circulating. 
• If someone tells you something that they don't want shared, it's very simple. Don't share it. If you do it will be very hard to get their trust back. 
• Don't tell lies. This is probably something we have all been taught from a very young age, but it's actually very important. If you get in the habit of telling lies, you will lose your credibility when you actually need people to trust you.

What do you think? Is this something you need to work on? Do you have any other strategies for being a trustworthy girl? 

2 Reasons Why We Go to Church

If you grew up in a Christian family, chances are you have been dragged to church every Sunday by your parents for as long as you can remember. And as you grew up, maybe your point of view switched from it being a long, boring time to sit still and pretend to listen, and you started enjoying it, even looking forward to it during the week. Maybe you're still in transition between the two. Or maybe you haven't transitioned at all.

Whether you enjoy it right now or not, church is an important part of your life as a Christian. First of all, there are direct commands in Scripture to go to church. Hebrews 10:25 says, "...Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." Romans 10:17 says, "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."

These verses bring up two of the most important reasons we go to church.

1. We go to church because it builds our faith. On Sunday my pastor preached an excellent sermon on how to be truly grounded in your faith and values, you must have knowledge of the Bible and of the doctrines of the church. The best way to learn more about these things? Go to church with an open mind and pay attention to all that is said. You will find yourself growing more grounded in what you believe and closer to God in the process.

2. We go to church to encourage each other. If you go to public school, you probably are around non-Christians all day every day. If you don't spend time with fellow Christians who can encourage you and be a good influence, you may find yourself slipping into sinful habits. Being around Christian friends is uplifting and helps you find the strength to go through your week resting on God.

So there you have it: two main reasons why church is so important!

Next Steps: If your family goes to church, go with them! Participate in the service and offer to help out with extra events the church hosts. If your family is not Christian, try to find a way to get to a church service if possible. See if you have a friend who can give you a ride to their church or if you can find a church that is walking or biking distance from your house.

What do you think? Do you attend church regularly? What is your favorite part? Do you find it uplifting?

Always Together (Romans 8:38-39)

"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
-Romans 8:38-39

I love this verse. It paints a beautiful picture of the love that God has for us because of Christ. Paul is sure of everything he says here; there is no doubt in his mind of the bold proclamation that he is about to make.

And it is a bold proclamation: Paul is sure that absolutely nothing can separate us from God's love. Whether we are alive for the next thirty years or we die tomorrow, if Satan or human powers try to come between us, no matter where we are living or what we are doing, we can never lose God's love for us because of what Christ did on the cross.

To Think About

• Paul talks about "rulers" in this verse. Have you ever had an actual experience with a higher humanly power where they tried to challenge your faith, whether with parents or other older relatives, teachers, or an actual government official? Does it make you feel safer to know that these mortal powers can never separate you from God, no matter how much they try?
• If you have not had a situation like that above, how do you think you would react if you did? Do you feel grounded enough in God that you would be able to withstand it?

Next Steps: Go about your life feeling God's presence with you always and take strength and comfort in this verse!

What do you think? Do you like this verse? Do you have a favorite verse you would like to see featured here? 

P.S. Sorry about my formatting issues; I can't figure out what's going on with my font and the weird highlighting!

A Peek Inside My Bible Reading Notebook

Sometimes I find it helpful to hear about what other people do in different areas of their life. So today I thought I would share the system that I use to keep my Bible reading notebook organized. Different people will have different systems that work for them, but I thought this might give you some ideas of how you can keep a notebook.

The notebook
I bought my notebook from Staples as part of a customizable system where you pick a notebook and then fill it with pages, dividers, pockets, etc. (My notebook looks like this). My notebook has a cover page and four tabs as well as a pocket sleeve in the back. The tabs are labeled Sermon Notes, Personal Study, Prayer/Memory, and Extra Paper.

Tab 1: Sermon Notes
Under the first tab I keep all of my sermon notes from church on Sunday. I title each page with the passage being preached on, the pastor during the preaching (I have two pastors who preach and sometimes guest preachers, so I like to keep track) and the date. I put the sermon title on the next line. Your note-taking system will vary based on your pastor's preaching style, but I do recommend that you take notes, especially if your mind tends to wander. It can be very encouraging to go back and read related sermon notes if you have a problem in your life or are just having a bad day.

Tab 2: Personal Study
Under the next tab I keep my notes from personal Bible study. The way I do these studies vary based on my mood, the type of passage I'm studying, and how much time I have. I don't always study a passage, either; much of the time I just read. When I do study, a format I often use is going through and defining each important word and taking a few notes on the summary of the passage, then coming up with some application points I can use in my everyday life.

Tab 3: Prayer/Memory
Under this tab, I keep a record of verses I have memorized and a prayer request for each week. When I begin memorizing a verse, I write it out on a sticky note and post it on my mirror. When I am done memorizing it, I copy it into this section to keep a record. I try to do a new verse and prayer list every week, although that doesn't always happen.

Final tab/pocket
Under the final tab I keep a liberal amount of extra paper that I can move into each section as needed, like if I run out of paper in a section while at church. Then I have a plastic pocket where I keep sermon-related handouts and the like with the corresponding date at the top so I know which of my notes they go with. My pastor will occasionally print a handout with quotes related to the sermon on it, and that is the kind of thing I keep in my pocket.

File box
The final step in my organizational system is the file box that I keep in my closet with file folders in it. In addition to other things, I have folders labeled 'Bible Reading' and 'Sermon Notes'. When my notebook runs out of space, I transfer some of the papers into the appropriate file folder in chronological order.

So there you have it: my Bible reading notebook and organizational system. I hope you find this helpful and get some ideas for how you can manage your own system.

What do you think? Did you find my system helpful? What is your personal system for organizing Bible notes?

Thanksgiving Challenge Update

How is the Thanksgiving Challenge going for you? I have to admit that remembering to write down three things at the end of every day is my worst problem right now and I have missed some days, coming down to a grand total of 20 things on my list at this point. But, as I have to tell myself, some is better than none at all.

So here are a few samples from my list in the past weeks:

• Friends
• Great music
• Librarians
• Imagination

As you can see, the list can encompass a wide range of things!
P.S. If you missed the initial challenge post, you can find it here.

What do you think? How is the challenge going for you? What is your grand total as we approach the halfway point of the challenge? Have you noticed a difference in your thinking since I started the challenge? 

Book Review: The Mitford Series

For today's book review I wanted to bring your attention to a lovely series by Jan Karon, one of my favorite authors.

At Home in Mitford kicks off the Mitford series, which continues with six more books as well as a few related detour books. It tells the story of an elderly Episcopalian priest living in a small town in North Carolina. He begins the series alone and ends up with a huge dog, wife, and adopted son by the end of these seven books.

The books are sprinkled with humor as well as beautiful, tear-jerking moments, and you can read them over and over again. Just because they are about an elderly priest does not mean that they will not be enjoyable to teenagers. Sure, they aren't fantasy/dystopian/chick lit/insert typical young adult genre here, but they appeal to a wide range of ages and I would highly recommend giving them a try!

What do you think? Have you read these books? Do you like them? Are there books you have read or heard about that you would like to see reviewed here?

Introducing the Proverbs 31 series

Proverbs 31 is a treasure house of practical wisdom for Christian girls. It outlines the day-to-day tangible life of a woman who fears the Lord, setting the standard that Christian girls and women try to meet.

Over the next few weeks I will be doing a study of Proverbs 31:10-31 in twelve parts. I will examine the different attributes shown in these verses and giving practical tips for living these out in your daily life.

It's worth noting, however, that this is not a call to be a perfect girl. Verse 30 says, "Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." All of the things talked about in the verse as examples of how we should live spring from loving the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. If you read your Bible every day, commit Scripture to memory, and pray regularly, the virtuousness shown in the Proverbs 31 girl will naturally come to light in your life, from the inside out.

Verse 10 says, "An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels." It's never too early to begin preparing yourself to be a godly wife and mother and take care of a household! If you develop the virtues of Proverbs 31 in your life, you will be a priceless treasure to a family someday.

What do you think? Do you like Proverbs 31? Do you have particular verses that are your favorites? Do you have any questions about these verses that I could answer in the next few months?

I Wish I Had Their...

When was the last time you found yourself watching someone else, thinking I wish I had their hair/skin/fashion sense/grades/sportiness/etc.? 

I think teenagers especially especially are prone to be watching everyone around them, looking for ways the other people are better than them. But this is harmful and self-destructive. It leads to insecurity and self-hate.

As Christians you also have another reason not to compare yourself to other people: God made you fearfully and wonderfully, exactly how he wanted you to be. You don't ever need to be anything other than what he made you. 

So make an effort to stop comparing yourself to others. Complimenting others is fine, as long as you can try to curtail the feelings of jealousy that go along with it. Keep reminding yourself that the way you are is how God made you.

You are his perfect and wonderful creation. Remember that today!

What do you think? Do you struggle with insecurity? How can you try to stop comparing yourself to other people? 

God Is... (Isaiah 40:28)

"Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable."

This verse is such a comforting one for us as Christians. It proclaims the majesty of God to His people. There are several attributes of God that jump out at us from this verse:

• God is everlasting: He is not human, but God, and He will always be there for us. He will not die or fade away.
• God is Creator: God made everything you see around you, no matter what you might learn in science class. He created every amazing leaf and tree and cell in your body. The whole earth is his.
• God is tireless: Once again, God is not like humans. He will not get tired and have to rest, but will work tirelessly on watching over His creation and His people. 
• God is wise: Wiser than wise, to be precise! We can't even imagine his wisdom and understanding compared to ours. It is too great for us.

Take this verse into the rest of your week knowing that God will always be there controlling our lives in the way that will be best for us!

What do you think? Do you like this verse? Does it strengthen you as you go about your week? What are some of your favorite verses you would like to see featured? 

It's All About Me, So Stop Being Selfish

Why is it that our culture promotes such a "me-first" image, and yet there are countless hero movies beloved by all that focus on the beauty of being selfless and serving others? Heroes like Captain America are praised and held up to us as examples of what we should be, and yet we are taught to value ourselves, our stuff, and our time above all things. It's as though we believe that everyone should be selfless except us.

Remember the Greatest Commandment? It says to love God above all things, and love others second. There's nothing in there about loving yourself first, above all things. We are so prone to lose sight of this and think that everything should be all about us.

What does the Bible say about selflessness?

• Philippians 2:3-4-"Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." 
• Galatians 5:14-"For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"

It doesn't get much more straightforward than that! Think about it: if everyone loved their friends and neighbors as much as we usually love ourselves, that would be a whole lot of love! 

This could mean letting your sister have the better seat in the car or when you're watching a movie. It could mean giving free babysitting to a woman in your church who needs help, or helping your mom with extra chores you don't usually do. 

There are tons of little ways to bring selflessness into your daily life, if you actively look for them!

What do you think? Is this a problem you have noticed with our culture? Can you suggest ways to show selflessness to those around you? Are there other Bible verses on this topic you would like to share?

Thanksgiving Challenge Update

Hi!
Sorry I haven't posted lately...I've been sick for most of the week. But don't worry! I'm feeling better, the blog is still up and running and I have lots of great posts coming!

So the Thanksgiving challenge has been the last thing on my mind for the past couple of days while I've been in bed all day, as I'm sure you can imagine. I'm realizing how hard it really is to be focusing on God's gifts all day, every day, especially when you're sick!
(If you missed the Thanksgiving Challenge post, you can find it here.)

A few samples from my list so far:

• Clean rooms
• Fellow Christian friends
• Sisters
• Sleep

Also, I just wanted to remind everyone that it's okay if you miss a few days, like I have, and don't write anything. That doesn't mean you should give up! It's better to have a few short of the goal than to have nothing at all. It's not really about the numbers; it's about training our minds to think gratefully throughout our lives. 

What do you think? Are you taking the challenge? How is it going for you?

Works of Faith (James 2:14-16)

"What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."

In this verse James is discussing an important point: the issue of how we act if we have been saved.

There is a distinction that must be made before we can understand the verse: we are not saved by works. We are saved by faith. What this verse means is that if we have true faith it will show in our lives and the way we act.

Think of it this way: if you particularly like or look up to someone, you want them to think well of you. You act, talk, and generally live in a way that you hope will impress them. If we have true faith, we love God with all our hearts. We want him to be pleased with the way we are living and so we try to live in a way that lives up to the instructions of the Bible. That is what true faith leads us to do.

What do you think? Do you like this verse? Do you have any verses you would like to see featured here?

Introducing the Thanksgiving Challenge

I think that sometimes, in the midst of all the turkey and pumpkin and football, we forget about what Thanksgiving really means.

It's all right there in the name of the holiday: "Thanks-giving", or "giving thanks". There's a whole lot more packed into those two words than it seems, though, and giving thanks can be really hard sometimes.

I want to bring our focus back to the real meaning of Thanksgiving with this challenge during the month of November. It was inspired by the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp.

Here's the challenge:

During the month of November, I want you to set aside a journal, Word document on your computer, or other location where you can write things down. Every day, write down three or more things that you are thankful for that day. You may not repeat anything. If you do this, by Thanksgiving you will have a list of over 80 blessings in your life. On Thanksgiving, take a little time to sit down with your list and thank God for each thing on it.

So, will you take the challenge with me?