4 Ideas for Celebrating New Year's

Christmas is over, and we are rapidly approaching the end of 2014! I hope everyone had a wonderful year and is feeling ready to meet 2015 on Thursday.

Here are some ideas for acknowledging the new year:

• If you cook, offer to cook a nice New Year's Eve dinner for your family. Set the table with fancy linens and dishes, light candles, and plan a meal with multiple courses.
• Have a family board game night. Pull out favorite board games, make snacks, and have some fun together!
• Usher in the New Year with a personal or family prayer/devotion time or watch some favorite family movies before watching the ball drop on TV. 
• On New Year's Day, spend some time in personal reflection and planning. Think about the past year and thank God for his many blessings in your life. Review your life goals (or if you don't have any, then make some!) and check yourself: how are you doing with achieving them? Make plans to get one step closer to your goals in the New Year. 

Of course, if your family has traditions already, be sure to participate in those! It should be a joyful time of celebration with family and friends!

What do you think? How do you celebrate New Year's? Do any of these ideas sound good to you? Do you have any other ideas for ways to celebrate? 

Here for a Purpose

Everyone, at some point in their life, hits a dead end. They reach a point where they do not know where they are supposed to be or what they are supposed to be doing, or don't understand why they are where they are. Maybe you've started at a new school and you don't like it. Maybe you moved to a new state or new sports team, or maybe something familiar in your life is falling apart.

It's important to remember this simple fact: God put you exactly where He wants you to be right now, and He put you there for a reason. It could be a period of growth for you, or there could be someone who desperately needs your help, whether you can tell or not. Follow the path He has for you. You might never find out why He had you in one particular place, but you can be sure that there is a reason.

Take the examples of two people in the Bible: Joseph and Esther. Joseph was pretty much in one of the worst situations possible at first: he was sold into slavery by his brothers and then Pharaoh's wife got him thrown into prison. But God had a purpose in it all; Joseph didn't know when he was sold that God would later need him to store up food and save Egypt and the surrounding countries from famine. "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today." (Genesis 50:20)

Another Biblical example of this is Esther. She was chosen to be the wife of the king of Persia, out of many other women. Soon after this, Haman began plotting to get the king to kill all of the Jews. Mordecai, her cousin, tries to convince her to go in and talk to the king, which could lead to death if she had not been invited. At first she refuses, but agrees when Mordecai says that perhaps this is why God allowed her to be married to the king: "And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14b)

You can never tell at the time why God may have placed you in a situation that is less than desirable, but always remember that you are in exactly the right place at the right time to do the work that God has for you.

What do you think? Have you struggled with this before? Have you ever been in a bad situation and later been really needed for something in that situation?

Don't Forget the True Meaning of Christmas!

Christmas is less than a week away! Who's excited??

I feel like this December has been especially busy for me, even more so than in the past. It's been hard to get into the spirit of Christmas when every spare minute has been spent studying for cram-in-before-Christmas-break tests, rehearsing for Nutcracker, decorating, family reunions, Christmas cooking (well, not yet, because I haven't had time), and trying to find perfect gifts for everyone in my family.

Well, school has finally ended for break, and I finally have time to just focus on getting into the spirit of Christmas. It's so hard to remember what the point of Christmas actually is as we get too stressed over everything else that goes on in December.

Tips for Not Getting Overwhelmed

• Try using the Advent Bible reading plan I posted at the end of November, or make your own. Try to spend some time reflecting on the Christmas story during your devotions. If you can't every day, at least do some on Sundays!
• Make a list of everything you have in your head that you need to get done before Christmas. Then take a step back and challenge yourself to cut at least a quarter of the tasks off the list or postpone them until after Christmas. Plan what day you will do the rest of them and get it written down so it isn't in your head!
• If your Christmas gifts are not yet completed, try to get the done over the weekend or at least before Wednesday so you can devote Christmas Eve to family and getting spiritually ready for Christmas

What do you think? Have you had trouble getting in the Christmas spirit this year? Are there other things you can suggest for minimizing stress during the holidays? 

Celebrate With Tinsel and Reindeer...But No Jesus!

"How many observe Christ's birthday! How few, His precepts!"

-Benjamin Franklin

"Christmas can be celebrated in the school room with pine trees, tinsel, and reindeers, but there must be no mention of the man whose birthday is being celebrated. One wonders how a teacher would answer if a student asked why it was called Christmas."

-Ronald Reagan


These quotes discuss a problem that I see continually at Christmas. I watch people get caught up in the Christmas season who have no idea what they are actually celebrating. It makes me wonder why Christian holidays are any different from those of other religions. In other religions, you only celebrate the holiday if you practice the religion. But when Christmas and Easter roll around, everyone gets involved, usually not even realizing what they are celebrating. It's sad to see the Christmas season defaced by store managers who want to get rich, children who only care about the presents, and stressed adults trying to find the perfect presents and losing sight of the whole point.

The second quote talks about school in particular: this is something that really resonates with me now, having started public school for the first time in September. (Before that, I was in a Christian school.) I still haven't quite gotten used to the fact that I am in a minority in my school with the beliefs that I hold (although people are usually very accepting toward other's beliefs). I love the last sentence in the quote. Think about it; how would a teacher respond? The Christian connotations are worked into the very name of the holiday. You can't get rid of it without changing the essence of the holiday itself.

All this to say, don't forget that Christmas is when we celebrate Christ's birth (not when we get more stuff, stress about getting others more stuff, or make money over other people getting stuff to give their family and friends). Take a minute, step back with me, and take a deep breath. Don't let the stress overpower you!

What do you think? Do you like these quotes? Do you see this as a problem too? Do you have favorite quotes you would like to see featured?

Be Good to Your Future Husband...In High School! (Proverbs 31, part 3)

You know him. He's the one with the tawny auburn hair, sparkling green eyes, and captivating smile. He's the one who rides in on his dashing steed, kneels at your feet, and begs you to marry him. And then he sets you on his horse and you ride away into the sunset. End credits begin rolling. Or you wake up.

If you're like every other teen girl, you probably dream about your future husband often. Maybe you also worry; will you ever find the right one? What if you never find someone and live out your days single in a two-room apartment working in a gas station? What if you find the perfect one and then suddenly he isn't, and you have a terrible divorce that tears apart your life? What if...?

Trust God

God tells us very specifically not to worry about our lives. Matthew 6:34 says, "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious about itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Earlier in the same passage, Jesus talks about how God cares for the birds. If he cares even for birds, shouldn't we trust that he will do the same for us?

If he intends for you to be married, he had your future husband picked out for you before you were born. Isn't that amazing? And over the first few decades of your life, he is forming you both into the people who will one day meet and discover that they are perfect for each other. 

When you worry...pray!

You might be worried about your future husband and feel that there is nothing you can do to control the fallout of events in your future. But there is one thing you can do: pray for him! Proverbs 31:12 says, "She does him good and not harm all the days of her life."

Read that again. All the days of her life. Not just after they are married. And what is the one way we can do good for our husbands starting NOW? Pray for them! Pray for their spiritual and moral development, their college applications, their family life...even though we don't know anything about them, we can still pray.

And hopefully, that will ease our worries at least a little. 

What do you think? Do you dream about your future husband? Do you worry about it too? Do you like the idea of praying for him and think it could help calm your worries? 

"The Son of God became a man..." -C.S. Lewis

"The Son of God became a man to enable men to become the sons of God."

-C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

To Think About

• Jesus cared enough about us to descend from His heavenly home and live a life as a man on Earth so that we could go to heaven to be with Him forever. 
• This quote summarizes the true meaning of Christmas so well! Keep this in mind as we go about the season and you are doing all of your Christmas shopping, decorating, last-minute homework, wrapping presents, performing in Nutcrackers, Christmas plays, pageants, recitals...remember that none of those things are really what the season is about!
• One of my favorite Christmas hymns is "Thou Who Wast Rich Beyond All Splendor." It goes like this at the beginning: "Thou who wast rich beyond all splendor all for love's sake becamest poor. Thrones for a manger didst surrender, sapphire paved courts for stable floor." It captures the essence of Christmas beautifully! (And the tune is beautiful too...if you've never heard it, go look it up!)

What do you think? Do you like this quote? Do you have trouble remembering the true meaning of Christmas? 

6 Rules of Cell Phone Etiquette

As a teenager, you probably have a phone. Or maybe you don't (I think that's great)! Maybe your phone is for emergency purposes only or doesn't do much beyond calling and texting other people. Or maybe you have the latest iPhone with a million apps and free internet access. Either way, you should still bear in mind some basic cell phone etiquette.

Teenagers have a reputation for always being on their phones, all the time, to the point of rudeness. This blog is here to encourage teens to change the reputation! And being courteous with your cell phone use encourages people to look below the surface and not just brush you off as "another teenager".

So, here are some basic guidelines I can come up with:

• Don't answer your phone in the middle of a meal, club meeting, small party, important conversation, or other situation in which you are interacting with a small group of people in person, unless it is a real emergency (like your dad). Otherwise, turn it off and wait until later to return the call. 
• If you must answer a phone call in one of the above situations, apologize beforehand and explain that the call cannot wait. Then step out of the room to answer your phone.
• The same rules apply for texting.
• Do not text, surf the internet, or do anything that requires staring at your phone when you are having one-on-one (or two) time with a friend. They want to talk to you, not just sit there! (Exception: if you are looking at pictures or something on a phone and talking about it.)
• Don't stare at your phone while walking. Please. You technically should not do this with a book either, but I think people are more forgiving if a teenager bumps into them while reading rather than being on their phone. And yes, I read while walking sometimes. :) 
• If an adult is ever trying to talk to you, please please please do not use your phone in the meantime. This will give them a very bad impression of you! Try paying attention to what they are saying instead. 

To summarize, you basically should not ever use your phone when you are in a situation where you should pay attention to the people around you and/or be communicating with them!

What do you think? Do you have a phone? Do you use it responsibly, or is that something you should work on? Do you have anything you think should be added to this list? 

"Faith is taking the first step..." -Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."

-Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968)

To Think About:

• Hebrews 11:1 says "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." What are some things you have trouble believing exist because you have never seen them?
• If we trust God fully with our lives, we will be willing to take the first step in something he seems to be telling us to do, even if we have no idea how it will turn out.
• We should always be attuned to what God might be telling us about our lives; his plans for you might be completely different than your plans for yourself!

What do you think? Do you like this quote? Have you ever taken a big step, unsure of how it would turn out, and trusted God to carry you through? What are some of your favorite quotes you would like to see featured here? 

The Proverbs 31 Girl Is...Diligent

Last time I did a Girls' Corner post I talked about trustworthiness as a Proverbs 31 virtue. Today I want to talk about another virtue: diligence.

There are two places in Proverbs 31 that it talks about diligence:
"She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar. She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens." (verses 13-15)

"She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle." (verses 18-19)

Diligence means being willing to work and doing our best. There are several components to this diligence:

• She works with her hands. Her labor could be hard and even boring, and yet she still does it willingly. 
• She gets up early. She does not moan about sleeping in, but gets up ready to greet the day. 
• She provides for her household. She makes sure that they have light and food at all times.
• She does all of this cheerfully and willingly, not grudging the time that she spends in her work and caring for others. 

How can you show this kind of Proverbs 31 diligence in your life?

• Do everything diligently and cheerfully, to the best of your ability. Even the small, seemingly insignificant or menial tasks should be done in this spirit. 
• Don't complain about having to get up early for school (and yes, I realize how hard this is!), but get up cheerfully and be ready to start the day. 
• Do household chores cheerfully as well. Be willing to care for your siblings and help out their parents whenever you have time and they need help.

What do you think? Is diligence something you struggle with? Do you agree that diligence is a Proverbs 31 virtue? 

5 Ways to Improve Time Management

Teenagers have a reputation for being procrastinators. Not just "I'll do this after I watch this episode" procrastinators, but "I did my math homework for today during my English class" procrastinators. What's wrong with this picture?

As Christians, we already know that we are called to do our best in everything. When you procrastinate, it leads to sloppy work, and often late work as well (although there are some people who have their procrastination down to a science and wait until the last possible minute while never turning in a late assignment). When you are stressed and rushed, it doesn't reflect well on the work you are doing.

There can be other problems too: you are involved in too many sports, clubs, or other after-school activities. Maybe you have a job or volunteer. Juggling all of this stuff can be hard, and we still need to sleep too! This can lead to leaving homework until the last minute as well.

It is imperative that we learn to manage our time well, for now and the future. How can you do this? Here are some tips:

• Get some form of planner, whether provided by your school, bought for you by your parents, or downloaded onto your phone. Enter everything in your planner that you have scheduled for each day and the time it will take to do it. Don't forget to include transportation and preparation time for activities or events! Schedule homework, chores, and free time around these things.
• Every week, take some time to look at the upcoming week in your planner and schedule your days so you know when you are doing homework, practicing a musical instrument, doing chores, etc. Some days you will have more time open than others. 
• It's okay if you don't stick to your schedule exactly, but do try to follow it as closely as possible so that you can get everything done that you need to!
• Prioritize your homework assignments so that if you don't have time to do all of them you can at least finish the ones due the next day and work on any big projects or tests. 
• On weekends, don't worry about scheduling your whole day. Fill in things with specific times (i.e. sports games/practices, family events) and make a to-do list of other things you need to do throughout the day. Then work through your to-do list whenever you aren't involved in something else. 

Don't obsess over it too much, but try to make sure you have time to get everything important done each day!

What do you think? Is time management something you struggle with? Do you already have a planner system, or is that something you need to work on? What are strategies you have for getting all of your tasks done in a timely fashion? 

Jesus...Created; Jesus...Was Needed

Happy December, everyone!

To kick off the Advent season, today I will be doing a study of the first eight Bible verses on my Advent Bible reading plan. These eight verses fall into two general categories: Jesus Created and Jesus was Needed.

Jesus Created-John 1:1-5, Genesis 1:1-25, Genesis 2:4-9 and 18-23

In these verses we learn several important truths to keep in mind as we continue on our Advent studies:

• Jesus is God (John 1:1-5). Jesus is described as being the creator in this verse. God is the only creator of the universe, therefore this proves the deity of Christ, a truth essential to our understanding of His life, death, and resurrection.
• As God, Jesus created everything in the universe. We get a taste of this truth in the carol Joy to the World: heaven and nature rejoice in the advent of their creator to the Earth. 
• Man was created in God's image. Though, in the fall, the image was distorted, the resemblance still remains.

Jesus was Needed-Genesis 3:1-15, Romans 3:23-25

Everything was perfectly created, and then came the Fall of man and the entrance of sin into the world. 

• With the fall, the image of God in humans became broken and distorted, like a broken mirror. 
• Jesus' birth was the beginning of God's wonderful plan for redemption, without which we would be hopeless on our own. 
• Christ came into the world to save the people that He had created. He cares about and loves us, enough to sacrifice himself to us. 

What do you think? What do these verses mean to you? Do you like these verses? Can you think of other verses that would fit with these categories?