Are You a People-Pleaser or a God-Pleaser?

My choir sang "Shake It Off" by Taylor Swift at our spring concert earlier in June.

For the most part, the song itself was okay. There were a few mild curse words in the speaking part, but I didn't say those.

And then...we learned that there was going to be dancing. Worse, my chorus director was letting students come up with the dancing. If you know what kind of song "Shake It Off" is, you can probably imagine what the dancing they came up with looked like. Not okay.

The dancing wasn't something I could just inconspicuously not participate in, like the language. So the next morning before class started, I went to my chorus director's office and told him that I wasn't comfortable with some of the dance moves being put in.

He agreed with me, saying that it needed to be toned down a bit. I walked out of there feeling glad that I hadn't avoided the awkwardness and had stood up for things. It had been easier than I expected, for which I was thankful. But even if it hadn't been, I would still have felt better for having done the right thing.

We didn't end up dancing, because we ran out of time to put it together. But I had still learned something valuable--standing up for what you believe is right trumps going along with the crowd, every time.

Yes, it can be awkward. The problem may not always be solved as easily as mine was. But no matter how awkward it is, you have to stand up for what's right.

Because life isn't about pleasing people. It's about pleasing God.

Life isn't about meeting the world's standards. It's about meeting God's standards.

Life isn't about avoiding awkwardness. It's about sharing the truth.

So the next time you're faced with a situation where you're being asked to do something wrong, think through how you can stand up for the truth in the face of darkness.

We are called to be lights of the world; if you hide your faith, how can you brighten the darkness?

Have you ever been faced with an awkward situation like mine? How did you handle it? How can you handle them in the future? Tell me in a comment!

Weekly Challenge: Hide It In Your Heart

Last week, I challenged you all to read your Bibles for at least fifteen minutes a day. This week, I'm back with a new challenge for you.

(Oh, and keep reading your Bible this week too!)

The Challenge
#2: Memorize Scripture regularly.

This week's challenge is to memorize a passage of Scripture.

Pick a passage that you like or have been wanting to learn more about. If you absolutely cannot think of a passage, just pick a random Psalm.

It doesn't matter how long it is, either. It all depends on what you feel you can do this week. Work the memorization into your devotional time so that you will continue to do it after this week.

Happy memorizing!

Further Reading

• What's the Big Deal About Memorizing Scripture?
• Do Hard Things: Scripture Memorization

Will you take the challenge? Tell me in a comment what you plan to memorize!

(Just for reference, I'll be working on 1 Chronicles 16:8-9 this week.)

Book Club: The Bookshelf Tag

Today I'm doing something a little different and am going to participate in this bookshelf tag that I read about on The Road of a Writer. You probably know already how much I love books, and I hope you have as much fun reading this as I did writing it!

Describe your bookshelf (or wherever it is you keep your books) and where you got it from: My bookshelf is a white, open-sided, sort of slanted shelf from Ikea. The shelves get progressively deeper from bottom to top. I'm having some trouble describing it...oh, well.

Do you have any special or different way of organizing your books? Aside from them usually being all over the floor? Just kidding. As I said, some of the individual shelves on my bookshelf are deeper than others, so by necessity my books are sort of arranged by size. 

What's the thickest (most amount of pages) book on your shelf? The Hitchhiker's Trilogy by Douglas Adams (all five books in one) at 839 pages. 

What's the thinnest (least amount of pages) book on your shelf? I'll be totally honest...Doll Crafts from the American Girl kit. Why is this still on my shelf??

Is there a book you received as a birthday gift? Tons! But a favorite would be The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall.

What's the smallest (by height and width) book on your shelf? A tiny Bible that I keep in my backpack during the school year.

What's the biggest (by height and width) book on your shelf? A coffee-table book on Degas.

Is there a book from a friend on your shelf? You mean as a gift? There are quite a few...

Most expensive book? I have no idea.
 
The last book you read on your shelf? I think it was Beauty by Robin McKinley.

Of all the books on your shelf, which was the first one you read? I don't know for sure...but I know that one I read very early on was Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson.

Do you have more than one copy of a book? No. That would drive me crazy.

Do you have the complete series of any book series? Um, Lord of the Rings, Percy Jackson, The Penderwicks, the Hitchhiker's Trilogy, The Chronicles of Prydain...and I could probably think of more.

What's the newest addition to your shelf? Unwind by Neal Shusterman and Lord of the Flies. These are both for summer homework. That doesn't mean I won't enjoy reading them!

What book has been on your shelf FOREVER? Probably Emil and the Detectives by Erich Kastner, which I got for my tenth birthday.

What's the most recently published book on your shelf? Most likely Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys.

The oldest book on your shelf (as in, the actual copy is old)? It's a toss-up between The Gold Shoe by Grace Livingston Hill, Lord Peter by Dorothy Sayers, and Christy by Catherine Marshall, all books I stole from my mom.

A book you won? None.

A book you'd hate to let out of your sight (aka a book you would never let someone borrow)? I can't think of one at the moment.

Most beat-up book? Aside from the aforementioned old ones, maybe The Penderwicks? There isn't really one that stands out form all the others.

Most pristine book? The newest additions, see above.

A book from your childhood? Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace. Actually these might trump Bridge to Terabithia for a book that I read first.

A book that's not actually your book? Several devotionals that I stole from my mom.

A book with a special/different cover (e.g. leather bound, soft fuzzy cover, etc.)? None that I can think of.

A book that is your favorite color? I don't even know what my favorite color is at the moment.

Book that's been on your shelf longest that you STILL haven't read? The above mentioned Emil and the Detectives. I've had it since my tenth birthday and still haven't read it all the way through. It's really sad.

Any signed books? Sadly, I don't think I have a single one.

Leave me a comment to tell me if you enjoyed this! And if you want to do this tag on your blog, go right ahead!

Getting to Know Me: Names and Hair (+ weekly challenge update!)

I'm a real person. (Gasp!)
 
I want to feel real to you. I want this blog to be personal and I want each of you to feel like you know me.
 
So, because of that, I'm going to start a new series where I share little things about me and my life. For the first part of that series, I'm going to use this set of icebreaker questions from A Tightrope to the Sun, my friend's blog. I'm going to answer a few of the questions each Friday in a post.
 
Hope you enjoy! And now, on to today's questions:
 
What's your full name? How do you feel about this name?
My middle name is Evalyn, and please remember that it's spelled with an a not an e. :)
 
I really like it, especially since it makes my initials spell a word! (Not going to tell which one, or my last name, because this is the internet and you know, safety and all that, people).
 
If you could have any other hair color, what would it be?
Um...I've never actually thought about this before. My hair is actually brown.
 
I don't want my hair to be a weird color like pink or blue, but black, blonde, and red are all equally appealing. I'd probably say blonde. But I'm actually fine with the hair I have, so...

And now, on to more serious things...
How the week's challenge went for me:
This week's challenge was to read the Bible for at least fifteen minutes every day. And...I succeeded!
 
I made it the first thing I did every day. After my alarm went off (yes, I am one of those people who uses an alarm in the summer), I read with pencil in hand, making notes when I had thoughts I wanted to record.
 
Since I had already started reading through the Bible, I'm now in Judges. And there are some pretty interesting stories in Judges (tent pegs being driven into people's heads, anyone?).
 
I'm hoping that I can keep this Bible reading habit going strong for the rest of the summer and then into the school year. And if you weren't able to read the Bible every day this week, don't give up! Keep trying!
 
Oh, and here's one more article I found about this during the week: The Most Important Book for a Bibliophile .
 
Do you like this new series? Did you participate in the weekly challenge? How did it go for you? Leave me a comment and let me know!

4 Lessons I Learned From 9th Grade

I just completed my first year of high school. It was also my first year of public school.

At this point I have tried homeschooling, private school, and public school, and let me say that I like public school the least of the three. But God had reasons for me to be there and ways for me to grow and learn to rely on Him more.

Thinking back, here are four things I learned this year that I want to share with you:

Christian friends are precious.
Up until this year, most if not all of my friends were Christian. This year, I started hanging out more with people who were not. My lifeline was the Christian fellowship group that met once a week after school.

I didn't get really close with everyone in the group, but just knowing that there were other Christians in the building was a huge encouragement to me.

I also got to be really good friends with several girls, who I would probably say were my best friends this year. Having a close Christian friend in such a secular environment is invaluable. I don't know how I would have survived the year without them.

Being openly Christian is scary, hard, and embarrassing.
I'm still not able to just tell someone I'm a Christian without feeling slightly embarrassed, although it has gotten better. My closest friends know that I'm a Christian, and we've had conversations about it. But when difficult topics come up in conversation like feminism, abortion, and the dress code, I tend to back away and try to become invisible rather than share my opinion.

I have grown a little in this though: I've gotten to the point where I can put Bible verses in my locker without feeling embarrassed and I no longer mumble when I tell people I'm going to Christian Fellowship.

But sharing that I'm a Christian is much, much harder than I ever thought it would be.

Just because someone says that they are a Christian doesn't mean they really are.
This was something that I really didn't realize until this year. One of my good friends says she is a Christian. When I first met her, I thought, "Great! A Christian girl I can hang out with!" It didn't take long for me to realize, though, that we were living very different lives.

I can't judge her heart, of course, but if you're truly a Christian it's supposed to show. So just proceed with caution; don't assume that someone is living the same life as you if they say they are a Christian. Often people just think that means you go to church. Which, as we all know, is not the definition of a Christian.

A true faith will be strengthened like never before.
I have heard the objection to public school that "it's really easy to stop being a Christian".

But here's the thing: if you "stop being a Christian", you were never really one in the first place. My experience was that my faith was tested, and strengthened in the testing. If you have a true faith, high school will be a place for it to be challenged and for you to rely on God like you've never had to before.

Leave me a comment if you identify with these truths! What else have you learned this year?

It's Not Just the Guy's Problem (the dress code controversy, part 2)

How many times have you heard the objection, "It's a guy's problem if he can't control his thoughts"?

Probably most of you have heard it many times, especially those of you in public school. With all of the discussion about the dress code lately, this is an objection that often comes up, right up there next to the myth about modesty meaning being ashamed of our bodies.

I talked about that myth several weeks ago, and today I want to discuss this other common objection: "It's the guy's problem!"

What's wrong with this attitude?
Let's revisit something I'm sure I've talked about before on this blog: living a life of service to others. This is what we are called to do as Christians, and it applies in all areas of our lives.

This begins in the heart. A heart that is willing to do things for others even when inconvenienced by them is a heart of service. On the other hand, if your instinctive reaction is, "They can do it themselves" or "that isn't my problem", you aren't going to be living a life of serving others. All of our actions begin in the heart.

Help the guys in your life.
The principle of serving others doesn't suddenly not apply when it comes to dressing modestly.

So that means that if dressing modestly is something we can do to help the guys around us, we should do it, and not grudgingly, either, but cheerfully and with an attitude of service.

Your thoughts should go from "It's the guy's problem" to "It's ultimately up to the guy to control his thought life, but I want to help him in any way I can".

How have you responded to this objection in the past? What other objections to the dress code have you heard before? Tell me in a comment!

Weekly Challenge: the B-I-B-L-E

Remember when I said that I had another plan for writing in detail about everything on the 100 Ways to Start Living Your Faith list?

Well, this is it! Every week I will present a new challenge from one of the things on the list and post some thoughts about it. Each Friday I will check in and update you on how the challenge is going for me.

The Challenge
#1: Read your Bible every day. Study it, talk about it, and ask God to help it come alive.

This week's challenge is to read your Bible for at least 15 minutes every day. And don't just read mindlessly; really study it.

You can jot notes in the Bible itself or use a separate notebook for the purpose. You can study it in detail, write down a few thoughts, or simply choose one verse from your reading to focus in on. It doesn't matter what you do, just do something to be engaged with the passage.

It doesn't matter where you read, either. Start in Genesis. Start in Matthew. Start in Psalms or Romans or Esther or even Revelation. Just read something every day.

Further Reading

• 4 Tips for Daily Bible Reading
• Feeding Our Hungry Souls
• Ten Reasons to Read the Bible
• Practical Helps for Bible Reading

Leave me a comment if you plan to take the challenge! What will you read? How will you study the passage?

Sermon Recap: Rejoice Always (1 Thessalonians 5:16a)

Rejoice always? How is that even possible?

With so much sadness and suffering in the world, our communities, and our personal lives, how can we possibly obey this command?

It's obviously a command; it's obviously essential. After all, 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, "for this is the will of Christ Jesus for you."

So what does this kind of joy look like in the Christian life?

I. What does Paul mean by "the will of God in Christ Jesus"?
There are three things that "the will of God" can refer to in the Bible:

• God's will of purpose, or the things that he makes happen in the world;
• His will of provision, or that which he gives us to enable us to follow his commands;
• and His will of precept, which are the rules that we are to follow.

All three of these come into play here. It is God's sovereign purpose that we rejoice always. He gives us the ability to rejoice always, and he commands us to rejoice always.

This is not optional! This kind of heart attitude is what distinguishes true Christians from nonbelievers. It is essential to our life of faith.

II. What does this joy look like?
Joy requires that we delight in something. Some joys are more important; some are more at the core of who we are. These are the joys that last longer. Outward expressions of joy can vary widely, so that is not a good test of joy.

Christians are called to have a spiritual joy in spiritual things: the desire of God and the finding of joy when that desire is satisfied.

This joy comes from the Holy Spirit. It is the crucial gift of God and it gives us the ability to enjoy all of His other gifts to us.

Christians can have joy because we know that we are loved unconditionally and this love cannot be lost.

III. How can joy be commanded? You can't force it, right? Doesn't it just happen? And what about other feelings?
The way that we can obey this command sincerely and not try to fake joy is by deliberately thinking about things that will result in joy. This is an act of the will and can be done voluntarily.

In times when you aren't feeling particularly joyful, the memory of times of blessing is critical. We can direct our attention to things that will make us feel joy.

As for other feelings that are a legitimate part of the Christian life, such as sorrow over sin, they aren't competing with joy. Think of it as a hierarchy; the joy is deeper and more constant, with layers of other, temporary emotions on top.

Application Points:

• This is the test of a true Christian; false Christians find their joy in things that will not last.
• This is our calling every day, through the day. Are we pursuing it? Are we finding true joy in the Lord?

Leave me a comment and tell me how you seek joy in your life! Is this something you need to work on? How can you pursue this calling every day?

The Power of Collaboration (Do Hard Things, chapter 7)

A single horse can pull an average of 2, 500 pounds. Two horses working together can pull 12, 500 pounds. That's not double; that's five times the amount that one can pull alone.

"God made all of us (not just horses) to be more effective when we work in fellowship with others. In fact, the Bible warns us of the danger of isolating ourselves from others." (page 111)

How many times have you given up on a big idea before you started just because it seemed too hard to do on your own? What could you accomplish if you worked together with others to achieve your goals?

These are the questions addressed in this chapter, which goes on to offer ten tips for a collaborative effort:

1. Start with questions.
The book offers six initial questions to ask yourself:

• What is God saying to me about this idea?
• What is the advice of my parents and others I trust?
• Am I the one to lead? If not, can I be a catalyst and help get things moving?
• What are my personal strengths and weaknesses?
• Which people I know can help fill the gaps where my ability or knowledge falls short?
• Do I care enough about this issue to not just start something big, but to see it through no matter what?

2. Walk with the wise.
Spend time with those older and wiser than you for guidance. Teens have the energy; adults have the wisdom but not always the energy. Seek out godly mentors in your local church to help you with your idea.

3. Don't overlook home field advantage.
Let your family be some of your best team members. Everyone can do something to help; don't overlook your primary source of mentoring and collaboration.

4. Use technology to grow your team.
Take advantage of technology to "connect with like-minded people regardless of location" (page 123). If you don't have many people to help you in your immediate vicinity, use the internet to find more people to help.

5. Treasure constructive criticism.
Often, you need input from others to know whether your idea is wise or could use tweaking, or whether certain aspects of it are working. Don't respond defensively to criticism; welcome it and use it to improve.

6. Credit is free if you give it away.
Focus on accomplishing something together. Don't allow pride to get in the way and demand more credit for yourself or a bigger role in everything. "...focus on the needs and accomplishments of others and of the group as a whole...makes for a much happier, healthier, and more effective team." (page 125)

7. Other people are sinners too.
"Even good, solid, sincere Christians are sinful and imperfect (that is, difficult if not impossible at times). And pressure, weariness, and frustration often brings out the worst in people." (page 126) We have to be willing to be patient and forgiving with the people that we are working with.

8. Expect a nightmare or two.
Don't be surprised when things go really, really wrong. "...our best response is to be forewarned--and not to panic when it happens. Actually, we've found that nightmares give your prayer life a real boost--and teach you a whole lot at warp speed." (page 128) Trust that God has everything under control.

9. Don't give up.
"Successful collaboration almost always requires a lot of people working together over a long period of time. So teamwork requires perseverance." (page 128) Don't give up just because you lose the enthusiasm you had to start with. Keep working toward your goal!

10. Success happens (in more ways than one).
Just because you don't "succeed" in what you are doing doesn't mean you didn't succeed. "...we should measure our success not just by the goal we're shooting for, but also by how well we work together to get there. Look inside your team effort for small but important victories." (page 129)

God will bring the help that you need to accomplish big things. Don't just give up if it seems too hard on your own; look for those that can help you do hard things.

Homework Assignment: Read chapter 8, "Small Hard Things", in preparation for next week. If you don't have a copy of the book, get one and start reading along!

Have you ever achieved something big through collaboration? What could you do? Tell me in the comments!

6 Summer Goals to Inspire You

It isn't actually that satisfying to sit around watching TV over the summer. But often, people just have trouble coming up with things to do.

I've been thinking for weeks about the things I want to accomplish this summer. Trust me, it's a huge list. But today I wanted to just share a few of my major goals for the summer.

Summer is almost like a long Sabbath: a break from the main work God has given us so that we can accomplish things in other areas and rest in Him.

If you think of it this way, it gets rid of the mentality that summer is for TV and surfing the Web. This is time that God has given us; how will you use it?

Here are some of my goals for this summer:

I want to read my Bible for at least 15 minutes every day.
This is something that I used to be really good about...but unfortunately I've lost the habit and need to get it back.

I want to learn to cook gluten and dairy-free foods.
I went gluten-and-dairy free for a month this spring and it made me feel so much healthier! I want to try it again this summer and try to recreate (from a recipe) staple foods like yogurt and bread without gluten or dairy in them.

I want to finish the second draft of a novel manuscript I've been working on.
This is a novel that's been in progress since November...if I can finish this draft over the summer, then I can start to do some intensive editing.

I want to get my clutter cleaned up and in order.
If you came through my room these days, it would look like a tornado went through it. There's stuff everywhere, and it's driving me crazy. This summer I want to commit some time to getting rid of junk and reorganizing my stuff.

I want to practice piano for at least half an hour every day.
Because I don't practice nearly enough during the school year.

I want to do my assigned chores around the house consistently and cheerfully.
I have chores this summer that I haven't been responsible for during the school year, so I want to make them a habit and do them consistently without being reminded. That's definitely something I struggle with.

There are more, but those are just a few things that I want to accomplish this summer. I'll update you on how it went in the fall!

Homework Assignment: If you don't already have a plan for how to spend your summer, make one! What can you do to make these months off from school worthwhile? How can you serve others this summer?

I want to hear from you! Tell me about your summer plans and goals in a comment. How are you going to keep from spending the whole summer with electronics?

Further Reading: Five Simple Ways to Make Your Summer Count

100 Ways to Start Living Your Faith

Here it is...the post that has been in the works since January...100 (relatively) simple things we can start doing in our lives to further live for God.

Enjoy!

Knowing God

1.       Read your Bible every day. Study it, talk about, and ask God to help it come alive.

2.       Memorize Scripture regularly.

3.       Pray without ceasing, in good circumstances and bad.

4.       Pray for the little things too.

5.       But also pray for really big things—your prayers have the power to change the world.

6.       Confess your specific sins to God regularly.

7.       Include praise and thanksgiving in your prayers.

8.       Go to church and participate in church events. It’s okay to miss sports events if they conflict with church!

9.       Use your Sabbath to rest, fix your mind on God, and minister to others. Slow the day down!

10.   Allow worship to be your consistent mindset every day.

11.   Start a journal and record daily events, thoughts, prayers, and ways God has worked in your life.

12.   Sing praise songs and hymns out loud whenever you get the chance.

13.   Use the communion (or Lord’s Supper) time in church to confess your sin, repent, and remember the good news that you are forgiven.

Having a Vision
 

1.       Put a reminder that teens can do great things (like 1 Timothy 4:12) somewhere where you’ll see it every day.

2.       Make goals based on your gifts and where you believe God is leading you. Then plan how you will achieve them, with God’s help.

3.       Stay motivated by envisioning the end product of all of your work.

4.       If you catch yourself worrying about your life, stop, thank God for something, and try to refocus your trust on Him.

5.       Pray for your future husband or wife.

6.       Start “doing good” to your future spouse now—how will this change the choices you make in relationships?

Personal Care and Image
  

1.       Try to stop comparing yourself to others.

2.       Know your modesty standards BEFORE you are faced with a difficult situation.

3.       Whenever you get dressed in the morning, ask yourself if you would want to go out to lunch with Jesus in what you are wearing.

4.       If you wear makeup, keep it light, tasteful, and natural.

5.       If you find yourself getting too attached to makeup, take a week off to remind yourself that it isn’t necessary.

6.       See your body as your temple; give it the nourishment it needs to do good work for God.

7.       Get enough sleep; God designed our bodies to rest!

Honoring God in Daily Life

1.       “Wherever you are, be there 100%.” –Jim Elliott

2.       Be cheerful about the work that you have to do.

3.       Focus on thankfulness and avoid complaining.

4.       Don’t let “I’m so busy” get in the way of doing things that God calls you to.

5.       Use your time wisely. Don’t procrastinate.

6.       Do your work diligently, neatly, and thoroughly.

7.       Don’t waste your weekend or your summer.

8.       Act the same no matter who you are with.

9.       When your day gets stressful and you start to believe lies of the Enemy, do something to let out your tension. (Throw flour around with your siblings. Really! Take a walk. Call a friend. Work in the garden. Sing. Dance. Draw. Think of something!)

10.   Guard your thoughts. You can control what you think about—don’t give the Enemy a chance!

Interacting with Others

1.       Seek out fellow believers to be friends with.

2.       Befriend the people who need a friend, the ones who are alone or unpopular.

3.       Be yourself around non-Christians. Don’t try to hide your faith.

4.       Don’t let others convince you to do things that you know are wrong.

5.       Don’t be afraid to share the gospel with those around you, but remember that God is the only one who changes hearts.

6.       When you share your testimony, do it to bring glory to God, not yourself.

7.       Do your best to remember peoples’ names and greet them with a smile.

8.       When you think a kind thought about someone, say it out loud.

9.       When you hear something nice about someone not in the room, pass it on to them.

10.   Show genuine interest in other people and what they are doing.

11.   Say thank you to others who do things for you, especially the ones who aren’t often appreciated.

12.   Don’t blame others for things that you do wrong.

13.   Be kind and seek to repay evil with good; often kindness is a better witness than outright sharing the gospel with someone!

14.   If you say you are going to do something, big or small, do it!

15.   Don’t grumble or complain about things that your church does or doesn’t do.

16.   Be willing to forgive others.

17.   Pray with and for others.

Using Words

1.       Stop and think before you talk.

2.       Always tell the truth.

3.       Don’t talk just for the sake of talking; make sure you actually have something to say.

4.       Keep your volume level respectful when you talk.

5.       Don’t curse or use crude language.

6.       Always show respect and courtesy when you talk to others.

7.       Change the subject if your friends start sharing gossip with you.

8.       If you think of something critical to say, stop and say something positive instead.

9.       Remember HALT: avoid speaking if you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired.

10.   Avoid “venting”: it doesn’t help anything.

School

1.       Show your teachers respect, even if they aren’t Christians.

2.       Pray for your school: teachers, students, and staff.

3.       Strive to get the best grades you can without comparing to other students. 

Dating and Romantic Relationships
 

1.       Remember that you don’t need to date to be happy and fulfilled.

2.       Don’t be afraid to interact with the opposite gender.

3.       On the other hand, don’t flirt or do things to draw extra attention to yourself.  

4.       Honor the wishes of your parents when it comes to dating.

5.       Don’t allow crushes to turn into obsessions.

6.       Don’t be afraid to date if the time is right and you are serious about pursuing marriage with someone.

7.       When you date, only date another Christian.

8.       When you date, take it seriously. The purpose of dating is not “just for fun”; it is to see if two people are compatible for marriage. (Although this doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun!)

9.       If you are single, embrace it. Make the most of your life. Don’t wait for “your life to begin” when you find a partner.  

Serving Family

1.       Do chores around the house.

2.       Spend time with your siblings and try to be a good role model. Be friends with them!

3.       Honor your parents and submit to their authority.  

4.       Write an encouraging note to your parents sometimes to remind them how much you appreciate them.

5.       Devote some regular time to pray specifically for your family.   

 Serving Others

1.       Give a little money in the offering plate on Sundays.

2.       Clean out your stuff regularly and donate things you don’t want to a charity.

3.       Volunteer with a local charity or at your church.

4.       Babysit for free for someone who needs it.

5.       Write handwritten encouraging letters to others, telling them that you’re praying for them and sharing Scripture to get them through a hard time. 

6.       Allow others to serve you if they offer.

7.       Be a mentor to a younger person in your life. 

Interacting with Media

1.       Decide on your standards for books, movies, and music and stick to them.

2.       Don’t use your phone when people are trying to talk to you.

3.       Use the Internet for a purpose—don’t just browse mindlessly.

4.       When using the internet, set a timer for the amount of time you want to spend and then stop when it goes off.

5.       If you have an iPhone or smartphone, get rid of distracting apps and settings.

6.       Take a social media “fast” for a few weeks once in a while.

7.       Make use of online review sites or word of mouth from friends to check content before you read or watch something.

8.       Read solid Christian books that encourage you in your faith.

9.       Pursue face-to-face relationships more than those over text or social media.

10.   Don’t be a completely different person online. Keep your image the same.

And Finally...
 
#100: Remember, the grace of God covers all sins. As you strive to live your life for Him, don’t get caught up in a legalistic checklist of rules to follow. Rest in His grace and love for you.
 
 
What do you think?

• Do you like this list and find it helpful?
• Are there things you could add? (I'm sure there are.)
• What are some areas you need to work on?

Tell me in a comment!