Let's Chat...(in a virtual coffee shop)

Is there anything better than sitting down with a nice hot drink to catch up with a friend and just learn more about them? Today we're doing that in a virtual sense so that you can learn more about me.

My friend at Retro Piggy (retro-piggy.blogspot.com) is doing this "tea tag" which she tagged me for; basically there are a bunch of questions that I answer about myself in a blog post.



You can read her post here: http://retro-piggy.blogspot.com/2015/03/hey-there-long-time-no-post-so-i-love.html
And here is the post from the other blog she tagged, A Tightrope to the Sun: http://a-tightrope-to-the-sun.blogspot.com/2015/03/tea-tag.html

Check out those blogs, they are pretty cool!


So, here goes my Q&A (with a few removed that I didn't want to answer):

earl grey: how do you take your tea?
I like herbal tea plain without anything else added to it. Weird, I know, but my taste buds just don't need sweetener.

lady grey: favorite outfit?
My go-to outfit is jeans, a solid colored t-shirt, a cardigan, scarf, and ballet flats. It's simple, comfortable, and still looks really put together.

Irish breakfast: what country do you want to visit?
Oh, dear...Ireland, England, France, Italy, New Zealand, and I'm sure there are more that I just can't think of right now.

chamomile: comfort movie?
There are so many...probably Disney Cinderella (the old one) or other Disney movies.

peppermint: what's your favorite holiday and why?
Christmas, because it lasts the longest :)

milk: do you have any allergies?
Dogs and cats :(

green tea: where do you feel most at peace?
Curled up with a good book somewhere quiet.

bubble tea: which ride would you pick at an amusement park?
Something relatively mild, because I am definitely not a roller coaster person.

mug: when/where do you normally drink tea?
In the mornings (at 6 AM for school...) with my breakfast.

chai: what do you order at Starbucks?
I don't go there often enough to have an answer to this question. I've been there maybe three times in my life and honestly I think I ordered something different every time.

oolong: what are you hoping to be doing in ten years?
Teaching high school English and ballet, writing young adult novels, and still blogging!

herbal: post a selfie
nope, sorry, don't post pictures of myself online.

coffee: surprise coffee ask! How do you take your coffee?
I don't like coffee unless it's a latte or something else with a lot of sugar and whipped cream (i.e. something that isn't really coffee).


What do you think? Did you enjoy getting to know more about me? Tell me your answers to these questions in the comments below, or answer them in a blog post if you have a blog! Keep the conversation going!

Surviving Public School: Class Tips

So far, we've discussed tips for getting up, getting ready, and riding the bus. Now you're actually at school, and I'm going to start touching on class-specific survival tips.

Today we will begin with general tips that will help you in every class. Some people like math, some people like English, some people like science...it all depends on your personal preferences. I will cover each of those classes in the coming weeks, but today I just wanted to focus on some things that you should remember for each class.

Don't Complain
Obviously, how much you enjoy a class depends a lot on the teacher you get. It can be hit-or-miss, and unfortunately you usually can't change it, but your attitude can make a big difference. Try to avoid trash-talking teachers with your friends, no matter how bad they are or how much homework they give or how hard their tests are.

Now, if a teacher is saying or doing something that you actually have an issue with or that offends you, definitely talk to a parent about it. Just don't go around talking bad about a teacher that you don't like because they are boring or give you too many pop quizzes.

Do the Homework and Study
Remembering to do these two things will make a huge difference in your grades. Write down your homework every single day, make sure you are bringing home everything you need, and then do the homework as soon as you get home, if possible, or after a short break (and a short break does not mean three hours of TV).

If you have a quiz or test coming up, study for it, even if you think you know the material. Even just looking over the textbook pages or doing a few practice problems can help reinforce things in your head and give you the boost of confidence you need to remind you that you know everything.

If you don't know material, do some serious studying. Get out your books, notes, and other tools and really work on memorizing it. Do practice problems for math, memorize dates for history, and learn vocabulary and facts in whatever way works for you. I will cover specific study tips in later posts.

I usually start studying for a quiz two days before and a test a week before, but play around with it to see how much time you need.

Stay Organized
This goes along with the last one. Make sure all of your materials and papers have a place and keep them there. Write down your homework every day and get it done. Keep your locker from becoming a landslide of stuff. It doesn't have to be perfect and pristine, but try to keep your backpack, locker, and binders from becoming a junkyard of old papers.

Be Respectful to the Teacher
I'm not saying you should suck it up and become a teacher's pet, but do be polite, respectful, and friendly with them. First of all, it's how Christians should treat anyone, and second if all, if your teacher hates you your life is going to be miserable.

Don't be afraid to talk to your teachers, especially if you have a special interest in something you're learning about! Teachers love to talk to students who want more information about things or who have a cool story to share. They're real people too, and they exist outside of the classroom. Get to know them as people with a personality, a background, and interests.

What do you think? Do you like these tips? What would you add to the list?

Just To Let You Know...

Just wanted to let everyone know about a few minor changes that will be happening around here; nothing major, so don't worry, and I'll still be posting regular content!

The main change is that I'm switching from posting every day to posting Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday only. Posting every day is too much for me to keep up with and I don't want to be overloading you with content either.

Because of this, I will need to put the Great Bible Stories series on hold for now. It will probably be back; if you would like to see it back at some point let me know in the comments! However, I will be continuing 100 Ways to Live for God, Surviving Public School, and the Book Club series, as well as finishing up the Digging into 1 Timothy 4:12 series in one or two more posts.

I have lots of great posts planned for April that I'm very excited about! If you have any posts you would like to see, tell me in the comments. I'm always looking for new ideas!

Your Biblical Roadmap

Let's be honest: the Bible is huge. It contains book after book of stories, poetry, and instructions for living. So it can be overwhelming when you sit down to read. Where in the world do you start?

To help with this, here is an overview of the major book categories in the Bible to help you get the big picture of what this amazing book holds.

The Old Testament

1. The Pentateuch: This section contains the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). They tell the story of the creation and God's establishment of his covenant people beginning with Abraham. After Genesis, they are mostly made up of God's law for the Jews, so they can be hard to get through if you are just starting out reading the Bible.
2. History: This contains the next twelve Old Testament books, from Joshua to Esther. These books continue the history of Israel begun in the Pentateuch, telling of the judges and then the kings. This would be a good section for you if you like reading history or nonfiction.
3. Poetry and Wisdom: This includes Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon. These books contain poetry in praise and petition to God or wisdom for living. If you like reading poems, this is a good section for you.
4. Prophets: This makes up the rest of the Old Testament. Prophetic books can be hard to understand if you are just starting out, but are something you should definitely read at some point.

The New Testament

1. The Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. This is a very good place to start if you are new to Christianity or just like a good story. They tell the story of Jesus' birth, life, and death, recorded by four different authors.
2. History: The book of Acts is the only other history book in the New Testament. It was written by Luke to continue his gospel, telling of the work of the apostles after Christ ascended into heaven. Definitely a good thing to read if you're looking for a story.
3. Letters: These make up the bulk of the New Testament. Many of them were written by Paul, some by other apostles. These provide the basic guidelines for Christian living.
4. Prophecy: The book of Revelation, prophesying the age to come, is definitely a confusing book and not where you want to start if you are new to the Bible, but don't be afraid of reading it at some point!

So, here is the order I would suggest reading the books in if you are new to the Bible:

1. Read the Gospels first. They aren't as hard to interpret and also explain the fundamental beliefs about Christ behind Christianity.
2. Read Genesis next.
3. Now read the Old Testament history and Acts.
4. Read the New Testament letters.
5. Read Old Testament poetry now.
6. Then Old Testament prophets.
7. Now, go back to the Pentateuch and read Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
8. Finish with Revelation once you are better equipped to understand it through reading the rest of the Bible.

Of course, there are many ways you could go about it, based on what you like reading personally. And if you've already been reading your Bible, hopefully this helped with the big picture and helped you see the parts you need to go back and focus on more in-depth.

Happy reading!

What do you think? Have you read all of your Bible? What parts do you need to go back and reread? If you haven't read the Bible before, where will you start?

Set an Example in Actions

Two weeks ago I discussed speaking in a godly way, one that brings glory to God and sets an example for other believers around us.

But speaking isn't enough; we must show our faith in our actions as well!

Look to the Bible
There is no way to cover everything the Bible commands us to do in a blog post. You have to discover that for yourself; read it regularly! If you have an issue that comes up in your life and you are unsure how to respond, try to find it Scripture before you turn to any other sources, whether people or books.

If you can't find anything that you feel relates to your topic, ask a parent, pastor, youth leader, or other godly adult in your life for help. Maybe they can point out verses that you overlooked or that relate in a way you hadn't thought of.

Remember that the Bible gives us all of the instruction we need for our life. There is always something there to guide you, whether you can find it at first or not. Dig deep!

Follow the Golden Rule
Digging aside, there is one teaching that the Bible gives that relates to pretty much everything we do: treat others as more important than yourself.

Treat others the way you would want to be treated by them in the same situation; it's a foolproof rule of thumb for living and interacting with others (unless you enjoy it when people are mean to you, which I highly doubt).

Do Everything for God's Glory
The ultimate purpose in the Christian life is to glorify God. This should be your priority; God's glory and majesty should be reflected in your actions.

If your goals aren't aligned with this one purpose, maybe it's time to rethink where your life is going. Remember that life isn't about being happy; it's about bringing God glory. This will inform everything you do.

What do you think? Do you like these reflections? What else would you add?

A Little Crash Course on St. Patrick

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I hope your day has been full of green and Irishness (I don't think that's a word, but oh well).

St. Patrick's Day is yet another example of a holiday with Christian roots that has been turned on its head and is now celebrated by millions of people who have no idea what they are actually celebrating.

But you should know what you are celebrating. So who exactly was St. Patrick, and why do we celebrate him?

St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. He was born in Roman Britain, but he was kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave at age sixteen. He worked as a slave in Ireland for six years; during this time he became a devout Christian.

He claims that a voice spoke in a dream to him, telling him that it was time to leave Ireland. He managed to escape and made his way back to Britain to be reunited with his family.

And then he had another dream in which God called him to go back to Ireland and witness to the people there. So he returned and began the process of bringing Christianity to the Irish, who at the time practiced a religion full of Druids and nature spirits. Many legends of him exist today, one of which is that he used the three-leaf clover to illustrate the trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

So there you have it: who St. Patrick is and why we celebrate him on March 17.

What do you think? Did you know this before? Have you learned some new things? Are there other things you can add to this that I left out?

5 Truths About Prayer

Prayer. Arguably one of the most important responsibilities and most exciting benefits of the Christian life. I mean, you get to spend time talking personally to the God of the universe, something that other religions really have no equivalent to.

But so many people see prayer as a chore, something they do before they eat and before bed so that they can be a "good Christian". Today I want to dive into some of the Bible's teachings about prayer, what it is and isn't for, and what you will get out of it if you stop viewing it as a chore and start viewing it as a privilege.

1. Prayer is not an outward show.
"But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."
-Matthew 6:6

Now, this verse isn't saying that it's wrong to pray with a group of people. It only means that you should not see prayer as primarily something to do in front of others to show them what a good Christian you are.

This was something the Pharisees were very guilty of; they would pray on the streets to show the whole world how righteous they were. That is not the point of prayer. The point of prayer is to come into the presence of God and develop your personal relationship with Him.

2. We are to pray continually.
"...be constant in prayer."
-Romans 12:12b

Prayer is not something that you only do before meals and before bed as part of your routine. You should be in the habit of praying anywhere, anytime, about anything. Send little prayers up to God all throughout your day, whenever you think of someone who needs it or find yourself in a difficult situation where you need a little help.

3. We are to pray for others.
"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."
-James 5:16

While it's fine to pray for things in your own life, prayer is very powerful when many people are all praying to God for each other. If you have Christian friends, share prayer requests with them and pray faithfully for them, trusting that they are doing the same for you. There is nothing more encouraging than going through a hard time knowing that there are people praying on your behalf.

4. Prayer is a cure for worry.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
-Philippians 4:6-7

When we pray, we are essentially turning our lives over to God. We are saying, "Lord, this is where I need help, and I am giving it to you because I know you will do what is best for me." When we know that God is in control of our lives, we will naturally be less anxious, because we are giving our worries to Him and letting Him take care of it.

5. God hears the prayers of His people.
"The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry...when the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles."
-Psalm 34:15-17

The reason prayer is such an amazing, encouraging thing is because God actually hears us. If we believe and trust in Him, He listens to every little prayer you think throughout the day. So never worry that he isn't listening to you; He hears every word you speak to Him and knows exactly what you are going through each day.

What do you think? Do you find these truths encouraging? Are there things here you never thought about before? Are there other verses you can think of that talk about prayer? Tell me in the comments!