Isaiah 49:14-17, "But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her suckling child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me."



When I read this for the first time, my eyes filled with tears. Of late, I have been tempted to think that my Yaweh had forgotten that I existed. But, how could I think that? The God who created the entire universe, has counted me as something of extreme importance. I matter to Him. He never forgets about me. He permanently impressed me on His big hands. OH, my heart swells at the thought!!

Dear sister in Christ, remember these verses. I am going to memorize these verses, so in an hour of feeling forgotten, I can recite this verse to myself. I encourage you to look for other verses that remind us that our great God cares for us and is always with us.

If you are curious about this Jesus I love, and you know you do not know Him, let me help you get introduced. The Bible says in John that God sent His "only begotten Son", Jesus, to die for you and me. The Lord loves you dearly and wants to be the love of your life. Christ is the bread of life. He is knocking on the door of your heat. Let Him in. Tell Him you are sorry for your wrong doings. Tell Him you want Him to inhabit your heart, mind, spirit, and soul.
Jesus said in John 10:28, "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." HE LOVES YOU! Don't wait another day. Tomorrow may not come. Offer yourself to Him.
I will be keeping you in prayer.

His peace be with you.

blessings,
Alena

True Images

Hello, everyone. I'd like to introduce a wonderful young lady I know. Her name is Sarah Elizabeth, and she is actually good friends with Grace and Elizabeth(Caitlin and Paige's younger sisters). The other night Sarah Elizabeth emailed a bunch of her friends. I found the email a blessing. It's always wonderful when the Lord reveals something to His children. Especially something so wonderful as this!


Hi gals! I decided to approach a subject that, for a while, I've been silent about. I was reading my devotional tonight and prayed that God would just get it through to me tonight. Well, He did! I was reading this new book my mom just bought me called "Lies young women Believe, and the truth that sets them free" by Nancy Leigh Demos and Dannah Gresh. (This is an amazing book and EVERY young lady should read it. :D ) I read the whole chapter on guys and our standards of relationships and felt SO convicted! I realized how mediocre I had been on the subject and am asking you to forgive me for it.
I'm going to say it up front now and not beat around the bush. I made a commitment to the Lord tonight. I've been believing the lie that the world has been throwing at me! The lie that says I need a boyfriend or a relationship to make me valuable. That, at the very least, someone desirable by worldly standards has to like me for me to be an individual.
The Lord showed me that there's no room for compromise in a relationship. I wish every young woman could see that God did NOT create our hearts to be broken! But rather to be locked in a box, with God holding the key, to be opened in HIS time for HIS glory! God's standard of purity is high, but the rewards are worth the price of self-control!
I have made a commitment to the Lord: I purpose to NEVER become involved in a relationship with a guy who is not a true follower of Christ and does not meet my standards of the man the Lord would want me to marry. Meaning, he MUST be a leader, spiritually and physically. He MUST have his own commitment to stay pure. And he MUST love the Lord with all his heart and soul. I'm going to say up front, that I will NOT enter into a relationship until the Lord has unlocked my box with all my love for that man until HIS timing. Not mine.
You don't have to agree with me. But, I encourage you to make this decision for yourself. I can't make it for you. I'm not judging anyone at all! This is just something I'VE chosen to do. I can't hide behind the curtain of mediocrity anymore. This is what God wants me to do :D, and strangely, I'm at peace about it!

I love and care for you all so much!

----------------------

I pray no matter how young, or old, every woman would come to the same realization that Sarah Elizabeth has come to. It's never too late, for we have a merciful and understanding Father. He is in love with us and wants to be the Keeper of every part of your heart.

Proverbs 139:14, 17- "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well."
"How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!"

Blessings,
Alena

The Grass is Greener???

The first time my family saw our future home in Florida, we all responded with different degrees of dismay. We thought the place ugly, and very dismal. I was sure I'd be perfectly miserable living here, and I missed my old life in Arkansas. I couldn't wait to get out, and go somewhere. Anywhere.
As most of you know, I just returned from visiting Caitlin and Paige. I had a wonderful time, and enjoyed every moment of it. But, when I returned home, I was ecstatic. I screamed as loud as I dared, when the plane landed. Then, I saw my family!!! I jumped up and down with delight. As we drove home, past all the familiar landmarks , I drank in the sights. I was SO glad to be home! I didn't even think it was possible to miss Florida as much as I did! Honestly, I hated this place, not too long ago. Now, I love it. Don't want to be anywhere else. Imagine that. From abhorrence to joyful acceptance.



The grass is greener on the other side? I think not.

Blessings,
Alena

Journal Entry

"Is dawk ouside".

Her two year old voice was too young for her vocabulary. But still she talked on. It was about eight o'clock, and I had just rocked her little sister to sleep. The recliner made a soft ticking sound as I kept rocking, just to make sure she was fully asleep before I attempted to put her in her bed. Her two year old sister, tan,
gorgeous dark curly hair, and the cutest eyes you have ever seen, was leaning over the arm wrest beside me. She loved her little sister so much. But she was preoccupied with what was outside. So she told me again.

"Is dawk ouside. We can no go pay ouside."

She told me so matter-of-fact, shaking her head and pursing her lips, that I couldn't help but smile.

"That's right. It's too dark to go play outside right now."

She looked down for a minute. I glanced down to see her little sister open her eyes a little bit, so I continued rocking. She was so precious. Then the silence broke. Her big sister looked up at me with a soft glimmer in her eyes, that matched the tiny smile on her face.

"The dawk is good!"

I paused and looked at her. Most two year olds are frightened of the dark, or are at least annoyed by its presence because it interrupts their playtime, and is the cause of baths and bedtime. But she was still smiling at me, and an excited look was dawning her face. I looked at her for an answer.

"The dawk is good. God made the dawk!"

The dark is good. God made the dark. I repeated it to myself in my head, staring at her in disbelief. She was still looking at me, bouncing up and down a little bit. At that moment, I think I got goosebumps all over. It was one of those warm shivers you get when something amazing happens. I looked at her and smiled. It was genuine. God has many ways of teaching us life lessons. This one hit me hard.

--------------------------------

As I relayed the story to my mom and sisters, I started choking up. I began thinking about all the times I had questioned God's goodness. Why? Because I didn't understand. I didn't like not being able to grasp everything, or put things in little boxes. Over time, I was more able to accept the fact that the more I can't understand, the more powerful God becomes in my eyes. It's hard to step back and say "God is good" in the middle of trials. Maybe I was about to question things, and this saved me from it. I don't know. But I do know that God's power is revealed every single day. In the big things, but also in the places I least expect them. Like in the voice of a two year old girl. I am weak, and I don't understand. But I will step back and say "it is good". Because in my inability to understand and utter weakness, God is good.


To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10


-Paige

Pretty fast, wouldn't you say?

I admit it. I got curious to see if I could break my old record of about 70 wpm...and I blew it away :) This is me when I am warmed up and focused. I average 60-70 wpm when the situation does not call for me to fully exert myself upon the keyboard. So go ahead and take the test! Meanwhile, I'll be trying to get to 100...

Really though, I was trying to think of how I could apply something applicable to this, and in the end, decided that typing fast wasn't all that important. As long as I'm doing my best, and trying to improve in everything I do (all for the glory of God) I shouldn't set myself up against other people's standards. I should live by God's alone. Now there's proof that God is in everything in your life. Live it for Him.

86 words

Speedtest

-Paige

What it's worth...

When I put those extra periods at the end of a post, it usually means I am going to expand on something. The video below is one someone made with the song "Love is not a Fight" by Warren Barfield (that song you just had to hear after watching the "Fireproof" trailer). The lyrics are in the video. I encourage you to listen to it, and read them. This song is so amazing for me to listen to. When my thoughts begin to wander about aimlessly, I like to listen to it. Things like this remind me that the love I'm saving my first kiss for, and the love I'm trying to keep my heart for, is going to be a love that is literally worth fighting for. That's what I'm waiting for.



Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.
-Song of Songs 8:4

Place me like a seal over your heart,like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like a blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned.
-Song of Songs 8:6-7

-Paige

Journal Entry

Have you ever read a scripture, and felt that it was really speaking to you...and then read a completely different scripture in a completely different book of the Bible, and a similar message spoke to you? Here, let me explain myself for you.

Tonight, Caitlin, Alena and I attended a friend's church. They have a service for college and high-school age people on Sunday evenings, so we decided to go. It was very low key. Taco buffet, acoustic worship, and then a devotional. The way they do their devotional is very neat. There is a schedule that they follow that takes them through the Bible in a year (I know most of you have heard of it). But after they read a part, they pick a scripture, and apply the S.O.A.P acronym. (Scripture, observation, application, prayer). We read the assigned scriptures (I know I wasn't doing it right, but it turned out for the better), and then journaled our "SOAP". The assigned scriptures were Matthew chapter 7, and Psalm 31. I'll let you look them up yourself, because if I put them here...people would probably just glance at this post and not read it because it was WAY too long for their attention span. So. I read both chapters. The Psalm first. I had read it before, but not really looked deeper into the meanings. It was Psalm layout where David is praising, asking for his enemies to be taken care of, and talking about everything he was going through. As I was reading this, I started comparing my "bad" situations to the ones the Psalmist was going through, and my problems began to feel very insignificant. Well, at the very end of the scripture, as my pride was slowly being crushed (I can't count how many times I've been broken), I read this. "Love the Lord, all His saints! The Lord preserves the faithful, but the proud He pays back in full." Psalm 31:23

A double hitter. It is so amazing how God does that sometimes. The scripture could have meant something completely different to someone else, but I think that was what I needed to hear. Every time I pray for humility, I get it. I'll have to tell you an amazing story sometime, but not now. Moving on...

When I read Matthew 7, the part where it talks about getting the plank out of your eye before you remove the speck from your brother's really hit me. So many times if I would just humble myself and examine my own spiritual life, helping other people would be so much easier. Doing things with a humble spirit is SO important. So that's what my little rant up there was about.

The rest of the night was filled with listening to other people's "soap", which included "Hoperade" (I quote the lovely girl at the Bible study), two amazingly applicable food analogies, and a few other deep thoughts. I love being in a dynamic and focused group. We played pictionary after that, and though the other team dominated, we still had lots of fun. Next time we'll try and roll less ones, and more sixes. Even a four would have worked...but I'm not complaining. There's always next time...

-Paige

I have my driver's license. No, really, I actually got it. After taking the test twice, and getting it renewed after the second time, Caitlin and I finally got our official license's. After experiencing this, I thought it appropriate to share with you some things I have learned about the road, and how I apply them to life. I will probably do this post by post. So, here's my first one.

It was my turn. The very nice policeman who was taking Caitlin and I on the driving part of our test had us go at the same time. I sat in back while Caitlin drove, and then he had her pull into a parking lot so that we could switch out. While I was thankful that she had gone first (oldest privileges seem to apply at more than just our home), I was a little nervous. All those little things that dad had been telling us were replaying in my mind. "Don't budge until you nudge", which applies to coming to a full and complete stop just happened to be stuck in my head, which helped me to stay focused. So, I got out of the car, got in the drivers seat, took my precious time setting the mirrors to my height (she may be the oldest...but she is most certainly not the tallest), then started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

Our first main event was driving by the wreck that we had passed earlier. The policeman wanted me to drive by it again so he could see if any of the cars were gone. We passed without trouble. I made my second right turn (the test consists of about six right turns and parking). As we were driving down the road, changing lanes very nicely, and going a few mph under the speed limit, two dogs decided to run out in front of the car. My reaction was to squeak a little for the policeman, swerve just a little, and slow down to almost a stop. Apparently this was the right thing to do because after the dogs got out of the way, the police proceeded to talk casually with Caitlin and I about his three dogs he has at home, and how they are very protective of him. The last thing that slightly resembled an event was when the police decided to tell us about all of the wrecks he had been in while administering tests previously. I drive past a corner and the policeman says "oh yes, that's where we had a head on". I drive past a ditch and he points "we rolled over there". As I am making the second to last right turn, he tells me in his matter-of-fact voice that "a poor girl panicked right there and pushed the gas too far so we went straight into that storm drain". I could feel my stomach twisting into nervous knots as the man in the passenger's seat lectured us on how people are just so inconsiderate while they are driver nowadays. And yes, I kept my eyes on the road during that time. We pulled into the parking lot, I parked our little four door, and he handed us our permits that were stamped and ready to be traded for hard copy license's. My lesson: always pay attention. Life lesson drawn: learning accurate discernment.

If I had not slowed down, I would have run over the two dogs, gotten out of the car and bawled (while another car rear-ended us since I would have stopped in the middle of the road) and then promptly failed my driving test. The end. I slowed down because I had to decide in that short moment A) to slow down/stop or not to do either, B) how much to slow down, and C) what my reaction was going to be to all of it. We make decisions every single day, whether we realize it or not. I had to decide that I was going to make getting this post done a priority. Driving has made me more aware of my surroundings, and taught me that I need to be able to make quick and accurate decisions, or else I will pay. I brought this over into my off-road life, and it really showed me just how important it is to be aware of the choices I make daily. My motives should be clear, and wisdom and logic should be the main influence. So before you sit down and play a round of solitaire on the computer, or, on a heavier not, are making those life impacting decisions about college etc, I encourage you to examine your motives and choice, and the outcome. I'll be doing it with you. Here's an encouraging scripture I wanted to share with you.

Proverbs 3:21-26

My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment,
do not let them out of your sight;
they will be life for you,
an ornament to grace your neck.
Then you will go on your way in safety,
and your foot will not stumble;
when you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
Have no fear of sudden disaster
or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
for the LORD will be your confidence
and will keep your foot from being snared.

Conversation Questions:

What helps you to make your day the most productive?
Are there any favorite scriptures that influence your daily decision making routines?
What helps you the most when making hard decisions?

They have been called a "tree-huggers". They have been labeled "environmentalists". People have laughed at what they do and acted as if what they did was useless. They are the people who speak out for the environment. I have seen this happen among a wide age range. At first I was somewhat skeptical about being an "environmentalist". Being curious, and looking for more information (particularly from a Christian perspective), I came across a book called Serve God, Save the Planet by Doctor J. Matthew Sleeth. For lack of time, I thought I would share with you some of the revelations I got from this book.

You DO NOT have to be a hippy to care for God's creation. If you are a Christian, you know that in the very beginning, God formed this earth with HIS hands. You also know that we are called to be good stewards. We need to get over the fact that turning off a light that we aren't using, or recycling the ever-present junk mail is NOT some radical new thing. I do realize that recycling is not available to everyone. If it is, try and think of things like this: "If I put this in the trash, how long will it sit there?" It seems to me that we use the easy access we have to dispose of things as an excuse to be wasteful...or even materialistic. Think of all the kids meal toys that get thrown away daily. If you think that a plastic miniature of the latest "what's in" is going to disintegrate back into the earth in your lifetime...think again. Back to the being a Christian environmentalist. God says to take care of our possessions, but in reality...it's all His. Bearing that in mind, this earth is His as well, so everything basically falls under the same category. According to that theory, we should be taking care of His earth just as much as we take care of our own home!

A common mis-conception I have found is that a lot of people think caring for the earth is putting it in a bad place on the priority list (my apologies for the run-on sentence). Here I will try and abolish the fact that you do not have to worship creation to take care of it. Taking into consideration what I said above, would caring for God's earth not be putting God on a higher pedestal? Taking care of the work of God's hand can also be a way of showing that we do care about what God has done.

I have always loved nature. Sitting under the stars in the middle of nowhere, the magnificence of the mountains, majestic creatures throughout creation, even the soft cushion of grass in our backyard, all of these have provided me many moments of awe of God being ever-present in the visions of creation. But at a certain point, something happened. I was convicted in my heart that loving creation as much as I did meant so much more than using my eyes to enjoy it. It meant me working with my hands to keep it beautiful.

James 2:14 "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him?

Seeing that God made the earth, but doing nothing to take care of it just does not make sense to me. Here I must make clear that I do not claim that you have to recycle to go to Heaven. I will never claim that I know any such doctrine as the one and only truth except that God is my creator, Jesus is my Savior, and there are laws by which we must abide. Taking care of creation is a way for me to serve my God. Turn off a light here and there. Support companies that are "green". Try not to focus on material man-made things for beauty, but instead on He who formed you from the dust. Be humbled in His presence.

Here I must conclude my post. I hope to make more sense of myself in the near future, as this is something I truly enjoy talking about. I hope that you all have a truly blessed autumn and fully take in the changing of the seasons.

In Christ,

Paige

For more information on caring the environment from a Christian vantage point, visit the website for Serve God, Save the Planet here.

Blog Action Day

Check this out...



This could be interesting. Some of you know that caring for the enviroment is one of my convictions (this is Paige speaking). So when I saw this, I thought it would be a great opportunity to jump in as a Christian and get my view out there. Here I must make it clear that I do not support everything that Blog Action Day does (heavy tolerance of basically everything) and I will NOT bring up global warming. Now that I have made myself clear, you can expect at least one blog from me on Monday. Have a blessed day!

Paige

And the point is...?

Among the many advertisements that are being flung at us from every direction, there is one particular category of them that stirs my thoughts the most. The Christian witnessing billboards. Particularly, the one you see below. Take a look. Afterwards, you can either come up with your own "what's the point?", or read mine.



Alright, what thoughts did that billboard produce in your mind? Let me be brutally honest with you. We have around three of those advertisements in approximately a 20 mile radius of our house. The first time that I saw one, my thoughts were pretty close to this: "Oh..wow. Ummmm...what?" After this thought occurred, questions began to arise in my mind. "Who is this appealing to?", "What about people who have never heard the name of Christ?", and "Why put a billboard up with the name of our Lord and Savior...and that's it?". Please do not take me wrong here brothers and sisters. In our darkening culture, I am glad that they allow this advertisement...but I do wish that they would use their form of spreading the gospel (if that is what the point was...) in a clearer form. This can also be compared to the way that we talk about Christ to someone. We must make sure that we are clear. Jesus makes everything clear (and even uses stories to help us understand it!), whereas this type of witnessing is very indirect. So...unless they were just trying to get the God-fearing people to be more conscious of their speed, and lower road rage (this is possible...), I find that the money it takes to rent a billboard would be better spent elsewhere supporting something that would bring our country closer to God and His laws. But I'll spare you another nine paragraph post and let you decide for yourselves. =) Is this effective? Think on it.

In Christ,

Paige

Standing Up for Standing Out

I have almost always felt that I should write according to my convictions. That I should write according to the recent happenings in my life. I felt this would be the most truthful, and perhaps the best writing I could provide in the short time I have for blogging. So here I sat in our somewhat bare "computer nook" (we have yet to hang the pictures) wondering what exactly I should write about that would be of interest to the reader, and hopefully be able to bless someone in some way. That is a hard thing to think about sometimes. After much consideration, I decided what I could offer right now, more than much else, is encouragement. You see, lately I have been struggling with fitting in, finding kindred spirits who are my age, and an over all positive attitude about all of this. I figured that the best way to deal with this humbly (I truly wrestled with even posting about this) was to build up my siblings in Christ who are going through this as well. Let me share some things that have helped me. Chances are you have heard all of this before...but bear with me. Hearing the same encouragement for a second time is usually as good as the first.

Family. Ok, so I know the culture and most of the people your age say that having a close relationship with your little and big siblings and your parents is not "cool" (oooh...I have tried to dismiss that word from my vocabulary) but truly, this is where so much encouragement lies. I have spent countless hours talking to my parents about everything, and they are always able to encourage me. I have also found refuge in my siblings numerous times. Chances are being with your siblings might cause you to stick out a little more...but the fruits that can be gained from those relationships in the long run are so much better than turning them down now for a social standing. Please believe me here. You are not alone. Talking to your parents and siblings helps to teach good communication skills now, that will carry over into life later.

Self-examination. Ouch. Okay, so not all of this is encouragement, but this is something that really helped me. First of all, let me make myself clear that I am not in any way telling you that you are doing something wrong just because you are standing out. I know from everyday life that this is not true. Moving on. I used to have really this bad habit of withdrawing whenever I felt like I stuck out and felt the results of the sticking out process. By examining myself, I realized that I was partially alienating myself from everyone else, so I couldn't just blame other people anymore. That may not be so with everyone, but sometimes examining your own actions can save you some emotional pain. Glad to get that one over with. Now onto some more encouragement...

Comparing yourself with other people generally ALWAYS leads to trouble. You either end up feeling really depressed because they are way better than you (whatever "better" might be to you...it all depends) or, more commonly, one might get a prideful and "holier than thou" attitude. So instead of looking outward, look in God's laws and truth, and hold yourself to those. Hear this:

Philippians 2:3 (NIV) "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves."

Well that should kill the "holier than thou" attitude pretty quick. The Bible is packed with verses on humility. If we are in Christ, we should strive to prevent our pride from taking over. Imitate Christ. What then do we say to those who bringing themselves down? Again, look to the word. Know that there is joy in humility and purity of the heart. Compare yourself to God's truths, just as any Christian. Know where you are in your Christian walk, and take joy in the fact that you have a faith in Christ.


People get lonely. I have struggled with feeling a little alone in my beliefs and standing point on things. Now, I know some people have an easier time not having many kindred spirits than others, so this may not apply to everyone. Skip it if you please. For those of you who are like me...read on. You are not alone. I was talking to another Christian sister of mine this evening, discussing the frustrations of being alone on certain things. But she was not alone in her position, because I share the same one. Here me out: there are people all over struggling with these things. They do seem to be a bit more widespread, but they are there. Also, take joy in the friends that you have! I have yet to find another sister in Christ who completely agrees with me on EVERYTHING I believe, but cherish the friends that I have. We aren't supposed to be a puzzle piece that fits perfectly into the cultural trendy mold, we are to be fashioned by God's hand, fitting into his Kingdom. Never forget this.

Romans 12:2 (NIV) "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-His good, pleasing and perfect will."


I hope that I have been able to build someone up somehow with this. Remember it's not social networking, always fitting in, popularity, dating, having the right friends, pleasing the crowd, or whatever else this culture is screaming at you that is important. It is staying on God's good and perfect path, walking in his boundaries, and loving Him and His law that really matter. Remember obedience. Remember Love. This is one of my favorite verses. Our troubles now seem a bit small compared to those that were dealt with when Paul and Timothy walked the earth, but this verse can be applied today just as well.

2 Corinthians 5:16-18 (NIV) "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."


Have a blessed weekend.

In Christ,

Paige

Cheers to Dr. King

A great man will be remembered on Monday. A man who changed his community, America, and the world. I would like to say that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most honorable men I have ever read about. His legacy is so powerful, how could he be anything less than honorable. Not only did he carry out God's command to "love your neighbor as yourself" but he also accomplished much academically. Reverend King was also a family man. He married Coretta Scott King, and they had four children who are still alive today. Probably the most amazing aspect of Dr. King's life is that he protested with peace, even when attempts were made on the lives of his colleagues and his family. I cannot even begin to imagine how hard his struggle must of been. But, Dr. King never wavered. He never changed his tune. Every march was carried out peacefully, and every speech was given peacefully. Here is a man of self discipline and solid morals. Dr. King has also done a great deal for me specifically. You see, if Dr. King hadn't fought for the right, my mom and her family would have never have immigrated from Jamaica to America. In short, I wouldn't be alive. I am deeply grateful to Dr. King, his family, and all other men and women who bled, sacrificed, and died for me. Cheers to the man who made my world what it is today. I honor you Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for everything you've done for me, my family, and my world.
In His Love,
Alena

Rating Books

Almost every type of entertainment is rated these days. Movies, video games, C.D.'s even have parental advisories on them if they have explicit content. Now, they have gotten a little of balance these days (you can still buy a CD that has curse words on it without a parental advisory, I won't even start on the movies). There is one form of entertainment that is missing that type of warning label, rating, or advisory. Books.

Every year we participate in the local Summer reading program at our library. You read books as many books as you find time to, and record the title, chapters, and author. Now, I am the type of person who likes books that make you think. I like novels too. I suppose one of my bad habits is to judge a book by it's cover. I just figure that if the author wrote a good book, they would choose a good illustrator to go along with it. I also like to pick up the "mystery books" that just have a solid color cover. I start in the children's section, and it is shocking what you can find. Many a time I will pick up a book, read the information on the inside of the cover, and discover that it does not belong in the children's section. Every year this is the case. If these books could be rated by the world's standards, they would most definitely have at PG-13 rating. And it would not just be for violence. What really astounds me is that these books could be picked up by a ten year old, and the parents, (thinking that since it is from the children's section, it is alright) will let the child read. These are books that are just not worth being read...by ANYONE. And our libraries are full of them.

What can we do about it?? Us not reading them is one thing. But what about the people who are losing their children to these fantasies and not knowing the cause? I have seen the results that the books can leave, and it is not a pretty picture. And what of the authors that are responsible for feeding our nation this trash? If we are to make any difference, we will have to take a stand together. I caution all of you who go to the library for books to watch what you pick up. Once you have read something, it leaves a print on you that is hard to get rid of. We are to fill our minds with what is good and pure, not the worldy garbage of today.

In closing, I am interested to know what you, as the readers think we could do to make a difference. I would love to see some comments. Also, we have had a few hits from places that I am not sure of. If you could, we would love to hear from you! Thank you!

In Christ,

Paige ;)

Commenting as a Maiden (or squire)

Yes, that is the word squire that you see up there. I couldn't think of a word to use for young men, other than "young men" for a long time. But as I was thinking about it, I came up with the idea that we are the maidens training to be noble ladies (if you look those two words up in the dictionary it is a wonderful combination). So the young men are squires in training to be knights. Moving along...

I have looked at many blogs and their comments. Some of them have rules set, others don't, and then some just expect the readers to use common sense. If you are a maiden or lady, your posts will be more feminine. Gently written, yet not afraid to state the truth. And of course you squires and knights and squires will comment more masculine. As Christians, we all have standards to follow. I might address the topic of maidens commenting in a feminine manner later. As for now, I will address one thing that seems to be key in the way we comment.

Proverbs 16:13 Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value a man who speaks the truth. When I entered the word "truth" in the search box on biblegateway.com, I got 228 results. It is obviously important. I was going to quote Ephesians 4:15, but I read the first part of the chapter and decided that it would not do to just take a bit from what makes it whole. Of all the rules that I could think of for commenting conduct, one stuck out in my mind the most. Speak the truth in love. That sums up Eph. 4:15. If we speak the truth always, but not harshly, then our comments should not have problems. (disregarding foul language, etc) And I do not just mean the truth as in "thou shall not lie", I mean the truth that we are called to walk in. The Truth, and the law. We should not be afraid to state what is true with love. Not happy bubbly smiley love, but the kind of love that would cause you to not fellowship someone because of their actions. Because you love them. That is the truth.

Now that I have gotten past the wall of getting my first post up, you will be seeing more of me. I have plenty to talk about and plenty I would love to hear about. There are many ideas that I am coming up with...so look for new posts. Have a blessed week everyone!

Paige ;)