Put on Your Dancing Shoes! :)

My family hosted a dance for my birthday on Friday the 15th! :) It was very fun!

We had it at our church gym.  The day before the dance, we decorated it with streamers (pink, green, blue, and purple) and flowers and butterflies that were all sparkly!  We even had streamers streaming across the top of the gym.  It was very pretty and rainbow-like!  We also had balloons over the snack table.  Here is a picture of the balloons over the table:

The dance started at about seven.  The first dance we danced was the "Duke of Kent's Waltz".  Some of the other dances we danced were the "Virginia Reel", "Hole in the Wall", and a dance where one of the steps was to "Dip 'n Dive!".  :)

In the last dance we did, the guys were in the center in a circle, and the girls were in a circle outside them.  You'd start with your partner, skip forward, skip backwards, change which way you were facing, skip back, skip forward.  Then, jump in, jump out, then the girl would swing over to the middle, jump in, jump out, then the girl goes under the guy's arm back to the guy behind her, ending up on the outside of the circle again.  Then, repeat! :) Whew!

The caller had to leave a little after nine, so the dancing was done then, and we cut the cake and took a little break (hey, that rhymes!).

Then chairs were set up in a circle, and some people shared some encouraging words.  We closed with a prayer and sang "Amazing Grace" then we cleaned up.

We had 74 people attend the party.  I feel so blessed that all these people came and love me.  I moved here with empty hands (no friends here), but God has filled them with some wonderful people.  May He always be honored and glorified in my life.

 ...And music fills the night 

And when you can't contain your joy inside, then dance for Jesus...

~"Untitled Hymn" by Chris Rice

Do We Care?

Someone new walks into your church.  They've been through all sorts of hard times, yet they smile on the outside  while still hurting within.  Maybe this person doesn't look wealthy or kind, so no one talks to them.  And everyone has their own little groups of friends anyway.  They don't want to go out of their "zone."  What is going to make this person come back to church?  They may not even be a Christian.  

How about the kid in your youth group who's parents have divorced?  And the other kid who is a Christian, but who's parents are not?


What will happen to the shy girl at school who no one ever talks to?  Do we even care?


We judge people before we even get a chance to know their story.


Something needs to change... now.


Do you realize that God has given you a wonderful opportunity to possibly help make a difference in someone's life?  Can people tell that you are different by the way you do things and talk?  

Do we sometimes just ignore what's right in front of us?  Instead, will we ignore the status quo, and take the leap and reach our hand out to those in need? 


We are the body of Christ.  My Sunday teacher once said, "If my foot hurting, I'd like to know!"  Don't you want to know if part of you is hurting? 


We are supposed to be different than the world.  We are to care for others.  


What do you think?  Is God calling you to reach out today?

Blog Award

Thanks to my dear friend Karissa of "A Daughter's Devotion" for awarding me with "The Most Stylish Blog Award"!  The rules ask me to list seven random things about myself.  So, here they are...

1.  I collect postcards.  I have many from around the world, even though I have never been to those places.  The only foreign country I have been to is Mexico.  If you know me, and ever travel anywhere (I collect postcards from the U.S., too), I would love to get a postcard from there! :)

2.  When I was little, I always wanted a dog, but my mom always told me I couldn't get one until I was twelve.  Well, my family got our first dog when I was ten! :) She's a Sheltie, and I'm happy we have her (even if it was a little "early")!

3.  I studied Latin for two years.

4.  I know people living in at least 17 states.  Some of them, I hardly know, but I've met them!

5.  I am part Native American.

6.  Last year, I visited both the East Coast and the West Coast.

7.  I have lived in three states, and five houses.

Now, I would like to give this award to my friend Katelyn of "A Life of Purpose"...

Blessings vs. Luck

Blessings.  They are gifts from God to us.  St. Patrick's Day seems to highlight "luck", but what do you think about "blessings"?

A definition of luck is: "good fortune: success that seems to happen by chance."  On contrast, a definition of blessing is "God's help: help believed to come from God or another deity".  What would you rather have?  Chance, or the perfect timing of God?

God's help.  What does that mean?  Well, ok, obviously it means "help", but what kind?  Sometimes we think that only what we think to be good things are from God, and all the "bad" things aren't from Him.  God wouldn't allow the bad things to happen, right?  Wrong.  God allows all things to happen.  Of course He wants what is best, but sometimes we just don't see how the bad things are part of God's good plan.  Just think, God allowed His own Son to die for us.  To DIE.  When this happened, many people didn't know what to do.  They thought that was it.  But it wasn't.  God had a WONDERFUL plan.  Jesus raised from the dead on the third day.  He died, but rose again to set us free.    


Laura Story has just written a beautiful song called "Blessings".  Here is the chorus:


Cuz what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know you’re near
What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?


We may not understand why things happen, but sometimes they bring us closer to God.  (Please understand that it's not that God is not able to stop bad things - HE MOST CERTAINLY IS - He has a plan and we sometimes just have to wait to see what it is).  God LOVES us so, so, so (etc.) much and is always near to help us through the hard times.  He totally understands whatever you go through.


So, can we maybe think of hardships as blessings?  This can be quite challenging.  Luck is defined as "good fortune."  Blessing are defined as "God's help."  God knows what's best for us.  He wants us to draw close to Him and love Him and live our lives for Him.  He will help us to be the people He made us to be - even if it means going through some hard times.  He is there every second of the way.

And we know that in all things God works

for the good of those who love him, 

who have been called according to his purspose. 

~Romans 8:28

God: Your Forever Valentine

"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, 

the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 

what is man, that you are mindful of him, 

the son of man that you care for him?" - Psalm 8:3

Can you believe how much God loves you? Just think about it for a moment.  God, the God who created the universe, cares so much about you that "he sent his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life"! (John 3:16)  He gives us sinful and rebellious people a chance to be forgiven and live with Him.  

God's love for you is greater than you will ever know.  Even if sometimes it doesn't feel like He loves you, he does.  He made you.  He knows everything about you.  He knows everything you have gone through, and will go through.  He made you for a reason, and is always there for you.

In Mark 12:29, Jesus tells us what is the most important commandment.  He says, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."  The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."  Will you love Him with your all?  Will you love others as you love yourself? This can be quite difficult to do, but God will help us.

He gave his life, his perfect life, for YOU.  What will you give for Him?

Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!

I am sorry it has been so long since I posted anything!  I have a little catching up to do! 

We had a fun Thanksgiving with some friends that live.  We drove to their place in another city on Thanksgiving morning, and drove home that Saturday afternoon.  Our time was filled with sledding (being pulled behind the pick-up truck on sleds - very fun!), a trip to a National Monument, and of course, eating!

We had a good Christmas, too!  My dad and I got to lead worship for one of our Christmas Eve services.  That was great! :)  I also got to play guitar for the chapel my dad did at the hospital on Christmas.  On December 30, my dad and I went to a Christmas/New Year's Ball.  That was really fun!

We have gotten a lot of snow within the last two weeks.  I love the snow!  It is so pretty!  Just like how a snowflake flows freely from the sky, also, God's grace is given to us freely covering over us and making us as white as snow.
Isaiah 1:18 says, "'Come now, let us reason together,' says the Lord. 'Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they shall be like wool.'"
Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works so that no one can boast."  Where does this grace come from?  From God - no one can gain their salvation.  It is only by the grace of God.
Romans 3:23-24 says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."
Do we deserve this grace?  No, way!   "ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  So, why, then would the God who created the universe, who is absolutely perfect in every way, who has never, ever sinned,  offer "justification freely by his grace"?
Jesus came as a baby, was born in a stable, and slept on hay.  From the very beginning of his life someone was out there who wanted to kill Him.  He knew that would happen, but came anyway, and died for their sins, too.  He knows everything, but didn't go around and boast about it.  He cared for those that others did not.

He died for every person who had lived or would live on earth.  He paid for every sin.  Why?
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." ~John 3:16-17

He came because He loves you, and He wants to save you from eternal punishment.
Through Jesus, our hearts can be made as white as snow.
So, next time it snows, think about the grace of God, and His great love for you.  There is no one, no one, who loves your more than Him.

"Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." ~Psalms 51:7b

Concert!

Last night we went to an amazing concert with TobyMac, Third Day, Jason Gray, and Michael W. Smith. Our speaker was Max Lucado.

We picked up our tickets there at the place where the concert would be held, and then we went to grab some dinner.  After dinner, we walked around the parking lot of the arena where the concert was held for a half hour (I have a goal to walk for at least 30 minutes at least three times a week for the Congressional Award, so we did it while we had some extra time), then we went inside.

As you can see in the picture above, we brought our friend Jonny along with us.  D.J. and Jonny met at last year at the weekly school we went to.  It was nice to have him along.

My aunt works for Max Lucado, and was able to get us free tickets, and backstage passes to meet Max Lucado!  The seats were great!  The place where the concert was held was an arena where you would go see a professional basketball team play, or an ice skating show or something.  We were on the floor of the arena, and the main stage was on one side of the room.  We were in the middle section, only eleven rows back from the stage!  :)

The concert started a little before seven, with Jason Gray.  Later in the concert, when Michael W. Smith was playing, my mom and I went out to the souvenir stand, and Jason Gray was standing near it, so we took my picture with him.

Jason Gray

TobyMac

After Jason Gray finished, it was TobyMac's turn!  My brother especially is a big fan of TobyMac, so it was great that he could see him LIVE!  The music was very loud, but we enjoyed it!

TobyMac

Once Toby was done, our attention was turned to a smaller stage in the middle of the arena. There, Michael W. Smith and lead singer Mac Powell from Third Day were singing.  This was a very worshipful time.  A little later, TobyMac came up on to the stage, too, and they all sang together.  They introduced Max Lucado who said a few words (he was to speak later), and before we knew it, our attention was turned again to the main stage, where Third Day played.

Michael W. Smith and Mac Powell from Third Day

Michael W. Smith, TobyMac, and Mac Powell from Third Day

Micheal W. Smith

Lead singer Mac Powell of Third Day Telling
Someone to Clap Their Hands

When Third Day played, Mac Powell forgot some words to one of his own songs.  I know he probably would have preferred not to forget, but it is encouraging to me because when I mess up or forget something I'm playing, I can remember that even the professionals do it.
 After Third Day, Max Lucado got up and spoke.  The purpose of this concert was to raise awareness of the many children in the world who suffer from hunger, and to encourage people to sponsor a child through World Vision.  Max Lucado spoke from Matthew 25 where Jesus says, " 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' "

Max Lucado

After he was done speaking, it was intermission.  In other words, it was our time to go meet Max Lucado.  We walked to "Stage Right" and were ushered backstage.  We met Max Lucado, who seemed to be a very kind, and caring man.  He asked me and D.J. what our interests were, and said he was glad he got to meet us.  We were glad to meet him, too!

Backstage

We left backstage, and went back to our seats, and Michael W. Smith played.  Along with his own songs, he sang some songs like "Above All", and "How Great is Our God".  That was enjoyable.  I think it is pretty great that he can play the accompaniment to songs without any music, and sometimes without even looking at what he is playing.  That inspires me to just keep working hard on my piano, and hopefully be able to do that with any song someday myself.  I am thankful for my two great piano teachers! :)

Michael W. Smith

Michael W. Smith, TobyMac,
 Mac Powell (From Third Day), and Jason Gray

At the very end, all four artists came out, and sang "God of this City."  It was a really great concert, and I'd like to thank Aunt Liz and Max Lucado for the great tickets!

As TobyMac said last night, "If you leave this place with just one name on your lips, let it be the name of Jesus."  All the praise goes to Jesus!