Tuesday, August 17, 2010

The beginning signs of busyness...

...are starting to come.

Have you noticed? Students all over are watching this thing creep up on all sides as summer fades into the busyness of the fall semester.

Sports are starting;
School supplies are being sucked up from the stores;
People are going to just a few more places before they must buckle down to wait till Christmas break;
Registration for everything that you can imagine is happening;
Etc.

Our precious summer break is coming to a close...oh, well, it had to happen sooner or later, it does every year. I guess we should expect it by now. lol.

Being busy is a good thing, and a bad thing. For one, you don't waste as much time, or, put more bluntly, you don't have much time to waste! I mean, between Church, Youth Group, Keepers at Home, Gymnastics (hopefully!), AWANA, Co-op, Go Ye Therefore, Mission Minded Teens, trying to earn some money, and High School in general (and all those other things that, for some odd reason, seem to show their surprising faces at the most inopportune times) I'm not going to have that much extra time to burn! But, on the other hand, being busy also means that you might not be able to fit everything into your schedule, and you must put the most important things first, which is sometimes very hard to do.

As this new semester comes creeping in we need to be in prayer, 1. that God would lead us to be witnesses wherever He leads us, and in whatever situations He puts us in; and 2. that we would always put Him first; and finally, that we would use our time wisely and effectively to His glory!

Just as a warning, I will probably be posting less, just like all you other bloggers out there, which also means that I will probably be reading and commenting less also. So, don't be offended if I nearly cease to visit your blog for a while, I do love reading y'all's blogs! and commenting! (Who doesn't love comments?!)

Who besides our Lord knows what this next semester holds? Honestly, I can't wait till stuff starts up again!

God bless!
In Christ,
Buttercup

Thursday, August 12, 2010

So-long Self, by Mercy Me *Great song!*

Hey Y'all! A friend of mine, Anna, over at Sisters in the Savior, posted a music video with this song; and I loved it so much I had to look up the lyrics! lol. I don't listen to music videos that well. :P But anyways, here are the lyrics, and after you read it, hop over to Anna's blog and read her post and watch the music video!

Well if I come across a little bit distant
It's just because I am
Things just seem to feel a little bit different
You understand
Believe it or not but life is not apparently
About me anyways
But I have met the One who really is worthy
So let me say

So long, self
Well, it's been fun, but I have found somebody else
So long, self
There's just no room for two
So you are gonna have to move
So long, self
Don't take this wrong but you are wrong for me, farewell
Oh well, goodbye, don't cry
So long, self

Stop right there because I know what you're thinking
But no we can't be friends
And even though I know your heart is breaking
This has to end
And come to think of it the blame for all of this
Simply falls on me
For wanting something more in life than all of this
Can't you see

Don't feel so bad (don't feel so bad)
There'll be better days (there'll be better days)
Don't go away mad (but by all means)
Just go away, go away

-Mercy Me (Coming Up To Breathe)

In Christ alone,
Buttercup <3

P.S. Don't forget to subscribe to Go Ye Therefore and to send in your questions for Mr. David Sitton! Click here for the post.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Got questions for Mr. Sitton?

Hey y'all!

Most of y'all know that me and the rest of the Mission Minded Teens team put out a free online magazine once a month called Go Ye Therefore. Well, this month we are going to have something super special! We are interviewing David Sitton, president of To Every Tribe ministries!

So if you have any questions that you would like to ask him, please comment on this post (or email us) with them! Just keep in mind, that if I get a lot of questions, I can't use all of them. I want to email him the questions this Saturday at the latest, so hurry, hurry, hurry! :)

If you would like to subscribe to Go Ye Therefore, our free online magazine, please email the team at: helpnm@embarqmail.com!

Thanks!

In Christ,
Buttercup

Monday, August 9, 2010

Tagged by Taylor!

Thanks, Taylor for tagging me! Yes I admit it, she tagged me in May, and I completely forgot! sorry! But, here we go!

  • Cherries or blueberries?

Yikes! I don't know! lol. They are both so good! But, I guess it depends whether I want a blue mouth or not. lol.

  • Dogs or cats?

Definitely dogs, cats drive me nuts.

  • Beds or sleeping bags?

This is probably the easiest question I've ever been asked, BEDS! I cannot sleep in a sleeping bag, well, I can but it's very hard.

  • Hamburger or hot dog?

I've never cared for hot dogs, but I do love hamburgers! :)

  • Typing or writing?

Typing!

  • Day or night?

Either one, depends on how tired I am. LOL.

  • Beach or lake?

I really have to answer this? I don't like water, period! well, unless it's a shower, or a pool with a concrete bottom that you can see.

  • Christmas or Easter?

probably Christmas!

  • Math or reading?

Reading, definitely! I hate math!

  • Tests or studying?

tests! Studying takes forever, if you do it right. lol.

  • Pens or pencils?

depends if the pen has ink...and if I think I'll make a lot of mistakes...probably pencils!

  • Caterpillars or butterflies?

oooh! that's hard! I don't know, most caterpillars are so cute (and easier to photograph!), but butterflies are so graceful and beautiful!

Now I tag...anyone that comments on this post! Have fun!

In Christ,

Buttercup

Saturday, August 7, 2010

You are God alone!

This is one of my favorite songs! So I thought I'd just share it with y'all...

You were not a god created
By human hands
You were not god dependent
On any mortal man
You are not a god
In need of anything we can give
By your plan that's just the way it is

You are God alone
From before time began
You were on your throne
You are God alone
And right now
In the good times and bad
You are on your throne
You are God alone

You're the only God
Whose power none can contend
You're the only God
Whose name and praise will never end
You're the only God
Whose worthy of everything we can give
You are God
That's just the way it is

You are God alone
From before time began
You were on your throne
You are God alone
And right now
In the good times and bad
You are on your throne
You are God alone

You're unchangeable
You're unshakable
You're unstoppable
That's what you are

You're unchangeable
You're unshakable
You're unstoppable
That's what you are

You are God alone
From before time began
You were on your throne
You are God alone
And right now
In the good times and bad
You are on your throne
You are God alone

You're unchangeable
You're unshakable
You're unstoppable
That's what you are

-Philips Craig Dean

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Contradictions in Scripture?

Have you ever been reading your Bible, and you come across a passage that you know contradicts another? Or have you heard a child's Bible being read, and it had a different story than what you've read in the Bible you have? I have.

Are there contradictions in Scripture itself?

I do not believe so, and here is why:

1. ALL scripture is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16)
2. ALL true prophecies about Jesus came true
3. It was written by over 40 different people
4. It was written over a very long period of time

Now we shall look a little at these four things...

1. ALL Scripture is God-breathed

Scriptural backup: 2 Timothy 3:16 - All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. (For a bit more study of this verse, see part nineteen of my 2 Timothy Study).

God breathed it! The whole thing is His Word! And God cannot lie or contradict Himself. (Titus 1:2 - In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.)

2. All true prophecies about Jesus came true

For example:

Isaiah 53:4 - Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried out sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

Compared to:

Matthew 8:17 - That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias (Isaiah) the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.

See this page to find a bunch of references to them.

3. It was written by over forty different people

Moses
David
Isaiah
Ezekiel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Paul
Peter
James

Just to name a few!

4. It was written over a very long period of time

From the time of Moses till the time of Paul, that's a very long time! I'm not sure how long, but I know, a few thousand years!

__________________

So what kind of "contradictions"* are there? I have personally found one, and I have heard of another, I'll write both down here:

1. The death of Judas Iscariot

(Keep in mind! No one knows exactly what happened, so we don't know for sure. These are just educated guesses, or, in my case, just guesses.)

Matthew 27:5 - And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

Acts 1:18 - Now this man (Judas Iscariot) purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.

So here, we have two "contradictions"*.

1. Did he throw down the silver in the temple or did he purchase a field with it?

Both! He bought the field, then threw down his payment.

2. Did he hang himself or did he fall and burst open?

Both! He hung himself on a tree that was hanging over a cliff (the normal thing to do back then, or so I've read) and when he, uh, his body, was, well, decapitated, or in regular English, had his head disconnected from the rest of his body, he kinda, well, fell, and uh, "burst asunder". *shudder* gross.

No contradiction there!

2. The Withered Fig Tree

Mark 11:12-22 - 12And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: 13And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. 14And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it. 15And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; 16And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. 17And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves. 18And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine. 19And when even was come, he went out of the city. 20And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. 22And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

Compared to:

Matthew 21:18-20 - 18Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. 19And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. 20And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!

Here we have one "contradiction"*:

Did the fig tree wither away right before their eyes, or did it wither away while they were gone, and then they saw it when they came back by it in the morning?

On this one, I am not really sure. A few different things could have happened.

"Presently" means soon, or immediately. So according to what we find in Mark, the fig tree withered away right before their eyes. But according to Matthew, Jesus commanded the fig tree to bear no fruit, and then they left before it happened. Now, you must be thinking, "one is wrong". But that is not possible! Both are correct, for both are the inspired word of God, and God doesn't lie, or forget what happened! So what did happen? I don't know. But my only guess would be that the fig tree started to wither while they were there, and then when they came back the next day, it was completely dead. But I am not sure. What do you think?

Have you found any "contradictions" in scripture? Have you figured out why both (or more) are true? For they must be true, no matter how much they seem to "contradict".

God never lies. Nor does He forget. Nor does He contradict Himself. The Bible is the inspired Word of God, so we can trust it. It is the only book we can trust. It is the only map for life that we can trust. "His word IS truth!" (John 17:17)

In Christ,
Buttercup

*I did quote marks because they are not really contradictions.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Mowing the lawn for the glory of God!

Have you ever mowed the lawn on a Saturday morning, with the sun beating down on you, sweat running down your face, grass sticking all over your legs, flies and grasshoppers trying to jump in your mouth, nose, and ears; and thinking how cool it is inside, how nice water tastes, how you really want to be either back in bed or playing a video game? I have.

But that is when you cut the lawn mower, look up at the beautiful sky, listen to the birds singing, smell the freshly cut grass, (and hopefully not be tasting a grasshopper...) and realize how lucky you are to be outside on such a beautiful morning!

That is when you realize how great our God really is! Those are the moments that you just want to bow down with your face to the ground and worship God for making this wonderful world that we live in! Those are the moments when we wonder why we were having a bad attitude, when we wished we were in bed, when we wished we were sitting in front of the TV with a PS3 controller in our hands. Those are the moments when we don't notice how hot we are, we just feel the cool breeze. Those are the moments that we don't feel thirsty, we just feel a wonderful stillness, a glorious morning that most people were missing.

When we stop, look, and listen, we realize how wonderful, and glorious, and incredible our God is! We wonder why some people don't take the time to "stop and smell the flowers", we wonder why some people don't see, through God's creation, how wonderful, and glorious, and incredible our God really is!

But once the moment is over, and you realize you still have to mow the front yard after you finish the back, all those wishes come back. When you have to start the lawn mower again, and it breaks the silence and beauty of nature; when you are just counting the swipes of the weed eater until you can go inside, those are the moments when we recall to memory what the apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:31 - "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all for the glory of God."

That means, that no matter what you are doing, whether you are eating, drinking, playing cards, crocheting, hanging out with friends, or mowing the lawn; you are supposed to do ALL of it for glory of our Heavenly Father! How do you do that? I'm not a Bible scholar, and I'm not very good at guessing, but my guess is this: for example, when you're mowing the lawn, sing praises to Him, or pray. And while you are mowing, if someone passes on the sidewalk be sure to say hi and maybe even mention something about how beautiful the day is, who knows, you might be able to share Christ with someone! When you do something for the glory of God, anything is possible! or, when you are hanging out with friends, sing together, pray together, share your favorite Bible verse, talk about what God has been doing in your life lately. As Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 - "Pray without ceasing".

So get out there! Mow the lawn for the glory of God! I challenge you!

In Christ,
Buttercup

Monday, August 2, 2010

Water Bottle Carriers for sale from my Mom!

Hey y'all!

I just wanted to tell you about some really cool/cute water bottle carries that my Mom is making and selling. She is raising money to take us on an out-of-state field trip, and she doesn't have much time left, so be sure to check these out! I took mine to our youth camp-out in May, and it works great! Here are the specifics:

This first type is called The Sling, and it's $8:

This next one is called The Carrier, and it's $12:

Mom said she'll ship for free and will discount $1 per carrier if you order more than two! If you're interested, please email us at ken@well-equipped-family.com. :) Thanks! ttyl!

In Christ alone,
Buttercup

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Summer...

Hello my dear readers! (and maybe some visitors???) I hope you are all having a great summer! It's hard to believe that it's already August! Almost time to start some hard-core high school work. lol. So, what have y'all been doing this summer? I have created a tag to answer just that question! Tags are so much fun. :D If you do it, I would really love for you to comment on this post and link to yours so I can see it too! :) Here we go!
What is your favorite outdoor thing to do in the summer?

What is your favorite indoor thing to do in the summer?

What is your favorite book you read/are reading this summer?

What is your favorite movie you've watched this summer?

What is your favorite place you went this summer?

What is your favorite summer drink and/or food?

Have you had a favorite summer? If so, which was it? and why?

Are you sad summer is over? or are you ready for other things to start?

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

So now I'll do it, and then you hop over to your dashboard and you it yourself!

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

What is your favorite outdoor thing to do in the summer?

Definitely swim!

What is your favorite indoor thing to do in the summer?

ORGANIZE!!! muahaha! I love boxes, I love folders, I love anything that assists you in organizing a messy space! That has been my love for the last few weeks, organizing! hehe. okay, that was weird...

What is your favorite book you read/are reading this summer?

I think I'm reading it now! It's called "In the Hearts of Wild Men" by Ernest Herndon, and I'm about a fourth of the way through it, but I think it'll be my favorite! I'll write a review on it as soon as I'm done...I might need a reminder though. lol.

What is your favorite movie you've watched this summer?

Okay, It's going to sound weird, but I think my favorite*s* are the Veggie Tales "Minnesota Cuke" shows. :) they're so funny and cute! We watched "Samson's Hairbrush" and "Noah's Umbrella".

What is your favorite place you went this summer?

Our grandparents house. :)

What is your favorite summer drink and/or food?

hmmm....MALT! I love you, my dear strawberry or chocolate Sonic malt!!! lol.

Have you had a favorite summer? If so, which was it?
and why?

I don't think I've had a favorite, to be honest...

Are you sad summer is over? or are you ready for other things to start?

I love having extra time, but I am ready to be around people outside of the family more than just on Sundays. lol.

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Feel free to add questions! I just couldn't think of very many. Now, someone please do it. lol. please..... I'm on my knees! You just can't see it! Actually, I'm not, and I'm not begging, but I would love for y'all to do it. :P

Finally, as our dear friend, Tigger, from the Hundred Acre Wood would say...TTFN! Ta-Ta-For-Now!

In Christ alone,
Buttercup

P.S. These are all my pictures, so please don't take them. :)

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