Ploughed up and Re-sown

"Cutting the grass may keep it short: but I shall still produce grass and no wheat. If I want to produce wheat, the change must go deeper than the surface. I must be ploughed up and re-sown." 

-C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

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For the record, this is one of my favorite books - Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis. It's definitely a must read!

I love this quote! It's so true! When you decide to accept Christ's offer of salvation, it's not as easy as it sounds. Well, it is and it isn't. It is easy in the way that Christ has already done everything, all you've got to do is let Him come in. It isn't easy in the way that it's going to flip your life around if you allow it, and it's going to make your life harder in the eyes of the world, but oh so much better in the eyes of those who know Him!

But it isn't just...you know, saying a little prayer, asking Jesus in your heart, and all that milky stuff that many of us in the U.S. are taught today. It's a decision. The biggest decision of your life - and it matters for ETERNITY.

And, as I learned just recently from a Bible teacher named Michael Pearl, this life, this present physical life that we have been given on this earth, is the one and only opportunity we have for building our character. After we're physically dead that's it for the character building process. Up in heaven we'll be far to busy worshiping God around His throne to have any time for character building exercises, if it were even possible. 

So it's here and now that you've gotta live "the hard life" as it were. It may be harder than anything else, but it's going to be SO worth it in the long run. 

Cutting the grass just keeps it short. That's it. You aren't going to change the your grass crop into a wheat crop by cutting the grass shorter. It doesn't work that way. 

In the same way, you can't produce a crop of good works and good character if you are just cutting back on your bad works and bad character.

It's 180 degree turn.

You've gotta dig up all that grass and keep it out of there. One little blade allowed to live can multiply and destroy your whole new crop of wheat. 

The older I get, the more I see that being a Christian is an all-or-nothing deal. It's an all-or-nothing deal because that's exactly what Christ requires of His children - all-or-nothing.

In Christ our Deliverer,

Buttercup

Smack Down on the Ground

"All of us fail, but this doesn't mean that we are failures. We need to understand that failing can be a step toward maturity, not a permanent blot on our self-esteem...we don't have to allow failure to prevent us from being used by God." 

-Robert S. McGee, The Search for Significance

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Failing can be pretty disheartening. 

Or, maybe you just laughed at my statement and thought "That's an understatement!"

If you are a goal oriented person, and you love accomplishing things, setting goals, making schedules, and everything working out just right, then this post is for you; because this post was written by just that type of person.

I love making schedules, setting goals, seeing things accomplished and completed, and everything working out just as I planned, but it seems that most of the time...it doesn't work out that way.

I usually put too much in my schedule and get overwhelmed...but wait wait wait! That's the schedule! You must follow it because you made it this morning and it's faultless! Nothing is wrong with the schedule, something must be wrong with you. Yeah, you just witnessed my train of thought. 

My schedules, more often than not, look more like a list of unachievable goals than a list of things I must (and logically can) accomplish that day. So it's no surprise that I've thought of myself many times as a failure.

But, just like every other time, I found that I wasn't the only human being in the history of mankind that was apparently unable to get anything done. I read The Search for Significance by Robert S. McGee, and he gave me some answers.

"All of us fail, but this doesn't mean that we are failures. We need to understand that failing can be a step toward maturity, not a permanent blot on our self-esteem...we don't have to allow failure to prevent us from being used by God."

If God could only use perfect people, He would have created robots.

But He decided to create us. He created people that rebelled against Him, people that had a free will whether or not to obey Him. He created people that He knew would fail Him time and time again. Why?

Because He desired people that would serve Him because they wanted to serve Him. He wanted people that would obey Him because they wanted to obey Him. So He did it. And He got me, and I failed Him...right?

Well, God uses failures. Take that back. God uses people who fail. McGee makes it clear in this section that just because you fail (no matter how often) that doesn't make you a failure. 

But as long as you are following after Christ, God can use you. He doesn't mind if you miss doing your math, or you forget to sweep the kitchen, or you are too tired to fix dinner and go out for fast food...He doesn't hold that against you. His mercies are new each morning. Each day is a new start. What happened yesterday...guess what? It happened yesterday. Its over, it's done, there's nothing you can do about it so quit fretting over it. 

God's got it. God's got you. God will use you, if you let Him. 

Don't let your feelings of failure grab a hold of you and smack you down to the ground. Smack your feelings of failure down on the ground and tell them how big and forgiving your God is.

In Christ our Solid Ground,

Buttercup

Grey Areas

My dear readers,
I was just recently talking with a friend via email and the subject of churches came up, for me and my family are still on the search for a home church near us. While we were talking, we discussed how both of our families like the King James version of the Bible best, and we like hymns best; and we were trying to find a church that used the KJV and sang hymns, not necessarily exclusively, but mostly. My friend then asked me why I liked KJV and hymns best, for she was trying to get her thoughts on the subject together and wasn't quite sure about it. I told her and then she told me of how their former pastor was adamant and would only sing hymns, and drums on beats 2 and 4 were evil, and all this stuff, and we discussed how one must not get so wrapped up in our own opinions that we force them on those around us. We recalled how Paul wrote about how if a man is convicted of a thing, then he must not do it, or it is a sin for him; and if you are not convicted about it, then it is fine for you to do (this applies to all things that are grey areas in the Bible and are not made clear to us through His word, areas where we must decide for ourselves); BUT if your brother is convicted of a thing, and you are not, yet you do it in front of him you may cause him to stumble. Therefore, you must do all in love, seeking His will. All that to say, I believe that I have learned to like grey areas.

Most people dislike grey areas immensely, and so do I a lot of the time. They are a pain to deal with and make you double guess yourself, and sometimes, many times possibly, you make the wrong decision and must pay for it later.

But I found the other day while I was talking to my friend why God gave us grey areas.

Grey areas cause you to think, and also to make a decision. The decisions you make either grow or harm your character and your relationship with God, depending on how you deal with the decision-making process. To find out what to do with a specific grey area, you've got seek God - through His Word, through prayer, and through discussing the topic with other brethren in Christ. Then you can make a wise decision based on your knowledge of the topic and what God wants you personally to do.

Grey areas are a pain, I admit it. Many times, even after you make a decision, others will try to convince you otherwise and you will either have to defend it or go back on your decision. You may even double guess yourself - something I do often with certain grey areas.

But something I always remember is that God works everything together for good (Romans 8:28) and that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13), and that includes standing up for something I think is either right or wrong (depending on the situation). That said, when it comes to grey areas and personal conviction by the Holy Spirit, we must be very careful not to cause a brother or sister to stumble or offend them. This is a tender area and, in my opinion, a super important aspect of keeping the church functioning properly.

All that simply to say, when you come across something that isn't very fun, be it grey areas, trials and temptations, or anything like that, remember that God's got you in the palm of His great and mighty hand, and He won't ever let you go. He will always be there guiding you, all you've got to do is seek, listen, and obey, and He'll take care of the rest.

In Christ our Solid Rock,
Buttercup

You Never Let Go...Ever

This past year..my jaw locked up, I was allergic to glutin, corn, and dairy, to name a few, I was in the ER with kidney stones, I'm currently three weeks behind on school...needless to say, many, many times I was down. 

And I was down not just because of health issues either, mind you,  but emotional - eight of my bffs moved away within six months time - and spiritual, too. 

With every thing that came up, every challenge, every hard spot...I'd break down. Most people don't know the hard times I had, and I'm not under any circumstances asking for sympathy, just making my point: 

He never let go...ever.

In every challenge, He was there.

In every hard spot, He was there.

Every time I broke down, He was there.

Every time I would have given up, He held on tight and never ever let go...

EVER.

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Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

Your perfect love is casting out fear

And even when I'm caught in the middle of the storms of this life

I won't turn back

I know you are near

And I will fear no evil

For my God is with me

And if my God is with me

Whom then shall I fear?

Whom then shall I fear?

(Chorus:)

Oh no, You never let go

Through the calm and through the storm

Oh no, You never let go

In every high and every low

Oh no, You never let go

Lord, You never let go of me

And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on

A glorious light beyond all compare

And there will be an end to these troubles

But until that day comes

We'll live to know You here on the earth

(Chorus)

Yes, I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on

And there will be an end to these troubles

But until that day comes

Still I will praise You, still I will praise You

-Matt Redman, You Never Let Go

Waiting for a Sign

Just a moment ago, I sat here at the computer looking at the comments that you, my dear readers, have left on my last couple of posts. And as I sat, a song came on. It was Lift Me Up, by the Afters.

I've always loved this song, but the timing seemed impeccable. So here I am...posting about it.

Waiting for the sunrise

Waiting for the day

Waiting for a sign

That I'm where you want me to be

I love this part, I mean, it's SO true! Sometimes, when I don't know where to go, don't know what to do, don't feel like I'm making an impact for the Kingdom...just the feeling that I'm wasting time...I am just waiting for the sunrise, the day, a sign, any sign, that I'm where HE wants me to be. 

I feel like I'm open. I feel like I am just supposed to sit and wait for direction, and until then do....well, nothing but sit and wait.

That's not what the Christian life is supposed to be. We are to continually be shining our lights in the world, though small they are, they are still a light in a dark world. 

Even a little glimmer can be clearly seen in the pitch dark.

So, here I sit.

Waiting.

But is that what I'm supposed to be doing?

I - we! - have already been given direction.

Go ye therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even until the end of the world. -Matthew 28:18-20

That sounds a lot like directions to me. 

I'm a firstborn, I like structure, I like specifics, I like order. So this command, this direction, this guidance, seems pretty broad. But keep in mind that that's not all the direction that He gives us! 

He guides and directs us, this is very, very true, but in some instances we might not receive specific instruction.

Sitting on your rear end waiting for specifics is one thing. Working to further His Kingdom and serve His people in any way you know how is another thing entirely. 

Most likely, we are not going to get moment by moment instructions, but that's ok, because we've already received an order from our Lord - go ye therefore.

So, in the meantime, I - we - just have to keep working. We've need to pray for guidance and direction, but always look towards the goal, never stop learning, serving, and worshiping Him, and continually work to further His Kingdom.

There's no time to sit around and wait. 2000 years ago the time was at hand...what does that mean for right now?

Worth Fighting For

The clock ticks. Slowly. Steadily.

You chew your pencil. Day dreaming. Staring.

You inhale. You exhale.

School, chores, work, church, volunteer work, hanging out, video games...these things fill your life, your spare time, your thoughts.

Life seems boring. Dull. Repetitive.

You want adventure. Excitement. Purpose.

You know what you could be doing. You know what you want to be doing. You know what you need to be doing. 

But somehow, these things often don't happen.

Life becomes grey. Purposeless. Worthless.

You need something. Something new. Something exciting. Adventure. Purpose. 

Something worth fighting for.

Every hour, dozens of abortions take place in the US alone.

Every hour, Dalits are raped and murdered.

Every second, a mortal life ends and an eternal life or death begins.

These are battles that are currently going on in your world.

These are battles most people either don't know about, or just chose to ignore. 

These are just a few examples of causes worth fighting for.

End abortion. End the raping and murder of Dalits. Show the lost the Savior.

You have a choice.

You can chose to ignore these ongoing battles like most people, or  you can fight. It's your choice.

No excuses.

There are things in this life that are worth fighting for.

They're watching you!

Hey guys, I just wanted to tell you guys something I know I've told you before...but, hey, reinforcing and reminding is good, right?

You are being watched.

The little ones always see you. Your peers see you. Those older than you (guess what?!) see you. Everything you do around others is seen. Only those things that are done when you are alone are not seen.

You are being copied.

Ever see a little kid spout off to their parents and wonder what those parents do at home? hmm. Interesting. If you look closer you'll see that a lot of times, the kids are doing just what their parents are doing. Don't get me wrong though! There are many cases in which the kids are doing something completely abhorrent to the parents, but you can be assured that the kids are learning it somewhere and from someone. You put your attitude in the copy machine and *pop!* an exact replica comes out on a different sheet of paper. Sounds pretty accurate to me.

Just recently I had the opportunity to see this in action...unfortunately. A group of teens of which I was a part of were watching an exceedingly large group of young children for a few hours. Unfortunately, one teen thought it best to start yelling at the kids; another thought it best to stand on a chair and raise their voice (not yell, just speak really loudly); and a bunch of them thought it best just to leave a couple of us to our own demise and just left the room. 

The teen who frequently yelled at the kids, needless to say, didn't get anywhere with it. In fact, the kids just got rebellious at this act, and simply made more noise. 

The teen who stood on the chair and raised their voice didn't get any response at all.

The teens who left the room...yeah, they didn't even try.

Finally, after I'd stayed shut up for way too long, I broke up the yelling and calmly asked the boys who were causing the most ruckus to watch out for the younger ones and be quieter. They responded by being open to me with their feelings and wants, they were calm, and they behaved quite nicely the rest of the time. What caused this difference?

Love.

When you love like Christ, when you act like Christ, when you serve and care like Christ, you get a different response. When you respond out of love in every situation, you can make ANY situation better. Guaranteed. 

Most people today do not respond that way. They respond my yelling, then breaking down because no one is listening, and yelling some more out of anger. But when kids (and teens and adults) are treated with love as fellow human beings, and not as animals needing to be herded and led about, they usually respond back in love - at least, if not in love, they are calmer and respect you more for you are taking control of the situation calmly.

Therefore I exhort you, my dear brothers and sisters - set the example!

Love like Christ. Serve like Christ. Care like Christ. Behave like Christ. And finally, have the attitude of Christ. Do all things out of love, not out of anger or frustration; those things get you no where, but love conquers.

In Christ alone,

Buttercup

NOTE: I absolutely do not hold anything against those teens that I mentioned! They just haven't learned that lesson yet. I pray that I might be an example to them that they might see Christ through me.

Dollar for a Drink's Promo video

Hey y'all!

Dollar for a Drink is a non-profit organization headed by a teen named Joshua Guthrie, who's sole purpose is to raise money to dig wells and provide filters world wide for those that do not have clean water. Their promo video for their third year is really good! Please take a look.

Visit Dollar for a Drink's website.

How long must they wait?

New Year - my favorite songs

Yipes! Yeah, I know, I haven't posted since 2010...Sorry!!! So...let's catch up....

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!! Thanks for reading my blog!

Okay, now that that is done, I can go on without regrets...

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This last year was awesome! Not only did I grow closer to my parents and siblings and friends, but also my God. Though part of it was painful, sometimes almost more than I could stand, I learned so much about God, and really, I learned what I believe. It was hard, frustrating, painful, tear-jerking, wonderful, amazing, fantastic, and smile-jerking. If you've never gone through something like that before, something that makes you want to scream but you know that's what is best for you, then you probably have no clue what I'm talking about. This last year was probably the hardest but the best year I've ever had.

I love contemporary Christian music; Mercy Me, Casting Crowns, Kutless, Jeremy Camp, Chris Tomlin, etc, etc, etc. Love them all! But the band who's songs lyrics I really loved this year is Mercy Me. Here are some of my favorite songs from them...

Everything Impossible - Undone

I was taught to be practical in everything I do

Holding on to what is tangible, then came You

That's when I found myself so far away, from everything I knew

I took a leap of faith

Even though you're difficult for me to explain

I know I"ll never be the same

You're everything I cannot see

You're everything I cannot say

I know it all seems so illogical

But that's okay

You're the love you give to me

You're the love I give away

You are everything impossible

And that's okay

All the things that make no sense to me, draw me to You

Like finding freedom by surrendering, can it be true

With everything I can and cannot know

This mystery is bringing life to me

And all this love I have for You I can't contain

I know I'll never be the same

You're everything I cannot see

You're everything I cannot say

I know it all seems so illogical

But that's okay

You're the love you give to me

You're the love I give away

You are everything impossible

And that's okay

What's so hard to understand

What I cannot comprehend

Is that you love me the way I am

You're everything I cannot see

You're everything I cannot say

I know it all seems so illogical

But that's okay

You're the love you give to me

You're the love I give away

You are everything impossible

And that's okay

In the Blink of an Eye - Undone

You put me here for a reason

You have a mission for me

You know my name and You called it

Long before I learned to breathe

Sometimes I feel disappointed

By the way I spend my time

How can I further Your kingdom

When I'm so wrapped up in mine

In a blink of an eye that is when

I'll be closer to You than I've ever been

Time will fly, but until then

I'll embrace every moment I'm given

There's a reason I'm alive for a blink of an eye

And though I"m living a good life

Can my life be something great?

I have to answer the question

Before it's too late

In a blink of an eye that is when

I'll be closer to You than I've ever been

Time will fly, but until then

I'll embrace every moment I'm given

There's a reason I'm alive for a blink of an eye

If I give the very best of me

That becomes my legacy

So tell me what am I waiting for?

What am I waiting for?

In a blink of an eye that is when

I'll be closer to You than I've ever been

Time will fly, but until then

I'll embrace every moment I'm given

There's a reason I'm alive for a blink of an eye

Hold Fast - Coming Up To Breathe

To everyone who's hurting

To those who've had enough

To all the undeserving

That should cover all of us

Please do not let go

I promise there is hope

Hold fast

Help is on the way

Hold fast

He's come to save the day

What I've learned in my life

One thing greater than my strife

Is His grasp

So hold fast

Will this season ever pass

Can we stop this ride

Will we see the sun at last

Or could this be our lot in life

Please do not let go

I promise you there's hope

Hold fast

Help is on the way

Hold fast

He's come to save the day

What I've learned in my life

One thing greater than my strife

Is His grasp

So hold fast

You may think you're all alone

And there's no way that anyone could know

What you're going through

But if you only hear one thing

Just understand that we are all the same

Searching for the truth

The truth of what we're soon to face

Unless someone comes to take our place

Is there anyone

All we want is to be free

Free from our captivity Lord

Here He comes

Hold fast

Help is on the way

Hold fast

He's come to save the day

What I've learned in my life

One thing greater than my strife

Is His grasp

So hold fast

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Y'all better be proud of me, if I really, really wanted to, I would post every song in both of those albums: Coming up to Breathe and Undone, but that would be a VERY long post...and it would take forever...But watch out! Over the course of this year, you very well may be seeing all of those songs posted here!

To wrap up this post, I'll end with this last song, my motto and prayer for this year.

Bring the Rain - Coming up to Breathe

I can count a million times

People asking me how I

Can praise You with all that I've gone through

The question just amazes me

Can circumstances possible

Change who I forever am in You

Maybe since my life was changed

Long before these rainy days

It's never really ever crossed my mind

To turn my back on you oh Lord

My only shelter from the storm

But instead I draw closer through these times

So I pray

Bring me joy, bring me peace

Bring the chance to be free

Bring me anything that brings You glory

And I know there'll be days

When this life brings me pain

But if that's what it takes to praise You

Jesus bring the rain

I am Yours regardless of

The dark clouds that may loom above

Because You are much greater than my pain

You who made a way for me

By suffering Your destiny

So tell me what's a little rain

So I pray

Bring me joy, bring me peace

Bring the chance to be free

Bring me anything that brings You glory

And I know there'll be days

When this life brings me pain

But if that's what it takes to praise You

Jesus bring the rain

Holy, Holy, Holy

Is the Lord God Almighty

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Thanks for writing such amazing songs, Mercy Me band!!!

One last thing...

I LOVE YOU MOM AND DAD!!!!!

In Christ alone,

Buttercup

Your Example Counts!

No matter who you are, no matter what you do, no matter what you say, someone is watching you. You may not know who, you may not know when, you may not know why, but there is at least one someone watching you.

Your example counts.

In the case of us as teens, we are very often looked up to by younger kids, they watch us, and no matter what you think of yourself, they want to be like you. They want to dress like you, talk like you, act like you, and do everything that you do. And not only are we looked up to by younger kids, but by peers as well.

For example, think of a popular girl. Someone who most everyone knows about. Do you know how many kids, and even teens, want to be like her? Don't you see how she has made herself a standard of "coolness"? The world thinks she is just about the coolest girl on the planet, so what happens? Basically everyone wants to be the coolest girl on the planet, right? So people begin to copy her, they begin to try to be like her: talk like her, dress like her, act like her...etc.

What do you think now? Are your standards for yourself the same as the standards that you place before others? In others words, do you practice what you preach? For example, do you look down on cussing, and then go out and do it yourself? Or, do you say that wearing sleeveless tops is immodest, and then you go and wear them yourself?

Examine yourself. Is what you wear what you want those around you to wear? Is what you say what you want those around you to say? Is what you do what you want those around you to do?

You are being watched. Your example counts. When you get that through your head, you act differently, you talk differently, you dress differently, you change.

-Buttercup

Standing up for what is right

Standing up for what is right can be difficult. And it usually is. Especially when it is around people you know - friends and family.

It takes courage, and a love for God that is so deep that it overpowers your love for friends and family and what they think of you. When you take a stand, when you do what is right, you could lose friends, but through Christ we (as believers) can do anything because He gives us strength. (Philippians 4:13)

Last night I had to take a stand. I had to stand up for what was right. And I had to do it among friends. They were talking about inappropriate stuff, things that I believe are best kept unsaid and unthought. It was hard to take a stand, but after staying silent for a long time, I felt the power of God rush through me and I knew I could keep quiet no longer. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, I started telling them that what they were talking about was inappropriate and wrong, and I started quoting Scripture to them. To be completely honest, I didn't plan much of anything I said, nor did I think about what I was saying, it just flowed out and it all made sense.

That was a cool feeling. It was the first time I felt that, and I pray that I feel it again - multiple more times. It was neat, y'all. It really was.

Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to go through that situation and for helping me through it, and putting into my mind your Word and putting into my mouth the words to say. Praise God!

In Christ,

Buttercup

"All things work together for good" in action!

Last Sunday night...I disagreed with something that my Youth leaders were teaching about. And, knowing that everyone in the room besides me and Poppy believed it, I didn't really know what to do.

We were talking about the extent of the atonement.

***Please stay! I don't want to scare you away! I didn't know what in the world he was talking about for a minute or two. lol. So don't feel bad if you don't either. The extent of the atonement is who Christ died for; who His gift was offered to.***

Well, to make a long, painful story short and, well, not so painful, I'll just say that when he asked what our group (we split up into boys and girls) thought the extent of the atonement was, I immediately said "the whole world". Let's just say, it wasn't widely accepted. Yeah. Like, me and Poppy were the only ones who believed that it was true.

So...after I said that, one of my friends who was sitting next to me answered the question with "the elect". And that's what our church believes. So, I just sat there for eternity -a freaking fifteen minutes - with my head in my hands trying to gather my courage to stand up for what I believed in. I had it all planned. When my youth leader asked if there were any more questions I was going to ask if he could give me a scripture where it said that Christ died only for the elect.

The moment came...

The moment went...

All my courage had been drained. So I sat there with my head still in my hands. Feeling sick to my stomach. My head yelling at me. My heart beating a hundred miles per hour. My breathing abnormally fast. Sweating. Regretting. Almost in tears. Why didn't I just ask the question? Is it so hard just to ask a simple question?

Yes! With your best friends in the entire world right there next to you believing something that you are challenging, how can you simply "go against the flow"? How can you stand up for what you believe in when you are doing it practically* alone?

It didn't help that I didn't know the proof for my side. I didn't have the courage. And I didn't have the knowledge.

Poppy and I spent hours on Monday studying the extent of the atonement and we now understand it so much better! God really blessed us with a good understanding! The last few days, I have started studying what my church believes about it, so I can know both sides. I am working on the knowledge. Now I must work on the courage too. But I must remember that...

God is my Rock. Whom shall I fear?

Why should I fear anyways? They're my best friends in the world! And I know that they love me and care about how I feel, for two people in particular noticed me acting different and one asked if I was okay, and the other joked with me, trying to make me smile (and succeeded!). I know I won't lose their friendship.

Even if I do - Philippians 4:13.

All in all. I got to see Romans 8:28 in action. I got to see that even when I am having the worst time of my life, that God can turn even that around for good - and in this case, me and Poppy's good! Praise God for His amazing love for us!

In Christ,

Buttercup

*I say practically because both my Savior and my sister were right there with me.

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

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

Christian Friendships, part two

I would suggest that you read part one first if you haven't already, it will make more sense. :)

Having Christian friends is not only good, it is important! Being with like-minded people not only is encouraging and uplifting, but makes being different not so hard. Because you are being different with others! As the verse above says, “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.” That means that when you are alone, you don’t have a very good chance of winning; but when you have a friend with you, you can defend yourselves. And a cord of three strands, or friends, is not quickly broken. When you have friends with you, you are very difficult to overcome!

For example, you became a Christian not long ago, and you haven’t been able to find any Christian friends yet. You are at school and one of your former friends asks you to go do something with him, and you don’t know if you would be going against God to do it. What do you do? Well, as a new believer, you probably don’t know many scriptures to back up your answerbiblically. You don’t know enough about the Bible to know for sure if doing it would be bad or not; and you are alone. You have no friends to help, or back you up.

If you were put into that example, you would be in a tough spot. You would probably be overpowered, and you might do something that would be very difficult to get out of. But what if we changed the scenario a bit...

You became a Christian not long ago, but you’ve been going to a local Youth Group that is firm in God’s word, and you’ve made good friends who love you no matter what. You are at school and one of your former friends asks you to go do something with him, and you are not sure if you would be going against God to do it; but you do have one of your friends from Youth Group with you. What do you do?

That would be an easier scenario, wouldn't it? You would have another believer with you to help you, and hopefully they have been a Christian longer and know more about the Bible than you do.

Having Christian friends is so important. And most probably take it for granted. I started going to my church’s Youth Group last year, and since then I have learned so much. Before I went to Youth Group, I was in a mental box. I was very shy; I didn’t talk to hardly anyone outside of the family, and I didn’t have many close friends. Going to Youth Group, I saw all of the others having a great time with each other, and they included me. Through these Christian friends, I broke out of my box, and now I laugh and chat with them all the time. A year ago, if I had been told that this is who I would be now, I wouldn’t have believed it. But it is because of my dear brothers and sisters in Christ that I act the way I do now. I am different, yet the same.

Christian friends not only help you in tough situations, but they encourage and lift you up, they teach and correct you when you are wrong, they pray for you, and so much more. As a Christian friend, we need to do the same, encourage and lift up, teach and correct, and pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

– 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)

In Christ alone,

Buttercup

Christian Friendships, part one

After writing a bit about my Youth Group and the importance of Christian friends in my last post, I was really thinking. So, I wrote this originally for the July issue of Go Ye Therefore (if you want to know more about Go Ye Therefore magazine please email me at helpnm@embarqmail.com), but I thought it would benefit y'all too. It's kind of long, so I broke it up into part one and part two, but here we go...

When you are a Christian, you are a light in a dark world. All around you are people who do not believe in God. All around you is darkness, and you are the light that is supposed to shine through. Light penetrates darkness. It pushes the darkness out, and fills the space with light. It exposes things that you could not see before.

If you are a Christian, if you are a true believer, then you will be different. And people will be able to see that difference in the way you live, in the way you act, and in the way you talk. They will see that you are not the same as everyone else. They will see that you have something more. As you grow in your faith, little by little you will change. And those around you will see that change, and hopefully ask for the reason.

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.”

- 1 Peter 3:15 (KJV)

All of this, being a light, shining in a dark world, being different, it all sounds pretty easy, right? It’s not. It is actually very difficult. It’s like being the only boy in a room full of girls, or being the only modest teen in your school, or being the only homeschooler in your club. Being singled out in a bad way can hurt. I’m not talking about being singled out as in being the best soccer player, and thus the most popular kid on the team; I’m talking about being singled out as in being the “odd ball” or the “weird one”.

Being the only one, you are not very strong. As a believer, Christian friends are very important to have. In Ecclesiastes 4:12 it says:

“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”(NIV)

Having Christian friends is not only good, it is important! Being with like-minded people not only is encouraging and uplifting, but makes being different not so hard. Because you are being different with others! As the verse above says, “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.” That means that when you are alone, you don’t have a very good chance of winning; but when you have a friend with you, you can defend yourselves. And a cord of three strands, or friends, is not quickly broken. When you have friends with you, you are very difficult to overcome!

Part two coming tomorrow...

In Christ alone,

Buttercup

What does it mean to be a Rebelutionary?

Have you ever heard of The Rebelution? Have you ever heard of Alex and Brett Harris? or Do Hard Things? or Start Here? Have you ever thought about what it means to be a "Rebelutionary?" I have.

My definition:

Rebelutionary - a person (mostly teenagers) who are fighting against low expectations.

Well, lets start from the beginning for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about....

The Rebelution was started by Alex and Brett Harris, twin brothers who wanted to make a good impact on teens. They not only started the Rebelution, but they wrote bestselling book "Do Hard Things." Which, teens all over the world have read. I have also read it, and I totally encourage you to read it also! It was written by teens, for teens. And it tells why you should "Do Hard Things," get out of your comfort zone, and do things that will make a difference. Since it was written by teens, they wrote it in a way that would both attract, grab a hold of, and inspire teens to make a difference.

Now, their second book, "Start Here" is almost out! And they are doing a book bomb on Amazon.com on the 23rd of this month! Which is next Tuesday. So be sure to go to their site (www.therebelution.com) and pledge to order one or more copies of the book!

Now, What does it mean to be a Rebelutionary?

To me, it means that you rebel against low expectations, that you do things outside of your comfort zone, that you make a difference in this world that will last, that you show the world what teens can do. What teens can do through Christ.

Lets define "low expectations". Low expectations is what adults have for teenagers these days, they expect almost nothing, or nothing, out of teens. They think we can do nothing, they don't think anything good can come from a teenager. And, sometimes, I agree with them...in the way that, the teens know that the adults in their life expect nothing, so they don't do anything. They do just what the adults expect. Nothing. Which is easy! It's easy to do nothing. But we must get out of that! That is what Alex and Brett are trying to tell teens! They are trying to get teens all over the world to do more, do over and beyond what is expected of them! That is what the Rebelution is! It's a group of teens rebelling against low expectations, rebelling, not against their parents, teachers, and other authorities, but they are rebelling against the expectations they have for them.

What is your definition of The Rebelution?

Have you read Do Hard Things? What did you think of it?

What kind of an impact are you making on the people around you right now? Do they see Christ though you? Or do they see a useless teenager?

I am looking forward to seeing your answers to the first two questions! God bless!

In Christ,

Buttercup

P.S. when I was talking about adults having low expectations for teens, I was talking about most teens and adults. Some adults know what teens can do, some teens know what they can do, and they do it. So, don't get the impression that I was talking about all teens and adults, because I wasn't. :) Just wanted to clarify that.

Start Here by Alex and Brett Harris

It's almost out!!!! I'm so excited!!!!

Alex and Brett Harris, authors of Do Hard Things, and founders of The Rebelution; have finished writing their second book, called Start Here. Click here for more information!

Buttercup

What kind of girl are you?

"Be the kind of girl that when your feet hit the floor in the morning, the devil says, "oh no, she's up!" (Sorry, I don't know who said it...)

I love this quote! It makes me want to make the devil say that every single day about me! But what does that mean? Why would he say that?

Well, being that kind of girl, means that you live your life for Christ. You live to please Him. And Him alone.

That makes the Devil so mad! He wants to take you away from eternity with Christ, and lead you down the wrong path, the path that leads to eternity in Hell.

So, in that quote, when the girl wakes up and gets out of bed to start a new day, the devil sees and knows that she will live this day like the one before it, for Christ and Christ alone.

What kind of girl are you? Do you live for Christ? What does the Devil do or say when your feet hit the floor every morning? Does he get a huge smile on his face and do a jig and celebrate? or does he cross his arms and pout, saying "urg! She's up again"?

Something to think about...

In Christ,
Buttercup

(Photo credit: Microsoft PowerPoint clip art)