Courageous, by Rachel

This post was written by my sixth-grade cousin, Rachel. I think she has tremendous insight and a great story to share. Please enjoy this post, or go read her whole blog! Click here to read it!

Lately, I've been going to a bible study every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The lessons that are being taught are really good, mostly like honoring your parents, spending time with family, obeying, faith, and kindness.

       But, yesterday the entire middle school got called into a private little assembly/meeting thing because for the past two days people had been coming to our principal and saying stuff like, "He said this about this person" "She said this, this, this, and this about me", stuff like that. So our principal decided he didn't want to hear about "Middle School Drama", and the next time he heard about it, if you're the person who came and told him that, you would go to I.S.S (a.k.a In School Suspension).

      The very next day, today, we had a bible study in which we talked about having a pure mouth. Ryan, our bible study leader, showed us the verses Proverbs 21:19, Philippians 4:8, 1 John 4:19, Colossians 3:9. After we talked about how to keep a pure mouth and how to be a leader to all the other kids in our school who haven't kept a pure mouth. After we were done talking we listened to the song "Courageous" by Casting Crowns. In the first verse it said " We were made to be courageous, We were made to lead the way, We could be the generation that could finally break the chains. We were made to be courageous! Lord make us courageous!" And for the whole year that I've listened to this song and sang the words while starring out a car window, I never once thought about how it could possibly apply to me. Until today, when I listened to it for the 4 millionth time and really truly paid attention to the words that i was singing under my breath in a crowded math room. Surrounded by 40 other people who don't even believe what I do. I finally looked passed the catchy lyrics and saw what  it really meant. That my generation could finally be the generation that can lead people to the Lord and away for sins, addictions, and temptations.

THANK YOU CASTING CROWNS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      Phillipians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever thing are true, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

       Proverbs 12:19
The lip of truth shall be established forever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.

       1 John 4:19
We love him, because he first loved us.

      Colossians 3:9
Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds.

A Little Sunshine

 I don't know who said this, but someone in my family did. It might have been my dad... but I might have made this up in my own head: "It feels like we've been living under a curse." Yeah, it's been that bad. We (my family) always joke around New Years/ January that something bad is going to happen. Well, we made it through January, but February hasn't been that great.

*I was going to say February hasn't been that hot, but it has. Today is Tuesday, February 27, 2012, and it is seventy degrees outside. WHAT?!*

Let me take back my last statement that February hasn't been that great. Yes, my dad may have said it feels like we've been living under a curse, but as I was talk to my mom on the phone yesterday, she asked "how can things be SO good and SO bad at the same time?"

I won't make the big long list of horrible things that have happened. The message my Grandad brought to us months ago at church keeps rolling over and over in my mind: "Don't whine, don't complain, don't make excuses." So I won't. But I will tell you just what happened this past weekend. We had to take my sister Christina to the ER. My "never-gets-sick-and-has-definitely-never-been-to-the-ER-before" sister Christina. It was scary. Evidently she had a couple of virus/infection kind of things going on inside of her... and it got ugly. But at the same time, I was at the Predators game and they were going nuts being awesome and it was so much fun! And I had just spent all day with my family at a bridal show, having SO much fun! Again, so good and so bad at the same time. It seems to be a pattern. 

So, I'm sitting here thinking (and lately I've been thinking a lot of things) about how awesome God is, and how much he loves us. You see, the thing is, we HAVE to go through trials, through tough times, through storms, to become the people he wants us to be. To fulfill the purpose we need to fulfill. Just think about every sermon you have ever heard about the alabaster box. It was a beautiful box, but it had to be broken for what was inside to be used. We have to be broken to be used.

But God must know that we couldn't handle all the brokenness without some happiness. Moreover, He WANTS us to be happy, it pains him when we suffer, so he gives us good things too, like a win for the Predators and sunshine in February. You know what? That makes me proud to call him my God. I don't think there are any other gods like that out there. I know there aren't. 

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

A Positive Attitude

I am working on a new attitude, one that looks for the positive in each day. I have found that it is so easy to start out a day positively, but it is much more difficult to end the day with the same attitude. Yesterday, February 23, 2012, I woke up to sixty degree, my class was canceled and I went shopping with my sister. Joseph came to visit me last night. I knew it was going to be a good day; I woke up smiling. By 5:00 pm, the storm clouds had rolled in, my allergies were stirred up, and I had a headache. I went to bed not in the best mood.

Over the past few months I've had a motto or two that I have tried to keep. At first, I said "Just rise above" and then I said "Just let go." But I have found that there are some things (like storms and allergies, among other things) that I just can't rise above, things I just can't let go of. So what do I do? Of course, I pray and I seek God to take care of these things. I find peace in his Word. I also find correction in the Word. Hebrews 4:2 says the Word of God is living and active... it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. The Word gives me an attitude adjustment.

I don't even have to read to know what it says about feeling sorry for myself and having a negative attitude. It pretty much says "DON'T." However, I have found that the Word doesn't give me an attitude adjustment by scolding me or condemning me, I do that to myself. Rather, the Word of God encourages me. It gives me a more positive perspective. Romans 8:18 says "Don't you know that the suffering of this present time is nothing to be compared to the glory that will be revealed in you?" 1 Peter tells us to consider it pure joy when we face trials of many kinds. It tells us to be positive. I think it's in Thessalonians that Paul tells us to put our thoughts on things above, whatever is pure and true and lovely. Think about those things.

Dedication, Discipline, and Integrity

Well, it's been seventeen long days since I last blogged... and my fans are starting to wonder what has happened (mainly just my mom and Joseph). So to keep riots from breaking out and my dorm room from being burned to the ground... ;) just kidding. Anyways, here I am, once again, and I'm afraid this time I have a lot to say.

There have been so many events happening in my life lately, none of which I want to blog about. However, in every situation, I have found myself learning A LOT about myself and just life in general. Recently, on facebook, I posted a status with five short rants describing (almost) every frustration I am dealing with right now. They were things like, "If you're in a relationship with someone who brings you down or takes you away from God, GET OUT!" and "Be dedicated to something, and for heaven's sake let it be something meaningful!" Really though, the gist of all of them come down to three characteristics that I just can't get off my mind: Dedication, Discipline, and Integrity.

This is my soap box for the day. If no one else cares about what I have to say, overall it's a lesson for myself. I've just been so frustrated because I look around and see people who don't necessarily quit or give up, but people who do not give 110%. Dedication is not about sticking with something until its finished; that's only a small part of it. I was raised by parents who taught me that I was to do my best work all the time. Recently my dad has been quoting Mother Theresa by saying "Wake up smiling, go to bed exhausted." Dedication means giving your all, all the time. Be organized, be prompt, have a plan, get off your butt and work hard. To do this, you must be disciplined, the second characteristic. That's what is wrong with people today: they have no discipline. I admit, I'm the worst at times. I hate doing homework, but I do it! I turn it in on time. I wake up in the mornings and I work hard all day. If you want to succeed, work hard. Be disciplined.

And then, there is integrity. I think integrity has a lot to do with dedication and discipline. I was recently at a church service and one of the ministers spoke about integrity and it has stuck with me ever since. You know, leaders should be people of integrity. If you want people to follow you, prove that your someone worth following. I've seen people in ministry who choose dinner dates and junk over showing up for Sunday services. That is not dedication, that is not discipline, and that is not integrity. However, integrity doesn't just apply to leaders, it applies to everyone. I saw a quote once, and I think I have mentioned it here before: "If everyone would sweep in front of their own door, the whole world would be clean." I think that is the biggest lesson I have learned here. I can't change anyone, but I can change myself. So I will. I've learned that people disappoint us, and there is nothing we can do, but we can determine for ourselves not to disappoint other people. 

 

Week Two. Done.

It's the end of week two of the spring semester here at WKU! Whoo hoo! I am counting down the weeks. I must admit though. This week was SO much better than last week. Here is why:
1. Work started this week!!! I thought it would stress me out and be entirely too much since I have so much homework and all of that good stuff. However, work has been a blessing in disguise! It has been absolutely wonderful! This semester I am working on Mondays for five hours, Tuesday for five hours, and Fridays for five hours. On Monday I had three appointments and I still managed to get all of my homework done (through next week!) and spend a generous amount of time on pinterest. Confession: I'm addicted.
2.The weather this week was amazing. I think it stormed like crazy one night, but most of the days have been sunny and up into the sixties. It has been amazing. Last night, Joseph came to see me and we went to the park and walked and sat on a bench to read our new book. It was so nice. Plus, in my walking class we have gotten to walk outside both days. It was wooooonderful.
3. As I just mentioned, we walked both days for my walking class this week, it was amazing. Let me explain this class to you so that you don't think I'm a baby when I complain about my legs hurting or when (after it is over) I talk about how much more in shape I am. We power walk. No, power walking is an understatement. Yesterday we walked two miles in a little under thirty minutes. I think that's good. Plus I get to talk to the most interesting people when I walk.... And when I'm not talking to interesting people, then I get to just be with myself, and that never happens.
4. Joseph came to see me!!! And he does that every week, but it was just so much fun this week. Like I said, we went to the park, and we went to dinner, and then we looked at wedding-y things and listened to music and read our book and it was so. much. fun.

There are more things, but I just had this thought. Joseph and I are reading a book (a marriage book) and in the book it talks about how God made Adam and then said that he shouldn't be alone, so God created Eve. Then the book asks the question: Why did God say it wasn't good for Adam to be alone?

Just think about that.


This song has been in my head all morning, enjoy!