New Things/Old Things for 2014

October?!?! Has it really been that long since we posted???? Please forgive us. Life has just been very busy lately, but we have some very exciting things planned for the New Year such as, Bible trivia, fashion features, book reviews, easy evangelism ideas, homemaking 101 and more! (If you've enjoyed the past posts, don't worry-we will continue to feature similar articles & devotionals.) God has blessed us so much this year and we look forward to the great things he can use us for in 2014! We wish you a safe and happy New Year and as always, we welcome your comments, constructive critiques and suggestions!

Star light, Star bright

"Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also." Genesis 1:16 (NKJ)

"He made the Pleiades and Orion; He turns the shadow of death into morning and makes the day dark as night; He calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the face of the earth; The Lord is His name." Amos 5:8 (NKJ)

"Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, or loose the belt of Orion?" Job 38:31 (NKJ)

Fall and winter are my favorite seasons. All the seasons are special in their own way but I do enjoy the end of the year better than the middle. One of my favorite things to do is look at the stars on clear, cold nights and marvel at the vastness of the universe. Our God, our Father created all things. How small we are! How utterly insignificant are our thoughts compared to Him! BUT He loves you. He loves me. He gave His Son to die for us so that we may be freed from the bonds of sin. (John 3:16) That amazes me every single day. I get to pray to the Creator. I get to study His word and learn more about how He wants me to live. Do you know what else we have? Proof of Him every day and every night. The sun, the moon, the stars. All were created by Him and you know what? They are still here! In the year 2013, I can look up at the sky and see the moon. I can also look up in the sky and see the constellations of stars. Orion is one of those constellations and he is mentioned in the Bible a few times like in the scriptures above. How wonderful it is to see these beacons of light and know that God made them. Every time I see Orion in the winter sky I am reminded that Job saw the same constellation as me. That Amos also wrote about it. That my Heavenly Father put him in the sky. No matter where you are on this earth, you are not alone. You are not a single individual with no substance. You are God's creation too. And you will be dust one day like Job and Amos but as long as the earth still spins, Orion will still be there. More importantly, God will still be here. He is more constant than the sun, the moon or the stars. He never fades, He never burns out. He is forever. 

-C

Article on Modesty

I already love comefillyourcup.com but this article is on a topic I think we need more of in our lives. It really brought out some points I haven't thought of before and I hope it is beneficial to all of you as well!

http://comefillyourcup.com/2013/08/12/secret-keeping-2/

Happy Monday you guys!

-C

"O house of Jacob, come ye and let us walk in the light of the Lord."

Isaiah 2:5

Thursday's Thoughts-Dating & Marriage: Take 2 (Don't Rush)

                  We live in a society that is often guilty of placing you into the category of “weird,” or “strange” if you do not begin dating between the ages of thirteen to sixteen, but there is no need to rush into dating! Waiting to date has many advantages. One being that, the longer you wait, the more time you have to get to know yourself-to develop your personality and standards. Do not let the world’s standards influence yours. Use this time to study God’s word and what kind of mate he wants you to look for. 

-M

Thursday's Thoughts-Dating & Marriage: Who Are You Going To Marry?

                  We recently asked a group of teenage girls to list topics they would like to study more in our Bible studies; the most requested topic: dating & marriage. One request in particular: “Tips for dating and marriage.” Honoring their request, this will be the first in a series addressing these topics.

Most little girls dream about their wedding day. We dress up and practice marching down the imaginary aisle. We play mommy to my baby dolls and picked out names for our future children. During our middle-school years, we use our notebooks to doodle our first name with the last of our current crush. Then we approach our high school years; the years most of our dads (and moms)-begrudgingly-allow us to begin dating. While I was in high school, I remember discussing the topic of marriage in our Bible class at church. Here is how the conversation went…

Teacher: “Who are you going to marry?”

(blank stares and silence)

(finally someone speaks up)

Student: “We can’t know the answer to that yet.”

Teacher: “Wrong. You will marry someone you date. Therefore, be careful who you date.”

                  Common sense, right? After all, the dating process is designed to help you get to know someone in order to find out if they are the type of person you would like to spend the rest of your life with. To a group of teenagers, this advice still seemed rather mind-blowing. Yet, it was some of the best advice we ever received. This month my husband and I celebrated five years since the day we vowed to love, honor and cherish each other. Guess what? I dated him. Last week, my grandparents celebrated sixty years of wedded bliss. Guess what? They dated. Ladies, be careful whom you choose to date; you just might end up sharing their last name.

-M

Sunday's Scripture

II Peter 3:9

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

Acts 2:38

"Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."