This year seems to have truly flown right by.  So many things have happened in 2009.  As always, some good, some bad.  I thought I'd offer a glimpse of the going-on's of this past year :).  It is only by God's grace that I am able to accomplish anything of worth.  Soli Deo Gloria!

"Good-bye 2009"

2009 was a year of...

-Bible memorization (which means in 2010 I really need to review + add!)

-Participating in Steps for Life for the tenth year.  Steps for Life is a fund-raising walkathon for PRC (pregnancy resource centers).  Thanks be to God for all the money raised for the unborn!   And thank you so much to everyone who gave, as a result of your generosity, I raised more this year than ever before ($1,362.20)!  

-Packing a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child.  This is a tradition in our family and I love it!

-Finding one of my favorite videos ever.  And it's only around six minutes long.  As I've said before, amazing!  Each time this video makes my selfishness look like what it really is...sin.  And it focuses my eyes back on what truly matters...gives me back an eternal perspective.  Don't walk away from this video or simply take away head knowledge...let it pierce your heart!  This video comes closer to reflecting my heartcry than any other I can think of.

Tears of the Saints from HistoryMaker on Vimeo.

-Speech and Apologetics.  I joined a local speech/apologetics club this last fall.  Since then I have created and given eight apologetics "cards"/speeches and have posted some of them here.  I'm actually working on my ninth now :).  In addition, I've been preparing, memorizing, and practicing a ten minute speech on Christians Being Actively Involved in Reaching the Unreached.  This is something I am very passionate about and I am thankful (though still somewhat nervous!) for the opportunity to give it on an upcoming speech presentation night. 

-Free-lance writing. I have been a contributor to Growing in Grace Magazine for almost two years now.  In August-September, I began to spread out and really dive into free-lance writing.  I submitted articles to different magazines and newsletters.  There have naturally been rejections.  I wish they could let me know why they didn't like an article but I realize that is often not possible.  What I don't like is when they never let you know.  There have been two instances of this and it is unprofessional.  How else do they think I'm supposed to know when I'm free to submit the article elsewhere?  After 2-3 months, you just have to move on :).   

So while parts of this can be discouraging and frustrating, it's simply amazing to be accepted.  By the grace of God, I have had four acceptances, two paid and two unpaid.  My biggest acceptance, which has been a huge encouragement to me, was the acceptance by Encounter Magazine (a Christian teen magazine) for $59.  

-Authoring.  I've entered writing contests and worked on my novels.  Along the way, this year (and the years before!) there have been plenty of novel manuscripts that I've had to throw out and many contests I never placed in. 

But, as in free-lance writing, there have been the occasional successes that make it all worth it.  One of these happened not too long ago when I received the news that I was a finalist (but not a winner) in the Rising Stars Contest by Anthology Builder.com.  The reward for being a finalist is a gift certificate to their site and a detailed critique.  The encouragement I received from it was invaluable. 

-Learning more about the filmmaking process.  I wrote a short film screenplay and the 178 storyboards for it.  Though I don't have a capable computer yet (which I need in order to really make films), you can see the 3 short videos I've made so far here: http://www.vimeo.com/user2509403/videos.  

-Reading.  I read lots and lots of excellent books!  You can see my top ten reads of 2009 here and my summer 2009 booklist here.

-Learning more about the art of homemaking.  Cooking, baking, cleaning, etc.  Highlights include discovering the Swedish Apple Pie and Buttermilk Corn Dog Muffins and completing my first cross-stitching project.  The Experimental Cookie was pretty interesting as well :).

-Misc...in other words, just living!  Playing piano, drawing, hiking, going on vacation, cross-country skiing, sledding, etc. 

Well, that's a summary of what I've been doing this past year.  

As we're marching into a new year, I figure this is as good a time as any to announce my decision to get rid of my writing blog.  I kept thinking I'd add more to it and then officially introduce it here but I've realized I'd rather just post some of my writing here than manage another blog. So good-bye, writing blog :)! 

"Hello 2010"

My personal resolutions are in my head and heart all throughout the year.  And the really, really important ones stay the same no matter what stage of life I'm in.

1. To love God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  To worship Him.  To honor Him.  To truly know that He is enough!

2. To do everything in my power to fulfill the Great Commission.  To reach the unreached with the Gospel of Jesus Christ!  If you still haven't seen that video up there, please go do so!  What a wonderful way to start off the new year!  May I keep an eternal perspective and not worry and fuss over the trivial things.

"It has always been my ambition to preach the Gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation." Romans 15:20

3. To grow in faith and love and gentleness.  To mature more and more into the young lady God wants me to be.

Though I often fail, though I so easily lose perspective, though I am very weak, I can look toward 2010 and onward with hope.  Hope in the Maker of heaven and earth Who never fails and is unchanging.

"But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecution, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

I am joining in at The 160 Acrewoods.  I've read so many great books...it's been hard to choose :).  Here are my top ten:

1. Come, Let's Reach the World by K. P. Yohannan

2. Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper

3. Jesus Freaks by dc Talk and The Voice of the Martyrs

4. Christianity in Crisis: The 21st Century Edition by Hank Hanegraaff

5. A Young Woman After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George

6. Stronger than the Strong (Jesus sets a tribal people of Thailand free from Satan's tyrannical rule) by Louise Morris

7. The Bible Answer Book by Hank Hanegraaff

8. The Case for a Creator (Student Edition) by Lee Strobel 

9. Love Find You in Lonesome Prairie, Montana by Tricia Goyer and Ocieanna Fleiss

10. Take Your Best Shot by Austin Gutwein (Founder of Hoops of Hope) with Todd Hillard

John Piper is one of those rare authors/speakers who say things that are truly challenging. At least, it has challenged me.  Something that John Piper said is "God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in Him." That is something to ponder. I often think about "doing things" to bring glory to God. While attempting to do things for God and for His glory has its place, it should not be the foremost thing in my life. God should be. In our lives, is God and God alone enough? It’s something I’m asking myself. If my family, friends, and everything I owned were destroyed, could I say, "God is enough. He is good."? I hope and pray so.

I think the knowledge that true contentment and joy are only found in God has finally seeped into my heart. So often knowledge seems to be locked up in my head when it should be reaching my heart and affecting the way I live my life. There is a big difference between knowing something and embracing and living it. I thank God it is beginning to really touch my heart. Things cannot satisfy me. Health, talents, money, none of them can satisfy. Friends cannot satisfy me. And no, not even family, can satisfy me. And should I ever become married, I know my husband will not and can never be my source of satisfaction or fulfillment. Only One can fulfill me. What a freeing concept it is! Because if we don’t understand that, we will spend our lives searching in vain for things or people or accomplishments to fulfill us.

Oh, how I want to love God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength! It is the first and greatest commandment. I don’t want to just read it. I don’t want to just memorize it. I want to live it. I find that it is important for me to remember that all I deserve is death and condemnation....that I completely deserve going to hell for all eternity... and then, that Jesus came to earth, died for my sins, and rose again...can such love be measured?

I fear we who grow up in Christian homes hear the Gospel message so often it loses its meaning. We had a debt we could never, ever repay. God the Son paid the debt for us by dying for us and then being raised on the third day! He gave us an alternative to separation from God in hell forever. We could never have earned or deserved that. And not only did He give us the opportunity to have our sins wiped away, He gives us the opportunity to be made holy. Not because of any "righteous" acts we’ve done...we have not. But because Jesus’ righteousness is credited to us. This makes it possible for us to have a personal relationship with the living God, the Maker of heaven and earth...there are no words that can describe it. I think it goes beyond our comprehension. God loves us so much that He not only offers us the opportunity to go to heaven but also to have a personal relationship with Him forever! I don’t want all of this to be an elusive concept to me but a daily reality. I want God to be first in my life. I was also going to say that I want Him to be the most important part of my life but I don’t want Him to just be a part. I want Him to be the reason I live. I want my life, my actions, my words, my thoughts, to be for Him and because of Him.

I am struck by the audacity that we sometimes have of thinking that God owes us anything. That we deserve anything other than death and hell forever. People actually think they deserve to be healthy, have a good job, have a great family, have a nice salary, live a long life, be happy, have fun, etc. What have we ever done to deserve any of that? Did we create this earth and ourselves? God has given us life and the offer of salvation. What more do we need? Truly, nothing. Nothing else. Everything else is just undeserved gifts. That is why we can say, "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord." That is why we can say, regardless of the circumstances, "God is good. He is enough." Why? Because He owes us nothing and we owe Him everything.

Saving Cicadas by Nicole Seitz

I have mixed feelings about this book. And I can’t be too specific or I will spoil the whole plot. There is a huge, uh, twist. It was completely unexpected. Personally, it made me angry and upset. And confused...and frustrated. How could the author do that?!? I thought. She ruined a great book! But after getting to the end, I was more calmed down and could somewhat understand why the author did what she did. It was to make a point. An important one. I will say that, to her credit, the author addressed the horrors of abortion and the value of life in a way that, most likely, has never been done before. May we all be childlike enough to see abortion for what it really is–killing innocent babies! It is a well-written book that captured my attention; it was hard to put down. However, in my opinion, it was not quite as consistent as it could have been. In the end, it’s tough for me to know where I stand on this book. I don’t hate it but I don’t love it. And I don’t know if I would recommend it or not. I probably wouldn’t because I just remembered that the author used God’s name in vain a few times. I did not appreciate that. As a general note, though this story is told mainly through the eyes of a young child, it is meant for older readers.

Note: This book was provided for review by Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Believe it or not it's already December and Christmas is only a few weeks away!   I thought Mom's recent post entitled Christmas According to Scrooge was great.  While you're at it, Mom has a Movie Moment's Prize Pack she's giving away on her other blog :).  (I know from experience that it's a prize worth checking out!)

Where was I?  Oh, yes, Christmas.  It's near that time of year again.  Personally, I really like it.  There's a chance for snow, twinkly lights abound, yummy goodies are baked, Christmas carols are played, ornaments sparkle, and the smell of an evergreen tree is...refreshing. 

But we all know that these things are not what CHRISTmas is about.  It's about the birth of Christ.  Without Jesus coming to earth, dying on the cross, and rising again...we would have no hope of eternal life.  He gave us the opportunity to not only be saved and go to heaven but to have a relationship with Him.  A relationship with the Living God, the Maker of heaven and earth! 

That is something we should celebrate and revel in all year long.  It is truly the greatest gift ever!

Today… November 30, 2009  It's the end of November already.  Incredible!

Outside my window… trees 

I am thinking… that the instrumental Christmas CD playing in the background is relaxing. 

I am thankful for… finally completing all 178 of my storyboards!  Yippee!  They took quite a stretch of time.  I think it's starting to hit home that a lot of my free time (if there even is such a thing :)) will not have to be spent storyboarding anymore.  I'm so happy...as you can probably tell, it's not my favorite part of pre-production :).

I am wearing... A dark red jacket, white t-shirt, and jean skirt.

I am reading… The Bible (1 Kings right now).  How To Make Work At Home Work by Mary M. Byers and So Much More by Anna Sofia and Elizabth Botkin.  I'm reading So Much More for the second time; this time with Daddy :).  I can't wait to start Desiring God by John Piper!

I am creating… 2 novels.  I need to send in a short story today.  I must solidify in my memory a ten minute speech, complete and figure out how to use the props/illustrations well, practice giving it, and not get stressed out about the presentation on Dec. 12th :).   

One of my favorite things... enjoying the rewards of perseverance.  Whether it's seeing 60 finished pages of storyboards, seeing your story become a finalist in a contest, having your article accepted by a magazine, or something completely different, it is wonderful to be able to see that all the work and time you poured into it was worth it!

For education this week… You can see my list of subjects for this school year here.  Also, the things that are listed under "I am creating...".

A keeper at home skill I am using/learning … dishes (I think I set a personal record of doing three loads in one day :))

A spiritual lesson I’m learning… "Be still and know that I am God."

A godly character trait I plan to work on… patience

Scripture I am memorizing… I hope to review some this week.

I am praying for…  Various people and people groups.

For the rest of the week… Speech/Apologetics Club, perhaps getting to see a friend, reading, writing, etc.

Five days ago, my eight-year-old brother, being his adventerous self, suggested that he and I should make a cookie without using any recipe.  He said we would call it the "Experimental Cookie".  Well, those who know me and the way I cook/bake know that I normally cling to the recipe for whatever I'm making.  However, it did seem fun and adventerous, and how could I resist my little brother's "Pleeaasee!" :)?

So we set out to make it.  My younger brother asked to put in a myriad of objects but I restricted us to more traditional ingredients.  Something tells me salad dressing, curry powder, cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, dried black beans, balsimic vinegar, cornmeal, and Ragu sauce should not all be thrown into a cookie mix.  Most of them were playful requests...I do not think they were all in earnest...at least I hope not :).

We put in half a cup of butter, one cup of flour, and half a cup of sugar.  Then, a little bit of vanilla and honey were added.  Next came one egg, some crunchy peanut butter, and a pinch of baking soda.  At this point, I could tell something wasn't quite right.  It didn't look like cookie dough; it looked like a floury mess :).  It needed more liquid so we added more butter.  One big spoonful...this time it was melted.  It looked much better and we sprinkled chocolate chips in.  The dough now felt a little too soft (a.k.a. not firm) but we figured it would be all right.  Finally, the cookie sheet was buttered and the cookies pressed onto it.  In went the sheet for ten minutes.  Then, two more.  Then, three more.  Eventually, the oven was turned off and the cookies were left in to warm up a little bit more.  At last, they were taken out.  Whew!

Happily, my bit of baking experience proved helpful and we managed to make cookies...not UFO's (Unidentified Food Objects).  They actually received very positive reviews from our family.  I plan to try them again.  I want to get a better consistency (these easily fell apart) and to write down a real recipe!

September and October have been an incredible start to the school year...but that doesn’t mean they were without disappointment and tears.  Yes, there was laughter, fun, and productivity...but there was also frustration and dead-ends.  One project in particular did not turn out as expected.  The Pajama School trailer, that was supposed to be finished and entered by October 30^th, is still not finished.  I bought the book, read it, and filmed the scenes for it.  So what was the problem?  I had hoped by that time to have already bought a new desktop with which to edit.  The computer I am currently using is not capable of true video editing.  The frames freeze up and skip, making it impossible to edit frame by frame.  Still, I was willing to give it a shot.  Bigger problem: the computer no longer recognized my camcorder. I could not upload any video.

This had happened before.  I had tried uploading footage for the first time ever and it didn’t work.  For months, we had no idea how to solve the problem.  At last, Dad cleared out our computer and started it over from scratch with the start-up discs and it worked...somewhat.  There were still problems because of its limitations.

Back to the present, I was facing the same problem once more.  I didn’t want to clear out the computer again (a ton of work) since it wouldn’t work properly anyway and I would be getting a new one soon.  Or so I thought.  To make a long story short, October has come and gone with no new computer...and no finished trailer.

But the object of this post is not to fill you in on my filmmaking woes :).  As the deadline was approaching, I hoped somehow everything would work together at the last minute.  After all, I’d prepared by reading the book and filming the necessary footage.  I thought about how it would be awesome if, by God’s grace, everything came together and I was still able to enter the contest...especially since it would be obvious I didn’t do it in my own strength.  It would be a great opportunity to give God all the glory. Would that be wonderful?  Yes, I would’ve loved it.  But then I thought, wait a second.  Can God be glorified when things do not look "successful"?  Or as my title says: What about when things don’t work out?  Definitely!!!  In Facing the Giants, Coach Taylor doesn’t just say, "When we win, we praise Him."  He also said, "When we lose, we praise Him."  Either way, God was to be glorified.  I want it to be that way in my life.  When, by God’s grace, I’m able to accomplish something...I want God to be praised and glorified.  And when, no matter how hard I try, I can’t accomplish something...I want God to be praised and glorified.  Because I "lost"?  No!  But because He is always worthy to be praised and deserves all glory and honor forever!  Soli Deo Gloria!

Note: I still plan, Lord willing, to eventually finish the trailer and post it here. I don’t want all that interesting footage to go to waste :). Who would have thought that sixty seconds could involve so much? I was able to practice my piano playing and handwriting, dress up as a pioneer and detective, serve and drink tea, and much more! Are you wondering if it’s possible for all that to actually be pertinent to a book trailer? Stay tuned and see for yourself!

I have been incredibly busy for the last two months!  I thought I'd give y'all an update :).

-I finished at least two months worth of 11^th grade.

-More Than Conquerors Magazine was "published" on September 20^th. Sadly, it will not be continued. There are too many other things that I should be focusing my time on. I will simply keep posting here.

-I joined an Apologetics/Speech club and have written and given speeches. Also, this club offers a writing course which I am participating in.

-Two new videos were created: GFA video and Agnus Dei worship video.

-Quite a few storyboards were drawn and a screenplay was revised.

-I wrote and sent out over ten articles (including but not limited to my articles for GGM).

-A very rough draft for a novel was completed and I worked on my other writing.

-I practiced piano, taught my younger brothers piano, and learned The Sweetest Name of All.

-A short story for the Match That Artwork contest was written and entered.

-I read Pajama School, Voices of the Faithful book 2, Redefining Beautiful, Take Your Best Shot, The Land of Calais, and The Bible Answer Book.

-And more!

Today… October 26, 2009  

Outside my window… Soggy fallen leaves.  It's wet and cold outside. 

I am thinking… about a *real* blog post that should be coming up soon. 

I am thankful for… my new account on Vimeo.  I like it better than YouTube :). 

I am wearing... A dark red t-shirt and jacket and jean skirt.

I am reading… The Bible (Job right now).  It hasn't even occurred to me but I don't think I'm reading anything else right now.  *Gasp* Could it be?  No wonder I've been feeling somewhat book deprived :).  I've just been too busy.  

I am creating… Novel, speech, blog post(s), etc. 

One of my favorite things... comfortable sandals (I know tis' not the season but they still come in handy :)!)

For education this week… You can see my list of subjects for this school year here.

A keeper at home skill I am using/learning … keeping the kitchen clean

A spiritual lesson I’m learning… joy

A godly character trait I plan to work on… steadfastness

Scripture I am memorizing… I'll be reviewing this week. 

I am praying for…  Various people and people groups.

For the rest of the week… I need to finish writing my speech and give it at the Speech and Apologetics club meeting, attend a friend's birthday dinner, go to a church event, etc.

You’re doing something right now that is such a part of your daily life you don’t often even think about it. Yet, it is necessary for your survival. I am talking about your breathing, specifically the fact that you breathe in oxygen and nitrogen. Even though you can’t see those two gases, you see their effects. If someone came up to you and said, "I can’t see oxygen or nitrogen so how do I know they’re real?" You could respond, "They’re keeping you alive right now!" God made us. Without Him being real, we would not exist.

Today, I’m going to be answering the question: If God is real, why can’t people see or touch Him?. I"ll be doing this in two parts. 1. God’s handiwork and 2. What about feelings?

The reason we cannot physically see or touch God is because God is Spirit. If you think about it, there are a lot of other intangibles we live with. Love, joy, peace, etc. You can’t see love physically floating around. You can’t grasp it. But you can see its effects on a loving person’s attitudes and actions. And you can see what it does to those who are loved. In the same way, we see the effects of God’s existence through His handiwork. "For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–His eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:20 His creation is incredible! That certainly includes us.

Have you ever thought about how many things must work perfectly to keep us alive? We need oxygen in our air to survive. But if the air contained more than 21% oxygen, we could die. The chemical reactions in our bodies would speed up too much, causing strokes, heart attacks, high blood pressure, etc. If the percentage was raised even 10%, it is estimated that our life spans would be cut in half. Dr. Jay L. Wile, in Exploring Creation with Chemistry, wrote, "For ever 1 percent increase in the amount of oxygen in the air, the chance of natural forest fires occurring goes up 70 percent!" Thankfully, air continues to be made up of 21% oxygen, 78% nitrogen, and 1% of other gases–a perfect mixture. And this is just one tiny part of the universe we live in!

Let’s move on to point two. What about feelings? Some people may think or say, "Okay. I see the evidence. The effects. But I just don’t feel like God’s real."

Psalm 14:1 says, "The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’"

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." Proverbs 14:12

I think this has a lot to do with our feelings-based culture. For example, we have twisted what love is. Love is not just a feeling. If you love someone only when you feel like it, then perhaps you don’t truly love that person. Selfish love, which "loves" only when it is convenient, is not true love at all. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." True love never fails. We can’t just trust what we feel in our hearts. Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?"

We must come back to absolutes. The Bible is inerrant. When the Bible and God’s creation clearly show that God is real, non-believers should believe–regardless of their feelings. True faith is not based on feelings. "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1

I would like to conclude by encouraging you to see God’s handiwork in the amazing universe we live in. I want to encourage you not to be guided by your feelings. I really like something that was said in the movie Fireproof. Caleb’s friend, Lt. Michael Simmons, is talking. "Don’t just follow your heart, ‘cause your heart can be deceived, but you got to lead your heart."

"Teenagers think they know everything." It’s something adults say. But it can actually be close to the truth. As teenagers, we look back at our younger selves and see how much we’ve learned. We can be tempted to think-and even say-that we know quite a lot. We figure we’ve got a pretty good grasp on things. Without even realizing it, we have displayed our immaturity. The older and wiser we get the more we realize how much knowledge in the universe we don’t have. Dave Irish, a Christian singer, wrote a song entitled "The More I Learn The Less I Know". Two different lines that strike me as important and relevant are: The more I learn the less I know, with every turn along this road. AND I need Someone to guide me show me the way to go. I believe this is true. The more we learn, the more we realize how little we really know. Thankfully, we do have Someone to guide us–God. While we will always have more to learn, God is omniscient.

Today, I’m going to be explaining the meaning and significance of the omniscience of God. First, what does the fact that God is omniscient mean? The word "omniscient" means "all-knowing". Wayne Grudem, in Systematic Theology, defines the knowledge of God as this, "God fully knows Himself and all things actual and possible in one simple and eternal act." Obviously, God and only God fully knows Himself. 1 Cor. 2:10-11, "The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

God knows everything that has actually happened, is happening, and will ever happen. Is. 46:9, "I am God, and there is none like Me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come." God also knows all things possible. Everything that could or could have happened. As Job 37:16 says, God is perfect in knowledge. In addition, God has never learned and cannot learn. If God were ever to learn anything, it would mean He is not eternally omniscient. This point is made using rhetorical questions in Isaiah 40:13-14, "Who has understood the mind of the Lord, or instructed Him as His counselor? Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten Him, and who taught Him the right way? Who was it that taught Him knowledge of showed Him the path of understanding?"

Second, what is the significance of the omniscience of God? Personally, I would find it very heard to trust God if He is not all-knowing. How could I trust Him with my life, my salvation, my eternal future, etc.? I am very grateful that I do not have to worry about that because God is omniscient. As 1 John 3:20 says, "He knows everything." In addition, it is such an awesome thing to realize that God knows me perfectly. Psalm 139:1-4, "O Lord, You have searched me and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise, You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You know it completely, O Lord."

In conclusion, we have looked at the meaning of the omniscience of God and seen that He is all-knowing. And finally, what a comforting thing to know that nothing catches God by surprise and that He is familiar with all of our ways!

More Than Conquerors Magazine's Christianity and Science Fiction DVD giveaway ends on the 20th!

Out of curiosity, how many of you have read at least part of More Than Conquerors Magazine?  Can I please see a show of hands (comments)?

The following is a speech answering the question: If man is inherently sinful, why do most men lead relatively good lives?

Little kids can be amusing. Their innocence, naivety, and lack of self-consciousness is fun to watch. They’ll run to us with a drawing–very happy with it and believing it’s well done. Of course, we encourage them and say, "Good job!". They do not have a concept of what good art is so they truly believe they are good artists. Once they’re older, as teens or adults, they look back and realize their earlier attempts at art actually weren’t very good. They now have a higher standard. Stick figures and wiggly lines just don’t cut it anymore. Even those who are artistically talented and continued to be praised for their work will point out things they need to work on. They see their flaws and weaknesses so much more clearly and work hard to improve.

In a way, this serves as an analogy between non-Christians and Christians. Christians hold themselves to a higher standard. They will readily admit that they are sinners saved only by God’s grace. They are honest about their shortcomings and strive to meet God’s standards. Most non-Christians, on the other hand, have a very low standard. Many say, "I’ve never killed anyone or robbed a bank so I think I’m a pretty good person." Like a little kids, they do not grasp what good truly is and how far they fall short.

Today, I’ll be answering the question: If man is inherently sinful, why do most men lead relatively good lives? I’m actually going to be answering this question with 2 other questions. 1. Is this questions legitimate? and 2. What should our response be?

First, is this question legitimate? To answer this we must define "good" and see if it is even possible for inherently sinful people to do good. I think the 4^th definition of the adjective form of "good" from Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary is fitting. It’s defined as "having moral qualitites best adapted to its design and use, or the qualities which God’s law requires." Now, let’s look at some Bible verses.

Psalm 106:1,3, "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever...Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right." Here we see that the Lord is good and blessed are the people who constantly do what is right. Again, is it even possible for inherently sinful people to do what is right, much less constantly do it? Jeremiah 4:22 says, "My people are fools; they do not know Me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good." This verse shows us that people know very well how to do evil but they do not know how to do good. Psalm 14:2-3, "The Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one."

I believe we can safely conclude that the question: If man is inherently sinful, why do most men lead relatively good lives? is significantly flawed. Since we are inherently sinful, none of us can lead even close to a good life. As Chuck Colson said, "Mere knowledge is not enough to undercut the evil in the human heart. Simply knowing what is right doesn’t enable us to do right." I think a more appropriate question is: If man is inherently sinful, what can he do? Is there any hope for him? Is there any way for him to be able to lead a good life?

This brings me to my second main question: What should our response be? Some people believe we should try to do all the good works we can and hope God will somehow be impressed and let us in to heaven. But the Bible says, "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags." Isaiah 64:6. I believe this is because we are incapable of true righteousness and goodness on our own. Our very best deeds do not measure up to God’s standard. God’s standard is perfection–something we can never attain on our own. Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." How then can we ever lead a good life? The answer is found in Jesus Christ and in Him alone. When we surrender our lives to Jesus and make Him our Lord and Savior, we are washed clean. 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." What we need to do is repent and make Jesus the Lord of our life.

In conclusion, we have discovered that the question: If man is inherently sinful, why do most men lead relatively good lives? is not legitimate but is in fact, flawed. We have found that our response must be putting our trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. I would like to end with a verse that has been show true once again. Mark 10:27, "Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.’"

Take Your Best Shot by Austin Gutwein (Founder of Hoops of Hope) with Todd Hillard

I’m glad this teenager decided to write this book and I was given the chance to read it. This book is encouraging and inspiring. It is a reminder that, by God’s grace, kids and teens can make a difference. It’s not often a book comes around that makes you want to change the world and helps you believe you can really do it. I love that Austin encourages us to put spending time with God first. At the end of chapters, there is a suggested passage of Scripture to meditate on and talk with God about. We are encouraged to see the need around us and seek out our own particular vision and passion. Do something bigger than yourself! We also get to hear the story of Hoops of Hope and other kid’s stories. Wow. Nothing is impossible with God! This book is easy to read, draws some interesting analogies, and manages to be funny and serious at different times. Have you ever heard of a Pet Rock? Did you know that every five seconds a child dies because of lack of food? That’s what I mean. Light-hearted and sad. It somehow works! Those who read my reviews will notice that in most books there are at least some things that bother me. I’m not going to say anything negative about this book. That says something :).

Today… October 4, 2009  I'm doing it a day early to make sure I don't forget or post it too late this time :).

Outside my window… It's sunny and cold.

I am thinking… about how important it is to "do hard things" for God's glory and to not waste my teen years.

I am thankful for… by God's grace, being able to finish More Than Conquerors Magazine!  Have you visited yet?  There's a giveaway! 

I am wearing... A blue/green Steps for Life t-shirt and black skirt

I am reading… The Bible (Job right now) and The Bible Answer Book by Hank Hanegraaff

I am creating… Novels, articles, speech, etc.  You can read my first apologetic speech here.

One of my favorite things... receiving nice comments :).  Both here and on my articles at GGM.

For education this week… You can see my list of subjects for this school year here.

A keeper at home skill I am using/learning … communication

A spiritual lesson I’m learning… perseverance

A godly character trait I plan to work on… patience

Scripture I am memorizing… Philippians 2

I am praying for…  Various people and people groups.

For the rest of the week… Besides school, I hope to work on my novel, storyboard, finish and give my speech, write articles, etc.

I gave my first apologetic speech on Thursday evening. I was supposed to "explain the meaning and significance of the Trinity." Here is the text of my speech (which was written out on 3 X 5 cards.) 

Growing up, I asked a lot of questions. There many things I wanted to know about. But the most important questions I asked were the ones about God. Most of them were relatively simple and easy to understand. But one of the hardest questions for me to understand the answer to was What is the Trinity? How can God be three in one? How can something go beyond reason but not against reason? After all, human reason cannot fully comprehend the doctrine of the Trinity. We know it only because God has revealed it to us through His Word, the Bible. This does not mean it is irrational or contradictory and there are still things we can learn about the Trinity.

Today, I am going to be explaining the meaning and significance of the Trinity. Wayne Grudem, in Systematic Theology, defines the word "trinity" as "tri-unity" or "three-in-oneness". Three statements help summarize the doctrine of the Trinity.

1. God is three persons.

2. Each person is fully God.

3. There is one God.

First, God is three persons. This means that God the Father is not the Son or the Holy Spirit. They are distinct persons. It is not as if God is an actor playing three parts in a play. In other words, the persons of the Trinity are not just 3 different ways of looking at God. This is evident in Matt. 3:16-17, "As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descend like a dove and lighting on Him. And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, Whom I love; with Him I am well pleased."" Here all three persons of the Trinity are present at the same time.

Second, each person is fully God. The Father is fully God. John 4:23, "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks." The Son is fully God. Col. 2:9, "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form." John 20:28-29, "Thomas said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God’. Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’" Jesus Himself is affirming that He is fully God. The Holy Spirit is fully God. In Acts 5:3, we read, "Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit...?" In verse 4, it says, "You have not lied to men but to God." In addition, we are told to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Third, there is one God. Though the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three distinct persons, they are one in essence and nature. They are all omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, eternal, infinitely holy, etc. One way to say it is that God is one "What" and three "Whos". Scripture is adamant that there is only one God. Deut. 6:4, "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one." In Isaiah 45:5, we read, "I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from Me there is no God."

Now, let’s talk about the significance of the Trinity. Why should it matter to us whether someone believes in the Trinity or not? I believe one of the reasons is that if a person denies any aspect of the Trinity, they are denying an essential doctrine of the Christian faith. To deny the Trinity is to call the Bible and God a liar. Though the word "Trinity" is not found in the Bible, the doctrine is clearly taught throughout Scripture. If you deny that there is one God, you are going against all the Scriptures that state there is only one God. If you deny that God is 3 persons, what is the explanation for Jesus praying to the Father or promising to send the Holy Spirit to the disciples? You would be forced to conclude that Jesus is either crazy or a liar. Again, this is heresy. If you deny that each person is fully God, you contradict all the verses in the Bible affirming the deity of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

In conclusion, the meaning of the Trinity is that God is three persons, each person is fully God, and there is one God. The significance of a proper belief in the doctrine of the Trinity is that without it, the historic Christian faith shatters and the Bible is made out to be a contradictory book of lies.

GGM's October issue is out!  Isn't that tree on the cover lovely? 

My articles are Plentiful Harvest (*Video by me Included*) and Land of Calais (*Review and Giveaway*).

Redefining Beautiful by Jenna Lucado with Max Lucado

I read through this book in one evening. That says a lot. I loved the casual, easy to read style. The book is meant to be made your own. It includes lines to write in, questions to answer, and a quiz to take. More importantly, it is about helping girls realize their God-given beauty. Not just on the outside but on the inside. It is about letting girls see that God is the perfect Father who will never leave them nor forsake them. Amazingly, this book has the ability to appeal to both girls who come from God-fearing homes and those who come from completely broken homes and those in between! "Life Accessories" and "Beauty Tips" are sprinkled throughout the book. Personal stories of girls from different backgrounds add another touch to it. One problem I have is that she condones dating. She dated and she seems to assume that all other girls will date. Therefore, most of her advice regarding boys does not line up with my convictions. That being said, there is still good information in the book. From meditating on the Bible to your relationship with your family to having a closer relationship with God, there is quite a bit to appreciate and agree with.

Why are all those books lying on my desk?  Answer: I've joined a Speech/Apologetics club and those are books I thought would prove helpful in my research.  Obviously, not all of them will apply to every topic :). Most of them I have not read yet (even though I should have) so I'm excited to finally get to it! 

Note: The CD is NIV Bible Library.  This is a very useful tool!  It contains many versions of the Bible for easy comparison and allows you to go back to the original Greek and Hebrew.  It has other resources as well.

My first assignment is to give a speech explaining the meaning and significance of the Trinity.  I have one week to prepare.  Here is a picture of my desk an hour or two into beginning my research:

The open book is Baker's Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics by Norman Geisler...very good and informative so far!  The little pink card is my working outline, the yellow card is filled with Bible references for me to look up and of course, the notebook is for all my notes.  The books above are Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem, The Bible Answer Book by Hank Hanegraaff, The NIV Complete Concordance, and the Bible.  While other books are helpful, the Bible must be the final authority on all matters!

I encourage you to be involved in apologetics, whether you join a club or not.  Every Christian should be well-equipped to defend his/her faith. 

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect." 1 Peter 3:15

By God's grace, I'm looking forward to furthering my knowledge and understanding in the area of apologetics.