Conducting trains

      Today in Bible class, my mom was reviewing what we learned about misconduct in the home. As soon as she mentioned it, God reminded me of a conductor of a train, and I began analyzing conducting a train and comparing it to our lives.

     Each one of us has a train. The train represents our life. First, we must get our trains on the track system; this is represented by salvation.

      Now, we must begin conducting the train, as only we are the conductors of each train.

YOUR hat!

As we conduct, we must remember to make the right choices, down to the most inconspicuous steps. Also, there are people aboard our train; every decision we make affects those people!

     

     What happens when a train veers off the train-tracks? We all know the answer: a train wreck occurs! While we cannot veer off the train system of salvation, we can veer off the train-tracks of righteousness. I am sure you do not want your life to look like this to the outside observer:

     Guess what else? There are other train conductors watching and learning from how you conduct your train... 

How's your conducting?

~CosetteRose

Eye-opening video and website

     Appauling, twisted, just plain wrong... That's my description of the world's view of true beauty. And my dscription of the media's effects on us girls, especially teens. Never compare yourself to models on tv, billboards, or whatever you notice. I think this video will explain exactly why...

Click here to watch the video that will open your eyes.

I highly suggest www.findyourtruebeauty.com, not just for teens, but for ladies in their teens and up.

Me, My thoughts, and God

Here we are, at the potter's house-

Me, My thoughts, and God.

Me says, "Changes, once again?"

My thoughts say, "No! Stay away!"

And God says, "Child, surrender."

Here we are, in a maze it seems-

Me, My thooughts, and God.

Me says, "Stop! I'm so confused!"

My thoughts say, "This is hopeless!"

And God says, "Follow Me."

Here we are, in a darkened world-

Me, My thoughts, and God.

Me says, "Wait! I cannot see!"

My thoughts say, "Look at them!"

And God says, "Look at Me."

Here we are, in a merciless world-

Me, My thoughts, and God.

Me says, "I feel lonely."

My thoughts say, "No one cares!"

And God says, "Loved one, I care."

So through this life, as we walk-

Me, My thoughts, and God-

I will trust and obey

The One Who knows me best

And not worry about the rest.

~Cosette Rose Holmes

Lockets and Diamonds and YOU!

        My friend gave me a locket for my birthday. As we all know, lockets open and close so that we can put things things in them, such as a note or picture. Many times lockets are in the shape of a heart. Also, after we put  a note in the locket, there isn't really room for any thing else.

        We can apply these things to our spiritual hearts. As we all know, we can open and close our hearts when we please. We can put things in them.
        Our hearts are our own responsibility. When do we need to open our hearts? When God is knocking.    What do we need to put in them? God's Love Letter to us. And remember, when our hearts are filled with something, we shouldn't try to stuff more in there. What I mean is, when we fill our hearts with God's Word and godliness, there's no room left for worldliness. This is called spiritual purity.
        There is something special about the locket pictured above. It is sparking. It has a diamond in the middle. Did you know that diamonds are made up of carbon? Carbon and nothing else! It is purely carbon! Just like a diamond, a heart can contain purely Godliness and God's Word.

But what happens when the heart is full? When liquid is poured into a filled cup, what happens? As we all know, the cup overflows with the liquid. When we pour Godliness into a Godliness-filled heart, Godliness overflows. This is what I call radiance.

       Now, we all fall. We cannot be pure and radiant through our own power; we need God's interference.

1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." God will cleanse and purify our hearts if we will ask Him.

Be Radiant.

"Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee."

~Psalm 119:11

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

~Matt. 5:8

WHAT ARE YOU FILLING YOUR HEART WITH?

Dive In

"Dive In" by Steven Curtis Chapman

The long awaited rains have fallen hard upon the thirsty ground

And carved their way to where the wild and rushing river can be found

And like the rains I have been carried to where the river flows.

My heart is racing and my knees are weak as I walk to the edge

I know there is no turning back once my feet have left the ledge

And in the rush I hear a voice that's telling me it's time to take the leap of faith.

SO HERE I GO

~

I'm diving in; I'm going deep in over my head I wanna be

Caught in the rush, Lost in the flow, in over my head I wanna go

The river's deep; the river's wide; the river's water is alive

So sink or swim, I'm diving in!

~

There is a supernatural power in this mighty river's flow

It can bring the dead to life and it can fill an empty soul

And give a heart the onl thing worth living and worth dying for.

But we will never know the awesome power of the grace of God 

Until we let ourselves get swept away into  this holy flood

So if you'll take my hand we'll close our eyes and count to three, and take the leap of faith-

COME ON LET'S GO

~

I'm diving in; I'm going deep in over my head I wanna be
Caught in the rush, Lost in the flow, in over my head I wanna go
The river's deep; the river's wide; the river's water is alive
So sink or swim, I'm diving in!

Romans 11:33~ O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are  His ways past finding out!

Ephesians 3:17-19~ That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled with all the fulness of God.

Four things

       Well, homeschooling has started! The changes have been an adventure! For those who don't know the entire scenario, I have been attending a Christian school (Open Door Christian Academy) since first grade. It's a great school and a great education. God led my parents to homeschool me this year. Now, It was heart-breaking to me that I would not be going back to the school. I knew I would miss my teachers, friends, principal, and pastor. To be honest, I was angry at my parents for thinking God's will could possibly include homeschooling. After all, God's will is supposed to be what's best for us, right? So, I was mad at my parents and starting to have a pity party for myself. I was being attacked by Satan and I knew it. But I kept going, thinking that somehow, if I complained enough or cried enough, I might prove to my parents that they were wrong.
        Then I realized how ridiculous I had been, how many things I was way wrong about.

1. I limited God's will.
2. I thought that "the best" would mean the fulfillment of my selfish desires.
3. I assumed that my parents weren't really listening to God's direction.
4. I felt bad for myself. But do you know what many other people are going through that's way worse?!?

I turned to God, discouraged at myself. And He gave me a big bear hug! [Remember His faithful love in my last post? :) ] He taught me that He gave me the exact parents that He intended for me, and then He taught me how I can love them more by honoring their decisions. He also re-taught me that His will is the best, no matter what I think; His will does not depend on me. Another lesson I had to review is that God's will for my life is better than what I can imagine.

        So here I am, on a homeshooling adventure. Mark, my only sibling, and I are larning about the relationships of life together in Bible class. ["Coincidentally" corresponding to the lessons God just taught me :) ] I am using ABeka curriculum for most other subjects, other than math. So far, our p.e. has been both fun and crazy!
        Whether you are starting another school year or are out of that stage in your life, remember these:

1. God's will is beyond your imagination.
2. God's will is the best, whether it seems like it is now or not.
3. Honor and trust the authority God has out in your life. He gave you those specific people for a reason.
4. "There hath no temptation taken you, but such as common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." ~1 Corinthians 10:13

Have Thine Own Way

I hope these hymns encourage you! :) They are some of my favorites, and God just laid them on my heart.

Have Thine Own way, Lord;

Have Thine Own way.

Thou art the Potter;

I am the clay.

Mold me and make me

After Thy will

While I am waiting,

Yielded and still.

~Adelaide A. Pollard

All to Jesus I surrender

All to Him I freely give;

I will ever love and trust Him,

In His presence daily live.

I surrender all,

I surrender all.

All to Thee, my blessed Savior,

I surrender all.

~Judson W. Van DeVenter