Choose Your Friends Wisely

“Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence. True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand 

the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to appellation. ” 
―George Washington

{via google images}

In our lifetime, we will encounter a variety of people.  Friendships that we develop will be vast and varied.  There will be friends who make you laugh.  Those who you have deep heart to heart conversations with.  Ones you have known all your lives.  Or simply friends God has placed in your path that need to hear the Gospel.  You name it!

We need these friendships.  It is important to have these relationships for the sake of fellowship and acceptance.  However, it can often be frustrating to have a "lack" of friends.


“Good books, like good friends, are few and chosen; 
the more select, the more enjoyable.” 

― Louisa May Alcott

We shouldn't make friends just for the sake of having them.  Who we choose for our friends is very important...we must take time to consider it wisely.  As God tells us in His word, 

"He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: 
but a companion of fools shall be destroyed."
Proverbs 13:20

All too often people get into trouble by having "companions of fools."
We do not want that.  Most importantly, we need friends that walk with God and point us to Him.
These will have the greatest impact in our lives and prove to last the longest.

Another thing to do is pray about your friendships.  God will provide just the right amount of friends in your life that you need.  Too often, the case is that true friends are hard to come by.  In the end, He will be your truest friend {Proverbs 18:24} and always knows what is best for you.  If we go through life with even just one true friend, we should count ourselves blessed!  

         {Want to hear more about my thoughts regarding friendships?  Read this post!}  

A Lamp Unto my Feet

Try walking around in a room  blindfolded.  It isn't easy.  Even in a place you know well, you will bump against objects you forget are there because of the lack of one of your five senses.

Lantern, a photo by m.prinke on Flickr.

It is the same in our Christian walk. We live in a dark world full of stumbling blocks to those who walk on the narrow way. While fumbling around in the darkness, it is easy to get lost or confused by lies the world tries to tell you or whatever it may be that causes you to fall.

When we walk the path of life and can't see past a few feet, we can loose our way or run into obstacles and stumble because of being in the dark!  That's why we need a lamp to light our way. 

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." 

~Psalm 119:105

Wedding Lanterns, a photo by TheGiantVermin on Flickr.

We can obtain this lamp by going to God's word for guidance or direction.  

So, if you ever wonder what direction to take, just stop, pray, and look to His Word for answers... 

For it will be a light unto your path!    

{disclaimer: photos via google images}

A College Crossroads

It is hard when we come to crossroads in life.  All of a sudden, we find ourselves faced with making big decisions that will determine the direction of our life...

A crossroads everyone comes to sooner or later is one 7 lettered word: college.

Sometimes it is a little overwhelming to think about life after high school graduation!

crossroads, a photo by Laenulfean on Flickr.

For me, it is mainly because I have so many interests...it is hard to know what to major in.

I want to  ...write a novel  So should I focus on English?   ...help starving orphans in Africa
Do I become a teacher?  ...act in plays  Turn my attention to drama?  ...make a difference in the abortion statistics.  Be an ultra sound tech at our pregnancy center then?

These questions go back and forth in my mind like a ping-pong ball.

With crossroads like college we find ourselves meditating on exactly which path to go down.
We ask ourselves which one could be the right one?  If I do choose one, would it be a step in the wrong direction?  We naturally want answers to these questions.

Basically, the first step to planning our future is seeking God's will for our life and any dreams we may have.  After all, He knows our hearts.  Chances are if they line up with the Word, then He planted them in our hearts to start with.  We need to be asking Him what path He wants us to take, whether it be going to a university, community college or taking online courses!

I encourage you to pray about which path God wants you to take...He cares about our future!  

When School Becomes Fun

To be homeschooled is a blessing.  There are many advantages that come 

with it, too {as Olivia mentions here}.  

Some people choose to look at school as a chore.  But, with homeschooling, we have more freedom with how we choose to do our subjects than students who attend public or private school.  

It's nice to have that as one of the pros to homeschooling.  

Our moms or dads can make our topics fun instead of dry, boring material that we dread doing 

{except for math...if you aren't a math person, there is not really a way around that one. ;)}.

For as long as I can remember, my favorite subject in school has been history!  I truly believe my mom is the one who taught me to love it so much, by her way of always trying to make it exciting, not just a jumble of boring facts/dates.  Interestingly enough, she never enjoyed history when she was in school and always remembered it as being a dry, uninteresting subject.  But, by homeschooling us, she is able to make our view of history opposite from what hers was.

One way she makes history come alive is by reading historical fiction based on the time period we are learning about.  It is surprising what a clear picture it gives you about characters that lived in history and what their everyday life was like.

History is truly a joy to do!  In particular, I have loved learning about the Ancient Roman time period.

One read aloud my mom tied in with that period in history was The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare.  That is a fantastic book!  Other favorites I read were Hostage Lands by Douglas Bond, Pearl Maiden by H. Rider Haggard & Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff.

Another great way to make history fun is going on field trips!  The most memorable was visiting George Washington's home, Mt. Vernon {you can read about that trip here}.  

How amazing it was to walk where our first president lived!

These are just a few of the many things I love about homeschooling.  

Thank goodness for moms who take time to make school fun!

            School is what you make of it.  You can look at it as a chore or an opportunity to learn.

Which one will you choose?

{disclaimer: all images here}

You're Beautiful

Upon reflection, one thing I have found to be true of late is that a woman will never find any satisfaction in trying to be someone who she is not.  

It will only breed discontentment because God made us to be who we are!  

I have often fallen into the trap the devil sets of:

"You aren't good enough...you will only be beautiful if you fill in the blank."  

That is when you have to guard your thoughts and counter those lies for the truth of God's Word.  

What does He tell us about true beauty?

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes.  Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.  1 Peter 3:3-4

This is the kind of beauty we should long for!  

It far surpasses any beauty that is of the world because it is 'unfading'...

it comes from within!

Here are some wonderful thoughts from Leslie Ludy on the topic of beauty....

"Any human beauty, any human value that we might find within ourselves is just a filthy rag compared to the limitless beauty and glory of Jesus Christ.  Christ's beauty is perfect.  And, in spite of what we deserve, He desires to adorn us with His spectacular glory.  He may choose to showcase His beauty through us in a unique way, through our own individual personality or the special gifts He has given us.  But it is not our unique beauty that must shine for this world to see.  It is not our own beauty that we must discover and embrace--it is His."  

We are all beautiful in His eyes because He is our Creator.  He made every individual unique and precious in their own way.  Instead of just focusing on outward beauty we should look at the state of our inward beauty too...Christ sees us from the inside out!  

So, I have some special words for all of you today...and they are:

You are already beautiful 

just the way you are in God's eyes.  

So just be you!

I invite you to close your eyes and listen to the song below that inspired today's title...

Blessings in Christ,

   

Just Jane: {a book review}

{via}

Recently, I borrowed a book from my friend's dear library

called Just Jane: A Novel of Jane Austen's Life by the talented Nancy Moser. 

{To learn more about the author's books visit her website, here!}

::Summary::

Jane Austen lives simply in the English countryside with her beloved family, entertaining them with her stories and seeking romance.  She never ventures far from her own corner of the world and struggles to find her place in it.  Growing up in a clergyman's home gives Jane opportunities to observe human nature at its best--and worst.

Vivid and delightful characters pour from her pen--Elizabeth Bennet, Fitzwilliam Darcy, Emma Woodhouse, Fanny Price, John Willoughby...Jane dreams of publishing her stories and sharing them with the world, but she's just Jane from Steventon, isn't she?  Will anyone ever read her novels?

{click here to read an excerpt from the first chapter.}

::My thoughts::

With rich characters and an intriguing story you will immediately be drawn into the world of Jane and the everyday happenings of her life {what a pleasure this is!}.  The thing that inspired me most about Jane was her firm trust in the Lord throughout her trials--as well as her love for writing!  She never gave up hope that her works would become published someday. 

My rating of this book = 5 out of 5 stars.

::Favorite quotes from Just Jane::

Cassandra {Jane's devoted sister} to Jane:  "Instincts are given to us by God to guide us. It takes a strong woman to listen to those instincts and ignore what the world says to do."

Jane:  "I opened the trunk and gazed upon the work of my life; pages and pages of words carefully chosen, drawing images of people who were as real to me as flesh and blood, who lived lives that had been put on hold while I muddled through my own struggles and disappointments."

Jane: "I do not wish to write a story where all is completely as it should be.  At least not without a good bit of trials, travails, and travels along the way."

  

Jane:  "All things happen for a reason--but that does not mean all things succeed as we hope."

Jane:  "Now that my writing has its own solid place within the moments of my life, I am free to enjoy all the moments more fully." 

<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3

I am always intrigued by anything having to do with Jane Austen, so this book has been splendid to read!  Have you read Just Jane? 

{If not, please add it to your wishlist--I hope you will fall in love with it as much as I did.  *winks*} 

If so, what were your thoughts about it?   

<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3

Also, for those of you who are Jane Austen fans,

I encourage you to join these fun blog events here & here!

Blessings,

Cry Out!

"There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and
delightful than that of a continual conversation with God."
~Brother Lawrence

crista moriah photography

It is so important to develop a close relationship with our Savior.  He must become so broken hearted when we {sometimes, not even meaning to} distance ourselves from Him with our silence.  The other day, Jesus opened my eyes to what His heart must feel like when that happens and we do not have a regular prayer life with Him.  I wrote a letter about it, sort of like a heart to heart from God to us...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My Child,

It's been quite awhile since I've heard from you.

My heart has grown very lonely from the lack of our conversations. 

Please cry out to me.  Your lips have been silent too long.  I need to hear from you!

Where have you been?  The stretch between us has grown so far.  Our hearts need to be reunited!  We must share every little thing with each other once again. You casting your burdens on Me, knowing that I will take them without hesitation. You sharing your hopes and dreams; Myself smiling, looking ahead at the future and deciding what is the wisest thing for you.

I miss you.  I want to be close to you.  I love you.  Cry out to me...soon! 

Love,

Your Father in Heaven

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The key to having a good prayer life is being disciplined about it. 

It seems as though when I try to have time with Him, things come up. Satan will not waste any opportunites to distract us from prayer, reading the Word, or anything that will benefit us spiritually.

Francois Fenelon once said, "Time spent in prayer is never wasted." How true are these words! Commit to praying for 10 minutes a day to begin with, then add a little more each day. Simple, right?

Sometimes, it's easy to view prayer as "just another thing to do" or a chore, but instead it should be an intimate part of our relationship with Jesus.  We should view our prayer time as precious moments to spend pouring out all of our hopes, dreams, and fears to His compassionate ears.  He cares.  He loves us dearly and longs for a close relationship with us!  As Jesus says to us in the Love Letter to us, "Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you..." {James 4:8} 

Once we start pouring our hearts out to Him, it creates a feeling of joyous freedom in our souls--

It causes us to draw near to God--it strengthens us!

crista moriah photography

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I believe it is important to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ as well.

So many times I have been encouraged by a friend saying that they are praying for me. 

It always seems to lift your spirits knowing someone cares about you.

"The greatest gift we can give to others is our prayers."

~Unknown

If there is anything you would like to share with me, please do not hesitate to drop a comment at the bottom of this post--I would love to be able to pray for you. :)

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Stay strong, dear sisters!  Let us strive to cry out to Him each and every day!

New Year, Fresh Start.

The new year, 2012, has dawned, thus bringing us to a new bend in the road.  

With the coming of each new year, we like to reflect on the old year and face the new.

crista moriah photography

     
For me, it's always important to reflect on what my walk with God was like in the previous year. I feel a need to 'rethink' my relationship with Him.

Here is a list of 3 simple steps to follow

that will help us all get back on track in our Christian walk.

(1) It is always essential to spend time with God daily.

Try setting aside a part of your day to read your Bible and pour your heart out to Him. 
   

"Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." 

{John 15:4,5,8}

If we remain in Christ, we will grow spiritually.

(2) Immerse yourself deeper in God's Word.  Find a good source of spiritual encouragement {i.e. subscribe to online devotionals. I read Holley Gerth's...they are fabulous!}. 

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." 

{Psalm 119:105} 

(3)Ask the Lord to help you grow in your walk with Him.

Pray that He will renew your heart and that you would want to spend more time with Him.

"Create in me a clean heart,

O God; and renew a right spirit within me." 

{Psalm 51:10}

May the Lord richly bless our New Year as we strive towards the goal of knowing Him more!