Pictures of Spain!

Dear Readers,
My Spain slideshow is finally up!! I apologize; I have been having many technical difficulties while trying to upload my pics, but Google led me to a website that greatly helped me. Thank you all so much for your patience! Enjoy the photos :)
Scroll to the bottom of my blog to view photos :)

To Cover or Not to Cover? Why Should it Be a Question?

   We live in a culture where modesty is going out of fashion. As the numerous clothing styles change every season, it seems as though necklines plunge further, skirts rise higher, and jeans get tighter. Today, it is extremely hard to find clothing that is not to tight, low, flashy, high, or looks like a burqa.

   I often ponder and ask myself, why does our society embrace the act of immodestly exposing our bodies to men who will not be our husbands? Frankly, the value of  "a gentle and quiet spirit which is pleasing to God" is slowly decaying. Our culutre is convinced that outward beauty is much more important than inner beauty.

    There is nothing wrong to like shopping or clothes, or even follow some of the fads. I myself enjoy going to the store and picking out a new shirt or a cute pair of jeans! After all, the stores can carry very, very cute outfits :)  However, there is a line that we must watch out for, because it can be very easy to stumble across it. There is a line that divides wanting to look beautiful, and dressing immodestly for the purpose of attracting eyes.

    When we pick out our clothes or get dressed in the morning, we should ask ourselves:

1. Is our dress glorifying to God? Does is exemplify a pure, beautiful, lovely spirit that will point people to Jesus? In other words, if people asked you if you were a Christian and you said yes, would it suprise them because of the way you dress?

2. Are we picking out our clothes so that we draw eyes onto us? Are our motives pleasing to God? Are we wearing the certain sweater to turn heads, or simply because we like it and it covers us up?

3. Above all, are we dressing modestly? Is our wardrobe going to stumble our neighbors? Are we going to cause men to think things that they should only be thinking about their wife? After all, each and every one of us belongs to our spouse, whether we're married to them or not. Are we bringing honor to and guarding our hearts for the special one that will be eternally ours?

    Ladies, we should take care and cover ourselves. I'm not saying that we need to be condemned to wear turtlenecks, headresses, and floor-length skirts our whole lives, but it is wise to set up limitations for ourselves. There is a wonderful Christian website specially designed for teens called: http://www.therebelution.com/. They have a section explaining how young men think women should dress, and that has been a huge help when I have made my own personal standards. That link is: www.therebelution.com/modestysurvey. I highly reccomend that you check it out!!

    Remember, it is the insurpassable beauty of the inward spirit that will shine through. If you focus on beautifying your character more than you dress up your body, that will bring ultimate glory to God. Who is more beautiful? The immodest, but gorgeous girl who does not follow Chirst? Or the modest, slightly plain girl that is devoted to her Savior? Even if the wordly lady has more outward beauty, it will fade away. In the end, the modest, chaste woman will be the most beautiful, inside and out.

   To cover or not to cover? You answer that question :)

Don't Give Up

   Ever since January 10th, each and every day that I have sat down at my desk and opened up one of my academic books, it has been in preparation for this very week. Every time I made a flashcard, memorized a fact, or numbered my paper, my mind has been strictly focused on these few fast-approaching days. Yes, it has come, faster and more furious than it ever has before...

Finals.

   This year, I will be taking Geometry, English, Chemistry and a World History history final. Because history is my favorite subject, I decided to take the AP World History Exam which is this Thursday. My finals will take place this Wednesday and Thursday. Luckily, I have Friday to recuperate from all my exams :) I am heartily assured that my finals will be challenging and strenuous. I would really appreciate your prayers this week!!

   However, I realize that I am almost done. In just a matter of days, school will be over and my long-anticipated summer vacation will begin. Why should I succumb to stress and give up now when the end is so near, and my completion of school is in sight?

    In Romans 12:2, Paul writes: "And do not be conformed  to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

   The world constantly tries to convince us that we need to live for ourselves, fertilizing our own personal desires and wants. However, the Bible clearly teaches us not to be conformed to this world. Instead of "living for the moment", we need to be constantly thinking of the future and conducting ourselves in appropriate ways that will positively affect tomorrow. If I decided to ignore my studies because it became to hard or I didn't feel like it, my grades would suffer, I would flunk my finals, and I would ultimately fail in the endeavor for self-discipline. 

  Once again, please keep me uplifted in prayer this week. If you also have finals coming up, please leave a comment after this post, and tell me how I can pray for you. I exhort you, my dear readers, to work hard and not give up even though it is difficult. Keep working, stay focused, and don't give up. The Lord will reward you for your hard work in the end :)



Things I Love Just Because...

A sweet reminder that the Lord IS good; all the time!

Pictures of Utah!

Here are some photos of our recent trip to Utah: 

Things I Love Just Because...

The lilac bush blooming in my yard :) Welcome spring!!

Good Friday

   Today is Good Friday; the day that Jesus died on the cross. Every time I read about this in my Bible or hear it discussed in Church, I get something new out of it. I would like to share with you this beautiful passage from Isaiah:

"Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured, while we thought of him as stricken,
as one smitten by God and afflicted. But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins;
upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,
by his stripes we were healed. We had all gone astray like sheep, each following his own way; but the LORD laid upon him the guilt of us all."

   We have all failed God's standard and ALL of us deserve to burn in hell forever. However, by the unimaginable grace of God, He sent us His only Son, Jesus, to pay the price for our sins. Jesus was beaten, spat on, pierced with a crown of thorns, bloodied, bruised, crushed, and shamed all for us. All for sinful, sinful, us. Why did Jesus do this? Why the cross? Why couldn't He have just come down to Earth, lived a perfect life, then died naturally? Wouldn't that have been enough?
   The price for our sin was so shockingly high, that living a perfect life was not enough. There had to be payment, there had to be justice, there had to be suffering. Jesus, the Lamb of God, chose to bear the immense pain, the humiliating shame, and the sin of the entire world just so we could go to Heaven to be with the Father. All the sins of the world were taken upon Him, so He could provide a chance for us to receive salvation.

"Though he was harshly treated, he submitted and opened not his mouth; like a lamb led to the slaughter or a sheep before the shearers, he was silent and opened not his mouth. Oppressed and condemned, he was taken away, and who would have thought any more of his destiny? When he was cut off from the land of the living, and smitten for the sin of his people, a grave was assigned him among the wicked and a burial place with evildoers, though he had done no wrong nor spoken any falsehood."

   In all the beating, blood, and suffering, He did not utter a single word. I find this incredible; here, the King of Kings who controls all of the angles in Heaven, who is Master of the wind and waves, and who could destroy the entire Earth with fire and brimstone with just one word, was silent. Jesus' love for us was so great, that He refrained from using His divine power and let the Roman soldiers lead him to the cross. Amazing.
   I ask that you meditate on these verses from Isaiah today. Ask the Lord to open your heart and reveal things to you about Himself as you celebrate Good Friday :) God bless you, my dear readers!!

A Bit on My Life Lately...

   I apologize for not posting very faithfully! My family and I spent all this week in Utah, so I didn't have time to log onto my blog.
   Only after a week of being back from Spain, my family planned another adventure; this time to the desert land of Utah. We had some sweet friends who blessed us, and let us stay with them in St. George. While we were there, we went to see the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park, and a few other places. Since Utah is virtually all desert, I didn't think that I would enjoy it that much. Surprisingly, however, I found that the desert has a very unique kind of beauty. The towering red rocks, the variety of colorful plants, and the lovely bright blue sky made for a picturesque scene!! So lovely! I will be posting pictures very soon :)
   Last night, I went to a reunion for all the people who went on the trip to Spain. We all made discs with about 100 of our favorite pics and shared them with the group. It was so good to see them again, I miss them so much!!
   Today, I have a chemistry midterm to finish. Science is definitely not my forte, so I would appreciate it if your kept me in your prayers :)
Have a wonderful rest of the day; God bless you, my dear readers!!

  

A Tribute to Good Music

   While in Spain, our leader - Mrs. Harmon - sat next to each me on the bus to Segovia. On the drive, we started to talk about classical music. After discussing our favorite classical composers, she introduced me to a multinational operatic pop group called, Il Divo. She let me listen to one of their songs on her iPod, and I immediately fell in love!
   My favorite song (so far) that they sing is Amazing Grace. Even if you prefer more contemporary music or prefer hard rock, I ask that you please take a moment and listen to these outstanding gentlemen perform Amazing Grace. Enjoy!!

A Little Bit on My Trip

   On Wednesday, my grandparents and I landed in San Francisco; arriving home from our wonderful trip. I'm still trying to figure out how to download pictures onto my computer, and when I do, I will be blogging about my trip. We traveled all over the southern part of Spain, and never hit the northern area. Nevertheless, my trip was timeless and I will never forget it!!
   My grandpa teaches as a school called Keyes to Learning Charter School. At that school they have a travel group who plan and attended various international trips. Since my grandpa works there, he was able to travel to Spain with the group. Thankfully, he and my grandmother generously invited me to go with them. I was sooo excited when the Lord opened the door, and allowed me to go!
   There were eight people in our group altogether; Mrs. Harmon, (who led the trip), my grandparents, Meg, Joslyn, me, and the boys: Kam and Ben. On our trip, we all became really great friends and got along splendidly :) I miss them so much!
   The weather was good most of the time; it was chilly a few days and rained once. Most of the days, however, we were blessed with good weather. The food was very interesting; they make a rice/seafood dish called "pialla". It is a popular dish in Spain that everyone tried except for Ben and I. We decided to be a little crazy and order lamb brain omelet and stewed bull tail instead...I know, gross. It wasn't as horrible as I thought it would be; the tail just tasted like fatty pot roast and the brains kind of tasted like eggs and other nasty things I can't even describe. I'm glad to say that I tried it, and will never be having it again :)
   I will post some more later once I get some neat pictures onto my computer!! God bless you, my dear readers :)