Prayer Request ... Missing Boy

http://www.whas11.com/justposted/stories/whas11-topstories-090707-WY-missing.1bb0776a.html

Please be in prayer for him and their family.

Why do they not know?

I don't understand it when my roommate says she doesn't feel like she's pretty enough. I don't get it when other girls don't feel like they have what it takes. Now, I'm not saying that I don't sometimes feel like I'm not pretty enough. But I also understand that God made us the way He made us for a reason.

When God created man, He saw that there was something missing. Yeah, that's right. God said that man needed a friend, more than just a dog. He needed a woman. And so that's what God made - woman. He made Eve. (Genesis 2: 4 - 25)

This is what God says to us... (And you'd better believe Him. Why? Because He is God, and He knows everything. That's why.)

"How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful! Your eyes are doves." - Song of Songs 1:15

Yes, He calls us BEAUTIFUL!

"For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing." - 2 Corinthians 2:15

I never thought I'd say that I love smelling like a guy ... that is Jesus.

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men: yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." - Ecclesiastes 3:11

Yeah, He has made EVERYTHING beautiful in its time - whether that is beautiful on the inside or the outside. Everthing beautiftul. Got that?

"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'" - Isaiah 52:7

Hey, don't we have good news to proclaim? Uh... yeah, THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST. So doesn't that make us beautiful? *Gasp!* I think it does!

"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. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear." - 1 Peter 3: 3 - 6

This is saying that we shouldn't put a lot of stress and emphasis on outward beauty. We need to realize that beauty comes from within. And God still made us beautiful - even if it's in different ways from each other.
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So what are we supposed to do with this information?

"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." - Ephesians 4:22 - 24

There. We are supposed to tell Satan to shut up. We are supposed to remind ourselves that we were created to be LIKE GOD IN TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HOLINESS. It does NOT matter what we look like. It matters about our attitude. It matters about our hearts. God can work through any looks; He can work through ANYTHING. But don't tell God that you wish you were prettier because that is an insult to Him.

So remind yourself today that YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. God made you that way.






.... P.S. Why are you striving these days? Why are you trying {TO BE BEAUTIFUL}? Why are you crying? Let me lift up your face. ... I, the Lord, have made you beautiful. Don't doubt me on this. Don't compare yourself with the beauty of the others around you. I GAVE YOU WHAT YOU NEED... it's not to be beautiful. It's to aid those around you to bring them to ME. I love you. ......Lyrics from Tenth Avenue North and love from God

A few Books I've come across...

Hey! I've found about three books that everyone should go out and read. (By the way, when I type in 1, 2, and 3, it doesn't mean that's the order of importance. All three books are just as important. And each could start a revolution in your heart.)

1. LifeOvers: Upside Down Truths to Become More Like Jesus
BY: Gracie Malone

- This book shows truths that don't go along with what the world and our culture teaches us, but these truths are what Jesus teaches us.
For example, "Love is not something you feel, love is something you choose to do." Just look at the Bachelor's Jason Mesnick. He believes that love is all about the little butterfly feelings that you get when you see a crush. But Jesus teaches us that love is something much more beautiful. Love is something that is a choice, and you have to choose everyday to stick with that person. Through the good, bad, and the ugly, you must remain faithful to them. It's taking your marriage vows seriously. It's taking your engagement promises faithfully. You don't just change your mind over six weeks to say that you are or you are not in love with a person. It takes a lot longer than that to figure out those feelings. Don't be fooled.

2. Twentysomething: Surviving and Thriving in the Real World
BY: Margaret Feinberg

- This book explains the quarter-life crisis, and yes, everyone goes through one of these whether they believe so or not. It's the crisis of trying to figure out what you're going to do with your life. Feinberg explains what the problem is and how to deal with it. She also gives some great tips in the back on how to answer difficult questions during a job interview and other great tips.
Looking back on my cousin Neal's life, I see exactly how he went through the Twentysomething stage, and I hope that he's almost out of it. But he really struggled. I won't go into much detail, but he went about it all the wrong way. And part of it might be blamed on me. Yeah, I helped put the stress on him, even though I was just trying to help him.
Do you ever remember a cousin or a sibling that your parents or your aunts and uncles tried to compare you to? "Oh, So-and-so got on the Dean's List for her college." or "So-and-so helps clean his or her parent's house; why don't you clean ours?" Yeah... I'm sure we've all been there.

...................................................................................

But you know what, I'm So-and-so.

I am sure that his parents and my parents put pressures on him to be better, but what we all should have done was just accept him and love him for who he is. But we failed at that - leading to his failures.

I'm not saying that we should necessarily lay the full blame on ourselves because that would be accepting the lies Satan likes to spawn to us. However, we should also look at the situation for where we could improve in helping those who are struggling with issues.

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This book has done a great job of opening my eyes to some of the issues that I will be dealing with and issues that I am dealing with. It also shows what others around me have been going through.

3. In the Shadows of Lions
BY: Ginger Garrett

- This book is AWESOME! It will show you exactly who died for your right to read the Bible in English. It will show you parts of history that NO ONE ever talks about. This is a twist on the story of Anne Boleyn, and it digs deeper into what was going on during that time period.
You should read this book. It has opened my eyes to the martyrdom that went on in the past for just reading the book written by Hutchins. This book was banned by King Henry VIII because he and all the religious leaders thought that the common people shouldn't be able to read the Bible. It should be interpreted to them by the religious leaders, like the Pope.
So, what did Hutchins do? He gave his life translating it in to English, so that you and I could read it. Doesn't that send chills up and down your spine? Doesn't that make you want to cry out in joy and tears and both happiness and sadness? It does me.

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Other news in my world...

I have recently obtained a summer internship at the Paoli Public Library. I am very excited about this.

Savior by Sarah Deringer (1/23/09)

The blood drips down the rugged wood
Like a Snake slithers across the desert sand.
There are rough spots where the saw didn’t cut right,
And that’s where it hurts the most.
It’s where his back touches the wood
That makes him want to scream out in agony.
Just 12 years ago, he was helping his father
Build chairs, boxes, and boats with wood like this.
Now look at me. I’m being crucified on the very same
Medium that my father used to build his carpentry business.
He looked down at the throng of people who were
Watching him die, and he loved them.

Who was this man?

He had been born in a barn because his
Parents had to go to Jerusalem for the census.
He had slept in a feed-box for a crib.
People thought he was different, an outsider;
And so he was.
At the age of twelve, the religious leaders
Marveled at his knowledge.
But by the age of 33, this man had
Performed miracles, saved lives, and developed
A group of followers. Those followers
Were fisherman, tax collectors, prostitutes, and
Other low-lifes. He loved them just the same.

Who is this man?

He is called Messiah, Prince of Peace, Son of God.
He is Jesus Christ, and he is my Savior.

Happiness...

One thing we all need is a little more happiness. Seriously, have you seen the gloomy people out there? There's a lot of unhappy people, especially due to the economy. But even when the economy was good, people were still unhappy.

Why is this?

I can't really answer that question without believing that it's because they don't know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, but it's also because the ones who do know Jesus don't take the time to be happy either. Even the Christians are unhappy, and it's mainly a character flaw of not being satisfied with what one has. But that's also part of our culture.

How do we fix this problem of unhappiness?

Well, happiness can spread like wildfire, so if we just take the time to be a little nicer to one another rather than focusing so much on ourselves, we can stop a lot of the drama. Step by step, this looks like...

1. Smile more often.
2. Thank God for what you do have.
3. Do something nice for someone else.
4. Continually give out compliments about those around you.
5. Say "Please" and "Thank you."
6. Help those who need it.
7. Be nice to those who you would normally not be nice to.
8. Refuse to let the small stuff ruin your day.
9. Love more often.
10. Smile more often.

*Another tip could be: wear brighter colors and make the world brighter. If your surroundings are gloomier, often times, so will you.

Love ya!
Sarah

The Coolest People of the Universe Have Struck Again!

I always wonder who actually reads my blog, but obviously, people do. Justin Lookado, co-author of Dateable the book, e-mailed me. Yeah, he e-mailed ME! Again, I say "WOW!"

He was surprised that Dateable was listed above To Kill A Mockingbird on the list of books that I told everyone to get for Christmas. So I e-mailed him back, which is the natural thing for me to do. When I get an e-mail from just about anyone, I write them back.

I'll update when he writes again, but I just wanted to give you another reason to buy Dateable for Christmas.

Sarah

It's never when you need one...

that you can find a shopping cart. So here I am without a clue where a shopping cart or a dolly is to move my filing cabinet down to my car.

It's ironic isn't it? I could find a shopping cart out in the parking lot a few weeks ago, but it was moved. So where are they? I have no idea.

Also, isn't it ironic that when I am awake, my current roommate is asleep? And vice versa. She stays up when I go to bed.

What else is ironic around here?

Hmm...
Sarah