Some days, everything is just annoying. Sometimes I wake up and everything irritates me. I'm not the only one, and I don't think anyone really enjoys days like that. But it happens. Now, when this happens, what can we do? Obviously, I'm not an expert on this. I fight with my siblings, I pout, and I get angry over silly things. 


     The Bible says in Ephesians 4:31 "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice." The opposite of these things is found in 1 Corinthians 13, which lists all of the qualities of godly love, one of which is "is not irritable or resentful." When we are easily irritated, no matter how tired or stressed out we are, we aren't being godly and there is no excuse. Never ever. 
When you're having a day where everything and everyone is annoying, try these things:


1. Pray - this is the main defense against sin. Always ask God for help


2. Read 1 Corinthians 13 - it'll help remind you of how a christian is supposed to act. 


3. Drink some tea - this helps me somewhat. Tea is like a warm, liquid hug, and green tea especially helps with stress. 


4. Leave the room, if possible, and take time to cool down.


5. Play happy music


6. DO NOT indulge in negative thoughts, like "Wow, that guy is stupid," or "I hate doing this. I don't want to do it." This will make the situation worse.

~Sarah 

A Time to Pray

     Alright, so there's this whole gay rights thing going right now. Now I'm not here to make a big deal about it. All I'm going to say that in Romans 1:18-32, the Bible strongly disproves of it, and those who support it. But that's not what this article is about.

     You see, while that is a very important topic, I feel that there is something equally as important that I would like to talk about. Because while this may be a country ruled by the people, what I just said is becoming less and less true every day. But this isn't an article on politics. This is an article on what we can do about everything.

     Which do you think is more effective; going on facebook and posting a thousand statuses and pictures about how against gay rights you are, or getting on your knees and praying to God? Now there's nothing wrong with being verbal about your beliefs and letting your light shine, but God is going to listen to the prayer more than the poster. We have to remember what is truly effective, and use that. This time, if any, is definitely the time to stop, and pray for our country. Ecclesiastes 3:1, "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under the heaven" So please remember that in this time, that we as Christians need to not only stand firm in our beliefs, but also to pray that everything turns out well.

   

Photo of the Week

Alright, so this week's photo of the week, I have decided to post on the same day as another article! :D This is an awesome Hogwarts shirt that I found at Macy's (for those of you who think that Hogwarts is some disgusting disease that pigs get, it's from Harry Potter, which if you haven't heard of it, it's a book series and it's really good.) I couldn't remember the price, but still thought it was kinda cute, and awesome! But it was super low and see-through, but with a simple tank top, that is easily fixed. You can also use a gray one instead. But as I don't own a gray tank top, I could not use one as an example. But, if you wanted to, you could wear a gray, or a red to match the sleeves. Either way, as long as it's modest, it doesn't matter! It's cute! So
remember, just because it's not modest when you first see it in the store, that doesn't mean that all hope is lost! :D                                                

Why We Study Part 2

   Today I will be talking about the second part of  2 Timothy 3:16 which says, "All scripture is breathed by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righousness." I'll be talking about is reproof and correction. When we are teaching others, we also have to show them when they're wrong. Ezekiel 33:6, also applies here. But we have to be careful with this, as it is very easy to go too far with it. Matthew 7:3 says, "Why do you see the speck in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?" When we are showing someone that they're wrong, we have to do it the right way. We have to be respectful, Matthew 18:15, "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother." So, say a friend of yours does something against you. The best thing to do would be to kindly talk to them about it, and solve the problem then and there. Don't go to someone else and tell them what happened, but instead go to the person and kindly and respectfully talk to them about it. :)

Why We Study Part 1

     In 2 Timothy 3:16 it says, "All scripture is breathed by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righousness."

     The first reasons I'll be looking at, is for teaching, and training in righoutness. As Christians, we are to teach others as we see in Matthew 28:19. Now, of course this seems almost impossible for girls, as we can't teach men. But this doesn't mean that we can't teach. I know for a fact that, especially in larger congregations, they are always looking for people to teach Bible classes. Now there are some congregations that may only have one, or no children's classes because of how small they are. I have been in places like that. But even so, there are still several opportunities to teach, and we need to be prepared for those times. Especially for in the future. Most teen girls grow up and have children. It's just a fact. And we need to be prepared for that. Ezekiel 33:6, "But if the watchmen sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away with his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand." I know it seems forever in the future, but no matter how many times you read the Bible, if you pay attention to it, you will always learn something new. :)

Jesus Loved His Betayer

    If you look in John 6:64 it says, "'But there are some of you who do not believe.' (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who would not believe, and who it was who would betray Him.) Something I noticed about this verse is that Jesus knew that He would be betrayed by Judas, and yet He still loved him.

     Jesus knew all along what would happen, and yet he did not have hate, or anger towards anyone. This is definitely something that we need to learn from. If someone does something to you, or hurts you, or tells your secrets  and betrays you, you need to always remember the example that Jesus gave us when he showed love to the person who He knew would betray Him. In 1 Corinthians 13:7 it says, "Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." As Christians, we need to remember that no one is perfect, and endure the things that people put us through sometimes. Whether they're on purpose or not, we always need to remember that we should love them, Just as Jesus loved us. John 13:34, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another."

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge," says Hosea 4:6.

In case you haven't heard, recently a study was done that showed that 80% of high school graduates in New York City cannot read. More people would rather watch tv or play on the computer than read and learn. Teens today don't want to do anything hard, and are content to be lazy and stupid. This article is going to be a little different,but my goal is to explain to you how important reading and learning and staying on top of current events is, not only to students but to teenagers and adults in general, and to Christians in particular.

"Just because you do not take an interest in politics does not mean that politics will not take an interest in you." - Pericles

If you don't think that reading the news is important, or that knowing what's going on in the world is worth your time, or that it doesn't matter who's in charge of the country, you are shamefully wrong. When you don't pay attention to what's happening around you, that only will be bad for you later on, especially when you start to vote and decide which directions the country will go when you're an adult. If you don't read the constitution, you will not know when your freedoms, freedoms which were defended for you by other people's blood and their lives, are being taken away from you. Those freedoms are freedoms that God gave to you.

If you don't read your Bible, you will not know when you're sinning, and you will not know when other people are spreading false doctrine.

If you don't read books or try to learn anything new in general, you will be uninformed. It's the truth of life.

When you read and learn, you'll be able to know the truth and be able to defend it.

~Sarah Smith

Photo of the Week

Alright! So, it's spring, and everyone is starting to shop for their summer clothes. So before you start looking at what's on sale, and finding the cute immodest stuff but can't find any cute modest stuff, DO NOT FEAR! MODESTY TIPS ARE HERE! Here's one of the shirts I found at Macy's, I can't remember the price, but I thought it was kinda cute. You just add a black top underneath it and TADA! You have a modest shirt! Now this shirt, you can't really tell because it was in the store, but it was really see-through. Or at least I think it was this one (I'm just going to say that it was anyway so I can make my next point) but if you put a simple tank top under it, then it's like magic. You can't see the skin that you're trying to cover up with the shirt! And with see-through shirts, they're all going to be really light so if you layer, you're not going to get too hot in the what feels like billion degree weather. :D
















   

When you come up out of the waters of baptism, you are cleaner than anything else on the planet. You are pure, you are spotless, you are without blemish. You are now in tune with God. But, clothing yourself with Christ comes with a responsibility, one that you will have to fulfill while you live on earth. This responsibility is not just an expectation, it is a command.

What is this responsibility? In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus gave His disciples the great Commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” This still applies to me and to you today! We are supposed to be harvesting precious, precious souls for Christ, for Heaven! The fields are full of ripe, ready-to-be-converted souls, and Christ wants nothing more than to have them under His wing. But sadly, not many people are willing to work out in the fields and glean these souls any longer. We have become complacent and lazy, and have sat in our pews singing songs like “We’ll work ‘til Jesus comes” and “Let the lower lights be burning” without actually meaning what we’re singing. We must get busy working on harvesting souls, because if we don’t, who will?

The reason we are expected to work is because Jesus Christ Himself worked. The Son of God didn't come to earth to kick back under the shade of a Sycamore tree and have His disciples fan Him when He got hot. No! In Philippians 2: 5-8, it says of Christ that “ though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Being a servant is humiliating; not in the sense of being embarrassing, but in the fact that it puts you in a lower position than someone else, and that is not a natural act for human beings. It’s humiliating to think of someone else before yourself, it’s humiliating to work and not laze around and focus on our immediate needs and wants. If we want to be Christ-like, we have to learn how to be servants for Christ, like Christ.
Now, by “serve”, God doesn’t mean wait tables and fill people’s glasses with Dr. Pepper, although you could if you wanted to, but that’s not the main goal of serving. He means counting others more important than yourself. The happiness of your brother or sister in Christ should come far above your own, and it should be your goal to ensure that happiness at any cost. It doesn’t matter if he only talks about boring things, or if she annoys you. They are your siblings in Christ, and you are responsible to serve them in whatever way they need, whether it be a meal, money, or just a listening ear to their problems.

What will happen if we don’t serve, or work, or save souls? I’ll give you a hint: do you remember what Jesus did to the fig tree that wouldn’t grow figs in Matthew 21:18-19? Jesus caused it to wither because it didn’t produce fruit! In Matthew 7:19, Jesus tells us that every tree that doesn’t bear fruit will be chopped up and thrown in to the fire. If we don’t want to be thrown in to the fire, we need to produce beautiful, bountiful fruit.
We don’t have to work alone, or without help. At the end of the Great Commission, Jesus gives some great encouragement to His disciples: “And behold, I am with you to the end of the age.” He will be with us, and He will bless us and provide for us if we continue to work and focus on serving Him. And, not only do we have that assurance, but we also have the blessing of fellow workers for the kingdom in the church. Our brothers and sisters are always there to encourage and edify, and we can work together for Christ. We also have prayer, which is the most powerful tool given to mankind. When used correctly (which means frequently), we will be strengthened for work and service. 
Don’t let Jesus come back to Earth to find a church full of lazy, complaining members who are at strife with one another and aren't converting people, but let Him find hard-working servants, who strive not with one another, but to sow the word of God as far as possible.

~Sarah

Happiness

     The other day, I was reading in Proverbs 15, and I came across verse 15, which said, "All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast." At first, I thought, "Well, duh." and then I realized what it meant.

There are two kinds of people. Those who are happy, and those who aren't. Everyone has bad days. There is no perfect life, only those who choose to be content with the one they have. If you spend your whole life dwelling on your problems, then you're not going to be a very happy person. But if you choose to accept the fact that your life could be worse, and you are thankful for what you have, then life will be a whole lot easier. I know some people who have everything they could ever need, or want. They have a pretty decent life, but they choose to dwell on those things that keep their life from being perfect, and are very unhappy people. Then there are others, who don't have the best lives, but you'd never know it because they are always happy.

So, let's look at this verse again, "All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast." It's a very true verse. If you choose to be happy, and content, then you will have a continual feast. But if you let the bad things get to you, you won't live the best life.

Love One Another

     I know I already did an article on this a while back, but it's something of great importance. We all have heard the second greatest command, if you look in mark 12:31 it says, "The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." Now, of course we have to follow all of the other commandments as well. A lot of people seem to get confused with this. It's not that this rule is the only one that we should follow just because it's greater. What makes it so great is that about 99% of the other commandments go along with this one. I mean, think about it. If we love each other as we love ourselves, will we gossip, or murder, steal, or do other things that we're not supposed to? Of course not! That is what makes this command so great. Not that we have to follow the others less, but that if we follow this one, we'll follow the others more.

     Another thing is, we also have to love ourselves. How can we love others as much as we love ourselves if we hate, or dislike ourselves? Now, we should put others above ourselves in a place of respect, but that doesn't mean that we have to be constantly down on ourselves. And if we are to love others as much as ourselves, then how much more can we love others if we love ourselves? Now, we shouldn't me self absorbed and think and speak only of ourselves, but we should still love ourselves.

    A lot of times, so many rules can seem a bit overwhelming. Sometimes it's hard to keep up with them all. But the best thing to do is to always remember to love your neighbors as yourself, and keeping the rules will become easier and easier. I know it's not always easy, but it's the right thing to do. And if we do the right thing it'll always turn out well in the end. Maybe not in this world, but heaven will be worth it all. So remember, no matter who gives you a hard time, and no matter how much you want to retaliate, you have to remember to keep this rule. And you'll actually feel better about it. Because if you don't do anything wrong but you're hurt for it anyway, then at least you have no guilt. :)

Controlling Our Tongues

     Today I am going to be talking about something that I find very important: our tongues. This is something that especially us girls have a hard time with. Especially with gossip. I speak from experience when I say that if we're not careful with what we say, we can loose friends because of it. In James 3:2-10 says, "For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.

"How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so."

     Sometimes, we say things that we shouldn't. It is so easy sometimes to talk bad about others and to point out their flaws. But in Matthew 7:5 it says, "You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." Before we accuse others of something, or say something bad about someone else, we need to make sure that we're not gossiping. Also, okay, I know that sometimes something happens to us and we need to talk to someone about it. And there's nothing wrong with that. But when you tell as many people as you can, "Did you know that *insert name here* did *insert random horrible thing here* to me?!" it becomes gossiping. 

     We also have to make sure that when we have a problem with someone, we go and talk with them about it. Not to other people. And when we do talk to them, we need to make sure and not to seem angry at them. Proverbs 15:1 says, "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." We need to remember to keep our words pure, and to not gossip. We also, not only when addressing someone with an issue, but altogether we need to always make sure and speak kindly to each other. :)