This Summer...

In a few weeks, I am flying back to the States from Japan. I will not be coming back to Japan again, I'm going home for good. Anyway, I've been working on memorizing my script for the drama at the Vacation Bible School I'm organizing at my grandma's house.

And guess what?!?

I'm the agnostic. HA. In all the previous skits for VBS I've been the wise, godly one that gives good advice-- so this is kind of new territory for me. We'll see how it goes.

In past skits Haley's been the troublemaker and I've always, should we say, helped her get out of trouble ... what happened to that? I'm in jest, of course.

Can't wait for VBS! Please pray for the kids, for the helpers, that we can memorize our scripts, that we'd have great weather, and that we'd be abounding in children with tender hearts!

And come if you can! E-mail me or leave a comment and I'll let you know the address/ place. :)

The Gospel According to YOU

If none but you in the world today
Had tried to live in a Christ like way,
Could the rest of the world look close at you
And find the path that is straight and true?

If none but you in the world so wide
Had found the Christ for his daily guide,
Would the things you do and the things you say
Lead others to live in this blessed way?

Ah friends of Christ, in this world today
Are the many who watch you upon your way,
And look to the things you say and do
To measure the Christian standard true.

Men read and admire the Gospel of Christ
With its love so unfailing and true,
But what do they say and what do they think
Of the Gospel according to you?

You are writing each day a letter by men-
Take care that the writing is true;
Tis the only Gospel that some men will read,
The Gospel according to you.

The Last Four Years...

I remember when it started. I remember it was just over four years ago, and I was sitting on the big rock across the street from what was our home in Marysville. I remember looking at what was potentially going to be our new house. I remember thinking that finally, we had found the place that we were going to live. Finally, we had found our home.

We left Renton, Washington when I was about eight years old. I had lived there almost my entire life, except for one year that we lived in New York. I didn't want to leave, but I don't remember hating the idea so much because I thought that we would come back. We left for Georgia, but after six months there, my dad was transferred to California. So we moved there. After a while in an apartment in Ranchos Palos Verdes, we moved to our new house in Valencia. And we all loved it there. After we found our church, Placerita Baptist, I remember thinking that I hadn't felt so at home since we had left Washington, which by that time had been more than year ago. However, my dad still talked about going back to Washington some day so we could grow up knowing our grandparents well, and so he wouldn't have such a long commute. Besides those things, both my parents grew up in Washington and we already had so many good friends there. So a move would serve three fold.

Needless to say, after two and a half years living in California, when I found out that we were moving again, I was upset. I'm pretty sure I cried. I don't remember the day that we came back to Washington, but I remember the days following. We were constantly looking for a house, a church, and probably tons of other stuff too. Finally, we found our home, and as I was saying a minute ago, I was sure we would never move again. I was sure that was home. Shortly after we found our home, or maybe it was not so shortly, I don't remember, we found our church, Coram Deo Fellowship. I cannot even begin to tell you how many incredible people I met at that church. Coram Deo was probably the greatest church family that I have ever been in, and I've probably met more incredible people there than at just about any other church (and believe me, I've been to my fair share of churches.) God just used that church to bless me and my family so much!

I was so sad six months ago when I had to leave Washington for Japan, however, I looked forward to what I thought would be six months later, when we would move back to Washington. But I don't think any other sadness of moving even compares to the sadness that I felt about three months ago when I found out that we are not moving back to Washington, but to South Carolina instead. I guess it's because I just don't want to leave all the wonderful things that God has taught me these past four years behind. Maybe it's because I don't want to forget any of the memories, or lose friendships with people who I met in Washington. But looking back, I see how incredibly blessed these past four years have been. And even if I do have to leave everything in Washington behind, I wouldn't trade this time for anything. I've spent some incredible time with my best friend, Haley, who has been the greatest and even puts up with all my excessive moving :), I have spent some great time with my grandparents, met other amazing people, been challenged in different ways, and most importantly, I have grown closer to my amazing God then I think I would have anywhere else. He truly did have the perfect timing and the perfect plan.

Also, a special shout out to everyone at Coram Deo Fellowship and to the Frye family and everyone at Lynnwood Apologetics group, as those things have been two great blessings during this time. I think God has taught me more these four years than just about any other time of my life.

It's funny to me now that I thought when I was sitting on that rock, that I had finally found my home. Because no matter how 'comfortable' the world is, it will NEVER be my home. I have a home waiting, but it's in Heaven. One of my favorite verses is Hebrews 11:13-16, "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country-- a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them."

And so now, as I sit in my bedroom in Japan and look out the window into the city, I realize that I'm only about a month away from closing this chapter of my life, too, and only about two and a half months away from moving to South Carolina. And as I think about all this, I can't help but be excited to see what God has planned for these next four years.

The Mathematician

Yes-- I succumbed to the pressure. This post was spreading from blog to blog to blog several months ago, and I decided it deserved it's own special place on my blog. Oh the joys of math-- especially Geometry. Please realize that I mean that in a very sarcastic way. :) Please enjoy...

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are taking a trip across a desert by hot-air balloon. There are not many landmarks; so eventually, they become lost. Luckily, while flying quite low, they see a man.

Holmes shouts, "Sir, could you please tell me where we are?"

The man looks up, ponders for a moment, and then answers, "Gentlemen, you are in a hot-air balloon!"

At this moment, a burst of wind picks up the balloon and carries it away.Holmes turns to Watson and asks:

"My friend, do you know who that man is?"

"No, Holmes, of course not!"

"He's a mathematician!""How do you know?"

"It's very simple, Watson. First of all, the man thought before giving us an answer. Secondly, his answer was absolutely correct. And thirdly, the answer he gave us was of no practical use, whatsoever!"

*Copied from Haley's and Sierra's blogs*

Oh, and there's also another ending to it.

The man below decides that Sherlock is a politician, since he didn't do anything and hasn't changed anything, but the situation is now someone else's fault.

Of course, Holmes is not a politician, so it doesn't fit quite as well-- but it's still extremely funny!

Godly Femininity

My friend Haley, over at Singin' in the Rain, recently wrote a post on godly femininity vs. feminism. In a way, it inspired me to write this post. I hope that you'll enjoy and that you'll leave a comment with your thoughts. I'd give you a penny for your thoughts, but, that might be a little hard over blogger. :)



No matter where you are, if you are a young, teen aged lady-- in particular, a Christian one, then you are probably surrounded by many different expectations. On one end of the spectrum, you're probably bombarded with the world's standards of true 'beauty' (You know, you have to look like all of the actresses in Hollywood), and the idea that if you don't have a boyfriend when you're sixteen that you're missing out on all the 'fun' of your teenage years. Even if you're not in public school, you can hear these things from neighbors, movies, just about anywhere. Sadly, these ideas are everywhere. On the other end of the spectrum, you may be from a conservative Christian home (as am I) but are sometimes overwhelmed because it seems that many Christians deem it 'ungodly' if you wear pants or don't know how to sew or that you need to marry or you're not obeying God's commands.


Is there something wrong with both of these pictures? Yes. Do they need to be addressed? Certainly. I want to talk a little bit about our world's feminist movement that is growing alarmingly quickly; and I'd also like to look at how some Christians view femininity and what the problems are with that view.

Now, first off, I would like to tell you a story. This took place about four years ago, shortly after my twelfth birthday. I was with my dear friend Haley lying on her bunk bed and thinking carefully. We were having one of our long, serious discussions about life, God, things we would do when we grew up, etc. and I told her that I wasn't sure if I would ever get married. At the time, I couldn't really see myself in a wedding dress and saying "I do" mostly because I was so sure that I would be a missionary (something I still feel called to, and will do, if God leads) and being a missionary who was--single. I had thought about this before, but I don't think I had ever voiced it in so many words.

"Oh, don't worry, dear." She said (or something to that extent.) "I'm sure you will."

I looked at her. "Why?"

"Well..." she reasoned, "because I think most girls do."

I nodded contemplatively.

Now, I have changed my mind quite a bit since that time, and now I can definitely see myself getting married. I want a family, I want to be a homeschooling mom who teaches her children to love the Lord, as my mom has done.

But I share this story because I want to write this not just as someone who wants women to have a husband and children, but also as someone who wants young ladies and women of all ages to serve the Lord first and remember what He says about marriage, femininity, and the distinctions between men and women. If you think you'll never get married, I understand where you are coming from. I'm not a girl who thinks that if you do not get married you're not following God's plan for your life (yes, I really HAVE heard things like that before). So, with that in mind, please read on.

I think one of the main problems with the modern feminism movement is that women are always saying they want "equality" with men. The problem is, we were made to be different.

Ephesians 5:22-33 "Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church — for we are members of his body. "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."[This is a profound mystery — but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. "

And Colossians 3:18 "Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord"

Notice that God never gives the command for husbands to submit to their wives. No, that was not His plan in marriage. His plan was, and is, for women to submit to their husbands. Women have different and distinct roles from what men do. At the same time, we are all equal in our value to God.

Galatians 3:8 "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

In Christ Jesus, in God's love and forgiveness, we are equal in worth. So I guess that you could say the main problem with the feminist movement is that feminists want women to have their value expressed in the same way as men's value. The main point that they're missing is that we can be of equal value without doing all the same things. A quick example. In 1 Timothy 2, women are forbidden from being Pastors, spiritual leaders and teachers, etc. over men. “A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.” However, I do not believe that this means women should never evangelize or minister to others, rather, she should leave the spiritual teaching and training of the church to men. Here is a paragraph from http://www.gotquestions.org/women-pastors.html if you have time, I would encourage you to read the whole article. But I will only quote the second-to last paragraph.

"God has ordained that only men are to serve in positions of spiritual teaching authority in the church. This is not because men are necessarily better teachers, or because women are inferior or less intelligent (which is not the case). It is simply the way God designed the church to function. Men are to set the example in spiritual leadership—in their lives and through their words. Women are to take a less authoritative role. Women are encouraged to teach other women (Titus 2:3-5). The Bible also does not restrict women from teaching children. The only activity women are restricted from is teaching men or having spiritual authority over them. This logically would preclude women from serving as pastors/preachers. This does not make women less important, by any means, but rather gives them a ministry focus more in agreement with God’s plan and His gifting of them."

On the other hand, some Christians are combating the feminist movement by having many rules that are not necessarily Biblical. Sometimes this can feel discouraging as well, because young ladies in Christian homes that read Christian books will come across these somewhat legalistic rules at some point or another, and even if they love the Lord and serve Him and try to obey Him, they might feel discouraged by their lifestyle from the words of legalists. This is not healthy, either, and I have one comment about it before I wrap up. I think that as Christians, we need to be careful that the rules we have come from God and that we are not being 'old-fashioned' simply for the sake of being old-fashioned, and calling it godliness. What do I mean? Well, just because it's old-fashioned does not make it godly. Some things that are godly will be labeled 'old-fashioned' by the world, i.e., Christians who wait to have a relationship with the opposite sex until they are older so that they can protect their hearts will often be called 'old-fashioned' or things to that extent-- but it's important that we are determining what our convictions are and not just doing things because they seem old-fashioned and therefore we assume they are Biblical. In the simplest terms, godly things may be called old-fashioned, but old-fashioned things are not necessarily godly. I hope that makes sense.

In closing, I would like to encourage all the young ladies that read this blog to keep aspiring after godliness and biblical femininity. God is so awesome, and He loves you so much. I appreciate all the wonderful, godly young ladies that I know who are aspiring to do His will for their lives. I'll close with a Bible verse,

"Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God." ~ Titus 2:3-5

Eclipse. Twilight. Magic. Fantasy. DANGER.

Hello, dear friends. I realize that it has been a long time since I've written on this blog, and I've just been posting videos and the like lately. So sorry! But, I'm sorry to say, this post will not be too much different. I want to post a link to a post at another blog of a very godly young lady, named Jasmine Baucham (no, I do not know her personally). Anyway, this is an article written by her on her blog about-- what else?-- the new fantasy teenage craze over movies and books known as the Twilight Series. Now, I don't think that I have ever expressed my opinion about such books on this blog. Horrors!! I'm not going to do this right here, right now, because I will end up rambling. But I'm going to do a post about *my* opinion on such things in the very near future. Yes. Quite. As for Miss Baucham, she deals with both the fantasy and the romantic side in Twilight-- and the dangers of both. She deals kindly, gently, and purely with the dangers in how the 'heroine' (Belle, I think her name is? I surprise myself sometimes.) Anyway, Belle's 'fickleness' of character and her 'love' for both men at the end. I'm sorry, but um, that's not LOVE. That's SELFISHNESS. Anyway-- I'll stop my rambling and let you read this. Please take the time, whether or not you've seen/ read the Twilight books or movies. I think you'll be blessed.

Eclipse. The Perfect Romance?
http://http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fnetworkedblogs.com%2F5rLgw&h=96f38Gh7MVVnjhs-shbnKNVAqwQ

1922? Churchill? I Have No Clue! Greece?

Oh my-- don't forget to study history, folks! It IS important! How can we fully appreciate our freedom if we don't know the basic facts about what has brought America to this point?