Thoughts From my Bible Reading

     Today, I was reading from Acts chapter 12, about how Peter was arrested by Herod, and then was delivered by an angel. When I read about how Rhoda recognized Peter's voice, I could just imagine the scene...

Knock, knock, knock
"I wonder who that could be?"
"I suppose I'll go and check." (Rhoda)
Knock, knock, knock
"Hello? Who is there?"
"It is I."
"Peter!!!!!"
delighted scream
"Rhoda, who is there? Are you alright?!"
"Oh, you'll never guess who's at the door! It's Peter!"
"You must be mad! Peter's been arrested."
"I am not mad! It's truly Peter!"
"That's impossible; it must be an angel."
"No, it is not. It is Peter."
"Well, if it is, then why isn't he with you?"
"Oh... I forgot to open the gate."
Meanwhile, at the gate, Peter is chuckling, knocking, and praising the Lord.

     Another thing I came across, from Acts 13:8-12, how a sorcerer attempted to prevent Barnabas and Paul from telling the deputy about Christ. The neat thing is, is that the Lord caused the sorcerer to be blind, and because of this the deputy believed! Isn't that just amazing?


In Christ Alone,

 

Memorial Day

I know I'm about a week late, but I would like to say a big thank-you to all those who have served in the U.S. Military, and to remember those who have and are no longer with us. Thank you for being willing to lay your life on the line to preserve America's freedom!

In Christ Alone,

Animals

     Wednesday was my youngest sister's 9th Birthday. Yesterday, we went out to Chuck E. Cheese for it. That was fun :). And we got an ice cream cake!

     Her birthday present was a hamster. So, after eating, we all headed to the pet store. There were so many adorable animals! She finally decided on getting a central asian dwarf hamster, and then named her Ginger. She also got a neat cage with lots of tunnels and even a staircase. Unfortunately, Ginger doesn't get along very well with our other winter white hamster, Winnie :(.

     While at the pet store, we also decided to get some fish to add to our collection. We ended up getting two GloFish and two Neon Tetras. And here's something really neat about the GloFish - the ones we got were Danios. But what makes them GloFish (with really bright colors and all) is that jelly fish DNA has been put in them. Isn't that really neat? But don't worry, they don't sting :).


In Christ Alone,

Mother's Day

     Hope everyone had a happy Mother's Day!

     On Saturday, all of my sisters, my mom, my grandma and I all went to an absolutely beautiful park and had a little bit of a photo shoot. We had a lot of fun!
    
     After that, we went to a Ladies' Tea at my church. I think for some of the ladies, the chocolate fountain was a highlight :D. A few of the little girls got quite messy, and my little sister, Megan, could've watched the chocolate flow for hours!


In Christ Alone,

I Found It All

     Well, you know the song that I said the Clark girls sang at the Teen/Parent Conference? Well, Here's the lyrics to it:

I thought it might be in my name a shining legacy
I thought it might be in a goal for success to follow me

I thought it might be in a plan to sail across the seas

But I didn't find what I really need

I found it all when I lost everything

And gave my life to serve a risen king

I found the truth that I'd been searching for

I found it all when I found the Lord

I'm letting go of all my ways I think are best for me

I'm laying down all my ideas of what I think my life should be

I'm leaving everything I am right at Jesus' feet

For it's here I find everything I need

I found it all when I lost everything

And gave my life to serve a risen king

I found the truth that I'd been searching for

I found it all when I found the Lord

In Christ Alone,

2012 Teen/Parent Conference

     Remember my post from a while ago about the conference? Well, it's happened! And it was completely Amazing!

     Of course, there were activities. A climbing wall, obstacle course, high jump, shooting range, paintball, a few blow-ups, shot put (I really have no idea if that's really how it's spelled :D), volleyball, basketball, football, carpet ball, etc. I did not do them all :). I did end up doing the climbing wall, obstacle course, and shooting range. My little sister, though, won both the girl's fastest time on the obstacle course and the girl's best jump for the high jump.

     Okay, now we get to the really good part - the preaching and singing. The Clark family sang quite a bit, the BBC York ensemble and their pastor's trio sang, and so did Kenny Baldwin. All awesome. And for the preaching, Charlie Clark, Mike Clark, Tim Ruhl, and Kenny Baldwin preached. Again, really awesome. All awesome preachers, awesome and practical messages. The theme this year was "Protect His house... I WILL!" I really learned a lot.

     The most amazing session of it all was the last session. First, Bro. Mike Clark preached on being a Phinehas. Phinehas, in Numbers 25, was bold for God, and did not tolerate sin. Bro. Clark also mentioned that his children would be blessed because of his boldness. Then, the Clark girls sang. They didn't remember all the lyrics to their song, and had to look it up on their phones. But they sang a song. I don't know what it was called, but it had a line in it that goes something like "I found it all when I lost everything." After they sang, Bro. Baldwin preached. He preached on total surrender. It was so amazing how everything from the previous message and the girls' singing just tied into each other!

     I can honestly say, God really worked. Right now, I will do my best - with God's help - to apply what I learned this year. And I can't wait to learn more next year!


In Christ Alone,










P.S. - This is my 100th post!!!

Jubilee Shalom Duggar

I just finished watching the last episode of 19 Kids and Counting, where the Duggars find out that Michelle miscarried their 20th baby. It was so sad. And it was amazing how Mr. and Mrs. Duggar reacted when they found out... "The LORD giveth, and the LORD taketh away; blessed be the name of the LORD." said Mrs. Duggar. And then they prayed. You know, sometimes it can be easy to forget that the Duggars are real people, with real sorrows, joys, struggles, and triumphs. But it this episode, it was amazing to think that this response wasn't staged. It wasn't written. It was the immediate, natural response of God's children to turn to Him in their grief.

In Christ Alone,

Lunch

Today was my day to make lunch. I had absolutely NO idea what I could make, so opened the refrigorator and stared at it :D. Generally when I do that, I go stare at the pantry, then the freezer, and back to the fridge finding absolutely nothing. But this time, I found a pizza sauce jar. Then I found some flour tortillas. And an idea formed in my head. So, I took out two tortillas and spread the sauce. I grabbed some shredded cheese and added that. Then back to the fridge I went. I found some leftover ground turkey and bacon, then some broccoli that needed to be used up, and tossed them on as well. Then I broiled them both for five minutes, and tada! out came lunch :D.



In Christ Alone,

Teen/Parent Conference

Last year, my older sister, parents, and I went to an amazing teen/parent conference in York, Pennsylvania. This year, they're doing another one, and I can't wait! If you're from the area and can, you should definately consider it!

It's in May - May 3-5. Kenny Baldwin, Tim Ruhl, and Charlie and Mike Clark will be preaching. There is free childcare, as well. Head on over to Bible Baptist Church's website to learn more.

http://bbcyork.com


In Christ Alone,

Monumental

Kirk Cameron, an actor from Left Behind and Fireproof is now directing and producing a new movie called Moneumental: in Search of America's National Treasure. Watch the trailer below:






This is something that all Americans need to see. So often these days, American citizens just do not know why our nation was founded, or what the principles upon which it was founded are. This country was founded upon biblical principles, yet what is happening? Our history is being re-written to no longer include these facts.

Sometimes the only way forward is to go back.

Oh, I would like to recommend a course on the U.S. Constitution. It is a free, 10-week course that is being put out by Hillsdale College to learn about the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Here is the link: http://www.hillsdale.edu/constitution/

In Christ Alone,