Pinebrook Retreat !!

This weekend from 2/18 to 2/20 I went to a retreat in Pennsylvania.  The speaker their talked about commitment.  Commitment to a relationship with God.  He define commitment as binding to a purpose fully.  We heard also about how some people can be fence sitters, people who aren't fully committed.  A critical point in commitment is to burn bridges that lead you to things that would destroy this relationship with God.  In order to have a full commitment we need:

Anticipation- that God will do something in you

No Condemnation- repent and God will do something for you

 -God has something for you that Satan can't take away

Reconciliation - God will bring you closer to himself

Sanctification - God is going to begin to set us apart from this world

The verse during this retreat was 1 Kings 18:21 which says "How much longer will you waiver, hobbling between two opinions?"  We need to be fully committed to God and I thank God that during this retreat that the people their committed their lives to God.  A song we sang during this retreat was "Everything is different" by Sane and Shane and it touched my life and many other lives.

Praise you in this Storm - Casting Crowns

I wa lisening to this song and I thank God for always being here for me.  No matter what trials we aree going through God will always guide us and direct us. This song says:

           I was sure by now

God You would have reached down

And wiped our tears away

Stepped in and saved the day

But once again, I say "Amen", and it's still raining

As the thunder rolls

I barely hear Your whisper through the rain

"I'm with you"

And as Your mercy falls

I raise my hands and praise the God who gives

And takes away

[Chorus:]

And I'll praise You in this storm

And I will lift my hands

For You are who You are

No matter where I am

And every tear I've cried

You hold in Your hand

You never left my side

And though my heart is torn

I will praise You in this storm

I remember when

I stumbled in the wind

You heard my cry to you

And you raised me up again

My strength is almost gone

How can I carry on

If I can't find You

But as the thunder rolls

I barely hear You whisper through the rain

"I'm with you"

And as Your mercy falls

I raise my hands and praise the God who gives

And takes away

[Chorus]

I lift my eyes unto the hills

Where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord

The Maker of Heaven and Earth

I think this song says it all.  Even though we are Christians, we face problems much like others, but the difference is that we have someone to lean on.  God is our strength and we can count on him in any situation, no matter if he gives or takes away.  This song is always a blessing, and I want to share it with all you Christians out their that need a little boost in your moral.  You could never have a better friend than one who made, loves and, takes all your pain away.  If you feel down bring it to God he can help.  It may keep on "raining" but God will eventually get you out.  He wants to see if you are strong enough to spread his word.  I know I've been through a time like this.  Once on a Friday, my family was going to visit my aunt and I had just broken my retainer that day at school.  i was scared so I prayed to tell my mom.  She got angry an yelled a little but the worst was over.  I was still crying when i went upstairs to get ready to go and i remember sitting on a rocking chair in my room and i just cried out, "God why, why, help me to be more responsible, why, why..."  I felt God around me and I finished crying and I felt God circling me and telling me everything was going to be fine.  Don't feel alone fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, God is always near to lean on!! Ill post the song so if you want to hear it you can:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ype1xE0wzsg

Enjoy, and may God Bless you!!!

Merry Christmas... and a Happy New Year !!!

Merry belated Christmas!

I thank God for coming to this earth and for giving me the Amazon Kindle !

This was one of my best presents and I already downloaded the Bible on it, so I can read the bible on it!!

Today I was thinking and all of a sudden i forgot to write more on my blog. Sorry i didn't.  This is a place where I can get all my feelings out.

This has been such a good start to a new year!  I made some resolutions, and maybe if you prayed for me, i could keep them.

1. To read my bible not just at night, but throughout the day !

2. To put more joy into practicing my violin, this might be my last year with this wonderful violin teacher

3. To be more patient with my younger brother

4. To not be so shy in school and be able to witness to my fellow piers more easily

These are my most important one's and I would like it if I could keep them.

A New Week

Today is a new week for me in school and for everyone else that is going to school.  I know that god will do a marvelous work in me and all of you this week, or a pray that he will. This week i know that I already have a test on Wednesday and I pray that I will do well and I hope that everyone who has a test will do well.  
Yesterday in church we sang How Great thou Art and later on in the day, I was greeting kids that were coming in for our Sunday School in the afternoon and I thought, God is great otherwise these kids wouldn't be here.  I just want to say how thankful I am that God is Great and that our lives can be a living example of his greatness and love. 

Selfless love !!

Today was a day were everything was going normal.  I go to school with my twin sister, Julie, and well we are kind of "different" in the public school we go to.  We know two more people that are actually christians and its such a blessing to know that we are not the only one's.

Everyday I read a bible reading before I go to bed and last night mine was about selfless love.  the reading was in Philippians 2:20-30.  Many of the people in the world care for themselves more than God.  This is why it is important to take up the cross and spread the word.  This reading also mentioned Epaphroditus a messenger sent to the Apostle Paul to help Paul spread the word of God.  Epaphroditus actually, "came close to death, not regarding his life" in order to serve others.  This love Epaphroditus shows is not normal or common, but only one person can give it to us.  That one person is God. This was the poem under the reading:

To give up yourself for others

Seems like such a tough thing to do;

But that's how you can know for sure

That God's love is working through you.   -Branon

A lesson on the  bottom of this page is You can measure your love for God by showing your love for others.

I encourage all of you to keep showing love toward others even if their not saved because they need God!

    

Today was great!!

Today was a day were everything was going normal.  I go to school with my twin sister, Julie, and well we are kind of "different" in the public school we go to.  We know two more people that are actually christians and its such a blessing to know that we are not the only one's.

Everyday I read a bible reading before I go to bed and last night mine was about selfless love.  the reading was in Philippians 2:20-30.  Many of the people in the world care for themselves more than God.  This is why it is important to take up the cross and spread the word.  This reading also mentioned Epaphroditus a messenger sent to the Apostle Paul to help Paul spread the word of God.  Epaphroditus actually, "came close to death, not regarding his life" in order to serve others.  This love Epaphroditus shows is not normal or common, but only one person can give it to us.  That one person is God. This was the poem under the reading:

To give up yourself for others

Seems like such a tough thing to do;

But that's how you can know for sure

That God's love is working through you.   -Branon

A lesson on the  bottom of this page is You can measure your love for God by showing your love for others.

I encourage all of you to keep showing love toward others even if their not saved because they need God!

    

Today I went to Bear Mountain and we went ice skating.  It was so nice to see some of the kids from our youth group at church.  After we were done ice skating we started walking the trail around a lake there.  We went hiking off the trail and for a few minutes and I sat on a big rock and got to think about God for a few minutes by myself.  He made us nature so we could enjoy ourselves and all these beautiful animals and plants too and today thats what we did!! Today I'm thankful that God gave us nature so we could go outside and love it, even if you are not a big hiker like me.