The Friendship Bouqet

You know one of the things I’m most excited about for our "Soul’d Out" group? The potential for friendships! There are 13 of you young ladies in this group…and I love watching how you are growing in friendship with one another.  Each one of you… an individual, unique flower, when grouped together can make a beautiful, sweet smelling bouquet that can honor the Lord with its aroma of LOVE!

 

 Through this group of girls, the Lord has certainly provided each of you the opportunity to make friends, but also the chance to be a faithful Christian friend.  So let’s talk about what a true friend is…

             ~Trustworthy. A real friend is always faithful and looking to protect and seek what’s best for the other person. You’ve got to earn a friend’s trust by keeping your word and keeping their confidence.

                ~Encourager. Genuine friendship is telling your friends what they mean to you. Be creative in looking for ways to express your feelings. However you do it, do it often! No one ever gets tired of hearing that she is loved, valued, and appreciated.

                ~Open. Be honest with your friends. As you learn more about them and become more comfortable in your relationships, you will begin to trust them and open up about your true feelings, struggles, and emotions. Friendship will grow deeper when you are open and honest. No one is perfect so we don’t have to act like it!

                ~A Positive Person. No one wants to be around a person who is negative all the time. Grumbling and complaining is a sin because it’s communicating a lack of trust in God’s plans. Look for the best in every situation…choose gratefulness!  Trust that God is at work even when we don’t see it. 
                ~Respectful. Respect means listening without interrupting. It means you don’t focus on your friend’s weaknesses but look at their strengths. It means avoiding a judgmental or critical spirit. Instead, make sure the words that come out of your mouth to them and when speaking about them are kind, uplifting, and considerate.

                ~A Servant. Selfishness is one of the biggest enemies of true friendship. Rather than asking what your friend can do for you, think about how you can serve her? When you consider others more important than yourself, you are becoming more like Jesus.

                ~A Speaker of Truth. A true friend speaks the truth in love and attempts to encourage friends with God’s word and the hope of the Gospel. There may be a time when you need to lovingly confront a friend on her sin. It’s never easy, but if done humbly, your friend will hopefully see it as an act of love for her. 

Think about it………….     

~Can you think of any other qualities of a true Christian friend?

~From the above list, how are you doing at being a true Christian friend? Is there an area you would like to grow in? 

~Are you excited for your friendships in this group? Do you have fears or concerns about friendships in this group?

Cleaning up the Cob Webs

Lights! Camera! Action!

We are back live! If you are just joining us, "Welcome!" This Blog has been set up for YOU! My desire is to have you ladies read a weekly devotion or thought provoking challenge that you can comment on and also get to know each other in the process. Each Tuesday (I like to call it "Blog Tuesday") there will be something new posted so be faithful to check it out. The only thing required of you is to be REAL...no judgements, just honesty. My prayer is that growth, encouragement, and love for one another is the result. So here goes....

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     Last weekend, I cleaned my entire house. It's been awhile so things were pretty dirty. I couldn't believe how many cobwebs there were in almost every corner I came too...some even had spiders in them...ewwww! It got me thinking.

     How often do we just allow our sin to hang around like cobwebs. I know they are there and don't really "feel" like doing the dirty work. So, I ignore them and before I know it-the cobwebs (my SIN) keeps showing up in every corner. God does not want us to hide from our sin...HE is there to help us face it head on and kill it!

     But what does that require of us? We need to be watchful, active, and in prayer. When we do see it, don't ignore it, but go after it. With the help of the Holy Spirit and a true desire to repent and "turn away" from sin, there will be alot less cobwebs hanging around in your heart.

So...Let's talk

~Is there a specific sin that you are ignoring or not dealing with?

~What one thing can you do this week to turn away from that sin?

~What weapons does God give us to fight sin?

     Take sometime to pray and ask the Lord to help  you see areas of sin in your life. Talk it over with your parents and see if they have any observations for you. Comment and share your thoughts here if you would like to.  

 

Uniquely YOU!

Think about this…Before you were born, GOD designed YOU to fulfill a specific role in the world. He knit you together with specific gifts and strengths. There is no one else that God will ever use to fill the places HE has uniquely designed for YOU. Without the story of YOUR life, God’s own eternal book would be missing a cherished chapter.

You are one of a kind. Rare. Distinctive. Completely Irreplaceable.

You are Loved and made with a purpose for God’s glory!

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works;

my soul knows it very well.~Psalm 139:14

When David wrote these words, he was not boasting in himself, but rather rejoicing and expressing thankfulness over the beautiful creation that GOD made in him.

So…let’s do that! Express a specific character quality or physical quality that show HIS Marvelous unique handiwork in YOU. Be as specific as you want!

It may “feel” a little awkward, but don’t let that stop you from giving praise to the one who made YOU…He is Worthy!

I’ll go first…

Thank you for how you have created me to cry easily. I know that means you have made my heart compassionate, caring, and sensitive to others.

Thank you, Lord for the way you created my hair. I love how I can wear it curly or straight. I’m even thankful for the gray hair I find, Lord, because it reminds me how many years you have been faithful to love and protect me.

What "Good" are Trials?

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." ~Romans 8:28


I've been really sad this week for my friend. I've been feeling fearful too. I've even asked God, "Why?" I've also asked God for a miracle...to turn this whole sad situation around.

So now, I wait. I wait and I pray. I know God will answer. It may not be the answer I'm hoping for but HE has an answer...and the thought of can tempt me to be more sad and more afraid.

Have you ever been here? Have you ever had to fight for faith? Faith to believe that however God answers...it will be the right answer. HE is perfect and never makes mistakes. HE is good even when circumstances are not. Do you believe that as truth?

This is where your faith becomes real, ladies. In the trials of life, will you trust God? Will you bless HIS name when HE takes away or gives you a different answer than hoped for?

Scripture says to consider it all JOY when trials come. How is that possible? I know its NOT possible apart from the Holy Spirit working in our sad or fearful heart. HE provides comfort, peace, strength, and grace to overcome any fear or worry. God promises to never give you more than you can handle...He will be with you!

In James 1, it says, the testing of your faith develops perseverance-which means: "the ability to press on through hard times". So from this Scripture we can see trials cause you to persevere and mature (grow) in your faith...and that's "a good" you can always find in any trial that comes your way.

~Have you ever asked God, "Why?"
~Do you think through your own trials, you are learning to persevere and grow in faith?

The IPod of your mind

Have you ever stopped and thought how you are in constant dialogue with yourself? I mean think about it...your thoughts are one of the primary influences over you. We never stop talking to ourselves! So whats are your thoughts saying to you?

You can choose your self-talk just like you choose what songs to put on your iPod. When you listen to a song over and over, you'll eventually memorize it word for word. You may even find yourself singing the words in your mind without even realizing it. In the same way, whatever self-talk you replay in your mind becomes what you listen to.

If your self-talk is negative, you can struggle feeling insecure, accepted, defeated, and even loved. As young ladies, your emotions are God-given, and will be used for much good in your life. However, emotions can also trick you into believing lies. When negatives talk or negative emotions come into your mind, you can't let yourself go there because if you give them an inch, they'll take you a mile. Overtime, you begin to BELIEVE your negative self talk and play it over and over again on the iPod of your mind.

It is important that your self-talk agrees with what God says about you. When you tell yourself what God says about you, you tell yourself the truth. Regardless of how your emotions  "feel". Filling your mind with God's word will fill your mind with truth and hope.  And that's a song we'll never get tired of listening to.

~What kind of "self-talk" do you tend to hear replayed on the IPod of your mind?

~When you're feeling sad, lonely, depressed, or insecure, what lies are you believing?

~What tools has God given you to turn away or fight against  your negative "self-talk"?

"Prideful Idol"

One television show my entire family enjoys watching is American Idol. We’ve been “fans” for years. Last week, it hit me how each season the same four types of pride are revealed in the contestants. Do any of these feel familiar?

~Contestant 1: Thinks too much of herself-This contestant has limited talent, but claims everyone tells her she’s the greatest singer. Or she does have talent and loves to boast about it.

~Contestant 2: Thinks too little of herself-When this contestant is complimented, she puts herself down, and can’t receive or believe the compliment. “You really thought that was good? I don’t think I sang very well.”

~Contestant 3: Thinks too little of others-This contestant criticizes the judges and other contestants.

~Contestant 4: This contestant thinks she knows best. When contestants ignore the judge’s advice because they think they know better, they usually find themselves turned away or voted off the show.

Can you relate to any of these examples?

Can you think of any scriptures that speak against pride?

What character quality needs to develop to overcome pride?

Who are you in relation to God?

Think about it…Pray about it…Share about it

"Selfies"

“Selfies”-the act of holding a camera at arms lengths and proceed to take pictures of yourself while posing. 

If you have access to Facebook or Instagram, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about, and most likely have taken some “selfies.” What I’ve noticed is lots of people have a habit of posting lots of pictures of themselves. How do you feel about that? More importantly, how do you think God feels about selfies?  Is it a big deal? I came across an article on this topic and it got me thinking.

It talks a lot about a word that may be new to you. The word is narcissism which means -excessive self-love and preoccupation with self. Can you see any dangers of narcissim in “selfies? ”

Ask yourself the following questions…

~ Am I using Instagram as a tool to promote more of God or myself?

~ What is my goal in posting a “selfie”?

~ Do I spend more time on social media than I do in God’s word?

I truly believe Instagram (and others social media) can be a fun way to connect with friends and can be used for good. However, the challenge is to take a step back and evaluate your time and postings.

What do think?