GOD KNOWS BEST!!!

My family has,for many years, been praying that my dad would get the job he has been appling for on an oil rig (a ship that drills for oil in the ocean). He has a friend who workes out there and was trying to help him get hired. But everytime it looked like he might get the job soon, something happened and he didn't. The company then sold out to another one and he tried again but they weren't hiring.

The other day while watching the news we saw that the oil rig my dad has been trying to get on blew up in the ocean, some people (I think 11) died and many were hurt.
It's very easy sometimes, when we don't get what we want or what we think is best,to question God or complain. I know I have, I thought it was best for my dad to get the job, but God knew better. If my dad had been on there when it blew up he could have possibly been killed. God sometimes protects people by saying "no" or "wait".

I wanted to share this story with you, but more as a reminder to myself. When I pray I need to ask God's will and not tell Him my own. HE KNOWS BEST :)

Wow life is so busy!!! As I was trying to get to sleep the other night I got to thinking of what we have coming up in the next couple weeks and I started feeling stressed. I remember when I used to wish we had more going on in our life and now I would gladly take a break from it all!! School is a big priority and it seems like it is never done, there is always more I can do. Even during the summer I try and do as much as I can. Also our graduation is coming up and all the planning, the speech writing, and the practicing takes up a lot of time. I'm working on signing a new song for our graduation that I don't know very many words to and I am so excited for that challenge :) But you know, sometimes I wish everything wasn't all rushed and that things would slow down and I start to feel stressed, like the other night, but it's important no matter how busy I am to be in God's word. When I get busy and I am thinking about 100 things at once I sometimes forget my time with God, but that's when it's most important. God should be number 1 in our lives, and by putting Him first and remembering our time with Him, that's shows Him that He is. I also find that when I make time for Him first, He somehow has a way of making sure I have time for all I need to do!
Have a good day everyone!

Don't be Afraid to Stand Out!

In the song I just posted by Britt Nicole she says "don't be afraid to stand out" and as Christians we shouldn't be. I know it's sometimes hard to be different, I feel it too. The only girl in the room wearing a dress, the only one not involved in a conversation that you know you shouldn't be. It can be hard but it's also rewarding. People may make fun of us, but they see when we are different and want to know why and then we have a great opportunity to witness. I sometimes feel out of place, but I also have this really cool feeling when people notice that I'm different, because then I know I'm doing something right.
And it shouldn't only be noticeable when we are wearing dresses but just by the way we act and our attitude.
I just think that this is very important, I try very hard to be a good testimony so that I will have opportunities to witness, and be a witness by my actions.

The Lost Get Found- Britt Nicole

This is an awesome song, I really love it!! Check it out!

Mission: K.A.H.!!!

My goal as a young lady is to learn as much about being a wife and mother right now as I can. When I am older and I get married I don't want to have a career, I'm going to be a Keeper at Home!! Titus 2:5 "To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." I want to learn as much as I can right now so I am prepared for when God blesses me with the right person, so I, my sisters, and some of our girlfriends, get together about 2 times a month and have a meeting. We all take turns planning Bible studies and activities. At our last meeting we made soap. We are learning to make creative, but simple foods and desserts. We sew, knit, do card making, and candle making. We want to know how to do useful and productive things that will benefit our household and make money. It's great when a woman, or young lady, has a home business and doesn't have to go out and work. When I'm married and have children I want to be able to stay home and take care of them, and raise them, not trust them to someone else so that I can go to work.

Well I'm out of time for today, I have to go help prepare dinner!! Talk to you all later. Hope that this will bless someone in some way :)

True Friends

To be a true friend you must be:

F orgiving
R eady to help
I n prayer for each other
E arnest and trusting
N iether a backstabber or a gossip
D oing for others (not selfish)

That spells out a TRUE FRIEND!

Siblings = Friends :)

Proverbs 17:17a A friend loveth at all times...

Friends are such a blessing!! Praise God for wonderful friends to talk to, share things with, and get together with! I'm so glad that God has given me so many friends to enjoy and fellowship with, but more importantly I'm glad for all my "family" friends. I'm talking about my siblings (I call them built-in friends!!). I am blessed with 3 sisters and 1 brother to always have for friends. Friends grow up, move away, and are sometimes forgotten but siblings aren't. Even when they grow up and maybe even move away they will always be remembered. As sisters and brothers we sometimes take for granted that we will always have each other and we don't always treat each other like friends the way we should. I know this from personal experience, I DO NOT always treat my siblings like best friends. :( This is something I really need to work on. I don't want to grow up and be enemies with my siblings, I want to be friends, for life. Thank God for; Megan, Sarah, Hannah, and Daniel!!!

I need to remember to:

Treat my family like friends,

and my friends like family!

Things I'll Think About Long Before I Say "I Do" !!

I've recently read a GREAT book called "The Person I Marry" by Gary Bower. It's a book written as a poem for young children (I personally love it though!) about setting standards for your future spouse. While doing Bible studies and reading books I've learned how important it is to set standards. It's good to know what qualities you want in your future spouse before you are ready to court or date, and it's good to have it written down, that way you can look at it and remind yourself. In the book "and the Bride Wore White" by Dannah Gresh, Dannah mentions how important a list of qualifications was to her, it helped her, when going out with somebody, to compare her qualifications with the guy. No matter how nice he was she was careful to not compromise, that way she knew she was getting somebody she could love, respect, and live with. Making a list of qualifications can also make many great memories. Dannah wrote it with her mom, but I suggest writing it with your dad as well. I had a great time writing mine with my dad and as young ladies we are under our dad's authority and he is the one who will "pick" or "ok" my future husband and he, as a Christian man, and husband, knows what to look for better than I would, or maybe even my mom.
It's great to have good Christian books to read and be encouraged by, and it's even better to have great Christian parents!!

Sanctuary

A wonderful song that I often sing as a prayer!

Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary,

pure and holy, tried and true;

with thanksgiving, I'll be a living sanctuary for You

I Will Sing of the Mercies of the Lord!!

Music is one of my favorite things. I listen to music when I'm sad, and when I'm happy. It's nice to listen to when I'm going to sleep, it can be very relaxing. The Bible talks a lot about coming to the Lord with singing, and singing a new song to Him. Ps. 95:1-2 "O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms." A lot of great songs come from the Bible as well. Psalm 95:6-7 is a great song that we sing often. I just LOVE music!!
A lot of times I find myself singing a familiar song, but not really paying attention to what it is saying. Songs have great messages in them. One group I really like it Casting Crowns, as soon as I can figure out how to get songs on here I'll try and put some of their songs on!
God bless ~ Rachel