Birth Verse: Everyone has one. What's yours?

Just a few days ago I discovered this interesting website, called Birth Verse. Birth Verse is a book of 366 verses from 66 different books in the Bible.

All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. - 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Bob Harju is the creator of Birth Verse. He owned a greeting card company and he prayed for God to give him a new assignment. An employee at his greeting card company, Cindy James, was also praying for God's direction on a new assignment. She noticed that the chapters and verses in the Bible could easily correlate to months and days of the year.When they discovered that they were thinking the same thing, they new it was a sign from God and so they created the wonderful Birth Verse! 

"Aren't there a ton of Bible verses that correlate to my birthday?", your probably wondering. Yes, there are, but a team of special people made lists of all the verses for your birthday (For example, if your birthday is March 3rd, than your Birth Verse could be any chapter 3 verse 3 verse), then narrowed the lists down to just one verse unique to you (and all the other people who share your birthday!).

Once you find your Birth Verse, you can buy products with your verse on them! Bracelets, necklaces, cards, and key rings are all available to buy online.

My birthday is December 2nd, and my Birth Verse is: Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning it's shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. - Hebrews 12:2

Today's Birth Verse is: Therefore, as it is written: Let him who boasts boast in the Lord. - 1 Corinthians 1:31

Today is actually my Dad's birthday, so that's his Birth Verse. Happy Birthday Dad! 

I've only really seen a few of the 366 verses, but I can already tell what the focus is. Put your faith in the Lord, stay Faithful Always!

God Bless,

Sydney

What is your Birth Verse?

Wonderful Christians #4: Sarah Mally!

During the first few days of my blog, I posted about three wonderful Christians. It wasn't that they were the only wonderful Christians in existence, it was just that they were the first 3 that came to mind. There are many,many more examples of lovely Christian people, and I intend to find them!

Anyway, I have been waiting and waiting this past week to sneak a certain person in, and today is the day I finally get to share about her! Wonderful Christian #4 is (drum roll please!) : Sarah Mally!!!

Sarah Mally is my idol. She is the most awesome, personable, and godly girl you will ever meet! (Okay, I haven't exactly met her, but its feels like I have!)

The Mally family, Harold and Rebekah plus their three children, Sarah, Stephen, and Grace, has their own family ministry called Tomorrow's Forefathers. Their goal with their ministries is just to spread God's word and encourage/strengthen families in Him. Sarah is all about ministering to teen girls. She may be 30 years young, but she ministers as if she were 17 again (no Zac Efron movie reference intended!), living the teen struggles along with you.

In 1996, when Sarah was 17, she became concerned about many teen girls walk with the Lord. She desired to design a ministry to reach teens and draw them closer to God. She named her ministry Bright Lights, with Bright standing for Being Radiant In Godliness, Holiness, and Testimony.

Bright Lights, which was initially held right there in the Mally family living room, have grown into a nation wide phenomenon among godly teens and pre-teens. There are currently over 350 Bright Lights groups. In the beginning, Bright Lights was targeted towards girls ages 10-13. This is the age when real "dating" first comes into play. Some teens get their first kiss during these very early teen years. Sarah felt  like this was the opportune time to reach girls, because it is right when they are making these important decisions about dating. There are SO many worldly, negative and inappropriate influences  (Note: Post about this coming this week!) in the day-to-day life of a teenager, and Sarah longed to provide the positive, pure, and HOLY influence.

In Spring of 2001, Sarah organized the "Strong in the Lord" Conference. The purpose was to give the older girls involved in Bright Lights an opportunity to minister and teach to the younger girls. The first conference was a hit, with skits, stories, testimonies, and important topics like keeping a clear conscience, giving your heart to your parents, and staying Strong in the Lord.

Soon after beginning the Strong in the Lord conferences, Sarah began the Radiant Purity conferences. Sarah continues to share with teen girls the importance of saving your heart for that ONE special someone the Lord has for you. It can be challenging, but its is so worth it.

Strong in the Lord Conference: This conference, including practical teaching, insightful testimonies, humorous skits, a chalk talk, harp music, singing, hands-on activities, and small group times with sharing and interaction will encourage young ladies to seek the Lord with all of their heart. It will challenge and prepare girls to stay strong for the Lord all the way through their teen years, and provide these girls with the friendship, fellowship, and godly influence of young ladies who are bright lights for the Lord.

 Radiant Purity Conference: This conference will encourage young ladies to be committed to emotional purity, to walk by faith, and to wait for God’s best in marriage. Creatively presented through stories and testimonies, practical instruction, skits, and real-life examples, this conference gives Biblical answers to everyday questions and deep life struggles. The material is discreet and appropriate for twelve year olds and yet relevant to all ages. Includes testimonies from young ladies who serve as Bright Lights staff, chalk drawings, and harp music.

Sarah and her siblings wrote a book entitled Making Brothers and Sister's Best Friends. The purpose of this book was to share that siblings can overcome all of their challenges and become friends. Family harmony is very important to the Mally's.

"This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. -John 15:12

Sarah's second book, Before You Meet Prince Charming: A Guide To Radiant Purity, is amazing. It is my very favorite book in the whole world! It took me a long time to find it because it wasn't at any local libraries or book stores! I had to order it on Amazon, but it was well worth it! She combines the story of a princess committed to staying pure with her own real life examples and advice. She encourages everyone not to be afraid of being single. The hardest task the Lord asks us to do is wait, wait for our perfect spouse, but if we do wait and stay strong in Him, then we will prosper. Sarah is still single, but she is proud. The most important years of your life are before marriage and relationships when you are growing closer to God. Sarah has obviously done marvelously at encouraging this. She isn't just sitting around daydreaming about that perfect man (again, not a Hilary Duff movie reference either!). She is touching the hearts of all those faithful girls out there, and encouraging them to follow God's way.

Sarah Mally continues to impact my life every single day.I know that I am completely willing and completely over the moon bursting with joy that I can wait for the Lord to pick my future "Prince Charming". I've already made my commitments to the Lord and he has blessed me for that. My first kiss was not at 10-13 years old. My first kiss will be on my wedding day! I want to stay a pure rose spreading His word to others until God decides it's the time for me to marry.  I'm so happy to share the ways that this wonderful woman has changed my life and drawn me closer to God.

If I end up being even half the truly wonderful Christian Sarah Mally is, I would be honored. I'm the oldest in my family, and I look to up to Sarah is a big all-knowing sister, just as I know so m any other girls do. I'm committed to staying radiantly pure, until I meet that special someone. I'm completely willing to wait for God's best. He has fantastic things in store for me, for ALL of us, if we will just put our faith, trust, and hope in Him. Be unwavering in your faith and commitments!

"I solemnly tell you," said Jesus, "that if you have an unwavering faith, you shall not only perform such a miracle as this of the fig-tree, but that even if you say to this mountain, 'Be thou lifted up and hurled into the sea,' it shall be done." -Matthew 21:21

Sarah is awesome, so please check her out! She is a most wonderful Christian. God bless her!!!

God Bless (Don't worry, I didn't forget about you guys!),

Sydney

FYI: Starting two weeks from today, on February 13th, I will be hosting a read along of Before You Meet Price Charming! Get your copies bought so you can follow along!!! I will review a chapter of the book each Sunday. Don't miss out on this awesome opportunity to fellowship with others and gain some great knowledge about staying pure in this not so pure world. It's going to be fun, and I'm really excited to read through my favorite book with everyone!!! Be there!

Mission Max... Please Help Save Him!

My heart goes out to this precious little boy. As you all know, I did a big "(Mostly) Wordless Wednesday" post this week featuring 16 beautiful faces from Reece's Rainbow. I'm praying for all of them. However, one little boy in particular caught my eye, or rather... my heart: Max. On his Reece's Rainbow page, in big red letters in says, " HELP! I HAVE ALREADY BEEN TRANSFERRED!!" Oh no. Max is already five and a half, so he was taken from his baby orphanage and put into a mental institution.

On Wednesday night, after my post, I was praying for God to provide me with a way to help someone. I didn't want just anything. I needed divine inspiration. Suddenly, it just came to me. MAX. I had this sudden epiphany. I knew that that was what I had to do. I couldn't shake the feeling. It was like God talking straight to me, telling me what I already new deep down inside: that I can't pass by knowing of Max's troubles and not do anything at all. That is no longer an option for me.  I know this is the direction God wants me to go in. Max, beautiful Max, is truly suffering. We have to do something for him.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is tha good men do nothing." - Edmund Burke
Max was born with a heart condition and he also has strabismus (when the eyes don't line up to the same direction they are focusing on. It is commonly known as cross-eyed.) However, he is such an adorable little blond haired, gray eyed boy. He is of a quiet nature, but the reason for this is the way his life has been.

On Patti's blog, A Perfect Lily, she posted an interview with Adeye Salem. Adeye has adopted 4 children, 2 of them from Reece's Rainbow. One of her daughters, Hailee, was living in the laying room at an orphange. A room where  cribs are jam packed into a small area, where children NEVER get out of their cribs, and  the only attention they get is when they are fed.

And in institutions, oh I don't even want to think about the horrors. Children are CHAINED to their cribs and they are heavily sedated so as not to "burden" the employee's. Adeye's baby, Hailee, weighed only 15 pound on her 5th birthday. Babies should weigh 15 pounds at a few months old!Ann Curry from thetoday Show went to Serbia to see hands on what these instititutions are like. There is a 5 minute video clip, but I was so higly disturbed and sickened that I couldn't finish it. To think of Max, sleeping the  numbered years he has away in a dark, dirty, horrible place, so severely underweight and underdeveloped, so deprived of love and nurturing, its HEARTBREAKING. This is why I know that I have to do SOMETHING.

I obviously cannot adopt Max. I'm  just not in that stage of life yet. I'm not even out of my teen years yet (but soon!).  However, if I could, I'd be their in a heartbeat. I know that there is someone out there that IS in the right stage of life. Someone who will love and cherish Max. Someone who will show Max the light he has never seen. I am so fearful for what will happen to Max if he is not adopted soon, but then again, I'm not. I know the Lord is watching over Max and I trust that Max will get a chance at life. I'm praying so hard for him, and I hope you will do the same. I DO have hope.

Please, God, watch over Max. Help him to find his perfect family VERY soon. He could use his guardian angels right about now. Please, save him!

Pray if you will, donate if you can, and spread the word!

God Bless,

Sydney

P.S: Please, please, please don't forget about Olga, Kareen, Peter, etc. They need a place in your prayers just as much as Max!

"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." John 14:18 

Some of my very favorite Bible Verses!

Reece's Rainbow... Who Ever Said An Extra 47th Chromosome Was A Bad Thing?

If there is one thing I am, it's a passionate person. I put my whole heart into whatever direction God leads me in. A few months ago, He lead me to Reece's Rainbow. This is my new passion, and it's not going anywhere.

For those of you who have never heard of it, Reece's Rainbow is the International Down Syndrome Orphan Ministry. In the past 4.5 years, since they have been promoting international adoption, over 350 children have found homes. That's 350 lives SAVED. Over $700,000 dollars has been raised to help out eager families with the cost of adoption. The average cost to adopt is $25,000.

That's A LOT, I know. That's why every child has a grant fund where money can be donated. Usually, money is the reason that people can't adopt a child. It breaks my heart to know that something as petty as money is keeping these children from the family they deserve. The cost factor is keeping these children suffering and facing institutions everyday of their lives.

I look into the beautiful faces of these precious babies and my eyes tear up. Why do they have to suffer? Life where they are now is not so good. They can't stay in orphanages forever... and the next place on the list an institution. I'll tell you this, not one single child in America, on Reece's Rainbow, on the entire surface of this Earth deserves to be put in a mental institution.

Down Syndrome is a condition where a baby is given extra genetic material. Yes, an extra chromosome. That 47th chromosome can cause physical and mental delays. That's all it is. Whats so bad about that? The answer is nothing. Nothing is so bad about Down Syndrome in itself. What is bad is peoples perception of down syndrome. Down syndrome has been made to look like a horrible, hopeless, disease. I can't stand that terminology. The word disease gives off a negative vibe. Down syndrome is not a death sentence. People with D.S are capable of anything anyone else is. D.S. truly is a blessing, as hard as that is to understand. Some people may never understand, but I pray that they will. Anything God gives us is a blessing, not a curse!

"My imperfections and failures are as much  a blessing from God as my successes and my talents and I lay them both at His feet." - Mahatma Gandhi

Down Syndrome is truly a beautiful thing. A child with D.S. deserves to be cherished, nurtured, and unconditionally loved just as much as any other child. The fact that some people can be so prejudice and hateful toward  Down Syndrome is heartbreaking. A recent article called Will Babies With Down Syndrome Slowly Disappear? which Patti posted about on A Perfect Lily, sent me reeling. 92% of Mama's terminate their pregnancy because their baby could have Down Syndrome. Well, these Mama's don't just go down the street shooting anybody they see with Down Syndrome, do they? Aborting your baby just because they might have a little extra genetic material is beyond my level of comprehension. Its horrible. People with Down Syndrome deserve to live just as much, maybe even more, than anyone else in this world.

Did not He who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?" -Job 31:15

I'm not saying that Mama's who terminate their babies due to the possibility of Down Syndrome are bad people. I like to think not bad people but rather,  just confused people  affected by bad influences and bad decisions. I understand that they are scared and troubled. However, Down Syndrome just isn't a tragedy. It's God's gift to you. God know just which special people can handle having a baby with this unique gift, and those people are the people who receive the gift.

Have you ever taken a beautifully wrapped and decorated gold wrapped gift box and thrown it in the trash without a second  thought as to what you've just given up? My guess is no. So why, then, would you take the ultimate, beautiful, golden gift of pregnancy and throw it away without even a second thought about all the pure, unadulterated joy you are giving up?

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in god; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." - John 14:1-3

The bottom line is that D.S. has been given a bad rap for no apparent reason. Scared Mama's all over the world are abandoning babies to live a short life of dispair in an orphanage. I'm hoping and praying fiercelly for Reece's Rainbown childern. All I'm asking for is for you to pray as well. Donate money when you can. (Tip: download the Good Search toolbar to your computer to use instead of plain old Google. You pick a charity then search away and money is donated to you cause!)  

Miracles do happen. I know they do. I'm a believer. I'm just waiting for God to put his plan into action for these childern, because mental instiitutions can't just be it for them.

God Bless,

Sydney

Godly Character Quality #6: Joyfulness!

Character Quality #6 describes exactly how I feel today: Joyful! The operational definition is: Joyfulness vs. Self-Pity: The spontaneous enthusiasm of my spirit when my soul is in fellowship with the Lord. -Psalm 16:11

I am at peace. I am walking with the Lord and I'm happy about it! If your spirit is truly a godly one, then you should rejoice.


It's not something I can explain. You just have to feel it for yourself. That peace, that never-ending joy deep down in your heart because you know you are right with the Lord.


Whoever trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.- Proverbs 16:20


Out of all the 49 character qualities I will analyze on this blog, Joy is the easiest one to obtain. Some might say, " How can you be happy ALL of the time? It's just too hard!" Well, the truth is, you can't be happy EVERY minute of every day. Of course, we all feel sadness, heartbreak, anger, and all of those other tough emotions. However, when you are feeling down in the dumps, there is a way to bring your spirits back up.  Prayer. Talk with the Lord, Praise the Lord, know that He loves you and wants to protect you from all the evils in the world. You just listen to Him, discover where He may be leading you, and go there! It's that simple.


When you say that first real prayer, that prayer for forgiveness, that prayer that He will cleanse you of all Sin and you will be made whole again in Him, you will feel it. It's this overwhelming joy over having a higher power in your life. You can turn to Him at anytime, anytime at all, and He will be delighted to listen.


Rejoice in the fact that there is someone who would die so that you could live the life you live. That someone is Jesus. He wanted you to live and celebrate life. So do it!


Joyfully Yours (and God Bless!),


Sydney


P.S: What does joyfulness mean to YOU?

(Mostly) Wordless Wednesday: Pray!

God Bless (Reece's Rainbow children and you!),

Sydney

P.S: Actual words about the precious children on Reece's Rainbow (and how you can help them out!) to come within week!

Reece's Rainbow

The Power of Prayer... A Realization!

Remember last week, when I posted about my grandmothers generosity to my family? Just to refresh your memory, she bough us a new laptop (among many other items). We felt so truly blessed that she would do something like that for us. I know that God was using my grandma as a messenger. We prayed about getting our computer fixed or getting a new computer and He answered our prayers through her! What a blessing. Once the new laptop got here, we officially has two laptops (I bought my own a few months ago). As I mentioned in my other post, our desktop computer had succumbed to a virus. Or so we thought.

 A few days ago, my uncle (He had been trying to fix our computer for a while, but he had basically said it was a lost cause.) called to tell my dad he got the computer working.


"What? No way! An answer to our prayers." He brought the computer over and what do you know? It was working like we just ran off to the store and bought it.

"Okay," your probably thinking," great. You already have 2 computers, why is this such a big deal?" I'll tell you what the big deal is. It's not really about the computer. That's just whats on the surface. Really, I just wanted to share with everyone the power of prayer. You ask, and God answers, in some way, shape, or form.

For a while, back in November, we had no computer at all in our household. Currently, we have 3. That means that 60% of my five person family can be on the computer all at once.

God provides. There are plenty of testimonies out their to prove my point. Stick to God's principles, and you will always be rewarded. God doesn't want us to go without. That is evident in my family's story, because we went from having none at all to being triply blessed.

Sometimes, when faith is low, you need some kind of sign to show that God is there, He does love you, and He will provide for you. Don't let that message escape you.

Not that I've been having any doubts (far, far from it!) but, for my family and even other people out there, this is a reassurance of God's existence. How else would a totally infected and messed up computer just suddenly start working again?

God has given me his Blessed Assurance. He does answer prayers and he does care deeply for each and everyone of His children. He loves us all so much, and we must love Him back.

This little episode demonstrating the Power of Prayer really reminds me of the story of Lazarus. Lazarus' sisters, Mary and Martha, informed Jesus that Lazarus was very sick. Jesus waited two days to go the Bethany, and by the time he reached his destination, Lazarus had been dead for 4 days. Martha told Jesus, " Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." Jesus replied with, "Your brother will rise again."

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who
believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in
me will never die. Do you believe this?"

"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the
Son of God, who was to come into the world." - John 11:
25-27

Martha went to get her sister Mary after this. Mary was cry and grieving with many other Jews, and Jesus joined them in weeping. Then, everyone joined Jesus at the tomb. They removed the stone covering the burial place and Jesus prayed, "Lazarus, come out!"

Miraculously, Lazarus walked out the tomb. People were shocked, and they immediately put their faith in Him.

So you see, sometimes all it takes is a sign, big or small, to restore someone faith in Jesus. I've been given the gift of God's Blessed Assurance. I know He is there, because I have put my faith in him and prayed. You have not because you ask not. Never forget one of my favorite Bible verses: "And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." -Luke 11:9.

Miracles, whether they be huge (like being raised form the dead), or minuscule (like your broken computer suddenly working again) are everywhere. You just have to open your eyes and see!



God Bless,



Sydney



"But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed." - James 1:6



P.S: Tomorrow, as a live demonstration of the Power of Prayer, I am dedicating a Wordless Wednesday to some very special children. I've briefly posted about them before, but I won't tell you when. Any guesses? I'm hoping for this to be a really powerful Wordless
Wednesday that will get many, many people praying!

Godly Character Quality #5: Boldness!

This week I will be posting on Godly character qualities #5 and #6! The character quality of the day today is Boldness. The operational definition is: Boldness vs. Fearfulness: confidence that what I have to say or do is true and right and just in the sight of God. (Acts 4:29)

In other words, never be afraid to stand up for what is right. A lot of people will make decisions that go against God's will. Do not be tempted to follow suit. Stand up for who you believe in.

Boldness is a mask for fear, however great. - John Dryden

You are God's child just as much as you are your parents child. If someone talked bad about your parents and tried to get you to do something they would absolutely not approve of, chances are you would not do it. You want to honor your parents, and do what will please them. It should be the same way with your Heavenly Father. If someone wants you to do something that you know is wrong and would be a disappointment to God, you should never do it. Honor God first in everything. Seek Him and His guidance with every decision. He will let you know what is right and what is wrong if you will just trust Him.

Put a grain of boldness into everything you do. - Baltasar Gracian

Develop a strong sense of faith. Love God with all your heart, and cherish the time you spend with Him. NEVER back down and give up what you believe in. Your beliefs, ethics, and morals are the thing that makes you unique. Be passionate about them and stand up for them!

Freedom lies in being bold. - Robert Frost

When I type something in BOLD, it stands out. Right? If you just scroll through my post, the

bolded words will catch your eye. They are bolded because they represent something important. Be bold. Stand out from the crowd! Follow not what your peers are doing, but follow what Jesus would do. Let people notice you. Be strong. Never be embarrassed or ashamed of your beliefs. You are important. You are God's messenger and you represent God's will. He created you and by His Grace you were given life. In return, you should always follow the direction He wants you to go in and have the courage to spread His Word to others. Have the courage to encourage!

God Bless,

Sydney

Think about it: What does Boldness mean to YOU?

Sufficient Grace Ministries

Kelly Gerken

I was just blog surfing a few days ago when I came across Sufficient Grace Ministries. I was so interested in the movement, and now that I know more about it, I am so thankful for it. I obviously do not have children, but I do know some lovely people who have lost children. I think that Sufficient Grace Ministries is a wonderful comfort to all those hurting Mama's out there. I can't even imagine the pain and heartbreak a tragedy like that would cause. I only know that it is a time to stick close to God and follow his example rather than pulling away.

Kelly gave birth to her son Timothy in 1994. Two year later, she got pregnant with twins, only to discover complications. Her daughters had twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. Kelly was in the hospital for a while, until one day, November 3rd 1996, an ultrasound showed that her babies were at peace. Kelly lost her two twin daughters (Faith and Grace) at 26 weeks gestation.
Another two years later, Kelly got pregnant with a son. Half way through her pregnancy, Kelly found out that her baby boy had Potter's syndrome. He had almost no chance of survival, but there was still that glimmer of hope in Kelly and her husband, Tim's hearts. She carried him until July 14, 1998, when she delivered. Thomas lived for 6 miraculous hours, then he moved on to a better place.
This was a horribly challenging and devastating time in Kelly Gerken's life. She did not know of any possible way to cope with all the grief. Kelly was made stronger by God's grace. She did not succumb to the heartbreak she felt then, and still feels everyday. Far from it. She created the wonderful Sufficient Grace Ministries for Women in 2004. She started off with baby books in memory of babies once alive and always loved. They are called Dreams of You Memory Books. Comfort Bears are an idea Kelly's mom came up with, so that grieving Mama's will always have something to hold.
In 2001 God did grace Kelly with an amazing and healthy son named James. On Earth, Kelly has her children Timothy and James, while in heaven Faith, Grace, and Thomas are all waiting and watching over her.
The purpose of Sufficient Grace Ministries is to comfort and encourage Mama's who have lost babies through miscarriage, stillbirth, or death. Kelly shares her testimony with other Mom's and families as a way of encouragement. No one is alone in the great journey of loss. Our Heavenly Father is always there, even when he seems forever away.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort that we ourselves have received from God. - 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Weakness is made perfect in God's strength. No matter how overwhelmed we feel, how strongly we feel that it's all just too much, we CAN handle it. God does not put anything on our plate that we cannot handle. Even in crisis, just put your faith in Him and all will be well. When we pray, God does answer our prayers. It may not be in the way we expected, hoped, or dreamed, and we may not understand at first, but in time, we will.
Kelly's middle three children were taken back to live with their creator, but with that loss, Kelly was able to create something so beautiful. Her ministries have reached so many Mama's out there and given them that hope, that faith, that reassurance that God does love them. He is never going to leave them, and believe it or not, they will be alright. They will surpass their hardships and grow strong in His abundant grace.
Cling to God's every word, follow him, stay Faithful to Him Always. He can mend your aching hearts. He can do anything. The possibilities are endless, as long as you pray and give it all up to Him.
Be sure to check out Kelly's breathtaking website and blog. You will be stunned by her beautiful, heartfelt words. Everyday, Kelly and so many other Mama's remember their perfect babies resting up above. They want to breakdown, but instead they draw closer to Him and embrace the life He is given them.
Please pray for all the grieving families out there. As I always say, anything is possible with the power of prayer. God's will conquers everything.
In memory of Faith, Grace, and Thomas Gerken.
God Bless,
Sydney

How beautiful a day can be when kindness touches it...

I had planned to post about something completely different today, but what do you know? God had different ideas.

My family and I were on our way back home from getting some groceries from Kroger. We decided to stop for gas at the Kroger gas station. We filled up the tank, but when my dad put the key in the ignition and turned, we did not get what we expected. A strange noise came out of our truck. No matter what we did, the truck would not start. We were officially stuck in front of a gas station pump.

We sat in the truck contemplating what to do for a few minutes. We did not know what the problem was, how to fix it, who to call, etc. The kind gas station attendant, bless her heart, came out to us and asked us what we needed. She said to my father, " Is it something you can fix yourself? If it is, you can take my car to go get what you need." I was so shocked by that! Such a random act of kindness. She was offering us, a couple of random strangers with car trouble, her VEHICLE to go driving off to the car shop. I can't think of a single other person, besides family and friends of course, that would just offer a "stranger in need" their car out of the kindness of their heart.

We didn't really know what the problem was, so we decided to wait it out. This one woman who was just getting some gas happened to overhear about our trouble. She went over and informed the gas station attendant that her husband was a mechanic. What luck! He wasn't with her, but she called him and then gave the gas station attendant some suggestions as for what we should do. There I was, pacing around the gas station in all my winter gear, thinking, "Oh, how blessed we are to have so many people caring about us! God is good!" My aunt and uncle came over to the gas station shortly after this, and we jump started our truck. While we were hooking up all the wires to jump start the car, my mom commented that she hoped it worked because we were blocking the gas pump. That same attendant replied with, " Oh we aren't worried about that." I was just so touched by her helpful spirit. She didn't care that we were blocking the gas pump; she genuinely just cared that we could get our car started up again.

We got the car started and drove straight over to Wal-mart where they replaced our battery for us. After that, we were on our way home again in our just-like-new truck. It wasn't a big event, but sometimes its the little things that really matter.

"Do something wonderful, people may imitate it." -Albert Schweitzer

In a way, I feel like our car battery dying was a good thing. Everything happens for a reason right? I believe it was meant to be. God led us to the gas station so that we could be touched by the kindness of that attendant and that mechanics wife. I never did catch their names, but they still deserve to be recognized. God is just amazing. He gets us through every situation, and more than that, he helps us to realize the importance of something else. The importance of Kindness was made so evident by God in my adventure today. You are never in too much of a time crunch to stop and help someone out. Show kindness, and you will be repaid. I'm not sure how yet, but I do want to repay those lovely people for their kindness.

"Sometimes when we are generous in small, barely detectable ways it can change someone else's life forever." - Margaret Cho

Make a point to thank God for all those who have shown kindness to you. Kindness really is a virtue. Remember, God IS there, and he answers our prayers in simple ways like that. Pray, and be thankful!

God Bless,

Sydney

"Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you." -Ephesians 4:32.

Serving God and... Guitar Hero?

Vs.

Okay, so I was just reading my book, Third Time's A Charm by Virginia Smith (as mentioned here), when I came across something I just had to share.

Tori was at her regular Sunday school class, bright and early on Sunday morning. However, she quickly found out that the teacher was not available, so a student would be filling in. The student was not who she expected: it was Gordy, a shy and eccentric young man with a very interesting message to share.

When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned
to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. "You
call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord', and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I,
your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger
greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be
blessed if you do them. - John 13:12-17

This is the verse they were studying for the day. Gordy explained that he didn't think Jesus really wanted him to get down on his knees and scrub peopled feet. It's a symbol for serving others.


Taken from Third Time's A Charm: "When I first read that piece in the Bible, I couldn't stop thinking about Jesus saying He set us an example. I mean, that's large, you know? That's like, Whoa, Dude. How am I supposed to do all the stuff You did, you know? So I got to thinking, what Jesus was telling us to do is like playing Guitar Hero. Now, I know it's weird, but stay with me on this. When I'm on lead guitar and I play a song for the first time, I pretty much stink. Since we're in church, let's say I'm playing 'Living on a Prayer' by Bon Jovi. I know the song, but I've never played it, you know? So at first I bomb big time. I get booed off the stage. But I'm just learning. I'm trying to act out what I'm seeing and hearing. And the more practice, the better I get.
I think that's what Jesus is saying here. We're the ones with the arms and legs and hands and feet. We're the ones holding the guitar. But He's the one who wrote the song. Unless we're watching for Him to tell us what chords to play, we can stand up there and strum all we want, but we're gonna crash and burn. And the Bible is like our video screen. It's got all the notes of His song already laid out. We've just got to read them, and then act them out."

FYI, I don't even like Guitar Hero! I have played it, but I'm really just not a rock music person. However, when I read this passage in the book, I was just wowed. I mean, this is actually a great way to relate to the message John 13:12-17 is trying to get across. That is often the problem: you can read the Bible all you want, and that's great, but it all comes down to applying what you've learned. Sometimes it can be challenging to determine the meaning of a certain passage in the Bible, but when you can make a connection to something you are familiar with (Guitar Hero, for instance!) the meaning will really sink in.

We are here on Earth to serve Jesus. He has given us a mission (or a song) to complete. We are God's messengers. No matter how often we say that we don't need God to help us, we do. We ALWAYS need Him. He longs to be needed. God wants to make us happy, and the best way to righteously to become happy is to serve others. You are happy when you are making others happy. It's so true. That is the only way to be truly fulfilled in life. Always serve others before treating yourself.

Live by J.O.Y: Jesus first, Others second, Yourself last. That is the road to becoming righteous fulfilled. Love your Father up in heaven, Love your neighbors, Love yourself.

You have the key to His Word right at your fingertips: your Bible. Read it, live by it, love it! Everything we need is in there. Seek God's guidance constantly, and find it in your Bible.

Pray that an opportunity to serve others will come your way soon. Never pass up the opportunity to be a blessing.

God Bless,

Sydney

P.S: If you have made any connections similar to this John 13:12-17 and Guitar Hero one, please comment to let me know! I find these connections so interesting and though provoking!

Bible Trivia #1!

I was thinking it would be fun to have Bible trivia! The rules are simple:

• Answer each question in the comment section.
• DON'T get out your Bibles! This is a quiz to see what you know... no worries, quiz #1 is easy!
• The first person to answer them all correctly wins!!! (Well, wins the pride of being able to say they know their bible trivia. No giveaways today, sorry!)
• Some of these questions are PAINFULLY easy! (Lucky for you, I got all these questions off another website... I will share later!)

Ready? Okay, Round #1 of bible trivia will be about the New Testament only:

1. Where was Jesus born?
2. What is the name of the disciple who betrayed Jesus?
3. Who gave Jesus gifts when he was born?
4. What is the name of the prayer Jesus taught his disciples?
5. What is the name of Jesus' mother?
6. What job did Jesus' earthly father, Joseph, do?
7. What is the collective name of the stories Jesus told?
8. What did Simon Peter do for a living?
9. What did the Holy Spirit look like when the disciples received it?
10. How did Paul escape from Damascus?

The only two I found even a bit challenging are #9 and #10. I know you guys can get these questions right! Comment, comment, comment!

God Bless,

Sydney

Godly Character Quality #4: Generosity!

Personally, I find this character quality so important in becoming a good Christian. The operational definition is: Generosity vs. Stinginess: Realizing that all I have belongs to God and using it for His purposes. - II Corinthians 9:6

I have a wonderful story to share about someone who has just been constantly generous to my family. That someone would be my grandmother.

Recently, both my family's dryer and dishwasher broke. We did not have the money to fix them, but we were getting by. Well, when my grandmother came to visit for thanksgiving, she saw the need for a dryer and a dishwasher in our home. My grandmother gave my parents the money to by the new appliances.

My grandmother has been continually generous to all of my family members. As she says, " I'd rather spend the money on you guys right now when I have it, rather than just let it sit in a bank account." She has been so generous as to give us a lot of money over the years. We have always been so grateful for that.

Yesterday, my grandma just put the icing on the cake. She called me on the phone and told me that she bought us a laptop and it would be here on sometime next week. I was in shock. All I could say was "Wow, thank you so much! "as I listened to her tell me all about it. When she first said the words, i automatically thought "God is so good!" He has seen the need in our family (Our family computer recently succumbed to a virus) and met it.

And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. -Luke 11:9. God understands our needs in life and he does not want us to go without. This correlates great with my last post about Stuck In The Middle by Virginia Smith. God delights in giving to us, but we need to ask him! Everything is possible through prayer.

I know that my prayers have been answered. My family is so blessed, and I want to find a way to give back now. It is so important to give to people and be selfless. God is the most selfless of all. Strive to be like him. I work everyday to be a good Christian, and everyday the Lord blesses me. I feel so blessed to have the life I have. He has given me everything I have, and I will use it all to become a better person. Bottom line: Love the Lord with all your heart. Have a servants heart, and be eager to give back to those who are without. It is all in the power of prayer!

God Bless,

Sydney

P.S: Take the time to thank those people who have been continually generous to you! They deserve it.



Think about it: What does generosity mean to YOU?

Godly Character Quality #3: Sincerity!

The third character quality of a good Christian is a very important one to me: sincerity! The operational definition (Provided by Bill Gothard and the Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar family!) is this: Sincerity vs. Hypocrisy: eagerness to do what is right with transparent motives. - 1 Peter 1:22.

I think it is really important for everyone to be sincere about what they do. Otherwise, what is the point in doing it? Everyone needs a purpose in life, a cause to work for with a passionate heart.

"And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, That you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ," (Philippians 1:9-10)

In other words, support what YOU believe in. If you just pretend to support something you don't really care about, or worse, don't believe in, you are being a hypocrite. It will cause other people hurt and they could very well be offended. They would think, "It's okay for everyone not to have the same opinions, but why do you something you don't believe in? You should feel sincere about what you do!"

The definition of the word hypocrisy is: Hypocrisy is the state of pretending to have beliefs, opinions, virtues, feelings, qualities, or standards that one does not actually have. Hypocrisy involves the deception of others and is therefore a kind of lie in itself.

Think about that. I often catch myself or my family saying something hypocritical. I have never really thought about it as if we were lying! I know that one of my biggest pet peeves of all is when people won't tell me something. I can't stand secrets! I'm a bit nosy, I'll admit, and it just grates on my nerves. However, there are a lot of things that I would like to keep private and not tell anyone else. That right there is an example of me being hypocritical.

My goal is to mind my own business more than I currently do. Everyone has their boundaries that they feel comfortable with and I want to respect those.I'm sure it will be hard, but with prayer I can succeed. Anyone can! I am eager to begin doing more of what is right and less of what is wrong. Plain and simple, that is my goal for the new year!

God Bless,

Sydney

Think about it: What does sincerity mean to YOU?

Godly Character Quality #2: Alertness!

The second character quality of a good Christian is: Alertness! The Operational Definition (Provided by Wonderful Christians #3!) of alertness vs. unawareness is: Being aware of that which is taking place around me so that I can have the right responses. -Mark 14:38

I love that operational definition! It sums alertness up so well for me. We need to open our eyes wide and notice what goes on in our lives so that we can make a difference! I'm in school, so I ride the bus every morning with my sister and our friend, Julie. I've been alert and I've noticed that people are always tormenting Julie. People can be so ruthless! My sister was best friends with Julie, but even she has even started to pick on Julie! It's horrible! I'm aware of how it makes Julie feel, and lets just say it doesn't make her feel joyful! She is treated like a leper in her own community of friends and I can't stand it! I've sort of taken Julie under my wing and she really appreciates it. I gave my younger sister a long lecture on having empathy for people and treating them with respect. There is just no reason to be so mean to such a nice girl! I sit with Julie everyday on the bus and I know she is grateful for the companionship.

I'm shocked by the way some people can be so oblivious to the hurt they are causing other people. My sister, for instance, did not realize to what extent her comments and attitude towards Julie were affecting Julie! I just pray that people will take the time to look and notice what is going on around them so they can do the right thing to fix it. God gave us eyes and ears, so why don't we use them for the good of our family and our community! Listen to the voices around you, watch the actions of people around you, and be prepared to handle it right!

Most importantly, we should listen to God, hear what he wants us to do, and do it! We need to be in touch with God and understand how he wants us to act. When we pray, we ask God to hear our prayers and help us. However, too often our minds are clouded over and we don't listen to God's response! Be alert, be prepared, and do the right thing! Act as Jesus would.

God Bless,

Sydney

Think about it: What does alertness mean to YOU?

Happy Birthday to A Perfect Lily!

Isn't that just the sweetest face ever?! This precious baby, Lily Anne Rice, is turning one year old today! Happy Birthday Lily!

I've never met Lily, but I'm in love with her Mama's blog, A Perfect Lily. I came across Patti's blog a few months ago, and I've been obsessed ever since!

Lily was born with, as her Mommy says, "a magical extra chromosome." A Perfect Lily is Patti's blog of letters to Lily, who is her tenth child. She blogs about how she has felt throughout Lily's whole situation and diagnosis. Though Patti was scared before Lily was born, once she was here on Earth, Patti knew she was just perfect. Lily may have down syndrome, but she will never feel short on love.

A Perfect Lily is one of my favorite blogs. I check it daily for updates on sweet little Lily. The best part is that after almost every one of Patti's sweet, heartfelt messages to Lily, she posts pictures! There must be a thousand pictures of that beautiful little girl on A Perfect Lily.

Patti is a wonderful mom, woman, and servant to God. Even though I don't know her, I can just tell by the way she writes. Patti's other blog Notes from Home, is a blog about her entire family and their life. Notes from Home is great as well, and I love the music!

Lastly, we can't forget about Patti's daughter, Mackenzie's, blog to Lily. I just discovered oh, dearest lily bird a few days ago when I heard about it on Patti's blog. Mackenzie loves her sister Lily so much! Her words to Lily are so sweet. They just melt your heart.

In addition to her parents, 9 siblings, family, and friends who love Lily, she has someone else. Her heavenly Father. He will always be there for her because he loves her. He will always be with her family, as well. God will guide us through life, past the hardships, so we can embrace the wonderful things. Trust Him with your life, and let Him lead you, just as the Rice family has!

I wanted to post the most precious video of Lily's first year, but I have no idea how! Instead, I'll settle for posting a link. Click here to watch the video!
Don't forget to stop by and visit the Rice family at their awesome blogs!


A Perfect Lily

oh, dearest lily bird

Notes from Home

God Bless,

Sydney
P.S: On A Perfect Lily, Patti blogs a lot about some very special children on Reece's Rainbow, the International Down Syndrome Orphan Ministry. The stories of these children are heartbreaking, but there is definitely hope. Patti has raised thousands of dollars for 2 specific children on Reece's Rainbow: Olga and Kareen. Kareen is so blessed to have recently found a wonderful family. However, something has come up, and the family that wanted to adopt Olga had to back out.
Also, I can't forget about another baby on Reece's Rainbow, a boy named Peter. He is about to turn 4, and he is facing an institution. Patti has asked everyone to pray. Please pray for Kareen, Olga, Peter, and all the other precious children on Reece's Rainbow that are still in need of families. Thanks!

Visit Reece's Rainbow

Godly Character Quality #1: Truthfulness

A certain family of Wonderful Christians (They were featured on my blog on Thursday, as Wonderful Christians #3!) introduced me to a list of 49 important character qualities. The 49 qualities are all important aspects of being a good Christian. I will focus on about 3-4 a week, and today happens to be day 1!

The first character quality from the list of operational definitions provided by Wonderful Christians #3 is: Truthfulness vs. Deception: Earning future trust by accurately reporting past facts-Ephesians -4:25.

To me, this means that God wants us to be truthful (to him, to other people, and to ourselves) so that we can earn their trust.

We should be able to open up to God and pray about each and every aspect of our lives. God is our best friend and we don't even know it! He knows everything about us. As a Christian, when you lie you are betraying God. You will feel guilty, not only about lying to whomever you lied to, but but for sinning against your Father in Heaven.

Honesty is the best policy, no matter what the circumstances are. All in all, I just try to do what is right in His eyes and follow His Word. This is what Truthfulness means to me!


Think about it: What does truthfulness mean to YOU?