A Bleak Surrounding

Our country is headed for a recession. Only 4% of Americans have a Biblical worldview. Drug use is becoming rampant among junior high students. The majority of high school students do not graduate with their virginity still intact.

We are living in a very bleak surrounding.

If you turn on your television, you will see reports on the news of absolutely horrible things that are happening to people every day. You will see murder, cheating, lying, and a world with no hope. We may be great at keeping our world “green” but we sure aren’t keeping it moral.

I do not watch hardly any television or read any of the popular books because they are so filled with evil. Lying has become okay, and truth has become relative. Christianity has become scarcer and Agnosticism and Atheism is growing.

If you are not a Christian, I don’t know how you can keep on living. Obviously the
world is not what it should be, and it will come to an end someday. If the world keeps getting steadily more evil, what is the point in prolonging your distress? Wouldn’t it be easier to just give up hope and die?

I have good news and bad news. This world will come to an end. It will get worse and evil will appear to prevail. This is not the bad news, however, because Jesus is coming back to take his followers to a new earth that is emptied of evil and is perfect because God made it! Revelation 21:1 says, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away and there was no longer any sea.” Can you imagine what it will be like to go to a completely new world?! This is the good news: If you believe and follow Jesus Christ, you will go to the new earth and live with Him forever. The bad news is this: if you do not believe, you will go to hell and will suffer eternal separation from God.

This is the bleak surrounding. As humans, we can handle turmoil in our lives, a bad economy, and poverty. But we cannot handle complete separation from God. It is God’s will for all people to love and obey Him, but because we are idiots, we reject God’s will and try to make one of our own. The separation of heaven and hell is great, and there is no way to do over your life once in hell. Do you really want to die not believing in God and then stand before Him on judgment day knowing that you have rejected Him all your life? How terrible it will be for those who did not believe and finally see that they were the ones who were wrong. Can you imagine what the screaming will be like when their fate is announced?

In a world that is falling apart, it seems as if there is no hope. Yet in a world where evil is rampant, there is a shaft of light piercing the darkness of Satan. This light comes from the only one who emanates absolute truth, agape love, and amazing grace. This light is our Redeemer, Savior, and Everlasting Hope. In a world with no love, no truth, and no trust, God shines his glory to those willing to accept it. I plead with each and every one of you to receive the truth before it is too late. Do not let the bleak outlook of the world envelop your senses. Do not let Satan win the battle over your life now, for Jesus will prevail in the end.

An Eternal Holiday

Did you have a good Easter? Was your day filled with presents and candy? Or was it spent worshiping God’s Son who died for your sins?

It amazes me how the world can simply remove the true meaning of Easter from the world and convince so many people that it is about the Easter Bunny or egg-dyeing or candy. How many people do you think woke up this morning with a stomach ache from all the candy and food? How many people didn’t enjoy their day just because they knew it would be over too soon?

All the world gets after Easter is a stomach ache and a bummed spirit.

But there is good news, too. If you are a Christian, you know that we celebrate Easter for a much more wonderful reason. We are celebrating the resurrection of Christ who takes away the sin of the world! Without this monumental occasion, there would be no eternal importance to Easter, Christmas, or Good Friday. The world misses out on an extremely important part of one of the most important holidays!

Can you imagine celebrating Easter only for the food, candy, and gifts? Can you imagine never knowing what Christ did for the world and how we can enter eternity in heaven through it? Can you imagine that kind of spiritual darkness?

I have been raised in a Christian setting my entire life, so I don’t know what these things truly feel like, though I believe it would be truly horrible. God has made it our mission to make sure no one has to live in that type of ignorance! I think it is crazy how people say that Christians are the ignorant ones… Aren’t we the ones that truly understand what life’s importance is?

What did you do to spread the message of Easter? Did you invite someone over to your house to share the marvel of Christ’s resurrection? Plan ahead next year if you didn’t, so that you may share the joyous news of the empty tomb!

It saddens me to walk into Wal-Mart, Target, or just about any store and see only chocolate bunnies, sugar coated peeps, and creamy eggs. What about the cross? What about the true meaning? Why can’t the world see that not every holiday is just about the material things?

It is up to us as Christians to expose the true meaning of Easter to the world. There will be many who will refuse to see it, but many hearts will be touched by the message they have never heard. We all must try harder than ever to expose the world’s temporary pleasures and instead reveal the everlasting meaning of Christ.

“He himself bore our sins, in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed!” 1 Peter 2:24

A Bunch of Smart Idiots

Recently, my family watched the documentary entitled: “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed.” This was produced by the popular comedian Ben Stein who used his own money to fund a movie that supported the Christian perspective of intelligent design. In this funny, but rather shocking movie, Ben Stein goes around asking evolutionists and intelligent design supporters and professors about their viewpoints of how intelligent design is being stamped out of public school systems, colleges, and America as a whole. Some of the remarks that come out of the evolutionary scientists’ mouths are shocking and frankly, they made me mad. One professor stated that religion should be kept separate from science, and should be something that people do on the weekends as a hobby, not something that should play a role in a person’s entire life. Another said that man did evolve, but not for a purpose. They were put on earth simply to be born, live, and die. What a lame existence! Yet another stated that religion should be slowly eradicated so it would stop causing
problems between people.

I think Ben Stein met and talked to a bunch of smart idiots.

It struck me though, that the evolutionists were so sure that they were right and that the believers in intelligent design were absolutely 100 percent wrong. It didn’t matter what anyone said to them, they would not be swayed in their judgment. One professor said that he went into a high school biology class a Christian, but after reading his text book and taking a semester class from an evolutionist, he gave up his belief in God and became a devoted Darwinist. Sadly, this same man was diagnosed with a brain tumor late in his life, and this still did not shake his belief in Darwin’s theory. I don’t know if this man is still alive, but I pray that he found (or finds) God’s truth before his death. The evolutionists were not willing to even listen to a creationist’s perspective they were so sure they were right! I think that happens a lot in a Christian’s life, because they are so sure they are right about something, but are not willing to listen to another side. I agree that sometimes it is dangerous to let an idea enter your head, but shouldn’t we at least give a person with a different view the opportunity to tell us why they believe how they do? We may even come to find that we are wrong!

I think what struck me most was what that one professor said about church and religion becoming something one does on the weekend, and the weekend only. It’s like when people are “Christian” on Sunday, but Monday through Saturday don’t count. I don’t think on Judgment Day God is going to judge us on what we did only on Sundays. Religion is not a hobby or a social club; it is something to take seriously and live out every day. So many churches have enough activities to fill a person’s social calendar, but they are not meeting the people’s spiritual needs. I don’t want a church that just gives me stuff to do… I want one that will help me grow in my EVERYDAY relationship with Christ, and my spiritual walk with God! If I never mature in my faith, what is the point? The humanist view of how church should be something that is enjoyable, fun, or entertaining is ruining many churches throughout America.

I find it sad and disturbing that politicians are trying their hardest to separate religion from government, when our own Declaration of Independence names God as our Creator! The Declaration does not say, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by that which they evolved through with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” No! It says, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The authors of the Declaration were not trying to separate religion from government, they were trying to ensure that they always went together! The idea that man was created by God was not even questioned. I think it is sad that the theory of intelligent design isn’t even the primary scientific explanation that is taught in public schools today. I don’t think Creation is looked upon as a scientific theory (or law), but it is seen as a stupid, unbelievable idea that the Christian fanatics thought up.

I wish I could say that one day everything would be better, and creationism would be re-established, but I’m not so sure. Our country needs every Christian to fall to their knees in prayer for it, or it may become worse than a Communist country. Please join me in praying for America and its future.

A Common Misconception

My parents are gone for ten days on a Caribbean cruise. As much as I would like to be on that cruise with them, I would really have them back here so they, my siblings, and I can be a family again. I miss them a whole lot, and look forward to their daily calls just so I can hear their voices. I love my parents so much, and wish they were here with all of my heart.

Now most of you who know me can tell that my family is extremely important to me, and I would do anything for them. Being homeschooled has made a huge difference in how I view my family. When you are with them all day every day, it’s pretty lonely when you have to spend ten days apart from them!!

It seems to be expected of teenagers in the world today to treat their parents with disrespect, disregard, and as if they have no real value. I can’t tell you how many times I have walked through the mall or into a store and heard a teenager complaining about their parents, saying how unfair they are, and how they just don’t understand them. This always makes me wonder if I have ever said anything disrespectful to a friend about my parents. I try not to, and hope to succeed until the day I die.

Why is it that teenagers are predisposed to dislike whatever they say or do? Could it be because of the television shows on today? Could it be because that is just what has come to be expected?

My dad came home from work the other day and told me about an incident he had had with a coworker. I can’t remember how the conversation started, but basically my dad had said how he was glad I wasn’t like other teenagers. The man asked how old I was, and proceeded to tell my dad that there was still time for me to become like the rest of the world. My dad said that I would never become like that because he had told me not to, and the coworker said that it doesn’t matter how hard a parent tries, the child will rebel at some time (break curfew, talk disrespectfully, etc.)
My dad just told him that he was sure it would never happen to me (thanks, Dad!) and the guy just laughed as if my dad was ignorant.

It hit me that even the parents expect their teens to rebel at some point! Maybe it’s not all the teen’s fault after all, though it is mostly their problem. The parents have just stopped trying to teach their kids how not to behave, because everyone else acts like it, so why not? I thought that was pretty sad.

I love my dad so much for sticking up for me and my reputation. He told that man that he has told me how not to act, and that I am obedient enough to follow his direction. I’m sure the guy though my dad was crazy, but maybe he will be surprised in a couple of years when I am still not in trouble.

I am hoping to break the trend of going against my parents, because I have come to realize that they really DO know more than I do! They have lived much longer than I have, and have the wisdom that I have not yet acquired. Proverbs 16:31 says, “Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life.” (See Mom? Those gray hairs are for a good reason!!) I love my parents so much, even though I sometimes do things to hurt them. When I disobey them, it is usually because I have come to see through the world’s perspective of the parent/teen relationship. I hope I can stay faithful (with the Lord’s help) to my promise to honor my parents no matter what the circumstance.

If you get to read this on your cruise ship in the middle of the Caribbean, Mom and Dad, I love you very much and wish you were here with me right now! I can’t wait until Sunday to see you! I love you, and want to try to be the best teenage daughter you could ever have.
Love you,
Molly.

Just Hike It Up

It seems to me that one of the biggest problems in our world today is modesty. Not one person can even walk into Wal-Mart without needing to cover the eyes more than once! It doesn’t even matter that it is the middle of February, and it’s freezing outside… The inappropriate clothing is still prominent.

I think modesty is so important because of the many boys in the world. When girls walk around half naked, it exposes them to something that they do not need to ever be exposed to. No matter how hard they try to stay away from girls like that, they still cannot keep their eyes from accidentally seeing something. I want to respect my brother’s in Christ and all the boys of this world in the way I dress, so as not to influence them to do evil.

Now, my modesty standards are probably higher than those of the average person, but I don’t think that’s a problem. I would like to share with you what I believe is Biblically appropriate and I personally would wear. If you know me very well, you know that I am SUPER modest, and don’t even own something that I feel uncomfortable in. So here it goes…


My Modesty Standards:

A. Shirts

1) No v-neck shirts without a camisole under it.
2) When I bend over, nothing must be exposed.
3) Not too tight.
4) No spaghetti-strap shirts or skinny strapped tank-tops.

B. Pants

1) Not too tight.
2) Shorts are not any shorter than one inch above the knee.
3) When I bend over nothing is exposed.
4) When I sit down, no one is embarrassed.

C. Skirts

1) Not any shorter than past the knee.
2) When I sit down, no one can see up my skirt.
3) Not too tight.
4) Can walk without looking like a penguin.

D. Dresses

1) Not form fitting or clingy.
2) Past the knee.
3) Modest neckline.

Now I realize that most people would classify this as over the top, but this is what I feel is right, and what God wants me to wear. Every time I try something on at a store I ask myself this question: “Would I wear it to church? Would I wear it in front of my youth group or my minister?” I do not buy anything that I would not feel comfortable wearing at my church. With this simple technique, I keep myself from buying anything that might be even in the slightest inappropriate.

Girls and modesty do not seem to go together any more. I hope that I can be an example to them in the way I dress, even if I am a bit uptight about it. If I could tell the girls of this world one thing, it would be to hold the front of their shirts when they bend over. It’s really not that hard, and it saves all the other people in the room a lot of embarrassment.

To Find the One

On Sunday, I was struck by a song that was played during the offering. I came home and looked it up and found that it was written by Paul Alan and is called “Only to Bring you Back”. Here are the lyrics to the chorus:

“I left the ninety-nine, to find the one. And you’re the one! I walked a thousand miles in the desert sun, only to bring you back.”

I love the chorus because it makes me think of the world today. We Christians have the opportunity every day to make something more important than God. We can turn to money, possessions, other people, and just about anything you can think of, but we have chosen to make God the center of our lives.

So many times I have found myself prioritizing something above God. When I catch myself, I am so ashamed, and I wish I could run and hide. Yet, I know that I must turn to God for forgiveness. It is very hard for me to admit my mistakes to anyone, even God. It is so easy in the world today to find something that consumes all of my attention. If I flip on the television, I see a million things that I “NEED” to have. I think commercials come straight from the Devil! They try to make us want something that will take away our focus from God.

When I was eight, I finally figured out why I didn’t feel complete. I was trying to find something to fill this empty place inside me, but I didn’t know what. My parents helped me find that I wanted to become a Christian. They took me on long walks around the neighborhood teaching me about God’s love and Christ’s ultimate sacrifice. I made the decision to be baptized, and my dad did the honors in our bathtub on May 18th, 2002. I had turned to many different things trying to find that one that would complete me forever. I looked to my not-always-good friends for affirmation of who I was, turned to buying stuff when I felt like I didn’t have enough (when I really had way more than I needed), and many other things trying to figure out what it was that would fill me up. I may have only been in 3rd Grade, but it is amazing what you can feel at that age. I finally found that it was my soul that was not complete. When I went under that water in the bathtub and came back up, I was complete. I had found the one in the ninety-nine that would confirm my identity forever. I found that my identity is in Christ, not in the world.

Even now, after I have been a Christian for six and a half years, I still turn to the world on occasion. I look back at the ninety-nine and wonder if they are really any better than what I have right now. Sometimes, I even go as far as to test it out and see what they are like. Fortunately, I am able to recognize my mistakes and go running back to bow at the feet of Christ.

The song I heard on Sunday voiced what I often feel, but could never explain before. I realize that I do want to leave those that are of the world, and join the ONE and ONLY ONE who will fulfill my life forever. I encourage all of you to make this leap, and make the goal of your life to find the One who was, is, and will forever be there for you.

Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

My Dad is Awesome!

Guess what my dad did today? He took me and my sister to the father-daughter dance (Butterfly Kisses) at the Lincoln Center DURING THE SUPER BOWL. My dad may not be the biggest football fan, but it still made me feel good.

This has been a tradition in my family for the last eleven years. On Super Bowl Sunday for the past eleven years, my dad has taken me to Butterfly Kisses to show me how much he loves me. When my sister was born, he offered to take us to two separate dances so as to preserve our alone time with him, but we decided to go together.

These past eleven dances have been the highlight of my year with my dad. I love spending time with him, and I love that he wants to spend that time with me.
Last week, Dad pulled Lexi and I into the living room and bent on one knee. He pulled out the tickets to the dance from his pocket, and asked us if we would go with him. Do you know what he is trying to teach me? He’s trying to show me how a man or boy should treat me when I am old enough to court (which according to him is thirty-five). He doesn’t do it just because it’s a tradition! He does it because he wants me to set my standards high so I don’t settle for a man that is not meant to be my husband.

My dad has taught me so many things. He’s taught me how to change the oil in the car (yes, I really do know how), do a job well (he is Mr. Perfectionist!), how to understand the subject of Economics, and lots of current events. But the most important thing he has taught me is what to expect from a guy. Because I have his example, I don’t give a second thought to those who are not up to my standards.

So many teenage girls do not have a father figure in their life. Whether it is through divorce, death, or something else, these girls have a higher chance of settling for just any boy. A dad’s influence in his daughter’s life is so very important. Without this, a girl will not know what to look for in a husband.

My dad is a great example of respectfulness toward women. I love watching him with my mom. He makes a point to kiss her as soon as he comes home from work, he buys her thoughtful gifts, and he tells her she is beautiful (which she is). My dad shows me how my husband should treat me when I get married. I hope to find someone just like my dad when I grow up. He is such a good man, who has set a great example for me.

Thank you, Dad, for being there for me whenever I need you. You have shown me the importance of finding the right man, and how to set my expectations high. Thank you for building up my self-confidence by frequently telling me I look beautiful. It may seem small on your part, but it means the world to me. I love you, Dad, and hope to dance with you at Butterfly Kisses for many years to come. You’re the best, and I love you very much.

Here are the pictures from before the dance:

Lexi, Dad, and Me.

We love you, Dad!

Excited for the dance!

The dog wanted to pose, too :)

Do I look stupid in this picture?