Happy Thanksgiving

If you don't know, I picked up another half time job this fall. I'm a history teacher. I love history. I don't like memorizing dates, facts and figures, but I love the stories.

I found a little story that took place inside the classroom of a history teacher and I would like to share it with you.

A teacher asked her students to list what they thought were the present Seven Wonders of the World. The students cast the most votes for:

1. Egypt's Great Pyramids
2. Taj Mahal
3. Grand Canyon
4. Panama Canal
5. Empire State Building
6. St. Peter's Basilica
7. China's Great Wall

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student had not turned in her paper yet. She asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list.

The girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there were so many."

The teacher said, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help."

The girl hesitated, then read, "I think the Seven Wonders of the World are:

1. to see
2. to hear
3. to touch
4. to taste
5. to feel
6. to laugh
7. to love

getSynergized Newsletter (7-27-03); submitted by Phil Myers, Chesterton, Indiana

November is the month of thankfulness. When I am listing what I am thankful for, I usually list people and material things first. You know, I'm thankful for my family, my home, having food to eat, having a church family, clean water, indoor plumbing. . . Those sorts of things.

This year, I want to focus on things I don't always think of. I'm thankful for the ability to love. I'm thankful I can laugh. I am so thankful my senses are all working.

Most of all, I'm extremely thankful that God knows me and that He has a deep desire for me to know Him. This continuously blows me away. God knows me. God knows you. He desires to have fellowship with each of us on a personal level. Now here is something to truly be thankful for.

A tornado could come through and take my house, but I'd still have Him.
An accident could occur and I could lose my family, but I'd still have Him.
A stroke could leave me unable to express love, but I'd still have Him.
I could lose my sight, but I'd still have Him.

God is the only thing that can never be taken away from me. And everything else, all of the above, are just blessings upon blessings that He pours into my life.

Thank you, Lord. Really, there are not words to describe the appreciation I have for who He is.

So, thank God for your food, and your home and your family. Just don't forget to praise and thank God for who He is. Remember that every good thing comes from Him.

Dating Advice

Hey Girls!

Are you dating someone?

Is there a boy that you like?

Now, I don't know about you, but when I started dating, I was really checking out guys for marriage.

The other day I happened on this short, funny video on dating. It was produced by a Jewish group, but don't let that throw you.

I hope you enjoy it.

Purity

Today, it was 102 degrees outside. If you were to come over to my house, the first thing I would do is offer you a glass of water.

Would you like a glass of water? Here you go.

I can see you now. You're sitting on my couch enjoying the refreshing liquid. Can you imagine with me? The drink cools your parched throat.
Say it with me: "Ahhhh."

What if I told you that I accidentally dropped some cyanide in there? Whoops. It wasn't much really. Just a few drops. I really hope it doesn't kill you. I'm so sorry the water I gave you wasn't pure.

Purity.

It is a topic most young people do not like to talk about. Mostly because they are feeling guilty. Sometimes it just makes them uncomfortable. Let's define purity first.

pu·ri·ty

noun

1. the condition or quality of being pure; freedom from anything that debases, contaminates, pollutes, etc.: the purity of drinking water.

pure

adjective
1. free from anything of a different, inferior, or contaminating kind; free from extraneous matter

Thank you, dictionary.com.

Naturally, when we start talking about purity, our minds go to sexual purity, abstinence, refraining from having sex. But purity is more than that. It's about being pure in thoughts, actions, and words and being careful with what goes in our minds. It's a whole attitude, a way of life you live. I've been married for fifteen years and I still struggle with purity. Why? Because it has to do with being pure in heart, in our conduct, in our motives, in our inner spirits, and in our thought lives.

I'll let you in on a little secret.

Nobody is pure. Everybody struggles in this area.

So why do grown-ups make such a big deal about sexual purity? Why does God make such a big deal about sexual purity?

Do you really want to know the truth? You might be surprised. Are you ready? Okay, here I go. The real reason we make such a big deal about sexual purity is because we care. Yep. That's it. We care about you. We love you. God loves you.

God wants to do two things. He wants to provide you with the very best and protect you from everything else.

²¹ My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight,
preserve sound judgment and discretion;
²² they will be life for you,
an ornament to grace your neck.
²³ Then you will go on your way in safety,

and your foot will not stumble.
²⁴ When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
²⁵ Have no fear of sudden disaster
or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
²⁶ for the LORD will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared.

Proverbs 3:21-26

Wow! Look at all the things God gives to those who follow Him.
Life. Grace. Safety. No Fear. Sweet Sleep. The Lord will be at your side. These are all the good things God is waiting to provide for you when you follow His wisdom.

¹⁸ Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. ¹⁹ Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰ you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

1 Corinthians 6:18-20

If you are a Christian, a follower of Christ, then the Holy Spirit lives in you. Your body is not yours to do whatever you want with it. Christ died for you. He purchased you at a tremendous price. Why? So you can do whatever you want with your boyfriend? No. To honor God. I really want you to think about this. Honor God in all your choices, but especially in how you behave with your body, His temple.

Marriage should be honored by all, and the

marriage bed kept pure,

for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

Hebrews 13:4

Pure.

The guy you are dating is not your husband. He does not belong to you. Until you are married, you are kissing somebody else's husband.

God has a husband for you. How would it feel to know your future husband is out fooling around with some other girl right now? Those memories will never leave him.

Adultery is a strong word, but I'm not the one using it here. God is. And He says He will judge you. Don't say I didn't warn you.

God wants to provide you with a husband. He wants you to have a pure relationship. God desires to give you a marriage filled with life and grace and safety. He wants you to have sweet sleep. He does not want you to live in fear. Fear of STD's. Fear of pregnancy out of wedlock. Fear of being caught. He wants to walk beside you all of the days of your life and provide you with His best. I promise you: His best is better anything you can dream of creating on your own.

Decide to stay pure. Sex is a really wonderful thing. God thought it up. He wants you to save physical intimacy for marriage because it will protect you from a lot of bad junk and provide you with a marriage worth having.

I'm telling you this because I care.

These thoughts came from our summer girls' Bible study, His Girl by Vicki Courtney.

The Secret of Self-Worth

Next Saturday, the town I live in is hosting an all town garage sale. Usually, I'm out looking for deals, but this year I have decided to join the sellers. The idea of having a garage sale really stresses me out. I have to clean out, sort through and gather from throughout the house. The worst part for me, though, is the pricing. I don't like pricing! It is so hard to determine the worth of something. One gal's trash is another girl's treasure.

This is true when we look in the mirror, too. What if someone asked you what you are worth? How do you determine your self-worth?

If you are like most people, you might base your self-worth on what others think about you or you might compare yourself to others who you think are somehow better than or less than you.

At our teen girls' Bible study last night, we looked at three ways the world determines the worth of a person and then we contrasted them to the way God determines our worth.

#1 Worth = What You Look Like

We are bombarded by a culture that judges people's worth by touched up photos of skinny models. So, we end of thinking that if we don't look right, if we don't have the right brand of jeans or the right hair cut or perfect make-up, we somehow don't measure up.

Here's some truth:

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
Psalms 139:14

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Genesis 1:26-27, 31

God formed you with his own hands, and it was very good. You are wonderfully and purposefully created by God. Let's rewrite the world's first formula for worth.

Worth = God Made Me Special in His Image

#2 Worth = What You Do

Looks aren't everything to the world. We are also judged by our performance. Even your parents push you to get good grades and do well. Colleges are looking for students who are at the top of their class and active in community service and leadership. You feel pressure to make the varsity team, to be the good girl, to be a hard worker. These are not bad things, but they should not determine your worth.

Here is some truth that might hurt a little:

All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
Isaiah 64:6

Ouch. Did that just say God sees all of our righteous acts like filthy rags? All my accomplishments, abilities, achievements, good deeds, efforts, performances, skills, talents and triumphs are worthless to God?

The truth is God does not put conditions on His approval. When you accept Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord, He loves you no matter what. Your worth comes from Him, not from your actions. Let's rewrite the world's second formula for worth.

Worth = What Jesus Did For Me

#3 Worth = What Others Think of Me

We have a deep desire to fit in, to be accepted, to gain the approval of others and sometimes that leads us to people-pleasing actions that are opposite of what God would have for us.

Here is some truth:

How amazing are your thoughts concerning me, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.
Psalm 139:17-18

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
I Samuel 16:7

But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command.”
I Samuel 13:14

Nobody thinks about you more than God does. He isn't concerned with whether you are trendy or if others think you are funny or popular. He is concerned about your heart. David was the runt of his family, the baby brother with the lowliest position, most mundane job, the least experience and yet God chose him to be king over His chosen people because David was a man after God's own heart.

God's desire is for you to seek and find your worth in Him. Let's rewrite the third formula for worth.

Worth = What God Thinks of Me

You are not an accident. God created you just the way you are for His purposes. You have significant and tremendous worth.

The next time you are looking in the mirror, remember that what you see is what Jesus loves.

Remember, one gal's trash is God's treasure.

Our study is based on His Girl by Vicki Courtney.

Anti-conformity

Anti-conformity. It means to not assimilate. We want to fit into the crowd and yet we want to be unique and special. But, what does God ask of us? He wants us to be different. First Peter 1:17 tells us to "live as strangers here" and Philippians 3:20 reminds us that our "citizenship is in heaven." If you feel as if you do not belong here on planet earth, then you are probably doing a good job.

Read these words:
RED GREEN PINK PURPLE WHITE ORANGE BLUE YELLOW RED GREEN PINK PURPLE WHITE ORANGE BLUE YELLOW RED GREEN PINK PURPLE WHITE ORANGE BLUE YELLOW RED

As you read the words above, what comes to your mind first, the color that the words actually say or the color that the words are printed in? This is a tough one for your brain, because your brain can "read" these words two different ways. You have to slow down your thinking in order to read the letters.

This happens in the spiritual realm as well. We live in this world, but we are citizens of heaven. We are constantly bombarded with the standards of earth, but we know that we should live under the standards of God.

So, how do we do it? Here's the verse to meditate on this week.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

The world is constantly pushing you to conform, but God has a better plan for you. The only way to be transformed is by the renewing of your mind. And the only way to renew your mind is to spend time reading the Bible.
Period.
That's what it takes.


Do you have a kitchen table? Is it the dumping ground at your house? You know, you walk in the door from school or wherever and you take all the stuff in your hands and you just dump in on the table. So does everyone else. Backpacks. Books. Water bottles. Hats. Mail. Whatever. It all gets deposited on the table.

Supper time rolls around and mom starts hollering from the kitchen, "Clear off the table." Somebody, probably you, has to get rid of all the stuff. You can't sit down for a good, nutritious meal without first clearing off all the junk.

The same thing is true in your brain. You get junk dumped on you all day long. You need to take time to clear it off and then you need to sit down and get some good, nutritious food. Fill your brain up with the Word of God from the Bible. You must be radically transformed before we can stand out for God in the world.

You know I love music, so here is a song by Krystal Meyers called Anti-conformity. It could not be embedded so we share the link with you below. Be sure to check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WErI0J61kzw

This is what we talked about at our teen girls' Bible study last night. We are using the study His Girl by Vicki Courtney and I stole some of her thoughts for this blog. It is a good study and if you happen to be a teen girl who has completed seventh through twelfth grade and live in the Stafford area, come to my house at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday. If you live somewhere else, you can buy the study book at a Christian bookstore or online or you can just keep reading the blog. The book is better. The Bible is best.

Stress

Stress. When I mentioned to a group of teen girls that our summer Bible study would begin with the topic of stress, I received feedback that this was a much needed topic. I know I'm not revealing some great mystery when I tell you that teen girls live with a lot of pressures.

When I asked the girls to tell me what stresses them out, some of the responses included: tests, knowing the right thing to wear, homework, sports, boys, the drama of high school, family responsibilities, getting and keeping in shape, getting ready for college, and keeping Christian friends. Okay, someone mentioned that her coach is a crazy driver and it totally stresses her out to drive anywhere with the team, but we are not mentioning names here. These are big issues for girls and as the conversation continued more things were added to the list.

Our study is called His Girl by Vicki Courtney. The goal with the study is to get us (and I'm including myself) to see the world from God's point of view. We want to live as a daughter of the King. So, how does God want us to react when we feel stressed?

14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:14-16

I have to be honest with you. Jesus was a guy. He lived a long time ago. He probably wore the same thing every day. Are you sure he can empathize with a fifteen-year-old girl's decision on what to wear on a dress-up game day? He could turn stones into food if he was hungry, but did he ever have to worry about being teased over his weight? Jesus was omniscient; did he ever stress out before a test?

A little deeper look into the Bible reveals to us that Jesus did indeed face many pressures. Thankfully, Jesus' actions also show us how we can react and face those stresses.

Here is where you need to open your Bible and read Matthew 14. Yes, the whole chapter. While you are reading, remember this all happened it just one day.

Do you remember who John the Baptist was? John was Jesus' cousin and he was a prophet. If anyone on earth had a chance of really "getting" Jesus, it was John. Jesus loved and treasured John. So, it is no surprise that when Jesus is told that John had been beheaded, "he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place." See verse 13.

Jesus was grieving. Have you ever lost someone you love deeply? You understand how Jesus felt. He wanted to get away by himself and mourn his cousin. Unfortunately, Jesus did not have time to grieve. A large crowd had followed Jesus and he felt compassion for them.

If Jesus had a to-do list for that day it would have looked like this.

• Get terribly sad news
• Take a boat ride
• See large crowd and feel compassion
• Heal all the sick
• Feed five thousand men and their families
• Dismiss the crowd
• Pray alone on a mountainside
• Walk across the lake
• Give Peter a water-walking lesson
• Heal more sick people
• Answer challenges from religious people
• Teach large crowd
• Explain teaching to disciples

Did you notice that Jesus' day stretched into day two? I read chapter 14 and 15 several times and I never saw where Jesus rested, or slept, or ate chocolate. (That's what I do when I get stressed out.) So what did Jesus do?

He went alone and prayed. That was Jesus' response to the pressures of the world. And it should be our response as well.

Does it work? Scroll back up to Hebrews 4:16. God tells us that when we pray, we will receive mercy, grace and help. Notice, it doesn't say maybe we will receive or sometimes we will receive. It says we will receive.

Pray. Approach God's throne of grace with confidence. It works.

Vision Check

Last month, I somehow contracted an eye infection. Nasty thing, it was. I woke up with goop gluing my eyelid together and underneath hid a red, swollen eye. Yuck. Monday morning, it was off to the doctor for me to get antibiotic eye drops and strict orders to refrain from wearing my contacts.

Glasses. I have worn glasses over a quarter of a century now and I still do not like them. The glasses I currently use are from a prescription of days gone past and consequently, I can't see very well out of them. However, without them, I can't see a thing.

A couple of years ago, I had to purchase a specialized alarm clock with two inch high numbers. Even with my head on the pillow right next to its bright glowing red numbers, I still squint to read the time. I'm not exaggerating. My vision is terrible. I need my glasses.

I have passed on this genetic trait to all of my unfortunate children. As the youngest, four-year-old Samuel was the last to acquire his spectacles. He is also the best at misplacing them. Recently, the glasses went missing for several days when Nathan found them camouflaged by the heat vent grate on the floor. The usual quarter reward was given. I've asked if super-gluing glasses to a little person is child abuse and rumor has it is. Bummer.

The thing about Samuel is that he does not think he needs his glasses. He is convinced that he can see just fine without them.

I understand exactly how he feels because I feel that way when it comes to God sometimes. I convince myself I can see. I persuade myself to think that the vision I have of God is clear and complete. I forget the need to put on my glasses daily. Okay, I don't have superpower glasses that allow me to see the spiritual realm, but I do have a Bible. Inside is a clear and consistent description of who God is. Yet sometimes, I don't take the time to open it up and spend some time with the Lord.

Here are a few verses to consider:


Isaiah 56:10
Israel’s watchmen are blind, they all lack knowledge; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they lie around and dream, they love to sleep.


Isaiah 44:9
All who make idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Those who would speak up for them are blind; they are ignorant, to their own shame.


Psalm 146:8
the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous.


Do you see the connection between blindness and lack of knowledge or ignorance? The flip side of that is a connection between sight and wisdom, to see God for who he really is and to walk in that truth.

Don't get stuck with yesterday's glasses prescription. Each day, open up your Bible and strengthen your vision. You need to do this. I need to do this.

Remember how I told you that Samuel doesn't think he needs his glasses. Well, he does and this is how I know.
Last year during basketball season, Jeff (Samuel's daddy) was coaching basketball. The other coach is Mr. Norman who is also tall with dark hair. Jeff and Mr. Norman wore matching coaching shirts. From one end of the gym to the other, Samuel could not determine which one was his daddy. This is a problem. You should be able to find your daddy. You should be able to pinpoint your heavenly father. Know him. Know his character. Do not be confused by your lack of vision, your lack of knowledge and truth.

Every day, I find time to check my email. I check my facebook page. Most days, I even check the weather. If I have time to do all of that, I know I have time to check in with my abba and so do you.

Here's one more verse to ponder:

I gain understanding from your precepts;
therefore I hate every wrong path.

Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path.

I have taken an oath and confirmed it,
that I will follow your righteous laws.
Psalm 119:104-106

You know, I love to leave you with a song, so check this one out. It's an oldie but a goodie.




Here are the words:

Be Thou My Vision

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.