Tomorrow Is Easter

While we're caught up in the Easter egg hunts and munching our chocolate bunnies, let's not forget why we really celebrate Easter. No, it's not for the big, giant bunny. It's not for the chocolate.

It's because Someone loved us so much that He not only tolerated our existence--as we took every opportunity to insult and defy Him--but He died for us. He died, and God piled all our guilt on Him.

Jesus didn't do anything wrong. Think of something that was so unjust that it just made you sick. Well, it's ten times worse than that. It's like someone being falsely accused of a horrible crime while the real criminal gets off completely free, even benefits.

Please remember that Jesus not only died, but He came back to life so that we can live a new life free of guilt. Happy Easter!

Hugs & Blessings,

Izori

Merry Christmas

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie;
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by:
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

A stable isn't the most sanitary place to have a baby.

A feeding bin--cold and covered with animal slobber--doesn't make the best crib.

Shepherds were the only ones who came to welcome Christ. Not the cute little children with the clean lambs and smiling, adorable faces. These shepherds were like today's garbage men--rough and dirty.

All around, life milled in the crowded city. Pickpockets wove in and out of the crowd. Blindly, everyone went on, not knowing that if they could have only stopped to peek into a dirty stable, they would have seen a miracle that the world had never seen before.

But that's who Christ came to save. The blind, the selfish, the doomed for death.

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.--Isaiah 9:2

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.--Isaiah 9:6

Have a blessed and merry Christmas!

Izori

When things don't seem to be going our way...

...all you can do is get down on your knees and pray.

God never said this life would be easy. The road's straight and narrow, and sometimes it's really lonely. Sometimes you have to wonder if maybe you're on the wrong road. Everyone feels that way at least once in their lives.

It's not easy, watching everyone sprint past you to earthly life's best pleasures on a road that seem so easy. There are so many people following the 'easy road' that it's hard not to think that so many people can be wrong.

And then you just kind of reach a point where the path seems to be crumbling underneath your feet. Echoes of Psalm 23 bounce in your head, but not the part about green pastures and quiet waters--more about the valley of the shadow of death.

I have two prayer requests, and the first is for my blogging friend, Emily. You may remember her: the same Emily who had leukemia, who we've been praying for so hard for such a long time. It seemed like things were going great, but now she's back in the hospital with a headache that's growing worse. You can read her latest update HERE.

Then there's Laurea's thirteen year old cousin, Joe. He's just been diagnosed with cancer...again. Please pray for Joe.

...yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me...

Psalm 23:4

I forget...what's thankfulness?

I am very behind on NaNoWriMo. Think a couple days worth of writing.

I am seriously starting to think I'm lactose intolerant.

I am SO behind on Biology. So behind...*moan*.

And I miss my blog! I really want to make more time to post, but things are so hectic...

Ran a 5k on Saturday in 35 minutes. No, I did not run all the way, and yes I'm a horrible runner.

Doesn't seem like I have much to be thankful about, huh?

My family. My friends (from the ones I've known since I was 3 to the ones I met this August). All this wonderful food that I can look forward to on Thursday. The ability to write. The freedom that I have in America that came at such a great cost. My health (what's left of it). My God. My church. America.

Let's thank God this Thanksgiving. No, it's not Turkey Day. What do you think we do, thank the great turkey for letting us eat him?

Thanksgiving is a day to spend time giving God the gratitude that He deserves.

Hey, we wouldn't even be here without Him. Think we could spend one day--just one day--saying thank you?

Operation: Combat! {URGENT}

Talk about brilliant ideas! Squeaks at HIDDEN DOORWAYS is starting something called Operation: Combat.

I am sure a lot of you follow Emily's blog. She's a beautiful Christian teen with leukemia.



She will be going through a bone marrow transplant. This includes chemo and radiation to destroy her bone marrow so she can get a transplant from her new baby sister.

Sounds painful?

Yeah.

Emily desperately needs your prayers, everyone.

I remember when my dad had cancer. Seriously, guys, it was hard and I wasn't even the person with the cancer. I remember watching my dad choke down every meal, even though food absolutely revolted him. I remember when we had to give up our dream of living on a farm because dad didn't want to leave mom with a bigger mortgage to pay if he died. He still has a scar on his neck from the operations, which also severed some nerves in his face. I would have meltdowns in my room every day, and muscles in my face and arms would just randomly twitch because of the stress. Cancer is life-shattering for a daughter of someone with cancer, believe me. How much more is it if you actually have cancer?

So this is Squeak's idea. During the time when Emily will be in the hospital, we can pray and fast for her. Click HERE to get to Squeak's post on Operation: Combat. I just talked to my mom, and I will be skipping dessert and occasionally some lunches.



Please, please, please, if you want to make a difference in Emily's life, join Operation: Combat. As Philippians 4 says, "The Lord is near". I know that this will encourage her.

I know that at least some of you will do this.

Take It If You Dare

Perhaps I'll lose followers (sad, because I was hoping to get to 80 soon), or perhaps I'll gain some because people like that I stand up for my beliefs. Just to clarify: God does not hate homosexuals...but He sure does hate homosexuality! My uncle is homosexual, and I know that if God wants, He will turn him toward Him. Homosexuality is a sin. God says He hates it. He also says He hates liars and people who take bribes. The point is, we all need Christ. We all are sinners. And homosexuality is one sin that is actually upheld as 'cool' and 'unique' and 'an alternate lifestyle' in our culture.

Take it if you dare.

Where Has September Gone...?

Man alive. Is there some giant black hole somewhere that just sucks time into it? I can't believe it. It's September 20. Almost October.

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! *gasp* *gasp*!

Actually, I'm quite happy right now. I just got a constructed time with God. I rarely get that because I'm so busy, and it made me realize how much better I feel when I spend some time with my Father. Not the 'in-touch-with-my-inner-self' kind of feeling, but more of a peaceful feeling. It's amazing how much it makes a difference...especially 'cause I'm kind of running on caffeine right now. =)

Life has been absolutely hectic. Biology and History...both pretty cool, and both take a lot of time. And Algebra actually isn't that bad. I'm also reading Elements of Style which I'm finding very helpful. Just in time for NaNoWriMo, too!

I'm sorry I haven't really gotten to answer your guys' lovely comments! Just letting you know, I've read them all and I really, really appreciate them!

So, how has life been for you guys? Really busy? I hope I'm not alone in my overwhelmed-ness. =)

Gold

Well...here I sit in front of the computer. I feel like my life is falling around my ears in shambles. Our washing machine is yet to be fixed. Now our AC is giving us problems--and in the heat and humidity that we have, you don't want to have young children and no air conditioning. Everything is just completely thrown off balance. We were on a thin pole already, and with one shove we're teetering.

I know it's really hard to believe this in even minor calamities, but God is always in control. He knew that our washing machine would break, and it would never do so unless He wanted it to. Why? Maybe he wants to open our eyes to how dependent we are on modern conveniences. Maybe he wants us to trust in Him, because He always knows what's best...even when our life plot looks like it's taking a major twist for the worst.

Yesterday, my dad had a scan on a suspicious lump on his foot. His doctor thinks it's just a cyst, but with dad's medical history they want to be absolutely sure. We've supposed to get the results today or tomorrow. It's hard to think that those stressful months of radiation and chemo were actually by the will of God, but they were.

Dave Ramsey has an interesting metaphor. Gold is only made by heat--heat that melts the gold and brings the impurities and gunk to the top to be skimmed out. The gold is left pure, and it wouldn't have been without the strong heat. This is almost like us. Life can turn up the flames, but it's really God's way of turning us into pure gold.

Yes, the fire can hurt. But, if God is the craftsman, it will bring out things in us that we didn't even know we had. Patience. Faith. Purity.

God knows our limits even better then we do ourselves. He knows just exactly how much heat we can possibly stand before it will break us. He knows how to bring out the gold.

Izori

He Has Risen!

"He has risen! He is not here. Se the place where they have laid him."
Mark 16:6b

Perhaps the sun shone brighter,
Than it ever had, that morn.
Did the stars, that night,
Shine secrets of the dawn?
For now the grave is empty,
The stone is rolled away;
The off'ring of the Savior
Conquered death that day.

What love caused this great wonder,
The Holy One to come?
No oath to us had tied Him,
And yet He left his home.
Rags replacing glory,
Thorns to grace his head;
Blood speaks testimony
Of what our Savior did.
-- Y. Truly


Happy Easter! Centuries ago, pure blood was shed so we could live!

How can we ever say thank you enough?

Izori

P.S. And Happy 2nd Birthday to my li'l brother, Galdor!

O Sacred Head, Now Wounded

O sacred Head, now wounded,
With grief and shame weighed down;
now scornfully surrounded
With thorns, thine only crown;
O sacred Head, what glory,
What bliss till now was thine!
Yet, though despised and gory,
I joy to call thee mine.

What thou, my Lord, hast suffered
Was all for sinners' gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression,
But thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior!
'Tis I deserve thy place;
Look on me with thy favor,
Vouch-safe to me thy grace.

What language shall I borrow
To thank thee, dearest Friend,
For this, thy dying sorrow,
Thy pity without end?
O make me thine forever;
And should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never
Outlive my love to thee.

--Bernard of Clairvaux

It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.

Luke 23: 44-46


What a price to pay. Precious, pure blood for the stains of us.

Have you ever wondered what Jesus was thinking on the cross?

All of God's wrath--wrath that was meant for us--was being poured out onto him. His spiritual anguish must have been severe.

The physical pain--sweating blood, like he did just before, is an actual condition that causes the skin of the place (his forehead) to become extremely tender. Right in time for a crown of sharp thorns to be pressed onto his head. He was whipped with barbed whips. Being elevated into the air on a wooden cross by nails hammered into his hands and feet. Ouch.

The humiliation--being hung out for all to see and to scoff. The soldiers split his garments between them, meaning that he was unclothed. He had a mocking sign hung above his head.

I think that this story has been told so many times that it has kind of lost it's meaning. "Yeah, yeah. Jesus hung on the cross to pay for sins. I know. I've been told a million and two times." But each year we should think on this story afresh. Because if it weren't for Jesus, we would be without hope. We would be doomed.

It's not a good thing, being doomed.

Praise the Lord that we aren't anymore.

Izori

Happy Valentine's Day!

Even though I'm still giving out chocolates and paper hearts to everyone (more like Jolly Ranchers and paper hearts, lol) I'd like to remember what this holiday really is about--a saint who lost his life for the Lord under the rule of Nero in Rome. God also worked through him to restore sight to the blind daughter of a Roman official.

So, after you've taken a moment to remember St. Valentine...

*hands over a virtual box of chocolates* Happy Valentine's Day!!!!!!!!!

Now I get to tell you all about my experiences.

So, last night (Date Night) was actually pretty fun. I was on food-prep, and it actually was easy. Not NEARLY as stressful as teaching the 2-3 yr. old class in VBS! They had 'Ratatouille' on for the kids, and most of the helpers watched it, too :) We (Galdor, Erestor, Luthien, me) only watched ten minutes of it before we had to go, but we had seen it before so it didn't really matter. We were really tired, so we went to bed almost as soon as we got home.

Today was Valentine's Day!! We got up, had breakfast, and then I really quickly made valentine's for my friends at church. Then we went to church, where we had a really good lunch (church lunches are always good, lol), and then we came back home. Dad gave us really fancy chocolates and they taste REALLY GOOD!!!!!!!!!! And then I gave Erestor, Luthien, Galdor, and Dad big hearts stuffed with handfuls of candy, and I gave Mom 'intensely dark' chocolate. And I got a valentine from one of my friend's at church that was very pretty.

Oh yeah, and both Mom and I decided that next week we'll go for seven days without sweets! After a day like this, I think it'll be kind of easy! There's only so much sugar you can have before you have a sugar-crash, y'know! Lol.

Izori

Providential Writing Experiences

Isn't it really creepy how God works things out? I was just thinking of it now.

Okay, y'all know that I LOVE writing--that's kind of obvious. But I actually didn't really love it until I was about ten years old. Maybe a little younger. And by then, I already knew most of my closest friends pretty well.

Well, guess what!

Nearly all of my friends turned out to be writers like me! Rin, who I knew since I was 3, turned out to be a writer; igirl, who I knew since I was 4 or 5, is a writer; Catherine WhiteRose, who I knew since I was 6, is a writer...and when we met none of us wrote!

Isn't that really cool? And it's been useful, too. Encouragement, free editing :), advice...another coincidence--they all blog, too! Rin was the person who introduced me to blogging, actually!

It's really relaxing to know that God's in control, knows the future, and knows exactly what's best for you. Although it may seem really bad at the moment.

Last year, we were going to go to our church's Pine Wood Derby. We had worked really hard on the pine cars, and made sure we had all the right equipment, and test-drove them...and then our car (the real one that we drive) broke down, so we couldn't go. We were really bummed. But then this year, Dad had cancer treatment in the times when we would have been making cars, so if we hadn't had left-over, really awesome cars we wouldn't have been able to go!

Just thought that was really cool to think about...

Izori

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and palced him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Luke 2:1-7

Ever wonder why Jesus came down?

He didn't have to, that's for sure.

At the cross dying for us, He could have called on a legion of angels to take Him down. He could have just ignored us here on earth and thought about more pleasant things. After all, it was OUR fault, NOT his, that got us into the mess we are in now.

But he did, and it certainly wasn't pleasant for him.

He was born in a dirty barn, put in a feeding trough filled with straw and animal drool (and maybe even splinters from the wood), in a dark, cold, crowded city. Not to mention Mary and Joseph had just completed a long, hard, dangerous journey. It wasn't going to get much better, either. Jesus lived a life filled with suffering, and a cross was waiting for him.

He did that because he loved us that much. And he didn't even have to.

I often-times wonder why God doesn't just throw up his hands in disgust and pronounce me hopeless. I've thrown much more than my share of spiritual temper-tantrums, rebelled against Him too many times, and have a total lack of trust in Him daily. I mean, if I were God, I certainly would have lost my patience a looong time ago. I don't deserve him.

But isn't it really great that He DID come?

Merry Christmas!


Izori

Read This, Please!

Melian asked me to post this, and I would like to pass on the request.

Why do we ((sleep)) in [[church]],
But stay ((awake)) through a [[2 hour movie]]?
Why is it so ((hard)) to talk about [[God]],
but so ((easy)) to [[Gossip]]?
Why are we so ((bored)) when we look at a [[Christian magazine]],
but find it ((easy)) to read [[Cosmo]]?
Why is it so easy to ((ignore)) a [[Godly]] post or email,
Yet we ((resend)) the [[nasty]] ones?
Why are ((churches)) getting [[smaller]],
But ((bars and clubs)) are [[growing]]?

Think about it, are you going to repost this?
Or are you going to ignore it, cause you think you'll get laughed at?

Would You Have Opened This if it Said.... Read This In Gods Name.

Jesus Christ said:
"If you deny me in front of your friends, I will deny you in front of my father."

Izori

Guarding our eyes

THIS post by a wonderful fellow blogger, Ëarwen, has got me thinking, "Am I guarding my eyes well?"

For starters, I read the Inheritance Cycle. I started reading it because some people that I know really liked it. And I was drawn right into it.

Let me tell you, I'm a real sucker for adventure. And that's why I have to be extra careful when I read a book. If I'm not, I'll like it simply because the battles are really awesome, or there's amazing adventure in it. And I tend to brush aside the 'other stuff'...that matters much more than adventure.

Sure, I was bothered when Angela predicts Eragon's future, the Elves declare themselves atheists, that the magic is not an allegory of God's power (as it is in Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia) and that Eragon's love for Arya is more of a lustful crush than real love. But I just ignored it and tried to convince myself, "Well, at least it doesn't have any 'good' sorcerers or anything like that in it."

And then I realized that Eragon and the other riders are basically sorcerers by another name.

After that, I started noticing other things such as Roran and Katrina's disgusting relationship before their marriage. And the book didn't even portray it at wrong! At the most, it was only 'different'.

And that lead to me thinking, "How different is Eragon from Twilight?"

Yikes.

Okay, I have never read Twilight, and I'm not sure if I will. If I do, it will be mixed in with hours of reading my Bible and praying, and it will be when I'm much older. But a Christian review that I read a long while ago (and that I can't find right now...sorry!) said that Bella lies and forsakes her parents for the vampire-dude, who I think is named...Edward? Yeah, anyway, for all of you who have already read Twilight, is that true?

If it is, then wouldn't 1 Corinthians 13:6 apply here? Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth (1 Corinthians 13:6 NIV) You may argue that Edward (if that's the vampire-dude) is a good vampire, but is he really?

If you have read Twilight and know that I have the facts wrong, please correct me.

Avoid every kind of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:22 NIV
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Romans 12:9 NIV

Let those who love the Lord hate evil. Psalm 97:10A NIV

And because of those verses, I am considered whether or not I should read the last book of the Inheritance Cycle.





P.S. HERE is a review on Twilight. Not the one I was looking for...but I would still suggest it.

Happy Reformation Day!

Here is the Wikipedia explanation of Reformation Day. We celebrate this instead of Halloween, because of the occult and basically the holiday in honor of death is something we do NOT want to mix with as Christians.

And it makes sense, too! As children of the Lord and Giver of Life, we don't want to celebrate death, do we?

No, I thought not.

So instead of going trick-or-treating, we're (hopefully) going to a soccer game and then I guess we'll just hang out around the house. Although maybe we won't because there are quite a bunch of Halloween-celebrating younger kids in our neighborhood that would probably ring our doorbell if we had a huge sign with the words: 'DO NOT RING ON OUR DOORBELL' on our door.

=)

...=)

Hmmm, I think I'll experiment with something...

(.) (.)
0
|___|

Man, that looks weird.

Anyway...

HAPPY REFORMATION DAY!!!