You Never Change :: Part 1

Nothing seemed to be going right. At that moment, Jesse thought that his whole life was upside down.

 My life is a tornado! I just don’t understand. Nothing will ever be the same!

Jesse sat in the bleak hospital family room with one main question on his heart.

Why?

His green eyes were bloodshot and their usual sparkle was nowhere to be seen. He stared at the ugly blue vase on the table before him, trying to piece the jumble of the past few days together.

Heaving a sigh, Jesse slowly leaned over and buried his face in his hands. Emily, his wife, wiped a tear from her cheek. She put her arm around him and comfortingly stroked her husband’s shoulder. Emily felt a deep weight in her heart as well. She whispered something in Jesse’s ear, and he reached over and grasped her hand tightly. The two sat thus for several minutes.

The sound of stiff fabric rustling together and footsteps caused Jesse and Emily to glance up. It was the doctor entering the room.

Jesse straightened up quickly and stood, studying the doctor’s face. “Doctor, do you have any news?”

Doctor Wallace examined the two in front of him, taking in their current state of emotions. Jesse, with his sagging shoulders and tousled hair…and Emily, with tearful eyes full of concern and questions.

“Please be honest with us, Doctor Wallace.” Emily hoarsely whispered.

“Well,” the doctor began, swallowing hard. “Your mother came through the surgery fine, and is resting now…But—“ Doctor Wallace paused, not sure how to go on. Placing a hand on Jesse’s shoulder, he continued. “But I’m afraid the infection was there long enough to spread throughout her body, and it’s...causing her system to begin shutting down. I tried everything.” His voice broke as he consoled the couple. “I’m so very sorry.”

Jesse could feel the lump in his throat growing larger and his eyes were stinging. He managed to choke out, “How long does she have?”

“I am afraid Michelle has 48 hours or less.”

The last cord broke within Jesse’s heart and tears ran down his flushed cheeks. “My mother…my mama…” He cried, sinking into his seat.

Emily wept hot tears and hugged her sorrowing husband.

The doctor pitifully watched them a moment before turning and exiting the room, letting them have their much needed privacy.

That really is the least favorite part of my job. Doctor Wallace thought to himself as he walked down the tiled floor, back to his patient. I just hate being the one to break the news of a dying loved one.

“It’s just not fair.” Jesse moaned. “She was fine a few days ago! Still the same sweet mama we love and—“ The words caught in his throat and he wiped his wet cheeks before continuing. “And then she had that fall, and wasn’t doing well, and after going to the hospital we found out her gallbladder had ruptured and now this sudden surgery and—.” The distressed words tumbled out of his mouth. “Now…now she’s going. She’s leaving us. Why? Why does this change have to happen to us? Mama…”

Emily reached out and pulled several tissues from the box on the table next to them. She handed some to Jesse, and blew her own nose. “Honey, I love you. And it’s going to be alright.” She made an attempt to speak. “Keep praying about it. God loves you, too.”

Jesse sniffled and planted a kiss on her damp cheek. Standing, he hurried from the room to go to his dying mother’s bedside in the ICU.

Emily sat limply in her chair for a moment, staring at the floor in deep thought. Lord, give us Your strength. A sigh escaped her lips. Keep shining Your love on us. Emily reached into her pocket for her iPhone, and punched in her password. 1:34 am. I didn’t realize it was so late. She proceeded to group text Jesse’s two brothers and his sister, who were traveling as quickly as possible to get to their mother and the hospital. Jesus, help them to get here in time.

Over the course of the next several hours, the siblings arrived, and the foursome stood together by the bedside of their dear parent. Many tears were shed and prayers offered. Even though Mama was in a state of unconsciousness, they spoke loving words to her, held her hand, and tried to make her comfortable.

Then, the call came.

Fifty-two hours after the doctor broke the heartbreaking news; Michelle passed onto glory…and was joyfully greeted by her Savior.

A private family burial was what she had wanted. Michelle…Mama…was laid to rest beside her husband who had gone before. She was lovingly cherished and remembered at her memorial service. Many caring friends brought flowers, meals, and comforting hugs and words to Jesse, Emily and their family.

And then…normal life resumed; or rather, the “new normal”.  Jesse found it extremely difficult coming home in the evenings from work, to find his mother’s room vacant. She will never be there again…I can never speak to her ever again! His heart yearned for her to return. It wasn’t easy to repeatedly answer the question of “Where’s Gramma?” that his three year old daughter, Rosie, asked; while he himself coped with the change.

Change.

The changes weren’t over yet.

*stay tuned for part two! =)*

Last Chance!!!!

Are you looking for a life changing experience? 

Are you wanting to deepen your relationship with your best friend, Jesus?

Is "Study and Memorize the Bible" on your list of want-to-do's, but you just never seem to get around to doing it? 

If you answered yes to at least one of these questions, then I have an answer for you. Let me introduce you to the... *drumroll*

National Bible Bee!

The Bible Bee began in 2009, inspired by the testimony of Shelby Kennedy. Shelby was a young woman who LOVED Jesus Christ and His Word. Unfortunately, Shelby passed away from cancer in her twenties, but her legacy is still changing lives today. 

The Bible Bee is a competition in which young people from the ages of 7 to 18 are encouraged to study and memorize the Scriptures. This Word is life-changing! The Bible Bee provides each contestant with a Study Guide (in which contestants are guided through an in-depth study on a book or passage of the Bible. Last year it was on St. John 1-6.) and a list of passages to memorize (last year, we memorized approximately 40 verses to memorize during the summer). 

I have participated in the National Bible Bee for five years, beginning when I was 13. I truly believe God put it in my life at just the right time. Each year, I've learned many valuable truths and the in-depth study and memorization of the Scripture has truly changed my life!! I can't imagine my life without the Bible Bee, seriously! (And I have a very vivid imagination, too, so...)

This year, 2016, is my first year of being too old to compete, which is very bittersweet to me. But I know there are many of you out there who are within in age bracket of 7-18! So...I want to challenge YOU to participate in the Bible Bee! It will change your life, I promise. 

BUT HEADS UP! Registration for the Bible Bee ENDS SOON! So don't wait around, please! If you're wanting an activity to make your summer worthwhile and life changing, GET INVOLVED IN THE BIBLE BEE! Anyone can do it, anywhere in the world! :) 

Just head over to the Bible Bee website for more information! When you're ready to register, just click the tab that says "Register" to get started! 

If you have ANY questions, feel free to post a comment below, and I will try to answer it the best I can. 

Whether or not you compete in the Bible Bee, I pray that you will find God's Word real in your life and that you will hunger and thirst for Him! 

Upward, Believer!

Rouse thee, O believer, from thy low condition! 

Cast away thy sloth, thy lethargy, thy coldness, or whatever interferes with thy chaste and pure love to Christ. Make Him the source, the center, and the circumference of all thy soul's range of delight. Rest no longer satisfied with thy dwarfish attainments. Aspire to a higher, a nobler, a fuller life. 

Upward to heaven! 

Nearer to God!

~ Charles H. Spurgeon ~

Whatever the Test...Trust in Him

“Rachel, you’re next!”

My turn had come. The moment I had been preparing for the past four months was here. My heart pounded and my mouth felt as if I hadn’t had a drink for 24 hours. I followed the man who had called my name to the door of the testing room.

One of the testing rooms for Bible Bee Oral Rounds 

“Do your best!” he smiled as I entered the room. My mind was whirling. I felt cold. I was both very excited and very nervous. As I walked up to the front of the room, I looked around for my Dad. Our eyes met and he gave me thumbs up and an encouraging look. I got to the front of the room and stood in front of the table as I had been instructed. My judges, a man and woman, sat behind the table. The woman smiled and handed me the headset. I took it and put it on, adjusting the microphone so it was in the correct position.

She began to give me my instructions for the oral test. “You have up to 5 minutes to quote up to 3 passages. Don’t feel like you need to rush because you will have plenty of time.”

“Yes,” I thought to myself. “Do. Not. Rush!” I let out a slight nervous sigh as she finished giving me 

my instructions.

“When you’re ready, just state your name and the Bible version you will be using.”

I sent up one more prayer for strength and focus. I had to quote these three passages of scripture with as few mistakes as possible, with about thirty people listening to me! I didn’t know what three passages I would be reciting…only that they would be 3 out of the 205 passages I had memorized for the 2015 National Bible Bee. These 205 passages totaled up to over 800 individual verses and the passages all varied in length from 1 verse to 22 verses! And while I had worked diligently to memorize and perfect these verses the last 3 months, I still had those passages I struggled with. I hoped I would not receive one of those passages, but I knew all I could do was my best in God’s

Bethany, Emily, Bella, and I: waiting for testing to begin

strength. And here I was, ready to take my oral test at Nationals 2015.

Somehow, I found my voice.  

“Rachel C-----, King James Version.”

Ready or not, here I go!

The woman gave me my first reference and started the timer. “Please recite: Romans five, one through eleven.”

Taking a deep breath, I shut my eyes and began, in a shaky voice, to recite the given passage. “Romans five, one through eleven. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. By whom also…”

I quoted the passage, not too fast, but not too slow either…thinking about each word. God showed Himself strong! Just before my oral round, I had a practice session in our room with Daddy, quoting verses and warming up so my mind was “in motion”. During that practice session, I had quoted this passage, and had a brain freeze - forgetting how the passage continued at one point in the middle of it. Because of that, I had gone over this passage several times. Now, I was quoting that same passage, which was fresh in my mind, and I didn’t blank! Praise God!

“…we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Romans five, one through eleven.”

One down, two to go!

“John twenty, twenty-four through thirty one”, was the next passage I was given to recite.

I swallowed hard. This was one of those passages I had struggled with. But a couple weeks before Nationals, I had found a pattern to the saids and saiths that had confused me, and added hand motions. That helped tremendously. If I focused and used my motions, I could quote it right most of the time. I practiced it often. And here I was: needing to quote this passage for my oral recitation. I knew it was possible, but I must really focus under the pressure. “Lord, help me,” I silently prayed.

“John twenty, twenty-four through thirty-one. But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails…”

Waiting for Opening Ceremony to begin the first evening.
So much fun! ^_^

I was here to do my best. As I quoted the passage, I used my hand motions, careful thinking about each word before I pronounced it. I came to the last two verses, which were especially good ones…

“And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, and that believing ye might have life through His name. John twenty, twenty-four through thirty-one.”

I breathed a sigh of relief, for as far as I knew at that point, I felt like I had kept it all straight! Praise the Lord! Two passages down, one to go.

The woman gave me my final passage. “Please recite: Psalm sixteen.”

 “Psalm sixteen. Preserve me, O God, for in Thee do I put my trust. O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord…”

This passage was a favorite, and I knew it well. Like Romans 5:1-11, I had quoted this prior in my warm up session with my Dad. God allowed me to have one last run-through of the Psalm.  I also remember, that day, walking down the hallway to go somewhere, and I held a portion of my verse cards in my hand, reading this Psalm. I had reviewed it then, too!

I emphasized the familiar words…

“…Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore. Psalm Sixteen.”

I took a deep breath. I opened my eyes. I was done. As I removed the headset with shaking hands, the woman congratulated me and said I may go sit down. My eyes welled up with tears of happiness and relief, and through the applause of the crowd, I made my way back to where Daddy was sitting. He gave me a hug.

I sat there and sent up a prayer of thanksgiving to my Heavenly Father. God had girded me with strength, and had made my way perfect.¹ I had quoted all three of my passages with no passes, no word prompts, and no tongue twist-ups. Glory to HIS name!  I had trusted Him to help me, and He did!

Closing Ceremony evening. Here's the annual "winner!"
picture! Congratulations, Delie! 

At that point, I didn’t know how many points I received, or if I made any mistakes, but six weeks later, I found out my total score of both written and oral recitation tests.

Guess what? I received…a perfect score!!! Praise the Lord! I ended up placing 34^th out of all the contestants in my division of 15-18 year olds. All during the study season, I had prayed that He would bless me with a perfect oral score, and I placed my trust in Him for strength. Without Him, I knew I could not have memorized 880 verses word perfectly in three and a half months. I just had to give it over to Him, and trust Him completely for the results. It was totally worth it.

So now, I’m going to give you a dare, but it’s a good dare. I dare you…whatever you are facing in life, maybe with an upcoming test, a trip or an event you’re worried about, or any difficulty; you fill in that blank…Trust fully in God. He promises to never leave you, or forsake you.² He is our refuge and strength and a very present help in trouble.³ Ask Him for strength. Fully rely on Him. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. He shall direct your path!⁴

As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. For who is God save the Lord? or who is a rock save our God? It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect. He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places. {Psalm 18:30-33} 

Oh…while we’re on the subject of the National Bible Bee, I really want to encourage you to compete in it, if you are 7-18 years old. I can honestly say it changed my life for the best. Digging into God’s Word will never return void! Doing the Bible Bee has been one of the best things I've ever done! :) I looked forward to competing each year with great excitement. ;) Registration for the 2016 Bible Bee is now open!!! Click HERE to go to the Bible Bee website and find out more information. If you have any questions, I would be happy to try to answer them for you. =) Blessings!

1: Psalm 18:32. 2: Hebrews 13:5. 3: Psalm 46:1-3. 4: Proverbs 3:5-6. 

86,400 seconds

"86,400 seconds are all you receive in one day. If you only had 86,400 seconds left in your entire life, what would you do with them?"

John Wesley was once asked what he would do with his life if he knew he would die at midnight the next day. His answer was something like this:

“I would just carry on with what I am doing. I will arise at 5:00 a.m. for prayer, and then take a house meeting at 6:00 a.m. At 12 noon, I will be preaching at an open-air. At 3:00 p.m. I have another meeting in another town. At 6:00 p.m. I have a house meeting; at 10:00 p.m. I have a prayer meeting and at 12:00 midnight, I would go to be with my Lord.”

If you knew that you would die in 24 hours, would you be able to keep living on in good conscience as you are? Or would you begin to do all manner of ministry and evangelistic outreach? Would you be more loving and caring and thoughtful to those around you?

The Bible tells us…

“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” (Matt 24:44)

Do we live each day honoring to the Lord? Do we use each minute wisely? Time is a very precious gift. If you knew you only had 24 hours left to live, what changes would you make to your routine? In reality, we should live each day as if it were our last, because…it may really be our last. Oh Lord, help me to live each day for Your glory and to not have regrets!

Maybe you have not accepted Christ as your personal Savior, for you say, “I will get right with God before I die. There’s enough time.”

Is there really enough time?

10 out of 10 people die. Think about that. And how many of those knew that their hour to go had come? Death can happen suddenly. Very suddenly. You could have a heart attack…be hit head on by an incoming vehicle…even die in your sleep. Approximately over 150,000 people die and go to their eternal destiny every single day. Each one of us will someday meet our Maker and give an account of the things we did in this life.

May I ask you this: Do you know when you will die?

The obvious answer is no. None of us know when our time will come. But it may be today.

Are you ready?

If you are not ready for death, please, I beg you…get right with God. He is waiting with open arms, and invites you to come to Him and accept Him by faith. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Hello to our faithful blog readers...(if there are any out there after our long spaces of silence ;) ) We have a surprise coming (hopefully) soon to Jewels of Jesus, so stay tuned!! :) Keep your eyes on Jesus! 

The Lord is my...

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

~Psalm 18:2~

The other day, I read this verse in my devotions, and it was one of those verses that kind of leaps off the page at you. I decided to outline all that this verse said God was to me. As I meditated on each thing, I was overwhelmed by the attributes of my Father. I hope that by sharing these things with you, that you also will come away encouraged! ♥

-My Rock-

Many mountains have large rocks in them- can you move them very easily by pushing and shoving them? No, of course not. They are large and very heavy...very firm and stable. You can stand on it and it won't move. That's how our God is: He is unchanging and we can stand firmly on Him!

-My Fortress-

What is a fortress? It's a place that keeps you safe from outside enemies. That's what our God is. He is our refuge...our safety. His name is a strong tower, and if you run in, you'll be safe! He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. {Ps 91:1}

-My Deliverer- 

Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. 

{Col 1:13-14} 

Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! {Ps 107:13-15}

-My God, My Strength, in Whom I will trust- 

Our God is the King of Kings. Our God is strong. Our God keeps His promises. Our God is unchanging. We can completely trust Him. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. {Ps 46:1-3}

-My Buckler-

I looked up the word "buckler" in the Hebrew, and it means "a shield; a protector; a defense." He is our shield! Our Protector! We only need to trust Him.  Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. {Proverbs 30:5}

-The Horn of my Salvation-

We were wretched sinners, heading for eternity in hell. But God, who is rich in mercy and loved us so much, sent His own Son to pay the price for our sins. He put our sin upon Jesus, the perfect and spotless one. He became sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. {2 Cor 5:21} From Him comes our salvation. Nothing else can save us. He is our salvation! 

-My High Tower-

What comes to your mind when you hear "high tower"? The Hebrew defines it as "a cliff (or other lofty or inaccessible place); altitude; refuge." Reminds me of when I have gone hiking and I'm standing on the big rock overlooks. I'm so high up, the breeze is blowing on my face, and I can look wayyy down into the valley and across the miles. Nothing down there can reach me while I'm way up here! He is my High Tower!

My friends, may you mediate upon the strength of our Lord! He is waiting for you with open arms- just trust Him and rely in His strength!!

In closing, here is a favorite passage of mine. Who is God, save the Lord? It is God that girds you with strength! Go in His name!

As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. For who is God save the Lord? or who is a rock save our God? It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect. He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places. He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great. {Psalm 18:30-35}

In His Hand

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one."  

~ John 10:27-30 ~

This is just such a wonderful scripture. It's such a comfort. It gives us a glorious promise that we, believers in Jesus Christ, have eternal life and will never be snatched out of Christ’s hand that holds us. What a reassuring promise! What a beautiful picture! We are safe in the hand of the omnipotent God and nothing can remove us from His grasp! 

The Greek word in John 10:28 used for pluck means to take by force or seize. Thus the word snatch in this verse is an action done without the consent of the recipient. In other words we could say that no one will kidnap, take by force, or seize us out of Christ’s hand. This is the promise Jesus gives us. However, we don’t live in God’s hand by default; we must choose to come to Him. As the psalmist wrote in Psalm 91:9-10...

"Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling."

 Does this mean that bad things will never happen to us? No, Christians are persecuted, martyred, and afflicted all the time. So what is the promise then? It’s that no evil shall befall us without our Heavenly Father’s permission.

By making God our dwelling place, we trust in His supreme sovereignty. He is more than able to take care of us, and the painful things that do come into our lives are lovingly filtered through His gentle fingers.

So I ask you….are YOU dwelling in God’s hand? Have YOU made Him your home and place of permanent residence?


There is no safer place to be than in the hands of the Almighty, Omnipotent, and Sovereign God. God, who has called you by name, is now inviting you into His sanctuary. It is an open invitation, and the only thing that can stop us is ourselves. Therefore, let us live in the Palm of His Hand! And let us make it our permanent and everlasting abode.

Interview :: Mrs. Heather C

Remember this post a couple months ago? Today, we have our first interview to share with you! A huge thanks to my dear mother for joining us for this interview. :) 

~*~*~*~

JOJ (Rachel): Thank you for joining us today, Mom! :) Can you please share a bit about yourself to our readers?

Mrs. C: I am the very happy wife to my dear husband. We have been married almost 20 years. God has been very good to us and has entrusted us with 8 children. I am passionate about making our house a home of rest, creating an environment full of creativity, joy and a home where God is sought, taught, and glorified.

Rachel: Thank you! :) Now, on to address some questions our readers have submitted. What is the most encouraging thing that has ever been said to you?

Mrs. C: Probably when you said I was your best friend ~ it is the desire of every mother to have her daughter's (and children's) heart.

Rachel:  Could you share any tips you might have for time management?

Mrs. C: Conquer the procrastination monster. Say NO to being away from home for everything. Get rid of excess! Minimize and you will be so surprised how much smoother and easier it is to live a fully and truly happy life. You will enjoy cleaning! :) Also, go to bed before 10:30 pm. Stay off the computer. An orderly life is priority ~ NOT the computer. That is only after our tasks and responsibility are done well.

Rachel: What is the best thing you think a young lady can do with her time?

Mrs. C: Here are two things: Seek Jesus and HIS will for your life. Serve your family and church families...Ask mother how she needs you to help the most.

Rachel: Thank you so much for joining us today! Do you have any closing exhortation to share with us young ladies?

Mrs. C: True contentment is great gain. Live the life God has given you and desire to be content. If you are discontent with parents, family, and direction your life is headed, Seek Jesus like you never have before. Everything will fall into place. Grace, Peace, and Joy to you!

Mommy, sister, and I :)

Stay tuned ~ We hope to have an interview with a sweet young lady out before too many months! ;)

The God-shaped Hole

I've seen many searching for answers far and wide
But I know we're all searching for answers only you can provide
'cause you know just what we need before we even say a word
- lyrics from 'Good Good Father' by Housefires


It's funny, isn't it, how people the world over are searching for answers here, there and everywhere. They want meaning. They want purpose. They want something more in the their lives.

Sometimes they have tried God. They may have had preconceived ideas of what He is like, or they may have encountered obstacles or things that put roadblocks in their minds. But they leave Him and try elsewhere for answers. They haven't earnestly sought Him with every ounce of their soul and committed to finding Him. If their hearts are lukewarm, their experience of God may be lukewarm and so they leave again, frustrated.

Sometimes they haven't tried God. They know there's an emptiness inside them that they were designed to have filled. So they search for meaning, purpose, something... to fill the void inside. To find answers to their questions. They might try new age, astrology, buddism, humanism, atheism... whatever it is, it won't be satisfying and fulfilling.

Because nothing in life is satisfying and fulfilling. Each human born onto this earth was created with a God-shaped hole in their hearts that only God Himself can fill. God is the only one that can absolutely fulfill and satisfy. To answer all our questions, to provide meaning, richness and purpose in life.

It's only God who can do it. Only God. Nothing else.

Whatsoever.

Can I really?

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13

I KNOW THIS IS GOD’S REALITY FOR ME!

Lately, God has been teaching me a lot about trusting Him for strength. In June of this year I signed up for the National Bible Bee. Although I’ve competed for the past three years, I’ve never made it beyond the state level. This year I was hoping to make it to nationals – but I felt so out of focus. I lacked concentration when I studied, and I was soooo busy,

Then July came. Four of my siblings and I were supposed to volunteer at a summer camp. I was super excited about the trip when, the night before we were scheduled to leave, I got really sick. I had really, really wanted to go and I felt like God had let me down… I prayed and prayed that I would wake up the next morning and be well enough to go, but it just didn’t happen. Instead, I spent the next week in bed.

That morning as my siblings pulled out of the driveway without me, my sister leaned out the window and said, “Beth, maybe God is keeping you home from camp because you need the time to study; you’ll probably make it to Nationals!” I shook my head and thought, “No way am I going to make it… I’m only a few weeks away from my test and nowhere near ready.”

Time flew and before I knew it, the test day was only a week away. I felt so unprepared, I almost gave up altogether; but a dear friend of mine talked to me into persevering. She told me I had committed to compete and I shouldn’t’ be a quitter. I knew she was right.

During the last seven days of study, I began to pray. I prayed really hard that God would show me exactly what to study in the little time I had left. When testing day arrived, I felt completely at peace. I wasn’t nervous at all, even though I had not completed all of the study I had wanted to get done.

I WAS READY TO DO MY BEST, AND TRUST GOD FOR THE REST.

I had a lot of people praying for me that day. As I took the test, God brought all the things He had been teaching me to mind. As I clicked the “finish” button on my test,  I somehow felt like it had gone really well. In fact, I even dared to hope that maybe I had a shot at getting to nationals after all.

A week later I went to the Bible Bee awards ceremony to receive my score. I had been praying all week that God would help me to be content with where he had placed me – whether I got to go to Nationals or not. As the host read off the scores I waited for my placing fully expecting that I either wouldn’t make it all, or that if I did I would be #120 (the lowest position which can qualify). Then they said my name, followed by “you placed #88 in the nation.”

I WAS LITERALLY JUMPING UP AND DOWN… I COULDN’T BELIEVE IT.

Here I was, ready to give up altogether, discouraged because I had missed camp…shaking my head in disbelief when my sister had suggested that maybe God was keeping me home so I could study… and now I was on my way to nationals!

I wasn’t ready when testing day came along, but God showed me that He can take my weaknesses and use His strength to show himself strong. As Christians when we are facing an “impossible” task, we don’t need to fear because we serve a God who does the “impossible” all the time.

“For we know that with men this is impossible. But with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26

A huge thank you to my dear friend, Bethany Stelzl, for sharing with us. :) I am so excited that we made it to Nationals together...I can't wait to compete with you in November! :D Bethany occasionally blogs over at 1 Love for Christ. 

Photo Credit: Flickr

A thought for your day...

Used with permission by Christian Quotes 

Press on!

Too Busy Not to Pray

Anyone else noticed that things seem to be picking up? I have an endless to-do list and a whole lot of expectations placed on me.  I won’t bore you with the details, but things are pretty busy.  And yet, especially in these times, how important it is to take time in our schedules to pray.  Martin Luther once said, “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.”  Having this much on our plate should drive us to our knees, not away from the throne room.  One of my friends has been studying Esther over the past year, and here’s what she learned from Esther’s story. I hope you will find it an inspiration as well.

So this week has been crazy in my family, like certifiably-should be in some kind of an asylum- kind of crazy. Our family trying to move is like no other experience with 7 kids, and many pets, from a house we have been in for 7 years… Sports can't slow down, school is taking it up a notch, and repairs are being done constantly… we are all about to lose our minds xD! But this made me think of what the Jews were feeling like when facing this certain death! I mean, what would you do if you knew you had just a few months to live?! Yet somehow, the Jews took the time to fast (and presumably pray) with Queen Esther. I find this absolutely remarkable because my situation is SO much less dire than the situation of the Jews and I can barely find time to spend with the Lord, however, the Jews could and did find this time and their situation was exponentially more complicated and panic ensuing than mine!!! I see this as a lesson to all of us that no matter what our situation is, we must find time to stop and spend time with the Lord (and I am the one who needs this lesson!!). A great poem once ended with "[…] and I paused before entering my day, I had so much to accomplish, I had to stop and pray."

May we too be drawn to the throne room of grace even in our busyness, for without Him, we can do nothing!

A huge thanks to Allison for allowing me to use posts from her wonderful blog!! 

Testimony Time :: Bonnie

Good morning, friends!

I have had the wonderful privilege of growing up in a Christian family. For as long as I can remember, we've read the Bible together each day (usually multiple times - once in the morning, and once in the evening) and prayed together. My parents have always instilled in my siblings and I the wonderful benefits and blessings of having a relationship with the Lord Jesus.

I don't remember this, but I'm told the time I accepted Jesus into my heart was on the 24th of January 2001, when I was almost 3 years old (I know, young, right??).

I am a sinner, and I know that the wrong things I have done make it impossible for me to attain Heaven's perfection under my own merits. I am a sinner, a fallen human being, and cannot live for eternity with the Lord because of my wrongdoing.

But God, in His everlasting love, faithfulness, justice and mercy, provided a way for me to be saved - His son, Jesus, who He sent down to earth. Jesus lived a perfect life, then was cruelly killed on a cross, a punishment he did not deserve. If I put my faith and hope in Jesus, then his righteousness is transferred to me and I am pure, spotless and clean, making me able to enter Heaven when my walk on this earth is done.

I was baptized in December 2010. That was a wonderful experience, being able to publicly declare who I trusted in and that I was following Jesus.

I think the one word that best sums up God during my walk with Him is "faithful".

Throughout all the hills and the valleys and the ups and downs of life, God is always faithful. And he always will be.

I have found, in my life, that God is always able to be fully trusted. He is in control, no matter what happens. I am most definitely not perfect. I make mistakes, all the time, and botch it up. But God is merciful, gracious, forgiving and loving.... He is my best friend and I absolutely cannot imagine life without Him.

I'd like to close here with a couple of my very favourite scripture references.


Psalm 16:11
You will show me the path that leads to life, in Your presence is fullness of joy.

Isaiah 43:1-3

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior

Many blessings to you all! :)

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Why Do You Follow Jesus?

Today, we are joined by our dear friend, Esther. She was the one that began JOJ, and posted for a number of years before leaving the team a few months ago. Thank you for sharing with us, Esther! :)

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You could give the proper Christian answer—“I follow Jesus because I’m a sinner and He died for my sins.”

Yes, that’s true. That’s good.

But why do you—really—follow Jesus? What is it, deep down inside you, that makes you get up in the morning and read the Bible? What is your motivation for praying?

What is it that makes you follow Him like you do?

Picture courtesy of Pixabay/mcpdigital. License: CC0 1.0

For me, the real reason is that He’s showed me what I am without Him.

Without Him, I’m a cup . . . without water.

I’m a moon . . . without a sun.

I’m a star . . . without a galaxy.

I’m a leaf . . . without a tree.

I’m a letter . . . without a word.

Sisters, what makes you tick? Why are you following Jesus?

This is a question you need to answer now.

You see, we are growing up in a culture that is doing its best to undermine our morals, our families, and the core beliefs of our faith. We are called daughters of the Highest.

But when we don’t even have a real grasp on who we are and why we follow Jesus, we become a rowboat without oars. And that, my friends, is dangerous.

Sisters, in a few short years, Lord willing, we will be starting our own families. If we don’t have a grip now on why we are here doing what we’re doing, we are going to have a hard time passing those beliefs onto our children. A Christian family that doesn't know why they believe what they believe is doomed to failure.

So I beg of you—take time to revisit your early life as a Christian. Reaffirm in your heart why you follow Jesus. Ask Him to show you what you are like without Him. Ask Him to show you how to follow Him better.

Now, more than ever, the world is looking for your example—trying to see if you’re truly real or not.

Now, more than ever, the world needs a godly generation. Don’t fall for the trap of easy-believism.* 

God has called us to so much more. The Lord needs you in His battle for right. Your future family needs you to be a good example.

So stand strong, and do what’s right.

The Lord needs you on that field.

Esther

*Easy-believism: the belief that the Christian faith is merely repeating a prayer and going on our way, and therefore it doesn't matter what we do or believe—we will get to heaven anyway.

Trusting God in the Hard Times

The following is a devotion I wrote and presented at a camp I attended recently. :) - Bonnie

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James 1:2
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Okay, so the first thing I want us to notice here is that James puts this little thought right at the start of his letter, straight after his greeting is over. Why? Maybe because it's important and he wanted us to take notice of it!

The second thing I want us to notice is that James says "consider it pure joy my brothers WHEN you face trials of many kinds" - notice it's not IF you face trials!

Trials and hard times will come to us. If you haven’t gone through any hard times in your life, don’t worry! No Christian is exempt. Trials will come, unfortunately. It's a matter of when, not if!

It's partly because we're in a spiritual battle and Satan is trying his hardest to draw us away from the faith. He doesn't concentrate on those who aren't Christians because he's already got them. We're the ones he's after, because we belong to Jesus.

I want you to imagine you’re baking a chocolate cake.

The two main processes of baking a cake are:

Blending. After the ingredients are all in the bowl, the electric beater mixes the ingredients so much that they are completely unrecognisable. The mixture becomes all soft, runny, gloopy and sticky.

Baking. The cake is subject to intense heat. It's incredibly painful. But the heat is what bakes the cake and produces something beautiful.

We are like that cake being baked. We go through the intense, difficult hard times and that's like the blending and the baking. In the blending we're mixed so much you wouldn't be able to recognize us! It's incredibly painful and hard. Then we're shoved into the oven and the heat is turned up. All the heat in the oven is concentrated on the cake, sitting there in the pan, being roasted alive.

When  we're being blended or baked, we can’t see what is going on. We don't know that the purpose of the blending and baking is to produce a beautiful chocolate cake at the end of it all. Only the baker knows. He has the finished product in mind throughout the entire process.

The uncomfortable blending, and the painful heat of the baking may seem really pointless to us at the time. But what we don’t know is that we are being fashioned into something beautiful. 

It’s only through the pain of blending and baking that we can become the rich, moist, tasty, beautiful creation of a chocolate cake.

When you’re in a trial it doesn’t seem very pleasant, does it? It doesn’t feel like it’s good for you.

But remember that God can be trusted. He knows what’s he’s doing. He is ultimately in control and he has in mind the cake he’s going for through all this.

I think that there are several reasons we have trials.

James 1:2 (emphasis added)
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

The testing of our faith develops perseverance, and perseverance must finish its work so that we become mature and complete, lacking nothing. 

The trials are for our good.

1 Peter 1:7 (emphasis added)
In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

The trials have come so that the proven genuineness of our faith may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
The trials are for God's glory.

So all the hard times we go through are for our good and for his glory.

I want you to imagine a raging storm.

There are trees, bent low under lashing wind and driving rain, and lightning zigzagging across a dark, threatening sky.

In the center of the fury imagine a bird’s nest in the crotch of a gigantic tree.

And in the nest, a mother bird sits, spreading her wings over her little brood, waiting serene and unruffled for the storm to pass.

The mother bird isn't focused on the storm. Sure, she feels it and knows it's there, alright. But she rests, peacefully, waiting, looking after her chicks, because she knows that the storm won't last and she has faith that she will be kept safe.

When we’re in a hard time it’s hard to not focus on all the lightening around us. But we can be peaceful and rest in the midst of the storm. 

The safest place in the entire world is in the nest of His hand.

We, like the bird, feel the storm, but we focus on Jesus.

Isaiah 26:3 

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts you.

John 16:33 

I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart, for I have overcome the world.

Blessings to you all!

Testimony Time :: Rachel

I was born into a Christian family, for which I am extremely grateful! How blessed am I to have been born into my wonderful family…and having my parents emphasis the importance of following Jesus and obeying His Word is something that will impact the rest of my days. 
From a young age, my parents have taught me about Jesus and the Gospel.  As far back as I can remember, I wanted to ask Jesus into my heart. I remember praying with Daddy on several occasions, but never really feeling any different or freed. 

The Lord kept working in my life, convicting me. Then, in January of 2006, at the age of 8…one evening I was getting ready for bed. I reached out and grabbed my Bible, and started reading in John. After I had read a while, I came to a verse. I don’t remember what it was, but it moved me and a thought popped into my head: “If I died tonight, where would I be?” I knew in my heart that I would be in hell. I started to cry and my Mother came into my room to say goodnight. She asked me what was the matter, and I told her I wanted to ask Jesus to save me. She went and got Daddy and he showed me some verses, and asked if I was ready…and I said, “Yes!” We knelt and I asked the Lord to cleanse me and to give me a new heart. I still remember how I felt…so clean! Praise the Lord!

I did not get baptized immediately because Daddy wanted me to wait until I understood what it all meant. In 2009, I was baptized, and that was such a blessing. 

I am so grateful that the Lord is a merciful and gracious God, one who is slow to anger and forgives men of the evil they have done. I have failed in so many ways, and struggled through many things, but He is patient and kind and is still working on my life! I have learned that salvation is not a “say-a-prayer-and-you’re-done” matter, but a continual walking with the Lord, seeking HIM, dying to self, and so much more. I could keep sharing on different things the Lord has worked in my life, forming a more perfect salvation in my life, but I will just leave it at the beginning of my journey. Please pray for me! 

This hymn is a favorite of mine, and I think it sums my testimony up really well. :) May the Lord bless you!

My faith has found a resting place,
  Not in device nor creed;
I trust the Ever-living One,
  His wounds for me shall plead.

Enough for me that Jesus saves,
  This ends my fear and doubt;
A sinful soul I come to Him,
  He’ll never cast me out.

My heart is leaning on the Word,
  The written Word of God,
Salvation by my Savior’s name,
  Salvation through His blood.

My great Physician heals the sick,
  The lost He came to save;
For me His precious blood He shed,
  For me His life He gave.

I need no other argument,
  I need no other plea;
It is enough that Jesus died,
    And that He died for me.
             -Eliza E. Hewitt

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I would love to post YOUR testimony at some point in the future...if you're interested in sharing, please comment! ~Rachel