Please be courteous and remember that what is on this blog, stays on this blog unless you get permission from one of the team members.


Thanks!




~*1 John 4:7*~

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

Note:

If you put "confusing" in the box at the bottom of this post, please comment on how you were confused and my team and I will try and clear things up so you won't be confused any longer! :)
- Princess Catherine ~*~

Friday, March 19, 2010

God Gives You All The Time You Need...

..and not a second more.

Have you ever felt rushed? Oh, wow, that's an obvious question. I would be completely shocked (and very envious! :) if you haven't. You see, I'm an aspiring author, home schooled student, musician/composer that plays two instruments and sings, I'm the script-writer for a movie, a secretary in 4-H, gardener, poet, photographer, avid reader, blogger, archer/shooter, horseback rider, and a plethora of other things.

You probably have a lot of things on your plate, too. Maybe you have a lot of chores, or you have a huge pile of homework. And have you ever been too busy to read your Bible or pray?

Ditto. I've been there and done that. Listen to my excuse : 'But I don't have enough time!'

Actually, I do. And you do, too. God is the Lord and Giver of Time, and he knows our every need!

O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you know it completely, O Lord.
Psalm 139:1-4

I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me--just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for my sheep.
John 10:14-15

He gives us as much time as we need to accomplish what he wants us to accomplish. So when you 'don't have time', you're either not doing what God wants or you're not being efficient. Here are some questions you can ask to discern what's wrong:

1. Are you spending too much time, say, on the computer? *glances around guiltily* Uh...I am. I like to think that I'm above the technology wave that our world's going through, but I'm not. Lol. Anyway, are you stretching out a task too much? Does math take so long...because you're doodling in your book?

2. Are you avoiding or rushing through tasks? Because if you don't do them now, you get to do them later! Oh man, have I ever figured that out.

3. Are you doing it for God's glory? Whatever you are doing--writing the next great theology book...or taking out the trash--do if for the Lord and you are serving him. Isn't that cool how you can glorify God by taking care of the trash just as much as making a huge mark on history?

4. Do you have a complaining attitude? Seriously, take the word of a lass with 13 years of bitter experience on bad attitudes. If you have a good attitude it's so much easier to do your work. If you think, "Wow! All these dishes in the sink means that we've been blessed with lots of food!" instead of, "Awww man! Look at this huge pile of dishes! I have to do all of these?", you and your family will enjoy it a lot more.

When I was writing this down on a piece of paper, I kind of looked at it and thought, "You know, I have both problems." And I do. Avoiding work or doing it sloppily goes hand in hand with bad attitude, and bad attitude automatically means that you're not doing it for God's glory.

Now, here are some ways to solve the time problem:

1. Do everything for God's glory--efficiently and with care and diligence.

2. Try getting up earlier. A time when you're the only one up might mean distraction-free prayer/Bible time, or math without siblings throwing pillows at you.

3. Relax while working. It's kind of a paradox, actually, but what I mean is you could knit or do an easy chore or school assignment while taking a break from something else.

4. Be open for a schedule change. If you go to school, you probably won't be able to do this as much. However, because I'm home schooled I have the flexibility to decide for myself whether or not it would be more efficient to fit in piano where Grammar originally was so I can practice more before naps (where our piano is positioned in our house, it's too loud to play during my younger siblings' nap times). Or if your mind has gotten worn out from one subject, move on to something totally different. Of course, you can do this with your homework, all you who go to school.

5. Multi-Task. I really like to drink coffee. It's like an everyday treat, and so sometimes I just sit at the kitchen table for ten minutes, drinking it. However, it saves time to do it with my math. Reciting my memory verses while I'm unloading the dishwasher is also handy. However, make sure that multi-tasking doesn't mean that you're doing sloppy jobs because your concentration is spread out.

There you go! Wow, this sure helped me to type this all up. Now maybe I can ask myself with a free conscience if I'm following Question #1! ;)

In Christ,

Princess Izori







Sunday, March 14, 2010

True Beauty

One Sunday morning, Jennifer fluttered her eyelashes into her reflection in the mirror. Unscrewing the mascara, she painstakingly applied the black gook and then leaned back in admiration. She looked exactly like the girls on her street! Well...almost exactly. Just some more foundation there, another dab of blush here...

"Jenn! I need the bathroom so I can get ready for church!"

Jennifer rolled her makeup-ed eyes at her brother's shouted request from the other side of the bathroom door. "Go find another bathroom!" she yelled.

"But this one has my toothbrush! We need to leave in five minutes!"

Stupid brother, Jennifer thought angrily. "Well, I need to get ready too!" she said aloud. "What will everyone else say when I go to church with uncombed hair?"

"But you've
already combed your hair!" her brother protested. "And it took you half an hour, too!"

"Jennifer!" Dad yelled up the stairs. "Let Darren use the bathroom! We need to leave!"

"Okay, okay!" Jennifer begrudgingly gathered up her makeup and vacated the bathroom with a flounce.

"Darren, you're so selfish!" she hissed uncontrollably. "I'll get you for this!"

She angrily stomped downstairs to find Dad waiting for her.

"Are you ready, honey? Get your Bible and get in the car--"

Jennifer pushed past him and went into the nearest bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

Ten minutes later, Jennifer finally opened the door to realize that everyone else was waiting in the car. A guilty feeling, small but present, dug at her as she stepped outside.

Oh nuts! I need my Bible!

Then she pushed the thought away. I don't really need to bring my Bible anyway. But, she thought with a self-satisfied smile. I look really great with this makeup! I bet everyone will want to hang around with me now!

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notice that? 'I don't really need to bring my Bible anyway. But I look really great with this makeup!'

Have you ever been more concerned about how your hair looked, or how your make-up looked, more than worshiping God? Maybe a better question to ask would be, 'Are you human?' Of course, basically everyone has focused too much on their outward beauty sometime in their life. Including me. Actually, I have done more than my fair share of it.

Before I continue, let me say clearly that I have nothing against makeup or arranging your hair nicely! The Lord tells us not to act like slobs! However, putting it in front of your faith is definitely not good at all.

In my short story, Jennifer is more concerned about attracting friends (probably not very good friends either, if the only way she could get them is to wear makeup) than serving the Lord--being courteous and nice to her brother and her dad and taking some time off of the makeup schedule to grab her Bible. Guilt does give her a little twinge, but only for a second.

I think that a quote from 'The Wise Woman' by George MacDonald puts it very well.

"But, if she [Agnes] were not made humble, her growing would be to a mass of distorted shapes all huddled together; so that, although the body she now showed might grow up straight and well-shaped and comely to behold, the new body that was growing inside of it, and would come out of it when she died, would be ugly, and crooked this way and that, like an aged hawthorn that has lived hundreds of years exposed upon all sides to salt-sea winds."

(
By the way, I greatly suggest you read 'TWW'. It's very eye-opening).

Jennifer's makeup and good looks might show on the outside, but on the inside she's really rather ugly. Worshiping and serving the Lord is not only our makeup, but our whole form! If our facial features were affected by what we acted like, would we act like we do now?

I'm pretty sure I wouldn't.

'"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart".' 1 Samuel 16:7b

Through the Lord's eyes, our features are affected by what we act like, because he looks at the heart! And we all know that it's the Lord's views that count.

Once again, I'm not saying that wearing makeup is bad. Not at all! But if it becomes an obsession, if we're constantly worrying about blurring our foundation during prayer time, then it becomes a bad thing.

I actually used to wear mascara often. Now, I hardly wear it at all. Why? Because it was becoming too much of a distraction. Why was I doing it anyway? I couldn't really think of any good reason, so I stopped. Besides, it isn't very practical for me. Our church contains a lot of soccer fans, so I often find myself swept up into a fast moving game of street-soccer. Or when I'm at my 4-H clubs--one of them, I work with animals, so makeup is kind of out of the question. The other one is shooting and archery, which requires so much concentration that I find myself sweating. That wouldn't really work with makeup!

However, makeup may work for you other ladies just fine! And if it is, then there's no problem with it! Looking nice can be Biblical.

But keep in mind that the beauty of your heart is more important than the beauty of your outward shell.

In Christ,

Princess Izori





Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Bring it to Jesus

Have you ever felt worried or scared? I do...a lot. I really have a hard time surrendering everything to Jesus, because I am so sure I can do it on my own. I wrote this song the other day, and I feel like it is something I need to remember every day.

Bring it to Jesus
LORD we come to You our King.
So unworthy,
still holding on to everything.
We're so scared,
of letting go,
but there's only one thing that we should know.
Bring it to Jesus,
bring it to Jesus,
He can set you and your life free.
Bring it to Jesus,
He wants to take it,
break all your chains and help you see,
He's been waiting for you,
waiting for you.
Have you traveled the road of tears?
Tired and lonely,
bound up by your fears.
You're so scared,
of what you don't know,
but there's only one place that you should go,
Bring it to Jesus,
bring it to Jesus,
He can set you and your life free.
Bring it to Jesus,
He wants to take it,
break all your chains and help you see,
He's been waiting for you,
waiting for you.
'Cause there's only one Way,
one Truth and one Life,
and only one Way to turn all your darkness to light.
'Cause only His hands can change you,
and make your life new,
'cause only His hands were nailed down
for me and for you!
Bring it to Jesus,
bring it to Jesus,
He can make you and your life free.
Bring it to Jesus,
He wants to take it,
break all your chains and help you see,
He's been waiting,
always waiting,
He's been waiting for you.

Blessings,
Princess Melody***



Monday, March 1, 2010

My Dear Princess

Dear Jesus,
Help! I don't know what to do. My days seem to drag out longer and longer, and I am helpless to stop it. Schoolwork is taking hours out of my day as I try my hardest just to hold on to an A in every subject. Besides that, I have lessons, youth choir, Church, classes, Bible study, and that book I'm writing. I just don't have time for all of this! How am I supposed to fit prayer in every morning? I barely have enough time to zip through my Bible reading before jumping in the shower. I feel like I'm drowning! By bed time, I have to work to keep my mind free of Algebra problems. When I turn off the light, I lie there feeling tormented by fear and worry. I just can't take my life anymore! Today, after a mass amount of other homework, I opened my Biology book to find that I had to write down twelve definitions. I cried. There is just no way I can live like this my entire life! I don't know what You can do in this situation, but if You can help, please do!
Love Forever,
Your daughter
My Dearest Princess,
I know that you sometimes feel burdened, tired, worried, and afraid. I have felt all of those things Myself! I understand when you feel like you are drowning in circumstances that you have no control over. It's okay to feel upset and frustrated. Life on earth isn't perfect, and sometimes it gets hard, but even when it does, I am still with you. I will always be there for you, and you can come to Me with everything. I love you! I have watched you for many years. Most of the time, you just want to do things on your own, and you rarely ask for My help. You don't think you need Me, but you really do! I am just waiting for you to realize that, on you own, you just make a mess of things. I am the One who can turn that mess into something beautiful! Please trust Me! When ever you feel like you do now, tell Me. I'll be glad to listen! You may think that you have no time to pray, but you do if you look for it. I will bless your day when you put Me at the center of it! My daughter, please know that I care for you and I will always be able to help you. Put all your cares, worries, and anxieties on me. Nothing is to much for Me to carry! Remember, I was on earth once, so I know what it is like to be human. I know that you need help! Please don't try to carry everything alone, I am patiently waiting to help you.
Your Loving Father,
Jesus

"Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

"Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7)

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you." (Deuteronomy 31:6-8)

"Cast your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall." (Psalm 55:22)