More Beautiful You

Remember the song lyrics I posted a while ago? "Beautiful You" by Jonny Diaz? Well, here are the lyrics and amazing song again. More songs like this need to be out there.

More Beautiful You

Little girl fourteen flipping through a magazine
Says she wants to look that way
But her hair isn’t straight her body isn’t fake
And she’s always felt overweight

Well little girl fourteen I wish that you could see
That beauty is within your heart
And you were made with such care your skin your body and your hair
Are perfect just the way they are

There could never be a more beautiful you
Don’t buy the lies disguises and hoops they make you jump through
You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do
So there could never be a more beautiful you

Little girl twenty-one the things that you’ve already done
Anything to get ahead
And you say you’ve got a man but he’s got another plan
Only wants what you will do instead

Well little girl twenty-one you never thought that this would come
You starve yourself to play the part
But I can promise you there’s a man whose love is true
And he’ll treat you like the jewel you are

So turn around you’re not too far
To back away be who you are
To change your path go another way
It’s not too late you can be saved
If you feel depressed with past regrets
The shameful nights hope to forget
Can disappear they can all be washed away
By the one who’s strong can right your wrongs
Can rid your fears dry all your tears
And change the way you look at this big world
He will take your dark distorted view
And with His light He will show you truth
And again you’ll see through the eyes of a little girl

Randomness Friday

It's my 128th post! Can you believe it???? And... my blogoversary is in 32 days! My first! It's hard to believe I've only been doing this thing for less than a year. It's been amazing!

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I cannot WAIT for summer. Warm weather, sunny days... And no school!
Okay, don't get me wrong. It's cool to learn new stuff every day, meet new peoples, and get new supplies. But it's also nice to have a break, even if it's two and a half months long. There are bright, sunny days ahead... and it's not even officially summer yet!

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I've posted a lot this month, have I not? *sighs* Sorry. I'll do better in June.

~~

I discovered this song the other day, and I L-O-V-E it! Here are the amazing lyrics...

"MORE BEAUTIFUL YOU"
Jonny Diaz

♥
Little girl fourteen flipping through a magazine
Says she wants to look that way
But her hair isn’t straight her body isn’t fake
And she’s always felt overweight

Well little girl fourteen I wish that you could see
That beauty is within your heart
And you were made with such care your skin your body and your hair
Are perfect just the way they are

CHORUS:
There could never be a more beautiful you
Don’t buy the lies disguises and hoops they make you jump through
You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do
So there could never be a more beautiful you

Little girl twenty-one the things that you’ve already done
Anything to get ahead
And you say you’ve got a man but he’s got another plan
Only wants what you will do instead

Well little girl twenty-one you never thought that this would come
You starve yourself to play the part
But I can promise you there’s a man whose love is true
And he’ll treat you like the jewel you are

So turn around you’re not too far
To back away be who you are
To change your path go another way
It’s not too late you can be saved
If you feel depressed with past regrets
The shameful nights hope to forget
Can disappear they can all be washed away
By the one who’s strong can right your wrongs
Can rid your fears dry all your tears
And change the way you look at this big world
He will take your dark distorted view
And with His light He will show you truth
And again you’ll see through the eyes of a little girl
♥

Whatcha think?

God Bless,

Hot Topics: In Not Of

Fact: God wants us to be in the world, and not of the world!

What exactly does that mean? Let's break it down into two parts.

In the world- that means that we are living on this terrestrial ball. We're humans.
But not of the world-this means that we are to be distinct as Christians. We are not to be worldly.

Callie really wanted to reach out to her friends. She grew up in a Christian home, but hadn't accepted him as her Lord and Savior until a year ago. Her friends were into stuff that she didn't really think the Bible approved of, but she had to reach them somehow! She had to help them see the light! So Callie decided to get on their level of things. Little by little she did what they did. Soon, she found herself acting like they did in every single way, and eventually she had forgotten everything but what her friends were doing and how she had to continue doing it. Callie was trapped.

Sad, huh?

People define "of the world" as many things. Some say Hollywood and media. Some say rock music, even if it has Christian. Some say that it's bad friends.
How do you determine whether something or someone is right for you?
Well, the thing is to go to the Bible. Another tip in determining whether something is okay to do is to ask the classic question, "What Would Jesus Do?"
Or ask, "What would He say if he was standing right next to you?"

But, you need to beware of secluding yourself too much. God called us to be the light of the world. We need to shine and show how amazing our God is. The best example is Jesus.

"Jesus Calls Levi

(Matthew 9:9-13; Mark 2:13-17)

After that, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax collector's desk. He said to him, “Follow me!” So Levi left everything behind, got up, and followed him.

Then Levi gave a large banquet at his home for Jesus.

A large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. The Pharisees and their scribes started complaining to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

But Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don't need a physician, but sick people do. I have not come to call righteous people, but sinners, to repentance.”"

Luke 5:27-32

So, have compassion for the world. We aren't supposed to be "holier-than-thou" people. We aren't supposed to think we're higher than anyone else because we are Christian. God is the difference. He changed our lives, and we didn't save ourselves. At the same time, we are distinct from every one else. A song by Avalon comes to mind....It's a great song about living in the world, and not of it.

In Not Of
by Avalon

I hide me far away from trouble
The world outside me grows darker by the day
So I promise to stay here close beside Him
Surely God would want His children safe
Then reading, how my eyes were opened
I find that He is leading us out into the world
Into the middle of fallen saints and sinners
Where a little grace is needed most

CHORUS
Come take the Light to darker parts
Share His truth with hardened hearts
We are not like the world but we can love it
Come bring the Hope to hopeless men
Until the lost are found in Him
He came to save the world
So let us be... in it, not of it

Wait a minute
If we say we love them, why are we not in it
Why we run and hide
Entertain a stranger
Maybe entertain an angel
The danger is if our worlds don't collide

CHORUS

We've cursed the darkness far too long
We need to hold the candle high
We have to go and right the wrongs
We need to touch the world with love
With His love

Wait a minute
If we say we love them, why are we not in it
Why are we not in it

CHORUS 2X

Wait a minute
If we say we love them, why are we not in it

"This Place" by SONSOFDAY music video

I recently heard this song on the Gospel Music Channel, and I liked it a lot. Why? I'm not sure. I like the chorus especially. :D Oh, and as always make sure to pause my music player before listening.

This Place
SONSOFDAY

I am reaching out to you now
I hope you see my silent cry
My heart is aching from this pain I
I want to leave this place somehow

But you don’t know how I feel
This job is not so bad you’re here
I can not take this anymore
I must be stronger than before

Take me out of out of this place
I’ve been here too long for too long now
So take me back now to the place where
To the place where to the place where I belong

I am barely breathing right now
Concentrating I can’t think right now
What this world wants from me I
I can’t quite figure out yeah

This time I will be stronger
I have to make it through somehow
The road is getting crazier
I’m hanging on to you right now

I think I’m crazy
We're not the only ones
Who get so dizzy
From what this worlds become

God Bless,

Love Thy Enemies!

I have been learning more about loving those who are doing something you don't like or people who are you enemies. You've heard about "turning the other cheek" and not hating those who oppress you ( a fancy word for harassing). So...what are you supposed to do when people throw you out like yesterday's trash?

Step #1: Forgive them.
Step #2: Pray for them.

Short, but unfortunately not always simple!

~Angelina has been wounded before by tongue-lashings and unthoughtful remarks. She has no idea where to turn or what to do.
~Many times Rachel is purposely ignored by those she thought loved her. She becomes bitter and angry with a "I hate everything" attitude.
~It's hard to get Jake's attitudes and emotions under control when his "friends" decide to get a good laugh over his mistakes or tiny blunders, even tripping in the hall.
~ Grant is so sick and tired of his classmates making fun at him for his beliefs about God and his decision to remain pure until marriage.

Sometimes they just want to pop the other person's bubble of superiority, want to punch them so hard that they'll see stars, or sit in a dark corner and have a pity party. It's really hard when someone rains on our parade. We just want to get rid of them no matter how.

The thing is, we should forgive them. Remember when Jesus was on the cross? People mocked and spat on him. They whipped him. Even his close friends denied him or ran away and didn't stick to him when they were needed the most. But what did Jesus pray? He prayed that God would forgive them! When I read the Bible and see what my Savior went through, my troubles seem so very tiny. I know how it feels. It's really hard to forgive. Trust me, I've been going through several situations like that lately. But if Jesus forgave those who did terrible things, should I not do the same?

Pray for them. That seems so hard, doesn't it? You'd rather see them hit by a lightning bolt than praying for them. But as I showed in the above paragraph, Jesus prayed for those who were doing a terrible act against him. He loved them, though they were cruel.

We should be polite and have a Christ-like attitude to those who offend us. Correct them in brotherly love if need be, but don't try to to pour more gasoline on a burning flame. Being mean right back never fixes anything. If whatever your situation is, gets worse, talk to your parent or a Christian adult that you trust and know will not lead you astray.

Just two steps.
Forgive...
Pray...

"Sweet Revenge"
by BarlowGirl

Did you see that I was hurt?
Did you know that you had left me crying there?
Now I'm holding all you words close till you feel this pain too
But you live on so unaware
While I thought somehow this hate would heal me
But this hate is never ending and it's only killing me
Oh sweet revenge you've lied again
I find I can't get free till I release this vengeance that I seek
Forgive you the only thing I want to live I'm ready to be free
Maybe you've been wounded too
Maybe all this is your self protection
All the hurts you thought were hidden
Are the one now hurting me
So who will make the pattern end?
I find I can't get free till I release this vengeance that I seek
Forgive you, the only thing I want to live I'm ready to
Break these chains
Won't see this through
'Cause setting you free means my freedom too
I find I can't get free till I release this vengeance that I seek
Forgive you the only thing I want to live I'm ready to be free

God Bless,

This Takes the Cake!

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.

Imagine a cake, a large one with delicious frosting, a delightful aroma, and topped with ice cream. Next to it are several eggs, flour, vegetable oil, and several other food items. Between the two, which one would you delve into?

Yet, was the cake possible without the ingredients? Some things in our life may be like raw eggs or dry flour. Bitter, not comfortable, and overall not enjoyable. You might ask God why it's happening to you. You may not remember that God sees the whole picture.

The batter of a cake must go through the fire in order be called a cake. You may have had one really testing time, several, or may be going through one right now. If a cake wasn't fully cooked would the baker just take it out of the oven and eat or sell it? Most likely not. Would he put the cake back into the oven, back into the fire, to be fully cooked and beautiful?
Only when the cake is done baking, only when it is whole and fully cooked does the baker take it out of the oven.

You may think, "Well, what about the martyrs? What about those who died or never lived a life like that?" Well, you're forgetting one thing. After the cake is done baking, does the baker just take it out and sell it? Or would he add icing? You see, we don't get the icing until we get to Heaven to be with out Lord Jesus Christ. We shall see our Make and rejoice for the hard times that made us who we are. Though sometimes we don't understand God, it's because we don't see the whole picture.

"God is God" by Steven Curtis Chapman

And the pain falls like a curtain
On the things I once called certain
And I have to say the words I fear the most
I just don’t know

And the questions without answers
Come and paralyze the dancer
So I stand here on the stage afraid to move
Afraid to fall, oh, but fall I must
On this truth that my life has been formed from the dust

God is God and I am not
I can only see a part of the picture He’s painting
God is God and I am man
So I’ll never understand it all
For only God is God

And the sky begins to thunder
And I’m filled with awe and wonder
‘Til the only burning question that remains
Is who am I

Can I form a single mountain
Take the stars in hand and count them
Can I even take a breath without God giving it to me
He is first and last before all that has been
Beyond all that will pass

Oh, how great are the riches of His wisdom and knowledge
How unsearchable for to Him and through
Him and from Him are all things

So let us worship before the throne
Of the One who is worthy of worship alone

Lang Lang and his father playing "Horse"

This video is so amazing! The instrument the piano player's (Lang Lang) father is playing is called an "Er Hu". It is a one stringed instrument that is from China and is comparable to the violin. The main reason I like it was the "Er Hu". The way he can manipulate it so sound just like a horse's hoofbeats and whinny is incredible!

A Song by Me and Other Oddities!

I have been writing a LOT lately including stories and songs. Here's one I wrote.

Through it All

My God is with me in the good or bad
He is there when I'm mad or sad
When I'm crying, He's there to lift me up
Through it all, through it all, God won't let me fall.

Chorus:
Through it all, my God is with me!
Through it all, His mercies I see
Through it all, I won't fear anything
Through it all, through it all, He'll never let me fall!

When I fight temptation He is there to guide me,
When I'm weak and weary, Oh, Jesus is my strength!
When I stray from righteousness, my Shepherd will direct me
Through it all, Oh through it all! (Chorus)

I will not fear anything that comes my way,
Because he's with me all every step I take
My Comfort, my Father, the One True God!
(Chorus)

Through it all my God will never leave me.
Yes, and through it all I know I am not small
Though just one in a crowd, He knows my name!
Every hair on my head,
Every thought I think,
And every word I say!
Through it all, through it all
My God won't let me fall.

So it's my first song and not exactly the best :/ Just thought I'd be crazy/random and post it! :D

So my friend Bookworm4God (link to her blog on my "People to See, Places to Go" list but ya'll probably know her since she's so popular) is going to Honduras for two weeks. She's leaving on Monday, August 7, 2008. (Yes, Bookiella, I am blogging on how much I miss you already)
If you read this before you go, ME MISSES YOU! :hug: ;) She's going to bring back cool picatures!

Anyway, time for my Sunday School funnies! For all who don't know, I volunteer every Sunday at a3&4 year olds class.

~One girl was playing "house" and she was the mother. The little girl who, oddly enough, was being the little girl was sick. So the mom said, "We need to go to the hostible!"

~One boy came over to the girls playing house and he was watching them.
"Wanna play?" a girl asked.
"Okay" replied he.
"You can be the grandma!" She said. The girls laughed because they understood the joke.
The poor little guy didn't get it so he just stood there and laughed along with the girls, "You are so funny!"

Anyway, that's what's been happening so far! :D

Are you a Jesus freak?

I was listening to this song by DCtalk called "Jesus Freak" It has a great message and one day I was watching a show about Toby Mac and how he progressed from DCtalk to the popular singer he is today. Jesus Freak has an interesting story behind it. At the time, the media wanted them to tone down their Christian message. In response, they wrote "Jesus Freak"

DC Talk - Jesus Freak
From the album Jesus Freak

[What will people think
When they hear that I'm a Jesus Freak?
What will people do
When they find that's it's true?]

Separated, I cut myself clean
From a past that comes back in my darkest of dreams
Been apprehended by a spiritual force
And a grace that replaced all the me I've divorced

I saw a man with tat on his big fat belly
It wiggled around like marmalade jelly
It took me a while to catch what it said
Cause I had to match the rhythm
Of his belly with my head
'Jesus Saves' is what it raved in a typical tattoo green
He stood on a box in the middle of the city
And claimed he had a dream

(chorus)
What will people think
When they hear that I'm a Jesus freak
What will people do when they find that it's true
I don't really care if they label me a Jesus freak
There ain't no disguising the truth

Kamikaze, my death is gain
I've been marked by my Maker
A peculiar display
The high and lofty, they see me as weak
Cause I won't live and die for the power they seek

There was a man from the desert with naps in his head
The sand that he walked was also his bed
The words that he spoke made the people assume
There wasn't too much left in the upper room
With scabss on his back and hair on his face
They thought he was strange by the locusts he ate
The Pharisees tripped when they heard him speak
Until the king took the head of this Jesus freak

(repeat chorus 2x)

People say I'm strange, does it make me a stranger
That my best friend was born in a manger
People say I'm strange, does it make me a stranger
That my best friend was born in a manger

(repeat chorus 2x)

What will people think
[What will people think]
What will people do
[What will people do]
I don't really care
[What else can I say]
There ain't no disguising the truth
[Jesus is the way]

Are you a Jesus freak? Would you be willing to die for the sake of the Gospel? I was listening to this song on my MP3 player along with "I Would Die for You" by MercyMe. It was written in honor of a missionary teen who died of sickness when he was being a missionary.

"I Would Die For You"

And I know that I can find You here
'Cause You promised me You'll always be there
Times like these, it's hard to see
But somehow I have a peace, You're near
And I pray that You will use my life
In whatever way Your name is glorified
Even if surrendering
Means leaving everything behind

My life has never been this clear
Now I know the reason why I'm here
You never know why You're alive
Until you know what you would die for
I would die for You

And I know I don't have much to give
But I promise You I will give You all there is
Can I possibly do less
When through Your own death I live?

No greater love is found
Than of those who lay their own lives down
As sure as I live and breathe
Now I know what it means to be free

The music, along with the lyrics is really powerful. I cried when I heard it first. (Yes, me , I did. Yes, I know it's surprising) I've been thinking about it a lot, especially about being a missionary when I get older. Would I be ready to give up my life? Am I worthy enough to be a missionary and die for His sake?