You Are More

We all have secrets. Dark, haunting, shameful secrets. Secrets that we try to push us down. It's always in the back of our mind, reminding us of what we've done. Haunting us in our dreams. Making us shiver when thinking of everyone knowing.

      You feel shame and you feel depressed of what you have done. I've done awful things, just like you. Everyone has something that they want to keep hidden, something that haunts them. Something that makes them cry when they think of it. Some things destroy peoples lives.
 
    It tears them down, and they just lay there. They don't try to get up. And if they do, they can't make it. They push, and shove through the sin and shame. But it doesn't do anything. What you need is God. You might already have Him, but you don't feel forgiven. You still feel awful and sad.
       I felt like that for the absolute longest time. I had done something that made me sad and depressed. Something that my parents had forgiven me for, and God supposevly did too. But it didn't feel like it. It didn't feel like God had forgiven me. I still had this big weight baring down on my shoulders. I laid in bed, haunted by it.
   Then I asked God to forgive me. Really forgive me, and I blurted out my heart and feelings to Him. All in a sudden rush, just crying it all out. Just telling Him everything. When I was done, I sniffed a bit and it hit me. I felt His arms wrap around me, and the weight was just lifted. I was forgiven. I could actually feel it. Now, I look back on it in a lesson, and I know God has forgiven me.
  I had done some heavy duty reading the Bible, and I felt better.

   You are more then what you've done. Every little thing that you have done, has been forgiven. But first, you have to ask for it. You really have to ask for it, you have to mean it. Tell God what's in your heart, what you are feeling. He is up there listening. The best part is He actually understands. Like a best friend, he pats you on the back and understands.

       This isn't about what you have done. But that you are forgiven. These two videos below are amazing and touching. I cry each time I see them. The last one I have on my iPod, and I listen to it everyday!

Music

Okay girlies! MUSIC TIME! Okay, I absolutely love music. And you might, too! But here is the sitch. Music that girls listen to these days are shockingly awful! The lyrics talk about, dancing against eachother, drinking beer, disobeying parents, partying, sleeping with boys and cuss words!
 

   My mom and I were going through the channels that lots of girls listen to like Kiss Fm. We were just baffled at the words. Ke$ha is in right now. It makes me so sad. Her songs 'Your Love is My Drug', 'Tik Tok', 'We R Who We R' and more are just not good. I am not saying you don't get to listen to music. I'm saying you shouldn't listen to bad music! I am not even saying you should only listen to Christian.

    There are some GREAT songs me and my mom love that aren't Christian. 'Fire Flies' by Owl City, 'Bubbly' by Colbie Caillat. My iPod is filled with great songs! And they aren't all Christian. But Christian music these days is awesome! They have really great music. Like 'More Beautiful You' by Johnny Diaz, 'Until The Whole World Hears' by Casting Crowns. 

I admit, some music that we know isn't good sounds awesome! This might sound odd, but it's the Devil's music. He wants us to listen to it. That's why it sounds so good to us. It has a good beat, I know. I admit, I had listened to this kind of music for a very long time. I would listen to those stations. But then I realised that Satan is getting to me.
   The demons he has sent me are getting to me through the music I was listening to! And I just stopped. I started listening to KLTY. And then I became less sassy. Music has as huge affect on what you act like. I know, you might not want to give up your music. I had a hard time letting go of all that music. The garbage. 

     But I forced myself to listen to something else. And now Christian is my favorite! They have loud, touching great music. It used to not be like that. When my mom was a kid, they had the old hymns. And lets face it, teenagers don't like that very much. But now we have great music that's good for us to listen to! So why not drop the trash, and get the good stuff? 

  

    Listening to those songs also grabs girls, and drag them down. It gets them to start thinking, "Hmmm...Miley Cryrus sure is making partying sound good! Maybe I should try it? Just once?" and then the songs that have swearing in them, Ke$ha's songs have a few bad words, make you want to say them. If you don't say them out loud, you think them.

   It seems good until you get trapped by it. It seems so yummy. Like a candy bar (I know, but everyone can relate to chocolate being good!). It seems so good until you have too much. Then you get sick and don't feel good. Music is just the same.

  CHALLENGE: Drop the bad music. You know what isn't good, face it, you have always known. Don't try and tell yourself it's fine! Go to iTunes and get some great songs! I will post some great songs at the end. Change the station on the radio when a song comes on that you know isn't great for your ears.

IS IT BAD?: Here is how you know if the song is bad: It has bad words (even if they kind of bleep them out), if it talks about dancing inappropriately, drinking beer or achohol, kissing or anything like that (you know what I mean!) or disobeying parents and sneaking off.

Great songs:

Bubbly (Colbie Caillat)

Headphones (Britt Nicole)

I can only Imagine (Mercy Me)

More Beautiful You (Johnny Diaz)

Slow Fade (Casting Crowns)

Turn On The Radio (Reba)

There Will Be a Day (Jeremy Camp)

When She Cries (Britt Nichole)

You Are More (Tenth Avenue North)

You Got me (Colbie Caillat)

 Here's a great video by Natelie Grant. It's called 'In Better Hands':

Clothes and makeup

These days, girls think to get attention, they have to wear low-cut shirts and mini shorts. They have to load on the make-up and talk all loud. They also seem to think that wearing big high heals gives them a 'mature' appeal. Well, this is your wake up call!
     Usually girls are wanting guys' attention. Well, you do get it. But not the kind you want! You don't wan to get a boyfriend (that could lead to a husband) that cheats on you, looks at other girls and just isn't a good young man. I, am a teenager also. It's perfectly fine to want the male gender to want to think your pretty.
   

 But, you don't want them to be looking at your body, and thinking bad thoughts. That is usually whats going on through these guys' heads as they look at your almost bare legs or revealed chest. Instead, don't you want them to look at your face and think "wow she is pretty". Instead of, "wow she has nice legs". Sure, it's not bad to show your legs. You just want to show enough. Maybe just a little bit above your knees.
 
      If you think about it, after you start dating a guy, he might have looked at you and thought you were good looking. But if he thought bad (or lustful) thoughts about you, what makes you think he won't think those thoughts about other girls? He'll think the same thing about other girls, because that's how he saw you.
    
    Instead, you can get a good Christian young man, who thinks your beautiful. But also likes your inside beauty. That is the kind of boy who will end up being a good life long soul mate. You might be thinking "there isn't any guys like that". Well, STOP RIGHT THERE! There are lots of guys that are good men.
    
    My mother is a hair dresser and one of her young costumers is a good young guy. He doesn't say cuss words, he dresses nice and he's a pure good young man. You are probably thinking, "well, if he's good he can't be good looking". Well, he is! (Giggle) Although I am not crushing on him, he is good looking. So don't think you have to get a good, but ugly guy.

  Make-up:

   Now, I am not saying you shouldn't wear makeup, because I wear makeup. But you want to wear just enough. Because, I know you are sick of hearing this, but God made your face without makeup. And he didn't intend for us to put makeup on it. If you do wear makeup (I advice you don't!) wear a little bit. Maybe a little tiny but of eyeliner and not dark eye shadows. If you wear a lot, it makes your eyes look smaller, not bigger.

    It also looks trashy if you put a lot on! Here's some pictures of Lots of make up and just a little bit:

Lots of makeup. What girls think looks good (it doesn't)

'

(just a little bit of makeup)

Drowding

   We're drownding, in the sins of this world. The sin is a big ocean, and we keep going to it and swimming. Why? Beause it looks so refreshing. But the big waves (demonds) pumble us down. We can't get back up. Then we pop above the water, and gasp for air. Our arms are waving above our heads, trying to get the attention from the lifeguards on shore.
    But they don't see us, they're too busy. We go back under, our lungs burning for air. We need air, it's a must. We bob back up, gasp for air, hope some one sees us, then go back under.
    

     This is the story of our lives. We, Christians, hang out with the wrong crowds. We drink and party like evryone else. Because it looks so fun, and plus, everyone else is doing it! We seem to get trapped by the sins, and we can't seem to find God. We can't get back to Him. He's right there on the shore, we have to swim to get there. We have to kick our legs as hard as we can. It seems that the shore is so far away, but it isn't. You just have to stop doing what the world is doing.
   We have to run back into God's arms.

    This video makes me cry each time I see it.
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyheJ480LYA