"You are So Beautiful!"

Hey Bible Girl, you are beautiful!!!
I hope your Bible reading, prayer time, and time with the Lord are going well for you.  You can do all of these things and still struggle with other areas.  These things can zap your zeal and enthusiasm or just discourage you.  Most young ladies have to work through self-acceptance, or just being plain happy with the way God made you.  We can spend much time worrying about things we cannot change and not doing anything about the things we can change.
For example - foot size...
What size are your feet? Mine are a size ten, yes, don't oohh or ahhh about, these are my gifts from God.  When I was about ten my feet were a size ten and for a few short years they were a size eleven.  When Mom said, "It's time to go shoe shopping" I would dread it and almost cry when I got to the store.  Back in the old days (the 70's), size ten shoes were scarce and each time I would find a pair I liked and ask for the size the shoe man would say, "We don't carry that style in that size."  Then he would bring out some ugly loafers or lace up old people shoes!  I started to hate my feet.  I was not thankful for them or proud of them and I definitely did not think they were beautiful.
I hope you feel great about the way God made you.  I hope that you don't understand what I felt like back in 1973.  It was a waste of time for me to be so upset and conscious about my foot size.  I was about five foot eight inches tall when I was in the fifth grade, that was a sight too, and can you imagine a tall gal like me with a size six foot?  That wouldn't work, something would definitely be awry.
Because I did not become thankful for my feet I tried to hide them.  I would tuck them under my chair when I sat down or cross them under myself if I sat on the floor.  I didn't like to go bowling because the bowling shoes had the size on the back, so my bowling skills still lack to this day!  I remember buying a pair of shoes one size smaller because my friends were with me - tell me, there's not much difference between a nine and ten!  Those shoes nearly killed me and my big toes, my poor toes suffered!
Does this sound dumb?  Yes, as I look at my beautiful feet today I have to apologize to them.  They are the perfect size for my body.  They have carried me for forty-five years, I was slow to learn to walk.  They have been my foundation and taken me places to serve the Lord.  I just love them and thank God for them!  I'll even treat them every so often with a salon pedicure!
Maybe you feel that way about some part of your appearance.  If you can alter it by dieting, exercise, personal hygiene, or clothing style, then try.  If not, work with it!  God knows every part and made you that way for a specific purpose.  Turn your hatred, embarrassment, or fear about the way God made you into love, gratitude, and confidence that it will turn out beautifully and is for a purpose!

Psalm 139

¹¹      If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; 

even the night shall be light about me.

¹²      Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; 

but the night shineth as the day: 

the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

¹³      For thou hast possessed my reins: 

thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.

¹⁴      I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:

marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

¹⁵      My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, 

and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

¹⁶      Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; 

and in thy book all my members were written, 

which incontinuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

¹⁷      How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! 

how great is the sum of them!

¹⁸      If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: 

when I awake, I am still with thee.

"I Am Just So Bored..."

Have you said that yet?  We all tend to say this in the middle of the summer, after the parties, after camp, after vacation, etc...

One of my favorite teachers gave me a tip when I was about fifteen years old.  She said that whenever I was bored I should do one thing I normally don't like to do that takes about ten minutes.  Do you have things you don't like to do?

I started making a list in my mind...

"Things I Normally Don't Like to Do that take about Ten minutes"

1. Clean the toilet and bathroom sink.

2. Organize one dresser drawer.

3. Sweep the porch and sidewalk.

4. Write a letter.

5. Wash the dishes.

6. Floss teeth and clean ears and clean face.

7. Wash the car windshield and windows, inside and out.

8. Hang up clothing, organize shoes, dust bedroom.

9. Pick weeds by front porch.

10. Clean inside of car, dash, seats, trash out, etc...

etc..., etc..., etc...

Can you add to this list?  I could add a hundred things.

Well, I listened to my teacher.  Whenever I was bored I would look around and find a very small job to do that I didn't really want to do.  I started it.  I did it.  I finished it.  I felt good.  I felt so good I would do another small job.  It is amazing how great WORKING makes you feel.  God made us to accomplish a work.  If we are faithful to the little jobs around us, we'll be faithful servants for Him in the bigger jobs.

The next time you think or say, "I'm just so bored..." - DO SOMETHING AND ENJOY YOURSELF! :)

"I'm Thankful to Be an American..."

July starts with a "BANG!" when we pop firecrackers and watch fireworks to celebrate our country's birthday.  I don't know about you, but I am very thankful to be an American.  You can sum up the difference between America and all other countries in one word - "God".  God and faith are the basis for our freedoms and ideals.  But, I'm not going to talk about that today, I want to talk about just plain thankfulness.
I believe if we are thankful Americans we will be better citizens.  The same is true of the following...
1. Thankful daughters make better daughters.
2. Thankful students make better students.
3. Thankful Christians make better Christians.
4. Thankful sisters make better sisters.
Have you ever gone away from home for a few days and realized what you missed?  I know that I miss my bed, my chair, my coffee mug, my family, my piano, my front door, my lamp, my closet, etc... just about everything!  That makes me thankful for all of these little "blessings" around me.
One way to make your Bible time more interesting is to keep a "gratitude journal" or list.  You don't have to write everything down in one day, but write three things down every day.  You'll be excited to see how God is working in your life and won't gripe and complain near as many times in a day.
Here's an example of a gratitude list...
1. Strength to go through a whole day.
2. A rainy day.
3. French toast for breakfast.
4. A mockingbird's song outside my window.
5. Toilet paper!!!
6. Coca-Cola Classic over ice
7. Hot french fries with Heinz ketchup
8. White cupcakes with white frosting, lots of white frosting.
Why don't you add this to your Bible time?  You and the Lord will have more to talk about.

Psalm 105

¹      O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: 

make known his deeds among the people.

²      Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: 

talk ye of all his wondrous works.

³      Glory ye in his holy name: 

let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.

⁴      Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore.

⁵      Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; 

his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;

"My Prayer Time"

Prayer is just talking to God.  Sometimes we don't even acknowledge the Lord, we go through a whole day only praying a quick prayer before eating our meals or saying "Dear Lord" when we can't find a lost item we want.  That's really not the way to have a relationship with our God.
I can think of all of the struggles I've gone through with prayer and I think the what helped me the most was realizing I could pray anytime, anywhere, and about any thing on my mind.  It doesn't have to be formal or in perfect circumstances.
When one of the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, Jesus gave them a model prayer, which we sometimes call the Lord's prayer.  Then Jesus spoke of a man with a friend who had a need.  The man needed bread and kept asking until he received it.
The key words that keep popping up in Luke 11 (following) are "ask" and "importunity".   Sometimes we may hate to ask for things, it shows we have a need but isn't it true?  We do have needs!
Asking God for things or answers to prayer lets Him know that we are...
too weak to get the answer on our own.
too poor to buy it on our own.
too dumb to figure it out on our own.
too small to get the big jobs done.
Asking God for things or answers to prayers lets Him know the He is...
the most powerful God.
all we need.
the wisest and all-knowing God.
the biggest and strongest God.
the One who knows all our needs and how to meet them!
"Importunity" is the same as being impudent, or just plain rude.  God doesn't mind if we keep asking, and asking, and asking.  Doing this shows our faith and our belief in His power.  When we ask one time and give up we then start using our own strength to figure things out.  Keep asking God, never give up!
What if you've never had a prayer time, what can you do to start having one?  Here's a "Bible Girl" way that has helped me!

Create a prayer scrapbook.

Include pictures of loved ones, missionaries, staff members, etc...

Have a section for prayer requests and answers.

Have a praise sections - pictures of your favorite creations by God, etc...

Have a section for sick friends and church members.

Every morning after Bible time go through your scrapbook and pray

You'll find that you'll have to make a new one every so often as you run out of space and get new friends, pictures, etc... It is so exciting to see the answered prayers marked in your scrapbook.  Seeing pictures also makes you think about what you're praying about.

Try it!  You'll enjoy your prayer time and you'll spend more time with the Lord!

Luke 11

¹And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, 
when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, 
Lord,teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. 
²And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, 
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
 ³Give us day by day our daily bread. ⁴And forgive us our sins; 
for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. 
And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

⁵And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, 
and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, 
Friend, lend me three loaves; ⁶For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me,
and I have nothing to set before him? ⁷And he from within shall answer and say, 
Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; 
I cannot rise and give thee. ⁸I say unto you, 
Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, 
yet because of his importunity he will rise and give 
him as many as he needeth. ⁹And I say unto you,
 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; 
knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 
¹⁰For every one that asketh receiveth; 
and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that 
knocketh it shall be opened. ¹¹If a son shall ask bread 
of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? 
or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
 ¹²Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
¹³If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: 
how much more shall your heavenly 
Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

"1 - 2 - 3 - 4"

A Psalm of praise.

¹ Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

² Serve the LORD with gladness: 

come before his presence with singing.

³ Know ye that the LORD he is God: 

it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; 

we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

⁴ Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, 

and into his courts with praise: 

be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

⁵ For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; 

and his truth endureth to all generations.

How's your praise life?  Do you have one?  As a "Bible Girl" getting the scripture reading down is a top priority and hopefully you've had some improvement in making time for that and making it more interesting!


You know, we were all made to glorify the Lord.  Our lips were made to praise Him.  Can we have a plan for that?  I figured out a simple one that I love and enjoy!  It started with the following verses:


Psalm 119:162 - I rejoice at thy word, 
as one that findeth great spoil.

¹⁶³ I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love.

¹⁶⁴ Seven times a day do I praise thee 

because of thy righteous judgments.

¹⁶⁵ Great peace have they which love thy law: 

and nothing shall offend them.

What caught my attention was "seven times a day" - that's God's perfect number.  So, I tried to set times, but then I forgot!  I believe God knew my intentions and I would praise the Lord whenever I would think about it.  I'm a clock-watcher by nature and noticed that whenever I would look at the clock throughout the day that the numbers would be consecutive.  Example: On a digital clock you may see the following times throughout the day - 10:11, 11:23, 12:34, 1:23, 2:34, 3:45, 4:56.  

What do I do when I see a consecutive number on a clock?  I praise and glorify the Lord!  I say "I sure do love you, Lord", "Lord, I praise your holy name!", "Lord, thank You for all You are and all You've done."   You know that we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us and sometimes I believe I get a nudge from him at these times!

Sometimes I'll be riding in a car with someone and notice the clock - "1-2-3-4" - it's time to praise the Lord!  I'll point out the consecutive numbers and sometimes they don't even understand what a consecutive number is - numbers in order, then I'll tell them my praise plan.  Wow!  The next time we're together and "1-2-3-4" shows up, it's time to praise the Lord!

Reading and Remembering

Have you ever been reading your Bible, answered the phone, then forgot what you had read?  Or have you ever read the same chapters over and over again because you couldn't remember where you were?  Maybe you read the "Proverb of the Day" just because that's the only way you can keep up with what you have read or haven't read - that's not bad, but you could benefit from the other sixty-five books of the Bible! :)
Here's a simple Bible plan, straight from Scriptures, with a few tips that I've used to help me.

Psalm 119:18 - Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

Ÿ  Set the alarm/Take a shower/wash your face with Noxema

Ÿ  Coffee/cocoa/tea/juice/water

Ÿ  You have to make sure you're awake!

Psalm 119:34 - Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; 

yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.

Ÿ  Ask for help from the Holy Spirit.

Ÿ  Apply the knowledge to yourself practically.

Ÿ  Be open to the words, not speed reading.

 Write a personal note to yourself and apply the truth to yourself - "Dear Jennifer, you need to ..."

Psalm 25:4, 5 - Show me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.  

Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

Ÿ  Look for God's ways, not verses to back up your ways

Ÿ  Walk in Jesus' footsteps - "he went about doing good"

Ÿ  Be teachable

Job 34:32 - That which I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more

Ÿ  Ask for help with hidden problems or sins – make a list

Ÿ  Ask for forgiveness for unknown sins

Ÿ  Ask to be led away from bad habits, sin, etc...

Picture the verses in your mind, write ideas down, keep a journal, etc...

Maybe you can come up with a better plan, it's just important to have a plan.  Enjoy your Bible Time and then remember it afterwards!

"When You Get Off Track"

Have you ever wished you were as perfect as someone else?  I have always wanted to have it "together" like the ladies I admire at church.  You know, there is no one that is perfect or that has is "all together".  Someone else may do ONE thing better than you do, but that does not make them perfect.  You may be able to do ONE thing better than someone else, but you are not perfect.  How do I know?  I'm not perfect.  I was counseling with one of my daughters one night and she said, "Mom, people think you're perfect, but I know you're not."  I wasn't offended by my daughter, but I was surprised that anyone would believe that I am perfect.
I have to run to the bathroom to brush my teeth in the morning because I can't stand my bad breath!
I always take a shower before I go to bed because my feet are stinky!
I have a tendency to interrupt conversations, leave unfinished sentences in conversations, and laugh annoyingly loud in group conversations.
I had to make up a days on my Bible reading when I missed!  Yes, WHEN I missed, not IF I missed.  As a young girl and teen and young mother it was a struggle and sometimes I would think, I am NEVER  going to get this thing down.
Sometimes you will get off track, don't stay off, just hop back on, you'll get to where you're going.  Life is a journey and you've got to keep going on your path with the Lord.  Maybe you feel like you haven't accomplished what you've wanted to this summer, that's how everyone feels.  Life cannot be planned perfectly, minute by minute, but when you get off track, you just get back as soon as you can.
Jessica was in the hospital ICU this past weekend, so my regular Bible reading schedule got a little messed up.  I did read from Proverbs and read scriptures I felt that I needed from the Psalms.  The point is I did the best I could do.
"Tomorrow is a new day, with no mistakes in it, yet." - from Anne of Green Gables.  Don't give up!  If it's 11:58 P.M. and you haven't read your Bible, run and get it and start ASAP!  I've done that many times.  When I miss my Bible reading in the morning, I lay my Bible on my pillow so I'll remember to read before I go to sleep that night.  That's a great way to get back on track.
I know I may be saying the same things again, but we always have the same struggles - get back up, again, and again, and again.
Hey, if you ever do get Bible time down perfectly, you will still have other things to work on and you will still have to get back on track...