Beautiful in Christ

2011-11-13T15:54:00.000-08:00

So I'm not going to sugar coat this right now. I'm going to come right out and say it, because guess what? What I'm about to say is completely and utterly true.

There is pain.

Sorrow.

Hard times.

Times you want to run away from your life and make it all end.

Times when you wake up and feel like crawling right back under the covers and never getting up.

Times when you look at yourself in the mirror and wish you had the chance to change something about yourself.

I sure know that I've felt this way. As a Christian, I think that some people believe that we should be perfect - that we shouldn't have troubles and trials. That we should just walk through the fire and never get burned by it. That we are immortal.

But we are not. We are human. We are sinners. We are easily hurt just like everyone else. We are burdened, pained, sorrowed. We have so much going on, and we feel like no one takes the time for us.

But guess what?

God has time. God wants you to run to him and not away from him. He wants YOU to take the time to go to him - in prayer, in meditation, by reading the Bible. He wants you to turn to him when you're hurting. He wants to help you. He wants to LOVE you. He wants to treat you the way you deserve to be treated. You can't get a better doctor, lover, best friend, healer than the Lord, Jesus Christ.

So remember, next time you're hurting, even if you don't feel like it - run to God, and not away from him. It might just prove to be the best thing that ever happened to you. Because he'll heal your heart and love you just for you.

Sinner and all.

I keep my eyes always on the LORD.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Psalm 16:8

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

~Ashley

The Mirror Lies

2011-11-07T20:41:00.000-08:00

This picture is of my mirror in my room.

I'm sure you know all about mirrors.

They're the things that lie to us, telling us we're less than what we should be. Telling us we're fat. Telling us we are imperfect. Telling us we don't deserve love.

But the truth is... the mirror lies.

As much as I try to remember this... I forget. My mirror is right across from my bed, so every morning, I'm faced with... well, me. And I'll be honest: a lot of times, I don't like what I see. Sometimes, I downright hate it.

Part of the reason I haven't posted on this blog in forever is because it's so hard to believe that I really am beautiful. I've been struggling in this area a lot. I didn't feel like I should be talking about believing that we're beautiful when I don't even believe it myself.

I remember a particularly dark time a few months ago when I was listening to Satan's voice, not God's. When I'm listening to the loud voices of Satan and his lies, it's so hard to hear the still small voice of Jesus.

I felt worthless. Fat. And the biggest lie that Satan shoved down my throat was this: No one could ever love you. You'll never get married. You are not worthy.

That is totally and utterly crap. I know that now. But it's hard to see Satan's lies for what they are when he's got such a strong grip.

It was after this time that I put up those two post-it notes.

You are beautiful.
-God

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. -Eleanor Roosevelt

And now, when I wake up every morning, I am faced with the truth - not lies.

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

John 8:32

Girls, deep inside you, you know the truth. The truth is:

you are sacred,
you are treasured,
you are loved,
you are His.

Hold onto that truth with everything in you. Proclaim it. Shout it from the roof tops. Embed it into every fiber of your being.

The mirror lies, but the Maker of the stars never will.

Don't be afraid to believe that you're beautiful.

Everyone Needs A Little Encouragement

2011-09-07T09:16:00.000-07:00

"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

"So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Isaiah 41:10

Blessings by Laura Story

2011-08-27T09:27:00.000-07:00

This is one my favorite songs. So BEAUTIFUL!

We Are His

2011-08-23T14:38:00.000-07:00

If you've read our about page, you've probably seen this sentence before:

The purpose of this blog is to encourage girls in their faith and remind them that their beauty is found in Christ alone.

Today I'd been hit hard with that sentence. I really, really struggle with my self-image. As much as I try to believe the theme of this blog - that I'm beautiful in Christ - I don't always think that way. I feel fat, and wonder how anyone could ever love me.

What I need to remember when that nagging doubt starts creeping in is that Someone already does love me.

Today was such a bad day. I was depressed. Satan was throwing lies at me in every possible way. I didn't want to eat, because I felt so horrible about myself.

Then I got online. And somehow, I found myself on Beautiful in Christ. I was reading over some of our posts, and they encouraged me. They uplifted me and reminded me of the message that I blog about every week on BIC.

WE ARE BEAUTIFUL.

It's not because of what we've done. It's because of Jesus.

Plain and simple, we are His.

There is nothing I can do that can make me look better in his sight. He loves me just the way I am.

And he's the only reason that I breathe.

In Christ alone, my hope is found.

In Christ alone, my hope is found 
He is my light, my strength, my song 
This cornerstone, this solid ground 
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm 
What heights of love, what depths of peace 
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease 
My comforter, my all-in-all 
Here in the love of Christ I stand

There in the ground His body lay 
Light of the world by darkness slain 
Then bursting forth in glorious day 
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory 
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine 
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me 
From life’s first cry to final breath 
Jesus commands my destiny 
No power of hell, no scheme of man 
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home 
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand

Beautiful Art

2011-08-20T20:56:00.000-07:00

“I grew up hearing everyone tell me 'God loves you'. I would say 'big deal, God loves everybody. That don't make me special! That just proves that God ain't got no taste.' And, I don't think He does. Thank God! Because He takes the junk of our lives and makes the most beautiful art.”

—Rich Mullins

The Truest Love

2011-08-18T19:23:00.000-07:00

Close your eyes and imagine with me for a moment. (Well, closing your eyes could be a bit difficult while you read this, but bear with me.)

Imagine you’re in a ballroom. The decadence is overwhelming. Glowing light is cast over everything as the band plays soft, serenading music in the background. You’re a bit of a wallflower, but you don’t mind. You’re enjoying watching everyone twirl and dance, so much so that you don’t even care that you’re not waltzing with the rest of them. Your soft purple dress falls around you in graceful folds, and your hair is in a curly updo. You wouldn’t even know how to do your hair like that if this was real life. You see diamonds everywhere - in the chandeliers above your head, in the dangly earrings you wear, and the diamond bracelet on your wrist. The sparkly atmosphere makes it feel all the more magical.

You feel a light tap on your shoulder. “May I have this dance?”

You whirl, suddenly brought out of your reverie. You were so lost in thought that you didn’t see this man approach, but now, here he stands. His hair is in sawdust-colored curls, and he bows slightly. A hint of a smile lingers on his lips. You’re not sure whether to feel afraid or excited at this unexpected turn of events.

You take his outstretched hand as he leads you onto the dance floor. He grasps your hand, and you waltz. Twirling, twirling. You study this mysterious stranger as you dance. Who is he? Where did he come from?

“I believe we were never fully introduced,” you begin.

“I’m sorry.” He smiles, almost mischievously. He doesn’t give you his name, and seems to have no intention of giving it to you. You wait for a few awkward moments, and then you tell him your name. “I know,” he says with a wink.

You can’t think of anything to say, so you keep your mouth shut as the dance continues and finally draws to a close. You stand still as the music fades away, suddenly struck with the realization that you danced with someone who is a complete stranger and seems to want to remain that way. Far be it from you to drag information out of him, but there’s something about him that makes you want to know everything. Maybe it’s the way he smiles... or his bluish-green eyes. Whatever it is, you’re intrigued. And you don’t want this conversation - or, rather, lack of one - to end.

Much to your surprise, it doesn’t. He keeps his hold on your hand and tips his head as he looks at you. “Walk with me?”

You are much too surprised to refuse, and allow him to lead you off the dance floor. Together, you walk out the large double doors onto a balcony that looks just like it came from a Disney princess movie. The stars seem to sing above the two of you, accompanied by the sound of the crickets in the bushes below. You study this man curiously. “Who are you?” You finally ask.

“I am,” he simply says.

“No, I mean... who are you?” you ask again, bewildered.

“Tell me...” He begins, leading you by the hand to a nearby bench. “What’s been troubling you? Your thoughts? Your desires?”

You are speechless. “Um...” Again, you ask yourself, who is he? Why does he seem so familiar? And what is this strange hold he seems to have on your heart?

He just looks at you, imploring you to speak with those beautiful eyes of his. And so you do.

“I’ve been thinking. About God. About life. About me...” You trail off. “Who I’m going to marry, mostly.”

He raises his eyebrows, inviting you to go on. “Yes?”

“No, it’s stupid.” You hang your head. He reaches over and lifts your chin up, and you find yourself looking straight into his eyes. “It’s not stupid,” he whispers. “Not to me.”

Your eyes fill with tears. “I feel... worthless. There are no guys who want to date me. No one to even give me a second glance.”

You turn your body away, but he comes around and kneels in front of you. There is no escaping this man. He holds both your hands in his warm grasp. “What about me?” he asks.

“What about you?” You repeat, starting to get irritated. “I don’t even know who you are!”

“I am,” he says simply.

“You are what?” Your eyes fill with tears again, this time angry tears. You don’t understand this man or anything he says.

Then he says your name. So tenderly. So sweetly. The sound is so beautiful that you want to melt. Slowly, you turn towards him again. “Yes?” you reply.

“Talk to me,” he says.

And for some reason you can’t understand, your heart comes spilling out. All your desires. Your wants. Your needs. Your pain. Your fears. Your hopes. Your dreams.

“And while I have your attention,” you say with a laugh, “I just want to say, I want to know... where is that special guy? Why hasn’t he come yet?”

This man across from you feels like one of your best friends. And in this moment, all he does is blink. So you continue.

“Who is my true love?”

The man stands, and pulls you into his arms. Then he laughs softly. “Well, that’s easy.”

He pauses, and you look up into his eyes. His eyes... you nearly drown in them.

His voice rumbles next to your ear, and you will never forget what he says.

“I am.”

A post that needs no introduction....

2011-08-17T17:19:00.000-07:00

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!

Have you heard that yet today? Chances are, probably not, but if so, great! I'm glad that someone told you! You deserve to be told, every day!

And if you listen closely, you'll hear it coming from inside you. That's God speaking. Telling you that he cherishes and loves you more than anything in the world. How awesome is that?

Sometimes I think we don't realize. We know that Jesus died on the cross to save our sins, but we don't think about that in depth. He loved us. You. And me. He cherished and loved us enough to be brutally killed and hung on the cross and rise again three day later.

Wow.

John 3:16 tells us that God sent his only son to die for us. Come on, girls. How amazing is that? I think that we hear this verse, memorize it and don't really listen to the intensity of it. But it's so amazing.

I'm going to post it here, and I want you to read over it and realize exactly how amazing it is. Read it more than once.

And know today that Jesus loves you.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life."

Something to Think On

2011-07-22T07:42:00.000-07:00

So as a 17 year old girl, I think about guys. Don't we all? Some of you might say no. But I think you probably do, even if it's just in the back of your mind. Guy are intriguing, and sometimes wonderful, right?

Sure. They are. I think that I'd have to agree. Guys are fun to hang out with and talk to. I don't have too many guy friends, but when I do get a chance to hang out with guys, I really enjoy it. They are so much less dramatic than girls, and you don't need to worry about looking your absolute best when around them because they probably don't care what you are wearing or look like. They're guys.

But oh, there was a point to this post.

Right. Girls like to think about guys.

I don't want a boyfriend. I'm almost 18 (in about 4 months), and I just never had the desire to have a boyfriend. I want to be able to look back on my life and say "My husband is the only man I ever loved." Wouldn't that be amazing? To be able to say that? To be able to look back and know that you never gave your heart away to someone else?
I'm not here to say that dating is wrong. It's not! I'm not one of those Christian girls who "Kissed Dating Goodbye", even though I did read some of the book by Josh Harris. (It was good, but not my cup of tea.) I think there is a certain age range of girls that shouldn't be dating - like young teenagers, but I'm not trying to tell you that you shouldn't date. Because I'm not like that.
I'm just trying to make you think about your decisions in life. Are you dating someone just to say that you are dating? Are you dating just because you can? Are you dating because you feel pressured into doing it (peer pressure is the worst).
Or maybe, just maybe, you're dating because you feel God has called you to a certain person. Maybe you prayed for months and months before ever dating someone, making sure God was at the head of it. If so, I commend you! This is what I want when a relationship finally comes into play for me. I can't wait to be able to say to a guy, "I like you, but we have to pray about this. I don't want a broken heart, and I want to make sure this is what God wants for my life."
God has someone perfect out there for us, you know? A guy that's going to love us unconditionally, and forever. God doesn't want us to give our hearts away to every guy that we meet, because he made someone special for us, that's JUST for us. And doesn't that man deserve to have all of us, and not just some of it?
Actually, Josh Harris' book "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" talks about this in the first chapter. It starts out with a dream. A guy is getting married. He loves his fiance, he's about to marry her, when all the girlfriends from his past come up and stand beside him. They say how they each gave part of their heart to him, so they should be standing there with him. (Or something roughly along those lines.)
Wow, so we know that'll probably never happen. But it'd be awful if it did!
I've never been in love, so I don't know how it feels. I'm sure it's great. But I want to wait. Save my heart for the man I'm going to marry.
I hope that you choose to do the same. I know that it will be worth it.
You're beautiful, girls. Wait for the right one to come along and then give them your whole heart.

The video is The Right One by Stellar Kart. This song is SO amazing!

~Ashley

I AM Beautiful

2011-07-01T15:15:00.000-07:00

I am going to be completely honest...I am constantly comparing myself to other girls. 'Not pretty enough', 'not smart enough', 'not tall enough', 'not skinny enough', etc.

I was doing this just the other day while talking to Kylie. She - being the best friend that she is - yelled at me.
"Ashley! I hate when you do that! You should never compare yourself to other girls! Stop doing it!"
So I did.

I've grown to realize that every person is made just the way they're supposed to be. God made us all different so that we'd all be unique. It's not a curse, it's a blessing.

If we all looked the same, we'd wonder why God made us the same. So my best advice for you is...look at yourself like you're a treasure, which is exactly what you are.

"For I am fearfully and wonderfully made."

~Ashley

Why "Beautiful in Christ"?

2011-05-09T20:41:00.000-07:00

Beautiful in Christ (BIC) is founded on the idea that everyone is beautiful. It sounds cliche, but it's true. You are beautiful.

I've had many days where I don't believe that I'm beautiful. It's hard to feel that way in our culture today, where everywhere we're bombarded by "fake" beauty. So what's a girl to do?

We have to listen to what God says. That's the foundation of everything else. Once we listen to God's voice and hear what He says, our thoughts will begin to follow. We have to believe we're beautiful.

Why?

Because Jesus says so.

We may not be perfect. But Jesus is, so we don't have to be. I once came across a blog. The URL was misspelled as "inperfection" rather than "imperfection." Upon further inspection, I noticed that someone had left a comment. This person commented and said, "I know you probably meant to type 'imperfection' in your blog URL. But I think the way you typed it is really cool, because we're in Jesus, and that means we're in perfection."

Jesus is beautiful. His love, his grace, and his mercy are beautiful. Christ has made us new creations, and therefore, we are beautiful.

That's the point of this blog. You are beautiful. Why? Because Jesus says so.

Introducing Beautiful in Christ...again

2011-05-08T17:48:00.000-07:00

Beautiful in Christ was a "ministry" that Kylie and I decided to start in October of 2009. We thought that it would be a great way to reach out to girls who were in need of help, or an encouraging word.
As writers, Kylie and I love to write anything. From blog posts to full-length books. But we also feel the calling to write to teen girls to help them get through their hardest time in live - their teen years.
We all know how rough it is to be a teen - especially when people are constantly making fun of us for being different, or being Christians. We get discouraged and feel like we have to live up to everyone else's expectations.
But the truth is - we are all different. And because of that, we are all unique. We all have amazingly unique characteristics that set us apart from other people.
And guess what?
That's perfectly okay.
You are GREAT just the way you are.
And that's what Kylie and I are aiming to tell you. We are trying to keep you encouraged through your life. And sometimes she and I need some encouragement right back.

In the past we had some trouble keeping our ideas flowing and our blog posts coming. We got stuck at times and weren't sure where we were going with Beautiful in Christ. Actually, we still don't. We had no idea that God would call us to start Beautiful in Christ over again, so this was as much of a surprise for us as it was for you. Maybe even more so.
But as we reevaluated the whole thing, we realized that God still wants us to write on this blog. He still wants us to give an encouraging word here and there.
We aren't going to set any type of schedule. We aren't going to push ourselves to write. But when we feel the need to come on and write a blog post, we will.
It may be weeks at a time that we don't post and then sometimes we might post more than once a week. We just don't know. That is up to God to figure out for us - and to lay posts on our hearts.

So be sure to check back soon and see if we have a new post up. Also, Kylie is working on a new template for this blog, so be sure to check back for that as well.
~Ashley

A Makeover

2011-05-03T21:18:00.000-07:00

Hang tight - BIC is getting re-vamped! Ashley and I want this to be a place we can connect with girls who love Jesus and need to know that He is their source of identity. We want to share our thoughts here, vent about the lies the Enemy tells us, and encourage you with what God says.

So, hold on for the ride and sit tight - we'll be back really soon! :D

-Kylie

Beautiful - by Bethany Dillon

2010-09-05T17:01:00.000-07:00

Beautiful
{by Bethany Dillon}
I was so unique
Now I feel skin deep
I count on the make-up to cover it all
Crying myself to sleep cause I cannot keep their attention
I thought I could be strong
But it's killing me

Does someone hear my cry?
I'm dying for new life

I want to be beautiful
Make you stand in awe
Look inside my heart,
and be amazed
I want to hear you say
Who I am is quite enough
Just want to be worthy of love
And beautiful

Sometimes I wish I was someone other than me
Fighting to make the mirror happy
Trying to find whatever is missing
Won't you help me back to glory

I want to be beautiful
Make you stand in awe
Look inside my heart,
and be amazed
I want to hear you say
Who I am is quite enough
Just want to be worthy of love
And beautiful

You make me beautiful
You make me stand in awe
You step inside my heart, and I am amazed
I love to hear You say
Who I am is quite enough
You make me worthy of love and beautiful

Have you ever....

2010-08-05T15:20:00.000-07:00

....felt like you weren't beautiful? Felt like you weren't good enough? Felt like you're going through such a rough time you're sure you're never going to get through? Felt like hurting yourself would be WAY better than hurting someone else? Physically, mentally and emotionally?

There have been many times in my life when I felt the ways that I listed above. And if you are being truthful with yourself, I know that you have too. Sometimes it's hard to admit that we're angry, we don't want to tell anyone what's been going on in our lives, don't want to even think about what we're doing to ourselves.

I found a verse in 1 Corinthians that has really helped me through the times when I didn't feel good enough. Didn't feel like I was doing what was right; felt like the outside of myself wasn't good enough. God tells us that our body is His temple. One that we should respect, for Him. He bought us with a price and we should be able to learn to live with the outside of ourselves as we do the inside. I know that at times that can be hard, we all struggle with the fact that we think we're not pretty. Don't all girls go through that....like every day of their lives?
This is not the thing that we should be dwelling on. We should be dwelling on making our insides better and eventually that will go through to the outside, making us even more beautiful than we were before.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body."

~Ashley

More Beautiful You

2010-07-23T21:39:00.000-07:00

One song that has spoken to me greatly as I've gotten older and faced the struggles that so many girls face is Jonny Diaz's song, More Beautiful You. I appreciate this song from a guy's perspective, encouraging girls that the way they are is beautiful, and not to settle for lies from Satan and the world telling them they're not good enough. The lyrics are simple and straightforward, with a poignant message that I believe every young woman needs to hear.

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

I'd encourage you to hit play on the video, sit back, close your eyes, and let the words sink into your heart. Remember that God is amazed by you. He died just so He could be with you...and He loves you more than words can describe.

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

If there's one thing you take away from this part, I want it to be this:
God made you to fill a purpose that only you could do...
...so there could never be a more beautiful you.

~Kylie

Announcing....

2010-06-05T20:43:00.000-07:00

Hey, girls!

Ashley and I are very excited to tell you our news. We've decided to launch a whole "new" edition of BIC. Beautiful in Christ is now going to be a magazine! Instead of getting one article every few days you'll get quite a few articles every two months. We have a ton of great articles lined up and I can't wait for you all to get to read them! It's going to be amazing!

Some of the things we have planned are devotionals, beauty articles, fun reviews, short stories, and more! We're already working on our summer issue, which will release sometime in late June or early July, so check back then!

Also, feel free to comment or email us with your email address so that we can let you know when we put the first issue out.

Until then, rejoice in the fact that you belong to the King of Kings!

~Kylie
on behalf of Ashley S., Suzanna, Ali, Natalie, & Ashley H.

Changes

2010-04-21T07:34:00.000-07:00

Hello to all you beautiful girls out there.

Sorry we haven't been posting - we've been going through some changes with the way we're posting, and we're working on some more exciting things that could happen, that will keep you coming back to this blog.

We will start posting again regularly in the beginning of May, so that we have time to figure out what is going to be happening and how it will all work.

Be sure to check back in May!

~Ashley S. and Kylie
Suzanna and Ashley H.

Book Review - The Storekeeper's Daughter

2010-04-06T20:59:00.000-07:00

A typical day for Naomi Fisher consists of taking care of her siblings, cooking, and taking care of her family’s big farmhouse. You’ll often see her dressed in a simple gown, with her hair tucked up in a neat bun beneath her headcovering. She’s more often than not making a snack for her brothers who have just come in from working in the fields, or playing with her younger brothers and sisters. Believe it or not, Naomi isn’t found in a historical fiction novel. You can find people like her in the 21st century, because she’s Amish.

I read about Naomi in a fictional novel by Wanda E. Brunstetter, called The Storekeeper’s Daughter. It’s the first in a series called the Daughters of Lancaster County, also by Wanda E. Brunstetter, and I’ll be reviewing this book today.

Naomi, her father, and her siblings have been living on their own since their mother died in a tragic accident. Now it’s Naomi’s responsibility to care for the family, and help her father at the family’s store. This is very stressful for her and leaves no time for any socializing. Naomi is convinced she will grow up an old maid. That is, until Caleb Hoffmeir comes along…

However, soon Naomi’s world is turned upside down, when a simple oversight turns into a huge problem. One mistake becomes irrevocable, and her life is changed forever. The stress begins to wear on her, and Naomi realizes that the only one who can fix her problems is God.

Overall, I really liked this book. At first the writing style was hard for me to get into, but I was soon caught up in the intriguing plot and lives of these characters. I really loved reading about Naomi Fisher and the other characters in Lancaster County, and I think Wanda E. Brunstetter did a fantastic job of weaving this story together. The characters were relatable, the story was interesting, and the message was wonderful. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.

~Kylie

Verse of the Week

2010-04-01T15:47:00.000-07:00

Sorry that we haven't been posting the last couple of weeks. Every time one of us has something to post - we get behind schedule, and then don't ever end up posting on this blog. We're all sorry, and we'll be sure to be consistent from now on. :)

Easter is coming quickly. I can't believe that April is here, and with it, Easter. Wow. Easter is a big thing for our family - seeing as it's the day to celebrate Christ's death and resurrection.

John 11:25-26
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.

Romans 1:4-5
And Jesus Christ our Lord was shown to be the Son of God when God powerfully raised him from the dead by means of the Holy Spirit. Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name.

I hope that everyone has a great Easter, celebrating the resurrection of Christ, our Lord. :)

~Ashley

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord...

2010-03-19T13:51:00.000-07:00

I really liked Ashley's devotional earlier this week. It was very thought-provoking, and very to-the-point. I'm so thankful for Jesus' amazing sacrifice. To think that my King would die for me... it is almost beyond my comprehension.

This verse makes me happy. It reminds me of how awesome God is. We're his children, and He loves us so much! Never ever forget that!

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." - Romans 10:10-13

~ Kylie

Jesus Saves

2010-03-17T10:16:00.000-07:00

Kylie and I had been talking about ideas for our devotionals - and this one came up a while back. I'm sorry I wasn't able to post this yesterday, but by the time that I had gotten a chance to get on the blog - it was late, and I didn't have a lot of time to think about how and what I was going to say.

I grew up in a Christian home - where I went to church every week, and learned all the things I could about my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

I asked Jesus into my heart, when I was five, but didn't understand fully what He had done for me, until I was older - and able to more fully comprehend why He did these things for me. I still am not sure that I can understand WHY He did what He did - I just know that He loves us more than we can ever even imagine.

I'm sure you are all familiar with the verse:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."John 3:16

I learned this verse when I was really young - and have used it a lot. It's definitely one of my favorite verses.

This verse is pretty much the salvation message wrapped up in one sentence. But the whole situation is WAY more than that.

God sent His Son, Jesus, to earth, so that HE could save everyone from their sins. Anyone who wants to be saved - can be, because of God's great grace.

"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" John 1:12

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23

~Ashley

How He Loves

2010-03-13T15:24:00.000-08:00

This is my all time favorite song ever, and I thought it was really suiting to talk about God's absolutely amazing love!!!

How He Loves Us - David Crowder Band

Verse 1
He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane,
I am the tree
Bending beneath,
The weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are and how great Your affections are for me.
Chorus
Oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how he loves us,
How he loves us so.
Verse 2:
So we are his portion,
and He is our prize.
Drawn to grace by the redemption in his eyes.
If love is an ocean we're all sinking.
So heaven meets earth like a loving first kiss,
and my heart turns violently inside of my chest.
I don't have time to maintain these regrets when I think about, the way,

Chorus
That He loves us.
Oh how He loves us.
Oh how He loves us.
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves
He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves

-Ashley H

Review of It Is Well by Kutless

2010-03-09T19:38:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, my mom, a friend and I went to a Casting Crowns/Kutless and Caleb concert. It was probably the most fun I've ever had at a concert - because, we got to meet all three bands before we watched them perform live.

Here is a picture of me, with the lead singer from Kutless.

I have recently begun to love the CD "It is Well", by Kutless. They usually sing more rock-hard songs, that are fun to listen to - but this CD, is a Worship Album.
On the CD - are 11 songs - some that are covers - for example, "God of Wonders".
Like I said - Kutless is more of a rock-hard band, that sing fast-paced songs - but this CD has slower songs on it - that are quite easy to catch on to - and learn the words to.
I got this CD only a couple of days before we went to the concert, and I'd already had most of the songs part-way memorized, so it was awesome to see them done live.
"What Faith Can Do" is my favorite on the CD. The song talks about unwavering faith, so matter what God might throw at you.
"Everybody falls sometimes, gotta find the strength to rise, from the ashes, and make a new beginning."
"I've seen dreams that move the mountains, hope that doesn't ever end, even when the sky is falling, I've seen MIRACLES just HAPPEN, silent prayers get answered, broken hearts become brand new. THAT'S WHAT FAITH CAN DO!"

Overall, this CD is awesome - great songs, great band.
~Ashley S

Serving others

2010-03-06T21:28:00.000-08:00

Hey, readers!
I hope everyone is having a good evening. Just thought I would say that I am having a great one.
Church tomorrow at 10:00, and I am going to be a 'greeter'. I'm not sure if your church has greeters or not, but our's does. If you don't know what the heck a greeter is supposed to do, well, they get up early and head to church to wait at the door, open the door, say 'Hi! How are you doing?' and hand a bulletin to everyone that comes into the church. Don't forget! You need to smile LOTS when you have this job. So don't forget to load up on the caffeine before you leave the house, or stop at your local Starbucks and pick up a grande quad half- caf espresso macchiato with whipped cream and caramel sauce.
Anyways, as I was quietly preparing myself for the hospitality job (and the macchiato) I was flipping through my bible and came across this bible verse about serving others:
Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Matthew 20: 26-28 NIV.
I don't think I'll be needing to give my life as a ransom for ANY tomorrow morning as I hand out bulletins and shake hands, but I can serve others with a smile and maybe hope they don't think I'm psycho from the dilated eyes and run in the opposite direction of our church. So if your local paper or news channel mention 'Crazy Church with Overly-Caffeinated People' you'll know that I made an impact while greeting.

God Loves You

2010-03-02T15:36:00.000-08:00

God loves you.

Those three words are so powerful! They have comforted many in times of trouble or need, and have often brought about the conversion of ordinary people. We hear it so often in our Christian society. Although the words have not lost their meaning, some people don’t fully understand what they really do mean. Of course we know that God loves us, but how much?

Well, first of all, the Bible tells us that God is love. That concept is probably hard to grasp, but what I believe it means is that God has so many different facets that we will never understand Him all. His love is so deep, so undescribable, and so eternal, that we won’t be able to understand it at its fullest either—and that is just a portion of him!

However, when Jesus was hanging on the cross to die, the weight of the world quite literally on his shoulders, we were able to glimpse just a bit of how much God loves us. He loves us enough for Him to come down on a little baby, and live in this world of sin, so that he could die on the cross many years later and take away the sins of all mankind—past, present, and future.

This month, and for the rest of the year, I hope you will remember the truest love there could ever be, and share it with others.

{This post was originally published in Kids of Faith Online Newsletter.}

Spring Cleaning

2010-02-28T13:38:00.000-08:00

If you're anything like me, you can't wait for spring to get here! I've been missing the warmth and growth that spring brings... which isn't good, considering we have another load of snow on the way!

I got in the mood to do some spring cleaning anyway, so I've been doing some blog maintenance over here on BIC. One thing that's changed is something I'm really excited about... I reformatted The Writers page. Now it's a little cleaner, and more organized. You can now view a snippet of our bios on the new page, and once you click "read more", you'll be taken to our own individual bio pages. I wanted to make it a little more straightforward, so it's set up in a way that's easy to navigate. So head on over to the new Writers page, and let us know what you think!

Come back on Tuesday as we kick off our March posting schedule!

Heart of Worship

2010-02-26T21:13:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite songs to play on the guitar is "Heart of Worship." It has great lyrics, and I love the tune of the song.

When the music fades
And all is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring
Something that's of worth
That will bless your heart

I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the ways things appear
You're looking into my heart

I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You
All about You, Jesus
I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You
It's all about You Jesus

King of endless worth
No one could express
How much You deserve
Though I'm weak and poor
All I have is Yours
Every single breath

I'll bring You more than just a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart

I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You
All about You, Jesus
I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You
It's all about You Jesus

Its all about you
Jesus

~Ashley S.

Recipe - Delicious Buttermilk Pancakes

2010-02-24T21:26:00.000-08:00

Today I wanted to share you a recipe for buttermilk pancakes that my family absolutely loves! This is enough for one serving, but it's best if you double it, because they taste so good!

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups buttermilk OR 1 cup vanilla yoghurt (plus 1 cup milk)
2 eggs
3 T oil
3 T sugar
1-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt

Directions: Mix into pancake batter, then cook them like you would regular pancakes.

I hope you enjoy this yummy recipe! I'm sure that it will be a family favorite - it is with my family!

Verse Of the Week

2010-02-19T19:51:00.000-08:00

Hey you guys!
First off, I’d like to express how absolutely thankful I am to be writing on this blog! It’s such a blessing, and I hope to be able to bless others too.
Psalms 139 is absolutely my favorite chapter in the Bible…hands down. One year, I had to memorize it for school, and the impact of it really stuck out to me. I don’t think I’m going to put the whole Psalm down here, but if you’d like to read it in your Bible that’d be absolutely amazing! However I will hit my favorite parts of this chapter, because it changed my life.

Psalms 139: 1-4
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.

This is just amazing to me! We all know God is seriously busy. As I write this there are exactly 6,986,427,230 living and breathing on this planet where we live. It’s hard to imagine that God knows everything about us when there are so many people in the world. But the awesome part is that He can! He knows exactly what we’re going through…He knows where we are at all times. He even knows our thoughts. And it just gets better.
Psalms 130: 5-10
You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

Jonah tried fleeing from God. That got him absolutely nowhere-well, to be technical, it got him trapped in the belly of a whale. Charming, right? Basically, the above verse is telling us in a kind way, that we can never escape from God. Many have tried. All fail. God is there for us at all hours of the day, and we just can’t escape from a love like that!
Let’s skip down a bit to my favorite part!
Psalms 139: 13-16
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

Insecurity is a part of life! I don’t know one single girl that hasn’t woken up on an average morning, looked in the mirror and wished she could change something about herself. But this verse has really helped control my insecurities because, whether I like how I look or not, God created me just the way I am. Before the foundations of the world-before anything else came to be-He took thought for me, and designed me in His own image. He planned my whole life story, right then and there, at the very beginning. Ladies, I hope you read this verse, and no without a doubt, that God absolutely loves you just the way you are!

Lastly, let’s read the last two verses which I hope will help balance things out for you!
Psalms 139: 23-24
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

So far, the verses I’ve highlighted, have talked about a one-sided relationship-all that God can give to us. But now, the whole Psalms is swapped, and turned into a prayer, asking God to search us and know our hearts, and to help us live Godly and holy lives. This is a prayer that I’ve begun to pray myself, every night before bed, searching myself and asking forgiveness for anything that may need to be addressed before I fall asleep! I hope you guys will try this too!

Overall, Psalms 139 captures God’s expansive love for us! He thinks we’re beautiful, He knows where we are every second of the day, He protects us, and He wants us to live holy lives before Him!
When you get the change, read the whole Psalms and enjoy!
Have a blessed day!

~Ashley H.

What it really means to worship God

2010-02-16T20:48:00.000-08:00

Hey, all you beautiful young women reading this blog!
You are so amazing, and I'm not saying that just because you're reading this blog. Well, that has something to do with it, but it also has to do with the fact that you are a strong Christian young woman growing to be a great woman one day. You are beautiful.
And thank God for that, because there is a lot of girls out there that are beautiful on the outside, but just one big, black chunk of coal on the inside.
Anyways. The church that I go to has an awesome worship group. We have a bunch of guitarists and a couple drummers and quite a few singers. Only one pianist, but either way, my worship team rocks. I absolutely love their choice in music they play and I absolutely love the fact that when they play I feel like I can freely worship God how I want. And maybe that has to do with the fact that our church is small, and I know everyone in my church, so I really don't worry about what people think or anything.
The church that I go to is inter-denominational. If you don't know what the heck that means, it means that we're not Catholic, or Methodist, or Lutheran, or Amish. We're just a bunch of Christians getting together to worship God and grow spiritually. So, our worship isn't just kneeling down on one of those kneeler-down thingies in cathedrals; our worship in our church is whatever you want to do. If you want to kneel down, you can. But we don't have one of those kneeler-down thingies, so you'll have to make do with the floor.
Mostly our worship, though is raising your hands, singing along to the worship leader, sometimes jumping, or crying, or praying out loud. If you don't like it; well, I'm sorry. I do like it. I've grown up around people worshipping like that, and that's the kind of worship I want my children to grow up around.
Worship to me is whatever you want it to be. It could be something average like singing in your church choir, or it could be you going out, sharing the love of Christ to a bunch of people in Africa.
My ways of worshipping God are things like talking to Him every day, singing some awesome songs that He puts on my mind (or maybe they just get stuck in my head. Either way...) and just by doing little things like that. On Sundays when I go to church I worship Him by singing, clapping my hands, raising my hands, and sometimes wiping snotty noses and singing along to 'Jesus loves me' in the nursery.
I think everyone has different ways to really worship God.
What it really means to worship God is all in your heart. I think if you are in church one Sunday and your arms seem to feel like they now have helium in them, and they want to float to the top of the ceiling, it might be God encouraging you to lift 'em up.
If you're at a Family Force 5 concert and you feel the urge to hit the floor and bust a couple moves for Him, it might just be God. Here's what Soul Glow Activatur has to say about all of worship:
"It's being able to get out there and dance and being able to let loose and worship God in a way that's crazier than normal. It's not just singing or raising your hands, its moshin' it's jumpin' up and down. It's your body. If your temple is this, get it going. Sweat it out a little bit for Jesus Christ...it's a lifestyle."
Worship how you want. Sweating is all cool, if you want to go breakdancing on some cardboard go on ahead, I'll watch you make a fool of yourself.
But I really have to say that Soul Glow has it right. Let loose and worship Him. Man I wish I could have the right words to say like HE does...jeez, he just basically blew this whole entry out of the water. I really like that quote, as you can see. It's kind of hard to even think of anything else to say. Thanks A LOT, Soul Glow...you ruined my whole blog entry!!
=D
Thanks for reading,
~Suzanna

The Bible

2010-02-12T17:17:00.000-08:00

For this week’s follow-up, I decided to post a quote, since we haven’t ever done that on this blog. Last night, I was skimming through The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer – a book that I have heard is exceptionally good, and one that I plan to read. I stumbled across this quote, and thought it would perfectly complement Ashley’s devo last week.

So, without further ado, is A.W. Tozer describing the Bible in his own words.

The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into him, that they may delight in his presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts. – A.W. Tozer

Isn’t that a powerful description of the Bible? I love it, and I think it sums up the purpose of the Bible completely. What does this quote mean to you? Leave a comment and let us know!

Adjusting

2010-02-10T11:01:00.000-08:00

We just heard from one of our contributing writers, Natalie - who told us, that because she is so busy during the school year, that she won't be able to write with us until summer. We are greatly disappointed, but we understand why she isn't able to stick it out.

She will be coming back in the summer - and she is under 'guest writer' on the Writers Page
Until then ~ we are soon going to be welcoming a new addition to our Writer's Team - Ashley H.

We hope it won't be confusing to have two Ashley's...we're going to make sure you know 'who is who', so that you don't wonder which Ashley wrote which post.

We will be thinking up a new schedule for the spring and we'll get back to posting regularly in a couple of days.

~The Beautiful in Christ Team
Ashley, Kylie, & Suzanna

Guys Are Waffles, Girls are Spaghetti - by Chad Eastham review

2010-02-09T17:32:00.000-08:00

Hello, readers!
Suzanna here.
All day today I have been sick. I got the flu... :( That goofy little bug seems to be all over this time of year.
I decided I'm going to review the cough drops I've been using. They're called Halls Refresh and I'm sucking on the juicy strawberry flavored ones right now. I think they taste pretty good-
Kidding. I'd never do that. I promise.
As I'm sitting here on our big comfy couch, with my pajamas on... I decided I'd review the book I'm reading right now. I'm not sure if that's the right way to review a book; one you haven't even finished; but I thought I'd give it a try.
The book I'm currently reading is 'Guys are Waffles, Girls are Spaghetti' by Chad Eastham and Bill and Pam Farrel.
I am over halfway done with the book, and I started it yesterday. All of Chad Eastham's books seem like quick reads, -unless it's just because I've been lounging, reading all day today.- Either way, I like those types of books. I think it also helps that Chad Eastham is the most amazing author I have ever...uh...read?! Not sure what word I should've put there. Anyways. I really like the way he approaches and tackles the different hard subjects that he discussed in the book.
If an adult (well...I know Chad Eastham is an adult, but bear with me here) would have attempted to write this book, I think it would have stunk. Chad seems mature enough to encourage us teens and discuss the topics in book like a youth group leader, yet also talk about them like a big brother would. The way he delivers each and every chapter is so warm and humorous, yet also very honest and raw.
Chad did such a good job writing this book. I absolutely love it.
I like how it's written for both guys and girls.
Seriously, there's not one part of the book that I haven't 100% enjoyed.
From what I'd read about the Guys are Waffles, Girls are Spaghetti book I thought there would've been more sections or parts written by Bill and Pam Farrel, but there's not that many sections, actually.
Anyways, the book is great. I absolutely love the book. Good job, Chad, Bill and Pam!!

Reading Through the Bible in a Year

2010-02-02T11:08:00.000-08:00

Last year, a couple of my friends and I, decided that it would be fun, if through the whole 2009 year, if we could read through the entire Bible in a year.

One of my good friends, Sam, came up with a schedule to do so- and we started reading on January 1st.

It took me a while to actually get used to reading my Bible every day - or, as I did it, every evening, before I went to bed. It became a habit, after only a couple of weeks - and I am glad to say - I only missed two days of reading, because I was sick. Those two days were quickly caught up- and I was soon back in the swing of things.

Reading through the Bible in a year, made me feel a whole lot closer to God. I felt that reading the Bible - and actually learning what it said in it, definitely gave me a better meaning of God's love and forgiveness toward His people.

My life has changed since I've read through the Bible. I'm doing it again this year - only with a Chronological Bible - that my Grandma had sitting at her house. This way, I get to read the events in the order that they actually happened.

I think that it's a great challenge - to read through the Bible - and I think that every Christian should take that challenge.

Read through the Bible, learn what it says. There is no other way to learn and understand what God is trying to tell you, unless we read what His word is telling us.

I challenge each and every one of you to try to read your Bible every night. Whether it's a chapter, or two chapters, or in some cases of the short books, a whole book of the Bible. Don't overdo it - because then it'll get old pretty fast - set yourself at a good pace, and try to learn what that part of the Bible is trying to teach you.

And pray. Definitely pray. Reading through the Bible is good - but prayer is also essential.

So, as a closing - I'm going to share a few of my favorite verses that I've discovered in reading the Bible through the year:

Exodus 19:5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine.

Phillipians 4:13 For I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

And of course - the well known:
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

If you have any questions about my reading through the Bible in a year - or about the schedule I used - you can comment, and ask, or email me at : jesusismyprincecharming@hotmail.com

Happy (By Ayiesha Woods)

2010-01-29T20:54:00.000-08:00

Happy lyrics:
No record deal, no dream fulfilled, no three minute video
No catchy jingle, no big hit single playing on the radio

Can make me happy
Can make me feel the way you do
Can make me happy
I wanna make you happy too

No flashy cars, no movie stars, no man, woman, boy or girl
No fancy things, no diamond rings, nothing in the whole wide world

Can make me happy
Can make me feel the way you do
You make me happy
I want to make you happy too
You make me happy
You make me feel the way I do
You make me happy
I wish the whole world knew you too

No I cannot count the ways you have made my life so blessed
All I know is that you came and made beauty of my mess
*Chorus*

Hey, all!
Suzanna here.
These lyrics are so...well...happy. Believe me, I am not a big get-up-and-groove kind of person, but the beat and sound of this song made me want to dance when I listened to it.
The cool thing about these lyrics is that it's saying that nothing on this earth matters. not fancy stuff, or how famous you are, or anything. The only thing that matters is God, and His love for you.
I don't ever listen to Ayiesha Woods, but I came across this song and it's pretty cute.
I have to be honest, I think the lyrics speak for themselves! I really can't think of anything to say about them other than, God makes me happy. Whenever I think about Him I get the smiles, and I just want to go sing Him a love song, because I'm truly in love with Christ.
Here's something I want you to do tonight. When you pray, thank God for the things that make you happy. Maybe it's a best friend, or climbing trees, or your dog! Whatever it is; thank God for it, and if your dog is what makes you happy, go give him a massage.
Thanks for reading!!

Ginger Crinkles

2010-01-27T18:23:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but when this time of year comes around, my mouth simply waters whenever the thought of these delicious ginger cookies crosses my mind. They have just enough crunch and spice to make them a perfect treat during the winter months.

Ginger Crinkles

2 cups of whole wheat flour

1 Tablespoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1-1/3 cups sugar

3/4 cup shortening

1/4 cup light molasses

1 egg, slightly beaten

***

1) Preheat oven to 350*

2) Sift flour with baking soda, salt, cloves, cinnaomn, and ginger; set aside

3) In a large bowl of electric mixer, at medium speed, gradually add 1 cup sugar to shortening, creaming until very light and fluffy-about five minutes-Blend in molasses and egg

4) At low speed, beat in flour mixture just until well combines, scraping down side of bowl with rubber scraper. Refrigerate 1 hour.

5) Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in remaining 1/3 sugar

6) Place, 2 inches apart, on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until golden brown. Let stand for 1 minute before removing to wire rack to cool.

Makes about 4 dozen

Joy

2010-01-22T12:35:00.000-08:00

I loved Kylie's previous post on joy! I loved reading through it, and trying to understand what JOY really means.
I think that happiness very much ties in with being joyous, but I think that it's a lot more than that.

Psalm 118:24 - "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

Proverbs 15:13 - "A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit."

Isaiah 55:12 - "You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands."

Nehemiah 8:10 - "Nehemiah said, 'Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.'"

The last verse that I posted there, was one that Kylie also posted. I love that verse. The JOY OF THE LORD is my STRENGTH!

If you would like...leave a comment and let us all know one thing that really makes you happy! We'd love to know!

The Joy of the Lord

2010-01-19T19:01:00.001-08:00

Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10, emphasis mine)

No doubt you’ve heard this verse. I know many people who count it among their favorites, and I’ve heard the last part quoted many times. Today we’re going to take a closer look at what that phrase means.

First of all, what is joy? Well, according to my big blue Webster’s dictionary (that’s probably similar to Suzanna’s dictionary), this is the definition of joy:

Joy – n; 1. a feeling of great pleasure or happiness that comes from success, good fortune, or a sense of well-being; 2. something that gives great pleasure or happiness.

It’s from an Old French word that means “to rejoice”. Rejoicing occurs a lot in my life, especially when I receive something that makes me happy. I'm sure you've experienced joy many times. I think that the joy of the Lord may be bigger and better than any form of earthly joy.

I also believe that God Himself is joyful, and rejoices often. One of my favorite representations of Jesus is a picture we have hanging in our upstairs hall. Jesus’ eyes are smiling, and His mouth is open wide with laughter. It’s a beautiful picture of the delight God must feel in His children, and the joy that He wants us to have.

God knows that when we have His joy within us, it will refresh us and bring us life. When we have the joy of the Lord, it’s also a form of supernatural strength that can only come from Him. His joy goes beyond circumstances, and it will never run out. Most of all, we can rejoice because we have been saved by Christ Himself.

So how do we get this joy? Well, I would start by asking the Lord to give you His joy. I’m sure He will honor your request. Start tuning into Him and what He says. I get a lot of joy from my relationship with Him. And maybe try to find joy in everyday occurrences. You never know what might surprise you.

We've a Story to Tell the Nations!

2010-01-15T14:30:00.000-08:00

(Matthew 28:18-20)
"And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' "

We've a story to tell to the nations

That shall turn their hearts to right

A story of truth and mercy

A story of peace and light

For the darkness shall turn to dawning

And the dawning to noon-day bright

And Christ's great kingdom shall come on earth

The kingdom of love and light

-H. Ernest Nicol-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpXb61sgE0g

(Acts 6:4)
"But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

~Natalie~

Review of "Play On"

2010-01-11T16:43:00.000-08:00

Track Listing:

1. Cowboy Casanova
2. Quitter
3. Mama's Song
4. Change
5. Undo It
6. Someday When I Stop Loving You
7. Songs Like This
8. Temporary Home
9. This Time
10. Look At Me
11. Unapologize
12. What Can I Say (ft. Sons Of Sylvia)
13. Play On

Cowboy Casanova:

I had heard this song many times before I got the CD. I didn't really like it at first, because I'm not big on country sounding like rock music. And this song sounds more rocky and hard than most country music.

In this song, she's warning other girls about this guy - who is what she calls a "Cowboy Casanova".

"He’s the devil in disguise ,A snake with blue eyes."

All in all, other than the tune, I don't think that there is anything really bad in this song - no insinuations or anything like that.

Quitter:

I really don't like this song, and it's probably my least favorite on the CD. It's tune is kind-of boring, and I don't really like the words that are in the song.

"Here's how it goes, Boy meets girl, girl leaves boy, That's all I know, All I've done, All my life".

I think that this song is insinuating that she's had lots of boyfriends, and eventually broke it off with them for one reason or another.

But in the chorus, she's saying how she's met this guy, who makes her not want to be a "quitter" anymore.

"And make me feel like I never ever wanna give you up, 'Til now, I've always been a quitter."

Mama's Song:

I like this song, other than the fact that it's a pretty slow song, and I like faster songs more. I think, though, that the song has a good meaning - it's talking about how a Mom raises her daughter to be and do what you should.

"You've given me everything that I will need, To make it through this crazy thing called life, And I know you watched me grow up, and only want what's best for me."

Change:

I LOVE this song. It's a slower one, but I really like the message that is behind this one.

"What you're gonna do when you're watching TV, And an ad comes on, yeah, you know the kind, Flashing up pictures of a child in need, For a dime a day, you could save a life, Do you call the number, reach out a hand, Or do you change the channel, call it a scam."

Do you call the number or do you believe that...

"You're just a fool, just a fool to believe you can change the world"
Oh, the smallest thing can make all the difference
Love is alive, don't listen to them when they say
"You're just a fool, just a fool to believe you can change the world"

Undo It:

I will admit that when I listen to this album, that I play this song the most. It's my favorite - but I will tell you, that like "Cowboy Casanova", it has a more rocky and hard sound.

In the song she's talking about how she wants to "undo" the relationship that she had with a guy.

"You stole my happy, you made me cry, Took the lonely and took me for a ride, And I wanna uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-undo it"

Someday When I Stop Loving You:

This song is REALLY slow. But I do think that it's a really pretty song - talking about how her guy (I guess it's insinuating husband, but never mentions that), is leaving her, and she's saying that

"I'll move on baby just like you, When the desert floods and the grass turns blue, When a sailing ship don't need a moon, It'll break my heart but I'll get through, Someday when I stop loving you."

It's a love song, and it's pretty, but definitely not one that I listen to regularly, because like I said, I'm more of a faster-song kind-of girl.

Songs Like This:

I love the beat in this song - but not particularly the message in the song. It's a fun up-beat song that makes you want to get up and dance around the room, with a good friend or two! :)

In the beginning it says:

"Wanna find some boy, rip his heart right out, First man I see, gonna take him down, It ain't the Christian thing to do, they say, But someone, somewhere's gotta pay."

In the chorus it says:

"Even I'm surprised, How easy sweet revenge rolls off my lips, If it wasn't for guys like you, There wouldn't be songs like this."

Temporary Home:

This song is slow and SAD! It's a song with three different 'stories' within it - but with the same idea.

"A little boy, six years old, A little too used to being alone, Another new mom and dad, Another school, another house that will never be home."

"Young mom, on her own, She needs a little help, got nowhere to go, She's looking for a job, looking for a way out, 'Cause a halfway house will never be a home."

"Old man, hospital bed, The room is filled with people he loves, And he whispers, "Don't cry for me, I'll see you all someday", He looks up and says, "I can see God's face""

The chorus goes:

"This is my temporary home, it's not where I belong, Windows and rooms that I'm passing through, This was just a stop on the way to where I'm going, I'm not afraid because I know, This was my temporary home."

The bridge - about the old man in the hospital is definitely my favorite part of the song - because he's mentioning how earth is just our temporary home, before we pass on, and as Christians, go to Heaven. I just really think that that's an awesome part in the song.

This Time:

I can tell you, that I didn't even recognize this song title, when I was looking at the track listing, and figuring out what to write for this review. I don't listen to this one much - apparently!

It has an okay tune, and it's definitely faster-paced than some of the other ones on this CD, but slower than others.

"But I wanna tell you, That my heart is busting at the seams, yeah, And I can't wait another minute, Life is short, love is sweet, Ain't no time like this time baby."

I'm not even sure exactly sure what this song is about - probably since I don't listen to it as much as the others.

Look At Me:

Another song that I don't listen to often - but it has a pretty tune - that's slow, but still pretty.

"I would bet my life, like I bet my heart, That you were the one, baby, I've never been so sure of anything before, You're driving my heart crazy."

I LOVE the harmony in this songs' chorus - it's so pretty, and that's probably my favorite thing about it.

"Darling, look at me, I've fallen like a fool for you, Darling, can't you see, I'd do anything you want me to, I tell myself I'm in to deep, Then I fall a little farther, Every time you look at me."

I'm not exactly sure what I think of this song's message. I guess that I, myself, don't find any bad insinuations in it, but I think that she does say:

"I will do anything you want me to." And I don't really like that about it.

UnApologize:

I like this song - probably, like others, because of the faster-paced tune, and how it's got a beat.

""I love you" came flooding out, Couldn't make it stop, couldn't shut my mouth, I felt like a fool when I lied and said I was sorry."

"I unapologize, I meant every word, Won't take back the way I feel about you, I can't unsay what you heard, 'cause you heard me right."

Like some of the other songs, I don't find too much wrong with this song - except...

"Couldn't help myself when you held me tight."

What Can I Say? (featuring Sons of Sylvia):

I love this duet! Carrie Underwood sounds great with the lead singer (his name is Ashley - if you wanted to know. I kinda think the name for a guy is weird, but I like it for a girl! HAHA!)

"Piercing words, eyes are red, Watched your tail lights in the rain, Empty heart filled with regret, I know we were both to blame."

This song, if you couldn't tell, is about a breakup.

"And you should know, please believe me, I've picked up the phone a thousand times, And tried to dial your number, But it's been so long, it's never easy, It's like trying to spin the world the other way, What can I say?"

Play On:

This is the title track of the CD - and it's also the LAST song on the CD- meaning that if I'm listening to it in order, I don't actually listen to this song often. But I do like the chorus of it - it's like a 'press on even when you don't feel like you want to', kind-of song.

"Play on when you're losing the game, Play on 'cause you're gonna make mistakes, It's always worth the sacrifice, Even when you think you're wrong, So play on."

"Even through a storm on the darkest night, Don't you ever give up the fight. Even when you feel you're all alone."

I really like the message in the chorus and the rest of the song is great as well! I think that it's a great title track - even though I don't listen to it often, I still enjoy it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope this review was helpful to you, and if you have any questions about the CD, be sure to leave a comment, and I'll comment you back, with my answer!

~Ashley

Unintentional Witnessing

2010-01-08T10:30:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I really enjoyed Suzanna's devotional earlier this week. Wasn't it inspiring? I thought it would be fun to see what God says about being a missionary to those around us, and I found quite a few verses.

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. ~ 1 Corinthians 10:31

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. ~ Colossians 3:17

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. ~ 1 Peter 4:10

Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. ~ 1 Timothy 4:12

God has placed us all where we are in life for a reason. Just because we can't pack up and head for a foreign country doesn't mean we can't tell people about Jesus.

I had an experience that reinforced this concept to me a couple weeks ago when I was at the library. While I was waiting in line to check my books out, I noticed one librarian in particular. I heard a quiet voice whisper in my heart, You will share Me with her today.

"What, God? No! You know I've never led anyone to Christ! Much less some random librarian that I don't even know. I can't believe you're asking me to do this," I protested. (Honestly. That is more or less what I said.)

Okay, don't freak out. Just ask her how she is.

I can do that, I decided. I stepped up to the counter and set my books down.

"How has your day gone so far?" I asked, smiling as warmly as I could.

"Good, good," she responded genuinely, her eyes smiling. "How are you?"

"I'm okay," I responded.

"Great. These books are due on January 20th."

God, how am I supposed to lead her to Christ when she's handing me my receipt? I questioned.

You did share Me with her, He said.

It was only when I walked out that I understood. I had shared Christ with the librarian just by noticing her, and by attempting to brighten her day. Suddenly my favorite quote took on a whole new meaning:

“Preach the gospel always – and if necessary, use words.”

We are always sharing our faith, whether we realize it or not.

~Kylie

Modern and Past Missionaries

2010-01-06T14:07:00.000-08:00

Well...I was supposed to write about modern and past missionaries, but, me being the rebellious person that I am, I decided I'd just write about modern missionaries.

So, when I think of the word missionary, I think about some adventurous person wearing khaki shorts and a green t-shirt searching for a tribe to preach to through binoculars. What do you picture?

But, the funny thing is that there's another type of missionary. If you are a Christian and you talk to you friends, family, people you don't even know about God, then you're a missionary.

In my big, thick Webster's dictionary (I named it Big Ol' Blu.) the definition of 'missionary' is a person sent on a mission; specif., a person sent out by his church to preach and teach.

The church that I go to have different missionaries come from all over the world to talk about what they do. I think listening to their stories and the ways they live are so interesting. So different from what I'm used to here in America, that's for sure.

And all of our missionaries that visit our church all say that they felt led to go out into the world and preach the gospel. I know God has different talents and things that he gives people, and I definitely don't feel called to be a missionary in Peru, the Phillipines, China. I feel like God is calling me to help the people around me. The people I see every week in town, the people visiting our church.

And maybe one day God will call me to go somewhere exotic or out of my comfort zone to help people become Christians. But for now, I'm just working on the people around me. Because, just like in Europe or Mexico, there's people around, -lots of them, I might add- that need Christ in their life.

So...here's a little challenge; try being a missionary for a day. You might get something out of it; the person you're talking to might get something out of it; or all of the above. The latter would be best...

Thanks for reading. Please take this entry to heart...I know I will!!

~Suzanna

Merry Christmas

2009-12-23T13:36:00.000-08:00

Christmas is coming fast. This week is just going and going by, and I feel like it was just Sunday.

Christmas is not just about gifts, and presents that people give you, it's about the time that you spend with your family, and the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Jesus came into this world as a baby, so that He could grow up, and eventually die on the cross for the sins of this whole world.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All of us at Beautiful in Christ are taking a break for Christmas, but we'll start back writing in January. Be sure to check back in January!

From all of us at BIC, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Movie Review: Miracle on 34th Street

2009-12-16T19:36:00.000-08:00

I love watching Christmas movies, so today when I wasn't feeling very well, I popped in the old classic, Miracle on 34th Street.

Doris Parker and her daughter Susan live in an apartment in New York City. Doris, a young and pretty single mother, works for Macy's Department Store and manages their Thanksgiving Day Parade. When the man who plays Santa shows up for the parade drunk, Doris is in a bind until another man shows up. He has real whiskers, a jovial personality, and knows a lot about the toy market. He seems to be the right person for the job... especially since he says his name is Kris Kringle.

There's no doubt about it... Kris thinks he's Santa Claus. There's just one problem. No one believes him. Doris herself doesn't believe in Santa Claus, and she's raised her daughter Susan in the same way. People start to doubt his sanity, and eventually Kris is put on trial. It all comes down to one thing: do you believe in Santa Claus?

I really enjoyed this movie. It's an older movie, so it was very clean. I thought Kris was very sweet, and the ending was unique. It's now one of my favorite Christmas movies, and I definitely recommend it. Curl up in a blanket, grab some hot cocoa, and watch Miracle on 34th Street if you're looking for a heartwarming story for a snowy day.

~Kylie

Christmas Bible Verses

2009-12-12T16:25:00.000-08:00

In Luke two, we are told about the heavenly host of angels that appeared to the shepherds on the night of Christ's birth. I am constantly fansinated with this passage and try to imagine what that event must have looked like and sounded like. Imagine it, a host of angels singing about the glory of God! What a night that must have been!

And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” -Luke 2: 9-12

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” -Luke 2:13-14

Redefining Christmas

2009-12-09T19:03:00.000-08:00

Christmastime is definitely approaching. I can almost smell it in the air. People are gearing up for the busy holiday season, and depending on where you live, you’ve probably had at least one snowfall. Everything is centered around preparing for the arrival of what is probably the biggest and most-anticipated holiday of the year.

Christmas is probably my favorite holiday, but not just because of the general holiday cheer. I enjoy being able to spend time with family, give them gifts, and most of all, celebrate the birth of my Savior, Jesus Christ. To me, Christmas is just one more opportunity to really reflect on the sacrifice Jesus made for us. After all, the reason Jesus came to be on earth was so that He could grow up, die, and be resurrected, to take away the sins of the world. This season, I’ve been thinking a lot about Jesus, and the hope that He’s given us. Without Him, Christmas seems so empty. Christ has to remain in Christmas, otherwise it will become meaningless.

As I thought about it, I wanted some way to be able to share this hope with others. I was thrilled this morning when my mom told me we had some money to give. Excitedly, my siblings and I looked at all of our possibilities. We had so much fun choosing who we could bless this Christmas. In the end, we gave to several causes, such as a local pregnancy center, our local shelters, and several organizations that minister to families overseas. I felt so ecstatic that I was making a difference, and helping other Christians bring Jesus’ hope to those in need. This morning I discovered that the old adage rings true—to give is better than to receive. I can’t explain the feeling I got after choosing to give, but it was inexplicably wonderful. I realized what Christmas is really about—it’s about Jesus, and giving others His hope.

This Christmas, I’m going to redefine my focus. I’m going to focus on what I can give rather than what I will be getting. I’m going to focus on the ways that I can bring light to others, even if it’s just smiling at a random person who passes by me. Most of all, I’m going to look for every opportunity I can to remind those around me of Jesus, the real reason for Christmas. Who’s with me?

~Kylie

Baked Potato Soup

2009-12-07T15:43:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

12 slices bacon
2/3 cup margarine
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
7 cups milk
4 large baked potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 green onions, chopped
1 1/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

1.Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium heat until browned. Drain, crumble, and set aside.
2.In a stock pot or Dutch oven, melt the margarine over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in milk, whisking constantly until thickened. Stir in potatoes and onions. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
3.Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Mix in bacon, cheese, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until cheese is melted.

My family and I, love this recipe and, actually, just had it tonight! :) It's the BEST potato soup in the world! :D

~Ashley

Song Follow Up to "Corrie Ten Boom"

2009-12-01T13:05:00.000-08:00

Praise YOU In This Storm

by Casting Crowns

I was sure by now,God, that You would have reached down
and wiped our tears away,
stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say amen
and it's still raining
as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.

Chorus:
And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to You
and raised me up again
my strength is almost gone how can I carry on
if I can't find You
and as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away

Chorus

I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth

Chorus

I think this song goes along really well with the story of Corrie Ten Boom. Through all the storms that she went through, she praised God through ALL of it; being in many concentration camps, her sister dying, her father dying.

~Sam

My Hiding Place

2009-11-20T19:55:00.000-08:00

You are my hiding place;

   you will protect me from trouble
   and surround me with songs of deliverance.
   Selah

- Psalm 32:7

Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over all the glory will be a canopy. It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.

- Isaiah 4:5-6

Corrie ten Boom's faith really amazes and inspires me. I read her story not too long ago, and came away with a strong desire for faith like that. She was such a strong and faith-filled lady that I would have loved to meet.

You only have to read a brief biography of her life to gather that her life wasn't easy. She grew up the daughter of a clockmaker in Haarlem, Holland. When the Holocaust began, Corrie and her father and sister Betsie helped hide the Jews in their house. Sadly, they were betrayed, and Corrie and her family were taken to a concentration camp. Her father and Betsie both died during their imprisonment, but Corrie escaped ten months later with nothing short of a miracle. She then went on to speak to thousands of people about how "there is no pit so deep that God's love is not deeper still." (quote from Corrie)

When I read Corrie ten Boom's book, The Hiding Place, I was baffled by her joy and hope even in the midst of darkness. I couldn't understand it, until I realized something. "The hiding place" may refer to the secret room in the ten Booms' house that they used to hide the Jews, but I think that it also refers to the source of Corrie's hope as well - Jesus. When things were at their worst, Corrie still ran to her Heavenly Father, the only one who could be her refuge during that time. Corrie learned how to truly rely on God for everything, and how to hide under the shadow of His wings. Below is some of Psalm 91, a passage I thought was fitting.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust." ...

He will cover you with his feathers,

and under his wings you will find refuge;

his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

You will not fear the terror of night,

nor the arrow that flies by day,

nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,

nor the plague that destroys at midday....

If you make the Most High your dwelling—

even the LORD, who is my refuge-

then no harm will befall you,

no disaster will come near your tent.

For he will command his angels concerning you

to guard you in all your ways;

they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.....

"Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;

I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

He will call upon me, and I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble,

I will deliver him and honor him.

With long life will I satisfy him

and show him my salvation."

When things get tough, all we have to do is call on the name of the Lord. He's always listening, and always there to lift us out of any pit. I want to rely on His strength to carry me. No matter what lies ahead or how hard things are, He knows what will happen, and He is there to walk through it with us. He's our refuge, and He will always be our Hiding Place.

~Kylie

P.S. - I found this website interesting, because it contains photos of Corrie's home and Corrie herself. Check it out with your parents' permission! Click here.

Corrie Ten Boom

2009-11-17T10:06:00.000-08:00

I just recently finished reading "The Hiding Place" by Corrie Ten Boom. I also saw the movie- but that didn't happen to be as good as the book.

I really enjoyed reading about this very special lady, because she had such a passion for the Lord- and kept her faith, even through all that she went through.

Corrie- and the rest of the Ten Boom family, let Jews into their homes, during the Holocaust- when Hilter was killing all the Jews.

Eventually, she, her sister Betsie, and her father, Casper, all were sent to Concentration camps- where they were beaten and abused.

Betsie- Corrie's older sister, by 9 years, was with Corrie most of the time during their time at Concentration camps. Betsie was the one that helped Corrie keep her faith, and still pray and look to God through the whole situation.

Betsie died in the concentration camp- along with their father.

Corrie was released from Ravensbruck (concentration camp) on New Years Eve- almost a whole year after she and her family was aressted.

_____________________________

Corrie is a good example for all of us- while we are going through hard and difficult times- we need to look to our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.

We've all had hard times- some people have had a harder life than others- but if we look to our Savior, He'll hold onto us, and carry us through our hard times.

Everybody falls sometimes
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes and make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think it’s more than you can take
But you are stronger, stronger than you know
Don’t you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do

It doesn’t matter what you’ve heard
Impossible is not a word
It’s just a reason for someone not to try
Everybody’s scared to death
When they decide to take that step
Out on the water
It’ll be alright
Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do

Overcome the odds
You don't have a chance
(That’s what faith can do)
When the world says you can’t
It’ll tell you that you can!

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do
That's what faith can do!
Even if you fall sometimes
You will have the strength to rise

Kutless "What Faith Can Do"

~Ashley

How Beautiful is the Body of Christ

2009-11-14T19:20:00.000-08:00

Romans 10:15
"How shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written,
How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace,
and bring glad tidings of good things."

How beautiful, the hands that served the wine and the bread, and the sons of the earth.

How beautiful, the feet that walked the long dusty roads, and the hill to the cross. How beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful, is the body of Christ. How beautiful, the heart that bled, that took all my sin and bore it instead.

How beautiful, the tender eyes that choose to forgive and never despise. How beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful, is the body of Christ. And as He laid down His life. We offer this sacrifice, that we will live, just as He died. Willing to pay, to pay the price, willing to pay the price. How beautiful, the radiant bride, who waits for her Groom with His light in her eyes.

How beautiful, when humble hearts give the fruit of pure lives so that others may live. How beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful, is the body of Christ. How beautiful, the feet that bring the sound of good news, and the love of the King. How beautiful, the hands that serve the wine and the bread, and the sons of the earth. How beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful, is the body of Christ.

"How Beautiful"

~written by Twila Paris

~Natalie

"Fearless" Taylor Swift

2009-11-10T13:29:00.000-08:00

Hi guys! It's Sam! Today, I'm going to be doing a review on Taylor Swift's sophomore album, "Fearless". Now, you might not agree with everything I say, and that's fine, this is just a personal review of this CD. But, I'd love to hear some of your opinions too!

"Fearless" Taylor Swift

The overall appearance of this CD is great! It's fun, upbeat, and has alot of personality! Taylor Swift write about personal experiences, which makes the CD even better!

Fearless: This song is all about rushing into a relationship. Diving into it headfirst without thinking about what you are doing. This doesn't seem like the kind of relationship a Christian girl should be having. It's sure to go down somewhere along the road.

Fifteen: "Fifteen" describes a girl who is getting into a relationship at a young age. As this song proves, young relationships usually don't go anywhere or as the way you might've planned it, and you just ended getting your heart broken. ["Abigal gave everything/ She had to a boy/ Who changed his mind/ And we both cried/"] I think Taylor Swift is using this song as a warning to young love.

Love Story: I have mixed feelings about this song. I love the tune, and how the song seems to take place in the Victorian era. But the overall message of this song, really isn't the greatest. The girl and the guy are in love, but the father doesn't want them to see each other, and yet they sneak off in the night and see and be with each other ["So I sneak out/ To the garden to see you/ We keep quiet/ 'Cause we're dead if they knew/"] against the girl's father's will. ["And my daddy said/ 'Stay away from Juliet'/"] This is a rebellious song. In the end, though, the boy goes and asks the girl's father for permission to marry his daughter. That was good. ["I talked to your dad/ Go pick out a white dress/"]

Hey Stephen: There's really nothing wrong with this song unless you have an offense to "kissing in the rain". "Hey Stephen" is about a girl who obviously likes this boy names Stephen. Taylor Swift seems to describe this boy as an attractive, young man who has girls around him all the time. ["Of all the girls/ Tossing rocks at your window/"] The girl in this song is almost just like one of those girls, except she's more than just a "fan" of Stephen, she actually has feelings for him, and really wants him to feel the same way about her. I think the message of this song is really cute.

White Horse: This song is quite sad. and there's really nothing wrong with it. I don't really know what to put for this one. haha. Well, the girl seemed to not realize that guy didn't really love even love her. She was blinded, because she loved him so much. ["Maybe I was naive/ Got lost in your eyes/"] But I'm actually not really sure.
You Belong With Me: This song is upbeat and fun. The girl in this song isn't satisfied without the guy she wants. The girl puts down the other girl that the guy is dating. Saying that she (herself) know the guy a whole lot better. ["She doesn't know your story/ Like I do"] She's obviously very jealous of the other girl. It's not very good to be jealous, but it can be hard not to be sometimes.
Breathe: In this song, the girl and the guy broke up, and the girl just can't get the guy off her mind. She says that it's not easy being in a relationship, ["And we know/ It's never simple/ Never easy/"] and wishes that they're relationship could've gone on, because she can't breathe without him. ["And I can't breathe/ Without you/ But I have to"]
Tell Me Why: I'm a little confused with this song. I think it's weird how she says that she loves the guy in this song so much, but yet he's abusive to her, and she doesn't want to break up with him. ["I need you like a heartbeat/ But I know you've got a mean streak/"] In this song, she just lets the guy do what ever he wants to the girl. ["I take a step back/ And let you go/ I told you I'm not bulletproof/ Now you know/"] It seems to me, like you should make sure the guy isn't mean to you, before you go and fall in love with him.
You're Not Sorry: (coming soon with others)

~Sam

True Beauty Follow-Up

2009-11-06T06:41:00.000-08:00

Kylie's post about True Beauty was something great to read. I loved to read through it, and see what everyone's different opinion of true beauty really is.

I have some Bible verses to go along with what Kylie said, so that you can get more insite on what we're actually talking about!

Let your beauty not be external – the braiding of hair and wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes – but the inner person of the heart, the lasting beauty of a gentle and tranquil spirit, which is precious in God’s sight.
1Peter 3:3-4

I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.

1 Timothy 2:9-10

But the wicked will perish: The Lord's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish—vanish like smoke.

Psalm 27:30

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

Proverbs 31:30

I hope you are encouraged by these verses, and think about where your beauty comes from.

~Ashley

True Beauty

2009-11-03T12:53:00.000-08:00

From Zion, perfect in beauty,
God shines forth. ~Psalm 50:2

One thing I ask of the LORD,
       this is what I seek:
       that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
       all the days of my life,
       to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
       and to seek him in his temple. ~Psalm 27:4

Out of the north he comes in golden splendor;
God comes in awesome majesty. ~Job 37:22

It's the question that every girl has wondered at some point in their life -- what is true beauty? In the glamourous portrayal of 'beauty' that we get from movie stars and popular culture today, there isn't really a clear answer. As a Christian, I've heard numerous times that true beauty comes from the inside, and that it's your heart that counts. That's a very true concept, but as I thought about this, I wanted to approach this topic from another perspective.

I was fascinated when I read the above verses. I had never really thought about God's beauty before! But as I contemplated it, the more I realized how true it was.

Now, I know this may sound a little odd -- the idea of God being beautiful. But I don't think David, the writer of the Psalms, was referring to God's physical beauty. Rather, God is beautiful in His very nature. He's so perfect, so majestic, so infinite, that beautiful doesn't even begin to describe Him adaquately. He's beautiful not only because of His love, His mercy, and His compassion toward us, but just because He is God.

Here's something else for you to think about. Because we're created in God's image, we have His beauty too. We definitely can't have it on the infinite scale of His beauty, but because we are in Christ, we are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). That means that we're beautiful too. God's beauty is amazing, majestic, and glorious. It's beauty beyond compare, and beauty that will never pass away. That's something I definitely want to have. What about you?

~Kylie

From the Kitchen...

2009-10-28T09:54:00.000-07:00

Hey!
This is Natalie! For my first post on this blog, I am going to share a recipe that is a favorite in my family. It's great for a special breakfast or just as a yummy snack.

Sweet Cinnamon Biscuits

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Baking Time: 15-20 minutes

Serves: Six

Ingredients:

-2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

-1 tablespoon baking powder

-dash of salt

-1/4 teaspoon baking soda

-1/4 cup vegetable oil

-3/4 cup buttermilk

-8 tablespoons softened butter

-3/4 cup granulated sugar

-1 teaspoon cinnamon

Icing:

-confectioners sugar

-milk

-vanilla

1) Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl and mix well.

Stir in vegatable oil.

Add butermilk and stir just until blended. (If you don't have buttermilk, you can combine a small drop of lemon juice to 3/4 cup of milk, and use that as a substitute.)

2) Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth.

Roll dough into a 15 x 8-inch recatangle.

3) Preheat the oven to 400* F.

Grease a 9-inch round baking pan lightly.

4) Spread butter over the dough.

Combine granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix well.

Sprinkle over butter.

Roll up rectangle, jelly roll fashion, starting from one long side.

Pinch seam to seal.

5) Cut the roll into 1 1/2-inch slices using a durable piece of string. (I find that quilting thread works best)

Arrange the slices, cut side up, in a prepared baking pan.

Bake until lightly browned, about 15-20 minutes.

Remove from oven.

Spread icing overtop if desired. Serve hot.

Update on Our Progress

2009-10-23T15:27:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

Thanks for bearing with us as we get everything figured out. We've had some things change around this blog. First of all, we now have Samantha and Natalie writing with us! They're two girls who love the Lord, and will definitely be a great addition to this blog. Stay tuned for their bios.

Secondly, since we now have four writers, we're trying to get a schedule set of who is posting when. The schedule will start next month. In the meantime, we'll be posting a little sporadically, but we hope things will get into a routine soon.

Thanks for coming by!! You can leave us a comment or email us at daughtersoftruth [at] gmail [dot] com.

~Kylie, on behalf of Ashley, Sam, and Natalie

Rescue

2009-10-16T11:27:00.000-07:00

When Ashley posted her devotional earlier this week about Jesus coming to our rescue, this song immediately came to mind.

You are the source of life

I can't be left behind

No one else will do

I will take hold of You

I need You Jesus, I need You Jesus

My heart is Yours for life

I need Your hand in mine

No one else will do

Lord I put my trust in You

I need You Jesus to come to my rescue

Where else can I go?

There's no other Name by which I am saved

Capture me with grace

I will follow You

My heart is Yours for life

I need Your hand in mine

No one else will do

Lord I put my trust in You

This world has nothing for me (I will follow You)

-- Rescue, by Newsong

My favorite part of this song is the chorus. The part that really stands out to me is the verse where we're asking God to "capture us with grace". As girls, we have an inner desire to be rescued... swept off our feet... captured with grace. Jesus wants to steal our attention completely. He wants us to be totally focused on Him, as our Savior, our Father... and our Hero. Ask God to sweep you off your feet with His beautiful love. You won't be disappointed.

~Kylie

Jesus is my superhero

2009-10-13T10:49:00.001-07:00

When I was a little girl, I wanted a superhero, to save me and take me to some faraway land, where he'd keep me safe, and I'd never have to worry about anything.
Now that I'm a little older, and a bit more mature, I know that will never happen. But I do have a superhero.
"Who?" You ask.

Jesus.

It's as easy as that. Jesus, who lived a sinless life, died on the cross, for all sinner who walk this earth. He loves you enough to be beaten and hung on a cross.
Dying for our sins in something that I find, that's hard to comprehend. Why would Jesus do that for us? Why? Why? Why?

Because he loves us.

Jesus saved us from our sins, when we asked him into our lives. And him saving me from my sins, is way better than having a superman.

Jesus is the only true superhero, because he saved us from eternal life in hell.

And someday, we'll go to Heaven, and spend eternity with him there. And that's way better than a faraway land.
John 3:16: "For God so loved the world, he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him, will not perish, but have eternal life."

Jesus is my superhero. Is He yours?

~Ashley

Oh, and soon, we'll have another writer joining us. We'll be adding Natalie to our group of writers ASAP! :)

The Beginning

2009-10-10T18:59:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Beautiful in Christ! Our names are Ashley and Kylie, friends living on opposite sides of the United States. We have a heart for encouraging other girls in their walk with Christ and this blog was started for just that purpose. We also want to remind you, our readers, of what true beauty is, and how we are made beautiful -- through Christ.

On this blog we hope to post meaningful articles that make you think and bring you enlightenment, along with some fun stuff along the way. This blog is fully committed to God and we pray that He would speak to you through it. If you come away from this blog with anything, we hope it is this: Jesus loves us so much, and thinks we have value beyond compare.

We'll be getting this site up and running over the next few weeks, so bear with us, but in the meantime you can visit our blogs (Ashley's blog, and Kylie's blog). Or you can shoot us an email at daughtersoftruth [at] gmail [dot] com.

In Christ,
Ashley and Kylie

About the Blog

2009-10-10T12:21:00.000-07:00

The purpose of this blog is to encourage girls in their faith and remind them that their beauty is found in Christ alone.

We are Ashley and Kylie, two girls living on opposite sides of the country. We started this blog in October 2009 because we wanted a way to connect with and encourage our sisters in Christ around the world. We soon realized that it was too much for just us to handle, so we brought on Natalie and Suzanna, two of Ashley’s friends. You can find out more about all four of us at The Writers page.

We believe that every young woman is beautiful in Christ, and because of Him, we are lovely beyond compare. We are His daughters, and He thinks we are amazing. He loves us more than words can describe. This is our message, and we hope it comes through in every post that we write.

We have a heart to reach girls and help them understand the love of Christ and what true value is. We will be posting about these topics and more.

More About Us

2009-10-10T10:41:00.000-07:00

Here's a little more about us...

{administrator & contributing writer}

Hey everyone.

My name is Ashley. I'm a sixteen year old girl, who loves to read, write, sing, play my guitar, listen to music and watch old TV shows.

I've been a born again Christian for 10 years, and I love the Lord with all my heart, and do everything for him.

I live in a family of five people- my parents, my siblings, and me. My siblings, Gracie and Ian were adopted as babies from Vietnam.

I love to read- anything teen Christian fiction, and Christian fiction. Some of my favorite authors are Jenny B. Jones, Janette Oke, Melody Carlson and Shelley Adina.

I love to write, if you don't already know that, from me being a part of this blog. I pretty much write the same kinds of books as I read- Christian fiction. I've been writing since I was ten, but I've been starting to write more and more as I get older, and more mature

I love to write songs, and play my guitar. I've had my guitar for almost two years, but I've just recently started to play it, more and more. I also just started writing songs in the last few months, something to get out my feelings, and write about my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Like I said earlier, I really enjoy watching old TV shows. By that, I don't mean like really old shows, but like 70s and 80s shows. Some of my favorites are Charlie's Angels, The Dukes of Hazzard, Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew Mysteries, and other detective shows.

I live in a small town in Pennsylvania, where my mom and dad homecshool me and my siblings. I've been homeschooled most of my life, and I enjoy every minute of it.

I hope that you enjoy this blog as much as we enjoy writing it. :)

If you would like to check out my blog, you can go to: http://www.ashleystrawser1993.blogspot.com

Love in the Lord,

~Ashley

{administrator & contributing writer}

Hey! My name is Kylie. I’m completely in love with Jesus, and I have a strong desire for others to feel His love as well.

I’m a self-declared bookish person, and I love literature. Writing is a huge part of my life, and I take pleasure in using it for God’s glory. It’s my dream to have one of my novels published someday. God brought me a little closer to that dream when I won second place in a short story contest put on by a homeschool magazine. When not working on Kids of Faith or Ignition, I enjoy writing and developing my set of three fantasy novels, or writing short stories on various topics. I immensely enjoy being homeschooled because that gives me the time and flexibility to write. I also devour books; some of my favorite authors include C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Ted Dekker, and Janette Oke. I have eclectic tastes, too. One moment you may see me reading a chick-lit book; the next, a thriller. What I write is just as varied as what I read.
I have a very active imagination, which can be both a gift and a problem. I love the pioneer, colonial, and renaissance eras, and bonnets, aprons, and medieval dresses & capes all have a place in my world. I enjoy creating things; whether it is crafts, graphics, or worlds of my own that spring from my imagination. I also love music, and enjoy writing songs when the inspiration strikes. I hope to grow in my knowledge of how to play the guitar so I can set the words to music and express my adoration for God through song.
Although my road as a Christian is tough sometimes, it is He alone that keeps me going. It amazes me that He loves me when I am not and can never be worthy of it. I’m definitely not perfect, and I rely on His grace to catch me when I fall and fail.
My articles are not mine; they are God’s, and I hope & pray that He will use them for His glory.
You can visit my blog at http://www.hisbeautifullove.wordpress.com
Because of HIM,

~Kylie

{administrator & contributing writer}

Hi, my full name is Suzanna. My friends call me Anna.
When I heard that I could possibly begin writing for this blog, I got really excited and jumped up and down and screamed. Well, not really. But if my nephew wouldn't have been snoozing, I possibly would've.
I like to read pretty much anything...I like Melody Carlson a lot.
My brother and I are both homeschooled by my amazing mother while my dad provides for the family. I am in eighth grade, and like everything but math.
Music is really important to me. I listen to it constantly throughout the day, and I don't know how I survived without my iPod and doc. A FEW of my favorite bands are Skillet, Thousand Foot Krutch, Flyleaf, Barlow Girl, Pillar...pretty much all Christian rock/metal.
My parents, brother and I are members of the Christian Motorcyclist's Association. I love going on motorcycle rides with my dad, and absolutely love being a part of such an amazing group. It's like one big family.
I love thick, green grass, music, concerts, photography, my family, but above all Christ. Isn't He awesome!? I love worshiping Him, and don't know how atheists and not Christians live. I love being in big groups when we pray or sing and you can really feel the Holy Spirit all around you.
One other thing that's important to me is purity; saving myself for my future hubby. I think of purity as a gift that on our wedding night we'll both be able to share it together instead of my giving it away to several other guys. I think dating is weird...courting is the way to go! :D
Thanks for reading...hopefully I wasn't too much of a bore.

{contributing writer}

Hello there! My name is Ashley and I turned fifteen on New Years Day this year! God is the love of my life and I absolutely love to express my love for Him to others! I’ve been playing guitar for two years this February and it’s helped me get through a lot, although that sounds kind of cliché. Those who have been around me a while know that I love books with a passion! Some of my favorite authors are Robert Whitlow, Frank Peretti, and Jenny B. Jones!

I’ve always dreamed of being a writer. When I was little, I could always be seen toting around a beat up notebook, writing down things I wouldn’t let anybody else read. Some things never change. I write Christian fiction and hope to have a book published by the time I’m 18.

To talk more about myself, I have a rather large family. I have 2 brothers, 2 sisters, and 7 nieces and nephews whom I all love quite dearly! I live in a small town, out in what most of my friends might call the country! I love it, although I dream of one day traveling the world.

Summing this long thing up, I also enjoy playing softball, and getting to know interesting people. I think everyone is beautfully and wonderfully made and I love trying to brighten peoples days by just giving away a smile!

{guest writer}

Hello! My name is Natalie and I am a sixteen year old girl whose passion in life is to love and serve my Savior!

I am blessed to have been brought up in a family of God fearing, born-again Christians. I accepted Christ into my life when I was four years old and have been striving to please him ever since.
I am the middle child of seven kids. I have four sisters and two brothers. My older sister and both brothers no longer live at home. My sister is attending a university in the south and my brothers are both gown up with jobs and homes of their own. I love spending time with my three younger sisters and parents!

My interests include horse back riding, camping in the mountains, exploring and admiring God's creation, and kayaking! I have been playing the flute for four years now and am currently studying in a music school in my area. Last Christmas, after receiving a guitar, I began to teach myself under the helpful advice of my best friend who also plays guitar.

My idea of relaxing is snuggling up on the couch in front of the fire place with a good book, or staying up late writing a story.
I'm not entirely sure of what I would like to be when I grow up. I have greatly considered Early Childhood Education, but with our country in the condition that it is in, I haven't completely made up my mind. I do believe that God has a plan for my life and I cannot wait to discover what it is!