"New Beginnings"

By: Emily Watkins, Age 17

She Speaks Conference Graduate

Jeremiah 10:23, “I know, O Lord, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps” (NIV).

As I write this devotion, I am tempted to get out my notebook and write down my goals for 2009. Making daily to-do notes is a habit of mine, and New Years is the best time for coming up with gigantic resolution lists! Oddly enough though, this time I could not even jot down one sentence. As soon as I took my pen in hand, I felt God speaking to me: “Stop! Wait a minute! What about Me?” He wanted me to take into account His plans for my life in the coming year. Who am I to think that I am wise enough to “direct my steps” anyway (Jeremiah 10:23, Proverbs 20:24)? After all, hadn't I given my life to Him? Hadn't I asked Him to reign in my heart?

In His kindness the Lord reminded me of my weakness and dependency on Him. God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, knows the beginning and end of all things. In comparison to His wisdom, mine looks like a tiny grain of sand. In His love He formed me, and I am merely clay in His hands (Psalm 139:15-16).

I don't want to hold my future, which was never mine in the first place, in a tight grip. Jesus told His disciples that “whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will find it” (Matthew 16:25, NIV). I want God to be in the driver's seat.

All I can say this year is: “Lord, here I am, Your servant; this year is in Your hands.”

I want to love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength while I wait for His perfect timing on everything in my life (Mark 12:30).

My family and I have just moved back to the U.S. from Poland after having lived there 16 years as missionaries. This season has been one of major change, having to wave goodbye to my friends and city and start afresh with new places, experiences, and relationships. One chapter of my life has ended and another is just beginning. It's saddening to leave so much behind, but it's exciting to look ahead. Similarly, as we look to the New Year, sometimes we have mixed emotions. We don’t always want to leave behind the familiar, but at the same time we’re excited and hopeful for what the future holds. Moving, whether from one house to another or from one year to another, is an adventure and we don’t always know what the outcome will be. Thankfully, however, God does and He desires to guide us on the journey.

I encourage you to invite God into your plans as you look ahead into the new year. Ask Him into your heart and let the Holy Spirit guide you as you step into a new season. May we not lean on our own understanding, but instead trust Him with all our heart and allow Him to direct our steps (Proverbs 3:5-6, Jeremiah 10:23). May God, the Creator, further mold us, His clay, into His own all-perfect design.

We are just in the beginning of the beginning of our walk with Christ and there is so much more that God wants to show us! May he reveal more of Himself to us in 2009 as we completely surrender to Him and to His plans for this new year!

My Prayer for Today:

Father, thank You so much for a new year and a new beginning. Thank You for the blessings of family, friends, and the sacrifice of Your Son. Lord, I give You my heart this year – for that is all You desire. I trust in You to direct my steps. Thank You that no one whose hope is in You will ever be disappointed (Psalm 25:3)! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

For Such a Time As This, by Lisa Ryan

Want More Life?, by Natalie Lloyd

Think About It:

What do you like about new beginnings?

What does it mean to surrender your will to God? Why should we do it?

What are the things that may keep you from experiencing all God has for you in 2009?

Live It:

Write down some things, people, or situations that you are thankful for this year, and praise God for His blessings.

Surrender the new year to the Lord and ask God to give you a greater understanding and hunger for Him.

Instead of making a list of New Year's resolutions, ask God to speak to your heart and reveal His plans for this year. Write down anything you hear Him saying to you.

Power Verses:

Psalm 139:16, “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (NIV).

Philippians 1:6, “…Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (NIV).

Psalm 127:1a, “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain” (NIV).

© 2008 by Emily Watkins. All rights reserved.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!!!

From the Radical Revolution Team

We love you and hope this Christmas brings unexpected blessings for you and your family and friends!!

"Mary"

By: Angela Parsley

Luke 1:46-49, “And Mary said: ‘My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name.’” (NIV).

Mary of Nazareth. She was a young, ordinary girl chosen by God for an extraordinary task – to be mother to the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. There was nothing that would make the world think she was special. She was not royalty. She was not wealthy. However, she loved God and followed Him, and that’s what matters most to God. She was favored by God. The angel Gabriel told her so (Luke 1:30). Can you imagine?! What a huge blessing. And did you realize that she was your age?


I wonder if she ever felt like it had been a dream. After all, she was not married, only engaged. What a scandal that could be. Would the townspeople try to stone her? That, after all, was the punishment for adultery (Leviticus 20:10). What would her parents think of her? What about Joseph, her fiancé? Would he believe such a wild thing?


When the angel Gabriel visited, he also told her that her relative Elizabeth was pregnant (which was another supernatural circumstance in itself because she was older and supposedly barren). So the first thing Mary did was to go and visit Elizabeth. After all, they had much in common at this time. It would be good for them to spend some time together. When Mary arrived, Elizabeth confirmed Mary’s pregnancy. How did she know? Mary was not showing yet, nor had she yet said anything. However Scripture tells us the Holy Spirit revealed it to Elizabeth.


Mary then sang this praise to God that we find in our key verse for today. The verses that follow are so beautiful. Simply put, Mary praises God for the great thing He has done by giving her, a virgin and ordinary young woman, the opportunity to carry the Savior of the world. There was much she could be concerned about, like adversity and judgment from others for being unwed yet pregnant. Instead of fretting over it all, though, she praised God. She had a child-like faith and trust that should serve as an example to us.


Like Mary, God also has an extraordinary plan for your life. If you love Him with everything you are, just as Mary did, and follow Him where He leads you, as Mary did, He will use you to make a big difference in the world too!


My Prayer for Today:


Father, thank You so much for sending Jesus to us, for breaking the silence and sending Your Son, the One and only who would redeem the world. We are so privileged. Thank You for Your lovingkindness. We praise You Lord as Mary did. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.


Related Resources:


Teen People of the Bible, by Daniel Darling


Life Style: Radical Perspectives from Radical Women in the Bible, by Whitney Prosperi


Think About It:


Have you ever given much thought to how this baby, Jesus, would affect Mary’s life?


Have you ever thought about the shame and dishonor that this child may have caused in her life?


Have you ever had people react this way to you for a stand you took for God?


Live it:


Read all of Luke 1.


Take some time to reflect on this miraculous story of the birth of our Savior.


Read Mary’s words of praise and take some time praising God for things in your life.


Power Verses:


Isaiah 7:14 , “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (NIV).


Matthew 1:19-21, “Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins" (NIV).

© 2008 by Angela Parsley. All rights reserved.

* Special: twilight *

This may be hard for you to believe, but it wasn't until a few weeks ago that the movie Twilight even hit my radar screen. Since my three teenagers are boys, that probably explains a lot. After finding out that the story didn’t contain any car races, buildings being blown up, or gun fights, they lost interest.

But when a good friend and her 14-year-old daughter read them, and then attended the midnight showing of the movie a few weeks ago, I became interested.

While we were working off some Thanksgiving splurging on the gym treadmill, my friend gave me a rundown of the movie, and I was intrigued. I went home and told my pre-teen daughter about it, she was very interested in seeing it. For days, all she could talk about was Twilight.

So when we had some time a few weeks ago, my sister Liz and I took our daughters to see Twilight. Seeing the movie was fun, especially with all the squealing and cheering from females in the theater who obviously knew who and what the movie was about.

I can see why this book, and subsequently the movie, has struck a chord with young women. It is a story that in many ways parallels the amazing story of God's love. While it has no overt biblical message, it strums the strings God put in our hearts that He was meant to play. Twilight the book/movie speaks of an eternal being who loves a human girl so much that he sacrifices his desires to protect and save her. Now, I realize that's a great simplification of the story line, but hang in here with me.

What girl's heart doesn't long for that type of devotion? So many girls grow up seeking that type of adoration from boys, and become disillusioned when they discover the man of their dreams has flaws. Yet the dream for someone to love them deeply, truly and eternally, lives on in their hearts. That dream stays there, even if it gets buried under years of disappointments, rejection and pain. Sometimes it gets buried so deep that a woman forgets that she once longed for love. But it never goes away because God put it there.

What my daughters will learn is there is an Eternal Being who loved them so much that He sacrificed Himself to save them. And that even now, He stands on vigil to protect them, with an army of angels at His command. And that He adores them beyond measure. And that they can love Him back and live with Him eternally.

Instead of Twilight, I might name that story, The Bright Morning Star. Because that’s who it’s about: Jesus. The best news is that it’s not a fiction novel – it’s all true.

If you and your friends have read the books or seen the movie, this idea could be the makings of a great conversation. It could be a way to share your faith with friend. Especially at this time of year when people’s hearts are open to hearing the Good News about Jesus.

Glynnis Whitwer is a writer and speaker for Proverbs 31 Ministries and mom to Josh, Dylan, Robbie, Cathrine and Ruth. Glynnis and her family live in Glendale, Arizona.

+ Ready for Christmas? +

"In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.” – Isaiah 40:3 (NIV)

Are you ready for Christmas? I can’t tell you how many people have asked me that in the last few days. And I wonder, how do I answer that? Well, no I’m not ready if being ready means having presents bought for all my family and friends. (Anybody else with me?) However, if you’re talking about being ready to celebrate Jesus’ birth, I’m ready!

Have you ever thought about being ready in your heart for Christmas? Some churches and families celebrate a season before Christmas called Advent. Here’s the low down on Advent:

-Advent means “the coming or arrival of something important.” For us, it’s the birth of Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the World, Emmanuel – “God with us.”
-In the church, the season of Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends at Christmas.
-The point of Advent is to prepare for the coming of Jesus. It’s a time of expectation and hope, looking forward to the fulfillment of God’s greatest promise.

With Christmas only a few days away, are you ready? Are you prepared in your heart for the coming of Christ? Have you thought about what this means for you? God Himself came down to dwell with us in the form of a baby who would save us and reunite us to God!! How cool is that?!? That ought to cause all of us to be ecstatic and jump up and down praising God!

If that’s not our response, then maybe our hearts aren’t ready for Him to come. Maybe we’re not ready to celebrate Christmas. After all, Christmas should be a huge celebration, a ginormous (gigantic + enormous) party for Jesus. Let’s ask God to help us be ready:

Father, please prepare our hearts for the coming of Your Son Jesus. I pray that we would understand what this really means for each of us personally. Thank You for this indescribable gift – for Jesus, our Savior, the Messiah, God with us. You’re awesome! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

* Festive Ways to Update Your Look *

The holiday season is in full swing so it’s time to pull out your party clothes!

Whether you’re just going to grandma’s house or your best friend’s Christmas party you’ll want to take some extra time getting ready and be glamorous, girl!

During this tough economy, you might not have the extra money to go spend on a new dress, so what should you do? Take a look at the tips below and you’ll make a grand entrance to any holiday function!

• Style your hair differently from the way you usually do. Comb it on the opposite side from your typical way or flat iron it with a flip on the ends, either up or under.

• Get some glitter hair spray! It comes in all sorts of colors like gold, copper and silver and you can find it at any drug store in the cosmetic aisle. You will sparkle!

• Give yourself a manicure and pedicure. You don’t have to go to a fancy salon to have this done, do it yourself! In fact, invite a friend to take a trip to the dollar store with you, and get some fun toe spacers, manicure items, a new polish that glistens and go back to your bedroom and have your own fun mini spa!

• If you have a sweater dress, then add a pair of patterned tights and wear with knee high boots or cute ballet flats! Don’t spend a ton of money on any of these items. I just bought several pair of these patterned tights at WalMart for $5 and Payless has ballet flats for about $15!

• Wear your best jeans with boots or heels and add a red sweater. Nothing says Christmas like red!

• Wear big, bold jewelry during the holidays. Ask your mom if you can borrow one of her big rings or antique broach she used to wear in high school!

Have fun this season and dress up a little more than you typically do! Celebrate Jesus as the daughter of the King that you are! He likes it when you’re fancy for Him!

Beautiful Blessings,
Shari Braendel

www.FashionMeetsFaith.com

"Miss Mary Jane"

By: Autumn Sisk

1 John 4:7,12, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God… No one has ever seen God: but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.” (NIV)

Her name was Mary Jane, and a few months ago the Lord and His angels threw a big party to welcome her home. You see, Mary Jane was my grandmother, and one of the greatest people this world has ever known. Yeah, she was my grandmother and definitely spoiled me a little, but she was truly special.


One of the things that made my grandmother so special was the fact that she loved everyone. She treated every person like they were the most important person in the world. I spent much of my youth at her house (after school or during the hot summer days in Georgia), and I would go with her to her church activities too. Until I was grown, I thought that we were related to every person in our town because of the way she treated those people around her. There was never a person who got married or had a baby that she didn’t throw a shower for or send a gift to.


She bought Christmas gifts for everyone she knew, including a couple of former sons-in-law and a former daughter-in-law. Grandmother, as we so affectionately called her, never worried about her own well-being. She always looked out for others first.


She once even dove into a huge stack of hay bales after me when I slipped and fell, with no worry for her own safety. When she grabbed me, I felt strength that I never knew she had in her small body. She took care of my Granddaddy every day of the 56 years they were married, and raised 4 children. She loved them all so much and made sure they were raised in the ways of the Lord.


On holidays, we were always at her house. She would spend two days preparing all of the food and gifts for her loved ones. She would cook every grandchild his or her favorite food even though it took an extra day of effort. When it came time to eat, she would refuse to even sit down until every other person in the house was sitting with a full plate of food.


She ministered to those around her in so many ways. You see, Miss Mary Jane knew it was not about her. She knew it was about following the commands that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ gave us. She lived her faith by loving and serving others all of her days on earth. Her love of God shone through in every aspect of her life. The day before she became ill, she was out in the community with my Granddaddy taking lunches to less fortunate families. Even on the day she had her stroke, she got up and made breakfast for her husband whom she completely adored.


Truly, my grandmother was a great servant of God. She tried to do as Jesus asked by loving others. Before Jesus left the earth, He gave His disciples this command: “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 13:34-35, NIV).”


The night we all got to the hospital to see Grandmother, I saw the evidence of her life. I saw a family filled with love for God and each other. We cried together and prayed together, and talked about how much she meant to each of us. There were so many visitors at the hospital, even though she had been life-flighted to a hospital over 50 miles from our home town. Even at her funeral, the evidence of her love was seen. Many people who barely even knew her came, later telling us she had touched them in some way. They shared with the family how much they loved her because she had loved them through her kindness.


All of this has made me look at my life and ask, “Do I show love to people around me on a daily basis?” If I live my life and never touch those around me, it is a waste. Therefore, I have decided to follow as closely as possible the commands that Jesus gave us to love one another. My Grandmother did, and I want to be like her.


My Prayer for Today:


Dear Lord, thank You for allowing me to have such a wonderful person like Grandmother in my life as an example to follow. Thank you for all of the wonderful examples of love that she showed everyone. Please help me to follow in her footsteps by loving all those around me. In Jesus’ name, Amen. (Take time to thank the Lord for anyone who has touched your life with their love.)


Related Resources:


Being a Girl Who Leads: Becoming a Leader by Following Christ, by Shannon Kubiak Primicerio


Think About It:


Who has touched my life with their unconditional love?


Does the love of this person or persons inspire me to love others?


What can I do today to start loving others in the way Christ has asked?


Live It:


Today, write down the names of two people who have touched you with their love. In this list, include as many ways as you can think of that they have blessed you.


Write down two people that you want to bless with your love. Think of specific ways to show them you love them.


Ask the Lord to help you love others in your life.


Power Verses:


Matthew 19:19b, “Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (NIV)


Romans 13:10a, “Love does no harm to its neighbor.” (NIV)


I John 3:16, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” (NIV)

© 2008 by Autumn Sisk. All rights reserved.

+ Operation Christmas Child +

Last night, I had the awesome opportunity to serve at the Operation Christmas Child processing center here in Charlotte, NC. I went with some of the youth from my church and we spent all evening working alongside other volunteers preparing packages to be sent.




If you’ve never heard of OCC, it’s a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse which collects shoe boxes full of toys, candy, and other items like toothbrushes & toothpaste. The boxes are then are prepared for shipping and sent to children all over the world to share the love of Christ with them during the Christmas season.


In our devotion on Monday, Samantha talked about the importance of loving others not just with our words, but also with our actions. That’s what we were doing last night ~ loving those kids by helping prepare the gifts they would receive. Even though we aren’t the ones who will hand the boxes directly to the kids, we got to have a hand in serving. If it wasn’t for every person involved giving their time, talents, and energy to this ministry, there wouldn’t be any shoe boxes to deliver to those children. It takes every person – those making the shoebox gifts, volunteers and staff at the process centers, those delivering the shoe boxes (and everyone in between) to make it happen.


We found out the boxes we were preparing last night will be shipped to children in Zimbabwe and Iraq. How cool is that?!




Quick facts about OCC:


-OCC delivered over 7.6 million shoe box gifts to children around the world last year.
-There are process centers in North Carolina, Georgia, Colorado, Minnesota, and California.
-OCC has volunteer opportunities year-round (not just during the Christmas season).
-Check out the website at www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/occ for more information.


If you ever get a chance to volunteer in an OCC processing center, you should do it! This Christmas season, take the time to serve someone somewhere, giving sacrificially for their good. It’s totally worth it!


“I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.” Matthew 25:40 (NIV)


Joy in serving,

Kristen

* Fun Cold Weather Accessories *

The weather is getting cold, so it is time to bring out the winter weather accessories. This can be fun to do and can really help pep up your fashion this time of year! Cold weather accessories come in many shapes, sizes and colors and can give your wardrobe the boost it needs for you to beat the winter blahs.

From cute hats to fuzzy scarves, there is sure to be a winter accessory that you will love. So, if you're ready for some cool weather finds, start your search now for the perfect hat, scarf, gloves and maybe even a pair of leg warmers if you're really brave.

For hats, look for berets, whether knitted or wool, beanies, and the newsboy - all cute styles that are perfect this time of year. You can get them to match your outfit or go off on a tangent with a bright color to compliment any outfit such as a bright red or deep purple.

As for scarves, there are dozens of varieties from faux fur, to knitted, to cashmere.

You can find them in prints, plaids, or solids. Just pick your favorite and either bundle it at the neck or allow it to hang freely. They can add a great compliment to your favorite winter coat. Or you can tie it around the neck or even use it for a belt. Scarves offer multiple options that create fun looks.

Then there are gloves. They not only keep your pinkies warm but can also be a fashion statement, from fuzzy warm ones to sleek leather ones there is sure to be a pair that fits you.

Finally, if you're bold and brave, why not try a pair of leg warmers? Why not spice up your outfit with a pair of these? They come in as many colors and patterns as you can imagine. So choose to fit you and your personality. You are sure to make a statement with this bold cold weather accessory!

So bundle up and get going this winter!

~Alyssa

"More Than Words"

By: Samantha Roberts

1 John 3:18, “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” (NIV)

My three year-old son likes to torture our cat. When he thinks no one is looking he’ll do something like grab her tail or “pet” her with his foot. Don’t get me wrong – he most certainly loves her. He just has a strange way of showing it.

Not too long ago I caught him pestering her again. Before I could tell him to stop, she waged her own protest by growling and swatting a harmless, declawed paw in his direction. He could tell she was upset and his tiny heart was crushed. How could the kitty not like him?

I spent the next few moments trying to look into his pouty little face and explain to him that if he wants the kitty to like him, he needs to be nice to her. When I finished, he took a brief second to think about it and then suddenly his whole demeanor changed. With the biggest grin he could muster he raised his eyebrows and declared, “Mom! I nice!” In his mind, that fixed everything. Until the next time he wanted to “love” on the kitty, anyway.

What my sweet son failed to understand was that it wasn’t enough for him to simply say that he was nice. If he really wanted to make that true he was going to have to show it by actually being nice.

It seems like a rather simple concept, doesn’t it? If you want to be someone or do something, you have to back that up with some evidence other than just words. I mean, I can tell a thousand people today that I’m a marathon runner, but it certainly won’t make me one, right? No one who knows the slightest thing about me would believe that for a minute because it’s obvious that I can’t run at all (much less complete a marathon). Just saying something about you doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s true, but being able to back it up does.

Have you ever heard that expression “Actions speak louder than words”? That’s what I’m talking about. What you actually do with your life holds a lot more merit in the eyes of other people than the words that you speak about yourself. So think for a minute about how you would describe yourself on Facebook, MySpace, or a job application to people who don’t know you. Would you say that you are a good student? A great friend? How about a Christian?

Now think about this: Would the people who don’t need to read your personal profile in order to know you (your closest friends) already know these things about you because they see them in action in your life?

As Christians we owe it to Christ to live beyond the words we use to describe ourselves. It’s not enough to simply say that we follow Him – there needs to be some hard evidence in our lives that we are actually doing it.

Are you just labeling yourself as a Christian today, or are you showing yourself to be one? Let your actions for Christ speak even louder than your words about Him, and there will be no question that you are not only who you say you are, but Whose you say you are.

My Prayer for Today:

Lord Jesus, please help me to live out loud for You today. I don’t want to think that it’s enough to tell people that I love You; I want to show them that I love You by following Your Word and by being a light in this world. Help me to see and take advantage of the opportunities You give me each day to love others in action and in truth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Resources:

Get Real, by Rebecca Ingram Powell

Being a Girl Who Leads: Becoming a Leader by Following Christ, by Shannon Kubiak Primicerio

Lies Young Women Believe and the Truth That Sets Them Free, by Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Dannah Gresh

Think About It:

How do you think someone who has only known you for a little while would describe you? What about someone who has known you for a long time?

What are 5 words you would use to describe who you are because of Christ? (Some examples might be “joyful”, “peace-filled”, “forgiven”, etc)

Where do you struggle most to live out what you say about your life?

Live It:

Take the 5 words you thought about above and write each of them on a separate index card. On the back of each card, write some ways you can actively live out that characteristic in your life. If you can, use a concordance or a topical index in a Bible to find Scripture that talks about what each of those words mean to us as believers, and write those verses on your cards too. Keep your index cards in a place where you will see them each morning, and begin your day by asking God to help you love Him and others in action and in truth in each of those areas.

Power Verses:

James 2:15-17, “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go I wish you well, keep arm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (NIV)

1 Corinthians 4:20, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.” (NIV)

© 2008 by Samantha Roberts. All rights reserved.

+ A Prayer Predicament +

How is your prayer life lately? Admittedly, I have been in a “prayer predicament” recently. I haven’t been praying like I usually do. It’s been really hard to connect with God. Why? My pastor said it perfectly: Prayer is depending on God and prayerlessness is depending on ourselves. I haven’t been depending on God to handle all the details of my life and others’ lives. Instead, I’ve tried to handle my life on my own and worried about the circumstances of my friends, family, and myself.

Life can be overwhelming sometimes, especially when we think we have to be in control of everything that happens. As a wise professor pointed out to me, when you’re overwhelmed it’s because you’re trying to do someone else’s job. I realized that my being overwhelmed with life was my trying to do God’s job of handling all the details.

Are you overwhelmed? Whose job are you trying to do?

In times like these, our challenge is to draw close to God. When we don’t draw close to God, our prayer life begins to suffer and so does our attitude.

So how do we draw close to God? It’s real simple: Spend time with Him. You might be thinking, Kristen, that’s a great idea in theory but where will I find more time to spend with God? Okay, so we’re all super busy and nobody really wants to hear this answer, but the truth is that we make time for what’s important to us. If Jesus were your boyfriend, you’d spend time with Him, right?

Life just goes better when you spend time with God every day through prayer and reading the Bible. I promise you, if you make time for God, He will help you get everything done and He will give you a new perspective on life!

Colossians 4:2, “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.” (NASB)

With love,

Kristen

* Sweet Innocence *

Have you shopped for a dress lately only to find one so low cut and short you won’t wear it? (Or your mom won’t let you?!)

We at RadRevolution are excited to share with you a great line of clothing we think you’ll love as much as we do. In fact, these clothes are going to be featured in many of the 2009 What Not to Wear Teen Edition Fashion Shows!

Divine Modestee has been in business for just a few years and is reaching a market that is virtually untouched…dresses and skirts that are modest. When Sandy from DM first contacted us, we weren’t sure if the styles would be trendy or fashionable enough. You see, even we have a twitch when it comes to the word modesty! We had to make sure they weren’t clothes that started at your neck and ended at your feet!

We know our fashion reading, fashion-loving girlfriends of all ages love clothes and you want to dress in the latest styles, right? Well now you can. Their prices won’t stretch your budget either!

Take a look at the link provided and comment below about which one is your favorite. You can even choose two or three as this will help us plan for the 2009 WNTW events! You can go through their entire website and get back to us here at RadRevolution. We appreciate your help so much and can’t wait to see what our fashionable readers have to say! Click here: www.divinemodestee.com

Beautiful blessings,

Shari Braendel

www.FashionMeetsFaith.com

Come visit me on Facebook, too!

"Christmas: Crushed or Content?"

By: Lynn Cowell

Romans 13:8, “Don’t run up debts, except for the huge debt of love you owe each other. When you love others, you complete what the law has been after all along….” (Message)

Recently, I heard the T.V. blare out the news that the credit crunch would definitely affect the Christmas spending this year. Credit card companies are lowering credit limits and raising interest rates. Maybe you have heard your parents talking about the economy and how things in America just aren’t that great right now. When I heard this news program, I pictured many American families beginning to worry. Where will the money come from to keep up with the way we have grown accustomed to celebrating Christmas?

Is there any possibility, though, that this could actually be a good thing?

Overspending during the holiday season is a joy robber. Why? Because it causes us to stress about money and the hole of debt we have fallen into because of buying so many Christmas gifts. In years past, you might have sensed stress in your family during this season for this very reason.

Romans 13:8 encourages us to owe no one anything except love. How does this relate to Christmas? Take my sister and her family as an example. They practiced these gifts of love last Christmas. They all chose one family member’s name to buy a gift for. In addition to this gift, they also wrote a letter of love to the receiver. My sister shared with me that the reading of these letters out loud before they opened their gifts created tears of love, healing and forgiveness. As the tears flowed from her family, she celebrated in her heart that this was their best Christmas ever. The boxes may have been the fewest, but their love was the most!

How about your family as this Christmas season approaches? Can you make a suggestion to your family to adopt a new way of showing each other how much you really love each other this Christmas?

My Prayer for Today:

Dear Lord, Thank You for giving your Son as the ultimate gift to us. Please help me this Christmas to focus on You and help my family to do the same! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Think About It:

In past Christmases, have I put undue pressure on my parents to keep up with other families when it comes to gift giving?

What is one thing I would like to receive this year that money can’t buy? Is this something I can give to another?

What can I do each day in December that will help me to focus on Jesus?

Live It:

Plan one gift to each of your family members that costs very little but says the world about how you love them.

Sit down with your parents and relieve them of the pressure to have to try and keep up with others this Christmas.

Power Verses:

1 Timothy 6:6, “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” (NIV)

Proverbs 19:23, “The fear of the LORD leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.” (NIV)

Job 36:11, “If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment.” (NIV)

© 2008 by Lynn Cowell. All rights reserved.