Tori's Thankful List

Through the alphabet, Tori is thankful for:

All my family
Bethany
Calli, my cat
Doggies & Dessert
Earth
Freedom
Google
Health
In-doors
Jesus
Knives
Love
Music
NaNoWriMo (the reason we haven't posted in a while) and author Nancy Rue
Out-doors & Odyssey (the radio drama)
Pointe
Quilts
Recipes
Susie Magazine & Smoothies
The Rebelution Forum
Utensils
Vans
Warm Blankets
(E)Xamples (in life, in school, etc.)
Yarn
Zero (the number)

Open the Gift

When someone offers you a gift, what do you do? You take it. This analogy is often used in the Christian realm- Jesus is offering you the gift of salvation. The only thing you have to do to get it is take it! But this summer, I realized there is a catch. Taking the gift doesn't mean you've actually received it.

There are a lot of people who have the gift. But they leave it sitting in a closet, accumulating dust over the years. They technically have the gift. And they tell people, yes, I've received the gift.
But they never open it. What good does the gift do you if you can't experience it? You see other people who have opened it, and kind of know what it is and how it works. But you've never experienced it for yourself.

Sometimes you want it. You're excited at the realization that you can experience the benefits of the gift if you merely open it. So you rush to the closet, open it and clean out the closet, looking for the gift, which has been shoved to the very back of the shelf. But then you begin to look at it- it's dusty. And unappealing.

Sure, you could fix that fairly easily with a wet rag. But, you'd rather not do that. It really can't be that great.

What we need to realize, is that just having the gift isn't enough. We need to open it. There are so many people who don't realize this. They tack the label of "Christian" on themselves, but live just as if they had never heard the name "Jesus" before.

If you are one of those people, and you know if you are, I have a challenge for you. Open the gift. Take the time to fix it up after all the years of neglect, and use it.

Tori

Immesurably More

Christmas is in the air! Ok, not really. But here in Orlando we have had some relatively cool temperatures over the past few days. And it's only October! Needless to say, I've been enjoying it greatly.

So, I found a really good verse the other day. I had heard it, and I knew that it was there, but I don't think that I had ever really read it.

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." -Ephesians 3:20& 21

I don't know about you, but I have a pretty good imagination. Especially when it comes to things that I want, there's tons of things that I could ask for, and a ton of things that I do ask for. I often find myself imagining my future, and trying to make my plans for it. But are my plans really better than God's plans? And in this verse Paul isn't just saying that God can do more than all we ask or imagine, which to me is completely awesome. He uses the word immeasurably. It literally means impossible to measure. We can't even begin to fathom how much more He has planned for us. And I can guarantee you that it is better than anything that you can imagine too.

All this is according to his power at work within us. We cant' come up with any of this on our own. We have to let Him do it, and trust him through it. It then goes on to say "to Him be the glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!" God deserves all the glory forever anyways, but when we see how he is working his plans in our lives, doing more than anything we could ever ask, it serves as a constant reminder that He really is worthy of all the glory.

Challenge:
Trust Him to do more than you could ever ask Him for, and remember to give Him the glory when He does.

Bethany:)

The Little Things

We go through life never knowing how the little things we do may be effecting those around us. I don't know about you, but I tend remember the little things. Most of my favorite memories are special interactions with special people. One thing that someone said to encourage me. Just a smile when I was having a rough day. A hug from the cutest 3-year-old I know.

Usually we don't realize how big of an impact the little things can have on people, until we are touched by a "little thing" that someone did that meant so much to us. This summer while I was at camp, I had many moments that could have been my favorite. Getting to lead worship. Doing a dance with our church. Crazy fun games with friends. But the moments I remember, the ones I treasure are ones like the time that someone I didn't really know stopped me in the gift shop to encourage me. And getting to do the chicken dance with my children's pastor's 3-year-old daughter. But the one I remember the most was when one of the camp pastors took the time to ask me how I was, and listen for an answer.

I learned a lot of things at camp this past summer, but I think that the most important lesson I learned was to do what I can to encourage people with the little things. How about you? Do you find ways to encourage others in your everyday interactions? You may not ever know if you make a difference in someones life, but you will never know if you don't try.

Overcoming Rejection

Context:

Tori went to a youth retreat this summer. She goes every other year. Some kids who go stay for two whole months, and some stay for just the last week. Previous summers, Tori had gone for the whole two months, and built a "core group" of friends- but she had missed the last time, and was only staying for a week this time. All her old friends- except one, who this story is about- weren't there. Names have been changed.




Part One:


Being with such a large group, I couldn't see every one's faces. We were at Six Flags and I had partnered with an old friend, Trina, on this outing. She was a two-monther, however, so had a rather large group of friends- seeing that same group almost every day. One of the girls in the group looked so strangely familiar. I finally got a full view of her face, and knew her in an instant:
"Kaycee!" I said, as I darted up next to her. I was so excited- now, finally, I had someone to closely hang with, talk to, and you know... be my friend. Don't get me wrong, Trina was doing all she could to help me get along, but I still felt somewhat left out.

Now you can imagine my feelings as she turned to me, as if she was an un-concerned adult and I was an eight year old, and said "What do you want?"


I don't know what I said. I tried to collect my scattered thoughts and say something. I probably mumbled a few sentence fragments and a "nothing."I was wounded. And confused. Kaycee was one of my best friends, an original member of my core group. Suddenly, it occurred to me that she didn't remember who I was. That was it!

I walked back up to her, and when she wasn't conversing with another in the group I said, "You don't remember me, do you?"


"Yeah, I do. You're Tori, right?" I was only a little angry-mostly hurt. I had never experienced rejection before. And this was one person I least expected it from.




Part Two:


Every time I saw Kaycee after that, my heart sank, and I looked the other way. I had "gotten over" it- accepted the reality that Kaycee had rejected me, for whatever reason. But it still was constantly in my thoughts and it still made me sad.

On the last day, I decided that I needed to tell her that. I wasn't trying to make her apologize, but maybe she didn't know how she had made me feel.


I asked a girl who I know had hung with Kaycee two years ago how she treated her now. I wanted to be sure I hadn't misinterpreted Kaycee's actions, tone and words before confronting her. But I got the answer I had expected- she was in a clique and had ignored her this year.

I found Kaycee in a group and waited for her to break away for a moment. When she did, I asked if I could talk her for a moment. "What you did to me at Six Flags really hurt me." She looked confused, and asked what I meant. I wasn't crying, but I was getting slightly choked-up. I did whenever I thought of it. "You ignored me, and it really... hurt me."


"Oh, I’m sorry it made you feel that way." She said, looking genuine but not really sounding it. "I really was happy to see you. For a moment I was like, 'who was that,' but hen I knew it was you, and I really was happy to see you."

But then one of her friends came up to her, and she took leave of me- a quick hug and an "I'll see you in two years"




Conclusion:


Now that I’m back home, I don’t worry about it too much. I have my best friend, Bethany (who isn't in a clique, and I know will never reject me). I don't have to worry about who will partner with me, and sit next to me on the bus. I don't start to cry whenever I think about Kaycee. But I still have a memory of when I did.

I like to believe her apology was real, but I know it probably wasn't. She was happy to see me, and in consequence, ignored me. She was sorry I felt that way, but not that she did it to me. A poor choice of words? Maybe. But actions still speak louder than words.

Tori

Make it Matter

It has been about a year now since our dream was born, so I wanted to take the time to share with you some of our history and to encourage you to make a difference in your community.

About a year ago Tori and I found an article in Brio magazine, a magazine published by Focus on the Family for teen girls. It was called Make it Matter, and it featured Natalie Grant and some things that she was doing to "Make it Matter". There was also an opprotunity for girls to write in and share what they were doing to make their lives matter. So, even though we knew that we would be too late to submit it as a contest entry, Tori and I decided that we wanted to find something that we could do to make our lives matter.

Our idea was to minister to kids living in single parent homes. It has been amazing to see how the mission has stayed the same over the past year, but the dream has changed several times. While we are still working on what our exact means of ministry will be, our heart is still in the same place.

I wanted to share with you a quote from the article. "She (Natalie Grant) is striving to make her whole life matter. 'When I was in high school, I was consumed with blending in instead of doing stuff to stand out and motivate people,' She says. 'I really regret that. I wish I'd been consumed with standing out to make a difference.'"

Find something that you can do to make your life matter. You won't regret it.

Putting Pride to Death

Today, once again, I came up against a tough issue. My pride. Honestly, it is so hideously ugly, yet I rarely try to fight it! The question for me then becomes... How do I rid myself of it? I can't love me and serve me while claiming to love and serve Jesus. It just doesn't work!

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." Philippians 2:3&4

Look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. So if I say no to pride and offer to load the dishwasher, I take a step. If I say no to pride and pick up a piece of trash on the sidewalk, I take another step. If I say no to pride and ask my mom how I can help her, I take a step. Eventually looking to other's interests becomes easier and even joyful! And in the process, I move farther toward my ultimate goal: becoming the image of Jesus Christ.

"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." Matthew 5:5

And, I'm proud to say, I am almost completely humble! Just kidding. I still have a long way to go, but I know that I don't have to do it on my own strength. How about you? Will you take steps today to say no to pride and become more like Christ?

Painful Prayers

As I was praying today, I prayed a painful and potentially dangerous prayer. "Lord, break my heart with the things that break your heart." I can't even begin to see or feel all of the things that break God's heart. But when He does give me just a slight glimpse of some of the things that break His heart, I find myself completely overwhelmed. Wanting to weep for the state of our society.

However, one of the many wonderful things that I have found out about God is that he gives us so many wonderful promised. In Matthew 5:4, Jesus says "Blessed are those who mourn, for THEY SHALL BE COMFORTED" (caps added, sorry, there were not italics). When we find ourselves mourning for the way things are, we can know that we will be comforted.

Random Rambling

Well, I must apologize for the lack of blogs recently. See, I have been mentaly bloging quite often. However, somehow my brain waves didn't make it all the way to the internet... Oh well. So, I decided to blog something that you can actually read for a change.

For those of you considering insanely long road trips, I suggest that you fly instead. I really don't mind driving most of the time, but this past Sunday my family spent 16.5 hours in the car (that time did include stops, but still...). Then on Monday we spent about 10.5 hours in the car. It was actually worse than the first day, because I was so sore. However, we did eventually make it to my grandparent's in Nebraska. But, enough about me.

As I was checking all of the wonderful blogs I read, I found this amazing post! This was written by one of the speakers at the camp that I go to every summer with my church. She is an amazing woman of God, and I recommend her entire blog. Rather than annoy you with more of my ramblings, I will give you the link. Learning to wait: http://bethbrawleytaylor.blogspot.com/2009/07/learning-to-wait.html. Enjoy!

We're Back...

Sorry about not posting for almost a month. We've been busy. However, Bethany intends to post a lot the rest of the summer (I'll be busy).

I wrote this "definition" for a contest. There are 15 winners, and the prize is an autographed CD by Jonny Diaz (who wrote the song "More Beautiful You") and a one year subscription to Susie magazine. Ten of the winners would have their definitions in the magazine, and one grand prize winner (chosen randomly) would be given an iPod Nano. All you have to do is send in your definition of beauty.

I had written and edited my definition several times, and sent it to my friend to see what she thought. I had already pasted it into the submission form and was just waiting for Bethany to reply to the e-mail. Well, when she finally did, she broke the news to me. Floridians can't enter! Oh, well. At least I have a blog post now. Here's what I wrote:

What makes a person beautiful? I myself had to think quite a bit before I could answer. My conclusion is, someone who’s filled with the fruit of the spirit.

Someone who loves as Jesus loved. Is filled with spiritual joy. Makes peace. Waits patiently. Always looks for opportunities to show kindness. Does good in other’s lives. Is firmly grounded in their faith. Is of a gentile spirit. And finally, someone who uses self control in their actions.

In my opinion, that’s what makes a person beautiful. And if you’re that lovely inside, who cares what you look like on the outside?

(Copyright © Tori Tj)

The contest ends on the 30th of June. If you want to enter, just go to the magazine website.

Tori

What If?

I was thinking the other day, and I started wondering... What if?What would happen if the church were to arise and take her rightful place? What if we lifted the name of the Lord as a banner over our city? If we said “no more.”? What if we actually tried to make a difference? If we firmly took hold of every promise that God has given us? If we found our confidence in Him? If we stopped looking to the ways of the world? If we took a stand for truth?



What if enough of us took a stand that we could turn our nation back to God? What if loving God and turning souls to Him was all that really mattered to us? What if we were to turn from our sins and confess Jesus as Lord? What then?


Would it make a difference? Could you be the one to make the change? Are you willing to hunger after God for all that you’re worth? Would you devote your life to something this big, focusing on a heavenly reward? Make the change. Stand for Jesus.



Romans 12:2 ~Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (NIV)



1 Peter 1:14 ~As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. (NIV)



Bethany:)

Where We've Been on the 'Net

I decided to copy a favorite blog of mine, and show you "A trace of where we’ve been on the web this week:"


Please Pass the Tie-Dye If we are all fearfully and wonderfully made, why dress up? Why wear makeup? Why wear matching socks? Read on as Beauty From the Heart's Hannah Farver shares her thoughts on the subject.


Covered While reading one of our favorite blog/webzines, Crosseyed, we found this article about how big Jesus' sacrifice for our sins really is. We know you already know everything there is to know about it already, but this article puts a new light on the subject, and is worth a few minutes of your time.

There Will Be a Day A blog post inspired by Jeremy Camp's song of the same name. It discusses Heaven and having an eternal perspective. We found this on Bloom!, the blog we got this posting idea from (though we don't plan on doing it weekly).

Others May, You Cannot We read a post on the blog "Whatever Is," which really inspired us. It was an excerpt from what we thought was another's blog. But when we looked for the blog so we could just link you to it, we found that it was an excerpt from Buell H. Kazee's book Faith is the Victory. So, now we're just linking you to "Whatever Is."

Hope these posts are encouraging and inspiring,

Tori and Bethany:)

Scammed?

As my mom and I entered the Christian bookstore at the strip mall, a woman sitting on a nearby bench called out "Mam? Mam! I'm a single mom, out of work, and I was wondering if you would buy something from me so I can buy some groceries?" A little girl in a bright yellow shirt sat next to her, presumably her daughter.

"I'll think about. Will you still be here when I come out?" My mom asked. But I didn't hear the lady's reply as we walked into the store.

I couldn't help but think to myself she sure knew what she was doing, picking the Christian bookstore as her "shop."

At the checkout counter, my mom asked the our cashier "Do you know anything about the lady out front who is trying to sell something?"

"No," she replied. "I didn't know there was anyone out there."

"She said she's a single mom and wanted money for food." My mom explained. The cashier gave one of those knowing looks.

"I guess I'll have to call security on her." She said she hated doing it. But we understood. No solicitors.

My mom and I paused before walking out the door. There was no avoiding the situation. It's not that we didn't want to help her, but... The lady was still there, and when my mom told her that she didn't like giving money away to strangers, the lady's face fell a little. "I'm trying to think of what's around here..." My mom said. It was then I realized my mother's intention. She was going to buy the lady's groceries.

"There's a Winn-Dixie across the street," The lady replied, pointing to the busy intersection on her left. "You could buy me a gift card," she suggested hopefully.

"I don't think so." My mom replied. "I'd like to go with you. I'll drive over and you meet me there.

When, the lady did show up, along with her daughter my mom asked "Where do you live?" The lady named an area nearby.

As we walked along the grocery aisle, the girl fell in step next to me. Before I could utter a word, she piped up, "What's your name?"

"Tori." I replied. "What's yours?"

"Gabriell. I think Tori is a pretty name."

"Where do you go to school?"

"P-------- Elementary." The school she named was in the opposite direction where she supposedly lived. "Do you want to be friends?" I said sure. She chatted on about this and that, asking me questions, even made me do a pirouette when she found out I did ballet. I found out that she had a nine year old brother.

After we had checked out, Gabriell's mom said to the cashier, "Is there a place I can put my cart? I need to go get some bread." My mom and I went out to the car.

"Should we wait and see if her friend comes to pick her up?" My mom asked. The lady had told us a friend would pick her up. I did wonder why she had stayed in the store and not come out with us.

"No, it's none of our business," I replied. Actually, it was. After all, we had just bought her groceries. But what was done was done. "Give to those who ask," right?

As we pulled away, we saw a man, possibly the father, walk into the store with a boy who may have been nine.

A single mom? Maybe. Out of a job? Maybe. Lives in that certain area of town? Doubtless. We were probably ripped off. However it's not my place to judge, though I have done a good bit of supposing. I just hope that what my mom and I did had some sort of positive impact on this lady and her daughter.

Tori
P.S. On a side not, if you can ever help it, don't go to Winn-Dixie at night. It's kind of scary.

Reminder

This is just a reminder- The Dove Awards air tomorrow, Thursday, starting at 8 PM ET. However, if you miss them, they air again twice after that. They are approximately two hours, but just approximately. They are shown on the Gospel Music Channel. Be sure to tune in!

Are You Scared?

Recently God has taught me a few things about fear. It all started when I got a creepy chain email. It was a story about a girl who died an awful death, and another kid who got “taken” by her “ghost” and died in the same way. It then threatened that if you didn’t forward this email to your friends, her “ghost” will come for you.

Even though I don’t believe in ghosts at all, and the story was not logically sound, the enemy gripped my heart with fear. I spent some time praying and in the word for a while. Later, I checked Snopes. I found an article about it, and, not surprisingly, it said that the whole thing was false. The crew at Snopes had done some extensive research that showed that there were no deaths any place in the U.S. of that kind anywhere near the date specified in the email.

Nevertheless, I am very grateful for some of the lessons that I was able to learn. There are so many people who are so fearful. They are believing the lies. One girl who had forwarded it at one point wrote “It’s true! Cameron (the girl) don’t come for me!” I am sure that many people forwarded it out of fear. They didn’t want to die, and they though that forwarding that email would protect them. They didn’t understand that “The Lord almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, He is the one you are to fear, He is the one you are to dread.” Isaiah 8:13

Although I experienced some fear, I didn't forward the email. I deleted it. God controls my fate, not some stupid chain email.
-Bethany

I emailed this story to Tori after it happened, and she replied with a tale of her own. Her it is (with her permission, of course):

Do you remember the time a few years ago when I was kind of depressed because I had had an awful nightmare? I had let the Spirit of Fear take hold of me. The thing I saw is something one could very easily do, though the results that came of it were outlandish and si-fi -impossible. So I wasn't that scared, but I was depressed. Do you know how many times after a nightmare I've wondered: "How do people who don't know Jesus cope with this?" Whenever I had a bad dream, I would go and wake my mom. She would escort me back to my bed, pray with me, and leave. I don't know why (though I do know), but that always had a calming effect on me. I wasn't scared after that and was able to go back to sleep.



Anyway, there's the long version. Here it is in a nutshell: Jesus conquers fear, and I don't know how people can live without Him!

-Tori



If you ever receive a suspicious chain email, you can search at http://www.snopes.com/ and they can tell you the status of it. This is at least the third chain email myth that it has dispelled for me.



In closing, I just wanted to share a verse with you. It's 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."



Bethany:)

Good Friday

Today is, for many, a holiday with a small amount of mourning. People go to the beach or theater and hang out while taking the day off. Of course, for some, Good Friday is just like any other Friday. But in my family, Good Friday is pretty much the same as Memorial Day Weekend minus the home school convention that happens on that date each year. The other main difference is this day is set aside to remember the death of Christ instead of our war heroes.

On this day, I have mixed feelings because as I mourn Christ's crucifixion, my thoughts can't help but jump ahead three days in history to rejoice in His Resurrection. His humiliating death on the cross was terrible. Yet I know that He is not still dead- He is alive, and I cannot cry over his seeming destruction while I know this truth: He is risen. And the purpose for which He died is amazing. He died so my sins might be forgiven. Because of the events that happened on this day centuries ago, I will live eternally.

Tori
P.S. For a short touching story of Jesus' Crucifixion, read chapter 11, "Remember Me" of Chuck Colson's book Loving God.

Building Up

I meant to post this earlier this week, but life has been crazy! Any prayers for me and my family would be greatly appreciated. We are going thrugh a big remodel.... But, enough about my life. Here is the post!!

Ephesians 4:29, NIV Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Italics added)

The words we choose to use say a lot about who we are and what we value. The words we say can build others up and encourage them. Or, we can cut them down and make them feel awful. What do people feel after talking to you? Do you honor God and others with your words?

Tori alerted me to the No Cussing Club (www.nocussing.com). Even though I don't have much of an issue with it, I am going to take the challenge to bring awareness to it. I encourage all of you to do the same. Honor God with all that you say.

I won't cuss, swear, use bad language, or tell dirty jokes. Clean language is a sign of intelligence and always demands respect. I will use my language to uplift, encourage and motivate. I will Leave People Better Than I Found Them!

Click here . . . I ACCEPT THE NO CUSSING CHALLENGE!

If you go for one week, you are an apprentice. One month, a journeyman. One year, a master. Will you take the challenge? I did.

The Prayer of Saint Francis

I take a pointe class from our local Christian dance studio here in Orlando. Our big recital is coming up in a couple of months, and we just completed the choreography for the dance. It's to "The Prayer of Saint Francis" by Sarah McLachlan. She uses her voice well in the song, and the lyrics are, obviously, the Saint Francis' prayer put to music. Here are the words, for you to ponder:

Lord make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
And where there is sadness, joy.

O divine master grant that I may
Not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love
For it is in giving that we receive-
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.
And it's in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.

Tori
P.S. please note that this is only one of several versions of The Prayer of Saint Francis. Also, as I have not heard any of Sarah McLachlan's music besides this one song, I'm not sure whether it is recommendable it or not.

Prayer Team

I know, we mentioned it in the last post. But, here it is again. This time, I want to go into more detail. We need your support. Last Friday I was at a service at my church and the preacher spoke on Acts 4. When the Sanhedrin released Peter and John, they went to the body of believers, and they prayed together. Two of his points were, Dependence on each other, and a humble dependence on God in prayer.

We are depending on you. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says: "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." Please, if you find any ways to encourage us, know that it will be greatly appreciated!

We are also humbly depending on God in prayer. We are asking that you would do the same for us, so that we can have all of the strength and resources that we need to run our ministry. We are a people called to prayer. It needs to be the core of all that we do. If you would are praying for us, thank you. If you would like to start praying for us or want to receive email prayer requests, please email us at armsofloveministries@gmail.com. Thank you all so much for your prayers and support!

Our First (really second, though) Meeting

Now that I have your attention, and curiosity, maybe I'll explain the title. Maybe.

Now, I'll talk about our meeting. We decided that we would devote the next six months to research. Deciding that our next step would be to meet with Bethany's children's minister, we scheduled a time to discuss the ministry with her.

Here's what we thought the most interesting information was. Tori: We learned that 20-25% of the children who go through Bethany's church are in single parent situations. I was expecting it to be 4% or something. But 20% is a good number- a good number for ministering to, not good that there are so many! Also, in her experiences, one emotion that was prevalent in the kids was rejection.

Bethany: I found it interesting that even if charity and kindness look like the same thing, your attitude and how you present it can make a big difference. If you give dinner to someone so that they can spend more time with their parent, it is kindness, where as if it is because they are poor, that is more like charity. Also, it will make a big difference in many of their lives if we are just there to listen. Sometimes, in that situation, no one has the time to listen to them, so they need someone to lend an ear!

One other tip that we got was to have a dedicated prayer team. We need people to pray for us at all times, and especially during meetings. To become part of our prayer team, email us at armsofloveministries@gmail.com. We will email you prayer requests as they come in. Thank you, all of you, so very much for your prayers and partnership.


Tori and Bethany:)
Happy Birthday, Bethany! Hope you have a great year!- Tori

P.S. Now for my explanation. In January, we had a board meeting with our parents. (During that meeting, we changed their title to "the leadership team" when we found out a board of directors could made decisions for us (not that we will ignore their direction)) So, that was our first meeting. This is our second meeting. However, it is our first "buisness meeting." I know you probably are confused... But if you read it again, maybe you'll undersand. Then again, maybe not:)

Stand Firm, Part 2

Suddenly fear gripped Arthur. But he held his course. He glimpsed out of the corner of his eye his father cheering him on. As Henry approached, Arthur thrust his lance forward, carefully guiding it to the most vulnerable part of Henry’s armor. As Arthur’s lance struck, Henry fell to the ground, having received a fatal wound.

Arthur had done it! He had won the joust, and now his father’s kingdom was safe for a little longer. He looked up to see his father coming towards him. Suddenly, though he was so happy, he became terribly ashamed. “Wonderful job, my son!” The king said.

“But father, how can you be proud of me? I was afraid the entire time!” Arthur said, scarcely daring to lift his eyes from the ground.

“My son, you did it. You won. You overcame your fears. You are now victorious. Thought there are many battles left for you to fight, I will always be with you. And you can trust this armor in any battle.” And with that the king and Arthur went off to join the victory party.

The just, loving king represents our Father and our Lord, the one who we have given our lives to serve. Arthur is you and I, the ones who he has called to live for him and fight in his army. Henry represents those things that we fight against every day. The things that try to weaken our faith. But we can know that we will always overcome through the power of our father and the strength of the armor he has given us.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV)

Stand Firm, Part 1

It was shaping up to be the joust of the century. There were two knights, one on each side of the tiltyard, each dressed in his own special suit of shining armor.

To the left of the grandstand there was Arthur, seated on his majestic white stallion. He looked around nervously, scanning the crowd. Suddenly he caught sight of his father, the king. His father gave him a nod of approval, calming his frayed nerves.

On the opposing side there was Henry. Seated on his strong black stallion, he surveyed his opponent. Ha! He thought. How does he expect to win dressed in armor like that! Only the most necessary pieces. Ha! And it was true. Henry was arrayed in a fine, full suit of armor. Every inch of his body was covered by either chain mail or the sturdiest of metals.

Arthur had a suit of armor that seemed much less protecting, but it seemed to glow from within. It was composed of a simple belt, breastplate, and shoes, along with his helmet. He carried a very simple but light shield and held his lance in hand.

Arthur looked at his opponent, sizing up the match. He knew that Henry would do anything to win this joust. After all, Henry wasn’t on their side. He was on the side of his father, Brandon, who was trying to rob the king of some of his kingdom. Well, Arthur thought. Today my father’s kingdom will be rid of one more threat. Or at least so he hopped.

The flag was dropped, signaling the beginning of the first match. As Arthur dug his heels into his horse, he almost turned back. But no, he couldn’t do that to his father once again. Besides, his father had given him a promise along with the suit of armor. “My son,” He had said. “Know that I will be with you always, through every battle.” And with those words ringing in his ears, he straightened his course to ride strait towards Henry.

Henry was certain that he could easily un-horse his opponent on the first pass. As he glanced up to survey Arthur’s position, he noticed that Arthur was making a straight course right for him! Henry veered slightly to the right to avoid contact. Both riders swung their horses around for another pass.

Some Fun Valentine's Day Facts

While looking for something to post about on Valentine's Day, I found a good article on the subject at www.history.com. I took the liberty to “pick and choose” paragraphs, to create an abridged version. (I asked my mom, and she said it wasn’t plagiarism). Please enjoy!

One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men — his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.

According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl — who may have been his jailer's daughter — who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.
According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.)

Approximately 85 percent of all valentines are purchased by women. In addition to the United States, Valentine's Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia.

Tori

Carpet

If you haven't read Tori's post 'Putting Down Wood Floors,' please read that before continuing. Last night we had what you might call a small flood in our home. A pipe burst, and water was all in the hallway, in the living room where the piano used to be, and into our TV room. It took some time to clean up, but this story isn't the exact point.

Our TV room is carpeted, and the carpet had been down for years (like 20 or 30). Underneath the carpet we have beautiful brick floors. We had been thinking about pulling the carpet up, and when this happened we had to. It was dripping wet. We got it out onto the driveway, then started pulling up some of the foam stuff.

I began thinking about what Tori had said about the different carpet parts and how they parallel to your life. Sometimes when you have an emergency or tragedy, people find out more about who you are, and get to see more parts of your life. When we got down to the brick some of it was beautiful, but some of it was very dirty. When hard things hit your life and people see more of your character, what are they going to see? Are they going to see the life that God has cleaned up and made new, or are they going to see spots where you have delayed giving things to God and cleaning them up?

If you haven't asked God to help you get rid of these things, do it now. Many people say that character is built under pressure, however, in all truth, character is revealed under pressure. What will tragedy reveal about your life when it hits?

Putting Down Wood Floors

My dad likes fixing/renovating our house. As our first of ??? spring projects, we decided we would put a wood floor in the "den." We're replacing old, stained, blue carpet with real oak wood.

We yanked up the carpet, and there was a layer of yellow foam underneath. It had dust all over it. After nine years, the grime had really built up.

Then we pulled up the foam, and underneath was a pretty (at least I thought it so) terrazzo floor. In some places, however, you could hardly see the terrazzo, because if I had thought that the foam was bad, this...

Then the cleaning crew came in to put everything to rights. We probably swept up a good three, maybe five cups of dirt.

Putting down a wood floor takes a lot more work than you would think. There are two layers, first the clear foam stuff, then the wood.

The carpet could be viewed as your life. It looks fine, for the most part. Everyone can see it, so you try to keep it nice.

Your friends and family see the layer underneath that. It's dirty. But it's not that bad.

You and God are the only ones who can see the bottom layer. The dirt and grime, the sin that is lodged there. The stuff that nobody else could even guess at. It could be really pretty, but the dirt is covering the good part up.

But God can clean you out. It's not an easy job, but He can do it. After sweeping everything clean, He'll give you new protection- The Holy Spirit- to keep the bad things from finding their way in again.

And to help you remember you're His and you are forgiven- no hard feelings- he gives you a new polished, un-scuffed look. And unlike the flimsy un-stable carpet, you now have a new, solid foundation. One that will never let you down.

Well, I'm documenting the big project, and it looks like we're entering a new phase (we're not quite done yet). I have to go!

Tori

Sorry

We are sorry for not blogging in a long time. We have both been on vacation- in areas without great Internet access- and busy with Christmas, etc.

We will be posting soon though, and our subject will be: New Year Resolutions.

Tori and Bethany:)