Filling in for Earwen~

 
This is Hannah from Waiting-Rose filling in for Earwen. Her Internet died and she's not sure when she'll be able to be back on.
Aubrie, she asked that you do not post until she can be back online. =D

-Rose

Guest blogger introduced!

I must say, it's hard to post frequently on here, especially with school started up again.
Therefore, on days that I'm slammed with things to do, a new guest blogger, Aubrie Styles,
will be substituting for me!
You can read all about her on the sidebar.
Thank you so much, Aubrie! May God bless your endeavors here.

Nancy vs. Mandie

"I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes; I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave unto me." ~ Psalms 101: 3

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Nancy looked dat the half-finished book in her hands, debating what to do next. It had looked harmless, but the farther she read, the worse it got.

Of course she wanted to honor God - she was a Christian, after all. But it was a very well written and intriguing book...

Then Philippians 4: 8 flashed through her mind, and she shut the book with a determined snap. As she stood up and went to take a shower, feeling lighthearted and victorious, the angel that she could not see smiled, his face shining, and praised the Lord for her actions. "Well done, Nancy. You are a true warrior for the King."

****************

Mandie chewed her lower lip as she watched the paused TV screen flicker. It was the latest action movie, and sdhe'd waited for months until it came out on DVD. She was only thirty minutes into it and already the language and innuendo had pushed her past her comfort zone. Only a minute earlier the two main characters had begun to behave innapropriately. She knew it would only get worse as the movie progressed - it was either stop it, or ignore her screaming concience and finish it. It was, after all, very well acted, and the story line was pretty good, too...

As her thumb pressed 'play' and the images on the screen came to life once more, the angel that had spent the last sixteen years of his long life helping, guarding, and protecting the girl felt sorrow as he watched The Great Adversary win the battle which seemed so small to Mandie, but which was so big to God. He shook his head in disappointment and whispered "Why, Lord?" God had even given her a helpful nudge - but she had ignored it...

The angel felt the great burden of sadness as a voice close to Mandie hissed"Well done. Maybe there's despair for you, after all."

********************

How many times have you been in Nancy and Mandie's position?
Being a voracious reader, I've been in it many times. It's not fun. Books look harmless - you read the back, know the author, even skimmed the book and nothing looked bad.
Plus, it's the latest teen bestseller, and maybe even Christians have recommended it to you!
But fifty pages into it, God nudges you, whispering what you already know.
Now the decision is yours - to read, or not to read. Or in some cases, to watch or listen to.
What David wrote in the psalms was very true - if you choose to read, watch, or listen to something you know you shouldn't, it will 'cleave unto you.'
I can still remember in detail pretty much everything I read that I shouldn't have, and even though it was mainly quite a while ago, it is still with me.
That's why the decision to continue is so important, when you are reading or watching or listening to something - if you do continue, it will be with you for the rest of your life, adding another link to the chain you are forging yourself, to quote Jacob Marley.
Which will you choose to be - like Mandie, or like Nancy?
I for one want to have my guardian angel rejoice, I want to have God's heart be glad.
And while I will fail in this area in my life, and already have many times, I am resolving from this day on
to think first WWJT - What would Jesus think?
Go with God,

January DevoByte # 5

I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.

1 Timothy 5: 14


Isn't it odd that the things that were considered 'above reproach' back then are what those of the world reproach now? Marrying, running a household, having as many children as God wants are all ridiculed in today's day and age. But it's what God wants – so who cares what others think?

January DevoByte # 4

Proverbs 3: 31 - Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.

Isn't it odd, how often we find ourselves envying the people we despise?
Take the popular girl/boy at a school - they're mean, nasty, selfish, and a plethora of other things.
But they have money, and popularity. Therefore, they're 'cool' - and we envy them.
If we step back and look at this - it's RIDICULOUS!!!
Envying the people we dislike - when we want to be the opposite of them?
Let's remember this verse when we start envying those 'people' in our lives.
Instead of being jealous, pray for them!
(Hard, I know -- but the right thing!)

Go with God,

January DevoByte #3

I was thinking yesterday about trust. I was actually discussing this with my sister, and it came up that if we
don't trust God to take care of us... well, we're basically insulting Him! We're telling Him we don't think He can take care of us.
If we are perpetually frightened or worried that if we do this or that, something bad or horrible will happen to us, we are not trusting God. I think God rewards that kind of faith.
I'm not saying to go lay in the middle of the freeway during rush hour - that doesn't strike me as the most... sensible thing to do. But I think God feels disappointed in us when we don't trust Him enough to take care of us or our loved ones. We're not leaving this earth until His appointed time - so live your life and enjoy it!

January DevoByte #2

How can we use our time for God's glory?
I've been thinking about that lately, especially over the weekend which mostly
consisted of reading and watching movies.
But I started to think that, although movies and books are absolutely fine (well, depending on the movie/book ^_^) and I love them, ALL of my time should NOT be devoted to that.
I should read the Bible before I read a fiction novel. I should do my prayer time before I watch a movie.
Read something God-honoring, do something helpful for someone.
I'm going to try and do this every day!