I'll be posting more "sermon posts" later. I haven't had the time today to do any. I most likely won't be posting for at least another week, seeing as how I am taking a one-week vacation with my family to Arizona to go to a high school reunion and see the Grand Canyon and see cousins. I can't wait! I hope that it will be a fun vacation. I hope that it will provide an oppertunity for me to grow closer to my sisters. I want to stop bullying them, and this trip could possibly be the start of that. I'm praying, that's all I can really do. If you read this, please pray for me too. I'll appreciate it. God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.
†God Bless†
Bria
Monday, June 21, 2004
Sunday, June 20, 2004
The Third "Sermon" Post (spoken Tuesday morning)
Don't put cell phones in the microwave. It can cause a huge chemical fire.
Transformation: from water to wine, from one thing to another.
One of the biggest transformations: marriage.
Jesus's first miracle took place at a wedding.
John 2:1-11:
1On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, 2and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."
4"Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come."
5His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."
6Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.[1]
7Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim.
8Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet."
9They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."
11This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.
In order to transform, you must first see the need.
Never give in to drinking alcohal.
Back then there was no water purification system.
In order to transform, you must be willing.
God has given us free will.
Jesus is in the business of transformation.
Transformation brings out the best in you.
It is possible to spend $14,000 on a bottle of wine.
Jesus's wine was probably better.
Miracles continue to happen today.
Set goals for the summer.
Prayer brings about a "radical" transformation.
Go back to school on fire for God.
It only takes one person to transform a school.
Transformation: from water to wine, from one thing to another.
One of the biggest transformations: marriage.
Jesus's first miracle took place at a wedding.
John 2:1-11:
1On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, 2and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."
4"Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come."
5His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."
6Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.[1]
7Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim.
8Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet."
9They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."
11This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.
In order to transform, you must first see the need.
Never give in to drinking alcohal.
Back then there was no water purification system.
In order to transform, you must be willing.
God has given us free will.
Jesus is in the business of transformation.
Transformation brings out the best in you.
It is possible to spend $14,000 on a bottle of wine.
Jesus's wine was probably better.
Miracles continue to happen today.
Set goals for the summer.
Prayer brings about a "radical" transformation.
Go back to school on fire for God.
It only takes one person to transform a school.
The Second "Sermon" Post (spoken Monday evening)
Solstice means to stand still.
Just like any other day, the longest day of the year ends eventually.
Friendships should not be the same.
As your relationship with God grows, your relationships with others grow.
The whole dicipline of life is to grow closer to God.
Nothing can come between a healthy relationship between father and daughter.
Friendship must be followed.
Luke 8:41-48:
41Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus' feet, pleading with him to come to his house 42because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.
43As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years,[1] but no one could heal her. 44She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.
45"Who touched me?" Jesus asked.
When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you."
46But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me."
47Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace."
The woman was in rags, weakened condition, place of total exaustion.
And all she wanted to do was find Jesus.
"Who touched Me?"
It was a strange question to ask.
The woman's emotion was probably a mix between shock, excitement, and disbelief.
There was also possibly fear.
She could have run and hide, but she didn't let fear overtake her.
Jesus gave her hope.
Friendship must pass fear.
Jesus decided to stop for one person.
She was the only one He ever called "Daughter."
Friendship must have faith.
Faith made the woman's dream take place.
Jesus fulfilled the woman's dream.
Just like any other day, the longest day of the year ends eventually.
Friendships should not be the same.
As your relationship with God grows, your relationships with others grow.
The whole dicipline of life is to grow closer to God.
Nothing can come between a healthy relationship between father and daughter.
Friendship must be followed.
Luke 8:41-48:
41Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus' feet, pleading with him to come to his house 42because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.
43As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years,[1] but no one could heal her. 44She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.
45"Who touched me?" Jesus asked.
When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you."
46But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me."
47Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace."
The woman was in rags, weakened condition, place of total exaustion.
And all she wanted to do was find Jesus.
"Who touched Me?"
It was a strange question to ask.
The woman's emotion was probably a mix between shock, excitement, and disbelief.
There was also possibly fear.
She could have run and hide, but she didn't let fear overtake her.
Jesus gave her hope.
Friendship must pass fear.
Jesus decided to stop for one person.
She was the only one He ever called "Daughter."
Friendship must have faith.
Faith made the woman's dream take place.
Jesus fulfilled the woman's dream.
Saturday, June 19, 2004
The First "Sermon" Post (spoken Monday morning)
I am going to give you my notes on the "sermon" that a man named Ezra Stanton gave this past Monday morning. I found it enjoyable, though I didn't record the "short stories" he chose to tell about his life.
"Sick" and "Dope" are positive.
It doesn't matter how big we get, there should never be room for ego.
We have an all-access pass to God.
We don't need an agent to come to Christ.
Luke 19:1-10:
"1Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 4So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." 6So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.' "
8But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."
9Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.""
It was just one conversation, one day, one road trip, one changed life.
Relevant magazine is "dope."
The taller you are, supposidly the more money you make according to some research project.
Was Zacchaeus a midget?
Did Zacchaeus want Jesus to see him?
Was he black and blue because of the crowd?
Jesus cared about despised, hated people.
Nobody like Zacchaeus.
Zacchaeus gave everything he had, getting rid of his old life.
He wanted to make things right.
We as Christians need to give more than an exchange of words, an exchange of action.
There is a tendency to be "fake" Christians.
Life as a Christian needs to not just be what you say, but what you do.
God sees everything.
The sycamore tree's leaves are in the shape of a heart.
Today is another day.
What can I make out of today?
Have the mindset to impact other people today.
Don't take God for granted.
Use our all-access pass to Christ and God.
Do people have an all-access pass to me?
"Sick" and "Dope" are positive.
It doesn't matter how big we get, there should never be room for ego.
We have an all-access pass to God.
We don't need an agent to come to Christ.
Luke 19:1-10:
"1Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 4So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." 6So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.' "
8But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."
9Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.""
It was just one conversation, one day, one road trip, one changed life.
Relevant magazine is "dope."
The taller you are, supposidly the more money you make according to some research project.
Was Zacchaeus a midget?
Did Zacchaeus want Jesus to see him?
Was he black and blue because of the crowd?
Jesus cared about despised, hated people.
Nobody like Zacchaeus.
Zacchaeus gave everything he had, getting rid of his old life.
He wanted to make things right.
We as Christians need to give more than an exchange of words, an exchange of action.
There is a tendency to be "fake" Christians.
Life as a Christian needs to not just be what you say, but what you do.
God sees everything.
The sycamore tree's leaves are in the shape of a heart.
Today is another day.
What can I make out of today?
Have the mindset to impact other people today.
Don't take God for granted.
Use our all-access pass to Christ and God.
Do people have an all-access pass to me?
Friday, June 18, 2004
Back From Camp
My goodness, that was one of the most awesome experiences of my life! I had an absolute blast! Though it rained a great deal throughout the week, nothing could stop the joy and fun. I loved playing basketball, going to services, and just hanging out with new and old friends. I am a new person. I know so much more about God. I built old relationships and started new ones. I had an unforgettable, interesting, happy, enjoyable, and exciting time. I have learned so much. I got everything I wanted out of the camp experience and more. I wish that it could have gone on for another week, but sooner or later it still had to end. I took notes during the services, and in my next post I will type some or all of them up for your enjoyment and learning. God IS good all the time, and ALL the time God is good.
†God Bless†
Bria
†God Bless†
Bria
Sunday, June 13, 2004
Off to Camp
I won't be putting up another post 'till possibly the 18th or 19th. I'm going off to a church camp. I'm praying that God will make me a new person at that camp. I want to learn how to learn to know God. I want to learn how to learn to begin to understand God. I want to build relationships. I want to start new relationships. I want to have an unforgettable, interesting, happy, enjoyable and exciting time. I want to figure out a portion of why I'm me, of why I act so differently than so many other people in so many different ways. I want to find and know so many things, but I don't know how to accomplish that. I need God's help. As always, not my will, but God's be done. If He doesn't want me to learn anything on this trip, then I hope I don't. God is good all the time, and all the time God is good. You know, that is SO true, so very true; for which I am very glad.
†God Bless†
Bria
†God Bless†
Bria
Friday, June 11, 2004
Unexpected Days
You never know at the start of a day whether it's gonna turn out boring or interesting, happy or sad, unforgettable or forgettable, full of excitement or full of relaxation. There is no way possible, for which I am glad. It provides something to look forward to every day. Life sometimes seems so wonderful, and sometimes it doesn't. It all depends on so many factors. I try to take the viewpoint in FFH's "It's A Good Day." The chorus goes something like, "Say Hey! It's a Good Day! Even if things aren't going my way, Jesus is born and I am saved. So, say hey! It's a Good Day." Later on in the song it states, "We are all as happy as we make our minds up to be. I have just decided that nothing's gonna take this joy from me." It's hard to use that Point of View, expecially because it's not natural. Well...in case you were wondering today WAS a good day. It was a relaxing, interesting, and happy day that I probably won't remember. I'm glad that I have the chance to have days like this. It makes the exciting days that much more exciting. God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.
Thursday, June 10, 2004
Retainer...grrrrrrr...
Ok. Now that the braces were off, I didn't expect to have to wear a clear plastic retainer 24-7 for a year. I guess I still want my almost "perfect" teeth to stay in the same place, but I wish that there was an easier way. Don't get me wrong, wearing a retainer is easy, but so far it hurts my teeth a little and is uncomfortable and has given me a lisp. I'm glad that I get to take it out to eat. I am a person prone to always get revenge. I know that it's ungodly, and that I shouldn't, but I still do. I get revenge against my sisters very frequently, and they always try to get me back. I get revenge on some of my friends too, and I think it's because I'm getting to know them better. I wish that I could get rid of this "habit," but I don't know how. I need help. Note: I don't want to get revenge on my orthodontist for the braces. God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.
Wednesday, June 09, 2004
School's Out
So. Now it's official. I'm not a middle-schooler anymore, but a "rising" high-schooler. School got out today, and I don't know yet whether I'm sad or happy about it. There are some people that I will never ever see again, and others I will see at my new school. I am changing. Not visibly, but mentally. I can't stop it. I seem to be drifting away from God. I read the Bible. I pray. What else can I do? What else is there to do? I need help, yet don't know where to find it. I'm going to a church camp next week, and I hope that I can find my answers there. God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.
†God Bless†
Bria
†God Bless†
Bria
Tuesday, June 08, 2004
Braces Off...Birthday...No More School
I really shouldn't have worried about the braces. I got them off this morning without a problem. It didn't hurt. I asked a strong adult Christian I know (my dad, actually) about the "No More Worries" verses. From what I learned, I realize now that "tomorrow" truly means what is in the future and uncertain and "today" means the current moment. I'm glad that I have someone close at hand to turn to when I have biblical questions. I'm overjoyed about the fact that I'm 14 now. I really don't feel any different. I am still me. Still Bria. Still a Christian. Still a student. I can't believe school is out tomorrow. I don't want to leave my school! I know I can't stay, but it's still hard to leave the people of the school. I never fully appreciated all the great people at my school. One more of life's lessons: Appreciate what you have before it's gone. I wish I had realized that before about my school. I never realized until now what a treasure it is, and now I have to say "good-bye." You know...according to one website, "good-bye" actually originated from "God-be-with-you" and "God-bye." Well...I guess that's all for today. Hopefully more to come soon. God is good all the time, remember that, OK? He really is.
†God Bless†
Bria
†God Bless†
Bria
Monday, June 07, 2004
No More Worries
There was no need for me to worry about the Science Olympiad Party. It was a huge blast and there were no pranks played. I was especially happy about the prank part. I have begun to wonder if I should ever really worry. I need to trust God with all of the aspects of my life. One verse that deals with worry is "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:34) I am wondering whether this means that it's ok to worry about other things besides what is happening in the future, or if "tommorrow" could also mean "second period class" and "day" could mean "class." Another verse that deals with worry is "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Philippians 4:6) I am somebody who always seems to worry about everything, but can't seem to just trust God. For example, I am planning on getting my braces off tomorrow morning, but am worrying about the orthodontist deciding to wait a month or two. I can't seem to "let go and let God." It's just so hard. I need to pray, yet I can't understand what God wants to say to me. I am glad that I at least know about God but still want to know Him more. I need His help for that.
†God Bless†
Bria
†God Bless†
Bria
Sunday, June 06, 2004
Science Olympiad Party
I am having some trouble with this Science Olympiad party. There is a few planned pranks and I am wondering if I should or should not take part in executing them. I need God's help, but I can't seem to hear Him. He just seems too distant. I have read his Word (the Bible) once the whole way through (last year). That definately doesn't mean I understood or remember the majority of it. I am again trying to read it this year, but I am treating it more like a chore than an opportunity to learn more about God. I hope the pranks won't be horrible. I'm glad that I have the friends that I do and hope that i don't lose any of them.
†God Bless†
Bria
†God Bless†
Bria
Saturday, June 05, 2004
No More School
You know, in some ways no more school is a very good thing. In others, it isn't. For example, getting out of school means going into summer. That is a good thing because it means no more homework (except for summer work). The bad thing is that we won't see some/most of the people at the school ever again. This year I leave my small school of 243 students to go to a large school of over 2,400 people! This is a scary prospect for me. I know that i need to trust God with this aspect of my life, but it is hard. I hope that the last three days of school i have will be full of many memories. God is good all the time, and all the time he is good.
†God Bless†
Bria
†God Bless†
Bria
Friday, June 04, 2004
Today is Great
Life is really awesome now. It may not be so for now, but it is true now. I like rising to a new school but dislike leaving my old school.
CYL8R
†God Bless†
Bria
CYL8R
†God Bless†
Bria
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