Cabin Fever Challenge

Jesus - Devo - Cabin Fever Challenge

I don’t know about you, but this seems to be the time that cabin fever sets in. You may not live in a place where there is snow and you get stuck in the house, but you may be feeling some cabin fever anyway. Maybe it is the same old, same old: school, work, etc…

I have a challenge for you that will, hopefully, cure your cabin fever!

(In case you are wondering…Cabin Fever is…a state characterized by anxiety, restlessness, and boredom, arising from a prolonged stay in a remote or confined place. ~dictionary.com)

One of my favorite passages is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ~1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

I like to think of these verses as something that I can apply to my daily life and something that I need to work on daily.

My challenge for you is to take one week and apply this passage daily; 3 things, every day, for a week. That is the challenge.

Challenge In depth:

1. Verse 16: Be JOYful!!! Each day find things that you can be joyful about and see if the feeling can last all day. Example: You have a Heavenly Father that loves you! That should be something to keep a smile on your face.

2. Verse 17: Pray and pray, all day long. As you go through your day and think of people, just pray for them! Example: “I wonder how insert name is doing?” “Dear Lord, be with insert name, etc…”

3. Verse 18: Be thankful in every situation. This doesn’t mean you have to be thankful FOR the bad situations, but IN them. There is always something to be thankful for if you look hard enough. Example: As you are walking outside, start thanking the Lord for the trees or the sun. As you are in your home, be thankful for it. Be thankful for your family, friends, transportation, “toys”, food, water, etc…

Try out the challenge! Comment below and let me know if you are doing it and how it is going or how it went. Have some fun curing your winter blues!

OTHERS-By Faith...Lisa Tawn Bergren

OTHERS-By Faith...Lisa Tawn Bergren

And the Winner is...

Sarah G.
I hope you enjoy it!!! Email joyfilledgirls@hotmail.com to get your copy.

If anyone else is interested, check out March articles to find out how you can win a copy this month!!! 

This month we have a special author interview!!! And on top of being able to interview an author and have great responses, she has a special surprise for you. Lisa Tawn Bergren's brand new book for teens, Waterfall, is just coming out this month AND we are able to give one away here on the blog!!! Thank you Lisa! If you would like to win it, read through the article and then look at the bottom for more details on how to enter!**


And now may I present... 

Lisa Tawn Bergren!

1."By Faith" is based on Hebrews 11. How do you feel you are living By Faith?

It takes a certain amount of faith to try and make a living as a writer--believing that God has planted a story within your mind that is worthy of publication; believing that you can start with a blank page and write a cohesive story that matters (or get to the end at all!); believing that readers may like it; believing that you're supposed to be doing this even if some people don't like your work; believing that it will sell enough that you can do it again the next time. But I'm also trying to learn how to live my whole life by faith--being SO "sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" that my entire life becomes one of optimism, hope, assuredness even when difficult circumstances or trials come my way.

2. What were you like as a teenage girl?

Church rat, one of the youth group "backbones," 3.2 GPA, not one of the populars, but with lots of solid friendships, loved books and movies.

3. Tell us about your next book coming out.

WATERFALL is my first YA novel, and it's about two sisters who are transported through time to medieval Italy. There, they find romance, love, and a boatload of danger. They have to fight for their lives--and those they're coming to love--and figure out how to get home. Or even if they want to.

4. Why did you decide to write a book for teen girls?

My eldest daughter, Olivia, was a reluctant reader. I tried and tried to get her to read, but it wasn't until TWILIGHT that she understood how a book could keep you up all night reading. I wanted to give her another read like it--a solid romantic suspense--but without the vampires.

5. Which one of your books is your favorite?

THE BEGOTTEN. I love this medieval time period, and THE BEGOTTEN is about a group of people called by God to affect change in his kingdom. It was epic--bigger than me. It hasn't sold the best, but it still is one of my favorites for sure.

6. Tell us about your salvation story. How did you come to know Jesus?

I've always known Jesus. That's the bonus of being raised in the church and in a Christian family. But after college, I went to be a ski bum for a winter and found I was really, really depressed. I also recognized that I was really far from my faith roots. I had a personal reformation experience, where I was down on my face before God, and he picked me up, dusted me off and sent me from Park City, UT to Jerusalem, Israel, where I stayed for three weeks and got my head and heart back in order. Ever since, he's been first in my life and my relationship deepens with him every year.

7. JOY is a blog for girls. Looking back at where you were to where you are now, what advice would you have given yourself when you were a teenage girl?

Be kind to yourself. Try and see yourself as God sees you--special, treasured, cherished, loved. He sees all the potential in you, what you are now, and what you could be--let him mold you, push you, pull you, pry you open, press you closed so you become all that he created you to be. And what's on the INSIDE of you is way more important than what's on the OUTSIDE. The world focuses on outer appearances, but your father focuses on your heart.

8. How do you balance writing, family, and remain focused on God?

It's a constant battle. I'm getting better at morning devotional time, and a weekly Sabbath rest--at least 2 of 4 weeks--which is an improvement. It helps now that all 3 of my kids are in school. I get them off, take care of home life and marketing stuff in the morning, then write in the afternoons.

9. When did you know you were meant to be a writer?

When I started getting fan mail telling me my books--my little books--were making a big impact on people's lives. Healing. Salvation. Reordering of priorities. Through fiction? Yes, through fiction. That's really God, working through my words. And I think that's pretty miraculous.

A few fun questions:

10. What is the one material thing you wouldn't leave home without?

My laptop.

11. What is the one food you don't think you could live without?

Bread. I really hope I never have to go gluten-free because the gluten-free stuff isn't the yeasty numminess I crave.

12. What is your favorite color?

Green, all shades.

13. What was/were your favorite book and/or movie growing up?

Books: ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS, A WRINKLE IN TIME, LITTLE WOMEN, Chronicles of Narnia...as a pre-teen. Then I pretty much leaped to adult novels: GONE WITH THE WIND and THORN BIRDS come to mind. Christian fiction was fairly nonexistent when I was growing up--I'm really glad we offer kids and adults so much more these days. But I did enjoy the Thoenes' books and Frank Peretti's books had a big impact on me too.

Movies: I liked action-packed, epic movies: Star Wars and Indiana Jones, Romancing the Stone, Superman

14. What is/are your favorite book and/or movie now?

Favorite book of 2010: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society

Favorite movie of 2010: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

15. Is there anything else you would like to share with teen girls?

There are so many pressures for kids these days--good grades, finding the right friends, figuring out which activities to invest in, Facebook and texting, TV--try and not get too spread out and stressed out. God wants you to live a whole life, a life of deep investment, not just on the surface, and that takes time and energy. See where he's calling you to dial back a bit and give yourself time to grow up into the woman he wants you to be. Invest in him--your relationship with him--through reading the Word, hanging out with Christian friends, reading books about life with him, and figure out how to talk to him. He's your Best Friend--for life. And anything you do to deepen that relationship will only make your life better.

Make sure you check out Lisa's Website and Facebook pages!
Website: http://lisatawnbergren.com/
River of Time FB: http://www.facebook.com/riveroftimeseries
Lisa’ Fan FB Page: http://www.facebook.com/lisa.t.bergren#!/pages/Lisa-Tawn-Bergren/29354438694

**If you would like to win WATERFALL, please comment on the article below and include your name and email and you will be eligible to win.  
(If it does not let you comment, feel free to email: joyfilledgirls@hotmail.com)

I Am Loving My Husband…

JESUS-Devo

I Am Loving My Husband…

Do you love YOUR husband? Do you look for ways to do things for him? Do you dress for him? Do you live your life for him?

Now you are probably wondering why I am asking you if you love your husband and if you are encouraging him. You are thinking, “I don’t have a husband yet, I am not married, and for that matter, I don’t plan on being married for a long time yet”. Are you thinking those things? Well, good.

So since the title of this article is called, “ I am loving my husband”, you might also ask, “Is she married?”. The answer is no, I am not married and furthermore, I am not dating or in a relationship with anybody either. So, how am I loving my husband now? And better yet, why am I starting now?

The How

For as long as I can remember, my parents have told me that they are praying for my siblings and me. And they have also told us that they are praying for our spouses, whether we are married yet or not. My parents praying for me and my spouse has always told me that they are already, even before I knew it, helping me with my marriage someday by setting a foundation for it. So when I was a young, young girl, I too would occasionally pray for my husband. I am sure some of them were silly prayers, but they were still prayers for him. Way back then, I was praying for him and I still am today. 1 Thess. 5:17

A few years back, I was going to a multi-generational Sunday school group for women. We were studying the book, “Lies Young Women Believe”. One of the chapters was on “guys”. One of the single ladies was asked to talk about guys. When she came to talk to us, she brought a box with her. She told us the box is for her husband. Inside this box are cards and letters and other things that are for her husband. On her wedding night (whenever that is), she will present this box to her husband along with her purity. This “box” inspired me. I have now started my own box for my husband. I have letters in there; prayers written down, Bible verses on index cards, and a Christmas ornament.

These two examples are part of how I am loving my husband. I am also doing it through the way I dress. I am dressing modestly now, to save my body for my husband and so as not to tempt other brothers in Christ. I am also doing it through learning now what it means to be a wife, by watching my mother and other women I respect in their relationships with their husbands. One more thing I am doing is making the commitment to save my purity for my husband.

The Why

The greatest gift of love I can give my husband is my respect and faithfulness(as well as my love!). I am being faithful to him even now as I make the commitment to stay pure for him. I want to present myself to him on our wedding night as his and his alone. I have chosen to dress modestly so that the gift of my body will also be for him at that time. I show my respect for him by honoring him now by these commitments even before I meet him! I am learning to be a good wife from those older than me. (Titus 2:4,5)



Books I would recommend:
The Princess and the Kiss - Jennie Bishop
Lies Young Women Believe – Nancy Leah DeMoss and Dannah Gresh
One I am reading now: Preparing to be a Help Meet – Debi Pearl

By Mandy H

Red, Hearts, and Food

YOU- Red, Hearts, and Food

In my family, we have lots of traditions, especially for holidays. And Valentine’s Day is no exception. We decorate the house with paper hearts and sometimes we even hide them and then see who can find the most. We also dress up. Sometimes we just wear the colors; red or pink, but sometimes, we even wear clothes with hearts on them. One year my mom made me and my two cousins matching dresses. They were the same style and the same print (hearts all over it). But each one was different, one had heart buttons on the front, one had a fabric heart on it and the oth­er one had three hearts on it. I loved those dresses!

So those are some of the ways that we go all out for holidays, but one of our favorite ways to go all out for holidays is with the FOOD!

1.      Heart shaped pizza - Form the pizza crust into a heart, add favorite toppings and you have yourself a Valentine’s Day Pizza!

2.      Red, heart-shaped jell-o – Either pour the jell-o into a heart shaped pan or use cookie cutters to cut finger jell-o with.

3.      Red spaghetti or pasta – Simply add red food coloring to the boiling water and the pasta will change color.

4.      Heart-shaped sandwiches -  Use store bought bread, the one with the 2 lumps on top, then cut the 2 bottom corners off and you get a heart.

5.      Heart-shaped cake – Either use a heart shaped pan or if you don’t have that, bake one round cake and one square cake. Cut the circle in half and then connect.

6.      Red drinks – when you are setting the table, put one drop of red food coloring in each cup. Then when their drink is poured, it will turn color

7.   We often make heart shaped sugar cookies to eat and to give away!

These are some of the things my family has done over the years. Have fun with these and post or email us your own ideas for fun Valentine’s Day food!

New Year...New Connection

JESUS – Devotional

New Year...New Connection

The New Year comes around and you hear all of the talk of New Year resolutions and like me, you are probably thinking, “What resolutions should I make for this new year?”. Well, I want to present you with a resolution, a challenge for the New Year.

Every year around this time, my pastor likes to send out a challenge to our church. That challenge is to read the Bible in a year. This year, he even gave some Bibles away to encourage people to follow through with this idea. I would like to challenge you and encourage you to read your Bible through in a year, or more importantly, simply read it every day.

Before I give you some “helps” for reading your Bible every day, I want to give you some reasons why I think this is a great idea for the New Year.

1. God’s word is a guide for us – Psalm 119:105 “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

2. Jesus is the Word, and so to know Him, you can read the Word. – John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

3. It is a great way to connect with your Heavenly Father. Reading the Word of God is like God speaking to you.

4. It can make you wise. “From a child, you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus!” 2 Timothy 3:15

5. Reading the Bible will equip you for life. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness–so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work!” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Ready for some helps??? Check here!


Bibles

1. NIV Daily Bible: In Chronological Order (comes in different versions)– This is a Bible that many in my family have used. I really like this one because you read the Bible in order it happened. http://www.christianbook.com/niv-daily-bible-chronological-order-softcover/9780736901987/pd/7596?item_code=WW&netp_id=150799&event=ESRCN&view=details

2. The One Year Bible(comes in different versions) – Each day you will read some of the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs. http://www.christianbook.com/esv-one-year-bible-paperback/9781581347081/pd/47081?item_code=WW&netp_id=381676&event=ESRCN&view=details

3. There are many different daily Bibles to help you read everyday. Check our more here: http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/cms_content?page=158600&sp=1003&event=1003SPEL|1774981|1003

Online and Other Resources

1. Our Daily Bread devotionals – are another way to help you read your Bible every day. They have a short passage to read that goes along with the devo and also a Bible in a year plan. You can get these online, in the mail, through email, on your phone, or through podcasts. Check them out here: http://odb.org/

2. 411 God – Is a 60 second phone call that you get every day with a Bible reading on it. http://411god.net/

3. Powered by 4 – is a daily email with a reminder and a short scripture passage and more. Find out more: http://www.backtothebible.org/index.php/P4homepage.html

Bible Reading Plans*

1. Back to the Bible - http://www.backtothebible.org/index.php/Bible-Reading-Guides.html

2. BibleYear.com - http://www.ewordtoday.com/year/

3. Zondervan - http://www.zondervan.com/Cultures/en-US/Product/Bible/Plans.htm?QueryStringSite=Zondervan

4. The One Year Bible - http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/

*These Bible reading plans offer: 30 day, 60 day, 90 day, 365 day, 3 year, topical, beginning to end, chronological (in order that events happened), historical (in order books were written), Old and New Testament, New then Old, Blended, etc… Hopefully, you can find one to fit you! And if one doesn’t work, don’t give up, keep going or try a new one. 


I pray that you can have fun with this and that it will really help you in your relationship with Christ. If you do not know where you are on your walk of faith, this is a great place to start. God will direct your path! Have a Bible-filled, Christ-filled, New Year!

by Mandy H.

By Faith...Coming Soon

OTHERS – By Faith

COMING SOON

Author Interview-check back SOON

5 Uses for… The New Year

YOU – 5 Uses for… The New Year

The New Year is here and it is the time to do new things. Here are a few suggestions that you can use to do something new for the New Year.

1. Create a plan to become closer to God

         a. Bible reading

         b. Praying

         c. Journaling

         d. Attending Church

         e. Volunteering at Church

2. Set some new goals that CAN be accomplished

        a. Take your sister out for an ice cream cone

        b. Keep your room clean

        c. Cook dinner once a week for your parents and family

3. Try something new (even if it is small)

       a. Go on a trip with your family

        b. Go visit someone in the hospital or a nursing home

        c. Practice a different character trait on different days of the week

4. Stretch yourself and let God use you – Do something hard

       a. (This can be different for each one of us)

      b. Read the book Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris to learn more

5. Make an impact in someone’s life

      a. Spend a whole hour with a sibling

      b. Help your grandparents

      c. Babysit so your parents can go out

This is a starter list. Find what is different and hard and challenging for you. Ask God how He wants to use you this New Year. Have a willing heart, a heart to serve our Father. And go out and DO!!!

Share with us what you are doing. What are your plans for the New Year?

By Mandy H.

JESUS-Prophesy to Birth

JESUS-Prophesy to Birth

Now is the time of preparation for Christmas. We ready our hearts and our lives for the celebration of the coming of Christ. We should reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. What does Christmas show us about God? Who is this Christ? Why did He need to come? Christ came for us, to fulfill God’s promises. All the Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus. What new thing will you learn about Jesus this Christmas? How will it impact your life? Or someone else’s?

“It had taken centuries for God’s promises to be ready, but now the time had almost come for the best part of God’s plan.” 

“God himself was going to come. Not to punish his people – but to rescue them.”

“God was getting ready to wipe away every tear from every eye.”

“And the true party was just about to begin…”

~The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally-Lloyd-Jones (Page 173)

From the beginning of time, all of those centuries ago, God promised that He would send His Son to be our Savior, to wipe away our tears and to love us, if we will commit our lives to Him.

Prophesy to Birth

The first prophecy is found in Genesis, just after the first sin.

Genesis 3:15 (NIV)

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers;

He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

Then the Old Testament Prophets also tell of the coming of the Savior Jesus Christ. This passage
gives us some names for Him and how He will rule forever.

Isaiah 9:6-7 (NIV)

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the greatness of his government and peace

there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne

and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it

with justice and righteousness

from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the LORD Almighty

will accomplish this.

In Micah, God tells us from what tribe and line Jesus will come from and where He will be born.

Micah 5:2 (NIV)

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

though you are small among the clans[a] of Judah,

out of you will come for me

one who will be ruler over Israel,

whose origins are from of old,

from ancient times.”

The next verse in Isaiah, tells us how God will send his Son.

Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

“Everything was ready. The moment God had been waiting for was here at last! God was coming to help his people, just as he promised in the beginning.”

“But how would he come? What would he be like? What would he do?”

“Mountains would have bowed down. Seas would have roared. Trees would have clapped their hands. But the earth held its breath. As silent as snow falling, he came in. And when no one was looking, in the darkness, he came.”

~The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally-Lloyd-Jones (Page 174)

Now in Matthew, the Bible shows us how the prophesies have come true.

Matthew 1:21-22 (NIV)

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.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

God demonstrates to us how he had planned a Savior for us all the way back in Genesis. And He goes on to tell us about His plan for Salvation all the way through Scripture, especially through the prophets.

Most importantly, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5: 8 Jesus not only came to earth as man, but then He died to save us. He gave us the greatest gift of all.

Take time this season to Thank God for sending His Son so that we have a way to eternal life with Him.

2 Corinthians 9:15

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

And read the whole Christmas story in Luke 2!

JESUS-Add Your Comment Here-December 2010

JESUS-Add Your Comment Here-December 2010

My family’s Christmas tradition[s] is/are…

OTHERS - By Faith…Simeon and Anna

OTHERS - By Faith…Simeon and Anna

 Based off of Luke 2:21-38(Read the whole story there) All quotes are taken from the NIV Bible

Simeon and Anna were used by God in the very first Christmas story to show how much they trusted Him to send the world a Savior. Each day they lived “by faith” waiting for the coming Messiah.

Eight days after the child was born, it was time for Him to be circumcised. The Law of Moses said that “’Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord’”, and the parents should offer “a pair of doves or two young pigeons” as a sacrifice.

So Mary and Joseph took Jesus to be circumcised at the Temple in Jerusalem. At that time He was named Jesus, “the name the angel had given him before he was conceived”.

Now there was a righteous and devout man in Jerusalem named Simeon. “He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:”

“’Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.’”

Mary and Joseph were amazed at what was said about Jesus. “Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: ‘This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.’”

~Simeon had faith in God that He would do what he had promised. He had faith that he would see the Messiah. And he had faith enough to say, “You may now dismiss your servant in peace”, because he knew his Savior had come. ~

“[Now] there was also a prophet, Anna... She was very old…and was a widow.” “She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.” She also came up to the little family. “She gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem”.

~Anna also had faith. She had great faith in God and worshiped him around the clock. She was a widow and it appears she did not have family to take care of her because she was always at the temple. She had faith that the Child was truly the Savior and she went and told everyone! ~

God used these two people to show us their anticipation for the coming King, Jesus Christ. Anna and Simeon waited and waited for that day, the day when they would hopefully see their Messiah. They truly did live by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). And God rewarded them for it by letting them see the Christ Child. 

As Christmas approaches, are you anticipating the celebration of the birth of the Savior? And more importantly, are you anticipating the day that is still coming when we will meet Him face to face?

2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV)

For we live by faith, not by sight.

YOU - 5 Uses for…Christmas Cards

YOU - 5 Uses for…Christmas Cards

1. Christmas gift tags – Cut out shapes from the Christmas cards and glue them together or glue them to a blank piece of paper, so you can write, “to” and “from” on it!

2. Make gift bags – Cut apart Christmas cards and glue them to paper bags to make a festive gift bag!

3. Lacing or sew cards – These may be fun for your younger siblings or cousins. Cut off the front of the card. Punch holes all the way around. Grab an old shoe lace or some yarn (with tape on the end to make easy lacing) and do some sewing!

4. Make new Christmas Cards – Cut the old ones apart and glue onto new cardstock or paper.

  



 











5. Gift Wrapping – Use to decorate Christmas Presents! Cut the cards apart and glue onto the presents, Tie them to a bow, or be creative and see what you can come up with.

6. Decorate your room or the house – Glue the fronts together and hang from a string from a curtain. Use sticky stuff and put on the wall or your window.

Use your imagination! Send in your ideas for Christmas cards to: joyfilledgirls@hotmail.com
or comment below

YOU - Gift Wrapping

YOU - Gift Wrapping

Are you sick of using the same old wrapping paper for Christmas or you just want to try something new?
Here are some ideas for wrapping those fun gifts and ways to decorate them!

Wrapping Materials

1. Newspaper

 2. Comics (from the paper)

3. Fabric

 4. Wallpaper

5. Plain paper (decorated of course)
6. Tissue Paper
7. Maps
8. Paper shopping bags (Re-decorated)
9. Garbage Bags (With ribbon around the top)

Decorations

1. Ribbons

2. Yarn

3. Leftover scraps of paper

4. Markers

5. Stickers

6. Stamps

7. Bows

8. An ornament

9. Cookie cutter

10. Pipe Cleaners

Examples:

Wall Paper with scrap paper decoration

Fabric with fuzzy yarn

Newspaper with beads, stamps, stickers

Comics with ribbon

Tissue paper w/ yarn and pom-pom

White paper decorated

Scrap book paper w/ fuzzy yarn

Tissue paper and recycled card

Tissue Paper with Letters

Have some fun with these ideas! See what you can come up with!

If you like how they turn out, send us some pictures of your fun wrapped gifts and we may post them (with your permission). Send to: joyfilledgirls@hotmail.com

Five uses for…Baking Soda

Five uses for…Baking Soda

1. Get rid of icky smells on your hands –If you cut up an onion or something left a bad smell on your hands, rub about 2 tsp. of baking soda on your hands to get rid of the smell.

2. Remove coffee or tea stains – Take a damp cloth and dip it in baking soda to create a paste. Then rub the paste on the stained cups or tea pots!

3. Clean up baby spit-up – For you babysitters or big sisters out there, the next time the baby spits-up on you, wipe it off your shirt, then take a damp cloth dipped in baking soda and rub it on the spot. It will not only take the stink away, but will keep it from staining your clothes!

4. Remove crayon from the wall.

5. Deodorize anything

Baking soda can polish, deodorize, and remove stains from all kinds of things. Try it out!

~Mandy

September 2010

Wow, I can't believe September is already here.

September brings school, friends, and changes.

 September 12th is Grandparent's Day. And before that is Labor Day. So many new things going on!

In JOY Blog, we have a lot going on, too!

JESUS~

*How to study your Bible-part 2
*Add your comment here


OTHERS~

*By Faith-Janet Pope
*Grandparent's Day

YOU~

*Modest Dressing-It's Fall, The School Years Begins!
 *Guy Talk-My Love-part 3

And Rachel R. is back this month. :) Check out her Grandparent's Day article!

Happy beginning of fall!

The JOYauthors
Mandy, Heather, Rachel

Add Your Comment Here...September 2010

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How to Study the Bible - Topical Searches

How to Study the Bible - Topical Searches

Looking up, studying, and memorizing verses by topic is another way that may be useful to you in finding a way to study the Bible. This might not be a long term plan, but it may be useful at different points in your life. For example, you may be going through a time in your life where you are worrying a lot. It may be useful to you to look up verses about fear, being anxious, etc… I have been using this technique a lot lately because I have been teaching a topical Bible study. We had topics like faithfulness, prayer, purity, not worrying, etc… For these topics I did searches on different words that had to do with the topic. On the topic of faithfulness, I looked up the word in the dictionary to give me a start on thinking more about it really means.

Then I looked it in my Bible’s concordance.

Or I looked it up on BibleGateway, which is a great online resource. You can search by topic or by verse in different languages and versions of the Bible.


BibleGateway: http://www.biblegateway.com/

I looked at faith, faithful, faithfulness, and then the opposite; unfaithful. This way it gave me different ideas of what God has to say on the subject from all angles. Using a thesaurus may help with your search to come up with other words that mean the same thing.

If you decide to do a topical search like this, I would suggest getting a notebook, journal, or index cards to write the verses on. Then you have the topical verses all together. Also, consider memorizing the verses that mean the most to you from the search.

This can be a very helpful way to understand more about specific issues that God teaches us about in His Word. Try it out and see if it might be right for you!

Topics that might interest you:

• Faith
• Joy
• Love
• Prayer
• Worry
• Women of the Bible

By Faith- Janet Pope

By Faith- Janet Pope

Remember the lady, Janet Pope, I was telling you about last month that memorizes whole passages and books of the Bible? Well, here she is! She is going to tell us more about her, her life, why she decided to memorize scripture, and some fun facts about her! And we will also learn how she is living “By Faith”, like Hebrews 11 talks about.

Interview~

JOY Blog-When did you become a Christian? How were you led to Christ?

Janet Pope-I did not grow up in church so I had no Bible background or religious training. When I was 21 years old, my mother was going through a very difficult time in her life. My sister and I decided that our mother needed God. Pretty profound for two girls who had no idea who God was! We began to take our mother to different churches in the hope of finding God, for her. After a few months I took her to a Bible believing church, we heard the gospel, and within a few months both my mother and I received Christ, and have been growing ever since.

JOY Blog-When did you decide to memorize passages? Why did you decide to memorize passages instead of just memorizing some verses?

Janet Pope-I was 35 years old and attending a Christian conference. A woman came to the podium and recited the entire book of Colossians. It was so powerful hearing the whole book together at one time. I thought to myself “I wish I knew God’s Word like she did”. I realized at that moment that I was pretty shallow in my Bible knowledge, and I had a deep desire to make a change.

JOY Blog-How do you do it?

Janet Pope-I write out what I want to memorize on a 3 x 5 spiral binder. Then I take one verse at a time and begin to memorize it, adding one more verse each day. I carry my spiral with me wherever I go. It sits easily on a counter and I can memorize while I do other things. Over the years I have learned to capture dead time for scripture memory. I memorize while I’m doing household chores, exercising, walking, driving, and getting ready in the morning. When I finish a chapter I take a week or so to review before going on to the next chapter. When I finish memorizing a book, I assign it to one of the days of the week so that I will make that my day to review that book every week, which helps it stay in my memory, while I go on to a new passage.

JOY Blog-What do you do when you feel overwhelmed about life? What do you do when you feel overwhelmed about memorizing Scripture?

Janet Pope-When I feel overwhelmed about life, which does happen on occasion, I run to God’s Word and it is always there for me. Life is unpredictable and always challenging. God’s Word is a stabilizing force because it is truth and it is from God.

When I am overwhelmed about memorizing Scripture, I take a break, while still reviewing, and then pick back up in a few days. Memorizing Scripture is not to be a burden but a joy. Sometimes the task ahead can seem overwhelming, like if you want to memorize Ephesians and you are only on chapter 2. My advice is to go at a pace that works for you.

JOY Blog-How has memorizing Scripture helped you to live “by faith” as Hebrews 11 talks about?

Janet Pope-Honestly, memorizing Scripture has been the biggest boost to my spiritual growth and maturity. Meditating on God’s Word day and night truly is like Psalm one says. It is like a tree planted by streams of water, continually nourished, never parched and dry. Romans 10:17 tells us that faith comes by hearing the Word of Christ. God’s Word continually in my mind and heart has been an oasis for my soul. When you look at Hebrews 11, you see people who persevered through all sorts of adversity. And every life is sprinkled with adversity, some have more than others. I have trials in my life and it is God’s Word that helps me to persevere, even when I can’t see the road ahead, or why my life has taken a detour.

JOY Blog-What is your favorite color?

Janet Pope-It used to be pink, but now it’s yellow.

JOY Blog-What is your favorite book?

Janet Pope-The Bible of course. Besides the Bible, “Let the Nations Be Glad” by John Piper.

JOY Blog-One material thing you wouldn’t leave home without?

Janet Pope-I go on a lot of speaking trips, and I always double check to make sure I didn’t forget my NOTES. I can’t always trust my memory!

JOY Blog-One food you don’t think you could live without?

Janet Pope-Definitely… dessert. I love sweets, wish I didn’t, but I’m not ready to give them up.

How to study your Bible - Bible Memorization

How to study your Bible - Bible Memorization

JOY Blog put out a survey to see what you would like to see more of in JOY Blog. Two of the responses said that they would like to know how to study their Bible and ways to be consistent with your Bible reading. Over the next few months I am going to try and help you. I am going to give you different ways to study the Bible. I hope one of the ways will work for you.

The way that I have found that is the easiest way for me to study the Bible, yet what may be thought of as the hardest is memorization. I feel God has called me to memorize His word. Now there are different ways to memorize scripture. One way that a lot of people memorize verses is through memorizing a lot of random verses. This is a way to do it and we will talk about that later, but what I am suggesting is to memorize whole passages because this way you are able to understand it better.

The first passage that I memorized was Isaiah 6:1-8. These verses, about Isaiah’s commissioning, have helped to lead me as I have been trying to decide what to do in the future, with college and getting a job. Verse 8 says, “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’”. Now the Lord is teaching me how to be His messenger and how to say, “Here am I. Send me!”

The passage that I am working on now is the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. This is something that I have probably read several times, but something I haven’t ever really thought that in depth on. Another thing that is interesting in memorizing whole passages is that you memorize things that you would otherwise never memorize. For example, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talks about what murder is. If I hadn’t decided to memorize the whole sermon, I may not have thought about what Jesus is teaching us about that.

Okay, so now you are probably thinking, “Sure, she can do it, but can I?” And the answer is yes you can, too. Now I have only been doing this for part of the summer, but I have already memorized over 30 verses. The way I am doing it is by memorizing one verse a day. Write it down on an index card and carried it with you throughout the day, by the end of the day, you should have it down. If you are doing something long, put it in an index card holder/binder, then you will not lose it as easily.

So give it a try. Start with something like Psalm 1 or something that is short. Get a calendar and put down one verse a day until you are through. Go through the passage as you do this though because you may find some verses are really short and you could do two or some are long and your might need more time. Remember the calendar is simply a tool. Do not get overwhelmed if you do not stay on track. This is something I have found is working for me, but if it doesn’t for you that is fine. We will be talking about more ways to study your Bible in the next couple months.

If you would like more information email me at joyfilledgirls@hotmail.com and I can try to answer any questions you may have or you can just comment below.

You can also check out this website: http://www.janetpope.org/index.html . This is the website of a lady that has memorized whole books of the Bible. She also has a great book to read on the subject and you find more information about her and her book on the website.

I hope you try it and find it as helpful as I do.

Author Interview - Mandy H.

Hey all you girls out there! My name is Mandy Joy! Yes my middle name is Joy and Joy is the theme of my life! I love life and all the people around me. I am an auntie of 10. Yes, TEN! I have 5 siblings. So my family is big! It is a lot of fun. When I am not spending time with my family, I am reading, knitting, blogging, swimming, biking, crafting, making jewelry, etc… I love doing crafty stuff when I have time. Recently I started memorizing scripture. I memorized Isaiah 6:1-8. Great verses. I found that if I put the verses on an index card and carrying them with me, I can memorize them in my spare time. I am looking for ways to grow in my relationship with Christ and how I can reach other for Him! I pray that JOY will help you, too, grow in your relationship with Christ!

*What is your favorite passage of the Bible (right now anyway)?
Well, my life verse is 1Thessalonians 5:16-18.  Some of my favorite Bible verses right now are Isaiah 6:1-8. These verses are helping me to rely on God and have Him lead me!

*What is your favorite season? Why?
Summer is my favorite season. I love when it's warm out and I love swimming and boating and just being in the water. Next is fall because it is kind of part of summer and it is cool and you can still do things outside.

*What kind of a person is your role model?
Moms are my kind of role models. My mom is one of my role models because I want to be a mom someday and there are a few other “moms” that are my role models. I want to be someone who has such an open home just like my mom!

*What is the one thing you couldn't leave the house without?
My Purse…and maybe a bag. My purse or sometimes it is more of a bag that has everything I could ever need. And in that purse or bag, I have to have a book. Always be prepared. There has been too many times when I haven’t had anything to do with me and had to wait for something. I now am always prepared with a well-stocked purse and a book!

*What is your weakness snack?
POPCORN. I love popcorn. And popcorn balls. It is a comfort food. And if my snack was a drink, then I would want a coke icee. I like smoothies and icees!

*What is your favorite quiet place with God?
Outside. I love being surrounded by His glory and creation, sitting under a tree or somewhere close to one. Being by anything that God created.

*What is your favorite type of book to read for fun?
I like chick lits! I like the whole princesses and princes and knights and ladies and even pirates. I like modern day, historical, and some mystery (if it is not too much). If it is a good Christian book and has a good “hook”, it has to really “catch” me!

*What do you think God is teaching you right now?
Right now God is teaching me to wait on Him and His timing. I recently graduated from high school and also with two years of college. I do not know what I am doing next. All I know is that I have to wait on Him and let him lead me. Isaiah 6:8 says, “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"” I am learning to say, “Here am I, Send me!”. ¬

*Tell one silly quirk you have.
Tell I have many. One is that I love purses and bags. There are very few people who know how many bags I truly have. To show you just how much I love them, I have bought two in the last month. I love bags!

Firsts...Lasts...Times...Seasons

Firsts…Lasts…Times…Seasons

As we get to this time of the year, there can be a lot of changes. Maybe it is a school change. Going from middle school to high school, high school to college, one grade to the next. Maybe it is new friends. Maybe your family is moving away. Maybe you have changed this past year and you don’t know what you are supposed to do next. No matter what it is, it is different.

For me, I have been finding a lot of lasts, last paper, last day of school, graduation...and a few firsts…going into the real world and looking towards what God will have me do next.

We need to take advantage of this growing time and remember that God says that there is a time and season for every activity under Heaven.

In God’s Word, He says:

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

1-There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven:

2-a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3-a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

4-a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5-a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6-a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7-a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8- a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

These are some of my favorite verses. They talk about all different things that you go through. No matter what time and season you are going through, no matter what firsts or lasts you are having,

Remember that God is with you.

Here is my blessing for you:

Numbers 6:24-26

24-"The LORD bless you

and keep you; 

25- the LORD make his face shine upon you

and be gracious to you;

26-the LORD turn his face toward you

and give you peace." 

Have a blessed summer!

By Mandy Heffron