Joyful Song
Encouraging young ladies to be joyful in the life God has given them.
Articles
I Will Never
by Carilyn
There are so many things I will never be able to do. There are so many events I will never be able to participate in. There are so many people I will never be able to meet.
I will never see the sunrise of a brand new day. I will never be able to giggle and laugh when my mama tickles my toes. I will never take my first steps or say my first word. I will never learn to tie my own shoes.
I will never hug my grandma or solve a puzzle with Grandpa. I will never pet a soft, innocent kitten. I will never celebrate my twelfth birthday or travel through my growing up years. I will never study fascinating flowers for biology or visit a history museum.
I will never be able to sit by a peaceful stream after lovingly completing my chores. I will never learn to play a piano, even though I love listening to it. I will never have the joy of graduating from school.
I will never, ever, breathe one molecule of oxygen. And I will never see the sweet face of my darling mother, nor will I be able to smile at her. All because she didn’t want me. I was too expensive. She hadn’t planned on me. And I was a hindrance to her selfish life.
If only she had realized how alive and real I was! If only she had loved me, her own flesh-and-blood child. If only she had wanted me and desired to hold and cuddle me as I had been waiting for. If only she had kept me and not made that awful decision.
But, there is nothing that can be done. The older people who were supposed to care about me did not. Instead, they cared only for themselves, dismissing me as though I had no value. And now, I am dead.
There is comfort, however. I am now with my Lord, Jesus, the maker of my soul. If my mother will only ask forgiveness of Him, if she will only repent of the awful sins which she has committed and turn away from wrong-doing, then she will be saved from everlasting punishment for all eternity. And, she and I will be re-united! What joy at the thought!
So please, don’t make the same decision that my mother did. Innocent babies cannot protect themselves, but you can. Keep all your precious little ones and hold them dear to your heart. Encourage others to do the same and always remember that the millions of babies who have already been murdered through abortion never have, and never will, enjoy the life to which they were entitled.
Most of all, be thankful for the life which you enjoy. Many never experience it.
Doing Great Things For the Lord
by Carilyn
What do you think of when you hear the phrase ‘doing great things for the Lord’? Missionaries? Evangelists? We need to make sure our view of different things line up with the Lord’s. Is your view on great things the right one? Well, let’s look at what God’s view is.
The Lord’s first commandment to us is to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind. The second commandment is to love our neighbor as our self. If we obey these two commands, we are doing what God wants most of us.
There are other commands in the Bible as well. Rejoice always, prefer others better than yourself, do good to them that hate you and persecute you, keep your thoughts captive to the Lord, avoid foolish arguments, be humble, encourage others, and the list goes on.
You don’t have to go off to a foreign country and witness to people who have never heard the gospel in order to do something great for the Lord. While witnessing in other countries is something God is well pleased with, there are some things that we can do right here at home which He views just as highly – some of which were mentioned above.
Because the things He tells us to do in the Bible are very important to Him, we will be doing great things for Him if we obey. Even small things that may not seem very big really are big in God’s eyes. I love the fact that God’s main priority for our lives is to live for Him, and after what He did for us on the cross, I think we owe it to Him.
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
The following article was taken from http://www.thekingsdaughtermag.com/. Used with permission.
What to Say Next
By Lara Bode
Okay, you’re visiting a new church and have just been introduced to someone you’ve never met before. You’ve both given your names and agreed that “it’s nice to meet you”; but now an awkward pause has taken over, and you find yourself looking at your feet wondering wildly, What do I say next?
Take heart! Even if you are a naturally “shy” person, with just a little practice and planning, you can become a sincere and pleasant conversationalist.
But before I go into that, maybe you’re already thinking, Wait! I feel funny even introducing myself! I’m always tongue-tied before I’ve even said a word! Don’t be J! You don’t have to be professionally-trained in etiquette before you can smile at someone new and say, “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Lara Bode. What’s your name?”
So now we’re all on the same page J. The problem for most of us comes with what to say next, after the person has given you their name. I will admit that this is probably the most difficult step. However, it doesn’t have to be awkward.
Without allowing an awkward pause to develop, quickly say, “Nice to meet you, [their name].” Then follow with an appropriate general question, such as, “Do you live in [your town]?”
Once they have answered this, if they don’t offer any other information or response, you can then tell them where you live, and maybe add a comment about how it’s such a beautiful town, or how the city is getting so crowded these days, or something of the sort. Then move on to another topic. You can do it!
Remember the following four keys to being a sincere and pleasant conversationalist:
· Maintain a heart of love for other people. Remember that everyone you meet is someone that the Lord Jesus gave His life for. Communicate a genuine interest in the person with whom you are talking.
· Don’t just stand there and talk about the weather. Develop some good basic questions to help people get started telling about themselves. For instance, you can ask, “What do you like to do in your spare time? How many brothers and sisters do you have? What work do you do?” These are sure to be comfortable topics, and by helping someone talk about themselves, you will be learning information about them that will help in getting to know them better!
· Even if you feel a little nervous or awkward, make a point to act comfortable and confident. Do make eye contact, and smile! Don’t look at the floor, wiggle uncomfortably, or shuffle your feet.
· If you have succeeded in getting them talking, really listen to what they are saying. Smile and nod your head encouragingly when appropriate.
At pauses, (unless you need to leave), try not to let the conversation die off. Ask a question related to what they were saying, to keep them going. For example, if they are telling you about their missions trip, you might ask, “About how many people live in the town where you served?” or some similar question to show you are interested.
When you are first meeting a new person, don’t get frustrated if making conversation seems like an effort. There may not be any deep conversations at first, but that’s okay. Just be yourself, act friendly, and try to keep the conversation going and learn some basic things about them.
It is very important to remember their name and some things that they tell you! Then next time you meet them you should call them by name, and (if appropriate) ask a question based on your last conversation. For instance, if your new acquaintance Sally mentioned that she was going to try making bread for the first time, at your next meeting you could say something like, “Sally, how did your bread turn out?” Remembering things that people tell you shows that you were listening, and helps your relationship progress.
What do you do when for some reason you need to spend a few minutes talking to someone with whom you have little or nothing in common? These same principles for good conversation also apply in situations like this! Smile, act natural, and ask a general question. Once they answer, respond enthusiastically with a related question or two.
If you feel like you’re running out of conversation options, one good thing to remember is to talk about things you may have in common. (i.e., do you both like to read, travel, play soccer, embroider, garden, bake bread, play the violin?) To look for common ground, try a question such as, “Have you read any good books lately?”, “Do you play a musical instrument?”, or “We’re taking a vacation to Williamsburg this fall; have you ever been there?”
Happy talking J!©