The Cupcake Rap

Last time you saw me, I was talking about blueberry muffins. This time, I'm rapping (with someone special) about cupcakes.

Enjoy. :)

Leaving Eden

I went to Wally World (aka Wal-Mart) today and nearly spazzed out when I saw they had Brandon Heath's newest CD, Leaving Eden. So far, I gotta say I love it.

Here's one of the songs, entitled It's No Good to Be Alone. For some reason, this song makes me want to break out maracas and a sombrero, hahah. Maybe it's just me, but I sense some Mexican feel to it. Check it yo!

Worms Are Not Welcome Here

Today I had the joy of getting together with my best friend. We went around her neighborhood raising funds for 30 Hour Famine. (You can check out 30HrFamine by clicking HERE!)

30 Hour Famine is done through World Vision and in its simplest form, it is done to catch a glimpse at what poor and starving people, mainly children, are going through around the world. Check out these facts:

• Every day, nearly 8,000 kids under the age of 5 die because of hunger-related causes. That's one child every 10 seconds.
• One in six people will go to bed hungry tonight. The odds are worse for kids living in poor countries - they have one in three chance of going hungry.
• 1.4 billion people live on less than $1.25 a day.

30 Hour Famine is an awesome event that I have taken part in the past two years, making this year my third. My youth group holds the event each year around this time in April. In fact, my church has been participating in it for a total of three years (this being our fourth), and so far we have raised over $16,000! Isn't that amazing? I can't imagine how many children we have helped to feed!
For the event, we fast for 30 hours, beginning this Friday at noon, and then we meet at church around 6pm, we form "tribes", play group games, have lessons, last year we had an incredible prayer time, AND we sleep outside in cardboard boxes! To top it all off, when the 30 hours are up on Saturday evening, we get to enjoy a delicious meal of rice and beans! It's an amazing event and experience - I highly encourage you to check it out and perhaps hold the event at your church!

Despite the unsettling facts I listed above, I personally find joy in knowing that even though I'm just a young 17 year old girl in America, my fundraising and participation in this event is raising awareness and also providing for these people and children around the world! Every $30 I raise goes to feed and care for one child for one month. AMAZING!
30 Hour Famine is actually this coming Friday and Saturday, so I will probably post again about that sometime later. :)

Furthermore, while she and I were doing our door knocking, we had the joy of being out in the wonderful rain. It was quite a fun (and wet) experience, haha.

My best friend made a comment though, saying about how we are "washed" by God, in the sense of being cleansed. Right as she said this, I happened to notice another worm on the ground, flooded out of its home by the rain.

AND THEN, like usual, I had an epiphany, an analogy suddenly came to mind, like it always does. :)

YUCK! See the importance in being cleansed daily by God?

What is the whole purpose of being cleansed by God? It is to be rid of sin, rid of anything that is not pleasing to God, it refines us, it makes us more Christ-like. Seeing the worm made me realize that that's what happens to our sin in some sense. When God cleanses us, the "worms" or sin, come out. So, are you currently preserving any worms? If so, you should probably think about being cleansed of them. :)

"Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water."
Hebrews 10:22

And on top of ALL of that, I'm pleased to say that so far, I have raised over 60% of the money I need for my mission trip to Ecuador this coming June/July. (If you haven't heard about this awesome trip I'm going on, you can check it out by clicking here!) Praise God! He is so faithful. :) Please continue to keep me, this mission trip, and Ecuador in your prayers!

Ah, it's been a long, rainy, wet, BUT also a joyful, exciting and encouraging day. :)
To calm things down, I'll leave you with this peaceful song by Jon Foreman!

Thriller!

I thought this video was so funny and creative! Someday, when/if I have a wedding, I hope someone does something crazy like this! ENJOY!

The Man Behind the Scenes

Stephen Colbert

Earlier today my brother and I were talking about the fairly well known comedian, Stephen Colbert. He hosts a show on Comedy Central entitled The Colbert Report. It could be said that his show is similar to Jay Leno, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, etc. Except Colbert's show has a more political twist to it.

My brother likes him quite a bit and finds him unbelievably hilarious. Personally, in my opinion, he does make some funny jokes, though I wouldn't recommend his show. "Everything is permissible"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"--but not everything is constructive." (1 Corinthians 10:23) While it may be funny, it doesn't mean it's really worth your time to watch or for that matter, glorifying to God to watch (though, the subject of glory will come in handy later ;)). Nevertheless, my post isn't about whether or not you should watch Stephen Colbert!

The conversation with my brother went a little something like this:

Me: "Is everything Colbert says improv?"

Bro: "Oh no, he reads most of it from the teleprompter. Though his interviews are usually improv."

Me: "Does he write all of what he reads from the teleprompter then?"

Bro: "Of course not, he has writers. Though I'm sure a good bit comes from Colbert."

Me: "So you mean he's not even the creator of a lot of his content?"

Bro: "Yep, there's always a man behind the scenes who never gets the credit deserved."

There's always a man behind the scenes who never gets the credit deserved? That sounds strangely familiar.

It made me think of God, "the man behind the scenes". We know that God orchestrates everything according to His perfect will and plan. Along with this, He uses us as part of the process in executing these plans. It made think that we're almost like Colbert, reading from a teleprompter, words and ideas that are not truly our own, but come from a greater source.

See what I mean?

No matter what we do, or say, or accomplish, all of it truly belongs to God. He IS that "man behind the scene". While God may let us play a role or fulfill certain parts of His master plan, ultimately, all the credit and glory is due to Him. He is the creator, the inventor, the designer, the coordinator. He designs the perfect script upon the teleprompter of our lives, which we follow and fulfill, assuming we are fully dedicating our lives to Him, and being a living sacrifice so that Christ may reign in us.

May this be a reminder to you, that God is the one who deserves ALL the credit, ALL the glory. For you and I, are only little pieces of His entire picture which He so mercifully and lovingly allowed us to take part in.

Not only remember where the credit goes and belongs to, but be thankful that God has been so gracious to let us join in on this Heavenly joy. :)

 "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
1 Corinthians 10:31