Super Woman: Part 1

     Independent. Assertive. Career-oriented. Entitled. Opinionated. Charming. These adjectives all describe the "esteemed woman" of today. She is defined by them. Most women want to be her. Young women are strongly encouraged to attain these characteristics and model after this "esteemed woman". This is not the woman we want to be.
      We are striving to be like the excellent woman in Proverbs 31. Super Woman. She is excellent in all she does. Excellence is defined as: superior, extraordinary, outstanding in quality. Some of her characteristics are: trustworthy, hard-working, diligent, selfless, generous, discerning, resourceful, prepared, wise, compassionate, and above all, she fears the Lord.
     We know that we won't wake up one day and be this Super Woman without any diligent preparation right now. Who we are now is who we will be in the future. NOW is when we need to be preparing and disciplining ourselves to be like this Super Woman.
     So far, in Girls Workshops, we have learned to 1) be women of the word, 2) pursue Theophobia, and 3) be diligent and not idle with our time. We have been disciplining ourselves to be like this Super Woman and will continue to do so. We are going to continue blogging about Super Woman and how we can practically pursue being like her now.

By: Haley Litz, Summer Staeb, Katie Baxter, Bobbie Gene Litz, and Christina Ashby

Maranatha(.)(!)

     Last night there was a huge storm. I was over at a friend's house and it was around 11:30, when my mom called me and was telling me about the storm and how I needed to head home then. She was telling me to drive carefully and be cautious because of the wind gusts. So my sister, a friend I drove, and myself all got ready to leave and said good-bye. When we went outside the rain wasn't coming down to hard, so I wasn't worried about driving, but I was going to be cautious because of my mom's warnings. Once I drove onto the freeway, I had to be cautious. There were gusts of wind that I could see coming and could feel move my car. Water was spraying all over the place and there were puddles which I could feel myself lose tread in. As I was driving though, I just said, "wouldn't it be SO cool if Jesus came back right now?!" What if we heard the trumpets and saw the sky break open and saw Jesus Christ? That made me so excited and we all started talking about it on the drive home while we listened to Phil Wickham's Heaven cd.

     Ever since Pastor Bobby's sermon this weekend, Home For Holidays #4. He was talking about the homelessness of Jesus when He was here on the earth and that was because He didn't belong here. Pastor Bobby said to not be at home in this world. He said to 1) not get comfortable, 2)not get attached, and 3)not get divided. I can't be home in this world, when my citizenship is in Heaven. I can't let myself become attached to things here either because then I could make them idols and want them more than seeing Jesus Christ! His last point was to want to see Jesus this Christmas. Ever since then, I have been thinking and praying Maranatha, O Lord come! I desire to see Jesus Christ and be with Him above anything else this world can offer me. Jesus is SO much more worth it and I want to be with Him.

     The reason I put and exclamation and a period in the title after Maranatha though, was because I am SO excited for Jesus to come back, hence the (!). But, I remember a sermon awhile back talking about being serious about Maranatha. Yes, I am excited, but I need to remember that when Jesus comes back, all the non-Christians I know, won't be going with Jesus! That is a solem thought, because it makes me think about my evangelism. Am I really giving my all to telling others the gospel and that Jesus is coming back soon?! Am I begging and imploring people to repent and have faith? Sure, I am sometimes, but it has to be my focus. Jesus commissioned me to make disciples (Matthew 28:19).

     This Christmas gives me a big opportunity to share the gospel. I see my non-Christian family this weekend for Christmas, and I need to be telling them the gospel. Yes, I have told them before, but have I really tried my hardest?

     I yearn to see Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, this Christmas and I am praying Maranatha! But, I am also thinking Maranatha., I have to be sharing with others The Truth of the gospel and praying that they will be saved and can pray Maranatha! with me!

None But Jesus

     I decided to start a new blog and it took me awhile to figure out a title for it. I was reading in Philippians though and Philippians 3:7-11 really stood out to me:

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith-- that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

This passage is so contradictory to the world's view, especially high schoolers' views. High schoolers want to "live it up" while they are young and think they have all the time in the world. But, as a Christian high schooler, my view is so radically different than that of this world's. It isn't worth it to "live it up." This world is not worth it. Jesus Christ is. As a Christian, I say that "whatever gain I had, I [count] as loss for the sake of Christ." Popularity, material things, pleasing myself, wordly friends-- I count them all rubbish that I may know Jesus Christ! Knowing Jesus Christ and obeying Him is way more worth it than any earthly satisfaction could ever give me.
     Reading this passage reminded me of a song I love, None But Jesus. I decided to title my blog that because that is true in my life. Some of the song goes like this:

In the chaos/ in confusion/ I know You're sovereign still/ in the moment of my weakness/ You give me grace to do Your will/ when You call I won't delay/ this my song through all my days/ there is no one else for me/ None But Jesus/ crucified to set me free/ now I live to bring Him praise.

Jesus is all I need. He, God, laid down His life for me and now my life is all about Him. My life isn't about me and what I want to do; its all about Jesus Christ and living for Him.