The Christmas story told through Facebook

It's A Wonderful Life

Had the most amazing privilege to see "It's A Wonderful Life" last night. What an eye opener. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly encourage you to see it. It's a black and white movie so I wasn't too thrilled when my parents said we were gonna watch it, but I was blessed to have spent the time watching it.

The story line is about a man named George Bailey, who, from childhood had all these wonderful dreams for himself. Dreams of traveling and building huge skyscrapers. Quoting the movie: "I know what I'm gonna do tomorrow, and the next day, and the next year, and the year after that." George had his whole life planned out. I think it's funny how so many of us do that too. We have all these amazing dreams for ourselves but sometimes when our dreams don't line up with God's, they don't always come true. And that is exactly what happened to George. Life went on, loved ones died, children were born and it seemed life had slipped like sand through George's fists. All his dreams were put on the back burner. Christmas Eve comes around, he has a beautiful wife, adorable kids and life is crazy as always. He gets to the point where he can't take anymore. And something happens to him that changes his perspective on everything. (I don't wanna give away too much ;) At the end of the movie, George realizes how blessed he really is. No, his dreams never come true but God's dreams for him came true. He affected so many people in his life (more then he had realized) and came to understand what it meant to be content with what he had.

It is truly a movie worth watching. For me, it changed the way I looked at so many things. We should never take for granted anything the Lord has given us. We all have dreams, that we one day hope to come true. The Lord has dreams for us too. And they are far better then anything that we can imagine. So this Christmas season (and even beyond), look at all the things that you have, your gifts, talents, people and thank God for it all :) And you will see, you do have, a Wonderful Life.

"Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?" ~Clarence

It's tough being a woman...in a mean world

It's tough being a woman...in a mean world.

My mom and I are doing a study by Beth Moore (Esther) and she talks about the toughest things about being a woman. This one hit me hard..

It's tough being a woman...in a...mean world. The toughest part can be not getting mean with it. Goodness, we get many opportunities. I'm learning that I have to deal with my own mean streak every time it starts to come out. If I don't, "mean" won't just strike. "It will stick."

"Life sometimes isn't pretty. No matter how much we try, on this earth we still have pain. Instead of going ahead and feeling the pain, processing it before God, and letting Him heal us, sometimes we opt for a trade-in. We swap pain for anger because it's easier for a while, and boy can it be energizing! Soon mad turns to mean. Friends turn to enemies." ~Beth Moore

Sigh...none of us want this, right? I know I don't. As girls, this world can be mean. We have family who disown us. Friends who backstab us...and yet, the bible tells us to sit and take it. And that is usually our last resort. Many of us have at some point misjudged someone. One reason why we must take care not to spread gossip is because we can't control where our words will go. "Humans eat gossip like frogs eat flies."

The mouths of fools are their ruin; they trap themselves with their lips. Rumors are dainty morsels that sink deep into one’s heart. ~Proverbs 18-7-8

"Gossip finds an easy ear because our human nature, let to itself, finds sick satisfaction in the deluded discovery that someone who seemed superior was inferior. We who have trusted Christ are partakers of a different nature (2 Peter 1:4). If we discern something evil or suspicious, God calls us to take our concerns to Him with deepest humility, intercede earnestly, and ask Him what-if anything-we should do. Yes, Scripture tells us to expose "fruitless deeds of darkness" (Eph 5:11), but all is conjecture until we're certain we're seeing darkness through the eyes of light."

Often we jump to accuse, wrong or shame someone. If our judgement proves right, our reaction is the best indicator if our hearts are equally right. If we are "smug", our hearts are wrong. If we are humble, our hearts are probably pure.

"Satan has a theory that he's banked his entire accuser's career on: Even the strong grow weak. True enough, but this, Beloved One, is also true: Even the weak grow strong if they set their minds to it."

If you look at the story of Esther (3:4) Mordecai didn't bash Haman, but he also didn't kneel down to him. Sometimes we are stuck in a place where we gossip or we "bow down" to the Haman's in our lives. They step all over us, and we let them. We don't stand against them with principal. The Lord's principal. We sometimes believe that "bowing down" is the only way, other then to slander someone. How did Mordecai resist temptation and stand firm? He responded out of his mind-set rather than his mood. His made-up mind was stronger then his mood. The sight of Haman didn't just hit Mordecai the wrong way one day when he was feeling so contentious that he refused to bow. Even on days where kneeling seemed easier than being harassed and embarrassed, Mordecai's made-up mind was stronger than his mood.

Sometimes you and I are simply our of sorts. Temptations come and we either just let them take over our minds because we are in the mood to sin. We can't just depend on a good mood to get us through. After all, no one can have great hair, the right outfit and the perfect guy. But I'll tell you what we can have: The power to overcome temptation. We need more than a mood. We need a mind-set.

"My beloved sister, may God be allowed to work such steadfastness of mind in you that "the bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze, and your strength will equal your days." (Deut 33:25)

*Check out Beth Moore's Study Esther.*

It's tough being a woman....

As I sit here, and think about what to write about. The song "Everything I need" by Kutless came to mind. The words and message spoke to my heart. So many times we as Christians get to a place where we feel we "don't need God". I know, I have been there. This song is such an awesome reminder. That the Lord is our EVERYTHING!

As young girls, we let ourselves be consumed by pop culture, boys, and worldly appeal. Trying to find our value from somewhere. The world seems to tell us that we can't be complete without else shoes, or that dress..or this guy. We have to dance to these songs, and act the way the world tells us to. And all the while, we have the whole world's eyes on us. Watching, waiting for us to fall. Beth Moore says in her bible study Esther (which I encourage every young lady to watch) she mentions the toughest things about being a woman. And she says, "It's tough being a woman in another woman's shadow." It's so true. We go through life, always watching that one girl. Who seems like she has it all. The guys, the body, the life, and maybe is even a Christian. And we seem to constantly be measuring ourselves up against the Barbies of this world.

It's tough being a woman. The song, "Everything I need"...is..more then just a song. It's what our entire existence should be wrapped around. We should live and breathe our Heavenly Prince. Wanting to ONLY measure up to HIM! I know I haven't arrived in this category. I get stuck in the same boat. But every time I feel myself slipping into it..I have to stop myself. Think about what really matters. Jesus is the only thing that should matter to us.

I have a friend, who is a really great guy. He loves to express himself through the art of dancing. And he is very good at it. We were talking about how we shouldn't care about what people think about us. He is right. Many times, we feel the need to measure ourselves because we aren't comfortable with who we are. We look to everything for worth, except in the face of the one who loves us the most. The one who made the snow, who gives us our dreams, and passions. He is the last one on our minds when we need him the most.

Lord, we thank you. For never leaving us. We look to you for our worth. Not in worldly possessions. Or in the love of a guy, but in you alone. Thank you for being everything we need.

Amen

What Faith Can Do (read what I wrote first :)

What Faith Can Do

The first time I heard this song..my dance teacher did it for a solo at our Spring Recital. I cried through the whole thing. She was beautiful and the message of the song is amazing.

I don't usually share my testimony and what I go through on a daily basis..but this song has showed me that it needs to be shared.

When I was little, my dream to be a princess was all I ever wanted. To be loved and cherished by a noble prince. Like Ariel and Prince Eric from Little Mermaid. Or Ursula and George..from George of the Jungle. But as I got older, life stepped on me. I was kicked down by friends, family, and myself. That dream of being a princess will never go away..but it's so hard to have a dream when all the world wants to do is rip it to shreds. When I decided to live a life that glorified only God. When I decided to save myself for my future husband..at age..10 I had NO IDEA what I was getting myself into. It's an easy walk to walk when your little..but here I am 16. When the world tells me that I am strange because I'm not dating. Friends treat me like a door mat. And the lies I keep hearing. I'm not perfect..I do believe those lies sometimes. But my God is bigger then that. Every time a friend abandons me, or a family member hurts my feelings, I look to God. Who needs an imperfect human friend when the God of the Universe is willing to step in and be that for me. The beginning of this song says..

"Everbody falls sometimes, gotta find the strength to rise from the ashes

and make a new beginning. Anyone can feel the ache,

You think it's more than you can take.

But you're stronger, stronger then you know."

And when I think about that, we all fall, but SO MANY people stay down. For YEARS I have not only fell but I have been pushed down, by words and actions but I keep rising. Because I know, that I am stronger..God has made me stronger. I've felt the ache and like the song says I always feel like its more then I can take but I know that my God is there for me.

I've tried, my whole life to be the best friend I can be to my friends. Sadly, we live in a world that is selfish. It's looking out for #1. I do it too. And it really is not fun when a friend puts themselves first. Some of my guy friends, who in the past have had a lot of girlfriends; and I've seen the lovey dovey side of them but, I've also seen the depressed side of them. My mom once said, "girlfriends may come and go....but you'll always be there as a friend." I am, because I have chose to live the life I live. It can sometimes be lonely..I don't have a alot of friends. But the ones I do have are there for me and I don't take them for granted.

I know every girl wants to be loved and cherished...like a princess in our favorite fairy-tale movies. Some girls never get real love and acceptance. But I do. The dream that I have been praying for and hoping someday would come true. It has come true for me. Jesus Christ is my Knight in shining armor. The one that will sweep me off my feet and love me no matter what. I may fall but I will have the strength to rise. :) I know what faith can do.

I pray that dream comes true for you. I pray that God will become your everything. I hate to sound like I am bragging. And I KNOW that I have not arrived. But if you feel like God seems so far away. That you don't feel loved and accepted. You're not alone. I know how you feel. I've felt it before. I've also felt like God seems a hundred miles away. But pray. Ask Him to draw close to you. He'll never leave you, or forsake you. And when you feel like He isn't there, remember...He's a prayer away.

Thank you to all who read my blog. I love you all so much

Your sister in Christ,

Cordelia

Just alittle note

So with the blog getting hacked all that fun stuff ;) I saved all my past post and I still wanna put them up here. So if you have seen these before, don't worry, you are aren't losing your mind :P If you haven't read them before, I pray that they bring you comfort and help encourage you to live this set-apart life with me :) Enjoy,

Your sister in Christ,

Cordelia

Hearing from God

"The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice." ~John 10:2-4, NLT

Like so many other people, I struggle with finding daily time with God. There are days when it's not convenient to stop everything and have devotional time, but I know that it is so important that I do it. I know unless I seek Him everyday, I'm not being filled. I get crabby, and moody, and my life seems out of control. My mom always says, "You have to be in the eye of the storm". At first I never really understood what she was saying. So I asked. She said that in a hurricane, the eye of the storm is the middle, where things are calm. They are quiet. And in the midst of chaos, family life, friends, boyfriends, church, school, sports, chores. It all seems to be flying all around you. But there is a place, the eye of the storm, where you can breath. You can feel God in that place.

One thing I found to be really helpful in getting a jump start to your devos, is a good Christian book. Biographies of women who's lives were set apart for Christ. Who lived for the sake of the Lord like Amy Carmichael and Elisabeth Elliott. Also, have people pray for you, that God would give you a passion to know Him more.

God desires to communicate with His princess. You are His princess. Spending daily time with Him will be what keeps you going each day. How do you best hear God's will for your life? How does He reveal the purity you are to have in your spirit? Through His Word? Extended alone time with Him? Talking to your pastor, parents or youth leaders? Make time today to listen to His voice. Trust me you will be blessed :)

Your Sister In Christ,

Talyn

Your Grace..an amazing thing

Fall is HERE!!!!! :D That means good food, fun fashion and amazing outdoor time :)

It's the end of summer :) I am SOO sorry for all the craziness that has happened.. I have not been able to share any posts at all this summer. And then the blog had a bug so I had to delete it and then redo the whole thing. So my apologizes to you all. I hope that things weren't too crazy for you all :)

I am extremely excited to be going into the fall. Yes, with summer over comes school. But there are amazing opportunities to share the love of God in your schools with your fellow students.

This summer..God has brought me to a place where I can stand before Him in complete awe. Before, it was hard to get into that state of mind... but now I look to my God for so many things. Today at worship, I just started crying. Not because of anything sad... but, just... being in awe of how AMAZING God truly is. One of our worship songs really hit home for me.

"Majesty, Majesty

Your grace has found me just as I am

empty handed but alive in your hands

Majesty, Majesty

forever I am changed by your love

in the presence of your majesty"

His grace, his grace has found me just as I am. I think about how it is physically impossible for humans to have grace. But THROUGH God we can give grace to others. And I think about how amazing God's grace is for all of us. You don't have to come to God AFTER you have dealt with all your junk. You can come to him in the middle of your problems..and he meets you.. just as you are.

So my challenge to you is..realize his grace and share that grace with others. :)

I hope you all have an AMAZING week :) I love you all so much.

Your sister in Christ,

Talyn

Warrior Poet (Part 2)

How Warrior Poets Are Made (Authentic Beauty, Eric Ludy) So many girls, including me, wonder if Warrior Poets still exist. "Sadly, we girls believe in the one-extraordinary-man-every-seven-hundred-years theory. In fact, I’ve come to the understanding that some girls today believe in Warrior Poets as much as they believe "Santa Claus can touch his tongue to his belly button". Girls today don’t believe that Warrior Poets are out there, but in reality, they are everywhere. We just have to look a little harder. "But you know what; guys need someone to believe in them. They need someone to tell them they can rise above the mediocrity of this world. They need someone to raise the expectations of their manhood." If you still don’t know what a Warrior Poet looks like, there is one other person that has every quality of a Warrior Poet. His name is Jesus Christ. He is the perfect Warrior Poet. Here are four great ways that Eric gave to help shape young men into Warrior Poets: 1. Practice making princes out of the men in your life. Start with your dad and brother(s). If you learn how to be a prince maker in your relationships with them, you will be off-the charts amazing in your potential relationships with your groom. Go out of your way to mention that you notice the things that they have done well (for example, mowed the lawn, barbecued some burgers, painted the kitchen, or swished a free throw) or the times you see them modeling a picture of manhood that you respect (being helpful, being courageous, being sensitive, or being humble.) Over time, as you gain even more of a vision for what a young man can become, you’ll develop your own ways to draw majestic man-ness out of the guys in your life. It's the words of our princesses that make us princes. 2. Challenge men to a higher standard. Just by guarding your heart and waiting for a Christlike Warrior Poet, you can challenge men to a higher standard without needing to say a word. When a guy realizes that you are holding out for a Christlike gentlemen, it may be the motivation they need to evaluate their own version of masculinity. There is no need to be aloof or distant toward less-than-Christlike guys. If you simply have a sweet, cheerful confidence in the standard you are holding out for, it can cause a guy to stop and think twice about his behavior. Maybe certain guys in your life showcase more of out culture’s perversion than the inspirational manhood of Jesus Christ. If that’s the case, then when opportunity arises, verbally proclaim a higher level of expectation. Being critical and preachy won’t be effective. Rather, in a lighthearted and friendly way, gently prod them toward something better. Here are a few samples of what it could look like, though you’ll most likely have to adapt the language to fit your own way of communicating. If they burp or do anything else in the "gross family", say very sweetly something like: “I’ve heard that burping is considered very attractive to the bearded, one-eyed, yak-worshiping women of Hanelei, but unfortunately most other girls don’t find in very charming!” If they hesitate to help someone in need, comment (again very sweetly) something like, “This job demands a man with great strength and massive biceps,” then look his way and, with a tilt of your head and adding a sighing lift to your voice, say, “Ahhh, here is a man of bulging biceps who will surely save the day!” If they refer to womanhood in a derogatory fashion, be quick to gently add, “I’ve heard that the men who speak highly of femininity are the ones who end up with the most beautiful wives.” If they attempt to pressure you to sacrifice your sacred innocence, quickly leave them in the dust, and in your parting say something like, “You have the potential to be a great man. And when you are, you will be a protector rather then a conqueror of a woman’s innocence.” 3. Ponder the manhood of Christ. Read the books of Song of Solomon and the book of Revelations in the Bible. These two books will give you a better picture of a true Warrior Poet and Christlike manhood. 4. Become a student of manhood. If you make the study of manhood a lifetime research project, you will, in the process, become an amazing young woman. Start writing a journal, and label it something like “My Study on Manhood” and put in all your thoughts, observations, and discoveries about Christlike manhood. Then ask God to help you in your study!” Believe me, he will reveal things to you in a way you never thought possible. I pray that you will be able to go out and take this information and put it into action. Make Warrior Poets of all the men in your life. Your sister in Christ, Talyn

Warrior Poet (part 1)

I am SOO sorry that the blog wasn't working. It took me forever. But I did get a chance to save some old post. So if you feel like you are having deja vu you aren't I just post this again :)

I have (for the last 2 weeks) been taking a drivers ED class! Its been great! Kinda boring, but very useful! You would not believe how nervous I was in the beginning of the class!!! It’s all good now! So I have been a pretty busy girl!

So back to my post! =) I was thinking and praying about what to talk about. There are SO MANY things that teenage girls deal with everyday, different situations, different guys, different problems. So I thought I would start kinda basic about how to treat guys, ALL of them. Whether its your brother(s), your dad, the guys at your school, or at church, at work, etc.. We girls come in contact with guys almost everyday! School seems to be a popular place to see guys. And if you are homeschooled like me, then you know that you are with your brothers and your dad alot. But it doesn’t matter where we go to school, we interact with guys everyday. I thought it would be great to talk about how to treat your brother in Christ. So, fasten your seat-belts!!!!

Before we start, I hope that this blog will inspire you as a girl to motivate the guys in your life to become far better men... men like Jesus Christ.

I was reading one of Leslie Ludy’s books on purity one day (Authentic Beauty) and I came across something that her husband Eric wrote. He was talking about how to treat our brothers in Christ. I thought it was so great that I wanted to share what I got out of the section he wrote in. First of all, he spent a good amount of time talking about a type of guy, he liked to call a “Warrior Poet" (now remember that name cause I say it alot) Leslie has mentioned it as well. And he goes on to explain what he thinks a warrior poet is to him. He talked about a guy that he read about in a book called The Scottish Chief. In his words, "This man was a fighter; strong, confident, brave. He was a total picture of a true Warrior Poet."

If you know me at all you will know that I am in LOVE with the movies The Lord of the Rings. I don’t know why, and I don’t know how, I just am. This movie has a little bit of everything. Some adventure, romance, comedy, and a little gore; but, I could watch that movie over, and over again! As I was thinking about who I see as a Warrior Poet, it hit me. This William Wallace that Eric was talking about reminded me of someone else.Aragorn from the Lord of the Rings. He is yet another picture of a true Warrior Poet. He is handsome, brave, strong, courageous, fearless, a fighter, not a quitter, romantic, smart, sweet, a good friend, a true Warrior Poet. Men like these gave me a vision of manhood that I desire for every guy I know. The thing is, I think men like Aragorn and William Wallace didn’t spend their days, flirting with all the girls, or wasting time playing video games. They were out there fighting for what they believed was right. Being trained to go out and fight, to win! You don’t see many guys like that! But you know what, I hate to say it but girls are a HUGE part of the problem. We don’t treat the guys in our life like Warrior Poets. We treat them like Peter Pan or Sponge Bob. We don’t admire them for what God created them for. We don’t help shape them to be Warrior Poets; instead we become arrogant girls and knock them down. “Guys desire to be so much more than they are today--they just don’t know they desire it.” (to be continued........)

What does Set-Apart mean?

Set-Apart Girls for Eternity, what does it mean?

Well I started thinking about getting a small group up and running, I know that this was something that God wanted me todo, one of my favorite parts of planning this group was picking out the name. "What should I name it?" I had NO IDEA!!!!!! I started using words and abbreviations. I thought of the name LIFE (Living In Faith Everyday) I thought it was a great fit. Then as life went on, I started meeting new friends, going to new churches, and my priorities in life changed. LIFE just didn't seem to fit. I prayed about it and thought hard. It was about that time that I started reading Leslie Ludy's books on purity. She used words like Authentic Beauty, Lilies among the thorns, Sacred Design, and Set-Apart Femininity. They were almost like music to my ears. "God sees me as a lily among the thorns in this world?" The thought of having Authentic Beauty; a beauty that no guy could take away. Then it hit me, Set-Apart Femininity. It was like love at first sight. =) I LOVED that name. I thought to myself "I want to be set-apart for my Prince, Jesus Christ!" And my dad came up with Set Apart Girls For Eternity! I want to be a Set-Apart Girl for Eternity. I knew it was the one. It just seemed so perfect for what the girls in this generation needed. To be Set-Apart!

So what does Set-Apart mean?

"Absolute abandonment to Jesus Christ, and entire separation to the pollution of this world"

And that is what it means to be a set-apart girl!

"Many of us who profess to know Christ are too preoccupied with the things of this world" Chasing after popularity, approval of the opposite sex, material things, and the media. While terrible things are happening to thousands of people each day. Orphans are going hungry, men and women are dying without hope. So my question to you is: "Which of us will make those choices in this generation?" The choices to abandon the things of this world and take up our cross and follow Him to the ends of the earth?

No matter where you have been or what choices you've made in the past, there is no better way to start this set-apart life then now, whether you are 6, 16 or 46 years old. But I must warn you, it's not an easy road. The standard is high and only a few have given all they are to be set-apart for Jesus Christ. And don't ever forget that you are special, God is smitten for you but the enemy will try to ruin what God has for you. Be aware and cling to the hand of your Heavenly Father, He'll never leave you.

God bless you on your Set-Apart journey!

Your sister in Christ,

Talyn