Uh... DUH!!!!

A few weeks ago I was doing something in the kitchen and the little light on the stove indicated that the burner I needed to use was hot. Now sometimes this thing lies just a bit, and that's what I was expecting that time, as I saw nobody using it before. So I put my hand over it just a weensey too close. And the light wasn't lying. Yow. Since then, whenever I see the "hot surface" light, I all but run to the other end of the room.

All that to say, after I did something stupid I learned from it (yes, yes, thank you, thank you, no autographs please:P). But I read in Exodus today... Pharaoh is finally letting Israel go!

They happily trudged along, little dreaming the Egyptians were NOT GETTING their carefully brewed 5 o'clock tea. They squealed and said, "Hey! We just let them go! Now we've got nobody to slave making bricks - and no one to make our tea!!!!" I imagine that if Pharaoh had a phone, it would have been ringing quite a bit. Now they should have not thought this way at all, since they just had to go through all those plagues on account of the Israelites, and now they want them back (did something stupid and DIDN'T learn from it). But, Pharaoh took his army and chased Israel. The chased one screeched! OH NO!!!! THE SEA IS IN THE WAY OF THE ESCAPE ROUTE!!!!!! They wailed that Moses had brought them out there to die - AFTER God had caused zillions of plagues on the bad guys to get them out of there! But we all know this part - God parted the water (yes, the WHOLE SEA) and the Israelites got across, while the Egyptians couldn't get out fast enough. Huzzah!!! After I got over the initial shock and awe, I would have figured that my God was the most powerful in the world and could give me anything I needed. But guess what? A few days later, the Israelites ran across a spring of bitter water. THEN they grumbled that God had brought them out here to die. Gee whiz! Is this the same lot that walked across the ocean floor? Why didn't they think God could give them water? It's just... DUH!!!!

But in my initial heat over these boneheads, I thought, "do I sometimes do the same thing?" Do I worry about things after God has given me everything I need? Most certainly! I was reminded to trust God in everything reading about the boneheads, and to - well, count my blessings! Happy Thanksgiving!:D

Even when the future seems hopeless...

"I remember my affliction and my wandering,

the bitterness and the gall.
I well remember them,

and my soul is downcast within me.
Yet this I call to mind

and therefore I have hope:
Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;

therefore I will wait for him."
The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,

to the one who seeks him...

For men are not cast off

by the Lord forever.
Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,

so great is his unfailing love.
For he does not willingly bring affliction

or grief to the children of men."

God does not willingly bring trouble on us - he is good to those whose hope is in him. He hasn't left us out to dry... even now.

Psalm 45:10-11

"Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear: Forget your people and your father's house. The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord."

Our church did a ladies' Bible study once that talked about these verses. It talked about God being enthralled by our beauty and calling us to his side. When God calls us, we can run to Him with reckless abandon, leaving our former lives in the dust! It's time to be with God and live a whole new life!

I don't know if I described that well at all, it sounded much better in the study:Z

David Hiding Out

Saul has kept on pursuing David, but again David spared Saul's life when he could've killed him. Saul again said that he would stop chasing David, but this time David knows better than to believe him. He gathered his 600 men and said, "One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand." So they all went to the bad guys' place, and the king was pleased with David and made him his bodyguard. All was well until about the time the Philistines were planning to attack David's homeland. The king said to him, "You must understand that you and your men will accompany me in the army." David was game, but while they were on their way the king's men said, "No way! Send that guy back! He'll turn on us in the middle of the fight!" So the king reluctantly sent David back - good thing for him he did.

BUT when David and his men returned to the towns they were living in, they found that everything had been raided and all the women and children had been carried off! Da-da-da-DAAAAA! David and the mighty men to the rescue!!! Not only did they bring back all their family, but the plundered the enemy as well!!! Huzzah!

Little did David know that his "new friends" the Philistines were whooping up on Israel - and they killed Saul and David's best friend Jonathan.

Let my people GO already!

The Israelites are still in slavery, but God is taking action. He sent bugs on the Egyptians, killed all the animals, sent hail on them, etc. BUT with these plagues, he made a distinction between his children and their enemies. The Israelites did not suffer any of these plagues! Hence, many Egyptians began to believe Moses and fear the LORD, but Pharaoh was still stubborn. About the time he lost his firstborn son to the angel of the LORD, he changed his mind - and instead of just letting them go a little ways off to worship their God, he wanted them out never to return! But the Israelites had something to do first.

I can't find this anywhere, but I remember reading that God told Abraham or Jacob or somebody like that that their descendants would be in slavery for this amount of time. Then they would plunder their enemies and be free.

So the Israelites knocked on the doors of their Egyptian neighbors (who had all lost family members to the plague of death and were now scared to death of them). I assume the conversation went something like this:

"Um, hi! Uh... we're about to leave ya know? And uh, do you have any gold or money or something I could use?"

"Yes! Yeah of course! We've got plenty, here take this jewelry box. Here's our money. Just GET OUT!!!!!"

So this went on, and the Israelites plundered the Egyptians and were ready to go.

Now for the ultimate moving trip!

Faithful With Little

"If you have raced with men on foot

and they have worn you out,

how can you compete with horses?

If you stumble in safe country,

how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?"

~ Jeremiah 12:5

I never remembered reading this verse before. It reminded me a lot of that verse in the parable that Jesus told in Matthew that goes, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things."

I don't know if yall have done this, but I certainly have. Sometimes we as Christians want to do things like go overseas, start a ministry, or otherwise be used by God - but we never remember to do the dishes after lunch. My friend Cherry not recently enough for me to actually find the post about feeling like God was not using her at all. Her mom reminded her that you can't be all caught up in doing great things for God, unless you're faithful with the little everyday things that he gives you to do.

Make A Joyful Noise ~ Even Now by Foolish Things

Trouble came

Broke your door

Crushed your name

Robbed you poor

You feel He’s gone

Or fast asleep

All’s gone wrong

You’re in too deep

He hasn’t left you out to dry

Even Now

You haven’t left His watching eye

Even Now

So children sing it when you don’t see how

My Father’s worthy of my hope

Even now

The feeling’s gone

You’re wondering

If you heard Him wrong

If he’s listening

The same old fear

The same old haze

Is God not here?

Is His hand raised?

Could this be part of any good plan?

Seems to be you’ve fallen out of His hand

When you’re broken, don’t know how to mend

Even Now

When your tunnel’s still dark at the end

Even Now

His children don’t know why but trust their Father’s at their side

So hold His hand - hold up your hope

Even now

Do these lyrics ring a bell with you? Have you ever felt that you've been left out to dry or that You heard his promises wrong?

We recently were expecting another family member. Everyone was excited, thinking about baby names, and guessing whether it would be a boy or a girl - or twins! But our rejoicing time only lasted weeks, instead of years. We had lost the baby.

I was shocked. Why on earth had this happened? Could this be part of any good plan? I turned on the music in my room, and this song by Foolish Things really hit home to me. It helped me remember that God hadn't left us out to dry and he wasn't asleep.

And guess what? Now, my mom is expecting again.

"So children sing it when you don't see how - my Father's worthy of my hope... Even now."

Awarded!!!

I was awarded by Grace 4 God!!!! Thanks girl!!!! Now I get to award somebody... hmm... I pick... MOM!!!!!!!

And here's a note... maybe you already knew that today is Veteran's Day. All too often I forget to pray for our troops. Here is a good reminding video:

Bad Stuff in Good Stuff

I am cursed with only seeing the good part of an idea, event, situation, etc. If somebody new waltzes in with an idea, unless this person is under eight years old, I just jump right in. If somebody has something good to offer, I only see the good part of the idea and have no sense of the danger of it. I have decided that this is a BAD thing. It causes a lot of trouble. When people tell me the bad stuff in these things, I am always disappointed that there is always bad stuff in all the good things. It sounds bad when I say I should try to find the bad in things in the good things, but it is probably safer and less disappointing.

Except a lot of the time I know I'm right and I see the good thing in the thing and nobody else does, but I'm right. Sometimes even Biblically right! And then it makes me mad that nobody knows that I'm right - I mean gee whiz, it's in the Bible!:0 Do I tell them it's in the Bible or just let them go against the Bible? ARG! It's so annoying.

What on earth is the DEAL?

Feminine Fancy

Have you been clothes shopping lately? It is getting colder, and I went to the store a few weeks ago for some new threads. I found some cute jeans and shirts that I went to try on - and boy was I surprised! The jeans fit very well around my waist, but they were VERY tight on the rest of me! I gave a huff and put them back. The tops were next - they were long enough... but way too tight! I was thinking, "Ok, this is alright, all I need to do is pick a bigger size." But when I did, the jeans were too sloppy-looking and the shirts were too baggy! What to do! I looked up and said out loud in the dressing room: "Are there NO cute clothes for modest girls anymore?"

Does this ring a bell with you? Are you too feeling overwhelmed because all the stuff that's in style is just not for a modest girl? What on earth can WE wear?

Well, for your information, I did not get the tight "stylish" clothes. Nor did I settle for the ugly and baggy clothes. The simple fact is... WE DO NOT HAVE TO! Some people think that dressing modestly is wearing fat or grandma clothes and being deprived of nice clothing your whole life. Trust me, it is NOT that way!!!

As girls, we like to be beautiful. We just do. Even if you don't like clothes shopping and all that, there is still something inside you that wants to look nice. I'm sure you have read the "Modesty Mode" article of this magazine, and just because we are not dressing to flaunt ourselves, doesn't mean we have to dress unappealingly! Allow me to give you some tips and some fool-proof cute clothes ideas:

Cute Buys:

Skirts - long ones. You can get them in all styles and colors. Try the spring variation on first and make sure that they are not too short. You can say, "Oh, well I don't really like skirts." But the long, flooshy, soft kind are in style and VERY comfy!

Old Navy Jeans - As of right now, there are three different styles and lengths that they have on the market. The kind that are high-waisted are called "The Sweetheart" jeans. You can get them in three different colors, boot-cut, straight-leg, extra-long, slim, and basically mix and match them to fit your personal taste and style! Oh, and did I mention that they are modest?:P

Cap-sleeved tees - If you're wishing you could wear a nice, cool tank-top in the summer, these little things are the shirts for you! The sleeves are short and just cover the shoulder - very cute! Mind, you DO have to try them on to make sure that they are not too tight, short, etc. But these are the cutest tops on the market, and you can get them anywhere!

Whoops! This Won't Work! What to Do:

Low-necked shirts - Can't pass up that V-neck knit that's on sale? Maybe you got one for free, or can't find anything else in that perfect color to match the skirt you got for Christmas. Let me introduce you to your new best friend - the tank top!!! Get yourself whatever kind or color you like, as long as the neck is high enough for you. You can wear them under a V-neck shirt and make yourself a whole new style! I love them so much I wear them under everything! This also works for tops that are too short, but just too cute otherwise! They stick out under and look very modest and pretty! In fact, even the clothes marketing people are noticing this is cute - now they are selling clothes with tanks, or making the clothes to look like there's a tank under it! Whoo-hoo for the modest girls!

Swimsuits - Yup. You want one that is cute, but you DO NOT want the kind they're wearing! Last year I found the solution. You know those summer warm-up shorts that are way too short that you see women jogging in? Pair those with capri-leggings. The leggings hide all that extra leg, and the warm-up shorts don't hug your rear end! As for the top, you can get a swim-bra or maybe if you're lucky, the tank that came with the shorts has one built in. But if your fortune is not to be so good, say this out loud: UNDERARMOUR!!!! You can get them sleeveless, tank-style, or even long-sleeved if you so choose!!! Don't worry girls - come Summer, you can swim like everyone else - except with a clear conscience!

I hope these tips and tricks helped you, or gave you a good idea on how to be beautiful while serving God! Stay modest ladies! It's worth it, and you're not missing out on anything!

Spiritual Gifts in the Church

I read in 1 Corinthians this morning, and it talked about the different spiritual gifts that God strategically placed in the church. Normally I wouldn't put the whole passage, but it is all very important to my point and you can't miss it!

Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable... But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts.

I once listened to a sermon by the ever awesome Dale Thompson talking about this. And it is very true and perfect how God puts people in the church. For instance, in our church we have a great teacher. We have an apostle who can speak different languages. My dad is a good administrator. We have many people that are great at helping others. You can't wish you had someone else's gift, because yours is just as important as the passage says. Just like the song... "Oh-oh we need each other"!

This was perfect timing for me, because today is the rehearsal, if I may, of our first movie night. Please pray for us as a church in this outreach, that each member may each incorporate their gifts and not hold back, and that is successful for the kingdom of God!

Servant of the LORD

The 23rd Psalm is one of the most well-known passages in the Bible. It is very comforting, beautiful, poetic, true. We all know it was written by David, who was known as "the man after God's own heart". I melt whenever I hear this description! How could a human be after God's own heart?

David's story is one of the most interesting you will ever read. Samuel anoints him king when he is a youth, even though there was already a king in Israel. But David was patient. He didn't jump up and try to seize the throne. He waited on God.

Later, before King Saul had even heard of him, he defeats the giant Goliath in perfect faith that God would do a great work in him. He ends up working as a general and harp-player for Saul - still waiting on God. He was very successful in everything he put his hand to, the people all loved him more than Saul, he was best friends with Saul's son, and he married Saul's daughter. But the king was becoming nervous... would the people make David king instead of him? He got it into his head to kill David, so David had to live as an outlaw. Where was God's promise? How could this happen to him? But did he throw in the towel? No! He trusted, prayed, wrote songs, and gathered followers. God did keep his promise, and David became king. God was with him every step of the way, and he went on to defeat many of Israel's enemies. David faced hardships beyond number, but he trusted God every step of the way. He wrote many Psalms and songs - some even prophesying about the coming of Jesus.

If my assumptions are correct, you are all rolling your eyes and going, "Yes, yes. I know all this. It's even in the Childrens' Bible I read to my little brother." But I encourage you to re-read and study all David's life in the Samuels - there is something new, interesting, and encouraging to read every time. Once I read a chronological Bible where I read something that happened to David, then I read the Psalm he wrote then. It was amazing, and I gained another reason to admire David - he was a writer through and through, and all of it was to God.

Study David! It will be a great experience - trust me!!!!

Job 27-28

This passage is so neat and... writingful!!!! And fitting for the day as well...

"Where then does wisdom come from?

Where does understanding dwell?
It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,

concealed even from the birds of the air.
Destruction and Death say,

'Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.'
God understands the way to it

and he alone knows where it dwells,
for he views the ends of the earth

and sees everything under the heavens.
When he established the force of the wind

and measured out the waters,
when he made a decree for the rain

and a path for the thunderstorm,
then he looked at wisdom and appraised it;

he confirmed it and tested it.
And he said to man,

'The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,

and to shun evil is understanding.' "

So fear the LORD and be wise today as you vote for the president of our country!!!

It Must Be Different Through Your Eyes...

There is this one thing that I pray for more than anything else. It's the thing I want most to happen/am most afraid of NOT happening. I pray for this thing about every day, but one day when I was praying about it, I had a sudden thought. It went sorta like this:

"My sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see." ~ Psalm 40:12

Why should God EVER do ANYTHING for me? I sin way too much, and I can't see this thing will ever happening! I certainly don't do anything for God that would make me deserve this! But he has done so much for me already, that I just hang on to his mercy and trust that he will do his own will. And that's all.

"It must be different through Your eyes

Because You look at me

like its the first time

That You've ever seen my face"

Outward Appearance

"The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

This is what God said to Samuel when he was checking the sons of Jesse out for the new kingship job. I also read a lot of exciting stuff with David and Goliath, Saul throwing spears, Jonathan, etc. But this verse stuck in my head the whole time. I was thinking, "Well, yeah, I don't just look at people's appearance." But then I thought of our debate class. There is a mom that sits in... and all us Taggs are a little afraid of her. She sits there, her face is always glaring and scary, and she never talks to anybody. She never laughs at some joke the teacher cracks or anything funny that happens, and she has a strange habit of sitting in front of smaller kids so they can't see. Soooo... if she walks by any of us, we get a little jittery and intimidated and don't look that way. But when I read that verse I thought, "maybe she's not really scary or grumpy, maybe that's just her natural expression." It's a different situation than Samuel was in, but it's still just focusing on the outward appearance. Hence, I resolved next gym day to smile and say hi to that mom. I'll let you know how it goes:)