2nd Day of Christmas

Hey guys! For our second day in our 12 Day  of Christmas series we are doing a SUPER cute, crafty DIY. We will be doing TWO Christmas centerpieces that are super cute, festive, inexpensive, and fun! In addition to the centerpieces, we will have a Christmas devotional. Hope you enjoy!

First take a glass bowl of some sort. It can be decorative or plain. Add as many round, ball ornaments as will fit  comfortably in the bowl. If possible, add a variety of colors or textures. Finally, add a simple Christmas wreath around the bowl. Place on a table and its complete!

Upward view^

Side view^

"Normal" view ^


First take a wicker "plate" or some thing similar. Next, place a glass vase in the center of it. Preferably a wider vase as we are putting things into it. Then, take a festive candle (I chose a silver sparkly one) and set it inside the vase. Finally, add either a simple Christmas wreath or a fake berry wreath like shown in the picture around the vase. You can find these at any craft store during the holidays. Set it on a table and its complete!

Christmas Devotional:

"Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store, maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more." -Grinch (Dr. Seuss)

Dr. Seuss had  lot of hidden meanings in his work. This particular quote is just one example. Our society is so focused on gifts, decorations, and the busyness of the season (none of which are necessarily bad. However when they become a higher priority than Jesus it is.) to pay attention to why we celebrate Christmas in the first place. Jesus's birth is just the beginning of an amazing story! Christmas is more than what comes from a store, it's about Jesus. Never forget the amazing things He has done! Remember, CHRISTmas begins with CHRIST. It's easy to get caught up in the season, make sure to take the time to focus on God and His word this Christmas.

Don't Follow Your Heart

"Follow your heart" 

We have all heard that phrase many times. We see it all over Pinterest and Instagram; we are constantly surrounded by people telling us to "Follow our heart". If I could only give someone one piece of advice, it would be: "DON'T FOLLOW YOUR HEART!"  Let's look at the first of many scripture verses in this post:  Jeremiah 17:9- "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?"  Notice it says 'the heart is deceitful'. Our hearts can betray us. Our hearts are emotional, we need wisdom as well.

      As Christians, we shouldn't be following our heart, we should be following the convictions of the Holy Spirit.  1 Chronicles 16:11 says,  “Search for the LORD and for his strength; continually seek him.”

1 Corinthians 6:19 says, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;”  This is saying that we do not belong to ourselves, therefore we should be following God's heart, not our own. For God has more wisdom than anyone can imagine.     

     Most teenagers hate depending on people. They don't like the idea of not being able to do things themselves (me included!) They want to be independent and make their own decisions. Read this quote by John Bevere, "When we invite the Holy Spirit into our decision making processes, He will ALWAYS bear witness through the peace of Christ Jesus."  While the overall first impression of following our heart sounds okay, it's not. Here's the tough truth: When you follow your own heart, it's saying that your priorities and what you want in life is higher than God's priorities and His will for you. Ouch. That kinda stings, but we often do just that, often without meaning to! Continuing off of that, By following our heart, we are turning against God and living a life self-focused instead of Christ-focused.

     Psalm 37:4 says, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Now this is not saying that God is a Genie and will grant you any wish you want. No, this verse is saying that if we truly delight in the Lord, what we will want is what God desires and wants for our lives. Remember, God wouldn't withhold something good from your life unless there is something better waiting for you.

     John 16:13 has a great message, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”

When you place your trust in God, the Holy Spirit will guide you and help you with discernment and wisdom. 

     I know this post is getting long and I'm almost done. I feel very strongly on the topic of fully surrendering yourself to God and His wisdom so I want to help others the best I can. William Booth said this, "The greatness of a man's power is in the measure of his surrender." Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When we live by the convictions of the Holy Spirit and strive to do the will of God, IT WILL SHOW! Acts 1:8 stated that when we have the Holy Spirit we will be witnesses to the people around us. And as followers of Christ (not our own hearts and desires) being examples and living a life as a testimony to God is something we should all strive to do. Your life is your ministry. Thanks so much for reading this post! Remember that while we see only a part of a simple sketch of our lives, God sees a mural full of paint and color. He knows what's best, lean on Him and trust Him with everything. -Maddie

Respect

***Hey Guys! I am posting today because I missed Monday. Sorry about that. I was traveling home from a conference and was crazy busy. Hope you are blessed by this post***

"Show respect to people who don't deserve it, not as a reflection of their character, but of yours." -Dave Willis

If we want to be respected, we must show respect to others. Respecting others, especially to those who don't deserve it, is very difficult and frustrating. However, when we give respect to others, whether or not they deserve it, is shows that we are of good character and have a good heart.  

      Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor. (1 Peter 2:17 NIV)

       Also, by showing respect to people, tells others that we are not rude, or judgemental. Now, I'm not saying that you have to like what someone is doing or like their life choices to respect them. Respecting someone shows that that person has value, worth, and a purpose. There are many people I don't agree with or honestly like, however, we must remember that all people are children of God; and we must see others through the eyes of the Lord. 

     For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. (Luke 22:27 NIV)

    In that verse, Jesus served others. Let that sink in, the creator of the universe, Lord of Lords, Lamb of God, washed His disciples feet. He respected them, even though He was higher than them. Jesus respected others. To truly be children of God, we must follow Christ's example by respecting and serving others. ~ⓜⓐⓓⓓⓘⓔ {Proverbs 31:30}

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