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#25- Read Through the Entire Bible

About a year ago I received a Bible reading schedule and a challenge. Two days ago (Saturday, November 29th) I finished the challenge. As you have probably guessed the challenge was to read through the Bible, no time limit, just the hope that I would hide God’s word in my heart. Thanks to the Lord I did. I believe that reading all of the Bible, God’s word to us, is a huge step in your Christian walk. I hope to read through the Bible again this year. My family was such a blessing to me and an encouragement when I finished. Can not wait to see how God will teach and guide me this next year!

Priscilla

Posted by Posted in 100 Hard Things Challenge, challenges, do hard things, faith, Family, Home, I was thinking..., Living for God, me, music, myth of adolescence, songs, stuff to do, teens, teens doing big things, the rebelution

#11- Started Playing More Worship Music on the Piano

I have been playing the piano about 5 years. My skills are far from perfected but I have in the past few years started playing more complex pieces. I enjoy the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit music and I played that music last year and started playing music from the Narnia movies this year. I did play some worship songs, even performing at one of our community group Christmas parties. However, after attending a bible study (and worship time) with some friends I felt compelled to buy a piano book with worshipful songs in it and start playing worship music even more. I purchased the ‘Best of Hillsong’ piano book which has over 25 worship songs. I really enjoy Hillsong music and it would be a good challenge for me to start learning how to play and have people sing along. I just received the book I ordered today and started playing the song ‘Came to my rescue’. I loved that I could play songs that glorified God. I still enjoy playing my other music too but now I am grateful that I can start playing music that could be used for broader purposes (ex. family worship time, playing at nursing homes, etc.). Music is a really beautiful thing, there are all sorts of styles and music can be uplifting and joyful to show glory to God. The first question in the Westminster Shorter Catechism is:

Q. What is mans primary purpose?
A. Mans primary purpose is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

One way we can glorify and enjoy God is by praising him through our music. We hear about Miriam, David and others who sang praise songs to their God! In fact the entire book of Psalms is a lot of praise songs. The Song of Ascent psalms are songs that the people of God would sing when on their way to the temple (church). Many times now, music is focused on the singers voice and looks instead of praise to God. So let us glorify God by the music we play, sing and listen too. Here are the lyrics to the Hillsong song I am playing now:

“Came To My Rescue”

Falling on my knees in worship
Giving all I am to seek your face
Lord all I am is yours

My whole life
I place in your hands
God of Mercy
Humbled I bow down
In your presence at your throne

I called you answered
And you came to my rescue and I
I wanna be where you are

My whole life
I place in your hands
God of Mercy
Humbled I bow down
In your presence at your throne

I called you answered
And you came to my rescue and I
I wanna be where you are
[x2]

In my life be lifted high
In our world be lifted high
In our love be lifted high
[x3]

I called you answered
And you came to my rescue and I
I wanna be where you are

Praise be to the Lord!

Priscilla

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#9- Weeded Garden

Ok, you may look at the list of what I have done so far and go, “Hmm, she has done an awful lot of housework.” I understand that. God has recently been teaching me to be faithful in the little things during this challenge. I’m a go getter, I have big plans and ideas and though I don’t mind doing little things, I felt like I wasn’t doing “hard enough” things. After talking to my mom, I believe the Lord was telling me that it is ok to do “small hard things” and wait for chances to do big hard things. So my hard thing (for Saturday actually) is weeding the garden. We have a pretty large garden and I have been taking care of it this year. A couple weeks back I took Drivers Ed in the mornings and was unable to weed it, so this week our bean plot was full of weeds. This Saturday, I weeded, mowed and trimmed the whole garden, in the morning, and I still had time to help with other projects. I don’t know about you but Saturday’s at the Bowers are a whole lot of work. But hard work is good for you. As my mom always says, ‘work is the best fun’. I have grown up doing household tasks, yard work and more, plus any other projects that I am doing (clubhouse, 4H projects and soon to come chicken coop and chickens!). If you want something, you work toward it. So even though weeding the garden isn’t the hardest of things to do, it speaks of hard work and doing the simple small hard things to glorify God!

Priscilla

Posted by Posted in 100 Hard Things Challenge, Bible, Bible attributes, Bible characteristics, challenges, do hard things, faith, Home, I was thinking..., Living for God, me, myth of adolescence, stuff to do, teens, teens doing big things, the rebelution, time, words

#8- Decided to stop reading the ‘Peeved section’

Our town newspaper, the Mooresville tribune is delivered to us every Friday. I don’t usually read much of it, I skim the contents, read the ‘Peeved’ section and put it down. The ‘Peeved’ section is basically where people in Mooresville can enter complaints to the newspaper and they get published. Yeah. At first it was funny to read people’s rants, then it got ridiculous and then today I read the ‘Peeved’ section for the last time. Literally. My hard thing today was a personal decision to stop reading the ‘Peeved’ section. I used to do it just for fun but reading material like that isn’t uplifting. Doesn’t it say in Phillipians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice!” Or “Whatever is true and honorable, think on these things.” Is it truly honorable to be reading complaints? I can use that time to read the Bible. Which is the second part of my hard thing. When I see the newspaper sitting around and I am tempted to go read it, instead I will go get my Bible and find a good chapter to read instead. Think about what things you read, watch and listen to that is not honorable and then change.

Priscilla

Posted by Posted in 100 Hard Things Challenge, Books to Read, challenges, do hard things, Fun Stuff, Home, Living for God, me, myth of adolescence, stuff to do, teens, teens doing big things, the rebelution, time, words

#6-Made a list of 15 “christian” books I would like to read

I decided to make a list of books I wouldn’t normally read but I should read, and read them! So I went around the what seems like hundreds of book shelves in our house and found 15 books I would like to read. (There are a couple other books my Dad gave me to read that are not included in the initial 15…) Here they are!!!

1. The Passion of Jesus Christ by John Piper
2. Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot
3. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
4. Questioning Evangelism by Randy Newman
5. The Fred Factor by Mark Sanborn
6. Cleared for Takeoff by Bob Griffin
7. Radical by David Platt
8. Enjoy Your Bible by Irving L. Jensen
9. Bloodwork by Anthony J. Carter
10. War of Words by Paul David Tripp
11. Worldliness by C.J. Mahaney
12. Created for Work by Bob Shultz (this book was geared toward boys but I remember reading it as a family a long time ago and wanted to reread it…)
13. A Little Book for New Theologians by Kelly M. Kapis
14. 52 Ways to Know Your Bible Better (unknown author)
15. The Serving Leader by Jennings and Stahl-wert

The books my Dad gave me to read are:

1. Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper (almost finished with it now!)
2. Concise Theology by J.I. Packer
3. Whats in the Bible by R.C. Sproul and Robert Wolgemuth

There are lots of good books out there! And no, theology and “christian” books are not just for grownups and pastors. Us teens can learn a lot from these sort of books. (Max Lucado does have some great “christian” books written just for teens. I have read “Wild Grace” and “Facing Your Giants” Both are really good and I would totally recommend them)

Thanks for taking some time to read this post! Now maybe you can go read some other good things too! 🙂

Priscilla