The Importance of Time

    For a lot of you, summer is a time to just do whatever you want. Which is usually nothing. For my family, the summer is a time of work, much more so than the other seasons, and there are certain members of my family who prefer winter to summer for just that reason.
    For me, this summer is going to be the last with some of my friends before they go to college. I want to make the most of the time I have left with them, because after this, there won't really be any time when we're just kids anymore. I'm really excited to grow up, and there are some things that I wish I could do now that I have to be older to do, but...more than that, even, I wish I could rewind my life and do the things I did three years ago again, but this time being more aware. I want to be able to remember the good times that I've had and will have with my friends. I don't want to waste the time that I have, because I'm never going to get it back. That's a pretty hard truth that I have to accept.
    It's a pretty hard truth that we all have to accept, one time or another, but most of us put off to deal with. Which is pretty sad, because we never get it back again. We'll never have a chance to re-do the things we messed up, or re-live the moments that we'll remember till we're eighty.
    We need to realize the importance of time. That's something that our culture doesn't seem familiar with any more: importance. Nothing matters. I don't need to worry about it; it's not important. Which, in most cases, is the farthest thing from the truth.
    Time matters so much because it's something that God gives us. I know, God gives us everything. But listen to me. Time is important because if we use it wisely, God will commend us for the good deeds we'll have done, the people we'll have comforted, and the Christ himself we'll have taken in and clothed. It's God's way of saying, "I'm giving you a way to try to make it up to me, what you did to my Son." We'll never be able to make it up; it's impossible. But God is giving us a chance to try. "Do that," He says, "and you'll be doing the very thing my Son asks in return for His sacrifice." There's so much to be done; so little time to do it in. We'll never be able to do everything.
    At the end of the summer, I'm going to look back and say, "I wish I could have done that," but a least I'll have done what I could. I'll have tried. I will have memories that I'll remember when I'm eighty, memories I'll tell my kids and grandkids about. I'll try to instill in them the importance of time. But I can't do that to the best of my ability until I learn it myself.
    Will you try to learn the importance of time? This summer, will you turn off the video games, the computer, and get outside with your friends? Play baseball, watch fireworks, get wet, have fun with other people! Slow down. Time goes by too fast. I'm going to make this a summer to remember.Will you?

In Christ,

Em xoxoxo

Things That Make It Hard To See Him

Where your pleasure is, there is your treasure:

where your treasure, there your heart; where

your heart, there your happiness.

Saint Augustine

    Where is your pleasure? your treasure? your heart? your happiness? I know where mine is, and it's not where it should be.

    I know, you say, everybody says that. Don't leave just yet. Where should it be? What can you do about it?

    I think we all know where it should be. It doesn't necessarily have to be a physical place. It should be above. Jesus should have our heart. I'm not just saying this for girls. This goes for guys, too. It applies to everyone, young or old.

    Here's what you can do about it:

    If you're like me, stuff can get in the way of God. Things to do, too.

    So, if you have trouble seeing God through your stuff, give it to Him. Read it again if you have to. If you give the things that you have to Him, then you can remember, "This is God's. How would he want me to use it?" You could even put a sign up that says something like "How would God want me to use this?" somewhere that you will always see it. It helps to have things to remind you.

    If things to do get in the way of God, (if you're a perfectionist like me, this happens a lot) pray. Sometimes that's all you can do. Give your time over to God. Make it His, not yours. I need to learn to be able to say "What I got done today was good enough, God, because it's what you wanted me to get done." For some of us, that's hard. 

    You'll find me saying over and over that things aren't easy--those of you who have sincerely tried to walk the talk will know that it's true. But what Jesus did was harder that anything we'll ever do, and he did it. Don't we at least owe it to Him to try?
    You'll also find that when you try to do things just because He wants you to, your pleasure will be in Him, and your treasure, your heart, and your happiness will be soon to follow.

In Christ,

Em xoxoxo 

Robert Frost

The Road Not Taken

Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

I absolutely love this poem, I think most because it mirrors me. I've taken the more appealing path and realized my error...it takes a while to get back to the fork in the road. The road less taken has more adventures, and down deep inside, isn't that what we all want? Adventure?

And you know what? In the end, when I'm sitting in front of my God and my Savior, I'll be able to say "I took the path less traveled by, and it has made all the difference."

And it will have.

In Christ,

Em xoxoxo



Welcome!

Hey! Glad you're here. Take a look around and tell me what you like and don't like (For example, colors, font, heck, even an idea for an article if you want). Be polite. No haters, please. Then, when you're done, tell your friends about this!
If you want to talk to me without the whole world knowing, contact me. You can find my email at the "About Me" page. If it's something really, heavy, remember, I'm 15. My dad's a priest, so I may talk to him about it, 'k?
Hope to hear from you.
If you want to get involved (i.e., writing posts, etc.), again, contact me.
Can't wait to hear from you!

In Christ,

Em xoxoxo

Perspective For a Christian Teen

   My family knows a lot about World War II. It has for a long time been a source of interest for me. One of the most interesting things to me was the zeal with which the American men of that generation fought. The soldiers in World War II rarely ever knew what the big picture was. They fought not because they knew it all, but because they knew what was important. It seems that our culture, including Christians, have forgotten what is really important. Do you realize how important your spiritual life is? It’s like war. If you lose the war, all is lost. But with God on your side, you’ll never, ever lose. You need to be a warrior. How close you are to God determines where you are going to go after you die. And I don’t know about you, but all the stuff I’ve heard about hell…well, it’s scary.

   I myself have only very recently started trying to live my life according to God’s will instead of my own. I’m not perfect at it. I’m not even great at it. (Just ask my family!) You’re not going to become a perfect Christian overnight. The war wasn’t won overnight. You probably won’t be a perfect Christian at any time in your life. But that’s a good thing! Because if we were perfect WE WOULDN’T NEED GOD! God is everything; without Him we would not be.

   I’m going to tell you something. Once you look at yourself and make a decision to change yourself (hopefully with the help of God) Satan is going to step up his attack on you! He hates you. His mission is to get your mind off God. He doesn’t care what you’re thinking about, as long as it’s not God. He’ll do all kinds of things to make you change your mind. He never changes your mind; he can’t. He just encourages you to make the decision. He’ll give you things to worry about so you get stressed out and can’t sleep; he’ll use other people; he’ll find your weakest spot and concentrate all of his firepower right there. So be prepared; it won’t be easy! If you mess it up in this life, you’re out of luck. There’s no second chance. Someday, at the name of Jesus Christ every knee shall bow. Every human being who has lived or is living or will live will HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE JESUS CHRIST AS LORD! Would you not rather do it willingly than be forced to?

   I dare you to pray tonight. Tell God you realize you’re wrong and ask him for help. You know what happened when I did it? I didn’t sleep well and I haven’t slept well since. Satan knows my weak spot. He knows yours, too. I double dare you to pray the next time you feel tempted to do something wrong. I’ll tell you one thing that won’t happen: God won’t do all the work for you. He always demands that you give your best. And you have to want him. If you call him, he’ll come, but he won’t come uninvited. Just ask your parents or someone you know who is a really good Christian. They’ll tell you. Do these things. Turn off your cell phone or the TV. Get off the computer or the couch. Get down on your knees and pray. Be sincere. If you choose the life of a follower of Christ, it won’t be easy. But I encourage you, as a teen, to do hard things. And this is a great place to start.

In Christ,

Em xoxoxo