Trees – Guest Posting by Sean

Posted on December 18, 2012 by Lynn

005 Christmas treesTrees.

Trees, although you may not think so, are like us.  They grow like us, they need water like us, and they are made by God; just like us.  You may not think that trees are a big part of Christmas, and they really aren’t.  So I think of them as a metaphor.  In many ways they symbolize our walk with God and God Himself.

They are like us because when they are saplings they are dependent.  They are weak.  They are in need of things, and people.  We also are in need of people, and when I say people I don’t just mean family and friends (they are an important part of life and we need them) but I mean God.  With God we are not weak and we are not exposed to people who will tear us down – like trees might get cut down.

Trees are like our walk with Jesus because they grow strong and become more involved with nature.  Like trees when we walk with God we gain a better  understanding of Christianity and become stronger in our faith.  Although we will still need people to lean on occasionally.   But when we need people and they aren’t there we can always lean on God.

So this Christmas, is God the star at the top of your tree or is He the stand which you hide with a tree skirt?

Sean M. is a a great eight student.  In his free time he likes to paint and play volleyball.

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I’m too young, or are you? – Guest Posting by Tofunmi

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Lynn

1 Timothy 4I’m too young, or are you?

Have you ever felt like the world was against you? Or because you are young, you can’t do anything for God? Well, just know this: you are not alone. No matter how young you are or what you’ve done in the past, God is with you.

Did you ever think how alone Mary may have felt? She was a teenager just like me, she was a child. She was vulnerable but yet she was willing to give birth to the Messiah, the one true Savior; the one who died on the cross for your sins. Now that’s what I call commitment, to risk your reputation and your whole life to do something God has called you to do. 1 Timothy 4:12 says, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” This verse has always been a motto for me, I’ve always been the youngest in all the classes I’ve been in.

Before this was my biggest problem, people considered me lucky to be two years younger than everyone else, but to me, this was an ever growing burden. I held onto this burden for a year until I opened my Bible to First Timothy and read chapter 4. My whole perspective of being young changed.  Instead of being sad about my age, I showed people that I could be young but still be a leader; I could set an example for my peers. All the teenagers out there reading this – I challenge you!  If an angel came to you and told you that you were going to give birth to a child, what would you do? Scream, tell yourself you’re dreaming,  hum ‘Ba Ba Black Sheep’ as loud as you can, or tell him you’ve got the wrong person because you’re a guy!

How many of you would tell the angel ‘ be it unto me, according to thy word’  or say ‘as you wish’? Mary did say all these things and she was only thirteen. For the guys out there, if your girlfriend ( if you have one) tells you she’s pregnant, what would you do? Change your name, get a new phone, and flee the country; ask ‘are you sure?’  More specifically, if your best friend told you an angel told her she was going to give birth to a Savior, would you maybe flat out tell her she’s crazy?

I want to leave you with this word of wisdom, you are born for a purpose. Think about it, if Mary wasn’t born then Jesus wouldn’t have been born and if Jesus wasn’t born then you wouldn’t have a chance to be born again either….

I’m just an eleven year old girl who’s in the eighth grade and has a huge passion for writing. I hope this short piece of writing changes you as much as it did me.

Tofunmi

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Unexpected Gifts – Guest Posting by Kerry

Posted on December 16, 2012 by Lynn

Unexpected Gifts

GiftEcclesiastes 5:19

19 Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God.

Festive lights were strung around the walls, and a Christmas tree smothered with ornaments stood proudly in the middle of the room. A hint of hot chocolate tinted the air, along with the aroma of fresh baked cookies and candy canes. Although all this was terrific, it wasn’t the best part. I couldn’t wait to open the presents.

When gift time finally arrived, I wrenched a box labeled with my name from the cluttered pile of presents beneath the tree and peeled the wrapping away intently. Plunging my hand into the box, thoughts of the new Webkinz I longed for swirled through my mind. In my brain, I imagined its velvety ears and smiling eyes. I knew that this exact toy would make the Christmas complete. My hopes rocketed skywards when my fingers closed around a soft object. Gently, I tugged it out of the box. I expected to see an adorable stuffed horse, but instead, a hideous grey sweater filled my vision. My excitement evaporated. The rest of the day was dull; a gloomy cloud hovering around me.

For the next few weeks, the unattractive pullover sat in an abandoned puddle at the back of my closet. Other clothes were frequently worn, but I paid no attention to this repulsive garment.

Suddenly, an icy, winter day forced me to wear the depressingly grey sweater. I reluctantly dressed in it, but the reluctance soon transformed into joy. To my surprise, the sweater was extremely comfortable and surrounded me in a blanket of warmth. Through the whole day, I wondered why I had ignored this piece of clothing for so long.

God gives us gifts that appear in all shapes and sizes. Some may come in glitzy packaging or may seem to fit right into your life. On the other hand, some are disguised in dull coverings or can be inconvenient at the time.

Sometimes you receive presents from God that you want to thrust far away from your life, but that’s not what God wants you to do with them. He intends for you to use them and make them into something that will glorify Him. God has a purpose for all things and He uses these things that seem unpleasant for good.

Kerry is a grade seven student who enjoys writing and reading. You can find her reading, drawing or playing basketball in her spare time.

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