Miss Lucy 'A Family Girl'

by Miss Monica June

This is my friend Miss Lucy. We sing together in our local Christian Girls Choir and she agreed to be in our August Issue. I have a lot of fun with Lucy and something that is special about our friendship is that we can talk about God together. I don't often find other teen girls my age that want to talk about our Savior, but Lucy does. This makes our friendship built on the Solid Rock.

GGM:Tell me about your childhood and family, and where you grew up?
Miss Lucy: I have grown and am still growing up in Northern California. I have 4 siblings, and 2 are married. And I have two amazing christian parents who love me.

GGM: How many siblings do you have? And what is something special about each of them?
Miss Lucy: I have 1 brother and 3 sisters. Erin is my oldest sister and she is very kind to me, I want my marriage to be just like hers. My brother is a big inspiration in his music to me. My sister Rosie is the person I want to be when I grow up, every one loves her and she is always loving, kind and sweet every day even if she doesn't feel like it. My sister Caitlin is very funny you could be really mad about some thing and she can make you smile.


GGM: What are some girly things you do with your mother and sisters?
Miss Lucy: We have girl nights at my sisters house when her husband is gone and sometimes just us sisters have sleep overs at her house and have home made waffles for breakfast.

GGM: How do you spend father-daughter time with your dad? What things to do you together?
Miss Lucy: Go out to ice cream just him and I, once a year there is this father daughter camping trip and we go to that, he takes me for a ride on his motorcycle, he helps me make some thing that I've wanted to make for a while, and he holds me.

GGM: Who would you say has been your biggest influence and inspiration?
Miss Lucy: My sister Rosie and my brother in law's sister Elizabeth Watkins.

GGM: Please share which passage of the Bible has been a great encouragement to you.
Miss Lucy: I don't really have one but my favorite bible verse is John 3:16.

GGM: Tell us how you got started singing in your local Christian Girl's Choir.
Miss Lucy: My oldest sister Erin was in the choir when she was a teen, but that was when it was one choir for boys and girls so my brother was in it too. Then when Rosie turned 6 she got to go, then when Caitlin joined it wasn't for boys and girls any more, just girls. And when I turned 6 then I got to go. And I've been going ever since.


GGM: What are your favorite hobbies? And why do you like them?
Miss Lucy: I like to sing because I can, I like to be with my animals, cause their my friends, and I like to play the piano and play the guitar, because they're beautiful sounding.

GGM: What have you read in your Bible lately that has really spoken to you?
Miss Lucy: I've been reading the stories from the bible and I really like the story of Joseph and the beautiful coat and how that even though his brothers sold him he saw it in a good way and he forgave them. And he did what God tells all of us to do.......to love our enemies.

GGM: Tell us about your homeschool.
Miss Lucy: I really like my home school system. I home school through C.O.R.E. and that's my charter school, but its really cool cause I get to see what public school is like and I've made good Christian friends there and the teachers are really cool and fun.

GGM: What is your favorite subject to learn about and why? Miss Lucy: History because I get to learn about what has already happened to our ancestors.

GGM: What sort of things do you do with your family?
Miss Lucy: We have family nights on every Sunday evening and my mom cooks a big great dinner for us and we play with our niece and nephew and my brother Chris' and Leslys' new puppy and then we all have dessert.

GGM: What is your favorite Christian songs and how does God speak to you through those?
Miss Lucy: I like the songs from KLOVE because they show me that even if being a Christian means that the rest of the word is doing something that isn't Godly, doesn't mean you have to be like the world.

GGM: What family traditions are important to you that you want to pass down to your future family someday?
Miss Lucy: On Christmas Eve we have a crab and shrimp dinner, and on New Years Eve we have Chinese food and my dad makes wontons, And having family nights on Sunday evenings.

GGM: What do you do when you get bored?
Miss Lucy: I play piano, go on the computer, practice guitar, and SWIM!
GGM: Do you like to ride your bike, if so, where?
Miss Lucy: I like to ride it to my sister's house.
GGM: Your rabbit is very cute, but what do you do for them when it gets so hot here?
Miss Lucy: When it gets hot in the summer, I put a soda bottle filled with frozen water and put it in my rabbit's cage. It lays next to the water bottle and it gets cooled off.

GGM: Do you have a special place where you have your devotions?
Miss Lucy: Yes, I like to sit up in the top of my old playhouse.

I hope I can play guitar better one day too :) Oh, and my dog Rusty is my best friend :P

Thank you for allowing me to come take your pictures and interview you for the August issue Miss Lucy. I had a lot of fun in fellowship with you today.

Miss Monica June is a young teen girl who is homeschooled and is pursuing her artistic talent of jewelry making. She enjoys cooking and encouraging others to share about their education at From The Learning Room.

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Dashen Acorns

by Miss Monica June


When you come to a tree, look at its branches and the ground around it for some acorns. Only oak trees have acorns as their fruits. Acorns have very many different shapes, but all of them pretty much look like acorns.

Just like how all Christians look different, they should all still love God.

From late August through December, many species of oak are ripening for collection. Ripening dates are different from year to year and from state to state by as much as three to four weeks, making it very hard to use actual dates to determine maturity.

The best time to collect acorns, is when they begin falling. Best picking is late September to the first week in November, but it depends on oak tree species and location within the United States. The acorn is perfect when it is plump and the top of it comes off easy.

Now God is walking around picking us up and dusting us off and he WILL use you to create something beautiful (like a tree).

The two most important factors for caring for the acorns that you will plant are: not allowing the acorns to get dried out for a long time and not allowing the acorns to get too hot. Acorns will lose their ability to grow very quickly if they get dried out.

God does not want us to dry out. He gives us water (the Bible) and we will not get hot (have sin).

When you're picking your acorns you need to keep them in the shade, and put them in your refrigerator as soon as you can if you are not planting them right away. Do NOT freeze you acorns!

God will keep us under the shadow of the Almighty. He will keep us in the shade so we do not dry out.

Psalm 91:1 "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."


Germinating and Potting Acorns:
After figuring out when you want to plant your acorns, you should take the best looking acorns (plump and rot-free) and place them into very loose potting soil in one-gallon gardening pots or very deep containers. The tap root will grow very quickly down to the bottom of the containers, but the width of the root is not as important.

The Hebrew word for fat is, Dashen. It means, to be fat, grow fat, become fat, become prosperous, and anoint.
Just how the acorn is fat and plump, we as Christians are fat and prosperous.

When we are in Christ we are plump and rot-free!

Proverbs 28:25 "He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat."
When we put our trust in God and are living in his word, we are plump and rot-free!

Containers should have holes in the bottom for drainage. Place your acorns on their sides at a depth of one half to one times the width of the acorn. Keep the soil moist but still having air. Make sure your pots do NOT freeze!

Transplanting Acorns:
Don't allow an oak seedling’s tap root to grow out of the bottom of the container and into the soil below. This will break the tap root. If it is possible, seedlings should be moved as soon as the first leaves open and become firm. But before the root gets to deep. The planting hole should be twice as wide and deep as the pot and root ball. be very careful and remove the root hall. Gently set the root ball in the hole with the root crown on the soil surface. Fill the hole with soil, firmly tamp it and soak.

God will soak us in His word so we can grow and be a beautiful Christian (oak tree) :D


Miss Monica June is a young teen girl who is homeschooled and is pursuing her artistic talent of jewelry making. She enjoys cooking and encouraging others to share about their education at From The Learning Room.

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Spiritual Vision

Do you ever get that goopy stuff in your eye and you can't see clearly? It kind of interrupts your life, don't you just despise that?!?

In 1 Samuel 3:1 it says, “And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.”

The last part of it says that there was no open vision. You'll see in this story that Eli was not only losing his physical sight but also his spiritual spiritual sight. Eli’s sons were living wickedly and he knew that they were, but he was doing nothing about it.

Then the Lord sent a little boy named Samuel into Eli’s life. Samuel grew up in the temple with Eli and Samuel learned the way of the Lord.

1 Samuel 3:2 “And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;”

Physically, Eli’s eyes began to wax dim which means to be blind. Also, he was spiritually blind. He loved the lord but his sons did not and they were living wickedly and taking advantage of the temple and Eli knew it and he did not do anything about it, which is why I believe he began to be spiritually and physically blind.

Through all the disappointment, God was with Eli when he gave Samuel a dream.

1 Samuel 3:3-14, "3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was,

4 and Samuel was laid down to sleep; That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.

5And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. 6And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. 7Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him. 8And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child. 9Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth. 11And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. 12In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. 13For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. 14And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever."

Now God is very angry with Eli because he did not stop his sons from doing wrong. These next verses will tell you what God asks Samuel to do.

"15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision. 16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I. 17 And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee. 18 And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good. 19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD. 21 And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD."

We have to be careful about sin, because we will be spiritually blind and we don’t want that, we want to be able to hear God and to study his word. We need to apply Jesus to our eyes so we can see clearly.

Miss Monica June is a young teen girl who is homeschooled and is pursuing her artistic talent of jewelry making. She enjoys cooking and encouraging others to share about their education at From The Learning Room.

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Wildflowers in California

by Miss Monica June

There are many kinds of wildflowers and I just love them all! The California flower is the 'Poppy' and is protected by the law. It is the state flower and they want to protect it. The blooms close at night and on cloudy days. Wildflowers are just so beautiful! I have always just wanted to walk in a field full of them! Aren't we all so glad that God created wildflowers?!? When it is sunny, they open and face the sun. Shouldn't we all face the Son? When darkness comes believers close up to darkness, but the light opens their hearts.

They are all just so pretty! In the summer my family takes long drives in the countryside outside our town and take many pictures of them. We use that time for our photography studies in our homeschool and have many pictures of wildflowers.

Here is a poem I write and I would like to share it with you.

Wildflowers any shape or size,
they are all so beautiful,
just like a big surprise!
Poppies, bluebells,don't forget the daffodil,
wonderfully spread all over the hill.

Miss Monica June is a young teen girl who is homeschooled and is pursuing her artistic talent of jewelry making. She enjoys cooking and encouraging others to share about their education at From The Learning Room.

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Let's Go Fly A Kite

"Let's go fly a kite, up to the highest heights, let's go fly a kite and send it soaring!"

Don't we all love to fly kites?!? It is so fun watching a dragon an airplane or even just a normal kite soaring through the air! This month is National Kite flying month and I would like to share with you the history of the kite.

No one really knows the exact date and origin of the kite,but some people believe that they were flown in China more than two thousand years ago. For thousands of years kites have explored the heavens of many nations of the world. They have been used for pastimes and amusements for young and old alike. Many people enjoyed them and many people still do today. Kite flying is a cultural hobby and enjoyed in many communities all over the world.

Here are some tips for kite flying:

1. Make sure that it is a windy day. If there is a flag near by look at it and if it is gently flapping then it is a good day for kite flying, but if it is moving rapidly then I suggest that you not fly your kite that day.
2.If you want to fly a kite, make sure there are no buildings, trees, or power lines nearby.
3. Do not fly it in a thunderstorm or when it is raining.
4. The best place to fly your kite, is in a large open open field.

Another good point is, that before you put your kite in the air, make sure there aren't any holes or other tripping hazards ahead of you. That way when you start to run and have your kite take off you won't trip over anything.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Kite fun!~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If you would like to make a word search take these words and put them on this link then print!The reason that there is no space in a few of the words is because if you put a space in them, then it will separate the word in the word search. Have fun!

BENJAMINFRANKILN
DOWEL
FLYINGLINE
KITE
PICNIC
REEL


SPAR
SPINE
STRING
SUNNYDAY
TAIL
TWINE
WIND


Miss Monica June is a young teen girl who is homeschooled and is pursuing her artistic talent of jewelry making. She enjoys cooking and encouraging others to share about their education at From The Learning Room.

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Dealing With Emotions

This week my mom has been talking with me about emotions. She told me to read Lady Rachel's article on Emotion Commotion, which really helped me. When I read her article some of the verses she put on there really spoke out to me. Here are a few,

Proverbs 29:23
"A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit."

Psalm 31:20
"Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues."

Proverbs 16:18
Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.


I have been dealing with a lot of emotions lately, not the good kind that is, and I wanted to change the emotions I have been dealing with and make them be good ones such as; love, peace and gentleness. I want to work on those so I can have a better relationship with people.

Miss Monica June is a young teen girl who is homeschooled and is pursuing her artistic talent of jewelry making. She enjoys cooking and encouraging others to share about their education at From The Learning Room.

The Star

The other night I went to a Christmas party with the teens in my church group. It is where you can go around and steal someone's gift or go open a new one. I got to take a gift from someone and it was a whole set of Bible things!! I got a book called, "Wonderful Names of our wonderful Lord (WNWL)." Then I got a set with a Bible dictionary, a Bible concordance and a Bible handbook! I was so excited! This morning I was reading a little devotion in the WNWL book and I wanted to share it with you all. One of the names of our wonderful Lord is, that He is "A Star."

Numbers 24:17, "I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth."

What could be a more perfect name for God than "A Star?" It shines so brightly that nobody not even if you tried, can get away from it. When the wise men were guided by the star to get them to Bethlehem they always could see it. It never left them and it was always by them. God is just like that.

He is the Star and we will always see it in any sort of trouble that we are in or if we need some help he is always there helping us to see Him all along the way. In the devotion in the book it says, "...a morning STAR, promise of a better day." So if you get up early in the morning it will be easier to find the Star because it is quiet and calm in the morning.

The Sailors navigate the oceans at night by watching the "star's." Just how we can navigate this dark world by watching the "Star."

Dear God, Thank-you that I could find this devotion in my book today Lord, so I could share it with everyone! Help me to apply it to my life today and thank-you for showing me your Star this morning. Amen

Miss Monica June 'A Serving Girl'

GGM: Tell us about your companion, Lady.
MJ: Lady is my dog. She is part Chihuahua, Sheltie and Dachshund. I take good care of her. I keep her nails trimmed with the Peti-Cure. I feed her, give her water and bathe her. Her coat always looks so shiny when I'm done. She sits in my lap when I'm working on the computer and sits on my desk when I'm doing my studies. She has been a model for me too. My mom is teaching me photography and Lady is a very good model.

GGM: How cute Miss Moni! It sounds like you're taking very good care of her. Do you help with other things around the house?
MJ:Yes, each month mom switches the housework up. Last month my job was to take care of the guest bathroom, which is also the bathroom I share with my three other siblings. I also check to see if the garbage bins get out on Mondays. Sometimes my dad rushes out and I want to be of help to him and make sure it gets done. This month it will change again and I have no idea what I'll get to do.

GGM: Maybe you'll get something less grungy this time Miss Moni. ;O)
MJ: Thanks Mom. :O)

GGM: Miss Moni can you tell us about your last family vacation?
MJ:Yes, we went to southern California in May to visit my Non and Poppop and got to stay at Aunt Susan's house on the lake. We went to some amusements parks and cooked together most of the nights. My Poppop has a BBQ pit and we got to roast marshmallows and make Smore's. Spending time with my family is a time I won't forget. Poppop had heart problems recently and we want to enjoy every moment we have with him.

GGM: Miss Moni what do you want to do with your life?
MJ: Well my mom says that my number one job will be to be a good wife one day and hopefully a mom. I am willing to go to the mission field if my future husband is called by God to do that. I have a strong feeling in my heart that I need to tell as many people as possible about going to heaven. My mom says that in order for me to be a good witness in another country someday I should be working on doing that right here where I live now. I go evangelizing in my town every week.

GGM: Do you like to cook Miss Moni?
MJ:Yes, I really enjoy cooking. My mom built me a blog to surprise me. I like to put recipes and am working on some new video cooking segments for that site too. We're also looking for a new template design. I make up my own recipes too. The best part is tasting the recipes.

GGM: You sound very creative Miss Moni. Are you creative in other areas of your life?
MJ: My mom says I am. I get to have Miss Charlene's boys over every Tuesday night when she goes to a Bible class with my mom. Timmy, Gina, Landon, and Brady all do crafts with me. I try to make them Bible related and I show Brady the signs for the things I teach them. I also like to make jewelry. I could do that all day!

GGM: Miss Moni tell us something that your parents have done for you that you appreciate?
MJ: There was a time when I heard someone talk about one of the best things they've ever done for their kids and I looked at my mom and said, "The best thing you ever did for me was bring me home to homeschool." There are times when I miss my friends and feel like I'm 'missing out' on all the fun they're having, but my mom reminds me of the family bond that we're creating and after almost losing Poppop I see why she tells me this. She says that friends are nice to have, but the family relationships are more important. She gets sad because her family doesn't come to see us very often, but we are making new traditions for our own family now. We are very close with Non and Poppop even though we don't see them very often.

GGM: Yes family is very important. What kind of traditions are you talking about Miss Moni?
MJ: Well we always share our holidays with other people and my mom makes up new ones almost every year. The other day we went to The Sarah Home to have Thanksgiving with the ladies that didn't have family to be with. Most other people celebrate December 25th and get sad when they are alone, so we invite people to have a big breakfast with us every year. We don't make a Thanksgiving dinner on December 25th like many other families do. We just eat a really big breakfast with all the extras.

GGM: That sounds yummy, can you tell us more?
MJ: The night before we do a lot of preparation. We scrambled the eggs in a big bowl, cover them and place in the fridge. We also pre-make the pancakes and french toast so we only need to microwave them. We set the coffee maker to start on it's own too. Mom gets up early and makes home made biscuits, bacon, sausage, and gravy. We get to help cook the eggs and set the table with butter and syrup. We pour the milk into a chilled ceramic pitcher, because it looks nicer on the table than a gallon jug from the store.

GGM: What other traditions does your family partake in during this time of year?
MJ: We get to help with the Coats for Kids drive and Adopt a Family gift program that gives food boxes and gifts to needy families. My dad's ministry also gives away a car every year. Our ministry staff submits needy families to our founder and the leadership team prays about who t give it to. They get cars donated during the year and the men in the program work on the cars to get them working better. We get to be there when they unveil the car, which is filled with food and gifts to a special family. We always make sure the family is there and the news crew is there too! We always end up crying when we see how it touches their lives and when we see the expression on their faces.

GGM: That certainly is a giving spirit that your family, ministry, and town does for those needy families Miss Moni.
MJ: Thank you. I got to go with my dad, mom, two ladies from The Sarah Home, and Mrs. Fickert to shop on Black Friday to get the gifts for those children. It's fun to pick out things for those kids. Mrs. Fickert is the one I interviewed a while back for the fire safety. She is in charge of this gift giving program.

GGM: So you like to give to others?
MJ: Yes, my mom tells me that when I was little I would always buy treats for other kids at the snack bars. I would spend all my money on others. She is teaching how to do that with wisdom now.

GGM: Tell us about your siblings Miss Moni.
MJ: Well we all love Timmy so much! My sisters and I are so happy mom and dad got to have a boy. He is so funny and cute. We are letting him be a leader when dad isn't home. If he says that a television program has 'bad' music we tell him how wise he is and then ask him what we should do. When he says to turn it off we say, "Yes sir" to him. It's so cute! Mom says that this will train him to take a stand on his own one day.

GGM: What about your sisters?
MJ: I love my sisters. We don't get along ALL the time, but I like bedtime when Jess and I sing together and get to talk. Gina has a sweet heart and I make sure her glasses aren't still on her face when she goes to sleep. I will play baby dolls with her sometimes, because that's what she likes to do.

GGM: That is so sweet Miss Moni. Thank you for sharing about your family and we pray you'll have a wonderful winter season celebrating your family traditions.

Thankful For What We Have

by Miss Monica June

Thanksgiving is one of the most important holidays. We have so much to be thankful for. We have delicious food for everyday, warm clothes, a house, and a family . While others don't have very much at all. People in Africa have to eat bugs, live in mud huts without running water and lights, and they barely have any clothes! Sometimes we think that we have it rough, but there's always someone else who has it rougher.

We should be Thankful for what we have and not to complain. Any time you don't get what you want, remember you have a lot and others might not. Be thankful for what you have, and enjoy every day that you have.

If you have a local homeless shelter, you might want to ask your parents if you can go serve them dinner this month. When you see low income children come in you can be kind to them and talk to them. Maybe you can even get some toys from the Dollar Store to take to them that day. When we see other people that have less than us, it sure makes us more thankful.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

Serving Veterans

by Miss Monica June

Every year my church hosts a dinner for Veterans Sunday. All the Veterans in our area are invited to come to our church and we sing songs that glorify God and honour our nation, America. We show videos that honor those who served on 9/11 and we play some videos have to do with soldiers fighting to make America a free country. After our church is over, the veterans and their families dine in our small building used for our teen classes. A special teen group gets to help serve them and fellowship with them. This year I get to be in that group and that is a great honour getting to serve those that made our country be free. These following verses have to do with serving others.

Matthew 15:34
And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes.

Matthew 15:36
And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

Mark 6:38
He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.

Mark 6:41
And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.

Mark 6:43
And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.

Mark 8:7
And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them.

In these verses when Jesus took the little boy's food to feed it to the multitude, I didn't see the little boy get anything out of it. But Jesus fed many people with the boy's food. So, when I go to serve the veterans on Sunday I don't need to whine or complain why I didn't get anything out of it, because like I said it is an honour to serve those who serve and have served our country. Remember when you do something and you don't get anything out of it, it is because it is good to serve others that have served you.


Relatives in our family who have served in our nation's military:
My dad served in the Navy.
My two great grandfathers on my dad's side served in the Army.
My grandfather, my mother's dad, served in the Navy.
My mother's Uncle Doug was in the Air Force.
My mother's cousin, Todd and his wife Maria were both in the Army which is how they met while serving in Germany. They've had eleven children and currently live in Illinois. Cousin Todd now serves as a firefighter.
My mother's grandfather on her mother's side served in the Marines as did his father before him.
My mother's Uncle Randy served in the Marines .
My mother's Step-Dad, my Grandpa Kerry, served in the Air Force.

A very special thank you to my family who served this nation well so that I can live in a free country. (((hugs))) To all of you!

Faith Factor Tips

Most people want to be wise. Even I do! In this following verse it teaches you a way you can be wise.

~Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.
(emphasis mine)

You can win souls to be wise and we need to obey the Bible. I love to go out to tell people about Jesus, because one day when we all go to Heaven that person will be happy that I told them about Jesus. It should be a blessing to go out soul winning and telling people about Jesus. Here are some tips on how to be bold when sharing your faith.




TIPS:

1. Understand what it means to lead someone to trust in Jesus and study up!

2. Pray that God will cross your path with someone who is ready to receive Christ as their Saviour.

3. You could go to a Christian book store and purchase tracts to carry with you hand out through out the day.
. Hand out at grocery store

. At the book store

. And wherever you are like when you are out and about.

4. Give the person a tract and if they are interested and not in a hurry you can share your relationship with the Lord. You can see some verses that I have used before here: “The Plan of Salvation”

5. Read books and resources about sharing your faith with others. Two that we have found helpful are:
'Soulwinning: The Heart of God' by Pastor Michael Ray This book explains about heaven and hell and the heart condition of the person.
The Way of the Master with Kirk Cameron This ministry equips others to effectively share their faith with others.

I'll share more tips next month.

Disobedience: Others Suffer With Us

Jonah 1:2, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me."
Jonah 1:3, "But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD."

In those verses it shows you that Jonah disobeyed. Now I will show you his punishment.

Jonah 1:10, "Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him. Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them."
Jonah 1:11, "Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous."
Jonah 1:12, "And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you. "
Jonah 1:13, "Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them."
Jonah 1:14, "Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee."
Jonah 1:15, "So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging."
Jonah 1:16, "Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows".
Jonah 1:17, "Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights."

Now it's not like God is going to have us get swallowed by a big fish or something, but he will punish us if we do not obey. By the way, you can’t hide from God! That was a wrong decision for Jonah. God knew where he was anyway.

The people on the ship had to suffer also because of Jonah’s decision. If you do something wrong or make a wrong decision, other people will suffer to. He made a wrong decision and God sent a storm and the men on the ship would have died if Jonah did not confess. Jonah realized that he was causing them to suffer for his disobedience. He finally confessed and the storm stopped, but Jonah’s wrong decision now caused him to suffer alone in the bottom of the sea in the belly of a big fish for 3 days and 3 nights.

As we can see, God WILL punish us no matter what, and if you disobey Him others will suffer and so will you! So let’s not disobey shall we!! We cannot hide from God, nor disobey Him, He will punish deeply for it.

Faith Factor: Evangelize with Jewelry

There are so many creative ways we can help spread the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. One way I like to do this is with jewelry. I made these earrings with just a few simple tools and some small pony beads.

You'll need:
small pony beads in these colors: yellow, black, red, white, and green.
earring hooks
earrings posts
jewelry making tools
clear small beads
small silver spacers

My mom got me a bead tray to help me sort out my beads. This helps so that your beads don't roll off the table, and you can arrange them neatly in the groove until you get the pattern just the way you like it for whatever project you're making.

First place the clear bead on the post, then the rest in the order listed above. Add the silver spacer last then use your tool to curve the post into a small loop.

Slide the loop into the loop of the earring hook and close with your tool.

I have three pairs to send to three special winners.
Here's what you'll need to do to enter:

1. Post about this giveaway on your blog.
2. Place the graphic in your side bar.
3. Leave a comment in the box below with your link so we know you've completed the sign ups.
4. Commit yourself to sharing the gospel with others as they ask about your earrings!

Each color is a symbol of the verses God gives us to learn about our Saviour.

Yellow- God loves you and wants you to go to heaven. Yellow stands for the gold streets in heaven. John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Black- We all make mistakes. When we do bad things the Bible calls that sin. Sin is not allowed in heaven and has a payment. Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Romans 6:23a, "For the wages of sin is death;"

Red- Is for Jesus blood which is shed for you. Jesus knew we were already sinners, but he still died to pay our sin debt. He had the hard part. Luke 22:20, "Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you."

White- He washes our sins away so that we can enter heaven. Isaiah 1:18, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

He died as a gift for us. Ephesians 2:8, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: " But as with any gift, if you don't receive it, then it's not actually yours yet. The gift must be received.

Once you realize that you are a sinner, confess to God your need for the Saviour, and by faith trust in His death as the payment for your sins.

Green- Go tell someone else what decision you made. Mark 16:15, "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Acts 4:20, "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."

Deadline to enter is October 15th!

Grab the code and spread the word!

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