Devotions

Proverbs 1-3 Read these now at http://www.bible.com/ or with the BIBLE READER to the left of this post. I love Proverbs! They kind of remind me of a cheesy movies with the lines the Karate instrutor yells at kids, but the message is still the same: YOU HAVE TO GET WISE! The selection of chapters is really great today, it's like a prologue to the book of Proverbs. My pastor (HI PETER!) is doing a series called "Get Smart" on the book of Proverbs, so I'll try not to copy anything he's preached about! To me, when you're reading these few chapters, it all seems to simple. Almost like they're saying the same thing over and over: BE WISE! DON'T BE FOOLISH! And you read it and go "That sounds so easy! Why aren't I wise already?" Because. It's hard to have a wise mind, especially with all of the weird things in our world. You can think to yourself as much as you want, but without the help of GOD you'll get nowhere. So, as we prepare to r...

134-150 HE IS YOUR FATHER. Okay, so yeah. There are pretty much a ton of chapters to read today. My bad... I got confused with what my sister did and what I needed to do, and it was all a big mess. I had to read all 16 of these chapters, because I want to finish the Bible in a year. But if you just want a quick devotion for the day, don't feel like you have to. If you WANT to, you can read these chapters at http://www.bible.com/ or with the BIBLE READER to the left of this post. We finish the book of Psalms today! Woo hoo ! There were many things I could of pointed out in today's long reading, but I chose these verses: Psalm 139:1-4 O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely. These words are comforting to me because they show how our God is the creato...

Psalms 112-118 I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart. WHERE? I'm back! I got home from Mexico last night, and couldn't wait to sleep in my bed. And take a warm shower. And be able to flush a real toilet. And eat something that didn't include chicken! But the trip was fantastic. It was a new experience that opened my eyes to JOY, even when things seemed tough. It was also really great that I didn't have to worry about silly things like Facebook , or style, or my hair, or Facebook ... And I didn't have to worry about doing my blogs everyday, either, thanks to my lovely sister, Claire. I'll admit, I was a little surprised to see she had done a blog EVERY DAY, and for that, I am thankful. It's hard work to get on here everyday. I've gotten used to it being a part of my schedule, but Claire just jumped right into it. Thanks again, Claire. She did a GREAT job, right? Possibly better than me... :) So, here we are. Back to normal, back to me writ...

Psalms 120-133 Psalms 126 talks about how God has done great things for us that fill us with joy! But sadly, most of the time we may only think of all of the bad things happening to us, rather than the things that truly fill us with joy. We can get confused, lost, and depressed and the joy becomes harder to find. Sometimes we may have to suffer through something else to find that joy, but God is so miraculous that it should be no problem at all. God is performing great things around us that should automatically fill us with joy and happiness. Better yet, it should make us want to share that joy with others. Yesterday I purchased a pottery hanging that had the word "JOY" on it. I figured that everytime I saw it somewhere in my house it would remind me of the joy that God gives me and just how fortunate I really am. I hope this post today will help you to realize the joy that God is giving each day, even when it seems hard to find. PEACE OUT!!!

Psalms 119 Psalms 119 verse 44 reads: I will obey your law, for ever and ever. Obeying the Lord can be as simple as just making the right desicion. If we make the wrong desicion, we are making it harder and harder to obey God, and harder to follow the pathway to Heaven. But how do we know which desicion is right? The right desicion is the one that you know will please God. God sees this, and knows that you are obeying him. Unfortunatley, sometimes we choose wrong over right. This doesn't please God, but he forgives us. You may think that since you are always forgiven, you can do whatever you want to do, even when it's not right. But think of all the things that God has done for us to make us happy, and how obeying God will make him happy as well. Peace!

Psalms 112-118 Psalms 112 verse 7 reads: He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Bad news comes and goes. It's not usually what we want to hear, but it's usually true. We fear bad news. Think of the one person that is with you when you hear something that you don't want to hear or do something that you didn't want to do. Hint: God. We can always trust in God, and it's just as simple as praying to God and asking him to be with you or someone else that you're worried about. It may not happen at first, but don't be discouraged because God always has a plan. Peace!

Psalms 107-111 Psalms 107 verse 9 reads: for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. I know each day we wake up and say "breakfast time!", and around noon we say"lunch time!", and before long it becomes dinner time. No matter what we always know that food is somewhow on the way. But what if it wasn't on it's way? I know what we have to wonder is "whats for breakfast?" and so on. But some kids and people are mostly asking if they're even going to recieve any food at all. Some days we might walk down stairs and take a drink of water from the sink. But what about those who have to work for their water, or may not have any at all? What we need to realize is how fortunate we really are for the food and water that God gives us. Next time you eat a meal, stop and give thanks to the Lord for the food that he has provided. Peace out!

Psalms 104-106 Psalms 106 verse 1 reads: Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Somedays we may feel like we are unloved. Or that love that was once here is now gone. God is love. Like Psalms 106 verse 1 said, his love endures forever. And ever, and ever. There isn't one second in our lives that God doesn't love us. If God didn't love us, I wouldn't have this bible in my hand, or the computer I'm using, this house that I'm living in, and I woudn't be here on Earth this very day. When your having one of those rough times, remember that God's love is unfailing. PEACE!!!

Psalms 95-103 Psalms 95-103 is mostly about power. More importantly, Gods power. It talked about how God is so powerful that often others are afraid of him and try to out power him. This can relate al lot to the real world. Sometimes when we see someone more powerful than us we try to out power them for only fools to believe. But God is no fool. He knows just how powerful we really are and that trying to make ourselves more powerful than someone else just makes us weaker on the inside. What we need to realize is that God is more powerful than we can ever imagine. Instead of trying to become more powerful think of all of the powerful things that God is performing each day. Peace out!

Psalms 89-94 Psalms 89 verse 7 reads: In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him. AWESOME. God is truly AWESOME. For all of you who don't know the definition of AWESOME, read below. awe•some (aw-suhm) 1. inspiring awe: an awesome sight. 2. showing or characterized by awe. 3. Slang. very impressive: That new white convertible is very awesome. AWESOME can mean many various things. In Gods case, awesome means powerful, changing, motivating, and so much more. Who else can make rain fall from the sky, lightning strike, thunder roll? No one. God is making AWESOME things happen to us every day, but sometimes we barely notice it. Take a moment to realize the AWESOME things you have and how AWESOME and powerful God really is. Peace!♥!

Psalms 81-88 Psalms 84:10 reads: Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhwere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. This verse really says it all. Heaven is truly the limit. We can live forever, and we will forever worship in the name of God. Everyone sins, but Carly recently talked about how if you truly ask God for forgiveness, then you are forgiven. The more clean and pure we are towards God will result in working our way to heaven. I'm sure a good portion of our lives (or at least mine) is spent wondering what is heaven? Or what is heaven like? How can such a cruel world have place that is truly worth dying for? Well, i guess everyone imagines heaven differently, but what we do know is that heaven is greater than any place on Earth. Heaven is truly the kingdom of God. Peace out!!!

Psalms 78-80 Read these now with the BIBLE READER to the left of this post or at www.bible.com . I've gotta make this short, everyone-- HEADING TO MEXICO! But the huge Psalm, Psalm 78, kept taking about how naughty their ancestors were. But it made me think-- maybe we're like them, too? Sometimes we stray away from God. And then, when we see His works, we come back. But it's important to stay with Him ALL the time, as opposed to half the time :) No matter what, God will forgive you... but you have to honestly ask for forgiveness, and try your hardest not to do it again. Got it? Good. Sorry it's so short, I'm just about to leave. My lovely sister will be doing my devotions until I get back! Thanks again, Claire!! Please pray for me, too. Gracias! Peace out. Carly

Psalms 73-77 Read these now with the BIBLE READER widget to the left of this post or at http://www.bible.com/ . HMMM... TEMPTING... My awesome Pastor had a sermon about tempting things, and I thought this was a good day to talk about them. When I was reading, a few verses popped out to me, and when I put them together, they made a pretty sweet message: DON'T BE TEMPTED. STAY TRUE TO GOD. It's easier said then done, I know. Wayyy easier. And I know that my words probably won't persuade you to follow God, so I've put His words for you instead: Psalm 73: 1-3 Truly God is good to the upright to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant; I saw the prosperity of the wicked. Psalm 73:10-11 Therefore the people turn and praise them, and find no fault in them. And they say, ‘How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?’ Psalm 77:10-15 And I say, ‘It is my grief that the right ...

Psalms 69-72 Read these now at http://www.bible.com/ or with the BIBLE READER to the left of this post. So, I'm not going to lie and tell you today's reading was all that interesting. The first time I heard "God is my Rock" I was blown away, right? Whoah! God IS similar to something big and strong that can we can hold onto! What a great metaphor! But that was like in Psalms chapter 1. Now, I can't help but skim over every time it compares God to a rock. Because they've mentioned it SO many times, and it's seen SO many places, why even read it again, right? That's where we're wrong. Call me stupid, (I ammmm a blonde,) but maybe the fact that it's been mentioned so many times is because it's important! Maybe, just maybe, whoever put together the Bible was thinking in the back of their mind "'God is my rock' is a really important thing to learn. I'm going to list it in the book of Psalms about 100 times, and maybe that will g...

IN RESPONSE TO YESTERDAY'S POST: I lied, everyone. I made it sound like things in the Christian world were easy. Like you could wake up a perfect person, or something. But I was wrong, of course. I think I compared having doubts to getting over drugs or something? I said if you just STOP then everything will be better. But stopping's way harder than I made it sound. Don't beat yourself up over a few doubts, because they only make you stronger in the end. Don't try to move past them all at once, because it's impossible... without God's help, that is. Don't listen to a mere teen about doubts. Talk to the only one who you can overcome them with. (GOD!!!!!!!) Have a great day. I'll post today's official blog later. Peace.

Psalms 62-68 FAITH IS A WEIRD THING. Then again, our world is a pretty weird world. And most people, in relationship to the rest of the world... are weird. Different. Unique. EACH AND EVERY PERSON is unique. Every living, breathing, THING on this earth is different. So why is it so hard to believe sometimes? I found that in today's reading, there were many many many mentions of going out to the world. To spread the word of God. It seemed like every other verse was "Tell others of His works!" or "Proclaim what He has done!" But sometimes, even when you want to be able to explain God to someone... it's hard. I mean REALLY hard. Because believe it or not, some people don't believe in a God, like all this crazy weird stuff in the world just happened to appear. In science class, we learned about the Big Band theory. Of course I thought it was stupid, and weird. But I wasn't alive back then! How should I know, right? And how can I POSSIBLY tell people abou...

Psalms 56-61 METAPHORS, METAPHORS, AND MORE METAPHORS. I know we're out of school, and no one wants to talk about literary elements anymore. The test was long enough, right? But the Bible is FULL of metaphors, which you can find in today's chapters. Read now at http://www.bible.com/ or with the BIBLE READER to the left of this post. So... what did you think? Did you find any metaphors yourself? Here's a verse that I read, and I was very confused. I was a tad bit disappointed, too... it just didn't make sense. Psalm 58:6-11 6 O God, break the teeth in their mouths; tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord! 7 Let them vanish like water that runs away; like grass let them be trodden down and wither. 8 Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime; like the untimely birth that never sees the sun. 9 Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns, whether green or ablaze, may he sweep them away! 10 The righteous will rejoice when they see vengeance done; they ...

Psalms 50-55 Read these chapters now, or else you might be a little confused! You can read these with a real Bible, or online at http://www.bible.com/ or with the BIBLE READER to the left of this post. SACRIFICE. Back then, as you've hopefully read in today's chapters, people sacrificed animals and things to God. Sometimes it was for giving thanks, or asking for things. No matter what, though, people back then had to do these different rituals in order to "impress" God. I think that's silly. I don't want to offend anyone, because the Jewish faith still do similar practices today. But... as for Christianity... no burnt cows are needed to get into heaven. I guess today's devotion isn't really a devotion, it's more of a "Carly rants about random things in the Bible" but I hope you'll bear through it with me. Many many many years after today's chapters, Jesus was brought into the world. God knew from the moment He decided to send Jes...

Psalms 43-49 Read these chapters with the BIBLE READER to the left of this post, or at http://www.bible.com/ . I really don't like Psalm 44. I'm allowed to not be fond of a Psalm, right? It's no disrespect intended to the author, but I definitely have a different opinion. That happens a lot to me, and I'm sure it does to you, too. Sometimes, you can't help but be a little angry by what people say. I guess I have to explain myself, so I'll post a few of my unfavored verses: Psalm 44: 9-12 Yet you have rejected us and abased us, and have not gone out with our armies. You made us turn back from the foe, and our enemies have taken spoil for themselves. You have made us like sheep for slaughter, and have scattered us among the nations. You have sold your people for a trifle, demanding no high price for them. Psalm 44:17-19 All this has come upon us, yet we have not forgotten you, or been false to your covenant. Our heart has not tu...

Psalms 38-42 Read these now at www.bible.com or with the BIBLE READER to the left of this post. RECIPES. I'm on my way to a graduation now, for my lovely cousin whom I love so much. I'm looking forward to the fun and family... and of course, the food!! My family is full of great cooks, and I wish I could have half the cooking abilities they have. Some people say that cooking is all about the recipes, but I have to disagree. I'm a horrible cook, and it's mostly because I just don't like to cook. You might be wondering what he HECK I'm talking about, and no, I'm not just ranting about how bad my cooking is. All of this recipe stuff has something to do with the devotion today. In the Psalms in today's reading, there were a few things that stuck out to me. First, they all had this recipe, if you will, that shows us how to be forgiven. Of course, Jesus wasn't our sacrifice back then, but it's still the same God. First in the recipe, tell God your sins...

Psalms 34-37 Read these chapters with the BIBLE READER to the left of this post, or at http://www.bible.com/ . WAIT! Today's reading mentioned waiting on the Lord a lot. I guess we could make a long confusing definition of this, but if you take it literally it makes sense too. Sometimes, no matter how much we pray about something, if doesn't turn out like we hoped. We clutch to the belief that God will answer all of our prayers, and even though many times He does, sometimes he has a different plan. It's hard to understand, especially when we pray forever about another result. We sometimes think that God doesn't listen, or He doesn't care. Maybe I'm the only one who feels like that sometimes, but I'm just going to take a guess that most everyone goes through times like these. But then we read the daily Psalms, and rethink. God DOES want everything to work out for the better. He really does. But maybe His definition of "better" is different than ours...

Psalms 28-33 Read these chapters with the BIBLE READER widget to the left of this post or at http://www.bible.com/ . CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? As you may know, Christianity isn't just about going to church, or paying your fees. It's not about reading the Bible each day, either... (but this can help) :) It's about having a relationship with JESUS CHRIST, the Savior of mankind. In order to have a relationship, we need to talk to God. We need to pray to Him, not only because He can help, but because He listens to us! He listens to all of our whines and praises! It's important to know that! Here are a few verses I read today in today's reading that further this belief: Psalm 28:2 Hear the voice of my supplication, as I cry to you for help, as I lift up my hands towards your most holy sanctuary. Psalm 29:3-4 The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over mighty waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of maj...

Psalms 22-27 Read these short Psalms at http://www.bible.com/ or with the BIBLE READER to the left of this post. TEACHER. I know, I know, school's probably out for most of you, so I won't talk about the boring teachers, the mean teachers, or the creepy ones who wink at you during class. I'm here to talk about the ULTIMATE TEACHER, and since we've already talked about ultimate things, I'm assuming you know who the ULTIMATE TEACHER is. Heck, He's the ULTIMATE anything! I say ULTIMATE in all capital letters because it looks cool. Like the ULTIMATE CUPCAKE sounds cooler than ultimate cupcake. (It looks silly this way!) There was a familiar Psalm you probably have heard of in today's chapters, Psalm 23. To me, it was about being s follower of God, and what that can do for you. "The LORD is my shepherd," it says. It says God leads people, just like a teacher. It could be over a small period of time, like following God into a pasture or beside quiet wate...

Psalms 18-21 Read these lovely chapters with the BIBLE READER widget to the left of this post, or at http://www.bible.com/ . Today's theme is... GOD WILL RESCUE. Okay, so I've been really into the TV series, Lost . My mom and I have been watching the previous seasons we rented, and it's pretty good! Addicting, really. In the last two days, I've watched 12 full hour-long episodes, just so I can be caught up with where Mom is. Talk about dedication! But when I finally stopped sitting on the couch and picked up my Bible for today's devotion, I guess I had a little Lost stuff still stuck to my brain. (This happens when you stay up till 1:30 watching episodes.) All throughout the reading, I keep thinking about how God is similar to certain characters in the show. They were victims of a plane crash, and many of them were lost at sea, and needed saving. If you haven't seen where I'm coming from, this can connect to the Christian faith in many ways, especially beca...

Psalms 9-17 Read these amazing chapters at http://www.bible.com/ or with the BIBLE READER to the left of this post... or with your own Bible, if you wanna! GOD IS KING. So, I thought today's chapters had a lot to do with God, (duh,) and His rule over the earth. I disagree with a few verses in today's reading, about the writer being completely pure and blameless. I just thought whoever wrote a couple of Psalms was all "I'm soooooo perfect, God! Make sure You keep blessing me, and putting others down in the pits of despair!" I don't know, maybe the writer was pretty close to perfect. But as the title of today's devotion is about God having the ultimate power, we have to realize that God has a plan, and sometimes we mess up and sin so we can learn from it later. In the end of everything, God is King. He can decide what's best for us sometimes, even when we think the exact opposite is the "better" choice. God is the judge, and HE decides who is ...

Psalms 1-8 Howdy, everyone! I hope you're as excited about starting the book of Psalms as I am... because I'm super excited. There are a lot of chapters to read in Psalms, but they're all short. So yeah, you might need to read 8 chapters instead of the usual three or four, but they wont take you long. Like I said, though. There are a LOT of chapters, and it's not like they tell a story or anything. The chapters are different prayers said by people to God, and although there really isn't anything wrong with them... it just makes it really hard for me to put them all into one category. For instance, with previous books of the Bible, I was able to sum everything that happened into one lesson or devotion for the day. But with Psalms, even though the chapters are awesome and meaningful... they don't really have a lot to do with each other. In saying that, I'm going to try my very very hardest to find similarities in the chapters you read each day, kind of like a ...

Job 39-42 (LAST CHAPTERS!!) Today's reading is a little out there, and a tad bit strange. You'll probably need to read these short chapters if you want to have any idea of what I'm talking about... so read now at www.bible.com or with the BIBLE READER widget to the left of this post. Today, the chapters got me thinking. As you know, the book of Job is over today, and we'll start Psalms tomorrow. How exciting! We're getting to the good stuff... not that any of the other books haven't been good, but I have some really great verses in Psalms. God is lecturing Job about life, and how things work. He's basically telling Job that He is God, and Job is not. And if Job wants out of this depressing state, then he'll have to listen to what God is saying. God goes into detail about all the animals He's created, and how that makes Him the Almighty and everything. This kind of... interested me. Because yeah, I guess God COULD just randomly be naming animals... b...

Job 35-38 You just got TOLD. Yeah, that's the title of today's blog. Wanna know why? Read the chapters at www.bible.com or with the BIBLE READER widget to the left of this post. Or I guess you could just read what I have to say about the chapters and not read them, but I'm sure you'd make God happy if you got a little taste of His Word :) As you know, poor old Job is still in this depression thing because Satan is testing him, and his friends are tyring to help him out. Job just got done complaining for the trillionth time, and I know he's been through a lot and everything, but I'm getting tired of him whining all the time. Apparently, God is, too. After a bunch of whining and crying out to God, and questioning His mighty ways... God finally spoke to Job, and told him that he'll be okay, because God has the POWER to do anything. God went into detail about all this stuff He can do, like make it rain and make it hail. I know God wasn't FURIOUS or anything...

Job 31-34 You know what's cool? God. Eternal life. The belief that, no matter HOW MANY TIMES we screw up, God will always love us. God will always take us back. He'll always take me back. He'll always take you back. No matter what race, what gender, what age... what past that you have strapped to you. There's a great song by Sanctus Real that says this: I don't have to carry the weight of who I've been. I'm forgiven. It's so simple, but SO comforting. Where else in the UNIVERSE can you be treated the same as anyone else? We all have those things that weigh us down sometimes. Maybe you're treated different because of your race, or your intelligence, or your weight, your sex, your previous life experiences. Wouldn't that be great if there were a person, ANYONE, who loved you no matter what? (*Cough, cough.*) GOD. Today's reading completely reassured me that "HELLO, CARLY! God still loves you!" You can read these four chapters at www.b...

Job 26-30 Read these now with the BIBLE READER to the left of this post, or at www.bible.com . So, the book of Job. It's all about realizing that no matter how badly we want something, or how bad something seems, there is always hope in the Father. Sometimes I forget that, though. The littlest thing happens to me, then I feel as if the world was going to fall apart, right then and there. But then I get ready for my daily devotions, snuggle up in a blanket and grab my Bible, and as I'm trying to clear my thoughts . . . "Gosh, what have I been stressed about?" I think that to myself, a lot. It's good to be worried about SOME things, it shows you care about them. Like grades, or tests, or sports events. But if we take those little things and harp on them day after day... there's always that chance that it won't work out as planned. Then what do you have left? It's good to be well-rounded. I found this quote on Facebook about giving up everything, and it r...

Job 21-25 If you want, you can read these few chapters with the BIBLE READER widget to the left of this post. Or, you can read them easier at http://www.bible.com/ ... or with an actual Bible if you have one! The last few days have been about little things. You know, talking to people. Listening to people. But today's reading really struck me for some reason. I don't know why, or how... it just seemed more important. For those of you who are just now joining, there's this guy Job, who is being tested by Satan. All this crap is being handed to him, and he didn't know what to do but make excuses. Until today, that is. Today, he and his friends were talking about more things. Things that were, to me, more important than sinning and stuff. They were talking about forgiveness, and willingness. I don't know, maybe it's too ancient or something for us to really understand... but Job made some really good points I think we should talk about. First, Job mentioned that pe...

SUPPOSED TO BE MONDAY, MAY 31ST: Job 18-20 Three easy chapters today, folks. Read them now with the BIBLE READER to the left of this post, or at www. Bible.com. So, I’ll admit, I was being a bit harsh on Job yesterday. I was all “he needs to listen more!” and “his friends are just trying to help!” But if I were in his position, I probably wouldn’t want people talking in my ear about how badly it’s going to turn out, and how much of the tragedy is my fault. First off, all this pain and suffering wasn’t even Job’s fault! He was being so dedicated to God that Satan got kinda jealous and decided he was going to try and make Job curse God. But Job obviously wasn’t aware of this little scheme, and blamed himself for everything. The fact that his friends came and told him even MORE depressing truths probably didn’t help at all. That’s why, even though Job can be negative and cranky, today I am officially giving Job a break. He has been through a lot, and it’s wrong of his friends to persecute...