Role Models

I am often looking for someone to look up to. And I've found I've been looking in all the wrong places.

I find a famous role model, I look up to them for a while, watching everything they do. Then they do it. They make a mistake. I get sad for a while. How could they betray me like that? They where supposed to be perfect. They're famous Christian's for Pete's sake. I then find a new one after a little bit. And it happens again.

I've gotten so confused. Aren't we supposed to find role models? Why do mine always disappoint?

Then it hit me. Where am I looking? Who am I watching? I was making these people gods. Idols. I didn't do it on purpose. But it still happened. I was taking sinful people and hoping they would be perfect just for me. I should have been looking at the only perfect role model, Jesus. The only one who has lived this life and made it through perfectly. The only one who can show me everything I need to do and how to do it, and with what attitude. I missed the perfect role model.

Now that doesn't mean I can't look up to other Christians. I can't expect them to be perfect though. I can't follow their every move. I can't expect them not to make mistakes, because they are just as much human as I am.

In fact, God tells us to find someone to look up to. Someone who tries to follow Him with all their heart. Someone who can show us how to live our lives in a way pleasing to God.

Have you found you've been looking up to the wrong role models? Do you have anything to add to what I said?

Brookie

Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award!

Rules: 

• Thank the blogger who nominated you, linking back to their site. 
• Put the award logo on your blog. 
• Answer the ten questions they’ve set you. 
• Make up ten new questions for your nominees to answer. 
• Nominate ten people.

Thank you WildHorse for nominating me! :)

WildHorse's questions:

What is your favorite story no one has ever heard of? We always need new, unusual books in our lives.
The Pearl Maiden. I love historical novels, and there's a handsome Roman. ;) 

Your life is now the last movie/TV show you watched. What was that? And are you happy or worried? If you are the Doctor, I want to meet you.

 Return of the King. I'm Frodo and I'm happy because I'm going with Bilbo and the elves across the sea. Not to mention I got rid of that stinking ring. 

You are about to be marooned on an island. You get a pistol and a book. Which book? Pick carefully.
The Bible. It's my ultimate guide. :)

Favourite type of cookie? This is very important. 

Chocolate chip. Or maybe peanut butter...

Do you dance in the rain? There is only one answer. 

Nope. I like watching the rain while I drink hot chocolate and read though.

What do you look for in a friend? I know that you only really need me, but I will allow you to have contact with other mortals. 

Kindness is the biggest thing. 

Now that I am King (or Queen, maybe), will you bring me cookies? I know you will. 

I can't exactly fly half way across the world to bring you cookies. But if I lived closer, sure. But just because I'm awesome and kind like that. ;)

The longest you've gone without sleep? We should compare. 

Two days? I don't really know. Maybe even three.

What do you know about New Zealand? Be careful, I love my home. 

Um, there's a lot of mormons over there.

Tell me something you are scared of. I promise not to use the knowledge against you.

I try not to be scared of anything. You know God tells us not to be in a lot of places... but I am terrified of the ocean and what it holds. Sharks, and krakens, and lumpy fish, oh my!

My questions:

If you could rule any country, which one would you rule?

What is your favorite genre and why?

Who is your favorite blogger (Remember how awesome I am)?

If you could "live" in a fictional world which one would you live in?

If you could "save" a fictional world and then leave, which one would you choose?

Who is your favorite fictional character? (It can be one of your own)

Hot chocolate or coffee?

Reading and sun or reading and rain?

Cowboys or Romans?

Is my (filthy) boy the cutest or what?

I nominate:

Elizabeth

Ghost Writer

Sarah

Moriah 

Anna 

I'm only doing five because I'm a rebel and a lot of people I would have nominated have already been by others.

Sea of Faces by Kutless

I see the city lights all around me
Everyone's obscure
Ten million people each with their problems
Why should anyone care

And in Your eyes I can see
I am not just a man, vastly lost in this world
Lost in a Sea of Faces
Your body's the bread, Your blood is the wine
Because you traded Your life for mine

Sometimes my life it feels so trivial
Immersed in the greatness of space
Yet somehow you still find the time for me
It's then You show me Your love

And In Your eyes I can see
And in Your arms I will be
I am not just a man, vastly lost in this world
Lost in a Sea of Faces
Your body's the bread, Your blood is the wine
Because you traded Your life for mine

If only my one heart
Was all you'd gain from all it cost
Well I know you would have still been a man
With a reason
To willingly offer your life

I am not just a man, vastly lost in this world
Lost in a Sea of Faces
Your body's the bread, Your blood is the wine
Because you traded Your life for mine

Just one in a million faces

We need to remember that even when we're feeling down and sad, God chose us. And He chose us for a reason. The Bible says,

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5 ESV

We probably won't grow up to be prophets, but God has a purpose for each and everyone one of us. He knows us by name, He has a plan,


"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11 ESV

So when we're feeling like nobodies, remember Christ died for you, you aren't just one more face in a sea of faces, you are a saved face, a known face, and you have a name, Child of God.

New design

Hey everyone,
For a while I've been thinking about changing the background here. Then I was prompted to by someone else. So after a bit more thought, I did. What do you think? I took the picture of the flower a few months ago myself, btw. Do you think it's more professional? I felt the old one was quite immature, the blog of a seven year old. ;)

I also moved to Disqus. What does everyone think of that? It's what they use at the Rebelution, and I find it really nice, so far.

Also, I'm very sorry about how much I've been slacking off on posting lately. I will try my very best to do it more regularly.

Let me know what you're thinking and how you like it! :)

Brookie

Attention Seeker

So, just recently I've been convicted. I was reading through blog posts and going through my G+, when I started getting a little jealous at how many comments everyone was getting, and how many friends everyone has. I thought, they haven't been on here as long as me, and look how popular they are. What are they doing right? What am I doing wrong? Then I started thinking of ways I could get people's attention. Maybe more posts? More of my sappy life? Oh wait, I don't have a sappy life...

Then it hit me. What am I doing? What am I trying to do? Are these thoughts glorifying God?

Obviously not. I mean, does God care how popular we are? Or how many likes and comments we get? No. But he does care about our thoughts, feelings, and actions. My thoughts and feelings where not thoughts of truth, love, or anything that the Bible teaches us to think about.

I wasn't thinking of ways to bless others. I was being selfish. How can I gain? How can I get more friends? How can I get my name around the block? Can you say, 'Me monster?' Ugg.

I'm going to try to obey this verse now though. And when thoughts of jealousy and loneliness plague me, I'll think on these things.

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Philippians 4:8 ESV

It's Time

It's that time of year. The time of year when people make resolutions that most likely won't ever happen. The holidays are slowing down, and people are getting back into their old patterns. The time that I avoid talking about new year resolutions cause I never even make lists. I always feel like I'm doing something wrong by not writing up one.

So I've decided, I'll make a short, sweet, and somewhat easy one. ;P Like resolutions are ever easy.

Writing:
Finish the first draft of Trio of Light
Finish the first draft of another WIP

Home and Family:
Be nicer to the sibs
Be more helpful around the house
Get in shape

Faith and school:
Finish ten books of the Bible
Learn Spanish and Quenya
Read at least 55 books
Read fifteen non-fiction books

So yep. Short and somewhat sweet. :) Good luck to the rest of you on your resolutions! :)

The Lyric Medley Tag

Rules: 

Thank and link back to the person who tagged you.

Make a collage that represents your taste in music (or, if you don't feel like it, you can use mine) to go along with your tag post.

List 10 song lyrics (along with song titles and artists) and their genres to go with an emotion/scenario (you can come up with your own or use the ones that the person who tagged you used).

Tag at least 5 bloggers.

Thank you WildHorse for tagging me! :) And Rcubed, I just learned!

Anthem Lights, Francesca Battistelli, Tenth Avenue North, TobyMac, Colton Dixon, the Newsboys

As you can see, I love my Christian music. I feel so much closer to the artists this way. :) 

1. Song that makes me want to cry:

Beautiful, Beautiful by Francesca

Like sunlight burning at midnight
Making my life something so beautiful, beautiful
Mercy reaching to save me, all that I need
You are so beautiful, beautiful

2. Song that I play on repeat:

 On Top of the World cover by Anthem Lights

‘Cause I’m on top of the world, ‘ay
I’m on top of the world, ‘ay
Waiting on this for a while now
Paying my dues to the dirt
I’ve been waiting to smile, ‘ay
Been holding it in for a while, ‘ay
Take you with me if I can
Been dreaming of this since a child
I’m on top of the world.

3. Song that makes me feel calm:

Beloved by Tenth Avenue North

You're my beloved lover
I'm yours
And Death shall not part us
It's you I died for
For better or worse
Forever we'll be
My love it unites us and it binds you to me
It's a mystery

4. Song that makes me feel rebellious:

Titanium cover by Tyler Ward

You shout it out
But I can't hear a word you say
I'm talking loud not saying much
I'm criticized
But all your bullets ricochet
Shoot me down, but I get up

5. Song that makes me want more of God:

More of You by Colton Dixon

More of You
Less of me
Make me who I'm meant to be
You're all I want all I need
You're everything
Take it all I surrender
Be my king
God I choose
More of You and Less of me
I need more of you
More of you

6. Song that makes me feel battle-ready:

Tonight by TobyMac

We wanna rise,
We wanna touch the other side
(It starts tonight!)
We wanna soar
We wanna reach right out for more
(Cause it starts tonight!)
We wanna rise,
We wanna touch the other side
(It starts tonight)
We wanna soar,
We wanna reach right out for more
(Cause it starts tonight)
Tonight tonight
Tonight tonight tonight
Tonight

7. Song that make me want to dance:

Shake it Off cover by Anthem Lights

Can't stop, won't stop moving
It's like I got this music
In my mind, saying it's gonna be alright
Cause the players gonna play, play, play
And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate
Baby I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake
Shake it off

8. Song that makes me wistful:

Somewhere Over the Rainbow by IZ

Someday I'll wish upon a star
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
High above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me

Oh, somewhere over the rainbow bluebirds fly
And the dream that you dare to,
Oh why, oh why can't I?

9. Song that makes me happy:

God's Not Dead by the Newsboys

Our God's not dead he's surely alive!

He's living on the inside

roaring like a lion!

10. Song that reminds me of summer:

No Man is an Island by Tenth Avenue North

                                                 

                                                  No man is an island, we can be found
                                              No man is an island, let your guard down
                                                You don’t have to fight me, I am for you
                                                 We’re not meant to live this life alone

I nominate:

Rcubed
Moriah Faith

Elizabeth Sullivan
Alyssa Monk
and Trent Blake