C.I.A.: Bastille Day- A Clique In Action

On July 14th, France celebrates Bastille Day. This day is the anniversary of when the Bastille was stormed. It was seen as a symbol of the uprising of the modern French nation, and of the reconciliation of all the French, including the constitutional monarchy which preceded the First Republic during the French Revolution.

The Third Estate, which is the middle class or bourgeoisie, wanted a constitution, so as to protect them in their rights. They formed a group which they called National Constituent Assembly. When King Louis XVI opposed the idea of a constitution and the French government let their finance minister go (because he was sympathetic to the Third Estate), the Third Estate feared that their party would be attacked. So they stormed the Bastille. The Bastille was not only a prison which had often held people arbitrarily jailed on the basis of lettre de cachet, but it was also a holding place for large cache of arms. The Bastille was a symbol of the absolutism of the monarchy.

The Third Estate ended up winning their constitution, but the storming of the Bastille was not the end of their troubles! The storming of the Bastille was the beginning of the French Revolution.

You may be asking me what Bastille Day has to do with Cliques In Action, right? It's actually ironic that that is the thought that comes to mind. The storming of the Bastille represents the separation of classes/cliques of people. As you read above The Third Estate which would be classified as the poor clique, rose against the other cliques to get out of oppression.
When we separate ourselves into cliques, we form division and we oppress each other. Now that goes against what God wants for the Body:

1 Corinthians 1:10
Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Though we are not to separate ourselves into groups, we are supposed to separate on doctrinal issues or because of Jesus:

Romans 16:17
Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

John 7:43
So there was a division among the people because of Him.

Jesus himself said that:

Luke 12:51
Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:

A couple years ago, people would have labeled me "preppy". I hung with the cool kids, I wore cool clothes, I had a cool hairstyle. I was a cool kid. Not that I am not now, but it was different cool. A worldly cool. I was labeled as a prep. I constructed my life, my attitudes, and my whole demeanor to be cool and therefore to be preppy. Now, I have found I don't have a label. I hate being put into some clique/label because its not me. I don't want to belong to any type of clique this world has to offer. I want to be separate.

I don't want to be labeled by the world. I want to be labeled by ME. I want people to know me by me. That includes how I act, how I speak, how I present myself, how I dress. It includes everything about me.

Nowadays there are many cliques/labels in our society: Preps, Jocks, Goths, Emos, Nerds, Geeks, Punks, Gamers, Outcasts, Loners, Smarts, Populars. (By the way, I had to look for a list of cliques, because I had no idea what they were!) I go into to town everyday, and everyday I see kids that come out of school. They are all the same. There is no diversity. They all act the same, dress the same, talk the same, etc. It is very easy to know what their label is, and that is the way they want it. I have noticed that in society everyone wants to be different, now they are all the same again.

Why do they fall into getting labeled?? People say that the biggest pressure is your peers, but I think that what the pressure actually is is being in a clique or being labeled.

A big misconception with having groups is that when you are labeled as a say an "emo", then you think you have to become one and just have friends that are emo.

Why would you want to limit yourself? When you place yourself in a clique, you are hindering yourself from your full potential. When we label people, we are limiting them to whatever we have labeled them as. We stifle them from becoming who they are meant to be. I know I don't want to be stifled from being who I was created to be. I don't want to be stuck in a group and not grow out of it.

I saw a crime show once about some girl who was killed for not staying in the "cool" crowd. Years later after it happened, everyone that was involved was still the same as they were in high school. No one had changed. It was sad because most people stay the same for the rest of their lives as they were in high school. I don't want to be the same person I am today years from now. I have kinks to work out. I want to grow and mature.

One verse that helps me not be conformed to cliques and this world is:

Romans 12:2
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

We are not to be like this world. God wants us to be like Him, not like our friends or the world. Instead of being in a clique or a label or like our friends, why not be like a light!

Philippians 2:15
That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

I know I want to shine and be a light to everyone I meet so that they won't see me as a prep. I want them to see me as a daughter of Jesus.
I don't want to be labeled! Do you?

C.I.A. A Precious Relationship

Do you realize how important a relationship with your father is? It is so very important that you have a father who you are friends with and who has your heart. You need to have a relationship with him. You need him to protect, love and care for you. Girls, we have a need for a manly figure in our lives. That need should be filled by our father, until he gives us away to our husbands. If you don't let your dad fill that need, then you could have a lot of problems.

Through the years, I have not been close with my father, and I did not give him my heart. I went looking around for other manly figures to fill the void I had. Doing that got me into a lot of trouble. Luckily I had a Mom who helped me turn my heart back to my fathers, both my dad and God. Whether you think so or not, you need your father in your life. The Bible even says that through the teaching of our fathers, we will have understanding.

Proverbs 4:1
Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

Having your father walk with you and talk with you will help you become who God wants. You have to make more of an effort to be friends with him, because sometimes its hard. I know this first hand. I have not been very good friends with my dad.

The relationship with your father is a precious relationship, and you should take every chance you get to procure it. If you are saved by Jesus' grace, then you have 2 fatherly relationships to be in: Your earthly father and your heavenly father:

2 Corinthians 6:18
And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Your earthly father is there to protect you from things that will turn your heart from your heavenly father. Your heavenly father is there to help you through everything you go through. Being a godly daughter to your father and learning to be a help to him will help you as you grow up to be a Godly wife and a help meet to your husband. Having a good relationship with your father will help you have a good relationship with your husband. Think of your dad like a practice course for how you want to help your husband. You have very limited time with your father! Time flies and before you know it, you will have a ring on your finger. We must make the most of the time we have with our fathers. We must learn what we can and be close to him!

There are many ways you can help your dad and be close with him. Some of the things I have learned to do that will make my dad happy and we can do them together are:

Work outside. My dad really likes to have the lawn mowed, the yard picked up, and the garage cleaned. I can make my dad happy by doing those things. By doing them, I make him happy and I am helping my household. I am also helping my dad because he won't have to do it when he comes home from working for 13hours.
Have dinner done when he gets home. Since he gets home late, it will help him because he can eat and spend time with the family before it gets too late and he has to go to bed.
Have the house picked up. Who doesn't want to come home to a clean house after working for 13hours? Making sure your home is cleaned before your dad gets home will make him happy. It is so refreshing to come home to a clean house and be able to be at peace. Make your house a safe haven for your father. Doing this now will also help you do it for your husband.
Clean your vehicle. My dad really wants our 15passenger van to look nice and be clean. Who wants to get into a messy van? Not me. I can make my dad happy by making sure our van is cleaned, so when he drives it, it will be to his satisfaction!

Those are things you can do for your dad to help him and make him happy. Here are things you can do with your dad that are great ways to strengthen your relationship.

Go to the movies. My dad really enjoys going to the movies. So do I. So instead of going with friends, take your dad with you when you go to the movies next time.
Take a bike ride. I love to go on bike rides. My dad doesn't really like to work of a bike ride, but he enjoys taking us. We usually ride into town which is 3 miles one way.
Go to the park. If you live nearby a park, you can take your bike ride and end up at the park. At our park, we have a tennis court, basketball court, swings and a merry-go-round. I love to play tennis, but am really bad at it. It is fun when Dad takes us to the park because we try to play tennis and look funny doing it.
Cook a meal. I know a lot of dad who like to cook. Plan a special nite where you and your dad make a special dinner for the whole family.
Have a cookout. Dads love to be outside. Plan a fun day with your dad and have a cookout. Complete with hamburgers, toppings, favorite foods and bonfire! After you have eaten and played games, go make s'mores!
Get some ice cream. Go to the local ice cream parlor and have some ice cream with your dad. You can get your favorite or try some new and can talk about things.

There are many things you can do with your dad that will help you grow close together. What are some of the things your dad likes to do? Let me know in the comments!

Also make sure that everything you do will bring glory to your heavenly father too! Not only will that make God happy and pleased, but you will honor your earthly father too, by doing righteous things that he has taught you!

Proverbs 23:24
The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.

You will bring your dad joy by doing what is righteous and holy! By doing what he says too! If we honor and obey our parents, we have a promise:

Ephesians 6:2-3
Honor thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

While writing this article, I found this verse:

Proverbs 30:11
There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.

Let us take back our generation and be a blessing to our fathers. Let's not follow after the world's standards and be at odd with our parents. Let's have a loving relationship that brings glory to our heavenly father. Let us not be the generation that is a curse to our father! Let's be a blessing! I am now 18, and I may not have a lot of time left at home. I am going to take every chance I get to become closer with my dad! It is something I don't want to miss!

CIA: Witnessing: You Can Do It!

This year of my life has had many challenges and tragedies. From the beginning of the year to now has held so much for my family. My Great Grandma died at the end of January. That was a sad loss, especially to my Dad. He was very close to her, but we can rejoice in the fact that she is praising our Heavenly Father now.
While it was sad that she is gone, and we won't see her 'til we all go to heaven, it is great to know that we will see her again.

However, there is something that is quite the contrary to that wonderful vision... I don't know if any of you know this, or even care, but Heath Ledger also died in January. Heath Ledger, a movie star, was only 28 when he died. Seeing this news was really sad. While we don't even know the guy, it was so sad to me that he was unsaved! He is a life lost to Christ's cause. He was taken away from all that. He was taken away from one more chance of hearing the Gospel.

His death has had me thinking so much about ministering to the unsaved. We as Believers a lot of times think more about our daily lives, and things that are unimportant in the grand scheme of things, that we forget that everyday MILLIONS and MILLIONS of people die and go to hell! We get caught up in our own lives that we just live them, and worry about them, and forget that there is a whole world out there dying!
It says in

2 Corinthians 6:14
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

I have been fortunate in my life to not be unequally yoked with non-Christian friends. I don't know that I have ever had a friend that wasn't saved. I do know people who aren't saved, and I have a relationship with them, but wouldn't necessarily call my friends.
So not having non-Christian friends, I have not really had to witness to them about salvation. While I did have to witness to them about doing what was right, I did not actually have to share the Gospel with them.

Since the events above mentioned happened, I started thinking about how I should witness more to people. I have come to the conclusion that we, as Believers, need to worry more about the unsaved, and less about our lives, and things that happen to us.
Now, I am not at all saying that we need to go out and launch a full-fledged missionary trip to some foreign country, because we don't. There are unsaved people living in your town you pass by everyday. As young children, you obviously you can't just go up to someone and start talking about Christ, but you can show them the love of Christ, and if it is God's will then He will open a way for you to minister. I believe that you can walk up to someone as a young adults, though, and share if you feel lead to.

We really need to start worrying about the unsaved. Pray daily for them that some way or someone will have an opportunity to witness to them with their actions or words.
We can talk to unsaved family members as younger children. I know I have plenty of those that I am waiting and praying for the opportune moment to witness to, and ask them if they are ready to receive Christ. Right now, all I can do is pray for them, and trust that God knows when their hearts will be open to hear the words of salvation.

Maybe you have friends that are unsaved. You can witness to them by just being a friend and living out your beliefs when you are with them. You can make a decision to show them the right way to do things instead of the wrong way. One day your friends will ask you why you are the way you are and that would be the opportune moment to tell that you are who you are because as

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

We are new people when we accept Christ as our Savior and therefore we must act differently than we did before.

We have a duty as Christians to minister. We may not all be called to do what

Mark 16:15
"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."

as missionaries to another country, but we are all called to pray for the lost and show the love of Christ to them through our actions, words, and how we live. That is what I am aiming for.


I found a really great article about witnessing that will help us all to witness better to the unsaved.
It is by Mr. Michael Pearl of No Greater Joy.

Witnessing
I am a homeschooled teenager involved in several of the local public high school’s programs - track, math, etc. I have a tremendous opportunity to witness to my unbelieving peers. Last year, I tried many times to witness to my teammates, but their hearts are so hard. They became angry, or didn’t listen, or took it all at a purely intellectual level. I can’t blame them, though. Oftentimes, I find that my own fear, pride, andand apart from the spirit of the world seems to affect them. I am thinking that I, being a “weird homeschooler” (at least in their eyes), am tainting their view of who God is. How can I effectively witness to my non-Christian peers, especially when they have such alien worldviews and anti-Christian attitudes?

Michael answers: There are two ways to witness. The first is the most direct and is similar to what a street evangelist would do. You get right to the point, discussing sin and righteousness and the consequences of dying without Christ, challenging them to repent toward God and believe the gospel. You can expect most of them to reject your message, but you keep fishing, knowing that out of the hundreds, there may be one who will be prepared by the Holy Spirit to believe your message. This is not normally the approach you take with co-workers, fellow students, next door neighbors, or family members.

If you have the time, the most effective method of reaching someone for Christ is to:

1. Treat everyone you meet as if they are Christian brothers and sisters who are dear to you. In short, love them as they have never been loved.

2. Be continually joyful. Everyone is attracted to joy, and no one will fault you for it. They will want what you have.

3. Be successful. Be the best at whatever you do. Everyone admires success and sincere effort. They will respect you for it.

4. Be helpful. Pour something into the lives of everyone you meet. Make them feel better about themselves in a clean and pure way.

5. Be generous. When others see you giving, they will recognize God in it.

7. Be open. People are scared of the unknown. Let people get to know you and see that you don’t bite, you’re not “preachy”, and you don’t have any secrets.

8. Don’t do religious things to be seen of men. Let your righteousness be purity of heart and intention.

9. Speak of God and Jesus occasionally when it is spontaneously true. For instance, you might say, “Isn’t it a beautiful day God has made?” or “God has blessed me with good health.” Upon occasion, you might say something like, “If it were not for Jesus Christ, I would be on my way to hell.” <>and ask a question like, “Why are you always happy?” or “Why don’t you XXXX?” Answer them honestly, telling of your commitment to Christ and of your conversion. When the moment seems right, tell them the gospel story in detail. Win just one person, and it is all worth it.

Don’t think in terms of impacting the entire school. Just one needy soul is enough. And when you have one convert, it becomes much easier to impress others with Christ.

Girls, let us always be as

Philippians 2:15
"That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain."

shining star so that others will see Christ through us, and come to know His love, and salvation. We need to pray daily for the unsaved we know and those we don't know. We need to show them Christ's love, and we need to talk to them about Him, and His salvation.
As Jesus said in His parable:

Matthew 13:3-9

"And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow
And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
Who hath ears to hear, let him hear."

We can never tell which time we witness the seed of Truth will fall on the ready earth!
That is why we always need to be showing the love of Christ and witnessing to our unsaved friends... or even people we don't know!
We don't need to be afraid to talk to them about salvation because you never know which seed will fall on the tilled earth and grow into a plant that will need more food which is God's Word so that the little plant will grow into a huge plant that is deeply rooted in His Word.

When Tattling Isn't A Sin

I have a friend who is having some trouble with a friend. Beth's friend did some things she should not have done, and since Beth is her friend and wants what is best for her friend, she told her to tell her mom or she, Beth, would. Well Beth's friend didn't, so Beth followed through with her word, and told her mom. While you make think Beth tattled on her friend, that is not the case. When you are in sin, and you have a friend who wants you to not be in that sin, and then tell on you, that is called accountability and is looking out for you! They are not trying to get you in trouble, but as

Numbers 32:23 says "And be sure your sin will find you out!”

When you tell on a friend it is not wrong, unless you are doing it to get them in trouble! If you are a true friend you won’t be doing it to get them in trouble, but to protect them from getting in trouble by letting their parents know.

I have learned that lesson the hard way. I was into some really bad rebellion a couple years ago, and I just kept myself in that sin. Well time after time, God always had someone who knew about it that would tell my Mom what I was doing and I would be "tattled' on. Finally, after many "tattlings", I finally decided to come back to the Lord. Thank you Lord for always having someone to watch me and keep my check!

Webster's 1828 Dictionary has this definition of tattling: "Talking idly; telling tales". So that right there tells you that when you tell the truth in love on a friend to an adult, then you are not tattling. Tattling is gossip, and that is not what you are doing if you are a friend truly concerned about your friend!

There is a difference between holding a friend accountable and telling an adult about sin in a friend’s life to help them, and telling on that friend to tattle and cause shame to that friend.

As Proverbs 17:9 says “He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeatheth a matter separateth very friends.”

If you really want to help your friend get away from sin in their lives, then you will tell an adult and then help that friend. You will not go out and talk about it to everyone, casting a bad light on the friend. Everyone has sin, and you need to remember, 'Do unto others as you want done to you.' If you are in sin, and your friend knew, would you want her to tell an adult that will help you overcome it or would you want them to talk to everyone about your sin?

Webster’s 1828 Dictionary says this about accountability: “The state of being liable to answer for one’s conduct; liability to give account, and to receive reward or punishment for actions.” Having a friend is having accountibility. You are expected to be accountable and so is your friend. It is a big responsibility too, so don’t complete it lightly!

If you are the one in sin and you know you are in sin, and your friend tells on you because she loves you, you will probably be in trouble because of your sin. Not because she told on you. Do not blame her for your sin. Do not be mad at her. She did what she was supposed to. Sin has consquences and if you are in sin, you must face those consquences and take them. If you are humble, then you will come out a stronger Believer and friend!

If you are the one who had to tell an adult on a friend in sin, do not apologize to that friend. You did the right thing. Never be afraid to do what is right even when you may lose a friend over it. If you lose that friend, then they were never really your friend!

Girls, let us be friends to one another and hold each other accountable to the standards that Jesus has shown us!

What Is A Friend?

What is a friend?? Over my short life span, I have had ONE good friend that has stayed by me since we met. Katie and I met in 4th grade and have been friends ever since. We used to do everything together. I would go to her house and stay and swim, and she would come to mine and like being on the farm.

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Over the years, we both left the church we had met at, so we didn’t see each other as often as we would have liked. Since Katie went to public school, during the school year we saw each other even less.

We don’t talk to each other every day or every week and sometimes not every month. But I know that if I needed something, I could call her and vice versa. I can count on her to be there if I need her, and she I.

She is a real friend. Even when we don’t talk for awhile, we know that we are friends, and it will always be that way. We have a great and true relationship. If I don’t hear from her, I don’t wonder if she is mad at me. There is no doubt between us. If there was something wrong she would say it.

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Now on the other side of the coin, I have had friends that were only lukewarm friends. They were friends to my face, but when we weren’t together, or when I stopped seeing them, I got no phone calls, no emails, no nothing. Even though I called and emailed them.

I even went to see a girlfriend once after she had had surgery. When I was not invited to one of their weddings, I was so very hurt that I did not get an invitation to that wedding, because I had been one of the first to know about it. The sister talked to me about it, and when the wedding time came I received nothing. I stopped seeing them; in their eyes I ceased to exist. I was different than them, so they didn’t really care to be with me. I had actually thought that they were my friends.

I found out that they weren’t. It was a hard lesson. It hurt me. Since moving to where I live, I have met people I thought cared about our family and I, but come to find out that when the rubber met the road, they were not who they portrayed themselves to be. They were not our friends. They chose to be popular, rather than standing up for what was right.

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So what is a friend?? The only true friend that we can look to as an example is Jesus. While writing this article, I couldn’t help but think of one of my favorite hymns, “What a Friend We have in Jesus”. It means so much just to know that I have someone who will bear all my sins and griefs.

It is a privilege to carry them all to Him. Jesus is the best friend you can ask for.
John 15:13 says, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man laydown his life for his friends." (KJV)

Jesus did that for us. He laid His precious life down as payment for our sin.

Friends, true ones, love you through everything, with everything and in everything. Friends are important. My best friend is my Sister, Jocelyn. Where can you have a closer friendship with someone than your sister? Jocelyn and I spend just about all of our time together. We can tell each other anything and everything. She loves me, and I love her.

If you have a sister who is close to your age, become best friends with her. You will always have your sister. One of my favorite times I have with Jocelyn is when it is freezing outside and in our room at night, and we share a bed and snuggle up close to keep other warm. We tell each other our thoughts on events that happened that day, or our dreams of the future, or of things we want to change or were upset about. We can count on each other to understand our meaning and lift us up in prayer.

Aside from my friendship with my sister, I have also been blessed with true friends from blogging. Since blogging I have met many friends who are like-minded. They are kindred spirits. We agree on a lot of subjects, but not all. Which is good because we can then talk, not argue, about the differences and learn something from each other. I am so happy that God brought this opportunity for me to have these friendships I hope to keep throughout my life. They are genuine.

A part of friendship we need to always keep in mind is that if you are offended, that you tell the person. That you don't just ignore them or not tell them. We need to talk to each other about it. We need to not have division in the body of Christ and that includes friendships.

True and Kindred friends are a rare thing nowadays. God places people in our lives for a reason. We need to make sure that we do everything in our power to be the image of Christ to all, even Christians.
Here is a little piece about friendship:

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Friends
There are no coincidences. There is a reason for everything.
People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.
When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed.
They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

Thank you for being a part of my life, whether you were a reason, a season or a lifetime.

Like Proverbs 18:24 says, "A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." (KJV) In order to have friends, you must be a friend first.

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And now for a giveaway! GGM has a pretty pink ball point pen from Claire's to give away to one reader, USA only please, when you share this link on your blog. Invite your friends so that they may have a chance to win as well. You can use your new pen to write a lovely letter to a true friend. Be sure to have your parents permission if you are under 18 and leave a link where you or your mom can be contacted. Let us know once you have the link posted and we'll add you to the entry list.