Worldliness: resisting the seduction of a fallen world

Hey everyone! Today was our final ministry team meeting with youth group, and through the summer we have been reading a book called "Worldliness" by C.J. Mahaney, John Piper, Dave Harvey, Jeff Purswell, Craig Cabaniss, and Bob Kauflin. This is an excellent book, and I would recommend it to anyone who really wants to figure out how to "be in the world, but not of the world." Now...here are some quotes that I like!

"We will never be useful to the world if we are being deeply shaped by the world. And we will be shaped by the world without intentional efforts not to be." -John Piper

"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." -the apostle Paul, (Phil. 4:8)

"In the end, the sum of all beauty is Christ, and the sin of all worldliness is to diminish our capacity to see Him and be satisfied in Him and show Him compellingly to a perishing world."-John Piper

".....it was a gradual weakening, a subtle contaminating, and an eventual conforming to this world." -C.J. Mahaney

This book is full of great quotes like that- check it!

:]

summer oh nine!

So here I am....reflecting on summer in general and thinking about all of the fun things that I have been able to do! :]! So wayy back.....in like, June......I went to family camp with my best friend's family. We had like the best wek ever, and I am so glad that I went! It was a really fun week and I met so many new people and did some pretty crazy stuff :]. it was.....epic. So yeah....I got home and was like "MOM! Book you calandar for family camp next year! :D! We are going!" and she was like ".....ok?.......'' fun stuff.

Now that my story has gotten to the lovley month of July, I am about to tell you of one of the funnest [its a word. don't judge. :)]. things that I did! Aren't you excited?.......no. actually, in July I did like nothing. and it was amazing. I *did* go to volleyball camp, which was super fun, although I was so sore :P. After volleyball, I was lazy.....untill the 20th, which was when I realized that I was leaving for Camp Barakel the next day. ooooh yeah. I am so smart. great. OH! Before I left for Barakel, I went on a day trip to Ann Arbor with my grandparents and Calvin. We had one of the most fun times ever! We ate lunch at Zingerman's Deli, which is like SO GOOD. Then we shopped around downtown, went to Borders, and then on the way back to Lansing, we went to Cabela's and REI. I am now officially in love with REI. just for general knowledge.

Now on to my great Camp Barakel story! I went with Lindsay, a girl I know from church. we had a blast! :] We were the Totally Terrific Tan Mini Wheats, and we were awesome. Our tribe was sweet at soccer, we like crushed the competition in this egg toss thing, and we were all around pretty much the coolest group of people you will ever meet. :]. Now you are aware.

After Camp B, I went home and wanted to sleep for like a week....I didn't though. I helped at fair because Megan was showing, and I went to shack and pretty much hade had an amazing time. Next Saturday I leave for Charlevoix, which could possibly be the best week of my summer. Annnd thats awesome.

<3

Horse!

So we got a new horse. His name is Bud and he is a cross between a quarter horse and a welsh cob. He is so amazing to ride- I love how he smoothly switches between gaits!!! His trot is extremly fast though, so reining him in can be a bit difficult, as I observed today. A funny story- I was out in the north pasture and where the north pasture was starting there are a bunch of trees and a treefort, ect. I was riding Bud and he was trotting. He can be rather difficult to rein in and I was trying to without succes. He turned toward the trees and kept going...i forgot to duck.....i hit the tree.....oh yeah...scrapes everywhere. on my face. Small amount of blood. gross. So, yeah. thats me and my epic experiances.

So Bud and Eddie (my palamino gelding) have been "fighting" to figure out who is going to be boss. Today I was giving them grain after I had worked them and Bud, whom I will now refer to as PIG, tried to KICK Ed and eat his grain!!!! WHAT A JERK! We obviously need to work on someones manners... :] haha. Talk to y'all latttteeerrrr

Twilight

So its time for a book review- Twilight! If you don't know about the plot line, here it is: Bella, a human, moves to Forks, Washington to be with her father because her mom just remarried and Bella doesn't want to be a bother to her mother. After moving in with her dad, she attends the local high school and notices a strange family there, named the Cullens. Bella is very interested in why they stay so far away from the rest of the students [i.e.: in the lunchroom, they sit alone]. The reason why is that they are vampires and by staying away from the humans, they can controll their thirst for human blood. [NOTE: The Cullens are "vegitarian", so they only drink animal blood, not human.] She finds that in her biology class, although she is sitting right next to Edward Cullen, he doesn't acnowledge her as so many of the other students were excited to do. She can't understand why because she had never done anything wrong to him. Eventually, he lets her know that its for her own good that he stays away from her, and he continuse to avoid her. Later in the story, Bella discovers that his entire family is actually a group of vampires, and she falls in love with Edward, and the sory end up that Edward and the rest of the Cullens are forced to fight to save Bella's life from a malicous vampire who wants Bella and will stop at nothing to get her. To see how it turns out, you will have to read the book!

My rating: 3 1/2 stars

Pros: Well, its a sweet story about to people (ok, a vampire and a person) falling in love. I like that Edward is extremly chivalrous and always puts Bellas wants/needs in front of his own. The book also acnowledges that there is a heaven and a hell, and a life after death. Its implied that by the choices you make in this present life, you will end up in one of those two places.

Cons: Vampires. A whole bunch of people are sort of creeped out by that idea. Also, the book conatins a few swear words, which is dissapointing because they don't need to be there. 

All in all, I liked it. Here is the link to the author's offical website: http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/twilightseries.html

Lyrics

Latley I have been thinking a whole bunch about what the lyrics in the songs I listen to mean. Here are some really good lyrics from a song called "I Will Go" from a Christian band named Starfield.

To the desperate eyes and reaching hands
To the suffering and the lean 
To the ones the world has cast aside 
Where you want me I will be

(Refrain)
I will go 
I will go
I will go Lord send me
To the world
To the lost 
To the poor and hungry
Take everything I am 
Clay within your hands
I will go
I will go 
Send me

Let me not be blind with privilege 
Give me eyes to seek the pain 
Let the blessing You've poured out on me
Not be spent on me in vain
Let this life be used for change

Refrain

I wanna live for you
Go where you lead me
I wanna follow you

It goes on, but thats my favorite part. Enjoy!