ThinkFAST

            A quarter of our generation never got the chance to live.  We are missing siblings we never knew about, friends we haven’t met, musicians and geniuses and athletes who never got to shine, and world-changers who have left this Earth unaltered.  We may never know the millions lost to abortion would have been or what they would have done.  We only know that the God who created them holds them in the palm of His loving hand, where they will never know tears, loneliness, or pain.  And we know that we have to stop the modern holocaust in our nation.  We have to save more lives from being lost to abortion. We need to think fast. 

            How can a few teenagers change a culture?  With willing, open hearts hurting for the unborn, we must turn to the One who has infinitely more power and love than we can even imagine.  I believe God is calling us to join a movement called ThinkFAST (started by bound4LIFE).  Every Friday we will give up our school lunches and instead dedicate our 20 minutes to praying together for our classmates, our leaders, and an end to the atrocity of abortion.  We will commit to pray, vote, and obey.  We will sacrifice our afternoon meal to save babies.  We will gather together in faith, knowing that where two or more gather together in His name, He will be there with us.  With prayer and fasting, we will change our school, change the course of our nation, and change the world.

            Join me, and bring an end to abortion.  After all, how much are a few chicken patties and jammer sticks worth compared to the value of human life?

How to ThinkFAST from Bound4LIFE

1. Skip lunch on Friday.
2. Use that small time frame to get together with your Shadrach-Meshach buddies, and pray. It doesn't take a large group. Jesus promised to be wherever two or three are gathered in His name (Mt 18:20), so gather in the hallway, foyer or lawn. It's easy, and the time will go quickly.
3. Focus your prayers on the ending of abortion in the nation, sexual purity for your school, friends you know that have had abortions or are at high risk. Pray in faith and believe that God can intervene in each situation with redeeming love.
4. Do it every Friday consistently. Your fasting will intensify your prayer life and draw you closer to God's heart on the issue. Besides, you can survive one afternoon without Salisbury steak and cream corn.

A Different Kind of Faith

   You know that feeling when a crazy idea pops into your head and you say to your brain, “Where did that come from?  It’ll never happen.”  And then you forget about it.

   Except… sometimes you don’t forget.  That crazy idea keeps finding its way to the front of your brain.  And that’s when you kindly say to yourself, “OK, what is up with this idea?  It’s crazy!  Never going to work.  No way could I get it done… Oh.  God?  Is that you?  I mean, surely this isn’t Your idea.  It’s too much, too big.  You’ll never put more on me than I can bear, right?  Well, trust me; this is more than I can handle… Trust You?  Oh.  Yeah, well, I mean, I don’t think I can do this.  I just…like…I can’t.”

   So now you have a choice to make.  You trust God, or you don't.  You do this, or you do nothing.  You have faith, or you choose not to.

   But maybe this is a different kind of faith for you.  Maybe you're not used to to this.  You see, this isn't an "Ahhhh!  This hardship is too hard.  Help me get through this, God" type of faith.  This is more like an "Ahhhh!  You told me to do this, and I'm trying, but it's too hard for me to do on my own.  Help me do this, God"  kind of faith.  It's not something you're forced to go through.  It's something you make a choice to do.

   But there shouldn't be so much difference.  This shouldn't be so much harder.  Faith is being certain of what we do not see, and when you don't see how we can accomplish His plans, you have to turn to God and let Him to the accomplishing.  

   Like Paul told the Galatians, it's really not that you know God, it's that He knows you.  And besides the exact number of hairs on your head, He know just what you can handle.  He knows that through Him, we are more than conquerors.  He knows that we can do what He is asking.  He knows that when He gives us strength, we can do anything.

   Trust me Trust Him.  With God, all things are possible.

Awkward + Awesome Thursdays {4}

Awkward:

•  Observing that I automatically turn the handle of the door to the bathroom when I close it.  And wondering if that’s because it really won’t shut otherwise.  I guess now I know - it definitely won't.  Why did I ever doubt my reflexes?  Why do I ever notice these things?
• My nail polish chipping the day after I put it on.  Isn't that protective-sealer-top-coat-stuff supposed to keep that from happening?
• Trying to understand the way people thought in the time of Ivanhoe.  And Sir Walter Scott's writing style.
• How awful I felt after running two miles.  Good, because I actually made it in the house and up the stairs, but still. so. tired.
• Posting this on Friday.  I pinkie promise you that I started this yesterday - and my pinkie promises are legit.  But then... "Miicchhaaeelaaaa!  It's time to leave.  Hurry up, we're going to Elaina's softball game!"

Awesome:

• Discovering the greatness of Spotify.
• Becoming somewhat decent at french-braiding my own hair.
• Starting work at His Ranch. (more on that later...)
• My parents have been married for 18 years.  (!!)  I know, crazy, right?  I love you two sooo much! :) ♥
• Finally getting to go to the library and get a LARGE stack of books.  I'm immersing myself in the classics - and Ted Dekker.
• Titus pulling my head down to give me a kiss when I tucked him in for a nap.
• This conversation with a 5-year-old-ish kid:   Me: I'm 14.
     Him: Whaaatt? No way!
     Me: Well how old did you think I was?
     Him: You look like you're in your twenties!  You're at least as big as my sister.
  
  
  Sooo... how's your week been?
  
  
   

Shout Out!

   I am astounded by the number of people from other countries visiting my blog!  Visitors from Russia, Brazil, Australia, United Kingdom, Belgium, and many more, with German topping the list.  Germany, dear Germany, how are you? 
   So this is a post of recognition and thanks.  A shout-out and an invitation.  All you lovely foreigners, this is for you!  Please leave a comment and a bit about yourself.  I am dying to know where you are from, how you found my blog, and whatever tidbit you would like to offer.  If I get enough feedback I will feature your comments in an upcoming post!  So, do share. :)
   Oh, and Germany!  Here are some pictures I found of your beautiful country on Pinterest.

Rothenburg

Triberger wasserfall, Germany

Bremen by night

Take God Seriously

   Do you take God seriously?  Now, stop and think.  Hold in your indignation and your questions and your confusion and your outrage that I should even ask such a question.  Before you decide never to read anything of mine ever again... stop.  Take a moment.  Really contemplate the question. Do you take God seriously?
   Now, I know what you're thinking.  "I'm a Christian.  Of course I take God seriously!  I love Him.  I do my best to please Him.  Michaela, what in the world are you trying to say??"  But here's another question: What are you willing to give up to follow God?
   You see, "whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will find it."  To follow Christ you must pick your cross daily and die to yourself.  To follow Christ you have to make sacrifices.  To follow Christ you have to make Him #1 and let nothing get in the way of your utter devotion to Him.
   Jesus might ask you to sell everything you own and give away the profit.  God might tell you to pick up and move to another country to spread His love.  Jesus may want you to do things that you're friends think are completely crazy.  Christ may tell you that your father's funeral doesn't really matter.  He might ask you to abandon your home, your business, your family, and your reputation.  He might ask you to give your life.  Truth is, Jesus might -no, scratch that.  Jesus absolutely will ask you to do something that you really won't want to do.
   But this is the moment of truth.  This is what Christianity really means.  This is truly following Christ.  How far are you going to follow Him?  You've gone to a certain point with Jesus, but when will you cross the line?  When will you realize that following Him means sacrifice?
   Jesus has said, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”  He promised us that we will be persecuted, killed, and hated because of Him.  He specifically commanded us to "go."  We -you, me, and every believer- are the church, and we are meant to be teaching, loving, baptizing, and making "disciples of all nations."  We are to proclaim the good news, heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons, and "freely give."  Jesus said, "Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things [!!] than these."  What will you do for Christ?
   We, as the American church need to make a change.  We need to examine our own hearts and lives and seek the will of God.  We need to take the advice of David Platt and "take an honest look at the Jesus of the Bible and dare to ask what the consequences might be if we really believed him and really obeyed him."  We need to dare to take the words of Christ seriously.

Awkward and Awesome Thursdays {3}

Awkward:

• Jogging down the highway and I keep glancing behind me.  Yes, the echo of my own footsteps totally freaks me out.
• We got doorbells so we can actually know when someone comes to our house.  Aaaaand they don't work.  So we still don't know.
• The dark bruise on my knee.  And how I got it.  I got it from playing tether-ball.  Yupp.  Tether-ball.  But.  I won that game.

Awesome:

• My SUSIE magazine just came in the mail!
• This dude's voice (and I'm thinking his face also, if he'll wash off all the black stuff)

• Girls who play video games - at least that's what I've been told.  I stink at video games.
• The sugar free water we get a Bible study.
• The chocolate chip AND M&M cookies I made for Titus's birthday.  Also having two birthdays within 3 days.  This one is 5:

          And this one is now 3:

• Volunteering in the 4-6 year-olds class at church.  Those kids are great!

  Aubri's gonna be the evil queen and Sarah's the beautiful queen.  I love the beautiful queen most than the evil queen, but not the very most.  I love God the very most.   -Trey 

When I'm Old

   When I'm old, I want to have a love story.  God willing, I will have a husband, and we will spend our days loving each other.  We will fall in love, get married, have kids & grandkids, grow closer with each passing day, and be together until death do us part.  If I never marry a man, I have a glorious romance with my Savior.  As elderly lady, I will continue to love Him more each day, eagerly looking forward to the Wedding day.
   When I'm old, I want to be cool.  I will be like everyone's grandma.  Fresh baked goods will be freely offered.  Kids (and their parents) will know where to come for food, visits, and a helping hand.  I will be strong, healthy, active - able to keep up with the kids.   I will freely give cookies, love, and wisdom.
   When I'm old, I want to be trusted.  The kind of woman people know they can come to for advice.  I want to be like Mr. Perryfield in "Letters to God" - besides maybe the grumpy part.  I will learn my lessons well and remember them.  Those from all generations will be welcome to have a heart-to-heart. 
   When I'm old, I want to live each day to the fullest.  I will love God and people.  I'll take risks (only those calculated, of course), and go on adventures.  I want to read lots of books, go lots of places, meet lots of people, bake lots of cookies, and touch lots of hearts.
   When I'm old, I want to be ready.  I want live and to love with no regrets.  I know I'm going to Heaven, and I want to take so many people with me.  I will love life, and look forward to the day that I'm finally with Him. 
   When I'm old, I want to leave a legacy.  I want to be a city on a hill, a lamp on a stand, even after I've left this Earth.  I want to be remembered for my love and my strength and my faith.

So why not start now??

When I Truly Write

   I find myself browsing, dreaming, looking, wandering and wondering.  Too much fantasy, not enough writing.  I find myself spending too much time in the blogosphere without actually getting anything done.  Too much fluff, not enough writing.
   But writing.  It's what I want to do, what I was made to do, and what I have to do.  It is me letting a piece of my heart go free and see the world.  It is hanging a part of my soul on display for all to see.  It is this short, teenaged, somewhat timid girl trying to make her mark on the world.
   Really writing is letting the words tumble out of my fingers without interference from my brain.  True writing  comes from the deepest part of myself, the Michaela that no one sees otherwise.  The Michaela that is a bird in a cage, let out to stretch her wings only when I write.
   Writing is a pure, exhilarating gift from God.  It is channeling emotion and love and depth straight from Him to my paper.  It is turning off the logical, sensible, opinionated voice and listening to the still, small one.  Writing is sharing with you what He has given me.
   And besides... if I didn't write I might explode from all the words trapped inside me without any escape.