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Is your heart right with God?

That’s a really important question to ask yourself. Do you go to church weekly, with a joyful and worshipful heart? When in the service, do you actually listen to what you’re being taught? Do you go home and read your Bible and think to yourself of what you could work on to make your relationship better with God? When we are saved and Christ’s Spirit lives in us, not only do we have a fresh start, but it also allows us to be forgiven of a past we may be ashamed of. Unfortunately, many people don’t attempt to grow in their relationship with God. Some people just go to church because their family or friends do, but we should be going with a heart that is open to hearing His word, and ready to worship our King.

Forgiveness is key

Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same. Offering forgiveness to others will not only help you grow in love, but it will also show the person that you don’t expect them to be perfect. They may need your support and love.

We should remember that we are to be imitators of Christ (Rom. 5:1), forgiving others just as He forgives us. All of us sin. As Christians, we should desire to be forgiven. And the only way we can truly forgive others is with God’s help.

Be willing to work

Telling others about God can seem intimidating, but prayerfully seek to build relationships with others so they may be more receptive to hearing about His love. Be an example to them, and look for opportunities to share God’s love.

Love and encourage others, while being careful to not approve of their lifestyle if it’s sinful. Romans 14:12: “So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves.”

Spread the Word

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). Knowing God’s word and spreading it are two different things. Though you go to church, hear His word, and have other Christians to share it with, it’s also important to share God’s love and His salvation with the people outside your church. Be an example to others, be ready to talk about His love with excitement and joy, and pray that the Holy Spirit will work in their hearts and lead them to Christ.

With Love,
Michelle Jane

Hebrews 13:4 “Marriage is to be held in honor among all…”

Many couples come to the point where they feel unappreciated and even rejected by their partners. After a certain point in a relationship couples tend to stop doing what they did when they first started dating, such as surprising each other with presents; it could even be a simple thing like not saying as often how much they care about each other. Keeping a relationship strong is very important to us. Hoping isn’t going to help unless both people are willing to put forth effort. It’s important to put God first, and each-other second. It means you have to sacrifice some things, but in the end you’ll find that it’s worth everything you put into it. The love and companionship of a godly spouse could be all the reward you need.

Gotta have faith

Faith is your first step in a stronger relationship. Couples who worship, pray, and participate in church regularly become closer together as well as to God. Their faith in God is a tie that binds them together. A relationship needs different things to bind it together, such as love, laughter, respect, and the belief in God and obedience to Him. Belief in God is the strongest there is. The earlier you start participating in church and praying with each other, the more likely it is that it will remain that way. Here’s a question for you: When you go out to eat do you often see couples praying together before eating? Never be ashamed to pray in front of random people. You could be encouraging them to do the same.

Talk it out

Communicating is a very important trait to have in a relationship. Couples who aren’t willing to listen to each other and talk openly about any issue they’re having are most likely to drift apart and fight a lot. “He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly with come to ruin” (Proverbs 13:3). I believe that what contributes to a relationship’s success is talking out minor problems or differences before they become an even bigger problem. Even though some conversations you have will result in getting your feelings hurt, do not avoid the issues that are going on. Knowing and acknowledging what’s wrong is a major key in fixing the problem.

Forgive

Forgiveness is bearing with each other through the rough times. Colossians 3:13 says, “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievance you may have against one another.” Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Sometimes you will cause each other pain, and the path that leads to healing is forgiveness. Choosing to forgive one another means looking to the positive and shooting for another chance. When you forgive, it means you’re letting go of the hurt that held you back and that you’re moving on with your relationship. After you forgive, you learn from your mistakes and use the information to make you a stronger couple.

Remember when

As a couple, you need to take time to look back together and talk about your shared memories. The sharing of memories will create the feeling of warmth, affection, and love between each other. The sharing of memories can be done verbally, such as saying, “Remember that one time when we were playing football together and I blind-sided you and took you out.” Shared memories can also be visual, like looking through old picture albums at the treasured memories that are captured in the pictures or watching recorded videos you’ve made together—these can bring you closer together.

Togetherness

A couple cannot grow in love without spending time together. If you have really busy schedules and work all the time, it may become harder to hang out. Try comparing your calendars and looking for times you are able to see one another and plan something special like a movie night or even a game night with just the two of you. Take time out of your schedules to love and cherish each other. Your relationship is at stake if you’re not willing to put in everything you can to make it work.

Grow closer now

You can start growing closer to your spouse right now if you are willing to share your faith, learn to communicate in order to fix problems, forgive each other when you mess up, and take time to be together.

With Christian Love,
Michelle Jane

Tons of fun can come out of playing backyard sports—football/flag football, ultimate frisbee, wiffle ball, tennis, volleyball, basketball, soccer, and even ultimate football. Each sport has its own set of rules, own way of having fun, and own techniques in playing.

Playing the game

Planning when to play the game is the most important part. Most of us don’t want to play wiffle ball or football outside in the snow . The many places you can play theses sports are at graduation parties, church drop-ins, birthday parties, or just whenever you want to play. When deciding which game to play you need to check the weather. If it’s beautiful outside you could play any of the games I listed above, and if it rains or snows you can play certain games inside, like volleyball or basketball.

Safety

Unlike high school football, backyard football doesn’t involve wearing gear like shoulder pads or leg pads; instead, you only have your clothes to protect you from the tackles. When it’s chilly outside you may want extra layers, like an underarmor shirt underneath your regular t-shirt, or long sleeves. If it’s hot outside you’ll want to wear a simple tee shirt and a pair of shorts.

Picking the team

When picking who you want on your team, don’t just choose your best friend. Choose other people to be your teammates so you can get to know them better. Remember to keep a good attitude–regardless of whether you win or lose, everyone should be a good sport and enjoy playing the game while growing closer together.

By Michelle Jane

Meeting new friends feels great! However, there are times when a new acquaintance is not meant to become a new friend. Sometimes, you may meet someone who is a negative influence and who pulls you away from your relationship with God. It’s important to befriend people who will strengthen our walk with God. This doesn’t mean that we should avoid these negative influences. We can reflect God’s love to them. And even if our friends are not negative in our walk with God, there are times in life when they may be struggling–and we can be there to help encourage them!

Different types of influences:

Ungodly influences can impact your life in the worst way. Some people think it’s really cool to party and be sexually active outside of marriage. Let me ask you a question: When putting yourself in that environment, do you think it’ll get you through life in a godly way? Many people begin drinking, and acting in other ungodly behaviors, when they allow others to influence their decisions. Third John 1:11 directly says, “Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.”

Godly influences can also have a huge impact on your life. Importantly, they can cheer you on when you are strong in your walk and encourage you when you are struggling. In 3 John 1:5-6: “Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God.” Godly friends will encourage you to fellowship with other Christians. They will try to help you by reminding you of the godly path when you are wandering. Having good friends can also make you a good friend as well. If a friend is sinning, we need to pray for him or her and ask for God’s wisdom and guidance about confronting him or her about that sin. Keep in mind: it is not our duty to convict people of their sins–that’s the Holy Spirit’s job. We should also not confront others in front of other people. This should be done in private.

Techniques to find a good friend:

When you want to find a good friend, first you need to be a good friend. When moving to a new place, or starting a new school, it’s important to meet new people who share a common interest. Remember, the most important commonality should be your relationship with God (2 Corinthians 6:14). There are many ways you can meet new people, even if you are shy. Find a common interest, strike up a casual conversation, invite them to join you in something you both have to do anyway, like studying for a test or running an errand.

Who you choose as a friend can greatly impact your life. Our friends have a great influence on us; therefore, we should choose our friends wisely. Although most of us will be friendly with many people, there is often just a handful of people who will be among our closest and dearest friends. Let’s make sure these friends are helping us to grow in Christlikeness.

With Christian love,
Michelle Jane Weinrich

Tests and finals can often be very stressful, and one of the best things we can do to help relieve the pressure of the upcoming tests is to be prepared. A fun way to do that is to host a study party, so we can serve our classmates (1 Peter 4:10), and hopefully learn something new in the process. I’m going to give you a few study party tips and suggestions, then you can adapt them to meet the needs of your own study group.

Study Games

Charades. Your group can take turns acting out the people and events that will be on the test.

Jeopardy. The judge announces a problem that the contestants have to write on a piece of paper and figure out the answer to. (This works great for math tests.) The first person with the correct answer gets a point, and the person with the most points at the end of the game wins (although everybody who learned during this game is a winner!).

Popcorn. The first person reads a few paragraphs; then they randomly pick the next person to read. Make sure to be fair in choosing new readers! This continues until the entire reading assignment has been completed, and a discussion can follow to make sure everyone understands the content. Extra tip: Pay special attention to the definitions of words in bold – they’re likely to show up on the test!

Rhyme. Remember difficult facts by making up chants, rhymes, or one-line jokes that will jog your memory.

Remember: When playing study games make sure you actually pay attention to what you’re supposed to be learning and make sure to thoroughly study what will be on the test.

Snacks

Picking out the best snack for your study party can be tricky, so make sure to keep it simple! Have everyone bring their favorite snack to make things easier on you, but have a few of your own items on hand. You could browse through our Cooking Corner articles for some inspiration, as well as look over the following ideas.

Multi-part cereal. Any cereal that has different food items in it is a fun choice, because every bite has a new taste.

Chex Mix. This can be purchased pre-made at most grocery stores, or you could make your own out of chex cereal, peanuts, cheetos, and pretzels.

Popcorn. It’s so easy to make––all you have to do is pop a bag in the microwave and wait.

Fruit and veggie trays. These will help keep energy up and calories down when the munchies hit hard.

Ice water. Sugary drinks like sodas and kool-aid will give energy for a little while, but that energy will quickly drop, leaving everyone more tired than they would have been without the sugar boosts. Consider having drink mixes like Crystal Light so people can add a little low-calorie flavor to the water.

Outside-the-party tips

Pay attention in class. This is where a good grade starts. If you have a difficult time focusing on or remembering facts about certain subjects, take notes during class. This will help you to stay focused during the class, and will help you to recall and look back on important information after class.

Complete your homework and other class assignments each day. Once you fall behind, it’s very difficult to catch up again, and one study session or unhealthy all-nighter isn’t going to make up for a semester’s worth of missed work. It’s much better to stay caught up; then you’ll only need to brush up on your facts before test days. Plus, when you’re always caught up, a pop quiz will never leave you in a panic!

Learn to budget your time. It takes a lot of self-discipline to start studying for a test two weeks in advance, but if you can pace yourself, you’ll learn and retain more information––and you’ll be able to get much-needed rest the night before the test because you won’t need a last-minute cramming session.

Eat a healthy breakfast. Skipping breakfast or filling up on junk will deprive your body of the nutrients it needs to function at its best, and will leave you tired and foggy-minded. This can make even the most prepared students scrambling their tired, hungry brains for facts they would easily recollect on a full stomach.

Arrive to class early. This will give you time to settle down and focus. Take out your test supplies, including an extra pencil or two, and place them neatly on your desk.

Remember that it’s only a test. While we should always do our best, receiving a bad grade isn’t the end of the world. In the end, the only thing that’s going to matter a Christians is that we lived our lives to glorify Christ, and that we did everything we could do for His sake. Ecclesiastes 12:12–13: “…much study is wearisome to the flesh. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.”

By Michelle Jane

Genesis 1:26: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” We are told that from the beginning of creation, God intended for us to rule over and care for the animals He created. The creatures we’ve learned to love ever since we were young are not just family, they are a part of God’s creation. There are many things you learn from caring for animals, such as responsibility and friendship. They require you to take care of them in feeding, watering, and playing with them on a daily basis. Pets bring warmth and joy to their owners, and can also comfort during the trying times we all come across.

Responsibilities in having a pet

As the owner of an animal, your job is to make sure your pet has the security, comfort, and love it needs. Like people, animals need to be supplied with food and water daily. Though you may not always have time to pay extra attention to them, you can still be a good owner and feed and water them. When training animals to do what you want them to do, you need to be very patient with them. They will most likely not use the bathroom where you want them to, and they may chew on your favorite pair of shoes (so don’t leave important items where an animal can get to them!), but be patient, because with hard work and dedication, your pet will eventually learn how to act.

If you’re trying to decide on a type of pet to fit your lifestyle, do some research (before committing!) about the kind of animal you’re thinking about owning, and be sure to receive your parents’ permission if you’re still living at home.

Ups and downs of having a pet

Pets can be very delightful to have, but they still have their downfalls, such as having to clean up after them every time they make a mess, or having to take them outside 3 or 4 times a day. But there are often many more upsides than downsides to having a pet. When you first get a pet you may think you can handle the responsibility, but after having them awhile, you may get used to them being there and forget to feed them, take them out, or play with them. They will soon realize they are not getting the attention they want and they’ll start acting out––chewing stuff up again or using the house instead of the yard as a bathroom.

Companionship

Your pet can be your best friend. They often know when you’re sad, sick, or happy, and they’ll react to however you feel. I, myself, have a dog that will be two on June 11th; to me, she is a great friend. When she was only three months old she became sick with parvo, and I fought long and hard to nurse her back to health; it took me three weeks of non-stop care. Several weeks later, when I had the flu, she comforted me, slept beside me, cuddled with me, and, of course, licked me every chance she got. It meant so much to me that she was right there beside me. It’s times like those when you realize how much your pets really mean to you.

Ways you can help

Many people think that they need to own an animal to help an animal. However, there are a variety of ways you can help, from volunteering at an animal shelter to picking up an animal on the side of the road and taking it to a shelter. Don’t know where to go or what to do to volunteer to help? Visit the Humane Society or Charity Guide for more information.

God put animals on this earth as a special part of His creation; however, people often abuse and neglect them. Be a friend to animals by caring for your own or volunteering to care for ones who have been forgotten.

Michelle Jane