Real Faith

“If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.” ~Isaiah 7:9 NIV

This verse challenged me in my quiet time one Thursday morning. I was also reading about the birth of Jesus in Matthew that morning and God seemed to connect the dots in my head, relating all the passages I had read that morning. They all led to one question that I kept asking myself—how big is my faith?

Is my faith on fire only on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights when I'm at church? Does it dim down during the week, causing me to believe that God isn’t really present in all my moments, or do I walk in expectation that God will move in my life? Can my faith be just as strong when I'm kneeling at the altar as when I'm having a rough day at home?

I believe that the answer is yes. Your measure of faith is not meant to be defined by your circumstances. Of course, it’s so much easier to believe big for your life when you’re in this huge moment of worship than it is to believe that God is good during an exhausting week of stress and anxiety. But God hasn’t called you to believe only when you feel like believing. He wants you to have uncompromised faith in Him even when it’s hard.

As I was reading about the birth of Jesus, the words seemed to speak so much to me! I realized that many people we read about in the Bible didn’t have comfortable, easy walks as they fulfilled the mission that which God had called them. They didn’t have daily encounters with angels and although their days were blessed with miracles, most of those miracles weren’t extremely obvious. They didn’t see Jesus walking on water or multiplying food every day. I can imagine that it must have been HARD most days to believe that God would be faithful to fulfill what He had promised.

Think about Mary who placed her entire trust in the Holy Spirit even when everyone around her didn’t believe that what God had told her was true. She was misunderstood and misjudged, yet she clung to God’s promises and was rewarded for her perseverance. Think of the unwavering faith in God that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had as they were being prepared to be tossed into scorching flames as young men, of the undivided loyalty that Esther had when she risked death as a young woman to rescue the Lord’s people from a jealous man, of the unrelenting courage that David had as a boy as he opposed a nine-foot giant and defeated him in the name of the Lord.

These heroes are not any different from us! When I read about the men and women in the Bible, I have to remind myself that they aren’t just fictional characters. I have to remind myself that they really existed in a real world and the obstacles and trials they faced—and the miracles they encountered—were REAL. That meant that their faith had to be real. They had to have real, unshakeable, uncompromised faith even when they couldn’t see God moving.

Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is confidence in what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” So even when our unsaved friends or family reject Jesus again and again, by faith, we can still believe that God will save them. By faith, we can be certain in what we do not see. We can be confident that God is faithful and we can be confident that He can and will do mighty things in our lives!

Do you have the kind of faith where you walk through your day, however routine or mundane it may be, expecting God to move? Is your faith rooted in Christ every moment of the day, every day of the week? Is your faith growing daily? God wants you to trust Him enough so that when He wants to use you mightily, you will be ready to respond to His leading. You have to have big faith if you believe in a God of big miracles.

How big is your faith?

Jars of Clay

     I read this book over the summer called “Run with the Horses”, by Eugene Peterson, the translator of The Message Bible. It was one of those books that has super humongous, intelligent-sounding words, packed into nearly every sentence- the kind of book that really makes you think as a reader... Let’s just say that there were many passages in that book that I had to re-read multiple times in order to fully understand and grasp what Peterson was so eloquently describing! Anyway, the book was all about the prophet Jeremiah, his call, and the many challenges he faced as he shared God’s words with a stubborn and unbelieving people. In the midst of all the unique chapters and important ideas Peterson writes about in “Run with the Horses”, one specific concept from one specific chapter really stood out to me when I read it...
    Jeremiah spent a lifetime preaching to an ignorant people, who had forgotten God and his ways. He was constantly warning them of the consequences that were rapidly approaching as a result of their disobedience towards God. Yet day after day, the people continued to ignore Jeremiah. It was at a time like this- in the midst of the peoples’ rejection and scorn of Jeremiah’s message- that God did something unexpected (as is usually the case). God called Jeremiah to go to the Potter’s House.

"This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 'Go down to the 

potter's house, and there I will give you my message.' So I [Jeremiah]

went down to the potter's house and I saw him working at the wheel. But 

the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the 

potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then

the word of the Lord came to me: 'O house of Israel, can I not do with you

as this potter does?' declares the Lord. 'Like clay in the hand of the potter,

so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.' "

~ Jeremiah 18: 1-6

    Now back in biblical times, the invention of pottery completely changed society. Before the creation of pottery jars and bowls, people had to hunt for food on a daily basis, and then consume right then and there whatever it was that they had found. But once pottery was invented, the people’s whole way of life was turned upside down! They now had the ability to store and transport food. Instead of being restricted to one general area, the people had the option to travel, carrying with them whatever food and provisions needed for the journey within their jars of clay. Moreover, pottery quickly became a necessity to the people and their way of life. However, as much as pottery was a necessity, it was also a beautiful art form. The potter’s house was usually the central area of the town, where people would gather to see the potter’s hand in action at the wheel, creating beautiful masterpieces of clay each and every day. The skillful hands of the potter produced many special pieces of pottery, each uniquely crafted according to the potter’s personal plan and design. Pottery was necessary, and pottery was beautiful. And that is exactly the way God views us. :)
    Peterson writes (and this is the passage that grabbed my attention),

“Jeremiah had seen potters at work all his life, but today he saw something else- he saw God at work making a people for his glory. A people of God. Persons created in the image of God. Necessary but not only necessary- each one also beautiful. And beautiful but not only beautiful- each one also necessary. Each human being is an inseparable union of necessity and freedom. There is no human being who is not useful with a part to play in what God is doing. And there is no human being who is not unique with special lines and colors and forms distinct from anyone else. All this came clear to Jeremiah in the potter’s house: the brute fact of the clay, lumpish and inert, shaped for a purpose by the hands of the potter, and then, as it took its shape, the realization of the uniquely designed individuality and wide-ranging usefulness it would acquire as a finished pot, painted and baked and glazed. God shapes us for eternal purposes and he begins right here.”
   
    You see, God made no mistakes when he created you. You are necessary to his plan and purposes here on earth, and you are breathtakingly beautiful and flawless in his all-knowing eyes. The Lord your God carefully crafted you into a unique mold that is completely your own. There is NO ONE like you, and there will never be. You have your own set of special colors and designs and shapes and sizes that God took the time to paint onto your being and lovingly place inside your heart. Those little quirks and oddities you have- He LOVES those! He’s the one who gave them to you and he smiles every time he sees them in action. :) And yes- life is definitely a journey, and God is constantly shaping us to be more like him: smoothing out a rough place here, adding some new indentions there, painting on brighter colors and more vibrant patterns as life goes on... And all the while our beauty and our importance to God is made known to those around us by the way we love and live for the Lord. Often times, our colors even “rub off” onto those watching us and vice versa. We learn to appreciate and admire the shapes and colors of others, without doubting our own. And with every jar of clay we come in contact with, we are reminded of the Master Potter who lovingly and thoughtfully and purposefully created them all, and we can proudly say,
   

"Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter;

we are the work of your hand."

~ Isaiah 64:8

Things to Think on...

        I saw this quote the other day on an app I have on my phone, and I just could not stop thinking, "HOW TRUE!" Yes, life has to do a lot with "what we make it". The things we choose to do, the people we choose to hang out with, the choices we choose to make as we grow. But even more than "what you make it", life is about "how you take it". When something unexpected comes your way, how will you respond? When you have to face a situation that you don't think you deserve to have to deal with, how will you react? When you go through hard times and heartache, pain and problems... who will you look to for the strength you need to get through it?

Identity Crisis

When I googled the word, "Identity Crisis" this was one of the main pictures I saw:

 "Hello my name is…" Obviously, this picture isn't talking about you forgetting your name. I saw a deeper purpose behind this picture. And that is, "Who am I?" "What's my purpose?" "What are my gifts?"

As a teenager, I have so many adults come up to me and ask me, "Where are you going to go to college?" "WHY are you going to college?" "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

That last question is the most important to me. And as a sixteen year old girl, less than two years away from being an adult, that question isn't being asked to me as a little kid along with a little pinch on the cheek as the adult laughs in reply to me saying, "I wanna be an astronaut!" It's a legit question, and people are wondering why I am here on Earth. And so am I.

One thing that I know for sure about myself is that I love TONS of things. I have too many interests to count on my ten fingers. I like shopping, filming, taking care of animals, politics, writing, dancing, reading, acting, drawing, the list goes on for an eternity! I also  am in about three million fandoms, ranging from the "boyish" adventure movies that Marvel has brought us like The Avengers, to Disney princess movies like Frozen. Do you get me? It feels to me that I like just about everything! And is this a coincidence? No way!

God created me to have tons of interests and like lots of things! And sometimes I look at other teenagers who are JUST committed to art, or JUST committed to dance or gymnastics, soccer, basketball, computer programming etc etc, and I think, "Why don't I have just one thing or 'gift' I'm committed to?" My mom answered this question for me a few weeks ago in the car. She said,

"Madison, God created you to love a lot of things, and have many many interests. You can be whoever you want to be and whatever God is calling you to be. You don't have to be just one thing."

Don't let the world tell you who to be. Don't let them tell you your identity needs to be found in one interest or one hobby. You can tell the world, "I want to be a professional soccer player, but I also want to be a veterinarian on the side." That may confuse the world around you a little, but that's alright, be different.

So when people ask me, "What do you want to do with your life?" I say, "I don't know." And I'm alright with that answer, even if the person asking me the question is not. I don't need to stress about my future! God has every step of the way planned out already for me and HAS had it planned out for years and years, way before I was born. 

I'm thankful that God made my personality elaborate, just like he made yours elaborate too. It's a good thing, because when the time comes for you to pick your career, you will have TONS of options to choose from. :)

Faultless

Faultless. “Free from defect or error”. Many of us wish that word could be attributed to us. But one quick look at our lives shows us that we are far from faultless. We fall short all the time-of expectations and responsibilities. Our days are plagued with sour attitudes, mistakes, and regret. Sometimes the shame from our mistakes is so terrible that we can’t even look at ourselves in the mirror.

What would it be like to be able to look at ourselves at the end of the day and say, “I stand faultless”? Sounds pretty impossible, right? As much as we would like to tell ourselves that, we all know that at least once during the day we’ve fallen short by snapping at someone, entertaining ugly thoughts, or disregarding sound instruction to satisfy the desires of our flesh.

But we don’t have to be defined by our sin. This is a story that God laid on my heart and enabled me to write one day…

My mind seemed to be straining against the thoughts that bombarded it as much as my wrists strained against the chains that bound them. I could hardly get my feet to move as they called me up to the witness’s chair. They shoved me into the chair and I glanced helplessly from face to face in the crowd. Absolutely everyone refused to meet my eyes. Unable to find comfort in any face that I thought I knew, I cast my eyes miserably upon the shackles that seemed to burn a hole in my wrists. The prosecution attorney’s chair skidded across the tile as he shoved himself away from the table. His eyes glinting at me, he snatched up his folder and practically stalked up to the podium.

I couldn’t look at him; not with his mouth curled smugly in a sly grin, not with his eyes blazing at me, not with his chest heaving up and down in victory. I barely heard him address the judge and the jurors. My eyes were fastened miserably on the thick folder he clutched in his hands. I knew what it was even before he opened it.

He pried open the folder and slammed it onto the podium. The pages inside were overflowing with writing. I recognized the words because I had written them…with every action I had made and every thought I had thought. A wave of terror rushed over me and regret clutched at my throat. Then he started to read, in a voice echoing in the courthouse and ringing in my ears. He was practically snarling at me with each hateful word. His fists were slamming on the podium as he screamed. All I wanted to do was run, run away from all the pointing fingers, the accusing eyes, the lips that sneered at me.

The prosecuting attorney was reading off every moment of my life, the bad, the terrifying, the unspeakable. He was presenting his case to the Judge who was listening with apt attention. The gavel in the Judge’s hand was trembling as His hands were quivering. The graphic detail of my life—all the wrongs I had committed, all the laws I had broken, all the moments I had ignored righteousness and goodness—caused the Judge’s eyes to cloud over and for a fleeting moment I couldn’t tell if they were cloaked in anger or sadness.

The evidence the prosecution presented was horrifying. Yet I couldn’t deny it. It was my life. Overwhelmed by the weight of the evidence, my shoulders collapsed and they shook with rage and misery. The courthouse erupted in sneers and shouting. “Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!”

The Judge slammed his gavel down in order to silence them. The crowd quieted down but my soul wouldn’t. They were going to condemn me to death and even the evidence my own attorney presented (all the good things I had done) wasn’t enough to save me from their sentence.

The Judge looked at me and His eyes were suddenly filled with something that I couldn’t deny. They were filled with tears of sadness…for me. For me and my wretched life. Still, He couldn’t wave away the evidence that the prosecution had presented. With heavy, slow movements, the Judge lifted his gavel and was about to pronounce me guilty to death when the courthouse doors swung open. All eyes turned to the entryway and I heard a murmur ripple through the crowd. My face was still buried in my hands and I refused to glance up. What was I going to see besides another face clouded in hatred and condemnation? Despite my hopeless thoughts, I somehow pried my hands away from my swollen red eyes and glanced at the newcomer.

My breath caught painfully in the lodge that had formed in my throat. I knew who He was, He who was walking slowly down the entryway, not even glancing at the murmuring crowd. His eyes were fastened on me. It was Jesus. I couldn’t look back. Instead my expression broke again and my body heaved with the pain that seared mercilessly through me.

With one glance, Jesus silenced the protests from the prosecution. Their trembling lips clamped shut and they watched helplessly as Jesus made his way towards me. I couldn’t look into His eyes, the eyes that poured forth such love and acceptance. The power of His very presence caused me to erupt in choking sobs once again. The absolute horror of my life compared to the absolute glory He possessed was enough to cause me to bury my face in my hands.

The room was utterly silent except for my shuddering gasps. Jesus placed a hand on my trembling back. He leaned over and whispered, “It is I. Do not be afraid.” Then He turned to the prosecution’s table where the attorney was snatching up his folder and stalking towards me. Jesus held out His hand, which I suddenly noticed bore a scar, the scar that a nail had made. Unable to defy Him, the prosecuting attorney handed over the folder, yet his eyes blazed menacingly at me. The smug look that he shot me seemed to say, "What can He do about it? You’ve done too much. You’ve messed up too many times. You’re not worth it. See what He says when He finds out who you really are."

Jesus said nothing as He studied the folder reading every word. He walked slowly over to the fireplace that blazed in the corner. Gesturing to the scars that penetrated His hands, feet, and side He said, “She is covered. You will remember this folder no more because her debt has been fulfilled. She stands faultless.” Then He tossed the folder thick with my wrongdoings into the blazing fire. The flames engulfed it and there was nothing left of it besides dark ashes and curling smoke. The crowd’s muttering seemed to cause an air of disapproval to ring in the air but I could hardly hear it.

My breath was still lodged in my throat as Jesus walked over to me. He produced a key and gently but firmly placed it in the lock on my chains. When He twisted the key, the chains released my wrists and I shook them off. I couldn’t hear the noise of the chains as they clattered to the floor because the crowd suddenly roared. In the midst of the chaos going on around me, I stared in awe at Jesus. His eyes shone lovingly at me. Behind the tears that were glistening in His eyes, I glimpsed memories of the sorrows and horrors He must have faced to save me. But then the love in His eyes engulfed all those memories and He extended His hand towards me.

“Come and follow me, dear one.” His voice was strong and sure compared to the din going on around us.

My lips trembled and my eyes would have flitted nervously around the room if I could have willed them to move. I couldn’t. The beauty of Jesus overwhelmed me and our gazes met for what seemed like forever. “Oh, Lord…” I stammered, fumbling for words. The image of the folder flashed through my mind and I broke into tears once again. I wasn't worthy!

I realized I was suddenly faced with a choice. Through the tears I could still see Jesus’s hand extending towards me. I could see the soft smile of the Judge as He gazed upon me. I could see the flames of the fire and the curling smoke. I wanted with every fiber of my being to follow Jesus, to be found in Him. But what about all the wrongs I had committed? What about the times I had ignored sound advice to quench my own sinful desires? What about the times I had found my worth in other things? What about the accusing fingers, the shouts of condemnation? Wasn’t that what I deserved?

Then I remembered Jesus tossing the folder into the fire. He had chosen to forget the wrongs of my life. So why couldn’t I?

With trembling fingers, I grasped His hand and He led me down from the witness seat and into the crowd. I found myself leaning solely on Jesus as we walked slowly out of the courthouse. The prosecution attorney snarled at me and his eyes once again blazed at me. To my surprise, his hate didn’t impact me like it had before. A smile tugged at the corners of my lips as the image of the burning folder leapt once again into my mind. I turned away from the furious gazes that the crowd gave me and I gazed up at Jesus. His eyes met mine and they seemed to smile at me despite the roaring crowd around us.

In that moment I knew one thing. No matter how thick that folder of my wrongdoings was, it was gone, quenched by fire. I knew no matter how ugly my mistakes had been, no matter how shameful they had been, I had been judged NOT GUILTY. Jesus had paid my debt with His own life. I knew it was no easy feat to deem me faultless, especially after all I’d done. I knew Jesus had done more for me than I could ever imagine, more than I could ever do for Him. And I hardly did anything but choose to believe that what Jesus did was enough to cover the multitude of my sins. I had chosen. I had chosen to take Jesus’s hand; the hand that bore the scars, the hand that had removed the wrongs of my life forever, and the hand that would always be there for me to grasp.

I wrote this story one day this past summer when God laid the idea on my heart. It was His way of showing me how amazing His salvation really is. Many people hear the typical gospel presentation hundreds of times and they end up not REALLY recognizing what Jesus did for them. But when you picture yourself in that witness chair, when you picture yourself being set free from the chains of your past, it suddenly becomes more meaningful. The good news of God's salvation should always amaze us.

I was in my room one day when God whispered to me, “Hannah, you stand faultless.” At first I didn’t grasp the meaning of what He meant. I had never thought of it that way before. “You stand faultless.” Suddenly, the realization of what God was telling me overwhelmed me. The image of me standing at the end of my life before the throne of God flashed through my mind. I realized that through the blood of Jesus I could stand before God completely faultless-despite the sins I had committed against Him. What love God has for all of us! It AMAZES me that because of Jesus’s sacrifice and because He rose again from the dead, showing the world that He was God and that His sacrifice was enough, I can stand, not as a guilty sinner but as someone who-although has sinned-has been deemed faultless by God. Faultless. Free from defect or error.

“To Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy-to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.”

~Jude 1:24-25

"Remember This"

    With school just starting up, and schedules beginning to leap into full swing again, it’s so easy to get lost in the business of life. And let’s face it- our lives as teenagers ARE some of the busiest lives out there! From long hours at school, to extracurricular activities, to late-night homework, to spending time with friends, to family commitments, to everyday routines, to unexpected events... the list just seems to go on and on and it can be very easy to get caught up in the business of life and miss out on what matters most. Often times, we try to train our minds to think three steps ahead of us in order to manage our life and chaotic schedule. But sometimes, you just have to “let go and let God”... We have to release ourselves from the pressures of life and just rest in God’s presence, enjoying each moment He’s given us. 

    It was on an early Monday morning that I was gently reminded of this fact. For me, my quiet times with Jesus take place bright and early (or dark and early I guess I should say) at 5:30 in the morning before school. My alarm goes off, I struggle to get out of the bed then blindly stagger into the kitchen, fix myself a cup of espresso, and shuffle back into my room, where I turn on my light by my bed and pull out my Bible. However, before I even open up the pages, I’m already beginning to mentally remind myself of the many “don’t forgets” of the day that I have to keep up with: McKenna, don’t forget to put your math homework in your binder! McKenna, don’t forget you have to switch your books over to your other backpack! McKenna, don’t forget to pack up all your dance stuff because we’re going straight there after school today! ...You get the idea. And it can be very challenging to focus on God with all those thoughts racing through my mind. So, I first always have to ask God to clear my head and quiet down my heart in order to hear and receive what He has waiting for me in that specific moment. And here is what I was reminded of that morning as I read through The Word:

"What is mankind that you make so much of them, that you give them so much 

attention, that you examine them every morning and test them every moment?

Will you never look away from me or let me alone even for an instant?"

~ Job 7:17-19

    Who are we, feeble human beings, that God pays so much attention to us? Who are we with our busy schedules and crazy lives that God cares so deeply about us? Even though we don’t always put God first in the business of our lives, He never stops putting us first in His. And just as much as we fill our own heads with our list of “don’t forgets”, He is constantly trying to fill our hearts with His list of “remember this”... McKenna, remember that you are my beloved daughter and I never stop thinking about you. McKenna, remember that I will never leave you or forsake you as you walk through this day, and that the plans I have in store for you are GREAT! McKenna, remember that I have not given you a spirit of fear, but have clothed you in my righteousness. McKenna, remember that I will give you the desires of your heart- all you have to do is ask. McKenna, remember that I love you with and everlasting love, and nothing you will ever do could take that love away. These are just some of the things that God whispers to his children on a daily basis. We just have to have the heart to listen. 

    So, the next time you are feeling overwhelmed by your crazy schedule and the pressures of life, I encourage you to lean into the one who knows you even better than you know yourself. :) Talk to God, and more importantly, listen to what he has to say. And as you go through your day, live in the moment and look for the many blessings that He’s surrounded you with. Maybe it’s a hug from a friend, a beautiful sunrise, an encouraging scripture, or a joke that makes you laugh until you about pee in your pants! Whatever it is, God specifically placed it there for YOU- because that’s how much He cares. 

    I close with these words from Sarah Young’s “Jesus Calling” (picture God speaking this to YOU):

"I am all around you, hovering over you even as you seek My Face. I am nearer than you dare believe, closer than the air you breathe. If My children could only recognize My Presence, they would never feel lonely again. I know every thought before you think it, every word before you speak it. My Presence impinged on your innermost being. Can you see the absurdity of trying to hide anything from Me? You can easily deceive other people, and even yourself; but I read you like an open, large-print book... Be blessed by my intimate nearness. Since I live in you, let Me also live through you, shining My Light into the darkness."

Hey its Maddie! (Q&A)

                                                                       

                                                                                     Name: Madison Paige

Age/Grade: 16 years old, 11th grade 

School/fav subject/least fav subject: My favorite subject is English! And my least favorite is Math ;-;

Favorite Color: The RAINBOW! xD

Favorite Book: The Maze Runner Series! 

Favorite Movie: (Difficult Question!!!) Big Hero 6

Favorite Quote: "Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken."

Favorite Song: Too many to write down :)

Favorite Bible Verse: "Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you." Isaiah 60:1

This verse was shown to me during a time in my life when there was a lot of pressure on me. It inspired me to be myself and show others the love of God by "shining my light".

Favorite food: Anything gluten-free I guess I should say! Ever since I found out I was severely allergic to gluten, life has been tough! But I really love Mexican food. It makes my heart and soul happy, and it tends to make me feel better about life :) <3

Something goofy about yourself: When I am in public restrooms, I HAVE to plug my ears when I flush the toilet. Ever since I was a child toilets have been somehow ... too loud for my ears? LOL! If I don't plug my ears, the sound really genuinely scares me. Wow... so embarrassing. 

Three fun things you LOVE: Fashion, Japanese culture, News magazines 

Bad habit: Nail biting ;-;

Three things you’re thankful for: My family, My friends, and that I was born into a healthy Christian home.

Something silly you do only when you are with those you are closest to (like family): Have Random dance parties in the middle of the night! 

Something special about you that sets you apart: I am able to take a group of people and lead them and get things done.

Something on your bucket list: Go to London, England! It's such a beautiful place! Imagine being able to tour Buckingham Palace!! 

The scariest thing you’ve had to do: Audition for a show in front of about 50 other girls! It was terrifying!

Something you love about your family: That we are all united and close! I am very thankful that I am close to my family and we feel safe around each other.

Someone you admire and why: My mom. She has had severe insomnia for 16 years... and yet through all of that she has never decided to "take a break" from being my mom. She takes care of me through her sickness and it's very inspiring.

One of your major pet peeves: When people SING TO MUSIC IN THE CAR! I don't know why! But I guess I feel it just ruins the song!

Obsession: CALENDARS. I have a customized calendar that has my name on the cover and I use it EVERY. DAY. My whole life needs to be planned out at all times! LOL!

How many kids you envision having: As many as possible! Children are a joy, and I can't wait to dress up and take care of little bundles of joy! <3

If you could do one thing to change the world right now, what would it be: Give every single person/ family a warm home to live in! There are too many families across the world that do not have a safe home to live in and it makes me super sad.

Something silly/embarrassing you remember doing as a little kid: Telling adults what weird and crazy dreams I have had in my lifetime (and I've had some really embarrassing dreams)

Little Note from Maddie: I cannot wait to share my posts with all of you guys! Hannah and McKenna are my BFF's and we are so excited to encourage and share our writings with you! Don't forget to check out my personal blog by clicking here ! Hugs! xo

Meet Hannah Banana (Q&A)

Name: Hannah Peters

Age/Grade: I’m 15 years old and I’m in 10^th grade!

School/fav subject/least fav subject: I’m homeschooled but my family and I do a homeschooling program called Classical Conversations. We have a class-day every Friday and we get a ton of homework to complete during the rest of the week. My favorite subject is Literature and Writing. My least favorite would be Latin. No need to say why. Haha!

Favorite Color: Blue.

Favorite Book: Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris, The Bronze Bow and The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot, and all the Narnia books by C.S Lewis.

Favorite Movie: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I always joke that I grew up in Narnia and I have a fake British accent to prove it!

Favorite Quote: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” –Jim Elliot. I LOVE the Elliot’s story!! This quote sums up Jim Elliot’s life mission and it inspires me so much!

Favorite Song: OOH this is an extremely tough one! I have so many favorites but I would have to say "Ever Be" by Bethel Music.

Favorite Bible Verse: Can I say that I love ALL the verses in the Bible?? Haha but if I had to pick I would say Isaiah 40:28-31, Psalm 23:1, Jeremiah 29:11, or James 4:7-8

Favorite food: A year ago I would have answered, “Anything that involves bread or pasta” but ever since I became gluten-free because of severe joint pain (believe it or not, removing gluten from my diet REALLY and COMPLETELY took away my pain!)…I can’t eat the bread or pastas I used to eat. If made with gluten-free soy sauce (yes, there is gluten in soy sauce) I LOVE Chinese food!!!!

Something that grosses you out: SPIDERS. Especially the giant ones with the eight-million eyes.

Something goofy about yourself: I like the smell of wood, dry-erase markers, and hand sanitizer.

Three things you love: reading, writing, dancing

Bad habit: Interrupting…I tend to forget that somebody else is talking when something exciting pops into my mind. It’s a TERRIBLE habit that I need to break!!

Three things you’re thankful for: God and His unconditional love for me, my amazing family and friends, my youth group!

Something you do only when you are with those you are closest to: Sing! Loud and proud! HAHA! I do NOT sing in public and it’s something I only do with my family.

Morning or night person: After the initial struggle to get out of bed, I do pretty well in the morning. I love the mornings when it’s just getting light and when I can get some work done before the rest of my siblings wake up.

Something on your bucket list: To write a book! I LOVE writing and I’ve always wanted to publish my own book!

The scariest thing you’ve had to do: Dance a ballet solo en pointe for my recital. It was also one of the most exciting things I’ve done, but boy, was I scared beforehand!

Something you love about your family: I love that we guard our family-time. We make an intentional effort to get together and spend quality time together whether we’re watching a family TV show or playing a board game together.

Someone you admire and why: BESIDES my parents and my siblings and my friends, I really admire Meghan Johnson. She’s one of the leaders in our youth group and I love her so much! She always has a smile on her face and she’s always reaching out to me! She has prayed multiple times for me and every time I’m amazed at her gift of discernment and intercession. Thank you Mrs. Meghan, for being who you are to me!!

One of your major pet peeves: When people smack or slurp their food at the table.

How many kids you envision yourself having: I’ll have as many kids as God tells me to! But I’d want to have at least three I think…probably more!

What would you do if you could do one thing to change the world right now: I’d give everyone-and I mean everyone-a chance to hear about God’s gift of salvation for us and I’d give everyone a chance to hear these words, “God loves you.”

Obsession: CHILDREN. I love watching kids just be kids! I love when they say the craziest, cutest things!!

Something you can’t do but you wish you could: I wish I could act. I’ll look back on old movies my siblings and I had made when we were younger and I can only laugh at my terrible acting! I would never ever make it in the filming world!

Something you love about your parents: Wow. I love sooo many things about my parents but something that first pops into mind is their undying devotion to the Lord and to each other. They LOVE to laugh and they inspire me in so many ways. I hope that I grow up seeking the Lord like they do. I couldn’t ask for greater parents!!!

Q&A with Kenna

Name: McKenna Brooks

Age/Grade: 16 years old, 11th grade

School/fav subject/least fav subject: I go to Harvest Community School and I don't really have a favorite or least favorite subject, but I guess I'm more of a natural in the English/Fine Arts area, whereas I have to work a lot harder at math and science.

Favorite Color and WHY: Orange because it's bright and smiley :)

Favorite Book: Besides the bible!?! Haha, Hmm... I really love the Chronicles of Narnia and the Giver Series and the Lord of the Rings books (which I'm currently reading)

Favorite Movie: Ok, get ready for this...
Pacific Rim
Pirates of the Caribbean
Despicable Me
Narnia
Peter Pan
The Lion King
The Hobbit
Lord of the Rings

Favorite Quote: "To live will be an awfully big adventure." ~Peter Pan

Favorite Song: That's so hard... the first one that comes to mind is Sinking Deep by Hillsong Young and Free

Favorite Bible Verse: Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you an not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Favorite food: GOSH! ICE CREAM! MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM! Haha! And pizza. Pizza's great. (So sorry! I apologize to you gluten free gals out there! *cough Hannah and Madison*) I also LOVE salmon, Mac n cheese... and basically all fruits and veggies!

Something goofy about yourself: I smell everything, count how long it takes to fill up my water bottles and only eat things in even numbers

Three fun things you LOVE: laughing, crafting and dancing

Bad habit: standing with my back swayed

Three things you’re thankful for: my family, my church and my toilet

Something silly you do only when you are with those you are closest to (like family): So there's a McKenna and there's a CRAZY McKenna. The CRAZY McKenna is the one who makes weird noises, talks in silly voices and calls her Daddy "Faja"... she's always in there but few people get to see her in action on a regular basis, besides her best friends and family.

Morning or night person: Umm... definitely not morning... kinda ish night... I'm more of like a right after lunch person! HAHA!

Something on your bucket list: try on a pair of Nike pointe shoes

Weird obsessions: hand sanitizer, orange juice, little children and bicycles

Something you love about your family: I love the fact that we love each other and love to have fun together

The most embarrassing thing that happened you: Well... there was the time I was the only elementary child out of 300 honor choir kids who accidentally belted out part of our choral song when I was supposed to only be listening to the conductor sing it... THEN there was the time I was trying to park my mom's car one morning at school and crashed, only to find out that these two twin boys in my class saw the whole thing!

Someone you admire and why: Jim Elliot because (1) I'm kinda in a Jim Elliot craze right now, and (2) because what he did as a missionary in Ecuador and the boldness and faith in God he showed all his life never ceases to inspire me! I hope God uses my life to do incredible things just like he did with Jim Elliot and his family!

One of your major pet peeves: walking into the bathroom to find the toilet hasn't been flushed

Something that grosses you out: dog pee and the sound of a person filing their nails

How many kids you envision yourself having (ratio of boys, girls etc): I've decided I want 5... I have no idea how many girls vs boys but I DO want my boys to have golden curls and I'm going to name one of them Gabriel.

If you could do one thing to change the world right now, what would it be: I wish everyone knew how loved they are by their Heavenly Father.

Something silly/embarrassing you remember doing as a little kid: My mom always talks about the time my Grammy took me to the store once when I was little... I brought my baby doll with me and every two seconds I would hurl her onto the ground then run and pick her back up all motherly and go "OH HONEEEEY!"