Confidence is COOL!!

Confidence is knowing our past is forgiven by God and we are in good standing with Him by faith.


Confidence is knowing that God is on our side and, therefore, it doesn't matter who is against us.


Confidence is security in who we are in Christ. Arrogance is self-reliance because of what we have, who we know, or what we have done.


Be confident because of who you are in Christ Jesus. With Him on your side, you can't fail.

I went to the Family Christian Book store the other day and saw a couple of books that I wanted to get. Boy Meets Girl - Jousha Harris. and A teenagers Little Black Book. I started reading my Little Black Book and the first subject is How to be COOL without compermiseing your morals and things. Reading though this book I read these things that I wrote up above. They REALLY stood out to me. When I look at them and read them I know that as long as Im CONFIDENT in WHO I AM IN CHRIST JESUS ALL things possible.

CONFIDENCE IS COOL! Being confident in who you are, what you are, and what you stand for is COOL! :)

a few other things that have poped out to me lately.

- For where your treasure is, there will you heart be also. Luke 12:34
- A merry heart doeth good like medicine: BUT a broken sprirt drieth the bondes. Proverbs 17:22
- Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory adn majesty, domininon and power, both now and ever. Jude 1:24
- For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Romans 8:6

Examine Yourselves - 2 Corinthians 13:5

Are you really happy in the church as a Christian? Do you ever feel that it is a burden to live the Christian life? Do you attend worship just because you think you will be lost if you don't, or because you enjoy it? Are you lie the Psalmist who said, "I was glad when they said unto me,Let us go into the house of the Lord" (Psalm 122:1)? Do you worship "in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24)? Does the assembly give you encouragement and strength? Are you really helped by it? Have you missed and services of Sunday morning worship during the year and could you have attended? Have you attended the evening services, Sunday and Wednesday? Do you really feel it is necessary to go at night? Just what does the Bible mean when it says in Hebrews 10:25, "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is"? Would you be willing or the elders to decide to dispense with all services except the Sunday morning worship? If it weren't announced, how long would it be before you found out about it? How long do you think a congregation would exist if they dismissed all their evening services? Is it good to have these services? If you know it good. but you don't attend. does James 4:17 apply to you when it says, Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin? Is it possible that you are expecting others in the church to be responsible for work and then let you attend merely when it is convenient for you?

If you never have any more interest in the Lord's work than you have now, do you honestly believe that you will be saved eternally? What does Jesus mean when He said in Revelation 2:10 "Be thou faithful unto death. and I will give thee a crown of life"?
Have I ever been irreverent in the worship? What does it mean when the Bible says in Psalm 89:7 that "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him"? Do I talk or by my actions distract those who are sitting near me during the singing or the sermon? Has it ever occurred to me that the Lord is in our presence and observes my attitude? How could one be worshiping "in spirit and in truth" and yet not be thinking about the words he or she is singing? Do I always pray during the prayers? Am I easily disturbed by the surroundings? When the audience stands to sing the invitation song, do i always sing, thus encouraging the unsaved and the wayward to answer the invitation? Or do I, by my indifference and lack of attention. let them know that I DON'T CARE?

What about my plans for the remainder of this year and of the coming years? DO I sincerely believe that God has blessed me all through the year? When God has blessed me so bountifully materially, and in every way, do I plan to do more for Him in the future than in the past?
Have I purposed in my heart what I will give every week, as the Bible teaches in 1 Corinthians 16:2: "Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him"? Have I spent more on amusements that I have given to the Lord? Will a genuine Christian rob God in offerings? Have you? Do you believe that giving according it you ability is essential to the welfare of your soul, and of the local congregation? Have you ever felt any personal responsibility as to the financial welfare of the church?
How much progress have you made spiritually thus far this year? What bad habits did you conquer? What new talents did you develop? What place in the kingdom can you now fill which you could not fill at the beginning of this year? Don't you believe sincerely that everyone must spiritually, as 2 Peter 3:18 says: "Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ"?

Have you placed other interests ahead of you interests in God? Do you belong to an organization or club? How ofter are you absent from its meetings? When one never misses such a meeting of the club, but will not attend the night services of the church, what do you think of his/her faith? If you were sincerely trying to serve the Lord, would you invite friends into your home for a meal or entertainment on Sunday or Wednesday night and miss worship?
Have I engaged in things that will make my influence for Christ less? Am i pure in speech? Am I pure in my association with those of the opposite sex? Have my attitudes toward them been those of a Christian? If every member of the church were just like me, do you honestly believe those who know us would want to be Christians?
Do you have uncompromising moral convictions? Do your family and close friends know it? Does your family think you are a hypocrite? If those with whom you work should unexpectedly attend our worship here, would they be surprised to find you present? Do your friends and associates respect your convictions?

Have I ever been self-centered and self-willed? Have I spoken words thoughtlessly or in haste that have injured another? Have I used words that were barbed and cutting? Have I ever been insincere to gain selfish ends? Do I consider my self a self-appointed critic to find fault in others? Do I think of myself more highly then I ought to think??
Have you ever had an enemy? Why? Do you have an enemy now? Is there a person with whom you would not speak? Why not? If you are in the wrong have you tried to apologize? If the other person is in the wrong, have you gone as the Lord has taught in Matthew 18:15-18? Can you go to heaven with malice in your hear toward any soul?
Do you pray for your enemies, as Jesus taught in Matthew 5:44: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you , and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you"?

Do you taken time to be holy? Have you spoken oft with your Lord? Do you feel the need of God and communion with Him? Are you trying to solve all of your life's problems alone? Is not prayer a necessity in a Christian's life? Do you worry although the Bible says, "in nothing be anxious"(Philippians 4:6)?
How many souls have I led to Christ during my life as a Christian? How many neighbors and friends have I ever invited to worship? If everyone did what I have done, how rapidly would church grow?

Have you ever talked to anyone about his/her soul? Have you ever talked with your won family about their soul? Is it right for you not to furnish your children and grandchildren with good Christian parents and grandparents? How can your home be Christian if your not Christian your self? Would you advise your children or grandchildren never to accept Christ? Would you want them to procrastinate?

If before the end of this day you had to walk the last mile of the way, would you be ready for the journey into eternity? If you never have obeyed the gospel. do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God? So you trust his promise that He made in Mark 16:16 "He that believeth and is BAPTIZED shall be saved"? When the roll is called up yonder. will you be there?

If you have been an unfaithful member, have you done what the Bible commands of you in Acts 8:22: "Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God: if perhaps the thought of they-heart may be forgiven thee"? Aren't you ready to turn your life around?

Highlights from my party.

The Tables.


The Centerpieces.

Kirsten, Racheal, and I.


My Dress.

All the stuff I got for the Cherokee Children's Home.
Plus A little Over $200 in cash and checks.

Then... the best part.. MY TRUCK!!

I have to make weekly payments.. buuut im still glad that i got a truck. it amazing i love it. i love the looks i get from people when im driving it. :)

thats all i have for now. ill put some more up when i get the pictures that everybody took. :)

Random Thoughts at 2 am..

So as I'm sitting here waiting for my DVD to finish I was thinking. Bradleys phone broke friday and he hasn't gotten it fixed yet which means we haven't talked since friday. :(. I got on myspace today and saw where he had gotten on Myspace he didn't say anything to me. I start to let that get me upset and frustrated. And then after my two very best friends went to bed I started thinking about it. I'm sitting here getting mad at him because he didn't say anything to me today when he got on myspace when knowing him he just got on long enough to get on check everything and get off because his parents and sisters went to go see him. Well that made me start thinking about how we often take things for granted. I'm being selfish and getting mad at my boyfriend because he didn't simply say one word to me today when he got on myspace when there are army wives and girlfriends that may not have talked to there husbands or boyfriends in weeks. This small thing made me stop and think about how I often take things for granted. I'm always complaining or down about something in my life when I really should be looking at the things I DO have not the things I DON'T have. I don't realize how many things I take for granted till I take a step back and look. In some ways we take God's love for granted. We do things that we know we shouldn't do because we know that our God is a forgiving God and will forgive us. I can't even begin to list the things and people in my life that I take for granted. This is something that I'm going to try and work on. Not taking things for granted wheater it be money, love, friendship, God, anything. I am going to start working on this.

What are somethings that you see that you take for granted?


- Raven.

:)

So last night was so amazing in so many different ways. Bradley and I have gotten back together. He's moved to a bigger and better school for football, football practice is starting up again so he hasn't really had enough time to talk to me like i think he should. and me being me i blow him not talking to me out of context and make it in to something that it isn't. well last night Bradley and I had a REAL heart to heart convo. we started talking at 10pm and didn't get off the phone till 4am. We talked about thing we had never talked about before. We talked about our feelings for each other. Things in the past. It was sooo amazing. I KNOW now that he loves me. After the things he said last night and everything I KNOW that with out a doubt he loves me. He poured his heart out to me told me things that I prolly didn't want to know and somethings that he should have told me a long time ago.. but the same goes for me. I'm sure i told him somethings about my past that he didn't want to hear but i also told him somethings that i should have just told him from the get go. Last night was amazing. i don't know any other way of explaining it. :)

buuuut that's all for tonight I'm so tired i can hardly stay awake.

23 days till my sweet sixteen.
11 days till we go to the BEACH! yay!

I made this video for my daddy to be played at my birthday party this weekend. Without my daddy I wouldn't be who I am. He has been my strength when I was weak, he has ALWAYS been there for me. No matter how bad I had messed up. He always supports me in what I do. I can talk to him about anything and everything. Even though he messed up early in life and hasn't always been with me he is still a big part of my life. I love him so much. I don't know what I would do without him.

ps andrea if you see this please dont say anything to mammonk/pappaw or jmaw/jeanne before this weekend. :) thanks.

And the countdown has started. :)

25 days till my sweet sixteen.

and I can't wait. this year for my birthday I wanted to do something different. so i requested in my birthday invitations that instead of getting gifts for me make either a money donation or some items that we listed to be given to the Cherokee Childrens Home. my church supports them, we called them and asked them what they need and they said that they had 14 teenage girls around my age and they went though hair stuff, tampons, pads, etc. and they could really use these things. so thats what i asked everybody for for my birthday.

thinking about it just makes me smile. i mean i don't by any means need any things. i have been very blessed and by no means am i in any need of anything. sometimes you dont think about how blessed you really are untill you start thinking about the people that arent and dont have the things they need. i really hope that i can get these things for these girls.

when i told my mom she didnt understand why i would want to do something like that.. and she doesn't think that people will actually bring stuff for it. i hope that i can prove her wrong and show her that people will do stuff. i love the feeling you get when you know that you are helping somebody that is in need.

it makes my heart happy. yeah that sounds kinda corney and stupid but i dont know any other way to explain it.

i just got back from Arkansas yesterday. it was okay. not my favorite state but it was okay. ill put a few pictures up tomorrow hopefully. :)

i cant wait to go to the beach.. and to turn 16.

- Raven :)