Weekend....finally!

It's the weekend....finally : ) It felt like this week would never end.

Next week....though.......I'm very excited to say, I'm going to a Youth Conference at West Coast in Lancaster. It's going to be so much fun. Last Sunday, my youth group put on a spaghetti dinner(even though we served it at lunch time ;P ) for our church members. It was lots of fun and we raised $1100!!! WooWoo! When we split it all up it means about $40 per person to use toward Youth Conference. Yay!
Youth Conference is one of my favorite times of the year. It is a chance to get away and and spend time with God and friends. We get to hear spectacular preaching from people like Pastor Chappell, Bro. Goetsch and (my personal favorite) Kurt Skelly. He preached at teen camp a couple of years ago...he is so blunt and hilarious. And....on top of all that, we get to stay in a hotel for two nights(for people like me who don't leave the house much, that is exciting, heehee!) and A trip to Six Flags Magic Mountain(more flags-more fun, for those who have seen the commercial : ) I love roller coasters. My favorite is, by far, Goliath. If I had to pick one ride to go on, that would be it.
Anywaaay, as you can see, I'm very excited!!!!!!
Hopefully, I'll get pics on next week.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alright... here it comes..Since Barrack Obama is now officially our President, I can't disrespect him. But what I can do is make our former President Bush look as good as he was, and hope and pray that Barrack Obama is at least half as good.

I recently read this and although it is somewhat old it still portrays the character that our former president had(and still does).

President Bush’s Golf Handicap

Leadership Is Called to a Higher Standard

By Ryan Thompson

I recently read about a ban on golf that President Bush imposed upon himself on August 19, 2003 when a truck bomb in Baghdad killed more than a dozen people. He said that he received word of the attack while playing golf in Texas. He decided at that time that it was “not worth it anymore” to play the sport in a time of war. He explained, “I didn’t want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander-in-chief playing golf. I feel I owe it to the families to be in solidarity as best as I can with them. And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal.”

While this is certainly a small sacrifice to make in comparison to the sacrifices of so many of our soldiers and their families, I was impressed by the fact that the President made a decision to eliminate an enjoyable activity from his life out of respect for our armed forces and their families.

"Every great leader throughout the course of human history has had to make sacrifices in his life in order to achieve his potential."

This story caused me to ponder the great responsibility that we, as Christian leaders, have to hold ourselves to a higher standard in this time of spiritual warfare. As a pastor, a parent, a business leader, a teacher, or someone in any other capacity of leadership, it is vitally important for us to remember that we should keep some enjoyable, acceptable things out of our lives. Certain activities, characteristics, habits, and hobbies may be acceptable for most people, but they should be refrained from by those who want to be effective soldiers of Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul explained this principle to the Christians at Corinth when he said, “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient:” (I Corinthians 6:12). What was Paul teaching them? He was teaching that there were some things that he “could” spend his time with (lawful) that were not the greatest use of his life (expedient). He was teaching that sometimes “good” is the enemy of the “best” in our lives. He was teaching them that leadership is held to a higher standard.

In your life, what “lawful” activity or trait is holding you back from the next level of effectiveness for God? Every great leader throughout the course of human history has had to make sacrifices in his life in order to achieve his potential. There are things that everyone else may do, say, or be; but you know that it is not what God wants for you, your ministry, and your family. Just as golfing is not a sin or an unhealthy activity for most people, the President decided that it was not “expedient” given his position of leadership.

As leaders, we should seek to “raise the bar” in every area of our lives. The Apostle Paul was constantly striving, growing, and pressing forward for God. He chose to make great sacrifices in his life so that he might be used to make an eternal impact. Can the same be said of you? Are you willing to “raise the bar” so that God can take you to the next level for His glory? Consider the following areas of your life where you need to hold yourself to a higher standard:

1. Holiness
2. Walk with God – prayer, Bible reading, Scripture memorization
3. Personal Discipline & Development
4. Free Time – How do you spend your leisure time?
5. Character
6. Organization
7. Productivity
8. Service
9. Compassion
10. Selflessness

May I encourage you to write down a list of action items, outlining specific areas where you have been engaging in things that are lawful, but not expedient. Work, this week, to make significant improvements in these areas. Your labor in this regard will reap manifold dividends in the lives of those who follow you.

So often, we want people to do what we tell them to do. However, we cannot lead someone to a place which we have never been ourselves. If we lack holiness in our private lives, we will not produce holy followers with our public message. It has been wisely stated that “who you are speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you are saying.” As leaders, we are responsible to set the example; and the example we set should inspire others to a higher standard in their lives.

My Take on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

This is a paper I just finished for school. If you've read the book or seen the movie, then you'll understand. If not, then.......I'm sorry you haven't, better read it soon.; )

Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

Must We Marry for Money?

Does Jane Austen make a social criticism of her era's view of marriage? Well, the entire book Pride and Prejudice is a comparison of different views of marriage; so comprising them all into one "view of the era" is unfair to the people like Jane who had different opinions on this subject. Obviously, it was uncommon for people to say anything other than,"You must marry for money," because this is precisely what she addressed in her book and it was not published in her name until after her death.

"Why can't we all just marry who we want and be happy? Why must we marry for money or society and hope for the best?" These were the questions puzzling Jane Austen through her characters in her book Pride and Prejudice.

Elizabeth Bennet and Charlotte Lucas are the characters with the most decided opinions on marriage. Interestingly enough, they are quite opposite. Though they seem to agree when they converse, what they say is incredibly different.

Charlotte's Arrangement

Charlotte is Lizzy's best friend, (outside of Jane) and they confide in and respect each other. Charlotte remarks on the Jane-Bingley relationship with pleasure and interest, but was skeptical of her regard for him: "If a woman conceals her affection.........she may lose the opportunity of fixing him........a slight preference is natural enough; but there are few of us who have heart enough to be really in love without encouragement. In nine cases out of ten, a woman had better show more affection than she feels. Bingley likes your sister, undoubtedly; but he may never do more than like her, if she does not help him on..... When she is secure of him, there will be leisure for falling in love as much as she chuses." Lizzy sees the good intention of the plan but fears it is not Jane's way. "If I were determined to get a rich husband......I dare say I should adopt it. But these are not Jane's feelings; " Charlotte says she wishes Jane happiness for "Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance." Elizabeth says that Charlotte would never act in this ways herself. But in this case she was wrong, and it wasn't for the only time.

In the middle of the book we see another comparison of their views; this time it is a little more personal. The same offer of marriage is made to them both; their reactions are quite opposite. Mr. Collins' proposal to Elizabeth was looked upon with no objection to her mother, but to her father of few words, he could not bear to have him as a son-in-law. To Elizabeth, the thought of marrying that "humiliating" man would always hold disgust.

Yet to her surprise almost immediately he was convinced by Charlotte to become engaged to herself. When this information reached Elizabeth, she was shocked. Could Charlotte have actually put in to practice her preconceived plan? Mr. Collins readily accepts the offer, thinking he is the happiest man. Charlotte's choice can be understandable, I suppose, if love is missing from the situation. Perhaps this was the most suitable option for her, for she says herself that she is "not romantic." She decided that having financial support, and a lifetime of not being an "old maid" is more important than a genuine loving relationship.

In the meantime, perhaps Jane should have taken her advice. Mr. Darcy misinterprets Jane's attention to Mr. Bingley. If she had "secured him" maybe things wold have gone different, but Mr. Darcy is convinced that her affection is not deep enough for him, that he persuades Mr. Bingley to return to London.

The "Charlotte Plan" as I will refer to it, was to 1) Find a man that would marry her, 2) Secure him, (let him know that she was seriously interested) and 3) Get married and fall in love. Well... two out of three isn't bad. This worked for her, and she was apparently happy. This plan would have worked for Jane, because not only did she find a man that would marry her, she found the man who she wanted to marry. Anyway, since they were right for each other, it all worked out in the end, they just needed to convince the others around them that they were.

Mr. Darcy's Actions

Mr. Darcy's view of women's view of marriage was that they think too fast, "it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment" He is obviously not looking for a wife. He tries hard not to let Elizabeth get to him, but it is all in vain.

So here is my question. Why does Mr. Darcy love Elizabeth? She misjudges him, tells him how much she dislikes him to his face, and tries to avoid him at all costs. He must have thought hard how could he prove himself to her and how to make himself worthy. Young men today should take the "Mr. Darcy Approach" and say to themselves, "I love her, but I am not worthy of her. I need to prove my character to her, to demonstrate my love for her."

Elizabeth's Approach

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It is ironic Elizabeth gets a man to fall in love with her by doing the exact opposite of the "Charlotte Plan." She said that if she wanted a husband, she would do it. Well, she didn't do it, so she obviously didn't want a husband, yet. Young women today should take Elizabeth's approach. We shouldn't be "on the look out" we should be ourselves, and let our personalities do the talking.

All this is to show that we are all different. What is right for one person, could be entirely wrong for the next. Elizabeth knows that she doesn't have to marry to be happy, but marriage greatly added to her happiness. Charlotte was convinced that had to marry someone, anyone to be happy. In the end the both did what they knew was was right (neither of them did anything wrong) and were both happy.

Introduction

My name is April. I am a born-again Christian, who goes to Liberty Baptist Church. I love my church, and couldn't imagine a better place for inspiration, love, rest, serving in ministry, joy, friends, and worship. I spend as much time there as possible. I am also homeschooled for the fifth year. I am a junior and I can't wait until I graduate! I enjoy cheerleading and playing volleyball with my friends, photographing my brothers, singing in church choir, reading my Bible, and shopping for Christmas. I hope that you enjoy my blog, and that it points to my wonderful, merciful, Savior.

Joshua's Famous Picture

This is a picture I took of my other little brother Joshua. This picture won 2nd Place at the 2007 Orange County Fair and 1st Place at the 2007 West Coast Baptist Fine Arts Competition.

Josiah and the Yellow Flower

Josiah and the Yellow Flower
Originally uploaded by aprilhopes4rain

I took this picture of my brother Jojo. He is such a good poser. Well...I guess he'll do any thing for M&M's ! : )