Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

iBegat Trends

Why can’t I look like her? I’m nothing special. Guys don’t notice me, girls look down at me, and all the adults think I’m “so adorable” (blech).

Hold it girly! I don’t like where that train of thought is headed! Let’s back up a bit.

In this day and age “pretty” is a very dangerous term. Yes, I said dangerous. The truth is many people see beauty as the girls on the magazine covers or the movie screen. What we need to realize is that they have a make-up crew, costume crew, personal hairstylist, and a person trainer. Plus, many magazine covers show the girl after editing to make her look skinnier.

I know what you’re thinking: So, that still doesn’t change that I’m nothing special. Wrong, you are special! “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” God is VERY special, don’t you agree? Well, God made us in His own image. Saying that we aren’t anything special is like saying God isn’t anything special. It shouldn’t be said because it’s just a lie.

Still refusing to believe me? Try this one: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; you works are all wonderful, I know that full well.” What King David is trying to say here is that all of God’s works are wonderful. You can agree on that one, can’t you? Well, we are God’s works too. That means we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Don’t argue, it’s in the Bible!)

HALEY FAYE SNYDER

I’m Haley Faye Snyder. I’ve lived in the same Christian home in Kentucky since I was born. I have one little brother and two loving parents. I go to Westport Baptist church and have my whole life. I accepted Christ into my heart when I was six and then re-committed my life to Him when I was 11 at Boones Creek Baptist Camp. (read more…)

Tags: beauty, face, hair, Haley Faye Snyder, jealousy, looks, makeup, style

Destined to Win

iBegat the Begotten

By Michelle Medlock Adams, iBegat.com Content Editor

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” (1 Corinthians 9:24 NIV)

Every time the Olympics roll around, people all over the world gather around their television sets and watch the greatest athletes in the world go for the gold. It’s an amazing time.

Olympic athletes make it look so easy, don’t they? The gymnasts stick their landings with ease. The runners whip around the track like graceful deer. The ice skaters jump and spin—all with smiles on their faces. What we don’t see when we watch the televised competitions are the grueling hours at the gym; the early morning workouts; the injuries along the way; the sacrifices they’ve made; and the price they’ve paid to become super athletes.

If you’ve ever been on a sports team, then you understand the importance of training. Juma Ikangaa, the 1989 NYC Marathon winner, once said, “The will to win means nothing if you haven’t the will to prepare.” Preparation is key—physically and mentally—for athletes.

The same is true for Christians. We have to train and prepare by reading the Word of God and spending time in prayer. Becoming “buff” spiritually-speaking will help you succeed in the plans that God has for your life. No matter what hurdles lie ahead, you’ll clear them all if you’re prepared. That doesn’t mean there won’t be challenges along the way. Just like super athletes pull muscles and suffer setbacks, you’re sure to encounter trouble in this life; however, you’ll come through a winner if you keep your heart filled with God’s Word and maintain a winning attitude. You may never be a member of the Olympic team, but as a member of God’s team, you’re destined to win!

Michelle Adams is a successful and award-winning author. She teaches at writers conferences across the country and shares her love of the written word with aspiring writers. Visit Michelle at www.michellemedlockadams.com

Tags: athletes, corinthians, marathon, olympics, prize, race, sports, win

Charlie St. Cloud

iBegat Movies

Rated: PG 13
Pops:

Reviewed by iBeGat Staff

ABOUT Charlie St. Cloud…

CHARLIE ST. CLOUD stars Zac Effron as Charlie, a bright young man with a promising future. Growing up in a small, seaside yachting village, Charlie is at the top of his high school graduating class with a full-ride sailing scholarship to Stanford in the fall. During the summer, Charlie and his little brother, Sam, practice Sam’s baseball every evening in the woods at sunset. However, when a tragic, drunk driver takes young Sam’s life, Charlie cannot let go of Sam and imagines himself playing catch with Sam every evening. Five years later, Charlie must decide whether to let Sam go and save his girlfriend who’s in trouble at sea.

CHARLIE ST. CLOUD is a moving, heartfelt drama. Even though the plot is predictable and somewhat sappy, Zac Effron shines onscreen. He keeps the movie from falling into its own melancholy traps. The movie has strong, overt Christian references, including prayer to Jesus Christ during a funeral, but they are spoiled by some Romantic elements, brief foul language and an implied sex scene. Otherwise, however, CHARLIE ST. CLOUD is an enjoyable, inspiring drama. Please visit Movieguide.org for the complete review…read more at movieguide.org

In My Opinion:
Charlie St. Cloud is an okay attempt at a teen love story. It’s got a few steamy places that imply pre-marital sex (and the movie would have been just as good without these and the language). There’s some light cursing, too. But overall, if you keep your sights set on higher personal values you’ll enjoy the pretty blue eyes of Zac Effron.

What I Learned:
I learned guilt does harsh things to a person. It affects every part of us and I learned life is too short to not make the best of every minute with our friends and family. In a heartbeat, they can be gone.

Charlie St. Cloud Trailer

Tags: charlie, cloud, drama, movie, review, sailing, st. cloud, stanford

Whispered Secrets – 4 Bucks Book Review

iBegat Books

Whispered Secrets is book 2 in the Leven Thumps series…and is a must read.

Bucks:

Reviewed by Mirriam Neal

Author: Obert Skye

Series: Leven Thumps, Book #2

Genre: Adventure/Fiction/Young Adult/Fantasy

Fourteen-year-old Leven Thumps is an Offing with the power to see and manipulate the future. Well, that is, when his power wants to show up. But in the mean time, he has a lot more to worry about than his temperamental powers – such as the fact that there are certain sinister beings who want to mesh the world of Foo with reality, and the fact that the powerful lithen Geth is, at the moment, a toothpick, and the fact that his other half – the one with all the anger and hatred – is in Reality. Not to mention the fact that Leven’s friend Winter is having problems, and that Clover, Leven’s Sicophant, keeps giving him the wrong kind of candy and can’t stop pulling pranks. Throw all these elements into a pot, stir it around, add a dash of dreamworld, humor, battles between good and evil, and tons of imagination, and you have Leven Thumps.

Despite the forebodings the Harry-Potter-ish cover gave me, this book was a BLAST. I bought it yesterday and finished it a little bit ago – I was laughing the whole time! (When I wasn’t marveling at the ridiculous amount of imagination used, and staring in awe at the amazing cover art). I highly recommend this book. There is no language or sexual content – just lots and lots of humor, plot twists, magic, adventure, and dreams!

(Although, since I haven’t read the first book, I’m not quite sure how Geth’s essence came to be inside a tree. Which in turn was made into a toothpick. I’ll be reviewing Book #1 soon.)
$7.19
Age: 14+

Tags: book, clover, fantasy, fiction, geth, harry potter, leven, obert, obert skye, thumps, whispered secrets

Impossiblly Possible

iBegat the Begotten

‘Impossible is not a word.’ ~ Geth, the Leven Thumps series

On one of the bulletin boards I have hanging above my desk, there is a small blue card that reads “The task ahead of you is never as great as the power within you. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

Most of you know that verse by heart; you’ve heard it so many times. It’s everywhere – Bible book stores, sermons, bumper stickers, t-shirts. For such a ubiquitous verse, it’s easy to not pay attention to it. And if we do happen to actually notice it, we don’t really take it literally. “Oh, sure, I can do all things, blah, blah, blah. Great.”

Why do we get this reaction from reading this verse? Because, living in the society we do today, we don’t often see miracles performed. Nobody blind randomly starts walking, we don’t hear news reports of a bunch of pigs throwing themselves off cliffs, and we certainly don’t see anyone who was dead come back to life (Elvis aside).

But just because those huge, gigantic, jaw-dropping miracles don’t happen before our eyes any more doesn’t mean that there are no more miracles. I have had many miracles happen in my life. My mom suffered a heart attack not long after we moved to Georgia a few years ago – and during the heart attack, she died. My mom’s heart stopped beating, and she was dead. But do you know what? With everyone praying for her, God allowed her to live again. Defibrillators were used, and she came back to life.

I’d call that a miracle. My mom was raised from the dead.

Not long ago, my Dada also had a heart attack – and underwent bypass surgery. But in spite of these events, both of my parents are now whole and healthy. God came through for them in an amazing way.

But what does this have to do with us? We KNOW God can perform miracles. But we can’t.

And what I have to say to that is –

No, we can’t.

So what does that verse have to do with us personally? The fact that God can perform miracles through us. In and of ourselves, we are powerless. We have nothing. But if we allow God to use us, he can work miracles in the lives of others that you would never dream. Allow yourself to be used by God, and you can do the impossible – through Christ who strengthens you.

MIRRIAM NEAL

I am many things, but I’ll just share a few of them with you right now.

I am, first and foremost, a Christian, and have been since I was six years old. I love the Lord and am trying to please Him to the best of my ability. I am an avid reader, and lean toward fiction although several of my favorite books (the Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, Blue Like Jazz, Primal, The Barbarian Way, the Soul of C. S. Lewis, etc.) are non-fiction.

I love animals, and I love music (soundtracks, Christian, Korean and K-pop, some secular music, Immediate Music, X-ray Dog, Taylor Swift, Josh Groban, Michael Buble, Owl City, Hayley Westenra… the list goes on and on). My favorite movies are the Last of the Mohicans, G. I. Joe: Rise of Cobra, Inkheart, the Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, Robin Hood(s), Star Trek, IRIS (Korean drama – use caution when watching), the Fantastic Four(s), the Spider-mans, Batman Begins, Iron Man, (I love Hero movies) and many, many more. (read more…)

OTHER RESOURCES

Check out the Leven Thumps Series

Tags: all things, attack, heart, miracle, mirriam, mom, pain, philippians

Romona and Beezus – Movie Review

iBegat Movies

Rated: PG 13
Pops:

RAMONA AND BEEZUS is a funny, heartfelt family film. It follows the exploits of young Ramona Quimby.The middle child of three girls, Ramona struggles to fit in both at home and at school. At home, she must please her parents while following in the footsteps of her older sister Beezus, who is beautiful, popular and gets perfect grades. Ramona looks forward to getting a room of her own, but then her father loses his job, so she tries to help out by making money selling lemonade and auditioning for a TV commercial. When her efforts fail, Ramona begins to think that her family is better without her. So, she thinks about running away.

Based on a popular series of children’s books, RAMONA AND BEEZUS is a delightful, winsome family movie that will entertain both young and old. Joey King is a perfect Ramona. Her endearing performance is reason enough to see the movie. In fact, there is good chemistry among the whole cast. Most importantly, RAMONA AND BEEZUS is appropriate for children of all ages. It also contains many Christian, moral values such as love, family, perseverance, and individual worth. (This review is courtesy of Movieguide.org. Visit www.movieguide.org for more on Ramona and Beezus)

Tags: beezus, family, heartfelt, movie, ramona, review

Good Music, Good Girl – Singer, Taylor Swift

iBegat Music

By iBeGat.com Staff Writer, Mirriam Neal

It’s hard to find good music nowadays. Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Christine Aguilera, Kate Perry – these people are taking over the country’s music, and frankly, it’s not stuff I want to listen to. Even Miley Cyrus has pushed too many boundaries. Fortunately, I discovered artist Taylor Swift a few years back, and have been a huge fan ever since.

She is a 20-year-old Southern Baptist girl whose musical goal is to write a song for every instance she can think of, so that everyone will have a song to relate to. I find that to be pretty cool. Her songs cover everything from her love of her mother and family to break-ups to fairy-tale romances, with very little inappropriate content. Her first CD, Taylor Swift, had a couple swear words and a few insults. But the cut version took these out. However, since then, she has stopped swearing and insulting in her songs (thankfully) and Fearless is squeaky-clean. My personal favorites from her are Love Story, White Horse, Today Was a Fairy Tale, and You Belong With Me.

These are great songs to dance with in your room, to sing in the shower, to listen to in the car – they really capture the ‘awww’ moments in life. I would definitely recommend Taylor Swift to anyone looking for clean Country/Pop music they can relate to.

Tags: baptist, fairy tale, girl, horse, love, music, swift, taylor, taylor swift

Beach Day – Cindy Scinto

iBegat the Begotten

“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” (Ephesians 6:11 NIV)

I jumped out of bed, woken by the bright sun streaming through my window. As I ransacked my dresser for shorts and a t-shirt, I noticed my Bible staring at me. It’s a definite beach day. No time for devotions.

Andy’s faded, blue Volkswagen Bug pulled up to my house. “Let’s go, surf’s up early today!” he yelled.

Pirate’s Cove was our favorite surfing spot, but dark, gray clouds began to block the morning sun and lifeguards posted “No Swimming or Surfing” signs. “Come on, let’s go down by the bluff so we won’t get chased away,” I said defiantly.

Andy watched as I charged the water, boogie board smacking against the waves. Suddenly, I lost hold of my board and the icy, cold water pulled me under, salt stinging my eyes.

I kicked frantically until a warm sensation embraced my body and I stopped struggling. It’s the undertow! I realized, and it could pull me out to sea, drowning me with its deceptive lure.

Rough, scratchy sand ripped at my skin and I washed up on the beach like a wounded fish.

I pictured my Bible sitting on the dresser. I didn’t spend time with the Lord this morning and my rebellion showed it. Satan is like the undertow as he grabs hold and pulls us down into destruction. Only the strength of the Lord can get us to shore.

Put on the armor of God each day so you can suit up for the rough waters ahead!

Cindy Scinto, author of A Heart Like Mine, Finding God ‘s Will for Your Life, writes full time since 54 operations, three near death experiences, a heart transplant, and cancer took away her ability to work. “My friends and family don’t think writers work,” she giggles after recounting her busy schedule. Cindy now shares hope and encouragement through her writing and speaking ministry. Her husband John’s emotional and spiritual support, along with his love and devotion, make it possible for her to pursue God’s vision and will for her life. Cindy has one child, her son, Jonathan, who is attending college. The Scinto family lives in Spokane, Washington and you can visit Cindy’s website at http://www.cindyscinto.com.