The Tale of Two Ships
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV)
The Titanic was beautiful.
Well, as beautiful as a nautical steamship could get. A complete masterpiece of modern engineering ingeniously intertwined with the highest echelon of luxury. This ship was destined for greatness – to be remembered.
About 4,460 years ago, a man stood back from a different nautical masterpiece. There were no gold trimmings or alabaster floors, but it was astounding just the same. This ship was destined to serve God and save His people.
The Titanic left New York harbor with a mighty cheer from the passengers aboard. They were waving and throwing hats through the air like an old film. People watched from the docks both in awe and patriotic tears, waving back and shouting promises. A young boy set a pair of slugs down on a railing as his siblings closed the massive door to their boat, listening as the rain began to fall down outside. They were all afraid but they were faithful – God would get them through this.
On April 14, 1912, four days after departure, the Titanic hit a massive iceberg and began a three hour descent as it sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
Forty days later, the Ark reached land and God provided for Noah and his family to flourish in their new environment.
Don’t place your trust in man – but in God who is the author of life and lover of your soul!
Remember: The ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic was built by professionals.
CHRISTINE WESSELIUS
Christine grew up in the windowless basement of her grandparent’s house and has thus been fondly nicknamed “The vampire in a box” by her friends. She has a strong affinity for sarcasm, shiny purple things, and random, useless information that “normal people probably wouldn’t care about.” She likes to sing, act, draw, write, read, and make fun of Prince Charming in her spare time. Some of her epic skills include: surviving a piano being dropped on her, carrying on a five hour conversation with a wall, and making a grilled cheese sandwich spontaneously explode. (read more…)
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Forgotten
I’ve screamed so long my lungs are hoarse, my fists have slammed against the wall so many times the skin is broken and bleeding streaks of red down my bedroom wall. No one’s home right now. And even worse—I can swear no one is listening. Even if someone was, they must not care about me because nothing is changing. No matter how many tears I weep in the night, no matter how low and broken I’ve become, all I hear is silence. All I feel is the emptiness from the world.
God has forgotten me.
Have you ever felt this way? Frustrated and desperate for some kind of sign; some kind of proof that He’s there: that things will get better? That He hears you?
Let me assure you, He is. And He always will be.
Even more than that—God weeps with you! Jeremiah 8:21 says, “Since my people are crushed, I am crushed; I mourn and horror grips me.” (NIV) You are not in this alone! Hebrews 13:5b states, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” It is impossible for you to be forgotten! And most importantly, God cherishes you and nothing can change that!
Romans 8:39 “…(nothing) shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NASB)
God hears you. God passionately loves you.
Remember, “Do your best, prepare for the worst; then trust God for the victory.” (Proverbs 21:31 MSG)
CHRISTINE WESSELIUS
Christine grew up in the windowless basement of her grandparent’s house and has thus been fondly nicknamed “The vampire in a box” by her friends. She has a strong affinity for sarcasm, shiny purple things, and random, useless information that “normal people probably wouldn’t care about.” She likes to sing, act, draw, write, read, and make fun of Prince Charming in her spare time. Some of her epic skills include: surviving a piano being dropped on her, carrying on a five hour conversation with a wall, and making a grilled cheese sandwich spontaneously explode. (read more…)
<<<more posts by Christine…
Party Permissions
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’—which is the first commandment with a promise—‘that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.’” (Ephesians 6:1-3 NIV)
My parents won’t let me go to this party I was really looking forward to. What should I do?
Well, do your parents trust you? If not, then you have to show them you can be trusted. Do what they ask right away and show up on time for things and stuff like that. Trust doesn’t come easy though; it takes time to gain trust from someone.
If your parents can trust you to make the right choices at the party, then they would probably let you go. So you need to prove yourself. Try to show your parents you’re loyal and you respect them and what they say or do. It can also help if you put yourself in their shoes. What would you want your kid to do?
Whatever you do, don’t go to the party without your parent’s permission. That would make them lose their trust with you if they found out. And they most likely will. So keep building up that trust so the next party you want to go to, they might let you go. They have to feel they can trust you enough to make the right choices and follow your heart. Of course, make sure your heart is in the right place before making any decisions.
Written by Judah Flinchbaugh
Just Keep Swimming
“The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, and with my song I shall thank Him.” (Psalm 28:7 NASB)
I stood beside the blocks waiting to get started. If I’d had boots on, I’m sure I would’ve been shaking in them. My friend stood beside me ready to start the timer for my first 500 yard freestyle.
Was I ready for this?
Sprinting had never been my thing. But was that what God wanted me to do? At least this was long-distance and I didn’t need to go fast.
I’d done long-distance before. I liked the 200 Breaststroke the best, mainly because I didn’t have to sprint all out.
But a 500? What if I got a DQ? What if my time was horrible?
The whistle blew and I climbed onto the block. My friends cheered for me and gave me “good lucks”.
God, help me do this. It was a short, but definitely sincere prayer.
“Swimmers take your mark…”
Beep! The buzzer rang.
I was off. I went slow; a nice easy pace. And after the first 50 yards I was totally into it. 
God gave me incredible strength and power I didn’t know I had. As I thanked Him I realized how many times I’d doubted. How many times I thought I couldn’t do something. And yet there I was, swimming the 500.
Thanks to God, the amazing Grace-Giver, I was able to get through the 500 free with no problems. And no DQs.
Although I was scared, I know He was there, smiling down on me. And if I can make Him smile, that’s good enough. No matter how good or bad I do.
It can be the same for you. Give Him your best.
KAYLA WOODHOUSE
Thirteen-year-old Kayla Woodhouse’s zest for writing comes not only from her natural ability, but also from her love of the written word as witnessed by her voracious reading appetite. One of only a few dozen cases in the world, Kayla was born with HSAN, Hereditary Sensory Autonomic Neuropathy, an extremely rare nerve disorder. Unable to sweat, or feel pain, she’s also been through brain surgery. But even through a life of extreme hardships, her ever-present smile encourages others to pursue their dreams, no matter the obstacles. In addition to being homeschooled and writing with her mom, she’s an amazing swimmer, and spends up to thirty hours a week in training. She has appeared on ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, The Montel Williams Show, Mystery ER, and numerous other national programs. No Safe Haven, her first release from B&H Publishers in 2011, written with mother, Kimberley, makes her the youngest author to have a full-length novel published by a royalty paying publisher. You can find Kayla at http://kimberleyandkaylawoodhouse.com and http://kaylawoodhouse.com (read more…)
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