Who do YOU invite to banquets?

~Friday for Friends~

Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Luke 14:12-14(NIV)

How about you? Who do you invite to banquets (or birthday parties, dinners, the mall, etc.)? Any ideas on how to apply this passage? Please share!

While we were still sinners

~Tuesday Thoughts~

Picture the one person in this world you like the best. Would you do die for him/her? Maybe?

Now picture someone who has hurt you, either verbally or physically. Someone who has taunted you. Someone you can hardly stand seeing. Would you do for that person?


Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:7-8 (NIV)


He died for us. He died for the ones who taunted Him, hit Him, and spat in His face. He died for the ones who ignored Him for years. He died for ones that would persecute His followers. He died for me. He died for you. When we were still sinners.

I am understood

~Monday Movies & Music~

"I Am Understood?" is a song by Relient K. Here are the lyrics.

I especially like the beginning, both the music and the words. I’m understood. You are too.


... your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Matthew 6:8b (NIV)

Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.Hebrews 2:18 (NIV)

How about you? Do you ever think no one understands? Do you know of any other songs on the topic?

Shades of Truth by Naomi Kinsman

~Saturday Stories~

Typical Sadie: Frankie grinned. “Nice shoes, Sparkie.”… I chose a desk, pretending not to hear one of the girls say, “Sparkie’s my dog’s name.” Everyone burst into laughter. Okay. No big deal. The best thing was to laugh too. Once they saw I could take a joke, the Sparkie thing would go away.

Moving from California to Michigan in seventh grade isn’t easy. Especially when your dad is a mediator hired to settle the infamous bear-hunting dispute in the community. Should hunting bears be OK? Sadie doesn’t think so. But with Dad arguing that he shouldn’t take any side, Mom’s illness not getting any better, a friend hiding the truth, and seeing a bear being shot outside hunting season – can things get any worse? Where can she run when everything goes bad?

Shades of Truth is a book that deals with a lot of issues: moving, betrayal, friendships, illnesses, trust. Throughout the story, Sadie grows a lot in her faith. She learns how to pray and Who to come to when everything doesn’t seem to make much sense. Naomi Kinsman weaves in lessons of faith, art, and friendships beautifully.

Myself, I also had a sort-of move in seventh grade, so this book resonated with me in that sense. At the end of most chapters, Sadie wrote an email to her best friend back in California – so like me.

This is part of the Faithgirlz! From Sadie’s Sketchbook series. I recommend it to all middle school girls.

For more on Naomi Kinsman, visit her website and Facebook page.

He is everywhere

~Friday for Friends~

One of the many, many awesome things about our God is that He is everywhere. EVERYWHERE. It doesn’t matter if you’re in America, Cuba, Italy, Australia, Egypt, India, or anywhere else. He’s there with you. He’s a friend that is really always there.

If any of you watched Prayer Bear as a kid, you might remember the song on friendship in the first movie. It talks about how God wants to be friends with us, how He’s everywhere and always will be there for us. The song is beautiful. The truth is even more so.

 The Lord is near to all who call on him,

 to all who call on him in truth. Psalm 145:18 (NIV)

Not perfect enough?

~Tuesday Thoughts~

Sometimes I get really really stressed. I'm not productive enough, I'm not smart enough, I'm not athletic enough, I'm not pretty enough, etc.

Guess what? God loves me anyway. And He’s there when I need Him. He’s there for you too.


But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.Romans 5:8 (NIV)

Come near to God and he will come near to you. James 4:8a (NIV)

Mighty to save

~Monday Movies & Music~

Mighty to Save is an awesome song by Hillsong United. Here are the lyrics.

Our God, our Savior is really mighty. He can do anything. 

The Lord your God is with you.

    He is mighty enough to save you.

He will take great delight in you.

    The quietness of his love will calm you down.

    He will sing with joy because of you.” 

Zephaniah 3:17 New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Amen!