New Girl in Town by Nancy Rue

~Saturday Stories~

“I, Laura Duffy, made a decision on October 20th of my junior year. It was a decision that rocked my world. After three days at Panama Beach High, it was obvious that I was essentially the biggest loser in Panama City, if not on the planet, and that nobody was ever going to speak to me. Period. My decision: I couldn’t spend another lunch period pretending I didn’t CARE that I was being ignored. I knew kids believed being a loser was contagious; I believed it too. I wouldn’t be friends with me either.”

New Girl in Town tells a story of a Laura Duffy, a teenager, whose family moves from Missouri, the place she has known as home all her life, to Panama City, Florida. She doesn't know anyone. No one knows her. Her 'home' life isn't too good either: Dad and Mom are always at work plus she has to take care for her six-year-old sister, Bonnie. When Laura somehow gets into trouble at school with two very mean girls, Mrs. Isaacsen takes her under her wing. She gets Laura to meet other girls who feel out of place and tells her about God. Laura's life is about to change.

Genre: realistic. Target audience: girls 15- 18 years old. Issues dealt with: family relationships, friendships, dating relationships, trust in God, self-esteem, and suicide.

This book deals with heavy issues. It talks about the difference between just going to church and really having Jesus in your heart. It shows that you can’t do everything yourself: you need God. God isn’t thrown in briefly; He is a Great Part of the book.  This is the first book in the ‘Nama Beach High series. The second is False Friends and True Strangers; the third and fourth Fault Lines and Totally Unfair.

  "I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he turned to me and heard my cry." Psalm 40:1 (NIV)

For more on Nancy Rue visit her website, Facebook page, and blogs for tweens, teens, and new adults.

Take the time to... PLAN AHEAD

~Friday for Friends~

This is the seventh post in the Take the Time series. The rest are Take the Time to Listen, Encourage, Talk With Someone, Stop Gossip, Forgive, and Calm Down.


  "The plans of the diligent lead to profit
    as surely as haste leads to poverty." Proverbs 21:5 (NIV)

Plans are a neat thing. They can help us keep working on our goals and not waste time. They can help us make time for what we need to do and for the people around us. BUT we should not cling so hard to our plans. And that because God's will is so much better! Our plans and His plans might be the same, but when they're different it's obvious whose plans are greater.

"Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
    but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21 (NIV)

""For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. "" Jeremiah 29:11(NIV)

How about you? When was a time when you found out for yourself that God's plans -for you and for others- are amazing?

By God’s grace

~Tuesday Thoughts~

“Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin” Romans 3:20 (NIV).

The covenant we have now – the new covenant – is based on grace. Jesus is the Mediator; His sacrifice is more than enough.

“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of[a] your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel” Colossians 1:21-23a (NIV).

Also: “This righteousness is given through faith in[a] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” Romans 3:22-24 (NIV, emphasis mine).

God’s grace and mercy are fully evident in this. We receive this grace by faith: “This righteousness is given through faith in[a] Jesus Christ to all who believe.” Romans 3:22a (NIV).

What an awesome God we have!!! There is no one more loving than He!

Adventures in Odyssey

~Monday Movies & Music~

Adventures in Odyssey is a Christian radio series. Adventures range from trying to find one's dad to having a kid break into school records. The stories are fun, interesting, and laced with Christian truths.

Some episodes my siblings and I liked are The Treasure of LeMonde, East Winds Raining, The Devil Made Me Do It, and The Ill-Gotten Deed.

You can listen to this on the radio or online, buy it online or on iTunes.

How about you? Have you listened to some of the Odyssey series? Do you know about another Christian radio series?

Two church camps

Hi, everyone!

I'm going to 2 church camps this month!  One is July 6th-12th, the other July 17th - July 24th. I HAVE scheduled the posts, so please enjoy! I won't be able to moderate, publish and answer comments, though. Please comment anyway!!! I'll be glad to catch up with everything once I get back.

Blessings!

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

Am I too late?

~Saturday Stories~

Tessa Emily Hall has writing prompts regularly. Here's one I did a long time ago:


"Come as soon as you can," the doctor urges. I sit up in bed and clutch the phone. "Yeah. I'll be there. Give me twenty minutes." "I don't know if I can." I hang up and dash for the bathroom. After a quick splash of water on my face, I put my hair into a high ponytail. It's five in the morning. As I pull on my clothes I consider what the doctor said. Surely this can't be happening. I run down the stairs and into the garage. Diving into the driver's seat of my Prius, I realize I forgot the keys in my room. I rush back, grab them, and dart downstairs again.  I slide into the seat and turn the ignition. God, please help me get there on time! The streets are almost empty and I speed as fast as I dare to. Thank You. Thank You, God. Pulling into the parking lot, I picture my brother as I remember him best: leaning forward in his seat at church, eyes sparking, mouth smiling, laughing. I race into the hospital and jog up the stairs to the second floor. I open his door. "Am I too late?"

What do you think of the prompt? When was a time you were really hurrying somewhere? Have you lost someone dear to you? 

Take the time to... CALM DOWN

~Friday for Friends~

This is the sixth post in the Take the Time series. The rest are Take the Time to Listen, Encourage, Talk With Someone, Stop Gossip, and Forgive.

"My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires." James 1:19-20 (NIV)

Getting angry is something we can do every day. It doesn't take much and if we're focused on what's bad in our lives, we can become angry very soon.

But the Bible tells us not to become angry quickly and not to sin in it.


"“In your anger do not sin”[a]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry," Ephesians 4:26 (NIV)

Calming down before getting into another argument is so needed.

How about you? When do you get angry? When was a time that you controlled your anger?