I am extremely proud to call this precious girl, my DAUGHTER!
Sadly, we live in a world today, where it is rare to hear a parent of a teen being able to offer praise for the decisions that child is making. I know throughout the years of my daughter growing up I honestly can not begin to tell you the number of times I've heard, "Oh, Well she may be good NOW, but just wait until she's a teen." It is truly unreal how many times various people have said this statement to me. It was as if they were saying, Well you just have no idea what you are in for when she hits those teen years. Like they expected, "My good girl" to somehow morph into someone I would no longer recognize. I always told them, "I really don't think that is going to happen". Many times I would get "that look" the one that was saying, "You poor naive momma, you have no idea!" or I was met with laughter from my statement. To most people "becoming a teen" seemed to be the same as your child turning in to some WILD unrecognizable creature. But no matter how many times I heard these things or how many people rolled their eyes at me or laughed when they simply believed that I was living in a fantasy world. I do not believe this is going to happen, it didn't happen with me. I didn't wake up one day and completely forget right from wrong, because I was a teenager. I didn't one day turn into a teen and become someone who could not stand their parents. It just didn't happen. I was always and continue to be extremely close to my mom. I always talked to her about everything. And I have raised my child to know she can come to me and talk to me about anything. I'm happy to say my sweet child has now been a teen for close to a year. She hasn't morphed into some wild unrecognizable creature! And I continue to stand behind my statement, that I don't believe she is going to change just because she is now a "TEEN". I'm not blinded or crazy, I'm not saying she has never or will never do something wrong. She will make mistakes, just as I have made mistakes in my life, just as we all have done. None of us are sin free. I'm only saying she has been taught how she should live her life, and she strives to live her life in a way that is pleasing to God. She knows we love her, and God loves her. She knows I'm always here for her no matter what, I'll always be there to listen to her, to love her, to pray for her and to help guide her in the life God has planned for her.
What I can say about this BEAUTIFUL, sweet child is that, I am EXTREMELY proud of the CHRISTIAN young lady that she has become. She has such a tender heart. She LOVES God, doing things for others, and being with her FAMILY.She brightens each and every day of my life. God truly BLESSED me when he brought this amazing child into my life. I feel complete honor & joy being her mom. She truly is a BLESSING from God. I will always continue to pray for her daily. I pray what her father & I have taught her on how she is to live her life for GOD and, to always put God first and foremost in her life will always remain. No matter if she is a teen or not. If she does wrong will I blindly turn my eyes and say, "Oh well, she's a TEEN" Absolutely NOT!! Neither I, her father and especially God will not just overlook wrong because she is a teen. Once we reach the age of accountability we each have to answer for the choices we make. Being a teen does not give you a free pass to do wrong.
It seems like so many people today expect way to little of our teens, and young adults. Everywhere you turn, someone is saying, "Oh well, that's a teen for you!" I'm sorry, I simply do not believe just because someone is a "teen" that means you should overlook everything they do simply because, "Oh well they are a teenager" I don't care if you are a child, teen, a young adult or an adult. Once you are old enough to know right from wrong. You are responsible for every decision you make, and everything you choose to do. You can either CHOOSE to live your life the way God wants you to live, or you can choose to do exactly what you want to do and then live with the consequences of those choices. It is your choice. It is not a choice God will make for you. He gave each of us the freedom to live our life the way we choose. He gives us His word to guide us. We have the example of Christ, His son to follow. We all will make mistakes, we all will sin. Jesus is the only one to ever live on this earth free of sin. The Bible tells us, "We all sin and fall short of the glory of God," Romans 3:23. Just because we will fail and sin at times does not mean, we should give up, and not do everything in our power to live our lives in a way that is pleasing to God. It doesn't matter what age you are, God gave His only Son so that we could have eternal life thru Him. How do we find eternal life with God? We learn this from his word:
We need to follow God's Plan Of Salvation, we must:
1. Hear - to hear/study God's word
Romans 10:17, "So then faith comes form hearing, and hearing through the word of God."
John 20:31, "... these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name."
2. Believe - we must believe in God and Christ, His Son
Hebrews 11:6, "And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him."
Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."
Mark 16:16, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."
3. Repent- turning away from sin and turning to God
Acts 17:30-31a, "The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now He commands ALL people everywhere to repent, because He has fixed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom He has appointed,..."
Luke 13:5, "No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."
4. Confess -to make the great confession "I believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God."
Matthew 10:32-33, "So everyone who confesses me before men, I also will confess before my Father who is in Heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in Heaven."
Romans 10:10, "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
5. Be Baptized- to be completely immersed, as in a burial to your old sinful life & be raised up to a newness of life thru Christ
Acts 2:38, "And Peter said to them, 'Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
Acts 22:16, "And now why do you wait? Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord."
Romans 6:3-4 "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in the newness of life."
Galatians 3:26-27, "for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ."
1 Peter 3:21, "Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ."
6. Be Faithful Unto Death- to continue living your life in accordance to God's word each day.
Romans 3:22-26, "Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus."
1 John 1:6-10, "If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us."
Revelation 2:10, "Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life."
God has offered each of us the precious give of eternal life.. If you are not a Christian I urge you to change that now. None of us are promised tomorrow. God desires for everyone to be with Him when this life is over. Even though that is what He wants, He will not force His will on anyone. He has given all the freedom of choice. We can either choose to follow His word or choose to ignore it. But the day will come when it will be too late. If we do not follow His word, we will be cast into hell. The time for choosing will be over. So I urge you to may that decision now, if you are a Christian and have fallen away. I urge you to repent and make things right with the Lord, for he is faithful and just to forgive. Just don't wait until it is too late. The day for choosing may come to an end before you take the time to make things right. So don't put it off!!
Hebrews 9:27 - And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Matthew 7:21-23 "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
Matthew 24:36 - But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
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