Trying to be ready for anything!

Life is full of beautiful busyness right now.  I am so enjoying where my life is heading.  Which is really incredible because a month ago I thought I was going in a completely different direction.  I guess you need to be ready for anything.  I am meeting wonderful couples who are planning weddings and I am meeting great people who offer wonderful unique ideas for weddings.  Yesterday I was featured in our local paper!  You can read the article HERE.

Beyond all of the new job stuff, my daughters are home this week from school.  We are having a blast!  My oldest just turned 10 on Sunday and it has been great celebrating her birth and the wonderful young lady that she is becoming.  Both my daughters are in swimming lessons this week so that is helping to break up the day, I am enjoying my 90 minutes to make a few notes and send some emails.  We even had a chance to get hair cuts!

Acacia went drastic and cut her hair short!  She is so brave!

Nevaeh had a couple of inches taken off and then her hair done is a special braid.

They were so cute I wanted to get a picture of them together and this is the best that I could get, what a pair!

This past year I have been co-teaching the Grades 7-8 Sunday School class.  I am really enjoying it.  It is always interesting to see where the conversations go and the questions they ask.  I also appreciate the prep time.  Getting into the scriptures and digging for answers. 

If you have followed this blog through the years you know that I have done a lot of study on the book of Esther.  I love researching people of the Bible and looking at things from a different perspective.  In the spring of 2011 I attended a women’s retreat where the speakers taught on several women in the Bible.  On Saturday morning I knew they were sharing about Tamar.  I had a few minutes between breakfast and the session so I thought I would read through the story and refresh my memory.  Wow, I was not prepared for what happened.  I saw the story of Tamar come to life in a different perspective than I have ever heard in my life.

I really want to share it with you but I need you do to something first.  Please study Genesis 38.  Pray that God will open up the scriptures to your heart and mind.  I will be doing the same before I write my next post within the next week.  I am interested in hearing what you learn as well.  Please leave me a comment or send me an email to let me know how your eyes are being opened to the words and lessons through the life of Tamar.

Did you know?

• Teen girls body image plays a huge role in suicidal thinking
• Teen suicide and depression is on the increase.
• Cosmetic surgery is on the rise for girls 18 years and younger.
• Eating disorders are increasing due to lack of family meal time.
• 80% of teenage pregnancies occur between the hours of 3-5pm in their own home!
• 80% of teens who sign a purity pledge do not keep it.
• As teens age and have sexual experience with multiple partners there is a greater chance that they will not use protection.
• Teen girls are now choosing pregnancy- due to lack of attention from their fathers.
• Today’s teens are becoming workaholics-  Canadian teens ranked 1st compared with 9 countries in terms of average hours spent on labor during the school week.  Canadian teens felt under pressure to accomplish more than they could handle.  They are cutting back on sleep in order to get things done.

There is something that you can do about this.  Please click here for more information.

Is Jesus an E.M.T. or Surgeon?

I was listening to a podcast the other day that said Jesus is not an EMT, He is more like a surgeon.  I have been thinking about it ever since.  He doesn’t show up in an ambulance after the accident when you are bruised and broken and try to put you back together.

He is a surgeon, He cuts you open- He causes the wound.  He reaches inside of you to the part that needs fixing, makes some adjustments and then sews you up.  You then need to take care of yourself in order to heal properly.

Doesn’t that give you a wake up call like it did for me?  The better I take care of myself the faster the healing process.  If I neglect what I need to do the longer it will take for healing.  So if God is trying to teach me something about an area in my life that needs to improve and develop and I am ignoring Him I’m not moving forward in the direction that I am being led.  It’s like going around and around a mountain and never reaching the top.

He didn’t cut me open to hurt me, but to heal me and help me grow.  WOW!!!

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

Why are you asking me?

There is so much to learn from the woman who encountered Jesus at the well. What a day she experienced when she went to draw water and found Jesus instead.

As she approaches Jesus sitting by the well; he asks her for a drink of water. She does one of the most outrageous things mentioned in the Bible. She asks Him why? She boldly wants to know, "Why are you talking to me?” Good for her!

Why don’t we ask more questions? There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking questions; the disciples were full of questions. Asking questions is how we can grow deeper in the understanding of our faith.

The Samaritan woman had made many interesting life choices. Now she finds herself being asked for something from yet another man. No wonder she is full of questions. We don’t know the particulars concerning the 5 husbands, deaths, divorces, we honestly do not know and it is not our place to judge. She is obviously confused with who she is. Like so many of us today she is so desperate for love, a relationship, for acceptance that she welcomed anyone who would have her. Jesus knows and understands her need.

Jesus does not tell the woman to repent or change her ways, she already knows that she needs to make changes. He gives her truth and hope. AMEN!

Jesus tells her that He is the Messiah, she then leaves her water bottle and runs to the village and tells all the people that had made her an outcast about her experience at the well. Then the villagers came to see Jesus and he stayed for two days to share his message of truth and hope with anyone who would listen and believe.

Jesus accepted this woman who was an outcast in her community and the village whose race was despised by the Jews. They all found something that we all long for; acceptance.

What Makes You Unique? Reviews

Judges comments from the 2008 Canadian Christian Writing Awards:

"One of the most positive aspects of WHAT MAKES YOU UNIQUE? is Carleton's willingness to be vulnerable and to expose her "sins". So often "Christian" books for adolescents are "preachy" and leave the impression that all adult Christians are paragons. Carleton's "been there-done that and found my way back" approach makes the book's contents much more approachable and more like a caring, older sister is doing the writing/talking." - Dr. Dave Jenkinson

"I have no doubt that this book is being used right now in high school-aged bible study groups everywhere, and if it isn't it should be. This is a smart book that asks its readers some pretty tough and profound questions. This is, of course, a notoriously difficult group of people to reach - its very easy to come off sounding condescending or preachy when you're dealing with teens. This book doesn't do that at all - and that's commendable." – anonymous

 

Blog review:  Truth be Told

Reviews found on the internet:

• It’s an excellent read.  I recently read the book, and found it good.  I would give it to any young girl who wants to deepen their faith.  As an adult, it covers almost everything I would like a young woman to know, and wish I knew when I was young.
• I am in the process of reading your book. Let me commend you for the huge of amount of research and work you have put into it. Also, for sharing yourself so honestly with your readers. May it accomplish that purpose for which you have written it. Thank you.
• We bought the book for our friend's 13 year old daughter. We just had lunch with them today and spoke to her daughter about the book. She loves it, she is still reading the book, doing the studies. It has got her back into reading the Bible on a regular basis. Thank you so much.
• Great! This book covers the majority of what I would want to teach any teenage girl in my life. It is easy to read, has enjoyable personal stories with the points, and biblically based. It has questions, prayers, and challenges so one can process what they are reading and bring it into their life.
• I am in my 30's and read Carolyn's book, I love the journaling, self assessments. Each chapter applies that you really think about who You really are and for you to think about how each chapter pertains to your life. Yes, there were a few chapters like dating that didn't apply, but the remainder of the book was awesome, a very good read and a tool for self reflection. I have given my nieces there own copies, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS book for teens and young adults, and for those of you who are all grown up, well we are never too old to learn a little more about life and it may very well help you interact with your teen daughters!!
• I am 14 going on 15 and I got this book as gift form my mom. I'm not much of a reader, but this book really caught my attention. I'll admit...I'm not finished yet. I start reading then i stop and then i start again. That's just me. :] But so far so good. Every chapter gives you the chance to think about how it applies to your own life. Man, have I learned a lot. This book opened my eyes to things i never even noticed before. I would defiantly recommend this book to EVERYONE. Well, at least the ones I haven't already told...and even they could hear it second time! Great book Carolyn!!
• I totally enjoyed the book, "What Makes You Unique?" It was so honest and real. I wish this book was around when I was a teen. The book answered so many questions I was afraid to ask the people around me while growing up.