God's plan fulfilled...

God's plan fulfilled as he had willed, then came the Christ on earth

The star so bright in deepest night foretold His blessed birth.

The angel's throng with joyous song appeared to shepherds meek

The angel's word the shepherds heard then went they forth to seek.

The blessed Child so meek and mild at Bethlehem they found,

In manger low where cattle low and sheep did gather round.

In swaddling clothes there to repose and lying on the hay

What glorious sight in that dark night where Christ the Saviour lay!

From lands afar led by the star the wisemen came to see

The Saviour King rich gifts they bring for Christ's nativity,

This story sweet I would repeat and praise Him with my voice.

For he who finds Christ's peace of mind he cannot but rejoice.

One of the things that I've been pondering in the Christmas season is how each person in the Christmas story felt. Each of them, though they may have been scared, carried out their part to the best of their abilities. God gave them each a special part to play in the story, and they each did their job. Here are some of my thoughts on the people that played parts throughout the Christmas story.

Zechariah and Elizabeth

We've all read the Christmas story, so I won't bother to brief you on the obvious parts. We know that Zechariah doubted the angel--Gabriel--and thus lost his ability to speak until after John was born. If you were in his shoes, would you have doubted? Most likely. Elizabeth was rather old, probably about ninety, which is well past the age that women are able to give birth. What did she feel like? Was she scared? Did she feel proud that her son would prepare the world for Jesus?

Mary and Joseph

From what I've read, Mary was probably only about thirteen or fourteen when she was engaged to Joseph. That's about my age. It wasn't very odd for girls her age to be married and have children at that time, but when she was found to be pregnant, it was a huge shock. That didn't happen before marriage then. I remember reading that often, pregnancy before marriage meant stoning--sometimes to the death. How would you feel if that happened to you? I'm guessing that she was pretty scared about what was happening. She may have lost her friends, and even Joseph wasn't sure he still wanted to marry her.
What about Joseph? It must have been hard for him, too. To announce that the woman you're engaged to is pregnant was a huge shame. It took a huge amount of faith for him to trust the angel and still marry her.

The Wisemen

I'm not sure that just a whole lot is known about the wisemen. We know that they were wise (hence the name wisemen *grin*) and studied the stars. When they saw the star, something impelled them to follow it. Apparently, they assumed something great be at place that the star led them to. What was it like for them to reach their destination and find an innocent little baby? Could it have been slightly disappointing, as they may have been expecting some great king?

The Shepherds

Again, I don't think a whole lot is known specifically about the shepherds. What do we need to know, though? They were shepherds out watching their sheep, and a multitude of angels appeared. Did that great sight frighten them? I'm sure it did. As with the wisemen, though, when they reached the stable, they found an innocent little baby. Was that disappointing for them, or did they simply trust God with His plan? Were they, like the wisemen, expecting a mighty king? Had they even heard of God before they saw the angels?

Considering what each of these people were thinking makes them seem more real to me. It also helps me realize how huge God's plan really is. If even one of these people would have rebelled against His plan, what would have happened?
This reminds me that no matter what God leads me to do in my life, He has a completely perfect plan.

As you enjoy your Christmas day, time with family or friends, and giving (and/or receiving) gifts, remember to thank God for His perfect plan.
Merry Christmas!

xo,
Rebekah

ponderings

      Sunday night, a dear couple from church were killed in an accident, leaving behind nine children. Six still lived at home, five of which are school-age. I've really been having a hard time understanding why God would let something like this happen. I just don't understand it. And I always pray for God's will to be done and not mine--but that's SO hard when God's will turns out to be something like this.

      I still can't quite grasp how suddenly this all happened. I saw both of them at church on Sunday, and that evening they were killed. I know I'll see them again in heaven, but that seems like forever away (even though I have no idea how long it will be). One minute they were there, the next gone.

      And then I had to wonder, what if that was me? Would I have been ready? *Am* I ready? None of us know when we'll die. I was looking at my calendar the other night, and I have a lot planned for this month. Then I had the thought that I don't know how many of those calendar days I'll live to see. Up in heaven, God has a calendar for all of my days. Which one has the big red 'X'? Maybe I'll live to be 95, maybe I'll only be 15. The question is, "Am I ready?"

      At church on Sunday, the preacher talked about how our lives here on earth are only a vapor. *Poof*, and they're gone. Sometimes, that makes me sad to think about because there's things on earth that I'm pretty attached to (friends, pets, etc.). Really, though, our entire focus should be on God, and making sure we're ready to meet him, no matter when that will be. 

>>Are you ready?<<

family matters

No, really--your family does matter. A lot more than you probably think, anyway. How many of us are guilty of telling a sibling we're 'too busy' to play a game? How many of us have argued with our parents instead of just submitting? I know I'm guilty on both counts. I can't even count how many times in the past few days I've snapped at my younger brother--and then felt guilty. I've said things to him that I *know* I wouldn't say in front of other people. 

"Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vauntheth not itself, is not puffed up." -1 Corinthians 13:4

Yes, I love my family, but to someone who doesn't know that, what does it look like when I yell at my brother? Or when I argue with my dad? For that matter, what does God think?
There's many times when my younger brother will ask me to play a game. My response is typically something like, "No, I'm busy." With what? Probably nothing worthwhile. The times I do play games with him typically end up being a blast, and we make a lot of memories.
I also need to work on enjoying my family. You never know when something could happen--be it a death or someone moving off to college, etc. This problem isn't just with my immediate family, either! Sometimes my grandparents show up unexpectedly, and it completely changes my plans for the day. I probably don't have too many more years left with them in my life. Or my cousins come over, and while they can be somewhat annoying, they really don't have good home lives.
I need to focus on finding the good things in my family, such as the fact that my parents aren't divorced (and never will be) and that I really am blessed to have such wonderful brothers.
Because family really does matter.

>>Will you challenge yourself to work harder on this?<<

inner beauty

Why is it so hard for girls to be content with the way they look? It seems like these days, girls spend far too much time in front of a mirror, and too much money on clothes/makeup to make them look better. Do you know what God has to be thinking? And this is something that I've seen in the blogging world, too. So many girls try to make their blogs into carbon copies of the popular blogs--just because *they* want to be popular and have 300 followers. I'm tired of stumbling across blog after blog after blog that are all alike, girls all trying to imitate each other just so they can be popular. I think that if every girl blogged the way she really wanted to, they'd soon find that they'd gain much more from the blogging experience. I'll be the first one to admit that I struggle with this. Yes, I'd love to have 300 followers. But what on earth would I do with them all? To be honest, I really like having *only* 56 followers. Ladies, that's 56 wonderful people that (hopefully) read what I write. My goal in blogging is to somehow glorify God and help others in the process. So if one--or even two--people leave my blog feeling encouraged, my mission has been accomplished. Why can we not be content with what we have?
Another struggle of mine is thinking about my clothes far too much. If I'd just accept the fact that God made me the way I am, I wouldn't worry nearly as much about what I'm wearing!
So with that, I'd like to encourage anyone else who struggles with this to ask God for help. And know that you're not alone in this.

"Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman that feareth the Lord shall be praised." ~Proverbs 32:30

am I a 'real Christian'?

Sometimes (even in the online world), I meet people that say they're Christian. Yet when I read their posts, or watch the way they act, I sometimes think, "Wow... they don't *act* Christian!" 

So what do people think of the way we act? Do they watch us and think, "Now she's a real Christian!" Or do they think to themselves, "I'm sure glad I don't act like that." 

Do we set a good example for others? Maybe there's someone that looks at something we do and think that because we do it, they can do it, too, even though we don't realize what we're doing and maybe it's not a good thing. We can't expect those around us to be perfect Christians when we're not perfect. 

Another thing I don't like is when others look at people and make a comment such as, "Wow--their hair looks so nasty." Or when people critique celebrities, when the person making the unkind comment is far from perfect their self. And I know I'm guilty of that, too. So maybe the people doing it are looking at me and saying, "Well, she's doing it, so I can too!"

So I guess one of the most important things I can do to be a 'real Christian' is set an example to those around me. Because how can I expect those around me to be perfect when I'm not?

be a prayer warrior.

Prayer is something that's becoming horribly overlooked. It's not cool to pray before you eat. It's not cool to pray in public. It's not cool to even talk about prayer.

"Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man."

~Luke 21:36

Yet prayer is one of the most important things we can have in our life. As I just read on Pinterest: "Living without prayer is like driving without gas. You can't run on empty. So you'd better gas up." 

Last night at a church young group thing, we were discussing prayer. One of the ministers said, "We should pray so much that no matter what comes our way, we can handle it by praying and knowing that God will help us."

The same minister also made a comment about the 'prayer warriors' in life. We all know those people that just pray their way through anything. They have no worries in life, and they're the first people we go to when we need someone to pray for us. Maybe it's our mom, or some other family member. Or even just someone at church, or in the blogging world.

Then I had the thought that we should all try to be prayer warriors. We have to pray through everything. I know that's hard. Praying isn't 'cool' these days. But if our friends can't accept that we pray, they can't accept us.

So pray. Maybe it isn't a huge part of your schedule. Make time for it. Eventually, you should pray so much that it's just like breathing to you. Become a prayer warrior.

"Pray without ceasing."

~1 Thessalonians 5:17

{all images via Pinterest}

why is it so hard to be content?

It seems like blogging changes us. It makes us want to be someone that we're not. It makes us jealous and competitive.
When I first started blogging, it was so much fun. I wasn't worried about who I was or what my pictures looked like. And then, as I gained more followers and made more blogging friends, it became more of a competition. And it's not just me--have you looked at the blogging world lately? It seems to be a huge competition to see who can have the best design, the most followers, and the best photography skills. So many girls (myself included) are wasting too much time on the computer, wrapped up in this competition that we call blogging.
Why? Because we all want to be the best. We want to have hundreds of followers. We want to have the best blog design (and be the best designer), and we refuse to be content with what we do have.

So I challenge you. Try to be content where you're at. Quit trying to be the best. When I quit trying to be the best, I'm myself. And I have 51 wonderful followers because I am myself. No one wants to read a copycat blog.

"A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones."
--Proverbs 14:30

finding the balance

{you can read the prequel to this post here}

After I wrote the above post, thoughts swirled through my head. How many times do we hide behind the excuse, "That's just the way God made me." How many times has someone found a way to end a conversation with us because we didn't give them a chance to talk?
Yes, God made us to be perfect, but we can't be perfect unless we acknowledge our faults and ask Him to help us with them.
Maybe we do talk too much. Or maybe we should change that one thing that most likely annoys everyone to no end.
Let's ask God to help us find our faults and change them, so that we really can be as perfect as He made us to be. Because God is perfect.

He leadeth me...

Early last week, my mom suggested the idea to me that I start teaching piano lessons. I thought about it briefly, but decided to submit it to God and just pray about it. I really thought that I'm too young, don't have enough patience, and so on and so forth. But, I did at least pray that night for God to show me if it was his will.
Yesterday at church, a mom got to me and said, "I sure wish you could teach my children piano lessons." Well, thanks for dropping it in my lap, God! It turns out her girls have been taking lessons from a young lady that's getting married at the end of July, so she'll be moving and won't be able to teach them anymore. They only take lessons every other week, which is great for me--it doesn't take up quite as much time. The mom also informed me that I could have quite a few other students from church if I decide this is what I want to do.
We don't have anything set in stone, yet, so I'm praying that if it is really meant to be, God will finish working it out for me.
My point in all this is to encourage you girls to just really submit your life to God. His way is always best! If there's something in your life that's challenging you, just pray. God will help you through it! If you don't know where to go next, pray again! God will show you! He might not show you right away, but eventually you will know his will for your life.

the little things in life

Some things in life are pretty small. But they can magically transform a bad day into a good day. You know what I'm talking about? They're just little things that make us happy. And some days, we get a whole bunch of little things, and we have an amazing day. 

little things that I love

a fresh new blog design (coming soon!)

the smell of fresh mowed grass

warm chocolate chip cookies

sunny afternoons

tiny kittens

laughter shared with friends

chocolate (most girls will agree with this one!)

a REALLY good book--as in, the kind you can't put down

a new top or skirt

rain--followed by a rainbow

browsing Pinterest

an afternoon alone in the house, enjoying only the company of the piano keys

What are your favorite little things?

 

laughter

It's Biblical. It's something we do a lot. Around the dinner table, creating memories with our family. Late at night, with friends. At funerals, reminiscing about the one that won't be with us anymore. Warm summer evenings spent sharing watermelon and swapping jokes. So go ahead. Laugh. Because even though your life may not be perfect, you have so much to be thankful for.

"A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;"
~Ecclesiastes 3:4

"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones."
~Proverbs 17:22

trust and obey

For some reason, it's hard for me to trust God. Why? I don't know. 

Maybe I just want to be in control of my future, even though God's will is best. 

I've found quite a few verses in Psalms lately that are quite motivating.

Ps. 4:5: "Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord."

Ps. 9:10: "And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, has not forsaken them that seek thee."

Ps. 18:30 (my favorite): "As for God, his way is perfect: the way of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust him."

Ps. 25:2: "O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me."

And how are we supposed to obey him if we can't trust him? Is that even possible?

To truly obey God, we have to trust him. His way is ALWAYS best, even when it doesn't look like it.

He knows everything about us, and he'll only deny us the desires of our heart if he has something much better in mind.

So let Go(d).

make it count!

Every moment of our life happens once. Once it's past, we can't take it back and redo it.

So shouldn't every minute of our life count for something?

If you could, would you take back that last minute? That minute where you informed your brother you were too busy blog-hopping to play a game?

Would you take back that minute where you grumbled all the way through washing the dishes?

Would you take back that minute where you groaned when your grandparents pulled in the driveway because you wanted to spend the evening working on blog design?

And once you had taken it back, how would you relive it?

Would you have said, "Sure, bro, I'd love to play a game! You choose which one."

If I could roll that clock back, I would. There are some moments in my past that I'm pretty ashamed of. Moments that I'd love to relive.

But we can't take back time. So what will we do?

Will we simply say, "I like my life the way it is," and keep walking forward as we had been?

Or will we make our every moment count, so that our life is worth remembering?

the person I want to be

I'm sure we've all met one of those people that left us with a great impression. Maybe it was their sense of humor that we liked, or just how nice they seemed.

Last night my dad introduced us to some of his friends that we hadn't met yet. After we had gone home I was still thinking about them, which made me think, "What do people remember about me?"

I want to be the kind of person that leaves people thinking, "Wow, I really liked her! I want to be just like her!"

Maybe if I was friendlier, people would like me more. Maybe if I was prettier, I'd have more friends.

But God created me. I'm perfect in my own way. And I should be content with who I am.

it takes rain to get a rainbow

Lately I've been trying to find the good part of every bad thing. It's hard sometimes, but it helps to know the good part of everything.

The rain: My cousin was born Thursday morning and died an hour later

The rainbow: Several of her organs will be donated to other babies, and her life (as short as it was) will save the lives of 3 to 4 other babies

The rain: Working in the garden--not my favorite job, especially hoeing

The rainbow: Being outside and later on I'll enjoy fresh veggies

The rain: Spring cleaning

The rainbow: Enjoying a clean house this afternoon as I cook (in a clean kitchen!)

The rain: Scooping bunny poo & clipping their toenails

The rainbow: Cute, cuddly bunnies :)

The rain: Staying inside on drizzly gray days

The rainbow: Bright, beautiful rainbows

What rainbows have you discovered lately?

John 3:16

Several thousand years ago, a murderer was set free.

In his place, the only perfect man to ever walk this earth was crucified.

His crime? Love.

He was beaten, spit upon, mocked. Yet he obeyed his Father because he knew God's plan was best.

He could have stayed in heaven, but we wouldn't be free today.

He died for us--we can live our life for him.

names // changing who I am?

Lately I’ve really been thinking about changing my Blogger name. I’ve been Nutti Netti ever since I entered the online world, because that’s who I am. But I’m getting tired of that. I want a real name—but not my real name.
When I first started considering a name change, I was worried that changing my name would change who I am, and that I’d feel like I have to blog like someone that’s not me. And you know, in the online world, our name is who we are. We hide behind our name, with the excuse for everything being, “But that’s who I am!” And maybe that is who you are. But what if it isn’t? What I’m trying to say is, in the online world we can come across any way we want. No one knows what we look like, or how we say things.
A few nights ago, I finally decided for sure to change my name. All I knew was that I wanted a Bible name. Then, I was looking through our 'Who's who in the Bible' book, and read some interesting things about Rebekah.
She was most likely in her early to mid teens when she got married, and Isaac was around 40. I realize, she probably didn't get a whole lot of choice in the matter. But she had a great attitude--she just packed up her stuff and went with Abraham's servant to go meet her future husband. And when she didn't have any children for 20 years, she didn't complain.
Her story isn't perfect, she was human. But overall she was a strong, faithful woman.
And that's where I found my new name.
The name Rebekah reminds me to have faith in God. She didn't complain when she went to marry someone 30 years older than her that she didn't know. She didn't complain when she didn't have children for quite a few years.

So I'm changing my name to Rebekah. I added the middle name Louise, and I'll probably end up shorting it to Bekah or BekahLou eventually. Just call me whatever. =)
And now, to make this rant worth reading (hopefully), I took some pictures a little while ago.

wind = God

It's horribly windy here today. And every time I go outside, I can't help but smile. It's really warm, which is part of the reason for my smile. The other part of the reason?

Wind reminds me of God. The power of the wind isn't even close to a fraction of His power. Wind is also a good example of faith. We don't know where it comes from, but we know it's there--like God.

Sometimes we don't know exactly where He is. We don't know where we're supposed to go, or why He's letting us go through this. 

But He's always there. And His power goes beyond anything that we know.

true love

The dictionary definition:

Love (noun): a strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties.

The REAL definition:

1. "For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

2. "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love." 1 John 4:7,8

THIS is love. 

It's not a teenage 'romance' that ends after two days, it's an everlasting love. 

On this earth, nothing lasts forever.

Except God & his love. 

remember when

-life was days in the sunshine, chocolate chip cookies in hand, and furry kittens chasing our toes through the grass

-rainstorms meant dancing in the rain and splashing through puddles

-life was filled with laughter and good times

-snow meant snow forts and snowball fights, hot chocolate and storybooks

-in our minds, fairy tales and pirate ships were real

what do you remember?

{all images via pinterest}