Blog Archives
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February 11, 2010
Where God and Human Beings MeetMerritt Johnston
Prayer is our blood-bought opportunity to engage the God of the Universe in a conversation. Crazy to think about, right?
But as often happens in relationships, there can be times when we just don't want to talk to Him. Maybe we're mad at Him...maybe we think He is mad at us. Maybe we're struggling to hear His voice, or maybe we just don't like His answer. Maybe we're giving God the silent treatment, or maybe we're spilling the beans of our daily life in detail. Our relationship with God can certainly be complex, and the complexity of the ...
February 10, 2010
Too Busy to PrayMerritt Johnston
We live in a busy culture. There's an unspoken (and sometimes spoken) rule that activity equates to productivity, yet I challenge the idea that busy-ness translates into fruitfulness for the kingdom.
If we look at Christ's example throughout the gospels, we find that most of His ministry happened in the margins of unplanned time in His life. As He traveled from city to city, He was often stopped along the way by someone desperate for healing. And I can't seem to find any part of scripture that shows Christ denying them help because He ...
February 09, 2010
An Answered PrayerSami Elder
Prayer is one of the most humbling and wonderful ways to connect with God. It also is one of the most challenging areas in my life, where I often struggle the most. It means that I must lay myself down and go to God. I have to trust Him and go to Him with the things that are on my heart.
Lately I have been memorizing a little bit of scripture at a time. I take those words in scripture and turn them into prayers to God. It's proven to be a great way to share with Him.
Girls, I want you to know that God is so faithful. He knows the depths ...
February 08, 2010
When There Are No WordsMerritt Johnston
Life can be hard...really hard. In fact, life can get so hard that we're rendered speechless. We know we should call on God for His help, but we cannot even manage to speak. If you've been there (or you are there now), I've got some good news for you.
Romans 8:26 (NIV) says,
"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."
When we're lost on how to even pray through our circumstances, the Holy Spirit shows up ...
February 07, 2010
Born in the USAMerritt Johnston
Today most of America will watch the Super Bowl - some motivated by the excitment of the game and others by the humor of the commercials. With an ever-increasing scope, Super Bowl Sunday has almost become a national holiday.
One of my favorite parts of the big day is the pre-game show when a celebrity is invited to sing the national anthem. This musical segment of the programming is usually accompanied by an array of uniformed officers carrying flags and a climactic finish with fighter jets flying over the stadium. Having traveled to other ...
February 06, 2010
Stilling the Storm to a WhisperMerritt Johnston
If you've ever had the opportunity to go deep-sea fishing, you gain a far greater appreciation for the power that exists out in open water. A small boat in a vast ocean is a scary residence when the wind begins to thrash and the waves begin to crash around you. But in the midst of the storm, God is more than able to calm the chaos.
Psalm 107:28-30 says,
"Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it ...
February 05, 2010
When God Seems SilentKristy Tyler
I always heard growing up in church that God answers prayers with yes, no, or maybe later.
But I have been in seasons of my life where I struggled because I felt like God wasn't answering at all...it was like He seemed silent. I wrestled with whether or not God was even hearing my prayers, and then I would struggle to even make myself pray - thinking what is the point if nothing is changing.
This is the way it was for me on and off for years. Then I realized something. Prayer is not about telling God what is going on and what I ...
February 04, 2010
He'll Blow Your MindMerritt Johnston
I'm one of those weird people that actually likes school. I just love to learn, so being a good student has always been a natural outpouring of my passion for knowledge. But when I look at scripture, I believe this passion should be the norm rather than the exception.
Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, and Luke 10:27 all teach us the importance of loving God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our MIND.
If we truly want to be followers of Christ, we have to engage Him with more than just our emotions. We also have to experience ...
February 03, 2010
Can You Hear Me Now?Merritt Johnston
You're probably familiar with the recurring cell phone TV commercials developed around the catch-phrase: "Can you hear me now?" Most of us can relate to being in a cell coverage dead zone, where we have uttered those exact words only to receive the response of silence on the other end. And thus begins a search for those missing bars as we pace the room looking for a signal.
But thankfully, we don't have to worry about whether God is part of the 3G Network. His service goes far beyond anything we can comprehend. In fact, sometimes He doesn't ...
February 02, 2010
Thy Will Be DoneMerritt Johnston
I used to think it took a lot of guts to end a prayer with the words,"Thy will be done." Over the years of my spiritual journey, I have added the words to my prayers for good measure, but deep down, I was usually thinking..."Please let my will be done."
I guess it was a control issue, and I didn't want to lose mine. But as I've grown in my faith, I've realized that it's not about losing control. It's about yielding control to the One who knows best. C.S. Lewis once said, "There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, 'Thy will be ...
February 01, 2010
Prayer PowerMerritt Johnston
As part of our Girls United focus this month, we're unpacking the concept of "Supplication: Changing the World One Prayer at a Time." Supplication - that's one of those SAT words, right? Dictionaries define it as "a humble entreaty, petition, or prayer." A great definition for what we're aiming for this month...to be girls who humbly engage the God of the universe in a supernatural conversation.
Throughout February, we'll be bringing you tips, blogs, articles, and resources to help you develop a powerful prayer life. But before we can do ...
January 11, 2010
Does Race Affect a Girl's View of Love?Merritt Johnston
I am blessed to attend a church that is truly multicultural. We are one in Christ, but we can also recognize and appreciate our diversity.
Perhaps that is why I found this article so interesting and challenging at the same time. Check out an excerpt:
"...the focus groups showed that black and Hispanic girls were downright cool to the idea of 'love' in a romantic relationship. Girls 'felt that if respect, loyalty and trust were present, then that would amount to love,' the researchers wrote. The girls 'rarely' even brought up the idea of ...
December 28, 2009
Sexting Trend Continues to GrowThe sexting trend continues to spread like wildfire at schools throughout the country. What many view as a harmless flirtation can develop into felony charges. Check out the latest incident...
December 06, 2009
Dancing BabyMerritt Johnston
People love babies, but we really love dancing babies. Do a search on YouTube alone, and you’ll get over 200,000 results that include baby break-dancers, Beyonce-spoofing babies, and even some moon-walking toddlers. So what’s the big deal? Why do we love seeing a baby dance?
Maybe we just enjoy thinking about the days when we had that same sense of freedom and uninhibited joy, when the mere sound of music moved us enough to make us dance. We didn’t care who was watching or if we were on beat. But that changes for most of us, probably around ...
December 01, 2009
The Star of ChristmasLaura Polk
I've always been fascinated by the star of Bethlehem.
As a small child, I remember hearing the story of Jesus' birth on Christmas Eve, then anxiously waiting to get outside so that I too could see the star. It was a magical star, it seemed. A star unlike any other star before. I mean, a star that suddenly appeared in the sky and led people across desert plains and strange lands to...a child in a manger? The story was incredible. And, unfortunately, one that tended to stay with me on Christmas Eve, but pass quickly as I moved on to more ...
November 30, 2009
Are We Invisible?A recent Washington Times column by Julia Duin entitled "Women Invisible in Religion Realm" begins with this thought-provoking concept: "Fifty percent of the evangelical Christian world is hidden. They're known as women."
While we know this is word-smithing for the sake of an engaging intro, it is scary to think about the amount of truth that exists within the article as well. Duin's article is focused mainly on the imbalance of women versus men authors within the non-fiction realm, and she certainly makes some points worth considering....
November 24, 2009
Are You Thankful?Merritt Johnston
In hundreds of homes this week, people will stand up and share a thanksgiving testimony of how God has blessed their lives. I hope you will choose to do the same. Listed below are a few thoughts to get you started on your journey toward thankfulness...
SALVATION: (2 Corinthians 4:14-15) "Because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to ...
November 19, 2009
"New Moon" DebateAfter months of insane publicity, New Moon, the long-awaited cinematic sequel to Twilight, will hit theaters tomorrow. Girls across the nation will fill movie seats in eager anticipation of this tale of vampires, werewolves, and forbidden romance.
We received an email today from a concerned parent, and we'd love for all our readers out there to join in the discussion about this film. An excerpt from her email is included below:
"I am in a quandry with some pressure to make a decision by tomorrow regarding this movie...I have heard that it ...
November 16, 2009
Why the World Needs Good Mama'sMerritt Johnston
In light of this month's Girls United focus on family, I am re-posting an article I wrote months ago that addresses the critical need for strong mothers:
I've recently seen two of my best friends enter a new stage in their lives: motherhood. It's an interesting paradigm shift to see someone you've experienced so much life with bring another life into the world. But I am confident that both will rise to meet every challenge that comes along in parenting with patience, wisdom, and most importantly, love. I am confident about this because I am ...
November 12, 2009
Help! My Family is Driving Me Nuts!"My siblings drive me crazy! Why are my parents so strict? Why does everyone else seem to have a better, more 'normal' family than me?"
As a gal in her teens, it can be a bit difficult to manage everything that is going on in your own life, while at the same time trying to figure out how to deal with the family that God has placed within that life. In today's society a family can take on a lot of different looks, ideas, people, and meanings. Everyone's is a little different, but in the end we all deal with the same struggles, weaknesses, ...
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