What Makes Someone the Fairest of Them All???

Recently, I watched the new movie, Mirror Mirror.

   I don't know how many of you have watched Mirror Mirror but in the film I saw some some really good truths that I'd like to expound upon. [It's refreshing when you can find good truths in movies!]


Truth #1 ~ Being Beautiful Doesn't Mean You are the Fairest of Them All
   In the movie, the Queen is beautiful, yet, she is cruel, selfish, and vain. Snow White is not as beautiful as the queen, but she is kind, brave, honest, and does what is right. True beauty comes from within.
   It reminds me of this verse: Proverbs 31: 30 - Charm can lie, beauty can vanish, but a woman who fears ADONAI [the Lord] should be praised.
   Beauty isn't everything! The "Fairest of them All" is the one who does what God wants her to do, and possesses a quiet, gentle, meek, loving spirit.
   This first truth is, I think, the greatest one in the movie. That is why I named this post as I did.


Truth #2 ~ Magic is NOT Good
   A quote from near the end of the movie is, "Are you ready to pay the price for using magic?" Throughout the movie, we see how using magic hurts others and eventually hurts the one who uses it. Magic is not something good - and it shouldn't be played with. There is no "harmless" magic.


Truth #3 ~ You Shouldn't Pretend to be Something You're Not
   In the movie, the queen goes to great [absurd] lengths to stay beautiful, and the dwarfs use stilt like things to make themselves taller. Each of them in their own way, hide something about themselves that they are either ashamed of or not satisfied with.
   No one should pretend to be someone they aren't - it will only hut them.


Truth #4 ~ There Will be a Price to Pay For Your Wrongs
   The queen learns this the hard way, as we see at the end of the film. Your sins will find you out. Not always immediately, but nevertheless, they will. God sees everything we do, and He punishes sin.
   I'd say most of us do not want to pay the price for our sins - so let this be a reminder that we'll be better off if we earnestly seek God and do right with Christ's help - because there is a price to pay.


  Now, this is NOT a movie review. Not at all. I am merely pointing out the truths that the movie displayed. Neither am I recommending Mirror Mirror in any way. I do not believe that anyone should listen to another's take on a movie and watch it because the other person said it was "good". I DO believe that it is a good idea to read a review on whatever movie you plan to watch at a Christian movie review place before you watch it.

Blessings to you!

July 2012 Guest Post

Hello all! Today I am privileged to post an article of  a dear young lady, Mirren Martin. She has been so kind as to agree to write a guest post for this blog! Her sister Taryn will have a guest post on here soon as well.

   Her family's ministry is Biblical Discipleship Ministries. Her father, Dr. Jobe Martin, wrote the book, The Evolution of a Creationist & has two DVD series called Incredible Creatures that Defy Evolution & Creation Proclaims. (I think they both have 3 DVD's right now). Be sure and take a look at the Martin's websites! 
   Our family has bought many of the books and videos they sell including Mirren's booklet, Biblically Handling Technology and Social Media. Mirren did a wonderful job on the booklet and the truths she points out are very good. Everyone using social media and the like should think about the points she makes. =)

   So, without further adieu; some thoughts on contentment from Mirren:

A Few Thoughts on Contentment

    Contentment is something that can take a long time to figure out! We can say the words, “I want to be content,” or “I am content,” or “I should be content,” and have the correct mindset in this area, but getting the mindset to truly become a reality is so much harder. 

    Sometimes we are being dishonest with ourselves and don’t even realize that we have deceived ourselves into thinking we are content, but deep down inside we really are not. Perhaps we get into these dishonest “ruts” because we do not take the time to ask God: Search me O God and know my heart . . . (Psalm 139:23). And then sometimes we can ask Him this out of formality and not be sincerely tenderhearted to His answer. 

    So, our mindset and our “heartset” should be continually humbled before the Lord asking Him (since we have the propensity to be dishonest with ourselves) to search our hearts for us, and then to work in our lives to make us willing to admit how our flesh has gotten involved in directing our lives instead of daily living out and living in God’s will.

    It is clear in the Scriptures that the Lord is the One who satisfies—He wants to be the fulfillment of our longings which will bring us contentment. Psalm 107:9 says, For He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. The first step in living a contented life is our relationship with the Lord Jesus. It really is impossible to be truly content unless we have this relationship. Many Christians are saved—they have truly believed and accepted the Gospel—but they do not discipline themselves to have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. (Ways to develop this relationship are to read His Word as if it came from a dear friend that you have been longing to hear from, or to pour out your heart (Psalm 62:8) to Him as if He was your best friend). 

    It is obvious that the world struggles with discontent as our culture shows the complete dependency that society has on entertainments (television, Internet, social media, movies, novels, food, sports, etc.). Sadly, the same addictions and cravings that the unbelievers focus on for contentment captivate and distract Christians also.

    True contentment is close to impossible to understand or achieve without a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. Until we take the time to get to know God’s heart, it is hard to fully sense His security, fulfillment, and love for us in its purity. Too often we think of contentment as a life with our desires getting fulfilled, but contentment is a choice—just like being an Olympian who has to make the choice to discipline himself if he ever wants to achieve the gold medal. Paul confirms this when he says in Philippians 4:11 that he had LEARNED to be content—it didn’t just come naturally, he had to discipline himself to achieve this.  There is much freedom once the power of contentment is realized, but it takes discipline to get there!

    If you are single, consider this . . . only the Lord Jesus will give you the safety of unconditional love. A godly man will strive toward practicing unconditional love toward his wife, but only God can give you absolute, unconditional love. He will never hurt you physically, spiritually, or emotionally. He will listen to all of your heart’s needs and desires and then be your refuge from life’s troubles: “Trust in Him at all times . . . pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us” Psalm 62:8. We have the security of knowing Who Jesus is because He has revealed Himself to us through His Word.

    In Jesus is complete security. I Timothy 6:6 says, But godliness with contentment is great gain. One blessing and “gain” that we can receive from finding our contentment and security in the Lord is that we can always feel safe knowing that He is in control of our lives if we let Him have the reins. If we believe that He is looking over our lives with the greatest love and care imaginable, then we need to secure the thought in our minds that as we are delighting in Him (Psalm 37:4) He will give us the desires of our hearts. This verse surely doesn’t mean that what we think are our desires are will be fulfilled, but rather what He knows are desires are, desires that we may not even know we have. Delighting in Him can release us from the fear and the feelings of discontent. 

   When feelings of discontent come up in our lives, we can (by God’s grace) get over these by filling our minds with gratitude and remembering all we have, which is a love from Jesus that will never be broken: Romans 8:38-39 says, For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I hope we will all think carefully about the truths presented here today! Contentment is crucial!

Thank you for your lovely post, Mirren! I hope to have you back in the future!

The Sea & Life ~ IF

Time for another poem of mine - and this one is for pondering.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Sea & Life

As I sat on the beach one day,

sober of heart, be that as it may;

I drew in a breath of the sea,

let the waves crash over me,

listened as the seagulls cawed,

watched as the sun set abroad.

I learned a lesson as I sat there,

it seemed to come out of nowhere;

waves are the happenings of life,

trials, troubles, pains, and strife;

things that wash all over us,

pull us down, make us fuss.

If we only sit and let them do,

whatever they will on their cue,

our lives would be as the sand,

moving at each wave's command.

If we would but ride the waves,

if we would learn to be brave;

never letting things get to us,

never bowing to the rush,

knowing we could win the prize,

if we wouldn't swallow Satan's lies.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

   Our Life on Earth - a small vapor of time compared to the eternity that awaits each of us. Yet, in this vapor, we have many temptations, trials, vexations, pains, and strife. Truly, life here is a time that can be very despairing. IF......

   If we allow small matters get to us, if we let ourselves get caught up in our pains, if we let strife live and thrive in our lives, if we do not take up the cross and strive to overcome the trials we receive. IF....

   The word IF implies that there is a choice to be made in this case, does it not? Indeed, it does. It is such good news that we can choose to make the best of things, and to overcome!

1Jn_5:4  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 

1Jn_5:5  Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? 

(emphasis mine)

   Let us not forget that we can do ALL things (providing it is God will)  through Christ who STRENGTHENS us. (Philippians 4:13) We must remember that Christ is the One who gives us power; and not ourselves. But, we have a choice to make; to dwell on the bad and despair, or to overcome our circumstances through prayer and a right attitude.

   You see, trials and vexations are for our good [as I'm sure you all know]. Through trials we are tested in our faith and, if we overcome, we are strengthened. For ALL things work together for good - though they may not all be good in and of themselves, they work together for our good. If we are children of God, He tests us to grow us. Without testing - we wouldn't, couldn't, grow.

   So, when trials come your way - don't despair - for God is your Refuge & Strength; your very present Help in times of need. Instead, choose to overcome, to conquer those trials - don't let them have power over you! God never gives us anything more than we can bear - so any trials we go through are NOT too hard for us to overcome ~ but ONLY with Christ.

   So, the question IF asks - IF you are ready, willing to fight and overcome your trials & IF you are humble enough to ask for Christ's help. Without His help - we will not get anywhere.

   Thank God for His help each and every day!

   I pray each of you will choose to overcome in the name of Christ!

New AWL & Update

 Well, I've never done an "update" on my blog, but I will today.

   So, AWL has gotten a complete make-over & I am so very happy with it! I've spent a lot of time researching how to customize blogs and I finally have a blog that I customized completely (Photoshop was so generous to offer it's help)

   I know I've changed AWL's look many times since I started it, but now I don't foresee myself changing it again anytime soon. Blues and purples are my colors! ~ Finally, I have the blog exactly how I want it! Yea! [you see, pink & tan were not my colors]

   Right now, I'm trying to pick out a topic for my next article, and learn my new Nikon d5100, which I received for my 17th birthday.

   I'm very excited to have a dSLR - since I've wanted one for 7 years!

   I love photography! And I love blogging! Put them together & voila! A perfect match =)

   Thank you to all my followers! Have a blessed day!

Here is a verse for you to look up: Psalm 19:15 ~ I hope it encourages you!

   Happy Independence Day, everyone!