Do Hard Things

Have you heard of the Rebelution?

I attend a weekly group meeting sometimes on Tuesday evenings—my friends and I come together under the leadership of  a strong, godly woman to hang out and discuss the book Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris, the founders of the Rebelution—just 18 years old when they wrote the book, may I add. (These are brothers of Joshua Harris, who wrote I Kissed Dating Goodbye, another excellent book.) In short, the Rebelution is a teenage rebellion against low expectations. 

The next generation stands on the brink of a "rebelution." …Combating the idea of adolescence as a vacation from responsibility, the authors weave together biblical insights, history, and modern examples to redefine the teen years as the launching pad of life and map a clear trajectory for long-term fulfillment and eternal impact.

Wouldn’t that be amazing? If teenagers today weren’t lazy, selfish, and non-productive; if our society didn’t expect them to be this way.

This book proposes that adolescence is a myth created by modern society—the word “teenager” didn’t even come into existence until the late 1930s. Before that, you were either a child with childish ways, or an adult, with no in-between time to waste. Now, this doesn’t mean 14-year-olds should marry or be in the military. But the teen years should not be wasted.

The following Bible verse is the guiding theme:

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young,
but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
1 Timothy 4:12

Also check out the Modesty Survey mentioned in this book.

Amen!

YES! This is my dream. I wish to do hard things, not for my glory but for the Lord and His Kingdom—I already know that doing hard things, whether attempting them or accomplishing them, is very fulfilling in life.

Anyway, last night we were discussing a section of Do Hard Things that specifically addressed what to do.

One principle was to do things that are hard for you. Things that challenge you—if you are already considered above average in your sport or skill or grades, this doesn’t apply.

Also, do them well. Today, people want to be busy. (Thanks to the Renaissance, as I learned in World History.) Having a lot of things on our plate is both directly and indirectly modeled as ideal. Our education system recognizes those with excellent grades, many extracurricular hobbies and sports, clubs, community service, leadership positions, etc. Colleges award scholarships to the busiest people.

Do Hard Things encourages teenagers to do things well, not necessarily spread ourselves out thinly over every club and activity possible. It’s better to be devoted to schoolwork and make good grades, then to tack on an hour and a half of sports everyday which causes your grades to slide. Or, on the other hand, to under-achieve in sports because you had to stay up so late studying. 

I am guilty of this. I have school, which encompasses not only the learning but several clubs; I have track practice most every school day and sometimes have meets on the weekends; I go to church on Sunday morning and youth group on Thursday night… and there are still things I want to do! —either for personal enjoyment or to be considered “accomplished”.

For example, cooking and blogging. I apologize that I can’t blog more often. Is it OK for me to only blog a couple times a week, or is that considered not doing all things to the best of my ability? Do the few readers I entertain mind if my blog posts are few and far between?

Parkwood’s Rebelution

Coincidentally, my high school is also campaigning for a “Rebelution,” because we are the Parkwood Rebels. The Global Awareness classes are partnering with Samaritan’s Purse to raise money to buy water filters for third world countries. They’ve already raised thousands of dollars by class competitions and selling T-shirts and stickers. You can read more here.

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• Start Here by Alex & Brett Harris (joshharris.com)

The “Good Person” Test

Are you a good person? Almost everyone thinks they are.

However, most of us differ as to the definition of “good.” The Bible says that God is good, and the Ten Commandments are His standard of goodness.

How many of them have you obeyed?

1. “You shall have no other gods before Me.”
Have you always put God first in your life? Jesus said to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength—to love God so much that your love for your parents, siblings, friends and even your own life is like hatred compared to your devotion to God.

2. “You shall not make for yourself any idol.”
Who is God to you? Have you made a god in your mind that you’re more comfortable with—a god to suit yourself?

3. “You shall not take the name of God in vain.”
Have you ever used God’s holy name as a curse word? If you have used God’s holy name to express contempt or frustration, then you are a blasphemer.

4. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”
One day out of seven should be a day of rest and delight.

5. “Honor your father and your mother.”
Have you ever acted toward your parents in a manner displeasing to God? Even the sins of youth are not forgotten.

6. “You shall not murder.”
Jesus warned, “Whoever is angry with his brother without cause, is in danger of judgment,” (Matthew 5:22) and the Bible says, “He who hates his brother is a murderer.” (1 John 3:15) God sees hatred in the heart to be as wicked as murder. We can violate the Law just with attitude and intent.

7. “You shall not commit adultery.”
“Whosoever looks upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27-28). This also includes sex before marriage.

8. “You shall not steal.”
Have you ever stolen anything? The value of the item is irrelevant. Theft is theft, and if you have ever taken something that did not belong to you, you are a thief.

9. “You shall not lie.”
Have you ever told a lie? Then you are a liar. (It just take one murder to make a murderer; it just takes one lie to make a liar.) Even if you do not think deceitfulness is a sin, God does.

10. “You shall not covet.”
Have you ever been jealous of anything someone else owned—including their house, car, husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend, money, and lifestyle?

It is impossible to find a person who were not guilty of breaking these Commandments. This is what the Bible means by Romans 3:23: “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”

Can you see this predicament? You are guilty of sinning against the One who made you, God Himself. You have a conscience: con = with; science = knowledge. You have sinned with knowledge! The Bible says that God will punish all murderers, rapists, thieves, liars, adulterers, etc. on Judgment Day. He will even judge our words and thoughts! Does this concern you?

Perhaps you think that God is good, and will therefore overlook your sins. But it is His goodness itself that requires justice. But does a good judge turn a blind eye to a criminal? No, only corrupt judges do that.

The place of eternal punishment is Hell.

But listen! God made a way for justice and goodness to meet. God does not want you to perish. He is rich in mercy and compassion. You cannot earn it; you do not deserve it, but offered to you is eternal life! God provided a way for you to be forgiven as proof of His love for you.

We broke the Law, but He became a man to pay the fine. Two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ suffered and died on a cross as payment for our sins.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

Do what he commands: “Repent… that your sins may be wiped out and times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” (Acts 3:19) Desire to have nothing to do with sin, and surrender your life to the One who can save you. Jesus died to set you free, and then he rose from death to be your Lord.

Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) If you will confess and forsake your sins—repent—and trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, God will forgive you and you’ll pass from death to life.

If you are not sure how to pray, read Psalm 51 and make it your prayer. Or you can pray something like this—“Dear God, today I turn from all my sins (name them), and I put my trust in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Please forgive me, and grant me your gift of everlasting life. Amen.” There is nothing magic here—it is the attitude of your heart that is important.

To personally trust in Jesus is to trust in a parachute if you had to jump 25,000 feet out of airplane. You don’t just believe in the parachute; you put it on! So the Bible says, “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ…” and you will be saved. Many people believe in Jesus, but not all “put him on.” You may still have questions, but it is better to put on the parachute and then ask questions than to jump out of the plane without it.

God will transform you from the inside out. You will think and feel differently as you learn to trust and obey Him. God will give you new strength to live right and love Him above all else. Read your Bible daily and obey His Word. You can trust God—He loves you and will always be faithful.

To help you get started, you may also want to read “10 Principles for New and Growing Christians.”

If you’ve decided to reject the gift of forgiveness and you die in your sins, there is no hope for you. There is no purgatory. The wrath of God abides on you and you will spend eternity in Hell.

Please take time to read what the Bible says Hell is like.

“Am I saved?”

Do you think you may be saved but are unsure?

John Piper writes the following in Don’t Waste Your Life:

Jesus is the litmus test of reality for all persons and religions. He said it clearly: “The one who rejects me rejects him who sent me” (Luke 10:16). People and religions who reject Christ reject God. Do other religions know the true God? Here is the test: Do they reject Jesus as the only Savior for sinners who was crucified and raised by God from the dead? If they do, they do not know God in a saving way.

The apostle John said “Everyone who does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God” (2 John 9 – also see 1 John 2:23).

Are Catholics, Jews, Muslims, etc. saved?

These verses also address other religions who claim “God”—if they don’t accept Jesus as their only Savior, they are not saved.

Does this sound like you?

A good tree with solid roots bears good fruit. A bad tree bears no fruit. These are the fruits of a “good tree” – the evidence of a true believer in his or her life:

1. Repentance (Matthew 3:8) – Mere belief in God is not sufficient for salvation. James 2:19 says, “Even the demons believe—and tremble!” Salvation requires belief accompanied with repentance (Luke 13:3) and faith in Christ (Acts 20:21).
2. Thanksgiving – Hebrews 13:15 reads, “Through Jesus, …let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.” Constant thanksgiving to God is present of a “good tree.”
3. Good works
   Colossians 1:10-12 says to “live a life worthy of the Lord” and to “please him in every way” includes “bearing fruit in every good work…”
4. Fruit of the Holy Spirit – Galatians 5:22-23 lists the fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. A true believer exhibits these qualities stemming from the Holy Spirit.
5. Righteousness (Philippians 1:11) – The apostle Paul prayed that believers would be “filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ”. Righteousness should come from Jesus Christ, the one who saves, thus the saved should naturally be “morally upright; without guilt or sin” (the dictionary definition of righteousness).

Stop having merely the appearance of a Christian.

Revelation 2:2-5 reminds us not to forsake Jesus as our first love. Do you love Him more than yourself, your family, and anyone or anything else – is he YOUR first love?

If not, pray and ask God to forgive you; repent. Give your life back to God.

The way food should be.

Erin’s Restaurant review

Because I celebrated my birthday at Erin’s Restaurant with my parents, this is really part of the “Best Birthday” series (see some of my previous posts about my birthday: March 20, “waking up” and a track meet – how did I manage to drag it out so much?)

Erin’s Restaurant is a unique dining experience located in Rock Hill, South Carolina. They are committed to fresh, local, and organic ingredients, thus, the menu changes each week, depending on season and availability.

The building is a bagel and coffee shop by day, but they convert it, bringing out three long tables, fully set with eclectic china and three forks! I love the china mix-and-match.

We arrived at 6:00 on the dot, and they brought out the first course soon after.
This was the menu for March 19, 20, and 21— (click on pictures for larger size)

Pear Salad                          //                      Mozzarella Salad

My favorite: Thai cucumber salad. I hope more Thai food is in my future!

The salads were delicious; the cucumber salad really stood out. Next up:

Roasted carrots and roasted sweet potatoes with peanuts

I ate way more sweet potatoes than that little slice! The tops were caramelized and the peanuts were the perfect pairing. I love roasted veggies!

Ziti with marinara

Marinara is a favorite of mine—this was delicious!

At this point they served some type of fish and some meat (which my parents loved), along with some gravy and…

Mashed goat cheese + potatoes (with skin!)

I don’t love mashed potatoes, but these were good. I love skin and big chunks of potato. The chèvre (goat cheese) is from Bosky Acres in Waxhaw.

Time for dessert!

 Baked apples and pineapple upside-down cake

I loved the cake – you can’t beat homemade, complete with fresh pineapple!
The apples (which were served with a cream sauce) were very much too sweet for me, but my parents liked them.

Tea (and coffee) time!

Overall Experience

My parents and I really enjoyed this restaurant. Typically, I never eat out because of the lack of quality or real food. I think many Americans don’t even know what real food is. However, Erin’s provides gourmet meals made fresh in the kitchen, based on the creativity of the owner and her sous chefs.

My one complaint is the speed. They serve dinner at 6 and 8 pm, so in order to get everything cleared and re-set for the 8 o’clock group, I felt like they made our meal too hasty. The atmosphere and style of dining imply leisurely eating, but this food was almost thrust upon us before we were ready.

However, this restaurant has earned my applause—for their food, and what their food represents: local farmers and growers, food and cooking traditions, and basically, real food. Thanks, Erin!

This content was originally published on the blog Unusual Passions by Alisha Newton.

The Best Birthday – Track

Welcome to the 2nd Annual Marvin Ridge Invitational!

My life would be much less if it didn’t include track—i.e. if it didn’t include the people who run track with me! If I didn’t have at least Sidney to run with, I would quit! No one wants to run by themselves.

The track team all signed the most amazing birthday card! Here it is with Lyndsie’s gift of gumballs. That’s my racing number stuck on the envelope. I love you guys!

1:30 in the afternoon at Marvin Ridge High School!

The Results for Parkwood

Out of 18 events scored, the girls ranked 15 out of 30+ schools with 11 points total. This is because Lyndsie White came in 2nd for her event, pole vaulting, earning 8 points.

The awesome pole-vaulting coach, Coach Lockhart.

The boys tied for 25, with 2 points (courtesy Matthew Brantley, shot put).

This doesn’t sound like a lot, but these points are well-earned!

My time for the 800m was 2:48.22. This was a huge drop from Wednesday. (8 seconds!)
I came in 36th out of 54 girls that ran the event.

Most everyone improved and I think we all enjoyed the competition.

I didn’t take really great pictures of the races, but I found a photographer online who did—Ken Charnock. I won’t share links for everyone’s pictures—I don’t know if they would appreciate that! Here are some of me.

Photo 1 – race face  //  Photo 2  //  Photo 3 – getting tired!

The Best Birthday – Waking Up to Spring

On Saturday (March 20, my birthday), I woke up slowly. The sunshine (I love sunshine) was filtering through my green curtains. I love daylight saving time!

Well, this is the mirror that made much of me when I first stepped into the bathroom. On my birthday, my mom consistently puts a large banner where I will immediately see it. This made me smile. I know my mom loves me very much, and not just because she makes me feel good about myself (although she does).

I caught up on some reading, and got ready for the track meet. The rest of the family went out to breakfast, leaving me with a peaceful house. They know I love that!

It was a beautiful morning.

 
My mom got me some herbs—basil and parsley.

Last year I had basil and parsley, as well as cinnamon basil, oregano, mint, and rosemary (I still have the rosemary.) This year I just wanted the essentials.

The tomato plant was a bonus.

How appropriate for the first day of spring! On Sunday my dad potted all these for me—that was his part in this gift. (3/23 EDIT: added picture)

After this: Marvin Ridge Invitationals, and then Erin’s Restaurant. Tchao!