Caroline Grace Williams… has a new iShine BLOG !
May 10, 20128 Comments
Caroline Grace
Introducing… “WORD OF THE WEEK” with Caroline Grace
Here is my first weekly Devo!
Fear is a distressing emotion aroused by danger, evil, discomfort and the unknown. Don’t we use these same words to describe Satan? I think yes!
Constantly, Satan is trying to beat us down by putting fear into our lives. For example, you’re fearful of the dark at night, you’re fearful of your mom’s reaction when she sees a poor grade, or maybe you’re fearful of growing up and continuing on your journey with God. It is normal to be fearful. I, myself, am fearful of many things.
One of my biggest fears is being alone! I always like to be surrounded by company. Although this world has many distractions that can scare us and cause fear, we need not to worry because God is always in control. Isaiah 41:13 says, “For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’” God guides us through every step we take in life. He always has our back. No matter what situation we’re in, God will be there to help us. Psalm 115:11 says, “You who fear him, trust in the Lord — he is your help and shield!”
God covers us with a strong shield made of his love and mercy. Isn’t this reassuring? Jesus was constantly aware of God’s assurance. Jesus was never fearful. He trusted in God and lived in the moment. It is our job to be like Him and try our best to live in the moment, and not fear. I want to challenge you all to think of God next time you are scared. When we are stressed, it is easy to get caught up in our own lives and forget about God. In reality, you should rely on Him, because you will always be safe when he is holding your hand.
-Caroline Grace
What is Lent ?
February 21, 2012CommentLent is the period prior to Easter Sunday and is a long held tradition among many Christian denominations. Some of you may have an “Ash” wednesday service to symbolically prepare you and your congregations for the celebration of Easter. To help iShine fans and families to better understand and experience their Christian faith, we wanted to start a highlight Christian Heritage Series on our website to give you the basic details and facts behind the many holidays and celebrations that you and your family may observe as Christians. 
Ash Wednesday and Lent are in February and March of 2012 this year, a bit earlier than most years due to the early calendar date for Easter. So, we have included a wikipedia link for your own study and understanding as well as a summary of the seasonal event here on this posting. May God richly bless you and your family this Easter season.
iShine Team.
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Ash Wednesday, in the calendar of Western Christianity, is the first day of Lent and occurs 46 days before Easter. It is a moveable fast, falling on a different date each year because it is dependent on the date of Easter. It can occur as early as February 4 or as late as March 10.
According to the canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus spent forty days fasting in the desert before the beginning of his public ministry, during which he endured temptation by Satan.[1][2] Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of this forty day liturgical period of prayer and fasting.
Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of adherents as a sign of mourning and repentance to God. The ashes used are typically gathered after the palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday are burned.[3]
This practice is common in much of Christendom, being celebrated by Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, and some Baptist denominations.[4][5]
Alexis weighs in on… life and the Rubyz and her faith
September 3, 2010Comment
Alexis Slifer… from the Rubyz, has her own blog and offers her unique perspectives on life, faith and the challenges of being a Christian teenager. Check out her latest post below or at her own WordPress site… Alexis’ Blogsite.
August 2011:
Four years ago I was sitting on the floor of the sanctuary at my church listening to my youth pastor’s word for the night. We were having a lock-in. My youth group was so close, all of us were best friends. We had a lot in common, and our favorite place to be was youth. I can remember nights we would all be crying, laying on our faces. Praying and listening for God’s voice. We were on fire.
I would encourage anyone to set aside an hour this week and watch this movie. (movie “DIVIDED“ )
Left me wondering. How can I fix this….? But the better question is… Can I?
I am lucky enough to have been raised in a home where Christ is always the center. My parents always asked us the tough questions about what we believed and why. When I had a question I knew I could take it to them, and if they didn’t have the answer I knew where we would turn.. The Bible, Christ. We would study together and figure out the answer I was looking for.
I learned 90% of what I know about Christ, the Bible, and living a godly life.. from my parents.
Those statistics from my title. What are they? The percentage of youth leaving Christ. I heard those same percentages four years ago, as a freshman, during a fun all nighter.. My youth pastor explained it like this…
Out of the 40 of you here now, MAYBE 3 of you will still follow Christ once you get into college..
He said this challenging us to break out of that percentage. That night we all made promises that it wouldn’t be us. We were too on fire.. Unfortunately, my youth pastor was right, and we became part of the statistic.
I guess what I am asking is.. will you be the statistic too?
Because that night none of us thought we would be. . You have to take steps to prevent it. Read your Bible on your own and really study it for yourself. Don’t just believe what everyone else has to say.
I am not willing to let another generation slip away.. something needs to change.
So when we grow up and become parents, lets step up to the plate and really TEACH our children about the God we love. Then maybe we won’t lose another generation..
And if you’re a parent reading this, please teach your children. Don’t assume that your staff at church is providing what we need. You don’t understand how much we really do want to hear from YOU.. Even if we are rolling our eyes.
Alexis….
