I Got This

For by YOU i can run against a troop,

By my GOD i can leap over a wall.
Psalm 18:29

There is that overwhelming sense of relief, when you are standing there shoulders slumped, thinking there is no way you can climb this obstacle, and GOD says, "Jacqueline, I got this.  Its all under control." It's like there has literally been a weight lifted off your shoulders.  You can't help but smile.  HE has it all under control!

the GOD of Love and Peace be with you,
~Tickledpink

Good Works Diet

A common mistake for people who want to lose weight is to go on a fad diet. They will eat only certain amounts of certain foods for a certain period of time. While they may quickly. Shed the pounds, afterwards they gain back even more. Why? Because they did not change their eating habits.
As Christians we often do the same thing, but instead of trying to shed the pounds we try to shed sin. We girls often think that if we look a certain way then we will be loved and accepted. Christians tend to think that if we act a certain way then we will get to heaven. Just like a fad diet, these "good work diets" leave you worse off than when you began. These "diets" blind you to your true spiritual state.
The real trick to being skinny is changing your lifestyle, so it is with being righteous. Being like JESUS will get you nowhere, instead you must be with JESUS. When you are with GOD you can not be sinning. If you were sinning you would not be able to stand in HIS presence, and it is only when we are in HIS presence that we can be truly righteous. Good works come from GOD, GOD does not come from them.
Today I challenge you to stop dieting and change your lifestyle.

GODs grace be with you,
~tickledpink

Discipleship

Hope you all have been filled with blessings and fun adventures through out the holidays and into the new year!:)
Thank you- Jacqueline Snyder, I am honored to be able to write to all of your viewers!
To start out this new adventure with Faith Blog, I'd like to begin telling you all a little bit about myself.
My name is Katie Jones and I'm 16 yrs old living in Amarillo Tx, I have been homeschooled by my lovely mother as of 8th grade and I wouldn't trade home schooling for public school any day. Two years ago I was inspired by a bright young lady that happened to be my youth leader who traveled the world with YWAM (youth with a mission), a mission to spread God's word or giving the gift that I have always grown up with...Jesus Christ. Right when I thought I couldnt wait till I would graduate High school to travel, I got a letter from People to people student ambassador to travel to Australia. I went June 2011 for 17 days and had the time of my life and now am saving up to go to Europe.
So I have some idea's of what I should do a series on but I'd like you to put in your idea's...
what are your thoughts, idea's, comments, etc?
I'd love to hear them!:)
Dont forget.... I have a blog you can check out called Wild at Heart,
 you can visit it at http://www.katelyn-wildatheart.blogspot.com/
Katie Jones
P.s. I'll have a  much deeper message next month (based on idea's you have or my own)...till then...Blessings to all!:)

Updates!

I would like to welcome and thank Katie for agreeing to write for faithblog. Yay Katie!! She is a very talented and godly young lady whom i have been very blessed to know.  I would highly recommend you read her personal blog Wild at Heart.  And now that i have some accountabilty maybe ill start posting again!  Other than that theres really not much to say. Oh! as you can see faithblog has aquired a new look! after some input that it was to dark and looked satanic i am going to work on brightening it back up a bit more.  I would love very much to hear your input on the new design.  You can leave a comment by clicking on the "comment #" button below this (or any other) post.  As always for those who are a bit shy, there is a handy anomynous option when go to leave your post.


Truly,
~Tickledpink

One day

Someone finally volunteered to help with the blog . . . and three months later i have yet to get around to showing them what to do.  go figure.  so i am very sorry for not keeping this up to date or showing someone else how to keep it up to date.  one day ill get it done . . . one day

Whom Shall You Fear?

yet again i have nothing to post about go figure.  Guess ill reveal another of my favorite verses =P.

I, the LORD, have called YOU in righteousness, And will hold YOUR hand:I will keep YOU and give YOU as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles.

~Isaiah 42:6~

And will hold your hand.  there are multiple instances in the bible that state GOD will hold your hand and guide you.  remember this today when something comes up that you are afraid of doing.  GOD is holding your hand whom shall you fear?  I am not afraid of death, because i know GOD will be with me here on earth and i will be with HIM for eternity after.  I am not afraid of the dark, because i know GOD is with me.  I am not afraid of pain, because i know GOD is with me through it holding my hand, that i can squeeze as hard as i want, and that HE, who died on the cross, can understand what i am going through.  I am not afraid of Satan, because i know with GOD at my side Satan is powerless against me.  I am truly afraid of one thing, and that one thing can open the way to all other fears.  I am afraid of walking away from CHRIST, not that HE will leave me but that i will leave HIM.  and without HIM i am afraid of everything.  

What are you afraid of?

~tickledpink~

Easy Peasy

GOD never said it would be easy, just that it would be worth it.

How many times have we heard that?  And it's true.  HE never did say it would be easy.  But you know what else HE never said?  That it wouldn't be easy.  Sometimes i find that i'm afraid to ask GOD for help because i fear that it will be harder to do it with HIS help than without.  How silly is that?  But that is what we are taught.  That it wont be easy.  And because of that we get the mind set that it is harder to follow GOD than to not.  How wrong we are!  Is it easier to climb over the mountain by yourself or with someone by your side?  What we are really seeing is the valley that leads the other direction.  It would be much easier to follow the valley than climb the mountain.  but the valley doesn't take us where we want to go.  So yes it is harder to follow GOD than to not, but we wont get where we want to be if we don't.  But don't be fooled into thinking it will always be hard.  HE never said that.  Sometimes it might just be that easy, but you'll never know until you start the journey.  

Love yall,

~tickledpink1994~

Isaiah 43:1b-3a

Another one of my favorite verses:

Isaiah 43:1b-3a

"Fear not for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by your name;

You are MINE.

When you pass through the waters,

I will be with you;

And through the rivers,

They shall not overflow you.

When you walk through the fire,

You shall not be burned,

Nor shall the flame scorch you.

For I am the LORD your GOD,

The HOLY ONE of Israel,

Your SAVIOR."

We are HIS!  Even when flooded by the worries of this life HE will not forsake us!  

this may have been just what you needed to hear today or you might know someone who needs to hear that.

let us know how it impacts your life!

we love to hear from you

love yall and keep safe

~tickledpink1994~

God Buffet

I love to eat at buffets!  Especially Chinese buffets.  Just thinking about all the different choices makes my mouth water.  The best thing is, i don't have eat anything i don't like... 

Who is GOD?  Many people might say that HE is good or kind.  1 John 4:8 and 16 says "GOD is love".   Some people believe that GOD is simply the "Great Clock-winder" and others believe that HE is an angry God.  If you read only a few chapters of the Bible the amount of descriptions for God is overwhelming.  It is from this "God Buffet" that we pick and choose the characteristics of our god*.  we each have our own tastes and thoughts about who GOD is and what HE is like.  We try to create the CREATOR.  its like a make your own god* factory.  As ridiculous as it sounds its something we all try to do.  But GOD can not be molded to our liking.  As HE says to Moses "I AM who I AM." 

I encourage you today to take a look at the ingredients in your god* and then check out the Bible to see what GOD is really like.  remember you cant just exclude the stuff you don't want, GOD is who HE is.
Id love to hear what Scripture tells you about GOD!  leave a comment (by clicking the word 'comments' below the post) and feel free to make use of the handy little Anonymous name tag.

love yall,
~tickledpink1994~
* not capitalized because it does not refer to the real GOD but instead to man-made gods.

Slippery Places

The other day i saw a spider fall into our bathtub.  I got to watch as he tried to climb back up the slippery tub.  He would get about halfway up then fall back down to the bottom.  Then he would try again.  It was like putting the ittsy bittsy spider song on repeat,  he climbed up then got washed down then climbed up then got washed down, over and over again.  It was impossible for him to reach the top unless some else helped him.

The bathtub is kind of like life.  A slippery wall that we must climb up to reach the prize. And as we try to climb back up we continue to slide back down.  Just like the spider we cant do it on our own.  Its impossible.  The tub is just to slippery and we just cant find a dry route up.  But GOD wants to help.  All HE is waiting for is for us to ask.  It is a long climb back to the top of the tub and we wont avoid every slippery spot.  But GOD will help us through it.  Just because you dont seem to be going anywhere dont give up.  God may be drying up a wet spot so that you can pass through or preparing you with the tools you need to scale the sheer face of life.  If you have hit a wet spot and slipped back down don't worry, GOD has had lots of practice picking people back up.  Every one of us has slipped at sometime or another and we often time find ourselves stuck in one spot, waiting impatiently for GOD to do something.  Dont get discouraged others have been there and survived, so can you.

I love yall all dearly
May God guide you through life's hardest places
later!!
~Tickledpink~

In Remembrance

Luke 22:19

"And He took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is My body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of Me."

     Communion.  Depending on your denomination it is celebrated in many different ways.  Some churches have communion every Sunday, others only celebrate it on holidays.  Some churches use wine others use grape juice.  The differences go on and on.  Yet communion is more than a Sunday repentance.  

     Jesus took the bread and broke it.  The Free Dictionary by Farlex defines the term "break bread" as "to eat together".  How often do you eat with other people?  you probably eat with your family or friends everyday.  Jesus said to do this in remembrance of Me.  How often do we sit down to a meal and take time to remember the cross?  We may say grace before we dig in, but that doesn't mean we thank God for dieing for us.  Most of the meal time blessings ive heard go along the lines of Dear Lord, thank You for this food . . . amen.  Not that theres anything wrong with that but Jesus said to do it in remembrance of Him.  

     Next time you sit down for a meal remember what Christ did for us.  don't just thank Him for it but take a minute to remember Him.  

love yall

~tickledpink1994~

Meaning of "X"mas

Only one week left till Xmas!!  Now before everyone jumps on me for removing Christ from Christmas let me explain about Xmas.  In Greek the first letter of Christ is X(chi).  It has been used in past centuries as a shorter way of writing Christ in words such as Xian (Christian), Xianity (Christianity) and Xmas(Christmas).  Also like other abbreviations it is correctly pronounced as if it were written out in full, Christmas not exmas.  So next time you hear someone go off about how Xmas is taking the Christ out of Christmas, politely correct them on the proper usage and pronunciation of Xmas.

Here are the websites i used as reference for this post.  I really sugest you read through the first one.  It includes some stuff i chose to leave out of this post.  Such as some reasons people used Xmas instead of Christmas and other interesting stuff.
The Origin of "Xmas"
http://www.answers.com/topic/xmas

We would love to hear what your doing for Christmas this year!!  Leave us a comment on your holiday plans or if you have anything to say about this post.  Or you can send us an email at Faithblog.ej@gmail.com
Have a very merry Xmas!!!
~Tickledpink1994~

Prayer -- My thoughts on PrayerMarket . com

This is in response to a comment we received:

 

"John Wilson said...

Hey FaithBlog, my name is John. I read a lot of blogs on religion and prayer and I've i feel like I've ended up here once before. I'd love to hear your thoughts about this prayer exchange website PrayerMarket.com I thought it was an interesting idea and would be curious to hear what you (or other Christians) think about it I'll check back here in the next day or two, thanks & God bless John W."

I believe prayer is the most powerful tool available to Christians.  It has been proven time and time again (scientific evidence for answered prayer.) to help those who need it.  Because of this i think prayer requests are wonderful and we have our own section for them on our devotionals page.  But also i dont think prayer cannot be "bought".  Read the 2006 American Heart Journal study on the page linked to above.  I have a few other problems with PrayerMarket.  First as mentioned above no one else can write your prayer for you. i qoute from PrayerMarket "Write down what you'd like readers to say"  Think of prayer as a conversation with a friend.  You dont ask them to do stuff by reading something someone else wrote do you?  You'll put it in your own words.  While writing what you want people to say is not required by PrayerMarket it still shows a lot about the page.  Again prayer can not be bought.  You should NEVER EVER have to pay someone to pray for you!  Never!  The amount of things that stick out to me on this page as 'wrong' are to many for me to give a detailed explanation for each.  so here is a general list if you would like me to explain a certain thing leave a comment.

1. Yet again prayer can not be bought
2. The prayers must be recorded
3. Prayers can be 'pre-written'
4. "Recordings can be easily shared" over various social media

ok so maybe the list isnt that long.  but heres my last reason that i dont think the page is "authenticly" Christian:  It makes me uncomfortable.  Some of you may be laughing of rolling your eyes but seriously there is a reason most things make us uncomfortable.  GOD gives us this feeling to keep us safe.  peer presure often makes us uncomfortable, theres a reason for that.  same way with our faith.  This doesnt always mean theres something wrong but it does mean you should do some reasearch.

All in all i think this page is a "fraud".  I agree that it is a good idea.  We need places to share our prayer requests.  But i dont think this is the right way to do it.  I know ive said it a hundred times but prayer can not be bought.  Remember the story of Jesus and the moneychangers in the temple?  Read Mark 11:15- 19.  I want you to pay special attention to verse 17.  This verse really sums up my thoughts on PrayerMarket.

If you do have prayer requests here are some places to check out:
     Air1 prayer requests
     Klove prayer requests
also you can check out the prayer request section on our devotionals page.

these are just my thoughts on PrayerMarket.  I encourage you to research it yourself.  2 Corinthians 11:14 "Satan can change himself into an angel of light".  Just because it has a Christian name doesnt mean its right.  remember dont judge a book by its cover.  Satan likes to bind stuff in beautiful coverings.
love yall
~tickledpink~

Woman of Strength

yet again something i have read not something i wrote myself . . . unfortunately i don't know who wrote this.  Anyways here you go:

WOMEN OF STRENGTH

A strong woman works out everyday

to keep her body in shape . . .

but a woman of strength kneels in prayer

to keep her soul in shape . . . 

A strong woman isn't afraid of anything . . . 

but a woman of strength shows courage

in the midst of her fear . . .

A strong woman won't let

anyone get the best of her . . .

but a woman of strength gives

the best of herself everyone . . . 

A strong woman makes mistakes 

and avoids the same in the future . . .

a woman of strength realizes life's mistakes

can also be GOD's blessings and captilizes on them . . . 

A strong woman walks sure footedly . .  .

but a woman of strength knows GOD

will catch her when she falls . . .

A strong woman wears the look

of confidence on her face . . . 

but a woman of strength wears grace . . .

A strong woman has faith

that she is is strong enough for the journey . . .

but a woman of strength has faith

that it is during the journey

that she will become strong . . .

WHICH ONE ARE YOU?

many of us may strive to be a woman of strength by becoming a strong woman.  But it is by becoming a woman of strength that we become a strong woman.  Same goes for the guys . . . it is only when we give everything we have to GOD that we have anything.  

I still need someone to help me post!  if your interested email me at  faithblog.ej@gmail.com !

love yall and thanks for reading the blog,

~tickledpink~

Why Go To Church?

i got this in an email recently thought i would share it with yall:

A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday... "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 203,000 sermons.  But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them.  So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all."

This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor.

 It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:

"I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!" 

remember it is just as important to keep spiritually in shape as it is to keep physically in shape.

love yall and ill be finishing up the Renewed Strength post this week

Renewed Strength

My favorite verse in the whole bible is probably Isaiah 40:28-31.  to me this one section sums up all of the Bible. Its covers the creation "The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth", the fall of man "And the young men shall utterly fall", and finally the redemption "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength".  I would like to take each part of this verse and tell you what it means to me.  Everyday this week i will leave a comment on this post explaining my view on each part of the verse.  i would love to hear what yall think as well.  again don't be afraid to use the Anonymous name tag.

Hope you had a good Halloween.
love yall,
~Tickledpink~

Define: Faith

The very first thing i ever posted on this blog was "What is Faith".  I am now visiting this topic again.  Recently i have really been struggling with my faith.  Im just having a hard time finding GOD in my life and figuring out what what HE wants for me.  I know, from hearing others who are older and more experienced than i, that all Christians go through this at various times in their life.  That is why i am posting this, for anyone else who is trying to sort out their faith.

The Websters dictionary that we have at our house defines faith as "trust, confidence | complete acceptance of a truth which can not be demonstrated or proved by the process of logical thought".
The motto for this blog is Hebrews 11:1 "Faith is being sure of what we hope for.. and certain of what we do not see."

Faith is trusting GOD even when you can't see around the corner.  When your in the middle of life's maze, and you know that the exit is the other direction from where your going, faith is believing that GOD will get you there safe and sound.  Faith is holding on to GOD even when you don't have the strength to. 


What do you think faith is?  How do you find it when Satan is tossing you around like a hacky-sack?  How do you keep a hold of it through life's toughest times?  let us know what you think.


I don't have much more to say on this topic.  If you have something to add please feel free to leave a comment.  I know that a lot of us are scared or embarrassed to leave comments, but, lucky for you, there is this handy little Anonymous name tag that you can use so that no one will ever know its you!


Love yall
later

Prayer Request!!!

I ask all of you who read this blog to pray for a friend of mine who is going through a very tough time.  Her parents have gotten divorced.  A family member has died.  And all through this satan has not let up on her.  He has attacked her with all hes got.  I ask that you would pray for her to persevere through these times,  That you would ask GOD to be with her and show HIS presence unto her.

thank you all so very, very much!!
your sister in CHRIST

Books of the Bible

This is a song by ApologetiX about the best book EVER!!!

Follow along in the Bible
Follow along in the Bible
You'll never read any book that is better
Genesis, Exodus and Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
Joshua, Judges and Ruth
and 1 and 2 Samuel and Kings and Chronicles
Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther
And then Job, Psalms and Proverbs,
Ecclesiastes,
then Song of Solomon, Song of Solomon
Then Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Uh-huh
Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea
Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk
Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah
and after this is Malachi
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
Acts (of the Apostles) and Romans,
1, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians
Philippians, Colossians, 1, 2 Thessalonians and 1, 2 Timothy
Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1, 2 Peter, 1, 2, 3 John, Jude, Revelation
That's the Bible
I like Bibles
Try my Bible
Bye-bye Bible

I would post the music but I cant figure out how.

Beyond Belief

GOD does not conform to who we think HE is. HE is who HE is. We can not think HIM any different. HE is the great I AM.

I have recently been struggling with my faith. Just one of those times when you don't understand anything and feel inadequate. I've been reading Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. the last few chapters talk about seeking GOD instead of who you want HIM to make you into. In other words seek GOD first THEN HE will change you. I was thinking about that tonight when i realized that i don't know who GOD is. I have been fitting HIM into a mold. Making HIM who i want HIM to be or think HE is. Then it occurred to me . . . does it matter what i think HE is?

GOD is a real and tangible being. HE is not a figment of our imagination. It sounds simple yet i find it hard to grasp. You see HE is who HE is. HE does not change. HE is real. Just because i think someone is some particular way does not make them so. I can understand this with other people but with GOD i find it hard.

In reality GOD is more real than anything we know. Yet for me HE is often , no, HE is, simply a story book character. HE is no different than the Greek gods. Of course i don't believe the Greek gods exist while i do believe GOD does. But for me it ends there, believing HE exists. Yet i am constantly told that there is more. That HE is more than just a belief.

I guess that is what is really meant by finding GOD. To go beyond belief.

I love you all may GOD bless through this week and may you go beyond belief to find a real and tangible GOD.