Fun fact/word of the day!!!

YHWH: The personal name for God introduced in Genesis 2:4. The original Hebrew only had consonants. Adding vowels, the word becomes Yahweh and is translated both LORD and Jehovah.

Do you ever wonder what God has planned for your life? I do! I wake up every morning, but why? Why doesn't God bring me home with Him? What's He got planned for me? There are so many times where I walk out my door where I could get seriously injured or killed but God is always there protecting me.. What's His plan for me? I can't tell you how many times I've been in a car that has almost got in an accident, God stopped them. Why though? What does He have in store for me? Makes you really think about what you are doing with your life, if you're actually living your life for Christ to the best of your ability -if you're living up to His plan for you. I know for a fact that I could be doing so much more in my life for Christ, He's obviously protecting me for a reason -protecting all of us for a reason.. Are we living up to His expectations and goals for us? I'm not perfect and I'm not gonna sit here and condemn or judge anybody, but looking into my own heart, and my own life, I'm not. There's so much more I could do in this life for Christ, and from now on, I'm going to start making a better effort to do so. I challenge you all to take a leap with me, even if it puts you in an uncomfortable situation at times, to live and strive to live your life for Christ to the best of your ability... Use opportunities people give you when you're out and about, their hearts are longing to hear about Jesus, and we're denying them that. Live your life as an example, people are going to hold you to a higher standard than the rest of the world and will judge you for the mistakes you make (even if it isn't right to do so), because that's what they do. Keep looking forward and striving to live your life for Christ anyways! We live our life everyday afraid of how the world is going to view us and how the world is going to judge us by the way we live and we end up living our life the way they want us to, pushing Christ farther and farther away.. :( If you are one of those people, who like me don't like being in those tough situations, ask somebody for help, somebody to hold you accountable with your daily Bible reading and the way you live your life everyday.. If you can't find somebody who will admit to having the same struggles as you, contact me! I will be more than glad to help keep you accountable with your daily walk with Christ! We are the new generation of Christians stepping in and we need to step up!

God bless!

Hollianne

KNOW IT!

God wants you to look and feel your best, but he also wants you to take the responsibility of how you dress seriously.

READ IT!

1 Corinthians 12:22-23

"On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty."

PRAY IT!

Ask God to help you spend more time thinking about and evaluating what you wear. Tell him you truly want to reflect his holy character in how you look.

Where has the time gone?

It's always refreshing to jump into the first day of your new school year.. -After a long, well-vacationed summer, I was more than ready to get a start on the new year! (When do you ever hear a teenager say that?) My summer this year absolutely rocked! I started off my summer with my Irish dance school recital! It was wicked awesome!! (Imagine an old Irish tale danced out with a bunch of student dancers with costumes and fog machines and fun make up! My class got to dress up and dance as banshees!!) Then I continued with spending a week at WOL island summer camp.. My camp friends from last year and I coordinated when we were going to go this year, it was nice getting to see them again and meeting a whole new bunch of guys and girls to keep accountable with across the country. A week or so after camp my family and I camped in Lake Placid for the Iron Man Triathlon.. Such a fun weekend that was! With out even returning home from Lake Placid, I was off for a 10 day vacation through out New England!! Such a beautiful area to visit.. My favorite of places still has to be Boston though.. :) Between then and last week I pretty much just stayed around the house and went swimming and such.. Spending time with my nephews and really attempting to get involved again in my church. About two weeks ago, my best friend Audrianna and I decided it was time for me to join her down in Georgia for a few days... So that Thursday I bought my plane tickets and got to spend Saturday-Thursday with her!! :) That was so much fun!!! I didn't fully realize how much I missed her. Two months really seemed like forever!!! Friday, Saturday and Sunday were devoted to working with my dad dj-ing 3 weddings!!! (Q: How many cups of coffee does it take to get you through that? A: 30-40 cups?) My step-Aunt Kimberly went into labor on Sunday and early Monday morning, little Ethan Christopher was born! 8 pounds 2 ounces.. :) How cute he is! After being at the hospital from 2-6am I got home and in bed and then didn't wake up until about 3pm Monday.. With a nice Labor day picnic, the day went nicely. Tuesday was devoted again to sleeping, and an interview at Bounce It Out in Pittsford.. School started today, and now I'm back to the beginning. Tomorrow holds a day of school and Irish dance... Friday brings school and dancing at the Irish Festival. :) God is great!

God bless,

Hollianne

KNOW IT!

If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We wouldn't be as strong as we could have been. We'd never fly. God wants you to soar! Can you trust him with your shaky wings and your daily struggles? Instead of growing frustrated with all that's going wrong in your life, try shifting your focus to what you'll become after the struggle has ceased.

READ IT!

2 Corinthians 10:10

James 1:2-4

James 1:12

2 Peter 2:9

PRAY IT!

Ask God to change the way you view your struggles.

KNOW IT!

God doesn't want you burdened with worry. He wants you to love life and experience the joy he offers. Do you realize that every time you worry about something, you're robbing yourself of God's joy?

Worry is different than concern. It's okay to be concerned- even burdened- about your non-Christian friends, your grandmother who's in the hospital, of the fact your dad was recently laid off from his job. But to worry obsessively about things you have no control over goes against God's best for you. Worry keeps you from experiencing God's joy.

READ IT!

Proverbs 3:6

Matthew 6:25-34 *

Matthew 10:19-20

Philippians 4:6-7

PRAY IT!

Thank God that he's concerned about everything that concerns you, and ask his forgiveness for forgetting that and worrying. Trust him so you can experience his joy and peace.

Welcome back!

Hey everybody, I know it has been quite awhile since I have posted anything on my blog, and for that I am sorry! As you may have noticed, I've updated my blog by making it a lot prettier! Summer has flown by sooo fast and only one month before school starts back up again! I've been keeping really busy this summer with vacations, summer camp, weddings, church, and of course friends!

Summer camp this year was a blast!!!! If anybody was looking for a great camp, (Word of Life Island in Schroon Lake, NY) is a fantastic christian camp with so many activities for boys and girls ages 12-18! This summer's theme was "The Last Stronghold" -a military-based theme with lots of competitive fun and games! Anybody ever play slip 'n' slide kickball?? <-- Probably one of the most fun games I have ever played with a large (super large!) amount of people... Aside from all the great fun you have, WOL has awesome counselors and cabins, and most importantly a great center -which would be of course God.. :)

Hope everyone is having a great summer!!!

Hollianne

:)

Hey everybody! This week I am keeping busy with testing which starts tomorrow, and ends Friday, I'm going to see Wicked on Friday night, and then on Saturday, I get to experience a blast from the past of the 90's! That's going to be great! Please be praying for my testing, and I'll post pictures from Saturday as soon as I get them! :)

Have a great week,

Hollianne

Hey everybody!

Hey everybody! It has been awhile since I have updated my blog, and for that, I am sorry. I have been keeping myself busy with the beautiful weather, school, job searching, and of course church. :) Things are coming to a slow end this year for school, and summer plans are coming together. Although, before I can say goodbye to my books and computer, tests have to come. :( Unfortunately, I still have a few weeks of school left after these dreadful tests, but, next Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, will take me a little closer to ending the year! Praise the Lord! Right now, I am searching and searching for a new job to sweep me right up off my feet and to occupy my time, (If you know of anything, let me know!) I'm looking forward to my summer, and have been contemplating competitive Irish dance classes, we'll see what happens with that. Big decisions are being considered right now, mainly which college I'm going to go to. Right now, I am thinking I want to go to Davis College in Johnson City, New York for Biblical counseling. :) I would graduate Davis with my BRE, or my bachelors in religious education, I would go on to another college or university after Davis, I have not thought too much about that yet, (I think I have enough time to think about that, with a high school graduation needing to happen, and one from Davis before that decision needs to be final.) I have considered continuing my education and getting my masters at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. Nothing is final as of right now, God is and is going to continue to be the focus of my life, and He will guide me where I need to go.
Thanks for reading guys! Keep me in prayer, always praying for all of you!
Hollianne :)

Bible Reading Schedule -March 2010

Hey everybody!!! We have a day of a time gap. Today make sure you are caught up on all of last month's reading, (Genesis-Numbers). It's important to make sure you keep up with each day's scheduled reading on account of the fact each day is already a lot of reading. Even though it wouldn't hurt you to double the reading, you probably wouldn't like it! Look out tomorrow for this months reading schedule.

Have a good night, and God bless!!! :)

Hollianne

Cell phone vs. Bible

Cell Phone vs. Bible

Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we flipped through it several times a day?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?

What if we gave it to kids as gifts?

What if we used it when we traveled?

What if we used it in case of emergency?

This is something to make you go....hmm...where is my Bible?

Oh, and one more thing.

Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.

Makes you stop and think 'where are my priorities? And no dropped calls!

So maybe next time you pick up your cell phone, remember to go read your Bible..

P.S. DO WHAT YOU THINK GOD WOULD WANT YOU TO DO WITH THIS EMAIL

P.P.S. If you are not the type who is glued to your cell phone, the same concept goes for computers, t.v, sports, anything you do or use more than your Bible. :)

Trust in the Lord and *ASAP (Always Say A Prayer)

Have a blessed and wonderful day!

Knock, Knock I knocked at heaven's door this morning. God asked me...'My child, what can I do for you?' And I said, 'Father, please protect and bless the person reading this message.' God smiled and answered...'Request granted'. 'Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.'

KNOW IT!

Jesus doesn't expect you to be perfect. He does expect you to be honest about your mistakes and admit you need help.

Daily Reading

Hey everybody! Happy Valentines day!! Just a reminder on today's Bible reading, we are reading Genesis chapters 36-41!

On a side note, please keep my best friend Dylan in your prayers. --He cut his stomach/hip area open today while snowboarding by landing on a piece of glass. Got lots of stitches, and is in lots of pain. Keep him in your prayers please!!!

Keep walking in the Lord! God bless,

Hollianne

Bible Reading -February 10

Hey everybody! Don't forget to do today's Bible reading!!!! We are reading Genesis chapters 9-14 today.

God bless!!!

Hollianne

KNOW IT!

Jesus never intended for you to go at it alone. He values Godly friendships. It's not only okay to ask for help; it's wise.

Forgiveness

This weeks topic is going to focus on forgiveness. Today, I am going to show you a passage written by Doug Herman titled Forgiveness, this passage is taken out of the book "Can you Handle the Truth???" by Phil Chalmers.

"Have you ever been betrayed? Have you ever been stabbed in the back with a dagger with the word saint inscribed on it? Well I have. It happened in a place and time that I least expected. I was a youth pastor of a church in the Denver area and enjoyed spending my life with the sixty teens in the youth group. I also enjoyed coaching wrestling at a nearby high school. One day the senior pastor walked into my office, closed the door, and had a seat. I was completely unaware of the events that were about to unfold. 'Doug,' he began, 'the church board met last night. Your last Sunday is in two weeks.'

I was stunned. I asked if I was being dismissed because of a lack of performance or as a disciplinary action or because they perceived I had a moral problem.

'No,' he answered.

I then asked if it was because of my wife and daughter's HIV infection-contracted from a blood transfusion.

Again, he said no.

'Then why?' I asked.

'God just told us you need to leave.'

Yes, I've removed my dagger from my back. Two years later I found out that it was indeed based on my wife and daughter's infected. Was I angry? You bet. Was I bitter? For awhile. and did I ever forgive them? It took time, but yes, I did.

You see, sometimes we experience hurt from others when we are not at fault. 'They should ask me for forgiveness!' I screamed.

But in quiet moments, I could hear Jesus whisper, 'I didn't do anything wrong either, and I forgave. Now will you follow My example?'

Forgiving wasn't easy. But it really wasn't for them; it was for me. I was amazed by the freedom I felt. I was released from my ugly passion and hatred.

One of the main reasons I can laugh, love, and enjoy life is because I've learned the power of forgiveness. I forgave the blood donor who lied on his donor form about his sexual past-ultimately infecting my wife and daughter with a deadly disease. And I forgave the church that rejected us when we needed them most. And through it all, God has brought healing.

If you have ever been hurt, and you hold the controls of anger and vengeance, you can find release today by forgiving your offender first. It's amazingly freeing-and it's free.

What does God say???

What does it mean to forgive? Webster's online dictionary says it is 'to cease to feel resentment against an offender, to grant relief from payment of a debt, to pardon.' Everyone has feelings that come and go-and we certainly need to forgive when we feel hurt, but to pardon someone from a debt is powerful! As we meditate on the true meaning of forgiveness, let's look into God's Word and see what the Creator has to say.

What does God say about forgiving those who offend or deeply hurt us?

'If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.' -Matthew 6:14-15

'Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.' -Colossians 3:13

How can we apply forgiveness from God in areas where we've sinned? And will He forgive?

'Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.' -Psalm 103: 2-3

'If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.' -1 John 1:8-9

'For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.' -Hebrews 8:12

How does this affect me???

Realizing that God will forgive you when you sin is vital. If you didn't know that, today is a wonderful day for you! Regardless of what you've done, God offers you a new start. Ready to begin afresh? Confess your faults, ask for his forgiveness, and enjoy a new life wiped clean by the Creator's compassion.

If you're holding a grudge against someone, today is the day to forgive. It's not easy, but it will do your soul good. When you forgive others, God can forgive you (see Mark 11:25). Go out of your way to meet with your offender and share your forgiveness. the person may receive it or reject it-but doing the right thing will set you free.

Doug Herman is the founder of Pure Revolution. Check out www.PureRevolution.com . "

What do you get out of Doug Herman's passage? Is God speaking to you? Check back tomorrow for another entry on forgiveness and how it can change your life. :)

God bless you,

Hollianne

Bible Reading Schedule -February 2010!

February 9: Genesis 1-8 (Yes -chapters, not verses!)

February 10: Genesis 9-14

February 11: Genesis 15-20

February 12: Genesis 21-28

February 13: Genesis 29-35

February 14: Genesis 36-41

February 15: Genesis 42-50

February 16: Exodus 1-8

February 17: Exodus 9-14

February 18: Exodus 15-21

February 19: Exodus 22-27

February 20: Exodus 28-34

February 21: Exodus 35-40

February 22: Leviticus 1-7

February 23: Leviticus 8-15

February 24: Leviticus 16- 23

February 25: Leviticus 24-27

February 26: Numbers 1-7

February 27: Numbers 8-20

February 28: Numbers 21-36 (They're short chapters, don't be nervous!)

KNOW IT!

We serve a jealous God. He wants to give you life abundantly, but it requires 100 percent submission to his authority.

Welcome back!

Hey everybody! I haven't posted anything in quite some time, but I am going to start blogging once again. :) I have a few new ideas for this blog to make it more successful. One of these is a "KNOW IT!" section --A section that gives you something to live by, something to keep in mind, etc. Watch out for these every day :) Another idea is posting about a new topic every week, or a weekly topic. I'm going to choose things that can be applied to every day life -I'll get information from things such as quotes from authors, books, the Bible and my own view on each topic. My last idea for the time being is going to be a daily Bible reading. I'm planning on reading Genesis through the end of Numbers by the end of February. If you want to join me in doing so, I'll be posting the schedule for that in a post today. My goal is to finish the entire Bible by the end of the year (Genesis through Revelation). Thanks for reading!!

May God bless YOU!

Hollianne