Being Content

    Some of my friends recently got back from a missions trip to Cameroon, Africa. I really wanted to go, but I have a severe peanut allergy, so I couldn't. I was really angry at first. Then somewhat jealous. It wasn't fair that my friends could go and not me... Was it?? I wanted to help the Churches there. I wanted to do my part. I also wanted to see Janet, my friend who lives there, and who I'll probably never see again. It would've been fun! I'd get to be with friends, see new places, and help out! But my Doctor has told me I will never be able to go to Africa or Asia. Peanuts are too common there.
     Now everyone is back, and I've mostly gotten over it. Yeah, I'm still a little sad that I missed out, but it turns out while everyone was gone, I was needed at home. If I had gone on the missions trip, I wouldn't have been here when I was needed.
    It just goes to show you that God has a reason for everything, even if we don't know what it is. We might never know, but that's okay. I have no idea why God gave me a peanut allergy. I mean, how could anything good come out of that, right? I don't know. But I do know that God has a plan for each and every one of us. :)

Love,
Grace <3

Physical Beauty vs. Inner Beauty

   
    I think we can all agree that when someone tells us we're beautiful, it absolutely makes our day. This warm feeling spreads all through our bodies. It starts in my nose, and goes to my toes, wherever it goes, the feeling shows,... Just kidding. :D But when someone tells us we have inner beauty, we don't always react the same way. We smile and nod politely, thanking the person, and return the compliment. Why don't we react more to this? Our inner beauty is so much more important, especially to God. I admit, I often wish I were taller, skinnier, and had more voluminous hair, instead of being happy with my body and more importantly, happy with my personality, and my love for Christ. After all, that's how Jesus sees us.

    God doesn't care whether we're fat, skinny, wear glasses, or have long thick hair. He loves us for who we are, not what we are. Some of you might be thinking, 'Okay, so God loves me. I already know that. But what about here and now? What about the kids at school or the boys on the football team, do they care about me?' I totally understand. I find myself thinking this way ALL THE TIME. In reality, right here, right now, doesn't really matter. God says our lives are like a vapor. It doesn't last long at all. What really matters is AFTER this world- when we die. Then what we looked like and what we did on earth won't matter. No one will remember. We need to focus on our inner beauty vs. our physical beauty, because someday when we stand before God, He'll look at our inner beauty, how much we loved Him, what we did for Him, and either invite us in, or send us away.

    Let's all focus on our inner beauty, so we can be a light in this world for Christ!

Love, Grace <3

Why I Chose "Amazing Grace"

    Have you ever heard the phrase, "Life is good"? I see and hear it all the time. You see it on T-shirts, bumper stickers, spare tire covers, and even Dove chocolate wrappers! But in reality, life stinks. Murder, drugs, alcohol, kidnapping, car crashes, losing loved ones, diseases, and even getting F's on your tests in school happens every single day. Life seriously stinks. Why do people commit suicide? Because they think life isn't worth living. And who wouldn't agree, right? Just look at my list of bad things- and that's not even half of it! But if you think about it, life is worth living. As Christians, our job here on earth is to spread the good news of God's grace- how He died on the cross for our sins and rose again, just for us. To save us from the death that we deserved. That's what grace is. A gift from God we don't deserve. That's why I chose "Amazing Grace" as my blog title. To remind us what Christ did for us. Plus, Grace happens to be my name. :)
 
    So, here it is. A blog for Christian teen girls that are struggling with the same thing I am: Trying to be an average kid, while trying to live my life for Christ. It's a hard thing, but we're all in this together!
 
     I hope this blog encourages and reminds you that you're not alone!

Love, Grace <3