The Vlog: When Friendships Change

If you can’t see Siobhan’s video, click here.

“Whenever we draw near to God, we do suffer. Spiritually, emotionally, and physically. But suffering for God is the highest reward.” – Siobhan Gordon

About Siobhan

Siobhan Gordon is a 20 year old college student in Austin, Texas and has lived there her entire life. She re-dedicated her life to the Lord and since then, God has been calling her to do wonderful things for her community. The Lord told her to start this Channel in order to reach viewers like you who are on fire for the Lord.

Being a Christian teenage girl is not easy in this society, and Siobhan wants to be a help to any girls who are hurting or struggling. Please like her fanpage, check out her YouTube channel, or friend her on facebook!

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I’m a social person. I’ve always had a lot of friends since I was really young. But when I moved from California to Colorado two summers ago, all of that changed.

When you’ve lived in the same state your whole life, it’s easy to stay in contact with people. After all, most of the people you know, you’ve known for a while. Almost all of my friends came from the church I’d been going to for years. It required very little for me to meet new people and still hang out with the old ones.

Then we moved and it all changed. 

I had to rely on emails and phone calls to be with friends. My sister (who is often quiet and reserved with people) immediately met a neighbor girl who she hung out with. My mom connected with people in the neighborhood, and I stayed at home, staring blankly at my computer screen, hoping someone would take pity on me and write.

I lasted over a whole summer and into the next school year before I met people. It’s easy to lose focus as it comes to friends, whether we have a lot or none.

Here are some tips I found helpful for the times when it’s hard to keep things in perspective.

Keep Jesus first

Jesus is the best friend out there- He’s always there, He’ll never betray you, and His advice is perfect. It sounds cliché, but talking to Jesus is way better than talking to anyone else. He’ll help you keep your priorities straight and be there for you.

Look at your heart

Have a focus and a purpose bigger than just hanging around with friends. Make sure your reasons for wanting a friend are right. I know that one of the main reasons I wanted to have a friend is because I always had friends, and I thought my life would be empty without them.

Treasure the friends you’ve made in the past

A real friend doesn’t leave another behind. If you no longer live close to a friend, still treasure their relationship and make an effort to talk to them.

Use the time you’re given wisely

God put you in the place you’re in for a good reason. Maybe you can use the extra time to get to know God better, practice your skills, and spend time with your family. You might find you enjoy that better than constantly being out with friends. If you do have friends, use the time you’re given to get to know them more and encourage each other.

Rely on God

He’s always there. He’ll get you through whatever times you’re going through. ♥

Source: Real Teen Faith

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“You are the light of the world–like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” – Matthew 5:14,16

I was logged into Facebook recently as I viewed my profile. A story appeared there that I didn’t like so I deleted it.

As I deleted that story, I thought about my profile. What if everything I did, every action I took, every word I spoke was posted on my profile for the world to see?

Would people know I love Jesus simply by the way I spoke to my sister this morning? The way I acted in the store when I really wanted something but simply couldn’t afford it? 

Do You Shine?

What about you? What if you knew everything you did was posted on your profile? Would you be more careful about the texts you sent that cute guy? Would you refuse to gossip about your classmate? Would you skip the eye roll when your mom asked you to do something?

In Philippians 2:15, Paul instructs us to, ”Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.” - Philippians 2:15

Whether we’re goofing off with our girlfriends, checking Facebook, or even loading the dishwasher, we can choose to shine the light of God’s love to everyone around us.

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Shining God’s love isn’t something we only do on Sunday mornings or during youth group on Wednesday night, it’s an all the time gig! So, click here and leave a comment letting us know how you shined for Jesus this week.

Live It

Choose someone to show God’s love to this week! Write this person an encouraging note, do a chore for them, or do something kind for them.

More About Debra

Debra Weiss is a freelance writer and speaker passionate about helping teen girls grow closer to God. Find out more about Debra at www.DebraWeiss.net.

photo by: imagery majestic 

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“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” - Genesis 3:1

Most of us have heard the story of the fall. But when I was reading through it today, I thought about Paul’s words in Philippians 4:8.

“…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

The serpent used one of his typical tactics when he began his conversation with Eve. He shifted Eve’s attention away from the things that are right, and onto the possibility of sin. 

Does that happen in your life? Do you think, “Did God say this? Is this in God’s Word?”

Then you let your mind wander to the consequences of disobedience, rather than focusing on all of the wonderful things that God has given you?

I’m guilty of that. It’s so easy for my mind to wander. To think about things that aren’t pure. Did God say that I couldn’t tell my friends what I heard about Jenny yesterday? Does that count as gossip?

No, it’s just chit-chat between friends, and chit-chat is healthy, right? We’re supposed to talk about the things that are praiseworthy, not gossip worthy. It’s easy to let my mouth wander into sin.

Instead of thinking on what God did say, and what we know to be true, we start thinking about the things that aren’t black and white.

I encourage you today to ignore the serpent, and focus on Paul’s words instead.

Father God, help me to keep my mind focused on You. Let me think about things that are true, noble, right, and praiseworthy. Don’t let me fall into the trap of the serpent, Lord. Help me take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor. 10:5). In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Share It

Have you ever fallen into sin because you let your thoughts slip into a gray area?

Live It

Today, keep your thoughts focused on things that you know are praiseworthy.

More about Heather

Co-author and editor of the “Teen Devotions… for Girls!” series, Heather is a servant of Christ, whose desire is to grow more like Jesus every day. She enjoys sharing her faith with others through writing and strives to please Christ in all she does (Gal. 1:10). Heather and her husband Paul live in Colorado, where she fills her days caring for their four young children, writing for Christ, and studying God’s Word.

Teen photo by: Akeeris

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I double-checked the power bar at the top of the screen on my laptop. Yep. Even after five minutes of fiddling with the cord, it still wasn’t charging the battery.

I began to think of all the online homework that would be due in the next couple of days and groaned. What was I going to do without my laptop? 

I quickly put it in sleep mode to conserve the little battery that was left so that I would be able to print anything that was absolutely necessary.

During the next week or so before my friend was able to fix my power cord, I began to realize just how dependent I was on my computer. Several times, I unthinkingly reached for my laptop before remembering that I couldn’t use it.

This made me wonder: what would it be like if the dependence that I obviously had on my technology was invested in God instead?

All throughout the Psalms, the writers describe God as our help, stronghold, level ground, rock, and salvation. Shouldn’t that be where my hope is placed?

In the coming days, I am going to seek a new dependence on God. What if I was as desperate after losing my Bible as I was after not having my laptop? I want to be addicted to God!

Here are some ways I am going to cultivate dependence:

Putting my mind on him first thing every morning. In the coming days I want to grow in having him on my mind as soon as I wake up.

Seeking God out before every homework assignment. I don’t know about you, but I often get caught up in the things on my to-do list without stopping to take time for God. Maybe taking time to speak with Him before each project will help me with this.

Limiting Facebook. I’ve realized lately just how much time I spend reading about other peoples’ lives! While this is great in small quantities, it can quickly eat up precious time that I could use towards other things.

Will you join me in seeking out a new level of dependence on God for your life? What are you doing right now to spend time with Him or to remind yourself of your need for him?

Aimee Lynch is a student who is passionate about her heavenly Father. She views the experience of her parents’ divorce as a chance to help other teen girls work through the same issues, and she is pursuing a full-time outreach in this area. Aimee would love to meet you! You can email her and read more at her website: allfilledup.wordpress.com

teen photo by: photostock

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