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What I've learned from Middle School

  I have learned so much from middle school; way more than ever though I was going to. Middle school has taught me more than I ever thought I would learn, and I just wanted to share a couple of those things with you today.
        I'm just going to tell you now that middle school is hard. I know a lot of people probably won't tell you that, but I'm just going to be honest with you. This is not something to scare you or to get you stressed out. I'm telling you this so you can be prepared for what is to come. Middle school isn't hard because of the work or the locker or anything like that; it's hard because of all the drama.  People are trying to figure out who they are and what they are, but if you remember who you are and that you have found your identity in Christ, then you don't need to worry. Now lets get into what I've learned.
       1~ If you respect other people, than they will respect you. Respect will get you so far. If you respect the people around you then they will be nicer to you. I know that sounds cheesy, but it's true.  Respect you teachers. Its not that I didn't respect my teachers before, but I found a new respect for my teachers. It may not be the same at everyone's school, but there are a lot of kids who act out and are not good kids, and the teachers have to deal with them. If they have kids who will be kind to their teachers and treat them with respect, then they will return the respect and they will help you a whole lot more. So what I'm trying to say is just to treat everyone around you with respect.
    2~ Be prepared. Be prepared with your things before class starts. If you don't have everything you need be for class starts, you can get into trouble, and it doesn't make you look good. .Be prepared for people that don't agree with what you believe. Our world is a sinful and you have to be prepared for people to not be Christians. Be  prepared for people not to like you. You can't please everyone. That's OK. But you still need to treat them with respect. Lastly, be prepared for different stress. I know that sounds weird, but you will have different stress and be stressed in new ways.  It is a new place with new people and new teacher, and those teachers will be stricter and give more work. It's just an adjustment; you will get use to it, and it won't be that big of a deal. You just have to be prepared.
     3~ You don't have to be friends with everyone.  I know that may sound harsh, but its true. You need to be kind to everyone, but you don't have to be everyone's best friend.  Please don't take that in the wrong way, but you don't have to be close with everyone just find a group of friends that you have lots in common with and be friends with them.  Its OK not to be friends with everyone; its not mean or rude, I promise!
           I hope that what I've learned will help you when going into middle school.  I know that if I knew these things, it would have helped a lot.  You will do great in middle school, so don't worry! Have a great week and enjoy your summer!
                                            Zoë💜

What is a Friend?

The definition of the word friend varies widely from person to person. Many would define a friend as someone whom you enjoy to spend time with, someone you love (or at least like a lot), and someone who is nice to you. Some say a friend is a person who would stand up for you in a tough situation, maybe if you were being bullied. For nearly everybody, a friend is a good thing: someone you want to have in your life. 

But how does God define a friend?

What does the Bible have to say about friendship, being a friend, and having a friend? 

As it turns out, God, the Creator of relationships (including friendship), has quite a lot to say in His Word about friends. He describes clearly the kind of friend you should be as well as the kind of friends you should have. 

Today we're going to take a look at three verses that help us define what friend means. In defining a true friend, these verse reveal what we should do if we want to be a good friend. They also teach us how to know when we have a good friend. God's definition of a friend is the best definition, so we should listen to what He says about friendship in the Bible if we really want to know what a friend is. 

~Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: 

If one falls down, his friend can help him up.~ 

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10a

According to this verse, a friend is someone who helps the other up when she falls. There are different ways a person can fall. Someone can slip by giving into temptation. A person can fall into bad times, maybe by a parent losing a job, a breakup with a boyfriend, or parents going through a divorce. Another way to fall is by entering bad company and maybe getting involved with alcohol, drugs, or crime. In all the ways in which a girl could slip, a true friend will be there to help her up again. A friend could help lift another by gently speaking the truth, by encouraging, by staying a constant companion during tough times, and (of course) by praying. Sometimes certain situations call for specific actions, though. For example, if a girl started partying and getting into trouble, it would be unwise for her friend to start doing the same in an attempt to help her up. The best thing to do in such tricky situations is to talk things through with a parent and follow instructions from adults. Even in those situations, though, a girl can always pray for the other, and in doing that she can remain a constant friend such as the one this verse describes. 

~A friend loves at all times, 

and a brother is born for adversity.~

Proverbs 17:17

This verse is a very popular one when talking about a Biblical definition of friendship, and for good reason. It clearly describes just what a friend should do: love. And not just love some of the time, but love at ALL times. This, as most people know, is very difficult to do. Loving is rarely easy; it involves a conscious effort on the part of the one loving. And loving at all times stretches this challenge even further. Yet this is the life God has called us to: a life of loving each other. Even during those though times, those challenging moments, and those trials God wants friends to love each other. A true friend loves at all times. 

~Wounds from a friend can be trusted, 

but an enemy multiplies kisses.~

Proverbs 27:6

According to this verse, friends are honest with each other. Enemies lie and deceptively flatter each other, but you can trust the honest criticism of a friend. Now this does NOT mean you constantly criticize and wound your friends by pointing out every tiny flaw you see in them. Friends are supposed to build each other up, too. It also does NOT mean that you should surround yourself with people who constantly criticize you. Such a person is not really a true friend. What this verse IS saying is that if a friend gently speaks the truth to you in love about something you're doing that's wrong or sinful, you should listen. And if you see one of your friends disobeying God, it is good for you (as a friend) to talk about it with her gently and with love. (Key words: gently and with love. Not harshly, rudely, or I'm-better-than-you-ly.) A true friend is honest because she loves the other person, and such honesty from a friend can be trusted. 

These three Bible passages help us define a true friend.

Are you acting as a true friend in the way these verse describe, or are you pulling others down instead of helping them up? 

Are the people you call your friends helping you up, loving you, and being honest (with love) towards you? Or are you surrounding yourself with people who hurt you?

Maybe it's time for you to truly evaluate your relationships and really start surrendering this area of life to God. He wants all of your heart, including the part devoted to friendship. Are you surrendering your relationships to Him and truly trying to honor Him in all you do? If you have to honestly answer no to that question (as I often do), it's time to pray. Tell God that you choose to give Him your relationships and friendships. And continue to study all the Bible has to say about friends. God knows best for every area of your life, even relationships. Let His Word be your guide!

                       Elena♥

Worry and Stress

   We all do it.  It doesn't matter if your a nervous person or not: you do it.  Worrying is not what God has intended for us to do.  Sometimes worrying is unavoidable, but a lot of the time it isn't.  I'm going to give you a few ways to counteract worry and stress.
    Worry and stress is not only not what God intended for us, it's not good on your overall heath, either.  It can cause a rise in blood pressure; it gives you headaches; and it causes heart problems, depression, and anxiety.  Nobody wants any of those.  Hopefully these tips will help you.
      ~ Pray about it- I know we have said this many times on our blog posts, but we really stand behind it. When you put things before the Lord, He will help you.  When you pray it doesn't have to be in any certain place or time; it can be anywhere.  God wants you to talk to Him and have a relationship with Him.  When you pray it doesn't have to be super formal. Just pretend your talking to a friend.  This is what the Bible says about prayer~ Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God-  Philippians 4:6. God wants you to talk to Him and make you requests known to Him.
        ~Take a bath- Get a nice warm bath going, turn on your favorite music, put a bath bomb in the tub, and you will be so relaxed you won't be worrying about a thing.  If you don't have a bath bomb, put a couple of drops of lavender oil in the water, and that will be just as good.  This will take your mind off of everything.
       ~ Read your Bible- I know we've talked about this A LOT before but that's just how much we stand behind it.  When you you read your Bible it will give you a sense of peace that you need when your stressed out and worried.  Just go to a quiet place and work on a Bible study or just read your Bible.  God has that book for you to learn from, and when you  put that in you heart it will give you peace when you are worried.  Here is what the Bible says about it~ Your word is lamp to my feet and a light to my path -Psalms 119:105.  God's =Book is there to be a light in your life, and when you read the Bible it will bring you knowledge and strength to overcome your worries.
        ~Do a hobby that relaxes you- Maybe crack open a good book, pull out those knitting needles, or take out that camera of yours.  Whatever hobby takes your mind off of everything.  Just turn on that music and do your thing.
       Hopefully these help you with your worries and stress.  I know being worried and stressed is a hard to avoid when you're in school and things, but you can do it with God's help.  Here is what the Bible says about worry~ Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding , will guard your heart with Jesus Christ -Philippians 4:6-7. God wants you to pray about what worries you. Have a great week!!
                                                          Zoë💜

How to Keep a Journal

"I'm going to keep a journal!"

          I have thought that countless times. Again and again I get randomly inspired, and I decide to start a journal. I find a notebook (sometimes blank, sometimes half-used), and I start to write. "I'll write in it EVERY day!" I think, and for the first two or three days, I actually do. After a while, though, I become a little bored with the idea, and I write only every couple of days. I lose focus and motivation. Eventually, the journal ends up collecting dust on my bookshelf. (Now you know where I get all of my half-used notebooks.) 

          Have you ever had that happen? You start a journal, promising to write in it every day, but you quickly just give up? I've been there. Well then, how do you start a journal that you'll use consistently instead of just tiring of it? How do you actually keep a journal??

          Here are some different types of journals that might help you to stick with it instead of giving up on it. Try your favorite idea to see if it works for you. If it doesn't, try a different one! Writing in a journal can relax you, improve your relationship with God, inspire you, and remind of wonderful memories. So why not give it a host with one of these ideas? ☺☺☺

~Keep a thankfulness journal. My thankfulness journal works very simply: every night before bed, I write the date and one thing I'm thankful for. Often it's something that happened that day, such as spending time with a friend or a good test grade. Sometimes it's something more broad, like a person, one of God's character traits, or something He has blessed me with. Some nights this leads to a couple pages worth of story or explanation. If I have a lot of time, I like to write about more than just that one thankfulness thing; I'll record other experiences of the day or upcoming events. In a time crunch (or if I just don't feel like writing very much), I only write a short sentence or two. This makes it easy to write every day without feeling pressured to make your entry an impressive length. 

~Keep a once-a-week journal. If you would like to keep a journal, but you don't have a enough time to write every day, this is the journal for you. Simply find a time to use every week as your own person writing time. Maybe Saturdays from 7:30-8:00 would work well, or you could make it only ten to fifteen minutes long it you don't have enough time. The key to this journal is to actually write during the designated time. If you don't make it happen consistently, it will easily just fall by the wayside, but if you really do write then, it could even become one of your favorite parts of the week! Another way you could do this journal is to write a once a month. That way it takes even less time our of your schedule while still allowing you a great writing experience. 

~Keep a doodling journal. Don't like to write? Try doodling your experiences instead of writing. Even if you're not good at drawing, but it relaxes you, this is a great option. You can sketch something that happened, something you saw, or something that fits your mood. Use your favorite pencils, pens, or even scrap-booking supplies. Another way you could do this is with pictures. It's worth a thousand words after all! ☺

~ Keep a prayer journal. There are many ways to do this. The easiest is to simply write down your prayer requests in a notebook. Some fun ways to add to this include recording the date God answers your prayers, adding Bible verses related to your requests, and keeping church bulletins/small group notes that list other people's prayer requests in your notebook. Prayer journals can help you organize your thoughts, focus during a quiet time, and remember prayer requests that other people give you. Though you may not think of this as very much of a journal, it actually does a good job of recording what's on your heart and mind, especially if you write out your prayers instead of just the prayer requests. I usually do some of each, depending on what I'm praying about and how much time I have. For tutorials on how to start a prayer journal, check out our Pinterest page! 

~

Do you keep a journal? If so, how? We'd love to hear from you. Comment below! 

How to make/find friends!

How to make/find friends!

    How do you find and make friends? Well, there all many ways, but we are going to give a few simple tips of how to find good friends.  The end of the school year is coming up, and some of you will be making the transition from elementary to junior high, or junior high to high school, and you will be having to make all new friends.  These tips will help you do just that.
     When you're going into a new school or just going up a grade, it's always a struggle to find the right friends.  Also, its hard to find friends when you go to a new church or youth group.  Been there; done that. It's hard, but I promise if you are a friend, you'll make friends.  This is something the Bible says about friendship "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born from adversity"~ Proverbs 17:17 (or sister). See, it's import to have good friends, and these tips will help.
      1~Go to a youth group.  Even if your church doesn't have a youth group, that doesn't mean you can't go to one. There has got to be one in your community, you just have to go find it.  This is a great way to find good, Christian friends.  You might even find someone that goes to your school! And if they don't, that doesn't mean you can't be their friend; that will just bring you to church more because you have go see that friend!
      2~You have to be a friend to have friends.  I know we've all probably heard that before, but you have to put yourself out there.  You can't just sit in the corner and expect people to be drawn to be your friend; you have to act like you want friends. This is very true for public school!
     3~Common interests.  So if you are on a sports team with someone or in  band or something like that, you have somethings in common with that person; so go talk to them about it. You never know: they may have other interests that are the same as yours.
      4~Compliment someone on something.  First, that will make someone's day a whole lot better, and second, they see your a kind person. People are automatically drawn to you if you're nice more so then when you're  mean. This will automatically show them that.  Just something like Hey, your hair looks good today or You're really good at volleyball.  It can be anything to lift their spirits!
      5~Talk to people.  I know that sounds weird, but just go up and say, "hey". That is how you start any conversation.  Its one of the easiest things you can do to start a friendship.
       Hopefully some of these tips will help you in making new friends. I'm about to go into high school and I will probably be using all of these at the school. If you would like me to do some tips on  junior high, I will. Just shoot me an email or comment on our Instagram or Facebook page!! Have a great week!    
                                        Zoë💜

How to Write a Summer Bucket List

Summertime always seems to offer endless possibilities. Just think: at least two whole months of sunshine, warm weather, long days, and no school. It's kind of mind-boggling to imagine all that a girl could do in that amount of time. But it's also super exciting to think about!! Hmmm...what COULD I do this summer??

Making a summer bucket list is a great way to organize those "what if this summer I...." thoughts.

Why should I make a summer bucket list?
There are actually a lot of reasons.

~It helps get those creative-juices flowing. (And who doesn't love flowing creative juices?)

~It helps put those great ideas into action. (Just hang it somewhere in you're room where you'll see it often, and it will inspire you a lot this summer to get out there and fulfill your summer dreams!)

~It helps set goals. (That way, you won't reach the end of the summer and think "What on Earth did I waste all my time on these past three months?")

~It's FUN. (A summer bucket list is pretty much made to have some wacky, get-out-there-and-enjoy-yourself items on it, and those are things brighten up your summer and make sure you have a great time.)

Now your question should be, Why shouldn't I make a summer bucket list?.

So let's look at some tips on making your own summer bucket list!! One thought, first, before we begin. When making a summer buckets list, we need to keep our ultimate goals in mind. Out ultimate goals should not be to have fun, do wacky things with friends, or go to the beach. We need to make sure that are ultimate goals are God-centered and for His glory alone. Basically, out ultimate goals should not be whatever we write on your summer bucket lists, or any bucket list for that matter. Though those things are fun and exciting to dream about, they should not control out lives. Of course, there's nothing wrong with dreaming about them or trying to fulfill them. Just as long as they don't take top priority.

That said, let's get started! :D

Actually making a bucket list is basically as easy as it gets. Just grab a piece of paper (lined notebook paper, plain white paper, colored card-stock, decorative paper) and your favorite writing utensils (my favorites are a large variety of colored pens, especially Sharpies and Pilot pens). Then get to work! Be creative, and have some fun. Here are some tips for items you should be sure to add to your bucket list:

1. Health
      Add something you know you should be doing to stay healthy/something you would like to start doing more. It should be a reachable goal. How about drink more water this summer? Or for something more specific, buy yourself a cute new water bottle and make it your goal to drink the whole thing twice every day. Other health goals could be eat more vegetables, have fruit with your breakfast, or limit candy to once a week only. If you're going to pick something exercise related, try to go for something doable. What about jog for fifteen minutes every other day? Or attend a zumba class? Putting something health-related on your bucket list will help improve your daily lifestyle and your body. Plus, can't you already imagine that feeling of victory when you actually do it??

2. Beauty
     This one is more just for fun. What if you tried one new hairstyle every week? Or committed to becoming a master of some of those complicated makeup techniques? Another fun idea is why not have a beauty party? Invite some friends of this summer to try new hairstyles, paint nails, or test out that face mask recipe you saw on Pinterest.

3. Learning
     A great goal to have this summer is to work on remembering all that information you put so much work into learning this past school year. Not MORE school!! you might be thinking. But this can actually turn out to be one of the most fun items on your bucket list. Ideas for adding something in this topic? Pick a subject you're interested in (astronomy? psychology? history?), find a book on it at the library, and make it your goal to read it this summer. Add going to a zoo to your bucket list, and while you're there you can focus on learning about the different animals and about their life styles.  If you're going on vacation, research the history of the place you're visiting to find out about what cool events happened there. Think up ideas for a fun and creative way to keep learning this summer, and add them to your bucket list!!

4. Something new
     Try something you've never tried before. Never ice skated? Never tried Indian food? Never been kayaking? Even if you're not the adventurous type, this is a great thing to add to your bucket list because it adds a little challenge and excitement to your summer. It doesn't have to be a hard or scary thing, either. You can add something easy and cost free, such as star gaze in your backyard or invent your own recipe.

5. Something you've always wanted to do
    Now is as good a time as any to master that new bike trick. How about that complicated French recipe you've been eyeing? Have you always wanted to keep a journal, but you've never had the time? Add at least one of those things to your bucket list, and then do it this summer! You'll be so glad you finally got around to it.

6. Serve
     Volunteering at your church's VBS (Vacation Bible School, which most churches have) is a wonderful way to do this. Cleaning out your room and donating your old clothes and toys is another great option. Or you could come up with your own specific idea, such as babysitting once a week for that single mom you know or asking that older couple at church if they need help with yard work. Something simple, such as baking cookies for a sick friend, works just as well, too. Basically, serve someone for Jesus this summer! It's a great way to spend your time.

7. Something with friends
    Host a party, organize a prayer group, invite a friend over for a sleepover, or attend a sporting even together. You can do something with a large group of friends or with just one. Whatever you choose, make sure you add your friends to your summer bucket list.

8. Something with family
     Some girls spend their summer trying to find ways to avoid spending time with family because suddenly they're at home all day instead of at school, But God gave you your family for a reason, so jot them down on your bucket list, too. Watch a movie you know he'll love with your brother, plan a scavenger hunt for your younger siblings, or plan a coffee date with your mom.

9. Most importantly, something for God
     Do you have a specific time each day to meet with God, read the Bible, and pray? If you don't, add finding a specific time to your bucket list, then do it! What about starting a prayer journal/notebook? When I started my prayer journal, I found some tutorials here, here, and here. Another GREAT idea is to start memorizing God's Word. One super helpful guide, is to buy the Navigator's Topical Memory System. I highly encourage checking it out! Be sure to add God to your summer bucket list, however you chose to do that. He's what matters most!!

                           Elena♥

~

Hope you enjoyed these ideas on starting your own summer bucket list! Do you have any tips on making a summer bucket list? Or have you made your own? We would love to see it! Please email is at inspiredtobloom16@gmail.com. Also, Zoë and I each made our own summer bucket lists, and if you'd like to see those, check them out on our Instagram and Facebook pages!!