Well, does it?? Does the Bible really have ALL the answers?
Last week (in Does the Bible Really have ALL the Answers? Part 1), I basically came to two conclusions:
1. No, the Bible obviously doesn't have every answer for every specific problem in life.
2. Yes, the Bible does give us all the answers we need on how to live and how not to live, especially since Jesus gave us the most important commandments for life in Matthew 22:37-39.
Now we have reached another important point:
3. Yes, the Bible does give us all the answers we need because the Bible reveals God to us, and He has all the specific answers.
The Bible tells us an incredible amount about God. After all, the entire book is a beautiful, real-life story about Him. His Word tells us of His love (1 John 4:8, Romans 5:8), His justice (Isaiah 61:8, Job 34:12), His faithfulness (Deuteronomy 32:4, Psalm 36:5), His holiness (Psalm 22:3, Isaiah 57:15), His power (Mark 10:27, Psalm 93:1), and SO much more.
(After each aspect of God, I put just two verses to give a tiny example of what the Bible says about God, but there are many more verses than just those ones. Try doing and internet search for "Bible verses about God's love," and you'll see just how many there are.)
All right, the Bible reveals God to us. But does GOD have all the answers??
That is a huge question for another time, and it is also something every human must answers personally, from the depths of the heart. However, if you already believe that God has all the answers and you now clearly see that the Bible leads us to God, then clearly, the Bible leads us to all the answers we need in life.
As the psalmist wrote in Psalm 139:1-3, "O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways." God knows your troubles, your questions, and your heart. He wants you to let Him lead your life. So dive into His Word, and let Him.
If you do that, give yourself to Him and listen to Him through the Bible, then, just as Psalm 119:105 says, His Word will become a lamp for your feet and a light for your path.
Elena ♥
Saturday, April 30, 2016
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
How to Stay Clean When Everything Else is Dirty
How to Stay Clean When Everything Else is Dirty
Being a Godly person in our society is very hard, I get it. I go to public school. There a lot of things I wish I had never seen or heard. When everyone around you is cussing and having sex what do you do? Well thats a good question. I know that I struggle with this everyday I step foot into my school building but I hope some of these tips will help you.
1. Find a good friend group. I know when I go to school at the beginning of the year I always think to myself "will I make the right decisions this year?" Well, a good indicator of that is what kind of friends you start hanging out with. So, if you don't want to start cussing then find friends that don't cuss. I know it can be hard to find friends but think of it like this there's probably someone else out there that wants a friend just like you, you just have to go find them.
2. Keep a bible verse that speaks to you in a place you know you see all the time. So at school I have a sheet of paper that I keep in my planner with a few of my favorite bible verses on it so when ever I open my planner I see them I'm always reminded to be true to God. One that I really love is "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right , whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is praise worthy think about such things" ~ Philippians 4:8. This can also help you minister to others.
3.Remembering that God is with you. I know we all want to be popular and have a ton of friends, but we always need to know that God is with us and will never leave us. We all know friends come and go and that they will be rude at times but God is constant. If we know that God is with us then we will always have a friend we can talk to. In Isaiah 41:10 it says "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.". See he will never leave you. You can always go to him for anything.
4. Be careful what you watch, read ,and listen to. Its not only the people you're around its what you listen, watch and read. We probably have heard the saying you are what you eat well it goes the same way with what you hear. When I was younger, my mom could always tell if I had been watching this one show and eventually she made me stop watching it. I never thought it influenced my attitude but now I know it did a whole lot more then I thought. Anyways the moral of the story is if you don't want to talk, act, or have the attitude of the people you watch or listen to then don't watch it. In Proverbs 4:23 its says "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.". So, if you guard your heart from the bad things you watch, read or listen to, then better things will come out of you.
5.Make smart decisions. I know that sounds so typical and all and that you have heard it a thousand times. I know, I have too, But I know for sure it is true. I know it maybe hard not to go to that party that even your mom said you could go to but you know there's going to be drinking. But it will save you a lot of pain and other not so fun things in the long run. Just make sure making the decision that Jesus would do if he were in your situation. I know that's cheesy but its true and its a lot harder than it sounds.
I want y'all (yes I just said y'all. I'm from Texas. OK? that's how we talk! LOL) to know that I'm going through all the same junk you're going through so I know its not easy. You're not alone, but I really do hope some of this helps. I have learned some this from my mom and friends and just from personal experiences. I really do encourage y'all to talk to your moms and friends about this too. I hope this can help y'all with your struggles!
Please do go comment on our Instagram and Facebook! We would love to hear what y'all want us to write about next!! Have a great week!
Zoë💜
3.Remembering that God is with you. I know we all want to be popular and have a ton of friends, but we always need to know that God is with us and will never leave us. We all know friends come and go and that they will be rude at times but God is constant. If we know that God is with us then we will always have a friend we can talk to. In Isaiah 41:10 it says "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.". See he will never leave you. You can always go to him for anything.
4. Be careful what you watch, read ,and listen to. Its not only the people you're around its what you listen, watch and read. We probably have heard the saying you are what you eat well it goes the same way with what you hear. When I was younger, my mom could always tell if I had been watching this one show and eventually she made me stop watching it. I never thought it influenced my attitude but now I know it did a whole lot more then I thought. Anyways the moral of the story is if you don't want to talk, act, or have the attitude of the people you watch or listen to then don't watch it. In Proverbs 4:23 its says "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.". So, if you guard your heart from the bad things you watch, read or listen to, then better things will come out of you.
5.Make smart decisions. I know that sounds so typical and all and that you have heard it a thousand times. I know, I have too, But I know for sure it is true. I know it maybe hard not to go to that party that even your mom said you could go to but you know there's going to be drinking. But it will save you a lot of pain and other not so fun things in the long run. Just make sure making the decision that Jesus would do if he were in your situation. I know that's cheesy but its true and its a lot harder than it sounds.
I want y'all (yes I just said y'all. I'm from Texas. OK? that's how we talk! LOL) to know that I'm going through all the same junk you're going through so I know its not easy. You're not alone, but I really do hope some of this helps. I have learned some this from my mom and friends and just from personal experiences. I really do encourage y'all to talk to your moms and friends about this too. I hope this can help y'all with your struggles!
Please do go comment on our Instagram and Facebook! We would love to hear what y'all want us to write about next!! Have a great week!
Zoë💜
Sunday, April 24, 2016
Getting in-touch and Our Schedule!
How to Get In-touch!
I know we have been having some issues with comments and we do apologize for that, but here's some other ways you can get in-touch with us!
Instagram~ inspiredtobloomblog
Pintrest~ inspiredtobloom
Facebook~ inspired to bloom
(those our the usernames.)
Email~ inspiredtobloom16@gmail.com
Email~ inspiredtobloom16@gmail.com
We really do hope you go follow us on one of these or all of these if you can! We will be posting regularly on all of those, so we hope you go check them out!
Our Schedule!!
We will be posting a page on this blog every Wednesdays & Saturdays. I know this one isn't on either one of those days but this is different. Everything from now on with be on these days, we know some of ours have not been on these days, but we will not be doing that unless it's something like this.
Have a great week and go check us out on the sites above!
Zoë&Elena
Does the Bible really have ALL the answers? (Part 1)
Well, does it? Does the Bible really have ALL the answers? Does it really say what to do in any and every situation?
It turns out, yes, it does. Well, and it doesn't.
God gave us the Bible as a guidline, a roadmap, and a how-to book on life. It would make sense, then, for it to have all the answers to all our questions. After all, if it didn't, what would be the point of even having it?
But if it does have all the answers, then where in the Bible does it say what to do if your best friend starts dating your crush? Where in the Bible does it say what to do if your parents tell you to be home by ten, but all your friends are staying at the party until later? Where in the Bible does it say what to do if your sibling "borrows" your phone with out your permission, and then proceds to drop it and crack the screen? What guidelines does the Bible giving about kissing when dating?
The Bible does not have specific answers to all of these questions. It does not say "If thou brother breaketh thou iPhone, then thou shalt do such-and-such." No. It just doesn't give specific instructions for each and every situation.
Now, hold up. You just said the Bible does have all the answers. And that if it didn't what would be the point of it. Now you're saying it doesn't?? Then what IS the point of it????
Yes, that is what I just said. The Bible doesn't give specific instructions for everything. Yet our perfect God made a perfect guideline for our lives, so His Word, the Bible, obviously does still matter. How does that work?
Even though God doesn't tell us everything in the Bible (after all, if He did, our earthly human minds just wouldn't be able to handle it), He still gave us many commandments and guidelines for life. In fact, He even gave us the two most important commandments EVER in Matthew chapter 22. He even told ust that these were the most important.
Jesus told His listeners (and us) in Matthew 22:37-39 the most important rules in life:
"Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself." ' "
God told us in His Word the most important things to do in life: love God and love your neighbor. And as it turns out, these two commandments apply in every situation.
Your best friend dates your crush.
Love your neighbor (or in this case your best friend) as yourself.
Your parents told you to go home, but your friends are staying.
Love God and love your parents as yourself.
Your brother cracked your phone.
Love your brother as yourself.
You don't know how far is "ok" to go with your boyfriend.
Love God.
If we are truly seeking God and the way He wants us to live our lives, the only truly right place to go is the Bible. We need to keep in mind these two commandments God gave us are the most important when we are trying to make decisions and seeking answers to all of life's questions and problems. We also need to study the rest of His Word and commandments and truths, for there are many other verses that explain to us what to do in life and how to please God in each and every situation. Our perfect God gave us a perfect guideline for life, so we need to pay attention to what He says in it.
Please share your thoughts on this subject below!!
Remember to love God and love your neighbor as yourself.
Elena💗
It turns out, yes, it does. Well, and it doesn't.
God gave us the Bible as a guidline, a roadmap, and a how-to book on life. It would make sense, then, for it to have all the answers to all our questions. After all, if it didn't, what would be the point of even having it?
But if it does have all the answers, then where in the Bible does it say what to do if your best friend starts dating your crush? Where in the Bible does it say what to do if your parents tell you to be home by ten, but all your friends are staying at the party until later? Where in the Bible does it say what to do if your sibling "borrows" your phone with out your permission, and then proceds to drop it and crack the screen? What guidelines does the Bible giving about kissing when dating?
The Bible does not have specific answers to all of these questions. It does not say "If thou brother breaketh thou iPhone, then thou shalt do such-and-such." No. It just doesn't give specific instructions for each and every situation.
Now, hold up. You just said the Bible does have all the answers. And that if it didn't what would be the point of it. Now you're saying it doesn't?? Then what IS the point of it????
Yes, that is what I just said. The Bible doesn't give specific instructions for everything. Yet our perfect God made a perfect guideline for our lives, so His Word, the Bible, obviously does still matter. How does that work?
Even though God doesn't tell us everything in the Bible (after all, if He did, our earthly human minds just wouldn't be able to handle it), He still gave us many commandments and guidelines for life. In fact, He even gave us the two most important commandments EVER in Matthew chapter 22. He even told ust that these were the most important.
Jesus told His listeners (and us) in Matthew 22:37-39 the most important rules in life:
"Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself." ' "
God told us in His Word the most important things to do in life: love God and love your neighbor. And as it turns out, these two commandments apply in every situation.
Your best friend dates your crush.
Love your neighbor (or in this case your best friend) as yourself.
Your parents told you to go home, but your friends are staying.
Love God and love your parents as yourself.
Your brother cracked your phone.
Love your brother as yourself.
You don't know how far is "ok" to go with your boyfriend.
Love God.
If we are truly seeking God and the way He wants us to live our lives, the only truly right place to go is the Bible. We need to keep in mind these two commandments God gave us are the most important when we are trying to make decisions and seeking answers to all of life's questions and problems. We also need to study the rest of His Word and commandments and truths, for there are many other verses that explain to us what to do in life and how to please God in each and every situation. Our perfect God gave us a perfect guideline for life, so we need to pay attention to what He says in it.
Please share your thoughts on this subject below!!
Remember to love God and love your neighbor as yourself.
Elena💗
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
About Us
Elena
A few things to know about me:
-I love Jesus. Daily I must take up my cross and follow Him, and daily His patience with me is abundant.
-I'm a teen girl. All those feelings and frustrations and doubts and joys of being a teen girl...Yep, that's pretty much me.
-I'm homeschooled. I've been homeschooled all my life, and I love it. Am I open to going to public school? Of course! But I'm perfectly happy just being homeschooled :)
-I SWIM. Seriously, I'm basically in love with swimming. And not just the floating-around-in-the-pool-when-the-weather's-nice-during-the-summer swimming. No, working out at the pool six days a week and sacrificing my weekends to go to a swim meet and freaking out over dropping half a second swimming. Oh, yeah.
-I'm a military kid. (Formally known as a brat. No, not that kind of brat.) My dad's in the Air Force, meaning I move about every two years. Am I used to moving?? Yes. It's a part of my life. Do I like to move?? Not exactly. But I'm happy to go wherever God puts me at that time in my life.
Zoë
-I love Jesus. He's a very real part of my life, and I seek to honor Him in all I say and think and do.
-I'm a teen girl! I live the life of a teen girl, and I can TOTALLY relate to ALL of the ups and downs of being one!
-I do go to public school, so I can relate to all the struggles and stresses of being there, too. But I also love public school!
-I LOVE Sprint car racing! The rush you get from seeing those cars fly by you! It's just so amazing! (You may be asking yourself "what the heck are sprint cars?" Well, all I have to say to that is you'll just have to look it up)
-I love makeup, beauty, and shopping! Elena and I both do ;)
- I have true passion for history. When people say "oh, yeah, I like history," well, they haven't met me because I am the DEFINITION of liking history.
Us
Despite that the blog says our last name is Bloom, it's not. We're not sisters. Just best friends who love having a good time together :)
Zoë and Elena met when Elena moved to Texas and started attending the same church as Zoë. We were each about eight years old, and ever since then, even after Elena moved from Texas, we have stayed best friends. Though our relationship consistently requries work, we hope to remain that way forever. <3
We both are Christians and believe that the entire Bible is the pure truth of God. It's a challenge every day, but Jesus is at work within each of our hearts.
Though Bloom is not our real name, we entered our it as that because we want to bloom, every day and in every way, for Jesus. I (Elena) read a short story once about a girl who conisdered herself more of a weed than a flower. Average. Nothing special. Just a part of the crowd. Nobody really loves her, but everybody likes her. A weed. Not a flower. What she didn't understand was that she already was a flower. She was fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of a holy, perfect-in-every-way King of the universe. God wanted her to know that. God wanted her to know that He loved her an unmatachable amount. He wanted her to devote herself to Him in every area of life. He wanted her to take up her cross daily and follow Him wherever He lead. So that's what we're here to do: follow Him, trust Him, and believe what He says to us through His Word.
We hope to use this blog to discover more of who God is, how His truth applies to our lives, and who we are in Him. It is our prayer that it does the same for you, and that you are encouraged that you are not the only Christain teen girl out there struggling with these issues!
Our Goal~ We want to bloom in Jesus and for Jesus. We want our roots to be in Him, and for Him to be the living water that rains down upon us. We are already flowers, but we may not be blooming in the way God designed for us. So let us press on to know Him. And as He inspires us to bloom in Him and for Him, may you also be inspired to bloom.
Elena & Zoë💜
A few things to know about me:
-I love Jesus. Daily I must take up my cross and follow Him, and daily His patience with me is abundant.
-I'm a teen girl. All those feelings and frustrations and doubts and joys of being a teen girl...Yep, that's pretty much me.
-I'm homeschooled. I've been homeschooled all my life, and I love it. Am I open to going to public school? Of course! But I'm perfectly happy just being homeschooled :)
-I SWIM. Seriously, I'm basically in love with swimming. And not just the floating-around-in-the-pool-when-the-weather's-nice-during-the-summer swimming. No, working out at the pool six days a week and sacrificing my weekends to go to a swim meet and freaking out over dropping half a second swimming. Oh, yeah.
-I'm a military kid. (Formally known as a brat. No, not that kind of brat.) My dad's in the Air Force, meaning I move about every two years. Am I used to moving?? Yes. It's a part of my life. Do I like to move?? Not exactly. But I'm happy to go wherever God puts me at that time in my life.
Zoë
-I love Jesus. He's a very real part of my life, and I seek to honor Him in all I say and think and do.
-I'm a teen girl! I live the life of a teen girl, and I can TOTALLY relate to ALL of the ups and downs of being one!
-I do go to public school, so I can relate to all the struggles and stresses of being there, too. But I also love public school!
-I LOVE Sprint car racing! The rush you get from seeing those cars fly by you! It's just so amazing! (You may be asking yourself "what the heck are sprint cars?" Well, all I have to say to that is you'll just have to look it up)
-I love makeup, beauty, and shopping! Elena and I both do ;)
- I have true passion for history. When people say "oh, yeah, I like history," well, they haven't met me because I am the DEFINITION of liking history.
Us
Despite that the blog says our last name is Bloom, it's not. We're not sisters. Just best friends who love having a good time together :)
Zoë and Elena met when Elena moved to Texas and started attending the same church as Zoë. We were each about eight years old, and ever since then, even after Elena moved from Texas, we have stayed best friends. Though our relationship consistently requries work, we hope to remain that way forever. <3
We both are Christians and believe that the entire Bible is the pure truth of God. It's a challenge every day, but Jesus is at work within each of our hearts.
Though Bloom is not our real name, we entered our it as that because we want to bloom, every day and in every way, for Jesus. I (Elena) read a short story once about a girl who conisdered herself more of a weed than a flower. Average. Nothing special. Just a part of the crowd. Nobody really loves her, but everybody likes her. A weed. Not a flower. What she didn't understand was that she already was a flower. She was fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of a holy, perfect-in-every-way King of the universe. God wanted her to know that. God wanted her to know that He loved her an unmatachable amount. He wanted her to devote herself to Him in every area of life. He wanted her to take up her cross daily and follow Him wherever He lead. So that's what we're here to do: follow Him, trust Him, and believe what He says to us through His Word.
We hope to use this blog to discover more of who God is, how His truth applies to our lives, and who we are in Him. It is our prayer that it does the same for you, and that you are encouraged that you are not the only Christain teen girl out there struggling with these issues!
Our Goal~ We want to bloom in Jesus and for Jesus. We want our roots to be in Him, and for Him to be the living water that rains down upon us. We are already flowers, but we may not be blooming in the way God designed for us. So let us press on to know Him. And as He inspires us to bloom in Him and for Him, may you also be inspired to bloom.
Elena & Zoë💜
Should I get a purity ring?
Should I Get a Purity Ring?
Should I get a purity ring? There are many sides to this. I have some friends who say "Why should I get a ring to show something I already know?" Others that say "A purity ring is a good way to always show that your staying true to God." Then there are some people who are like "What the heck is purity ring?". Well, I'm going to try to explain all of that to you in this!
What is a purity ring? A purity ring is a ring you conventionally get from your father; others don't (buy it for themselves, grandparents give it, friends get them together...), which is totally ok. Anyway, when you get this ring you make a promise to your parents, God, and yourself to stay pure sexually and emotionally until marriage. Some people even go so far as to sign a contract. Which is completely fine, I'm just saying that many people go pretty far with this. You put this ring on the finger your wedding ring goes on so that the ring you replace your purity ring with is your engagement ring.
Now, onto the question "Why should I get a ring to show something that I ready know?" Well, the only answer I have for that is that its a reminder of that promise. I know that may sound weird, but many people have values and then realize they have gone way too far from them. In many cases, you can keep your values but some times you go too far with a guy and you look back and think I thought I had values. It is also a symbolic thing; like , "Hey, I'm taken and now you know my values and my standards."
For those of us who know what a purity ring is and are wondering, "How do I ask my parents for one?" Well, to be honest just ask. I know it can be a touchy subject but I think if your parents hold the same values as you do, they will understand and will want you to have one. At the same time, don't say "You should get me a purity ring." You might want to give some reasons or even explain to your parents what it is.
Another big question is, "Why should I stay pure until marriage?" Well, first of all you need to understand it is a personal choice but at the same time it does say in 1 Thessalonians 4:3 "God wants you to be holy and to stay away from sexual sins." It also says in 1 Corinthians 6:18 "Flee from sexual immorality". So, if your interpretation of those verses is to stay pure till marriage, then thats what you should do.
I really do think it is a personal choice on whether you should stay pure till marriage, to get a purity ring, or not to. It is totally up to you. I personally made the decision to get one. I decided to do this a while ago and I'm very happy I did. This is one of decisions you make in life that is completely and utterly up to YOU. I think that if God is leading you to do this, then you should, and if you don't feel like that is what you want, then don't.
I hope this helped you make some kind of decision on where you stand. Its also ok if you are undecided, too. The best thing I can tell you to do is pray, pray, and pray about it. You can also talk to your Mom, Grandma, Aunt, etc. If you want to hear my story about my purity ring just comment down below and I'll get right on that! I hope you have great day!!!
Zoë💜
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