tag:www.virtuousreality.com,2009:/questions//5 2009-07-02T05:53:15Z Movable Type 3.34 tag:www.virtuousreality.com,2009:/questions//5.404 2009-06-16T23:27:17Z 2009-07-02T05:53:15Z

I love that you get excited about that!! A lot of people have been deceived to believe that what we have going on here in this life is better than what we have waiting for us with Jesus, so they...

Shawna Peterson http://www.virtuousreality.com I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. - Revelations 19:11-12 Jesus is the original White Knight and He's promised to come and get us out of this mess. And I can't think of anything more exciting than that. ]]> tag:www.virtuousreality.com,2009:/questions//5.401 2009-06-01T22:05:32Z 2009-06-03T03:31:33Z

Ooooh man is this a big issue!! You are DEFINITELY not the only one out there with this problem. As a matter of fact I think of lot of us struggle with wanting to please people and neglect to set...

Jamie Lamb http://www.virtuousreality.com Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Galatians 1:10 - Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. Have you ever gotten so into a relationship (whether it's friend, family or boyfriend) that you feel like you've lost yourself? Then, when the relationship ends for whatever reason, it feels like all the joy has been sucked out of your life? That's what Proverbs 4:23 is talking about. Whoever or whatever we love the most has control of our heart, and the only one who can be trusted with our hearts is Jesus. He's the only one who said He would never leave us and He's the only one who loves us unconditionally, meaning there's absolutely nothing you can do that will make Him stop loving you. Then He goes on to say in Galatians 1:10 that either you live to please people or you live to please God, but the minute you start living for people you stop being His servant. You stop following Him and start following whoever it is you're trying to make happy. He never intended for us to love the people around us more than we do Him, and He never intended for us to be controlled by them. There's only misery there, because people are infinitely harder to please than God is. So I can give you 4 or 7 or 12 steps to setting boundaries or I can tell you that the one thing that will keep it all in check is if you truly love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Jesus said that the two most important commandments are to love God first and most, and then love others as much as we do ourselves. It's taken decades, but finally I've gotten tired of caring so much what people think and have decided that the only opinion that matters is God's. When He's the most important relationship in my life, the boundaries automatically fall into place because He's the only one I'm concerned about pleasing. He's the one who knows what my life is supposed to look like and the only one who knows what will destroy me in this world, and The Holy Spirit does a much better job of setting up boundaries than I can because He can see what's really happening in and around me. So pray. Pray everyday that God will help you love Him with your whole heart and that He will set Himself up as guard over your heart and your soul. Pray and never give up. There's more power in prayer than you can imagine. ]]> tag:www.virtuousreality.com,2009:/questions//5.396 2009-05-01T23:00:00Z 2009-05-01T23:51:04Z

This one was taken right off our prayer wall and I think it's worth discussing because I think a lot of people are dealing with this. Here is what I have learned the hard way. If I'm struggling with something...

Jamie Lamb http://www.virtuousreality.com This one was taken right off our prayer wall and I think it's worth discussing because I think a lot of people are dealing with this. Here is what I have learned the hard way. If I'm struggling with something and it's not getting better, then I'm probably not really struggling with it. I'm probably feeding it. I'll explain. Let's say this desire to have sex is like a monster that lives in your heart and head. Something in you wants the monster to go away but something else (hello sin nature) kind of likes it and wants it to stick around. So you pray and pray that God will take it away but instead of going away the monster just keeps getting bigger and stronger. What's the deal? You're praying but for some reason God isn't fixing the problem. Has He given up on you or are you not praying right or what? I think the place to start is to look at your actions and see if your actions are working against your prayer. Do you watch sex scenes from your favorite movies over and over? Do you look at things you shouldn't on the internet and TV? Do you let your mind wander into places it shouldn't go instead of taking every thought captive and obedient to Christ like it says in 2 Corinthians 10:5? If you talk about sex with your friends a lot and fill your mind with it via TV, movies, books, and the internet - then you aren't really struggling against it no matter how much you pray. You're feeding the monster and making it stronger so that it has more control over you every day. It's like if you pray that God will make you skinny but you eat 2 boxes of Krispy Kreme a day. Never gonna happen. So my question to you is what are you actually doing, other than praying, to fight this thing? Are you willing to sacrifice the things that keep you focused on sex or romance and shift your focus to Jesus? If you're feeling down on yourself read Romans 7 and you'll see that even Paul had monsters to fight. When Jesus offers us freedom He always requires that we walk away from our sin, that we stop doing those things that are keeping us in chains. He offers Himself in exchange for the monster but you have to let go of the one in order to hold on to the Other. There isn't room in your heart for both. And remember this - some battles are long and hard but don't ever give up because in the end Jesus always wins. tag:www.virtuousreality.com,2009:/questions//5.385 2009-04-01T14:00:00Z 2009-04-01T14:17:07Z

If you just happen to be naturally charming then no there's nothing wrong with that. God made you who you are for His purposes and if He wants you charming then more power to you! The problem comes when we...

Jamie Lamb http://www.virtuousreality.com "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised." That fear or reverence of God is what keeps us in check if we happen to be charming or beautiful. It's a constant reminder that He knows every motive behind my every move or word. So be charming but do it for the right reasons, and as soon as you notice you're playing people... knock it off. The goal is not that everyone loves you and thinks you're great but that they think Jesus is great because of how you live. ]]> tag:www.virtuousreality.com,2009:/questions//5.381 2009-03-01T14:00:00Z 2009-03-02T15:01:36Z

1 Peter 3:3-5 - Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle...

Jamie Lamb http://www.virtuousreality.com Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. That is an excellent question and one that is rarely answered well. It's like the "how far is too far?" question. We want some rules to go by (as long as they're just suggestions) but we don't want to get to the root of it all and look at our hearts. The question I would ask to get to the root issue is "who are you dressing for?" If you're dressing to get the attention of guys, then you'll probably wear stuff that's too revealing, short, tight, and in general inappropriate. If you're dressing to fit in with a certain crowd, you'll wear what they wear even if it's wrong or stupid. If you're dressing to impress other girls, you'll be so caught up in fashion, shopping and appearances that you'll end up shallow, self-focused and probably broke. However, if you're dressing to please God it takes a lot of the pressure off, because He's much easier to please than the general public. Try this - imagine Jesus is in your room each morning as you're getting ready (because He's there whether you remember it or not) and dress to be attractive to Him alone. Then the question becomes, "How do I dress for Jesus each day instead of myself or others?" Think of it this way...Jesus calls you His bride, His beloved, and at the same time you're a child of God which makes you royalty. How would a royal bride dress and act on a daily basis? She probably wouldn't shoot for sexy or desperate, or let her wardrobe be decided by the people around her, because she would want to represent her family and her soon-to-be husband well. She wouldn't have to adjust her clothes all day because they're too short and tight and she would be comfortable enough in what she's wearing that she can think about others and help them when needed. Go back and read the verses at the top and really think them through. True beauty has nothing to do with what you wear, and a person who is truly beautiful in spirit can rock just about any outfit. Imagine the freedom in that...]]> tag:www.virtuousreality.com,2009:/questions//5.373 2009-02-01T14:00:00Z 2009-02-02T03:41:11Z

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. - Matt 6:33 First we need to redefine a few things and you're going to need to hang with me on...

Jamie Lamb http://www.virtuousreality.com But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. - Matt 6:33 First we need to redefine a few things and you're going to need to hang with me on this one to see where I'm going. There's good news in the end for all of us. We have this idea that somewhere out there "The One" is waiting for us, but we have mistakenly decided that "The One" is a person and it isn't. I know that's the last thing some of you want to hear because we all dream of some perfect person coming along who will sweep us off our feet and make us whole and happy. Hollywood has banked off this dream for decades and has helped turn it into an idol for a lot of us. The problem with this theory (we'll call it the "You Complete Me" theory) is twofold: One - the only perfect person was Jesus and biblically only He can complete anyone. As a matter of fact the Bible talks about it quite a bit. Whenever it talks about us being made complete or perfect, it's talking about Jesus doing the work, never a person. There's nothing wrong with wanting to find someone and get married, by all means start praying now and trusting God with your future and all that's ahead of you. The mistake is in putting all our hopes and dreams on that person and expecting them to make everything ok. They can't, and it's a burden that has ruined millions of relationships...some of them my own. Two - The other BIG problem with buying into this theory is that it tells us that being loved by a person is better than being loved by God. It glorifies human love and debases or lowers our view of Jesus' love for us. And when we start to understand, bit by bit, how ridiculously HUGE His love for us is, then we can see how wrong it is to choose the love of a person over what He offers. I'm not saying you can't love both God and people, but you have to get them in the right order to do it well. Nowhere in the Bible will you find God raising human love to the level where most of us have it today. As a matter of fact, the only one we're supposed to love with our whole heart is Him - He says it over and over again (old testament and new). Because in loving Him first and most, with everything I have, I am free to love people well without placing impossible expectations on them. And what I have found is that as my love for Jesus grows beyond my love for anyone else, I am freed from this terrible loneliness and despair that makes me desperate for someone to love me, and I am free to live and love joyfully. C.S. Lewis says in The Weight of Glory - "We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” If human love, even in a best friend or boyfriend or husband, is a "mud pie" compared to what God is offering, we are foolish if we keep seeking the mud instead of the infinite joy. So my question to you is, are you more interested in seeking the love of a person than you are in seeking God Himself? And are you willing to pursue Him first and see what He might have for you? In my experience, pursuing the love of a person has led to some of the biggest disappointments and miseries in my life, but pursuing God for the goal of finding Him alone has led to freedom and real joy and the love I've been looking for. ]]> tag:www.virtuousreality.com,2009:/questions//5.367 2009-01-01T14:00:00Z 2009-01-01T14:15:14Z

Yes it is, for a lot of people. And I never really understood why people couldn't just hold it together and stay pure until I found myself in a relationship where I was finally tempted and messed up. It's pretty...

Jamie Lamb http://www.virtuousreality.com Yes it is, for a lot of people. And I never really understood why people couldn't just hold it together and stay pure until I found myself in a relationship where I was finally tempted and messed up. It's pretty easy when we're not dating and not interested in a guy to say "I would never do that" or "I'm waiting until I'm married". The real test is do we stand firm when temptation hits and is Jesus more important to us than our own desires. That's when we learn what we truly believe. I didn't date until college but then a guy came along who said all the right things and made me believe that he really loved me (true love doesn't push for sex or use someone and then walk away), and all of a sudden I was justifying behavior I said I would never do and giving in on things that I knew were wrong. It didn't help that I had told God to take a hike because I wanted to do things my own way. In a world where the devil is working overtime to destroy people, and the world wants us to think that sex is the greatest experience we can have (it isn't), and everyone seems to be doing it, it's very easy to throw away all convictions and go with what's exciting and feels good instead of sticking to principles. I have learned that no matter how strong you think you are, you are never beyond temptation and everyone is capable of making big mistakes that they can never take back. My advice to everyone is don't get too proud and judge others for falling, and when tempted - "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." - James 4:7 tag:www.virtuousreality.com,2008:/questions//5.364 2008-12-01T18:00:00Z 2008-12-01T19:30:39Z

This is in response to Imone's comment from the 2nd Vampire blog. Here was her full comment/question and it was a good one: "I really wanna say something, but I don't wanna offend anyone. Jesus knows my heart, so here...

Jamie Lamb http://www.virtuousreality.com This is in response to Imone's comment from the 2nd Vampire blog. Here was her full comment/question and it was a good one: "I really wanna say something, but I don't wanna offend anyone. Jesus knows my heart, so here it goes... Maybe if the Bible was as intresting as Twilight (not with fake stuff like Vampires, but with how easy it is to follow and understand) we would have more youth on fire for Christ...I understand that The Holy Bible is a manual on which the foundation of millions of people is placed-- but why is it so wrong to re-write, no-- wrong word...Re-translate the Bible to how we can understand it? I've had, total to date 12 youth Bibles, and all they do is kiddy-fye it. Accessability, and simplicity, is what we lack in the Bible, that's present in Twilight. That's why people are in love with it, and not the Bible. Ye's, and Thou's, require work to understand sometimes. Twilight doesn't." I thought the Bible was boring for most of my life and there are a few reasons why. Some of it had to do with the fact that I had gone to church for as long as I could remember and had heard all the stories a million times. There's also the translation issue you bring up. Some translations are so old that they don't even make sense today because we don't use those words anymore. The other big issue has been my own heart. I'll tackle those three and you guys can jump in with your thoughts. 1) The church overload issue - When you hear the same things over and over again you just eventually tune out - you guys probably do it in school all the time. The sad thing is that there are some amazing stories in the Bible and tuning out means you'll never discover them for yourselves. I have learned (and I tend to be a slow learner) that when I make the effort and dig in on my own, looking for Jesus, He starts opening up mysteries to me that I miss when I just let someone else spoon feed me. 2) The translation issue - I think this is a two-parter. First is the difficulty of finding a translation that's understandable but not too dumbed-down. And it's not wrong to translate the Bible in a language people can understand as long as they have stayed true to the original text. You might want to check out the New Century Version which is also available in a magazine format called Revolve. Second is the fact that people are reading less today than in the past and because of that our ability to read books with depth is almost shot. Books like the Twilight series are considered "light" reading and need little to no deep thinking to understand. They feed on our emotions, which is exciting, but we don't have to really think much. On the other hand, the Bible is about as deep as it gets. So if you try to go from popular literature to the Bible, it's like trying to jump from your first ever swim meet to the Olympics in one big leap. You're not going to make it. Try moving from what you're reading now to The Lord of The Rings series or Pride and Prejudice as a warm up. Those books are AMAZING and have a lot more detail and twists and turns, so your brain gets more of a work out. And read just a little bit of the Bible each day to see how much you can get out of it if you really try. Start in Daniel - I had a crush on him for a while...seriously. 3) The heart issue - To be honest, my biggest problem was that I just didn't care that much about the Bible and what it had to say because there were more exciting things going on around me. What I now know is that there's nothing more exciting going on than Jesus, and the Bible is where He shows Himself to me the most if I let Him. Only He can help us understand things too wonderful for our small minds, so ask Him for help. Ephesians 1:16-17 says "I always remember you in my prayers, asking the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, to give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you will know him better. " My personal opinion is that He didn't make it easy because He wants us to be dependent on Him and to care enough that we make the effort. So keep asking, seeking, and knocking and you will find. It's a promise (Matthew 7:7) and He hasn't gone back on a promise yet. Thoughts?]]> tag:www.virtuousreality.com,2008:/questions//5.358 2008-11-01T12:00:00Z 2008-11-01T17:15:55Z

From one of our Girls Gone Virtuous Facebook group members: This would be easier to actually have a conversation about so feel free to follow up with comments and we can keep it going if you want to. Here's what...

Shawna Peterson http://www.virtuousreality.com From one of our Girls Gone Virtuous Facebook group members: This would be easier to actually have a conversation about so feel free to follow up with comments and we can keep it going if you want to. Here's what I can tell you to get the ball rolling. I'm slowly learning that although our lives all look different, what He wants from and for us is the same. He wants us. All of us. Our tendency is (at least mine is) to love people more than Him or spend more time thinking about boys and cars and money and clothes and school and stuff than we do about Him. And that's where things get so confusing. Because the more time I spend thinking and worrying about all that other stuff, the more I love those things more than Him and I can't hear Him when He speaks. And He's not one to play games or mess with us - He's pretty straightforward. It's when I calm down and spend time with Him, just to get to know Him, that's when I hear Him best. And He's always doing what's best for me, so really I'm safest when I'm more focused on Him than on everything else. Here's my first suggestion: hang out with Jesus, not because you're trying to get something out of Him, but just because you want to know Him. Pour out your heart to Him and ask Him to guide you in the right direction. I have found that when I'm freaking out about something it's usually because I don't trust God to do what I want. A huge part of walking with God is learning to trust Him more than yourself and loving Him more than anyone in the world. Remember, God speaks to us all the time, every day; sometimes through the Bible or through people, and sometimes in ways you would never imagine. The problem is that we're bad listeners. Here are some verses that floated though my head as I was thinking about this: Psalm 62:8 - Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight. Jeremiah 29:12-13 - Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart Philippians 4:6-7 - Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. (The Message)]]> tag:www.virtuousreality.com,2008:/questions//5.347 2008-10-01T06:05:00Z 2008-10-01T06:24:44Z

Ahhhh...excellent question. This is a hard one for probably all females (and maybe guys but I've never been one so I don't know) because it's a control issue...and we LOVE to try and control everything. We tend to think that...

Shawna Peterson http://www.virtuousreality.com Ahhhh...excellent question. This is a hard one for probably all females (and maybe guys but I've never been one so I don't know) because it's a control issue...and we LOVE to try and control everything. We tend to think that if we can juggle everything just right, all will work out like we want it to. So I'll start by saying, it's just not possible. First - we have little to no control over other people. Most of us don't even do that great a job of controlling ourselves! And second - in my experience, things have rarely worked out like I thought they would no matter how hard I tried. Here's what I'm starting to figure out: Real life, the kind Jesus promises, is 100% based on faith. Not just do you believe in Jesus, but do you trust Him with your whole life? Do you trust Him with everyone you care about and with all your hopes and dreams? For most of my life the honest answer was "no" and as life got harder and I lost a lot of the people who meant so much to me and things didn't work out as planned it became "HECK NO!!". But somewhere in all that disappointment and hurt I've slowly come to realize that the only way to really balance life is to love God first and most and with everything I have, and then let Him help me love others. That's the only time I don't stress and freak out about everything. Because bad things are going to happen and people will leave and I will never truly be in control, but God has promised (and He's never once gone back on a promise) that He will never leave me and He will ALWAYS be in control. It turns out He's the only one I can really trust with my heart and my life. The amazing thing is that when I do choose to trust Him, everything else falls into place...balance. tag:www.virtuousreality.com,2008:/questions//5.346 2008-09-08T18:28:52Z 2008-09-08T21:16:47Z

First I want to say it's beautiful that you are hearing God ask you to do something. A lot of us go through life so focused on what we want, with our fingers in our ears, that we never hear...

Shawna Peterson http://www.virtuousreality.com Faithful and True. I LOVE that picture of Him. In the Bible He talks about you so sweetly as His Child, His Bride, and in Isaiah 43:4 (43 is one of my alltime favorite chapters in the Bible) He says that you are precious in His sight, honored and that He loves you. So if He is good, (which He can't be anything other than good), and He loves you faithfully and says you are precious to Him, then whatever He asks of you can be trusted. Ask Him for help to obey, believe that He loves you and wants the best for you and move in the direction He has asked you to move. Remember Jeremiah 29:11-13:"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."]]> tag:www.virtuousreality.com,2008:/questions//5.342 2008-08-01T08:59:55Z 2008-08-01T09:21:20Z

Families are interesting. They are the people who are the closest to us, yet we end up hurting them the most. Why, you may ask? Because we know them the most. After spending holidays, birthdays and even long weekends together,...

Michele Armstrong http://www.virtuoousreality.com Families are interesting. They are the people who are the closest to us, yet we end up hurting them the most. Why, you may ask? Because we know them the most. After spending holidays, birthdays and even long weekends together, we know what makes them tick and what buttons to push. For instance: you know what really drives your brother crazy; you’ve most likely heard the same jokes from Uncle Joe a million times; and your cousin likes to make smacking noises with her chewing gum. See my point? Everyone’s family experiences some level of annoying habits and pet peeves. But that isn't to say we can't learn to get along, especially in front of those we want to influence. As you may know, you can’t change people; only God can change their hearts. Begin by praying for your extended family by name. This will most definitely bring about peace in your heart and at family gatherings. Then focus on what YOU can do to better the experience. You cannot control the actions of others, but you can control what YOU say and how YOU act. Remain calm in the midst of things, and resolve to not let anything make you angry or upset. If the joy of the Lord truly is your strength, it will show during these times. After all, you are given only one family during this lifetime; differences are plenty, so don’t fret your Uncle’s old jokes or your cousins’ weird noises – love them for who they are. God will be faithful. I don’t know what He has planned for their lives, but prayer is a very good place to start. James 5:16 says that "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” There is hope for your family, so never stop praying. ]]> tag:www.virtuousreality.com,2008:/questions//5.336 2008-07-01T06:05:00Z 2008-07-01T07:18:32Z

So you want to share your faith with your pals, but not sure how to get started? Here are a few tips to steer you in the right direction. Prayer is the E in electricity – and the P in...

Michele Armstrong http://www.virtuoousreality.com So you want to share your faith with your pals, but not sure how to get started? Here are a few tips to steer you in the right direction. Prayer is the E in electricity – and the P in power! Pray first, share second. When the moment of opportunity comes, ask some conversation-openers like:

• Do you go to church with your family anywhere?
• Do you have any special beliefs about God or Jesus?
• Do you think there’s a heaven or hell?
• When you die, where do you think you’ll go?
• If what you believe now isn’t true, would you like to know about it?

Thumbs down! If they don’t seem interested, don’t push, and don’t take it personally – it’s God’s job to change hearts. Keep praying. Thumbs Up! If they act interested, move forward with one of these great options:

• Tell them about Jesus dying on the cross and how He wants to have a personal relationship with them. Explain your story – how you came to believe in Jesus and how He’s changed your life and wants to change their life too, OR:
• Beforehand, mark or write down a few Bible versus you can read and discuss with them. Some great verses you can choose from are Romans 6:23, John 14:6, Romans 10:9-10, I John 5:11-13, John 5:24, Revelation 3:23, Ephesians 2:8-9, OR:
• Tell them there’s a great teacher at your church (youth group or Sunday school), friend or parent who’d be happy to chat more about this and then follow through.

Emphasize that being a Christian is lifetime relationship with Jesus - like a BFF - not just a casual momentary event. Before moving on, ask some questions to find out it they’re ready for the next step:

• Do you want forgiveness of your sins, friendship with the One True amazing God, and the opportunity to live forever on a brand new earth with Him?
• Do you believe that Jesus died on a cross and rose to life for you?
• Are you willing to make Jesus the boss of your life?
• Are you ready to invite Jesus into your life now?

If you start into any these option and get stumped by their questions, tell them they can talk to someone you know for more help (at home or church), then invite them to visit that person with you as soon as possible. And of course, don’t forget to invite them to church! Written by: Julie Ferweda, Between Us Girls B&H Publishing Group grants permission to use this excerpt as originally published in Between Us Girls, c. 2008. ]]> tag:www.virtuousreality.com,2008:/questions//5.333 2008-06-02T20:14:35Z 2008-06-02T20:52:29Z

Cutting is a very serious issue that should never be taken lightly or even overlooked. It’s important to note that you cannot change your friend, nor are you responsible for her behavior. You are responsible though to pray for her,...

Michele Armstrong http://www.virtuoousreality.com Think about it….. Maybe it’s not cutting, but are you addicted to other things or do things because you feel bad about yourself? (i.e. shopping, eating, exercising, etc.) For additional information on teen cutting, click here. ]]> tag:www.virtuousreality.com,2008:/questions//5.323 2008-05-01T06:05:00Z 2008-05-01T02:17:02Z

I know there are many who can relate. It’s hard to be in a group of friends and feel left out or even to be all alone with no one to turn to. If we let it, loneliness can take...

Michele Armstrong http://www.virtuoousreality.com Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.” Psalms is a really great book of the Bible to read when you are going through a hard time. Try to read a Psalm a day and write down in a journal what the Psalm is talking about and how that particular Psalm speaks to you. Sometimes in order to get close to people it is important to open up to them and let them know that you are having a hard time. Is there a friend or a mentor you trust that you can talk to? Just share with them what you feel and ask them to pray with you. If you do not know anyone, ask your youth minister or pastor if they would be willing to meet and pray with you. And take a look around, I bet there are others around you too who might feel the same. Please do not give up hope. God is a God of comfort and a God of love. He cares for you; tell Him what you’re feeling and rest in His strength and grace. ]]>