This post isn't going to be some inspirational writings of mine, but it still speaks for itself. Just watch the videos below and listen to the lyrics. They are pretty good ones.








This is one of my favorite songs by the band Tenth Avenue North. Make sure you watch the whole video. I just love the concept of having everyone write their sins down on a chalkboard and having them washed away. It has good meaning.

Hope you enjoyed this,
Anne Marie Higginbotham

By Your Side

A few months ago, I was reading a blog called Far From Perfect. In that specific blog post, she was talking about a really good song that she heard and liked. At the end of the post, there was a video of the lyrics while playing the song. I listened to it, read the lyrics, and realized how GREAT the lyrics are. Later on, I watched ANOTHER video that was of the guy who wrote the song, telling about it. He said that he wanted to write a song basically from God's perspective.

Here are the lyrics, and what they mean to me.( The side notes in bold, are what the lyrics mean to me) :

By Your Side-Tenth Avenue North

Why are you striving these days?

Why are you trying to earn grace?

Why are you crying?

Let me lift up your face.

Just don't turn away- Never turn away from God.

Why are you looking for love?

Why are you still searching, as if I'm not enough?- Why do we keep looking for more, when God is all we need?

Where will you go, child?-If we do turn away, where will we go?

Tell me, where will you run?

To where will you run?

Because I'll be by your side-God is ALWAYS by our side.

Wherever you fall

In the dead of night-No matter what time of the day it is, God is there.

Whenever you call,

so please don't fight these hands that are holding you.- He is holding us and helping us, so why are we trying to get away?

My hands are holding you.

Look at these hands at my side

They swallowed the grave on that night.

When I drank the world's sin, so I could carry you in

and give you life.

I want to give you life. - Jesus died. For us.

(Chorus)

Cause I

I love you!- God LOVES you. And He wants you to know that.

I want you to know!

That I

I love you!

I'll never let you go. -God will never let us down or leave us.

(Chorus)

Here in My side, My hands are holding you.

The Biggest Winner

I recently attended a Ladies Retreat in Gatlinburg, TN. The theme was The Biggest Winner and we had about 7 ladies speak. Sarah Terlecki, Miranda Morton, Tiffany Dresser, Jennifer Ellis, Melea Smith, Susan Aragon, and Donna Woodall. While I was there, I learned some very good and important lessons from them.

Just a few of the topics that they spoke on were:

• Adversities
• Bible Study
• Fellowship
• Encouragement
• Exercise in Faith

_________________________________________________________________

Adversities-

At the time, adversities can seen pretty tough. But just remember, God is with us and will help us through our hard times.
Philippians 4:13- I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Bible Study-

Bible study is a great thing. Whether it is once a week with your family, or every day by yourself, it is a good thing in general. It keeps us focused on our goal even during the toughest of days. Also, it brings us closer to God when the world is trying to suck us in. It doesn't take a lot of time necessarily, so try to find at least SOME time once a day or two to study God's word.

Fellowship-

In my opinion, fellowship is a great thing. It encourages us. It helps us not to be so afraid knowing that we have good Christian friends to help us along our journey to Heaven. I think that we should look for any times that we can to have fellowship with our Christian friends. Also, if your church doesn't do a lot of that, be the first one to start a monthly devo, or just some way to encourage others to get together.

Encouragement-

While I was at the Ladies Retreat, we had an activity where we each made a bag with some decor on the outside and whenever others got the chance, they could right encouraging notes to one another and stick it in their bag. I thought this was a great idea. Sometimes people are a little scared to go up to someone and tell them something encouraging. But the truth is, if we can get past the shyness and just open ourselves up to people, it makes us more confident and the person you are talking to, can feel a little better about themselves also.

Exercise in Faith-

This is where "The Biggest Winner" comes in. Here are a few steps on how to become the "Biggest Winner".

• When someone is trying to lose weight, they exercise. Sometimes a lot, and sometimes little steps at a time.

Our journey to Heaven can be like that. Sometimes, we are REALLY trying and might work at it a lot. But sometimes we just take small steps at a time. As long as we are heading in the right direction and staying on the right path, we will reach our final goal.

• Eating Healthy is another big part in losing weight. You are putting things into your body that will help you on your journey through losing weight.

Again, if we are trying hard to go to Heaven, we will try to take in as much information about the bible as we can because, we know that everything we take in and have taken in will help us on our journey to Heaven. But, every once in a while, a brownie will try to tempt you to stop on your journey.

Homework Reading: Philippians 1 and 2. If you want, you can go ahead and read Chapter 3.

Last Lessons From James (Part 2)

This will be the last post about Lessons From James. Thanks for reading!

• "Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days." -James 5:2-3

What I think this means is that it is ok to have money, just don't like and love it more than God. This verse reminds us that if we do love our money more than God, it will count against us on Judgement Day and we will go to hell.

• "........the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

• " But my above all, brethren, do not swear, either by Heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let you "Yes" be "Yes" and your "No","No", lest you fall out of judgement."

If you make a promise, try as hard as you can to keep it. Also, if you make a promise that you can't keep you need to tell that person and take back what you said.

Homework Reading: Psalm 23

Thanks for Reading!!!

Last Lessons From James (Part 1)

Finally, here are some more lessons that we can learn from James.

• "..... Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures." -James 1:2-3

God would give if we ask. But a lot of the time, we don't. And when we do, mostly we ask for the wrong things so again, He doesn't give.

• "Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is emnity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." -James

Sadly, for now, that is all. I very much appreciate all of the viewers, comments, and emails that I have gotten. They mean a lot to me. Also, I would really like some MORE viewers so tell your friends! Thanks!

Homework Reading: Titus 2

Lessons We Can Learn From James (continued)

Here are a few more lessons that we can learn from James two and three:

• We can't serve the Lord with partiality.-James 2:1

What this means it that basically, we shouldn't show favoritism.

• To serve the Lord, we can't both bless and curse with our tongue.-James 3:9
• My brethre, let not let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.-James 3:1

This verse can be confusing. It sounds like he is to telling us not to teach. But why would he say that? He didn't. This verse is acually trying to warn us that if you are or are going to become a teacher, you need to make sure that you are teaching the right things. If you aren't, you cold send a LOT of people to Hell.

Our tounge can be very powerful. -James 3:3-5

With our tounge, we can hurt people very badly. But on the other hand, we can encourage and strengthen them. So basically, watch your tongue. One wrong move, and you could go go to Hell. So be careful about your tongue.

I decided that I am going to start giving out some reading projects to go along with each blog post. This time, I would like for you to read James 4 and/or James 5. After you finish reading, send me an email at bffgirlsluvblue@gmail.com telling me about what you read.

Thanks, Anne Marie Higginbotham

Lessons We Can Learn From James

My family has recently started doing family bible studies every Monday and Friday. Lately, we have been discussing the book of James. So I thought that this could be a pretty good book to learn from. Here are just a few things we can learn from the first chapter of the book of James:

• ...."be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath" James 1:19

Remember. God gave us 2 ears, and only 1 mouth. Basically, what that means to me, is that whenever someone is trying to teach or tell you something, let them finish. They're trying to help you so don't try and stop them by interrupting.

• God doesn't change. James 1:17

Whenever I think about this, it makes me very happy. Just to know that after all of this work that we have done as Christians, God won't take back all of His promises that he has made.

• "But be does of the word , and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22

For example, even if someone read the whole bible does that mean that they are going to Heaven? No. You could hear and read everything as much as you want to, but if you don't actually do what He says, then you aren't necessarily going to Heaven. Like it says, Be DOERS of the word. Don't get me wrong, it's not that we shouldn't hear. Because if we didn't hear, then we couldn't be doers.

• "For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does." James 1:23, 1:24, and 1:

What this means is that if you look in the mirror and notice that something is wrong, most people try to fix it. Well, what this verse is saying, is that we should be the same way spiritually. If we notice that something is wrong in our lives, we should try to fix it.

What are somethings that you can learn from the book of James? Just post a comment telling me your answer.