I refuse to be discouraged, to be sad, or to cry;
I refuse to be downhearted, and here’s the reason why.
I have a God Who’s mighty, Who’s sovereign and supreme;
I have a God Who loves me, and I am on His team.
He is all wise and powerful, Jesus is His Name;
Though everything is changeable, my God remains the same.
My God knows all that’s happening, beginning to the end;
His presence is my comfort, He is my dearest friend.
When sickness comes to weaken me, to bring my head down low,
I call upon my mighty God; into His arms I go.
When circumstances threaten to rob me of my peace;
He draws me close unto His breast, where all my strivings cease.
When my heart melts within me, and weakness takes control,
He gathers me into His arms; He soothes my heart and soul.
The great “I AM” is with me; my life is in His hand.
The “Son of the Lord” is my hope; it’s in His strength I stand.
I refuse to be defeated, My eyes are on my God;
He has promised to be with me, as through this life I trod.
I’m looking past all circumstances, to Heaven’s throne above;
My prayers have reached the heart of God.  I’m resting in His love.
I give God thanks in everything.  My eyes are on His face;
The battle’s His, the victory is mine; He’ll help me win the race!

Sometimes standing alone can be, well...lonely. I guess that’s obvious, but it’s also good to know and consider. There are different types of standing alone. There is the kind that we all expect; the difference between us believers and the rest of the world. And then there is the other kind of standing alone, the kind that can easily leave us very discouraged and disillusioned. I’m talking about when folks you’ve been close to take other paths, or when folks you trusted ended up proving untrustworthy. Maybe you’ve shared glorious fellowship with them, and you felt such a close bond with them. It was like a little piece of heaven. You held discussions on your common convictions, and they encouraged you in what you both mutually believed.

   Then things changed one day. You realized that you were no longer walking the same path. You were standing alone.

Peer pressure has a powerful influence on young people especially. Although it can be positive, the phrase usually gives a negative connotation. Because this is a prevalent force, we must learn how to defend our faith and convictions without compromising, even in “little” things.

​In a way, peer pressure has been a common thing for many years. Trends in clothing, accessories, and attitudes are a classic example. Laura Ingalls Wilder implied in her book, Little Town on the Prairie, that she buckled under peer pressure. She wore the clothing in style (because it was in style), despite the fact that it did not match her personal tastes.

Girls, have you ever had a really hard day and nothing has gone right?  You got up late, had to rush through breakfast to get started on school work, then you’ve got piano practice and chores to do before helping mom with dinner, and the list goes on and on?  You can say—no shout—with Elijah, “I’ve had enough, Lord!” (1 Kings 19:4)

Michael Faraday was a great scientist who dedicated his life to exploring the mystery of electricity. Among his accomplishments was the invention of the first electric motor. Yet Faraday was also devoted to unveiling the mysteries of God's Word, which he read and memorized every morning and evening and preached on Sundays. ​

August 2001~Volume 1, Number 5

“Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.” {Isaiah 30:21}

Dear Sisters,

Have you ever had your hearing tested? Do you ever wonder if you need to have it tested—like when you keep forgetting what your mom told you to do this morning—or didn’t even hear her tell you to do it? We all have a problem at times with our listening skills, but I think for most of us it is not because we cannot physically hear, but because we do not turn our minds “on” when our parents are speaking to us.

Hello everyone!
I enjoy playing instruments and I’m sure many of you do too. I play mostly flute, but I also play piano and enjoy them both!

​I take flute lessons along with several other girls from a young lady in our church. She has taught us many things over the years, but one of the main things she has taught us is to keep our focus on God, and to give Him the glory. After all, God is the One Who gave us the talent and skill to play, but it’s just so easy to forget that and take the credit ourselves! I find that when I play for others, I think more about them and their needs instead of myself.