Archive for the 'jenn joshua' Category
January 10, 2008
A Flower Quickly Fading
by Jenn Joshua, RTF Staff Writer
“I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow…
…A vapor in the wind
Still you hear me when I’m calling
Lord, you catch me when I’m falling
And You show me who I am;
I am Yours.”
Who can understand life and its brevity? The One who created life and orchestrated our steps and told us that it was good. And it is good for those of us who love Him.
My aunt died last night. Dad just came in the door and told me the news. I was stunned. I knew it was almost inevitable and still I’m surprised. Why?
Filed under: real devos, jenn joshua
Posted by T. Suzanne Eller @ 9:47 am | 2 Comments
September 7, 2007
Rebekah E. Trittipoe’s “Under an Equatorial Sky”
by Jenn Joshua, RTF Staff Writer
Dangerous. Uncertain. Demanding. These words accurately describe a six-day, six-stage, jungle marathon through 250 km of rough Brazilian Amazon terrain.
Courage. Skill. Determination. These words describe the qualities a competitor would need to finish the race. Do people with this extraordinary combination still exist?
Filed under: real review, jenn joshua
Posted by T. Suzanne Eller @ 8:59 am | 4 Comments
August 21, 2007
To Say Nothing of the Humor
Book Review by Jenn Joshua, RTF Staff Writer
Recently, I read Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog). When I asked around, I couldn’t believe that most people have never heard of it… Hopefully, no longer!
This book is hilarious and picturesque—rambling yet precise:
Jerome K. Jerome is a master storyteller and I still marvel at his comical translation of a real life event… especially since autobiographical works don’t tend to be that funny. (more…)
Filed under: real review, jenn joshua
Posted by T. Suzanne Eller @ 12:40 pm | 4 Comments
July 5, 2007
Worth Waiting For
by Jenn Joshua, RTF Staff Writer
Make me worth waiting for,
Lord, let me deserve my man
And whether I be rich or poor,
Give me strength of hands
I ask you for a smiling face
Pleasant as I grow old
I don’t ask for beauty outside
But for a heart of gold
Help my head be high,
And my thoughts be pure,
Give me peace of mind
And cleanliness of soul
Filed under: real poem, jenn joshua
Posted by T. Suzanne Eller @ 8:01 am | 3 Comments
June 4, 2007
Knowledge or Love?
Jenn Joshua
Why should I always try to be the best?
To be the most smart – the most well-dressed
To know everything from present and past
So as to answer every question asked.
What makes me think I’m any better than you?
We’re all just humans, so we mustn’t confuse
Knowledge with love, and possessions with grace
We’re all just humans with the trials we face.
Filed under: real poem, jenn joshua
Posted by T. Suzanne Eller @ 3:17 pm | Comments
April 27, 2007
Worth Waiting For
by Jenn Joshua
Make me worth waiting for,
Lord, let me deserve my man
And whether I be rich or poor,
Give me strength of hands
I ask you for a smiling face
Pleasant as I grow old
I don’t ask for beauty outside
But for a heart of gold
Help my head be high,
And my thoughts be pure,
Give me peace of mind
And cleanliness of soul
A gentle spirit, God, that gives
When nothing’s to be found
That thinks not of itself, but lives
To wipe away a frown.
Let me believe the best of those
Who touch my life each day
And put regrets behind to know
This is the straight, the narrow way.
Though terror I may never choose
Guide me unfearful through the way
And help me see the things I lose
Are really blessings gained.
I want to be worth waiting for,
So help him patient be…
And if I’m worth it, Lord, I pray
You’ll help him know and see.
Filed under: real poem, jenn joshua
Posted by T. Suzanne Eller @ 3:20 pm | 4 Comments
March 1, 2007
Dirty. . .
By Jenn Joshua, RT Staff Writer
Have you ever wondered how it’s possible to be ‘different’ from the rest of the world? Well, me too! A few months ago especially, I was haunted by James 1:27 where it says, “This is pure and undefiled religion: to keep yourself unspotted from the worldâ€.
What exactly did unspotted mean? Did the term refer to inward things, outward, or both? And once it was defined, how was it to apply to my daily life? (And what entertainment would I have to give up if it were true?!)God tells us that He looks our hearts – we’re called to be different INSIDE – what spills from us when we’re ‘nudged’ should be totally different from what spills when unbelievers are ‘nudged’. I’m not saying that what’s inside is the only thing that matters – that we can dress like whatever, live like whatever, talk like whatever – but rather that if what’s inside is ‘true, noble, right, and pure’, what spills from us should be just that!
As Amy Carmichael put it, “A cup brimful of sweetness cannot spill a single bitter dropâ€.It’s been said that if you put a frog in a saucepan of tepid water and set it on the stove to boil, it won’t jump out because the temperature change is so gradual – it doesn’t even notice – it just sits there ‘til it boils to death. (By the way, this might be a good experiment for biology class, but otherwise it’s not really recommended!) I think we sometimes get so steeped in the culture that we don’t realize we’re slowly being boiled alive – that the music, the movies, the books and magazines we feed our minds are beginning to have a subtle effect on us…
For example, have you ever done the Queen Anne’s Lace flower experiment? You know, the one where you slit the stem of the flower, and put each side in a different glass of food coloring? In a matter of days, the flower is two different colors. The change is subtle at first – the color creeps up the stalk and gently fills each bud – then suddenly, with a burst of color, there you have it! Half blue, half red… plain and bold for everyone to see!If we’re feeding ourselves filthy things – or even just mildly dirty things – it’s still eventually going to show, no matter what we do.
Maybe it won’t evidence itself in flaming colors, but it’ll be there and people will see it.
“Therefore, my friend, be diligent that you may be found in peace – without spot, and blameless.†2 Peter 3:16
Jenn is a senior in high school whose love of writing is surpassed only by her love of working with kids. After her graduation in the spring, it is her plan to work at an inner-city kid’s camp, followed by an internship at a local children’s home.
Filed under: real devos, jenn joshua
Posted by T. Suzanne Eller @ 11:52 am | 1 Comment
January 26, 2007
…All Things New…
I had my own week full of new beginnings and I wish I had time to write a real article about some of the things God has been doing in my life recently! Through some confusing setbacks and circumstances, I not only saw God’s grace revealed in an amazing way in my family’s life, but we were also drawn even closer together, which goes to show that God truly does bring forth beauty from ashes!
We were on an uncomfortable, unwanted trip – bad enough – but it went from being a three-day trip to a four-day one. Being snowed in at our old house in Maryland, seven hours from home without any real food, proved to be an interesting backdrop for a family evening together. Huddled in our sleeping bags, munching on an assortment of Grandma’s cookies, we spent at least six hours in uninterrupted conversation. So sure, we were stuck hundreds of miles from home, in a cold, empty house without any real food, but what quality time! What if we’d spent the night trying to drive home? I’m not trying to be dramatic, but we could’ve been killed. For the first time in the whole year we’ve been trying to sell that house, I thanked the Lord we still owned it!
Early the morning after our return, a young mom from church who’s expecting in March hurt her back, so I hung out with her and her three toddlers for a sixteen-hour day… then another family from church needed me to watch their two-year-old daughter. I found some new material to add to my, “Babysitting Horror Stories” book! Okay, one family I babysat for had a pet snake that got loose… this incident was worse… way worse! Emily is currently being potty-trained and her parents wanted me to continue training her while they were gone. Well, she’s a proud little girl who doesn’t like to ask for help… so, I’ll spare you the gruesome details, and, like Mark Twain said, “draw the curtain of charity over the rest of the scene”! One of the grossest experiences of my life, hands down!!
A box of wipes, a bottle of bubble bath, and a new outfit later, Emily also had a totally new beginning… J
Another Year is Dawning
Frances R. Havergal
Another year is dawning; dear Father let it be,
In working or in waiting, another year with Thee;
Another year of progress, another year of praise,
Another year of proving Thy presence all the days
Another year of mercies, of faithfulness and grace,
Another year of gladness, the glory of Thy face;
Another year of leaning upon Thy loving breast,
Another year of trusting, of quiet, happy rest
Another year of service, of witness for Thy love,
Another year of training for holier work above;
Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be,
Or earth, or else in heaven, another year for Thee.
Don’t forget the contest this week! RTF is sending one lucky teen who comments this week an autographed copy of Making It Real: Whose Faith Is It Anyway?, Suzanne’s new discipleship book for teens that is hitting the stores this week!
Filed under: jenn joshua
Posted by T. Suzanne Eller @ 10:15 am | 1 Comment
