Cool pictures made with Inspirartion

Some random pics of me...

Which is your favorite?

A rooster shaped maple syrup dispenser???

Blogger has profiles for the people who own blogs. On the profile you can list city, name, interests, etc. One thing they do is you can answer a random question that it generates. Here is my question/answer:

You can view my whole profile at http://www.blogger.com/profile/12500306109595768316

In but not of

Unless you plan on moving to Mars or Jupiter in the near future, I am going to assume that you live on Earth. I am also going to assume that you live in America for the purpose of this blog post.

In John 15:19 it says, "If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." If we follow Christ, we no longer belong to this world. We are in, but not of.

Think about it this way - an exchange student comes to America. They are IN America, there's no question about that. But they are not OF America. They are not part of the culture, it is not native or normal to them. They might not understand the whole thing, or they might, but either way, they are only IN but not OF America. At the end of their stay they will return to the country they came from which they call home.

The same is true of Christians. We are in this world, but we should not be of it. The traditions, fads, and styles of this world should seem foreign to us.

As John 15:19 says, "you do not belong to the world.... that is why the world hates you." The world loves those who follows it's styles and trends and those who belong to it. The world loves it when we crave money over relationships, because that is what the world encourages. But we cannot serve both God and money; we cannot serve both God and the world.

America has created something called the American Dream. You get a good job, buy a sweet house, get rich quick, and have the good life. But look at the lives of those who love love love God with all their hearts - they go overseas and risk their lives to spread the Gospel, they love with no hesitation, they pour out their hearts to those who need to be saved.

A definition of the American Dream I found online says: "the belief that in the United States hard work and persistence will reap a financially secure, happy, and healthy life, with upward social mobility". But as Christians our work should not be to reap a happy healthy life but to reap the kingdom of Heaven!

The World encourages us to love ourselves, but God wants us to love others. The world wants us to love our money but God wants us to store up riches in Heaven. One cannot serve two masters. God calls us to be in, but not of, the world.

Concert photos of the bands

My music :)

One more thing:

A video about the making of my song:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=285908108188362

FREE MUSIC ALERT!

And it's composed and played by me :)

http://www.reverbnation.com/artist/artist_songs/2842161

Please share this download with as many people as you want! And you can like my page:

www.facebook.com/musicbymolly

Or follow me with a Reverbnation account:

http://www.reverbnation.com/mollypelic

Letting Go

Some friends and I were talking on the phone today. My friend shared a story of how when she was 5, she took piano lessons. Instead of reading the music from the music sheet as she played it, she would count from the middle C on the music and figure out what each note was, and then she would memorize it. If she couldn't figure it out, she would ask her sister to play the song and she would watch her sister's fingers and memorize it that way.

Her teacher and family thought that she was reading the music, but really, she was doing it the hard way - playing through it enough that she had it memorized and then she wouldn't have to learn to read the music. When she was in lessons one day her teacher wanted her to play a note off the music and it was revealed that she couldn't read music.

This story led us to talk about how, as humans, we often do something similar without realizing it. My friend was playing piano the hard way, but she thought she was making it easier on herself. We often try to take life into our own hands because we think that it will be easier to manage our own life than letting God do it.

The funny thing is, when we try to take over, it's so much harder for us! We worry, we plan, we frustrate, and we think everything needs to be just right. If we were just to let go, to let God, our worries and frustrations would disappear! And the end result in life would be so much better if God was the one planning it!

There is a song by Tenth Avenue North that applies to this called Let It Go. The chorus says:

"You say let it go. You say let it go. You say life is waiting for the ones who lose control. You say you will be everything I need. You say if I lose my life it's then I'll find my soul. You say let it go."

And there are SO MANY verses in the Bible about this. To list a few:

Jeremiah 29:11 “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.” (NIV)

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (NLT)

Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” (NIV)

Psalm 118:8 “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not upon your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your path.” (~ KJV Ad)

Proverbs 16:9 “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” (NIV)

TV. If kids are entertained by two letters, imagine the fun they'll have with twenty-six. Open your . . . imagination. Open a book. -- Author Unknown

What I believe

I believe that God is Almighty and over everything in the Earth. He loves us all more than we could ever comprehend (John 3:16). As His children, it is our job to serve, love, praise, and bring glory to Him (1 Corin. 10:31). When this task is accomplished, if we believe in Him, we will go to live with Him in Heaven forever. As David Livingstone wrote, “I am immortal till my work is accomplished.” When we are finished on this earth, God will bring us home, and not sooner.

Though sometimes it may be hard to determine right or wrong, we can always turn to God’s Word for guidance. God is love, so to be like God, we must be like love. In 1 Corin. 13 it says that Love is patient, kind, does not envy or boast, is not proud, rude, self seeking, or easily angered. Love does not keep record of people’s wrongs, it does not delight in evil, but it rejoices in the Truth.

The difference between right and wrong is shown in this passage. If the question is to do something for others or yourself, then you can turn to “love is not self seeking.” If the question involves anger or holding a grudge, this passage can answer it. It also answers questions about pride, respect, patience, and our attitude toward others.

A worldview is how someone looks at and interprets the world. It includes the beliefs used to do this. My worldview is through the Bible. You’ve heard the expression “looking at the world through rose colored glasses”. As Christians we should look at the world through the glasses of Christ. A life lived with this view will look a lot different than a life lived by the ways of the world. The world will be able to see a difference in the person living by Christ’s standards. They will shine as a light in the darkness. As it says in Daniel 12:3, “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and.” Wisdom comes from the Lord.

The things that I believe shape the way I live. If I did not know Jesus, I am sure that I would not pay as much attention to wrong and right, loving, patience, and kindness. As a child of Christ, I am learning new Truths and being led in wisdom. If I was not a Christian, seeking wisdom and gaining understanding would not be as high priorities, if priorities at all.

Everyone’s beliefs are influenced by someone or something. The biggest influences on my worldview come from the Bible, my parents, and the church I belong to (along with the pastors of that church).The world wants to influence all of our worldviews. It wants to make us look at things with criticism, hate, anger, and love of wealth, power, and sin. As Christians it is completely necessary to be grounded in our beliefs, to believe them with our whole hearts, and to stand firm in them, for as it says in Isaiah 7:9, “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.”

My worldview shapes the way I see the world. It also shapes the way I see the government. Many Christians have a sour taste in their mouths about government, thinking that everything the government does is bad in some way. People make jokes about the government, portraying it in a negative light. In Romans 13:1 it tells us “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”

As Christians we need to honor the government and not put them down by harping on their mistakes. All humans make mistakes, just as you or I would in a position of authority. Dishonoring the government by putting them down is disobedient to God. In Romans Paul tells us to be subject to the authorities.

My worldview is shaped around the teachings of the Bible. I believe that God is the Almighty creator and that it is our job to worship and bring glory to Him in all that we do. We must stand firm in our faith and in our worldview so that it does not become the view of the world. We need to honor the government as an authority placed over us by God.