Month: March 2016

Word Wednesday #97

Published on by Amanda TeroLeave a comment
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. 
Acts 17:11
They listened with a ready mind and compared the message they heard to God’s Word. Today, we have many people who listen–yes, with a ready mind–but they fail to compare the message with Scripture. For this reason, false doctrine reigns in the multitudes of Americans. Am I studying God’s Word for myself?


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Share a verse that God has given you today or copy the button if you’d like to join in Word Wednesdays with your blog! Did you post on your blog? I’d love to see — share your link in a comment!

 
 

Scripture Memory Osmosis

Published on by Amanda Tero3 Comments
I am guilty of wishing that Scripture memory came through osmosis. You know, just go to church and keep up with daily Bible reading, and the Scripture will be there, perfectly memorized for whenever it’s needed.
Wrong.
Scripture memory takes work. Psalm 119:11 says, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.” If I am to hide something, does that mean I’m just going to toss it somewhere haphazardly? Nope. If I’m really intent on hiding something, I’m going to spend time and do it correctly. Hiding God’s Word in my heart will take action, time, and determination on my part.

I’ll admit, this past year, my memory efforts have faltered. It’s not that I didn’t know how to memorize God’s Word. I just didn’t do it. I let busyness and other “priorities” take precedence over God’s Word. This year, though, I am determined to work on my Scripture memory on a regular basis again, with God’s help.
There are three steps that I have found to be the foundation in my Scripture memory:
1) Pray
This is a step not to be forgotten. My memory is not very good (you can ask my family, friends, and music students). And sometimes, I come to a verse that just throws me for a loop. So, I have found that the first, most important part, is to pray. Pray that God will give me the desire to memorize His Word, pray that He will help me to memorize His Word.
2) Work
As I already mentioned, memory takes work. I can’t just read through a verse five times and have it memorized (if you can, good for you! I’m slightly jealous of you…). I have to choose to put aside 10 minutes to memorize. I have to choose to prop my phone up on the windowsill to work on memory while I’m washing dishes. I have to choose to work on it.
3) Review
Once I memorize Scripture, I can easily forget it the next week (like I said, my memory’s not the best). So, I have my Scripture review cards on which I write the references for all of my memory verses. Every day, I work through one of these cards and it has helped tremendously. I can still quote verses that I first memorized five years ago.
Next week, Lord willing, I’ll share some ways that I vary up the process of Scripture memory.
Here is the verse I’m working on this week. What verse are you memorizing?

Biblically Speaking – The Way of the Wicked

Published on by Amanda Tero3 Comments
Part 18 in my study on what is abomination in the sight of God.
Recap:

Many believers have fallen into accepting that which is abomination in the sight of God. Unless we study God’s Word to learn His Mind on what is abominable, how will we know to purge ourselves from abomination? Lord willing, I will be posting the fruits of my study on the word “abomination,” but feel free to leap ahead of me and study it for yourself. What is an abomination to God?

The Way of the Wicked
Proverbs 15:9 – The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the Lord: but he loveth him that followeth after righteousness.
This verse debunks the modern thought that “God loves me how I am.” God cannot love us “how we are” if we are living a lifestyle that He loathes, a lifestyle that refuses to acknowledge God’s higher ways and His righteousness.
One Justifying the Wicked
Proverbs 17:15 – He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord.

Not only does God loathe those walking wickedly, He also loathes those who justify the wicked. Here is where many Christians are falling today. Am I trying to “soften” the sins of others? Am I trying to make others believe that “God accepts you as you are” when the Bible clearly contradicts that lifestyle (the Bible defines the lifestyle as wicked)? Am I standing on the Word of God firmly, or am I beginning to sway to the world’s thinking? Oh Christian, be careful of justifying what God calls abomination!

Improving Your Photography

Published on by Amanda Tero2 Comments
We’ve all heard it: “Practice makes perfect.” But it’s easier to quote this than to actually do it.
Some aspiring photographers complain because all they have is a “cat or dog” as their subject. Whether you have subjects ready at hand or stationary objects, you can still practice and accomplish much.
1) Know your camera
I’ll confess: it still shocks me how many people buy a DSLR, brag about a fancy camera, but have no clue how to use it. Read your camera’s manual (sorry Nikons, I’ve heard that their manual is hard to understand). Play with your settings (you can always revert back to factory settings, so you’re not going to mess something up). Take it out and use it.
What you practice willhelp you. I’m not a nature photographer, but I learned a lot about my camera by shooting nature when people weren’t available. The first time I really understood about aperture was when I randomized my f-stop. I noticed that the smaller the number (f-2.8), the blurrier the background. The larger the number (f-14), the clearer the background. Later, I read about this in a book…but I first learned it by playing with my camera settings.
Some pictures from when I really learned the value of the f-stop (these are completely unedited):


2) Be a “Nobody” Photographer
By this, I mean to be willing to use your camera at small events, when you’re not paid, when you don’t necessarily have to. This will help you in two areas: you will gain confidence, and you will learn the beauty of “capturing the moment.”

I took hundreds of portraits of my sisters “just for fun.” Not only did this actually provide me business (“I saw that picture you took…would you do our family’s pictures?”), it gave me great practice. Another example, I side-shot at least five weddings “just for fun.” For most of these I was in the audience; for one of them, I was the big “third photographer.” But tell you what, I was super glad I did that when I was asked to be solo photographerat a wedding! 

What days will you be working on photography this week?
What tips would you add to this?

Short Story Opinions, Please

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Opinion: I’m praying about combining my short stories into actual books. What are your thoughts on it? Please comment and let me know!
If you’ve read any of my short stories, you’ll know that some of them are written about boys, some about girls, some about children, some about teens. What would be the most appealing option for you?

a) All short stories in one collection (boys, girls, stories for children, AND stories for teens)
 
b) Two separate books: short stories for boys and short stories for girls
 
c) Two separate books: for children 6-12 and for children 13-up
d) A separate book for each category (one for boys 6-12, one for teen boys, one for girls 6-12, one for teen girls)
e) Other (please comment)

Street Team Giveaway 3/4/16

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ENTRY FOR 3/4 – LEAVE A REVIEW

If you have pre-read “Journey to Love,” then please leave a review on Goodreads (Amazon isn’t open yet) – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29081371-journey-to-love

HAVEN’T READ IT? Then just tell three more friends about JTL and snatch your entry! 🙂

Enter your points here:https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/483ac2ab10/