New Blog!

 So I decided to make a NEW blog, just for doing my devotions.  I did this partly so I could have all my devotions and notes all in one place :).

Here is the URl:   http://mmbjorkdevos.blogspot.com

- Mallory

We Truly are Blessed

This is a very short post.


So for English class we are reading the book "Night" by Elie Wiesel.   It is a true story about the Holocaust.  It is so sad... I can't even begin to explain to you how it is to read this book.

These are a few passages from it:

"Without passion or haste, they shot their prisoners, who were forced to approach the trench one by one and offer their necks.  Infants were tossed into he air and used as targets for the machine guns."


"Not far from us, flames, huge flames, were rising from a ditch.  Something was being burned there.  A truck drew close and unloaded its hold: small children. Babies!  Yes, I did see this, with my own eyes... children thrown into the flames."

These passages are so heartbreaking.  And just think.  This isn't some made up story.  This is true.  I can't think enough of how blessed and fortunate we are. . . The next time I complain, I'm going to try to think of this story. . .


Enough of that topic.  I just figured out how to get the links set up for my devos journal.  I set it up on my blog under "My Devotional Journal".  Just click on the links and it should take you there.

So far I'm very happy with how my journaling is going... I'll continue to see how it goes.

That's all for tonight!

Devos for today: https://penzu.com/p/c6dfacc9


- Mallory

Inreaches and Outreaches

So tonight for youth group we had our Broomball tournament.  It was pretty fun besides getting completely soaked haha.  There is one thing I noticed though.  This was supposed to be an outreach, but we didn't have many new kids come actually. I think we as a group were expecting a lot bigger tournout.  But, that's okay.  One of my close friends came for the first time and had a lot of fun :D.

But, I think we as a youth group could do better at inviting people to come.  Tonight the majority of the kids there were kids that go to our youth group regularly.  Don't get me wrong. It's not like they aren't important haha.  I'm glad they came.  Maybe everyone in our youth group is inviting people, but they just don't/ can't come.  I suppose that could be the reason.  But even if that's the case, I still think we can make more of an effort to invite people to come.  Yes, it is our job to invite them, and God's job to get them there.  But that doesn't mean you can't offer them a ride or something...

So far this year basically all we've had is outreaches.  I really think our group could use more inreaches to get closer together and to build trust and etc.... but that is just my opinion I guess.  I'm not saying that outreaches aren't important, because I believe that they are very important.  That is how many kids start coming to youth group.  I just think we could have a good mix of both inreaches and outreaches.

Well that's all my thoughts for right now.

Here is the link for today's devotions: https://penzu.com/p/89f0f941

- Mallory

New Devos Journal :)

So I just recently discovered this online-journal thing... I decided to use it to write my devotions in.  It is pretty cool because the site sends me emails everyday reminding me to write... Soooo, if I get behind in my devotions, you can get on me about it ;).

Here are the links for today's entries:  https://penzu.com/p/bfb46f04
                                                      
                                                           https://penzu.com/p/75d4974e

If you think this way of doing devotions would work for you, feel free to create your own journal :)

- Mallory

Job 36-42

So I finally finished the book of Job today....It took me forever!

These last few chapters in Job were very good.  I especially like Chapter 36.  Verse 14 is very good.


 ¹⁴ “Listen to this, Job; 
   stop and consider God’s wonders. 



I like this verse a lot.  You could even take out Job's name and replace it with your own to make it more personal.

Then the Lords says this to Job:


The LORD Speaks
 ¹ Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:
 ² “Who is this that obscures my plans
   with words without knowledge? ³ Brace yourself like a man;
   I will question you,
   and you shall answer me.


After God asks Job a bunch of questions Job finally responds with this:



³ Then Job answered the LORD:
 ⁴ “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you?
   I put my hand over my mouth. ⁵ I spoke once, but I have no answer—
   twice, but I will say no more.”


And then he says:




 ¹ Then Job replied to the LORD:

 ² “I know that you can do all things;
   no purpose of yours can be thwarted. ³ You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’
   Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
   things too wonderful for me to know.

 ⁴ “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak;
   I will question you,
   and you shall answer me.’ ⁵ My ears had heard of you
   but now my eyes have seen you. ⁶ Therefore I despise myself
   and repent in dust and ashes.”

Epilogue

 ⁷ After the LORD had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has. ⁸ So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.” ⁹ So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the LORD told them; and the LORD accepted Job’s prayer. ¹⁰ After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. ¹¹ All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the LORD had brought on him, and each one gave him a piece of silver^[r] and a gold ring.
 ¹² The LORD blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. ¹³ And he also had seven sons and three daughters. ¹⁴ The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. ¹⁵ Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.
 ¹⁶ After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. ¹⁷ And so Job died, an old man and full of years.





I'm so glad that Job had a happy ending.  I don't think that I could've bared it if he didn't have a happy life after all he went through.  He was blessed even more at the end of his life than at the beginning.




- Mallory

Chain Reaction

I wrote this little poem thing tonight.  I got the inspiration from being at a basketball game the other night.  Every few words I heard were swear words.  I was so sick of it... I'm sick of just standing there, pretending I don't hear them, too scared to stand up to the upper classmen.  I'm so sick of it....  And then those dirty jokes.... don't even get me started on that.  I'm not saying that I don't laugh at them, because I often do, but I'm ready to do something about it.  I don't know what yet, but I'm praying.  So I wrote this poem to kind of express my thoughts.  I hope it makes you think :D.


Chain Reaction


Why do you use those foul words?  Who else do you need to impress?  
Do they make you look "cool"?  Do you need them to "fit in"?  
What type of people are you trying to attract?  
Or is it just habit, to swear at someone and make them feel degraded?  
These words... do you even know what they mean?  
It what way are they making your life better?  Can't you see? Don't you realize? 
You already are special in my eyes.  There is no need to impress.  No need to act like someone else.  
Just be who you are, and I'll love you the same.


Those dirty jokes that "everyone" laughs at.  
What makes them so funny?
What would happen if you decided not to laugh at the class "nerd" for once?
Would people stare? Or maybe laugh at you?
Well maybe, possibly.  
Or would your rebellion stir a thought in their brain?
Maybe they would agree with you.
"Those jokes really aren't funny at all," is what they would think
And then suddenly the rebellion of 1, is a rebellion of 2


And then
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10 people are standing be your side!!


All that, just because you didn't laugh at a joke.
What if you suddenly stopped using those swear words?
Could it work the same?
Would people's eyes finally come out of the fog of lies that say, 
"These words will make you more popular, cooler, more "fly", you'll have more "fun" if you say them...."


So there you go again.  
Those foul words stop coming out of your lips.
They are no longer in your mind.


And then suddenly the rebellion of 10, is a rebellion of 11


And then
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20 people are at your side!!


Do you think the same rebellion would work with the World?
Lets say those 20 people each go into the world.
They rebel; go against the norm.
They do their best to live their lives for God, and for God alone.
They are so on fire for God, that you know just by looking at them that they love Jesus.
And let's say people start noticing they're different, and they want to be apart of this "difference" that they have


And suddenly the rebellion of 20, becomes a rebellion of 30


And then 
40
50
60
70
80
90
100 people are by their sides


I call this the "Chain Reaction"


All it takes is one. One person to give a smile, a hug, a word of encouragement.  One person to not laugh at the "unpopular kid".  One person to stop swearing.


All it takes is one person to go against the norm, and then others will follow.
This is the Chain Reaction.


All it takes is one.


Will you be that one?






- Mallory

Job 34-35

This is a very short post.  I read Job 34-35 this morning.  Basically Job is saying that he is right, and that God is wrong and unjust.... can u picture saying that you are right, over God?  I do this all the time.  Reading this passage kind of made me think, "Arguing with God? What was I thinking?"  I tend to think that my plans are better than God's plans, but that is because I can't see the whole picture.


 This is just a part of Job's conversation with Elihu (his friend).

Elihu says:

¹⁷ Can someone who hates justice govern? 
   Will you condemn the just and mighty One? 
   Far be it from God to do evil,
   from the Almighty to do wrong. ¹¹ He repays everyone for what they have done;
   he brings on them what their conduct deserves. ¹² It is unthinkable that God would do wrong,
   that the Almighty would pervert justice.

This is reminding us that God is just, and we can't say that we are right, and God is wrong.  Think about how foolish that is... I know I do this quite often, and I find it quite embarrassing to think about.  It is kind of like arguing with a doctor on the best way to perform a surgery, when you are a plumber.  They have more knowledge than you by far on how to perform a surgery.  And if we were to argue with God, we would be arguing with a sinless, perfect, incredible, indescribable, almighty God of the universe.  I bet you could just picture how that would turn out...;)

I don't know if any of this makes sense, but I hope it does ;).  I'm just kind of rambling here ;).

That pretty much sums up my thoughts for the moment...

- Mallory