What I like about the song At the Cross

Welcome to Good Apples Friday

Today I wanted to share this song called "At the Cross" by Chris Tomlin.

There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies

There's a place where streams of grace flow deep and wide
Where all the love I've ever found
Comes like a flood
Comes flowing down

[Chorus:]
At the cross
At the cross
I surrender my life
I'm in awe of You
I'm in awe of You
Where Your love ran red
And my sin washed white
I owe all to You
I owe all to You Jesus

There's a place where sin and shame are powerless
Where my heart has peace with God and forgiveness
Where all the love I've ever found
Comes like a flood
Comes flowing down

[Chorus]

Here my hope is found
Here on holy ground
Here I bow down
Here I bow down
Here arms open wide
Here You save my life
Here I bow down
Here I bow

I love this song so much. It's so peaceful.

I love the line "I'm in awe of you."

Whenever I think about Jesus dyeing on the cross I think about the sacrifice he gave up.  

How he died for the ones who were beating him to death.

He gave his life for us; the ones who constantly disobey and hate him.

"I'm in awe of you"

You are awesome God.

To die for us.

To die for them.

To love us so much that you would die for us.

And how do we apply to this message?

To this loving God who died for us.

How do we apply to this?

We bow down to him.

We follow him.

And we tell others about this amazing God.

Isn't God amazing?

Every single Good Apples Friday post I write I always leave saying,

"WOW. WOW. My God is so awesome. So amazing. So powerful. So loving. So caring. So forgiving."

I hope you feel this way to when you read about God.

Have a lovely week.

A great Reformation Day!

And that you may be reminded of how amazing God is every single day.

bouncing in to say bye,

                               bernie

Be You. Be Unique.

Sarah from the introverted extrovert made this for me a couple years ago.

Thanks Sarah! I feel like this picture suits what I'm about to post about.

I've been struggling with blogging these days. Asking myself are people really liking my blog? Are people even interested in things I say. At the end of the day I always tell myself to keep posting. To just keep moving on, but it's not always easy. Whenever I look at my blog I feel like no one is interested.

I'm different from other bloggers. All the blogs I read write beautiful stories and poems. I like writing, but I'm not so good at it. I have a different style from everybody else. Sometimes I'm discouraged to post my writing because it's so different. Whenever I read other peoples posts their grammar is perfect, but I struggle with that.

I feel like my photography isn't as good as everyone's else. Everything looks perfect and my photography is good, just not as good as theirs. Sometimes that discourages me and makes me not takes pictures as much.

But I shouldn't be like that. I shouldn't compare myself. I shouldn't be afraid to post different things because no one else posts about it or I feel they might not be interested.

BE UNIQUE. BE DIFFERENT.

Stop comparing their blog to yours and trying to make yours like theirs.

BE YOU. NOT THEM.

I'm here to say, I'm not perfect. This post probably have some grammar mistakes. But that's okay.

Keep blogging. Because you'll never get better if you just stop.

Keep trying.

It'll be worth it. I promise.

Most of all, be you.

Don't be afraid.

bouncing in to say bye,

                               bernie

Good Apples Friday // He Is With You

Welcome to Good Apples Friday

Today I wanted to share these verses and this quote.

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."

I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."

This is a great reminder that someday all our pain, frustration, and hard times will come to and end. That someday we will spend the rest of our lives with God.

Hang in there! You can do this. I know it's hard. I know sometimes you just want to get so stressful  and mad about what you're going through. But God is with you.

Know that this is all God's plan for YOUR good.

Take a breather. Lay down. Spend time with God.

It's comforting.

Remember, you can do this!

If you have any prayer requests be sure to comment them down below!! :)

Have a wonderful weekend!

bouncing in to say bye,

                                bernie

Good Apples Saturday // Colossians 3 and 4

Welcome to Good Apples Saturday

Hey guys. Sorry I didn't post yesterday. I'm a day late on my post, but that's okay!

Yesterday we did a bible study and these verses really encouraged me!

 ^3:18 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.
²⁰ Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
²¹ Fathers,^[c] do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.
²² Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. ²³ Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, ²⁴ since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. ²⁵ Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.
4 Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven. 2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. ³ And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. ⁴ Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. ⁵ Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. ⁶ Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.


Hope you like!!




bouncing in to say bye,
                                   Bernie

17 Facts about my Sissy

Welcome to Bernie's Random Ramblings

Although Sarah's birthday was a week ago, I wanted to make a special post about her like I always do.

17 Facts About Sarah (my sissy)

1. She has a love for mustard.

I hate mustard. But she loves it. She even puts it on her ham sandwich guys. ew.

2. Sarah doesn't really care about what shoes she wears.

Sarah has two pairs of shoes. One she adores and wears all the time. Yesterday we went out to town and I saw her coming out with a striped shirt and polka dot sneakers. lol that's okay though. I won't judge anybody who doesn't match.

3. She ALWAYS has either a notebook or book in her hand wherever she goes.

Even when we go to church she brings a book with her "just in case."

4. She's like the best big sis ever.

Seriously big sister's out there, you don't know what it's like to be a little sister. ANYTHING and she'll do it for me.

5. She has a love for Hamilton.

Has anybody heard the musical Hamilton. Don't look it up if you don't. Life will be so much pleasanter. She loves it though. It's history, in a song, and they're rapping. ugh.

6. Sarah loves her dog, Rudo.

I walk into my room, "DO YOU LOVE RUDO?"

"NO." (just to annoy her.)

"Ahhhh!"

7. Sarah is writing a book with her best friend.

A fantasy book, I think.

8. She is very responsible with her school. And gets great grades.

Sarah is the smartest out of us all. She's very responsible. :)

9. Sarah is messy.

You might of heard me say this already because I'm an organized person so she annoys me sometimes.

10. Sarah is an awesome cooker.

My nickname is Cooker. I used to love cooking, but Sarah has taken that over. She loves to cook delicious dinners for us! You'd think I messy person wouldn't be so good at cooking, but she's great at cooking. :)

11. She is ALWAYS at our library.

She literally goes to the library 3 times a week for 2 hours or more. Everyone knows her there.

12. She is always busy around 9ish.

This morning she had to handle doing her school while helping me with math and helping Danny with piano. Helping Danny with piano is not the easiest thing.

13. Although Sarah isn't the best at doing exercises she always does it with me.

About every week me and Sarah work out. Now, my workouts aren't the easiest, but she always does them with me. She's getting better thanks to me. ;P

14. Sarah loves soup.

Even in the winter she eats soup. Sometimes she even tries to cook us soup for dinner in the middle of July. I'm like, "I don't want to turn into a fireball today."

15. She hates our rap.

First Danny loved rap, then me, then mom, and now Sarah is just sitting in the car hating everything she hears. We don't always have the same opinion about music, but we try to balance it out.

16. Right now she has a $60 gift card for Barnes and Noble.

yuppppp....that's a lot. If only I had that, except in money.

17. Sarah is giving piano lessons.

She's a great teacher. Originally, I was going to do it, but I gave it to her because I knew she'd be better at it.

You're da best sissy ever Sarah.

I wuv youuu. have a great year.

bouncing in to say bye,

                                 bernie

Good Apples Friday // Is Belief in God Logical?

Welcome to Good Apples Friday

Although I do believe that belief in God is logical, I never really knew reasons that belief in God is logical until a couple of weeks ago. My youth group has been going through a book called "A Quest for Truth." A long time when the author Shannon Hurley was interested in God he had lots of questions. It was frustrating to not know the answers. This is why Shannon Hurley wrote this book. To help others understand the Bible more. This has definitely helped me especially chapter 2 which is what I'm about to talk about.

Is Belief in God Logical?

The four logical reasons are...

1. The complexity of the world demands the need for a designer.

In simpler words, "The world is so complicated that it must be a result of God."

This year in biology, I've been constantly reading about the most complicated things ever. I used to think that just animals and humans could move around and eat other things. This year I've learned that plants make food for other plants or animals. I've been learning about bacteria that can move and attack other bacteria for food. It's so complicated.

This world is so complicated it has to require someone so smart to have created it. So intelligent and powerful to have thought of all this. This world is so complicated that it couldn't of appeared. It demands the need for designer. 

In this book he says, "If there is no God what other possibility can there be for the creation of such a wonderfully complex universe?"

2.  A reproductive world demands the need for a pre-exist being.

"Since everything in the universe is produced from something that existed

beforehand, there must have been someone who has always existed.

I came in to existence when my parents had me, they came into existence when they're parents had them, when they're parents had them, and it goes on and on. Where did the first child come from? There had to be a creator. History and science have proven that animals can only be reproduced from it's own species. A cat has a cat as it's parent and it cannot have a dog as it's parent.


If there is no God, then how did this whole reproductive process begin?
3. Man's inward sense of right and wrong demands the need for a lawgiver.
"Since there is a universal desire to live morally, God must have been the one to have created that desire."
 How is there an universal knowledge of right and wrong? How do we feel guilty after doing some kind of wrong-doing? Everyone has a guilt in doing something wrong and try to do things right.
If mankind evolved do you think he would of evolved with moral standards or would he just come into existence?


If there is no God, who put this system of morality within mankind?


4. The need for purpose demands the need for a purposeful creator?
"Since everyone has the desire to live for something there must have been someone who put that desire to live into mankind."
This is saying two things: that there is a purposeful Creator and that Creator puts a purpose within mankind at creation. Every object has some kind of purpose. Just like clay was molded into a sculpture for a purpose. Everyone has a purpose for life. Everyday we wake up and have an aim and  purpose for the day.
Who put the desire in mankind to want to live with an aim for his day?
Who put the desire in mankind to make something of himself?
If there is no God, then who put this purposeful desire with mankind?




I hope you understand this whole post. I know it can be confusing, but once you understand it, it really makes sense.


I recommend you guys to read "Quest for Truth" by Shannon Hurley.


Please give me feedback on what you thought about this post. I love to hear you guys! :)


bouncing in to say bye,
                                   bernie

Bernie's Random Ramblings // Carmi Trip w/ Youth Group

Welcome to Bernie's Random Ramblings. 

A couple weeks ago we went to Carmi. It was my first year going with my youth group but they've went plenty of times. Carmi is a children's home for teenagers. It's also a Christian place. Firstly, Friday night we came up there. We first went to Cracker Barrel. When we got up there we played basketball. It was hot, but I love basketball especially with my friends.  Then, we took a shower and hung out. About 30 people stayed in a house with about 6 bedrooms. The living room was small but we managed to fit almost everyone in there. I loved just hanging in the living room. 

Saturday, we got up early and got outside to work. About 15 people got to weed eat *is that how you spell it?* I was a little nervous because I've never done it before. So they just literally handed me one and I was like " I don't know how to do this thing." And they're like talk to Caleb. I go to Caleb and he just starts the thing for me and leaves. I'm like " I don't know to do this." So he shows me, then later it's not working. I go and tell my friend and she's like "Go and talk to Caleb" 

"But I don't want to talk to Caleb. He doesn't help me!" Well we fixed it. Anywho, there's my little adventure. These weed eaters were very powerful sometimes pine cones would hit you really hard and it would sting. We weed eated a lot. Finally we were done. 

We had lunch, took a shower *hallelujah* and got ready for meeting the kids. The girls made fleece blankets together and the boys played games outside. I was nervous about doing the blacker because I didn't know if it was this complicated project. Someone also told us we had to say 3 facts about us. My friends were horrified about that so we prepared like 30 minutes before. My three facts were:

I like playing the guitar.

I love playing football and gymnastics.

And my favorite color is lime green. 

While we were in our room planning our facts we almost got forgotten. We were laughing so hard being super loud. Finally I hushed everyone because I didn't hear anyone in the living room. We go into the living room and everyone was gone. So we ALMOST got forgotten. 

  

Anywho, the blankets went well. It was so easy and fun. We got one partner to do the blanket with. I was nervous, but we talked a lot and it was very fun. After that, we went back to our house. I would tell you all the hilarious things that we did, but it's just so hard to explain. 

 

That night we held a service for the kids. I didn't do anything but it was still fun. Then we got to pray with some of the kids. It was very awesome to pray with the kids. Then we had brownies! 

Bright and early Sunday morning we got ready to go to church at 10. Of course it's hard to get 30 people out of a house at 8 so we can get to church. We were only 10 minutes late though. That was awesome. 

The trip was very fun. 

Oh and wait,

I got a funny story. 

Friday night in the living room we're all talking about sleep walking. I don't sleep walk so I'm not worried about doing it that night. Well that night I get up. I literally jump off my bunk bed and bolt out of the room. I thought I was late for getting up so I go out to the living room and see nobody. I look at the clock and it says 2. So, I go back to bed. And that's my story.  My friend who was up saw all this. I'm just totally amused when I sleep talk to sleep walk this time. 

Thanks for reading!

 

Have you ever went on a mission trip?

Have you ever slept walked?

bouncing in to say bye,

                                bernie