
This is a blog for teenage girls that I created along with help from my friends and girls around the country. It talks about how to live up to God's expectations, know the truth, and stand up for what is right. Also, how not to measure up to this world, but to God's standard. Please e-mail me at Jennas_blog@live.com with any questions or ideas.
3/11/10
Love Keeps No Record Of Being Wronged

3/9/10
Love Does Not Rejoice About Injustice

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 "LOVE is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It DOES NOT REJOICE ABOUT INJUSTICE but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
"Love and justice go hand in hand- you can't have one without the other. Justice without love is cruelty, and love without justice is a permissive, anything goes attitude." -Zach Sumner
God is the ultimate judge. The only way to REALLY know the things that are right and wrong is to read His Word! So, what does 1 Corinthians mean when it says that 'love does not rejoice about injustice?' It can relate to a few different things. One way we can look at it is that we don't just think it's okay when we sin against God. Such as, "I love you God... I went to a crazy party and did things that I shouldn't have last night... but it's okay because I still love you."
Proverbs 28:13- "He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy."
God is just, so there's no way of fooling Him. Since He sent His Son to die for us on the cross, He is able to forgive us for our sins, putting the punishment on Christ. The sacrifice of God's Son for us is an atonement for our sins, and it shows that God believes in justice and doing what it right.
Proverbs 28:5, 7- "Evil people don't understand justice, but those who follow the Lord understand completely." "Young people who obey the law are wise; those with wild friends bring shame to their parents."
Unfortunately, most of our society glorifies sin. Media treats sin like a frozen meal. Frozen meals look great on the packages. Looking at the package in the store makes your mouth water for the good meal shown in the picture. Even more, the low price and the convincing words on commercials push you to buy into frozen meals time after time. We all know how the story ends, though. The meal you get is nothing like the meal in the picture, and the consequences are not exactly what you had in mind.
In the same way, T.V., music, and word or mouth can make sin look very appetising. But just like the food in the picture compared to what it really is, sinning never turns out right. If we act a certain way, we get praised for it, even if doing whatever we did wasn't very honorable. The problem with all of this is that God says it's wrong! He loves us, and He will not pretend that doing the wrong thing is good.
Continue striving to live up to God's standard, and stand for the RIGHT thing. If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything. Rejoice about justice, rejoice about love.
-Jenna Hampton
with Zach Sumner
3/7/10
Love Is Not Demanding Or Irritable

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 "Love is patient and kind. LOVE IS NOT jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not DEMAND its own way. It is not IRRITABLE, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice, but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."
"Love is hard to offend and quick to forgive. How easily do you get irritated and offended? When under pressure, love doesn't turn sour. Minor problems don't yield major reactions. The truth is, love does not get angry or hurt unless there is a legitimate and just reason in the sight of God." -The Love Dare
Irritability connects with rudeness in a sense. Usually, people don't act rude unless they are irritated, right? So, how do we prevent ourselves from getting irritated? Be patient! If you have patience, you will not become easily irritated, and therefore will not have the urge to be rude.
Proverbs 16:32- "Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city."
God never demands His own way. He believes in encouragement and kindness and faithfulness. He is quick to love and slow to anger, or get irritated. It is tough not to be demanding, but after all, life isn't Burger King- You can't always 'have it your way'! God knows what He's doing. Who are we to question Him? He calls us to obey Him and to be patient with those we love.
"Here's a good example. If you asked a friend to clean up your house for you, and they did, but it wasn't really exactly how you wanted it, shouldn't you still thank them? You should not get irritated easily with someone, especially if they had good intentions or were trying to do something nice." -Stefanie Hampton
Think of these two scenarios:
A- You come to your parents demanding that they let you go to a concert with your friends because they never let you do ANYTHING, and all of your friends get to do whatever they want.
B- You help your parents out with chores on Friday afternoon, then come to your parents, tell them about a concert that you heard about, ask them nicely if you can go, and be happy with whatever they say.
Scenario B will get you almost anything you want, if you are being genuine. Why? Because love does not demand its own way, and it is also not irritable. Love never fails. God never fails.
1 Corinthians 13:13- "Three things will last forever- faith, hope, and love- and the greatest of these is love."
-Jenna Hampton
with The Love Dare and Stefanie Hampton
3/4/10
Love Is Not Rude

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 "Love is patient and kind. LOVE IS NOT jealous or boastful or proud or RUDE. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."
Love is not rude is a very obvious statement! It should be easily followed as well, right? That's not always the case. Well, what does being rude mean exactly? The top five synonyms for the word rude are- abrupt, abusive, bad-mannered, barbarian, and graceless. All of us can admit to acting like that a few times each week.
"This phrase reminds me of the facebook group 'I thought you were pretty but then your ugly attitude ruined it.' In the original Greek language, the phrase 'Love is not rude' means that love does not behave in a way that makes a person appear ugly. Christians are called to love and love is always a beautiful thing." -Piper Kelly
One of the fruits of the Spirit is gentleness. How can you show gentleness if you are acting rude? Talking back to parents, arguing with friends, cussing, and violence are all things that are rude and very far from the way that God wants us to love others! Christians are called to be beautiful on the inside, and kick rudeness out of their lives. Just think about a skunk. People may have loved it and thought it to be a cute animal just like a squirrel or a chipmunk, but the rude and vile smell that it causes makes people run away at the sight of a skunk!
Matthew 7:12- "Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets."
God is never barbaric or rude! To be like Christ, we must act the same way. Love others today by controlling your temper, guarding your speech, and doing your best not to irritate anyone purposely. The praise you will earn for living up to God's standard is a million times better than the praise you get from the world! Always remember what's important. How great is our God!
John 14:27- "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
-Jenna Hampton
with Piper Kelly
*If you read all of this post, please leave a comment. I would like to know how many people have been reading almost everyday. Thanks! :)
3/2/10
Love Is Not Boastful Or Proud

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 "Love is patient and kind. LOVE IS NOT jealous or BOASTFUL OR PROUD or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice, but rejoices when the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."
We all know what being proud is, and we have all been proud before. 'I did this! I did that!' And sometimes, it's great to inform others of the things you have done and the things you are excited about. But when being proud becomes being prideful, and when telling someone about yourself becomes boasting is when it becomes a sin.
"How are you really showing love for someone else if you are being boastful and proud? If you do that, all they see if the love you have for yourself." -Stefanie Hampton
The Bible says that 'kind words are like honey-sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.' (Proverbs 16:24) During a conversation, you will always be tempted to talk about yourself! It's okay every once in awhile, but to really show the ACTION of loving others, we have to think more about them than we do ourselves. Try listening more than you speak today. After all, we have two ears and one mouth for a good reason.
Proverbs 16:5- "The Lord detests the proud; they will surely be punished."
The Lord despises those who are surrounded by a bubble of self-love. Be careful never to take the glory that the Lord deserves. If someone compliments you on being a loving, kind person, tell them that it's only because of the love that the Lord has for you! God will use you in any way he pleases, according to his perfect plan. There is no need to be proud of yourself when you can be proud of your God and amazed at His glory.
Proverbs 16:33- "We may throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they fall."
Proverbs 16:18- "Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall."
Keep loving others the best you can through Christ, and living up to God's standard. Work hard for His glory! If you listen to others very carefully, you may discover awesome things that you never knew before.
-Jenna Hampton
with Stefanie Hampton
3/1/10
Love Is Not Jealous

2/28/10
Love Is Kind

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 "LOVE IS patient and KIND. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."
Kindness is a pretty easy fruit of the Spirit for most people. We think if we hold the door for someone, or hold our tongue when we are tempted to speak badly of someone else then we are being kind. The Bible tells us that love is kind. Kindness is much more than subtle gestures. It is doing things on your own time and out of your heart for someone else, even when you might not gain anything in return. It is also doing putting someone else before yourself even when they don't deserve it.
Ephesians 1:7-8 "He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindess on us, along with all wisdom and understanding."
If you are truly a new creation in Christ, you should want to serve others! We have been commanded to love God first, others second, and ourselves third. To really love someone like the Bible says, we must put their needs before our own. Work hard each day to serve others before yourself to show the result of your salvation in Christ. Why should you hide it?
Matthew 5:14-16 "You are the light of the world-like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."
God is SO kind to us. He has been very loving by sending His Son to die on the cross for our sins, even though we didn't deserve it. He also blesses us daily with breath and life. The Lord is so kind! Make an effort to be kind by doing something out of the joy of your heart for someone who really needs a kind word. Remember to treat all those that you love with kindness too, and love them before your own self.
1 John 4:7 "Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God."
-Jenna Hampton
2/25/10
Love Is Patient

1 Corinthians 13:4-7- "LOVE IS PATIENT and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."
What do most people think about patience? Let's consult the dictionary! The definition of patience in the dictionary is:
1. The quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like.
2. An ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay
Mostly that is saying that patience is the ability to be able to handle difficult situations without getting frustrated immediately. How long should we be patient? How long should we wait on God? It is very difficult to wait on God and to go along with His timeline, but the Bible tells us that if we love Him, we will be patient with Him. Just think about how patient He is with us!
"The most important thing I would say to anyone is a person HAS to have gone through the transformation of really becoming a 'new creation'...giving God your WHOLE life, trusting Him, that He knows what is best for you, because He is our Father, and He loves us.Just imagine how patient God is with us. He watches us with sadness in His heart when we screw up, or lie, or cheat...you know...sin. He hurts because He wants the best for us...just like a parent. Soooo, just think about how much pain He goes through every second of every day." -Pam Hughes
If you are in a situation right now that requires patience, one thing that helps is to really consider the amazing patience God has with all of His children. Also, know and BELIEVE that God will be faithful to you if you obey Him and serve Him to the best of your ability. He loves you so much, that He will answer your prayers if you remain faithful. But, remember that it will be on His own time, in His own way.
"Love is patient; it is not our place to rush someone or be rushed into anything or out of anything! patience is a virtue!" -Sarah Hoard
The Bible tells us that love is expressed through our actions. If there is anyone today that you need to have patience with, pray about it, know that God will be faithful, and love them by being patient with them always, even when there isn't much of a result right away.
Pslam 27:14- "Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord."
-Jenna Hampton
with Pam Hughes and Sarah Hoard
2/23/10
End Of Proverbs 31:30

Proverbs 31:30- "Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised."
Charm is deceptive: Remember to measure up to God's standard, not the world's. You are beautiful, even if you don't own a pair of Miss Me jeans or have the latest hairstyles. If your heart is pure and you are living for God, then the charm you have is worthy of praise.
Matthew 6:28-29 "And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are."
Beauty is fleeting: If you want to be known for true beauty that will last your whole life, then you will need a lot more than some money and a close-by mall. You need the Holy Spirit. A beautiful heart is worth more than all the clothes and make-up in the mall! Clothe yourself in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Let the beauty that you have in Christ shine from your heart.
2 Timothy 2:9-10 "I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God."
Woman who fears the Lord: To be a woman who fears the Lord, you have to know Him, see Him, be in awe of Him, respect Him, and obey Him. The God that has made lightning and thunder has also made you. Nothing is impossible with fear of the Lord.
Proverbs 9:10- "Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgement."
Greatly Praised: What do you want to be praised for? Do you want to be known as the girl who is really pretty with a lot of pretty friends and seems to have fun, but on the inside is unsatisfied and lonely? Or do you want to be the girl who has CHRIST and is friendly, loving, well-liked, beautiful on the inside and the out, and gives wonderful, wise advice? To me, it's a pretty clear choice! A woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
1 Corinthians 4:5- "So don't make judgments about anyone ahead of time- before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due."
Proverbs 31:30 is a great verse that helps us all to remember who God wants us to be. Tomorrow I am going to start on 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 "Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."
If you have any ideas or suggestions for 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, please e-mail me at jennas_blog@live.com
-Jenna Hampton
2/22/10
Greatly Praised

Proverbs 31:30- "Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord will be GREATLY PRAISED."
The last part of Proverbs 31:30 is a promise. It says that a woman who fears the Lord (respects and obeys Him) will be greatly praised. What does it mean to be praised, who should we give the credit to, and what should we want to be praised for?
Being "Greatly Praised" means that people admire you and often give you compliments. Girls get praised for a lot of things like their clothes, their hair, their attitude, their personality, how many boys like them, how cool they are, ETC. Proverbs 31:30 tells us that outward attractiveness is misleading. It also says that outer beauty will fade away and become worth nothing. So, the only way that you will ever be greatly praised for your entire lifetime is if you fear the Lord.
When you recieve compliments, it is easy to let them go to your head. "Oh, she thinks my sweater is cute!", "Oh, she thinks I'm smart! She thinks I'm wise! She thinks I do the right thing!" It is much harder to give the credit to God and to remember that everything we have belongs to Him. (1 Corinthians 3:22-23 "...Everything belongs to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.") If you have trouble remembering to give credit to God, here is a great verse:
Galatians 1:10- "Obviously, I'm not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ's servant."
Many girls seems to struggle with the things that they want to be praised for. Everyone wants to be 'popular', they want to be liked by guys who do NOT respect them, and they want to be pretty in the way of the world. Measuring up to the world's standards will get you no where without a wise path to follow. You and I have seen over and over again girls we look up to crumble under the weight and sinful pressure of this world.
1 Corinthians 4:5- "So don't make judgments about anyone ahead of time-before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due."
What do you want to be praised for? Do you want to be known as the girl who is really pretty with a lot of pretty friends and seems to have fun, but on the inside is unsatisfied and lonely? Or, do you want to be the girl who has CHRIST and is friendly, loving, well-liked, beautiful on the inside and the out, and gives wonderful, wise advice? To me, it's a pretty clear choice! A woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
"For the next few weeks I have a dare for you. I dare you to say something nice to the meanest girl in school. Tell them something that will boost their confidence. Then go to a person you don't really like and tell them the exact same thing." -Caitlin Gater
One of the things that I have learned is that if you don't think a person likes you, then most likely they think you don't like them. Show them that you do.
-Jenna Hampton
with Caitlin Gater
2/21/10
Woman Who Fears The Lord

Proverbs 31:30- "Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a WOMAN WHO FEARS THE LORD will be greatly praised."
The third part of this verse is about fearing the Lord. You may be thinking, What??!! The Lord is not scary. God is not one of my biggest fears... but the fear that this verse is speaking of is not the same as the fear you get from a roller coaster or from seeing a spider.
Fear=
1. A distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition or being afraid.
2. Concern or anxiety.
3. Reverentail awe, esp. toward God.
Even the dictionary knows that the fear of God is different from the fear of evil or pain, but it can have some of the same results.
Since God is our heavenly Father, our fear of Him relates to the fear of our earthy father. Since we know that he is in authority over us, we obey him out of fear of what will happen if we don't, and out of respect.
After you watch a scary movie, you probably pay a lot more attention to the things around you, and make sure you sleep with the light on for awhile! It's the same thing with God. If you fear him (respect him), than you will pay a lot more attention to what he's saying to you and the things he wants you to know. On a rollercoaster, you notice every breath you take. Life as a Christian should be like that. We should notice every single blessing and every day that God gives us and thank him for it.
"Anytime you see the word 'fear' pertaining to the FATHER, it means being in awe of him and his majesty. (or) To Fear the Lord, ... Means to Worship the Most High, to Obey His Commands, to respect Him as a Father .. and Have no Gods Before Him." -Found by Karlie Klimes
Bottom line is, to be a woman who fears the Lord, you have to know him, see him, be in awe of him, respect him, and obey him. The God that has made lightning and thunder has also made you. Nothing is impossible with fear of the Lord.
Proverbs 9:10- "Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgement."
-Jenna Hampton
with Karlie Klimes
2/20/10
Beauty Is Fleeting

2/19/10
Charm Is Deceptive

2/18/10
Intro to Measuring Up
Our world says so many things about teenage girls, and expects them to act a certain way. I believe that God's way is much different and much better. For the next few months, I will be posting on this blog some things that God has shown me and ways that we can all take a stand to shine for Christ.
You CAN make a difference, and people WILL listen to you. If you have any ideas or questions about this blog, please e-mail me at jennas_blog@live.com.
My first post will be on 2/19/10. Please read it!
-Jenna Hampton