Friday, May 28, 2021

Are You Going through a Tough Time?


Hey, Awesome Teens,

Whassup? Or, in grammatically correct English, 'What's up?" Or, in clearer language, "What is going on in your life right now?"

 Are you facing a tough time at home, at school, at church, or in a special relationship? If so, let's talk.




























Tough times come to everyone, but they are never any fun, especially when we are the ones having the tough time.  So, what are we to do when we're going through a tough time?

 Let's look at what God says we should do. You'll find His answer in I Peter 4: 12-13:

"Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world."

I can hear you now saying, "Excuse me, God? Did I hear you right?"

 Yes, you heard God correctly. 

 But how can we be very glad (not just glad, but very glad) when our whole world is crumbling around us?

I'll be the first to admit it's not easy, but it works!  God's ways always work!

You see, God's ways are opposite our ways and often make no sense to us. But when we do things God's way, we always get good results.

So, start praising God in the midst of your tough time, not for the problem but in spite of the problem. As you do, you will be showing God that you really trust Him to get you through your tough time.

 Scripture says this: "The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time" (Psalm 24: 19). So, if you're in a tough time now, trust that the Lord is coming to rescue you. 

 TWEETABLES:

"Are You Going through a Tough Time?" (CLICK TO TWEET)

"The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time" (Psalm 24: 19).  (CLICK TO TWEET)

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Copyright 2016-2021 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved.

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Friday, May 21, 2021

Are You an Approval Addict? by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

Hey, Awesome Teens!

 Do you know there's an attempt afoot to steal your worth? 

 Indeed, there is! If you're wondering what I'm talking about, I'm talking about what the Bible calls the "fear of man." 

 The fear of man is another term for approval addiction. When we suffer from approval addiction, we look to other people for our sense of worth instead of to God. We look to other people to affirm that we are somebody. 

 This is a very dangerous thing to do!

 Why?


Because no human being can give you your worth. Only God can do that. 

 And no one can take your worth away from you!

The great news is that God has already given you your worth! He gave it to you the instant He created you. 

 And He will never take it away from you.

Sad to say, however, many teens look to other people or other things for their sense of worth. 

 Some girls look to guys to give them worth. Some guys look to girls to give them worth.  Some of both genders look to clothes, cars, money, sports, music, popularity, or grades to give them worth.

 But the truth is that none of these things will give you worth.

 If you're looking to people or things to give you worth, you're not alone. But you are in trouble!

So, why do teens sometimes look to other people or other things for approval? Here are a few reasons:

 1. They don't know God created them. They were taught they evolved from a lower form of life and are here by chance. So---they reason---if I'm nothing more than an accident, what worth do I have?

 2. They grew up in a home where they did not feel loved and accepted by their fathers. This lack of a father's love left them feeling rejected. 

 3. They are insecure in who they are, mostly because they don't know who they are. For this reason, they crave the approval of others in order to feel secure.

 In each of the above examples, we find a common denominator: A LIE!  

 In the first example, the lie is that we are here by chance.

 In the second example, the lie is that our worth depends on how our earthly fathers treated us.

 In the third example, the lie is that security comes from other people or things.

 The Bible teaches that all lies come from Satan and calls him "a liar and the father of lies" (John 8: 44). John 10: 10 says this: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."  The thief is Satan. His goal is to steal from you, to kill you, and to destroy your life.  But Jesus came to give you abundant life in every way.

 Part of that abundant life Jesus wants to give you is approval. When you receive Him as your Savior and Lord, He accepts you into His family. He gives you His approval as His child. He gives you purpose and security.

 So, don't allow Satan to steal your sense of worth. Don't believe his lies. Obey what the Bible says: "Submit to God; resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4: 7). Look to God alone for your worth and get free from approval addiction once and for all! 

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 Copyright 2019-2021 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD, MFA.  All Rights Reserved.
If you are a Christ-Follower, you have been accepted by God into His family. 

 Read about the inheritance you have received through Jesus Christ in this life-changing book!

Available on Amazon in Ebook and Audio Formats

If you are not a Christ-Follower, you can become one now. Just ask Jesus to come into your life and save you. He will! 



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Friday, May 14, 2021

So, Do You Really Want to Commit Suicide?

Suicide is increasing among teenagers at an alarming rate. So, it’s time to take action against suicide and look at it for what it really is: Satan’s attempt to rob you of your God-given destiny. 

 Why is suicide increasing among teens? Because teens see the world as becoming more and more hopeless. They may also be experiencing personal problems that seem hopeless--like strife in the home, parental divorce, overwhelming temptations, identity crises, concern about their futures, and a host of other things that drag them down into depression.

 Suicide is always the result of believing a lie--or more than one. Let’s take a look at some of the lies that lead to teen suicide and the truth that will set you free:

 ---LIE:  Your pain will never go away.

 ---TRUTH: No pain on this earth lasts forever. The only things that will last forever are God and His Word, your spirit and soul, and the virtues of faith, hope, and love. 

 Scripture says this: “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long.  Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever.  So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen.  For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” (2 Corinthians 4: 17-18)

 ---LIE: Your life is your own. You can do whatever you want with it.

 ---TRUTH:  Your life is not your own. It was bought and paid for by Jesus Christ with His Blood. Therefore, you have no right to take your own life. 

 Scripture says this: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”

---LIE: My family and friends will be better off without me.

 ---TRUTH: For every suicide, there will be 13-15 people who are directly affected and whose lives will never be the same. To kill oneself is an extreme act of selfishness
in that the person committing suicide is thinking only of herself.
Scripture says this: "Do nothing from selfishness . . . .” (Philippians 2: 3)

 Suicide is the third leading cause of death among teens. Most suicide victims were deeply depressed before killing themselves. Depressed people thing wrong thoughts that contradict God’s Word. Thinking wrong thoughts leads to chemical changes in the body that cause illness.

“Suicide is always the result of believing a lie--or more than one.” ~ Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

If you are struggling with the temptation to kill yourself, consider this:

 1-Jesus loves you and has a great plan for your life. Satan hates you and wants to thwart God’s great plan for you.

 2-You can overcome depression by reading and obeying God’s Word. When you are tempted to be depressed, begin praising God. Satan hates praise directed toward God, so when you praise God, Satan will flee.

 In our next post, I will discuss depression and how to get rid of it.

 Now, it’s YOUR TURN: Have you struggled with thoughts of suicide? Do you have a friend who struggles with such thoughts? Do you know of someone who has committed suicide? How did that person’s suicide affect you? Please post your comment in the box below. Thanks! :)

 TWEETABLE:
“Suicide is always the result of believing a lie--or more than one.” ~ Dr. MaryAnn Diorio (CLICK TO TWEET)

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Copyright 2016-2021 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved
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Friday, May 7, 2021

Does Your Life Matter?

Hey, Awesome Teen!

Here in the United States, there have been a lot of sayings going around regarding the value of one's life, sayings like "Black lives matter," and "Blue lives matter" (referring to police officers who usually dress in blue uniforms).  The missing word in these sayings is the word too or also.  What these sayings imply is that black lives matter also and blue lives matter also.

The truth is that EVERY LIFE MATTERS, including YOURS!




Unfortunately, the value of life has been diminished by Darwin's theory of evoluton, which, by the way, is only a theory.  In fact, the more and more we learn about science, the less and less does the theory of evolution hold water. The reason is that it is simply not true.

The truth is that you were created by God Who loves you and Who created you for a speciic purpose. The fact that God created you gives you value, and the fact that God created you with a specific purpose gives meaning to your life.

But how can you know what your purpose is? There is only one way: by accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. Why? Because your purpose is all wrapped up in Jesus. Until you discover Jesus, you will never discover your purpose.

So, when you wonder if your life matters, be assured that it does. And it matters greatly! God has placed you on this earth at this particular time in history because your purpose is directly related to His plan for this particular time in history.

Ask God to show you His purpose for your life. He will.  As you fulfill your purpose, you will experience great joy and you will benefit humanity at the same time.

NOTE: For a great book on discovering your life purpose, read THE SEARCH FOR SIGNIFICANCE by Robert McGee.  This book is available through my Amazon Affiliate Link.


NOW IT'S YOUR TURN: Have you discovered your life purpose? Why do you think it is important to discover your life purpose? 

TWEETABLE:
Does Your Life Matter? by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio (CLICK TO TWEET)
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Copyright 2016-2021 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved.

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