Soul Surfer Devotions - Softcover

Hamilton, Bethany

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1400317231 ISBN 13: 9781400317233

Verlag: HarperChristian Resources, 2011

Inhaltsangabe

She’s blonde, brave, and totally determined—she’s a gutsy professional surfer who has inspired millions, and her biggest audience is teenage girls. In this devotional, Bethany speaks straight to her soul sisters about letting God lead in the epic ride of life.

In this devotional, Bethany shares stories of women to admire, prayers to focus on, and wipeouts to avoid. Girls will hear thoughts on friends, family, faith, gossip, and peer pressure—Bethany covers it all.

In Soul Surfer Devotions, 13 to 18-year olds will find

• updated with new content
• a “Where Is She Now?” page
• journaling spots
• pictures from Bethany’s movie, Soul Surfer, starring AnnaSophia Robb, Helen Hunt, Dennis Quaid, and Carrie Underwood

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Bethany Hamilton is a source of inspiration to millions. In 2003, while surfing, she lost her left arm to a 14-foot tiger shark. With resilience and tenacity, Bethany returned to the water a month later, and within two years won her first national title. Her unbelievably positive attitude fascinated the world, resulting in an autobiography that was later adapted into the film Soul Surfer. Her courage and talent led to her induction into the Surfer’s Hall of Fame in 2017. Bethany and her husband, Adam Dirks, are also involved in charities such as Friends of Bethany, a foundation she and her family created to support amputees and youth. In addition, Bethany authored Body and Soul to encourage others toward confidence and fitness. Her new documentary Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable brings her passions together, showcasing her world-class surfing and love for life as well as her message of female empowerment and never giving up.

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SOUL SURFER DEVOTIONS

By BETHANY HAMILTON Ann Byle

Thomas Nelson

Copyright © 2011 Bethany Hamilton
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4003-1723-3

Chapter One

God Has a Plan!

I didn't plan on losing my left arm in a shark attack on October 31, 2003. I didn't plan on having to learn to surf all over again, and I certainly didn't plan on becoming famous. I never thought I'd write a book, or throw out the first pitch at a New York Yankees baseball game, or talk to people all over the world who have lost limbs in wars and accidents.

One thing I did plan on doing was whatever God wanted me to do. I wanted my plan to be his plan, no matter what. In fact, one of my favorite verses, Jeremiah 29:11, talks about the plans God has for those who follow him. God put his plan into action in my life in a dramatic way, yet I'm thrilled to have any opportunity to tell people about him because sometimes God uses us in small ways too.

Maybe you've had something happen in your life you didn't plan on: Your parents divorced or someone you loved died. Maybe you've gotten sick or injured or lost your home to a natural disaster such as a hurricane. Guess what? It's all part of God's plan, and he'll use you through it if you're willing.

Willingness means letting God's plan become your own, whether it's losing an arm in a shark attack or simply listening to his voice.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

Different Words, One Language

Surfers have their own language to describe the sport. For example, sketched out means being too scared to take off on a wave, grommet or grom is a young surfer, and tubed means riding deep inside the barrel of the wave. Skateboarders, stage actors, photographers, and computer whizzes have their own languages as well.

Christians have a special language too. Sure, we may use different words in our worship services or sing to different music. We use different translations of the Bible and may even worship at different times of the day. But our common language is our love for Jesus.

The Bible says that people will know we are followers of God by our love for one another. Sometimes we get so caught up in our daily lives and activities and what I need to do. We become self-centered, forgetting all about loving the people around us.

For you, this love might mean being nice to the girl who doesn't like you and talks behind your back, tolerating your younger brother or sister for a night so your parents can go on a date, handing out food and blankets at a homeless shelter, or befriending a person at school who has no friends. Some ways that I like to show love for others include encouraging people who have lost limbs, giving money to support missionaries, and talking to people about Jesus. What can you do to turn your religion into the language called love?

"All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other." (John 13:35)

The Big "What If"

It might be easy to ask myself, "What if I hadn't gone surfing that Halloween morning?" Or, "What if I had been too scared to surf again?" The problem with these questions is that they keep me from asking the more important question, which is, "What does God want me to do?"

You probably do it too: "What if I hadn't gone to that party and had those beers?" "What if I hadn't made that nasty comment to my friend?" "What if I hadn't skipped church to go to the mall?" Or, "What if I had just spent time reading the Bible instead of sleeping in?"

It's easy to get caught up in those "what if" questions. It's easy to spend so much time in the past, beating yourself up over some bad decisions, that you forget that God has work for you to do. He put you where you are, he forgives you, and he has a plan for you. God tells us to put our faith in him into action (James 2:17). For me it means doing what God created me to do and love—surfing, using the opportunities God has given me to talk about him, helping others, and learning more about God and his plan for me.

If "what if" questions are stopping you, ask for God's help in putting them behind you. Then grab hold of your faith, and get busy!

Just as a person's body that does not have a spirit is dead, so faith that does nothing is dead! (James 2:26)

Decisions, Decisions

Are you good at making decisions? While you're a teenager, you have to make some of your first important ones—about your faith, your morals, your college plans. It can mean a lot of pressure for someone whose biggest decisions, up until a few years ago, centered around which pizza toppings to order.

So how do we make sure that our choices are the right ones? The most important way is to seek God's wisdom and direction. You can do that through prayer and studying the Bible. Another good thing to do is get as much information as you can. If you've got college questions, research schools and careers yourself, and don't be afraid to pick the brains of your guidance counselors and parents. Faith questions? First, search for the answers within your Bible. You can also get answers from a leader at your church or, again, your parents. Trusted adults have a lot of wisdom to offer.

Most importantly, don't forget to take your choices to God. He wants to hear you, and he wants to help. And he always makes the right decision.

"Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord. (Isaiah 1:18 NKJV)

Freedom

Got any bad habits you'd like to be free of? Like biting your nails, whining, or chewing on your hair? I have a bad habit of not looking people in the eye when I talk to them. I also leave stuff all over the floor of my bedroom, which makes me frustrated living in a messy bedroom. But it feels great when I pick up my room. And I'm a lot happier when I can actually find things.

Bad habits can be annoying, that's for sure. The worse the habit, the more it controls us. But isn't it great to be free of bad habits—when you stop chewing your hair or overeating or saying "like" all the time?

It also feels great to be free from sin. Just as you can break a bad habit, you can break the habit of sin. You can stop letting it control you by turning that sin over to Jesus. Jesus died to clear away our sinful hearts, to clean up the habit of sin we all are born with. It's not like you are never going to sin again; it's that sin doesn't control your life anymore.

Just as that messy bedroom habit has controlled me, sin controls all of us. Jesus, however, gives us freedom from a sinful heart. What a great habit to break!

We know that our old life died with Christ on the cross so that our sinful selves would have no power over us and we would not be slaves to sin. Anyone who has died is made free from sin's control. (Romans 6:6–7)

No Worries!

Have you ever seen Simba, Timon, and Pumba singing "Hakuna Matata" in The Lion King? Simba liked the idea of never having to worry about anything ever again. This seemed great after he thought he'd killed his dad, then abandoned his family and friends.

I'm sure you have worries and fears too. I know I do. I worry that I won't do well in a surfing contest or that I'll get hurt. I worry about my family and about my friends making bad choices. Maybe you worry about whether your outfit looks stupid, failing an...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: HarperChristian Resources
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2011
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 1400317231
• ISBN 13: 9781400317233
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 238
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Thomas Nelson; https://www.thomasnelson.com/about-us/; ; Damson Lane; Hull; East Yorkshire; HU8 7DS; Vereinigtes Königreich
• Verantwortliche Person: Reckitt Benckiser Deutschland GmbH; consumerhealth_de@reckitt.com; ; Darwinstrasse 2-4; Heidelberg; 69115; Deutschland