Golden Spirit

Carmen Browne, Book 3

By: Stephanie Perry Moore

Narrated by: Deborah Raell

Third in the Carmen Browne Series, Golden Spirit finds Carmen meeting new challenges and facing serious issues such as domestic violence, and her own tendency toward bossiness. This series focuses on issues faced by many preteen girls and teaches inspiring lessons about dealing with gossip, self-esteem, and body image.

©2006 Stephanie Perry Moore (P)2011 christianaudio.com

a few christian thoughts

a question was brought up by carmen to ehr mother. i forget if she directly asked this or if it was left to figure this was the specific question. anyway carmen wanted to know if since she talks to god all the time isnt she already a christian. i just wanted to say that its great to believe in god. talking to god is even better. but is it praying. her mother said you can talk to god whenever and however many times carmen wanted to. her mother also said she was proud of her daughters belief and relationship with god. but what i want to say is you dont have to start your conversations with god as "dear god such and such and so forth" if you do adress god in that way then it is clearly praying. i talk to god all the time, but rarely ever actually pray unless maybe once a month and thats because i cant sleep or am just super worried about something. i talk to god about everything because im lonely and have no friends. he is my best friend if i do say so myself. when i was kid i talked to him so much there wasnt a thing i didnt tell god about sort of like writing in a journal. i eventually did write in a journal and still thought it was like talking to god because i imagined him with me when i was writing. so he knew my thoughts. knowing my thoughts is actually in the bible.
i love that she finally became a christian for real even though we all thought she already was in the previous books. i guess going to church ehr whole life can make her such a good person with such great beliefs in god and relationship and all that its easy to assume she already was "Saved". i myself was raised to go to church every sunday no matter what. so ic an relate to her questions about being saved and already being a christian.
the whole being baptized to make an announcement to the world that she was saved was a bit different that the way i was told. she made it seem like it was a requirement. i was raised to believe it was a statement to the world if you wanted the world to know you were a christian and that it would hopefully be so much of a statement that others would want to be saved too. ok so yes i got saved when i was 12.
my saved story isnt as spectacular as hers was. i was listening to the christian radio because it was the only station we were allowed to listen to. i stayed up late a lot wanting to make sure i heard all the programs every day any chance i could get. i loved peoples testimonys in person or on the radio or on tv because they were just so interesting like reading a book about someones biography. i always wanted to know how bad one person could be even though none of their stories were ever as bad as my own i still found it my only way to learn about what really happens in the real world that you arent allowed to read or watch on tv. it like i didnt know at the end they were going to change and get saved. it was a surprise every time and i loved that happy ending the most of all.
so as i was putting away clothes in my closet i heard words like i hadnt heard before even though i heard them a million times before. "if you want be saved then repeat after me". is that all it takes. be sincere and the answer is yes. i jumped and squeeled yes! i stopped what i was doing so i could really listen. i repeated the words in prayer and i was saved.
2 years later when my brother was 12 he figured it was his turn too. a part ofme was mad he was trying to copycate me. we were sort of like twins because we were our own best friends to each other and always took care of each other. i didnt need a real friend. i had my brother. i didnt feel qualified though to really advice him in such a big event for him so i doubted myself and told him to go ask mom and dad. next thing i know he is saved too .
also i want to say that the friend carmen had a problem with who was being mean during her time of sadness was explained by the circumstances but carmen seemd to think that because she was now saved her own attitude would change and didnt understand why she was still getting so upset at her friend. you cant change personalities you can only ask god to help you along the way to not be so much like a certain way. i mean i am an adult and i still talk to god like he is my only friend and tell him every single thing that happens to me. attitudes are a part of personalities. so yes attitudes can change as you live and learn and grow through life but you are still who and how you are. if a mean person were suddenly a nice person would be like they removed their arm or leg or hand or something. carmen chose to talk to her mom or the friends dad about the attitudes of her and her one friend and thats ok because she is a child and needs help figuring things out until she is an adult and just has to learn to deal. but for those times in between learning and growing there is god and prayer always.