Choosing Is a Choice: A Book About God-Given Choice

By Jalissia Tiektion

Have you ever wondered if God doesnt really care about the ninety-nine sheep that stayed? Do you ever think that getting in trouble will give you recognition and love when you return?

Choosing Is a Choice is about Christian teens making choices once they are beginning to emerge from under their parents influence. This book takes them through a journey, with a youth group or by themselves, as they read stories about how Jill Tiektion makes decisions that bring her closer to God, and how her life was impacted by the numerous bad decisions that others made around her.

Teens will find adventure is not only for the ones being rescued from the wrongs they have committed. Life is challenging and exciting without experiencing the bad decisions that others have made. Discover the effects words and lies have on decisions, teens making convictions for themselves, and the need to know what God thinks about them while they discover the truth that every day, their choices are theirs alone.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jun 27, 2012
• ISBN: 9781449759483

Jalissia Tiektion

Jalissia Tiektion is an eighteen-year-old who is completely in love with God. Recently, God has inspired her to write Bible studies. Her passion for youth collided with her passion for writing in this book. In the last year, she completed this book while helping with a children’s home in Kenya, Africa. She hopes her books will be able to help youth around the world.

Book preview

CHOOSING 

IS A CHOICE

Jalissia Tiektion

logoBlackwTN.ai

Copyright © 2012 by Jalissia Tiektion.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

ISBN: 978-1-4497-5499-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-5948-3 (ebk)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012909852

WestBow Press books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

WestBow Press rev. date: 06/25/12

Contents

1.   Words

2.   Growing Lies

3.   Iron Sharpening Iron

4.   The Perfect Family

5.   Getting to Know Me

6.   Understanding Life

7.   Who is this God?

8.   Three in One

9.   Dice Si

10.   What is Wrong with me?

11.   My Life is Mine

12.   Submerged

13.   At the Goal

14.   Who Does It Affect?

15.   Where do I Go from here?

Dedicated to Tristan James White, (1994-2012):

To a brother in Christ that ran the race despite all obstacles

who now lives in heaven with Jesus his cozy blanket.

Chapter 1

Words

Jill ran from the house. She let her braids flap against her back as she made her way over to her tricycle in the front yard. The little 8 years old hopped on top of it like she was mounting a horse. The excitement of moving in the fresh air made her anxious to play. She began to imagine her favorite characters that appeared in her mind every time she needed them. Jenna was the main character and seemed to be in the center of all the action Jill could come up with.

Jill began to scheme where her characters would go and what was happening. Immediately, she was deep into the game she was playing. Her mind swirled with one action scene after another. She moved around the yard and down the street as the excitement continued. All of a sudden, Jenna was caught. Jenna hung by her hands as Ann (Jenna’s archenemy) walked around the room. Ann stared at Jenna intensely. Her mind fixed on her next move.

Oh, I probably should go home. Jill turned her tricycle around realizing how far from the house she was and headed back. Jenna was still clinging in the back of her mind, but Jill didn’t have an ending for the story. Jill knew Jenna would get away, but how? Maybe Giver should come and save her or her side-kick, or maybe Jenna’s whole gang would rush in. Jill dropped her pink tricycle in the yard and headed into the house. She walked in and looked around the living room than walked past the dining room table where her mother was laying her head on the table asleep and back to her bedroom. Her sister, Bella, and brother, Jacob, were playing in her room that she shared with Bella. What are you playing? Jill asked.

Don’t step there! You’re ruining our game! Bella yelled. Get out!

What’s going on? Their mother came in.

Jill is messing up our game. Jacob said.

This is Jill’s room too, and Jacob, you’re supposed to be doing your math. Mother said.

I can’t figure it out. Jacob muttered staring at his toys.

Well, let’s go look at it. Mother sighed realizing none of her children did their work while she was asleep.

I can’t get it. Jacob complained. Jill climbed onto her bed as the fight began.

Let’s just go look at it. Mother insisted.

I can’t learn that stupid stuff. Jacob growled.

Don’t say stupid. Mother was now irritated. Jill tried to drowned out the argument by coloring in a coloring book. She felt a strange feeling that she felt often when they fought, but could never describe it. Mother was now crying, so Jacob gave in and went to do school work with Mother. Bella stood up angrily.

Why did you have to come in and wake up Mother!? We were playing a game! Why do you ruin everything! Bella said loud enough to scare Jill, but not loud enough for Mother to hear. Jill had tears in her eye as she ran outside and climbed King Tree that was in the yard.

What’s wrong? King tree asked. He was the largest tree in the yard and had the best climbing branches.

Bella is being mean again, because I ruined her and Jacob’s game. Jill sighed seemingly victimized as she climbed higher. Jill was desperate for sympathy.

Maybe, you shouldn’t talk so loud and Mother wouldn’t have woken up, Queen tree rebuked looking up at Jill. She was a tree that had fallen years before or that is what she had told Jill. Her body laid on the ground for about four feet then she grew straight up, like she was in a sitting position. You know you talk too loud.

Ya, Bella always yells at me for that. Jill responded moving higher in the tree feeling aggravated at Bella as well as herself. She could feel the wind blow her and the tree moved.

"Don’t listen to her! The aspens yelled letting Jill feel more justified in her feelings. You are not to blame." The aspens and the pines never agreed.

Be quiet. Queen tree said to the aspens. I know what I am saying.

You think you’re so powerful, because you are a queen. The aspens said spitefully.

Stop it! King tree ordered. The aspens hesitated. They were not sure if they wanted to argue with King Tree. Jill sat quietly again and calmed herself by returning to Jenna. She was now out of the dungeon and back with the rest of Jenna’s gang. Jill had Jenna going to Bible study with her gang. They were planning another way to share about Jesus, but they knew Ann and her gang would try to stop them. Jill dashed down from King Tree’s branches as she pretended Jenna had to get to her horse (which was her little pink tricycle in the middle of the yard). As she reached the ground Dad walked up to her.

Jill, don’t you dare climb that high in that tree again or I’ll cut off the bottom branches. He threatened.

But you can’t cut the bottom branches. Jill thought about him cutting on King Tree and she felt like he was threatening to cut off her own arm.

Then don’t climb so high. Dad said.

But then the wind can’t blow me. Jill complained. Dad walked away without another word. Jill felt upset as she looked at King Tree. She sat in the middle of the yard and started playing with the dirt. She built a Teepee out of pine needles as she thought about the injustices of Dad’s idea of cutting up King Tree. It was just like the time he said she was never allowed on the top bunk of the bunk bed. That had happened in their other house.

It was when Bella was leading them on an expedition, and they had gone down stairs to their room and Bella had climbed to the top bunk and jumped. Jacob had followed then Jill. Jill had completed the jump successfully and tried to run after her siblings when she tripped and hit her head. She started to cry. Dad had come in and asked what happened. Jill proceeded to explain that when she jumped off the top bunk-but Dad had stopped her there and said she could not go on the top bunk because she fell from it. Jill tried to explain through angry tears, but could not convince Dad of any other reason why she was hurt.

This time was no different. He didn’t let her explain that King Tree wasn’t just a tree, he was her friend, and Dad was threatening