Check yourself before you wreck yourself.

So.
It's been forever since I've written anything on this blog.
A lot has happened since May.. a lot.
To summarize everything, I was in Houston all summer and I enjoyed every minute of it. I would go back in a heartbeat. Everything was just so different there and it was just refreshing to be in a new place and talk to people from different cultures and backgrounds. I have fallen in love with reaching out to children, especially.
Another thing, I have moved into my new "home" away from home... college, that is.
I am really enjoying it all so far. My classes are pretty cool and I am learning a whole lot. There's nothing better than going to a Christian University where Christ is the center focus. One of my favorite things is going into the Rot (Dining Hall) and seeing the students pray before they eat. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but how many college campuses have you gone to and seen students in prayer before eating, or reading their Bible on the benches outside of classrooms? It's fantastic.

There's a passage of scripture in the Bible that's been on my heart for a couple weeks now and I thought I should share it with whoever is reading this...
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." - Philippians 2:3,5

Wow. Is this not convicting or what? These verses definitely knocked me off of my selfish little throne, for sure! Sometimes we get so wrapped up in ourselves that we forget Who we belong to and what our purpose is. Maybe we think of ourselves before others, and making sure we get our way.. and we completely ignore what God wants for us. Another thing that stands out in these verses is conceit. Ouch. How many times have I thought that I was better than someone? How many times did I put my opinion first? Many times, I'm sure. Our dirty, rotten flesh is selfish and wants to put itself before anything else, and wants all the glory and power. As Christ followers, we should not strive for power. In fact, John 3:30 says, "He must increase, but I must decrease." Jesus has the power, we do not. If our goal is to have power or control over someone, or a situation, it's most likely not God's will. Hello? Satan has been fighting for power ever since the beginning. How does he try to get power? Through our pride and selfishness. If we're always thinking of ourselves before everything else we end up knocking God out of the picture. Don't help Satan out, guys. We are not better than anyone, so we should not think that way. Actually, these verses explain that we should humble ourselves and put others above us. Satan doesn't think this way. Satan wants us to think of ourselves first. He wants us to think that we should be put first, before anything or anyone. Our culture encourages this. Our attitude is one of our biggest witnesses in this world. If we gossip about someone at school, at work, or even in church, are we showing an attitude of Christ? Lies, slander, backbiting and hatred. I don't remember reading about Jesus teaching his disciples this. You're lost friends, co-workers, neighbors and family members are watching you. Are you reflecting Christ's attitude or are you convincing others with your actions that Christians are a bunch of hypocrites? Take it seriously.
Come on, Christians. We have got to do a better job at showing the love of Christ. Stop blending into the world. Jesus wants us to rise up and stand out. We can't reach anyone for Jesus when we're too busy hurting others or living a life that isn't pleasing to God. So next time you gossip about that person, or look down on that stranger in the back pew, think of Jesus, drenched in his own blood.. shedding his tears for you. He knows you're better than that. So tell Satan to hit the road, and let's reach this world for Jesus Christ.



Jesus commanded us to drop everything, lose all we have, and follow Him.
The question is, are you going to be an obedient loser for Jesus?

Do the right thing...wake up...and... LET'S GET IT!

That's all for today.

Wait.

What a week.
I thought I was going to have a lot to say in this blog, but now I don't know what to write. We'll see how this goes.

I've been preparing myself for graduation, and also for Texas. I know that God has great plans awaiting for me, and I am anxious to get there and see His hand at work. I know I will be meeting some amazing people this summer who share my passion for missions. It's going to be a great summer.
And.... graduation is getting sooner. It's pretty insane. The other day I found myself thinking about how I couldn't wait for this day to come, even when I was little, I'd always look at the older ones who were in high school and think, I can't wait to be old. Sounds pretty lame, but now here I am, getting older and I'm like, whoa. It seems like 17 years of my life just went by so fast.
I seem repetitive. 

I'll write more later...

He's strong enough..

I'm a failure. I'm not doing very well at updating...

It's been pretty hectic around here the past few weeks or so. I spent the week after Easter in West Virginia and had a great time, getting to know a lot of wonderful people better. God is really working up in those hills, and I am so thankful that I was able to be a part of it for the second year in a row.
Also....
My graduation is coming up very soon!! I am super excited to be a high school graduate! I will be graduating on June 5th, and leaving on June 7th for Texas! I can't wait to meet everyone there and do different mission work there for the summer. I know God's going to use me and everyone else in a great way, and I am anxious to see what will happen. I will try to keep everyone posted during the summer about what God is doing and such..

I was able to go to a Tenth Avenue North and Casting Crowns concert a few weeks ago, and I had a really great time. Tenth Avenue North is one of my new favorite bands. They are so down to earth and Godly men, and I enjoyed getting to meet them, as well as Caleb and Will Chapman. Mike, the lead singer of TAN, is probably my favorite because he has such a great heart and he is a very sweet guy. I hope that one day I'll meet a guy like him. He also has a great voice... that's pretty sweet. I could listen to him talk for hours....
Anyway...

For some reason, I cannot comment on anyone's blogs, or see any of my followers, or anyone's followers for that matter. I'm not sure if it's just me, or what... But it's kind of annoying. If anyone knows how to fix this problem, please let me know. I'd like to be able to comment again. Thanks.

Live Out Loud

Wow. I cannot believe it's been over a month since I've updated. I haven't been too committed to this blog.  I do apologize.

Anyhoo..
I have been crazy busy since the beginning of this year. I've been trying to finish my senior year (woo hoo!), getting ready to take off to Texas this summer, and also getting ready for college. It's been pretty insane around here but I think I like it.

I have started a new event at church called Momentum. I had been praying about what I could do for awhile, and this idea kept coming to me. I finally decided to go for it and see where God would take it. Of course, you cannot do for God without the devil showing up. There are times where I get discouraged but I can't give up. I know that God is in this, and I have a passion for the youth at SBBC. Momentum is pretty much something I thought of for teens, such as myself, to come to without worrying about tradition, coming together, getting into God's word, uniting as a youth group and just having fun with each other. I really hope that this is something that will be able to grow and continue on. So far there has been a lot of positive feedback. I am really excited about it. God is going to do some great things. I just have to remember that it is not about me, it's about Jesus Christ. That is who I live for. As long as He is first in everything, I will not fall.

My best friend, Ashley showed me a few verses that have stuck with me.
               "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne. Think of all the hostility He endured from sinful people; then you won't become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin." - Hebrews 12:1-4


God has a plan for your life. It may get tough at times, you may think it's not worth it, you may feel alone, you might get discouraged, but don't give up. God's going to be with you through it all, and He's got a purpose for everything.
 

Wake The Dead

Happy New Year!
So far this year has gone pretty well, there are some exciting events to come this year and I look forward to them. I was able to ring in the new year at Liberty with Skillet, which was pretty awesome I must say. The lead singer spoke before the countdown and gave me something to think about before the clock struck midnight. He was talking about how if he took God out of his music, he would sell more records and be more popular and he had a choice to make. Was he going to follow the world or was he going to stick with God no matter what the cost? He asked a good question. For the last 20 seconds of 2009,  I thought about what side I was going to be on. Was I going to be on the world's side and take God out of my life to raise myself higher, or was I going to be on God's side and fight for him, even if that left me on the bottom. You can't have both. You have to choose.

Whose side are you on?