More

"When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined." ~Acts 18:20

This verse is talking about the Jews wanting Paul to spend more time with them, but I can apply it to my own circumstance to God asking me to spend more time with him and me not doing it.

With the school year back in full-swing and our new pastor getting settled into our church community, we are going to start a new Wednesday night program at our church. It is going to be called More. It used to just be for children and be called Rainbow Junction, then Wednesday Night Live, but our new pastor made it something more. Now it is for everyone. Babies to elders, all of us will get to have more of God on Wednesday nights, which I'm really excited about!

I really enjoy all my classes this year (besides English), but sometimes it's hard to find time for more. My schedule is pretty full with classes starting at 7:45 and going to 3:00, then cross country until 5:00, then one or two hours of homework. By that time, I feel like I've done so much, all I should do is relax and go on Instagram or text friends. I'm starting to see that doing that just drains me and wastes time.

What I need to do is replace those things with God. I need more of Him. I will never have enough of Him. I still make time to read my Bible every day. It's usually not too long, unless I barely have any homework, but the time is there. But sometimes I'm not in the right mindset. I might have just finished homework and my brain is dead while trying to learn from God's word. Or, I'll be reading and find my mind wandering to all the things I still have to do. Or it's just so late at night that I almost fall asleep reading. I feel awful when that happens. It's like, "Sorry God! I didn't leave enough time for you today. Even though you spent all day taking care of me, making sure I woke up this morning, and keeping me safe, and providing for all my needs. Sorry I didn't have more than 10 minutes for you. Woops." Ugh. I hate it when I do that, and it's something that I'm really trying to work on. I definitely have God as the number one priority in my mind, I just need to really apply it to my life. I need MORE time with Him. I need to get to know him MORE. I want MORE of You, God.

My new coffee mug and Bible from this morning's time with God!

I love Sundays because I have a few hours set to spend time with God. And now Wednesdays will be the same. I want it to be like that everyday. God should get all my time. Not 10 or 20 minutes of my day when I'm distracted or tired. I am really going to pray that God gives me an eager heart to want to read my Bible and spend more time with Him everyday! I hope that you try spending more time with God everyday also!

"Set a fire down in my soul, that I can't contain and I can't control.
I want more of You God, I want more of You, God."
     -Set A Fire by Jesus Culture

Letting Go of the Baggage

"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." ~Ephesians 2:10

God has a ton in store for our lives. He has great things waiting for you to accomplish. I know I can't wait to see what he does with my life in the future. This verse in Ephesians just reminds me how much is in store.

Before we were even born, God knew what he wanted us to do.

God planted a seed in our heart, to grow whenever we are ready for it.

To be ready to do work for God's kingdom means we have to be willing to give absolutely everything we have to God. Including all the baggage that we have carried with us for months or years.

Yesterday, I read a devotion about this, and today our pastor preached about Acts 9:1-19, so I felt the need to share my thoughts about it. It's the story of Saul/Paul starting his new life in Christ. Saul had been a persecutor of Christians. He was a Jew and grew up thinking it was his duty to get rid of Christians. That's just how he was raised. He was pursuing the Christians out of Jerusalem all the way to Damascus, which was 150 miles from Jerusalem! He really wanted the Christians dead.  As he neared Damascus, he fell to the ground as Jesus spoke to him, and he told him to go to the city. When Saul got up, he was blind for three days. He didn't eat or drink. Then the Lord spoke to a disciple named Ananias and told him to go to Saul (who was praying at the time) and place his hands on him.

I wish I had seen Ananias' reaction to that command from God. Ananias knew Saul's reputation. He knew that Saul hated Christians and wanted them dead. Saul's name had a lot of baggage attached to it. If I were Ananias, I would've argued with God for quite a while before stepping foot in that house. God told Ananias that Saul is his "chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel." Ananias knew how much baggage Saul had, but obeyed the Lord and went and placed his hands on Saul. Saul was given back his sight, baptized, and regained his strength.

Then, as the rest of the New Testament goes to show, Saul changes his name to Paul and spends the rest of his life spreading the gospel and teaching others about Christianity. He completely changed. He let go of all the baggage that was weighing him down. Imagine how bad he must have felt when he experienced Jesus for the first time, after murdering Christians. He hadn't just been murdering random people, he had been murdering Jesus, who was in those people. But you know what? God used him anyway. God had him become one of the most important missionaries ever lived, reaching so many people and being an example of Christ.

This story teaches us that God can use you, no matter what you have done. No matter what circumstances you have gone through. I know I have messed up so many times, but I know that if I confess to God and let it go, he will use me in miraculous ways to spread his word. Your past will never disqualify you from God using you.

So what are some things that you have been holding on to from your past? Do you not talk to a sibling or parent? Do you still have a grudge against a mean kid from high school? Do you maybe, just maybe have a grudge against God for something unspoken?

I know it is hard to let go of the anger, hurt, resentment, jealousy, and devastation, but following God is so much more fulfilling that holding on to all those feelings. So just give whatever you have to God, and he will use you in amazing ways! I'm praying for you, that you may let go of whatever is weighing you down, so God can use you in incredible ways!

The Ignored Sin of Gossip

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." ~Ephesians 4:29
 

 Gossip is awful.

That's all I can say about it. Gosh, it tears people apart. I just hate it, and I can't stand listening to it. And I hate myself when I catch myself joining in on the gossip. And when I don't stop it, which is what happened most recently.

Gossip is the #1 sin that people completely ignore. It catches every single person. Even if you don't instigate the gossip, almost all of us will help fuel the fire. When someone says something shocking about someone, and you are like, "What?" and they tell it again, that is just as bad as starting it yourself.

It literally tears peoples lives apart. Just yesterday, my friend (I won't name any names) was sitting at lunch with all of us. My best friend Shelby and I sit at the same table as about 6 of our other friends, but don't usually talk to them during lunch. Anyways, my friend went upstairs to get her lunch. As soon as she left, the other girls started talking bad about her. I was in the middle of my own conversation, but I overheard them saying her name. I ignored it, frankly because I just didn't want to hear it, and kept talking to Shelby, when really I should have said something. I'm mad at myself for not doing something about it. Shelby and I had made a pact on the very first day of school last week to not gossip, and tell each other if we catch one of us accidently doing it. I think we now need to stop others from doing it as well.

Anyways, last night I had my Sweet 16 birthday party after a full first week of school! That's why I haven't been blogging as much as usual! Anyways, everyone was having a good time and playing volleyball and corn hole or talking. Then as the night went on, one big group of girls kept gossiping. I was playing ping pong inside, and came outside to check on that group. The first thing I hear when I sit down is them talking about other people and drama that had happened at school. I literally popped right back up out of my seat and returned to having fun inside.

Later, my friend that had gone to get her lunch, got told by someone else what they had said about her at lunch when she was gone. She was devastated, angry, disappointed, and it completely ruined her night. I tried comforting her and didn't have much luck. She told me she wanted to start a new life all over somewhere with new friends that wouldn't backstab her. I told her she could come to Nicaragua with me and we can get away from everyone. These were her friends, her best friends, who were talking about her at lunch! And she literally had done nothing wrong. I don't know if they were jealous of her boyfriend or just trying to make themselves look better, but they really hurt her. I'm not okay with that.

Another friend at my party who goes to a different school got talked about yesterday as well. She was having the worst day, and just wanted to go home and not be with anyone. I felt so bad, because again, she hadn't done anything! She just happened to get involved in a story and got hurt as well. She was miserable last night. Her mom came early to pick her up because she just didn't want to be there. I didn't blame her one bit for wanting to leave.

Another friend from my school got told some things about her boyfriend, which I didn't know about until this morning, and she was upset and stayed away from everyone for most of the night. I was wondering if something was wrong last night, but I had no idea that it involved stupid gossip as well. No one even knows what happened. They are just telling what others told them. And breaking people's hearts in the process.

Three cases of gossip ruining their trust in one day. Three teenage girls that don't deserve a single thing anyone ever said about them. Three beautiful young ladies that don't deserve to get their hearts broken. I really love all three of them, and I can't stand to see them hurting like this. So many have lost faith in God, and I can see why they feel that way. I know it is hard to trust God. When you don't feel like you can trust your best friends, I can see how it would be really hard to trust someone you can't actually see.

But God is there. They can trust him. You can trust him. Tell Him your secrets, not humans who have absolutely no business hearing them in the first place. But, God, he loves to hear your burdens. He will take that pain away from you if you let him. All we have to do is let go. Let go of the pain and hurt from getting talked about and backstabbed. If you are someone who gets gossiped about, I hope that you will see that God is there for you and you can trust him when you can't trust anyone else.

And if you are someone who gossips, which almost everyone is, I hope this hits you like it hit me. I hope that this makes you see the hurt it brings every single day. It's not just a teenage thing. The adults I know gossip a ton too. It doesn't have to be that way. Be the one to stand up for your friends, or even better, stand up for your enemies. At the very least, walk away. Go find some people you can trust and have the time of your life with them. I promise, they exist.

"The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few." ~Matthew 9:37
There are a whole lot of people out there who will be a decent friend. They are there to talk to you and gossip with you, but be careful, because when your back is turned, they just might gossip about you. But there are some people who will really work to have a strong friendship, work to build your trust, and work to keep it.


I pray that God will help you and I both to stand up for what is right. I pray that he will lead us away from gossip, and into the way everlasting. I pray that you don't take the easy path with most of the world; the path that leads to destruction. I pray that you find the narrow gate. It is what leads to life and life to the FULL.

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." ~Matthew 7:13-14

Are We Believing Or Doing?

"I used to think I could learn about Jesus by studying him, but now I know Jesus doesn't want stalkers." ~Bob Goff in Love Does, Chapter 29

After finishing the book Love Does last week, God layed Chapter 29 on my heart. I think He really made me think about it a lot because it's how I've lived most of my life. I have been a stalker... Oops. I never really thought of myself as a stalker before, until I read this chapter. It made me realize that all my life, I had been studying the Bible, learning more about God, memorizing The Apostles Creed and The Lord's Prayer, listening to sermons about God, and stalking him. A stalker is kind of like an obsessive fan. Like someone who learns every single thing they can find out about someone, in attempt to get to know them better. The problem with stalkers is that they don't actually know the person. They only know about the person. I never got to know Jesus until about a year ago. Sure, it's great to know all about Jesus' life and the rest of the Bible as well, but it is SO much more important to actually KNOW Jesus. To have a personal relationship with him! We don't need to study Jesus and the Bible to know the facts; we need to have a relationship!

One story Bob told in the book was that he used to attend a Bible study every Wednesday, but he just felt like he was getting nothing out of it. That's when he realized that all the Bible study was doing for him was helping him know more about the Bible. He said that he felt like he couldn't apply anything he learned to his life. So he and his friends started having a Bible Doing every Wednesday. They learned things from the Bible and discussed exactly how they could apply them and use them every day. They made the Bible more practical and applicable. They didn't want to just read the Bible and try to memorize the facts. They wanted to use it to carry out their life.

Jesus wants us to be participants, not just believers. What good is believing if we aren't doing. If we aren't constantly seeking to live out the gospel. We need to constantly try to show love, to be a friend, to exemplify the Fruits of the Spirit! I fail at this every single day. But it is something so important to the Christian faith! The least we can do is try to live out our faith. Because LOVE DOES.


So I challenge you, along with myself, to have a personal Bible Doing sometime this week. Read some scripture from the Bible, and think about some way to live it out. Living out scripture could mean many different things. It will be different for everyone. If you want, share what scripture you choose and how you lived it out in the comments. It doesn't need to be something remarkably big. Love is simple. It just does. As always, I'm praying for you and I hope you have a wonderful week!

~Heather

A Broken Hallelujah

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance." ~Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, 4.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." ~Matthew 5:4

My great uncle had been fighting lung cancer for months, and this morning he finally went to be with God. As sad as everyone is, it is such a blessing. He was in so much pain that he couldn't move, eat, or do anything. The past few days, he couldn't think or talk. He just slept and waited for God to come take him away.

When he first found out, it was already past treatment. I never heard him complain about it. The only thing he complained about was not being able to help out around the house. He used to take stuff to the dump, do yard work, drive places, and help at church, and he was no longer able to do these things. He was upset about that, but I never once heard him complain about the pain he was in, which had to be unbearable sometimes. He lived with his wife (my great aunt) right across the road from my grandma, so she helped them get everything done. My uncle kept slowly getting worse, then it became more rapid. He had to stay in the house because he needed so much assistance getting up. Hospice nurses had to start coming. My grandma told me that he kept the nurses there one day for about 3 hours talking about the Bible. I hope I will have that enthusiasm when I am dying. He was excited to go to heaven. He knew his pain would go away. I am so happy for him right now. He is pain free and rejoicing with the creator of the whole earth. My aunt had grown tired and weary from helping carry him around the house and taking care of him 24/7. It even took a toll on my grandma, because she was doing all their gardening and helping take care of him. I know that they are broken right now, and in so much sadness. But, I know that mourning is temporary. It draws us closer to God. He WILL bring joy. The pain will be eased. Their burdens have been lifted!

The song, "Better Than A Hallelujah," describes our situation very well.
"The woman holding on for life, the dying man giving up the fight are better than a hallelujah sometimes...
We pour out our miseries, God just hears a melody. Beautiful, the mess we are; the honest cries from breaking hearts are better than a hallelujah.."

My uncle was so excited to go and see Jesus face-to-face, and I can't wait for that moment in my life either. In my mind, it's just so hard to see death as a terrible thing when the person dying gets to go to heaven! In heaven, we will be healed and free. We will worship and praise. We will be reunited. I love him and I miss him, but I will see my uncle again soon.

"Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." ~Psalm 30:5

Work Hard, But Don't Forget To Be Still

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." -Colossians 3:23-24

Today, I got to start the governor school! I was very excited and a little nervous, since we didn't know the majority of people. It is usually going to be just in the morning, but we have an all day orientation this week since it is so different from regular high school.
Anyways, they were asking for academic and career goals, and I'm in the science and math program, but that's not at all what I want to go into in life. But God has helped me to realize that even though I can't take Christian classes in high school, I can excel at whatever classes I do take, to give him glory. Especially toward the end of last year, I was thinking, "Why am I taking all these hard classes that don't even relate to my future career?" And I realized that God wants me to try hard and excel. We should be working for him, like it says in Colossians. I have also realized that working for God means working with integrity, dedication, and honesty. And not working so hard at other stuff that you don't have time for him. Some nights I'll have too much homework to read my Bible or even think about praying, and that's not at all how it should be.



I thought this picture worked perfectly to show not to get so tied up in work,
that you don't have time for God!

If you have a stressful life, even if it feels completely full and you couldn't possibly have time for God, there has to be something you can lay aside. I decided not to take AP US History for this coming school year, because I knew there was way too much homework involved to allow enough time for God. Last year, I never got to go to our church on Wednesday night, but now with our new pastor and a new bible study starting, I really want to go every week! I definitely don't spend as much time with God as I want to. My biggest distraction in my computer!


Some practical things to lay aside and replace with quiet time with God:

• Checking Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram more than once a day- I understand the need to check them occasionally!
• Reading other books -read the Bible instead!
• Watching a movie (for the 24th time) - that's two hours of time you could have with God!
• Same goes for watching TV!
• Going out to eat - eating at home saves so much extra time (and money!)
• Lower priorities - God SHOULD be your #1 priority, therefore we should be able to let go of some others if that's what is necessary. If you are in a club at school or on a committee that takes up too much of your spare time, you can stop. You don't have to do it because it's the right thing to volunteer. If it is not allowing for time with God, it can go.

A few questions to maybe challenge you to change some things in your life:

1. Do you treat every project with high standards as if you are handing it in to God?
    If not, try working on those values of integrity and dedication.

2. Do you have enough time in your schedule to spend time with God, even on the busy days?
If not, really try to set aside a certain time every day to spend with God. Read a devotion in the morning, pray before meals, pray in the car, read your Bible while waiting on an appointment. I don't set aside time sometimes and that's when I don't "have time" to pray or read.

3. What can you change in your life to allow more time with God?

I am praying for you and I hope that you work for the Lord and save time for just Him!

~Heather

Do Not Conform to the World

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." -Romans 12:2



I have literally spend all summer with my youth group friends.
 I have been on two trips with them, grown in faith with them, and just talked to them about life. They encourage me and lift me up to the full potential God has for me. I love them as much as I love my real family. I got used to being with people who want to follow God's will as much as I do.

This picture is my youth group in Daytona Beach this summer at our youth conference!


Anyways, recently I hung out with teenagers that I hadn't seen in a while. A lot of them were friends with me in middle school before we broke into two different high schools. It was great getting to catch up with them and see what they've been doing. Later into the night though, it got real. I realized just how different normal, worldly teenagers are compared to teenagers who aren't willing to be like the world. HUGE DIFFERENCE! We played "Never Have I Ever" and I wish I would've remembered this verse then: "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." -1 Corinthians 6:19-20.

It literally tears me apart seeing people that I care about making such bad decisions. I'm not saying me and my church friends don't make mistakes, but we have repented and really tried to turn from sin. We are still going to sin when we slip up because all fall short of the glory of God, but there are sins that you can easily turn away from. Having sex before marriage, getting drunk underage, doing drugs. These are teenagers doing this. And I know there are plenty of adults too. People need to hear about Jesus, y'all. He can and WILL change your life and make you despise those sins if you let him. He did it to me. I used to think that sounded cool to do when I got older, because that's what this corrupt world we live in tells you. The message to do these things is everywhere. At school, at work, at parties, even in your own home on your TV and internet. You get to choose whether or not you let it take control of your life.

Here's where it gets worse. The people that do these things, all they can do is laugh about it. They don't feel bad about it. It's too normal. They get caught, and they laugh. They get drunk; oh, what a funny story to tell their friends. They get rumors spread about them because they hooked up with someone, and laugh while telling everyone. (I'm not saying the people I was with did all these things!) But, I can't imagine the shame that comes along with these things on the inside. I know they felt awful about everything they've done at some point. And now, to mask the hurt, they make it a funny, embarrassing story.

We can't expect non-Christians to act like Christians - they don't have the same morals. Here's where our job as Christians comes in. We need to reach out to them. We need to show the light of Christ that we have in us. People recognize it. I get asked why I'm so positive most of the time. It's not because I'm happy. Happiness is temporary. Anything can ruin happiness in a second. It's because I have everlasting joy. We need to share that joy in tangible ways with these people. If they see it, they will want it too. Because I promise you, they might be happy at that party drinking, but I don't think they are going to feel so happy in the morning or once everyone finds out.

There's a song that we sang in Nicaragua with the children that I had heard as a child as well.
It goes...
I've got that joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart...
Or in Spanish...
Yo tengo gozo, gozo, gozo, gozo en mi corazon...
Look it up and sing it. It'll be in your head the rest of the day!

"May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." -Romans 15:13

He Gives Me Strength

"I can do everything through him who gives me strength." -Philippians 4:13

The strength that God can give us when we choose to accept it is unbelievable. God can supply you with so much strength that you didn't know even existed.

I was running a 5K a few weeks ago, and about halfway through the race, after everyone had settled into a steady pace, a spectator told me I was the fifth girl. There were three girls 100-200 yards in front of me and one I couldn't even see. I was like, "I need to pass at least one of them; that'll be good enough." But I couldn't go any faster on my own. Whenever that happens, I always start to talk to God and recite Bible verses in my head. I repeated, "I can do everything through him who gives me strength. God, please help me pass at least one of them. Give me some extra strength." I kept asking him, and I picked up my speed. I passed one girl and said good job. A minute or two later, I passed another. With about a minute or two to the finish line, I went even faster and passed the third and said good job! I ended up getting second female in the race! We congratulated each other after the race on a job well done. I would've gotten fifth if it weren't for God's strength. God has blessed me with a passion for running, and I need to glorify him when I race.

Now, this is one of the most popular verses in the Bible, because it sounds like such a great thing! However, it is sometimes taken out of context and used saying that you can do anything you want and God will support it, and sometimes things that don't glorify God. That's when it becomes troublesome because people say it over and over without reading any of the surrounding text. People wonder why they don't achieve everything they want to... it says you can do everything right? But, not if it's not in the right mindset. I fully believe that God will let you achieve your highest dreams, as long as they can in some way glorify him. If you give your entire life, every little part of it to God, he's going to let you continue your passions. Giving your life to him doesn't mean you have to stop doing what you love, like playing a sport or instrument or art. Giving your life to him doesn't mean you have to become a pastor or missionary. God wants you to excel to the highest abilities in the gifts he has given you. Put lots of energy into whatever passion he's given you. God wants you to bloom in your passion, as long as you do it in the name of the Lord Jesus. Be courteous in competition, help others improve, show love in everything you do. 

Going back to the bible context of Philippians 4:13, Paul was in Roman prison when he wrote this letter. He had faced countless hardships in sharing the Gospel throughout his life. He had shared the story of Jesus with so many, and his life was coming to an end. He was sharing his last bit of wisdom with the people. Philippians 4:12 says, "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength."  Paul had surrendered his life to God and was fulfilling God's call for his life. He was trying to glorify God in everything he did, and therefore, even when he had nothing, God gave him strength. God gave him strength that most likely saved his life. He gave him strength and hope to carry on in his tiring journey.

I want to be like Paul. I want to work so hard spreading the gospel that I have to rely fully on God to give me the strength I need to carry on.

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." -Isaiah 41:10

I'm praying for you all to rely on God's strength.  -Heather

Difference Maker

"People who really want to make a difference in the world usually do it, in one way or another. And I've noticed something about people who make a difference in the world: They hold the unshakable conviction that individuals are extremely important, that every life matters." - Katie Davis

So, I recently finished the book Kisses From Katie, and I can honestly say that it is the best and most life-changing book I have ever read. It took me months to actually finish it, because I didn't want it to end. It helped to confirm that God is calling me into missions. It also taught me that you have to experience the poverty first-hand to truly get it. I had started the book before I left for Nicaragua, and I felt sad for the people Katie was helping in Uganda, and I knew someone needed to do something. But when I returned from Nicaragua and read more, I was heartbroken. I could understand the pain the Ugandans were going through because I had seen the same pain in Nicaragua. Then I knew I was someone and I could do something about it. Wherever God sends me, I am ready to go. I am willing to leave behind the luxurious life of America. I might not be ready to let go of Chick-fil-A and Starbucks, but I AM ready to spread the gospel.

Unfortunately, even if I am ready, I am a junior in high school, so I can't really go to a foreign country for the long-term. However, what God has recently been really trying to get me to understand is that everywhere is a missions field. I don't have to go to a different country to share the hope of Jesus. I can do it in school, in my neighborhood, in my community, and in my own house. I am bad about even showing my parents how grateful I am for all they've given me. I could do SO much more to help out around the house and show my thanks.



Here is a picture of Shelby and me with all of our bagged up cookies! 

Last week, God gave me the idea to take cookies to my neighbors. I was thinking, "Okay God, this is gonna be awkward considering I haven't seen some of them since Halloween 3 or 4 years ago.. But I love making cookies, so I'll do it!" So my friend Shelby came over and we spent three hours baking a double batch of chocolate chip cookies in my kitchen! We made over 100 cookies and bagged up 10 plates of them. Later, we took them to the neighbors, and for the ones that weren't home, we left a sticky note on them and put them in their mailbox. For some reason, I knew in my head that someone was going to invite us in to talk and sure enough, someone did! Mr. and Mrs. Cleveland invited us in, and we caught up and talked about life for at least 30 minutes! It was great getting to talk to someone that we hadn't seen in a few years. Mrs. Cleveland had both her knees replaced a month before, so she had been stuck in the house, so she really appreciated our company. A lot of our neighbors weren't home, but a few days later, I received three thank you notes in the mail. They were so sweet and touching! I really feel like we made an impact, just on our street! One couple said that they had been watching the news and remarked that the whole world seems to be at odds, and after opening the door and finding the cookies, it showed them that there is still a lot of goodness in people. It makes me so happy to be doing work for God's Kingdom and for His glory!

We don't need to try to change the whole world, because that just can't happen. But, like Katie Davis said, every single person matters. "If one person sees the love of Christ in me, it is worth it every minute. In fact, it is worth spending my life for." I challenge you along with myself to show Jesus' love in some way this week. School is starting next week for me, and I'm challenging myself to really be the hands and feet of Jesus every day. All it takes is a simple act of kindness, like a compliment or an invitation to hang out. I pray that whoever reads this takes on this simple challenge of love.

My Testimony

Hello! So, I have never had a blog before.. But, I'm very excited about this! I will start by sharing my testimony, because it's my very important journey of how I got to where I am today. 

I have lived in a pretty small city in Virginia in the same home my whole life, and I have been raised by Christian parents in the same church since I was two. My parents and my grandma (Mamaw) blessed me beyond belief and I am now so grateful for them.  As a child, I went to Wednesday night children's choir (when I wasn't going through my shy periods), I attended Vacation Bible School every summer, and read scripture or prayers when I was asked to. I played hand bells sometimes, colored pictures during the sermon like most kids do, and I went to youth group and Sunday school weekly.  BUT, I never knew Jesus. This kind of proves that going to church doesn't make you a Christian.  It's the relationship with your Savior that matters.  No one had ever bothered to tell me that. I could tell you some random facts about the Bible and the church service, but could I tell you about my amazing relationship I have with my Father? Not a chance.

During my late elementary school years, we had a great youth leader, Mrs. Clarese. Unfortunately, she left before I really got to know her. Then we had a nice lady for my 6th grade year, but she left. Then a man named Dan came and I went on my first week-long mission trip with him.  I really liked it and it made me feel closer to God, but the feelings soon faded away and he left. We had a few fill-in helpers until we could find a new youth leader. I just continued learning but not applying it to my life. Our pastor at the time was an older man, and I did try to pay attention, but nothing he said ever spoke to me or kept me interested. Tara was a young adult that worked with us sometimes, and she had a Girls Group every Thursday where we talked and learned about faith, and that was fun and beneficial to my spiritual growth.

Finally, when I was about to go into 9th grade, our church got a new pastor and youth leader! I was really hoping that they would be good, and they were. Our Pastor, Rob, was pretty young and preached well. I started paying attention, but I still didn't get much out of his sermons. I always felt like they were geared toward adults and not much applied to my life. But Dawn, our youth leader, was amazing! I payed more attention, I loved going to youth, and she planned the best activities and games for us to do! The summer after 9th grade, Dawn had signed us up for a youth conference in Daytona Beach, Florida and I was really excited! We drove for thirteen hours and played on the beach the first day. The whole event was put on by Passion City Church, and there were over 5,000 students there! In the mornings, Brett Younker led worship, and Brad Jones preached the message. Then we had beach time and small group time in the afternoon. Every evening, Chris Tomlin led worship and Louie Giglio preached! That was amazing! By the second night, the service just really spoke out to me. Louie preached about Jesus and how it's all about a relationship with him, and I realized I really needed Jesus. Like before, sure I knew the facts, but I didn't KNOW Jesus! So I, along with many others in my youth group, dedicated our lives to Jesus that night. It was the most exciting and happy thing ever! The rest of the week was almost like a spiritual "incubator". We kept learning more and more and worshiped with our hands raised, giving our heart to God. 

After the trip, I knew if I wanted to keep this new found relationship, I would have to read my Bible and pray on my own. So I started a one year Bible reading plan. It honestly helped me a ton throughout the year because it kept me on track. Sometimes I got discouraged by friends and extended family that didn't believe, and didn't want to even hear about my faith. Sometimes I got a week behind in my Bible reading plan because life got in the way. Sometimes I got mad because the world is so broken and I want people to have the same hope I do. I still sinned and made some bad choices, but it slowly began getting better and better. I stopped bad habits of sin, and repented multiple times. I obviously still slip up and sin, but it's never intentional. Everyone slips up sometimes, and it's not easy, but praying and reading will keep you on track. 

In August, on my birthday, Pastor Rob had a stroke. After daily prayers and many struggles, he is still slowly improving, and still doing physical therapy to regain more control of his left side. It was a hard time in the church, without any good leadership. We had fill-in pastors, then retired Pastor Gene who filled in until the next summer, when we could get a new one. It wasn't the same. Church got boring again, even though I tried to pay attention. Occasionally, I would learn something from one of his sermons.

In late fall, Dawn told us that we were going on a mission trip to Nicaragua the next summer. I wasn't sure about it because I wasn't comfortable with the idea of leaving the country and going somewhere so poverty-stricken, and neither were my parents.  About a month later, God just started laying it on my heart that he wanted me to go. So, I looked into it online, and it looked pretty safe and like a life-changing experience, despite what my parents said. So, I went to work talking to them about it, telling them how much I wanted to go. I sat down with them and showed them videos from the Servant Life website, I told them to pray about it, and finally, they said I could go.  Then came lots and lots of fundraising, which I actually really enjoyed! As my countdown on my phone became fewer days, I got extremely excited about the trip! Finally, my 10th grade school year ended, and the next week, we left for Nicaragua. It was an absolutely amazing trip. I won't go into great details about it now, but it was indescribable. All the Nicaraguans are beautiful and generous, despite having very little. We had a Vacation Bible School for a few different groups of kids. Some were strong Christians already, and their 9 year old faith blew me away! And all the children craved affection and attention. They loved taking pictures and just loved life. We also had a kids camp at a local church in the afternoon and those kids were poorer, and they loved having us. Their smiles are so beautiful and abundant. I never got homesick, because I really felt like that was my home, and I was with my brothers and sisters of Christ.

 Anyways, after reluctantly having to leave after a week, we came back to the United States. My friend/plane buddy, Kelley, and I were heartbroken and had tears in our eyes when we were landing in Atlanta, just looking at the sheer difference of the huge, elaborate houses compared to the Nicaraguan shacks.  God laid the same thing on both of our hearts that week and continually after. He is calling us into the mission field. It was a strong message he gave me, which I had even felt before I left for Nicaragua.  Missions is what he wants me to do for the rest of my life. After the trip, I shared pictures and stories with everyone, but it just seemed that no one really understood the impact it made, in my life or the Nicaraguans. It was so much more than just a week-long trip to a foreign country. It changed my life.

In July, we got Pastor Bryson. Huge, huge, huge thanks to God for him. He is incredible (and hilarious). We went to Daytona again, and he, having been at the church two weeks, joined us on the trip. It was just as good as the first time, because I got to see all the new people we had brought this year get saved. I rededicated my life to Christ, and we had about ten in our youth surrender their life to him for the first time, like I had the year before. It was beautiful to see them worship with all they had! Worshiping is my favorite feeling in the world. Our youth group became closer than ever. I wouldn't even consider it a group... we are a family! On the last night, we stayed up until about three in the morning sitting in the hotel lobby sharing testimonies and how we have grown from the trip.

Now we are back, and better than ever. Pastor Bryson is changing our whole church congregation, week by week. His sermons are engaging and fun, and really speak to me, along with everyone else. My faith is still growing and getting stronger, and I know God has great things in store for me and our church.