Live to Love

Dude, this summer has been insane. I love it though. I want to start posting more on here, because I figure that since I journal on my lap top a lot I might as well post it on here.

I got back from church summer camp last week. My last one! Haha, it was awesome. It's crazy how, when you put yourself in a position where you're seeking after and expecting to hear from God, he doesn't always work in you in the way that you expect.

Over the past year I've been through a lot and I had just got to the point where I felt like everyone expected me to be this perfect person. I felt like my family, my friends, and even God had expectations I couldn't live up to. When I would make mistakes I just felt so condemned. Anyway, during the alter call one night my youth pastor got up and said he felt like we should pray for people who felt overcome by condemnation. I just about died when he said that.

It was cool though because God totally took it all away. He took the huge pile of my mistakes and gave me such an incredible peace. When you live with condemnation it's there all the time...so having it gone is so real and so incredible.

I love God.

"We are not here to be overcome, but to rise unvanquished after every knockout blow, and laugh the laugh of faith, not fear."--Amy Carmichael

Set the World on Fire

I really like this song :P I'm not usually a fan of Britt Nicole, but this is pretty much my favorite song right now.

"Set The World On Fire"

I wanna set the world on fire
Until it's burning bright for You
It's everything that I desire
Can I be the one You use?

You should look it up. It's cool :) I was reading my bible the other day and came across something I really liked.

In Psalm 105:8 it says "He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations." and then the whole rest of the psalm talks about different times God kept his word. It was cool because I was like wow, God has never not kept his promises. It seems like faith should be a lot easier than it is then :P

Anyway, I'm enjoying these first few weeks of summer. Potato salad, ice cream, popsicles, iced tea, lemonade, flip flops, having the windows down in the car, squirt guns...

I'm sorry about not posting much, but I'm honestly not sure what to post about.

Oh!! Some of you might know, but my grandma has been in the hospital for about a week. She's finally out of ICU and in a normal room!! She's having trouble keeping her vital signs up without help though which isn't good. So if you have a minute, pray for her and for us :) It's really sad because I've been sick so I can't even go see her.

In other news :P I actually got my driver's license last week. Driving by myself is amazing and it's cool how much freedom it brings. We're getting to T-bird fixed up this week and then I'll be able to drive it! I was so nervous when I took my drive test and I made a few stupid mistakes, but fortunately I still passed. If you want to know what not to do on your drive test you should ask me though. :P

Hm. Hm. Hm. Well. I'm turning 17 on Sunday ^_^ *sings* I am 16 goin' on 17...I'm so excited. 16 was a pretty amazing year though.

For now I'll leave you with this.
"We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office." -Aesop

and this

To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless.
-G. K. Chesterton

I'm back! Finally :)

Hey everyone. I'm sorry I haven't posted since January. Ouch :/ I had a great time in California. Haha, that seems so long ago now. I was so blessed by the people we went to visit because they just love us like we're part of their family and I decided that when I grow up I want to have friends like that.

I've been reading through Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters for about the millionth time so maybe I'll post about them soon. They're amazing, seriously, if you haven't read them, you should.

Sorry this is so short. I'll try and post again this week. I hope you all are doing great! We had such a beautiful day here today that I can almost imagine it's summer already.

Off to The Golden State!

This is going to be a quick post. Sorry I haven't posted lately - we've been really busy and today we're leaving for a short holiday in California. My parents have really good friends who are pastors down there and have been wanting to visit them for a while. I'm all for it. Sunshine, the beach, and Knott's Berry Farm!

Seriously. It was 80 degrees there last night :)

New Years Resolutions Tag

Lauren Ann tagged me for New Years resolutions. Here are the rules:

...Everyone needs to set goals that they wish to accomplish each year. Name ten of your goals for the upcoming year. Link to the person who tagged you. Then tag seven people and link to them. Tell the people you tagged that they are tagged!

I don't really like New Years resolutions, but I do agree that it's a important to set goals and be committed to seeing them come to pass. Here are mine:

1. Make my prayer time more of a priority.
2. Get my driver's license and get over my fear of driving (Yikes!)
3. Find a summer job.
4. Go on another missions trip.
5. Practice my piano all the time so I'm always ready for my lesson.
6. Pass the Compass test and go to community college this fall.
7. Make sure the words I'm speaking are bringing life to people.
8. Have a better attitude toward my family.
9. Make a new friend.
10. Fall more in love with God than ever before and not allow my love for Christ to be put in a box. I don't want my faith to be dictated by where my comfort zone is.

Well, That's it! May God bless you richly this year!

I'm not going to tag anyone since It's already after New Years, but If you would like to do this go ahead!

Good Thoughts

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. -Romans 8:28-9

My pastor was talking about starting off the new year and how much of a promise this verse is. The thing that struck me was what he was saying that good was. When I think of good I guess I think of happiness or comfort. I realized that it's one of those words that I can't really think of a solid meaning for. I looked it up on Dictionary.com and it had 58 definitions for it! I guess I'm not the only one who has this problem. Anyway, he was saying that good is actually defined there in verse 29.

To be conformed to the likeness of his Son

That actually makes sense because if good meant comfort the Bible would seem contradictory. Job had a ton of bad things happen to him that he never deserved. Paul served God wholeheartedly and ended up in a Roman prison and eventually dead.

It got me thinking about Jeremiah 29:11 as well.

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.

What if God's definition of prosperity isn't always what we think of as prosperity? I know God loves to bless his people, but maybe sometimes things happen so we can become more like Christ and won't feel or look good at all.