During the retreat for the youth my church had last weekend, one of my church friends and one of my school friends became really close. My school friend told me the day after the retreat about an amazing compliment my church friend had given her, which got me thinking about the greatest compliment I've ever received. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I couldn't recall any compliments I had received that had a profound significance to me. Sure, I'd been complimented, but none of them ever made a real difference in my life.
When I delved deeper into my memory bank and got *nudge nudge* lost in thought *wink* I realized that the greatest compliments I had ever received were actually people thanking me for things I didn't even realize I was doing.
The greatest of these came in the form of a song, written for me, scrawled on a piece of loose leaf paper, handed to me one Wednesday night a couple of years ago. I think I was a 7th grader or something like that. The note/song came from a high schooler named Victoria Dickens.
This is what it said:
Seeing your smiling face has made my day
You make all of my blues go away
Your friendship has meant so much to me
And now in due time I hope you'll see
Your energy picks me up when I'm down
Your encouraging faith has turned my life around
Thank you for showing me our God's real
In His glorious love I hope you'll feel
All of the love He has given to you and me
I hope you live your life so others can see
CHRIST IS REAL!
CHRIST IS REAL!
You wrote a song or two that inspired me
Helped me to remember all that God can be
Sometimes I wonder what you see in me at all
But I know you just follow God's holy call
Your energy picks me up when I'm down
Your encouraging faith has turned my life around
Thank you for showing me our God's real
In His glorious love I hope you'll feel
All of the love He has given to you and me
I hope you live your life so others can see
CHRIST IS REAL!
CHRIST IS REAL!
So I want to let you know
God uses you
So I want to let you know
God loves you, too!
Your energy picks me up when I'm down
Your encouraging faith has turned my life around
Thank you for showing me our God's real
In His glorious love I hope you'll feel
All of the love He has given to you and me
I hope you live your life so others can see
CHRIST IS REAL!
CHRIST IS REAL!
God uses the weak to lead the strong
I guess you've known that all along
You've always supported the faith in me
So I can let everyone else see
CHRIST IS REAL!
CHRIST IS REAL!
CHRIST IS REAL!
That last stanza, in bold, is my favorite part. It reminds me that even those who have the faith of a mustard seed can do great things for God. It reminds me that as Christians, we need to stick together. We can't go through life without people on our side. God made us that way. It also reminds me that, even though I might not be aware of it, people are watching me. And I hope they see my faith shining through all of my imperfections.
I think I wrote about the exact same thing in two posts back-to-back. Whoops. (:
<3 Warrior
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
Sherry Keeps Making Me Cry (In The Good Kind of Way)
My friend Sherry who I asked you guys to pray for in my last post has picked up on her blogging and in her past couple posts, she's mentioned me. Every time she does, it makes me cry. In a good way. You see, I always fret over whether I'm making a difference in peoples' lives or if they can see God in me. I worry about it all the time, and every single time I pray I ask God to show Himself through me to others and to help me focus on Him and make every breath, move, and even mistake I make to glorify Him. I never know if I actually am, but it brings joy to my heart when people tell me they see God in me.
Like this:
I met Jess at a band lock-in at AmFamFit. I was in the middle of some guy drama, and I needed some serious Christian heart-to-heart. Jess, Cathy, Drum Major Sarah, and I all sat in our little circle by the pool. By the way, the pool was the ONLY place in the whole gym that wasn't FREEZING! We all shared favorite bible verses and talked about what I could do about my situation. By the end of our conversation, I had made two new friends and reinforced one old friendship. Jessica and I went on to become bestest friends, and we still are today. Jessica is one of those girls who just GLOW with beauty. When you first see her, you are struck by her natural beauty. She wears no makeup, doesn't dress too fancy or wear all designer clothes, and she doesn't straighten/curl her hair. But she is beautiful in every way. Once you get to know her, her beauty and appeal is magnified by her magnetic and contagious personlity. She is one of the nicest people I know, and everything she says and does is to glorify God. She has helped me become a more confident, Godly teenager, and she has shown me what it's like to be independant and without constant male companionship. Jessica inspires me to be the best I can be, and she's always there for me... Always. My Thanksgiving resolution for Jessica? Jessica, I vow to return the favor of always being there. I promise I never let you down when you need a friend. Oh, and I promise next time you tell me someone is bad news, I'll listen. I love you, Jess.
A girl I barely knew signed my yearbook in eighth grade saying, "You love Jesus and it really shows!" or something along those lines and... I don't remember ever saying a word to her about God or Jesus or anything like that. Huh.
The encouragrams that the youth of my church write for each other at retreats always surprise me. I get so many people telling me how on fire for God I am, but I always feel that everytime I start feeling on fire for Him, something or someone comes along and pours a bucket of water over my head (noooo, I don't melt) and my fire goes out.
I guess it goes to show that you never know who's watching you and what they see when they do. Make it your goal to show God through everything you do, and He will make it so. For His glory.
Love y'all and I hope you had a happy turkey day!
<3 Warrior
P.S. Sherry also made an amazing post called "What I Want In A Boyfriend" and I love what she said.
Like this:
I met Jess at a band lock-in at AmFamFit. I was in the middle of some guy drama, and I needed some serious Christian heart-to-heart. Jess, Cathy, Drum Major Sarah, and I all sat in our little circle by the pool. By the way, the pool was the ONLY place in the whole gym that wasn't FREEZING! We all shared favorite bible verses and talked about what I could do about my situation. By the end of our conversation, I had made two new friends and reinforced one old friendship. Jessica and I went on to become bestest friends, and we still are today. Jessica is one of those girls who just GLOW with beauty. When you first see her, you are struck by her natural beauty. She wears no makeup, doesn't dress too fancy or wear all designer clothes, and she doesn't straighten/curl her hair. But she is beautiful in every way. Once you get to know her, her beauty and appeal is magnified by her magnetic and contagious personlity. She is one of the nicest people I know, and everything she says and does is to glorify God. She has helped me become a more confident, Godly teenager, and she has shown me what it's like to be independant and without constant male companionship. Jessica inspires me to be the best I can be, and she's always there for me... Always. My Thanksgiving resolution for Jessica? Jessica, I vow to return the favor of always being there. I promise I never let you down when you need a friend. Oh, and I promise next time you tell me someone is bad news, I'll listen. I love you, Jess.
A girl I barely knew signed my yearbook in eighth grade saying, "You love Jesus and it really shows!" or something along those lines and... I don't remember ever saying a word to her about God or Jesus or anything like that. Huh.
The encouragrams that the youth of my church write for each other at retreats always surprise me. I get so many people telling me how on fire for God I am, but I always feel that everytime I start feeling on fire for Him, something or someone comes along and pours a bucket of water over my head (noooo, I don't melt) and my fire goes out.
I guess it goes to show that you never know who's watching you and what they see when they do. Make it your goal to show God through everything you do, and He will make it so. For His glory.
Love y'all and I hope you had a happy turkey day!
<3 Warrior
P.S. Sherry also made an amazing post called "What I Want In A Boyfriend" and I love what she said.
Monday, November 22, 2010
A Couple of Friends Who Need a LOT of Prayers
So I have a handful of friends who need your prayers. Desperately. They're going through tough times, or they've been led astray, or they're in need of prayers, in general.
Sherry
Sherry is one of my bestest friends. She's one of the strongest Christians I know and she's going through some really tough times. You see, like all problems that arise as a teenage girl, her problems were started with a boy (that was really stereotypical, but hey, it's generally true). I first noticed she was interested in him when I sat with her at lunch one day and he was talking about getting stoned and drunk and all this immoral stuff... and she sat there smiling. I warned her over and over and over again not to get involved with him... but she got stuck in his trap. Over the past month or so, he has made her cry, be depressed, be happy, cry again, and then be confused. He has influenced her to not read her Bible or pray or even think about God. He has tried to force her to touch him in ways a girl should never have to touch a boy. And now she's realizing that he's baaaad news. Today, she spent 45 minutes in the shower praying and singing Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone). And now she's getting over him. Hallelujah (: For her point of view on what's going on, check out her blog post on it here.
Maddie
Maddie is another one of my closest friends, like, ever. She is beautiful, talented, and energetic. Sounds just like me, no? (: The thing is, she's been moving in a totally opposite direction as me. For the past year-ish, she has had a boyfriend and facebook without her parents' permission. She cusses all the time. She admitted to me a couple months ago that she is an atheist... and I've been to her church and seen the faith of her parents. They have no idea who she is anymore. And I want to tell them. But I can't. Maddie is so happy now, and I would never be able to live with myself if I were the one that made her sad. I don't want to take away her happiness when no one else sees the awfulness of her situation. The thing is, I went through the same thing she's going through. I had a facebook and cussed without my parents' knowledge. And once they found out, I became closer to God and was more on fire for Him. (Read more about it here.) I just don't know what to do to help her without her hating me and destroying our friendship.
Kate
So a couple Wednesday nights ago at my church we talked about using friends as a way to keep us accountable for staying on the right track with God. And getting rid of those that lead us astray. (Sounds familiar! It's the same one as last time, though (:) Kate realized a couple days later that she had to rethink some of her friendships. Which is really hard. I would know. I've had to do the same. But pray for her while she struggles through this. Kate is NOT a very emotional person, and I saw first hand what she is like when she is. And it made me sad.
Michelle
This is a biggieeee. I don't even know half of what is going on with my Michy. All I know is that she no longer believes that anyone cares about her and that the only way to get back to the way things used to be would be to kill herself. A very wise man at my church told me that the best way to help her would be with actions, not words. But she doesn't go to my school, and I don't know what actions or words would help. I'm at a loss when it comes to helping her. And saving her life.
This guy I saw in the hallway
This is what Allie would call "MISSED opportunity, ladies!" I was walking in the hall towards Trig, which I have to rush to, and in front of me were these three tall black guys who looked like juniors. They were walking with that "oh I'm so cool" swag and had that whole aura that makes me sick. The whole "I'm the only thing that matters and I am above everything" aura. Well, I was walking behind them, not really paying them any attention, when a poor little geeky freshman accidentally ran into one of the boys. The little boy automatically streaked off, and the guy he had run into got this hugely annoyed look on his face and said "BUH LEEEEEEP" (I censored that by the way). Immediately, I realized that that guy's whole life was about himself. And it saddened me. I almost started crying for him, right there in the hallway. Legitimately. As he walked into his classroom, I realized I should have walked up to him, put my hands on his shoulders (If I could even reach them... he was a very tall person) and said "God loves you." But I didn't. And now I pray that I see him again sometime or that he will hear it from someone else. Because he needs to hear it just as much as everyone else does.
Whew. Lots of prayer requests. But they're all very near and dear to my heart. I would appreciate it if you would keep at least one of them and me in your hearts this week and possibly beyond. I'll keep y'all posted in the comments if there are any improvements or add-ons (:.
<3 Warrior
Sherry
Sherry is one of my bestest friends. She's one of the strongest Christians I know and she's going through some really tough times. You see, like all problems that arise as a teenage girl, her problems were started with a boy (that was really stereotypical, but hey, it's generally true). I first noticed she was interested in him when I sat with her at lunch one day and he was talking about getting stoned and drunk and all this immoral stuff... and she sat there smiling. I warned her over and over and over again not to get involved with him... but she got stuck in his trap. Over the past month or so, he has made her cry, be depressed, be happy, cry again, and then be confused. He has influenced her to not read her Bible or pray or even think about God. He has tried to force her to touch him in ways a girl should never have to touch a boy. And now she's realizing that he's baaaad news. Today, she spent 45 minutes in the shower praying and singing Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone). And now she's getting over him. Hallelujah (: For her point of view on what's going on, check out her blog post on it here.
Maddie
Maddie is another one of my closest friends, like, ever. She is beautiful, talented, and energetic. Sounds just like me, no? (: The thing is, she's been moving in a totally opposite direction as me. For the past year-ish, she has had a boyfriend and facebook without her parents' permission. She cusses all the time. She admitted to me a couple months ago that she is an atheist... and I've been to her church and seen the faith of her parents. They have no idea who she is anymore. And I want to tell them. But I can't. Maddie is so happy now, and I would never be able to live with myself if I were the one that made her sad. I don't want to take away her happiness when no one else sees the awfulness of her situation. The thing is, I went through the same thing she's going through. I had a facebook and cussed without my parents' knowledge. And once they found out, I became closer to God and was more on fire for Him. (Read more about it here.) I just don't know what to do to help her without her hating me and destroying our friendship.
Kate
So a couple Wednesday nights ago at my church we talked about using friends as a way to keep us accountable for staying on the right track with God. And getting rid of those that lead us astray. (Sounds familiar! It's the same one as last time, though (:) Kate realized a couple days later that she had to rethink some of her friendships. Which is really hard. I would know. I've had to do the same. But pray for her while she struggles through this. Kate is NOT a very emotional person, and I saw first hand what she is like when she is. And it made me sad.
Michelle
This is a biggieeee. I don't even know half of what is going on with my Michy. All I know is that she no longer believes that anyone cares about her and that the only way to get back to the way things used to be would be to kill herself. A very wise man at my church told me that the best way to help her would be with actions, not words. But she doesn't go to my school, and I don't know what actions or words would help. I'm at a loss when it comes to helping her. And saving her life.
This guy I saw in the hallway
This is what Allie would call "MISSED opportunity, ladies!" I was walking in the hall towards Trig, which I have to rush to, and in front of me were these three tall black guys who looked like juniors. They were walking with that "oh I'm so cool" swag and had that whole aura that makes me sick. The whole "I'm the only thing that matters and I am above everything" aura. Well, I was walking behind them, not really paying them any attention, when a poor little geeky freshman accidentally ran into one of the boys. The little boy automatically streaked off, and the guy he had run into got this hugely annoyed look on his face and said "BUH LEEEEEEP" (I censored that by the way). Immediately, I realized that that guy's whole life was about himself. And it saddened me. I almost started crying for him, right there in the hallway. Legitimately. As he walked into his classroom, I realized I should have walked up to him, put my hands on his shoulders (If I could even reach them... he was a very tall person) and said "God loves you." But I didn't. And now I pray that I see him again sometime or that he will hear it from someone else. Because he needs to hear it just as much as everyone else does.
Whew. Lots of prayer requests. But they're all very near and dear to my heart. I would appreciate it if you would keep at least one of them and me in your hearts this week and possibly beyond. I'll keep y'all posted in the comments if there are any improvements or add-ons (:.
<3 Warrior
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Singing in the Lunchroom: My New Favorite Hobby
So today was my good friend's birthday. And of course, to embarass her, I got a bunch of band kids to sing happy birthday to her in the lunchroom. So we were singing... and everything was quiet except us... and all of a sudden EVERYONE STOPS SINGING BUT ME.
Talk about a *screams bloody murder on the inside* moment. I was terrified. Because not only was I singing loudly in the middle of a high school lunch room, but it was also the part in the happy birthday song that I usually purposely start singing horribly just because I can't sing that high and on pitch. But I didn't sing it badly this time. I sung it horribly off-key, loudly, and ALONE.
But hey, I realized something in this awkward experience. I realized it didn't phase me as much as I thought. Sure I sounded terrible (as I usually do, I'm not that great of a singer), and sure I was the only thing anyone could hear, but it made me think. If I can stand in the middle of a lunch room in front of a quarter of the lower classmen at my school, then why in the world can't I get the courage to talk to a single one of them about God?
I'd like to believe that it isn't because I'm ashamed of being a Christian. I think it's more of that I can't be assertive when it comes to talking about God because I don't have all the answers to the questions they ask me, I still have days when I feel like walking away from God and ignoring Him, and I have sooo many doubts about what I believe in.
Pretty much I need to work on throwing my worries into the wind, putting all my trust in Him, letting Him boost my confidence, and opening my mouth to speak. He'll put the words in my mouth, I have no doubt about that.
So maybe tomorrow I'll sing some God-Music at the top of my lungs during lunch. (: What about you?
<3 Warrior
Talk about a *screams bloody murder on the inside* moment. I was terrified. Because not only was I singing loudly in the middle of a high school lunch room, but it was also the part in the happy birthday song that I usually purposely start singing horribly just because I can't sing that high and on pitch. But I didn't sing it badly this time. I sung it horribly off-key, loudly, and ALONE.
But hey, I realized something in this awkward experience. I realized it didn't phase me as much as I thought. Sure I sounded terrible (as I usually do, I'm not that great of a singer), and sure I was the only thing anyone could hear, but it made me think. If I can stand in the middle of a lunch room in front of a quarter of the lower classmen at my school, then why in the world can't I get the courage to talk to a single one of them about God?
I'd like to believe that it isn't because I'm ashamed of being a Christian. I think it's more of that I can't be assertive when it comes to talking about God because I don't have all the answers to the questions they ask me, I still have days when I feel like walking away from God and ignoring Him, and I have sooo many doubts about what I believe in.
Pretty much I need to work on throwing my worries into the wind, putting all my trust in Him, letting Him boost my confidence, and opening my mouth to speak. He'll put the words in my mouth, I have no doubt about that.
So maybe tomorrow I'll sing some God-Music at the top of my lungs during lunch. (: What about you?
<3 Warrior
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