Walking the road to freedom

The year is still young. 2010 just came in less than 3 months ago, but I already feel like this is going to be a year of journeys... for me at least. I'm continuing my journey as a first-time public high schooler, and going on some new endeavors in that. For example, I had to ride the bus to school, and chase it, all in one week! All thanks to the 3 feet of snow that is FINALLY melting away! I find it funny that while I'm focused on all of these firsts, my AP English teacher is focused on the lasts. Every couple of weeks she'll say something random to the senior AP class. Something like, "This is your last second day of February as high schoolers!" or something crazy like that. Did I mention getting called down to the Principal's office for the first time? Every morning I've heard the PA buzz at least once, but the person on the other end, whoever it may be, always asked for someone else (it's really funny when they call the wrong room, by the way). Then one morning, the system buzzed three times as always, the teacher said hello, and then the person on the other end asked, "Is Stacey Whitaker in class?" the response was a suspicious "Yes." I thought maybe I left my headlights on because... well... I do that a lot. I was wrong.

"We need her to come down to the office with her things."

My classmates broke out into the loudest collective "Ooooooooohhhhhhh!!!!" Really, it was hilarious. Walking through the hallways, I was almost hoping for it to be something interesting. Well, obviously, or else I'd be wasting life. I met with a few others who had been called down too for the exact same thing - some stupid Facebook dispute between our school and another. Me and my classmates only stepped in as voices of reason, for lack of better words. The principals of both schools got involved. The moral of this story is: don't think your principal doesn't have a Facebook. They do, and they probably keep pretty good tabs on what their students are posting.

....... That story has nothing to do with this post, really. And what's really sad is that this happened several weeks ago. But, hopefully it entertained you some. I'm still such a high school newbie. Ha! Anyway...

What was I talking about? Oh right. Journeys. Another journey was the 30/29 Days to Live thing, which recently concluded. It was very insightful, and left an impression on me so I am very thankful for it. :) A pending journey that's been on my mind a lot is actually more like a small but large step - a step out of childhood into the adult world. That's right, graduation and college are approaching! I'm so excited. Then there are two newer journeys (I promise, I'm getting as tired of using that word as you are of reading it by now), and the cool thing about them is that they could very well blend into one another. As I mentioned in the last post, I'm starting an extended Bible study using Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan. Then today, we started a new series at church that about 59 other churches are doing too. It's called Free.* That's right, with the asterisk and everything.

Pilgrim's Progress follows the story of a man named Christian who lives in the City of Destruction, and after acquiring a heavy burden on his back, flees the city and sets out on an adventure to enter the Kingdom of God. What's interesting is that the first several few chapters lead up to Christian coming to this place called Salvation. It's essentially a hill with the cross on top. When he comes to it, the burden on his back falls off and falls into Hell. Christian finally is freed from said burden and can continue his journey to enter the Kingdom of God. This just so happens to be where I left off last before starting this Free.* journey with church, and I guess, sort of sets the mark for where I'd like to be. Free.* involves a lot of private journaling, and so far, the journaling has set a huge burden on my back, kind of like Christian. I practically had a knot in my throat earlier while I was working through the prompts in the journal, because they made me realize some pretty harsh things about myself, things that no one else but God knew, and things that have me in bondage right now, even as I type this. I'll probably be doing more praying and thinking tonight than sleeping, which is probably a good thing.


"TOTAL FREEDOM MEANS LIVING COMPLETELY FEARLESSLY,
PAATIONATELY AND JOYFULLY - REGARDLESS
OF YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES, NOT BECAUSE OF THEM

Are you free?"

Not right now, but, I feel a change coming. :)

The white death... it's everywhere!!!

So the sky just dumped about 6 inches of white death over the area and is going to drop about 2 more overnight which means...... ANOTHER SNOW DAY!!! Oddly enough, I'm not entirely excited to say that, so ignore the caps and the last two exclamation points. Snow days are bittersweet to me. I love being temporarily freed from the stresses of school, but then I miss my friends. In these last months I've had the privilege to develop friendships with many of the kids at Winton Woods High. Because of them, I wouldn't trade the decision to go to public school for the world. :) Back to the snow day... I'm a little more excited this time around. There's this test coming up in Chemistry..... yeah. I want to go out and play in the snow tomorrow. I haven't done that since before high school. Maybe I grew up too fast.

Now that school is closed for another day I'm able to get on with something I've been wanting to do for a while. Read John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. I've read this book several times already, and loved it more each time. But the copy I have has Biblical references and lots of them on just about every page. Basically I'm going to do a Bible study using Pilgrim's Progress. Such a great book. I'd recommend to anyone who calls themselves a Christ follower. I'm really excited to read it again!

I've been mulling over a few options for the talent show at school. On that note, let me confess... that I am an American Idol junkie. Don't worry, this will all come together soon. Every season I find myself rooting for the contestants who choose to sing inspiring songs week after week after week. David Archuleta, for example. I'm really inspired by him and other contestants, so I've decided to sing an inspiring song at the talent show. I'm deciding between Better Days by Goo Goo Dolls, We Need Each Other by Sanctus Real, and a worship song. I want to sing something that will leave an impression on the people who watch/listen, or send a positive message to them. Music is a great way to send messages. :)

I'll be posting again soon. This Pilgrim's Progress inspired Bible study might give me some better things to talk about. Those are definitely some books you should pick up if you have the chance. The Bible and Pilgrim's Progress. Books for the soul. :)

29 Days to Live - Day 19 - Video update

29 Days to Live - Day 7 - More questions to ponder

Woohoo!!! We've made it to the one week mark on this crazy, challenging journey! Yet, as exciting as that is, it's also kind of nerve wracking. Just a little. I look back on the week and wonder if I did anything really significant, and I find myself worrying that I didn't. Sure, I have been motivated to live in ways that I haven't before, but what have I done for others? That's what's really important. So, this morning in church our youth pastor continued the series by asking two more questions:


1. What would you die for? My mind went straight to my loved ones when I heard this question. Some people admit that they wouldn't die for most of the people they know, which is completely understandable. At first I felt the same way, but then I came across a passage of Scripture.

Romans 5:6 - 8 (NLT)
When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

After reading this I thought about my friends and relatives. If Jesus Christ Himself gave His life to save my friends and family, then who am I to be any different? Phillipians 2:3 says "in humility consider others better than yourselves." Taking this verse to heart, I really do think I would die for someone else. And if I was ever in a situation in which I had the option to deny my faith in Christ or die, I would choose death. So I would die for people and for my faith.


2. What would you live for? This question really struck a nerve with me. At first my mind instantly threw out answers. But then I stopped to think... if I really felt that I had things to truly live for, then why haven't I been truly living? Throughout my 17 years of life I've just been getting through each day waiting for the next to come. With further thought I came up with two answers for this question: that I would live to show people the life that has been given to me through Christ Jesus, and that I would live to be closer to my Lord. I want to begin doing this! But sometimes I just don't know where to begin. This will definitely be on my heart and mind for the next few days.

29 Days to Live - Day 6 - "We're all in this together!"

As I mentioned in the post before, I went to an overnight event to help watch over the middle school students as they participated in wild and crazy tournaments all night. It was really, really fun, but the best part about it was that I was surrounded by people the entire time. I got to hang out with some really great middle school students for most of it. When they weren't playing in a tournament I was able to pull a few of them aside and learn more about their lives, or I just had the honor to hang out with the group as a whole which was so much fun! When I wasn't doing this I was with some of my close friends, so all night I was with people. This got me thinking about the fact that... well, we (being everyone) really are in this crazy thing called life together. Hopefully that explains the High School Musical lyrics in the post title. So why don't we make it like a team sport? You know, helping each other, being helped, supporting one another, and reaching the top goals together!

It is very important to surround yourselves with people who will help you in life, because the truth is that no one can do it alone. Even Jesus Christ surrounded Himself with people! I don't mean the thousands who came to see Him perform miracles on a day to day basis, I mean the 12 disciples He chose to be close to Him at all times. Think about it; the Son of God who had all inhabitants and armies of angels at His disposal, yet when He became human He still desired that close circle to be with Him as He began His ministry. I think if Jesus Himself wanted friends to be with Him through His life, we more than likely need friends of our own. There's a song that makes me think a lot about needing friendship:


Be Love by Plus One
"If you need love take the time and be love
Breathe it out,
Create love, and see how things can turn."


Going into a brand new week I'd like to encourage you to do what those lyrics say. Whether you're in need of love or not (if you have a beating heart you probably do), be a shining example of love to someone, or a multitude of people! Talk to someone - going past the standard 'what's ups' and 'how are yous', compliment them, take someone out for lunch, invite someone to hang out, give a hug, give a gift... be love! Surround yourself with people who will be there for you during this little thing called life. :)

29 Days to Live - Day 6 - Youth

One thing I think is important (it's on my bucket list) is investing time in youth. By youth I mean people who haven't lived as long as I have. In recent years I've been surrounded by people who are a little further down the road than I am, and I am very thankful for their insight, guidance, and care. I've been reflecting on all of this for a while now (even before the 29 Days to Live thing started), and have been kind of awestruck by the amount of time my older peers have invested in me. Because of them I am where I am in life today. :)

I really want to follow the wonderful example my peers have set for me. Sure, I'm not the wisest person in the world. In fact, I'm far from it. But what's the point of life experience if it's not going to be shared? To me that's like winning the lottery and then keeping all the money to yourself. Honestly, if you win billions of dollars and spend it all on yourself, it's not going to go very far. Life, however, has so much more worth than that. Life is priceless! Sharing it - your stories, experiences, and the lessons you've learned - for the benefit of others could mean the world to someone. So here's a challenge for you:

Invest in a life younger than your own. Find someone and take them under your wing. Maybe someone who is enduring a hardship that you've already been through. Get to know them - connect, learn their story, and give them guidance if ever needed. Speaking as someone who has been blessed with this already, I can say it's something I would not trade.

I have a lot of cousins, and quite a few who are younger than me. Two of them are closer to my age than the others, so I'm really wanting to deepen my relationships with them. Lately I've been drawn to the freshmen at my school as well, so if any of them are reading this then I say hey, let's chat sometime. :) I've also been drawn to middle school students. Tonight I'll actually be going to an event for the middle school youth ministry at my church. It's an overnight at the YMCA, so I'm really excited for it! Whoa! I should actually be leaving for that here in a few minutes.

That's all I have today. Do you accept the challenge? ;)

29 Days to Live - Day 5 - What does the Bible say?

Today, I've really tried to focus on what the Bible says about life and living. So I went to Biblegateway.com, typed 'live' into the search bar, and scrounged through the results. Here are the ones that stuck out to me:

Psalm 118:17 (NLT)
I will not die; instead, I will live to tell what the Lord has done.


Proverbs 9:6 (NLT)
Leave your simple ways behind, and begin to live; learn to use good judgment.


Ecclesiastes 11:8 (NIV)
However many years a man may live, let him enjoy them all.


Isaiah 36:15 - 16 (NIV)
But what can I say? He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this. I will walk humbly all my years because of this anguish of my soul. Lord, by such things men live; and my spirit finds life in them too. You restored me to health and let me live.


Ezekiel 16:6 (NLT)
But I came by and saw you there, helplessly kicking about in your own blood. As you lay there, I said, ‘Live!’


Ezekiel 18:32 (NLT)
I don’t want you to die, says the Sovereign Lord. Turn back and live!


Amos 5:4 (NLT)
Now this is what the Lord says to the family of Israel: "Come back to me and live!"


Amos 5:14 (NLT)
Do what is good and run from evil so that you may live! Then the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies will be your helper, just as you have claimed.


Matthew 4:3 - 4 (NIV)
The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."


John 14:19 (NLT)
Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live.


Romans 6:1 - 11 (NIV)
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.


2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV)
We live by faith, not by sight.


Galations 2:19 - 20 (NIV)
For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.


1 Thessalonians 3:8 (NIV)
For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord.


1 Peter 2:16
Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.

29 Days to Live - Day 4 - Televisions and traffic barrels

Today was similar to yesterday, and yet, completely different. So far, today has been the day that I've appreciated the most since this experience started. The similarity was simply that death was still on the front of my brain. But tonight during small group, I came to a realization that has stuck with me so far, and I have hopes that it will for a long time. :) The group was chatting, when suddenly I thought something, then voiced it. There is a great sense of fear. I'm speaking from my perspective here when I say that fear is a big factor in my life, and had probably become an even bigger one in the last 4 days. I say had because I think it might be tapering off a bit, which I'll explain later. But anyway, I thought back to yesterday. All day the reality of death was on my mind, and since this journey started I've been thinking about it... a lot. More than I'd like to. In that sense, this whole 29 Days to Live things started to turn into a what-if-I-don't-accomplish-enough-before-this-is-over type thing. I've been worried that I won't be able to change the world, or at least make my life a little more worthwhile before these 29 days are over, or looking at the bigger picture, before my life here on earth is over. This combined with the concept of death becoming more real, I feel as though I started to lose grip of the real meaning of this whole thing.

So that's the similarity. Here is the difference:

I think I may understand the purpose of the 29 Days to Live more than I did yesterday. It's not meant to lead us to believe that we're going to die when it's over (a lot of people have been talking/joking about this), and I don't think it's necessarily a 'live like you're dying' thing anymore. Tonight, for me this whole thing turned into a living experience. Now I feel more empowered to not only live like I'm dying (after all, I can't escape the fact that I will someday, so I want to truly live a good life before I do), but to seize the life that I have, even if I only seize it for the remainder of the 29 days. I looked of the definition of living, and I think it's quite interesting...


Living
-adjective
(1) having life; being alive; not dead
(2) in actual existence or use
(3) active or thriving; vigorous; strong


All three of those sort of stirred something up inside of me. I love that the first one says 'not dead'. Reading this sort of convinced me that while living, I shouldn't be worried about death. It should be one of those things that I just go through when it's my time to, and until then, it should not be a fear or worry. Yet, still I need to be aware that it is coming, which means I only have until then to truly live here on earth. There is a balance. It's hard to find, though. The second definition kind of brought on this feeling of conviction. For 17 years now I've been alive, but have I been in actual use? Have I been using my life to be of service to those around me, and have I been using my life to glorify God? At times, maybe, but there is so much more that I can do. There's a TV in my bedroom, but it's never in use. It doesn't show me pictures, it doesn't produce sound (except for that annoying static), so is it useful to me? Not at all! Half of the time I don't even remember that it's there, even when I'm in the same room as it! I don't want my life to be like that TV. I want my life to be actively in use.

As for the third definition, this is just kind of what I took from it. People can have life, obviously. But not everyone fulfills the third definition of living. I know I haven't thrived throughout my entire life, I haven't always been vigorous, and I haven't always been strong. A lot my life has been languishing, idle, and pretty weak at times compared to what it could have been. I guess the third definition brought a feeling of conviction as well.

Conviction often inspires change. I honestly hope that it will inspire change inside of me.

This is super cool! Okay, so in the video I posted yesterday, I told a story of an avoided car crash. Well, every time I've driven on that road since then, I've been reminded of that time and how close to death someone could have been if things had gone badly. The traffic barrels are what really brought this back to the forefront of my mind. So, I was thinking about the life/death things the way home from small group tonight. Again, the idea of death was on my mind, but as I was driving, I felt the fear of it that I mentioned before beginning to lessen. Then I came to that road, and as I drove down it, I slowly noticed that something was different. The traffic barrels are GONE!!! I immediately went into the lane that the barrels had been blocking, and the feeling of peace I got was just amazing! I also saw a shooting star, which was very nice. :)

Obviously, this 29 Days to Live is turning into something much more than I thought it would be. We're only 4 days in, and already people are making strides! I'm excited to see what else is in store!!!

29 Days to Live - Day 3 - There's this thin line between life and death...

My heart was kind of heavy today. I spent a lot of time thinking about how fragile life is, so hopefully from this point on I'll be more inspired to treat it as such.

29 Days to Live - Day 2 - Music for the cause!

People suggest going on a long car ride (or a road trip if you're extreme enough) without listening to any music. Quite honestly, I'm not sure if I would be able to do that. Willingly at least. Philippians 4:13 (NKJV) I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. That probably includes a car ride without music. :) As it is to many people, music is very important to me. It motivates me, it soothes me, it inspires me. Oftentimes I can find a song to define my mood better than I can define it myself. Music is just wonderful! So for this endeavor I created a brand new playlist. 8 songs for 29 days. Some of these songs have messages specifically about living and/or dying, so they fit. The others have messages that I want to be reminded of each day, especially for the remainder of these 29. Here they are in order as they appear on my iPod (haha):


1. Always Love by Nada Surf
"To make a mountain of your life is just a choice
But I never learned enough to listen to the voice that told me;
Always love, hate will get you every time
Always love, don't wait til the finish line."


That's actually the first verse/chorus of the song. I think that if I were to hear those four lines each morning as I wake up, I might be able to live the meaning out a little better. Who knows, maybe the world would benefit from waking up to this instead of the annoying screeches of alarm clocks. Everything about these words is truth. Making something out of our lives is a choice - one that I fear many people in this day and age fail to make. Or they try to, but they don't scale as much as they could, and so people miss out... a lot. The last two lines are very powerful. If we do not choose to love, hate will have its harsh ways with us. We have to make the decision to love now before it's too late, because one day it will be. It could be tomorrow. You never know.


2. Best Days by Graham Colton
"So don't wait for someone to tell you it's too late
'Cause these are the best days
There's always something tomorrow
So I say let's make the best of tonight
Here comes the rest of our lives."


While listening to this song I think back to times in my life when I really wanted to do something radical, something to proclaim the love of Christ, something to change the world. Yet every time I found myself waiting for the right time or worse, for permission to do it. Other times I would literally tell myself that it was too late to do whatever it was that was on my heart at the time. I've only just recently realized that the time to act is now. I do have really big plans, and I feel the Lord leading me to do things. Though He is eternal, I don't have an eternity to live up to these plans, ideas, and dreams. And this song has helped me understand that every day should be lived to the fullest. :) The only objection I have is that there isn't always something tomorrow. Not for each individual life at least. Sure, when one is over tomorrow still comes for everyone else. But for that one person... time is up forever. So let's make the best of what we have!


3. Better Days by Goo Goo Dolls
"And you asked me what I want this year
And I try to make this kind and clear:
Just a chance that maybe we will find better days
'Cause I don't need boxes wrapped in strings
And designer love and empty things
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days

So take these words and sing out loud
'Cause everyone is forgiven now
'Cause tonight's the night the world begins again

I need some place simple where we could live
And something only you can give
And that's faith and trust and peace while we're alive
And the one poor child who saved this world
And there's ten million more who probably could
If we all just stopped and said a prayer for them

I wish everyone was loved tonight
And somehow stop this endless fight
Just a chance that maybe we will find better days!"


I don't even know where to begin with this song. Every lyric is so powerful, and listening to the song is even better. The beautiful piano, the singer's voice, the powerful kick drum... everything is simply beautiful. It seems like a lot of people aspire to make the world a better place somehow. If that's you, then I highly suggest listening to this song. It could very well inspire you. My favorite part of the song is in the bridge: "I wish everyone was loved tonight / And somehow stop this endless fight / Just a chance that maybe we will find better days!" The way it is sung it sounds like a cry of desperation. Gives me chills every time!


4. Chasing the Daylight by Phillip LaRue
"I was a soul stranded in bones
I was dream too afraid to dream without you

But now I want to chase the daylight like it's the last day of my life
I want to run
Hide myself in the sun and feel all these fears melt away
And I will never look back no I will never look back
I'm gonna live this life chasing the daylight."


I wish more people knew about Phillip LaRue!!! I came across his music by accident (which loosely translated means for a reason), then forgot who he was for a few months, then just happened to see an update on Twitter saying that this song was available to download for free on iTunes. Now I'm hooked. This song is especially great for the 29 days thing, because this experience is to try to get us (those who are a part of it) to live like we really are in the last days of our lives. This is a song that will just make you feel happy inside. It makes me want to run into a field of daisies. It really does!


5. Greener by All the Day Holiday
"Get out of this world get out of this place
Make your life worth living with love on your face!
Get out of this trance get out of the wind
Run away from your affliction
It goes in one direction!"


I'm so honored to know the members of this band personally. These past few years - watching them grow into the mature, talented, and truly great musicians they are today has been a privilege. This song actually made me cry when I heard it the first time. When Daniel, the lead singer, screamed the above lyrics my heart just went crazy. Something about this song is very convincing. Every time I listen to it I am convinced more and more that I need to be more loving and compassionate so that the love and joy of Christ can be seen on my face. I also like the assertiveness in the last three lines. Trances, winds, affliction... these things all stop us from truly living.


6. If Today Was Your Last Day by Nickelback
"My best friend gave me the best advice
He said each day's a gift and not a given right
Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind
And try to take the path less traveled by
That first step you take is the longest stride

If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past?
Donate every dime you had if today was your last day?

Against the grain should be a way of life
What's worth the price is always worth the fight
Every second counts 'cause there's no second try
So live like you're never living twice
Don't take the free ride in your own life

Would you make your mark by mending a broken heart
You know it's never too late to shoot for the stars
Regardless of who you are
So do whatever it takes
'Cause you can't rewind a moment in this life
Let nothing stand in your way
'Cause the hands of time are never on your side."


This song practically summarizes what this whole 29 days is about! Really truly honestly there is nothing more that I can say. The song says it all! It's great!


7. Live Like We're Dying by Kris Allen
"And if your plane fell out of the skies
Who would you call with your last goodbyes?
Should be so careful who we let out of our lives
So when we long for absolution
There'll be no one on the line

Yeah, gotta start
Looking at the hands of the time we've been given here
If this is all we got then we gotta start thinkin'
If every second counts on a clock that's tickin'
Gotta live like we're dying
We only got 86 400 seconds in a day to
Turn it all around or to throw it all away
Gotta tell 'em that we love 'em while we got the chance to say
Gotta live like we're dying

You never know a good thing 'til it's gone
You never see a crash 'til it's head on
Why do we think we're right when we're dead wrong?
You never know a good thing 'til it's gone!"


Another theme song for the cause, woohoo!!! I like how the second verse presents a scenario. I feel so bad for those innocent people who had to live that scenario on September 11th, 2001 and their families. I can't even begin to imagine how painful that was. I really like the, "You never know a good thing 'til it's gone..." because it's so true, especially when it comes to the people in our lives and then our lives in general. I'd like to begin to see the absolute goodness in what I have while I still have it. Who's with me?


8. Little Wonders by Rob Thomas
"Our lives are made in these small hours
These little wonders, these twists and turns of fate
Time falls away
But these small hours, these small hours still remain."


Even in the first two days of this experience I've kind of lost sight of the small picture in the midst of the big picture. I've been so focused on the 29 days that I haven't been paying much attention to what is going to make up those days. Seconds, minutes, hours. All of these are just as important. I think understanding that might help me to truly live for the next couple of weeks.


So those are the 8 songs that I currently have on my official 29 Days to Live soundtrack/playlist/whatever you want to call it. I'm going to try to listen to these each day, because they are all very inspiring! If you have the time I recommend looking them up on iTunes or YouTube! :) Do you know of any songs that would fit the cause? If so, please speak up!!!

Until next time...

29 Days to Live - Day 1 - The Bucket List

Yesterday a question was presented to my youth group: What would you do if you had 30 days to live? This is not an uncommon question. By the way, I missed the first day, so I'm going for 29 haha. I can recall being asked similar questions in the past. What would you do if you had a month to live? What would you do if you had a day to live... and so on and so forth. Generally my answers have been simple. I've said I would surround myself with loved ones, go to far off places, and I've gone so far to say that I'd go skydiving, and I'm pretty sure I lied. But as a youth group, we're taking this question and not only answering it, we're going to try to completely change our perspectives. When these 30 days are over we want to be different. We want to come out of this journey living radically, doing things we've only dreamed of doing - the things we put on our bucket lists. The first step of this journey is to create our own bucket lists. I have mine right next to me. It's a simple piece of paper taped to a square of cardboard. Here's what I have written down:


- Write a song
- Read Bible every day
- Invest time in youth (students younger than myself)
- Document (blog or vlog) each day
- Serve somebody


I'm not going skydiving, yay!!! When I finished this, I was kind of disappointed in myself for picking seemingly simple things. But this isn't really my bucket list for life, it's only for the next 29 days. I'm really excited for this experience (as eerie as it may seem).

More to come soon! Stay tuned...

Out with the old, in with the new year.

Just a short while ago an old year left and a new year arrived. Even better, an old decade has gone and a new has come! 2009 kind of left with an unexpected, unpleasant bang. It did for me at least. To keep it in a nutshell, a very small situation turned into a huge mess. Hurtful things were said, and I thought an important relationship of mine had been demolished for good. But by the grace of God (and I give Him full credit for this), me and this other person were able to have a long talk which really should've been had years ago. It's actually quite miraculous that all of the hurtful and hateful things that were spoken later opened the door for much needed healing. I think our relationship is going to be just fine. :) Praise Jesus!!!

Speaking of relationships, I really want to invest in my friends' lives this year. And there are a few who I'd really like to establish good, strong, healthy friendships with. What else do I want to do this year? Check it:

- I really want to do better in school. My first semester grades weren't terrible. Not all of them were great, either. My AP English grade crashed and burned when I wasn't able to complete the summer reading in time. I'm not trying to make excuses here, but this was back when I was averaging 20 some hours a week at work. Thankfully it was fairly easy to get back up. Then I had a sort of senioritis dealio going on. Actually, I don't think it was senioritis at all, because it only affected me in Chemistry. I think it was because at one point the material just lost me. Still to this day I don't know how to balance equations! Anyway, I managed to be exempt from two out of four exams. HALLELUJAH TO THAT!!!!! My goal is to finish second semester with an A in 3 classes. I'll at least settle for a C in Chemistry. Yep, it's that crazy.

- I want to get into more hobbies. Photography and peyote (not the drug) are the two I want to get into most.

- BE HEALTHY!!! I got sick the week before school started and couldn't get rid of it for two months! It started out as a really bad cold, then progressed into a double ear infection, then went back to being a really bad cold. I've caught a few things here and there since then too. Being sick is no fun.

- I want to hear this "yank" at least once before school is over! Only a select few know what this actually means.

This is all I can think of at the moment. Anyway, I am very excited for this new year. I want to encourage you to set big goals for yourself, even if it seems unlikely at first. DREAM BIG!!! Even if you don't reach it, something is bound to happen. :)

Until next time.