Finding Joy in the Day to Day

Hello Friends!

Its been so long! Let me update you real fast on my life. School started up in August and as of right now, I am a quarter of the way through junior year. (defiantly not counting over here) I'm a music major, so I spend hours and hours practicing then more hours rehearsing. I saw this on FaceBook earlier today. Perfectly sums up my school life.

That's basically it. If I'm not practicing, I'm probably thinking about practicing, or having a emotional breakdown about all the music I haven't had time to practice yet. If I get past that, then I'm thinking about the other homework I have to submit. All you lucky college students who go to a couple classes a day and then have weekends more or less free, enjoy it, because not everyone has that luxury. When I'm not doing any of the previously mentioned things, I am either working or teaching. (I am privileged to teach twelve private students and a group of preschoolers every week.)

Okay, now you are caught up and hopefully have a picture of the many reasons I haven't written anything in so long. 

We all get so busy. When was the last time you asked someone "How have you been?" and they answered "Busy." Me: A few hours. How long ago did you last tell someone that you had been busy? Me: About tow hours ago while on the phone with my sister. It's almost as if we've been programmed to respond that way, and we get so caught up in the business of life that we fail to take a moment to find joy in the little things. 

I love to stop and smell the roses in life. It helps me to stay focused on what is important in the long run. The things that will matter tomorrow, next week, and in ten years. Take a moment to stop and reflect on what you did today that will matter tomorrow, next week, and in years to come. I spend several hours teaching today. In those hours not only did I set aside the pressures of life, but I invested in the lives of about 15 different people. This thrills me. There are few things that I love more than knowing I left someone, even just one person, with something they can carry with them in life. It is technically my job to invest in these student's lives (as well as their parents'), but I don't have to find joy in doing so. I don't have to walk into a lesson with a smile on my face or teach with contagious enthusiasm, but I choose to.

I choose to live this way because I want to look back on my life and see that I took time to value and find joy in the little things each day. I want to see my students go on to impact others to be great. I don't care if they go on to be a concert musician or if they end up being a doctor, a stay-at-home mom, or plumber. I care that I showed them how to work hard and embrace life, to laugh at themselves, and to choose to find joy in the day to day things. 

We are all like a drop of water in the ocean, we create a ripple that grows farther and farther away from us, eventually becoming lost to us, but not lost to others. My choice to take a moment and find joy in what I'm doing right now has the potential to change someones life. My decision to embrace the opportunity I have to explain or demonstrate a skill for the tenth time to a student could go on to help someone in eighty years realize that they are important and talented. 

Let's put a stop to always feeling overwhelmed in the business of life. I invite you to join me in changing the world by choosing to find Joy in the Day to Day.

Till next time my friends!

Your Sister 

Is Your God Personal?

Hello Friends! Its been way to long since I wrote down any of my thoughts, but here they are. (Inspired from a Sunday School lesson)

I was sitting in Sunday school the other day and the lesson was on not just sharing the gospel with others, but sharing a God that is personal to you. We can tell people all the truth in the world, but they want to hear why we believe in Him and why we have put the destiny of out lives in His Hands. We all know John 3:16, Romans 2:23, Romans 6:23, and all the other verses commonly used to share the gospel with others, but what about what God has done for you?

Sharing what God has done in our lives is a vital part of sharing the gospel with others. If you get on Yelp and look up a new restaurant you don't want to read a comment about what the restaurant says they are, you want to hear what people have to say about their experience at the restaurant. Same with our relationship with the Lord. It is truly incredible to hear how God has worked in peoples lives, protected them, guided them out of a hole or through a valley, encouraged them, prepared them for what was ahead in their life, etc. We have all heard other's testimonies of how God has worked in their lives, but have you shared yours? And do you share it continually or just every once in a while?

Sharing these things with others, namely non-believers, is so powerful! It's the personal experience that we want to hear. People want to hear who God is for you, not just what he has done for everyone. What is your story and will you let it impact those around you?

This is who God is to me, and just a few examples of what He has done in my life.
He is first of all my Savior. Through Him I have assurance of salvation and confidence in where my destiny lies. God is also my friend and comforter. There have been plenty of times that I have just stopped and cried out to God for comfort, help, and support. Life has its trials, and at times it can really really suck, but my God has ALWAYS been there for me. He has helped me see the beauty in sunsets even when the days have been dark. He has protected me when I made decisions that could have gotten me in big trouble. My God has given me a family that loves and supports me unconditionally. He has provided for me financially even when expenses come unexpectedly and in large quantities. He has given me an amazing church family who has adopted me despite my flaws. He has blessed me in every area of my life far beyond anything I could every have asked for.

Most importantly, My God is the first one I call out to for help. Whether I've lost my keys and have leave for work, or I've failed in some way, He is the first I call out to for help, and He ALWAYS leads me back to where I need to be.

My dear friends, the peace I have knowing my God has my life in his hands is beyond anything I could ever write down with words. Do you have the peace that is only possible through God? Who is God to you? What has he done for you? Who will you share that with today? Friends, it doesn't have to be a long elaborate story, but share with someone something that God has done for you recently.

We need to hear the testimonies of others who are living for the Lord.

Love in Christ,
Your Sister

What I would Tell the 16 Year Old Me

I was sitting, half lying, on the couch reading tonight and randomly thought to myself "things seem just like they were when I was sixteen." Yeah they sorta do in the sense that I was reading in that same half sitting half lying position that's really no good for my back, however, in just about every other aspect they are vastly different. What has changed and where I am going with it?

I always find it interesting, and sometimes horrifying or very amusing, to think about who I was several years ago. What I thought I knew that I really didn't, how good I thought I was at things, my mental maturity, how independent I thought I was, how I thought I worked so hard, etc. Haha! If only I knew what was ahead!

Life is like a really really long road trip. Road trip? I love road trips! The road trip we call 'Life' isn't any sort of vacation road trip though. Imagine a really long road through the middle of nowhere and you are going to drive down it with no map or GPS, just your Road Trip 101 handbook and some faith that you'll make it safely. That's more like the road trip we are on. Now think several years down the road when you have learned a whole lot about surviving, and even enjoying, this crazy trip. What advise would you give to yourself when you where setting out on the very first miles of the road? I know there are several things I would tell myself.

Number 1: Embrace who you are and how God has made you. I believe that one of the most common struggles for young people is to accept themselves for who they are. For a long time I didn't and I really wish I had. The key I found to accepting who I am was to see myself as God sees me, His beautiful, precious daughter. When I was able to view myself this way it opened the doors for me to be a stronger testimony and witness for Jesus.

Number 2: Make the most of your education. I think of how much farther ahead I would be if I had really poured myself into my education, practiced my violin more, been eager to learn instead of assuming I already knew enough, and looked at how much I could learn instead of how much I already knew. I was once told "the more you know, the more you know how little you know." This is more true than I ever imagined it could be. As I moved on in life and learned more I have begun to realize how little I really know. Not everyone has the opportunity to graduate high school and go to college. Remember this and take each opportunity you have to learn something and make the most of it!

Number 3: Don't take anything for granted. Going through life it is far to easy to take for granted things like health, friends, having money for your wants (not just needs), etc. All those things can be gone in a moment though. Have you ever realized how little it takes to shake your world? I have on more than one occasion. For example, one day my dad woke up fine, went to work, came home did some work around the house, and started having back pain. Nothing terribly unusual. The next morning I woke up to a note from mom saying she had taken Dad to the ER because it the pain was so bad. Turns out he had cancer and that trip to the ER turned into several days in the hospital and a journey through cancer treatment and recovery that has changed countless things in the past three years. Its hard to remember sometimes how things use to be. I've learned that you never know when things will change, so don't take anything for granted. Ever.

Number 4: Take advantage of the time you have with you family. We have all had fights and arguments with a family member. Maybe it was a parent, maybe a brother or sister, but we have all been there. Its easy to think about how much better things would be if you didn't have to share a bedroom or didn't have mom or dad asking when you would be home, where you were going to be, who you would be with, etc. In reality though, while these things can be annoying at times, make the most of them because you won't always have your parents there to "bug" you. Some day it will just be you. And the little brother or sister that you have to share a room with not always live with you. As my siblings and I have gotten older the times we get to spend with each other have become fewer and farther between. We live on opposite sides of the country from each other and might only see one another once or twice in a year. I wish that I had seen the value in the relationships I have with my siblings before I move away. Get close to your siblings and be best friends with them, I promise, you will not regret it!

Number 5: Ask for advice. Just do it. When you aren't sure about something, or even if you are, still get another opinion. God tells us that "in the multitude of counselors there is safety." Want to avoid problems before they get to you? Ask someone for advice and take it to heart. It will save you time, money, heartbreak, and so much else.

Number 6: Live fearlessly and selflessly. Don't worry about what others say about you, stand up for what is right, and offer a kind and loving hand to others.

Number 7: Live, don't just exist. Don't get caught in a rut, strive to walk the mountain ridge and sore through the sky!

Number 8: Be the person for others that you wanted but never had in your life.

Number 9: Trust in the Lord. He is the one who's hand is in and over everything and He cares about us more than we have the ability to comprehend.

Number 10: Enjoy life. Watch the sunsets, stare at the starts, and laugh at the little things.


Lovingly,

Your Sister

A lesson from Paul: Living with Passion

I just finished reading the book of Acts this morning and was reminded again, even more strongly than before, how hard Paul had it and how much he influenced lives for Jesus. Thinking back to the earlier parts of Paul’s life when he had dedicated his life to persecuting and killing followers of Jesus Christ I find myself thinking “wow, if God is able to use someone as bad as Paul, then he can definitely use me!” I’m not saying that I’m good or have any sort of incredible skill, but I don’t live to kill Christians, I live to follow my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This however, is were I stop this train of thought. 

Yes, we can all agree that Paul was pretty bad. Have you ever thought about how passionate he was about persecuting and killing Christians though? Paul had something that a significant number of us lack, a burning passion. What are you passionate about? I have a few passions, one of which is music. I love music, I listen to it everyday, I play it, I talk about it, and it pulses through me as if it was the blood that keeps me alive. Yes, I am passionate about music! As passionate as I am about music, I think Paul was even more passionate about killing Christians. So why did God pick Paul out of a crowd of thousands of others that were “better people?” 

Well, sorry to break it to you, but I can’t tell you why God picked Paul when there were other people that could have done Paul’s job. Here’s what I can tell you, Paul had passion. When was the last time you met someone who was so passionate that just hearing them talk about their passion made you excited about it? I’m going to guess that it’s been a while. Fiery passion like that of Paul’s s hard to come by, and it is vital to have if you are going to face hardships and be able to keep going. I believe that God saw that Paul was full of passion and know that if he just change what Paul was passionate about then he would be able to influence a huge number of people for God. So that’s exactly what He did. God struck Paul blind and showed him who was really in control, and who he needed to be serving. (If you don’t know the story, go read it. It’s the first few chapters in Acts...better yet, just read all of Acts.) 

I was thinking about this and thinking “am I passionate enough bout Christ?” My conclusion, No, I’m not. I want to have the burning passion that Paul had, but I’m not there yet. My other question, if I was more passionate would I be able to influence others better for the Lord? Yes, I believe so. What about you? Are you passionate enough about serving the Lord Jesus Christ? 

Passion is something that grows and grows. It’s not something you necessarily just get overnight. It can be sparked overnight, but as you continue to be involved in whatever you have a passion for, that passion will grow. As you live your life for Jesus, spend time in the Bible, pray, and do what the Lord directs you to, your passion will grow. 

My challenge to you, and for myself, is to let your passion grow. Don’t hold back because you are afraid of what you family or friends may say, or what responses you might get from any other person. Be “fervent in spirit; serving the Lord” as we are told to in Romans 12:11. Live each day as if it was the last day you had to spend doing something you love! 

Until next time, keep on the journey!

Love your sister in Christ 

How big is your God?

(A continuation of learning to give Our burdens to God)

I read a book today. (Yeah, that in and of itself is something to get excited about because it wasn’t required reading!) I read Max Lucado’s book Traveling Light.  As I was reading I was struck with how I don’t see God as big as he really is. It’s not that I’ve put a limit on God, it’s just that it is hard to comprehend the greatness and power of God. As I started thinking about this, I realized that I wanted to have a bigger view of God. 

How do you view God? Is he someone that takes naps or goes on long vacations? Or is he like Santa Clause who comes and drops a pile of gifts once a year? Maybe you think that you can only ask him for things when you are desperate and life seems to be ending. Is this you? Do you view God as the all powerful, loving, caring, providing, and protective shepherd that he is? Do you even think of him as a shepherd?

Now what about the burdens in your life? We all have them. Maybe it’s looming school deadlines, grades, family situations, relationships, your job, finances, your health, etc. We have so many things we think and about worry about every day but we forget that we have a God who cares about each and every little part of our lives, each thought, and each of the challenges—big or small—that we face each day. Our God doesn’t sit around waiting for something really big and bad to happen, he doesn’t take naps, and he doesn’t just come around on Christmas like Santa Clause does. Our God is an all knowing, caring, loving, just God who cares for us like a shepherd does for his flock of sheep. In fact, he is our shepherd. 

I like to think of myself as a very independent person. I am proud of the fact that I can take care of the day to day happenings in my life and I am not totally reliant on anyone else to survive. (Don’t get me wrong, I do still really appreciate help and people coming alongside me to encourage me and support me.) Although to most people it seems that I have my life together on the outside, the truth is that I have struggles and burdens and wants and cares. These are the things that I don’t let many people see, instead,  I take them to God. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t cry out to God for guidance and direction. Maybe it’s just that I’m fretting about a test or thinking about the bills I have to pay, but sometimes it bigger like worrying about my family, trying to build stronger relationships, or knowing how to help a struggle friend. These are the things that I take to God. After all, he is the provider of all my needs, my wonderful counselor, my great physician, my protector, and the light to my path. When life is rough and I encounter difficulties I remember this, but sometimes when life is on a roll and everything seems to be going well I forget that God still cares about the little things. He cares about the fact that my computer died, he cares about the fact that I’m overwhelmed with the length of my To Do list, and he cares about me being able to spend time with a friend. My dear friends, HE CARES!!! Our great shepherd tells us to “cast all your cares on him for he careth for you.” He doesn’t say “cast you big cares” or cast the life threatening cares,” He says “cast ALL your cares.” That includes the ones that we hardly think are cares. All those cares, or burdens, weigh us down so why do we carry them? 

Several years ago my family hiked the Chilkute trail from Skagway, Alaska to Lake Bennett, British Columbia. It is the 36 mile trail that the gold minors took during the Alaska Gold rush. When we hiked this train we had to carry with us everything, with the exception of water, that we would need for the five days we would be hiking. When you think about food for nine people for five days that is a lot t of food. Like a LOT of food. Even when it is dehydrated it is still a lot of food. I should not forget that you need something to eat out of, something to cook in, and a stove to cook with. Then you need a place to sleep...nine people means three tents and nobody likes sleeping on really hard ground so you need nine sleeping mats and then nine sleeping bags to sleep in. Keep in mind this is Alaska we are talking about, this means that the weather is unprecedented. You have to prepared for sun, rain, wind, really cold temperatures, and warn temperatures. We all needed regular cloths, and a change of cloths incase those got wet, rain cloths, a warm coat, hats, gloves, extra socks, etc. I think you get the picture...it’s a lot of stuff even when you take the bare minimum. And yes, we hauled all that stuff for five days over a thirty-six mike trail. What if we hadn’t needed to carry all that stuff? What if we just had a bottle of water and the cloths on our backs? We could have made that trip so much faster. Instead of walking for five whole days, we could have made it in probably two and a half or three, but we couldn’t just go on a hike like that without taking the necessary supplies. 

We walk through life caring all kinds of burdens, but wouldn’t it be so much easier if we gave those all to God and let him carry them? He wants to carry them for us, He is just waiting for you to give them to Him. Imagine this, your house is a mess and you have no time to clean it because you have other more pressing things to do. Someone offers to come clean it for you and all you have to do is tell them where you keep your cleaners and rags. Are you gong to say “nah, I’ll do it eventually,” or are you going to say “they are under the bathroom sink!” It’s a no-brainer! God is doing the same thing. He is asking you “my dear child, let me carry the worry you have about you family, and the distress you have over a relationship or the way your boss is treating you.” He is offering to carry it for us, all we have to do is give it to Him. But we, the stupid, helpless, dumb, and sheep, say “oh no, I got this. I’m stressing out big time and my life is falling apart, but oh no, I’ve got this.” Seriously? You are going to keep hauling those burdens around when you have every chance to give them up and let someone else carry them? Wow, we are dumb. What is wrong with us?

We are prideful. We think we can hold it together and take care of things ourselves, but truth be told, we can’t. We need God. We need the all powerful, loving, caring father. Be honest with yourself, you can’t go through this life alone. Think about this question though, do you treat your God like he is as big as he really is? Or do you put God in a box? Do you take all your cares no matter how big or small to him and fully trust that he will carry your burdens? It is so easy to say “I have given that burden to God,” but have you really? Have you given it to him 100%, or are you still hanging on by just a thread in case he doesn’t actually pick it up? I’m guilty of it. I know there are things in my life that I have given partially to God but am still holding onto that one little thing. God will do great things when we give him our burdens and don’t take them back, not even the smallest part of them. 

I want to invite you on a journey. A journey of learning to give it all to God and discovering how big our God really is. Who will join me? Will you? My dear friend, don’t carry your burdens any longer. God is standing there, waiting, just waiting to take them for you and carry them for you. Drop them at his feet and stand tall so you can live the life God intended you to. Not the life that is diminished by the burdens we carry, but the life that is free from those burdens because you have given to your loving Shepherd. 

Join me in discovering how big a God we serve!

With love,

Your sister in Christ

"Casting All Your Cares Upon Him, For He Careth For You"

Wow! What an incredible summer! The last time I was over in this corner of the world I was trying to decide if I would be working on a fishing boat somewhere in Alaska, or doing some other crazy thing. It's interesting to look back and see all that God has done in my life and how he sets things up in just the right way so that at the perfect time things will happen. Its almost like a chemistry experiment...if you don't measure things carefully, give it time to react, or skip a little step, it won't work out. Thankfully with God there is always a perfect set-up and when we look back we just say "WOW! That was a God thing!" This was my summer.

Back in February or so, a lady came into one of my big lecture classes and briefly told us about an internship opportunity where we could make money, learn a bunch of really good skills, and make connections that would help our future careers. At this time I had no idea what I was going to do this summer so I put my name and contact info on a slip of paper and totally forgot about it. Come the last part of April I got a phone call late one night from a that same gal, asking is I was interested in coming to an information meeting the next day to learn more about the internship. I had a busy schedule last semester (still not as busy as this semester), and the only way I could make it was to skip part of class. I NEVER skip class unless I am sick.

I went to the meeting and learned more about the program. Southwestern Advantage is a company that has college students intern with them all over the country selling in-home educational tools door-to-door. Sounds crazy right? Well, when I saw some of the products the offered I recognized them as something I had used to help prepare to taking the SAT and ACT while I was in high school. The rest of a long story short...After three interviews, I was selected to be part of a team of interns from my school and I started working to learn what I needed to know going into our week of training in Nashville.

The day after finals ended we packed up and drove across the country to Nashville, spent a week in sales school, and then went off to work in Kentucky for the summer. I worked all summer averaging about 85 hours a week and learned a ton about people, running a business, working hard, and myself, all while meeting thousands of really awesome people, making new friends, and building friendships with other hardworking students.

Looking back on the summer I see the countless ways that God worked to teach me and grow me to be more like the woman he wants me to be. It wasn't always easy. Knocking on strangers doors isn't the easiest thing you can do with your summer, but it will push you into extreme personal growth. Not only did I grow in who I am as a person, but I also grew spiritually and as a child of God. When you are working alone all day every day you have to have something to hold onto. Something constant that you can go to when you feel down, defeated, or like giving up. I had to rely on God.

Here is real question, when things get tough, who do you turn to? Do you turn to your all loving Father in Heaven, or do you turn to things of the world? The world tries to solve our problems by handing us things to cover them up. We think that if we do more we will not have time to think about our problems and they will suddenly disappear. If we feel unaccepted we, at least women, tend to try and change the way we look, what we wear, how much we weigh, etc. Other times people start turning to things like drugs and alcohol that cause them to forget their struggles. Here is the truth though, these things don't solve our problems, they just temporarily cover them up while behind whatever cover we have, they are growing and festering. Its like covering up a wound in hopes that it will just get better, but we all know that that is not what happens. We cover it up, but it is still there, getting worse day by day. We forget to turn to God with our struggles no matter how big or small they may be. He is the only one who can give us help and complete healing.

In all those days this summer that I was alone, hot, tiered, feeling like I couldn't do my job well, like giving up, struggling with rejection, and wondering if all the work was really worth it, I had to turn to God. There was nothing else and no one else to go to. This grew my faith and reliance on God. When I was discouraged I went to him for encouragement. When I was rejected I prayed that I would be a blessing to someone. When I wondered if it was worth it I reminded myself of how God had put this opportunity in my life. When there is nothing else to turn except God we begin to realize how loving, caring, kind, and gentle He is. So why do we wait to turn to God until other things have failed us?

Pride. It is the root of all evil. Pride is what keeps us from going to God and asking for help. Pride is what makes our lives so much harder than they need to be. We are told "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." (Matthew 7:7) God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in time of trouble. (Psalm 46:1) Why then do we not go to God first? 

It isn't easy to humble ourselves and admit that we can't do things on our own. We are prideful beings. However, as soon as we are willing to humble ourselves before God and admit that we need his help, He will help us. God sent his only son to die for us so we could live with him eternally. If God is willing to give his only son, why wouldn't he be willing to help us through our day to day struggles? He is always there, we just forget to ask.

What are you struggling with today? This week? This month? Have you taken it to your loving Father? Or have you tried to fix things on your own? Don't wait any longer, take these things to God for he cares for you. He loves you with love that we cannot even comprehend, and he wants the very best for you. 

Through my summer I leaned just how important taking my cares to the Lord is. Will you join me in the journey of taking our cares to our loving Father in Heaven?

Lovingly Your Sister in Christ

We Were Made To Be Awesome!

The last few days I have been thinking a lot about what to do. The semester is almost over and summer is getting closer and that mean I need to figure out what I am going to do this summer. I applied for several jobs, but didn't get any of them. I have been praying that God would provide me with a job this summer, but apparently all the jobs I applied for aren't in his plan for my summer. Is it hard to be a college student with hardly any money who doesn't have a job for the summer? Yes it is. It is an exercise in faith and trust waiting for God to provide me with a job, but I am confident He will provide for me. However, I am just sitting around waiting for him to drop something in my lap? No.

I am reading a book by Kevin DeYoung call Just Do Something. It is a book about Gods will and doing something great with our lives. People today seem to get somewhat overwhelmed when trying to discover God's will for their life. I've been there too and it isn't easy. Let me ask you this though, if we aren't sure what God's will is for our life should we just sit around and wait for Him to make it clear to us? I don't think so. I mean, if we did everyone would be sitting around doing nothing! Discerning God's will can be quite difficult, but I want to share what Mr. DeYoung has to say about it and hopefully it will help you understand it better as it did for me.

God has a will of decree. This is what He has ordained. Everything that happens is in accordance to God's will of decree because He is ultimately in control of the whole universe. Secondly God has a will of desire. Following God's will of desire is doing what He commands us to do in the Bible. We need to obey him. Following His will of desire means putting away the old man who was a slave to sin and putting on the new man who is a servant of righteousness. Lastly is God's will of direction, which is what we tend to have so much difficulty discerning. I believe that God does have a specific plan for our lives, but he does not micromanage us. God will direct us in accordance to His will but He might not tell us to "take this job," "move to this place," or "take this college class." While there are times he makes it clear to us we need to do or not do certain things, God is not going to cause our live to suddenly end because we took a job that wasn't the best option for us. God works through the decisions we make to lead us in His plan for our lives. Just because we might make a wrong turn along the way doesn't mean that we will never make it to our destination. God will continue to direct us and lead us to complete the special task he has given us here on earth. While it is important to obey God, we need to stop fretting about making a mistake and doing something that is not part of God's will for our lives. Remember God's will of decree? Yeah, God is still in control of everything that happens.

So why are we sitting around waiting for God to drop something in our lap and be like "Go buy the blue house on 5th street!" This is why I'm not waiting around for God to drop a summer job in my lap. I am applying for different jobs, looking around for opportunities, and staying open to doing anything. I might end up babysitting, teaching violin lessons, and doing other odd jobs, or I might work on a fishing boat this summer. I don't know yet, but I am not just sitting here waiting for a phone call from someone that needs a babysitter for their kids this summer.

If you are unsure about what God wants you to be doing, just find something to do. If you are wondering if God maybe wants you to go into some kind of ministry don't wait until you know for sure, get involved with something near you. Maybe something as simple as helping teach a Sunday school class. God is going to use all the things we do to help teach us and prepare us for what He has in store for our lives.

God has a plan for our lives but we can't accomplish it if we are sitting around. Here is a short video I watched in one of my classes last week. It is lighthearted and funny, but also makes you think deeper about what we are (or are not) doing with our lives.

"YOU WERE MADE TO BE AWESOME!" ~Kid President

What are you waiting for?

GO DO SOMETHING!