Walking the Aisle.

     I do agree with this article. I think that altar calls can be good, but they can also be bad.  They can be good because they lead people to Christ, but they are bad because normally when there are altar calls, they are after a very emotional speech about being a follower of Christ and it's almost manipulative(which is not a good way to lead people to Christ). 

     For all my life, I have been around altar calls and thought they have been perfectly fine, but now i don't think that really. Now that I think about it, all the altar calls i've watched where A TON of people came to Christ were at camps and things like the last night. At Falls Creek for example. This was my first year to ever go, and the speaker was Mike Keabone. He is an awesome man, but I'm not sure if his motive for his altar calls were quite right, I don't know for sure what his motives really were, but it seemed as if he was trying to manipulate the non-Christians to believing in Christ.  I mean he got people's attention! He was a VERY charismatic speaker, and I'm sure that he caught the non-Christians attention, and the last night of Falls Creek was the night where the most people went to the altar. It was right after he spent an hour talking about becoming a Christian. And to end the sermon, he said something like, "Now if any of you are thinking about coming to know Christ, come down to the front now, and if your scared to, ask a friend to come with you."  Then after a while he would say, "Now if you still want to accept Christ but are scared to, come down now."

     I think this is almost a bad motive for having an altar call. It seems to me, looking back on it, that he almost maninpulated the people to coming to know the Lord. I'm sure there were some that really did become a Christian, but I bet you most of them that went up to the front went back to living the way they used to when they went back home. I think it would be better if the speakers would just give an example prayer and have the people pray to God and not go to the front, so then they won't feel as pressured. I'm sure at camp setting a lot of the kids that do go down to the altar are pressured to be their peers.

"Grilled Cheesus"

     They think that our faith is something that you get when you see a picture of Jesus in your grilled cheese sandwich. They think it is something you have one day and then the next lose it. It also seems like they think that you can just do whatever you want to and that is not really a supreme ruler.

     They have a wrong view of what Christianity really is. I do believe that some of the reason they think wrong of us is because Christians today have a bad way of representing God. As Christians we should stand out from the world, but most of Christians today just blend in. Also, some Christians have a bad time spreading the Word. Sometimes we get offened when people use cuss words and say bad things, but we need to not get angry at them, but have compassion and sorrow for them because they don't know any better. I do think thier view is wrong in a way because in Christianity you don't just pray to something  that looks like Jesus and expect everything to go your way and give up when it doesn't. I do think though, some of their view are correct because Christians aren't living out their faiths as they should. That really give non-Christians a bad view of us.

     In the show, it talks about the separation of different denominations, and that is correct, and also in the scene when Kurt goes to church, the church seems really accepting of him, and that is correct that the church accepts anyone! The parts that are inaccurate is that it seems like they think that Jesus is just something that's there when you need something or want to do somethin with your girlfriend or boyfriend. That is not correct. Jesus is always there for you!:)

Sermon on the Mount

       The Sermon on the Mount was very convicting. I will like to talk about anxiety. We haven't got to this section yet, but I will talk about it anyway! Anxiety is something I have really struggled with in my life. I often worry about what i will wear, and even more what I look like. I struggle with this so much! I guess it shows I have not a whole of faith, because when Jesus talks about this issue, he says if we worry, we have little faith. Also, it shows I don't trust God with my future. If i totally trusted him, I wouldn't worry about stupid things. 
     Some ways i plan on changing  my life are to trust in God more. I plan to get in the Word more and really KNOW who God is and his character. It's easy to say we know who God is, but it's different to say you KNOW him personally. I used to have a devotional every day, but I've been slipping away, so I plan to get back up and start to have a daily time with God again. I think by doing that, I will get to know God more and see who he really is. Also, I will try to think of others before myself. When I think of others, I won't be thinking about me, and therefore, I wont have to worry about me. I also plan on not spending so much time picking out what I'm going to wear each day. That is one of the main reasons I worry because I feel I have to look nice all the time for people to like me, but it doesn't really matter how I look, it matters that God loves me!
     I really like the Sermon on the Mount. It really challenged me to think about everything I do and gave me a basis to live on.

Halloween

I really liked this article. It made me think of where Halloween actually CAME from. It was interesting the customs the Celtics had in order to ward off evil spirits. I think a lot of the time, we don't think about the spiritual world, and I think we should think about it more. I mean there are deamons and things in the world today. Also, as Christians, we should take the opportunity of handing out candy to minister to kids who may not know God. But, as the writer said, we can't just give the people a tract, we need to explain it to them and show them how God has changed our lives. I do think it is okay to go trick-or-treating or hand out candy, but I don't think that we should go to Halloween parties where people wear provacative costumes, that is bad! I think it is okay to participate in some things of Halloween, but if we start to focus on that stuff more than God, it could be very bad. As the article said, we don't put as much emphasis on God in Halloween like we do Christmas or Easter, and we should instead, put a lot of emphasis on God and take Halloween as an opportunity to minister to others.
     Well, in conlusion, I think Halloween isn't to bad to participate in as long as you don't worship Satan or go to parties and wear nasty costumes and get drunk. I really enojyed this article and I learned a lot about where halloween came from that I didnt know. It was interesting to read about how scared the people were of the evil spirits, but we shouldbe careful because there are evil spirits here too, we just may not be aware of it.

My Bowling Experience!!!

     I really enjoyed helping with the special olympics yesterday!  It was a lot of fun! It really opened my eyes and made me thankful for what I have.  I helped with one of the lines that had a ramp. The people I helped for some reason couldn't role the ball themselves.  It made me thankful for the things I am able to do.  I take the opportunity to walk as an advantage.  I'm sure those people in the wheelchairs would love to walk.  Most of the people in my lane where really excited to bowl.  There was one guy in my lane(i don't know how old he was), but he was just so happy to bowl, and it made me almost want to cry because that was probably the highlight of his year.  He even thanked me for helping me! I thought that was so nice!
      It also helped to develop patience.  I'm not a very patient person, so it was a challenge to me because you have to be patient with those people.  Some of the bowlers would get destracted and start to do other things, and it would get really frusterating.  I think God used that time to show me how to be patient.  Also, it was cool to see all the adult helpers that were there.  Those people had invested a lot of their time into those people, and I thought that was so cool!
      I also thought it was cool to see how good they were at bowling! I honestly didn't think they would be that great, but they were!!! It was also cool to see how happy the people got when you said it was their turn to bowl.  All but one guy in my lane seemed to be having an amazing time! It's just an eye opener to see how much those people love the simplest things.  Like when I go bowling, I don't get too excited and think of it as the highlight of my year, but that is like the only thing they get to do that is super fun. It just made me realize what I take advantage of. 
      Well, in conclusion, I really had an awesome experience yesterday! It was super fun to help out those people! :)  

Spiritual Emphasis Week:)

     I have really enjoyed Spiritual Emphasis Week this year. Andy is a great speaker and challenged me to think about what I really believe. On Tuesday he asked us the question, "What is it that you belive?" This question really got me thinking. A lot of times I don't think about what I really believe. If someone were to ask me sraight up what I believe, I'm not sure I could answer it very well. So all this week I have been thinking about how I would answer that question, and if someone were to ask me today what i believe, I would tell them that I'm a Christian and I believe the only way to Heaven is if you accept Christ. Being a Christ follower is so amazing, and God's love for you will outweigh anything on earth! I don't know, however, how I would explain to a non-Christian who God is. Another thing that Andy said was how we need to know what believe and why before we witness to others. I don't want to be like the man we used in the illustration that didn't know much about what he believed. In Romans 10:9 it says, "That if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Also another question he asked us on Tuesday was, "What is your motive for what you do?" This question got me thinking(well all the questions he asked us got me thinking, but this one really did). This made me wonder why I do the things that I do. Do I do them for my own glory, or to bring God glory? As much as I would want to say I do it for God, most of the time I do it for myself. I really need to work on this. When I do something good, I need to give glory to God instead of bringing glory to myself.
     On Wednesdsay he asked us, "How do you behave?" He said that ideas have consquences. He gave us four principles that were really challenging as well. This first was: You are what you eat. If you eat a bunch of junk food, you will become that. This applies to the Christian life because if you start to fill your life with all the junk of the world, you will eventually become what the world is and do the things they do. The second principle was that junk food changes your physical shape. The more you fill you body with tht junk, the less heathly it will become. In our lives, we need to be filled with positive things, not that junk the world has. The next principle was that junk food causes heart problems and the body's functions get confused. The more we fill our lives with that bad, junky stuff, we will get confused spiritually and start to think those bad things are okay to do. The last principle was that junk food tastes good at the time, but in the long run will leave bad side effects. Those bad things you may do will feel fun and amazing at the time, but in the end, the will harm you. I've made many stupid mistakes that feel good at the time but end up hurting me. 
      On Thursday he played some songs that are really popular right now. The first was Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars. The song talks about this guy and how he doesn't want to change the girl he likes and that he likes her just the way she is. I don't think that song is bad to listen to at all. The next song though was Teenage Dream by Katy Perry. I do not think this song is the best to listen to because it talks about her and how she wants to go all the way with this guy before they are married. Also, I've seen the music video, and it is not a very positive influence. The third song he played was Rehab by Rihanna. This song deals with obession. The song says "Shoulda gone to rehab cause your my disease." I think it's bad when a relationship gets this far because you get obsessed with the person and think you can't go one minute without them, and you end up spending all your time talking to them/texting them. You could spend your time way better than that. And the last song he played was Love the Way You Lie by Eminem and Rihanna. I do not think this song is very good to listen to either because it tells the story of two people that are SO obessed with each other that they can't stand to be apart, even though their is abuse in the relationship. That is sad to me. What Andy said about all these songs was very true. He said that most relationships start with the two people flirting and enojying each other's company, but then if you aren't careful, your relationship will go in the wrong direction, and you will begin to be obessed with the other person and spend EVERY minute talking to them, and then in some cases, that can turn into abuse.
      On Friday he asked us, "Where do you belong?" This made me think where do I fit in? Where do I spend most of my time? It also challenged me to be really involved with my youth group and other Christians at my school. He showed us a video of Starbucks employees and how the reached out and helped the world. This challenged me to go out into the community and help people. One thing that God has been wanting me to do is help with the Forgotten Church on Tuesdays. The misitry they do is like two minutes from my house, and I've been ingoring the feeling of I should go. I need to go and help them because I really feel God telling me that's a way I could help.
      Well, in conclusion, I have really enojyed Spiritual Emphasis Week. Andy has really challenged me, and this time I'm going to try to change and actually live out my faith!

My friends

      Well, the first quality I look for in a friend is if they are a Christian because I feel like my BEST of friends should be those who know the Lord and spend time with him. I do have friends that are non-Christians, but they are my BEST friends. The closest friends I have are Christians. I think this is important because if you hang out with good Christian people, you won't be as tempted to do those bad things that others do. It's cool to hang out with non-Christians too, but if you hang out with them too long, you will want to start doing what they do. I'm not sure what the refernce is, but in the Bible it says we are to be in the world, but not of it. And also if your best of friends are Christians, you will be able to help each other grow in Christ and be accountable for each other. I also want a friend that will love me at all times. In Proverbs 17:17 it says, "A friend loves at all times." The next qualitiy I look for is if the person is very pride and boastful about the material things they have. It is hard to hang out with those people who are always bragging about what they have. In Psalm 10:4 is says, "In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him, all his thoughts are, 'There is no God.'" Also in Proverbs 16:18 it says, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."  I also look for if the person is honest or not. I want a friend that will be honest to me. I also want a friend that is honest enough to tell me if I'm doing something wrong. I want my friends to hold me accountable, and I want to hold them accountable too. But I don't want a friend going around and making rumors about me. In Proverbs 16:28 it says, "A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends."  Luke 8:15 says, "As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience."
        Some things I need to work on to be a better friend are I need to be nicer. I often make jokes that are somewhat rude, even though it's just a joke, I feel bad that I said that, and that's something I need to work on. I also need to not get mad at my friends so easily. I often get angry easily and it's hard for me to forgive. I also could be a better friend by not gossiping. Gossip is something I really struggle with, and instead of talking bad about someone at lunch, I need to work on bringing up God in the conversation and talk more about him with my friends.
       One of my really good friends is Hayley Bickerstaff. She goes to Enid High, and she is really cool and fun to be around. We have been friends since we were born. Even though we are really different, we get along well because we both have an important common denominator, Christ:). No matter how different the two of us may be, that doesn't matter because we have the most important thing in common! When I'm with Hayley, I feel like I can tell her anything and we have many discussions about Christ. She is really a great friend to me!:))
       Oh, and let's not forget that Jesus is a friend of mine too!!!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-NOZU2iPA8&feature=related 

Racism

Well first of all, I think racism is so stupid! It is so bad to think you are better than someone by the color of your skin. I believe that thier are not multiple races, there is only one, and that is the human race. If you look back to the flood, all mankind was wiped out except for eight people, so apparently we all decended from the same guys. The people that were on the ark were middle brown, so they could have children that were white or darker skinned(that's why people are different skin colors). So if we all decended from the same people, I don't know how people could think they are better than someone because of skin color. I guess the Church has taken some of the worldly beliefs(like darwinism) into the church, instead of taking the church to the lost people. We need to be in the world, but not of it. We need to realize what is going on in the world, but not let the things the non-Christians do affect us. Instead, we need to go and tell those lost people about Christ. When a non-believer affends us, we need to feel sorry that that person doesn't know God instead of getting all mad at that person. For me, that is very hard to do and it is something I need to work on. Well back to the racism, God created ONE human race, and God loves all of us the same. Just because a person is white doesn't mean they are better than everyone else. We are all one is race, and more importantly, we are all one in CHRIST! I think in Revelation it talks about the different nationalities of people all worshiping together and praising one God. I wish the church today was like that instead of there being mostly white churches and mostly black churches. It's just so sad to me how terrible racism is becoming in our country. I realize it's not as bad as it once was, but I think someday it may be that bad again unless people make a change for the better.

Just the Way You Are
              By Bruno Mars
Oh, her eyes, her eyes, make the stars look like they're not shining
Her hair, her hair, falls perfectly without her trying
She's so beautiful, and I tell her every day
Yeah, I know, I know, when I compliment her she won't believe me
And it's so, it's so, sad to think that she don't see what I see
But every time she asks me do I look ok, I say
When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change
Because you're amazing, just the way you are
And when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while
Because girl you're amazing, just the way you are
Her lips, her lips, I could kiss them all day if she let me
Her laugh, her laugh, she hates but I think it's so sexy
She's so beautiful, and I tell her every day
Oh, you know, you know, you know, I'd never ask you to change
If perfect's what you're searching for then just stay the same
So, don't even bother asking if you look ok
You know I'll say
When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change
Because you're amazing, just the way you are
And when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while
Because girl you're amazing, just the way you are
The way you are, the way you are
Girl you're amazing, just the way you are
When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change
Because you're amazing, just the way you are
And when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while
Because girl you're amazing, just the way you are. Yeah

*I think this song is trying to say that this guy looks at his girl and sees how pretty she is and she doesnt think she is, and he thinks that is so sad. And every time she asks if she looks ok, he tells her that there is nothing he would change because he thinks she is amazing just the way she is. It mainly talks about how she hates things about herself, but he finds those things cute.
*I think this is not a bad song to listen to because the beat is very catchy and the lyrics are good too! It may not be a Christian song and i dont even know if the writer of it is a Christian, but it has somewhat of a Christian message. As Christians, we are suppossed to like people for who they are, not what they look like, and that is what this guy feels for this girl, he like her for who she is and doesnt want her to change, and i think that is very sweet.

Teen Sex... Is it good?

     I cannot believe that people would think that teen sex could be good! They say is relieves stress, but I think that is false. In the Bible on many accounts, it talks about how having sex outside of marriage is WRONG! As a Christian, I also belive it is wrong. When we become a Christian, that desire to have sex before marriage tends to go away. Sex needs to be saved for marriage because sex is a gift from God that is to show how amazing it is to know Him. If we do it before we are married, we will go through tons of emotions we wont know how to deal with. And if you have before marriage, there is a risk you could pregant at an early age, and that would ruin your life. Also, people that have sex tend to drop out of school. Most likely because they got pregant, and it would be hard to deal with a child and go to school all at the same time. In I Corinthians 6:18, it says "Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person committs is outside the body, but the sexual immoral person sins against his own body."  In I Corinthians 10:8 is says "We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day."  In I Thessalonians 4:3 it says " For this is the will of God that you abstain from sexual immorality."  In these verses from the Bible, we see that God really hates sexual immorality. This should be our number one reason to not have sex before marriage. If you're dating a guy and they want to have sex, and they dump you, that is the best thing that could happen. Or if they ask why you don't want to have sex, you could tell them that I don't want to have sex because I am in love with Jesus and I want to save it for marriage because it shows how much God loves  me. So in conclusion, obviously sex before marriage is wrong. But if you have had sex, God will forgive you if you repent with a truly broken heart, but don't just keep doing it because you know it will be forgiven.