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! :)
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
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!
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!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
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
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
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