Unity

I would just like to start out by saying that Hallie you absolutely rock for doing this!
This week I heard that Z88.3 was the most listened to radio staion in Central Florida. This really suprised me and I got to thinking about how the Bible is the bestselling book and then I started wondering how this could be when it seems other non-Christian radio stations and books are so much more popular but then I realized that almost all Christians read the Bible and listen to the one or two Christian radio stations in their area while the rest of the world is divided into reading and listening to a zillion other books and music. It just really made me realize how important it is for us as Christians to be unified because it is only then that we can come out on top.
As I was reading through the blogs for Tallahasee I saw that Hallie asked God for unity and how completely he answered that prayer. It just made me realize that so often I pray for stuff and then forget about it and don't even realize or give God the credit when it's answered. Because of this I'm trying to becaome more diligent about writing down my prayers in hope that I can stop that. It also made me realize how God is faithful even when He gets nothing form it which kind of ties in to "Hallelujah" with that line 'Love is not a victory march, It's cold and it's a broken Hallelujah.' The first time I heard this I was like wait what? It's not a victory march? But then I really started thinking about it and Love is even when you don't see a way for anything to come of it which I know I am guilty of forgeting sometimes. And I just think it is so cool that God keeps showing love for me and answering my prayers even when I seem to forget about Him.

I'm Not Who I Was

My melancholy personality made me wait a long time and now I finally get this blog thing! Ok, so Hallie said that this week we should look back on things we've prayed for and think if its been answered in any way. So here is one of mine. At the end of 6th grade my parents said we were switching churchs (I wont go in to detail what happened there) and we were changing schools because of money. My siblings and I were so upset. We had been at the same school and church forever! I was confused with God and my parents were telling me it must be God's plan and later we'll understand. I hated meeting new people and at the time FBC Oviedo seemed VERY big compared to my old church. I prayed that someday I would understand. In a way I knew i had to wait a long time. Time has flown! I undestand now! I got to meet all of you and be in ECORE. The song "I'm not who I was" by Brandon Heath always reminds me of my switch and remembering how I was and what I am now. I am not who I was before! My relationship with Christ would have been terrible. I would never have talked to anyone I had never met before. If I had not switched churchs I wouldn't have had a great youth group experience. If I had not switched churchs I wouldn't have had met my multiple sisters in Christ. If some of you hadn't talked to me then and made me feel welcome I wouldn't have loved going to church. Back then it was "my parents are making me go to church" now its "I can't wait to spend time with other followers of Christ." I can't thank you sisters enough for all you've done in my life. I undertand why I switched churchs! School is still......school. I seem to be doing something totally different every year. Hallie was right that sometimes God says Yes, No, and Wait. For me it was to wait a while. Alot of other things I pray for now I still have to wait for. That's the time when God wants to teach us patience. Anyway ,you girls mean so much to me and I love you all!

Faith

I read this quote in the SUSIE mag (it's a christian magazine kinda like Brio)

"Our faith doesn't grow most when we see miracles, but when we see nothing and still choose to believe that God keeps his promises. That is true faith."

-Heather Boersma

The cool thing in this quote is that Heather's mom has breast cancer. Heather didn't share her story about her family's faith when her mom was officially a five year survivor of cancer, her mom is still fighting cancer. I think we get so impatient when God won't answer our prayers that we don't just have faith when it doesn't happen right then. Think of how long it took Jesus to come- like hundreds of years. Think of the guy Simeon in Luke 2:

"It had been revealed to him [Simeon] by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ."

I know if I were Simeon, I'd be like 'Gee, well I might live forever, the Messiah has taken long enough already!' And if I was getting way old and frail and the Messiah wasn't coming, I think I might kill myself.

But Simeon never killed himself. Instead, he waited faithfully and kept his eyes open for when God would tell him it was time to meet the Christ. Simeon died in peace, having seen Jesus.

The one thing I think we all do is ask God to do something, and when he doesn't answer right away we stop looking for his answer. Sometimes, he gives us a great answer, but we don't even notice, and we don't seize the opportunity he gives us.

The beginning of 8th grade, I felt like my friendships and God lived in two separate boxes, and the two could never mix. I prayed for God to bring along friends that could talk with me about God and encourage me to grow with him. God showed me several people around me that were the answer to my prayer... two months after I had asked for them. So I had already been so closed-minded to the fact that I did have wonderful Christian friends, and so sometimes I would leave out God in conversations and engage in stuff that always made me feel empty. In the end, I'd ask God to help me with friends (see the circle?). Poor God, he probably said the same thing a billion times before I started to clue in.

Even still, I have to be conscious about what I'm doing with my friendships, but God is helping me. And thanks to Tallahassee, I now have a new craving for God-based, purpose- fulfilling conversations with my friends.

I think this week we should all look back and find something we prayed for (this is when it's good to write prayers down), and think if that prayer has ever been answered in any way. If not, keep your eyes open for the answer, and know that God will answer. Because he either says Yes, No, or Wait, and any answer he gives works for the good of those who love Him.

experiences and challenge

I know that i mentioned it but in tally we had so many God moments.

There are so many that i wouldn't be able to name them all. But here are some that really stuck out.

On Monday and Tuesday alot of people were saying how after the surveys they would end up feeling discouraged and rejected. And finally i just had to say something. And what i told everyone was this. When you feel like your being rejected when you are doing something for the church or Jesus, it's not YOU being rejected, it's the holy spirit. As much as it might stink that even the holy spirit is being rejected, know that just by going to the door and trying, you plant a seed and one day they might become a christian. So dont walk away discouraged, know that you are doing all you can.

In the mornings we would have our quiet times and we would have discussions about them some times. And on tuesday morning i read James. And here's what i learned. If a rich man and a poor man walk in at the same time and you tell the rich man, here is a seat , have food and water, and you tell the poor man, here sit at my feet, you get nothing, then you are showing favortisim and God says favortisim is forbidden. How can you show Gods love and that your living for him if you show favortism? YOU CAN'T.

You can have faith with out doing deeds but how can you show God is in your life if you dont care for others and do things for people? YOU CAN'T.

On Thursday night during worship people just broke. Lindsey was aaying that before worship her lip was already trembling and by the time we got to a certain song she said that she wouldn't be able to make it through the song without breaking. I know that so many people that night had their own reasons for being broken. Mine......mine were that i had one of my best friends there and every time i was with her and we ended up alone at times it ended up awkward for me, and i knew some reasons why {and one of those reasons wasnt even there!} but pray that if it continues we'll talk it out and figure out ALL the reasons why.

Alot of people noticed that we take our lives for granted. Most of those kids didnt have more than one parent if even a parent instead of an older sibling or grandparent, and yet most of us have 2 parents still in the house. Most of those kids dont have a car and yet most of us complain about haveing old rusty cars, GET OVER IT GUYS!!!!, at least we dont have to walk or take a bus. Most of those kids are hungry and thirsty and yet we ALWAYS have food and water waiting for us WHENEVER.

I hadn't really broken during the service but when i walked into my room afterwards and saw one of my friends crying who I have NEVER seen cry before except maybe at connect weekend,I just broke. We were in the bathroom and she was just talking to me and saying that for years shes been praying for these 2 girls on our team to just trust jesus completly and just change and see their actions. And that night she said she finally saw a change, she saw God show up in their lives. And one of those girls is one best freinds and yet i didnt really notice that until she said something and it was then that i had realized a change had come.

So many God moments showed up that week and i strenghthned so may friendships and gained some new ones. And my challenge for those who went on the trip is to just keep that fire going and dont let it die.

love ya guys!

The End of Our Beginning

Already, I really miss being at Celebration. The whole thing, waking up and seeing my friends all day, digging into God's word every morning, and serving all the time. Most of all, I miss getting up and seeing the people that I could sit and serve with and talk about God with. Why couldn't we have camp everyday? By thursday night in Tallahassee, I got really scared. Friday we'd be leaving for Oviedo, where we'd have our normal lives again. Some of us would leave for the summer, some of us would stay at home on Facebook all day, and all of us would eventually go to High School in the fall, where we would probably lose touch. So we decided that we'd start a blog. For accountability and sharing what we have learned and done. So this is how it goes:

Sharing- Everything you learn, anything you do for God or that made you think or something you're going through that needs prayer, tell us. We're sisters now and we need to share our lives with each other.

Accountability- Everyone needs to share at least once a week. If you are still sharing, but you see someone else isn't, get ahold of them. Call them, text them, email them, facebook them, find them and talk to them in person, and always pray for them.

$1 A Week System- Every week, we'll decide on a worship song to all buy on iTunes. Listen to the song at least once a day and meditate on it. If something about the song pops out, share it.

Include the Guys- We can't forget that we have guys in our e-core family too. And although some issues you may share on this page they don't need to be notified about, we still need to have God-based conversations with them. So if you have a question or you want to see a guys opinion on a previous converstation, then notify the guys. And they can share some too.

I hope we can keep our 'camp fire' alive by communicating on this blog (and also, in person whenever possible) and that we'll be honest and open with each other and God. Tallahassee was really the end of the beginning for all of us if you think about it. We are just entering High School this fall. After 4 years of that we will have college, and then we will have our entire adult life to live. And if we live the rest of our lives with the love for God and others we had during Tally '10, there's no doubt that we will make a difference in our lives.

This Week (June 20-26)

This week we can read Ephesians together, and everyone can buy Hallelujah (by anyone who sings it, but go through and see which version you like best before you buy. I think Kate Voegele is the best, but so is Lee DeWyze's version) any thing that pops out to you this week (whether in the song or any other worship song, in Ephesians or any other book or life experience, etc.) that you want to share, go ahead and share.

The End of Our Beginning

Already, I really miss being at Celebration. The whole thing, waking up and seeing my friends all day, digging into God's word every morning, and serving all the time. Most of all, I miss getting up and seeing the people that I could sit and serve with and talk about God with. Why couldn't we have camp everyday? By thursday night in Tallahassee, I got really scared. Friday we'd be leaving for Oviedo, where we'd have our normal lives again. Some of us would leave for the summer, some of us would stay at home on Facebook all day, and all of us would eventually go to High School in the fall, where we would probably lose touch. So we decided that we'd start a blog. For accountability and sharing what we have learned and done. So this is how it goes:

Sharing- Everything you learn, anything you do for God or that made you think or something you're going through that needs prayer, tell us. We're sisters now and we need to share our lives with each other.

Accountability- Everyone needs to share at least once a week. If you are still sharing, but you see someone else isn't, get ahold of them. Call them, text them, email them, facebook them, find them and talk to them in person, and always pray for them.
$1 A Week System- Every week, we'll decide on a worship song to all buy on iTunes. Listen to the song at least once a day and meditate on it. If something about the song pops out, share it.

Include the Guys- We can't forget that we have guys in our e-core family too. And although some issues you may share on this page they don't need to be notified about, we still need to have God-based conversations with them. So if you have a question or you want to see a guys opinion on a previous converstation, then notify the guys. And they can share some too.

I hope we can keep our 'camp fire' alive by communicating on this blog (and also, in person whenever possible) and that we'll be honest and open with each other and God. Tallahassee was really the end of the beginning for all of us if you think about it. We are just entering High School this fall. After 4 years of that we will have college, and then we will have our entire adult life to live. And if we live the rest of our lives with the love for God and others we had during Tally '10, there's no doubt that we will make a difference in our lives.