So I've only made it through two classes so far, but I promise it feels like I'm a couple months in already. From waking up at 6AM for baseball conditioning to having to go to class and do homework, it's one of the most time consuming things I've ever done. With that being said, you also have plenty of free time to do whatever you want whenever you want. For the first time, I'm pretty much independent in the choices I make throughout the day. And that's kind of what I'm going to be talking about; all of the different choices about how we spend our time that we have in life and especially in college in my case.
So I was lying in my dorm earlier today and I realized that I was literally not doing anything, literally I was just lying there, not even taking a nap. So I started thinking about what to do with all of my time. I went down a long list, but then I realized something, since I have moved in on Saturday, I have literally not spent any of my time putting effort into my relationship with God. I don't think I've prayed once since Saturday, I haven't picked up my Bible to read any scripture, and I really just put Him on the back burner for the most part, which honestly is really hard to type out and think about honestly. It's like I just completely forgot about everything. Honestly, I think it's because my change in school. That's not me trying to make an excuse either. I know that it is completely my fault, but I just don't have those reminders that I used to like I did when I was at King's Ridge. I probably took the Christian aspect of the school for granted, but I'm just now realizing how instrumental it was in my relationship with the Lord. Being surrounded by God loving people and people outwardly expressing that love makes it a lot easier to remember to keep your relationship going. College on the other hand is completely different. I have no religion classes whatsoever, and honestly I'm just not seeing those "reminders" that I'm accustomed to. With all of the freedom that I talked about earlier, it's very easy to get caught up with the whole "college life" activities, things I probably shouldn't be thinking about, and I'm guessing most of y'all know what I'm talking about. I haven't done anything I regret so far, but I've been put into plenty of positions where something very bad could've resulted. You get so caught up in trying to fit in with all of the new people around and trying to be like them, you forget who you really are and who you really want to be as you continue to grow up. It's very easy to get caught up in the "normal college life" thinking, and for me, that is not a mindset that I want to keep around for very long. For me, I want to be the one on campus that people look at as a person who truly loves God and puts others first, and I know that is something that I am going to have to work on more than anything.
So God, I'm sorry that I haven't been giving You the attention and love that you deserve, but starting now, that is all going to change and I am going to be a better me. I know I am not worthy of your grace, but you sent Your son down for people like me so that we would be worthy. Thank You for everything you blessed me with and give me the wisdom and courage to live my life in a way that brings all glory to You. Everything we say and everything we do is in Your name...Amen.
Thursday, August 11, 2016
Thursday, July 14, 2016
Light of the World
So I'm sure by now all of y'all have heard about what's going on over in Dallas with the shootings and violence because it's been all over the news and every social media platform in the world. This post is kind of going to hit on that, but not just that specifically.
So everyone that I've talked to about this whole situation pretty much has the same idea in their responses; it's a tragedy to see what is happening with our citizens and police officers around the country. One word in specific keeps coming up: dark. This whole situation is just very dark all the way around. The fact that people can treat each other with such violence and carelessness is unbelievable. I think the fact that everyone references the darkness in today's society is a very important idea to pick up on. Around the world and throughout all of time, darkness is symbolized to represent evil, hard times, and death. If you've ever watched a scary movie, all of the bad stuff happens when the sun goes down and in dark areas. Nobody likes the dark for a reason. Researchers say that every person is born with two rational fears: the fear of heights/falling, and the fear of the dark. Why is this? The dark impairs our ability to see, which gives us the sense that something is always hiding in the dark just waiting to get us. Because of the widespread fear of the dark among all people, whenever something happens that is evil, people always refer to it as a dark situation. The darkness is a scary place that takes all control out of our hands and our first instinct when in the dark is to try to find a way to escape it.
Now let's talk about the opposite of the dark, being light. Light gives us hope, but more importantly, it gives us freedom and power. No one is scared of going into a well lit room because we know that when we walk in, we are in control and nothing can sneak up on us because we are able to see and understand everything going on. In a less literal sense, light gives us hope. When we see someone stand up for a good cause in the midst of darkness, it is almost like they are a small light in a world of darkness. When trapped in a dark space, people are always going to flock to the little bit of light that they can find, no matter how small it is. It gives us a sense of hope and freedom. In the same way, when someone is shining light into a dark time, a time of struggle, people are going to be drawn to that person, and it can often start a chain reaction. In John 8:12, Jesus told us that He is the light of the world and whoever follows Him will never walk in the darkness again. Jesus came to Earth to give the people living in darkness hope. The world had never seen a savior in the flesh before, and because Jesus came to this world and conquered death, He ultimately conquered the darkness and shined light on a world that had never seen it before. In the same way, we can be people that shine light into a world of darkness. If you want to make a difference in society, be different. Don't follow the path of darkness that only leads to destruction. Be a light for all people to see. Give people hope; give them the faith that there is a light in these dark times that we as a country are facing. Light is often symbolized by fire, but there has never been a huge fire that started big. Every fire starts from a little spark. When people see you standing up for a great cause, they will be drawn to you, just like we are all drawn to the little bit of light in a dark room. People will start flocking to you, and that little spark that you created will soon catch on and spread to people of all nations. I challenge everyone reading this to be the little spark that it takes to set this world on fire. There is only one true race on this planet, and that is the race of God's children. We are all formed in His reflection, and it is our duty to carry on Jesus' mission, to be the lights of the world. All it takes is one person, which turns into a small group, which soon spreads to an entire nation of people on fire! With the hard work and dedication that it takes, we can soon take this world that is plagued by darkness and spread light to everyone living on it.
So everyone that I've talked to about this whole situation pretty much has the same idea in their responses; it's a tragedy to see what is happening with our citizens and police officers around the country. One word in specific keeps coming up: dark. This whole situation is just very dark all the way around. The fact that people can treat each other with such violence and carelessness is unbelievable. I think the fact that everyone references the darkness in today's society is a very important idea to pick up on. Around the world and throughout all of time, darkness is symbolized to represent evil, hard times, and death. If you've ever watched a scary movie, all of the bad stuff happens when the sun goes down and in dark areas. Nobody likes the dark for a reason. Researchers say that every person is born with two rational fears: the fear of heights/falling, and the fear of the dark. Why is this? The dark impairs our ability to see, which gives us the sense that something is always hiding in the dark just waiting to get us. Because of the widespread fear of the dark among all people, whenever something happens that is evil, people always refer to it as a dark situation. The darkness is a scary place that takes all control out of our hands and our first instinct when in the dark is to try to find a way to escape it.
Now let's talk about the opposite of the dark, being light. Light gives us hope, but more importantly, it gives us freedom and power. No one is scared of going into a well lit room because we know that when we walk in, we are in control and nothing can sneak up on us because we are able to see and understand everything going on. In a less literal sense, light gives us hope. When we see someone stand up for a good cause in the midst of darkness, it is almost like they are a small light in a world of darkness. When trapped in a dark space, people are always going to flock to the little bit of light that they can find, no matter how small it is. It gives us a sense of hope and freedom. In the same way, when someone is shining light into a dark time, a time of struggle, people are going to be drawn to that person, and it can often start a chain reaction. In John 8:12, Jesus told us that He is the light of the world and whoever follows Him will never walk in the darkness again. Jesus came to Earth to give the people living in darkness hope. The world had never seen a savior in the flesh before, and because Jesus came to this world and conquered death, He ultimately conquered the darkness and shined light on a world that had never seen it before. In the same way, we can be people that shine light into a world of darkness. If you want to make a difference in society, be different. Don't follow the path of darkness that only leads to destruction. Be a light for all people to see. Give people hope; give them the faith that there is a light in these dark times that we as a country are facing. Light is often symbolized by fire, but there has never been a huge fire that started big. Every fire starts from a little spark. When people see you standing up for a great cause, they will be drawn to you, just like we are all drawn to the little bit of light in a dark room. People will start flocking to you, and that little spark that you created will soon catch on and spread to people of all nations. I challenge everyone reading this to be the little spark that it takes to set this world on fire. There is only one true race on this planet, and that is the race of God's children. We are all formed in His reflection, and it is our duty to carry on Jesus' mission, to be the lights of the world. All it takes is one person, which turns into a small group, which soon spreads to an entire nation of people on fire! With the hard work and dedication that it takes, we can soon take this world that is plagued by darkness and spread light to everyone living on it.
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Kindness, Grace, and Love
I know it has been a while since I've posted on here, I know that. People get busy, don't judge.
Alright so this post is something a little different than I've done in the past. This is going to be somewhat of a challenge for whoever is reading this. Not like it's going to be hard to read, but like I want to challenge y'all in the way you live your lives.
So recently there's been a lot of ugly drama and hate going around my school, and I'm sure anyone who is reading this can relate to that. Sometimes people just don't always get along, which is fine, but it's not fine when it starts to hurt other people. All of this hate and nastiness all stems from people not knowing how to treat each other correctly. Although I'm not very good at this sometimes, I try my hardest to look at people like God created them. Each human on this earth is a unique and beautiful individual formed in the reflection of our God. So you may be asking how it looks to treat someone like they are formed and created by God. Well that's exactly what this post is about. I'm going to challenge everyone to treat everyone they interact with by remembering only three words: Kindness, Grace, and Love.
Each of the three words above are often looked over and ignored when it comes to socializing, and honestly, they are all extremely hard to exhibit most of the time, but with a little work and effort, these three words can change your life.
The first word is kindness. Now this is a word that people use all the time, but kind of take for granted. I always hear my mom telling me to be kind to other people, but I feel like it's such a general term that I'm not really sure how to use it. For anyone who feels the same way I do, here's a little clarification. The definition for kindness is the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. Those are another three words that are awesome qualities that every person should strive to exhibit. By being generous, we humble ourselves and give to others, and the something that you give does not have to be a material something. The giving on kind words and actions can go a lot farther than you would ever expect. I know you hear this a lot, but when people say smiles are contagious, it is so true. By sharing your happiness with someone, you not only lift them up, but they in turn have to opportunity to go show someone the same kindness that you showed them and it can truly start a chain reaction through the grade, community, etc. It's kind of like a "pay it forward day" at Starbucks or something, except with happiness and kindness, which is even better than a free cup of coffee honestly.
The next word is grace, Now this is a word that you hear all the time if you are a Christian. Most of the time it is used referring to the grace that God shows us daily. We are all sinners, but God still loves us and doesn't eternally punish for our evils, but instead allows us to have eternal life with Him. So how do we as humans show grace to other people? It's not like we can tell someone "yes, I know you sinned against me, but I'm still going to let you into Heaven". We don't really have that authority unfortunately. So what can we do? It's pretty simple actually. Forgive. I know it is super hard to forgive people sometimes when we really feel like someone did something terrible to us and it really hurt, but we have to overcome the spite and hatred in our hearts. But why should we do that? Well let's look to the Bible. Matthew 5:7 tells us that "blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." I know it doesn't say the word grace, but grace and mercy go hand in hand. In order to receive grace from God, and also from those around us, we must first exhibit grace. Showing grace can truly be one of the hardest thing to do sometimes, but it is such a good feeling when we let the hate out of our hearts. Not only does storing hate prevent us from growing relationships with people, but it also eats away at us from the inside out. If you never allow the hate to escape, you're going to eventually become rotten, and start doing all of the things that the other people did to put the hate in your heart in the first place. Showing grace to others not only allows the relationship between y'all to grow, but it also takes a huge weight off of your shoulders. The feeling of showing forgiveness and grace is one of the greatest feelings in the world. If you don't want to forgive someone because you don't want them to get away with whatever they did to hurt you, show grace to help yourself move away from the evil and into happiness.
The last and possibly most important word in the English language in my opinion is Love. Love is one of the two emotions that I feel drives us to make most of the decisions that we do day to day. Love is the sole reason we have eternal life. As I'm sure most of y'all have heard, John 3:16 says "For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son and that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." That's a pretty big deal if you ask me. God was so in love with the world that He left Heaven, a place of perfect peace, to come down to our broken world and live as a man, and ultimately die as a man on a cross, so we would have he chance to spend eternity with Him. That is pure love. God loves enough to have His only son killed so that we could be saved. He took our broken world and gave us a chance to escape it and live in Heaven with Him. If God can show us love on a level that extreme, it should be easy for us to love each other on this earth. Loving someone is always wanting the best for them, no matter the outcome for yourself. Love has the opportunity to change someones life. Have you ever wanted to chance to change and save someone's life? Love them. If you love them in a way that God loves us as humans, the love you have shown them will continue to be inside them wherever they go, and will allow them to spread the same love that you have shown them to other people. Pure joy is found by loving other people. I understand there will always be at least one person you just can't figure out how to be nice to. I promise you, if you open your heart to love, the relationship you have with that person will be changed forever, and I promise you that you will like the outcome.
As my school year winds down and we are within the final 30 days before graduation, it is easy to have your mind set on the upcoming break, college, all of that new stuff. But my challenge to any high schooler about to graduate, anyone who still has a couple years left, or even any adult reading this, treat everyone you meet with the three words above. If we can all learn to treat each other with kindness, grace, and love, this world can be drastically changed. I know everyone is always searching for their own way to change the world, so why not start now.
Alright so this post is something a little different than I've done in the past. This is going to be somewhat of a challenge for whoever is reading this. Not like it's going to be hard to read, but like I want to challenge y'all in the way you live your lives.
So recently there's been a lot of ugly drama and hate going around my school, and I'm sure anyone who is reading this can relate to that. Sometimes people just don't always get along, which is fine, but it's not fine when it starts to hurt other people. All of this hate and nastiness all stems from people not knowing how to treat each other correctly. Although I'm not very good at this sometimes, I try my hardest to look at people like God created them. Each human on this earth is a unique and beautiful individual formed in the reflection of our God. So you may be asking how it looks to treat someone like they are formed and created by God. Well that's exactly what this post is about. I'm going to challenge everyone to treat everyone they interact with by remembering only three words: Kindness, Grace, and Love.
Each of the three words above are often looked over and ignored when it comes to socializing, and honestly, they are all extremely hard to exhibit most of the time, but with a little work and effort, these three words can change your life.
The first word is kindness. Now this is a word that people use all the time, but kind of take for granted. I always hear my mom telling me to be kind to other people, but I feel like it's such a general term that I'm not really sure how to use it. For anyone who feels the same way I do, here's a little clarification. The definition for kindness is the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. Those are another three words that are awesome qualities that every person should strive to exhibit. By being generous, we humble ourselves and give to others, and the something that you give does not have to be a material something. The giving on kind words and actions can go a lot farther than you would ever expect. I know you hear this a lot, but when people say smiles are contagious, it is so true. By sharing your happiness with someone, you not only lift them up, but they in turn have to opportunity to go show someone the same kindness that you showed them and it can truly start a chain reaction through the grade, community, etc. It's kind of like a "pay it forward day" at Starbucks or something, except with happiness and kindness, which is even better than a free cup of coffee honestly.
The next word is grace, Now this is a word that you hear all the time if you are a Christian. Most of the time it is used referring to the grace that God shows us daily. We are all sinners, but God still loves us and doesn't eternally punish for our evils, but instead allows us to have eternal life with Him. So how do we as humans show grace to other people? It's not like we can tell someone "yes, I know you sinned against me, but I'm still going to let you into Heaven". We don't really have that authority unfortunately. So what can we do? It's pretty simple actually. Forgive. I know it is super hard to forgive people sometimes when we really feel like someone did something terrible to us and it really hurt, but we have to overcome the spite and hatred in our hearts. But why should we do that? Well let's look to the Bible. Matthew 5:7 tells us that "blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." I know it doesn't say the word grace, but grace and mercy go hand in hand. In order to receive grace from God, and also from those around us, we must first exhibit grace. Showing grace can truly be one of the hardest thing to do sometimes, but it is such a good feeling when we let the hate out of our hearts. Not only does storing hate prevent us from growing relationships with people, but it also eats away at us from the inside out. If you never allow the hate to escape, you're going to eventually become rotten, and start doing all of the things that the other people did to put the hate in your heart in the first place. Showing grace to others not only allows the relationship between y'all to grow, but it also takes a huge weight off of your shoulders. The feeling of showing forgiveness and grace is one of the greatest feelings in the world. If you don't want to forgive someone because you don't want them to get away with whatever they did to hurt you, show grace to help yourself move away from the evil and into happiness.
The last and possibly most important word in the English language in my opinion is Love. Love is one of the two emotions that I feel drives us to make most of the decisions that we do day to day. Love is the sole reason we have eternal life. As I'm sure most of y'all have heard, John 3:16 says "For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son and that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." That's a pretty big deal if you ask me. God was so in love with the world that He left Heaven, a place of perfect peace, to come down to our broken world and live as a man, and ultimately die as a man on a cross, so we would have he chance to spend eternity with Him. That is pure love. God loves enough to have His only son killed so that we could be saved. He took our broken world and gave us a chance to escape it and live in Heaven with Him. If God can show us love on a level that extreme, it should be easy for us to love each other on this earth. Loving someone is always wanting the best for them, no matter the outcome for yourself. Love has the opportunity to change someones life. Have you ever wanted to chance to change and save someone's life? Love them. If you love them in a way that God loves us as humans, the love you have shown them will continue to be inside them wherever they go, and will allow them to spread the same love that you have shown them to other people. Pure joy is found by loving other people. I understand there will always be at least one person you just can't figure out how to be nice to. I promise you, if you open your heart to love, the relationship you have with that person will be changed forever, and I promise you that you will like the outcome.
As my school year winds down and we are within the final 30 days before graduation, it is easy to have your mind set on the upcoming break, college, all of that new stuff. But my challenge to any high schooler about to graduate, anyone who still has a couple years left, or even any adult reading this, treat everyone you meet with the three words above. If we can all learn to treat each other with kindness, grace, and love, this world can be drastically changed. I know everyone is always searching for their own way to change the world, so why not start now.
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Attitude of Gratitude
Hey, hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the holiday season. Couldn't believe it when I turned on the radio and the Christmas music was already playing. But oh well, I like it, so it's all good. Speaking of the holidays, we all know we just had Thanksgiving last Thursday, so of course I'm going to take this opportunity to talk about being thankful!
So I know the cheesy thing everyone always says on Thanksgiving is "Everyone should be Thankful like this all of the time." And it's obvious that people act more thankful for everything on Thanksgiving! All of the Instagram pictures and tweets make it obvious that something different happens in the end of November every year, but why? More than just the common joke, why aren't people more thankful for what they have every day of the year? I go to a great private school and am blessed with the ability to play the sport I love and be surrounded by great friends and an awesome family. Like most people, there are definitely days that I take all of those for granted. We live in a world where we always want the next best thing and never take the time to appreciate what we already have. Think about the Apple store in the mall anytime a new iPhone comes out. The line stretches around the entire mall, and I'm pretty sure that like five people at the most actually need a new phone.
Not appreciating things goes beyond just physical things too. Whenever last period rolls around and I have to walk down to the gym to workout, I always dread it. But wouldn't it be a lot easier for myself if I appreciated the fact that I am able to work out? Or the fact that when second semester starts, we have baseball practice pretty much every day for the next five months. I should be so thankful to be able to drive MY car to the beautiful field where we practice and play the sport that I love for the next three hours. If people across the world would focus on what they already have, the world would be a different place. People would be able to love each other without end, and no one would be disappointed when their gadget is a model year too old. I heard a quote once that said, "What if we woke up tomorrow with only the things we thanked God for today." That one hit me pretty hard. If I'm not thankful for everything that I have, why do I even deserve to have it? Some of the most cheerful people in the world are those people that have the least. Why in the world is this the case?! Why is it proven that, most of the time, a rich person who was once in poverty will give back more than a person who has never struggled? The one who was once poor knows what it's like to have nothing, and they do not take for granted the opportunity they have to help people who were once in their shoes.
Appreciating everything and not longing for what we don't have may be difficult at first, but when we take into mind everything that we as living people are blessed with, it's pretty easy to see that we have a lot more to be thankful for than we can ever know
So I know the cheesy thing everyone always says on Thanksgiving is "Everyone should be Thankful like this all of the time." And it's obvious that people act more thankful for everything on Thanksgiving! All of the Instagram pictures and tweets make it obvious that something different happens in the end of November every year, but why? More than just the common joke, why aren't people more thankful for what they have every day of the year? I go to a great private school and am blessed with the ability to play the sport I love and be surrounded by great friends and an awesome family. Like most people, there are definitely days that I take all of those for granted. We live in a world where we always want the next best thing and never take the time to appreciate what we already have. Think about the Apple store in the mall anytime a new iPhone comes out. The line stretches around the entire mall, and I'm pretty sure that like five people at the most actually need a new phone.
Not appreciating things goes beyond just physical things too. Whenever last period rolls around and I have to walk down to the gym to workout, I always dread it. But wouldn't it be a lot easier for myself if I appreciated the fact that I am able to work out? Or the fact that when second semester starts, we have baseball practice pretty much every day for the next five months. I should be so thankful to be able to drive MY car to the beautiful field where we practice and play the sport that I love for the next three hours. If people across the world would focus on what they already have, the world would be a different place. People would be able to love each other without end, and no one would be disappointed when their gadget is a model year too old. I heard a quote once that said, "What if we woke up tomorrow with only the things we thanked God for today." That one hit me pretty hard. If I'm not thankful for everything that I have, why do I even deserve to have it? Some of the most cheerful people in the world are those people that have the least. Why in the world is this the case?! Why is it proven that, most of the time, a rich person who was once in poverty will give back more than a person who has never struggled? The one who was once poor knows what it's like to have nothing, and they do not take for granted the opportunity they have to help people who were once in their shoes.
Appreciating everything and not longing for what we don't have may be difficult at first, but when we take into mind everything that we as living people are blessed with, it's pretty easy to see that we have a lot more to be thankful for than we can ever know
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Part Three: Everyday Struggles
Hey guys, so I know I missed last week, sorry about that. I just had a little struggle getting all of the information and got weirdly busy during the week. Anyways, as I've said a couple times, this post is about the point of view from another teenager. This one is kind of deep so just try to bear with me.
Alright, so this is about one of my friends that I've the opportunity to grow pretty close to over the past year or so. She is a senior in high school currently. In the past couple years she has suffered from depression and anxiety, and both of them were pretty bad. Sometimes she has trouble going out in public just because she finds is difficult to interact with people her own age because of what she is going through. At one point she was a Christian but has kind of lost her faith over the years. She claims that it's just hard to believe in God when we live in such a cruel and corrupted society. Thoughts of self-harm and suicide live in her brain all day, and she says it is really tough to fight those thoughts and not give in. The biggest support that she has is her family and small group of friends that she feels comfortable around. Even though her family has a very comfortable house and lives in a good part of town, she still struggles everyday. Even though most of these challenges are within herself, they are very much affected by the world around her. The biggest challenge for her is really just feeling like she doesn't fit in. She fights everyday to just be happy and be able to socialize. She claims that since she lost her faith, life has gotten extremely harder. She doesn't have the sense that she has a purpose in this world and is really trying to figure out her purpose here in this world. Even though she has been getting a little better over time, the will to be happy is often very exhausting, and sometimes it just feels pointless to fight for a smile. She is still open to accepting God back into her life, but just hasn't made the big leap forward yet.
This story is a good example of how even someone who looks like they have it all on the outside can still be struggling a great deal on the inside. She says that the only people who even know that she is struggling is the small handful of people she feels comfortable enough to open up to. It's just a good reminder that we never really know what is going on in someone's personal life. You never know when a simple "hey" or a smile can truly make someone's day. I know that sounds pretty cheesy but it's true. One of the biggest reasons that people choose not to be Christian is because of all the people who call themselves Christian, but don't prove it by their actions. If people were to start truly loving each other as much as they loved themselves, I think this world could become a pretty awesome place.
Thanks for taking your time to read this and I really hope that you can come back in a couple weeks and see what I have to write about then!
Alright, so this is about one of my friends that I've the opportunity to grow pretty close to over the past year or so. She is a senior in high school currently. In the past couple years she has suffered from depression and anxiety, and both of them were pretty bad. Sometimes she has trouble going out in public just because she finds is difficult to interact with people her own age because of what she is going through. At one point she was a Christian but has kind of lost her faith over the years. She claims that it's just hard to believe in God when we live in such a cruel and corrupted society. Thoughts of self-harm and suicide live in her brain all day, and she says it is really tough to fight those thoughts and not give in. The biggest support that she has is her family and small group of friends that she feels comfortable around. Even though her family has a very comfortable house and lives in a good part of town, she still struggles everyday. Even though most of these challenges are within herself, they are very much affected by the world around her. The biggest challenge for her is really just feeling like she doesn't fit in. She fights everyday to just be happy and be able to socialize. She claims that since she lost her faith, life has gotten extremely harder. She doesn't have the sense that she has a purpose in this world and is really trying to figure out her purpose here in this world. Even though she has been getting a little better over time, the will to be happy is often very exhausting, and sometimes it just feels pointless to fight for a smile. She is still open to accepting God back into her life, but just hasn't made the big leap forward yet.
This story is a good example of how even someone who looks like they have it all on the outside can still be struggling a great deal on the inside. She says that the only people who even know that she is struggling is the small handful of people she feels comfortable enough to open up to. It's just a good reminder that we never really know what is going on in someone's personal life. You never know when a simple "hey" or a smile can truly make someone's day. I know that sounds pretty cheesy but it's true. One of the biggest reasons that people choose not to be Christian is because of all the people who call themselves Christian, but don't prove it by their actions. If people were to start truly loving each other as much as they loved themselves, I think this world could become a pretty awesome place.
Thanks for taking your time to read this and I really hope that you can come back in a couple weeks and see what I have to write about then!
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Part Two: Everyday Struggles
Hey guys, hope y'all's past couple weeks has been going good. Alright, so this post is the second of three parts to a little series called Everyday Struggles. As I said in the first post, this one is going to be from the point of view of an adult. For those of y'all who go to King's Ridge, this is from Mrs. Volz. For those of you who don't, she is an English teacher at my school who, without a doubt, has an influence on everyone she meets. Mrs. Volz is one person who truly allows God to shine through her as a teacher and a mentor. She loves what she does, but even a life that looks as good as her's from the outside is still filled with struggles that she faces everyday and has to take them on like the rest of us.
Being a teacher, Mrs. Volz is constantly faced with the struggle of having to balance God, her family, and all of the papers that are constantly needing to be graded. She told me that one everyday struggle she faces is having to prioritize everything that is going on in her life, such as school and stuff at home. Grading can pile up as we can all imagine, but she says that she is always making sure she is putting people first, because the grading can wait. Anyone who has ever talked to her can definitely attest to this, and agree that she does a very good job. Another struggle that she, along with everyone else is the world faces, is temptation. Everyone has something or multiple things in his/her life that is tempting, and it can seem impossible to overcome. For Mrs. Volz, it is focusing on seeing the best in everyone that she meets. Trying to look at everyone else like the Lord would look at them, and loving them like God loves her is what she strives for, but as humans, we can all agree that sometimes this is hard to do. We all know a couple people who just seem like they are always getting on our nerves, but we can never forget the fact that we are human as well, and no one is perfect, so we shouldn't expect them to be. Moving on from the little struggles, Mrs. Volz went through something that completely changed her day to day life. Last spring, she had to get back surgery. As a teacher, this meant that she was going to miss a lot of school, and since teaching is something that she truly loves, you can imagine how hard it was for her to miss so much of it. She admitted that it was probably the most difficult time in her life (all 29 years of it is what she would tell you). Because she is someone who is so independent, the hardest thing for her was completely relying on others during the recovery process. She found that not being able to do everyday things for herself was the most frustrating part of it all. She claims that during that time, she truly felt God "working on [her] heart". She says He surrounded her with people who were so good to her. The process definitely helped her with her patience, as it has been a very long process and she says even through it all, she still may never get back to where she was physically before it all happened. When faced with the tough task of answering why she thinks struggles happen to people with such a strong faith, she said that it is probably to test the strength of the faith. Going through these struggles can be seen as a test, and especially an opportunity to bring you closer to God. People who are going through these trials can serve as examples to others, and allow God to shine through them. She says that the most important thing to her is not focusing on the problems that she is still facing, but instead keeping a graceful heart and looking back and realizing how far she has come.
Mrs. Volz's story is a great example of how even people with extremely strong faith go through trials almost every day. Even if you are someone who does not have a very strong Christian faith. or any faith at all, the struggles will still find their way into your life. How you get through these is all determined on what kind of attitude you are keeping through the whole thing, and just staying true to yourself, and knowing that you will be able to make it through is the most important thing you can do. Hopefully this post meant something to everyone, and I hope you come back to read the next post about the struggles that teenagers face day to day.
Being a teacher, Mrs. Volz is constantly faced with the struggle of having to balance God, her family, and all of the papers that are constantly needing to be graded. She told me that one everyday struggle she faces is having to prioritize everything that is going on in her life, such as school and stuff at home. Grading can pile up as we can all imagine, but she says that she is always making sure she is putting people first, because the grading can wait. Anyone who has ever talked to her can definitely attest to this, and agree that she does a very good job. Another struggle that she, along with everyone else is the world faces, is temptation. Everyone has something or multiple things in his/her life that is tempting, and it can seem impossible to overcome. For Mrs. Volz, it is focusing on seeing the best in everyone that she meets. Trying to look at everyone else like the Lord would look at them, and loving them like God loves her is what she strives for, but as humans, we can all agree that sometimes this is hard to do. We all know a couple people who just seem like they are always getting on our nerves, but we can never forget the fact that we are human as well, and no one is perfect, so we shouldn't expect them to be. Moving on from the little struggles, Mrs. Volz went through something that completely changed her day to day life. Last spring, she had to get back surgery. As a teacher, this meant that she was going to miss a lot of school, and since teaching is something that she truly loves, you can imagine how hard it was for her to miss so much of it. She admitted that it was probably the most difficult time in her life (all 29 years of it is what she would tell you). Because she is someone who is so independent, the hardest thing for her was completely relying on others during the recovery process. She found that not being able to do everyday things for herself was the most frustrating part of it all. She claims that during that time, she truly felt God "working on [her] heart". She says He surrounded her with people who were so good to her. The process definitely helped her with her patience, as it has been a very long process and she says even through it all, she still may never get back to where she was physically before it all happened. When faced with the tough task of answering why she thinks struggles happen to people with such a strong faith, she said that it is probably to test the strength of the faith. Going through these struggles can be seen as a test, and especially an opportunity to bring you closer to God. People who are going through these trials can serve as examples to others, and allow God to shine through them. She says that the most important thing to her is not focusing on the problems that she is still facing, but instead keeping a graceful heart and looking back and realizing how far she has come.
Mrs. Volz's story is a great example of how even people with extremely strong faith go through trials almost every day. Even if you are someone who does not have a very strong Christian faith. or any faith at all, the struggles will still find their way into your life. How you get through these is all determined on what kind of attitude you are keeping through the whole thing, and just staying true to yourself, and knowing that you will be able to make it through is the most important thing you can do. Hopefully this post meant something to everyone, and I hope you come back to read the next post about the struggles that teenagers face day to day.
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Part One: Everyday Struggles
Hey guys, hope everything has been going good. So this is my second post, and it's going to be part of a little three post series. The series is going to be all about struggles that everyday people face in life, but specifically from a Christian person's point of view. The first one is going to be from my point of view, the second post will be from the point of view from an adult, and the third from students in high school.
So this first post is going to be from me, and if you know me, you most likely know that I had Tommy John surgery. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's elbow reconstructive surgery that is mostly common with baseball players, and mainly pitchers, which I am. I talked about it in the first post, so most of y'all know how if affected me.
So this first post is going to be from me, and if you know me, you most likely know that I had Tommy John surgery. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's elbow reconstructive surgery that is mostly common with baseball players, and mainly pitchers, which I am. I talked about it in the first post, so most of y'all know how if affected me.
Here is a pretty good visual representation of how I felt sitting on the bench during rehab vs. actually being a part of the second championship. Obviously, as you can tell, it was not easy for me, but the wait was well worth it. I'm going to talk about what exactly got me through the longest year and a half of my life.
Without the help of family and friends, I would have never been able to get through this as easily as I did. Obviously it wasn't very easy at first, as the picture shows, but after time it started to get easier. I had the constant push from my friends, especially the baseball players who didn't mind showing off their rings. I wanted to get back out there and be better than ever so I could have a ring for myself.
Obviously my friends and family were a big part of it because I was constantly around them. But the one thing that helped my recovery more than anything was without a doubt my faith. My favorite verse, John 16:33, was the biggest push that I had the whole time. I went through the whole recovery process knowing that God had a plan for me, and to just be patient, because good would come of it. This was a huge worldly struggle, but I had no worries because as the verse says, Jesus has overcome the world, and I had nothing to worry about. Although I could have been freaking out, worrying if I was ever going to recover properly, I knew that I just had to keep my faith and God would carry me through the struggle. If I didn't have the faith that I did at the time, there is no way I would have gotten through the process and kept my sanity. Some people reading this may not think the surgery sounds like as big a deal as I am making it. For those of you who are thinking that, let me put it this way. Think of the one thing you love to do most in the world, then imagine someone taking it away for an entire year. Almost at the end of that year, imagine that one thing that you had taken away becomes very successful and you get to watch happen exactly what you've been dreaming about for your entire life happen right before your eyes. It's like you buy a lottery ticket everyday of your life, but you go to buy one and someone tells you that you can't buy one that day. Then the person right behind you buys one and wins the jackpot right in front of your face, that's pretty much what the whole experience felt like. Because of my faith though, I was able to be happy for all of my friends and knew that God would carry me and put me out on the baseball field again and give me a chance to win another championship.
The biggest lesson I learned through the whole thing was to not take anything for granted, because you never know when something is going to end, or even just put on pause for a while.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope that you join me next time to read about the struggles that are happening in the lives of adults.
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