Who Knew?

~Who knows what is going on? Who knows who you are? Who knows what's going to happen, and helps you through trials?
~God. He is the one Who knows everything. He loves you, no matter what He knows.
~You may have been bad, you may have been good, but we all have sinned and fallen short of Him.
~He knows what you've done, but loves anyway. God is forgiving, and He loves you and me!
~God. He is the one that knows everything. He loves you, no matter what He knows.
~He knows what you're going through, though you think He doesn't care. I promise, He does, God cares!
~God. He knows what we've done, we sinned against Him, but He loved us anyway!
~His Son, Jesus Christ, saw through our sin and cared.
~He knew our hearts, but stayed on the cross.
~We despised Him, you and I.
~We rejected Him, the Son of God.
~Why did He? Why did He love, when He knew what we'd do?
~We killed Him, you and I. We hung Him on a tree.
~He was beaten and scarred, for people like us. He died...for a sinner like me.
~He did this, He died and rose again, because He knew. He knew one day we'd turn around, and see His love.
~He loves and cares for you.
~So when you think no one knows, no one cares. Remember that there is One, the One who really matters. He cares for you, He cares for me.
~Jesus, the Son, knows who you are. He knows your every thought, your every move. He knows all this, but still cares.
~Jesus, you are my Comforter, my hope.

The One

You are the One,
You are Love.
You make things whole,
You change lives.

You are the One,
You died on a tree.
You loved me,
a sinner now made free.

The One, He loves me.
The One, He loves you.
The One, He loves all!
Glory be to the One!
All praise to Him, the One.

You are the One,
The Vine are You.
You are my Comforter,
Prince of Peace, King.

You are the One,
King over all the creatures,
including me.
You are the Father, Holy Spirit, Son.

The One, He loves me.
The One, He loves you.
The One, He loves all!
Glory be to the One!
All praise to Him, the One.

You are the One,
Worthy of all praise.
You are the King,
We worship You.

The One, He loves me.
The One, He loves you.
The One, He loves all!
Glory be to the One!
All praise to Him, the One.

Jesus, You are the One.
Jesus, You are the King.
You reign over everything.
Jesus, You are the One.

Be the One for me,
You are all I need.

Praise to the One,
Father, Spirit, Son.
Praise to the Holy One.

You are the One,
You always were,
You always are,
You always will be.

The One, the One,
For me!

John 15 Part one

John 15:1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser."

The words are in red, so this is Jesus talking. So Jesus is the True Vine and God, His Father, is the vinedresser or gardener.

15:2 "...every branch that does bear fruit He[God] prunes, that it bear more fruit."

Pruning sounds painful, doesn't it? When you look at a tree getting pruned, it looks like the gardener is hurting the tree. In reality, it helps keep the tree healthy. Say a small peach tree has grown a bunch of new branches. The tree is putting all its nutrients towards those new branches and less towards fruit. Now a good gardener will see this and prune off some off the new branches. In doing so, he helps the tree focus more off its nutrients on the fruit than new growth.

What Jesus is talking about here is like that in a way, but 'pruning' for us isn't cutting off a limb(thank goodness!!) its trials.

When God sends trials our way, where the Bible says 'that it may bear more fruit', pruning makes the tree stronger. For us, the trials make us stronger and hopefully closer to God.

Trials come to everyone, whether they are small things or hard trials. I have had a little bit of both, small 'branches' and a little more developed 'branches' pruned off. It hurts, it almost always does. Even then though, I knew God was with me. I grew closer to Him. They strengthened my relationship with Him.

That is why God sends trials to us. To help us grow closer to Him. Its not because He doesn't love us, its the opposite. He doesn't want us turning to other things when we hurt. He wants our attention always focused on Him, no matter what.

Things I've Learned

Now that I have started school, I looked back over the past year. Wow, so much has changed since the first day of school last year. I go to a different church, new friends, and I'm not nearly as shy as I used to be.

I feel like this past year, I've grown closer to God in many ways. That's the biggest change I feel like. I have gone through many things this past year. Challenges. Trials. But even through those things, I knew Who was with me. They brought me closer to Him.

I believe that those things happened for a reason. I may not know the reason now, I definitely didn't know then, but He always has a plan for these things.

Going on Missions Trips helped me a lot to. If you haven't gone on one, I definitely recommend going on one. For me, it showed just how much the world needs God. It made me want to follow through with the Great Commission. It kindled the fire inside me and made me want to show others the glory of the Gospel even more. It was an awesome thing.

Even if you can't go over seas, you can still go on one. Your school can be a mission field. My student pastor Jason is always telling us that, though hard for me because I'm home schooled, it probably applies to you.

There were times this year when I thought I couldn't go on. I wanted things to go back to normal, but I knew they couldn't. My life is different now than it used to be. I don't think I could ever be that same person again. My life is centered on the Cross. I have my own Jesus now. I'm not looking at Him through someone's eyes, I see Him through my own! You can read more about that part of my life in my posts 'My Change' and 'My Testimony'.

I'm still growing closer to Him. I hope to keep growing in that way until I'm actually with Him, I don't think we can get any closer than we are then ha-ha.

After this past year, I can't wait to see what God has in store for me this year.

See

See me now, see my tears
See me on my bed.
I'm laying face down, my pillow is wet.
Why does this hurt? Why am I so sad?

I ache inside, my heart is broken.
Why can't I see?

The tears flow down,
and all my emotions scream.
Why can't I see?

Why can't I see what is happening?
Why must I wait?
Why can't I know why this pains grows?
Why must the pain grow more intense?
Haven't I suffered enough?

I hurt, I cry.
I need You, oh Most High.
Oh God, hear my voice.
See my tears, hold me close.
Help me see, what You want from me.

All happens for a reason,
though some things seem odd.
You let things happen for a reason,
God, You make me stronger!

Through some trials, things may not fit,
I can't see the whole puzzle.
I don't know the reasons.

God, help this piece see its purpose in the puzzle.
Help me see what I need to do.
Help me grow closer to You.

I hurt, I cry.
I need You, oh Most High.
Oh God, hear my voice.
See my tears, hold me close.
Help me see, what You want from me.

I don't always understand why,
I don't always see,
But I know that You know what's best,
I know You'll see me through.

Just please give me the strength to go on,
give me the words to say.

I'm healed, my tears are dried.
I needed You, oh Most High.
Oh God, You heard my voice.
You saw my tears, You held me close.

Student Life 2010

Okay, so I went to Student Life Camp this past week with my church. It was so totally awesome!!!!!!!!

Pastor Matt Chandler was the speaker and Aaron Keyes and his band were the worship leaders.

I learned many things this week, and I learned to trust God more. I know no matter what was going on, He was always there. God knew what was gonna happen.

It was so different than the other camps I've gone to, but a good kind of different. What was really awesome is I watched most of the guys in my group singing. I know, you're like so what? What was different than other guys I knew is that the guys from my church were worshiping. They weren't just singing to sing. It was soooo awesome! Yeah, there were guys I knew that sang, but it didn't go all the way down to their hearts. These guys, they are all in!

Matt Chandler is an awesome pastor(tied up there with Pastor JD, Jason Gaston, and Mark Driscoll :) ) His message the very first day really struck me. He talked about fixing the problem, not just the symptoms.

He said the problems are
-that we are guilty of of preferring God's stuff more than we prefer Him
-We think we are smarter than God
-all of us have failed to acknowledge God
-failing to acknowledge God makes you begin this spiral that takes you
further from God

These points, this whole message, remind me of so many times at camp of people making decisions. Not that these weren't good, like giving up smoking, reading your Bible more, etc., but they(including me) were making the same decisions every year at camp or a conference. It was like a spiritual shot, keeping us going until the 'buzz' wears off. For some it takes just a week for that shot to get old before they go back to old habits or forget to read their Bibles. Others it can last longer, but the problem wasn't solved. We hadn't really changed. We had only fixed the symptoms.

Matt Chandler said is we need to heal the problem. When we do, the symptoms just fade away.

Now I'm going back to my things from this week.

So God did miraculous things at camp.

I said that God has shown me how to trust in Him no matter what. It's a long story, way to long to write here, but something happened that was hard, really hard. I hurt so badly inside. I think I wouldn't have lasted the whole week if it hadn't been for Him. God helped me through it and now everything's awesome :)
God also helped a friend of mine return back to Him. It's an awesome story!

The sermons and the worship were so awesome! Many lives, I believe, have been changed this week.
It was amazing!

Thank you Jason Gaston for making this week possible! Wish you had been there with us!

Thank you Amy Kendall, Stephanie Windon, Brandon Hudson, and Andy Rush for coming with us and putting up with all of us highschoolers ;) I had so much fun talking and hanging out with y'all!

Love y'all!

~Erin

My Change

This is for the person that doesn't understand. Sorry it has taken me this long to write it and figure it all out...


I know some people that do not understand what happened to me. They think I am now a bad person. They think I have gone off the deep end. Well, I wish that they did not think that of me.

They ask me what changed. I try to tell them, but they throw it back into my face (which hurts like crazy). What changed is not what they think they see. No, it is inside.

So I have finally put it all together to make it hopefully easier to understand.

My personal change is how I now view Jesus.

Don't freak out when I say that. It is not anything bad. What I mean by that is now it is as if this completely new world was opened up to me!

How I viewed Him before was through someone else’s eyes. I believed in Him and all, but it was not real for me. He was just a piece of my life, a part. That is why I felt empty. The emptiness was from not having a truly personal relationship with Jesus, and not having Him at the center of my life. It was not knowing that He is Who it is all about.

Christ should be at the center of everything you do. All throughout the Bible, from 'in the beginning' to 'the grace of the Lord Jesus be with all' Jesus is there. Jesus is always there.

I saw that this is what we were made for, to worship Jesus and help others. Helping others helps show them Jesus' love for them. You can show anyone this love, the rebellious highschool dropout, the prisoners, the homeless, and the orphans.

With how I now view Jesus, I realized I was not doing everything I needed to. I was sitting comfortably in a good place. I thought this was what I was supposed to be doing, but after my change, I realized I was pitiful. I was not doing a very good job taking the Gospel out to people. No, I was just being where I was comfortable; I was staying in my comfort zone.

Is that what Jesus did? Did He stay where He was comfortable? Ha! I think it was quite the opposite. Tell me, what was Jesus usually doing? He was always on the move, always helping people (spiritually and physically), and teaching others of His Father.

Are we better than Jesus that we can just sit around? Hmm? Why should we humans think that we are better than Jesus is and so we can just do what we are comfortable doing.

Now you say, but I do not want to leave my comfort spot. I want to stay where all my friends are. I do not want to sacrifice my relationships! Jesus was just supposed to do those things!

What about Paul, God’s missionary? Did he live a comfortable life? Do you think that being beat down in the streets, thrown into prison, and whipped mercilessly was Paul’s idea of a comfortable life? Do you think that he did not have to make any sacrifices?

How did Paul feel through all this? Me personally I think that I would have been mad, sad, and even willing to give up, but not Paul. Look at what he said in Philippians 1:

“(12)I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, (13)so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. (14)And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
“(15) Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. (16)The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. (17)The former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. (18)What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.
“Yes, and I will rejoice, (19)for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, (20)as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. (21)For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (22)If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. (23) I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. (24)But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. (25) Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, (26)so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.
“(27)Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, (28)and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. (29)For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, (30)engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.”

Okay, so whoa. Check this guy out. By reading this, can’t you tell that Paul was totally consumed with Christ? Paul was always happy, always rejoicing in the One that saved him. It made him want to shout it! Even in a cold, dark prison cell, Paul sang in praise to Jesus!
Up in verses 18-21 Paul, whether with life or death, would always rejoice in Christ. ‘For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.’ Paul knew no matter what that Jesus was going to be with him.
That is why this man was rejoicing wherever he was. He knew that Christ was with him and Paul wanted to tell everyone! He advanced the Gospel no matter what the circumstances were.
This makes me want to be more like Paul. It makes me want to show others the love that Jesus has shown me.

It is not that I have to; it is that I want to! If I keep this awesome happiness stuffed down inside of me, I am not doing anything to help advance the Gospel. I am wasting my life when I do that.

I think I rabbit-trailed there on the end, but hey, I was getting excited! In short, this is my change: To keep Jesus at the center of my life. To advance the Gospel, no matter what happens, no matter the circumstances. To boast only in Him. To help others (hopefully both physically and spiritually). I want to show the world God’s Son and His awesome love for us.

If you have any questions, leave a comment and I will try my best to answer.

Books

This is a list of some of the books I have read so far this year and highly recommend...

Don't Waste Your Life-John Piper

Do Hard Things-Alex and Brett Harris

Start Here-Alex and Brett Harris(Sequel to above)

Cross-Cultural Connections-Duane Elmer

Your Own Jesus, A God insistent on making it personal-Casting Crowns' Mark Hall

Redefining { beau.ti.ful }-Jenna Lucado


Next are books that my parents have read and I want to as soon as I finish something else :)

Crazy Love-Frances Chan

Vintage Jesus-Mark Driscoll

Dug Down Deep-Josh Harris

and a few Max Lucado books.

and that's all so far. :)

My thoughts of 'Don't Waste Your Life' by John Piper

This book is awesome!

The first place I saw something that really caught my eye was on page 28. This is where John Piper talks about God being glorified and God being enjoyed are the same thing.

He says enjoying God is a way to glorify Him. I guess the reason I noticed this is because I never thought about it that way before. Awesome.

The next thing I noticed is something that I hear repeatedly, but never get tired of it because it is so true.

Page 31-32, Piper tells us that we are created to glorify God. That is where our happiness is. If our happiness is in God, then we are glorifying Him. If we keep that happiness inside our lives, we are not sharing this happiness with others.
John Piper says, “The wasted life is the life without a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all people.”
He also says that we waste our lives when we do not glorify God with all our life, not just pieces.
This challenged me. It makes me take a step back and think, ‘am I doing this? Am I glorifying God in all I do?’

Next, I love where John Piper goes. Magnification and Glorifying.
Sometimes glorify means beautify. However, when you beautify something, you try to make it more glorious than it already is. Come on, can you really make God more glorious than He already is? I think not.
So…John Piper says when we mean glorify, we really mean magnify.
Not magnification through a microscope, that makes objects small seem big. No, we want magnification like a telescope! A telescope makes something so majestic, like a star, look like it really is.

Something else that John Piper says in this chapter also struck me.
“If you don’t point people to God for everlasting joy, you don’t love. You waste your life.”
This makes me think more about how I act towards people. Makes me check myself to make sure I am showing God’s love, not just trying to make myself look good.

The next chapter: Boasting only in the Cross-, the Blazing Center of the Glory of God. This is an amazing chapter.
John Piper tells us our main purpose is to exult the cross. The Bible shows us this is what we are supposed to do.
Our life needs to be zeroed in to a single target. That target is the cross of Christ.

Okay, so the fourth chapter John Piper challenges us to magnify Christ no matter what. I think that is something pretty awesome, but also something many people struggle with.
Makes me want to make sure no matter what, even through pain or death, I try to magnify Him.

The next chapter continues this, saying that if we do what we are commanded to do, if we do God’s will for our lives, we will have joy. Piper says, ‘The love of Christ triumphs over all misery.’
This reminds me of Paul. Paul went through so many troubles and so much persecution. What is so amazing though is this, what was he doing, even in prison? This man was still glorifying God. Though chained and beaten, Paul still was glad in Christ. He was happy because he knew he was doing what Christ wanted him to do.

Chapter 6, make others glad in Christ.
This taught me that my goal should be to show other people how glad I am in Christ, but John Piper warns us that we cannot make anyone glad in Christ. I noted this, ‘…we can’t make anyone glad in God. …It is the effect of God’s grace…Joy in God is awakened in the heart when God graciously opens our eyes to see the glory of the Gospel.”
We should work with people, but not make them feel as though they were being forced into knowing Christ.
He also says in this chapter, ‘gladness is not a peripheral religious experience.’ He explains that here:
‘When I speak of gladness in God, therefore, I mean a gladness that has roots in God’s eternal decree, was purchased by the blood of Christ, springs up in the newborn heart because of God’s Spirit, awakens in repentance and faith, constitutes the essence of sanctification and Christ-likeness, and gives rise to a life of love and a passion for redeeming the world after the image of God. Gladness in God is a massive reality planned and purchased and produced by God in the lives of His elect for the glory of His name.’
I thought that was awesome. :)

Chapter seven, living to prove He is more precious than life, challenged me to make sure others see that I value God more than life or possessions, and not just in front of other people either, but also in everyday life. Whew, kinda tough!

In closing, chapters 8 and 9, Piper challenges us repeatedly to live for Christ, to magnify Christ, to help others, no matter where you are.
I do not have to be a missionary to help others or tell them about God’s awesome love. I can do this everywhere I am, wherever God wants my help. At work, school, and at the grocery store, I can show others His glory, His love, His Son, and maybe they will come to know Him.

East to West

Psalm 103:11-12
"(11) For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His stedfast love towards those who for fear Him; (12) as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us."

Take out your globe. Now run your finger north up it. What happens when you get to the other side? Whoa! Hang on! Now you are heading south!

Now run your finger east around the equator. Now what happens when you get to the other side? Hmm, you are still going east. No matter how many times you go around, you will always be going east. The same goes for west.

So, in those verses, it says that He removes our transgressions (our sins) as far as the east is from the west. What did you just find out with your globe? That line is unending! Isn't that awesome??

Just thought I's share that bit of awesome info ;)

I need You

Everywhere I turn, something comes.
Everywhere I look, a new trouble.
I need You, I need You beside of me.
Things are coming, things that are hard.
I'm scared, I'm shrinking away.

God, You know I need You now,
You know I'm scared.
The times are tough, things are hard.
God, I need You here.

The evil one is telling me I can't.
I'm useless, says he.
Stay home, you can't do it.
This fear he has put in my heart,
it eats me from the inside out.
I'm scared.

God, You know I need You now,
You know I'm scared.
The times are tough, things are hard.
God, I need You here.

Take this fear, hide it away.
Help me, dear God, help me put it away.
Turn my focus, turn it from fear and insecurity.
Turn it towards You and Your mission for me.
Help me see, help me walk.
Help me closer to You.
I need You here beside of me.

God, You know I need You now,
You know I'm scared.
The times are tough, things are hard.
God, I need You here.

Oh God, You see my fears,
and You know my thoughts.
But You come and hide them from view.
God, You lift me out of my fears
and show me Your will.
I put them behind me and look to You.

Now all I see is Your will for me!
I know You will stay with me.

God, You knew I needed You, and still do.
You knew I was scared, and carried me through.
The times were tough, and things were hard,
But You knew and helped me through.

I needed You, and You heard my prayer.
I needed You, and You helped me through.
I needed You, and You were there.

Hold Me

I know Who holds me in His hand, Who picks me up when I am down. He tells me everything’s gonna work out.
Even if I can’t see the end, He holds me close and encourages me to go on. I know no matter what happens, Jesus will be there next to me.
He hears my tears, and wipes them away. Jesus knows my fears and gives me courage. He carries me when I feel I cannot go on.

God, hold me close, hold me in Your hand. When it’s hard, tell me You are here. When I am not sure where to go, show me the way, the way of Your Son.
I ask you, my Savior, to stay close through thick and thin. Let me know You are with me.
Hold me close; hold me tight. When things are hard, hold me in Your hand.

God, You love me. You sent Your Son to die on that tree. Rising again, Jesus set me free!

God, hold me close, hold me in Your hand. When it’s hard, tell me You are here. When I am not sure where to go, show me the way, the way of Your Son.
I ask You, my Savior, to stay close through thick and thin. Let me know You are with me.
Hold me close; hold me tight. When things are hard, hold me in Your hand.

You know when I need You the most.
Though things may happen that I do not understand, You hold me close.

God, You did the hard thing. You gave Your Son, to die the death of a thief, for me. You didn’t have to, but You did, because You love me.

God, hold me close, hold me in Your hand. When it’s hard, tell me You are here. When I am not sure where to go, show me the way, the way of Your Son.
I ask you, my Savior, to stay close through thick and thin. Let me know You are with me.
Hold me close; hold me tight. When things are hard, hold me in Your hand.

I do bad things, so why should the Lord God Almighty love me? Why should Jesus die for me? Why should the Holy One hold me in His hand?
You have always loved me, always cared. Even before Adam and Eve, You knew me and loved me.

God, hold me close, hold me in Your hand. When it’s hard, tell me You are here. When I am not sure where to go, show me the way, the way of Your Son.
I ask you, my Savior, to stay close through thick and thin. Let me know You are with me.
Hold me close; hold me tight. When things are hard, hold me in Your hand.

Hold me, oh God, hold me close. Through this time, hold me in Your hand.

It’s hard, but You know. It’s hard, but You care. It’s hard, oh God, but You hold me and say it’s gonna be okay.

Hold me, oh God, hold me. I know You love me; I know You will carry me through.

The Curtain

When Jesus died on the cross, Matthew 27:50 where it says 'And Jesus cried out again in a loud voice and yielded up His spirit.' verse 51, 'And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.'

Now you may be thinking, okay, a curtain tore. What's up with that? Why is that important? These at least were my thoughts at one time.

You must know the history of this curtain to really understand the significance of the tearing.

In the Jewish temple, there were sections where only certain people could go. The outermost section, anybody and everybody could enter. The middle chamber was only open to priests, but then there was the inner chamber. This was the most Holy place, kept from the outside world by a curtain. No one could go in this chamber except on a certain day, the Day of Atonement. This is where one priest would go and ask for the forgiveness of all the people's sins. The priest had to follow every rule, every step when he entered this chamber. Before he walked in, he had to make an offering for his own sins, signifying that he too was sinful.

Now, there we see the curtain mentioned in the text. The curtain preventing anyone but that priest on that day to have access to God.

Look at Hebrews 10:19-20 "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,"

There is the curtain. What this is talking about is how we no longer are prevented from having a personal relationship with God. Back then, the only people that could talk to God were the priests. But when Jesus died for us on the cross, becoming the ultimate sacrifice, He broke that wall, or curtain, preventing us from access to a relationship with God.

Notice how the curtain tore. 'top to bottom' according to the text. The path from Heaven to earth was opened. Jesus opened that path, that line of communication, with His death on the cross. Now, in a way, we are priests. We can have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

That is why a curtain tearing is mentioned in the Bible.

"Psalms 103:11-12 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His stedfast love toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us."

My Testimony

How to begin, that is a good question.

I guess a good place would be the day I realized I needed Him.

When I was five, I asked Jesus into my heart, but this past year I felt alone. I couldn’t remember that day. I couldn’t remember the date or even just doing it really. I held back for months, thinking, maybe I did and I shouldn’t worry about it. I went to a camp last summer, and there I made assurance of my salvation. I believed that Jesus, Who is the Son of God, was alive here on this earth and lived a perfect life. I know He died on the cross for my sins and rose again on the third day. It was awesome!

So, I was involved in my church. I did everything possible. I went to church, rain, snow, sleet, or ice, it didn’t matter. Every time the doors were open, unless I was sick, I was in that building.

I think it was not to long after that camp, I felt as though something was missing. A sense of, well, emptiness. Why was this? I was doing everything that they told me I was supposed to do, but why the emptiness? Why did the 'religious buzz’ wear off after I walked out the double doors?

What I didn’t know was my parents had this same feeling. My dad talked to a friend of his and this friend gave him a sermon by an awesome pastor. It was a sermon about being all about Jesus. My dad listened to that and was in awe. He let my mom listen to it, and then told us.

It wasn’t about what we did, what we wore, or anything like that. What it is about is Jesus! That is what, or really Who we were missing. Not that we didn’t already know Him as our Savior, no. It was we didn’t really have a good view of Him. He wasn’t really everything we looked at. Jesus wasn’t the center of our lives, like He should be.

After we put Jesus as the main focus of our lives, we began really studying the Bible, a lot of it as a family.

It's really awesome. I could never ask for a better family. My parents help me a lot.

So, now my purpose in life is to live for Jesus, fulfill the work He told us to do (you know, go, teach, baptize? The Great Commission? Check it out, you should.) and make sure I don't live a wasted life (John Piper's 'Don't Waste Your Life' awesome!). I hope to grow closer to God while going out into the community and telling others of His awesome love.

"Psalm 103:11-12 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His stedfast love toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us."