This is To You Guys Starting College This Year...

So lots of my friends are starting to head off to college for the first time. I can only imagine how exciting and nerve-racking it is (guess I'll find out next year). And I have to say that I will miss them IMMENSLY! But you know what? I'm also so excited to see what God does in each of their lives in the next few years to come. I can't wait to hear their stories and hear about what God is teaching them. I can't wait to see how God uses them in very specific ways to further His Kingdom. Tomorrow will be my last day to see some of them before they head out on this new journey of theirs and I can only hope I hold the tears at bay (I don't have waterproof mascare and that does not mix well with tears). And I just want them all to know that I love them all and will be praying for them.

Annie ♥

My First Day...

Yes, today was the very first day of my Senior year. And I'll be honest with you...it was not the best day of my life. I was looking forward to good classes where I could learn a lot but be surrounded by friends and enjoy my last year of high school. However, my day didn't quite turn out like that...

For this year I chose to take two dual enrollment classes, one honors class, and all the rest electives. However, my friends decided to take lots of AP classes to get ahead on some college credit (a different path from my dual enrollment decision). Now I knew I wouldn't have all of my friends in my classes, but I will admit that I was expecting one very good friend to be in one or two of my classes. That didn't happen. Now don't get me wrong, there are people I can talk to in each of my classes but it still wasn't the same as having a BFF with me. Not only that, but some of my classes and teachers weren't exactly my first pick. But you know what? IT WILL BE ALRIGHT! (And I might be telling myself that more than anyone else.) I know that God has a plan in all of this. I know that this is what He wants for me, because I prayed that He would just put me in the classes I need with the teachers and peers I need who might possibly need me too. I know that God is able to do something great in all of this if I simply remain attentive to what He's telling me to do and I obey what He's telling me to do immediately without any hesitation.

(And by the way...today God was good enough to have already shown me some ways in which He might be able to use me. It's not always going to be easy, but His ways are always best.)

Annie ♥

P.S. I would also like to ask you to just pray for me whenever you think about it, because I'm going to need a lot of it this year. Please pray that I will be obedient to the Lord, that I will be willing, that I will be an example of who Jesus is, that I will keep persevering, and that I will love others. Thanks so much! :)

Centrifuge 2011 (Part 3)

Last week at camp I got to experience something pretty cool (well, pretty cool to me...). I got to see high school guys step up and lead. I know that might not seem like a huge deal to you, but that isn't something I get to see every day (although I must say that I have some friends who are wonderful godly leaders). It was so encouraging to see them lead team cheers, recreation, Bible Study, etc. I am so thankful that there are young Christian guys all over the country who are being wonderful leaders for Jesus!

On that same topic of leadership, God also reminded me of something I need to be better about...

For those of you who know me well, I tend to lead a little more than I follow (however, even though I like to lead, there are many times I need to follow other people's leadership). But last week I was reminded that I will officially be a Senior on August 1 (that's right...I start school on Monday). I will be among the oldest kids in my youth group and I need to make sure I am being the best leader that I can be. I remember being in middle school and even early high school and looking up to kids older than me. I watched everything they did, and I wanted to be just like them. So I need to remember that no matter what, younger kids are always watching me no matter what I'm doing.

Annie ♥

P.S. Sorry this post was kind of scatter-brained.

Centrifuge 2011 (Part 2)

Another day/topic at camp that really hit home with me was "connecting to those that hurt us." This is a big deal for a lot of people. Many times we hold the anger inside and it turns to bitterness and hate. But that's not what we're supposed to do. God tells us that we need to forgive.

A few months ago (I think it was in March), I had the wonderful opportunity to go to Winter Jam. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's a $10-at-the-door concert with lots of Christian artists and a speaker. This year, one of the artists was Chris August. He's a little newer to Christian music, but he has some awesome songs. (You might be familiar with the song, "Starry Night." Yep, that's him!) One of his songs he sang at the concert is called "7 x 70." It's all about the hurts he experienced as a child and forgiving those who hurt him, and it is based off of Matthew 18:21-22...

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

These couple of verses have become some of my favorites within the last few months. It's so convicting to have Jesus saying we shouldn't be limiting our forgiveness to a certain number of times (Jesus doesn't mean to only forgive people 77 times...He's just showing us that we should continually be forgiving people). Believe me...I know how hard it seems. I have been hurt in the past numerous times by the same person and it is a constant struggle to forgive them.

This was also one of our key passages at camp one day, and my leader mentioned that you have to make a conscious decision every single day to forgive people. That's something I have been learning a lot this year. It's something that doesn't always come really easily. But God can definitely soften your heart and help you with forgiving others.

Annie ♥

Centrifuge 2011 (Part 1)

Last week I had the amazing opportunity to attend Centrifuge at Union University with my youth group. For those of you not familiar with Centrifuge, it is a camp that Lifeway does at different locations throughout each summer. Hundreds of students go each week to learn more about God, connect with others, and just have fun. The whole theme for this year was "connect." We learned about connecting with the lost (people who do not know God in a personal wa and who do not have a relationship with Him), connecting with authority, connecting with family and friends, connecting with those that hurt us, and connecting with fellow believers.
I learned a lot while I was there so instead of one super duper long post, I'm going to do three over the next few days...

One of the days that really stood out to me was the first full day of camp. We learned about connecting to the lost. There were two passages of scripture that really meant something to me. One was from John 1:40-42...

40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).

The other one was from Matthew 4:18-22...

18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.
21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.


In the first passage, we see that the very first thing Andrew did was tell his brother about Jesus and bring him to Him. How often do I have that urgency, the urgency to tell everyone (but especially my close family and friends) about Jesus and what He has done in my life? Sadly, it is not often enough and God convicted me about that last week.

In the second passage, Jesus calls Andrew and Peter and James and John to come follow Him. Each of them dropped everything they were doing and IMMEDIATELY follwed Jesus. Growing up I heard the phrase, "Delayed obedience is disobedience." Not only can we apply it to when those in authority here on Earth tell us to do something, but we can also use it in our spiritual walk with the Lord. How many times do I do exactly what God is telling me to do at the exact moment He is telling me to do it? A lot of times we make excuses and try to talk ourselves out of doing whatever God says the moment He is telling us to do it. But that isn't obedience because it's delayed. Also, they were all willing to give so much up for Jesus. They gave up jobs and an income, friends, family, and comfort in general. But they gave all of those things up because they knew following Jesus was worth it. I need to have that same attitude every day of my life. I need to be willing to give up anything and everything as well as drop whatever I am doing to immediatley obey what God is telling me to do.

Annie ♥

Goodbye Junior Year...

Today was my last day being a Junior in high school. And I must say that it has been my favorite year of school ever!

Every year I pray that God would give me the perfect class schedule with the teachers He wants me to have and the peers He wants me to attend class with. He has never failed to give me the classes and surround me with the people that I need at that moment in my life. This year was no exception. I was blessed to have some of the best teachers I have ever had. Some challenged me even when I thought my brain was about to explode, some simply laughed with me, but they all have impacted my life in some way or another. I am so thankful to have been one of their students!

Now I get to look ahead and prepare for my Senior year of high school...Class of 2012!

Annie ♥

Worry and Trust

Do you ever wish God shows you some of His plans for you right in front of your face on a piece of paper? Well, that's kind of how I have been feeling lately...

This is my last semester of my junior year of high school (which I am thoroughly enjoying) and I have been seriously looking at different colleges and even considering what exact major I should study in college. For those of you who don't know me too well, I will tell you that I am a planner. I plan my weekend activities in advance, what I'm going to wear every day for the next week, and many other things including what college I would like to attend and the subject area I would like to major in. When I'm unsure of any of these big decisions, I get worried and stressed and I sometimes just want to burst into tears. However, when that happens I'm not trusting God that He has it all taken care of. I'm doing exactly what it says NOT to do in Matthew 6:34...

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own...

I am worrying even when God says not to. However, I need to give that worry to God and trust Him with my life...

Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:10

In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. Psalm 25:1

But I trust in you, Lord; I say, "You are my God." Psalm 31:14

I need to trust God COMPLETELY with my college choice as well as with what He wants me to study in college, and I need to seek Him out with my whole heart and pray for wisdom and guidance and discernment in making these decisions...because afterall, He is God, He knows what He is doing, and He has specific plans for me and my life.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 (such a great verse for me in this season of my life)

Annie ♥

P.S. If you would like to read more on worry, the whole passage of Matthew 6:25-34 is great.