2011 was awesome. I grew in faith and in maturity. Hopefully I will find myself even closer to Christ in 2012 :) No eye has seen, no ear has heard the depths of your love Lord. No one can fathom the love you deserve how great you are!

What I can accomplish in and through you is proportional to how much you depend on me

Like an Avalanche - Hillsong United - Lyrics [HD]

My mom and her bible study sent me a sweet care package full of snacks and what not. The best part tho was the fact that every thing had a bible verse stapled to it to help encourage me during finals. My mom also reminded me of something really important. I was telling her how hard school was. I had 6 papers( a total of 45 pages), a 20 minute presentation, a math project and 2 tests not including any of my finals. She told me she was proud of me because I was doing my best and that the most important thing was to keep God first in my life. I'm doing ok in school but God has def taken a back seat to it.

So I'm hanging at my buddy Dan's house with by best friends in college. We are all stressed with papers and tests and stuff but its awesome to get away and just be dudes haha

Four papers and 2 big projects. LET'S GO!

being home was awesome and I'm not looking forward to going back to school even tho i love it there. I'm super worried about exams because my classes are already overwhelming. I just want to be home for Christmas :)

So I went to my floor bible study the other night and it was all about praising God with everything we have. Dance, music, singing loud...I liked it and made a new playlist for the occasion :)

I'm pumped to get home :)

I'm not sure what's going on. Ok so I have 4 best friends at school. 1 failed out and is back home in Minnesota. 1 is staying enrolled in school but isn't living in the dorm which means I'll never see him. 1 literaly sent me an e-mail today saying he was going home and not coming back and was gone no more than an hour later. That leaves Dan. He is awesome but it just sucks that three of my best friends are gone. Kinda lonely in my room these days.

What do I tell them?

What am I supposed to tell people when hey ask me to drink? Obviously something that implies I'm not drinking but do I need to make up a lame excuse so I don't scare them away or do I tell them the truth?

Excuse: Sorry I'm driving tonight.

Truth: Sorry I don't drink. Y? Because I take my faith seriously and not drinking is one way I show my love for God and for the people around me.

I forgot how hot tears felt. God I'm gonna miss this kid

:(

Guys I'm super dumbed. My best friend here at Calvin is leaving. Ever since my very first night here on campus we were tight as could be. We just clicked and told each other our whole life story. Unfortunately he partied too much and didn't go to his classes. So now he failed out of school and is flying back to Minnesota on friday. Ugh I'm gonna miss this kid. He had such a good heart.

Well my soccer season is over for this year so now I have to find something else to fill my time. Hopefully I can fill part of it with the Bible because honestly, it got some dust on the cover. I want to find some new non soccer friends too. Don't get me wrong I love my teammates but I don't want them to be my only friends. So I guess my next goal is to open up and spend my nights in the word. College has shown me it would help to have my roots deeper.

So naturally on this cold and rainy day I made some tea and it was delicious. But something was missing...Honey. So I put some honey in and it was even better. Then I got sad because every time I drink tea I think about sitting at Camden's house with Mel and Maddie. And Camden of course but that was implied. I miss my tea buddies

Thanks be to God

Listen to the Lord because he wants you to prosper. Take 5 to 10 minutes after you read this to sit and thank God for being with us even when we aren't there for him. If we seek him even when we don't feel him he's gunna reward us for that. But seriously, even if ur doing homework or something else take time to thank God for loving us and wanting the best for us. Guys God is so good and not one day should go by that we aren't praising him :)

Home for the weekend

Screwtape

have you ever felt like you were drifting away from God? Have you ever read the screwtape letters? If not its about a demon that tries to pull a guy away from God. The best success he has is when he distracts the guy in really minor ways. It doesnt happen all at once but the devil tries to slowly drag you away from God so once you start to realize whats happening God seems out of reach. Dont let the devil even start to drag you away. Show him what ur made of and if life is dragging you down you must be doing something right.

Im such a dork

So last night I went to my first college party. Of course I didn't drink or anything but seriously, it was a ton of fun. Peer pressure is so over rated, saying no was easier than counting to 3 but I guess thats just me. But I met some sweet people and everyone loved me by the end of the night. I felt really out of place in the beginning but it turned out to be a fun night and a good learning experience.

I used to ask myself "What is God's big plan for my life?" and "Am I ready for it?". The answer for now is this: Before you listen to God about moving to Africa or something u need to listen to him every day about the little things. Sitting with lonely classmate, smiling at the person you don't like very much, praying for someone, going to bible study...Once we learn to hear his voice and do the little things he asks of us, we will be able to hear the larger calls and be ready to accomplish them.

Dang there are so many distractions here

my priority list as of now...

1. classes

2. soccer

3. friends

Then God comes in somewhere below this.

I know I need to figure out a way to fix it but I haven't found it yet.

I wish I had something interesting to write about but life is pretty normal right now. Good but normal. I love my soccer team and everyone on it, my floor rocks, I live for meeting new people, the weather is perfect, and i love crunching fallen leaves with my scooter on my way to class. Ya Razor scooters r the bomb.

I see them everyday and they look just like us.

I hear them and they sound like us.

I know their whole story and it's the same as ours.

I know their feelings and we have the same ones.

Everything about them makes me miss you.

Everything about them breaks my heart.

I got to pray over one of my close friends and teammates just last night. It was cool because no one has ever done that for him and he just found out last night that he has a tumor. Look for opportunities to make a difference because they don't always fall into your lap.

Wow guys, God is so good. I hope your having the same sort of experience as I am because it's awesome. God has blessed me with the best friends in college. I've never grown so close to a group of guys this fast before and I can tell that God is answering my prayers as well as the others prayers through it. Draw close to the Lord and he will draw close to you. Thank you father, you have blessed me.

Confessions of a teen age soccer player

So, I made the JV team which I'm happy about because I would have just sat on the bench if I was on varsity. I'll be a starter and I feel like I'm doing really well compared to the other guys so thats good too. So ya soccer is hard but fun but the best part is that the guys on the team r soooo freaking cool! Seriously we all get along so well and everyone is super nice and hilarious. I'm so exited for this year, it's gunna be awesome.

teams get decided today. pray for me

Just finished my first day of soccer at Calvin. I really like being here but training is so hard. Keep me in ur prayers and I hope everyone is doing well :) text me or sumtin idk hah

So Hillsong United was sweet. So spirit filled and I love unrestrained worship with others that think the same way. So add a Hillsong United concert to ur bucket list because they are awesome and because you will rarely find a place to praise God like that.

Going to see Hillsong United!!!!!! Expecting to see a miracle haha...but really

Relient K- When I Go Down

I suppose being sad and afraid is all part of going to college. Saying bye to everyone is tough but it's also a pretty cool time. So even though it's hard, I'm going to do my best to look forward and praise my God for this time of growth. So thank you Jesus for everything and everyone so far. Now lets go make some more memories.

Ps 40:11

"Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me." This is my prayer for all of you as well as for myself. God is so faithful and he WILL always protect us. I just pray we remember that he will. Maddie read this and I liked it...If he gets you to it, he'll get you thru it.

God was gunna save Sadom if he could find 10 Godly people. Needless to say it got torched. Do you think God would save Hinsdale? Oak Brook? Burr Ridge? Elmhurst? Sure we think we are being good Christians but thats only compared to the other people around us. But when we compare ourselves to Christ...I'm not so sure.

Danny

My friend Danny came home from his mission trip to Romania recently. He told me everything that happened because he was so fired up. His team of ten people saved 173 Romanians, over 50 of them spoke in tongues while others were healed. Now I've heard all about miracles and I totally believe in them but i wish stuff like that could happen to me! I guess I say all this to tell you and myself NEVER to limit our God. Really, how often do we actually put our faith into practice?! If a mustered seed of faith can move a mountain and my friend can perform miracles, I can believe that My God is everything he says he is :) all it takes is a little faith.

Scared?

So is anyone scared for college? I bet because I am too. I have a lot of feelings about it but scared is one of them. I don't understand why I am but I guess it's only natural. Infact I think it's kinda silly. I would think that as loved children of God we would be more confident. Think of it, God has gotten us this far, he has never abandoned us before so why would he now? He promises that he has good plans for us. If he provides for the birds he will certainly provide for us. Idk about you but My God is all powerful, all knowing, the strongest fortress yet the most comforting song. I am loved and cared for and that isn't going to change. My best advise to survive college: never be alone...and I think I found my partner.

I can't remember a day so bad I wanted it to be over. I love life

So Alaska was pretty cool but maybe a few days too long. I was definitely ready to be back home. My family and I did tons of fun activities but the one thing that impacted me the most was our waiter at dinner on the cruise. His name was Zaldy and he was from the Philippines. He works on the ship because there is no work at home. He works for 9 months without a day off and goes home for 3 months to see his wife and 2 kids. I can't imagine a life like that! He worked so hard for us but had this quiet love to him. Ya I know he'll never think of my family again but he showed us this love I was not expecting to receive. He, as well as all the other workers, worked so hard but were still so thankful just to have a job. I don't have to support a family or work 9 months without a day off but somehow they had appreciation I don't yet understand. So thanks Zaldy for the beautiful example of a servants heart as well as some really good dinners :)

Off to Alaska!! Back on the 28th

Ok so here is some interesting news. My roommate for next year, who already made the soccer team and went to orientation, told me something. Apparently he wont be going to Calvin this fall!!!! I guess he couldn't get the money and instead is going to a community college near his house. This sucks because now idk who my roommate is gunna be!!!!!! I feel like he might be joking tho. aaaahhhhh IDK! i hope it's a joke

summer.

This summer has been a ton of fun. I love working a little, gettin my workout in and hanging out with my friends every night. The only thing that could make it better is if I got to see all of them sometime this summer. But over all this summer rocks and def one of the best :) Another thing that makes it awesome is that klove has some really good songs playing! Oh, and tonight was a gorgeous summer night.

This one time at band camp...

Sometimes you just have to realize forward is where you're headed so you need to stop looking back. Tonight I am thinking God for everything he has brought me thru. The good and the bad. He is true to his word: He is always with us.

There is something beautiful about you that i can't describe. Everything from the way you talk to me to when we sit quietly on the couch. You make me feel so special. You mean everything to me. Your all that matters. I just hope someday I can make you feel the same way. I love you ice cream.

Summer is great. I love summer

One thing I don't like so much about people is that the bad things others do always seems to be whats remembered. You can help a friend 20 times but once you mess up the 20 times are all the sudden gone. See thats why Jesus is so cool. We keep messing up our relationship with him and he never stops loving. So I guess my point is: when ur friends forget about you or something remember you do it to God every day. People make mistakes. Receive God's abundant forgiveness and pass it on.

The Runner's Soul

I just got my training schedule from Calvin. The training actually isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. The problem is the mandatory 12 minute 2 mile the first day of training camp. The best I've ever done is a 13 minute 2 mile. I'm good with ball skills and all that but when it comes to running I'm always at the end of the pack. I'm scared. The thing that really needs to change is my mindset. Mentally I need to become a runner. I am going to get this though because there is nothing else I want more.

Jack's Mannequin - Dark Blue

Hosanna (with lyrics)

outa this mother trucker

Well, I just got home from senior serve and I gradgimitate tomorrow. It hasn't hit me yet and my guess is that it wont until half way thru the summer. Ya it's weird to be done but I really was ready by this time last year. Leaving school may be sad for some people but honestly, I hope I never see most of them again.

I found something I'll miss

So tonight I sat at Camden's house with her and Maddie making bracelets and drinking tea. Most relaxing night in a long time and no other place I'd rather be. However, I do hope Everyone will hang out together before we leave. ps. tea is so freaking good!

I've got a feeling

No more high school ever? I can dig it.

Remember when you said you wouldn't change for anyone?

Faith

In my Christian Thought class we are talking about miracles. Ya I think miracles still happen today. Sure some are fake and the real ones are scarce but they are out there. We watched a movie about a guy praying over 2 people and they were healed on the spot. Jesus says that even if we have a little faith we can move mountains. That said, I don't pray for some people because I feel like my prayers don't do anything. Maybe because it's not God's time but is it possible it's because I don't believe God can do anything helpful? Why on earth would I limit the power of the creator?! Maybe we don't see miracles because we don't really believe he is going to do anything threw us. No miracles because we have no faith?

Acceptance

Acceptance . It's something you can never get enough of. No matter how high you are up the social ladder people always need more. I'm not saying this is a bad thing but it's worth some thought. Acceptance goes 2 ways. You give it and you get it. We all long to be liked and I'll be the first to raise my hand but who do we want it from? Is it from the others around us that may be "cooler" than us? Chances are they want acceptance too. So how can we fix this? Well idk but maybe we should start by giving it and end with getting it. My prayer tonight is that we will look more to accept others before we look to be accepted. People judge and what we work so hard to earn can be taken away. Invest in something or someone more reliable. I know I need to.

U know the sword but what about the floaties of God?

School is winding down and I can't wait until I'm gone. The bad part is that I'm trying to control what I don't know, my future. A stressful and useless task. I feel grown up and mature but when my parents are crying and 3 hours away I'm gunna need something stronger then myself to lean on. It's not gunna be easy but nothing really is. So I'll dive in head first...with my floaties of course :)

What If?

Why do we continually need to have our way?

Why is it that it feels so good to do something Godly but we rarely do them?

Why would we rather be right than understanding?

Why do we wait till tomorrow to encourage when nothing is stopping us from doing it now?

Why do we usually just hang out with our "friends'?-what about the guy who sits home every weekend?

Why are our comfort zones so small and unbroken?

God doesn't call us to be average you know...

Hell Hole

Sometimes I wish we could be like we used to and other times I look forward to never seeing you again. I miss the past i guess you could say but I'm way more exited about the future. I can't wait to get out of this place.

A day of rest?

Ya so this definitely was the best week ever. So many fun and funny things to brighten up my days. It's been hard and exhausting but there is nothing like feeling accomplished :) Tonight I am also thanking God for the uncertainty in life. You never know exactly whats around the corner but you can trust that He does.

Ok so there is a junior girl at my school who is in a real pickle. Her dad for some reason has been in a-coma for the past 3 weeks. He has only been getting worse and the doctors said if he didn't get a lung transplant by last night he was toast. Well somehow he found a match so the doctors popped um in and they actually worked which was extremely unlikely. So he is doing better but its not like he's fixed yet. The strange thing is that i've never talked to this girl before but for some reason i really care about this one.

im urxtra busy this week and it's going quite slow but id say its above average. Variety Show, a few papers, all the games on! I have to make sure my priorities are in order. So, that puts playoffs before hw and everything else.

Prom

So everyone is starting to ask about prom. People always ask "aah omg like who are you tots gunna ask?!" So here are my thoughts on the subject. I literally couldn't care less. There are only two good parts to prom. Having fun with friends you like and your date. I dislike TC and most of the people there so it's not like im looking forward to going to some ones lake house. And I don't have a special female to bring so it seems i struck out in only two swings. I know it'll be fine but I wish it was gunna be better than fine. so ya i just like so totally cant wait!....not. screw you prom. maybe ill take mel's column into consideration...hm, "morp"

apropes for good friday i think

You know, I just really don't understand some people. So I'm sorry if I don't say what you want to hear because chances are that i wont understand why you feel the way you do. I can't offer any wisdom so all I can give is someone to listen to you.

Young And Aspiring Lyrics - Underoath

Times - Tenth Avenue North

I really enjoy being alone but there is nothing better than being invited to things. I put up this front that everyone wants to be with me and i guess I do an ok job because people are surprised when they find out i have no friends at school. But thats fine because Timothy sucks, i never did fit in there, and I have friends elsewhere (even if I haven't seen then in 6 months it seems). But it is always nice being asked to do something no matter who is asking. Man it's crazy tho that the world tells us that in order to have fun we need to basically screw God. Not true

1 Corinthians 5: 12

This is what Paul writes to the church in Corinth "It isn't my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it is certainly your responsibility to to judge those inside the church who are sinning."

Everyone in the church is a sinner so where do we draw the line? I'm not sure but judgement isn't bad if the right motives are behind it. It's not to make yourself look better but to help "the sinner" overcome the evil they continually turn back to while realizing you too have work to do. Have you ever heard anyone call the church a whore? a group of hypocrites? a debate team? Around 90% of non believers have a negative view of Christians. So how do we fix this?

Have you ever written out a post and then deleted it for fear that people may not like to read what you have to say? I have

Up & Up - Relient K Acoustic

You need to watch this. Its really really cool

Cool Story

So my mom told me a story about this family. I cant know if the story is really true but i choose to believe it. So this married couple had their young boy die, go to heaven, and then come back to life. This has been done before so im not too stunned by it. The crazy part is that years later he started talking about things he would never know had he not gone to heaven. He was talking to his parents about his older sister one day. He didn't have an older sister but before him his mom had a miscarriage and never told the son about it. He met her in Heaven. Wow. It's so cool to hear how real God is.

NAME

WHO AM I? I am Corey Phillip, a loved child of God who is like no one else. I am a Christ follower who likes to play soccer. I am a believer.

WHY DO I BELIEVE? I believe because I have seen the works of His hands and have heard his voice. I believe in Him because He first believed in me.

BUT HOW DO YOU KNOW HE IS REALLY THERE? I can't be 100% sure but at the end of the day you have to believe in one thing or another. It is more reasonable to have faith in a creator than an explosion that is mathematically impossible. But does it really matter how the world started? I'd rather answer the question of where I will be when it ends.

God needs to be experienced, not understood.

Yesterday my daily nooma was about anger. Today the chapter in my Max Lucado book was about anger. They pissed me off hahaha

lesson learned

When Mommy tells you to put on sun screen, you put on sun screen. oh dear, im very. very burnt hahaha

Nooma 013

Watch this nooma sometime. It's the one titled "Rich" and it's jam packed with good stuff.

Progress

So ya last night I was really convicted that the life I'm living isn't bad but wow is it far from good. So today I set out to keep my mouth shut when things shouldn't be said and to smile at everyone I made eye contact with. It didn't go so well hahaha but it was progress. I feel like I'm so filled with God's love and it is about time I share it with others. PS. I hate TC tho so it's hard. I just don't belong there.

The body of Christ is paralyzed from the toes up

If what we say is what is what is in our hearts then we are so broken. I just feel like in all honesty we are failing. Filling our faces with glares and our mouths with expletives is what the world expects of teenagers. I refuse to meet the set standard and stop. Im better than that and so are you. Idk I just fee like we have fallen so far from where we should be. Saying your a Christian today means nothing, acting like one is another story. I'm sorry I haven't been acting out of love.

Some days I wish the world spun faster and other days I wish it'd stand still

not worth reading

I haven't blogged in a while but there really hasn't been anything blog worthy. I started watching a nooma a night and im on #7 now. It's fun and soothing to go to sleep to. Man im sorry but there is nothing to say except school is stupid and im ready to be able to run again because having a messed up ankle for at least 1 full month is not fun. hhhuuuuuhhhhhhh. Im gunna go trim my beard...

Inside or Out?

For me it is easy to make Godly choices. It's just common sense as to what is right and wrong. The problem with Godly choices however is that it doesn't always mean there is a Godly motive behind it. I get so caught up with making the right choices to make sure I look good and wise and all that other stuff but what does it mean if I'm only doing it to be noticed? What good is a Godly decision without a Godly motive? Yes good decisions can help better the people around you but without the proper motive behind said decision the decision maker isn't going to change. It is easy to be good where people can see but what about inside where no one knows your motives or your heart?

A couple randoms

-Mel, ur article was thoroughly enjoyable :)

-People are getting really antsy at school and just asking to get in trouble

-I hate having a bum ankle so I tried playing basketball today...not smart

-There is this girl everyone talks bad about but as far as I can tell she's pretty cool

-I got box seats for the next Bulls game and thats all I think about

-I really like Jars of Clay

Well sometimes when nothing is on my heart and I'm kinda just luke warm, if u will, I like reading some of my older posts. So if u blog which most if not all of you do, go read some of your old posts and see if God refreshes and or invigorates your heart.

Lent or Lint

Without a Godly motive for lent, lent is just lint...worthless. That was the deep thought from my Jesus class today haha but really, some people make lent a reason to diet or better themselves while the real reason behind it is to grow in Christ. If you skip a meal spend that time praying. If you are taking something away replace it with God.

So I can almost walk normal now and I haven't done much so I've had plenty of time to figure out what God may be trying to tell me though this. I'm not sure how I got this from being a gimp for a week but this is what He revealed to me. It is easy to love the people that love you back, but it is real love when they don't. I can't see myself being nice to the people that hate my guts but who knows, maybe I'll get an opportunity. What I do know is that if I was nice to them it'd be a God thing because I can't do that on my own.

Pizza and relationships

I sit here eating pizza and blogging with greasy fingers. Pizza isn't my favorite food but it brings to mind strong memories. First of all it is one of my code words I use so people don't know what I'm talking about with some individuals. But mostly my memories are at CPK haha. I've gone there with Elise, Ashley, Andy Jack and most of my church friends. So basically pizza and CPK remind me off some key people that shaped me into the person I am today. Some of those people I love, some I hate, and some I haven't seen in what seems like a few months. But at the end of the day I'm extremely thankful for all of them :)

Skepticism or Wonderment

I was thinking about a type of person. The person that accepts God into their heart but latter never thinks of him and goes crazy joining to festivities life has to offer. Are they still Christians? Were they ever really a Christian? Obviously it's not in my power to say or know but it makes me wonder. I've had some awesome conversations with people that accept Christ but I haven't seen some of them in years. Is that my fault or was that really how God planed it? Some people can seem to have it all together with what they say but we can never know their hearts.

To be the teacher you must first be taught

Well, I asked God last night to open my eyes so that I would be able to see what and when he is teaching me. This morning I messed up my ankle playing soccer. It popped multiple times so I hobbled thru the school day and went to go get xrays. I'd give it a 7 on the pain scale. The doctors said I didn't fracture anything but they are worried I tore my Achilles tendon which wouldn't be good. I asked God to teach me and I'd say this is a great time to learn. It pisses me off when everyone in the halls thinks it's a good idea to ask me what happened. I'd rather not tell them but the only people I wish did ask don't.

No one else can _______ like you can Father.

-Love

-Forgive

-Care

-Understand

-Feel

-See

-Protect

-Lift up

Ps 40:16

But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout "The Lord is great!"

Of all the characteristics God can choose from he chose Loving and Forgiving to wear on his sleeve. This is the God I serve so I will shout "The Lord is great!"

Isaiah 10:15

But can an ax boast greater power than the person who uses it?

Is the saw greater than the person who saws?

Can a rod strike unless a hand moves it?

Can a cane walk by itself?

Like all tools we have a purpose, a job, potential. But unless we let God use us we can't do much.

Needtobreathe- More Time

So this weekend was pretty fun. I went snowboarding at Boyne and Nub's Nab and it was so much fun even though it was just me and my dad sheddin the pow. My mom sat inside doing bible study or something. Surprisingly enough Petoskey Michigan has some really good food. It was weird for a birthday tho because I didn't get to see any of my friends but bdays don't mean much anyways so it really doesn't matter. Tonight I went to Pei Wai for the first time and it was so freaking good!! haha im going there every day now. My mom's fortune was that she was going to get a surprise. I told her I got a girl pregnant. Her response: "A girl likes you?! That is a surprise!" So sad yet so true hahaha. So just to top off the great weekend my dad and I sat and had a few cigars and now here I am.

So what did I learn from all this? I learned that it is impossible for my dad to get deep, 7 hour car rides aren't bad and I'm finally ready for warm weather.

Things I learn in Christian Thought

So as Christians the Bible tells us we need to be sure of what we do not see ie God. So how do we know God exists? Well there are two kinds of "knows". The first is how you know that you are reading my blog right now. The other kind is how you know ur mom, dad, bff, or anyone ur super close to. It's a deeper. What if Paul is saying that we don't necessarily need proof to know God is there but rather we need to know him like we know our family members. It is a relationship after all right?

Just one of my many faults

I feel bad saying this but I have an extreme hatred for someone. All I do is be nice to them and they ignore me every time and pretend I'm not there. I don't understand someone that goes out of there way to be a complete jerk. so this is the convo I dream of having with them...

C: Im sorry but i hate you and everything you stand for.

E: You hate Jesus?

C: If you think you stand for God you're only kidding yourself.

You can spend all day trying to prove or disprove God but at the end of the day it takes a step of faith to be on either side. I really don't think anyone can prove He is real but I can tell you why I believe He is. Look in a mirror and say "I was created by accident." He loved me first so I will love Him back.

in order

-I was on Homecoming court

-Silent Night was sweet

-I hung with TC people a lot more than usual

-Spirit week was fun

-We had our hc pics in the garden chapel haha

-Dinner was wonderful but the dance was the worst thing in my life. Timothy is being super dumb this year and cracking down on everything so now the music at the dances is horrible.

-After party was lame too so the whole night kinda sucked.

-I liked when Mike Murphy said that as the body of Christ we need to be able to correct each other out of love but it is hard because people think it is judging.

-I like Sundays because they are relaxing and very much needed most of the time.

-Right now I'm thinking about people in my past and I really miss some of them.

-I love the LSD series hahaha

Homecoming Week

I love this week. Everything is so good and it is only going to get better. I feel kinda bad tho because everything is working out in my favor. Anyways I have a filled weekend ahead of me so ill let u know how it goes if u want, or even if u don't want to know.

God I just pray that at least a few of them experienced you this weekend. Thanks for being there :)

This makes me happy. There is nothing like spending a week with middle schoolers. i wish i was them

I wish it didn't have to be like this..

If anyone asks, just know that what I say will be made up on the spot haha

2 of 2

Turn off ur phone, ur lights and ur mind. Be still and know that I am God. Listen with ur hearts so that He can soften them and mold them into what they need to be. Ps 4:23-"Guard your heart above all else for it determines the course of your life"

1 of 2

She can sing all the songs

She can pray those good prayers

She can give those good sermons

However I wish she set a better example because most of what I hear is discouraging, careless and said in anger and frustration. I miss the old her because she is always so grumpy now and quite frankly unpleasant to be around because she always has to be right.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDBjNRbEHvQ

Even with the godless reaching my property every few days, I am tortured by solitude.
The whispering of the cornfields haunt me like the moans of my undead enemies.
My depression grows stronger: its bitter claws around my neck.
I will always be tortured... tortured by solitude.

Will anything get better for me?
I have watched the world die, all I know now is regret.
Will this sickness ever leave this world?
I have watched the world die, all I know now is regret.

I will never see through this nightmare. I will never know sunlight again.
I will never see through this nightmare. I will never taste her lips again.

Sorry this is just me being selfish but I really don't like to see or hear about this. It breaks my heart.

Hope For Every Fallen Man (Acoustic) - Relient K

You know, there are a ton of D-bags out there and I really hope you girls find a good guy that will treat you right

True Worship

I love Timothy Christian :) where else would 3/4 of the whole senior class willingly come to school on a Thursday at 7pm just to lift their hands in worship. Lead by seniors for seniors. I had a lot of fun helping put this together and it tuned out really well. I know for a fact that at least one life was changed tonight. There is nothing like praying with an old friend I haven't made eye contact with for the whole year.

its ok

Have you ever been there? Where nothing is right and you can swear that God forgot about you? Have you ever been so mad at God that you just yelled at him or didn't even give him any of your time? Sometimes it lasts for a day and sometimes it can last years. I've been there and I bet you have too at one time. One thing that helps me in those times is to know that I'm not the only one that feels that way. People can say God is still there or this is just testing your faith. Well those can be empty words. Read Psalm 88. Being angry with God at times is only natural. Even when you can't find God, God will find you at the right time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbH0IWZL05s

Been here before

So I've been journaling for the past 3 years and it's interesting to see that I'm writing about the same things I was 2 years ago. I guess God really does go at his own pace because if it was mine it'd be quite different. I'm impatient and blind aren't we all?

How He Loves

So ya we were singing this song last night and my heart broke. If we even understood a little bit of how He Loves Us we wouldn't have to watch a movie about how Christians hurt people so much. It's just frustrating because I always have this thing on my mind but everyone is so paranoid on being judged that honesty is thrown out the window. It's not judgement, it's love. It's just sad that the body of Christ can't be real with itself. Get mad at me, I don't care, but know it's out of love. I guess there's just a lot on my mind.

My faith is my shifting sand so I stand on Grace

Even Abraham showed a lack of faith at one time or another. Grace is a sweet thing but we have to be careful not to use it as a crutch. We shouldn't have to depend on it.

Jars of Clay

some times you just need some harmless fun.

Raul Salazar. Check out his FB if you can because it's ridiculous. Its some freshman at TC and all the seniors tagged, posted, messaged, poked him as much as possible. i love life right now hahaha

Do my actions really tell the story of what God has done for me?

I feel like who I say I am and how I act is different. I mean come on, I get to say that I'm saved by the perfect God and the perfect human died for me. What am I really doing to show that I'm thankful? I am loved by the maker of the word and I turn my back on Him and do my own thing. How wrong is that? Shouldn't it naturally be easier to live for my maker? Oh how we've fallen...

What can I get rid of so that I can make room for the one it was made for?

-I played basketball with Kyle Jeske yesterday and he's a pretty cool guy. I hope to see him at Koin again soon.

-I feel like your mad at me but there is nothing to be mad about.

-I'm really sorry if my mom screwed it up for you.

-I have soccer before school tomorrow :(

-Do feel like your actually ready or are you faking it?

-Wheat Thins are delicious.

-Protein shakes are not.

-I see God threw music.

-I have a verse in my head and idk where it is in the Bible.

-I wish I had more secrets about myself but there is nothing interesting about me.

-I love all my 2nd semester classes but I wish I fit in better.

-I wish I was good at art because I think paintings and drawings and stuff are really cool.

-I don't think it's a very god idea.

Love is...

So I read 1 Peter this past week and a few concepts jumped out at me. There was a lot of talk about humility and Love. I also just read a book called Crazy Love and I just started a new one called A Love Worth Giving. Basically all of the above have to do with the idea that God is Love and a quality of Love is Humility. If we don't know Love we don't know God.

When Heaven comes down and Glory will fill his soul

Life is so good right now!! Sometimes you can't help but smile and thank the one who made it all happen. Gotta love eating cookie dough with my best friends :)

Also, my family is bringing a close friend to church tomorrow and I am really praying that God will touch his heart. I love this guy to death but he's pretty lost so ya. God please come and fill Ryan's heart. May he see you through my family or the music or the pastor or any other way. Just come and let him feel your embrace.

So now what?...

Every day is another chance to decide who I'm going to be.

Sometimes it helps to talk about what God may be putting on your heart. If you feel like telling someone gimme a call because I'd love to listen. I can't promise good advice but I can promise listening ears.

I dont like how my mom will always find something to be mad about

Advice

So I really liked when that person asked Dane Meyer what the best advice he got when he was a teenager was. I've been thinking about the best advice I ever got was so this is what I've come up with after constantly thinking about it for 3 days.

The best way to be encouraged is to encourage someone else.

Don't be afraid because your in God's hands.

But the one that tops them all is this: Surround yourself with God loving people and never let yourself get in a position where you can get in trouble.

Advice is an interesting thing because its so personal. What is good for me may not be good for you.

I'll Stand

So I was just listening to this song and asked myself "what if I lived a life that I'm singing about?" God doesn't listen to what we say, he listens to our heart. If he did just take our word for it I bet we could all fake it pretty well. But He doesn't, so what is your heart telling God?

Bible study

So every Monday morning I meet with a few guys before school over some coffee to just talk about what's on our hearts. We were talking about what takes priority over Christ in our lives sometimes. They said some good stuff that I took to heart so I thought id share them with u in hope that they me touch you as well.

-Our actions are a reflection of our faith and how much we have of it

-We need to be content with Jesus and stop looking for happiness in the wrong places

-Even though it's impossible to live a perfect life we try because we love him

-One thing that makes us different than others is that we learn from our mistakes and run from what tempts us

Im really only writing these because I want to remind myself of why I picked up his cross and what that really means to me. Im not trying to convict anyone, Im simply trying to remind.

I want to move on but my memories won't let me

It has gotten easier but that doesn't mean it's easy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqJ_s8iphQ0

Mr. Hersey

He is a great guy but not so great of a math teacher so im glad he went to seminary school instead. He came to talk in chapel at school today (ya thats right, be jealous I have chapel during school). He talked about God's thrown and how it's sad that in our lives God is rarely the one on his thrown. Speaking for myself I know that I have put other things on a pedestal instead of him such as a girl, a sport, or even myself. As Christians we need to understand that life isn't about us anymore. So instead of putting urself or something worldly on his thrown, make sure that He is in his rightful seat. So for me this means that I need to look for other people's needs before my own. What does this mean for you?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY9m0uAPun0&feature=related

I am a born again Christian. I suppose that means something different to everyone but to me it means that I have been given a chance to be different from this world. I live the life I do because I love Him. Im certainly not saying I'm better than others, I'm just saying that everyone falls short in their own way. This post may make no sense to u but thats ok because this is my blog so its more of a window into my thoughts which usually make no sense so I guess its appropriate

Everything is surprisingly all good

So I just finished "Crazy Love" and it was amazing! Everyone should read it and thats big coming from me. basically it was all about how Christians don't do enough in terms of service and love. It was quite convicting. Francis Chan calls us to action NOW. We wait because we think God is gunna come with some piercing voice making it clear what we should do with our life. Unfortunately that doesn't happen so we need to live in faith and just go and find ways to serve Him. It also says "Before you do something, think 'if Jesus came back right now would I want him to see what im doing'?" My favorite line in the whole book says "How will you answer the King when He says 'What did you do with what I gave you?'" We are being called to action. Not in your own time but NOW. So what are you going to do with what he gave you? will he be proud of you? will you be proud of yourself?

Matt 11:28-30

"Come to me all you are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you because I am humble and gentle in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear and the burden I give you is light."

God if what you say is true I want it. Thanks for letting me lay my burdens at your cross because it is time to walk with you.

I know you care about me but sometimes a bit of reassurance is good

Church

So I went to big church with my mom today. Honestly I like it a lot better than 2hc. Dan Meyer talked about how it is human nature to ask the question "what is my purpose in life?" the answer is that it should be found in God. Our purpose should be to accomplish God's purpose. He also talked about Micah 6:8 to act on what is just, to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God. All in all, it was pretty good and idk if im gunna start doing this more or continue to sleep and talk through 2hc.

I NEVER thought it'd be like this

I never saw it actually happening but now that it is I'm on cloud 9 :) this has been the best Christmas break of my life so thanks everyone that has been a part of it