Life and Death
This week has been pretty hard at school, because on Friday Matt Zachary, who was a Senior died, I won't go into the details because I didn't really know him so it don't seem right. But I did see him around school a lot and from what I know of he was a really nice guy. It just seems so weird and sad to think that just last week he was walking though the halls and now he's gone. It reminds me a lot of when Sage died, I had babysat her just 3 days before she died and she was just fine. I held her all day and I remember imagining her being big enough to wear real clothes (she was so little that clothes were too big for her). Then she was gone. It really gets you thinking about how we're not promised tomorrow. And the whole time at school when I'm around everyone who is so sad about Matt, I can't stop thinking about how easily God could have taken Josh from us on Sunday night. I just keep thanking him over and over again for sparing his life. At the same time I'm so thankful that the Lord has helped me to be able to forgive Josh in the last month because I know that if he would have died and I hadn't forgiven him it would have killed me.
Changes
I was thinking today about how just 2 years ago at the Brewster camp out there were very, very few of the young kids who were in the faith and this year I looked around and probably other half of the young kids who were there were in the faith. I remember how wonderful it was at the Brownsville camp out 2 years ago when there were about 25 of us young kids and not one of us was baptized and how by that Wednesday 10 of us had came in the faith (I was one of them). And it seems like since then there have been so, so many of the young kids here in the northwest who have given their hand. It's such a wonderful feeling when you hear of one of your friends giving their hand and even better when you are able to be there to witness it. Along with this there seems to have been many changes in the way that we act, I remember how we used to always just go around playing our games and doing our own things that weren't of God, but now we're always singing together, we see so many of us get up and serve the Lord in church, I've seen the guys get up and make talks in church, I even sat and listened to some of the guys visit on the word on Friday and it was so helpful to be able to listen to people your own age talk about those things. We seem so much more closer now and much more like a family than ever before. I'm always praying that the Lord will help us young kids who are in the faith to be able to do what would be his will and help the ones who aren't that they would have that desire and be able to be baptized. I'm so thankful for all of my friends who have came into the faith and I can see how the Lord is working in many of the others life's.
8 comments:
It's so good to think about these things. They are the things that God wants us to think about. Spiritual matters are more important than many people say - but then, it's like we hear in Church a lot; God is only as big as you let Him be. In your life, anyway. He is much bigger than anything else, but He will NOT force Himself into your life. I've been thinking about how many times God protects us and we don't even know. Driving the car to Church, somebody merges, and we don't even realize that the perfectly safe looking merge was only by God's mercies, and that if He weren't looking out for us, there would have been a wreck. And we just keep driving along, not paying enough attention to what we're doing, not singing and praising God, but having our minds on other matters. God is protecting our very lives every minute of the day. I sure don't want to forget to give Him the honor and the praise. One of these days, He's gonna call me in, and I sure don't want to be caught doing something else rather than listening for Him. I want to be ready, and I don't want memories of fame and fortune. I don't care about fame and fortune. I care about growing up with a strong foundation in the Faith. I care about memories of people brought back to life, demons cast out, miracles of healing, new members of the Body, and all of the "little" things that we sometimes forget to praise Him for each day.
Thank you Sabrina, you're always reminding me of so many things that I forget to think about. Now I'm thinking about how when we get delayed or don't end up able to make it to something that seemed important to us, how it is God protecting us or just showing us that he has another plan for us. Maybe if we would have went to whatever it was or made it on time we could have ended up in a car wreck ad died, but we don't usually think about this, instead we get angery and fustrated that we didn't get to do what we had wanted. Then I'm reminded of how the weekend that Sage died had been the weekend of the Fright Fest down in Lindsay and how badly I had wanted to go, but then when Sage died that Sunday I was so glad that I hadn't went becaue if I had I wouldn't have been home and I wouldn't have been able to watch her on that Thursday either.
Elise, as I finished reading your comment back to me, I realized that although we can't talk to each other in person, our prayers have been answered at least somewhat, because through our blogs, we get to talk to each other about Spiritual Things and God. I agree with what you said about not getting places on time, or not getting to go somewhere we want to. One Wednesday night, sometime in the winter before last, Mom told me that we wouldn't be going to Church. We weren't able to get rides with Grandma or U. John and A. Laurie, and had to stay home with her. Usually the problem was all the gas money (we don't exactly get awesome gas mileage!), but this time, it was just a feeling Mom had, that for some reason, maybe God wanted us to stay home rather than to go. There wasn't any news thing about a big wreck out there, or worse ice/black ice than usual, but I'm sure that there would have been if we had went. And it would have involved us. I may say "It was just a feeling Mom had," but the truth of the matter is that if Mom trusted God in that matter, we can only know that there was some reason. It's not just a feeling, it's God speaking, and it's very important to listen to Him when He talks, even though He does so quietly. In a still, small voice, I guess would be the correct wording.
By the way, I am going to try and remember to post comments back to people on my blog again, when I first started, I replied to everybody, but I got kind of lazy about it. Thank you for your comment on my blog about the praying, etc., for some reason it meant a LOT to me. More than normal.
We really have had our prayers answered by being able to talk about these things through our blogs. More and more I am finding how much were are alike about these things (more than before) and it is so nice to be able to have someone to talk about these things with because I usually dont get to talk about it with my friends. I feel like I am constently getting on the computer now to see if you have said anything new. I can't wait til I get to see you and talk in person.
It is so wonderful to have God to protect us. Sometimes I may feel alittle lost about things, but then the Lord touches me and shows me the way. For a while it seemed almost like I was trying to run from the spirit, but in the last few months I feel like I have gotten closer to God than I have even been before.
Really I did love how you told about all of the people you have been praying for. It seems like as I get older I'm noticing more and more people who need prayers. It's crazy how almost every night I end up falling asleep before I finish praying because will finish my extremly long prayer and then I'll start thinking about other people who I forgot about, so I'll start another prayer.
Yeah. Not long after you got your blog, and we started really conversing on the Word and stuff like that, I started getting really happy that you are last on my friends list, because I like to save the best things for last, and I'm always excited to see if you've written back, and what things you might have to say. I can't wait until I'm in the Faith, because I want to be in the Faith, but now, I also want to come in the Faith so that we can talk about these things Sister to Sister. Of course, it is still more about me being God's daughter, but still, you know what I mean. I also can't wait to talk to you in person. Hopefully we will see each other soon. Are you coming for Ashley's wedding?
Yes, I think we are planning on going to their wedding. I can't wait for you to come in the faith either, because I love hearing about my friends being baptized as I have said before it gives such a wonderful feeling. It's funny cause now that we have started talking on these things I don't want to post anything that wouldn't have something to do with the word because I enjoy this so much and don't really want to talk about anything else.
I KNOW!!! That's pretty much the same with me! Every little bit, I'll think of something that doesn't really have to do with that, but mostly I just think "What could I write in Praise unto the Lord?" At the very least, inn addition to more carnal things. I want to for one thing, so that you and I can visit about it.
I'm glad that you guys are planning on coming to the wedding. I figured you would probably at least try, but sometimes something unavoidable comes up. I guess we'll just hope and pray that you can make it!
My memories of my teenage years with all the kids so fervent are a great strength to me now. Soak up these years, they are just as important as all the rest will be. Every good memory builds more and more faith. I love to hear of new brothers and sisters too. My heart rejoices with the angels in heaven!
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