My Band Teachers

My band teachers are not like any other band teachers I have ever met. My band teachers are funny and so supportive. They are always there for us no matter what. They never let us give up. My band teachers names are Carlton Wright and James Crumb. These people are like dads to me. Even though I am not related to them they mean a lot to me. They have been a part of making me a better person and I appreciate that.

Moms

Have you ever gotten really mad at your mom? I know I have. Me and my mom might not always agree but we do always love each other. My mom is there for me no matter what, she is supportive of me in everything I do. She never misses a band concert or softball game. When I need help with homework she will help me. She helps me all she can with getting prepared for Lads to Leaders. My mom is a faithful Christian Woman. Nobody is perfect so the next time you get mad at your mom think about how she feels!

Busy

Church, softball, school, band, homework sometimes I think my head is going to fall off! I am constantly busy. This week I have had band practice three days and softball practice two days. Yeah you might think that's ridiculous and that I shouldn't be involved in so much. I am involved in all of this because I want to be. I love going to church and school, playing softball, and being in band. They are apart of who I am. Besides staying busy keeps me out of trouble.

Stay True to Yourself

This school year I started high school. The two things that scared me the most about high school was that I was leaving all my old friends and being up there with so many older kids. My first day of school I realized making friends would be fairly easy. The thing I should have been worrying about is making sure I don't change who I am. I have seen a lot of people change this year in school. So many people change who they are just so a guy or girl will like them. If the person you are trying to impress can't like you for you then you shouldn't change who you are so that they will. So far I have went through a lot of ups and downs in high school. Friendships have been broken, tests have been difficult, and days have been long, but one thing that won't change is how I view myself. No matter what happens stay true to yourself!

Love

Have you thought about what love means? Love is an intense feeling of deep affection. Many people think that when you love someone that you will do anything for that person. We have to be careful with this though. Just because someone we love wants us to do something doesn't mean we should. Before we do what they want us to do we should make sure it is right. If it isn't right then don't do it. God loved us and he sent his son to die for our sins. What will you do for him?

Perfect Practice makes Perfect

I am in my high school's band program.  All summer we heard it's not just any kind of practice that makes perfect.  If the way I practice my music is not up to my teachers standards then I will get in trouble.  How you practice is how you will become.  This is a lot like being a Christian.  As Christians we have to prepare for the day Jesus will return.  So how are we supposed to prepare? A few ways to prepare for this is to attend church service every time the doors are open, read and study your Bible, and you could attend devotionals.  Just like during the summer when I was preparing for football games not all the ways you prepare are good.  If you put your self in bad situations then what do you expect.  You might not think that they do but the people around you have an influence on you, so surround yourself with good christian people.   Don't be a hypocrite.  Practice what you preach.

Being the Better Person

Recently I got in an argument with a boy from school.  The argument was really pointless but at the time it seemed to make complete sense.  The argument lasted for about two days.  When I was thinking back to what I could have done differently I realized something.  Instead of arguing with the boy I should have been the bigger person and just walked away.  In the Bible God tells us to turn the other cheek.  I know that the next time I will think about this first and arguing later.

Favorite Event

My favorite event for Lads to Leaders is speech. I love to do speech because it gives me the opportunity to teach people around me. I have been participating in speech since I started Lads to Leaders and I plan on participating in it until I graduate. I can't wait until I am able to say it at Lads to Leaders and I hope everyone enjoys it.

Chosing a Song

Today I picked out a song for the Songs of Praise competition. I love picking out songs because that tells me that it's getting closer to Lads to Leaders convention. I love music so this is a exciting time for me. This year I will be singing "Where He Leads I'll Follow". Besides the fact that I like this song it goes along with the theme. I really hope I do well leading it this year.

Studying

My tests for history are really important! I have to keep my grades up so that I can be eligible to play softball. When I find out that I have a upcoming test I have to start studying. No matter what I can't fool around because if I do then I won't pass my test. This is a lot like our life as a Christian. We have to study God's Word to know how we are supposed to be. If we didn't study then we wouldn't know that God tells us we need to be baptized for the remission of our sins. We should be constantly studying to prepare ourselves to be better Christians. We don't know when he will come back but when he does will you be prepared?

Being Responsible

Recently it snowed in my hometown. I was in school when it started snowing. We got let out at 2:00 but we all got stuck at school in the gym. Me and my two best friends waited on my mom for a long time. We finally had to walk from the school to a church nearby to try to get to my moms car because she was stuck in traffic. As we walked down the hill from my school I was in the front leading my friends in the right direction. We walked through snow and on the icy road. We had to be very careful not to get hurt, and we needed to stay together. When we finally got to the car my mom said she was glad we had stuck together. As Christians we have to be responsible too! When we are put in bad situations we need to be responsible about it and try to get a way out.

Article Editorial

This is my article editorial for Lads to Leaders this year.

How were you feeling when you heard about the events in Connecticut? Twenty year old Adam Lanza walked into an elementary school in Connecticut and slaughtered twenty-six people. Twenty of these victims were children. After this heart-breaking incident there were numerous people on the case investigating why Lanza did what he did.

In Genesis 22:1-18 it describes how God tested Abraham. Gold told Abraham to take up his son Isaac whom he loves and go to the land of Moriah God commanded him to offer his son as a burnt offering on one of the mountains. This amazing story shows us not to question what happens and to follow the path God has set for us. Proverbs 3:5-6 also reminds us this by saying “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto thine understanding in all ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.” Hebrews 11:6 says “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

If scriptures reminds us so many times not to question God then why do we? Lanza didn’t let God direct his paths, but that doesn’t mean that the rest of us can’t. Always do what God commands and in the way in which he commands. Do you let God direct your paths?

Mass Media

Recently I recorded my mass media audio. This is an event that I participate in every year. I love doing mass media audio because it gives me the opportunity to teach people with a short recording. This year my audio related to my first year and the direction that I had to take. I really hope that everyone enjoys listening to it as much as I enjoyed doing it. Here is mine if you would like to listen to it. "https://www.box.com/s/1s9imv7v1pzjk9sm7s1s"

Friendships

As you go through life you will make tons of friends. As a Chrisitan you want to make the right kind of friends. How do we know what kind of friends to make? To be able to find out how to chose your friends you need to turn to the Bible. God tells us in the Bible how to be a good friend.

Giving Advice

Well as a teenager I have tons of best friends. All of my friends come to me for advice. They come to me for advice about everything and as a friend it is my responsibility to be there for them and give them advice. As a Chrisitian when people come to us for advice we should be very careful with what we tell them. We might want to tell them what they want to hear but we need to tell them what they need to hear and what God would want us to tell them. So the next time someone comes to you for advice we should be really careful with what we tell them.