How Lads to Leaders Has Helped Me

Lads to Leaders has helped me in so many different ways. When I was little I didn't have any confidence in myself. Throughout the years of participating in Lads to Leaders I have grown spiritually and emotionally. When I first thought about ever giving a speech my knees would shake and I would get really sick. I never and I mean absolutely never had the nerve to talk to strangers or get up in front of a crowd. Doing Bible reading, giving speeches, and leading songs for Lads to Leaders has helped a whole lot with that. I am now 18 years old and jump at the chance to get up and teach others about the Gospel. I might not have won in every event I was participating in but the leaders have taught us from a young age that winning isn't everything we are all winners in Gods eyes. One of the best parts of convention is being around almost 10,000 Christians from all over the World. Often times we get so caught up with the competition side of things we miss out what really matters the most. Don't get me wrong winning is great but soon enough we will have a much bigger award. Bigger then any trophy or medal, it will be an award that makes your whole life being dedicated to the Gospel worth it. We just have a few rules first we have to honor and obey God and make sure to teach others and take them with us.

Guardian Angels

Do you believe in Guardian Angels? Personally I absolutely do believe in these special creations. When I was younger my great uncle was my best friend I could talk to him about anything and everything. He really enjoyed when I would bring him up a plate of my grandmothers food or a piece of a pie me and my mom made. We used to sit out on his front porch and just talk for endless amounts of time. Then a few years ago my great grandmother moved in with us because she was really sick. We would always sing Christmas songs, fight over who was going to where the Santa hat, laugh, and spend quality time together. We used to talk about later on when I would be a Senior and she even promised me that she would be at my graduation. That's one reason why this year being my Senior year has been so hard for me. You see I lost both of these very special people in 2011 just 3 months apart from each other. I've never been close to someone like that before or ever after again after that. Tonight at church my Bible class teacher was taking song choices for the invitation so I said my great grandmothers favorite song Jesus Hold My Hand. She loved this song and every time it was lead her whole face would light up. Right before the invitation part of the service started I checked my little box in the foyer that we made for Lads to Leaders and there was something in it placed in a small Christmas bag. Right before the first song was lead I opened the gift and as the song leader started the song I took out the gift and their in my hand was a little smiling Angel ornament in my hand. It meant so much to me and seemed to be discovered at the right time. The Angel reminded me of my great grandmother in so many ways because she always had the most kind uplifting spirit of anyone I have ever known. I would never have made it this far without these two people in my life. No my great uncle and great grandmother won't be able to get a ticket to my graduation but I know that they will be there because they wouldn't miss it for the World and they are watching over me. Dear God please don't ever take my Guardian Angels away from me please, and to whoever put the gift in my box you will never know what you have done for me I think you from the bottom of my heart. 

Staying True to Who You Are

Have you ever changed as a person even if it was for a brief amount of time? We all have there's no denying it. Between friends to family, trends, to being at work or school there is always something going around us that will compete with who we really are. It doesn't just affect teenagers or little kids. This issue affects everyone! You could be the nicest sweetest person in the whole entire World but when someone is acting mean towards your kindness or your goofy personality you shut down and just don't say anything to anyone. If you are this person that tries to change others let me give you a piece of advice. GET A LIFE OF YOUR OWN AND STOP WORRYING ABOUT EVERYONE ELSE! People are not all made the same. Some are really goofy others are laid back. Some talk a lot others are quiet. Some people want everything to be about them and if it's not then they aren't happy. These people are usually the ones that try to change someone the most when they realize that they are liked more, going to go farther in life, or maybe just nicer and a better friend. These are the people we can't worry about because one day sooner or later they realize that they are the ones that need to change not the other person.

Drama

Have you ever been involved in drama? Truthfully everyone has at some point and time, but to be 100% honest drama is stupid and childish. Drama can destroy friendships, hurt people, and make things 10x worse then they ever should have been. As teenagers we are surrounded by drama 24/7 even adults are often involved in drama. Drama is pointless. We as Christians need to often think before we get ourselves involved in something like this. Yes we might get talked about, stabbed in the back, or even bullied but it's not worth the fight. 

Islam vs Christianity

All the recent tragedies involved with the group ISIS is truly devastating. They are killing people with no right at all. ISIS worships a so called God Allah. They don't worship the Holy Bible like Christians do they worship the Koran. Their faith and confidence is making them a huge opponent. ISIS IS COMING OVER HERE TO OUR COUNTRY KILLING OUR PEOPLE!!! ISIS IS KILLING INNOCENT PEOPLE IN OTHER COUNTRIES TAKING THEIR LIVES FOR NO REASON AT ALL. Christianity doesn't believe in killing people. NOBODY HAS THE RIGHT TO KILL ANYONE UNLESS PUT IN THE JOB POSITION TO HAVE TO DO SO. ISIS is coming and they are going to come bigger and worse next time. They are trying to inflict their beliefs on everyone else. They think they are involved with the end of the World. Sorry to break it to you but the only ones involved with the end is Jesus Christ and God Almighty. We have to stand for our belief in Jesus Christ. He said that whoever denies him he will deny to his father. Get your life with God today! We are the object of terrorism. It's our job to stand strong and don't back down. ISIS is not the only terrorist group but right now they are worst and we will have to join hands and be willing to say I DO BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST. GOD IS MY CREATOR! I AM NOT ASHAMED TO SAY THAT I GO TO A CHURCH OF CHRIST AND THAT I AM A CHRISTIAN!!!!!! NEVER DENY THAT YOUR A CHRISTIAN. ANYON CAN BE CONVERTED! SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WHEN THE QUESTION IS PRESENTED TO YOU??

Full Of Energy

Have you ever realized how much energy little kids have? They will run around for hours and hours and will still have energy to carry on. Often times as we get older we lose our energy. As we gradually lose energy it starts affecting everything we do. Yes you will lose energy but that should never affect your life with God. Generally older people come to Church less. They make awful comments about certain speakers that they don't like using that as an excuse for why they don't come that much anymore. Now as time goes on younger people and adults are starting to do the same thing. WE CAN'T DO THIS PEOPLE! A CHANGE HAS TO BE MADE! no we will never have as much energy as little kids do again but we can try. How our outlook is on church and life reflects on other people! Age shouldn't matter at all. Whether your old or young you should still be at Church every chance you get. Not liking a certain teacher or saying you can't drive at night isn't a good excuse. If you need a way there and back home all you have to do is pick up the phone and call someone! Don't let not having the energy to drive stop you!  People would love to help especially if it means giving someone a ride back and forth to and from Church. I love all of my teachers. They have taught me so much over the years. Just because someone might not teach in a certain way doesn't give you the right to not like them. If you don't feel like going to Church because you wasted all your energy before hand shopping or something like that then maybe you need to get your priorities straightened out. If your sick its understandable. Family emergency? We all have those at times. Sometimes people might even have to work. But for people to not come to Church just because they don't feel like it or don't have the "energy" is ridiculous. If you have enough energy to sit st home then you have enough energy to sit at Church.

Special Education

I have decided to be a special education teacher. I want to make a difference in children's lives when they think all hope is gone. Some people think that special kids don't deserve to live, those people are probably also the same people who believe in abortion. Killing innocent children because they aren't per say "normal" is stupid. Some people just don't use the common sense they have. If that moral was true then God had the right to kill you because trust me not even you are normal. Everyone has flaws. Special ed children and adults are some of the sweetest, loving, kind-hearted people that you and I will ever meet and have they have a right to life just like me and you.

Being Noticed Isn't Everything

Have you ever wanted to be noticed by someone or a group of people? Everyone has, it's human nature. Being noticed isn't everything though. People come in and out of your lives, them noticing you is not likely. Recently I have had to learn this lesson. Personal things have been going on and people that I thought was my friends haven't been there when needed. I've had to learn that the only friend I need is God. He's there when no one else is or ever will be. He's there when you need to talk. He's there when you need someone to get advice from. He is there! See often times we get lost in being supported and have friends here in this world but if you have family and God that's all you need. People that do you wrong will be punished one day. Keep your head up trust me I promise everything is going to be okay. People will use you, hurt you, even abuse you but it will be okay. Things aren't as bad as they seem. Don't ever let anyone break you or make you give up. When you let them do that your giving them exactly what they wanted. If people that are friends and some like your second family can't see that you are a good person that's their loss not yours. You have God on your side they might not. 

What Makes You Happy

What makes you happy? Some people it's their family, others it could be anything. Being surrounded by my family and friends especially makes me happy. Being alive makes me happy. There is so many lives that were cut entirely to short and didn't make it to 18. Spending time with my mom and helping other people and music makes me happy. Playing softball makes me happy. There is so many reasons why we could be happy all we have to do is use them. God has given his son as a sacrifice on the cross for us to be able to have remission of our sins. We are loved by someone so much greater then we could ever be that only should be the greatest happiness we ever need.

Operation Christmas

This past Sunday night we filled bags for the kids in Panama. These kids are kids that are less fortunate then the rest of us and really don't receive anything for Christmas. While we get to chose what we get for Christmas they don't. These kids only get what we give them. They are grateful for what they get unlike many people are on Christmas day in the United States when opening up their gifts. Often times we take what we have in the U.S. for granted we think if we don't get everything we want to the exact detail then it's not good enough. Be more grateful and stop taking everything you have for granted. You could be worse off then you actually are!

Overcoming Obstacles

There are people who have to overcome many different obstacles. Some have medical issues while others might be overcoming something else. No matter what your obstacle is you can always overcome it with God on your side. For the past three months I have been having severe shoulder pain. My mom has taken me to a emergency room and two different orthopedics. This past Friday we finally got some answers. They told me that my shoulder is trying to come out of the socket because I have no stability in my shoulder I have bone on bone. I will find out in two weeks if I have to have surgery. If I have surgery I won't be able to march in the band anymore. It will take 4-6 months to heal. Even though I might have a bad shoulder and might not be able to ever do one of the things I love to do the most again I know everything will be okay. I know that God is and forever will be on my side. While I am in pain and struggling with doing most things with my right side I know that there are people worse off then me and at least I am alive some people don't make it to be 18. This is one obstacle I will fight to overcome.

Self Morals

So many times young people make promises to themselves that they don't end up keeping. Going through high school I've heard so many people claim to save themselves for marriage but never make it that far. The Bible tells us that sex before marriage is a sin. Yes I know that in high school you might be put in a certain situation that you don't know how to get yourself out of but its not worth it. It's not worth letting go of your morals that you have made for yourself for a stupid situation. This past week I had several different people come to me for advice because they had put themselves in situations they can't get out of and now there's a pregnancy possibility. These people were actually considering abortion. I was shocked and saddened by the decision they were willing to make. If you chose to have sex before marriage and you end up pregnant or get someone pregnant its on you to take care of that child. It's not the child's fault that you and the other person made a stupid mistake. It's not the child's fault that yall didn't set or keep the morals you had set for yourself. It's only yours! You made a huge mistake once don't make another and decide to abort the baby if you don't want it adoption is a option! If your out there and you haven't set some morals yet make that decision today. Make morals and promises for yourself that your going to wait till marriage. It's not a goofy/funny matter! IT'S SERIOUS!!!!!!

My Role Model

Do you have a role model? I know I do! My role model is my mom. She has been there for me through everything. She has taught me how to be strong and push through the pain no matter how bad it is. My mama is a great Christian woman and has brought me up in the church. She has taught me that if I'm going to start something then I'm going to stick with it. There is no such thing as can't or I quit. My mom is the best mom someone could ever ask for. She has been there for me through thick and thin. I am proud to look and act just like my mama. Watching her as I grew up taught me a lot. She has taught me that no matter how bad the situation always turn to God. God is always here. She also taught me that even when I think I can't I actually can I just have to put my mind to it and never give up. I don't know what I would do without my mom and honestly I don't want to find out. I'm proud of my mom and the fact that shes my role model!!!!!! I hope that I make her proud to!

Who Are You As a Person

Last week we had to turn in a quote that best fits us as a person for our yearbook. Some people put something funny others put something inappropriate, song lyrics or bible verses. I struggled with finding what my quote was going to be I thought and thought and thought. I read some of the other people's quotes and was shocked to read that they had the audacity to chose something inappropriate. These quotes showed who we were individually that made up the senior class and they choose something inappropriate. This assignment really made me think of who I am as a person. I am more than a high school senior, I am more than a band member, more than a athlete, more than a daughter, granddaughter, etc. I AM A CHRISTIAN and I want my senior quote to reflect me. How you talk, present yourself, even how you act reflects on how people see you. Do you present yourself as a Christian or do people think your just another person of the world? Do you had to chose a quote what would yours be? When people read it would they laugh because they know that it wasn't who you were at the time?  Have you ever heard of the phrase you are what you eat well you are who you present yourself to others. There's no hiding who you really are. Fake it till you make it? People can see right through your fake ness and see the real you! So who is the real you?

Perfection

Did you know that you are...NOT perfect? Sorry to burst your bubble but your not. Whoever told you that you are lied. Nobody has ever been or ever will be except Christ! Stop trying to critique other people because you think you are "perfect" and they are worse then you. You are no better then anyone else! As it is said "clean out your own doorstep before you try to clean out someone else's". People get so big headed they think they don't do anything wrong but other people can't do anything right. Make sure you check yourself before you check someone else.