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.