Praising God

    Our teaching today in church was about praising God.  I took notes on what I thought would be the most important things to remember.

   When we worship God at church we start out with having a worship band play music.  During this time of worship music, most people choose to dance and lift up their hands in the air.  One of the things I like about Living Light (my church) is that everyone participates to the fullest in worship.  They aren't afraid of what others around them will think like most churches, they just give it their all.
   We are sometimes afraid to give our all in praise, just because what the other's will think around us.  Yes, we are humiliating ourselves, but it doesn't matter what anyone thinks around us.  Being concerned with what people think is a form of pride, and God likes humble people.  It doesn't matter what other people think, what matters is what God thinks.  It's a form of obedience, do what God is calling you to do in praise.

   When you praise God, their should be evidence that you have praised him.  People around you should see that, that's what you are doing.  Thanking God silently is a totally different thing.  Praising God is hard, that is because it is a form of sacrifice.  Praising God, sacrifices our attention, pride, energy, and time.  We need to praise God even when we don't feel like it, or when he seems far a way.  Like when we hear bad news.  God is there to help us through these situations, he never leaves our side.

    Praising God can be used as a weapon against the enemy.  A tip for ending a fight is to stop, and praise God for what he has done in your life, and usually the fight will end because you'll notice how much the fight didn't matter in the first place.

Here are a few verses you can check out, on the importance of praise or just praising God in general.
- 1 Peter 2 : 9-10
- Acts 16 : 23-25
-Psalm 51: 16-17
- Hebrews 13:15
- James 4:6
- Psalm 8:1-2

A Question I get A lot

    There's a question I've been getting a lot lately since I've become a stronger Christian, and it hurts a little.  I know people aren't trying to hurt me when they ask this question, but it can sting a little.  This question is "Why does church make you so happy, why are you so obsessed with God?"  or a question that questions how strong of a believer I am.

    When did it become the norm not to praise God?  When did it become the norm to instead have teenagers lose themselves in other things?  Why is it the norm for teenagers to go out and party and drink on Friday nights.  When being so in love with God become a questioned thing.  It didn't used to be this way.  It should be the other way around that it's seen as weird to go out and drink, but it's not and this is the world we live in. People don't understand the greatness I feel when at a church service or just worshipping God on my own time, unless they're like me too.

   Even our youth group on campus, doesn't get treated the same as other organizations on campus.  We don't get all the other opportunities as all the other organizations on campus, because they are afraid of us for being a Christian organization.
 
  The enemy (Satan) is trying to hurt God, by taking people who could be saved, and making them full into a pit of desires of the flesh.  Satan is hurting God by taking some of the souls that could be saved and bringing them to him.  One of the signs of the second coming of Jesus, is a world with disinterest in Christianity and God.  We have, and are becoming that more and more each day.  

Weekly Prayer Chain

    I guess the best ideas come to my head, when I should be sleeping.  (I decided to start my homework at 12:30, got distracted and now here we are at almost 4am).  (I guess I might need prayers to get through tomorrow, I did take a night nap and woke up at 12:30)

   My idea was to list all the things each week that people need help praying for, and update it throughout the week as more prayers come in.  That way it can be sort of like a prayer chain, instead of only one or two people praying about a certain issue. So heres this week's list :D Please help us pray for these people.  I'm hoping to make a new list each week, of new prayers or progress of situations.

1) After so many weeks of being super happy, I broke down a little bit yesterday.  So I just pray that yesterday will be the only time in a long time that,that happens.  (A psychological study actually said if you feel really happy for a long period you need to feel sad to balance it out,so maybe that's what that was). But I'd much rather not feel like that again if possible :D

2) I pray for my summer once again, some things I don't agree with right now, but I know God will do whatever he needs me to do this summer.

3) I just pray for my future career path.  People ask me what I'm majoring in and I just tell them International Studies so I have an answer.  I really don't know if it's the right path for me.  My friend Jeremy's having a similar problem.  He can't stand his major or any of the classes hes in.  So I just pray that God puts him on the right path, and he would be happy with whatever God chooses for him.  

4) I would also like to pray for Jeremy's grandparents,  His grandpa had to go to the hospital recently.  He's out of the hospital now, but still needs help with things, and his grandma is holding all of this stress with her, and hasn't been able to sleep.

5) I pray for Jeremy's mom's new job.  She got a new job teaching at a school with very little discipline and education.  It seems like she had to start from scratch at this new job.

6) I pray for Jeremy's dad's basement that flooded during the storm, almost 2 weeks ago now.  They had just redone the flooring.  So I pray that they can fix the source of the problem.

7) I pray for the last few weeks of school, as everything is wrapping up and there's a lot of chaos with final projects and exams.

8) I pray for my aunt and uncle Bonnie and Bruce who have been experiencing a ton of bad luck financially as well as with their health.  That they would have some great things happen in their life soon.
9) I pray for my grandma (Nana) who's had trouble sleeping recently because of having pain in her legs, that she is able to get some rest, and be healed of some of the pain she is experiencing.

10) I pray for my dog Luke, who is getting up there in age.  My family and I hope he at least makes it to his 13th birthday in July.  He's been such a great dog, and hes been there since I was pretty young, so its kind of sad for me to know, he doesn't have much longer.

11) Jeremy's grandma is now in the hospital as well, but is doing alright except for not being all mentally there, because of her husband's health problems.

-If you need something to be prayed for, let me know and I'll add it to the list.

Reaching My Goals and Becoming Outgoing

       I had noticed that the Christian youth group on campus, was such a tight knit group of people.  I knew I wanted to be a part of that.  A goal I strived for. I would spend as much time as possible with the Cru people, hoping I would become part of the family.  A goal I was passionate about, but honestly didn't know if I could pull off.  But I looked at my friend group, and I didn't like what I saw minus Laurette (Shes had my back since Day 2 of college, love you girl.) I wanted something better for myself.  The people on 3 north who I had surrounded myself with for the most part all had a negative view on their life, their negativity didn't help me adapt to college.  It made things much harder, and more stressful.  I knew I needed more people like Laurette, who had a super positive view on life like 90% of the time.  We all have our moments of negativity of course, but its so much easier to hang out with people who are on fire for God.

     Another goal I've had since I was younger was to be outgoing. I was always outgoing with my friends, but when it came to random people, I just never knew what to say.  I didn't like that about myself, I just wanted to be able to talk to anyone.  For the most part I think I've accomplished that goal.  Especially looking at the events that have happened recently.  People come to Cru now and they come to me, and see me as the girl apart of this amazing Cru Family.  I am able to greet the new people who come to Cru and have conversations with them,  The self-conscious feeling that people really didn't actually like me vanished when I could see the genuineness of everyone's actions around me.  I've gotten super close with everyone in Cru, and it just makes me very very excited.  I still can be shy, and I don't always know what to say, but I'm working on it, and God has blessed me so much this far.  Everything's great, and I can honestly say I have found my true friends here.  Ones who do stupid stuff with me, sing with me, make me laugh, or talk to me at the late hours of the night.  Praise God for blessing me with such relationships.