Vacation Bible School

A few months ago I signed up to volunteer as a teacher's helper at my church for the vacation bible school. Just a week ago I was signed up and ready to go, helping out with the 9-year olds. But on Saturday, I was asked to be a teacher instead since somebody had to drop out. I was super nervous but yet so excited to share God's Word with these young 6-year olds. Today was my first day, and although it did not go as well as I had hoped, it was a great experience! I'm there at my church all week, helping these kids to invite Jesus into their heart. It truly is amazing to watch kids just love in the Lord's love, and understand how much He loves us. This experience is just going to strengthen my relationship with the Lord and I cannot wait to continue this journey every day!

The songs these young kids sing and dance to is one of the downsides, unfortunately. Their meant to just teach the kids simple words so they can understand the Lord, but they are really repetitive. I can honestly say, I cannot wait for Wednesday's service so I can listen to some "adult" songs.

Before I started today, yesterday I had a bible study where we were asked how going to church has strengthened our relationship with the Lord. I feel like going to church has helped me reveal the truth about myself through every sermon. I know what the right way to live is now, and I cringe when I think about how I was living just a year ago. I just thank God every day for bringing me to church and allowing me to grow spiritually and how He continually helps me to mature spiritually.

After our study, we went to go play some volleyball after we ate, and then the pastor and his wife took us all out for ice cream. It was a great night! I loved sitting down to eat the ice cream and how two of the kids were fighting over a chair, even though there were more chairs around. It was a fun night, just filled with worship and laughter! After spending six months studying the Word, and getting closer to God, I have decided that I do want to be baptized soon. I know I still want to wait, continuing to pray about it, but I know that it will happen within the next year or so.

God has blessed my life so much in the past six months, I just feel so blessed with all the new people I have met, and all the wonderful lessons I have learned about the bible. Praise God!

Fly Ball!

Last night my team and I played two games. It was intense! It was great the first game. We started off not playing so great, but then we had a comeback and ended up winning the game. We then stayed after and watched the other two teams play, and then played another game afterwards. In between the two games it was so much fun to be able to hang out with my team and start bonding with them.

The second game was not as gratifying, however. We did end up losing, but we did close the gap a little bit between us and the other team toward the end. Before games we usually practice throwing and catching the ball around to get warmed up. We try throwing fly balls, grounders, and some regular pitches. Every single time I practice the fly ball, I never catch it. I don't catch it in the games either. However, last night was different. I actually caught my first fly ball! Without really knowing how I did it. One second I was just standing there, the batter goes to swing, and the next thing I know, the ball is in my glove! It was so surreal. It was definitely a great night!

Maranatha and Agape - What it Means

For those of you who are not familiar with my blog title terms (Maranatha and Agape), I'm going to post the two videos that explain it from my pastor.

Maranatha:

Agape:

Enjoy his humor, it's worth watching the whole thing! :)

Summertime......Busy-time!

So for those people who really know me, you know I don't play sports....I barely watch them, in fact. However my life has changed so much in the past year......I now play sports! All through high school I had no interest in it, and now after going to church for six months, and starting to do activities in church, I joined the church softball team. I started back in April in the city league and will start the tournament tomorrow night. We will then play the church league, and will be done for the year sometime in August. I never thought I would be somebody who enjoys sports, but I have come to be competitive and yearn to play more. I play catcher, one of the easier positions to play. I also play volleyball after my bible study with my college group. I do have to say if I had to choose, I would probably play volleyball! It is so much fun just to play around after studying God's Word and just to laugh and talk with people my own age.


 

My lovely teammate, Becca and I waiting to go and bat!

Next week I am also volunteering to help out with my church's vacation bible school. It has been so much fun to just help out and serve God in any way I can. This will be my first big opportunity and I just can't wait! It's addictive to help out and serve God that I know I will want to keep finding ways to help. This summer has been crazy! I am enjoying it and feeling blessed every day, knowing that the change we have been through the past year has been worth it. We are here, enjoying the warmer weather, we're healthy, and we're just loving the life God has blessed us with. 

I know next year will be different for us all, Whitney starting at a new school, me starting college, Megan working her two jobs and taking a few classes, Shelby living in Boise, and Mom continuing to support us in everything we do, and do everything she can for our dreams. We are so blessed to have a mom like her, and we thank God every night for her and her support! <3

The End...........and the Beginning

When senior year began in August 2013, I never knew how much I would have to say goodbye to. I would have to say goodbye to my teachers, the faculty, the school, my underclassmen peers, my classmates, my sense of normalcy, and the list goes on. It wasn't until just two weeks I had to do most of those things. I remember thinking during every class that last week, "this is the last time I will be in here". It was hard, but I knew better things were coming my way. I think the hardest part was saying goodbye to all of my favorite teachers who had been through so much with me, and had encouraged me all the way through high school. During my last English class, our last assignment was to write a commencement speech. We had to use stories from our life or from around the school, and leave a message. This was by far my favorite assignment. There were no rules - you could do nothing wrong. When I submitted this last assignment and I heard back from my teacher, he commended me for writing on the topic of when I was not accepted into National Honor Society. He is the head supervisor of the NHS and told me exactly why I didn't get in and that he changed the rules right after because of what I was put through. I thought it was pretty cool that because of me, others were allowed into NHS, because of me these rules were changed!

After having my graduation ceremony, it really hit me that this was the end of my high school career. Yes, I may see some of my peers again, but for the most part, I'm not going to see them for a very long time. It is time for me to start moving on to the next big thing in my future. Just this weekend at my bible study we were talking about change. The pastor told our group that change was going to happen and whether we liked it or not, we would have to accept it. He asked the group how many didn't like change, and I was genuinely surprised how many people raised their hands. Out of a group of twelve people, only three of us did not raise our hands, saying how even when we didn't like the change, we're okay with it - we just accept it and move on. I think it was a perfect lesson after my graduation - things are going to change so we just need to accept it and move on with our lives.

When thinking about my future, I know that I still have major obstacles I have to make my way over, even if I have to stumble and just fall over them. I know I still need to work on forgiveness...... I don't want to, but I know it's the only way I can move on with my life.

Today's verse: "The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him." -Proverbs 20:7
Today's song: "Forgiveness" by Matthew West

Senior Year, Baby!

     After two full weeks of the start of school, it is going to be a very interesting year! For starters, my classes are so much fun and I enjoy every single one (yes, even math)!
     My favorite, by far, is government. My crazy teacher is so much fun as a teacher and I love having him twice a day! He makes it easier for me to understand the concepts. Last year during my econ class, I barely passed my unit tests because there were so many kids in that class and it was hard for the teacher to give each of us help every day. I just received my first exam back and received a 95%!!! I also received a 96% on my first math quiz of the year! So far, it's been a great year. I have had time every day to work on homework before school ends and bring home less homework every day.
     I TA for my spanish teacher and today I became accustomed to the procedures in his classroom and what he wants me to do. He was so impressed today when I collected papers before he asked me to and graded them before the end of the class. I believe he wants me to be a TA for the whole year, not just one semester!
     The senior project is the black cloud looming over my head right now. It is very hard to believe it will be over in February. It is such a long, tedious process that I hope I chose the right topic. I chose the topic of animal abuse and focused on the issue of how to prevent it and why we should care about animal abuse as a crime. I have found multiple studies on this topic and cannot wait to find my mentor and finish this project!

Song of the day: Robert Pattinson "Never Think"

The Last Summer

        Senior year of high school is just on the horizon. This past year as a junior has been the toughest year by far in high school. The year of deciding what you want to be when you grow up, what colleges you want to go to, SAT's, drama, year-end tests, and possibilities. Toward the middle of the year, I received a nomination to apply for National Honor Society, encouraged by my teacher, and then was turned down. If I wasn't so much of a coward, I would have asked him, "why would you encourage me to do something like this and turn me down, enveloping me in an emotional roller coaster?". I did learn a big lesson this year, however. I learned that you do not have to take the hardest classes and all of the college-credit courses to make it look good on your transcripts. Sometimes, you need to focus on your own well-being and just focus on what you can handle and what is too much. 
       I would say the hardest class I had this year was concurrent chemistry. I did not necessarily like the teacher and the way she only focused on the kids who did not need help. In her class, I was a mediocre student - some units I did fabulously, others I struggled a lot with. 
       The most infuriating class I had was AP english. All throughout the year, we were being taught based on a test at the end of the year. We went through multiple essays, readings, and discussions. When we took the test at the end of the year, it was supposed to reflect our learning and how much we have accomplished this year. When I received my score in July, I was disappointed and very upset. On a scale of 0 to 5, 5 being the best - I was scored as a 2. If this was a history or even a science test, I wouldn't have taken it so hard because it would be based on actually studying for concepts. With english, it's based on if that person likes your writing or not. 

      
      With summer ending, school starting in one week, I glance back at my summer and wonder if my last summer as a high school student was spent with fun......

      On the last day of school, I traveled to Moscow, Pullman, and Couer d'Alene. The trip was mainly about seeing my cousin graduate from high school, but I was more focused on the fact that it would be my turn next year. I really want to go to WSU for college for Pre-Vet Medicine, but right now it does not look promising. However, seeing the college and all of the beautiful campus made me really want to go there, or at least to dream about it. I also visited North Idaho College, which was very spread out and pretty small compared to WSU. It was such a blast so spend some time vising sites I have never seen before and seeing different colleges to ponder. The only decision I have come across is that I will not be going to BSU for college. Right now, ISU is a very promising university and the tuition rates are amazing! Who knows which one I will actually choose next year?

       Just last week, I finished a great series on Netflix. Roswell based on the UFO crash in 1959 was not a typical series I would normally watch. However, it was the best show I have ever seen! It aired from 1999-2001. It was cancelled too early for how good it was. But with it being supernatural, it was too early during that time period for something like that to be successful. If it had played right now, people would be all over it! With only three seasons, it definitely hooked you into the plot and made you want to keep watching until you found out what was going to happen. With a rushed finale, it closed it up as best as it could and I was glad I took the time to watch it and have some laughs. 

My next year at school looks way more promising and less-stressful than last year was, for sure. I have decided to only take one concurrent class. Although I will be stuck with the same english teacher for one more year... he is a great teacher and gives great advice, I just have to learn when to ask for help. :) I have decided (with the help of a great registrar) to take online zoology. It is supposed to be for those students who want to later become a veterinarian, which is a positive point. I had to finagle my schedule to make sure I had enough credits and complete necessary courses. To do that I had to drop my biology class which I was looking forward to. I was kind of upset that I had to drop biology just to take government, but I knew I did not want to take an online government class. I would rather be in the class with my crazy, eco-friendly teacher. The positive part of this year is all of the fun classes I am taking. I will take art, zoology, and history of American music. After not being in an art class for a year, I am so glad to go back!

Overall, I think it was a great summer! Although I did not get to go to a water park, or somewhere exotic, I think it was one of the best summers! I mainly spent my time reading, applying for scholarships, trying to stay in touch with my friends, and overall just having some laughs and some fun! 

Although it is not a new year, it is a new school year, so I am going to make a resolution. I want to increase the amount of times I go running, since I have almost come to liking it thanks to my awesome PE teacher! I want to go jogging before school every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Hopefully, I can drag myself up in the cold. I know this will make my day go by so much smoother and make me more relaxed. 

Here's to another great year! :D