The Winds of Change are Blowing

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

James 1:17

Change has always been hard on me. It was hard when I realized not all kids grew up with divorced parents, when I went to a new school, when my brother left home, and, most recently, when I found out my youth minister would be leaving our youth group in order to spend time with his family. I'm not one to share my feelings or emotions with everyone; I have a very select few that I will talk to about things that actually mean something to me, and even then I have trouble completely opening up. So when things change in my life, it becomes even harder to talk about how sad I feel or say how I'm afraid of what will happen next. Especially when it's the people I love who are changing or leaving, I find that I completely bottle myself up. In my mind, I think "why should I become close to anyone if they are going to leave in the end?" All I do is focus on the negatives of the situation I'm in, when, instead, I could be thankful for what I do have and the time I've spent with the people I love. And change doesn't have to be a bad thing. God has a plan, even though we can't always see that. If we can just allow ourselves to trust that He has a purpose for every event in our lives, then we can stop worrying about what's coming next. God knows what He's doing. And even though we go through all sorts of changes in our daily lives, God gives us one of the most comforting things we will ever hear: He will never change.

God bless you!

Never Forget

As I'm sure most of you know, today is the 10th anniversary of 9/11 where thousands were killed and even more suffered a great loss of a loved one. I just wanted to make a quick post acknowledging the great tragedy that occurred and honor those who lost their lives that day, those who died later because of the smoke and ash, and also the brave men and women who risked their lives in attempt to save others. I am praying for all the people who died because of 9/11 and their families who still suffer today. Thanks to all the police, soldiers, and firefighters who are protecting the people of our country.

God bless!

Thankful

Thank you God for my sisters.

For me, my sisters are the loved ones in my life that hold me up when I'm down, comfort me when I'm upset, instruct me when I'm uninformed, and love me for me. I appreciate them yet I know I do not thank God enough for them. I also do not always recognize the vital part they play in my life. I take my sisters for granted, people who I love the most and need the most. Recently I was a little lost without all of them home. When they finally had their first homecoming, I was overwhelmed with love and relief. At that moment, I realized the amount of importance and meaning they have in my life. They are irreplacable and precious. I pray that I will unceasingly thank God for bringing them into my life and changing me forever.

Thank you God!
Jennie

All of us have people in our lives, for me: my sisters, that make a huge impact. These people need to be appreciated and should be recognized. These people are the ones who will never leave you. Give God constant thanks for your loved ones and cherish every moment spent with them here on this earth.

God Bless you!

Why did (insert horrible event here) happen to me??

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

Whenever something bad happens, we always seem to question why it had to happen to us. But our life isn't meant to be easy. God, of course, doesn't like to see us suffer but we weren't made for a comfortable life. Whether our troubles are faith-related or not, God has called us to see that He has a plan set for us and there is a reason for everything that happens in our life. We may not always be able to see any possible good outcome of a bad circumstance, but we must not blame God or ask, "why me?" but we have to trust that everything God does will always be better for us in the long run. And He doesn't leave us alone in our struggles; He is always wanting to help and guide us. God never promised us that there wouldn't be any troubles or hardships in our life; He promised that He will go through them with us.

God bless!

"Oh no, You never let go / Through the calm and through the storm. / Oh no, You never let go / In every high and every low. / Oh no, You never let go / Lord, You never let go of me."

Never Let Go by Matt Redman

What Love Really Means by JJ Heller

Hey everyone!! We just uploaded a video on youtube of us singing so let us know what you think! :)
Hope you enjoy! (link below)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YIgKg8rxvE&feature=channel_video_title

I love chocolate

"My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action."

1 John 3:18

How many times do we say the word, love, in a day? "I love my dog." "I love that movie." "I love your purse!" "I love chocolate." Now compare those with the phrase: "I love God." We have completely diminished the definition of love. Are we saying that we love chocolate as much as we love God? That if we had to choose between the two, it would be a hard decision? No, most likely not. Love isn't meant to be a word used for insignificant, material items; it's a feeling that should be showed to people who have touched our hearts immensely, especially our Creator.

Now, putting that love into action is what, I think, gets us in trouble. Sure, we say, "I love you" to God but do we really mean it? We make excuses or try and think of something better we need to do instead of proving our love towards the Lord and glorifying Him. Christ's disciples left everything to follow Him. They had to leave their possessions, family, and friends in order to be with Jesus, which included much ridicule, judgment, and oppression. Would we be willing to give up everything? God has given us absolutely anything and everything that we could ever ask for. Why can't we do the same? We even have trouble just sacrificing a little time to God. Do we pray as much as we should? Do we go to Mass, not just on Sunday but on any day of the week? Do we talk to Jesus as much as a close friend? More often times than not, probably not. I know I can spend multiple hours on the phone with a friend but won't even spare a few minutes talking to my Creator. He loves us and just wants to spend time with us; all God asks for is our love in return.

God bless!!

Introduction to Friendship and Faith

Hey there blogosphere! This is Lauren and Jennie here. We are currently at our youth house and decided to introduce ourselves and what we plan to write in our blog. This is our first blog we've ever done so you'll have to bear with us. We each plan to blog at least once a week and we will write a joint blog once a month. We'll be writing about faith and friendship with others and God, hence our blog's name. We decided to create a blog because we both like to journal and we'd love to share our faith with others. Please comment or leave suggestions on what you want to see us blog about. We don't want to preach to you; we want this to be a conversation among people of faith. This can be an opportunity to form a prayer support system for all of us. Well, we hope you enjoy our blog and you'll be hearing from us soon! God bless!!

How Glorious!

"You make everything glorious and I am yours!" - David Crowder Band

Glorifying God is a vital part of faith. Everything done, everything that is, and everything that will come exists for God and his glory. This purpose in life should be fulfilled more in everyone's lives. Consider how your time is spent and consider the love the Savior has for you and always will. Our time and efforts are precious. Don't forget the love of the Savior and his cry to hear your voice. If you respond to his call you will be heard and he will be glorified.

2 Corinthians 4: 15
"Everything indeed is for you,
so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people
may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God."