Link rn

I don't know y'all. There's been a lot of emotions and feelings and thoughts that have never been there these past few weeks here at link. It's scary, but I know God's putting me through it for a reason. As hard as it seems to keep believing that, it's what I have to do.

 What I have learned from this past week though, is that friends are cool people. Sometimes they do stuff that really irritates you, sometimes you do stuff that really irritates them. Thankfully, the friends here, understand forgiveness and are able to give and accept it easier than most people I know. I'm able to be real with people face to face for the first time and able to listen to other peoples struggles and actually get to know them. It's not like kamp, we're not with each other for just a month. It's 9 months, so far it's been almost 2 months and relationships keep growing. Don't get me wrong, it's hard at times, real hard, but I think I'm slowly starting to open up with people and I think that's a good thing. I don't really do it that often, but this week it's something I've been forced to do multiple times, and it's actually not as bad as I thought it was. So, S/O to that and to cool people at Link who love Jesus and love talking about Jesus and S/O to krispey Kreme discounts. With out them, Link wouldn't be the same, and Monday morning accountability breakfast wouldn't be the same.

~Link Life~

I longboarded into a freshly painted parking lot

There's still some tar on my body.

I haven't moved my darts yet because I'm so proud of doing this

I snuck away from small groups monday and got inside a giant bass

Joe White gave me $60 on his birthday and wouldn't let me say no. So.....

This is my small group. we're cute

Courtney came. So ice cream was necessary

Being Nice is Nice

Do you ever notice how when people judge or make fun of people you know really well, you get offended? The people making fun of them don't know what they've been through, they don't know them at all so why the heck are they judging them? I personally get extremely irritated when people make fun of or talk behind my best friends back. They don't know her, they don't know what all has happened in her life to make her that way, and they haven't made any effort to get to know her, so why are they judging her? But then, I turn around and immediately judge someone else who I think has a bad attitude about everything, or is annoying.  As believers we're called to love one-another as ourselves and not to judge others for their ways.

While at Link Year, there have been multiple people who have been "annoying" or "dumb" and have just really gotten on my nerves for being themselves. It wasn't until recently I realized some things that have happened to a certain person who I thought was incredibly annoying. After finding out this information, my entire view changed on her and how I need to start viewing others. There's a reason that person acted "annoying" and it wasn't a happy reason. Some people don't know how to deal with things that have happened in their past and they act out in certain ways. That doesn't make them annoying, that doesn't make them dumb, that doesn't make them anything but God child that you are an equal to.

I've realized I need to stop judging people by the way they act and accept them as my brother or sister in Christ and love them. Because aside from spreading the gospel and growing in relationship with Christ, that is all I'm called to do.

~Link Life~

This looks dope. @K-1 dock

It was my birthday Saturday and I went to Panera and these goons were there

This is Katie. Katie is my friend.

I got a job at Landrys. I have to wear this. Help. This is my disgusted face.

My best friend sent me the best thing ever for my birthday. it has thumb holes

Riley and I got in the trunk of Ali Pavs car *vroom vroom *

Jesus Isn't The Opening Band

“Well, I know you don’t believe in God, but you don’t want to go to Hell, do you?”

When I hear people say that to non-believers, it really grinds my gears, ya know? Maybe you don’t know. But you’re about to find out why it does make me extremely frustrated.

I've heard countless people say it to others. I've said it a few times myself a few years ago. And I've even been told it a couple of times. And the fact that so many people make going to Heaven a reason for believing that Jesus is our Lord and savior and following His word, is really frightening. If the only reason you're following God's word and trusting in Him is so you get a ticket into Heaven, is like saying Heaven is above God, more important and more satisfying. 

When going to a concert, there is always a band or performer that typically opens up for the main band. The majority of the people in the venue are going to be there for the ending band, the one who is most likely on tour and who set the concert up to begin with. Everyone knows the band, everyone likes the band and everyone knows their songs. However, the opening band is typically one that not many people have heard of and one who people don't know their songs. In most cases, people going to the concert will look up the opening band, listen to some songs, get to know them a little, all so that they are comfortable and know what is happening leading up to the main band. 

When we say people need to believe in God so they can go to Heaven, is like saying you need to believe in God, and read up on Him a bit so you know what's happening when you get to Heaven, but only focusing on the Heaven part and not at all on Jesus and what he did for you to get into Heaven. You should believe and follow God's word because you know it's true and you want to personally know God more. Not so you can get into Heaven.

That's just a little tid bit that I've been thinking about this week. So, don't say that. Cause, no. 

~Link Life ~

This is the extended version of Riley and I's music video intro

Riley and I went to Springfield for Chick-fil-A and put 30x

butter on my sandwich instead of my preferred 4.

The gas is actually now $2.89. so....

I'm not sure how it happened

but yesterday

I ended up cooking Chick-fil-A for Link Dinner.

With help from my other chefs.

Reading The Lines

This week at Link has probably been my favorite week thus far. We had a pretty dope speaker, D.A. Horton, come in and talk to us and answer some questions that he answered with biblical support. I can honestly say that with each session we had, I was more and more interested. One thing that really stuck out and blew my mind, was when we got onto the topic of whether or not Jesus descended into Hell after being crucified, for 3 days. This is something that I had heard being said multiple times while growing up. Today, however, after really looking at the scripture, I realized it's not true at all, and it didn't take extreme studying to figure that out.

When mentioned that Joyce Myer mentioned of Jesus going to Hell for three days in one of her books, D.A. said that it was not true and that she never took it back and that she just let it sit. I was confused, and so were some of my other classmates. We had heard countless times that Jesus went to Hell after his crucifixion and then rose from the dead. I immediately went to scripture to find where I had heard that.  I remembered hearing something along the lines of "He descended into the lower parts of the earth" (I was wrong). What I was looking for was Ephesians 4:9 which states

"(In saying, 'He ascended,' what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?"

Ephesians 4:9 (ESV)

I  read that verse maybe 4 times. Then I read the study notes at the bottom that said " lower regions, the earth. In the incarnation, Christ descended from the highest heavens to the lowest regions (i.e., to the earth), where he suffered, died, and was buried, but where he also defeated death and rose again."

Now, I really hope that y'all are understanding this, because I didn't and I was frustrated. I didn't understand it, though, because I looked over it 4 times. I didn't stop and actually read it, I read it in a hurry because I thought that what I was taught was right and didn't want to be wrong. The way I read it was "....he had also descended into the lower regions of the earth?" and looked over the (i.e., to the earth) in the study portion. So I'm sure that when I asked D.A. to explain what the lower regions of the earth was and why Jesus suffered and how I was confused and thought that meant he went to hell, I'm sure he thought in his head: "She literally just read me the answer. What the heck."

Christ descended from Heaven where he was first at the right hand of God. He descended onto the earth, where he had his ministry and died for our sins which were his sufferings. Another verse proving that Jesus did NOT descend into hell include:

" he [David] foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption."

Acts 2:31 (ESV)

 I don't know. Maybe this wont blow your mind like it did mine. But it made me realize, I looked over that verse so many times, I looked over the study of the verse so many times, and still was blind to what it said. It made me sit for a second and think "what else have I mis-read? What else have I overlooked." ya know? I am very grateful for this learning experience though. I know, now, that when reading and studying God's word, I will start to pay more attention to the context and words that I am reading. Cause, I don't want to rearrange His words into my own. Cause my words aren't perfect, my words are crud. His words, however, His words are the real deal, y'all. 

~Link Life~

This is my small group. We're hot, single but not ready to mingle.

For our TGIF we went to "Passages" a biblical historical museum in Springfield. I made a friend.

Shay Shay, Vito and I went on a very important mission to find an Indian costume. We succeeded 

We got pizza and chicken too.

 

Is This Place Even Real?

As some of y'all know, I am currently attending a gap year program called Link Year.

"Link Year is a 9 month Post-High School program designed to build a solid foundation within each student". It is a bible study decipleship program that teaches us how to go onto our college campuses next year and influence the campus for Christ, instead of the campus influencing us poorly. We all go here (all 58 students) on September 6th. Since then, I continue to be amazed with everything this place has. Link Year's campus is actually located in one of Kanakuk Kamps' 7 camps, this one being K-1in good ole' Branson, MO. Last year K-1 built brand new cabins for the guys side of camp, and those cabins are Link Years dorms during the year. Let me just tell you, these are the nicest dorms any college will have to offer. My roommate and I were one of the lucky few who only had one person as a roommate instead of 2. Because of that, we have our own bathrooms and enough room to longboard and place a blow up swimming pool. 

This is a weird angled picture of my roomy dorm.

As if being the first Link Year class on the brand new campus isn't enough, Link Year decided they wanted to spoil us further by having us also be the first class to get brand new personalized iPads.

Along with these things, Link Year continues to give to us, not only gifts, but love, wisdom and advice. (another sidenote, we are getting chickfila on friday.) (another nother side note, the closest chickfila is 45 mintues away) (another nother nother side note, when they told us this, tears of pure joy came)

One main thing I wanted to share, was one thing that I learned here that has left the biggest impact thus far. That is what came out of an article that we read in small groups monday morning called "Cravings and Conflicts" by CJ. Mahaney. There article explains "Each and every conflict reveals an inordinately strong desire for something -- smoething we want so much that we're wiling to quarrel and fight, to sin against others and dishonor God in order to get it." This is saying: sinful cravings within our hearts are the root cause of quarrels and fights. 

I had never thought of conflict at all in that way. While reading this article I already new the question that would be asked after reading it: "Is there a current conflict that you had? And what was your craving?" I immediately knew what the conflict I had been dealing with was. It was a fight that happened between some co-workers of mine at home, those of whom I had gotten extremely close to. How the conflict ended was horrible and ended with us not speaking to each other for a while. Both of us handled it very poorly and immature. In that conflict, what I was craving was a, I guess you could say, "perfect friend". One who wouldn't let me down and would always be there. What I wanted from my friend is impossible from humans, however, exactly who God is. When what I wanted didn't happen, I gave up hope on the friend and them on me. 

After reading through this packet I talked to my old friend again about what happened that made us feel this way towards each other and a beautiful thing happened. We were both able to forgive each other and move past what happened and our relationship is now restored. 

More things I am learning to deal with is how to manage money and manage it well. I currently do not have a job yet, though I am trying to decided where I would like to work. Because of this, money is not a thing in my life or pocket, and I am having to cut back on my beloved fast-food and soda and candy. It's teaching me that most things that I craved and held dearly and depended on money to get are luxury things that I don't need in my life anyway. 

Link Year is a cool place, y'all. I'm excited for everything that is happening and everything that is going to happen. I'm excited to start new relationships with people and grow relationships with friends that are here. I'm excited for all that God is doing in this place and all that God will do. 

I'm just excited cause this place is cool and I have no doubt that it will grow in its coolness. 

~Link Life Gallery~

Joe White took us canoeing to the landing to get froyo. #froyowithJoe

This is my bed. I like my bed.

If you've never been to Branson. This is it.

Food with friends because both are great.

Surprise mom and dad. I got a nose piercing. so....

View from the house boat.

View from where I did homework one day.

No caption needed.

There are some cool people who used to be my counselors right next door at the Kanakuk Institute.

One Friday we played Hunger Games. This is our cornucopia of water balloons, guns, buckets etc.

This is a pool we have. We swim sometimes.

Priorities

Everyone, at some point in life, mixes up their priorities.

For me, I like to put work or making sure that my kill/death ratio on Call of Duty is decent, before school work. I like to put my tastiness of a soda and sweet tarts before the health of my teeth (found out at my dentist visit today I only have 1 cavity this time *pops champagne*). Mostly importantly, though, is most times, I put all of those things before God.

Recently, I've been putting more and more things before God in my priority list. 

• Work
• Television Shows
• Sleep
• Comfort
• Friends

And if confronted on if I've spent time with God recently, I would say yes, because I had, but it had been one time earlier that week. I was too "busy" to spend once a day with God. That's a good excuse right?
I say that I'm too busy all the time for a lot of things, because most of the time I am.
I'm too busy go see a movie with someone. I'm Too busy to go to San Antonio with my family. I'm too busy to go eat dinner with my Grandma. Most of the time, I'm too busy to do stuff like that either because I'm working or I have plans already.

But when I slip every now and then and tell myself that I'm too busy to spend time with God,
Once I hear that come out of my mouth (or my subconsciousness) Ron Weasley pops into my head.

It's one thing to not have time to do stuff during the day. However, I don't recall every reading anywhere in the bible about a specific time that God wants you to devote to him.  Usually when that will happen, I tend to make a list about all the times during that day that I can be with God.

1.) Wake up early. (You can sleep during class, it's fine.)  (Pay attention in class kids. Don't really sleep)
     -You can wake up 30 minutes early and take that time to be in the Word and talk to God in a quite room about things that are going on.

2.) Play worship music in the car on the way to school.
     -I've started doing this more often, and it has really calmed me down (because I am usually a angry, don't-talk-to-me monster in the morning time) and allowed me to start my day off with some encouragement.

3.) Just because you're at school, does not mean that God gets put on hold for 7 or 8 hours.
    -The cool thing about our relationship with Him, is that we can talk to Him whenever we want. That includes during school. I know so many times when students in my class will say stuff that will tempt me to fall back into the old life I lived, and I don't think as often as I should about just going to God right there and talking it out with Him. Tell Him how I feel, remind myself that He will be there through it all and everything will be okay.

The list continues to talking to God during work, on the way home from work, before I go to bed ect. The point of the list is to get me to write down all of the times that I can be with God during the day and then look back on it and see what I was doing instead of that.

Lately I've noticed just how big an impact having time with God each day can have on your life.

Once you miss one day, then you miss another and another and it's easier and easier to keep missing them.
I don't know why, and I don't like it, but it happens. And once you stop having time with Him and you stop talking to Him regularly, even if it's just for a week or so, it's gets so much harder to resist the temptations of the world.
Whatever temptations come at you, it's very noticeable that you've decided you wanted to fight it by yourself, or not fight it at all.

God wants nothing more than for us to love Him and to be with Him in His Kingdom.
I mean, He did sacrifice his only son so that a bunch of us undeserving sinners could chill with Him in a place unlike any else. So you have to know it breaks His heart when he see's His children straying away and trying to fight the fight alone. And even more when, after they've made made decisions, they can't forgive themselves.

Most times when I mess up, it take a while to forgive myself. That's always the hardest part. I know that God has forgiven me, but I just can't bring myself to letting myself off of the hook of disobeying God. I'll cry, I'll hate my self for a while, and I'll think that everyone else is just perfect compared to me. I've gone through times where I've messed up so bad, that I think that God can't fix me, or that He doesn't want me anymore or, that, since it's happened before, the chance of it happening again is high and so what's the point.

It's always a pretty low point in life when that happens, but I have to constantly remind myself, and have others remind me, that God knew that I was going to mess up. He knew that this was going to happen, and, He sent Jesus down to die for it. I have to forgive myself then. Because, if I can't forgive myself, then I feel as if the cross wasn't good enough for me, and that's saying that Jesus isn't good enough for me. That is not true. Jesus is for everyone. All sinners of every sin. And he didn't die on the cross so that we would sin and go hide in a corner and stay away from God because we were too ashamed. He died so that we could sin and still be with Him in heaven ( as long as you ask for forgiveness and repent from the sin. And know that He's you're Lord and Savior. )

So, I don't know if this blog went very off track, it felt like it did, but Priorities and Forgiveness have both been big things on my heart lately, so they both just kinda smashed together in this. And Harry Potter too.

I Couldn't Come Up With A Title For This One

I love driving. It gives me time to clear my head, listen to some music and just relax.

Unless.....

Someone on their phone who isn't paying attention is going 20 miles under the speed limit, accidentally cuts me off, or is constantly breaking when no one is in front of them and I'm in a hurry on my way to work. That's not relaxing then, even with chill music.

I mean, I'm not going to lie, I text and drive every now and then. I've started to recognize when I do it and put the phone down, but that doesn't mean it still doesn't happen from time to time (I am also capable of paying attention to the road while this happens. Road Rage Rant over). Just because I've never gotten into an accident while texting and driving, though, doesn't erase the fact that it is incredibly dangerous.

Now, before you close out of this blog because you don't want to listen to some 18 year old nobody teach you a lesson about texting and driving, calm down, this isn't what this blog is about. I'm gonna tie it into Jesus soon, promise.


It doesn't take brain surgeon to realize that texting and driving is hazardous to your health. You've read the stats, you've seen the commercials, people die in car crashes, a lot of the time because of texting. Now, thankfully, I have not had someone I know that was involved in a crash like that. However, I can imagine that anyone who has or does know someone who was involved in a texting relating crash, doesn't text and drive. I know that if that did happen to someone who I loved, that I would hate the idea of texting and driving, I would tell every single person I talked to about how stupid it was and how it killed someone I loved. I would be so passionate about making sure that the same mistake wouldn't happen to anyone else. If someone I loved, was killed, by someone who was too selfish to put their phone down for the short time they were in the car, if they were killed for a stupid reason like that, I wouldn't ever touch my phone in the car. Ever.

I do though. I touch my phone. I text. I change songs. Even though I know something could go wrong. Maybe it's just because I'm a dumb teenager. I have stopped doing it so much, usually its just a "yes" or an "okay", but I still do it from time to time.

We all know someone that died for a bunch of selfish people. For all the selfish people. For all the texters who drive, for all the pot smokers, for all the gossipers, for all the homosexuals. For all the sinners. For everybody.

Jesus.

He died for us, because we sinned. And we won't stop sinning until we get to heaven with Him. Isn't that the same though? Isn't that the same as someone I love, dying because someone wouldn't put down their phone. Jesus died because we can't shut our mouths sometimes when talking bad about someone. He died because sometimes, we want to go to a party and drink a little. He died because we wanted to go too far one night with our boyfriend or girlfriend. He died, because we're sinners that wont stop sinning. However, Jesus' death, brings us hope, brings us renewal, brings us forgiveness. He knows were going to sin. He knew we were, knows we are and knows we are going to. He knew when the Romans came to take Him. He knew when He was being flogged. He knew while He was carrying that cross. He knew while He was being nailed to the cross. He knew from the beginning that we were going to disobey Him. And He still did it. Why? Because he loves us. He wants us to be with Him in heaven so much that He said 'Alright, I know you're gonna keep doing what you're doing, but I'm gonna die for you anyway because I wanna spend eternity with you.'


So hate the sin! Love the sinner, but hate the sin! Be passionate about telling others about your Lord and Savior that died for them! Try desperately to stay away from sin! Do whatever it takes! This is war!

"Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul." 

1 Peter 2:11

"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world."

1 Peter 5:8-9

Also, don't text and drive. It's not safe.