Parents...

Everyone keeps telling me that because I'm a teenager, I just automatically think that my parents are stupid. Well I hate to burst everyone's bubble but honestly for me, that's not true. I have respect for my parents and I've come to realize that I don't always share the same views as my parents, and honestly at 17 I don't think I should always agree with my parents...but anyways, even though I don't always agree with my parents, I'm still under their roof and I'm called to obey. Let me tell you, it sure ain't easy. I probably disagree or want to argue with my parents more then any other people. They just know how to push my buttons and bring out the worst in me. But over the past couple of weeks I think I have finally learned that silence is the key. Instead of giving my input, just shutting up and listening has such a better outcome. So much to say I'm just tired of everyone assuming that I think my parents are complete idiots because I don't. They may be strange and they may have rules that I'll never understand but no matter what, they're my parents and NO I don't think they are stupid.

The Stars...

This year I'm taking Astronomy for science and learning about the heavens and stars has just opened my eyes to a whole new world. In my devotion today, I read a verse in Philippians that talked about Christians living in a crooked and depraved generation, in which we shine like stars in the universe. After studying about stars and how detailed their birth and life is, it just amazes me that God would compare ME to a star. Stars are such a beautiful creation and we see them shining in the night sky. Personally everytime I see the stars I can only wonder about what an awesome God and Creator we truly have. But when this depraved generation looks at me do they marvel at what an awesome God and Creator they have? You can see stars much better when everything around you is very dark and that is a perfect illustration of our world today. Our world is full of darkness but if I'm truly walking with the Lord and in his will I should "shine" through all of the darkness around me. I know that's a simple lesson that those of us who have grown up in the church have heard ever since we were little but, it is such an awesome truth. So now everytime I see those beautiful shining stars in the night sky I'll think of who I should be as person and what I should be doing as a Follower of Christ.

That Someone

I don't know about you, but God always puts such special people into my life. For instance my best friend Hannah. I was 11 years old and desperate for a friend...a special friend that I could spend hours talking to and laughing my head off with. That's when God sent Hannah to me, at just the right time. We have been best friends from the day we met and I'd do anything for her. But this year God saw a need and sent another someone into my life. At a point in my life when I thought life couldn't get any better and everything was working out just fine, God still saw an emptiness that He knew needed to be filled. I'm not going to give a name just for privacy reasons so I'm just going to call this person "That Someone". I'm not a very personal or emotional person and that can honestly be a good thing and a bad thing. It's hard for me to express my feelings, especially to people. I know that may sound strange but I tend to vent to Scallywag, my little white dog that everyone calls a rat...anyways, so yeah ever since I started to talk to That Someone I've found that its so easy to just talk and express what I'm feeling to him, it comes as natural as breathing. I feel like I don't have to act like anyone but Hallay Solomon when I'm around him. I've never experienced such emotions for a person. I find myself praying for him so many times a day...so much more then I even pray for myself. I want to encourage him and I want him to think of himself as highly as I do. That Someone made me realize that there was something missing in my life and he was exactly what I needed. I feel like I've known him my whole life but yet there so much more to learn about him. I pray that I have a lifetime to get to know That Someone and I can't wait to see what God has in store for us.

It's been awhile...

Our Sunday school class was recently going through a study together about the lies that Satan tells women everyday and the struggles that women go through. One of these struggles was how life is constantly changing. My life has been constantly changing since the day that I was born. My mom likes to stay busy...always has ever since I can remember. In the past few months I've experienced more change then I thought possible. Some of these changes have been good and some well...not so good. But as we were studying this struggle one of the ladies said that it was amazing how everything in life changes so quickly but God is always constant. From that day on I have yet to stop thinking about that comment. All I've ever known is change. I can't even begin to comprehend how something can be constant. And then my thoughts went deeper while thinking through this. I was saved as a young child so I honestly can't remember a time that I wasn't saved. I've always been able to talk to God and have a personal relationship with him. Now this thought may not affect you the way it did me but, the God that I loved and prayed too and worshiped when I was 5 years old is still the same God today. That just blows my mind away! I have changed so much over the years but He is still the same yesterday, today, and forever. Senior year is getting crazy busy...and trying to juggle everything is not as easy as I thought it would be. This year has definitely not gone the way I thought it would but honestly that's okay with me because every day I live I'm going to experience change but the fact that my God is always the same gives me a peace that surpasses all understanding.