Time Well Spent? I think so.

Well I'm sitting here in English class with really nothing else to do, so I guess I'll blog again. I was going through blogs yesterday, bored and wanting to see what else the world has to say. The very first blog that came up was one by a 28 year old aspiring christian writer. All of his posts were turned into great essays. I admired how he took every opportunity he had to practice his writing.

If you know anything about me, you know I'm a writer. Not professional...yet. But I spend hours on Microsoft Word writing random stories based off of random experiences that I've had or heard of. If you saw my google history, you'd think I was crazy. Unless you too are a writer. Then you'd understand.

The thing is, I can't get enough writing. I'd quit school and sit with a sharp pencil and crisp sheet of paper all day if I could. Then why do I waste so many hours watching television or mindlessly searching the web? I could be spending that time perfecting the gift God gave me.

I'm guilty of wasting my time. A lot lately, actually. Whether it be mlia.com or facebook or myspace or youtube, I sit staring at the computer. What's that all going to matter in eternity? Nothing. Life is really short. I'm already 16 (I know, I'm old) and about a fourth of my life is over. What have I spent that on? Teenage crushes, computers, televisions, fitting in, impressing people that don't need impressing...Unfortunately, that's been the use of a lot of my time. But I'm really trying to manage my time effectively. I'm writing more and reading my Bible (I don't think most people truly understand how much of a difference daily devotionals can make in our lives) and praying.

How's your time being spent?

Wait.

So many people will tell you to wait till you're older. Wait till you're not a teenager anymore. Wait till you live on your own. Wait till you're married. Wait till you have kids. Then do something great for God.

Wrong. If you wait until you're twenty to do anything great, that means that you're using up about 1/4 of your life on waiting.

Yeah. I know life can be exhausting and tough. The fact is, though, God knows what you're going through, and He knows that you can use any opportunity--even at age 16--to help you grow and mature and become that much closer to God.

F.A.F.

Fine Arts Festival is coming up soon. Last year, our church did great. Percussion team won merit (first in state), my book chapter won merit, and the sign language team made the top three. I can't wait to see what we accomplish this year.

I'm going to try out percussion team this year. I haven't performed in awhile, and I think it will be fun. I might also do a skit, which I always enjoy. I've already written my Book Chapter, though I haven't even started on my short story.

I think the only reason my entry did so well last year was that I asked God to give me a good topic to write about, and he did just that. Hopefully the idea I got for this year's is just as good. I'm still praying and searching for a short story idea (if you have any ideas, hit me up) but I'm excited to see what I end up doing.

I love FAF because we all get to show off the gifts and talents that God has given us.

Our Future Home

Last night in Bible Study, we got off topic and starting asking questions about Heaven. Will we go to the bathroom there? What about marriage? Will we eat? Will we have jobs?

I was interesting in this too, so I decided to read one of my Dad's books about Revelations. Here's what I've gotten so far:

• New Jerusalem will be the main city of Heaven. It is built by God Himself. It is either a cube or triangle, with twelve levels, each made with a different precious stone (Level 12 is purple!).
• The New Jerusalem will be filled with our--believer's--mansions, and God will also live their with us. The walls will be about 216 feet thick, and transparent. There will be 12 gates, each guarded by angels (why we'll need protection is unknown).
• The New Earth will also be accessible to the believers. Earth will be the home to those who accept Jesus Christ as Lord after the rapture. They'll come to New Jerusalem to worship.
• New Jerusalem will have streets of Gold, with a River Of Life running down the middle of it. And, yes, we will eat. There will be unlimited manna, and once a month the Tree Of Life will sprout new fruit for us to eat.
• Chances are, there won't be any marriage, since it is actually an earthly thing. There may not even be a big diversity between genders. Who knows?
• On all sides (including height), the city will be 1,500 miles. That's huge!

* Be aware that some of this stuff is up for interpretation. One thing is clear though: It's going to be awesome. Awesome beyond compare.

Dreaming

I've always found thinking about the future to be fun. I'm a daydreamer, and some days I catch myself spending minutes upon minutes wondering what kind of life I'm going to have. What kind of house? Husband? Kids?
Daydreaming doesn't get you anywhere, though. I've been trying to figure out ways to get myself to use my time more efficiently. I've been falling back on my bible studies, and I've felt the consequences.
In addition to the Bible, of course, there are actually a lot of other Christian books to read that have helped me grow spiritually. The Ten Most Common Objections to Christianity has laid a foundation for my beliefs and why I believe them. Every Young Woman's Battle has helped me gain focus in what's true and pure in this secular world. And there are countless of other books by many authors that have really made a difference in my life.
It's amazing how much a little devotion time each day can really change your perspective.

Recap

I haven't been posting much...obviously. I had a pretty good Christmas, Thanksgiving, and soon-to-be-New-Year's. 2009 has literally been the best and worst year of my life.

It was great because I got closer to everyone in my youth group; I'm halfway done with sophomore year; I was called to be a full-time writer; I had a great relationship with (gasp) a guy; I went to Nationals with my youth group family; I was healed of scoliosis; etc.

It wasn't so great for a lot of reasons, too. I had to give up my dog; some people I love and care about have fallen away from God; many of my friend are going through hard times; and there are some things that I'd rather keep private that didn't make 2009 very enjoyable.

I'm still not having a great life right now, but that's okay. Though it's easier said than done, all I need to do is trust in God. He's never let me down before; why should He now?

Convention

This is my 100Th post. Yay.

Anyways. Last weekend was Momentum Convention. It was cool to see everyone worshiping intensely. My favorite part of the week was when we were challenged to write down an amount of money that we feel that God wants us to give in November alone. Our youthgroup pledged over 14,000 dollars.

Also, we just had to go to Arby's and reenact that fateful meal (if you don't know what I'm talking about...good.)