Thanksgiving Is Here!

Thanksgiving. The day every American associates with turkey, dressing, pumpkin pie and... Well, giving thanks. We have a special day set aside each and every year to stop and thank God for the countless blessings He's given us. How cool is that?
But, to be honest, when we're sitting at the table, surrounded by loved ones and yummy food, we aren't that interested in giving thanks. We just want to EAT!!
Being thankful isn't that high on the priority list. We might blurt out a couple of things before we dig in, but that's about it. We have equated the tradition that the Pilgrims started so they could thank God to another reason to eat. A lot.
Thanksgiving is a time to gather together and revel in the love of each other and to bless others. Did you know that you can provide Thanksgiving dinner for a poor family for about $20? That's crazy simple! There are tons of ways to bless other families on Thanksgiving.
Jesus gave everything for us, and because we are so thankful to Him, we want to be vessels to pour out His love and compassion on the people around us. That reason alone should have us giving thanks every day of the year.
Think about it.
Happy Thanksgiving!!

Not Really Sure

To be honest, I didn't start this blog to bring people to Christ. I started this blog to express my feelings and to be honest. The title of this post is pretty accurate. I'm not sure about anything anymore: college, my friends, my family, even my 16th birthday party. It's like I live on a high wire, and one false move can plummet me down to places I never wanted to go. I'm the strong one, the ballast for everyone to hang onto during their rough seasons. I've got all of the Bible verses and godly counsel anybody needs. I've got fun parents, cool possessions, and a great personality. But at the end of the day, a facade can only take so much wear and tear before it disintegrates and reveals a person who's struggling just as hard and hurting just as badly as the people who need her. I can spend an entire evening laughing and a whole night crying. But it doesn't matter, because the next time you see me the tears will be powdered away and the raw nerves encased in yet another layer of steel to give them the fortitude to be there for others when they need it. It's slowly becoming easier and easier to be indifferent where I used to be upset or hurt. Why expose bleeding flesh to the bitter air when I can bind it and cover it up? It may throb a little, but that's better than all out pain. I'm supposed to be fulfilled. I'm supposed to be thriving. I'm supposed to be happy. Yet I'm not. But I can't let anyone see that I'm not perfect, because they expect a lot out of me. And expectations are a heavy burden to bear. And a rep is a fragile thing. And people are hard to please.

Intro: What Am I Doing Here?

Okay, I really don't know why I created a blog. It seemed like a cool idea, so I did. I'm kind of playing this by ear, so here it goes. I've been thinking about high school. An interesting topic, to be sure. But what does it all mean? I mean we endure four years of peer pressure, Mt. Homework and socializing to the point where it's overwhelming. Surely it means more than that. Yes, there's all kinds of extracurricular activities that make my head spin just thinking about them, and there's chillin' with friends and making funny memories with them, but is that all?
Really?
That may be all right for some, but what about the Church? Are we as teenagers really stepping up to make an impact in our homes, communities, and globally? What kind of an account can we give of ourselves? All of these are troubling questions. How do we answer them?
Not with more services on Sunday mornings, more Starbucks outings, more Bible studies, more hang-out time, or even more small-group sessions. It takes each of us separating from the group for a little bit and saying, "God, what am I missing? How do you want to use me to impact the people around me?" Because a still, small voice is hard to hear when the music is booming and people are demanding your attention.
Now, I'm NOT saying that any of these things are bad at all. Please don't misunderstand. It's just a growing problem in American youth groups everywhere.
Imagine you are at a youth service Wednesday night at your church. The youth pastor gets up and says, "We need to commit as a church to reach our schools for the gospel! You need to rise up and claim your schools for Jesus!"
Everyone cheers and applauds and gets hyped up about the whole idea.
Thursday morning, you wake up and reach for your Bible, but your phone goes off. You read the text, and by the time the conversation is over, you don't have time for your quiet time.
Oh well, you think, I'll just read it tonight.
After arriving at school, you see "the geek" at your school drop a million papers all over the floor. As you go to help her, your BFF beckons to you across the hallway. You suddenly remember something really important you have to say to him RIGHT THEN, and you leave Miss Nerd alone.
Lunch time rolls around, and you are on your way to sit with that kid who got teased mercilessly in P.E. again when you see an empty spot next to that girl you like at the opposite end of the cafeteria.
I think you get the picture. We get on fire for Jesus, but in our first real-world situation we allow Satan to distract us with "harmless things."
More to say on this tomorrow.
Think about it.