Hi, friends!
Turns out, I am actually not that great at blogging. So I'm asking you to help me out here.
Could you post comments, or message me on twitter or facebook, things you want to see me talk about, questions you may have, anything really. I just need some ideas here. They are all appreciated:)
Jesus loves you.
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
HE Is Our Obsession!
O-B-CROOKED LETTER-E-CROOKED LETTER-CROOKED LETTER-I-O-N. OBSESSION. HE IS OUR OBSESSION.
This little song is the simplest way to describe camp last week. Kids went through the week learning about earthly obsessions and how they can change those earthly obsessions to an obsession about God. It was pretty much amazing.
We were on a college campus, and there were about 600 kids there. It was pretty crazy. One church actually brought 3 charter buses full of kids. Now that's amazing.
I liked NTS camp because it wasn't all about the kids. Us leaders had leader training every day where the speaker for us poured into us about Jesus and how to truly minister to kids. It was extremely enlightening.
If you're looking for a camp to bring your youth group I highly suggest NTS Camp. It's a perfect get away.
This little song is the simplest way to describe camp last week. Kids went through the week learning about earthly obsessions and how they can change those earthly obsessions to an obsession about God. It was pretty much amazing.
We were on a college campus, and there were about 600 kids there. It was pretty crazy. One church actually brought 3 charter buses full of kids. Now that's amazing.
I liked NTS camp because it wasn't all about the kids. Us leaders had leader training every day where the speaker for us poured into us about Jesus and how to truly minister to kids. It was extremely enlightening.
If you're looking for a camp to bring your youth group I highly suggest NTS Camp. It's a perfect get away.
Sunday, June 22, 2014
NTS Camp 2014
Tomorrow I will be driving to Chicago with 15 students and 1 other leader to attend NTS Camp. Never The Same. I just request that you pray for us this week. We will get home around 3 on Saturday.
I ask that you pray for the students. It is my hope that all of them will dedicate, or rededicate their lives to Jesus this week. Pray that they get everything that they can out of this week. Pray that when they come down from that "Jesus high" in the weeks after camp that they remember how wonderful Jesus is and keep living their lives for Him.
I ask that you pray for Beau Stringer and me. This week is a chance for us to bond with these students. But it's definitely going to be exhausting. Pray that we are able to keep the strength we need this week to hang out with a bunch of middle and high schoolers. Pray that we also grow in our faith this week, and they we get to also experience Jesus.
We will be driving, so of course I ask for prayers that the drive goes smoothly.
Thank you for everything in advanced. My next post will be on Saturday, and I'll tell you all about my experience at NTS camp!
I ask that you pray for the students. It is my hope that all of them will dedicate, or rededicate their lives to Jesus this week. Pray that they get everything that they can out of this week. Pray that when they come down from that "Jesus high" in the weeks after camp that they remember how wonderful Jesus is and keep living their lives for Him.
I ask that you pray for Beau Stringer and me. This week is a chance for us to bond with these students. But it's definitely going to be exhausting. Pray that we are able to keep the strength we need this week to hang out with a bunch of middle and high schoolers. Pray that we also grow in our faith this week, and they we get to also experience Jesus.
We will be driving, so of course I ask for prayers that the drive goes smoothly.
Thank you for everything in advanced. My next post will be on Saturday, and I'll tell you all about my experience at NTS camp!
Friday, June 20, 2014
Valleyfair Adventure
As I told you before, I volunteer with North Iowa- Youth For Christ. On this past Wednesday we got the chance to go to Valleyfair with students. It was totally awesome! I got to bond with the 3 students I was in charge of. We went on nearly all the rides. I couldn't have asked for a better day. Until we got back to the bus.
We were all sitting there. Nick had gotten us pizza from Little Ceaser's. We had it all eaten. And when Paul went to start the bus.. it didn't. It just wouldn't start. Great. For about an hour they sat trying to figure out why it wouldn't start. Couldn't figure it out. In the mean time the 50 or so kids we had were getting extremely antsy. So we let them off the bus and kinda play in the parking lot-within our sight of course.
Eventually Nick and Paul made a decision. We were gonna get a hotel and call some people to come pick everybody up in the morning. Great. We were gonna spend the night in stinky clothes with stinky middle schoolers.
So we started the tedious task of getting kids to the hotel. 6 at a time in the van we had brought with. In the mean time, we had cranky kids fighting with each other, and not listening to us. That was fun.
A couple hours passed and we had one load of kids/leaders left to go to the hotel, and the rest were going home that night. I had ventured to throw some garbage away. I got about halfway to the garbage can when I heard a noise. I still couldn't tell you if I'm happy I heard it, or extremely sad. It was the bus. Apparently some security thing on the bus was triggered and made it so the bus wouldn't start.
With the bus working we got the rest of us to the hotel to sleep in a disgusting clothes. We got to bed about 1, woke up at 7:30, had breakfast, and we were on our way. We got home about 12:30.
What was supposed to be a 12 hour trip turned into a 27 hour trip.
But through it all, God was with us. We have this experience none of us will forget. And we even got to bond with some amazing kids. It definitely was an exciting, yet terrible, day.
We were all sitting there. Nick had gotten us pizza from Little Ceaser's. We had it all eaten. And when Paul went to start the bus.. it didn't. It just wouldn't start. Great. For about an hour they sat trying to figure out why it wouldn't start. Couldn't figure it out. In the mean time the 50 or so kids we had were getting extremely antsy. So we let them off the bus and kinda play in the parking lot-within our sight of course.
Eventually Nick and Paul made a decision. We were gonna get a hotel and call some people to come pick everybody up in the morning. Great. We were gonna spend the night in stinky clothes with stinky middle schoolers.
So we started the tedious task of getting kids to the hotel. 6 at a time in the van we had brought with. In the mean time, we had cranky kids fighting with each other, and not listening to us. That was fun.
A couple hours passed and we had one load of kids/leaders left to go to the hotel, and the rest were going home that night. I had ventured to throw some garbage away. I got about halfway to the garbage can when I heard a noise. I still couldn't tell you if I'm happy I heard it, or extremely sad. It was the bus. Apparently some security thing on the bus was triggered and made it so the bus wouldn't start.
With the bus working we got the rest of us to the hotel to sleep in a disgusting clothes. We got to bed about 1, woke up at 7:30, had breakfast, and we were on our way. We got home about 12:30.
What was supposed to be a 12 hour trip turned into a 27 hour trip.
But through it all, God was with us. We have this experience none of us will forget. And we even got to bond with some amazing kids. It definitely was an exciting, yet terrible, day.
Sunday, June 15, 2014
My King
I bet I know what you're thinking. "This is another Father's day post talking about how great her dad is, then she's gonna mention something about God being our Heavenly Father."
And you'd be right!
Seriously though, I don't tell the world about the love I have for my dad very often. He very much is my hero. He's my rock. I don't really talk with him about things, but I know if I did he'd be there with a great big hug and something to make me laugh between my tears.
I pretty much look just like him.
He really is the greatest. He's everything I could ever want in a dad. He's always been my biggest fan and encouraging me. I remember when I was about in 3rd grade we went to the Grotto (A stone display of Jesus' life. Really cool actually). He said "Cat will like this." He knew my love for Jesus before I even realized it! Isn't that crazy? Him and my brother are the only ones in my family who I think truly believe.
For the longest time I didn't get a long with him. But I guess getting along with your parents comes with age! I'm not really close with my mom. In fact, at times I can't stand her. But that's another story. I'm so glad to have my dad by my side.
I'm also glad to have my Father in Heaven beside me every step I go. I mean without Him, where would I be?
One day a prince will come and sweep me off my feet. But that prince won't be able to do that until he gets permission from my king. My dad. And he won't be able to until he chases the One True King more than he chases me.
I can't wait for my future children to have a king like my dad.
And you'd be right!
Seriously though, I don't tell the world about the love I have for my dad very often. He very much is my hero. He's my rock. I don't really talk with him about things, but I know if I did he'd be there with a great big hug and something to make me laugh between my tears.
I pretty much look just like him.
He really is the greatest. He's everything I could ever want in a dad. He's always been my biggest fan and encouraging me. I remember when I was about in 3rd grade we went to the Grotto (A stone display of Jesus' life. Really cool actually). He said "Cat will like this." He knew my love for Jesus before I even realized it! Isn't that crazy? Him and my brother are the only ones in my family who I think truly believe.
For the longest time I didn't get a long with him. But I guess getting along with your parents comes with age! I'm not really close with my mom. In fact, at times I can't stand her. But that's another story. I'm so glad to have my dad by my side.
I'm also glad to have my Father in Heaven beside me every step I go. I mean without Him, where would I be?
One day a prince will come and sweep me off my feet. But that prince won't be able to do that until he gets permission from my king. My dad. And he won't be able to until he chases the One True King more than he chases me.
I can't wait for my future children to have a king like my dad.
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Skeptic
For being a believe in a God whom I can't see, I am quite the skeptic. Especially when it came to mediums, or people who can translate between the living and the dead. Or at least I was.
A little back story before I begin..
.. My mom's cousin's son passed away from an accidental drug overdose in May of 2012. His name was Andrew. He had a sister who is still alive named Jesslyn. She recently posted a story of her encounter with a medium. If you don't feel like reading it, here's the basics. Jesslyn went to a medium to try and see if she could communicate with her brother. And if you haven't figured it out yet, she did.
It wasn't a talking back and forth type of thing, but the medium was able to tell her things Andrew was saying.
As I was reading this I was still pretty skeptical. A lot of the things she said sounded like the medium was asking really vague questions in order to get an answer out of Jesslyn that made it sound like Andrew was there. That is, up until this point:
"'Tell him he says he rides in the truck with him and hears him talking to him. And he said to ask your mom if she would wake up between 3:00-3:30 almost every night, he says that was him waking her up.” I couldn’t contain the tears this time; that was amazing to hear and I later on found out my mom did wake up at about 3:20 every night right after he died.'"
That is when I got the chills and basically all skepticism went away. There was no way for the medium to know that her mom woke up at that time every night.
If you don't really know my story, I've had a lot of people pass away in my life. Especially throughout my high school years. Many times I have felt like one of my loved ones have been around me. Either because of things that would happen or because of just the way I felt. I kinda just figured it was my imagination. Jesslyn's story showed me that it might not be.
I had a friend pass away in September of 2012. We hadn't spoken for months before his death because of tiny argument we had. At his funeral they played "I'll Fly Away". Every time I got in a car after that for a while that song played on the radio. Every time. I will always see it as Andrew (Friend, not distant cousin) telling me everything is alright.
I've always been told that when somebody dies they go straight to Heaven. But what if that's not true? What if they get to stay here and be with us until it's our time to go? What if when judgement day comes we all go to Heaven together as spirits? I have done no biblical research about this, but who knows?
I'd like to believe all my loved ones are still here protecting me and loving me every single day as spirits.
And that's coming from a huge skeptic.
A little back story before I begin..
.. My mom's cousin's son passed away from an accidental drug overdose in May of 2012. His name was Andrew. He had a sister who is still alive named Jesslyn. She recently posted a story of her encounter with a medium. If you don't feel like reading it, here's the basics. Jesslyn went to a medium to try and see if she could communicate with her brother. And if you haven't figured it out yet, she did.
It wasn't a talking back and forth type of thing, but the medium was able to tell her things Andrew was saying.
As I was reading this I was still pretty skeptical. A lot of the things she said sounded like the medium was asking really vague questions in order to get an answer out of Jesslyn that made it sound like Andrew was there. That is, up until this point:
"'Tell him he says he rides in the truck with him and hears him talking to him. And he said to ask your mom if she would wake up between 3:00-3:30 almost every night, he says that was him waking her up.” I couldn’t contain the tears this time; that was amazing to hear and I later on found out my mom did wake up at about 3:20 every night right after he died.'"
That is when I got the chills and basically all skepticism went away. There was no way for the medium to know that her mom woke up at that time every night.
If you don't really know my story, I've had a lot of people pass away in my life. Especially throughout my high school years. Many times I have felt like one of my loved ones have been around me. Either because of things that would happen or because of just the way I felt. I kinda just figured it was my imagination. Jesslyn's story showed me that it might not be.
I had a friend pass away in September of 2012. We hadn't spoken for months before his death because of tiny argument we had. At his funeral they played "I'll Fly Away". Every time I got in a car after that for a while that song played on the radio. Every time. I will always see it as Andrew (Friend, not distant cousin) telling me everything is alright.
I've always been told that when somebody dies they go straight to Heaven. But what if that's not true? What if they get to stay here and be with us until it's our time to go? What if when judgement day comes we all go to Heaven together as spirits? I have done no biblical research about this, but who knows?
I'd like to believe all my loved ones are still here protecting me and loving me every single day as spirits.
And that's coming from a huge skeptic.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
A Whole Lot of Jesus
Jesus loves YOU.
No doubt about it. He died for you.
"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."
Jesus considers you his friend! He wants a relationship with you. He wants you to talk with him and for him to infiltrate every moment of your life. I didn't really get this until my junior year. I had known of Jesus. He was a cool guy who died for me. But then on a youth retreat I felt that relationship for the very first time.
If you've never felt it, it's kinda like all of the weight on your shoulders lifts in an instant. Everything seems wonderful. Of course, living for Jesus isn't perfect. He tells us that straight up. But it is glorious.
Jesus is my hope and stay. He's the reason that I keep on going. He's the reason I get out of bed in the morning. He's the most important man in my life. I don't need no man! 'Cept Jesus.
Sometimes people ask me why I'm so okay with being single. It's because Jesus is everything a boyfriend could never be. Don't get me wrong, I want a boyfriend. But it's not necessary. I would rather him chasing Jesus and run into me.
I don't know how many ways I could prove to you that Jesus loves you. Even if you don't believe in God, Jesus was still a real man. There is proof. He died a criminals death. FOR YOU. He performed miracles. FOR you.
I'm sure you've heard the "gospel in a nut shell", but if you haven't..
"For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life."
But what if we looked at it differently? The way every one of you should read it.
"For God so loved YOU that He gave his only Son, that if YOU believe in him, YOU should not perish, but have eternal life."
Isn't that wonderful news?
Quote of the Day:
"I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen; not because I can see it, but because by it I see everything else." -C.S. Lewis
No doubt about it. He died for you.
"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."
Jesus considers you his friend! He wants a relationship with you. He wants you to talk with him and for him to infiltrate every moment of your life. I didn't really get this until my junior year. I had known of Jesus. He was a cool guy who died for me. But then on a youth retreat I felt that relationship for the very first time.
If you've never felt it, it's kinda like all of the weight on your shoulders lifts in an instant. Everything seems wonderful. Of course, living for Jesus isn't perfect. He tells us that straight up. But it is glorious.
Jesus is my hope and stay. He's the reason that I keep on going. He's the reason I get out of bed in the morning. He's the most important man in my life. I don't need no man! 'Cept Jesus.
Sometimes people ask me why I'm so okay with being single. It's because Jesus is everything a boyfriend could never be. Don't get me wrong, I want a boyfriend. But it's not necessary. I would rather him chasing Jesus and run into me.
I don't know how many ways I could prove to you that Jesus loves you. Even if you don't believe in God, Jesus was still a real man. There is proof. He died a criminals death. FOR YOU. He performed miracles. FOR you.
I'm sure you've heard the "gospel in a nut shell", but if you haven't..
"For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life."
But what if we looked at it differently? The way every one of you should read it.
"For God so loved YOU that He gave his only Son, that if YOU believe in him, YOU should not perish, but have eternal life."
Isn't that wonderful news?
Quote of the Day:
"I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen; not because I can see it, but because by it I see everything else." -C.S. Lewis
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