Time is passing

Wayyyy too quickly.
Actually, Time is passing so quickly that it's kind of scaring me.

We discussed it in IB music yesterday how there's really only 12 weeks of school left before break. Like, THE break. The one before senior year. This graduation we're going to watch in 4 months will be the last Oakland class we watch cross away into the threshold of reality before walking across the stage ourselves. Some days it feels like the time to leave couldn't get any closer. But other days I just wish life would wait. Sometimes I even wish I would have met some people that I feel like I only just met sooner, so that I'd have had more time with them before they leave. Before they walk out into the world.

The thought has crossed my mind more recently now than before. I mean I know it's only February, but some of the people I've looked up to and spent the last 3 years with (or couple months with having made new friendships) are about to leave and travel off into distant lands. Part of me doesn't want to see them go, but they're so ready. Even if they don't feel like it, there is a world full of discovery out there and so much time for them to find where they want to go.

As for my class... we're feeling a little dragged out. This has been a tough year and it's only halfway over. Of course we want next year to be here now. But when it gets here, we'll want to somehow go back. It reminds me of the last couple months of 8th grade. Sometimes I'd give anything to have some of that back, like the times we spent chilling in Mrs. Weller's class after school and talking to her as if she were an old friend instead of a teacher to the late nights of boredom, giggling and life-talks with Autumn and Billy, to daydreams of crushes and fairytales. It's hard to believe that that's a part of my past now, and that was only 3-4 years ago. It makes me wonder what it will be like 3-4 years from now.

Change and it's difficulties.
It's time to make the best of the time we have.


...And I'm going to spend a lot of it watching more Smallville.

;)
(but seriously)

Have a great week kids, and drink lots of Orange juice.

You show me the way to life.

I love serving Jesus. No one can compare to him. No matter how much we try to replace him with other things in the world, there is nothing like being in his presence and spending time in communion with him and reading his word and learning from him. He teaches us things we forget and things we have never learned or known every day, and no matter what things look like in the end, he is the only one who can show us which way to go.


Tonight I wanted to share some things God taught me today about health.
Yesterday I gave blood. I was a little apprehensive since it was my first time, and I even had a bad feeling about doing it, knowing that my allergies were already bugging me that day, but decided to go for it anyway because I was already on the bus (literally). Let's say the experience was a lot more unpleasant than I expected. I almost passed out 3 times and remained sick and nauseous for the rest of the day. I felt good having helped someone somewhere out there who needed blood, but at the same time I felt terrible for the rest of the night, started running a fever and couldn't go to school today or finish any work that needed to get done. I failed people that were counting on me today when I could have prevented it. I couldn't sing for worship tonight because my throat was sore. I've constantly been sick this year more than any other year and so my immune system was probably not strong enough for me to give blood.

The truth is that most of the time I spend my time in concern for others and of others rather than myself. This seems kind of selfless at first glance, but isn't always a good thing. I was talking to my worship leader Juan tonight about it, and I loved his response. "Remember to put the oxygen mask on before putting anyone elses' on. It helps a lot."
Simple, right? Even a little sarcastic. But it's really something I forget about constantly and something that they have to put on the instruction card when flying with Southwest.

Put it this way. If I tell everyone that I represent Christ, but I'm constantly sick, wasting my money and not being wise with it and wasting time, never finishing my school work and on top of all of that not eating right or taking vitamins and trying to take care of everyone else, then what does that say about me as someone who represents Jesus? I believe that it's time for me to fix some things. Most people see my generation as self-absorbed and irresponsible. I don't want to be irresponsible. I'm tired of losing things and forgetting things so easily. It's time to take on a toll of being more responsible for myself and not worrying about everyone else. Not to say that in a selfish way, but in order to help the people in school or in Kenya when I leave, I have to be healthy and fit to reach out. And I think that all of this will start with eating right, exercising more often and taking vitamins. I need to start taking care of my temple so that God can use me more. Things are going to have to change, and I'm going to make them change by choice. I'm going to start caring for myself more and spending more time with God so that I know how to reach out. I'm going to start budgeting my money correctly so that I can save for a car. I'm determined to make this change this year. And if you see any things that you need to change in your lifestyle or walk with God- take a break, write things down and be determined to keep up with it. It can be difficult, but by taking care of ourselves first we make room for others. Take care of the root to grow the tree and reap the fruit. :)

Thank you Jesus for helping me to be responsible and for helping me to stay strong.

The Command to Go, not the inquiry.

There was something that happened in the earth when God commanded us in his word to Go. To preach the gospel to every living creature. He didn't set any limits. There isn't a phrase at the end of that scripture that says "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every living creature... only if you feel called to."


As living witnesses of The love of Christ, to go is our calling, wherever we may go, wherever he sends us, because he commanded it. He could tell us to Go into the school and that be our place, and from there we can reach further. The desire to go was formed in us from the beginning...

I can't say that before this year I had a burning, passionate desire to go on a missions trip, specifically. I knew that I would eventually, and I even thought to myself years ago "maybe 17 will be the year." I had a desire to see souls saved and people encounter Jesus, and that passion is still burning there and always will. But something sparked me. Something about looking at the way my friends were transformed when coming back home from these trips. How tears would fill their eyes when they would talk about what happened and the people they encountered and saw healed and saved. Watching them sell things that they owned to go on these trips and not miss a single thing. Watch them trust God with faith that moves mountains. Watching financial miracles happen. Most of all, it was watching them grow and listening to their stories and testimonies. Seeing something happen inside of them... It was a challenge, almost. A challenge that asked "How far are you willing to go? To what extreme are you going to take this whole Gospel thing to?" Even God asking me "What will you leave behind in order to follow my lead?"
So I sat down and asked myself. "How far am I willing to go?"
I prayed about it, and I felt that the answer was clear.
It's time for me to Go.



It's still time for me to go, No matter who decides to walk away from me for push me down for it. No matter who disapproves. No matter who makes fun of me for carrying a coffee can and a Toms box around school. There are so many people that are all for my trip, so many people that God has set in my path for me to cross paths with this year for important reasons, and they matter to me. They outnumber the people who disapprove. Even if everyone had turned their back against me, the fact that God approves outnumbers the opinion of man.

And he's faithful to send me if I just give myself to him, and to go for souls. It's not about me. It's about them... And it's All about Him, for his glory.

They are worthy because Jesus died for them.
He is worthy because he died for me, and my life is all I can give in return.

With Everything We will Shout fourth your Praise...

Open our eyes,
To see the things
That make Your heart cry,
To be the church
The You would desire

Your Light to be seen.

Break down our pride,
And all the walls
We've built up inside,
Our earthly crowns
And all our desires,
We lay them at Your feet.

So let hope rise,
And darkness tremble
In Your holy light,
And every eye will see
Jesus, our God,
Great and mighty to be praised.

God of all days,
Glorious in all of Your ways.
Your majesty, the wonder and grace,
In the light of Your name.

With everything,
With everything,
We will shout for your glory.

With everything,
With everything,
We will shout forth your praise.

Our hearts, they cry
Be glorified,
Be lifted high,
Above all names.
For You our King,
With everything,
We will shout forth your praise 

This is the cry for a generation that wants to encounter something real. We are sick of the feeling of fake satisfaction that the world has to offer. Somewhere within our hearts, something is fighting to come to the surface- a desire for something more, for something real. A desire that screams "There has to be more to this life than just waking up to the same situations and the same problems every single day. Something has to change. Something has to come alive."

Awaken our hearts, God. We're here for you. Awaken the hearts of the students of Oakland High School. Awaken the hearts of this generation, across America, and across the World. 

Open our eyes to see who you are, and open our ears to hear you calling us to rise up and take our place as leaders. 

This is huge. 

What God is doing in our generation is so huge. 

They say that we are a selfish, lost, blind and hopeless generation. They say that it isn't like old times, and that it will get worse, and that there is no hope for us. That is a lie from the pit of hell. There is no such thing. Hopelessness does not exist and it never will, because Jesus Christ took hopelessness on the cross with him along with our sin and sickness. This is a generation that he's called to love and to holiness. This is a generation that belongs to Jesus, because He responds to our desperate cry for help. He responds because he loves us and he wants to be with us for eternity.