Shalom

John 14:27- "Jesus said, "I leave you my peace; my peace I give you. I do not give it to you as the world does. So don't let your hearts be troubled or afraid."

In hebrew, the word shalom means "peace," a wish for good health, freedom from strife, and wholeness. At the Last Supper, Jesus bid his disciples shalom. He bid them peace of mind and heart. This peace was one that the world never knew, or could offer. The world's peace depends on circumstance, Jesus' peace depends on our relationship with Him.

Think of John 14:27 as Jesus' Last Will. This verse tells us of our inheritence. And the wholeness and completeness found in this inheritence is at the heart of true happiness. His happiness.
-DJ

Amazing.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/42191453/ns/today-today_people/

Wow, I saw this video today and I thought I would share it with you all. It's about an 11-year old boy who visited heaven during a near-death experience, where he sat on Jesus’ lap and met his great-grandfather and the sister his mother miscarried.

So incredible.

Where does faith belong in dating?

hey everyone. long time no see.

so i'm thinking about trying to make a girl my girlfriend. but a couple of weeks ago, my small group and i talked about dating and my leader said "I think its alright to date if you and the other person are in the same place spiritually."

so i asked my friends in class today the same question on what they thought about faith or christianity in a relationship. They said that it doesn't really play a big role in dating.

What do you guys think about this? (please comment)
-DJ

Redemption

Hey Quest! I have another poem for you, called "Redemption." Hope you like it!

You wash away my sins,
Creating me anew.
You comfort my soul,
With a peace that’s ever true.

Your forgiveness heals,
Restores and sustains.
Set free are my sins,
Like the falling snow and rain.

The mercy of Your saving touch,
Grants me a new heart.
Grateful am I, oh Lord,
For yet another start.

Without Your forgiveness,
Where would we be?
Imprisoned in the confines,
Of our sinful misery.

But now You’ve set us free,
In forgiving us all.
And I know that with You I can rise,
Whenever I fall.

“Who is there like You, the God who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of His inheritance; who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency, and will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our guilt? You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins.” Micah 7:18-19

-Haley

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. ¹⁹ For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

²² We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³ Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴ For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." -Romans 8:18-25

Let that marinate today. Comment what you think about what Paul was saying in this passage. Love you all SO MUCH!

-Alexa

Just a Quick Thought...

Hey guys!

Matthew 10:10.13 "'...he said to them, 'Why do you make trouble for this woman? She has done a good thing for me. Amen, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has doen will be spoken of, in memory of her.'"

Just a reminder that God values our efforts, and we will not be forgotten for doing good.
Have a nice day!

An answer to DJ's question...

A while ago DJ posted this...
I want the Lord to take control, I want to find contentment in His Word and His Love. But there are so many distractions that I can't remember Him occasionally. How do you give your heart fully to the Lord? How do you say to God, "Lord, here's my heart and my soul. Do with it what You will. You can have me."

Well I've been thinking about this question for the past few days. How do we really give it all to God? How do we completely surrender our lives to Him and His will? When I started to think about this question, the song "From the Inside Out" by Hillsong United came to mind. If you haven't heard it, here it is. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-afZJ9_TIM...it's so good! Anyway, part of the song says, "My heart and my soul, I give you control, to love you from the inside out." But HOW do we give our whole heart and soul to God, putting Him completely in control? We have to...

1) Offer up our sins to Him, knowing that He will forgive us no matter what. We have to confess everything to Him (even though He already knows everything) and admit to our failures and sinfulness. Doing that will help us realize that He is the only One who is sinless and perfect. Micah 7:19 ~ "You will again have compassion on us; You will tread our sins underfoot and toss all our sins into the depths of the sea."

2) Trust Him, knowing that He knows what He's doing. When we face good times and when we face bad times, we have to trust that He is doing what is ultimately best for us, what will only make us stronger. Romans 8:28 ~ "And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."

3) Live WITH and FOR Him. This last step to surrendering your life to God can only happen if you do the first two steps. If we don't consistently ask for forgiveness for our sins or trust Him with absolutely everything, then there is no way we can live with or for Him at all.

These are just my thoughts on how we can surrender our lives to God. If anyone else has anything to add, leave some comments! :)

And I don't know how I remember this, but DJ, I remember you said this at the Quest reunion: "God can't be a part of our lives. He has to BE our life." I think that's really cool and has a lot to do with the whole surrendering your life to God thing.

-Haley

Star Gazing

Hey Questies! I don't know how many of you did the facebook event star-gazing thing tonight, but i have a quick story from it. it was basically a night of looking at the stars along with others all over the country (and maybe world!) and just praising Jesus and being in his glory, presence, and awesomeness.

However, tonight where I am, the stars were not visible at all. neither was the moon. this showed me 2 things for sure...well, okay, reinforced 2 things for sure....

1) even when we don't "see" God working or "feel" him, he's definitely still here and working miracles day in and day out. i mean, you woke up this morning, didn't you?

not seeing the stars hanging in the sky exactly where God placed them himself was almost better for me right now than seeing them. it just reminded me that even when the cloud cover of life gets in the way, the Lord is STILL THERE. Always. it encouraged me to have more faith in my creator and trust in what Romans 8:28 clearly says, "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Also, a personal fave, Hebrews 11:1, the perfect definition of faith itself: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we DO NOT SEE." I know the stars are up there somewhere, even when not visible to me.

2) we know a lot less than we like to think we do. WE ARE HUMAN, NOT GOD. God is sovereign and in control, and no matter how much i wanted to see those glorious, hand-crafted stars tonight, i couldn't change the fact that the sky was cloudy. not a thing i could do about it. and there is comfort in knowing that. who am i to say the sky should be clear tonight? at least it didn't rain like predicted to! anyways, my point is that God is the head of all things, large and small!

hope you all have a great weekend, and just know you are more of a blessing to me than you can ever know.

-Alexa

Prayer request!

I'm going to be a retreat leader for the 7th grade retreat next week at my old grade school. Some other questies, Emma Jaspersen and Lauren Baskett, will also be there! If you get a chance, please pray for us, that God will use us and speak through us to these 7th graders. Pray that He'll give us wisdom when speaking with these kids and He'll give us courage when sharing stories about our faith! Thanks :) I hope everything's going well with you guys.

Represent!

So i'm gonna try to make this one a bit shorter....

Today in class we were assigned to do student led devotions and this is the topic I decided on: Living in God's name.

The verses i chose were: Col. 3:17- "And whatever you do, whether it be in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."
Prov. 21:31- "The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord."

Basically mine is about whatever you do or accomplish, God LET that happen. Then I kinda led that into a modern example: Tony Dungy.
If you dont know who that is, he was the head coach for the Colts the year they won the Superbowl. He had been fired from so many other teams before he was with the Colts, because he never won the superbowl.
The first practice he had with the Colts, the very first thing he said was this: "It's not gonna be Manning's touchdown throwing pass that's gonna win us games. It's not gonna be the linebackers awesome defense that's gonna win us games. The ONLY thing that's going to win us games is if we honor the victories we earn in the name of the Lord."

And sure enough, they won the Superbowl that year.
Here's Tony Dungy's 'I Am Second' video: http://www.iamsecond.com/seconds/tony-dungy/
WATCH IT!

Corinthians

Hey guys!
This should be pretty quick, but here goes!

At Mass this Sunday, the 2nd reading was Corinthian 4:1-5. This is just such a great passage, but two things in particular stood out to me.

Corinthians 4:1 "Thus should one regard us: as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God." I'm not sure exactly what to say about this one, but I love it! When people think of you, what do they think of? Athletic? Smart? Funny? Quiet? There's a lot of options, but how about servant of God? And through this, also servants of others. This is the first thing that people should think of, and we, of course, are called to fill the role. Also, stewards of the mysteries of God...I have any general understanding of this, but does anything have something to add?

Secondly, Corinthians 4:3 "It does not concern me in the least that I be judged by you or any human tribunal; I do not even pass judgement on myself." I do not even pass judgement on myself...I don't know about you guys, but this idea is totally new to me! We are told to work hard to achieve our goals, examine our lives to fix the bad, compare ourselves to others, try to be better. But guys, WE CAN'T JUDGE OURSELVES! It's up to God: we may think we are horrible and need so much fixing, and maybe we do, but we can't condemn ourselves and dwell on how horrible we are. On the other hand, we can't say we are better. God is the judge of us, and how should we know what is perfect? Also, we can't compare ourselves to others: have you ever been someone else? Please let me know, because I sure haven't! We don't know really know anything about other people's lives aside from what they tell us, so how can we compare ourselves?

Basically guys, continue to work hard and try to follow Christ! But remember, don't condemn or raise yourselves up. He is the final judge, and he loves you!

Have a good week!

Romans 8:28 & Being a Light

Hey Quest! God has been doing so much in my life lately, and I wanted to share a few things with you.

1) He makes ALL THINGS work for our good. Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Quest, this is SO TRUE. I'm slowly learning how to surrender my life to Christ and trust in His plan for me. And the more I do that, the more I realize that He really does make all things work for the good of those who love Him! It's so rewarding being a disciple of Christ, isn't it?

2) Another random thing I've learned lately. In order to be a light, we have to GO TO the darkness. I heard this phrase in Church the other day and it made so much sense to me. If we want to act as lights, we have to actually go to where the darkness is! I find that the more friends I make and people I meet, the more I realize just how dark and broken our world is. The closer I get to people the more I realize just how much they are struggling with certain things. Quest, don't be afraid to go where there is darkness - that is the only way to act as a light. And if you look for darkness in this world, you'll find it. I know that sounds weird, but think about it. Go to the darkness, go to the broken people around you, and be their LIGHT.

Have a great week!
-Haley

insert awesome title here

Hey Quest. Right now I am so tired because I spent all weekend at this thing called Youth LEG. It's basically Louisiana's state youth and government conference, and high schoolers from all over the state meet in Baton Rouge to act as government. It was pretty awesome, not gonna joke. Anyways, while I was there I met lots of really legit people, and lots of people who are probably considered outcasts at their schools, you know what I mean, the ones on the edge of the social group. I mean, being a follower of Christ I pray and hope that if i were to know them personally that I would not think of them as such, but it's evident that a lot of people do. What I'm getting at is I met a wide variety of people at LEG. One thing that really hit me about it all after I got home was the realization that most of my life is spent living for me. It shouldn't be that way.

One girl in particular that i met really caught my attention. She was one of the candidates running for Lt. Governor for the club for the entire state. She's my age, and is just one of those people that you can spot as so awesome and passionate about anything they do. it's awesome to watch and i can only hope to be like that one day. i met her the 2nd day we were there and she was so friendly and personable, and really, just enjoyable to be around. i guess seeing her enthusiasm and passion for youth LEG sparked in me a desire to serve others and be all in everything I do. somehow, meeting her pushed me to live for others more than i have been lately. so i've devised a simple plan to achieve this in day to day living, because more times than not, the problem isn't that i don't know what to do, it's that i never actually do it. So i made a plan to ensure that I WILL DO THIS.

1) listen to people always.

2) seek their needs and/or wants.

3) try your best to meet these needs/wants in whatever way possible... Care about them.

4) ultimately, be Jesus to these people. Give them something to notice--the Savior of the world!

I challenge you all to follow this plan, or make your own! whatever works.

Love always,

Alexa

No fear?

Today I was driving in the car with my dad. I think most of you already know that my dad's an atheist. He's kind of a crazy driver, so I was telling him to slow down over and over again. And he jokingly said, "Well even if we die we go to Heaven right?" I just kind of laughed but then he said, "I don't understand you Christians. You say that Heaven will be this awesome place and yet you're so afraid of death." So it kind of hit me in that moment. Obviously it's okay to be afraid of death, but if we're trying to spread the Gospel - especially to those who refuse to believe the Gospel - the idea of Heaven should bring HOPE and fearlessness into our lives. So how are YOU living? With hope and without fear? Really look into your life and think about that question.

Just something to be thinking about :)

-Haley

Pray for these people!

Hey quest, I came across this article about six Afghan converts to Christianity, who are in danger of being executed by their government or being stoned and burned by the people for their beliefs. It's crazy to think that this kind of inhumane persecution is still happening today - this article was posted just yesterday! Reading this just really made my heart hurt for these people, so I wanted to ask you guys to pray for them with me. We are so blessed to live in a country where we are free to be Christians, but there are so many people who aren't. Please pray!

Here's the article link:

http://www.barnabasfund.org/UK/News/News-analysis/Christians-facing-death-in-Afghanistan-denied-refuge.html

I want Him in the driver seat

Last week at my small group we got pretty deep. I mean DEEP. we mainly touched on relationship issues with girls and how we should act, and more importantly how do we know if this girl is someone you really should date.

This is the answer we came to: 1) Date someone who is in the same place as you are spiritually or 2) not date any one at all until your out of high school.

The whole dating, and wanting a girlfriend can become a huge distraction for me and it can pretty much be all i think about some times. this is what distracts me from seeking the Lord at times and last night i just said, "Lord, i want you in my drivers seat. Anytime you're ready to take control, so will I."

I want the Lord to take control, I want to find contentment in His Word and His Love. But there are so many distractions that I can't remember Him occasionally.

How do you give your heart fully to the Lord? How do you say to God, "Lord, here's my heart and my soul. Do with it what You will. You can have me."

Story of my life

I came across these verses last night. They describe Jesus' redemption perfectly. And they describe my life perfectly, and I'm sure they do for yours also :)

"And you who once were alienated and hostile in mind because of evil deeds, He has now reconciled in his fleshly body through His death, to present you holy, without blemish, and irreprochable before Him, provided that you persevere in faith, firmly grounded, stable, and not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven." Colossians 1:21-23

Every day, we sin; we fail. And every day, He lifts us back up again and loves us just the same. Trust in His redeeming power.

Have a great week :)
-Haley

i know this is long but read me...or not

hi friends!

i feel like it has been forever since i have posted anything. but anyways. just an update on what is going down in this life. i wish i could say that it has been all peaches and cream but that would be a lie. this past week, i feel like satan has been attacking me. scripture says that the enemy only comes to steal, kill, and destroy and i feel like he has done all of these things...all within the last week.

there were and times where i just wanted to give up, but that wouldnt be ok and that is not what we're encouraged and commanded to do. James 4:8 says "Draw near to the Lord and he will draw near to you". i feel like this has been my go to verse this week. for i know that scripture is true and trustworthy and no matter my circumstances, it speaks life.

so i challenge you to cling to scripture on a daily basis. for the words of man are temporary and hold no value if they are not of the Lord. seek truth out for yourself. for this walk is more than a feeling, it is a relationship you will have to work at. please, please do not give up! you are not alone in this everyday battle!

oh and here is another thing i want to share with you. so my best friend is such a woman of the lord! i wish you could meet her because her heart is so precious. well, the lord is using her in so many ways and opening so many different doors for her to be used. on the flip side of the that, im over here begging the lord to open some doors and opportunities for me and nothing seems to be opening.

even though she is my best friend and im so so incredibly pumped for her, i still have a wave of jealousy flood over me because i want to be used as much as she is. i want doors to opened like they are for her. and it was in that moment where the lord instantly reminded me that it is not about me and it will never will be. let me elaborate. as believers we are part of one body and we all have different functions. some can teach while others encourage and so on and so on. the lord clearly revealed to me that i couldnt do the things that he has called her to do and she wouldnt be able to do the things he has called me to to do; we were made for certain tasks for his kingdom and his namesake.

so if you are like me and wish that the lord was using you in other places and opening doors like he is for people you know....please dont wish those things. trust in jeremiah 29:11. pray that the lord opens doors in his timing. trust scripture and his special plan for you but remember it isnt a competition but its a battle for his kingdom!

Light up the world!

Hey everyone! You're probably wondering why in the world I'm writing on the quest blog at midnight! Well I just got back from this awesome Christian concert with all these different bands (Kutless, David Crowder, Sidewalk Prophets, etc.), and I wanted to share something with you.

At one point, one of the bands that was on stage (I think it was Kutless, I don't remember), told everyone to take out their cell phones. The stage lights all turned off and everyone in the audience held out their phones so all you could see was the bright lights coming from the phones in the darkness. Immediately I thought of Quest (weird, I know). I thought of when Cameron told us how he envisioned us all going back home after camp and living as lights for Christ. He said he pictured a map, with lights slowly getting brighter and brighter. And he said he prayed that our lights would stay shinning, in this world of darkness, all throughout the year.

When I saw those bright lights from the cell phones I thought of what Cameron had said. Do NOT let your light fade. Keep it shinning because this world needs it - daily! The more and more people I meet and friends I make the more I realize how broken and dark our world really is. Quest, don't let your LIGHT stop shinning! Light up the world!

"You are the LIGHT of the world. A city on a hill CANNOT be hidden." Matthew 5:14

You're in my prayers!
-Haley

What is faith?

What is faith? How do you trust Christ? It is definitely easier said than done.

So this question was asked to me earlier this week and I think its one we don’t often think about. What really is faith? How do we know if our faith is strong?

Well here are some ideas… Faith is love. Faith is trust backed by knowledge. Faith is believing the truth… the Good News.

To have faith we must first be truly convinced of the Truth. This means trusting in what the Bible says as reality – having trust in things unseen. We then must believe and put stake into embracing and seizing this truth. Check this out…

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

So what is the difference between faith and ignorance? We can say, “Oh yeah I believe, that’s why I do not need to really read my Bible. I already know it is all true, so what is the point?” This is SUCH a common misconception. But really, guys, knowing is only half of the battle. We must SEIZE the truth he gives us and ake our faith active.

Luke 17:5 The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you."

Ok so what is an example of faith in action? Remember when Peter walked on water? He didn’t just believe… he acted. Think of the circumstances Peter was in – On a boat in the middle of the ocean, a huge storm waves crashing into the walls of the boat, and then Jesus appears and Peter takes action and begins to walk out to him. He didn’t just believe… he acted. Just believing is not enough… we MUST act. God demands for us to believe and trust in times of weakness. We must lean on him to make us strong. “Faith is the state of being convinced about what we hope for.” (See link below)

So we see, coming to a conclusion here, that faith and trust are hand in hand. We must believe, and then trust - even when our circumstances tell us otherwise. God is SO much bigger than anything we can see here on earth. Trust in his goodness and his might.

Love yall so much,

Lindsey

P.S. Check out the below page for more info on where I got this material!

http://www.acts17-11.com/faith.html

Washed white as snow

Hey everyone it's DJ
this is a follow-up to A Crimson Stain and then A Darker Stain

So I'm at youth group and my friend with her issue walks in. She walks up to me and gives me a hug. A VERY LOOOONG hug. and when she let go she said thank you.
I had texted her earlier that day with the idea that God doesn't need us, we need Him. and her concern was that God wasnt doing anything in her life, and I said that "God does so much in our lives. There's an endless list of the things He does, we just dont notice them half the time."
I wouldn't of had that conversation with my friend if it weren't for you guys encouraging me to do so. So thank for pushing me!

Something to Remember

God is bigger than you think he is.

People are more desperate than you think they are.

You can do more than you think you can.

Just a saying I've heard and was reminded of the other day...something good to remember in day-to-day living. Love you guys!

~Alexa

Oh, Your love is a song

Hey Quest! I am loving how this blog is just exploding with posts this week! Keep it up! :) I love how we all help each other whenever we need encouragement. So cool!

I found a great song yesterday called "Your Love is a Song" by Switchfoot. I can't stop listening to it...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LbMxs3HDOs&feature=feedlik. I hope you like it too!

God's love for us is a song; it's a melody. His love is beautiful and satisfying, everything we've ever wanted and MORE. Don't ever forget that. We are all so guilty of turning to the world for happiness and satisfaction...but only God's unfailing love for us can give us permanent joy. Everything we've ever wanted and more.

One part of the song goes like this:

"I've been keepin my eyes wide open,
I've been keepin my eyes wide open."

When I heard this, it reminded me of what Brooklyn and Alexa were talking about in Brooklyn's post below about love. It reminded me to "take hold of the open doors" that God has for us, and to be open to His plan for us, just like Brooklyn and Alexa said. We have to be open to each opportunity God gives us.

"Oh Your love is a symphony, all around me, running through me. Oh Your love is a melody, underneath me, running to me. Oh Your love is a song. Your love is a song."

-Haley :)

Being Noticed

Hey guys!

First of all, contrary to what you may believe, this is not a post about not caring what the world thinks. This is a post of encouragement.

So a couple weeks back, we had a nun come to my school to talk about discernment, which is basically deciding what God wants you to do with your life. As we were walking back to class, one of my friends, who's not Christian, asked me if I was going to be a nun.

I didn't really think much of this until yesterday, when all the sudden something hit me: she thought that I might become a nun! There were other people with us, but she asked ME. This probably just made my whole life, because I have been trying really hard to minister to this girl, but it's been tough, as this is my first experience. But her saying that just prooved to me that she noticed that I've been talking about my faith and trying to live it. People actually DO notice!

Anyway, there's probably some verse about this, but I can't think of any, so if you know one, please share! I was just so excited to know that my efforts are not wasted, and that God has been working through me. If you're in a position where you don't think what your saying means anything, maybe it does because of God. So don't give up hope!

Haha, my hands are kinda shaky right now because I'm so excited by this. So good luck and God bless all of you! You are doing great things in the world!

Broken Down

I just experienced something that I want to share with you all. It's 11:51 on Tuesday night, and i have been praying for about the past 20 minutes. I needed time with the Lord to pray and plead and give all of me up in prayer for another. I won't go into the long version now, but my heart is broken, and it has been for quite some time. It's broken for someone who i never thought it could be this broken for. i know a lot of you have been through rough patches and know what intense, inner, spiritual pain feels like. i know you have. well that's where i am now. my heart and soul ache for someone in my life. i've been kneeling in my room, crying out to God, and crying, too, and it just HURTS. honestly. i don't even know how to fully explain it, really.

sometimes, God breaks us down to build us up, and i have experienced that through this situation, too. and that, well that is incomparably AWESOME. but i've been thinking, maybe it's this inner ache that is our wall that's stopping us from unleashing God's power and glory. i feel like a lot of times i think the opposite, i think about how the pain can reveal God's glory through it. and i'm not saying it can't, don't get me wrong, here. God's power and sovereignty most definitely CAN shine through heartache! but what i'm saying right now is that maybe, just maybe, this deep, throbbing pain that cripples our souls and spirits is what is keeping us from allowing the Lord to work through us. maybe we feel that the pain is too great to deal with, so we shrug off thinking about how much it hurts, when really, if we embrace it and let it out, God's light and sovereignty will take action and truly come alive in our lives. get what i'm saying? i hope so.

okay, have you ever prayed really really insanely hard about something or someone? did you ever feel like nothing was happening, that God wasn't listening or taking action when you thought he should? that's us making God out to be a god we want him to be, not who he actually is. we pray and pray and pray and want something to happen, we expect it because we believe that God will deliver. but when things don't happen, we doubt. the pain washes over us even more and we crumble. can anyone relate? so basically what I'm trying to say is, maybe it's this hurt inside of us that hinders our faith. we let it get to us and it clouds our vision, our perception of God. it's so intense and real that it blinds us from who God is and all that he can do, IF WE LET HIM WORK. guys, if we don't allow God room to work in our lives and the lives of others, how can we expect great things to happen? we've gotta do our part, and that involves not letting the heartache and brokenness block your view of God and his might. keep posting...i'm loving it

-Alexa

Luke 21:38

Hi guys!
This is a really random post, and I'm not quite sure what to say. Basically, I was reading the Bible, and I came across this verse, and I really don't know why (probably God), but I really liked it and had the feeling I should share it. Especially you, DJ, which is weird, but I thought of you when I read it and for the life of me I can't figure out why. So if anything has anything to share about it, please do.

Luke 21:38 "...and he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive."

Anyway, I hope you guys like it!

Encouraging.

I hadn't been on in so long before I posted that last post.
So I went through reading a lot of your posts.
It was so encouraging...
and so many things that I needed to hear were said.

You are all blessings.

Love, what a powerful thing.

To have a life, the only thing that has to be relevant is the beat of your heart; the fact that you're alive. There are many living things on this earth, but right now I'm referring to humans. The most intricate, original living thing. Every single one of us are different, we may find many similarites with one another, but we are all so different. 
Although every day we get out of our warm bed, climb out of our carboard box, or maybe even just open our eyes to find ourselves lying on the floor of the earth because we didn't have a place to sleep the night before; all to go through with another day of this thing called life that we live. Life can make you laugh, it can make you cry, it can be the best thing ever, and it can hurt like hell. No matter how you live it, it's an ongoing battle. We all live it different ways, because like I said we are all so different. We all have different reasons to wake up every morning, and we all have a different mindset; but one thing stands the same. We all want to be loved, accepted, and cared about. 

As humans we search for love in relationships, and I'm not just saying boyfriend girlfriend relationships, but all of them. Including parents, any family, or friends. You look for it, you want it. I know I do, and sometimes you may find that love or maybe you've always been blessed to grow up having a love from family, but you just can't seem to find fulfillment. Then there is those of us who have not experienced love at all, or have gone through periods of our lives when we don't feel it. Either way when we can't find it...we do so much for it. The things we do for "love" (acceptance) are never ending. Alcohol, drugs, sex, emotionaly giving your heart away, or just being something your not. There is a never ending list, but all of these things we do for "love" can affect the rest of our lives in terrible ways. Things that aren't worth it. And then there are the things we do when we don't find love...to get rid of the pain. And there's no place to begin or end with that.

 So now it comes down to why? Why can we not find that complete fulfillment in this world?  Why are there people who can not find love anywhere?  Because my friends this world is broken. The world has screwed up the defenition of LOVE, some people have never truly loved, or been loved. "1 John 4:7-8 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.  Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." Although, there is those who love well but no one in this world can love perfectly. What is love, do we even know? People define it in so many different ways. BUT YES, we do. Love is patient and kind. It does not envy, it does not boast; it is not arrogant. It is not rude. It does not insist on it's own way. It is not irritable or resentful. It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things. Believes all things. Hopes all things and endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)  so are we at loss in finding this love? NO. Because their is a Savior, a Rock, a Reedeemer, WHO. IS. LOVE. His name is Jesus Christ and he can fulfill us beyond what we can imagine with a love that is perfect, a love that we can not even imagine. Our heart just has to be opened to it, and when it is we can get to know his heart and learn to love the way he loves us. And THAT can change our lives and others lives and the world!!! A lot of times we have to be reminded this because we do even as people who have experienced this love fall in to finding fulfillment in this world daily.I wonder what it would be like if we could truly understand his love for us completely?  

I know it would be unimaginable, but running after the Lord and growing in a relationship with him, reveals this love to us more and more. HOW INCREDIBLE IS THAT! Running after this love is an ongoing battle, because we are broken people who live in a broken world, just running the race of life for a incredible purpouse.  It's not easy, it's really hard - but it's well worth it.  

And our calling? To share this love with this broken world that does not know love!  Because like I said this love is life changing and world changing!  

I'm just sharing this with you guys for one because I needed to be reminded this because it is so easy to find fulfillment in this world when you're surrounded by it.  And for two, because we do not share this love enough, I know I don't. This beautiful. redeeming. powerful. love. that we keep to ourselves so often. And there are open doors all around us, daily to be able too. I encourage you to do take hold of those open doors.

I pray that this is a reminder for you, or that if you have been finding your fulfillment completely in the Lord it encourages you to keep after it!  I will praying as well that God opens doors around you for you to share his love, and that your words are his, and that he already begins to soften and open the hearts of the people that you will be sharing with to accept this love. 

Miss you all, and hope that this year of your life is blessed through the trials and the rejoicing. Will continue to be praying for you - Love. 

why?

i can't figure out why day to day living, every moment of every day, isn't spent in utter awe and amazement towards God. what keeps us from that? the world? then how can we stop it? how can we block out the world? how?

i'll keep these random thoughts of mine coming... comment what you think we can do

-Alexa

Unity and Love

Hey you guys! It's Hannah Becker..session 11. Wow! That seems like so long ago! Anyway, I really had the intention of writing something completely different in this post, but I kind of feel led to share this instead.
If you look at the title of my blog..Love and Unity.. I think they kind of go hand in hand, especially when it comes to a body of Christian believers.
Here's a verse you guys are probably familiar with..
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It always protects always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Okay..So obviously, we know that Christianity is focused around Christ's love for us..and because he loved us it is our job as Christian's to love other people. (1 John 4:19) But think about it..how often as Christians do we catch ourselves not loving others..Think about that one kid that sits alone at lunch..or the one who never has a partner for a school project and gets teased all the time...Do you join in with the people that make fun of the people that don't have very many friends? Maybe not. But just simply staying quiet and not taking part in making fun of someone else isn't what Jesus would do. Christ would go sit with that person, or offer to be their partner..I know I'm guilty of that. Someone might be getting teased, and a lot of times I'll find myself just feeling sorry for that person and walking away. But I encourage you guys to ask Christ to take you out of your comfort zone and completely love other people.
"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." Ephesians 4:3
Alright! So when I think of unity I usually think of the body of Christ..and in simpler terms, my youth group, because that's where I spend most of my time at church, and most of my activities are involved with my youth group. But as much as I love them, I still see problems in my group that I see at school. My church group has cliques, and though it's rare that we're ever downright mean to each other, there still are those one or two kids that just don't have anyone to hang out with. Guys, I can't even tell you how important I think it is to love others at school and outside life, but also at church too!! If we can't fully trust or get along with the people that share the most important thing we all have in common (CHRIST!!) then how are we supposed to love other people that aren't believers? It goes back to being a light. My favorite verse: "You are the light of the world, a city on a hill cannot be hidden." Matthew 5:14. think about it. Your friends that don't know Christ might come and visit your youth group one day..if everyone is tense..and not unified through Christ, do you think your friend will feel comfortable there? I encourage you guys, again, to pray to be put outside your comfort zone and continue to share the g ospel with others around you..Pray for a bold attitude. I have faith in you guys!
One last thing...
My really good friend Monica has a friend who's brother was in a car accident. He had an aneurysm and ran into a tree, and has been in a coma for 41 days now. I can't tell you guys how many people are praying for him right now..but I know it's a lot. I really think that Christ is going to do something miraculous here, and show us what the power of prayer can really do! So pray for him and his family!
I love you all SOOO much! Keep safe(:
Hannah Becker.

focusing on the cross

hi friends. I miss you all so much. It brings me so much joy we have this blog where we get to share with one another.

I have recently had my mind focused on one major idea.

Focusing on the Cross instead of focusing on our sin.

It seems like the best thing to do when we are struggling would be to ask the Lord for help and guidance. But when we start constantly praying for help with our sin we begin to focus only on the sin and not on the power of the cross. Jesus has already died to save us from our sin and if we are only thinking about that sin then we forget what he has done for us.

This verse was in my devotional this morning.... what do you guys think it means?

"And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."

1 Corinthians 2:3-5

Love you guys. Let me know what you think.

Always,

Lindsey

A darker stain

This is a follow-up to "A Crimson Stain."

I talked to my friend today and things aren't well.
I kinda see faith as a step-ladder or a staircase and if we aren't careful we lose our footing and fall. It's when we seek out God again that we're caught by His safety net and put back on the ladder. I use this example to say that my friend has been caught by the net yet, and that she is falling even faster than before. (If any of that didn't make sense, I'm saying that my friend's cutting issue is getting worse.)
She was talking about all her viscious mind cycles and frustration at herself and shame that drives her to do this. I used Jeremiah 29:11, but the next thing she said was this word for word: "Oh, did I mention I'm kinda leaning towards deism as regards His activity in my life. I believe he is there. And does wonderful things in other people's lives. But not mine."

I'm clueless. i looked up deism and it says that they believe that a supreme being created the world and the answer is only found and explained in nature and no supernatural revelation (or something like that).
Things are getting worse and I'm losing hope for my friend. I need help trying to minister Christ to her.
-DJ

Beautiful

You're beautiful.
You were made for so much more than all of this.
You are sacred.
You are treasured.
You are His.

These are the lyrics to Beautiful by MercyMe, this is such a great song. There is so much truth in this. I often find myself confused because i know that we are sinners and we are nothing more than dust and i know that we are unworthy of God's love and thats why its hard for me to remember that I have worth to him. Despite the fact that we are unclean sinners he still loves us. We are SACRED AND TREASURED! that is so powerful. I think this song really speaks for it's self so please look it up. Yall are great. How can we live our lives for His glory today?

"The LORD apperaed to us in the past, saying: 'I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.'"
Jeremiah 31:3

Fading Treasures

This is just a quick little reminder to all of us that things of this world, material things, don't matter in the long run.

1 John 2:15 "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

James 4:4 "Don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred towards God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes and enemy of God."

Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other."

No matter how much we enjoy material things everyday, we can't let them get a hold in our lives. We must make it to a point where we can honestly say that we will be fine without them.

Just a reminder to keep on loving God and serving the world with his love and forgiveness that we have been given ourselves.

keep on keepin on sweet friends,

Alexa

...hopefully more to come soon...

Listen in the silence

Some people have posted before about just listening to what God has to say to you. I had never really done that before, so I tried it a few nights ago! It was awesome. Think about it, when we pray and cast all our worries and anxieties on God, that's great, but He always know everything we're about to say before we say it. So try just blocking off all distractions and listening to His voice in the silence. It's kind of frustrating at first because you'll want to start praying or you'll get distracted by something, but try just being in His presence alone.


"[I] give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...for [I] have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the holy ones....and your love in the Spirit." Colossians 1:3-4, 8. I'm so thankful for all of you! You encourage me everyday. You're awesome - don't ever forget it!

-Haley

hi my sweet friends.

i hope this finds you in a sweet sweet time and that the lord is showing you new things each and every day. i know that it is about this time of the year where we start slacking and find "more important" things to do besides pursuing christ, but i want to encourage you. i pray that you are seeking him and seeking him hard because im realizing more and more, by the grace of god, that there is nothing sweeter than knowing him and pursuing him.

please dont give up this fight. dont let the enemy lie to you and convince you that growing in him can wait. cover yourself in scripture. bathe in prayer. meditate on the word.

keep running hard my friends.

amber

A Crimson Stain

Help.

My friend is in a dark place right now and i wanna help. We all have our issues and personal distractions that take us away from the Lord, well my friends issue is self-injury (cutting). One of her friends was texting her and telling her to throw her "tools" in the trash or something, and she responded "NO!" and then we tried calling her, but she turned her phone off.

Some one please tell how to minister to her cuz I haven't dealt with this issue before.
-DJ

Retreat Continued!

I'm posting a little bit more about what I got out of the Sky Ranch retreat I was at a few weekends ago. The theme here: God is SO HUGELY present in nature it's unfathomable, and we miss out on it more often than we know! This sort of lines up with something I discussed in the last post: taking things, blessings, for granted. To start, check out the lyrics of Phil Wickham's "Beautiful"

I see Your face in every sunrise
The colors of the morning are inside Your eyes
The world awakens in the light of the day
I look up to the sky and say
You're beautiful

I see Your power in the moonlit night
Where planets are in motion and galaxies are bright
We are amazed in the light of the stars
It's all proclaiming who you are
You're beautiful

While I was at Sky, it rained nearly the entire weekend. Now, at first thought, that sounds like a major bummer. Well guys, it was more of a blessing to me. I can't even really put into words how the Lord worked in my life simply through RAIN (this sounds super crazy, i know), but He DID. it's almost as if i could feel the rain washing away my failures and faults, just leaving me and God and time to share between us. it was AWESOME. one night i even took a walk, alone with God, in the rain. i was soaked and it was dark outside. i walked in pure joy that night, and i talked to the Lord about what i needed to give up to him and confess to him and trust him with. i told him my doubts, uncertainties, and failures. i literally walked and talked with God, in the pouring rain, drenched all the way down to my socks. it was such a blessing that i never even knew existed until i left the crowd of people who were warm inside, and went to the cold, windy rain. sound insane? for sure. but whatever happened strolling in the downpour that night, my heart was renewed, changed, set ON FIRE. i will never forget it. in that moment i felt as close to God as i ever have. that story didn't really do the night justice, so i'm challenging you to find God in nature on your own and meditate on it. let it marinate within you. one of my favorite ways to experience God (other than the rain) is the sky. find something personal this week. something that you can worship God in the presence of his creation. i dare you!

-Alexa

Keep this going!

Hey Quest,

I don't know why but I always like to randomly look at the older posts on here from this summer and even from the summer before that. I just looked at the January posts from 2010 and the last post was on January 27th (today!). Let's keep this blog going! I hope that it keeps going all the way up to this coming summer. I look forward to checking the blog all the time and every post encourages me so much, so please don't stop!

So to anyone reading this, keep posting! And if you're reading this and you haven't posted anything yet, post away!

I hope everything's going well for you guys :)
-Haley

"...whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

What He Saved Us From

Hey guys!
This is a kinda random post, but this has been on my mind a lot lately.
How many times do you think, "Man, I wish I'd never been in this situation, or met this person" or something. I do that a lot. Why did I have to have a pop quiz? Why did I have to have the meanest teacher?

But I was thinking, what if I didn't? I would never know that God saved me from that. Can you imagine what our lives would be like if God didn't save us from some of those people or instances? Our lives would be absolutely horrible, but God probably saves us about 1,000 times a day.

So, guys, thank God for all those things he saved you from that you don't know about. I hope this all made sense, it's kinda confusing. Basically, the Lord is good! :)

Hope you're all having a great second semester!
God bless!

More from the retreat

Hey guys I'm back, just wanted to share a little bit more from the retreat i went to at Sky a couple weekends ago. I'll sum up what I'm gonna talk about with this quote I made up during a moment of being thrilled with the Lord and his power.

"I've discovered that I love and even at times desire the feeling of brokenness. It reminds me of who God is, everything I'm not, yet all I hope to be."

Have any of you felt that way? Have you ever wanted to be broken for the sake of Christ? Ever considered it a blessing to suffer, to share in the sufferings of Christ? it's an odd feeling. but great at the same time. At the retreat (and a long while before that) my heart was, and is, broken. Broken for people who don't know Christ, who don't love Christ, or who just don't want a part of him. several times during worship we sang a song called "Beautiful Jesus" by Kristian Stanfill. Y'all heard it? well, i never had until the retreat. anyway, when they sang that song, we sang the chorus over and over and over again:

Beautiful Jesus,

Beautiful Savior,

nothing is greater,

Brilliant Creator,

Friend of mine.

Perfect in power,

matchless in glory,

nothing is greater,

Brilliant creator,

Friend of mine.

I just kept thinking in my head about people who don't have what I have, but they CAN! my heart broke more and more with each word i sang. it brought me to tears and in fact, before the song was over, i was weeping out of a broken heart and hurting soul...for others. now, i am a sinful human just like everyone else, so that love and brokenness was not of me, it was of the LORD. he allowed me to experience it to move me to action for his glory, even though a lot of times i take it for myself.

on a related note, think about how much we take for granted EVERY DAY. i bet every one of us could make a list of the things we don't think to be thankful for and it would be as long as, well, i don't know something long! sorry guys my analogies are lacking, i'm dead tired here...anyways, things like waking up every morning. God is perfectly capable of bringing you home whenever and however he wants to! we don't think about that all the time! every morning you wake up is another chance to serve him, serve others, love him, and love others. it's something i know i take for granted, but i'm working on it.

So, for my challenge to y'all (i feel like i always challenge you with something, so i'm gonna keep it up), every day you wake up, make GOD the very first thing you think of. Wake up and think or even say, "God, THANK YOU for waking me up this morning, for giving me another day to live here. I'm making this day about you and your glory. Help me do that today." Focus on him. just try it. make him the joy you have in waking up early, just because you know the fact that HE woke you up for a PURPOSE. so live like you know it!

-Alexa

Between A and B

Hey guys, I just wanted to give yall some encouragement. I've been kind of distressed lately because a lot of my friends already have their heads in college (we're juniors!). They set their sights soley on their grades and become obsessed with doing whatever it takes to get into the right school. Although acceptance to a good school is very important and rewarding we need to stop living from point A to point B. By that i mean that its important to live in the moment, we are here, in high school so we might as well make the best of it. God has given us simple joys and it is important that we learn to appreciate them. Take a break from studying, go hang out with your friends on the weekends, play sports while you still can. If you live your life putting everything you have into what comes next, you will never be satisfied. What kind of life would it be if we were putting everything we had into the next best thing while we put friendships, family or even our relationship with Christ on the back-burner? Our perspective: Once i get to college i can relax, and that leads to- once im in grad school i can relax, once i have the perfect career i can relax, once i get that promotion i can relax, as soon as i get that raise i can relax... In a competitive world its easy to get caught up in that but its important to realize that life happens between point A and point B. I know that a lot of yall are caught up in all this college stuff (myself included) and you are already mentally checked out of high school but i challenge you to question yourself and figure out what you are really living for. By no means am i saying that we should slack off and disregard our grades but instead i hope that we can take some time to truly be at peace with our current situation.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

Side note- Take some time to be quiet in front of The Lord, get down on your knees and listen. We often try so hard to fill our prayers with words but God knows our heart and there is nothing we could say that he doesnt already know. Be still and listen.

Help? :)

Hey Quest! I need your help!

My class and I are going on a retreat in February and I'm giving a witness talk about freedom, what it means to be set free in Chirst, and how that is different from the world's view of freedom. The theme of the retreat is "set free." If anyone has any Bible verses or stories or anything at all about freedom that I could use for my witness talk that would be great! Comment on this post and let me know!

Thank you!

P.S. Pleaseeeeee keep this blog going! The last post from last year's Quest group was right around this time...don't stop posting, keep it going! :)

-Haley

the most important book out there

Hey guys! it's been a little bit since i last posted...life is craaaazy! anyways, i've got a quick story and challenge for you guys. i think y'all will like it.

so last weekend my church went to a retreat at sky ranch. it was sweet! one of the messages the speaker challenged us with was about reading the Bible. this one probably hit me the hardest. he asked us, "How many of you have read the Bible?" people began to raise their hands. he continued, "I mean, the whole Bible.."

13 people out of 180 had read the entire Bible--every word. i haven't. he shared with us that as Christians, we have a HUGE credibility problem. how can we claim to believe the Bible if we don't even know entirely what it says? if we haven't even given our best attempt to read it all? so, i challenge you all, every one of you, to read the whole Bible. i am. and even if you've read most of it, start over and read the whole thing. if you have read the entire thing, AWESOME. do it again. you can never read too much of the Bible.

hopefully i can keep posting little things i learned and encountered from the sky ranch retreat last weekend. keep me accountable, PLEASE! text me, comment on here, facebook me, whatever. i'm working on priorities so i need y'all's help with this! love you guys so much

-Alexa :]

Off the top of my Head

hey everbody.

So last night was my school's talent show, and if you guys saw my last post "Help me find our reason to live instead," i asked for verses that said Christ is our reason for living because He died on the cross. I want to share with you guys my speech before we started our performance.

"'Hebrews 12:2-3: Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Pioneer and Perfector of faith, for the joy set before Him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary or lose heart.'"

"This verse is one that brings me joy, but the part that gets to me is the first part, 'Fixing our eyes on Jesus.' There's so much distraction in our world today that we don't remember Jesus nearing at all. So, at this time, PUT ASIDE EVERYTHING. put aside your cellphones, your side conversations, all your stressors. EVERYTHING in your life that is bringing you pain, put it aside for three minutes, and lets remember what our reason to live is."

I didn't rehearse that speech at all. The words literally came to me as I was up on the stage. I felt so good after we performed and so at peace with God.

As soon as you are done reading this last sentence, write down everything in your life that is hurting you on a piece of paper, and throw it in the trash. Give it to God.

I love His deliverance!

Hey Quest! I just wanted to give y'all an update on the Bible Study my friends and I started at my school. It's going sooo well! About 10 or 15 people come to each meeting, and we have really good discussions! And we're still going through James. So if anyone's looking for a prayer request, pray for the people in our Bible study! That their faith may be strengthened and they may serve as Christ's light in our school, in their families, and in our community. Thank you!

And Erin thank you for coming to the meeting! I hope you can come to the next one! I just love that we go to the same school! :)

I hope everything's going well for you guys! Keep this blog going!
-Haley

For Erin!

Erin, we will have a Bible Connections club meeting this Friday! I just sent out the email. If you didn't get it, the meeting will be in SU1 during club time. You can bring your own Bible if you want to, but Ms. Killian will have some in her room. Let me know if you didn't get the email. Hope you can come! :)

-Haley

Something to live by :)

1 Corinthians 16:14

"Your EVERY act should be done with LOVE."

Keep that in mind this week and always. Love never fails (1 Cor 13:8).

-Haley

Help me find our reason to live instead

Hey people, it's 11:30 at night and i thought to myself...... "'hey the Questblog." (i know that was random)

anyway, i had band practice today, and it turns out that we're changing songs for the talent show and i need to find new verses to give the song kind of an intro.

So do u guys know any verses that tell how christ is our reason for living because He died for us.

-DJ

Not-Sure-How-To-Title-This

Hey guys!

This is a little random, but how do you guys memorize verses? I can usually remember what it says, and often the book, but I have a lot of trouble remembering the chapter and verse, so I can't go back to it if I need to. I've tried doing the first-letter-on-my-arm thing, but I'm still having this problem.

Thanks!

Trust and Heaven

Hey guys! Just thought I'd share some things God has been showing me lately.

I don't know why, but recently I've been really trusting God with everything. I'm not going through anything really difficult or anything, so it's not really leaning, as much as not worrying about things I can't control. It's seriously such a great feeling to know that God has you in his hands, and if you can't control it, he will.

Also, I've been really excited to go to heaven, which sounds kinda weird, but it's really not. I'm not gonna go kill myself or anything, because I know God will take me to heaven when he wants to, but I've just been thinking about it a lot. Nothing on Earth can compare to heaven, and I'm just looking forward to it so much!

I think that's pretty much it. The Lord has blessed me so much the past couple weeks with just a feeling of happiness when I think about him, and I really wanted to share it with you.

Keep posting! You guys rock!

happy new year or at least happy two weeks into the new year. better late than never. i just want to share what is going on in my life in hopes that you will be encouraged, challenged, and that you would pray for me.

well for beginners, i start off my last semester with two new roomates. both are godly women who love the lord and want to glorify him in all they say and do. their personalities are completely different yet they mesh well. quite funny actually. and then you throw me in the midst of that and you get a reality tv show. and i bet it would be awesome! ;)

second. there is a part of me that dreads this softball season with every fiber of my being and i think its because im just burnt out. i think 21 years of one sport is enough time to become weary of it. but instead of seeing this as an incredible ministry opportunity, i see it as a dreadful thing im obligated to do. it is incredible selfish of me and thats not ok.

numero three. im in a season life where i must decide what to do about my future. do i go to grad school for sports management or do i go to seminary? it may not sound like that hard of a decision but i often feel like i must make a decision that will affect my whole life...and im only 21! i know that the lord has placed before me different opportunities to glorify him and i pray that i choose something that will stretch my faith and that will glorify him, but at the same time i have these sweet moments where i freak out...quite funny.

so i close with this. i need prayer. i need you to have my back because we are a bevolution. we are a family. brothers and sisters in christ. i need you to pray that the lord takes my perspective of softball and turns it upside down. not so that i will enjoy it more but that through my enjoyment, he may be glorified.

i need prayer for discernment for my future. pray that i will choose something out of my comfort zone so i have no choice but to rely on him and that doing so, he will provide ample opportunities to glorify his name.

any ideas?

hey quest!

you may remember alexa's post a while ago about her idea to stay up all night and pray. well i thought that was a really good idea so i told my youth pastor about it and said i thought it would be a cool thing for our youth group to do together. Anyway, we're going to do it with our church and a few other churches in febuary, and i have the task of making like an hour by hour schedule of what we're going to pray for, and when we're going to have worship and stuff like that. we also have 4 rooms to use so things can be going on in the other rooms too.

anyway, if anyone has any suggestions i would greatly appreciate them! and thanks alexa for this idea in the first place!

-Hannah

it's all about progress.

I just found this awesome song called "Change in the Making" by Addison Road. Listen to it if you get a chance! I think sometimes when people want to be a better person, they expect to get better immediately. This song is really cool because it talks about how it's all about progress, and change won't happen right away. It takes time. This is something that has really played out in my life recently. I'm constantly asking God to make me more patient and loving...and I kind of got mad at God when I didn't become patient and loving right away. But it takes time. Every day things get better, and eventually we'll become the person we want to be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yU2drg8FtBg

"This is redemption story, with every step that I'm taking. Everyday You're chipping away what I don't need. This is me under construction. This is my pride being broken. Everyday I'm closer to who I'm meant to be. I'm a change in the making."

-Haley

Please read, Haley!

Hi Haley!
It's club meeting time, and I can't remember if the Bible study is on A or B week! I know it's probably to late now if it's B, but please let me know! Thanks!
-Erin

LIVE IT.

Alexa's post below inspired me to be honest with you guys too. So to be honest, I'm really disappointed in myself right now because I'm having such a hard time actually living out my faith. If we believe in God and all He did for us, that's awesome. But if we don't actually LIVE out our faith, then what is the point of believing in what we believe in? This is reminding me of what DJ said back at the Quest reunion..."God can't be just a part of your life; He has to BE your life." Sure, God is a part of all our lives. We all go to church, youth groups, Bible studies, etc. But are we actually LIVING it out? Are we actually turning Biblical truth into ACTION? It almost seems as if the things we learn at these places are a waste if we don't actually live them out, if we don't actually try to live with loving, generous, selfless hearts that want to glorify God.

Romans 3:10-11
"As it is written: There is no one just, not one, there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God." As humans, we are so sinful in nature. And it's our natural inclination just to learn about the Gospel but not actually live out the Gospel. It's natural for us to "seek God" while we are at Sky Ranch or church or whatever, but we completely forget about seeking Him when we are out in the real world.

James 1:22-25
"Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror. He seems himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like. But the one who peers into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres, and is not a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, such a one shall be blessed in what he does."

Titus 1:16
"They claim to know God, but by their DEEDS, they DENY Him. They are vile and disobedient and unqualified for ANY good deed."

I posted about this a long time ago, but once I saw a book called "The Christian Atheist." Under the title, it said, "Believing in God, but living as if He doesn't exist." Think about that...

Love you!
Haley

honesty time.

I'm just going to be completely honest with you guys. This may end up sounding super cliche or typical but I'm putting it out there anyways. I'm sure a lot of you are in the same boat as me right now, struggling to get through midterms/finals, end of semester stuff. I just want to be honest with y'all right now and say that lately, I have been talking the talk without waking the walk. and it's killing me. i have been telling other people who are freaking out over their midterms that they have to take that it'll all be okay, don't worry about it, just do your best, that kind of thing. i've been trying to encourage people to lay their burdens on the Lord and let him help and deal with it all. i mean, it is overwhelming, i know. but i haven't been doing what i've been offering to other people to do. i haven't really prayed for strength or help to get through these next 2 weeks, and I haven't really been relying on the Lord alone, if I'm being honest. i've been going at it alone (or so i thought) and getting hardly anywhere. it's tough, not gonna lie. but here i am, deciding way too late to find peace and rest and security in the Lord's sovereignty and strength, even in something as trivial as a midterm...ok well actually 8 of them haha. so this is just a reminder (a slap in the face-freakout reminder to me) to RELY ON THE LORD. he can handle it much better than we ever could. and despite the fact that every part of me knew that, i wasn't living it out. so focus on living out your faith these next few weeks. really focus on doing that. i am!

-Alexa

Wow!

Hey guys!
I know this is kinda random, but I'm just so amazed at how many posts there have been recently! For a long time, noone was posting. I mean NOONE. It was probably 2 weeks between each post, if not more.
Then, all of the sudden, there have been so many I can hardly believe it. There must be 2 a day! God must really be working through you guys.
Anyway, I just wanted to say how excited I've been over this. Keep it up!
-Erin

Prayer requests

My family friend's niece was recently diagnosed with leukemia. She's only 19. I've never met her, but my family friend, who is pretty much like an uncle to me, tells me stories about her and how brave she is being through all of this. Please keep her in your prayers! Pray that God continues to help her be brave and pray that she relies completely on Him through this ordeal. Also, a senior at my high school was diagnosed with leukemia at the beginning of Christmas break. Her name is Michaela White. Please keep her in her prayers as well! And of course, let's all keep praying for Grant's brother. I don't know any of these people personally, but it's crazy how all three have the same illness. Please pray for them!

But even in hard times, God never lets go. Always remember that!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hx5Y9DhoLJQ

-Haley

Help me find peace

Hey everybody!

So guess what, I'm in my school's talent show!!! I'm performing "The Stand" by Hillsong United with my friends playing the drums and guitar while I'm doing my thing on the bass. So I'm talking with my friend, and he said that he thinks it would be pretty cool to open up with a little 20 second devotion or something. He says he just wants to say a couple of Bible verses about finding peace with God, and then just relate those verses to the song.

So, do you guys know any verses that talk about finding peace with God or God's peace or something like that. Anything would be great! :)

Prayer Request

Hi everyone:) It's Hannah Becker, from session eleven. I'm sorry if this is kind of a redundant thing you have all heard about that went to the quest reunion..but for those who didn't, and those who did too..I am in need of prayer..like majorly.
Basically right now I'm dealing with a lot of like..inner conflict as far as jealousy. Without going into too much detail, I got my hopes up because of something the teacher said.. I auditioned for varsity choir and, although I really shouldn't have..I allowed myself to somewhat put my confidence in what others said, instead of relying on the Lord. Well, the auditions come and go..and I move up, but not to varsity. I mean, I should be happy I moved up. And I am. But it makes it even more challenging, because two of my friends..one being a best friend of mine moved up to varsity, a class ahead of mine. I don't know why it's such a big deal to me..but now I just keep on wondering what I did wrong, and how I can improve..but they have a rule that for the December auditions we aren't allowed to ask them or talk to them about the auditions..so I"m kind of in the dark now.
You guys, I have no idea why Christ allowed this to happen. I'm really confused, and I'm trying to be optimistic..because we have another audition in May, where we do this whole thing all over again. I'm really hating all the jealousy I'm having towards my friend, and it's affecting my attitude a little all over. But really, I just want peace, you guys. I want to stop being jealous and wondering what I could have done better..and why I didn't move up further. One way I've been trying to look at is the passage we know so well from James. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds. For you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."
I wish it were as easy as just reading this verse and just immediately being able to have a new outlook on the situation. But I know as well as anyone that I'm human..duh..and I can't do this without Christ, and without prayer from other people. I love you guys so much, and if anyone is free to call and talk anytime, just let me know!
:)
hannah b.

Answering Prayers

Hey guys!
I've been reading Matthew lately, and I came across this section:

"Then he made the disciples get on a boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone. Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night, he came towards them, walking on the sea...after they (Peter's with him now, I just skipped that part) got into the boat, the wind died down." Matthew 15:22-25, 32

I know we've heard this story countless times, but when I read it last night, the Lord showed me a couple things that I'd never thought of before.

First of all, Jesus was ALONE on a mountain. People probably didn't know where he was, because there would have been a crowd following him. And, finally, he was busy praying.
SO...if there couldn't have been a messenger, noone was keeping watch, and Jesus himself was praying, how did he know the disciples were in trouble? The only answer is that either Jesus knew by himself or his Father told him. Either way, Jesus knows when we're in trouble and need him, and he's willing to help.

Also, I thought this was a good metaphor, in a way (I mean, it's not meant to be, but it works as one.) Sometimes, Jesus sends US out on missions. Sometimes, it's smooth sailing, but other times, it's difficult, and it seems like everything (and everyone) is fighting us. We may feel like Jesus is no longer with us, but, man, he still is. He still heard the disciples prayers, and he can still hear ours now! All we have to do is let him on the boat with us.

Bye, Quest! God bless!

A Cause for Creation

Hey Quest! For as long as I can remember, I've always loved to write. Poems, stories, anything. Since this past summer, I've started writing religious poems too. I only share what I write with a few people in my life, but I wanted to start sharing stuff you guys! This one's called "A Cause for Creation." It basically talks about why (I think) we were created in the first place and what we're called to do in this life we've been given. I hope you like it!

A Cause for Creation

We were created to love and be loved by You,
And Your love is the only thing that is stable and true.

It consumes my soul, my entire being,
And equips me with faith, gives me a reason for believing.

Love alone proves that You indeed exist,
It enlivens me with a kind of peace that I just can't resist.

Every question can answered with the simple response of "love,"
And a true representation of this gift can only come from Heaven above.

Everything points to love, it's the reason we're here,
And if we have love what have we to fear?

It's our call and purpose as God's most holy creations,
To love and be loved in all situations.

Love is the answer.

"God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him." 1 John 4:16

Thanks for reading!
-Haley

Everyone has a starter verse

Hey everyone.

Okay, so this post my get you guys thinking a little.
Think back to the day you were lead to Christ (If you have believed since birth, then think about your most recent moment where you felt one-on- one with God).
Remember how you felt, who you told, and what you gained from that experience. But also, try to remeber this: What verse did you discover/hear at that moment? In my opinion, There's a bible that everyone can call their "very own, little, personal verse." If you go done to the posts: "Let's Summarize", and "JOY (why I'm a Christian).", you guys read my testimony, and my favorite bible verse (which is also my starter verse): Colossians 3:10- "and you've become a new person. This new person is continually renewed in knowledge to be like his Creator."

So if you got the time, post your starter verses.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! :)

The Glorious, Mysterious Unknown

Just wanted to share a story with y'all. A few days ago I attended a funeral for a lady who died after heart surgery. She was only 51. Her daughter is a freshman in college. They go to our church and last year, when her daughter was still in high school, Mrs. Teresa (the lady that passed away) was one of our high school choir sponsors at church. She was my small group leader during our mission trip to San Francisco, so I had the privilege of getting to know the wonderful woman of God she was. She was our own Mother Teresa. Anyways, at the funeral, her favorite verse was read aloud, and it was none other than James 1:2-3, a verse that we are all quite familiar with~"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." Those words shot me back to my week in Quest and my mind was racing. I recounted all we learned from James 1, especially verse 5 about wisdom: "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." When I got home after the funeral, I prayed: God, give me more wisdom, because I am lacking and you are generous to give. Please, Father, give me wisdom.

The next few days were pretty rough for me. I focused a lot of time on the topic of predestination. I searched for truth and still am. I found an explanation backed up by Scripture, and it blew me off my feet. I couldn't understand how God could work like that with predestining people and such. I was confused and frustrated (and honestly, I still am to a degree). So I told God this. I went to him and said that i was confused and frustrated, and that i couldn't understand. Part of me knew that I wouldn't be able to comprehend it. I just did. So as i sat there, racking my brain and spouting the prayers of my heart to the Lord, and it hit me. This is GREAT! Even though I don't understand completely and I doubt, God is still good, and i still trust him. He has a plan that I have not the slightest idea what it is! It's glorious! My feeble human mind cannot envelop or contain the Lord! what a shocker. he is mysterious and astounding, and i will never be able to know the depths of his being. it's beyond me and all of us. for the first time, I experienced, i felt, i understood what it truly means to fear the Lord. It's like nothing i've EVER experienced. in that moment, i knew that just knowing God is not enough. i want to not only know him, but give myself to him even when i am not at all sure of what his plans entail! i want to share in his sufferings and bring him all the glory! I felt his sovereignty and goodness and I FEAR HIM. I revere him. he is beautiful and abounding with so much mystery and glory that we don't even know.

and to top off this glorious encounter with the living God and learning what it means to really fear him, this verse came to mind, Proverbs 9:10. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."

Told ya he delivers. now that's what I call an answered prayer :)

-Alexa

15 Minutes

Hello Quest!
Happy New Year!

I've been meaning to post this for a loooong time, but I'm actually glad I waited because the message is just now beginning to sink it.

The other day I went to Confession (which is where you confess to God, through a priest, your sins, and he forgives you.) One of the things the priest told me is that knowing God is truly a way to a happy life. If you DON'T know God, you don't know who you are. If you don't know God, you will start having bad thoughts, and, hence, bad actions.

This just set in this week, though. My parents made a comment about how mean I was to my siblings. I don't know why, but it just really hit me. Why am I so mean to them? Why can't I just...not retaliate, or just keep my thoughts to myself or something? And God reminded me of this message. If I don't know Him...I have no reason to be nice to them, you know? If I wasn't Christian, I could do this, and this is my chance to prove that I am a Christian. Does that make sense? The only way you can ALWAYS be nice is if you know God.

The priest encouraged me to take a break every day, and spend 15 minutes completely devoted to God. It's hard to leave whatever you're doing, especially if you're really busy or stressed, but that's no excuse. So I encourage you to do this, too, if you don't already. (I always just prayed at night, but I think I would be more awake if I did it as a break.)

So Happy New Year! I hope it's amazing for everyone. God bless!