Sunday Photoblog: We're not alone

Just Talk

The other day I was talking to some of my friends and they were talking about this other person and how they made a very bad decision. The whole time I was thinking about how they had done the same thing and they were not getting any grief over it. Which to me is very hypocritical, and also unchristian like. When someone tells me they go to church I will usually ask them when was the last time that went to a service, many say a month or two. Which raises the question are you really an active Christian or do you just say it because it makes you feel better and helps you sleep at night? At my church we have around 50 regular attending members but yet over 100 on the roll. Most of those people consider themselves Christians. I think that practicing what you preach is very important. So is it ok to say your a Christian and not attend church regularly?

Sunday Photo Blog: He Rested On The 7th Day

SleepingYM
Originally uploaded by hfumcyouth.

Fun Times In North Carolina

Im on this amazing trip with my youth group in North Carolina, at Maggie Valley. We got here last night around 12:30am and were on the slopes around 10:30am. We have skied all day. Some of us fell and wiped out more than others. But, I learned something. Being prepared is essential in anything that we do. We as Christians are part of a unique community. If we are not prepared per say to tell someone about how God is something so great, so powerful, so mighty, then are we doing our part? If someone took you up to the top of a mountain, and you had never skied then you wouldn't be prepared and would not make it down the mountain very easily. It comes as our responsibility to be able to tell anyone who is questioning there faith or wanting to know about Christ. So, are you prepared?

A Fork In The Road

There comes a time almost every day where we are forced to make a decision, which road we should take. For many some of these decisions aren't that tough. Have you ever stopped and thought about if we have a certain path that we start on. And from there chose which door or which road to take. Or, is life pre-determined and we already have a destiny? This is the question that many Christians ask. If the answer is that we have a pre-determined path then there is no such thing as free will, and then wouldn't that mean that some people are already condemned to hell? I believe that We have a certain ending point and how we get there is up to us. Opinions are opinions and everyone has a different one. What do you think?

Spiritual Friends

At church last night we had a conversation about what is a spiritual friend. We all agreed that a spiritual friend was someone who you can share your religion with and is someone who you can worship with. I think that you must become friends before you can become spiritual friends. Since a spiritual friend is so much more than just a friend, someone who is supposed to be there through the good and the bad. He or she is not just someone you meet randomly on the street. People at your church aren't all your spiritual friends, some might not even be your friends. My question is when do you know you have a spiritual friend? And how do you make the transition between just friends to spiritual friends.

Sunday Photo Blog: Smile

Losing Touch

When going into a different environment, things that aren't expected always happen. In this case drifting apart from a really good friend. When I sit and think about how this happened, the answer was pretty simple. We both gained new friends and put one another to the side. Does this mean that we care for our other friends more. Or, did we get lost among transistion into high school. Didn't Jesus's followers get sidetracked sometimes? This happens to almost everyone at some point in there life but how could we try to end this?

Coffee House and much more

Coffee House Started today and it went off a great success. I am the emcee and the money we raise goes towards our tour this summer. I got to see a really good friend of mine(the girl in the picture) and we got to do a litte catching up.
This weekend is going to be really busy and the same for the weekend. I have a lot of homework and a lot of things im doing. Im starting track I think I have to see if it will fit my schedele and im still doing jazz band and everything. So I hope im not taking on to much.
Next weekend, my church and I, are going on a ski trip to NC. I will keep everyone posted on that. well I hope everyone has a safe weekend. Pray For lots of snow.

Taking Your Mask Off.... Is It Really That Easy?

Have you had a day where everything seemed perfect and then the next, everything was really bad? I know we all have those days but my friend had one of those today. He comes across as a guy who everyone thinks is perfect, he never lets anyone or anything pull him down on the outside. But on the inside it is a much deeper story.
I know that he wants everyone one to see the best side of him and most of us are that way. When I think about it I guess it has a lot to do with taking off your mask. If we know that god is on our side then everything should be ok... right? Well, I would love to think that but its not always that simple. If you think about it, how many times have you done something that you know you shouldn't have done? Now you sit back and think I was really stupid to do that. Taking off your mask isn't always as easy as one would come to expect.

Super Bowl Sunday... And a lot more!

We had a super bowl party tonight at church and it was pretty fun except we couldn't get the TV hooked up to pick up a signal but it was ok cause we still had fun and fellowship. That was at the end of my day the beginning started out much different. I went to church and Sunday school was so much fun then I had a meeting for youth stuff. I came home and then went back to choir. After choir I saw Megan for the first time in a few months, it was so exciting to finally see her again. She really is a good person and someone who is so nice and loving. It is such a privilege to know that im friends with her.

On to today's main topic.
why don't people except people instead of shun them or criticize. Is it because it is easier to keep a closed mind than an open one? Or maybe it is because of something else, something controlling us. Such as jealousy or what others will think. What really worries me is that at my church we are very closed minded and that is one of the reasons why we don't keep new members. It is scary coming into anything new where you don't know anyone and very little about the place you are in. The least we can do as Christians is accept them and let them join us in our faith journey.

Busy Day!

Well today was fun, but really busy. It started out with me waking up and remebering that i had to go to work. so i went in at 10 in the morning and got of at 6:45 then went to see the sound of music right after that. so i could see kels and friends. I know it doesnt sound all that busy or anything but it was trust me! Tommorow is a different story ive got church then a meeting then me and gav are going to go shop around for equiptment for the youth lounge. then i will have choir and then youth. so tomorrow will be busy as well. I guess that is all for today I hope everyone had a great day today and a pleasent tomorrow.

Inspired

Gavin you have done it! You have convinced me to start blogging..... Sometimes I just don't get it. Why do people act so fake? I don't understand why people live a lie. Think about it, if your not true to yourself, how can you be true to someone else. Is it because we think people will like us more if we try to act like someone else. Or is it for our own personal reasons. I don't get it. At a church convention that I went to last weekend that is what the topic was, Get Real, Be Fearless. I guess it really helped me understand why being yourself is so important.