I am truly blessed and loved by an amazing God!

Went to Winter camp this weekend with a few girls and guys from Youth Group. We all had a wonderful time. A great band played all weekend; morning, noon and night the Logan Martin Band. Their singer had a good voice, great guy who loved God and simply wants to worship him. Part of the time he sang acoustic with the crowd of youth kids from all over. What an amazing experience being surrounded by youth from all over singing worship songs loudly. The music was fantastic and so was the speaker, James Grout. He told funny stories and also explained the Word of God in an understanding way. A message all could relate to in one way. Some if the topics we touched on: God should be feared but God takes fear and worry away from our lives. God wants us to put Him first and foremost in our lives. God loves us so, so, so much it is simply unbelievable. He created the ocean in a day, yet he took nine months to form us in our mothers womb. He loves us! He will lead the way, we simply need to burn for him.

Some of the songs we sang that really touched my heart:

Cannons

It's falling from the clouds
A strange and lovely sound
I hear it in the thunder and rain
It's ringing in the skies
Like cannons in the night
The music of the universe plays

You are holy great and mighty
The moon and the stars declare who You are
I'm so unworthy, but still You love me
Forever my heart will sing of how great You are

Beautiful and free
Song of Galaxies
It's reaching far beyond the milky way
Lets join in with the sound
C'mon let's sing it loud
As the music of the universe plays

All glory, honor, power is Yours amen
All glory, honor, power is Yours amen
All glory, honor, power is Yours forever amen

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

I see you there hanging on a tree
You bled and then you died and then you rose again for me
Now you are sitting on Your heavenly throne
Soon we will be coming home
You're beautiful

When we arrive at eternity's shore
Where death is just a memory and tears are no more
We'll enter in as the wedding bells ring
Your bride will come together and we'll sing
You're beautiful

I see Your face, I see Your face, I see Your face
You're beautiful, You're beautiful, You're beautiful

You make beautiful things

All this pain
I wonder if I’ll ever find my way
I wonder if my life could really change at all
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found
Could a garden come up from this ground at all

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

You make me new, You are making me new
You make me new, You are making me new

How He loves

Like a Lion

God is good and he loves each and everyone one of us. I am thankful for his presence in my life.

With the start of a new year, many things come to mind...I'm am getting older, time is flying and I should strive to be a better person who glorifies the amazing, loving God of the Universe.

Well my year started off with annual watching of the Rose Parade (the first showing without commercials, yes I woke up early enough). Then me and Cam met Marion and Robby to play tennis (it was cold). Then we met with other people to play softball (something new to me, since the last time I played was in Elementary school and I hated playing then). Softball turned out to be fun after I got over being a little nervous. I was not the best fielder but I could hit! We went for pizza then headed home. Well we didn't go straight home; we decided to stop by Correy and Tiffany's house. They have some of the cutest kids! We hung out and watched 310 to Yuma which turned out to be good (even though it is not a movie I would usually pick to watch).

Sunday came and of course we headed off to church, we were the greeters. Greeting is fun because you see and talk to everyone who comes. As I sat and listened to Pastor speak towards the end I thought about how grateful I am for my Pastor. His sermon on virtue and vice was a great topic to begin the new year discussing. Seek virtue first then all else will come. Because when we set our minds on things above we look at the beauty of life. We also sang this song by Michael Boggs In You that emphasizes the point Pastor Richard was making.

In you every
heart can find its healing

In you every
life is given meaning

A hope is
found, a love abounds In You

A goal of mine this year is to focus on seeking virtue and the beauty of life and not to focus on the negative. To set my focus on God and his attributes and follow his plans. Another song we sang I enjoyed and would like to focus on this year is

Forever Reign by Hillsong

You are good, You are good
When there's nothing good in me
You are love, You are love
On display for all to see
You are light, You are light
When the darkness closes in
You are hope, You are hope
You have covered all my sin

You are peace, You are peace
When my fear is crippling
You are true, You are true
Even in my wandering
You are joy, You are joy
You're the reason that I sing
You are life, You are life,
In You death has lost its sting

Oh, I’m running to Your arms,
I’m running to Your arms
The riches of Your love
Will always be enough
Nothing compares to Your embrace
Light of the world forever reign

You are more, You are more
Than my words will ever say
You are Lord, You are Lord
All creation will proclaim
You are here, You are here
In Your presence I'm made whole
You are God, You are God
Of all else I'm letting go

As school starts and another crazy quarter is about to begin I must not forget who I am eternally greatful for and I must strive to honor God in all I do. I look foreword to a new year and what excitement and challenges it may bring.