The Life and the Light.

Recently, Life has been hectic. I've been running from place to place, not stopping until midnight, and getting up and doing it all again. I'm tired of this, but it's a good tired, an accomplished tired. In my few minutes of spare time here and there, I've been studying Galatians. By far one of my favorite books of the Bible. Once again, God tends to have to use tough love with me, and often it feels like a slap in the face. This is what I need most of the time...a blunt message to get through my stubborn head. One of the verses in Galatians that particularly stands out to me is Galatians 5:7-8. It reads

"You were running a good race, Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you."

This verse I actually posted on the back of my door in my room right above my doorknob as a reminder to not let worldly things cut in on my relationship with God, and my ministry and effect on others as a Christian. We all get set back sometimes, and it's hard to get back to where we were before we let our relationship with God go by the wayside and worry about things that WILL resolve if we rely on God instead of ourselves.

I need to take this verse to heart every day. Anything that is not Godly that I let affect me will distract me from my goal to show the love of Christ to all I know.

Right now, I'm incredibly busy with friends, band, school, and just life in general. I love being busy, but it shouldn't affect my relationship with God.

Prayer Requests

• Strength to get through the rest of this 9 weeks.
• Seniors, stay strong. Don't give in to the senioritis.
• Showing love to others
• Good Grades
• Work for parents
• Legacy
• Being a light for Christ.

"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. " Galatians 5:16-17.

Today's the day.

Today is my last day of childhood, well...sortof. It doesn't feel like it's been that long since my first day of school EVER. but I guess it has. I'll be 18. it's weird.

I don't know what to do. :) I'l gonna party like it's 1999. Oh wait. It's 2009. whoopsie. :)

This week is so much better than last week. Last week was awful. Yeah. anyway.

I love my prayer group girls, and I love youth group so much. I don't know what I'll do when I graduate.

I'm a registered voter now. The only thing radical I'll do for my eighteenth birthday(tomorrow) is get my ears pierced, again. :) I'm really excited.

Everyone should come bowling saturday. It'll be a party.

Today's advice...Live life to the fullest. Dance in the rain. Don't care what anyone says. and Love God with all your heart.

Love out loud.

I definitely have been thinking about my high school career this year, since I'm a senior and all. So. I'm going to have a blast from the past entry. :)

Freshman year, a great year. Meeting new people, learning about life, taking easy classes. The summer right before freshman year we went to Mississippi on a mission trip. That was definitely a great trip, could have been better, but I learned so much about myself. Marching band became the greatest fun, and the trips were the greatest. Solving so many problems, causing a few, and just learning more. Of course, who could forget the time when Clayton and I dated. hahah. that was epic. an epic goofup.:) I discovered the love of theater, and the love I had for others that year. I miss my freshman year.

Sophomore year was hard. A big year of transitions. Harder classes with more people than just freshman(YIKES) and becoming who we were. I became really close with my friends that year, and I'm still really close to them. I miss those times. MORP, walking around Jbu, 16th birthdays, Orlando. All those great times. I changed a lot that year. I learned how to be myself, to speak up about my opinions, how they need to be heard. I grew to know Christ more, too. Our youth events this year particularly were the greatest. Well, actually, they've been great every year. :)

Junior year, yeah. that's a toughie. I ended my sophomore dating a great guy, had great friends, and we hung out and did stuff all the time. We were a tight knit group. I was taking really hard classes, learning who I was, trying to walk with Christ, and have a boyfriend. We broke up through some tough stuff in December, and things changed. I lost a friend, my best friend, and It felt like everything I did was different. I don't regret anything. I needed that. It was definitely a huge wake-up call for me. I became really active in my Youth group, and loving every second of it. I made new friends (which, suprizingly, isn't as easy as it seems for me. ) and felt like I had a mission, to get through High School being a servant to others. Even if they didn't know about it. Just praying for anyone, walking through the halls and praying for the next person I saw, even if I didn't know their name. Just lifting them up to God, not knowing their situation. Through the whole break-up process, I felt like I was meant to be where I am. Loving my friends, loving anybody, relentlessly, and not being judgmental. I'm still dealing with things that happened because of these things, but I actually enjoy it. I love being able to tell my story, even though I think it's stupid, and how much I've changed because of what happened in a week's time.

Summer. One of the best summers in my high school career. I went straight from school to Girl's state, which was incredible. I made so many new friends there. :) I got a job, which I love, I'm a leader in my youth group, I have amazing friends, I went to concerts, I talked to people who I would have never talked to if I hadn't been where I was at that time. I made new friends, hung out with some amazing people, and went to Chrysalis. Chrysalis definitely made my summer. I grew so much through this retreat, and learned about God, and how much he really does love me.

Senior year. Not much has happened yet...just school, and BAND. I love band this year. :) I'm a prayer group leader for 5 AMAZING girls, who I already love. I love every minute of this year. :) this will be the best year, and also the hardest year.

Prayer Requests for this week-

• Algebra test tomorrow...eek. I really need to pass it.
• Scholarship stuff
• Friends
• To have a servant heart
• Planning the skit for next week :)
• Being a light to those in the dark.
• Having a good attitude at school.

Cheetos.

I really think i'm not very good at this whole blog thing. oh well.

Update about this week.

1) Youth Group retreat was pretty awesome. I love our leadership team.

2)I think that the colder weather is nice.

3) I am in complete love with band. I'm glad the weather is nice enough to be outside without dying.

4) Accounting class is pretty legit. that's the word of the week. legit.

5)I'm really thinking that the Wedding is also pretty legit.

6) Our first football game is friday night. I love how I refer to it like I'm going to play in the game. Stands music is awesome.

7) Seven is a great number compared to algebra problems that have 15 variables.

8) I have a mini rubber duck that lives on my baritone. His name is edward. and he was named that prior to the twilight saga.

that's all for now, folks.

Smile.

I finally gave in to blogging. I know. I'm a nerd.

I just wanted one. I'll mainly use this for updates about my Senior year, other things, and random thoughts that I have during the day.

So let's start with this week.

1. It's my second week of my senior year. It's fun, but certainly not what I would pick to do on a day like today.

2. Jumping in Puddles is not just for little kids. I jumped in the puddles in my front yard and backyard(the best puddle was the foot deep one by the drainage ditch. :)) and, I must say, it was amazing.

3. You probably noticed the title of my blog. Animal Crackers in my soup. I LOVE animal crackers. They are a girls best friend, or at least this girl. I buy a big bag about once or twice a month and take a little bag to school with me. My favorite animal cracker is the Elephant. So much so that If I find one, it COMPLETELY makes my day. That's the best. I save them for last.

4. I have this strange habit of coloring when I get stressed. I know. It's weird. But it's soothing.

5. Sometimes, I wish I were Hello Kitty.

6. I love my parents. Being an only child means that i'm really close to them.

7. Taping dinosaurs to friends apartment doors is great fun.

8. I really don't get along with bicycles.

9. I STILL CAN'T believe I'm a senior and i'll be 18 in a month.

10. I'm really not sure oppressed russians are going to be walking around being creepy, but hey, we're baritone players. We are the weirdos of the band. (BAND THING)

11. Leadership retreat is tomorrow. :)

That's all for now, folks. Tune in next entry for more of Elizabeth's random life. :)