God’s will; God’s path; where God wants you to go…some of us know His Will for us, some of us don’t. Yes, becoming all God wants us to be is vitally important. We should strive to love God with all out heart, mind, soul, and strength. We should stay on God’s path for our lives, yet we are humans. And as humans we struggle with some many different things: sin, temptation, lust, straying from His path, not hearing His Voice, and so much more. We get off His track, His path for our lives. And I’ll be the first to admit, I’ve strayed from His path more times than I wish to count. I’ve used “love” as an excuse. I would say, “Lord, give me your blessing as I ask this girl out because I feel You want me too.” Or I would keep asking, “Lord, should I go out with her?” Then, even when I would get a “NO”, I’d still wait…wait…question Him-bad idea-…wait (during all this waiting is when the devil sneaks in)…wait, and I waited so long eventually the “NO” (which was from God), I kept hearing, turned into a “YES” (from the devil). I learned that if I began to question God and His will, I was allowing the devil to have a foothold between me and God. That specific incident happened 6 months ago, and while yes I truly feel God has shown so much grace, undeserved favor, upon my life, I know I still, today, make the mistake of questioning God. Maybe not about girls and dating, but about my pridefulness, what my next step is (when truly it isn’t my next step, it’s God”s and my next step). Walking on the path God has placed out for you can truly be difficult. “As I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death I will fear no evil, for You Oh Lord are with me. Your rod and staff, they protect me” (Psalm 23:4). We can take comfort that each step we take down the path God has placed in front of us has been chosen for our benefit not our demise. Jesus, the One who walks with us, the One who provides safety, security, and comfort in our darkest hours, the One who helps to plan our steps will never lead you in the wrong direction.

Our pastor, John Stickl at Valley Creek Church, just finished a sermon this past weekend about next steps and walking with God. There were so many profound and true statements he made. Here are a few of them:

“We don’t serve the God of someday, we serve the God of today.” We as humans always like to say, “Oh I’ll get to that eventually.” “I’ll get that done sometime.” “I’ll eventually get to Caanan” (Genesis 11:30-32). Yet we don’t realize God isn’t interested in getting something done later, He wants us to get it done today. If the Holy Spirit is really laying something on your heart, do it; follow what the Holy Spirit is telling you.

“When you take your next step, you bless others. When you don’t take your next step you hurt others.” Whenever we take our next step, who knows, maybe it could lead to someone coming to Jesus or just making someone’s day. Yet, what happens if we don’t take that next step. Then that person may not come to Jesus or the other person’s day may not have been made better. Our choices can have good and bad outcomes. What if Andrew had never invited his brother Simon Peter to meet with Jesus? Then Simon Peter, later known as Peter, wouldn’t have gone to spread the Gospel, save thousands of lives, or died on a cross to symbolize his love for Jesus (John 1:40-42).

“Every step we take with God isn’t wasted because each step with Him leads us closer to where He wants us to go.” We may think this small step, like deciding to go the long way home, isn’t worth much, but when it turns out that if you had taken the short way home, you would have hit a car and been killed, then it turns out to be a pretty big step. I know, I’m over exaggerating, but we all, most importantly myself, must learn that the smallest step taken with and for God can make the largest difference not only in your life, but also in someone else’s life.

“Jesus is the One who started you on your next steps, and He will be faithful to help us complete those steps.” ["...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6).] I know I would think: Will Jesus actually help me? Will these steps truly lead me to Him? I now know this to be true: as much as you doubt, question, and not understand God, the one thing you should believe, accept, and understand is that God believes in you. He created you. He loves you because you are His creation. We always want to impress God; “Look at my amazingly expensive house and car, and hot wife God!” Yet those things don’t impress God. God loves to see His creation loving others the way He loves you. He loves seeing us, as follower of Him, branch out of our shell, out of our comfort zone, and reach out to those who are confused, in a state of depression, or even in the darkness. Jesus didn’t come to save the saved, He came to save the broken. As we continue to grow in our relationship with the Lord, we also need to help others grow. Whether that means mentoring or even evangelizing, and meeting random people and telling them about the Love of Jesus Christ, or even just being that Godly, friendly person who is kind, sweet, and always loving even in the tough times. God rewards faithfulness. Are you being faithful to God?

“If you don’t obey God, you won’t get your breakthrough.” We are starting this 28 day fast for the month of January to hear God’s voice much clearer, and the direction He wants us to go in. And this quote is so profound. If we don’t obey God’s commands, we could miss out on that breakthrough. Maybe you’re dating, and you’ve been waiting for confirmation from God if this person if the one. If you don’t spend time listening and obeying God daily, you could miss out on His confirmation. When we feel we don’t hear God’s voice, it’s not that God isn’t talking, it’s that we aren’t listening.

These past 6-7 months, from end of June til now (Jan 15), have been some of the toughest spiritual, emotional, and relational months while at the same time I’ve seen the most spiritual and relational growth in my life than ever before. For 3 months I didn’t listen to God, even when He spoke to me through my best friends; through my own brother even. I was so caught up; while on the outside I looked fine, on the inside I was so lost. My emotions have fluctuated so much; two break-ups in 6 months. Nothing against those girls, it’s just when we break-up with someone emotions kick in…well emotions were already kicked in, but now those emotions you wished you’d never see come up out of the depths. have come up. Those were the negative or tough parts of these past 6 months. On the brighter side, my relationship with God, I feel, has grown so much. While yes, those times I diverted off His path were bad, I learned from those experiences…you live and you learn. I’m reading His word daily, praying daily, and His voice is becoming clearer and clearer each day. God has truly taken control of my emotions. While yes, those emotions of jealousy, envy, and lust do come back every so often, the Lord is by my side to help fight them off. And relationally: while yes I did lose some friends in a few dramatic events, I met some really cool people. While becoming more involved in HUB, I’ve not only grown in my relationship with the Lord, but also met some of the coolest people you will ever meet. I’ve truly never met such a down-to-earth youth pastor. Josh just has such a heart for God and students. He just loves students, and wants to help them on their journey’s with God. Fred, wow, Fred is not only a guy who has a heart for God, but is also very “hip”. He connects so well with students. The second you meet Fred you’ll love him! Jon is a guy who knows so much not only about God and Scripture, but just about life. He has so many profound opinions and truths to share. Jonny is such a hipster! He has such a heart for God! I love hearing that man pray. It inspires me so much! Bailee is such a sweet yet spontaneous God loving and God seeking girl! Elise is one of the most creative people I know! She can take anything and think of a creative idea for it! Justin is such a loving and caring dude who loves God with all his heart. Rachel F. has such an amazing voice! Singing those worship songs inspires so many students! Each and everyday, as she walks through the darkness of school, her light continues to shine brightly. Katie is a light in the darkness! She has grown so much, and has such a heart for God! Bridget, oh the fire in her heart is burning so bright! Keep it up! Olivia I know God has blessed you with some amazing talents! Her heart for God just brings joy to me each and every time I see her! Krissy, even when she has a lot on her mind or a lot to do, she takes the time to just show God’s love to everyone! Hayley is such a funny, loving young women! Her passion for God is so amazing! Jessica, while I’m still getting to know her, all I can say is the passion she has for God is such a blessing to see! Megan while yes being a great basketball player, has such an amazing heart for God! She never stops showing God’s love! When Brooke speaks, the words she speaks are so profound! And she is a pretty darn good dancer! The Student Worship team is amazing! Each and every Wednesday, worshiping with them is such a blessing! The HUB Leaders make such a positive impact on student’s lives each and everyday! The Valley Creek Staff is so amazing! Always leading selfless lives to help those who are lost or confused! Copeland and his family, Collin and his fiance, Eric and his family, Dawn and her family, Becca and her family, Toni and her family, Chris P. and her family, Chris K. and his family, Brian and his family, Jeff and his family, and everyone, y’all are so amazing! John Stickl, the lead pastor, man you are such an inspiration seeing you get up on stage each weekend preaching the Word of God is so amazing! We are so blessed to have you! The Valley Creek Worship team you guys are such an amazing, Godly team of people! Led by Cedric, Ben, and his wife Rachel! Each and every time you lead worship you all inspire and build a fire in each and everyone of our hearts! My Family has grown so much during 2011. We have all grown so much closer not only together spiritually and emotionally but also towards God! We have all been baptized and Brandon, our youngest brother, is getting baptized this month! Praise God for each and everyone of my friends! I wouldn’t be where I am without God and the people He has placed in my life! God bless each and everyone of you. I love you all!

It had been 10 years since the tragic plane crash that killed 10 people associated with the OSU Men’s Basketball program. Now, yet another plane crash killing 2 people associated with the OSU Women’s Basketball program.

“Kurt Budke, the head coach for the women’s basketball team, and Miranda Serna, his assistant, were killed Thursday when the single-engine plane transporting them on a recruiting trip crashed in steep terrain in Arkansas, the university in Stillwater said. The pilot, 82-year-old former Oklahoma state Sen. Olin Branstetter, and his 79-year-old wife, Paula, also died when the plane sputtered, spiraled out of control and nosedived into the Winona Wildlife Management Area near Perryville, about 45 miles west of Little Rock.”¹

After losing 10 members 10 years ago, and now losing their head and assistant coach as well as the pilot and his wife, OSU is definitely going through some spiritual attack. If you would please join in with me to pray for them and their families.

¹Press, , Associated. “Oklahoma State Copes with 2nd Plane Crash in 10 Years, as Old Emotions Rush to the Surface – The Washington Post.” Washington Post: Breaking News, World, US, DC News & Analysis. Washington Post, 19 Nov. 2011. Web. 19 Nov. 2011. .

I really never liked the chocolate milk and pizza they served in elementary school. The milk just made me gag, and the pizza tasted like cardboard. Yet, for some reason, 10 years ago today, I decided to buy those two things. I remember this day like it was yesterday. I was in 1st grade and eating lunch when my step-dad came and picked me up. I had no idea what happened, and looking back on it, I truly never grasped what happened till I was in middle school. We arrived home after both the towers had been hit. That was the day my mom was supposed to travel to Canada, but thank God they never let her plane leave. Who knows what would have happened or how many terrorists there truly were. It’s weird. I remember 9/11/2001 so vividly, but most of my other days of elementary school I don’t remember as well.

There are so many things people think about during this day, but the number 1 thing we need to think about is that God is still with us no matter what. What does everyone remember about 9/11? The fear? The terror? Regrets? We should remember how God stuck with us through it all. “As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4 We remember that everyday we each face our own terrors like 9/11; maybe they aren’t as horrible and terrible as what happened on 9/11, but they are still very terrifying for us. Yet we know that no matter how terrible, horrifying, or evil the thing we are going through, we know that God is always with us. We know He is always there to comfort us! “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for You will not be shaken…” Isaiah 54:10 This helps remind me that even though things may be completely broken or shaken, and they aren’t even looking up, that God is still with us. He will always love us. His love is never failing and never ending.

May God bless those who lost their lives on 9/11 and their families.

God gave me a vision during the 6:30pm service on Saturday, September 3, 2011, at our church Valley Creek Church. We were singing the song “More Than Amazing” by Lincoln Brewster. I could feel there was a chair in front of me, but since we were on the front row I thought to myself there couldn’t be. But then I could vividly see a chair in front of me. I noticed the chair was exactly like the ones in the sanctuary or in the Flood. I then started wandering why the chair was there. Then I realized there was someone sitting in the chair. In the song, the words: “You’re the God who washed our feet.” were sang, and that’s when I realized it was Jesus. He was washing the feet of the person sitting next to me. At the moment I realized who it was and what He was doing I lost it. I just started crying. I don’t know why. It was just such a profound thing God showed me. I then started to get this “goosebump” feeling, but it felt like the goosebumps were inside of me. It’s a feeling that is very hard to describe. The feeling when you know you are filled with the Holy Spirit, and the presence of God is so very strong. That is the most amazing feeling ever!! Then Jesus turned around and looked back to me. Through this whole vision I had the “goosebumps” feeling. Then out of no where my right leg started hurting. With my eyes still closed I looked down, and all I saw was blood red and burning fire. Then Jesus looked down at my leg and put His hand on my leg, and I felt that Holy Spirit fill me up once again. I could feel my leg tingling, and the pain in my leg went away. Then I put my hand down, and I could actually feel the chair. Through the rest of worship I could feel Jesus was there not only by the fact that the chair never moved, but also just by the feeling of the Holy Spirit filling me up over and over again!

God gave me this vision for a reason. I believe it was to remind me that He was there and will always be there to wash my feet and cleanse me of my sins. He is merciful and His Grace is most definitely not deserved but I am so grateful for the Grace of God. No matter how many times I fall He will always be right there to pick me up and to keep me going. He is more than amazing!!

In English 3, we were given an assignment to write a paragraph or so about who our hero was and 2 reason why they were our hero. So, as told in the paragraph, the name Jesus Christ kept popping in my head anytime the teacher would say, “your hero…” or I would think about who I wanted to use as my hero. So, praise the Good, Amazing Lord, I was able to, through Him, type up a paragraph about my Hero, Jesus Christ, and tell the class one reason He was my hero. Here is the paper:

When I heard we were writing a paper about our hero, one person popped in my mind. I then started questioning to see if there was any other names, but only one kept popping in my head. Why would I question when I know, without a doubt, my hero is Jesus Christ. Now many people think of Jesus Christ as being a man who lived back in Roman Empire; who died on a cross, and that is about it. Yet, He is so much more than that to me. People may think I’m crazy but it’s true. I have personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus is not only my hero but He is also my life! There are so many reasons why He is my hero, but the two most important reasons are: He loves me even with my flaws, and through Him I can do anything. Jesus was perfect yet He choose to hang with those who had nothing or were the scum of the earth. He didn’t care what their flaws were. He just wanted to love them unconditionally. That’s exactly the same when it comes to me. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not perfect. I have made and will continue to make mistakes in my life, but that’s why Jesus is so awesome. Even though I’ve made mistakes and screwed up, He still loves me. Faith is not believing that God can, it’s knowing God will. “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.’ (Bible – Mark 10:27).” This is a verse I live my life by. I know that even though I’m not able to do something, through Jesus I am able to accomplish it, and with that feeling, through Him, I’m able to conquer this tough world! Even though He did live a long time ago, He is still very prevalent in my life. He is always by my side and will never leave me nor forsake me. Jesus is the reason I’m not in a dark pit of darkness. He has a plan and purpose for my life, and loving and following Him is the least I can do to complement everything He has done for me. No matter how many flaws I have, He will always love me!

Reading this to the class was very tough for me, but I knew the Lord Jesus Christ was there with me the entire step-of-the-way and during the presentation. Now, even though the presentation didn’t last but 10 seconds, I still felt, through Jesus Christ, seeds were planted!

Hero-Survivor Assignment (pdf)

Tonight, since there was no HUB at Valley Creek, Josh, Fred, Bailee, Jonny, Rachel S., Justin, Austin, and I decided to go to MOR at Gateway Church. Gateway is pretty much a brother to Valley Creek, and MOR is their Wednesday Youth service. This whole service was basically just a worship service. The band would sing 2 or 3 songs, and then the pastor would come out and talk about worship and why we should. Then 2 or 3 more songs would come on. After Pastor Ben, the Gateway youth pastor, had said the four reasons we worship, he asked us to kneel down, and ask God to send us a revelation or word of encouragement tonight. Ben asked us not to sing and just take it all in. As I was, kneeled before God praying, I saw the stage from above and the band worshipping, and then a hand (HUGE) came down from above. It was white and glowing. I then grabbed it, yet the world was still pulling on me. I was at a tug-a-war between God and the world. Then stairs, so white, came down from Heaven, still holding God’s hand I started walking up the stairs. Right at this time, the song being sung/played was at the part, “Chains are made lose…”, and that is when the chains/burdens/holds of the world were broken/lost their grip, and I was set free. Still holding God’s HAND, I walked up the stairs to Heaven! I just started crying because of the truth behind it. I was so lost, yet He reached down, held out His HAND, and lead me to HIM! Praise the LORD!

He extends His hand to us, yet it is up to us to grab a hold and get ready for a life filled with Jesus. You know the feeling when you are filled with the Holy Spirit? You get these goosebumps but they are on the inside? Ya that is what I felt like for the whole song! I didn’t even know what was going on, what was being sung. I was so focused on HIM! I know I’ve been baptized before, but tonight I just felt the sin of the world; my sin and my regret were lifted up off my shoulders! And God was waiting right there for me! Then His blanket of forgiveness and protection was put around me! The second my hand touched His, I was filled up! The feeling I had was indescribable, but the best feeling of my life! I had been going through some rough patches the last few weeks, but MOR tonight was exactly what I needed! The Holy Spirit was present! I am pumped, filled with the Holy Spirit, and ready to do His WILL! HE is my Shepherd, I am His sheep! I will follow you O’Lord! Amen!

“A man is in a circular room where the walls are mirrors. By himself he doesn’t know how to get out. He is starting to get frustrated and very lost. But then God opens the door which is the ‘way out’. Whether the man goes or not is up to the man. God just opened the door.”

God opens the door for you, but ultimately it is your choice whether you go through or not. I believe God has opened many doors (opportunities) in my life in which I have not “walked” through because I was overcome with worldly desires. Now the point isn’t to look back on those and put myself under the bus and try to figure out what I could have done better. One of the guys at our HUB Student Leadership Meeting said, “Don’t react to what is going on, act.” This means don’t dwell on your past mistakes. Act on them and move onto the next “door” of your life God has opened for you. Don’t look back and whip yourself with your spiritual whip. When you start dwelling on those missed opportunities, that’s when your vulnerable for the devil to come in. So, look back on those “missed doors”, repent, ask for forgiveness, and move on to God’s next opened door for your life to further move His ultimate plan for your life.

2 Timothy 2:8-10 “8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel,9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained.10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.”

Many of these times in which I didn’t go through a door God opened, I was going through tough times. Those times are when your true colors are shown, and my faith in God wasn’t as strong as it should have been. Or I believed too pridefully in myself that I didn’t need as much of God. This was mostly because after the mission’s trip I was on a spiritual high, and I felt I could conquer the world. I should have been thanking God for all the miracles and wonders He did on the trip, yet I was already thinking of what I wanted to do. The truth is, we need God much more than He needs us. He created us and can destroy us like that. *snap* We are the ones who need to be giving Him our all. Not just some. Revelations 3:16 “Don’t be lukewarm…” Don’t give into sin and still do God’s will. You must chose one or the other. Chose God’s will. The verses, 2 Timothy 2:8-10, remind me that since Jesus Christ died for our sins, any tough, rough, or difficult times, that I can put before the Lord and He will help me and take care of me. Also, we can’t just think about ourselves. “In our toughest times our true colors are shown.” (Pastor Josh Wintermute) This means that in those tough times are not only when our true identity, personality is shown, but also when people look at us the most. They look at us to see how we act on those tough times. Do we go straight to God or try to figure it out ourselves? They see if we stand firm with our faith in Jesus Christ or not. We endure these hard times not only for the sake of others but most importantly to glorify our Father above because He will always prevail and rein free! Amen. Blessings.

Two weekends ago, my mother, brother, and I went to this class to learn about how the Bible defines spiritual gifts and what they are exactly. Now the major spiritual gifts that people know of are prophecy and healing, yet there are many others. The major thing to remember when dealing with spiritual gifts is that it is not you, it is all God!! He is the one who gave them to you and can take them away. Now this blog post isn’t to discuss every single spiritual gift, it is more of what I believe God’s spiritual gift is for me.

Many people have either text me or told me in person some of their problems. And somehow, by the Grace of God, I’ve had the answer they wanted to hear or need to hear. I can honestly say it wasn’t me at all; it was all God. I never really thought of me having the spiritual gift of encouragement, but after the class and processing some things, I’ve realized that one of my spiritual gifts is encouragement to others. Yet, as I’ve realized, and many others have to, is that giving encouragement over text is much easier than in person. Yet, God is with me and helping me every step of the way, so I know there is nothing to worry about.

What’s your spiritual gift? The Bible talks all about Spiritual Gifts in 1 Corinthians 12-14 (click here)