Are We Alone?

I've recently come to realize that my biggest fear is the fear of being alone. Not the fear of being alone in a room and not the fear of sitting by myself somewhere but, being alone in my life. I'm the kind of guy that, unfortunately, uses relationships as a means to happiness. I use dating to fill that void, that emptiness, that is created from my fear of being alone. I've let dating take the place of.....everything. I'm trying SO hard to fill that void that I've overlooked the obvious solution: bringing God deeper into my life. God has been tearing me apart recently. He wants to be back in my life so badly and what do I do? I push Him away. I push Him away because I would rather have that cute girl in my class or I would rather hang out with that funny girl on Friday night. Wow, how much more selfish can I be?? Did that girl die on the cross for me? Did that girl abolish sin for me? Well, God sent His son to do all of that but yet, I still turn my back on Him. In Matthew, God says "..and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of age." God will be with us to the very end of age. God loves us unconditionally. He loves us more than we can imagine. Heck, God IS love. So don't you think we could manage to give Him a little bit of our time?? God wants to be that person in your life that makes you happy. He wants to be that person that you run to for every problem you have. Remember back when you were little and you would fall off your bike? You would have a scratch and you would run to your mom to make it all better. Well God wants to be the person you run to when you fall. He wants to make everything better. He wants to make you feel loved. He wants to make you feel accepted. He wants to make you feel adored. He wants to make you feel cherished. He wants to make you feel all of these things because to Him, you're everything. With Him you're never alone. Never.

-Carter L.

A few thoughts....

I just feel the need to express a few random things that are on my heart so....here it goes.

Dictionary.com has a couple definitions for the term "church." The first one is "a building for public Christian worship." Understandable and obvious, right? The second is this: " a body of Christians worshipping in a particular building or constituting one congregation." Hmm....a body of Christians...this second definition is what the Bible refers to the church as. Not a building, not a tent, not a cathedral, but a BODY. A group of fellow Christians gathering in a place to worship their God. Without this group of Christians, the church would not exist. Sure, there might be a building standing there with the word "church" in the title but, is it really a church? Definitely not. It's just a building. Guys, we, as Christians, have to help each other out.

Now is the time when accountability and love come into play. We also have to be real with ourselves. Going to church every Sunday doesn't make you a Christian. If you sat in a garage every Sunday, would that make you a car? No, I don't think so. So quit posing, step up, and act like the Christian that you really are. THEN help out your fellow Christian friends. It's crucial that we help each other. Nobody can do it on their own.

What do you want out of church? What do you strive to achieve by coming to a building and meeting with a bunch of Christians? Social time? A chance for you to answer a bunch of questions and look smart and religious? A time for you to be up front where everyone can see you? Or do you strive to come be with friends, encouraging them and lifting them up in the name of God? I have a challenge for you: next time you step in those doors and enter a building with the rest of your church, the body of Christ, make sure you have the right mindset. Make sure you're there for the right reason. If you're not then, what's the use? God wants us back. Let's give Him what He wants.


-Carter L.

Well...here it is....

The Daraja Children's Choir from Kenya was here this weekend and, first off, I just have to say....wow. God is working in their lives and through their lives everyday. With that in mind, let's think about how we are here. Sitting up on our pedestals with everything that we need at our reach. God has given us everything we'll ever need and, what do we do? Hoard it and give Him NO thanks. Guys, these kids come from the other side of the world from a lifestyle that we can't even imagine. Some of these kids have no parents, no grandparents, and no homes but yet they STILL give all that they have to God. Everything. Luke 21:1-4 says "As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 'I tell you the truth,' he said, 'this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.'" This woman gave all she had to her Lord. Her Creator. I make myself sick sometimes. God has provided me with so much and all I do is throw it back in His face. We EXPECT God to give us what we want. That's disgusting of us, guys.


Today, a boy I had never talked to named Moses came up behind me and grabbed my hand and held it as we walked over to the rest of the choir. This 6th grade boy from Kenya, with his multicolored scarf and his ripped khakis, was loving on ME. He was showing me God's love because He knows that's what God wants us to do. That's what God called us to do. Love. Whether that entails loving your neighbor, your enemy, your best friend or even...God. Guys, we have a lot of work to do. We have big changes to make and, honestly, it's not going to be easy. We, as Christians, will be persecuted and made fun of. We WILL have hardships and trials but, guess what? God overcame the world. I think we can handle a little criticism every now and then.


-Carter L.

Remember

What would you like to be remembered for? Who you dated? What type of clothes you wore? What kind of car you drove? Be honest with yourself. Out of everything in your life, what would you like people to remember about you? You know, God wants you to be happy. He wants everyone to be happy and we take advantage of that. We take advantage of everything that God gives us but, do we thank Him for it? No. We go on with our lives because we expect Him to give us those things. God gave you all of those things that you want people to remember about you. Regardless of what it is. So don't you think we should repay Him for those things? Maybe get over ourselves and start living for Christ? All of my blogs seem to have a running theme recently and I know people out there, including myself, have trouble with this topic. We go to church, go to YoungLife, wear Jesus shirts, and maybe pray sometimes but, then we don't live out our faith around friends when it REALLY matters. Our world is hurting, guys. Christians are hurting. Your friends are hurting. Love them and have people remember that you had Christ shining in your life. Matthew 5:15 says "Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house." Be a light to this world. Be a light to your friends. Let God be remembered.

-Carter L.

Preferences...why..?

Honestly, I'm writing this blog because I'm terribly ticked off about a few things. Why does everybody in the church today feel like worship is about preference? The lights don't look nice in the sanctuary or the song is too fast or the sermon was too long. That's complete crap, guys. God put that sermon on the preacher's heart for a reason and God put that song in the musicians' hearts for a reason and you're complaining about it?? Complaining about what God has to tell you? God has a reason for EVERYTHING that He does. He has a reason for having that song played on Sunday and He has a reason for having the sanctuary painted a certain color. So how could we possibly have the nerve to complain about it? We are SO selfish. We want worship to be exactly how we want it, not matter what it takes to make it that way. We want emotional songs played that give us that "God feeling" and we want sermons preached that will move us but, guess what?? They're all that way if we just PAY ATTENTION and stop worrying! Psalm 100:1-5 says "1Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 2Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. 3Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his^a]">; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. 5For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." Worship the Lord with gladness. Don't come to church with preferences in mind because God isn't about preferences. He's about showing you what you need to see right then at that moment. It's up to you whether you get over what YOU want and listen to what HE is telling you. Stop listening to the world. Stop listening to your preferences. Listen to Him. You won't be disappointed. I promise.

-Carter L.

It's His

You know, if we're honest with ourselves, living out your faith can suck sometimes. We always say that we "want to show Christ in our lives" and we "want to shine God's light" but, do we ever actually do it? Sure, we might wear a t-shirt every now and then that might say something slightly religious on it but, do we ever get out there, roll up our sleeves, and SHOW God to our friends? Some of you might. I know that I have been struggling with living out my faith recently. I get this stupid idea in my mind that what people think of me is more important than glorifying my God. Dumb, right? I try hard to live a life that reflects God but this little thing called "the world" keeps getting in the way. Y'all know what I'm talking about. You get everything going how it's supposed to be and then Friday night comes along. You hang out with friends that might not be Christian and you joke around and, all of a sudden, that Christian life you were living is out the window. It says in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “ Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” See, God made us. We are a temple of Him. Why would we not glorify the Creator of...well...everything? Give God the glory. He deserves it.

[re]mix

This blog doesn't have much of a theme. I have just had some things on my heart this week. This past week, I was at Passport camp with my youth group. I've been struggling with a lot of things recently like breakups and other drama that doesn't need to be happening in the first place. All of those things have brought me away from God and I was scared. Austin, the camp pastor, BROUGHT it this week. He wasn't scared to step on toes, and that's what I needed. My life was messed up and I needed God to get down here with me, roll up His sleeves, and get messy with me. I thought I had control over my life. I thought things were okay. I was completely wrong though. You see, God has to be center of EVERYTHING if your life is going to work. Relationships without God are useless. Pointless. A waste of time. God is the Creator of this world and we think we can leave Him out of our lives? We couldn't be any more naive. Honestly, do you think you can do a better job with your life than the God who created you? Do you think you can do better than the God that gave you life and can give you death? I've come to the realization that I am NOTHING without Christ. If He's not the center of everything, anything I do is for not. This life that I live right now is my one shot to bring others to Christ. Why should I waste it by trying to do things myself?

-Carter L.

Testimony...

I had to write my testimony for Work Crew so I thought I might as well post it on here...

I was raised in a very Christian, southern family in Florence, South Carolina. I went to church every Sunday and every Wednesday and I was in all of the church plays as a kid and sang in the children’s choir. I basically lived at my church. One summer, I went to my friend’s church for Vacation Bible School. During the week, I felt like God was moving in my life. Sure, I might have only been 10 years old but, I felt something. I felt like there was something there that I had never felt before. So that day, I accepted God into my life and became a Christian. A few Sundays later, I stood in front of my church family and proclaimed my faith. I was baptized a few Sundays after that and finalized my faith. Ever since, I have had struggles and triumphs while being a Christian. When I was younger, being a Christian just meant that I went to church every Sunday and wore cool t-shirts. As I grew older, things became more evident that I needed to be living out a Christ-like life. I needed to act more like the Father that I claimed to follow. I went to a great church with an amazing youth group that tested me daily to be more like my Savior. I grew immensely in my faith over the years that I lived in South Carolina. Just as I was getting a fire for God that I had never seen before, I got the news that I would be moving to Waynesboro, Virginia. I was torn to pieces by the news. How could I leave the place I grew up? How could I leave my friends and family and the best church ever? I asked God these questions at least 100 times a day. I moved around a lot when I was younger but this had been the hardest move of my life. I got to Waynesboro and slowly started making friends but things still weren’t the same. I went to First Baptist Church of Waynesboro, a church with a significantly smaller youth group. I struggled to get anything out of the sermons and I struggled to keep my faith as strong as it had been. A girl I was dating at the time told me about Young Life and how awesome and fun it was. I had been to a few Clubs when I lived in Florence so I thought it would be a good place to find friends and, hopefully, grow some more in my faith. So I went to Club and Campaigners regularly and things were slowly starting to look better for me. My faith was pretty lukewarm at this point. I was still mad at God for pulling me away from Florence but, I was starting to realize what was in store for me in Waynesboro. I knew that He brought me here to spread my faith and bring what I had learned in Florence to my friends and church in Waynesboro. Over the next two years, I had a few ups and downs with my faith because of death, break ups, and other problems that arose. Recently, I had a very rough break up with my girlfriend that I had been dating for a year. I was mad at God for taking her away from me but, I still found myself going to Him for everything. I would ask Him to bring her back to me but I would also thank Him for that day’s advances in me and my ex-girlfriend’s relationship. I tried to find some good in the break up. I spent more time with my other friends and tried to strengthen those relationships. I have also tried to strengthen my relationship with God. I’m trying to make my relationship with God the most important thing in my life. It’s tough but, I know He needs to be first priority.

Carter L.

Why?

I have a few things to get off of my chest so I apologize in advance. Sometimes I'm no sure what God is trying to tell me. Things go wrong, I ask questions. I know I need to trust God. A lot of people try to do things for themselves and not rely on God. Myself included. Things have seemed to not been going the way I would like recently and so I've been asking "why" over and over again. Why do people I love have to pass away? Why do my friends leave me and disappoint me? Why do the people I love decide I'm not quite lovable enough? I ask God all of these things but, guess what He says? Trust Me. It's hard to trust Him with everything in my life. Especially when I try my hardest to fix everything and yet everything STILL goes wrong. But God still says "trust me."

Proverbs 5:3 says "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." God wants us to trust Him and not rely on ourselves to solve all of our problems. He knows what to do. He knows everything. All we can do is hope to fix everything but, God has the power to do whatever He wants. He will do what is best for us and we will be tested and in the end, we will be stronger. God has everything under control, guys. So just trust Him.

-Carter L.

Bow Ties and Believing

When holidays roll around, we all think about the traditions and fun times that are associated. For Easter, I get excited about getting on my nice khakis, a crisp, white dress shirt, a paisley bow tie, and a nice blue sport coat. Why do we focus on these things during these amazing holiday seasons?? The Son of GOD died on a CROSS for us and we're worried about buying a new bow tie or sun dress! Sure, I'm just as guilty as the next guy so we all need to get our priorites in order and realize that God doesn't care what we're wearing on Easter Sunday. All He cares about is that His Son died on a cross two thousands years ago to save OUR lives and take away our sins. And guess what?? We should be doing the same thing. We should be reflecting on what Easter is all about. We should be thinking about the pain and suffering that Jesus went through. We should be thinking about the glorious ressurection of our Jesus Christ. He did it for us, guys. For each and every one of us. We are no longer burdened by sin because our Savior, our EVERYTHING died to set us free. THAT is the real Easter. Think about it.

-Carter L.

Work Crew

As many of you know, I have a strong passion for YoungLife and I feel that it is a great tool to bring students to Christ. Therefore, I applied and got accepted to YoungLife's work crew this summer at Lake Champion in New York. I will be at Lake Champion for the whole month of June doing different jobs around the camp ensuring that things run as smoothly as possible for the students there. I could either be doing dishes for a month, doing landscaping, or other things like that. Work crew is strictly volunteer but I think it will be the greatest opportunity of my life. I'm asking for as much prayer as people can give because I am very nervous about this. I know that God has everything under control and He will definitely be close by my side for that entire month.

-Carter

It's ALL Good!

People complain about different organizations that are, supposedly, "cults" or places that all of the bad people go. One of these places is Young Life. Even though thousands of people come to know the Lord through camps and club. The reason Young Life gets the bad wrap about being a place that all of the bad people go is because Young Life is an organization that tries to get people who don't have a relationship with God to come and hopefully learn something. Who cares if it's not led by a youth pastor and who cares if it's not in a youth building?? It's led by people who love God and it's a place where friends and fellow believers come to have fun and fellowship. I'm sorry if I hurt someone's feelings but, guys, get over it! Everything doesn't have to be done by the book. If Christians were the only ones that went to Young Life then, what would be the point?? The point of Young Life is to give students a place to go on Wednesday nights that is safe. A place that they can learn things about their Creator and a place that is filled with people who love them. So be happy that people are coming to Christ and get over your own preferences and wrong ideas. Be happy.

-Carter L.

Jealousy: Is It Worth It??

Jealousy is a confusing part of the human mind. I have severe jealousy in many aspects of my life. Sure, I get jealous when my girlfriend talks to other guys and I get jealous when someone is better at something then I am. What's the point?? We always want something more. We always want to be MORE. But we will never be perfect. We'll always want something better.

Exodus 20:5 says, "You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me." God gets jealous when we "worship" other things in our lives. Whether it be our favorite band or our iPods, we ALL worship something other than God. He should be the main focus in our lives. Forget all of these worldly possessions that we cling on to for dear life! We won't have them in Heaven so, who cares?? I'm guilty of this too so I'm not writing about something I'm not guilty of. God is JEALOUS of us guys. The Lord of all creation is JEALOUS of what we put our faith into. How could we worship something other then our Father when He sent His Son to DIE for us? What are we thinking??

We'll never be perfect. But with God's help, we can sure as heck be close.

-Carter L.

Decisions, Decisions

I have always felt that I should go into the ministry in some way, shape, or form. The problem is, in what way will I serve God? Music is a huge part of my life. I love the drums and I have recently picked up guitar. So music ministry is a definite possibility. I also love working with people my age and working with kids younger than I am. I feel like going into youth ministry would be an awesome and amazing job. The real question is: can I handle it?? It seems that I may have to decide some pretty huge things in my near future.

The point of this blog is to ask anyone reading to be praying for me and my decisions on how to serve the Lord. It's a huge step to try and figure out what to do with the rest of my life and I don't want to decide spur of the moment. I need God's help and my friend's help. It's a big deal but it'll be an awesome ride.

-Carter L.