Wow, guys.  Can you believe it?  My high school life is over as of 10 am.  In a few hours I will be a student at Bryan College and my life as a child is over.  I will no longer be dependent upon my parents for food and shelter.  I will no longer be in high school.  I will no longer be home schooled.  It's weird to think about.  I don't know if it's sunk in yet.  For the past four years life has followed a certain pattern--a pattern that will no longer be.  I've made good friends and really become a part of the community that I was in.  No more co-ops.  No more youth group.  No more spontaneous frisbee games.  No more movie nights with the gang or game nights.  I'm moving three minutes down the road, but many things are changing.  Thankfully, I can still maintain a level of friendship with those still in Dayton, but I'll be living in a completely different community. Things are about to change.
   It was a good four years. I've loved my time at home, growing closer to my parents and brothers.  I've loved being a part of Westminster Presbyterian Church.  Being served by countless of brothers and sisters.  Serving in Sunday school, VBS, and worship. I've loved being a part of Westminster's youth group.  Seeing youth leaders come and go, get married and have kids.  Growing spiritually as well as relationally.  I've loved the Chattanooga co-op that I was a part of for six years.  I would be a totally different person were it not for STA.  I've loved the home school soccer team.  The piano lessons and competitions and recitals.  Most of all, I loved developing the friendships of the people here.  Being a part of hundreds of activities, frisbee games, and celebrations.  Costume parties and proms.  Camping trips and late-night woodland explorations.  Movie nights and voice recordings.  Four-square and pew beach-volleyball.  Late nights of talking and deep discussions.  The giving and receiving of gifts.  The prayers given and the prayers received.  It's been good.
   Even more, I've loved how God has used all of these things to draw me into a closer relationship with Him.  I remember a time not too long ago when I wasn't living for Him.  I wasn't obeying Him.  I didn't love Him.  However, He pulled me away from my sin and drew me into an amazing relationship with Him.  I've failed countless times, but He used those failures to strengthen my relationship with Him.  He's grown me so much!  And I know I have so far to go, but through these years He's shown me that He'll stick with me through thick and thin.  And, (hallelujah!), He'll help me stick with Him through thick and thin as well. 
   I wouldn't trade these years for anything.  But you know what?  I know it is time to move on.  Things will change.  I will change.  And it is good.  God is putting me in a new place.  I will be just where He wants me.  I know it won't be easy--high school wasn't easy!  But, looking back on His faithfulness through high school, I know that God will make these next four years exactly what they need to be. 
   Change can be hard.  It can be uncomfortable.  But never forget that everything happens for a reason.  Look to the future in anticipation, for whatever God brings at you--whatever change takes place--is the best thing for you.  God is in control and He has a plan.  Never forget that!

P.S.  Though I'm off to college, I plan on continuing to post.  I don't know if my posts will change, or if I will stick with the same direction.  Thanks you, my faithful readers, for sticking with this blog for these past two years!

A major part of any philosophy deals with who we are as individuals.  Existentialism says that your actions define your identity, whereas New Age philosophy basically says that your identity is whatever you perceive it to be.  However, I believe most humans find their identity in something else: other people.  It's a common thing for us to do--especially teenagers.  We view ourself the way other people perceive us.
   How does this mindset affect us?  Firstly, it affects how we act.  We tend to tailor our actions in such a way that others will be pleased.  We try to figure out what other people are thinking about us, and make sure that our actions will help us gain acceptance.  Why do we do this?  Because we see ourselves the way other people see us.  If someone is displeased with us, something must be wrong with us.  We want feel like we are significant, and we tend to find that significance in other people's perceptions of us. 
    Secondly, if we feel like others are displeased with us, we get all bent out of shape.  We get frustrated or sad or angry if someone doesn't like what we did, or if that person doesn't think well of us.  It tears us up because our identity and our significance are found in what that person thinks about us. 
   Does this hit home with you?  It sure hits home with me.  Many times I come home from a social event all bummed out because I felt like someone or some people don't think well of me.  This is so wrong!
   If our identity is actually found in other people's perception of us, then we should try to act in such a way that we will be liked.  We should get bummed out when someone doesn't think well of us.  But our identity isn't found in other people!  Our identity is found in Christ.  What does that mean?  It means that "you have been crucified with Christ and you no longer live, but Christ lives in you. The life you live in the body, you live by faith in the Son of God, who loved you and gave himself for you." (Gal 2:20).  Christ lives in you.  You were crucified with Him and raised with Him.  Because of this, you are now a child of God.  Who gives a flip what other people think about you?!  You are a child of God because of what Christ did for you.  You are now His, and He loves you very, very much.  He is pleased with you.  That should be enough. 
   Many times we are so focused on the temporal.  We focus on what people here on earth think of us.  However, we're told to "set our minds on things above." (Col. 3:2).  We shouldn't be concerned about other people's perception of us.  Instead, we should be focused on how God views us.  God's view of us is so much more important than man's view.  And guess what?  God loves you and He's pleased with you because you are in Christ.  Your identity is directly linked with Christ, not with other people.  You are significant because you are a child of God, not because other people like you. 
   Let's sum up.  It's so hard not to focus on how other people think of us.  However, it is so important to remember that our identity and significance aren't caught up in other people.  It isn't caught up in our actions either.  Our identity is found in being a child of God.  And God is loves His children very, very much.
  

Let me share with you some challenging lyrics from a Kieth Green song called Asleep in the Light. 

"Do you see, do you see
All the people sinking down
Don't you care, don't you care
Are you gonna let them drown

How can you be so numb
Not to care if they come
You close your eyes
And pretend the job's done

"Oh bless me Lord, bless me Lord"
You know it's all I ever hear
No one aches, no one hurts
No one even sheds one tear

But He cries, He weeps, He bleeds
And He cares for your needs
And you just lay back
And keep soaking it in,
Oh, can't you see it's such a sin?

Cause He brings people to your door,
And you turn them away
As you smile and say,
"God bless you, be at peace"
And all heaven just weeps
Cause Jesus came to your door
You've left him out on the streets

Open up open up
And give yourself away
You see the need, you hear the cries
So how can you delay

God's calling and you're the one
But like Jonah you run
He's told you to speak
But you keep holding it in,
Oh can't you see it's such a sin?

The world is sleeping in the dark
That the church just can't fight
Cause it's asleep in the light
How can you be so dead
When you've been so well fed
Jesus rose from the grave
And you, you can't even get out of bed

Oh, Jesus rose from the dead
Come on, get out of your bed

How can you be so numb
Not to care if they come
You close your eyes
And pretend the job's done
You close your eyes
And pretend the job's done

Don't close your eyes
Don't pretend the job's done."

Does that hit home with you?  You know, it's helped me analyze my own life a little.  God has called us to work for Him.  He doesn't just want us to sit around, soaking in His blessings.  He wants us to put His Word into practice.  Where is the evangelism?  Where is the compassion?  Where is the desire to edify believers?  Where is the desire to use our gifts for God's work? 
   "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young." (1 Tim. 4:12).  Though we're young, we're still called to live and work for God's kingdom here on earth.  We've been given a light.  Don't hide it under a bowl.  Go out and illuminate the darkness.  Give comfort to the mourning.  Food to the needy.  Strength to the weak.  Look around you.  You don't have to go very far to see people (Christians and Non-Christians) who are in need.  God will give you opportunities to minister to people.  Don't let them slip away.  Don't be asleep in the light.