I have returned!

     Hello everyone! I’m so sorry for my extremely long absence, I promise I have an excellent excuse! I have officially Graduated High School! I start college on monday (not too excited about it, but oh well…ya gotta do what ya gotta do.) I traveled to Seville Spain on a mission trip, I got my license, I started working as a cast member at Walt Disney World, I went on a cruise to Mexico, and I’ve made so many new friends. Over all it’s been an incredible summer and I’m saddened at the thought that it’s all coming to an end within these next couple of days.

     I was hoping that I could make up for my lack-of-posting by writing a really deep and long post about something really meaningful and from the heart, but right now I think you’re going to be stuck with a post pretty much just updating you on the past few months. My apologise. I promise I’ll get back to the good stuff pretty soon but for now this is what you get.

     As I previously stated, I traveled to Seville Spain in June on a mission trip with my church. I can’t even begin to put into words how amazing that trip was. I am forever changed from the short amount of time we spent over there. God moved in my life, even more so than he did in Ukraine last year. I have realized that missions is what God has called me to do. It’s what feels right to me. I didn’t want to come home from the mission trip, yes I was missing my family, but I was saddened at the thought of going home and getting back into the motions of regular life. After a week of doing all of the mission projects and hanging out with the missionaries and the International World Changers crew, I realized that this is what I need to be doing. Whether it be living internationally full-time as a missionary or working with IWC to organize trips, I don’t know yet. But I do know that this is what I want to do. This is what I feel like God is calling me to do. I’m so excited to see how God uses me in the future, whether it be missions in the US, Europe, Africa, Asia, only God knows, but I can’t wait to see where he takes me.

     On a lighter note, I’ve started working for Disney this spring. I absolutely love it. I work in Recreation (On the boat docks at Port Orleans Resort and Downtown Disney…renting the boats and bikes to guests) I’ve met a ton of great people while working, and I love making people happy, so I feel like Disney is the perfect place for me to work. haha. I’ve really enjoyed it, and I’ve made a lot of new friends. So that’s pretty much where I’ve been all summer!

     Oh! I graduated High School!! I still can’t believe it. It just doesn’t seem possible that I’ve actually reached the time in my life when I have to start growing up and taking on more responsibilities….like College. That just seems crazy to me. These past few years have just flown right by and now I’m a freshman again. Honestly, I’m really excited about this next chapter in my life. I’m excited to see what God’s going to do in these next few years of school. I’m looking forward to becoming more independent and starting to make my own decisions about my life and my future. It’s scary to think about starting college and growing up and moving on with my life, but I’m ready for it. I’m ready to get away from High School and start this new chapter. Will I make mistakes?….of course. Will I sometimes wish I was still in high school with my Mommy doing everything for me?….absolutely. But mistakes and all, I’m ready to take it on.

 

Well friends, I think i’m going to call it a night. I’m glad I finally quit procrastinating and took a few minutes to post an update. It had been on my mind for a while now. haha. But, I promise I won’t wait 4 months before I post again.

Until next time!

-Macey.

I don’t want to find love. I want love to find me.

   Lately I’ve been starting to notice that nearly all of my friends are currently ‘in a relationship’, and that’s great. They’re all happy, and I’m glad that they have someone special in their lives. Most of the couples that I’m friends with are really cute together and they’re perfect for each other, and again, I’m not complaining about it, I think it’s great and I’m happy for them. But..in my own personal opinion (and you don’t have to agree with me..) I don’t find high school relationships all that romantic.

     I’m sure a lot of these couples have found love, and who knows…they might have already found the one that God has chosen for them to spend the rest of their life with, and I’m sure to them it’s really romantic, and that’s amazing! If that’s what they want, and that’s what they have, then kudos to them, that’s incredible, but that’s not at all what I want for my love life. I don’t want to go looking for love, I don’t think that’s romantic in the slightest…..”oh, I want a boyfriend, which one of these guys can I date?”……”Oh, that guy is single, I’m going to try to get him to like me.”…..”Well, my relationship with that boy didn’t work out, let me see if I can find another single guy that I can fall for.”…Where’s the romance in that? Where’s the mystery? The excitement, the unknown, the waiting? What about those situations is special?

     I’m 18 years old. Yes, plenty old enough to be making serious decisions about relationships and dating. But I’m not seeking to find a boyfriend. You may think that I’m crazy, and that I need to get my head out of the clouds and stop watching so many old Disney movies about princes and princesses falling in love, but I know what I want in my future husband, and I have full faith that God has my perfect man in mind. I’m not going to go searching for him. I’m only 18, I have my whole life ahead of me.

     I’m not gonna lie, I sometimes want to hurry up and meet this amazing guy that God has for me. I often think about all of my friends that do have a boyfriend, and honestly sometimes I do get a little jealous. It’s very lonely knowing that they all have someone who cares for them, and they just have to pick up their phone or send them a quick text and they have someone there to listen to them and to be there for them any hour of the day. But at the end of the day, I don’t mind waiting. God knows when I’ll meet the man he has picked out for me, I don’t know if that means tomorrow, next month, next year or ten years from now. I don’t know when this guy is going to come into my life but until then, I don’t want to go looking for love. I want love to find me. (:

(I was listening to my “Tangled” soundtrack today, and this post was inspired by this song, here’s the video…enjoy!)

My Own Little World.

         Our local Christian Radio station has recently starting playing this song called “My Own Little World” By Matthew West, and I heard it for the first time a few months ago, and immediately went home and bought the song from iTunes.

    The first verse goes like this “In My own little world it hardly ever rains. I’ve never gone hungry and I’ve always felt safe. I’ve got some money in my pocket, and shoes on my feet. In my own little world, population, me. I try to stay awake during sunday morning church. I throw a twenty in the plate, but I never give till it hurts. I turn off the news when I don’t like what I see. It’s easy to do when it’s population, me.” It seems like we as Christians get caught up in the motions so often, that we can be going about life not caring at all about what really matters. We get so consumed with ourselves and our own little worlds with a population of only me. We think that if we’ve got shoes on our feet, we’re safe from harm, and we give money to our church every few months when we happen to have some spare cash in our wallets, that we must be doing pretty good. Wrong.

     The chorus of this song is goes like this, “What if there’s a bigger picture? What if I’m missing out? What if there’s a greater purpose that I could be living right now…outside my own little world?” It’s so hard for a lot of Christians to see the big picture. It’s hard to think of others before yourself. Once you’ve gone through life for so long just going through the motions, you really do start to wonder, “what if there’s a bigger picture?” There has to be more to life than just this, I must be missing something. I’ve been there before, I was going through the motions of a typical “Christian”, I went to church on Sunday morning, Went to Sunday School, I sang during worship, I took notes during the sermon, I came back to church on Wednesday night, I took notes during Youth, I sang more worship, I occasionally helped out on service projects or volunteer projects just because I felt like I had to, and one day God just started speaking to me about this subject..I’m just living life in my own little world, not really caring about the people around me, or their needs, and I was just passing through life going through these motions, and that I was missing the big picture. He has the great purpose for all of us, and so many times we don’t know that because we’re too stuck in the routine in our own world.

     The second verse goes like this “Stopped at a red light, looked out my window. I saw a cardboard sign that said ‘help this homeless widow’. Just above that sign was the face of a human, and I thought to myself ‘God, what have I been doin?’. So I rolled my window down and I looked her in the eye, Oh how many times have I just passed her by? Then I gave her some money and I drove on through, in my own little world, population, two.” Once you start to realize that this world isn’t all about pleasing you, and when you ask God to help you see what really matters, he will give you situations like this, where you’ll find out exactly what he means. Just like in this song, he was just sitting at a red light, like any other day, and he just happens to notice this homeless lady on the side of the road. I know I’m guilty of seeing people like that and not paying any attention to them. Literally, there is a person standing right beside your car in desperate need, and so many times we just pass them by without even making eye contact. The line in the chorus that says “God, what have I been doing?” really stands out to me. So many times when I catch myself starting to just go through the motions, that what pops into my head, “What am I doing?” , I’m just sitting here wasting these days only worrying about myself, when there are so many people that I could be helping right now. There are so many better things that I could be doing. Once you start living outside your own little world, and start living your life for God’s greater purpose, it’s amazing how he blesses you. You may think you’re happy with your life right now..like the first verse said, you’ve got some money in your pocket and shoes on your feet. But when you start putting yourself out there, and leaving your own little world behind, it’s crazy how much happier you are. True happiness come’s from God, and when you’re going out and doing what he has told us to do, you will start to feel that true happiness that comes from obeying God.

     Last but not least, the bridge of the song. It goes like this- “Father break my heart for what breaks yours, give me open hands and open doors. Put your light in my eyes so I can see that my own little world is not about me.” This is perhaps my favorite part of the entire song. We as Christians should always be praying for God to break out hearts for what breaks his. To give us the eyes to see like he sees, to open doors, and also to realize that our own little worlds are not about us. It is so incredibly easy to just go on about life and not care, but that’s not at all what God wants us to do, we need to have the same love for people that Jesus has, our hearts need to be breaking for these people. There are so many people dying and never knowing the love of Christ. I don’t know about you, but that breaks my heart.

     Every time I hear this song, it makes me want to help more. I struggle every single day with wanting to do things that are comfortable for me. I want to help, but I’m always hesitant to do things out of my comfort zone. I know it’s definitely something that I need to work on, and with this still being the first few weeks into the new year, what better time to start living outside my own world than now?

Thanks for reading,

Macey.

(“My Own Little World”- Matthew West.)

A Year in Review.

     I know I’ve said this before (actually I tend to say it about this same time every single year), but 2010 really flew by. I can’t even put it into words, it seems like we were just celebrating New Years of 2009, and the big turn of the decade, and now it seems like just a few short months have flown by and we’re celebrating yet another passing of a year, and a brand new beginning.

     In a way (or for me at least) the last week in December is a little sad. I often just catch myself sitting around thinking about the many memories I’ve made that year. This year in particular was so huge for me, I feel like I’m a completely different person. I’ve told myself that many times “Oh, I think I’ve definitely ’grown up’ this year.” or “I definitely think I’m wayyy more mature now.” and I’m sure I did grow up a lot in those years, but for some reason I look back at 2009 and I see myself completely differently than I do now. 2010 for me has been absolutely incredible, I’ve learned so much, I’ve experienced so much, I’ve grown so much (unfortunately not physically…I haven’t gotten any taller in years..), but I feel like I’m really starting to understand what Life’s really all about. I know next year I’ll look back on this post and laugh, but it’s the truth.

     In the year 2010, I feel as if I really started getting my act together. I’m still far from perfect, believe me I have many things I need to work on in the years to come, but just knowing that God is always there, and that he has a will for me, and he knows exactly what he wants me to do in life, and when the time comes I will discover what that is. This year I’ve really accepted the fact that God has everything under control, you just have to give it all to him and have faith that he will take care of things. I used to worry about things, even the things that didn’t really matter too much, I would often catch myself being uneasy and anxious about things, and God would kind of speak to me and I would instantly think to myself  ‘what am I doing?’ There is an almighty and powerful God up there who literally has everything in his hands, and here I am worrying about it? What good will worrying do? Over time I began to realize that more and more, and it’s so comforting to know that when you’re feeling uneasy or just having one of those days, that God is always there, and that is so comforting to me.

     I’m sure you’ve already heard me talking about this many times, but I’m going to talk about it once more…I went on my very first Mission Trip this year, to Kiev Ukraine. Not a day has gone by from the time I got home that I didn’t think about the people that we encountered on that trip. I still see their faces in my mind and I remember how I felt the week that I spent over there. The one day where we went to the small village is the day that stuck out most for me, those people had almost nothing. They lived in tiny little houses that were run down, their clothes were dirty and they were miles and miles away from any big city. Almost every night I start to think about those people, and how content they were in their tiny little houses. I look around my room and see all the stuff I have, a closet full of clothes, a big bed, a TV, my iPod, a Laptop…how selfish am I to think that what I have isn’t enough? We always want more in life, more clothes, more money, more shoes, more this, more that…and in the long run, what is any of that going to matter? I’ll tell you what it’s going to matter…nothing. This year I’ve sort of made Romans 12:2 my life verse, it says “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing or your mind.” I love that verse, and even though I still struggle every day with wanting what the world wants, I feel as though this year God has really spoken to me about that, to be content with my blessings, to look at what I have instead of what I don’t and to be able to focus on what’s going to matter in the long run.

     On a less ‘serious’ note, other things that I’ve done this year would be, FINALLY getting my Learner’s Permit! Yes, I know I’m 17 and I should’ve been driving two years ago, but who cares. I will be able to get my License on my 18th birthday in January and I’m totally thrilled about it! Also, my passion for Photography has just excelled tremendously, I shot my first wedding, and many many families as well. I hope to do this for years and years to come. Like last year, I spent 2 weeks in Georgia over the summer, and just as expected it was so much fun. That is always one of my favorite parts of my year, and I love spending time up in my hometown. As you can tell, I’ve also really gotten into this blog. I’ve had over 1,600 viewers in over 45 different countries! I’m so excited. My love for writing is something that I often forget about. There are few things that I enjoy more than sitting down with my laptop or a notebook and just writing my thoughts (when I do I usually end up sitting there writing for hours on end..haha). A few other random things are, I started my Senior Year in highschool (eeeek!), Went to Prom, Visited the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Saw Deathly Hallows at midnight with a group of friends, Had an amazing weekend at D-Now, Was blessed by the Christian Music at Rock the Universe, Made so many memories with my best friends, Made a ton of new friends, Spent a ton of time with a family that I quickly grew to love and now consider family, Saw one of my friends get married, Had an amazinggg Christmas, Read a book that changed my life (I Kissed Dating Goodbye), Read another book that didn’t change my life but I sure did love it (The Last Song), I realized I have an insane love for Italy and Alaska (though I’ve never been to either..but I will one day, you just wait and see!).

     Basically, this has been an amazing year, one that I will not soon forget. I’m very sad to see such a great year go, but I can’t even begin to imagine what next year will be like. I’ll be turning 18, Getting my Driver’s License, Graduating from High School, Getting a Job, Starting College, and who knows what else, but I’m so ready for it. I’m so excited to see what 2011 has in store for me, and everyone else for that matter. I can’t wait to see what God’s going to do in my life and in the lives of the people around me. It’s always sad to say goodbye, but it sure is great to have a new beginning, a fresh start, a brand new chapter…ahhh, I can’t wait.

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”

Well that’s it for me this year! I’ll be back sometime in January, but until then, I hope you have a fantastic New Year!

-Macey.

Trick-Or-Treating, Hogwarts, Christmas Movies and the Weather.

     Hey Friends! Sorry I haven’t posted anything in a while, I’ve been pretty busy, and was just waiting for the perfect thing to write about….(I still haven’t come up with anything. haha) So, I’m just going to wing it during this post, and just see what comes out of it. (I’m thinking it’s probably not going to be one of my more popular posts, but who cares?

    Halloween has come to pass, and let me tell you this year was pretty exciting. I dressed up like Hermione Granger from Harry Potter (I honestly was just using Halloween as a good excuse to be able to dress in a Hogwarts Uniform and run around my neighborhood without people looking at me like some kind of obsessed freak. haha) But yes, I enjoyed Halloween, it’s definitely one of my favorite Holidays. I like being able to hand out Candy to all the little kids, and get to see all the different Costumes, and of course going trick-or-treating, and getting scared by some of the houses freaky decorations. Oh, and of course dancing to a little Michael Jackson (“thrillaaa”). Overall, great night. (:

     What major holiday comes after Halloween?….Yes, we all know it, it’s THANKSGIVING!! And what does Thanksgiving represent? THE BEGINNING OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON! Yes. It’s almost official. Christmastime is coming, and it is coming fast. I had the joy of getting out all of our Christmas movies today, and putting them up on the shelf. I’m still not going to watch them until the day after Thanksgiving, but…it’s a nice feeling knowing that they’re there, and that my favorite time of year is only a couple of weeks away. (Eeeeeek!)

     You wanna know something else that I love about this time of year? The Weather. I loveeee Fall weather. But unfortunately Orlando doesn’t really have a “Fall”…for those of you that don’t know, I grew up in Powder Springs Georgia (kinda around the Atlanta area), and let’s just say Powder Springs’ Fall is completely different from Orlando’s Fall. In Orlando, it pretty much goes from 85 to 40 overnight, it’s burning up and humid one day, then suddenly *BAM* it’s Winter. I don’t know why, but that’s basically how it works. Whereas Powder Springs actually has a fall. Usually anywhere from the end of September all throughout October is just beautiful up there. The weather is perfect, the leaves change colors and fall off, you get to wear your sweatshirts, and it’s actually cold when you go out for Halloween. Basically what I’m trying to say is there’s actually a transition between Summer and Winter up in Georgia…that’s something that Orlando lacks (and that I miss dearly every time the Fall season comes around and I’m down here in Orlando). But, the Weather is nice here now, it’s suddenly decided to become Winter, and was in the 30′s this weekend! Yayy! Finally, a little seasonal change! (:

     Look at me, I’m sitting here rambling on about the weather. hahaha. I think that’s a good sign that I should close this post. I hope you enjoyed it…if not, I totally understand. I just wanted to stop by and let everyone know that I’m still here. haha. (: I hope you stop by again soon! I promise I’ll start posting more!

Until next time,

Macey.

My Beautiful Jack Skellington Pumpkin.

The Best of the Best!

     I’ve been wanting to do this for a while, and today I got pretty bored and finally got around to doing it. haha. As you know I like music, and I enjoy music countdowns. So, I have created my Top 50 Favorite Christian Songs of All-Time…..in order. haha. If you haven’t heard any of these songs, I highly recommend that you listen to them! (:

1. How He Loves- John Mark McMillan
2. You Hold Me Now- Hillsong United
3. There Will Be A Day- Jeremy Camp
4. Always Forever- Phil Wickham
5. The Inside Out- Hillsong United
6. My Offering- Third Day
7. Until the Whole World Hears- Casting Crowns
8. I Can Only Imagine- MercyMe
9. Cry Out to Jesus- Third Day
10. Empty and Beautiful- Matt Maher
11. Speaking Louder Than Before- Jeremy Camp
12. Our God- Chris Tomlin
13. Jesus Paid it All- Krisian Stanfill
14. With Everything- Hillsong United
15. Revelation Song- Phillips, Craig and Dean
16. Mighty to Save- Hillsong United
17. The Glory of it All- David Crowder Band
18. How Great Thou Art- Carrie Underwood
19. Forgiven- Sanctus Real
20. The Stand- Hillsong United
21. Get Back Up- TobyMac
22. Word of God Speak- MercyMe
23. Something Beautiful- NeedtoBreathe
24. True Love- Phil Wickham
25. Jesus Saves- Jeremy Camp
26. What Faith Can Do- Kutless
27. Your Love Never Fails- Jesus Culture
28. He Is With You- Mandisa
29. Hold Us Together- Matt Maher
30. This Man- Jeremy Camp
31. Lifesong- Casting Crowns
32. Orphans of God- Avalon
33. Washed By The Water- NeedtoBreathe
34. The Motions- Matthew West
35. What If His People Prayed- Casting Crowns
36. Let it Fade- Jeremy Camp
37. Savior, Please- Josh Wilson
38. Love is Here- Tenth Avenue North
39. God of This City- Bluetree
40. I Will Rise- Chris Tomlin
41. The Words I Would Say- Sidewalk Prophets
42. Lead Me- Sanctus Real
43. How Great Is Our God- Chris Tomlin
44. Lay Em’ Down- NeedtoBreathe
45. Times- Tenth Avenue North
46. Praise You In This Storm- Casting Crowns
47. Starry Night- Chris August
48. Your Hands- J.J. Heller
49. By Your Side- Tenth Avenue North
50. Does Anybody Hear Her- Casting Crowns

Beautiful Things.

     This week I chose, “Beautiful Things” By Gungor. It’s a great song about the beautiful things that God has created. I’m one to believe that there is beauty in everyone and I like to find that hidden beauty in different situations and in every walk of life. I actually just found this song yesterday, and I have completely fallen in love with it, and I just wanted to share it with all of you! (Also, Gungor’s whole album “Beautiful Things” is really good, you should check it out!)

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“All this pain,
I wonder if I’ll even 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 me new, You are making me new.
You make me new, You are making me new.

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

What’s Your Story, about his Glory?

      About this time, almost exactly 12 years ago, I made the most important decision of my life. I decided to accept Jesus Christ to come live in my heart.

     I was 5 years old, it was late on an October night, and My Older sister (who was 7 at the time) and I were spending the night at my Grandparent’s house. I don’t remember what all had happened that day, but it was late, and Megan and I were in the double bed in the guest bedroom. I remember we were just laying there about to go to sleep, when out of nowhere, it was like God tapped me on the shoulder and said, ‘Macey, I want you to invite me in.’, I just started thinking about Jesus, and I wanted to know how to become a Christian. I rolled over in the bed, and asked my big sister, how can I become a Christian?

     I’m sure the question totally threw her off, it was pretty late, and then I just randomly asked her a very serious question, (keep in mind that she was only 7, about to turn 8). She basically explained to me that I had to admit that I was a sinner, and I had to believe that God sent his only son, Jesus, down to the earth to die for my sins, so that I wouldn’t have to. He paid the ultimate sacrifice, and all I had to do was believe that, and then invite Christ to come live in my heart, and by his Grace, he would save me.

     Even though I was only 5, I knew that I had sinned, and I knew that Jesus had really done all of those things, and I knew that I wanted to invite Christ to come live in my heart. I told Megan, and then she prayed with me, and right there, laying in a double bed, in the guest room of my Grandparent’s house, I accepted Christ as my personal Savior.

     There is nothing like that feeling, of when you first accept Christ. I was suddenly overwhelmed with happiness, I started crying, and I jumped up to go tell my Maw-Maw and Paw-Paw. Me and Megan ran down the stairs and into the room where my Maw-Maw was, and I screamed “Maw-Maw! I just got saved!” She started crying too, and then we all ran into the Family room where my Paw-Paw was watching Tv, and I jumped in his lap, and told him, and he was so excited as well. Then, we called my parents, and I told them, and they were so happy too. I will NEVER forget that night for as long as I live.

     I accepted Christ as a 5-year-old. I have never doubted my Salvation. I’ve never questioned whether or not I was saved. I know for a fact that I am a Christian, and I know where I’m going when I die. But, it wasn’t until about 2 years ago that I really found out what’s it’s like to fully turn your life over to God. Not just to say “Oh yeah, I’m a Christian, I love God, I go to Church, I know I’m going to heaven.” But to live everyday for Him, to start having a quiet time, to study my Bible as much as possible, to spend time with Him…like really spend time with him, not just that routine prayer you recite before bed, or before a meal.

     In my earlier Teen years, I mostly looked forward to going to Church for the social time. I liked to get to hang out with my friends, and maybe sing a couple of songs. But when My family and I moved to Florida, and I started getting involved in a Youth Group, I realized that I was just going through the motions. I’d go to church, get out my bible, sit down, listen to the sermon, stand up, sing, come home, do something similar on Wednesday, then repeat the process the next week. I wasn’t growing as a Christian, and I wasn’t devoting my whole life to Jesus. After several weeks at Youth Group, I decided that I was going to make a change, and since then, I’ve devoted my life to pleasing Christ, and like Matthew West’s song says “I don’t want to go through the Motions, I don’t wanna go one more day without Your all-consuming Passion inside of me, I don’t want to spend my whole life asking, ‘What if I had given everything? Instead of going through the motions.’”. Since then, I’ve changed my Attitude, I’ve changed what music I like listening to, I’ve been on a Mission Trip, I’ve started having a daily quiet time, I feel more confident, and I have fewer Insecurities. I still make mistakes, many many many mistakes, and I still sin every single day, but I know that I have a Father in heaven, that will forgive me of every single one of those sins and mistakes, and it’s an incredible feeling. (:

     It’s amazing what God does to a person when they fully give themselves over to him. I’ve never been happier in my life. God has blessed me in so many ways, and his Glory never ceases to amaze me. If you’ve never asked Jesus to become your personal Savior. Do it. It’s the best decision you’ll ever make. Do you know where you’re going when you die? Don’t let another day go by, until you know for certain! God can’t wait for you to invite him into your life! Trust me, you won’t regret it.

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     I was listening to this song a few days ago,  it’s “Next Thing You Know” By- Matthew West and that’s what really gave me the idea to post my Testimony. It’s a great song about Matthew sharing his own Testimony through a song, and in the end he says “What’s Your Story, about his Glory?”. Everyone has a totally different story about how they came to Christ. You may have been a little kid, a middle schooler, a teenager, or an adult. There’s never a wrong time to invite Christ into your life.

     So the question that I’m going to leave you with is, ‘What’s Your Story, about His Glory? Have you found your place in the history of Grace?’

Thanks for reading!

-Macey.

(Lyrics from Matthew West- “The Motions” and “Next Thing You Know”)

“No Weeping, No Hurt or Pain…”

     I chose Hillsong’s ”You Hold Me Now” this week, because no matter how many times it’s played on the radio, or how many times you sing it at church or youth group, or play it on your iPod, or no matter how many times it get’s stuck in your head…the lyrics are absolutely incredible. I honestly get chills every time I hear it. I can’t even imagine a world with no pain, suffering, war, sorrow or darkness..that’s just how AMAZING heaven is going to be one day! There will be no more crying, death, sickness or fear! Everything is going to be perfect, and it will last for all eternity! (:

     This song for me serves two different purposes. First off, whenever I’m having a bad day, or if I’m going through a hard time, or if I know of someone I love that is dealing with things, this song serves as an encouragement that this world is temporary, and life on this earth is very short, then we will be rid of all of these problems and hardships, and it will all vanish and we’ll never have to deal with it ever again! Second, I sometimes look (or listen) to this song from another perspective…there are so many lost people out there that have no idea that there is a solution to their hardships. They don’t know how much God loves them, and how he has prepared a place for them in a land where there is no more darkness and sorrow. They feel like they have all the weight of the world on their shoulders, and they have no one to turn to. It’s so sad, and it makes me feel guilty for knowing about the Love of God, and not just going out and telling everyone I happen to run in to! EVERY single person deserves to know about the Love of God, and about the place that he is preparing for us. He wants to see all of his creation in heaven one day. Heaven is going to be beyond the comprehension of the human mind, so why wouldn’t we want to tell everyone about it?!

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“On that day when I see all that You have for me, when I see You face to face, there surrounded by your grace. All my fears swept away, in the light of your embrace, when your love is all I need, and forever I am free.

Where the streets are made of gold, In your presence healed and whole. Let the songs of heaven rise to you alone…No weeping, No hurt or pain, No suffering, You hold me now, You hold me now. No darkness, No sick or lame, No hiding, You hold me now, You hold me now.

In this life I will stand through my joy and my pain, knowing there’s a greater day, there’s a hope that never fails. When Your name is lifted high, and forever praises rise. For the glory of your name, I believe it for the day, When the wars and violence cease, All creation lives in peace, Let the songs of heavens rise to you alone!

No weeping, No hurt or pain, No suffering, You hold me now, You hold me now. No darkness, No sick or lame, No hiding, You hold me now, You hold me now.

For Eternity, all my heart will give, all the glory to your name!

No weeping, No hurt or pain, No suffering, You hold me now, You hold me now. No darkness, No sick or lame, No hiding, You hold me now, You hold me now!  We worship you Lord! You hold me now, You hold me now!”

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A few other lyrics that come to mind are Jeremy Camp’s “There Will Be A Day”

     “There will be a day with no more tears, no more pain, no more fears. There will be a day where the burdens of this place will be no more, we’ll see Jesus face-to-face. But until that day, we’ll hold on to you always.”

Some of my other favorite lyrics are the bridge of Steven Curtis Chapman’s song “Heaven is the Face”, it’s absolutely incredible, and I can’t wait for that day!

     “In my mind’s eye I can see a place where Your Glory feels every empty space, All the cancer is gone, Every mouth is fed, And there’s no one left in the orphans’ bed, Every lonely heart finds their one true love and There’s no more goodbye and no more ‘not enough’ and There’s no more..enemy. No more.”

Lastly, there’s that song that almost all of you probably know, the classic MercyMe, “I can Only Imagine”. I’ve heard this song probably over a hundred times, and yet it still gets to me every.single.time. Wow. I’d like to post the whole song, but I’ll just share the chorus, if you by any chance haven’t heard any of these songs that I’ve listed I highly recommend that you do!

     “Surrounded by Your Glory. What will my heart feel? Will I dance for you Jesus, or in awe of You be still? Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall? Will I sing Hallelujah? Will I be able to speak at all? I can only imagine.”

“Your Love NEVER Fails.”

     This week I chose, “Your Love Never Fails” By- Chris Quilala (Jesus Culture). This is one of my favorite Christian songs, the lyrics bring a smile to my face every time I hear it. (:

     As you’re reading these lyrics, try to take in what they’re saying. God’s love for us is beyond measure, and hopefully these words will help put it in perspective for you. His love never changes, it NEVER fails, No matter what we do or say, God will ALWAYS love us! Isn’t that crazy?! Even when we’re struggling with sin, or having a bad day, he’s there and he loves us. He’s always there when we need him, and he makes all things work together for our good! When we’re going through a hard time in life, he sees the big picture, and he’s going to turn your troubles and hardships into something good! There may be pain in the night, but Joy comes in the morning, because our Father in heaven is looking down on us, and even in our worst hour, his love is still present. Wow. That is truly incredible to me!

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“Nothing can separate, Even if I ran away, Your love never fails. I know I still make mistakes, But You have new mercies for me everyday, Your love never fails.

 You stay the same through the ages, Your love never changes. There maybe pain in the night, but joy comes in the morning. And when the oceans rage, I don’t have to be afraid, Because I know that You love me, Your love never fails!

 The wind is strong and the water’s deep, But I’m not alone in these open seas, Cause Your love never fails. The chasm is far too wide, I never thought I’d reach the other side, But Your love never fails.

 You stay the same through the ages, Your love never changes, There maybe pain in the night, but joy comes in the morning. And when the oceans rage, I don’t have to be afraid, Because I know that You love me, Your love never fails!

 You make all things work together for my good!”