It makes me sad...

[I hate that I'm writing about this on my birthday, but I was thinking about it the other day and I was just reminded, so I'll write while it's on my mind.] It makes me sad that people have such potential and just completely waste it. They have the opportunity to turn out to be completely awesome people and do great and wonderful things, yet they throw that all away for "the easy road" and whatever seems most enjoyable and acceptable according to our culture. Something more specific: it makes me sad that people think they have to drink to be happy and accepted. And no matter what you believe about drinking (for Christians), it is totally and completely wrong for an underaged person who claims to be a Christian to drink. Not only is it completely illegal and therefore wrong in the first place, it also puts a really bad name on Christians. This 18 year old person I know has been drinking (and getting drunk) lately, and it makes me really disappointed. Why do people think that's what it's all about? There's so much more to life. So many things are way more fulfilling... and don't make ya throw up.

Hmmm.

Please take note of the change in the left sidebar. No more 19... it's 20 now! And we had so much fun making smores at Cafe 11! That's definitely the coolest place I've ever been. Just don't order the Kava-Kava!! Allie, Quinn, and Eric can tell ya all about that! Fun times, fun times. I'm off to get some beauty sleep for my big B-day!

Going out in style...

Tonight, my friends and I are going out for my "last day as a teenager" party! I've decided we should go to Cafe 11 and make smores! We've always said we would do that, but we never have, so tonight's the night.

True thankfulness...

Tonight at our Fusion leadership meeting we were sharing with each other about specific things that we have seen God do lately or specific prayer requests that He has answered. After we shared something, we would pray for whatever we mentioned thanking God for working in that area. Holly's prayer really spoke to me because she thanked God for all the trials and hard times her family has been through lately. How incredible! That's something I know I fail miserably at doing: thanking God for the hard times because they make us stronger. True thankfulness is when we can thank God for the good stuff as well as the bad.

Listen to Leon...

Laci already mentioned this on her blog, but Leon (a guy here at Flagler, who I met at lunch today) has a radio show on Wednesdays from 9am to 11am on 88.5, Flagler radio. He asked us to spread the word, so if you're in the St. Augustine area, be sure to tune in!

Church!

I totally love my church here in St. Augustine (Anastasia) and I'm reminded of that every time I go there. Worship this morning was so fun as well as awesome! The worship band opened up the service with "The Happy Song," which Bobby plays the into of on his harmonica! He's incredible! ("The Happy Song" is the one that goes "I could sing unending songs of how You saved my soul; I could dance a thousand miles because of Your great love.") I know style is not important in worship -- it's just a matter of preference -- but I do think it's important to enjoy worship, and when you enjoy the style it usually helps. The worship band at Anastasia is so fun. If you aren't smiling when you go into church, you will be by the first song!

I'm joining the leadership team for Fusion, so I'm about to go to a leadership meeting in a few minutes. I'm way excited about that ministry. Last Wednesday was our official kick-off. There were so many people there! And not just the "church people"... there were a bunch of new faces, for which I was really excited. I love that it's so "open," by which I mean that people from all different churches from around the city come to it without feeling like they have to be members of Anastasia to come. So far it's been really good. I'm looking forward to what's to come. Later.