You were talking to me.

I haven't been to church in a while. I have gone about 4 times since moving to Washington a year ago. If you know me, that is NOTHING like me. I use to be at church every wednesday night and sunday morning. Anyway, when I woke up this morning, I had a feeling in my heart that I needed to go to church. So I went to the 6:30pm service at EastLake Community Church in Bothell. I honestly 100% felt like Pastor Ryan was talking just to me, like he wrote the sermon for me to put to my life. I didnt want the service to be over. I just sat in my chair wanting more. The message was on friendship. So many times I have fallen short of being a great friend, and I know that. "Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragment to those who hear them." Ephesians 4:29. One passage that REALLY hit home with me was this... "Never abandon a friend... Then in your time of need, you won't have to ask your relatives for assistance. It is better to go to a neighbor than to a relative who lives far away." Proverbs 27:10. REALLY? REALLY! I have been going through so much crap in my life over the past few months, and this verse just makes so much sense to me. I feel like I don't have close friends up here because .. well, I don't. And my family is far away. So when I hurt, or get scared, I call my parents, who live thousands of miles away. God didnt intend life to be like that. He doesn't want you to be in a spot in your life where you feel like you have no one to back you up. If I don't know where I stand with God, there will always be a wall up in my life. I will be stuck inside a spiritual vaccuum, never letting anyone in. I need to get out! Another thing he talked about was forgivness. We all know that we need forgivness every once in a while, some more then others. Not forgiving someone, and storing up biterness will destroy you. Every one of us is going to do something wrong and fall short, so we have to accept that. But what better way to help your friends be better people then to keep standing by their side when they screw up instead of saying.... well, you messed up, you lost your chance at being my friend, see ya later! NO NO NO!! What is that going to prove? If you decide to not be friends with anyone who messes up, you will eventually run out of people to be friends with. Why? Because everyone screws up at one point or another. "There are 'friends' who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother." Proverbs 18:24. "I command you to love each other in the same way that I love you. And here is how to measure it- the greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends." John 15:12-13

I am a changed person because of the message I heard tonight.
All I want to do is love people, and love every second of my life.
I am so happy, and I am so blessed.
I love you, all of you. All of my friends... no matter how often we talk or don't talk.
Stay in my life, and know that I am always always going to be here for you.


:]