Being 16

Is there anyone out there who at 16 thought it was all so surreal?  That's how I have been feeling lately.  I have my driver's license and there is a car in the driveway for me to use, and I am almost always out and about.  It seems like a normal teenage thing to do... but for some reason, it doesn't feel normal to me.  I feel like I am not 16 yet or something. 

Don't get me wrong, I love being 16 and having freedom, and being able to do what I please (within my parent's rules of course:) ), but for some reason, I just don't feel like I am 16.  Has that happened to anyone else?  I mean I am sure I will get used to it soon, but I would just like to know if there is anyone else out there who feels that way.  Maybe you felt that way when you had your first kid or when you turned 13 and became a teenager.  Maybe it was when you moved out of your house or got married or started highschool.  Is there anyone out there who has felt that everything that was happening was just so surreal? 

Comment and let me know!  Tell me I am not the only one!!! LOL... but seriously everyone should comment...

Christianity

Hello! I am Haylie.  I am 16 and I love life.  I do not do drugs or drink alcohol, or go to parties every weekend and hook up with those of the male gender.  Yes, there are girls out there that are like that.  No, I am not perfect.  I do argue with my parents sometimes and get mad at them and disrespect them every once in a while, but when/ if I realize I was wrong, I apologize.  I sometimes have a hard time making decisions or say the wrong things at the wrong time. but generally, I believe that I am on the right track.  I get good grades and I am working (for minimum wage of course).  I am happy.  I do not have a facebook or a twitter, or even a tumblr account.  I do have a pinterest and I have this wonderful blog.  I have a relationship with God and I am sure that if I were to die tomorrow, I would go to heaven because I have accepted Jesus as my Lord and savior.  So, I think that I am doing pretty well. 

I am not the only teenager like this, either!! I know, it's a little shocking.  I have friends that are like that too, though.  If you really talk to some of these kids you might find more out there like that.  You'd be surprised at how many teenagers are finding God and getting to know him.  It's not an easy thing, and you will find that many teens do still have some problems finding him and being the person that they want to be, but many of the christian "guys" and "chicks" will be some of the happiest people you meet.  There is a level of peace in finding God, even through all of the chaos and the storms you go through to get there.

I guess the point is, don't be afraid to go after God because you are afraid of the storms.  They are going to come.  It may be the most difficult thing you do in your whole life, but I guarantee that if you trust God and get to know who he is, you will find that level of peace.  You could find that you are the happiest that you have ever been.  You won't be perfect; it's just not going to happen.  Don't be discouraged because of that either, it really is okay to not be perfect.  No one is perfect, but you can still get into heaven.  You could have been the worst person in the world and done the most stupid things and gone to jail, or abused your children, or forgotten about birthdays every year, done drugs, even murdered.  If you change and find God, you will make it into heaven.  I know, it is the coolest thing ever!!!!! 

Just thought I would let the world know...

Choices

I have found that, in general, people can't seem to make up their minds.  And I know I am one of them.  We complain that certain songs are over-played, but then if it's not over-played we complain that it's not played enough.  We say that we hate when people talk behind our back, but then get mad at someone and go on some crazy rant about everything that they have done wrong in the past.  We even say that we want to be better and do what the bible says, but we end up doing something different because society tells us that church just isn't that cool.

So why is it that we can't make up our minds?  Is it just a part of our nature, or is it something that we have control of?  I went to a bible camp last weekend out in Iowa.  The speaker at this camp talked about choosing between the crowd and the cross.  I mean, clearly the cross is the right option.  In theory, it's a simple decision, but what about actually doing it? That part isn't so easy.  I think that's something we all need to work on, including myself.

Life is all about choices.  There is always a choice to make.  Whether it's an easy choice or a hard choice, we can all work on making up our minds.