Birthday Challenge Day #2

I woke up when my alarm clock when off this morning, which is great...But, what's even better is that I got out of bed pretty soon after. I guess I just have to have that mindset that I have somewhere to be every morning when trying to wake myself up. We went to church and it was kicking off a brand new series, called Life Management 101. Our pastor talked today mainly about giving the control back to God in our lives; remembering that He is the owner and we are just the managers of our lives when it comes down to it. Yes, we still make all the decisions, but we have to remember that we are made in God's image and all that we do should reflect who God is. What we do in this life matters and it carries over into the next one in consequences and rewards, depending on whether we choose to follow God or stray from Him. We can't waste our lives away! It became clearer to me in that moment more than ever before, that I've been letting so much of my life go to waste- int talents and compassion with people. But, this is my year to change all of that-stop slacking and actually do something about those lists I've been making all of my life about the things I want to do. 

Later on this afternoon, there were auditions for the new youth band that my church is trying to put together. I didn't really know of what to expect, other than what time to get there and what songs might be sung, but I wasn't really sure of what else was going to happen or how it was all going to work. Luckily, I did have a couple of friends that were there, so that was nice. There were a lot of new faces, which was really cool too. I guess we're trying to mix up the groups with Jr. Hi students, high school, and college this time around. That's something that has never really been done before, so it's exciting to be one of the first to go on this journey with everyone else.
I waited around for a little while; the band set up the instruments, tuned everything, and the first group went up. After a few minutes, they'd switch groups, then it was my turn. I didn't really have to do much, just sing a few of the echoes that were in the song, and then we were done. I talked to the pastor that is in charge after I was finished about some scheduling details and things to look forward to. It sounds like it might give me a chance to have more of a leadership role, as far as mentoring other kids that are younger than me. When I first heard this, I wasn't quite sure of what to expect, and didn't think I was up for it. But, as she explained that it'd be more about encouragement, I thought it would be a great opportunity. I know what it's like to be shy and to still want to sing or to speak up and let people know what's on your mind, and I hope I'll be able to relate more in that department to help them get through this phase in their life as much as I possibly can.
I really feel like this is going to open so many doors for me and God is going to use me in BIG ways. I am expecting a lot out of this, and even if I find that this ministry isn't necessarily for me after awhile, I think it'll still be a really great experience to help me grow as a person and in my spiritual life. I'm so excited for this new season in my life, and I'm glad I took that leap of faith and just decided to do this :)

That's all for now,
Shelby