Memorial Day

Summer goes on as it has for the last several weeks. As I look back on this school year, I can seriously say it has been the best out of any that I have ever had, for more than one reason, being: academically, concerning friendships, and most importantly-spiritually.

School this year has taught me more not necessarily because of the classes, but how it taught me to prepare for college, which in turn is what high school is for anyways. Pre-school and K-5 teach you what learning is and enable you to make it through elementary school, which prepares one for jr. high. Junior high then (supposedly) is supposed to be a pre-college prep. program and pushes you to high school. HS prepares one for college, which in turn prepares one for life.

These aspects of "preparing" (which have been redunantly used for a reason in the last couple sentences) is something that people often miss when going through any kind of school. Of course the subjects are there for a reason, and they are to be studied for and used in later life, but there is a purpose served for classes getting harder and harder as a student goes up different levels. A 6-year-old after passing kindergarten can't be expected to be dumped into a pre-med class in a university and be expected to be PREPARED for it. Why? He does not have the necessary skills developed to pass it. By the way, this is one of the reasons why 90% of university students don't go into the career that they studied for in college. College prepares you for life, in that you learn how to live (a good reason to not just try to squeak by with an easy major).

This all said, school was put into a whole new perspective realm for me this year. I am put there to learn how to live my life and prepare myself for college, not to obtain all the knowledge that I can (with the exception of Bible class). If people miss this concept, they have missed the whole point of school. (Classes were a whole lot easier to pass after thinking this through. =) )

Concerning friendships, this year-Many have been brought into my life and I have gotten to know more people on a good personal level than ever before, and most established friendships that will last a lifetime. I also had the longest real crush I had ever had on a guy... haha. =P

But, life doesn't always turn out the way that you expect, eh? I learned this past February after this certain someone was taken out of my life by God where my true life values were, and where they weren't. The struggle that I have had the past several years -after discovering that males don't actually have cooties- is keeping my focus on God and not on things that won't last. Often since then I have been asked by several if I could go back and do it all over again would I choose to have ever liked this person and experienced the events that follow as a consequence of it? To this statement, I now can honestly say, yes. Though heartbreak and being broken as a vessel before God is painful and definitely not preferable, He can work all things together for good.

From here I am going to co-paragraph the last part of friendship and spiritual things that I have learned. As I said before, once God showed where my life values lay, it brought me to repentance before Him in a way never before, with the exception of the day of my salvation. He is my all, and we are on this earth to bring glory to Him and not ourselves, are we not? I started having regular devotions, and my Lord showed me more than He ever has, probably because I was ready to accept. For the first time, I made it the whole way through the Bible. In 4 months. This is an act of God alone- and how? By placing a friend next to me in chapel first semester last year. By showing me Himself through a wonderful friend. By showing me what I should be pursuing in this life- my Lord and Saviour.

Today is Memorial Day. I am remembering God and what He has done for me- nothing that I could ever do for myself or repay Him for. Also, while the storm clouds gather far across the sea, many are pledging their allegiance to a land that is free. We must be faithful to pray for them while they are giving their volunteer service and lives for their country given by God. We remember them, but also our Lord and what He has done through countless faithful in the world's history, specifically America.
In closing to this novel I'll include lyrics to a song I learned recently:


Don't forget all He's done, don't forget vic'tries won,
Don't forget in the race He gave strength for the run.
Don't forget Jesus cares, don't forget answered prayer,
Don't forget, don't forget, you saw His hand ev'rywhere!

Remember your Lord God Jehovah,
Remember how much you were changed by His word,
Forget not the days He taught you to praise
Though hard seemed the way of the Lord.
Remember how far that He took you
When he have you a hunger to abide.
Oh, don't turn Him away, He bids you to stay
Right where you belong at His side!

How the time has flown by and the mem'ries have died--
I've forgotten the joy when in him I abide.
How I long for the day when His strength was my stay;
Lord forgive, Lord renew,
Lord, revive me today!

Remember your Lord God Jehovah,
Remember how much you were changed by His word,
Forget not the days He taught you to praise
Though hard seemed the way of the Lord.
Remember how far that He took you
When he have you a hunger to abide.
Oh, don't turn Him away, He bids you to stay,
Though dark seems your song,
The weak or the strong-
Stay where you belong at His side!


~chris~