Quiz Time!

I am so a sucker for quizzes. Whenever I read a magazine I always save the quizzes for last because they are so fun to read. Ugh... they are so much fun!
So for all of you quiz addicts out there, this is for you.

What's Your Personality Christian Wise?
(please be as honest as you can)

1. You see a homeless person on the edge of the road, holding up a sign that reads "No home."

A. Try to stop staring and keep your eyes on the front of the road. Homeless people creep you out.
B. Make the Sign of the Cross and start to pray for the person's well being.
C. Ask your mom if you can give the person some money or food.
D. You're too busy playing on your iPhone to even notice.

2. As your walking into school you see a sign-up sheet for volunteering at the local food kitchen. You-

A. Quickly glance at it but decide that Tuesday is your only free night.
B. Take a moment to ponder and make a note to think about it later.
C. Immediately sign up and call a few of your friends over to look at it also.
D. Look to the sign above it that seems more interesting.

3. You're at a sleepover when a friend suggests that you all should watch a popular movie that's rated R. You-

A. You try to protest quietly but stop when your friends give you the evil eye. You're going to go to the bathroom on the bad parts anyway.
B. Start reasoning against it and feel very happy once the mom comes down and suggests something else.
C. Politely decline and change the topic to another movie.
D. Try to stop them but nothing comes out. So you just shrug your shoulders and agree.

4. A local pro-life rally is happening near your and you're parents dragged you to it. You-

A. Whine and complain the whole time and don't participate at all.
B. Don't say anything and mumble along to the prayers.
C. Feel kind of disappointed but try to make the best of it.
D.  Start to whine and complain but stop once you get there.

5. Food drive time! Your school is participating in the local food drive. You-

A. Hope that there will be enough donations without you.
B. Bring in a bag of toothbrushes that your mom had extra of.
C. Get some money out of your pocket and buy a few boxes of pasta from your local grocery store.
D. Ask for a donation from your friend at school on the last day the drive is happening.


If you picked mostly A's...
You move along with the crowd too much and kind of stick in the background in your comfort one. Next time there is something you can help out with, get out of your comfort zone and do it! If peers are pressuring you to do something that you know if wrong, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to make good choices, no matter what your friends say. Don't be afraid to go against the wave.

If you picked mostly B's...
You like staying on the sidelines and helping anonymously and you don't like being the center of attention or participating a lot. Start small but grow a little bigger. Once people see you participating, they will want to too! Be a role model for your peers.

If you picked mostly C's...
You like to stand up for what you know is right and help others. Tell your friends about all of the projects you are doing to help, and you all can help out with it!  Don't be afraid to listen to God for what He wants you to do.

If you picked mostly D's...
You try to act cool but your inwardly lamenting your fate whenever your parents drag you somewhere that you don't want to be. Ask God to give you an open heart and try to enjoy things! You never know when you might find a new hobby that you like doing or fun ways to help people.

So how was it? I took the test and I think I'm B. Our goal is C, to be like Christ. If you're there, awesome! Like it said in the description, now your job is to evangelize and tell others!
If your not quite there like me, take some time to pray and ask God how you can become a role model for others. It might be hard, but hopefully this quiz might make it a little fun!

All through Christ,
Maddie

God Loves You

I don't have all the time in the world so I am going to keep this short. But I just want to share something with you that really helps me when I'm down.

God.
Loves.
You.

At my camp that I will be frequently talking about there is this little social time where you are with everyone in the camp and you can talk and play games, etc. So I was talking with my friends when I feel a little ball of paper blow on my lap. I unravel it and smile at the words.

God.
Loves
You.

Three short words that can really make your day a whole bunch brighter if you think about it. Because if you feel like no one in the world loves you, you can't deny that God  doesn't. I mean, everyone does love you but God loves you the most of all.
He created you.
Yes, you hiding behind the screen.
And you know why?

God.
Loves.
You.

So we should love Him back with all of our hearts, souls, minds and strengths. But sometimes that's hard to forget. But believe me, you can't forget worse then my. I diagnosed myself with short-term memory loss, and I'm in a Restoring Your Memory class with Dori. (anyone catch the Finding Nemo reference? :))

So if you like me you need some reminding, And thankfully I remembered today that God loved me! Yay!
So go out and tell the world that. (I find the best way is to leave a note in a random page of a library book with a note that reads God loves you. Don't put it in every book, otherwise angry librarians would be at your tail. But maybe a few, when you have the inspiration.)
Three words.

God.
Loves.
You.

All through Christ,
Maddie

Steal my Show

Christian radios are so inspiring. Well, for blog ideas anyway. :)

If you know TobyMac, then you'll recognize one of his latest hits, Steal my Show. A very good song with a very good meaning. Here is his the YouTube video. All rights to TobyMac.

When I first heard this song on KLove, I wasn't really paying attention to the lyrics. I was like "Wow, cool beat, I love TobyMac," Then waited for the next song to come on. But since I have heard the song a few more times I have listened to the lyrics more carefully and fully understood what it meant.

Basically TobyMac is talking about how he wants God to steal his show. Because God is... God, ya know? We want Him to control our lives and steer us in the right direction. God made us so we could praise Him and join Him in heaven! (Right now I can just see a party starting...)

So basically through everything we do, we should give glory to God. Because it all started with God, right? He made us, gave us these awesome super powers to use for the greater good of the world. Techinically speaking, it isn't us at all, but God let's us have some credit.

As you might already know, I am an actress. (Where are you going with this? Yeah, I'm asking myself the same question.:) The theater I belong to is called CYT- Christian Youth Theater. And one of the number one things we learn, even before the acting stuff, is all of this is for God.

One of my favorite directors, Sam* is one of the most God-fearing, Christ-loving people I know. Every show I have been  in with him, he always talks about how we were made to praise God and give everything up to Him. My favorite thing that he has said was about giving God all the glory.

He said when your on the stage at the end of the show and everyone is applauding for you, you need to take a "mirror" hold it out in front of you, and let the praise bounce off and go to Heaven so God get it.

And just the way he said it, and how the room got quiet and the emotional particles flying around into my eye made me want to cry. Because then I realized how selfish we human beings are, caught up in all the glory when God should be getting it.

Another great example is one of the traditions at my Catholic diocesan camp. Camp has a lot of little...sayings, I guess you could call it. Like whenever a speaker would say "so" the whole camp would reply "sew, a needle pulling thread! Eek! Eek! Eek! Sewing machine." And so (sew, a needle...;) on and so forth with commonly used words. Even if there is some competition between two cabins, a cheer is used. We go "Competition? WHAT? Jesus is number one! Competition? WHAT! Jesus is number one!" And we're all standing up and jumping around and yelling like normal people and it really reminds you that Jesus is number one. Any grudges or complaints that I held against fellow competitive campers is washed away, knowing that there's a person who I actually like taking the winning spot.

It might take some time and effort to realize that yeah, it's all God. We should give the glory to God, we should hold up that mirror, we should tell Jesus He's number one. So I challenge you the next time you compete, whether it be sports, school, acting, whatever, let God steal the show.

*=All names are fictional for privacy purposes.

Newspaper

All my life I have wanted my school to have a newspaper that the kids are writing. I mean, there is a newsletter that the principal puts together but not an actual newspaper. And this year when I looked at the elective list I was so excited to find that an option was newspaper! So I signed up and got in, and so far we have had two meetings.

All of the kids doing it are seventh graders, so I know everyone. There are two different groups: one on Monday and Thursday and one on Wednesday and Friday. (I finally spelled Wednesday right!) I am in the latter group, and surprisingly we met first. The first little meeting thing-sha-bob was really fun, we brainstormed the whole time. And if you know me, you know that when I get into something, I get really into something. I was all over the place, making suggestions, going to other groups who were brainstorming and asking what they thought. Let's just say after that class I was  pumped.

The next class we got to pick the jobs, and guess what I was chosen for? The faith column! I wanted to be editor, but the faith column was my next choice! What I was planning for if I did get in the faith column, I would pick something from my blog and put it in there, and maybe at the bottom add the address, and wahlia! Advertising! (my dad would be so proud!)

So even though I was a mite disappointed that I wasn't editor, I planned to make the best of it. (I guess I have improved from the last time). And then my teacher said that we're probably going to need more editors, so if anyone wanted to be one they could ask.

And there it was! My golden opportunity! Or more silver, I guess. So I raised my hand and asked if I could be editor along with someone else, and my teacher said yes. If I was pumped before, now I was blowing out of air with excitement.

But wait, there's more! (I sound like a commercial now...)

Only one person was in the faith column, and even though there would be another group, my teacher switched me to faith and editor. How much better could it get? I get to edit peoples stories and talk about God! I don't think I could even answer that question.

The only thing that I might have trouble with in the newspaper is the large group. There's around 35-40 people in all, all working for one newspaper. It's going to be pretty chaotic, but I hope I can handle it.

If you are ever offered the opportunity to work (or write, edit, take pictures or anything else, I guess) for your school newspaper, I would suggest doing it. There are so many different jobs and for each one you can incorporate God, your life, and your opinions in it. What better way to evangelize?

Also, its pretty educational. (I bet that reason just made you send an email to the newspaper, asking if there is an opening. :))

I will definitely let you know once the newspaper is out, and pray it will go okay!
So, ta-ta for now readers!
All through Christ,
Maddie