/journal entry I / cast your anxiety on Him

The blue is information that I didn't write in my journal, but I added so you guys wouldn't be confused. Other than that, this all comes straight out of my journal. Have a blessed, and stress free week, and don't forget to cast your anxiety upon Christ.

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Sunday, March 8th, 2015
6:30 PM
Weary (I always write down one word that describes my emotions at the end of the day.)

God,

It's been a lonnng week, and I am sorry for neglecting to write. This whole play thing (I helped direct a 7th grade play at my school, and it was show week when I was writing this entry.) was beyond stressful and that's just another package on top of 8th grade, high school, driving, relationships, etc. It's getting hard to juggle God. Some of the packages are falling off, and everyday it's getting harder to pick them back up. I don't know if I can bear this much weight for the rest of my

life.

But I know what to do. When I was anxious about Tekakwitha (an overnight camp, I get stomach anxiety sometimes) last year, I remember giving it all to You, and look how it turned out. (very well indeed.)

So here God, take away my tired, weary soul. Fix the cracks in my heart, help me be excited for graduation, not stressed out about high school. Help me look forward to our talks, not dreading to get up early. let me have an open heart to change. Help me find time throughout this every-busy week and life to seek You, to rest in You... Here I am LORD, take it away and make something beautiful out of my hurt, and my heart because that is what you love to do: make the broken beautiful.

(This is one of my favorite worship songs, and I just felt called to write it down in my journal.)

I lean not on my own understanding

My life is in the hands of the Maker of Heaven

 

I give it all to You GOD
trusting that You'll make something

beautiful out of me

 

I give it all to You GOD

trusting that You'll make something

beautiful out of me

 

So I will climb this mountain

with my hands wide open

 

I will climb this mountain

with my hands wide open

 

I will climb this mountain

with my hands wide open

 

There's nothing I hold on to

Nothing I hold on to

Nothing I hold on to

 

Nothing I hold on to

Nothing I hold on to

Nothing I hold on to

 

 

"Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you."

1 Peter 5:7

 

"Come to Me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yolk upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest in your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light. " Matthew 11: 28-30

 

 

I think what this means is that You aren't going to take our sins, our faults, and our burdens and make them vanish. We are always going to have to carry a yolk, for we are sinners. But it's YOUR yolk that is easy and light. We will still be carrying burdens, yes, but You are right along besides me, whistling a happy tune, encouraging me when the road gets bumpy.

 

6:55 PM

I don't know if I feel peace yet or not, but that felt good. :) The writer/metaphorical person in me came out. Thank you God for being my coat holder.

 

-Madeline

 

How can I Keep from Singing?

Everyone has their favorite way of  relaxing. For some it is to watch their favorite television show, and for others it is going on a run. (Bless you people who have the energy to get out of the house to sweat… I applaud your courage.) For me, it’s music. I either play my guitar and sing random songs or shove some earbuds in my ears and turn up my favorite tunes. Either way, it relaxes me.

Since this is a Catholic blog, I turned this into my favorite religious songs. If you would like to hear some of my favorite general songs, just let me know in the comment box below.

Also, my taste in music may vary from yours. I am a very musically emotional person, which pretty much means that I like music that makes me feel something deep. So most of these songs are slower than some of you may like, but I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

1.     You Raise Me Up- Josh Groan

This is such a classic song, you should be ashamed if you have never heard it. Haha, I’m just messing with you. But seriously, who hasn’t heard this song! It is one of those few songs who have an amazing tune, and the lyrics match the same level of amazingness. There are so many versions out there, but Josh Groban is my man in this case. That man’s voice is literally flawless.

2.     Draw Me Close to You- Michael W. Smith

This song has a very deep meaning to me. During my time in Tarzan, it was a very frequent worship song. When our beloved friend and fellow cast member passed away during that show, this was our go to song. Again, the lyrics are amazing. This song is an anthem of our  need and inner desire to love and know God. It is so powerful.

3.     Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)- Hillsong

This song has really climbed its way up the ladder of "Most Frequently Played on K-Love" in my standards. And it is for a perfectly good reason, because it is such an emotional and beautiful song. This song really talks about trusting in God and how we call upon Him in tough times while keeping an ocean symbolic theme, which is pretty great.

4.     Go Light your World- Chris Rice

If you are looking for a song of inspiration, this is

 totally it! This song never fails to inspire me when I want to do something big but I have some restraints. The whole song is a metaphor of candles, which makes the song very interesting and powerful. The image you get when you hear this song cannot be copied. Great song, great message.

5.     Even if I Fall- Mike Coward

(sorry, that's the best video I could find)

This is another frequent song that we sing during worship time during musicals. It is a 

very simple song (it does have some duet parts though, which I find amazing) but it is great. It talks about how even in the midst of hard times, we will always know that God is there.

6.     He Loves Us- David Crowder Band

And yet another worship song! There is nothing else to say but this song describes almost perfectly the amount of love God has for us. So beautiful.

7.     Completely- Among the Thirsty

This is a rather new song, and has because my second favorite worship song of all time, even though I don’t sing it at my theatre. This song talks about how we are compeletely giving our selves through Jesus. I cant really explain how beautiful and amazing and sooo powerful this song is. It is literally describing how we are stripping our selves down to our bare morals and saying “God, make me Yours.” It describes my faith life.

8.     Lord I Need You- Matt Maher

this is my all time favorite worship song of all time. I have a pretty amazing story that is behind it too. So when I first heard it on K-Love, I thought it was one of the most boring songs ever. I would change the channel whenever I heard it. Then when I attended my local Catholic summer camp, they played this song and I heard it in a totally new light. I felt like Matt Maher took my deep spiritual desires and morphed it into a simple, beautiful worship song. Like the title shows, this song just shows our need for God. Every time I hear it, I tear up. When I am having a bad day, I turn this song on. When I need help, I innerly sing this song. It is my Anthem for life.

Another cool story about this song comes from a local band. They always give concets at my school and the summer camp, and they always share this story.

So the guy who wrote this song, Matt Maher, was asked to sing this at World Youth Day. As you know, millions and millions of people travel across the globe to go to World Youth Day. Think of how nerve-racking that would be, to sing a song in front of millions of people! Matt Maher did it, but in the most humble way possible. He turned away from the audience toward the tabernacle, and knelt down directly in front of the Eucharist. It was just him, his guitar, and his love for God.

I hope you enjoyed this little summary of my favorite worship songs. Be sure to comment down below your favorites, and not forget to tell me why! :) Thanks and have a great week! 

All through Christ,

Maddie

after emptiness follows God

Author's Note: This is an original poem, written by your's truly. :) Enjoy, and comment if you feel inspired. 


after anxiousness follows peace

after hate follows love

after despair follows hope

after emptiness follows God

every adjective has a counter-part

every feeling has an opposite
it is up to you to find which one to choose

anxiety or peace?

hate or love? 

despair or hope?
emptiness or God? 

they are two sides of the same coin of emotion

there is consciousness of what is right

and there is pressure of what should be right

there Satan whispering insecurity in your ear

and there is God sighing hope and love

which one will  you choose? 

insecurity or security?

regret or comfort? 

for God so loved the world

 He gave His children free will

for God so loved the world

he gave up His only Son

who suffered and died for us

all so that we could choose to say 

"yes"

how beautiful is the love that doesn't force

how beautiful is the love that never will punish

only love

only beautiful selfless love

how lucky are we

to be able to choose love against hate

light against darkness

how lucky indeed

after  anxiousness follows peace

after hate follows love

after despair follows hope

after emptiness follows God

5 Fast Ways to Add God Into Your Life

Sometimes we have those days where we feel like the holiest person on Earth. We got our morning and evening routine down, we participate fully and Mass and we preach the Gospel like tomorrow is the Second Coming. And then the next day.... it's back to square one.

Sometimes it's the small God Moments we add (and allow) in our lives that make our spiritual lives that much better. So here are five simple ways to add God to your life.

Persisting is hard, but it has so many amazing benefits. Think of the Grand Canyon. It didn’t use to be that huge, it probably started with a small river. Over time, the river eroded the rock to form the beautiful, vast Grand Canyon we know today. Or you can compare it to something as simple as school. If you study and keep participating in your class, your grades will go up!

All big things start with little actions. So start your beyond-big relationship with God with small acts of love!


1. Start the morning with prayer. Now you can take the word "prayer" any way you would like. For one person it might been an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be. For another person it would be a quick "Please (insert petition here) and thank you (insert gratitude here). And then there's people who spend 20 minutes reflecting over a Bible passage. Whatever you feel is most comfortable, do it. It doesn't have to be lengthy, it just has to be meaningful.

2. Pray in public. When I say this, I don't mean get down on your knees and start yelling to God in the middle of the mall. I mean at the beginning of your baseball tournament or before a big test, shoot a small prayer to God. A little goes a long way!

3. Don't forget the Sign of the Cross. The Sign of the Cross really opens and starts any time your are hanging out with God. So make sure you begin and end with this amazing symbol to God. Anything you do will be in "the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,".

4. Bible Verses on Your Window. After you finish reading this post, take a couple of minutes to write down your favorite Bible verses (and quotes) and write them on some sticky notes. Then stick them anywhere where you will seem them often- such as a mirror in your room or bathroom, or in your locker at school. That way you can always be reminded of God throughout your day.

5. God Moments. Right before you go to bed, try to think of a few times where God was present throughout your day. Just thinking about it can help you start a meaningful and friendly conversation with God. Flip it around, and try to be someone else's God moment during the day! Even a small smile or compliment can totally change someone's life around.

I hope you learned something! I know I did by just writing this post! :) Have a great rest of your week!

All through Christ,

Maddie

Please Pray

 

One of the things I love about being Catholic (or just Christian in general) is that you really can reach out to your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and ask them to pray with/for you. This is one of those times, my dear friends. I have a few major prayer requests that I ask you to add in  your daily prayers.

-NOTE- I am not including any names for the sake of privacy. Thank you for your understanding.

Firstly, the cousin of my friends was recently diagnosed with cancer. He is only six years old. It is so hard to imagine a child at such a young age to go through such a hardship. Please pray for him and his family as they are preparing for this long, hard journey ahead of them.

Father, we ask that you please bless this little boy and his entire family. Help all the doctors, nurses, etc. to do their very best in taking care of this child. Please bless the family with your grace and mercy. Amen.

 

 

One of my friend's aunt recently underwent a major surgery. She has already had this surgery, and the last time it was performed she was in the hospital for 4-5 weeks. She has two young daughters and a husband. She is doing well so far, but please pray for a speedy recovery.

 

Father, we ask that you please watch over this wonderful wife and mother. Please help all doctors, nurses, etc. to do their very best in taking care of her. Please bless her family and friends with your grace and mercy. Amen.

 

 

Finally, my family and I recently found out that our parish priest of many years was diagnosed with kidney cancer. He is a wonderful priest that is kind and loving to all parishioners. He will be gone from our parish from awhile. Please pray for the best treatment possible and a fast recovery.

 

Father, we ask that you please bless this amazing priest. Please help al doctors, nurses, etc. to do their very best in taking care of him. Please bless his family and friends with your grace and mercy. Amen.

 

 

 

If you guys have a prayer request that you would like me to pray as well, please don't be afraid to send me an email or write me a note in the contact box. Either way, it would be private and only I would read it. (If you leave a note in the comments, the public can see it).

 

Thank you so much for praying with me!  Have a great rest of your week!

All through Christ,

 

Maddie

VBS Inspires Kids... and Teenagers?

Next week is Vacation Bible School (VBS) for my church. It is offered for incoming preschoolers to incoming 6th graders. I have helped teach the music aspect of VBS since I was an incoming 6th grader (yes I was a early bloomer XD) and ever since I have participated in it! The songs are cheesy, and the stuff they learn very simple, but even then I love it. It is a great way to see God through young kids! Since I work music, I can see all of the little ones (and of course, the bigger ones). Although they don't know it, the little ones really do inspire me!


Last year when I was working I had a group of incoming preschoolers and kindergarteners. They were so cute and very focused on learning the music and hand motions unlike the fifth graders. One little girl with cute pig tails was right in the front, watching my every move along with my leader. She had the biggest smile on her face and melted my heart! After they learned a few songs, she decided to come up and teach with me. So there was this cute little kindergartener standing right up there with me, a huge smile on her face and "teaching" her peers. Soon after, a few more kids joined us. By the end of the class, the whole group of preschoolers and kindergarteners were up there teaching their crew leaders. It was the cutest thing I have ever seen. And of course, they thought it was the coolest thing that happened all day. (I thought it was too. :) )

Another thing that happens at VBS is the director offers for some of the kids to come up and say their "God moments." Most of them just want to go up and hear themselves talk so they say things like "Trees, my mom, milk," things like that. It is true! Sometimes I do see God in milk! :)

But then one day my leader for music comes up to me and tells me a story about a young boy whose dog of many years just died. Our theme for the camp was "Stand strong for God" that year. So this little boy goes up to his mom and says "Don't cry mommy! Stand strong for God!" Oh my heart just burst with joy. These little kids are really learning so much, and I have learned a lot from them !

The faith of a child is unshakeable. Their innocence and love for God is obvious through their actions and words. If you really take the time to talk to them, you can see that. But remember, you are the one(s) influencing them. Whether you help out with VBS, babysit, or just talk to them you are influencing them. So take that time to help them become closer to Jesus! They will grow up remembering what they have learned, and then they will share with others.

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(UPDATE)

Wow, has the week gone by quickly! :) VBS was a great experience although very tiring. The kids were great and the music, although still cheesy had a great message.

Another powerful thing that occurred during VBS happened at the showcase. The showcase is where the kids sing all the songs they have learned throughout the week to their parents. It was a very fun time and cool to see them singing and dancing with a smile on their faces.

But anyway, at the end of the showcase, the VBS director came up and asked for a certain mom out there to come up on the stage. This wonderful mom will eventually have a big surgery on her spine. Last time she had this surgery, she had to stay in the hospital for  4- 6ish weeks. She has two daughters, both under the age of 10.

 Once she came up to the stage, we all prayed over her. It was a very cool moment to see all these hands (big and small) raised over her in prayer.

Power of prayer, people.

So that really shows you what a small week of VBS can do for people! If you have one coming up, don't be afraid to sign up to help. You're evangelizing and doing stewardship at the same time! (well, I guess that is the case for most volunteer work).

Have a great rest of your week!

All through Christ,

Maddie

Holy Week (Lenten Series Part Four)

Well, guess what week is sneaking up on us? Holy Week of course! Holy Week is the week before Easter, and very well the most important week of our Catholic faith. It starts on Palm Sunday and ends on Holy Saturday. There are many different days and traditions in between such has Holy Thursday and Good Friday.

I know as personal experience, this week is one of the most impacting-faith wise. It starts off so joyous since Christ the King is coming in on a donkey, and everyone is shouting "Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest!" but then it slows down a bit until we come to Holy Thursday, and then it really stops on Good Friday.  If you aren't for certain what we do on these days, be not afraid! I will show you the stepping stones. :)

Palm Sunday: Like I mentioned before, Palm Sunday starts out very joyous. There is very happy, exciting music as the priest processes in. I know sometimes our children's choir process in as well, singing the opening song. We all have palm branches in our hands... why? Well first off, that's what the people did thousands of years ago when Jesus was the one who processed on a donkey. They wanted something to lay down to "revere" him, so they grabbed palms off nearby trees and laid down coats, blankets, etc.

I have heard (and wondered) about this question many times. Why would the Jews turn on Jesus so quickly at his Passion when they just were worshipping Him? The answer I have received was the Jews expected Jesus to be a war general. They wanted a leader to lead them into battle against the harsh Romans! But, as we all know, Jesus did not come to the earth for that reason. He is a war general though...  a war general against sin. So as you can imagine, the people were greatly let down and decided to turn against Him.

So that's why Palm Sunday gets a little sadder as the Mass wears on because the joy wears off. We come to realize that Jesus' death is actually coming closer and closer, and we need to prepare ourselves for it.

For the actual scripture passage, click here.

Holy Thursday: I love this Mass. It is so cool to see the priests humble themselves and wash the feet of the parishioners! Although it is not a Holy Day of Obligation, it really is a "must see" I guess I could say. This tradition started out from the Bible story that we all know. On the night of the Last Supper, Jesus cleaned the disciples feet. The disciples were surprised because they thought they  should wash Jesus' feet! But no, Jesus did it as an example for the disciples. This was the last time he would enjoy a meal his disciples before his brutal death. What do you think Jesus was thinking? How would you feel if you knew this was the last meal you would ever have with your friends and family?

For the actual scripture passage, click here.

Good Friday- For my last installment in my Lenten Series, I will be going over Good Friday as well as Tre Ore. So for this post, I will just give you a quick summary. :)

Good Friday is one of the most reflective times of the year in the Catholic church. It is the only day where the candle that shows Jesus' presence is not lit (excluding part of Holy Saturday) and also communion is not consecrated on that day. Good Friday is a day of fasting, repentance and reflection.

Holy Saturday: Techinically, on Holy Saturday there also is no Mass since the Easter Vigil is apart of Easter Sunday. That it the "technical"reasoning. Right at dark, the Easter Vigil Mass starts. And let's just say, if you have never been to an Easter Vigil Mass, you better put it on your bucket list. :) Many people are a little wary of attending this Mass because of it's length. Yes, it may be about twice as long as a normal Sunday Mass, but it still is a beautiful service. There are numerous readings and pslams filled with symbolic thinking. At the beginning of the Mass, everyone is handed a candle (or this is how they do it at my church). There is this big candle that the priest lights at the beginning, and a few people light their individual candles from it. Then it becomes a train of passing on light from one candle to the next until the whole church is flooded with candle light. It is so cool! The only light source is from our candles, and you can see people's faces glowing.

That isn't the only cool part about Easter Vigil. New believers are baptized, confirmed and some even receive their First Communion! It is so cool to see humans older than newborns baptized into the faith.

This is a very very cool experience that you do not want to miss out on!


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So how can you make this Holy Week a good one? First off, focus more on prayer. Prayer is the power source this week. Also, try going to Stations of the Cross! It is a beautiful, inspiring way to really feel what Jesus felt during the Passion. For a link to a wonderful post on the Stations of the Cross, click here.

I wish you all a blessed and wonderful Holy Week!

All through Christ,

Maddie

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Works Cited:
Hostetter, Aaron. "2013 Life Teen Annual Appeal: Expect Miracles." LifeTeencom for Catholic Youth. LifeTeen.com, n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2014.
Richert, Scott P. "Holy Saturday." About.com Catholicism. About.com, n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2014.
Richert, Scott P. "Palm Sunday- Solemnity of Palm Sunday." About.com Catholicism. About.com, n.d. Web.

PAF: Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving (Lenten Series Part Two)

PAF: Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving.

These are the three "pillars" to Lent, and if you follow through with them, they should make your Lent all the more sweeter. The words can seem kind of overwhelming sometimes. I mean, fasting? I love food; I don't know if I could go without a snack! :) Okay, maybe a snack but still. And almsgiving? What even does that mean?

Well dear readers, continue on to find out. :)

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Lenten Tip #2:

PAF is the way to go this Lent.


Prayer: I am pretty sure that we all know what prayer is. But incase you need a reminder, prayer is the direct telephone line to our Creator. Sometimes we abuse prayer by making it a one way conversation. Or a "I want this, and this, and this and oh yeah, this too" conversation. I mean, who likes that?

• Focus on making prayer both ways. Listen to God this Lent, reflect on what He is trying to tell you. Sit in your bed and take deep breaths. Try to not think about anything, just focus on God. If you are like me, you'll have a horrible time concentrating. What I do is repeat the same verse over and over again and think of one specific image. Most of the times, I think Holy Spirit guide me. Or Jesus, help me. Something short and sweet that will help you in your concentration.
• Aim for spending 10 minutes a day with God. This is very hard, let me tell ya. But it really gives you a sense of peace when you just spend 10 minutes out of the 1440 you have each day with God. You don't even need to prepare anything! Just grab your Bible and spend some time talking to God. (and listening, of course. :) )

Almsgiving: Don't feel dumb if you don't know what this word means, I didn't either until my religion teacher told me. Whoops. :) Anywho, according to the Google dictionary, almsgiving is

"Making voluntary contributions to aid the poor."

My definition of almsgiving is pretty much stewardship: taking time out of your day to help others.

• Volunteer at a nursing home, food kitchen, etc. for just an hour. It is amazing what a difference you can make in people's lives with just an hour of work. The time will pass by so quickly, you won't notice. Look around your local area to find any places in need of volunteers.
• Bring along some friends! My advice to you if you think almsgiving is boring, is grab some buddies. It will make it even more fun! To top it off, the place you are volunteering for is getting more help.

Fasting: Out of all of them, this one sounds the most intimidating, no? :) No one likes giving up food! But when you really think about it, that's not all that fasting is. Fasting is mainly giving up something that is good to us to reflect on how Jesus suffered. Whether it be meat on Fridays, your mom's brownies or just overall fasting, each gets us graces from God.

• Don't feel like you have to starve. Fasting isn't meant to starve yourself, fasting is just so you can get a glimpse of what it's like without something you love. If you are hungry to the point of feeling sick, eat something! God doesn't want you to pass out.
• The "Proper" Fasting Routine. If you are really feeling ambitious, you can follow the "proper" fasting routine for Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and any other day you feel like you need to sacrifice something. Two small meals and one medium-biggish meal is what I would recommend growing teenagers to go through. Personally, I do a small breakfast, biggish meal and small dinner. Try to only have one serving or skip desert.
  

Ever feeling down on your Lenten Promise(s)? Just remember PAF and you'll be set!

Praying for you all in your Lenten journeys! :)
All through Christ,

Maddie

RESOURCES: 
http://catholicism.about.com/od/catholicliving/p/Fasting.htm

https://www.google.com/search?q=google+dictionary&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:IE-Address&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7NDKB_enUS531#q=almsgiving+definition&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:IE-Address

Bible or Bust: Psalm 86

Many times I have read this passage (Psalm 86) when I feel like I have failed God. Which is pretty much 24/7. :) I found this psalm when I was flipping through the Bible. I just happened to land on this page. (or was it divine intervention...:) ) After I read it a few times, I dubbed the psalm the 'Plea for Mercy', when in reality, it's named Psalm of Supplication and Trust. Take a moment to read over the passage. What title comes to your mind after reading it? (It's a long one so I will just give you a link.)

Psalm 86

No matter what you name it, the Psalm as a constant message that the author is portraying. "God, you are good and I trust you. Have mercy on me and listen to my prayer." Which is kind of the jist of the Old Testament, no? Most of the Old Testament contains covenants between God and His people. The covenants are made, kept for awhile, then soon broken. The people repent, and the cycle starts over again. Salvation History for you. :)
Think about your life. Are you like the Isrealites, making covenants with God and then breaking them? I know I sure am. It is alsmost always after an inspiring movie. I'm like "God I know what to do now! I am so sorry for being such a jerk before. You know, I am going to pray an hour every morning and evening and read the whole Bible by the end of the month! Yeah, I will be an excellent Christian!" (Come on, we have all attempted to read the whole Bible some time in our life. :) )

Two days later, your covenant is broken.

My advice to you: start small then progress to more and more time with Jesus. Eventually, it won't be a burden, it will be something to look forward to. (For more prayer tips, look on my Prayer Life tab above)

Find a passage in the Scripture like Psalm 86 that you would read when you need to say sorry to God. Because sometimes, it's hard to find the words to say. Share below in the comments or shoot me an email (randommusings13@gmail.com) about the passage you chose! I would love to hear from you!
Happy praying!

All through Christ,
Maddie

Little Things

It scares the best of us. It's late at night, the moon is out and sparkling and the darkness covers the basement like a thick blanket.

You left your phone in the farthest corner and you know, you can't live with out the cellular device. Fast-walking and not trying to think about what is waiting to grab you, you stuff your phone in your pocket and skedaddle upstairs before the air conditioner and toilet sounds start creeping you out.

Good 'ol basement fears never will leave, will they? Sometimes I have the embarrassing urge to ask someone to come with me, but I just suck it up and make my visit as quick as I can.

It's these little things when we forget we can ask God for help. It's either too small that we don't remember, or we're embarrassed to ask help for getting through the one minute round trip of the basement. I try to remember to ask God for help, saying a little Hail Mary or Glory Be. I remember one time when I went in the basement I started singing a worship song. Hearing my voice in the darkness comforted me, as did God's peace that I felt while singing the song.

So whether it be the basement blues, help with dishes or just to catch up, send God a quick message. If we can text our friends "hi" if we're bored or ask them "when can you meet up?" Why can't we do the same for God? Talk to Him, He'll want to listen. God will reply instantly, if you let him. If everyone else has heard about your hard earned A on the Social Studies test, tell God.

Through the big and the little, God will listen.