little update

Well..I have made it to the west coast. At last. And I have found time to sit down and write a blog. FINALLY! lol
The problem here is that not many people have wireless internet I can connect to..and it's even harder to find a computer with hi-speed internet..but at long last I have found one in the home of my aunt and uncle..hallelujah!
Just to give you guys an update on what Im doing, Im in Oregon visiting some friends and family before I move on down to Cali. It's been fun so far with adventures from the beach to battling rain at an art festival in Portland. The beach was beautiful..though it rained there as well, it was an amazing view from my friend's condo. The cool thing about the Oregon beach is that there is an ocean at your front and mountains at your back..I love it. :) Then, today I went to an Art festival with my Uncle Bill and Aunt Carol. It rained, so we didnt really get to look at too much art before leaving, but what I did see was really cool. Then, we went to this place called Noodles & Company for lunch. I think I have found a new favorite restaurant. Im hoping that Redding has one. haha! It's still raining now as I type away in the back room of my uncle's house. I love Oregon rain..it puts a chill in the air and a fresh smell of the outdoors in the atmosphere. It's so different from Florida rain...there's no humidity in the air, just the smell of raindrops and the feel of a chilly breeze.
Im not sure what my plans are for this week..my friend is supposed to be moving back home from Washington tomorrow, so hopefully we'll be able to get together. If you're in Florida and reading this, know that I miss you ever so much and Im counting down the days to Christmas when I'll hopefully see you again!

Disappointment

I just found out that the guy who wrote that healer song faked his cancer. How sad is that? He lied for no apparent reason other than to get money. Here's the article telling about it...

~In October 2006, Guglielmucci revealed how he had gone to the hospital for a series of tests which revealed that he had "quite an aggressive form of cancer". He said that it was this diagnosis and moment that inspired his song Healer:
"I just went home. I knew I had to go home and needed to get alone with God," he says in the video. I walked into my studio at home and for some reason. . . I sat at a piano and began to worship. I sang that song from start to finish. I was crying. I just realised that God had given me an incredible gift and I realise that song was going to be my strength."

On August 20, 2008, it came to light that Guglielmucci admitted he had lied about ever having cancer in the first place. Allegedly deceiving his church and even his own family.
Australian Christian Churches vice president Alun Davies gave a statement that Mr Guglielmucci had admitted to fabricating his illness:
"Representatives of the National Executive for the Australian Christian Churches recently met with Michael Guglielmucci. At this meeting, he read a statement indicating that his claim to have cancer was untrue." His credential with the Australian Christian Churches was immediately suspended.
So far Michael has not yet released a response to this matter, however according to The Advertiser (Adelaide) Mr Guglielmucci may release a statement on the situation soon.
Shortly after the news broke of this alleged fraud, videos that showed Guglielmucci speaking openly about his cancer and also featured various footage of him wearing an oxygen mask while leading worship were removed from Youtube. Messages on Youtube in place of the removed material indicate that Hillsong Publishing was asserting their copyright of the material in having the videos removed. However, Hillsong Publishing had not previously asserted their copyright for the video on Youtube featuring Guglielmucci and his song "Healer", which had recently reached as high as 300,000 views. Since the news of Guglielmucci's alleged fraud, every other attempt to host the videos has been met shortly thereafter by Hillsong asserting their copyright to have them removed.
It has been revealed that Guglielmucci suffers from a pornography addiction and that he'd "been living a double life" carrying a tremendous amount of guilt.
The Australian Christian Churches instructed Guglielmucci to go to police, who will investigate what has happened to money raised during his cancer deception.
People close to Guglielmucci have revealed that he'd hung around in doctors' waiting rooms as part of a web of lies to convince followers that he was dying of cancer. "He never even saw a doctor. He went to hospitals and clinics but hung around the waiting rooms"~

What's really sad is that his wife and family were duped as well. Now, Im not posting this to make him out to be a bad guy..he obviously has some issues and needs help to work through them and I am going to continue praying for him. But, it's sad how many people were deceived and how easily. I had always wondered how people (especially Christians) were going to be deceived by the Antichrist, but now it's obvious how easy it really will be. People believe almost anything without looking into it and investigating it for themselves..I mean he kept people believing for 2 whole years that he had cancer..and not just the masses, but his own wife and family! It is very sad and we need to keep him and his family in our prayers. My heart is breaking for his family..this must be a tough blow..to think for 2 years that you were going to lose a loved one, and to be praying for his healing only to find out it was never real..but mostly, my heart is broken for him. He needs Jesus now more than he ever has, and I dont think anyone reading this would talk bad about him, but just in case, before you go spewing venom, remember that even though he has been lying, God still loves him and His heart is broken because His son has fallen hard.

I've said it a few times, but keep him and his family in your prayers...they most certainly are in need of it.

school

So I leave in 3 1/2 days to move all the way across the country..away from my family, friends, and everything I know..to go to school. Why, you may ask, am I moving so far away to go to a bible school when there are plenty of good ones that are closer? The answer is I don't really know. 

Don't get me wrong..Im sure that this is where God wants me..Im just not really sure why California is the place He finally chose. 

I have to be honest with you..Im scared out of my mind. First, comes the worry of finances..I dont even have half the money I need to have..I dont know if Im going to be able to get a job that will give me enough money to survive..Im in need quite a bit. And then, this whole moving out business is a first for me. I've been packing up my room and just watching as, slowly, my room becomes more and more empty is freaking me out more than a little. I realized that, whereas, I probably wouldn't be happy staying here, I would be comfortable. I've spent my entire teenage life here..I have so many memories, I know this town like the back of my hand (pardon the cliche)...I would be VERY comfortable living here the rest of my life. But, then the Lord quietly reminded me that a comfortable life is not what Im meant to live. That I had told Him I would go wherever He sent me and I would do whatever He told me to do. So with that little rebuke on my mind, I have decided that I may not fully understand and it may be scary and a little (or alot) uncomfortable, I will do whatever He tells me to do and I will go wherever He tells me to go. 

That said..Im still scared..Im still worried..but I trust that God will never do anything to hurt me and that He will always take care of me. He has never failed me before...

Healer

You hold my every moment

You calm my raging seas

You walk with me through fire

And heal all my disease

I trust in You

I trust in You

I believe You're my Healer

I believe You are all I need

I believe You're my Portion

I believe You're more than enough for me

Jesus, You're all I need.

Nothing is impossible for You

Nothing is impossible

Nothing is impossible for You

You hold the world in Your hand

I love this song..it was written by a guy who has cancer. The first time I heard it, it was on a Hillsong DVD, and this guy got up on stage, pulling his oxygen tank behind him, and started to play this song. It was amazing. If I can find the video of it, I'll try to post it.

Olympics, Wedding, Friends=My Weekend

The Olympics have begun. I wait every 4 years for this..call me a nerd, loser, whatever, but I absolutely LOVE the Olympics. Friday night I caught the end of the opening ceremonies (which my brother found a video of the whole thing, so as soon as I have time, Im watching that..) and even what little I saw was AMAZING..then all day Saturday I watched them until I had to go to a wedding (tell you more about that in a minute)..and today I've been watching them every chance I get, which the USA did an awesome job on the 400m swim relay..it was nuts..we were behind by a full body length, and the last guy to go just sped it up the last few meters, and won by a fraction of a second..it was amazing. I LOVE the Olympics..Im telling you..it's a serious addiction. haha. Believe me..you will hear more about them in the next couple weeks..

But back to the wedding on Saturday, my friend Hailey got married. It was a beautiful, very small wedding in Gulf Shores, AL. I, sadly, got there a little late (just in time to see Chad pronounce them man and wife..), but the reception was a blast. There was food, dancing, and people I hadn't seen in ages..a very good mixture of things! I got to see Tara, who was one of my mentors and whom I haven't seen in 2 years, and Amy, who I just love... it was totally worth the drive :). We danced the cupid shuffle, the electric slide, and all those fun line dances. We ended up not leaving til after 10. It was great! :) Then, we (Jessica, Cary, Melissa, Hannah, Michael, and I) went to Hooter's- it was my first time there- and I must say that they are terribly overrated. The food really wasn't that great...I will probably never have the desire to go in there again. Didn't get home till 1230-1am, then had to get up early to go to church.

Church was awesome...Kenny didn't even preach, we just prayed and worshipped. A guy came down to the altar to get free from drug addiction, some other people got set free from smoking, and we prayed for the children and youth. It was really good.

Then, tonight, I went over to Amy's house for her birthday and hung out with a bunch of people i don't really see too often anymore. Chad, Sabrina, and Macie were there (it's always fun to see them..) and then Jarron came in around 11. We played games, watched the Olympics, I taught them all the cupid shuffle lol, and we just hung out. It was good times..I'm gonna miss these times of just hanging out at Jeremy and Amy's house..but Im seriously, looking forward to moving...it's only 2 weeks away!! I'm so excited!! 

Well..that's the end of my weekend..Im gonna go to bed now cuz im tired and I have to get up and go to work tomorrow..boo. I wish people would pay me for being a nice person..that I didn't have to have a job, but that I could just walk around and random people would give me money for being nice. That would be awesome!! haha! Anyhoo...until next blog.. PEACEOUT!!

numb

Tonight, as I drove to and from work, I came to the realization that something in my life needs to change. I live most of my life for myself and I've almost forgotten to work on my relationship with God. I never seem to have time for Him anymore, and it's spiritually killing me. I want so badly to change, but I don't. And Im not really sure how. All I know is there's more to this so called Christian life I've been living, and I am on a mission to find out how to obtain it. Whether it be through just spending more time with Him or giving my entire life to focus on Him. Im ready to finally surrender..Im sick of living this hypocrisy and I want to be free. 

I love you Jesus. Forgive me for becoming numb. Please become the love of my life again. Consume me, Lord. I can't live without you.

first post

Wow..my first post on this blogger thing..I feel like I should say something deep and inspiring (as to make a good first impression), yet words fail me. So, I guess I will save my deep, intellectual thoughts for later and simply say hello.