"To Save a Life"... .. ... The Movie!

So let me give a rundown of the movie, don't worry I won't ruin it for you. I guess honestly it's a movie you can't ruin...

Jake is one of the most popular kids in school, is on the basketball team, gets a scholarship to his dream school, and has a beautiful girlfriend. A kid in his school, from his past, ends up shooting up the school and then taking his own life. Jake then starts to think about what if he stayed his friends and said hi, in stead of complete ditching like he did the last four years of high school. This starts to really bug him, then a youth pastor invites him to church. Not having a great family life he ends up going to the church. And at first he is turned down, but the persistant youth pastor. Not pressuring God all the time, just talks, talks. This talking gets to him, he starts to listen to devotionals and reads his bible, but yet he doesn't want to take on the full relationship with God. Continues to go to the parties, but then notices his life to change before him. Starts to wonder, what's so great about the life I am living now. He goes to church for the second time in a week, which is a complete shocker to him that you can even do that. And he brings his girlfriend. His girlfriend feels awkward because she is afraid of being judged, and ironically Chris, the youth pastor, mentioned the places that people are afraid of and the church being number one. He tells the kids to think about who they have ignored or looked at weirdly for 30 seconds in silence. And like any youth group, you have kids whispering, texting, and giggling, and Jake gets up and tells them that what they are doing is taking this for granted and that his girlfriend just left because she is afraid of being judged. So then the youth group decides to have lunch together, and just invite people....

Let's just say there is alot more to this story and well Jake does end up talking to the silent and unseen and invites them to the group and starts real relationships with them. Sticks up for them. Uses Roger's, the friend that shot up the school, myspace page to inform people about teen suicide and what to do. Then it becomes a site where people can talk and alot of people related and confessed.

Let's just say this movie is amazing. I loved it. I would watch it again so many times. I definitely recommend it to youth pastors. Take your youth group, buy the dvd when it comes out. I know I will. It really made me think on how I can be the Jake at my church and my school.

 Let me tell you. I used to be one of the unseen and silent people, no one would ever come up and speak to me and well, I just learned that i had to go up to people... but the thing was I felt like I was butting in and I had no purpose being there and well it hurt, there were many times I thought about leaving the youth group, but I didn't have any other way to learn about God, and well I really wanted to learn. There were times I was challenged to speak to the unseen and silent at my high school, and I wish I did it more than I did.

So do it. Take your kids, take your family, take your youth group, take your church, and take your friends. But make sure you see this movie. It'll make you think in ways you should have been thinking if you haven't already.

Go to => www.tosavealifemovie.com

It won't be a waste of your time or money, trust me.

Where Will 2010 Take Me?

There is so much going on this year, from being "President" of Invisible Children Club at school, possibly going to Swaziland, Africa, becoming an Invisible Children Roadie, and possibly going to Nicaragua.

All of these events and yet it costs a lot of money, a lot.

I guess it's going back to all previous events such as El Salvador, Camp Mah-Kee-Nac, and Lobby Days. Trusting that God will have my back, trusting that He knows what's best for my life, trusting that He will provide when I don't think it will ever happen.

Before I enjoyed depending on Him, but now... now I am a little overwhelmed with all of this.

Don't get me wrong, I would love to go to Swaziland and then come back and tell the stories of the children I met, and the beautiful people I got to meet, even the beautiful ones with aids.

My heart has definitely goes out to the children of this world. They are so beautiful and I believe that they can create beautiful artwork. That's probably why God put this vision in my heart. To bring art to the children of the world and bring their works, pictures, and stories to the rest the world, the world who seems to ignore these third world countries and their lifestyles and think only of themselves. Oh, wait, they think of these third world countries when something like an earthquake hits Haiti. Don't get me wrong, I love seeing people getting together to helping these beautiful people, but honestly I wished I saw more of it that just the few times a natural disaster happens.

I, like I said earlier, am the new "president" of Invisible Children Club this semester at JCCC. I am looking forward to spreading the news of this atrocity in eastern Africa and northern Uganda. And all the good going on right now with the bill in Congress. Raising money for an amazing cause. Hopefully booking a screening for JCCC and getting people to actually show up. I mean honestly Tye and Pepito are going to be there, you know, from the "GO" documentary. I mean if all else fails then I am willing to post up posters telling people about the screening at my church. I am really hoping that the screening at the church will go well, and I hope that it won't just be a youth thing, I pray that the entire church will come out and listen to what is going over there and to what is said.

I am really, definitely passionate about Invisible Children, the Children being abducted, and hiding from the LRA. I am still wanting to be a Roadie for Invisible Children, hopefully in the fall. I have many ideas in my head for the video application, and am really hoping that it will turn out awesome. But when I do this, I know that this will be one of the greatest experiences of my life. Traveling the country telling everyone about this atrocity going on in Eastern Africa and Northern Uganda, and telling them how they can help and be apart of this amazing organization. This is something I have wanted to do for a while and I really hope that this is my chance. How amazing to see passions spark and grow as we travel state to state, city to city, school to school. Amazing.

Then Nicaragua is in the winter, and I would love to go, but it's like a two week span between I get back from being a Roadie to this mission trip. Don't get me wrong, would love to travel so much this year, but it's all up to God whether He wants me to do this or not.

I just pray that I will be able to stay with my studies at school and yet still raise funds for everything. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY stay with GOD, cause if I don't stay close then I won't know for sure that HE wants me to do or not.

Thanks for any prayers you have done and will continue to do.

Update about Invisible Children

I totally forgot about my blog. How could I forget about my blog?!?!

Well I couldn't help buy notice that the last blog up was about The Rescue. That is just over 6 months ago. And alot has happened since then.

First of all there was lobby days and we lobbied a bill, called the "LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009." This bill would require the Obama Administration to come up with a strategy to apprehend Joseph Kony. In the bill, there would be funding to help rebuild Northern Uganda and any other areas affected by the LRA. This lobbying event was the largest lobby event on an African Issue in this nation's history and I was a part of that. How EPIC! During that day we got 80 cosponsorships.

Now Schools for Schools, semester time. This semester our goal is to get President Obama to make a statement about the war of Northern Uganda. So Invisible Children is trying to get 250,000 signatures. You can help by going to wewantobama.com. Right now we have about 100,000 and we only need 150,000 more. I know that we can do it.

Last week, the commander in the LRA in charge of the Christmas Masacre surrendered. So that was really awesome. Slowly but surely things are starting look good.

I just find it really interesting that the commanders and slowing coming out and surrendering, it almost seems that they are getting alittle tired of this as well.

Well tomorrow, November 10, committees are voting on the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009. *fingers crossed* that it passes.

Invisiblechildren.com

The Rescue

On April 25th, 2009, thousands of people in hundreds of cities around the world are going to abduct themselves from their homes to represent the thousands of children that were abducted by the LRA, Lord's Resistance Army, in Northern Uganda. We are going to be meeting at an "Abduction site" and then walk 1-3 miles depending on the city, in a single file line. This will represent the children walking to the "Bush" or "LRA Camp," this too is where we will be going. We aren't going to be leaving the "LRA Camp" until we get enough media attention, and someone of mass cultural influence comes and "Rescues" us. This event is called "The Rescue"

Joseph Kony, the Rebel Army leader is in charge of the causing the longest running war in Africa. He has masecred so many people, and has abducted over 30,000 children into his rebel army. These children are forced to kill, and abduct other children into the LRA, at a very young age. These kids face danger around every corner. If they are seen crying in the "Bush" they will be killed. They are multilated and murded in front of the other children to teach them a lesson that if they were to do what the ones that got hurt did, that it would happen to them.

This is where you can help... watch the rescue video and check out the invisible children website. They post peace updates and the progress of the war and the new rally the rescue.

The website is therescue.invisiblechildren.com

and for general information visit http://www.invisiblechildren.com/

YOU MUST SIGN UP FOR THE RESCUE ON THERESCUE.INVISIBLECHILDREN.COM

We want as many people at this event as possible.

I hope you can make it to an event... there is bound to be one near you.

Life in General

My family... why can't it be like my church family? I want it to be. I try my best. Today I tried as hard as my stress level would let me... to honor my parents. I want to be a good christian and does include honoring my parents and I think that is one of my weaknesses as a christian. I feel like I am the strongest christian in the family and it's kind of hard to talk with people about where I am on my walk with Christ if no body that I talk to has been that close to Him.

I try to do activities with the family like try to include everyone but it's hard, I've told my youth pastor and not very many other people. My family has a anger problem. I try not to the first thing I am doing now is getting my journal, bible, highlighter, and pen. I just start reading and writing and open my bible and see what pops out to me then I right about that verse or section and think how I can use it in my everyday life. It's hard... but it does keep my mind from thinking those bad thoughts coming into my mind that I shouldn't have.

I guess you can kind of say that I am starting a little t-shirt company and well it's kind of a pain in the rear. Since I have never done it before and well I kind of got wrong kind of ironing stuff. Like it's not see through. SOOOO I have to now cut out each idividual letter person and every single little thing and it's already driving me nuts just the thoughts of it. I don't know what to do, except lay everything at the foot of the cross and just let God take control of it.


That was the bad... now time for the good!

In couple of days I am going to NYC in St. Louis, and it is going to so much fun. I am so excited for all of the people that is going to be there and well I just hope that I get closer to God on that trip and closer to all of my spiritual family. I am so excited!!!!!!!!! I can on forever about how excited I am about it.

I am about to get kicked off the computer so peace out!