Goodbye Past......Hello Future

"I can do all things through He who gives me strength." Before even a week ago, I didn't take this quote from the Bible to heart. It wasn't my main focus in life. (I know not the best answer to share to the world) But in all honesty it wasn't. I wasn't a gung ho Catholic. I wasn't a jump out of bed on a Sunday morning willingly to go to Church type of girl. Until now. We got a new priest at my church that I have known for about 3 years. He is one of the nicest, kindhearted, Christ-like people I know. I began to see my faith changing before my eyes. I pray before bed and when I wake up. I go to church every Sunday without question and I listen to more appropriate music. I have changed for the better also through a Christian movie I watched for the first time this week. Soul Surfer. This movie is about a girl, Bethany Hamilton, who at the age of 13 was attacked by a 14 foot tiger shark on the North Shore of Kauai, Hawaii in a location known as the tunnels. She was an up and coming young surfer and that morning was surfing with her friend and her friends family. When she was attacked, she put her faith in God and He brought her to safety. She lost over 60% of her blood and she lost her left arm. Most people would quit when presented with this type of obstacle. But again with the grace of God, she got back on the board. She is now 21 years old and a pro surfer. She put her faith and trust in our Savior Jesus Christ. She is my inspiration to become a better me. Thank you for showing me the true testament of faith in God.

~Rachel

It's Your Life Whatcha Gonna Do?

When we were young, teachers and parents asked us, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Little did I know that question would make such a great impact on the world ahead of me in the next four years. Graduation. A time when memories are remembered, friends say their goodbyes, and tears are shed. It's also a time for the slate to be cleaned. A time for you to become whatever you want to be. They say when you leave high school, you learn to fend for yourself. You learn to be independent. No more mom and dad to pick up the pieces when you fall or put a bandaid on your cut when you mess up. You are on your own. You will have many successes but you will also have many failures. When we were little, teachers asking the question "what do you want to be when you grow up?" made us use answers like princess, actor, spy, astronaut. But now we are apprehensive about our past ambitions. We know that you cannot just become a princess or an actor or even an astronaut. Each thing on its own takes commitment and hard work. When I was young, I wanted to be a Whitey's girl. Whitey's is an ice cream shop in Davenport, Iowa. I used to go there with my grandmother who has since passed away. Now that I look back, a Whitey's girl would not pay the bills. It was a great fantasy at such a young age, but now my main aspiration is to be a teacher. Not one of those stuffy teachers that cannot take a joke to save their butts, but a teacher who students want to aspire to be one day. I want to be an inspiration for many. So It's your life whatcha gonna do? The world is watching you!