Jesus(: and Snow(:

Today, as my parents toted me to work through the snow, I started to go into a deep thought while I looked at the snow. I looked past the cold, icy roads and the fact that I am not allowed to drive when it comes like is has been lately. I looked past all the bad and you know what I saw? I saw a new beginning. I saw that the pure white snow had covered all the land around me. It covered the pretty flowers, green grass and dry roads. Those are all good and beautiful things, but while covering the good and beautiful, it also blanketed the bad and ugly. The rough red clay, the dried out construction sites, and the hard rugged rocks were all under 7 inches of snow. As I noticed this and took in the gorgeous landscape painted by God's Hand, I realized something.
This thing that I realized is something that many people may realize, but those of you that are like me out there, you might not have noticed it ever before. The earth, both it's beauty and it's ugly parts, is a picture of us in sin. Although we may have our good points (beautiful flowers, green grass and dry roads), we also have our sin (rough red clay, dried out construction sites, and the hard rugged rocks). The snow stands for Jesus' blood. The snow covered EVERYTHING in it's reach. Much like Jesus' blood did for us. When we give our lives to Him, He covers everything. He covers everything good and bad, because anything we do OURSELVES is not 'good' without Jesus. Everything we do without Him is useless. All is in vain unless the Spirit of the Holy One comes down. You see, Jesus comes into our lives and gives us a new beginning by covering up EVERYTHING in our past. Not just the parts we DON'T like. He covers every part. Because He loves us that much.
"What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus; What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus Oh! precious is the flow That makes me white as snow; No other fount I know, NOTHING but the blood of Jesus."
So, if your life is like this earth, and you want your past covered, why don't you call on Jesus, He'll send your spiritual life some 'snow.' Trust me, once you get covered in THIS snow (HIS Snow), you'll never want to return to the life you once knew.

Jessi Patrick Reminiscing

I was talking with Karley Rae tonight about Jessi-Shake. We were talking about memories and such. We talked about all the sleepovers and movies we watched together. We realized that everything we do is some how related back to the girl we love more than anything. We know, now, that we are not able to bring her back, but she WILL live forever in our hearts. The memory of our strong friend will be fresh on our hearts and minds.

Although I know that she's okay and with Jesus now, I still find myself blabbering about her to everyone and anyone who will listen. I make sure I tell them how string she was. And that she IS forever with Jesus. I know that God only takes the best, cause if He took the worst, we'd all be in Heaven and Jessi would still be here.

Jessi-Shake, I LOVE you. I MISS you. You are with JESUS. You are HAPPY. Which makes this. BITTERSWEET!

Jessi Patrick- Sister, Friend, Hero.

Mrs. Colwell said that writing down memories about Jessi would help, so here goes.

Well, I remember the first time I met Jessi-Shake. I was with Tanya and Waylon and we were going to one of their friend's houses to eat, sing and play our instruments. Bud, Kathi and Jessi Patrick were the friends and I had learned that they had went to Free Will as well, but didn't anymore. Well when I was sitting on the porch with another friend from church, Jessi was swinging on her rope swing that Bud had tied to a tree limb. She reminded us of Jane from Tarzan. It was pretty cool watching her swing on that thing. She asked us if we wanted to swing as well and I made the comment that I would bust my rear if I even thought about trying that. Which was true. Then she took us up to the barn. And if you know me, you know animals and I don't necessarily mix. Well Jessi was like "Here, hold this chick." I freaked out, but held it anyways. Then I was like, "Take it back please please please!" Yeah everyone got a pretty good laugh at that. It was finally time to pick and grin. Steven and I sang and then Waylon, Tanya and I sang and the Jonathan sang. It was a grand ol' time. Well, we left and then when I got home, I added Kathi on Facebook. We became facebook friends and we talked about a friend of Jessi's that didn't believe in God and how Jessi was trying to witness to her. Well, I knew then and there Jessi was someone I wanted to be friends with. Kathi asked me to pray for Jess and her friend and I said I would. Well that following Sunday night, Jessi was at church. I freaked. I was like JESSI! YAY! And her and her parents came every Sunday, Sunday Night and Wednesday after.

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Jessi- she's healed at last

Jessi Patrick was one of my best friends. Shoot, she was like a little sister to me. I hated whenever something happened to her. Well, in June 2010, Jessi had some rough news... she found out she had leukemia. It was horrible. We cried for hours on end. Our church and youth group were praying harder than ever for her. We put everything we were doing towards her. We did everything we could think of to help lift her spirits... not that she needed help with that. She was one of the happiest cancer patients I knew. While she was sick, she worried about everyone else before she worried about herself. For her make a wish foundation wish, she asked for a shopping spree and she used all the money on other kids. If that ain't Christ-like, I don't know what is! She was the greatest human being I knew. Period. On November 25, 2010 (Thanksgiving), the greatest girl on the Earth went home to be with our Lord and Savior. Though I miss her, I know she is healed and living in perfectness with the One who loves her even more than her parents. Oh I miss her so much. She has changed me. One thing we have to hold on to are the memories we have and the Bead of Courage she collected. So many of them... Oh I miss her so much... so much. But I know she's watching me and knows that I'm hurting and she's singing "If you only knew" by the inspirations. Oh gracious, I just want to tell everyone... don't fight over the tiny, silly things. And always let people know how you feel about them. And tell the people you love that you love them every chance you get... You never know when it will be the last time you get to tell them anything... so don't let it be a harsh word.

Chains

We all have chains that bind us. Some chains are our past, some are situations we get ourselves in and some are people around us. We all have the power in our hearts to loose the chains that confine us.

The chains that hold us all can be defeated. Wanna know how? There's a man I know named Jesus. He is the best thing that ever happened to me. I called on His Name when I realized that, even I, had chains that were wound so tightly around me. The chains that I bore weren't anything man would see as "big" sins, but EVERY sin to Jesus is big. In Romans it says "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." If you don't pray for forgiveness for your sins, then when you get to that great 'final exam' called, The Judgment Day, how do you expect to pass if EVERYONE has sinned? If you haven't done the one thing the Bible SAYS we HAVE to do to get to Heaven and to get rid of those chains that bind you so tightly, how do you expect to feel, free???

People say that when you get saved, the chains are completely gone, but I disagree. I am: "a prisoner of hope, bound by my faith, chained to Your(meaning God) love,  locked up in Grace, I'm free to leave, but I'll never go,  I'm wonderfully, willingly, freely a prisoner of hope." I'm a prisoner of HOPE! I am now bound by GRACE and chained in HIS LOVE! And it couldn't feel more freeing than knowing that.