Jacob on #Friendship

I read the following Bible verse about three days ago: "Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, or you will learn his ways and find a snare for yourself." Proverbs 22:24-25 (NAS). I couldn't quite figure out what that was supposed to mean. Then I read another quote, this one not from the Bible, "We laughed until we had to cry. We gave love, right down to our last goodbye. We were the best we thought we'd ever be, just you and me, for just a moment..."

I'd been pondering over that for a while when it finally hit me like a bunch of tacky lawn ornaments in front of a pink house. We need to know who our real friends are! A real friend is someone who knows what you're feeling even when you're not with them. Someone who knows you better than you know yourself. A friend sees the first tear, catches the second and stops the third. A good friend helps you up when you fall, but a best friend laughs when you trip... and then trips you again (haha, I heart that). But yet, do understand that having false friends isn't always that bad because it shows you about yourself and teaches you to be strong and know that life goes on.

If you know someone who is rejected by society because they are supposedly "different" from everyone else, just be their friend. Shared sorrow is half sorrow, and shared joy is double joy. Be someone's flower just as Jesus is yours. Because even on the road to Hell, a flower will make you smile.

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

- Mother Teresa

Jacob Painter / Chief Photographer

Jacob on #Photography

Hey everyone. My name's Jacob, and I'm the photographer/videographer for the #VarsityOne blog page. I take pictures and create videos of Wednesday nights at Varsity, trips for Varsity and things that Varsity does throughout the community. Photography is an art form that captures all moments of life in still formation, while videography is an art form that captures all moments of life with sound and motion. Through it we may remember all of the good times that we've had and the people that we've shared them with.

Although I'm the photographer/videographer, I'll still answer any questions about life, love, personal issues, etc. that you may have. God works in mysterious ways, and we only have to understand that if we trust Him with everything... all will be more than just fine. It'll be perfect because you're living for the one and only GOD THE FATHER!

-- Jacob Painter / Chief Photographer

Victoria on #1Corinthians13:6

"Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth." - 1 Corinthians 13:6. This is a great verse I've been pondering over today. Just wanted to share!

*P.S. Don't we ADORE mobile posting? :P

Justin on #Music

Hey everyone. I'm one of the new writers for the #VarsityOne blog, and I'm writing about music. Music is something we all have in common -- you can sing along to it, dance, jump up and down and even mosh to it (for those certain people out there like me). I'm a musician myself, and when I first started playing drums I wasn't that close to God. I joined the church band, and after a while I realized that songs by bands and artists like Steve Fee, Hillsong, Jeremy Camp, Skillet, Disciple, Chasen and many others can really move you. The feeling that you get deep down inside feels like one that'll shoot up out of you and make you want to raise your hands and praise the God we love.

Praising God through music is something that many churches all over the world do. We do it in a more contemporary way, but it really doesn't matter whether you praise God by singing hymns or singing and jumping around to Hillsong and Steve Fee. The point is, you are praising God and showing one way that you love Him. I enjoy playing at Varsity on Wednesday nights because I feel close to God. There are many other ways to praise Him, but this is one of the ways that I show my love for God.

-- Justin / Mainstream Music Writer

Victoria on #Perfection

per-fec-tion [per-fek-shuhn]: n. God.

Josh asked us: What do you do when your parents aren't perfect? When is your family dysfunctional and it's not funny? Memories rush back...

Growing up I didn't have that perfect, cookie-cutter family. My mom wasn't June Cleaver or a Stepford Wife, and my dad was far from the advice-giving Atticus Finch type. I don't know what it's like to have "over-protective" parents; I don't know what it's like to be grounded.

We went to Brookwood Church on most Sundays. I remember making crafts in the Mauldin Senior Center building and singing in the praise choir where Southside is now located. I can recall those few friends I met during VBS my elementary school years, the Easter Egg hunts, the talent show, the concerts and the lock-ins. I was even baptized, and I considered myself serious about God... for a while.

But we weren't church people. We lived for Jesus -- one day a week.

The truth is... I was afraid to be myself around my mom, dad and siblings. I felt unloved and like my acting onstage couldn't measure up to my older sister's good looks, guy-getting skills and proclivity for sports. Although I received all "A's" in my classes, my troublemaker for a brother and irresistibly cute, younger sister hogged the spotlight as well. I was the middle child, constantly fighting for attention.

I'd ride the bus home and go straight upstairs to study. I isolated myself, rarely inviting anyone to spend the night. My weekends were consumed with rituals or habits I'd developed as a method to escape the pain. I was protected in my room. I couldn't be harmed with my door locked, and I couldn't get out to hurt others the way I'd been hurt: physically and emotionally.

When I was 14, my entire life was turned upside down. My mom and dad became heavily addicted to drugs and alcohol. They were well over the lethal limit, and I feared for their lives daily. My dad was an engineer, and my mom was a real estate agent... It's still difficult for me to believe two very smart, successful people got caught in that sort of predicament.

They drained every penny we had -- the retirement and college funds included. The police condemned our house, claiming it too unsafe and unsanitary to live in. We couldn't pay the bills anymore, and we eventually lost... everything. My mom and dad were arrested on several charges like possession and child neglect/endangerment. My grandmother decided to take Rachel, Matthew, Savannah and me instead of sending us into foster care. I've never felt more unwanted yet so grateful at once.

My parents definitely aren't perfect. Sometimes I wonder if I've truly forgiven them. The aftermath of their mistakes is a lot to bear, but the thought that I could later make the same mistakes is equally frightening.

So, what do you do?

-- Victoria Ralph / Editor
*Trying times doesn't mean you quit TRYING.*

Victoria on #Trust

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not upon your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths." - Proverbs ch. 3 v. 5-6

During small group at Varsity last week, we discussed trust with such questions as: What words come to mind when you think of trust? What does trust mean to you? How can we learn to trust God?

I came to the following conclusions:

• Sometimes we as humans find it hard to trust God.
• How can we doubt God when He's perfect and has all the answers?
• We know that we can communicate with God by praying and reading the Bible. The more we connect with God, the easier it is for us to trust in Him.
• Unlike our family, friends and boyfriends/girlfriends, God will never leave us or forsake us.
• Giving everything to God can be tough. Therefore, we often attempt to take control of our own problems without His help.
• God's there through the pain and suffering, and God's there through the joy and celebration.

Everyone also shared a time in which they had to rely on God for strength. I said:

• When I took Life Hurts God Heals I realized I had to trust God with my hurts, habits and hang-ups. I couldn't battle OCD and PTSD alone.

Please comment on my post with how your group related trust to their lives!

God bless,

Victoria Ralph /Editor