Blessed Be Your Name

So, if you've ready any of my really early posts, you know that this summer I struggled with feeling the need to quit choir.
And if you talk to me on a daily basis, or weekly, you probably know I decided not to quit.
But I started getting frustrated a few days ago. I kept reading in this book I'm reading and in the Bible about selling everything we have and giving everything to Christ and taking up our cross and following Him..
Giving him complete control.
I started to feel like God wasn't using me in choir, even though I had prayed and came to the conclusion that by staying in choir he could and most definitely WOULD use me.
I just wasn't seeing it.

today we had region phase one auditions..which if you don't know what that is, it's basically where a bunch of kids from around the region go into a blind audition(where the judges can't see you) and we sing cuts from three different songs...And they take the highest scoring singers to the next round...
So basically, it's one of the most nervewracking things of liiife.
If you let it be.
On the whole way to the school we had the audition in, I just prayed over and over again that God would allow the judges to score me the way HE wanted me to be scored, and that He would put me where I could best give glory to Him-whether that means advancing or not advancing.
And I had faith that He would do that.
After auditions like this, we get results the night of..As of right now some of my good friends are still waiting to audition (IM PRAYING FOR YALL), So yeah. I'm still waiting for those results. this time last year, waiting was the HARDESTT part of all for me..because it wasn't in my control anymore. I like being in control of things, ya'll.
But I am at SUCh peace right now, because I know with every part of me that my audition is now in GODS hands! I mean everything is always in God's hands, but now I can't do ANYTHING but trust Him.He's got such a bigger plan for this audition, and here's the thing! If I don't advance, or I don't do well, that's not going to matter a year from now, or ten years from now. What matters is what He's going to do with these results, and how this can better me as a follower of Christ, and how it can give glory to God! And if he blesses me enough to allow me to advance, THAT IS AWESOME! PRAISE THE LORD! And if he doesn't want me to advance, then He doesn't want me to advance. That's how it is, and who am I to argue with the creator of the universe?
I feel so stinking AMAZING right now, and I feel stupid for questioning that God was going to use me in choir this year, because He definitely has. AH it's so cool!

"For we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
-2 Corinthians 4:18

I mean that verse up there kind of sums up our purpose in life in a way. We aren't here to give ourselves glory. So many times this past week gearing up for this competition I've had to check my heart and be like..Okay, am I wanting what God wants or what I want right now?
Because ultimately, always, He's going to do what He wants to do because He's GOD. And He is so good.
I think it's super important to be able to look at stuff like this-competitions, big games, sports, auditions...and not get too caught up on what WE want..Because ya'll I struggle with that SO much. But I'm learning that SO many times what I want is so different from what God knows is BEST for me.

Matthew 7 talks about putting our foundation on the rock, and not the sinking sand...Because when the storms come, the solid foundation will be the only thing that is safe.
I think that's such a cool thing to remember, but somethign so hard to remember at the same time. The Lord gives and takes away (I really like that song...Blessed be your name). And if we have our eyes fixed on things that aren't God..that thing can easily be taken from us.
But let's say I check the results tonight and I don't advance.
Yes, I will be upset, and I will be sad.
But check out James 1:2-3
"Consider it pure joy my brohters, when you face trials of many kinds. For you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."

Annnd this verse right herrreee.

"not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."  Romans 5:3-5
The point is that we have SUCH a loving, awesome God, ya'll. And He does what He does not only because He can, but because He has this unconditional love for us. We call Him father for a reason. If you look at Hebrews 12, it talks about how because He is our Father, He has to discipline us sometimes. And He does that out of LOVE. 2 Corinthians 4 talks about how we're clay, and he has to mold us and form us to create us to be who we were meant to be..Being molded hurts, guys. But in the end we're something beautiful, and we belong to HIM!
But no matter what happens in life-we are to PRAISE Him, and bless His name, because He is so good. Whether life is going the way we'd like or not, we need to BLESS His name. He, the creator of the UNIVERSE deserves it more than anyone.

I love everyone reading this so much..even if i don't know you! I mean I really have no idea who reads this..But YEEAAH. I love ya'll!
For all my friends reading this that tried out for region today...Whatever happens God has GOT IT! Remember, He gives peace that this world can't offer...
Okay! Bye!(: