Giving thanks...even AFTER the turkey is gone

So, I'm assuming that you've all pretty much finished your thanksgiving. The turkey is gone. I bet most of you had your meal with family. Some of you had it with friends. And that's great. We all had the chance to reflect over what we've received this year and just in life. But I just want to take a moment and ask a question. More specifically, I want you to ask yourself a question. Have you been thankful all year? I mean, really? Well, I just wanted to put a bit of perspective on this holiday season. I was recently reading an article by Charles F. Stanley from InTouch magazine. It was talking about this very topic! Quite frankly, I like the way he put it. Basically, we get so caught up asking God for things that we don't take half as much time to  thank Him for what He's already given us. In fact, sometimes we're so caught up in what  we want that we fail to even be  aware of what God's blessed us with. It's human selfishness, really. We live in such a privileged country (which...by the way, is the reason we celebrate Thanksgiving. So we can give thanks for this country and everything else) that we often forget the core values of life we should be thankful for. The things that we so often take for granted because this country is so used to having it there for them. I know how hard it is to be thankful when there's always those things that we want and feel like are due to us. When, in reality,  nothing is due to us. Because of the fact that Jesus died on the cross for us, we have so much more than we deserve. And really, we shouldn't forget that. People get so caught up in hanging out with family and friends (which isn't bad), that we tend to only be thankful for those things. Anyway, I guess what I'm saying is, have that tankful attitude all year. Think, "What would happen if you wake up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?" Love y'all and stay thankful! :) ~KJ

Enjoying the roller coaster which is life

Well, I'm going to use a roller coaster as my analogy. I was scrolling pinterest, found it and was all like, "Mmm, Imma use this!" So...I guess I'm using it! Lol.  Maybe you've heard the quote before, "Just close your eyes and enjoy the roller coaster which is life" But regardless, I'm going to use the quote solely for the purpose of painting a picture for you. So, when you first get on that roller coaster, that's pretty much when you're born again. When you first accept Jesus into your heart. That's when the ride begins. The ride of life as a Christian. As the ride continues, that represents your life. There are ups and downs on the roller coaster. Good times and bad times in your life. That seat belt that keeps you safe is kind of like God. He's always there. Always holding you. It's just that sometimes, even though you're safe, you kind of freak out when it's not necessary. You have a choice to enjoy your life. Enjoy that roller coaster. Or, to freak out for no apparent reason. He's right there. He won't let you fall. And weather you choose to embrace the ups and downs or not, the same thing is going to happen at the end. You're going to reach the end of the ride just fine. It's just your choice how you react during the journey. Personally, I'd choose to embrace it. With God holding you all the way, why not?? :) Well, lately I've been sort of enjoying that roller coaster as things sort of change for me and whatnot. So, I want to deeply apologize about not blogging lately but I love you guys so much and I'm hoping to have several more posts out before the end of the year! :D ~KJ

Winter Jam 2014!

Hey guys! Sorry I'm posted this week! There was actually a reason for that. Other than me being sick and miserable for the beginning of the week (still a little sick right now), I wanted to do a recap on The Winter Jam. I went with probably the best group ever. Keeping in mind the fact that I've been to the Winter Jam before, I kind of had a picture of how it was going to go. So, you know, before the show I was getting ready. Pen tattoos, nail polish, hair straightened, you know. After that, my awesomeeeee group picked me up and we were on the way there!!! Of course we had to play with the auto tune app on the way there and sing random songs. So, in line we just talked. And we were in line for like two hours, btw. There were about 15 thousand people there and we were towards the middle of the line. It was literally winding around the venue and down the street. So, they actually had to start the concert later than planned. But even with the delay, we still missed the pre-show...which was sad 'cuz I really wanted to see Everfound. But, one of the members of 'About a Mile' came out and preformed for us while we were waiting, which was nice.  Once we got in, the concert was so full, we had to get a balcony seat. But it was ok. We saw Colton Dixon first. He KILLED IT!!! Seriously, he just insanely good. Then after a short performance from the tour's founders, Newsong, my boy, Trip Lee came out and played. He is literally my favorite rapper by the way so, you can imagine how much of a crazy, screaming fan I was in that moment. One of my best friends I had gone with actually asked me after the performance if I was still alive. :P So then, Disciple came and literally melted face with the rock show they put on with smoke and some crazy lights. Then, Mr. Jeremy Camp came out and of course, was great. Then, we had a fifteen minute intermission. During that time, it was a "run for your life" type moment. We all wantede to get band merch but everything was so spread out. So, sadly, we got back in time to catch Francesca Battistelli's last song. But it was okay. I got a Trip Lee shirt which I'm actually wearing now. Then, Hillsong came. Can I just say that they throw a phenomenal show?? Not only did they have such energy and passion, but they also brought out the heart of worship. Everything was forgotten in that moment. It was just thousands of believers coming together for a moment of worship. And it was powerful. And after-show, it was too late to meet anyone but, I left satisfied with the fun, fellowship and fantastic awesomeness. I'd seriously do it again next year. :) ~KJ

Me And My Blogging Life

So, not like anybody cares...but I'm going to talk a little bit about my blogging life. First of all, if you guys aren't familiar with it, you definitely want to check out  my blog, The Christian Paparazzi." I'm going to leave the link. The Christian Paparazzi is a blog all about one of my very favorite things....Music!! I haven't been posting to it lately but I'm going to start again soon. Anyways, I'm going to talk a little bit about....me. I know, totally selfish. But, I just wanted you guys to get as little bit of a feel of what I do, how I write and who I'm inspired by. Take you inside my life. First of all, I homeschool...which is probably the best privilege a person could ever have in life. Secondly, I'm the oldest of five children in my house. Things can get kind of crazy but, it's all good. We each have different interests, mine being music. And we have a lot of fun. I think I've been singing since...I was probably three. I remember being thee years old and I was trying to untangle some computer cords and I couldn't do it so, I started to sing the first song I ever made up on my own! I said, "How do I do it? How do I do it? How do I do it? It must be tangled up." That was the first song I ever 'wrote.' You could probably say I grew up feeding on good music. My dad is a very talented singer and rapper and when I was little, we'd listen to a lot of Christian rap music and worship music. When I was about twelve, I discovered there was more out there than rap music and started to listen to...just about every Christian artist out there. During that time, TobyMac caught my eye as extremely unique and original.  I started to listen to him and Dc Talk. I'm a very impressionable person so I pretty much tried to dress like, talk like and think like TobyMac....Yeah, awkward. Anyway, he actually taught me a lot about being original, reaching for the stars, loving others well and opened doors for me to look into other artists. I was also highly impacted by Brant Hansen from Air1 Radio who would always put a smile on my face when I'd be in depression. Through TobyMac, I found out about Jamie Grace. She gave me more hope. Her interviews showed me that there was hope for anybody out there who wanted to be an artist. Then, after the TobyMac phase, I really got into the Newsboys, who taught me to change the world with everything I do by representing Christ Jesus. Then, I got into One Direction a little bit. The fact that those boys went through all the things that they went thorough and still came out strong...it's amazing, and inspiring. Once again, shows that anybody can make it if they really try and  give it their everything...which is actually why I love watching shows like the X Factor and The Voice. I LOVE seeing stars made before my eyes and sometimes I like to imagine myself entering a contest like that too.  Finally, Anthem Lights was the new band I loved. They're very different. First of all, they literally have some of the best voices ever (Next to Royal Tailor). They are such a great sounding band. But that's not really why I love them. First of all, yes, they do secular covers but they're a Christian band. They do some of the best covers ever. But their Christian records are what really touched me. And their story. The message they promote is just so good. .They're mostly focused on ministering to teenage girls...and I thank God everyday that He put Anthem Lights in my life because they broke me out of my insecurity through their wise, biblical oriented words. They helped me find confidence and learn how to put God first. To trust Him and put my agenda aside. To be kind and love people. To make Jesus everything and not to put my focus on other things. Making Him the center of my life. And that's where I'm at right now. Just a highschool kid trying to grow closer to God and see what He has for me and how I can serve people through Him. It's been a lot more satisfactory than  trying to chase my own agenda, that's for sure! I really love what I do. Even though my life is full of chores and school, I still make time to blog. My singing has gotten a lot better over the years and I can't wait to see what God's going to do with that because I know I still need a lot of improvement. I'm really into R&B and rap and pop so...we'll see, I guess. I had the opportunity to serve in my church as a greeter and I'm inspired daily by the people around me. I have so many inspiring friends, it's insane. I'm so thankful for every one of them. I'm just blessed to be living this life right now. :) Anyway, yeah. Thank you guys for listening to me ramble! I love you! ~KJ
Also - here's the link to my other blog: http://thechristianpaparazzi.blogspot.com/

Just Do It!

There's always that list of things everybody wants to accomplish...but maybe it all seems to be too much. It's just too difficult to accomplish. It's just barely out of your grasp. So close yet, so far. Or maybe you just keep pushing it off another day (you'll get to it eventually, right?). Well, I've used the tell-tale title to give you a picture of my mindset before I even dig into it. If I wanted to summarize everything I'm about to say in three words, "Just Do It" would be those words. Those words need to be your initial thought going into whatever ambition you've chosen. It could be something as simple as "I'm going to save up for a laptop" all the way up to "I'm going to become a famous author." Guess what?? Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Let me use a pretty common example. Let's say you want to live a healthier lifestyle. Well, stop making excuses and procrastinating! Procrastination is the number one thing that keeps dreams form coming into reality. You say you'll do it later and it never happens. If you do the same thing everyday, you're going to get the SAME results. So, if you want to live a healthier lifestyle, skip a thirty minute tv show...or thirty minutes on netflix. Go out side and run instead! Trust me, it won't kill you. In fact, it'll do the exact opposite. Make healthier eating decisions. It's not hard to say no to that extra cookie. You want to become an author? Well, write! Immerse yourself in good writing technique! Just Do It!
You want to become a world famous singer? Practice! Grasp every opportunity you get to share your talent! Just Do It!
You want to be a scholar? Study! Do good in school. Learn as much as you can! Just Do It!
You want to change the world? Start with you and change it!  After all, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. So don't make excuses, forget your past failures, take a step forward and Just Do It! ~KJ

The waiting season

Pleasing God in all circumstances sounds simple enough, right? Well, it can be. But there are always those moments when you wonder why God hasn't used you for more. Why He hasn't called you to do something big. Or at least bigger than what you're doing right now. I mean, everybody else seems to be doing something really huge and impactful, right? Well, there's actually a scripture where it talks about there being a time for everything. It's located in Ecclesiastes 3:1-11....

There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

2     a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3     a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
4     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6     a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7     a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8     a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

9 What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

It's not really easy but, sometimes God has a plan way better than what you think is 'right.' God has done something so amazing. He put you on this earth for a purpose...a great purpose. And sometimes, in your life, there is a time for waiting. But in the end, there is a great purpose that has such significance, that God chose to create you to fulfill it. So, in the season of waiting, remember, he has a purpose for you. And keep Jeremiah 29:11 in mind: For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

Stay strong and love you guys!!! ~KJ

"Not my will but Yours be done"

When we look at the book of Luke, in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prays "Not My will but Yours be done." Now, there is a common question asked among believers. "What Would Jesus Do?" These two facts tie in together. By seeing that Jesus is saying "Not My will but Yours be done" to God, we often don't realize that this is actually displaying the correct response to a common, everyday issue. People tend to put their wants above what God wants, without even looking at what God might have for them. This happens too often...sometimes without even realizing it. Let me give you a few examples in my life where this has been the case. If you know me in person, you know that I'm an aspiring music artist. Well, I used to want to do covers. Well, every time (literally every time) a cover contest would be announced, I lost my voice or got a sore throat...therefore being unable to sing. Then, about a year later, a christian music contest came to my state and I found out they were only looking for a certain age group. So, the contest became irrelevant. Once again, dreams CRUSHED. Finally, (and most recently) I became super interested in The X Factor(Yes. I admit that I went and found the 2010 Manchester series on YouTube...therefore falling in love with One Direction in the process of watching it. *guilty look*). I was super pumped and excited to try out for that contest!! I was making plans on what song I would audition and everything!!! But of course, I go online for registration details and first thing that pops up in the Google search is....*drumroll* ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THE X FACTOR BEEN DISCONTINUED!!! Yep. Dreams crushed AGAIN. Well, you can imagine how hopeless things are looking from my P.O.V. at this point, right? Well, guess what?? I don't really want to get into the details right now but, the fact that it seemed like I'd NEVER get to where I wanted, pushed me harder in gaining more vocal talent....and researching more about my favorite artists to see how they got tot the place they're in today. Eventually, one thing led to another, I discovered the band Anthem Lights and from that point on a lot of really neat things happened:

1. I decided to put my research to good use and create the blog "The Christian Paparazzi" just because my summer was kind of bland...and now it's got tons of views :)

2. I read a lot of interviews and watched a lot of Anthem Lights stuff on YouTube....which actually helped me break out of my insecurity and follow God with my everything
3. I learned a lot from blogging and researching and studying the bible intimately, which led to this blog you're reading right now!! Yay for Fervent love!!
4. My spiritual walk, trust in God and patience has increased to be so much stronger and greater than it ever has been before.
And no, I haven't given up on the fast increasing passion to be a Christian music artist. In fact, I strive daily to reach that goal and dream. But I have a new perspective now. I realize, God has given me a chance to serve right here, right now. I look at this as a waiting process. A time where I'm just waiting for God's voice to guide me to do what He wants me to do. But, even though He's put that passion in my heart, to be a singer, He's not going to let it happen in my timing. No, He's going to do much better than that. He's going to give it to me in His...and I'm fine with that.
So, I'm not sure if that was a good example. I'm pretty sure it was but, I hope you guys loved this post. Please don't forget to trust Jesus and His plan for you. It's sooo much better than what you have planned. :) Anyway, I hope you guys loved this post, and if you did, be sure to subscribe by email with that little "submit by email" button in the top-right corner of your screen. Also, tell your friends about my blog by sharing via Facebook and Google plus! Love Y'all! ~KJ