Blogging rather than packing

Exactly two years ago today I was boarding a bus with my Youth group to attend the Challenge Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. Today, I am boarding a bus heading to the same conference- although this time it's in Columbus, Ohio and I am in an entirely different place in my life now than I was then. On my first trip to Challenge, I was 14 years old, hadn't started High School yet, I didn't think too much about boys, hadn't been persecuted for my faith before, wasn't serious about my faith at all, and just didn't know what it was to be in High School and how emotionally hard it was. That first year of Challenge I learned to make my faith my own. And with that not just a PART of my life, but my WHOLE life. After leaving Challenge, I was on fire for God. I began to take my faith seriously and became a more Godly person. Although it didn't fade completely, the fire that I first felt after leaving the conference faded substantially, and while I was still a Christian and still growing, I had definitely back-slid. I think that's why I'm so excited to see what God has in store for me this year. Now I will board the bus being half-way done with High School, Having dealt with having a boyfriend and believing the lies teenage boys can tell sometimes, Being persecuted for my faith, Having friend problems, and having gone on 2 mission trips. I pray that this year at Challenge I deepen my faith and surrender my WHOLE entire life to God, and not hold on to the parts I don't want to give him control over.