I Resolve

SMC students were asked to share their New Year's Resolutions. Here's what some of our students hope to accomplish or achieve in 2010:

To become more passionate about God and serving Him - Anna Nusz

To get my gpa back to a 3.3 for next semester - Austen Woods

To become closer to God - Brittany Wiggins

Survive the freezing cold South Carolina winter and learn how to drive in snow - Danielle Enrico (she's from Florida!)

To give up fast food and junk food - Erica Ford

To excel at school work, extra curricular activities and commitments, faith, and friendship - Holly Atwood

To help Ben keep his New Year's Resolution - Jacob Durham

To make better grades. Learn how to use my time more wisely. Gain weight. work out more - Jamie McEntire

To get closer to god and also study way better in school and be a positive leader - Jordan Manning

To live life to its fullest - Kristen Dover

To stop cursing and exercise more - Laura Shields

To be healthier and to build a stronger bond with my God - Lindsey Allen

To make more time for studying and becoming a better CHRISTIAN athlete on and off the softball field of SMC!!! - Morgan Blanton

To stop procrastinating and get out of debt - Nicole Smith

To lose weight - Phoenix Puckette

To lose the weight I gained over the holidays - Rafael Guarin

To totally change my whole out look on life - Rebecca Harris

To read the entire thesaurus and learn one new word everday - Jasmyn Holliday

To stop cursing, lose weight and study more - Shawn'nay Bryan

To help out more in my community and make others who may be less fortunate have more - Taylor Cobb

To make Bible study and my relationship with God an everyday event - Tyler Bibb

Why Do You Worry?

Phillip Cox

Sophomore

Spartanburg, SC

Worry. What an awful thing. If there is one thing that takes up our time, it is worry. Why do we worry? It consumes many people, especially around this time of year. Whether it is the stress of exams, or the holiday season, worry seems to consume more people at this time of year than any other.

Jesus, in Matthew 6, was talking to those around him about many things, including worry. In verse 27, he asked if “worrying can add an hour to one’s life.” He was telling them they had nothing to worry about. Paul tells Timothy in his second letter that “greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world.” David was confident that God was with him, as he tells us so eloquently in Psalm 23.

You are God’s child. You are His creation. You are his “workmanship.” God needs you to tell people about his marvelous protection and friendship when everyone else is panicking. What a great testimony! Nothing makes God happier than when you believe in Him. You have a wonderful opportunity in a time when many are afraid to trust in God, “the one sticks closer than a brother,” and believe in what He said he would do. If you do that, you have nothing to worry about.

Thanksgiving

DeShawn Clement

Greenville, SC

Freshman

With Thanksgiving approaching, students were asked to reflect on what they are most thankful for this year.

Things that I'm thankful for are:

1. God's love: God's love is what held him to the cross. He died for us. He sent his ONLY begotton son for us sinners. If that's not love, I'm not sure what is. God shows us love and expects us to show love to others as he showed us. Love one another. Love your brother. Love your enemies. Love your neighbor. Love is mentioned several times in His word.

2. My faith: My faith is what allows me to trust and believe in the Lord. God tells us all we must do is have faith the size of a mustard seed. Faith is believing and trusting in Jesus Christ. If you truly believe and trust in the Lord, He will be by your side.

3.God's grace: Grace is getting something we don't deserve. Because we are sinners, we don't deserve grace. We sin against God and strictly disobey God, but thankfully, this leads to #4.

4. God's forgiveness: God forgives us no matter what. When God forgives us, it gives us a chance to fix what we have done. God gives us a set of rules to follow, and that's in His word. If we disobey, we must repent. God says that we must also forgive others as our father forgives us. You gotta love the Lord.

5. God's sovereignty: God controls all. He knows all.

6. God's mercy: Wow, mercy. God shows mercy through forgiveness and grace.

7. The Bible: The Bible has all that we may need. God gave us His word to help us navigate through life and to help us find the answers we need.

8. Gods Truth- The truth that he stores upon us in life and His word.