Treasure in Earthen Vessels

     I worked really hard on this painting for my first competition at the L2L Convention last year.  

 At first, I was terrible at painting. 

 I liked to sketch, and do that a lot, but not paint. 

One of my first sketches
practicing perspective

    So I took lessons from an Artist friend, and watched many Youtube videos on Watercoloring before I even tried to paint my picture.  

Another practice sketch

We were reading Revelation when I got to the day when I was ready to start my watercolor project, so I decided to paint the Lord of all lords coming back for His people.  

The horse was the hardest part

I finally got the horse right,
then it was time to
start painting

I did the sky first, but I had to do many practice
paintings before I was ready for the final one
Watercolor is hard, because there are many layers.

I was really surprised
when they said I won
First Place!

During this time when I was painting, one of my Memory verses was this one: 


"But we have this treasure 
in earthen vessels,
that the excellence 
of the power may be 
of God 
and 
not of us."

2 Corinthians 4:7


I know God helped me with this project.  It was really a tough one. 
 Sometimes I wanted to give up.  My Dad said that it was like the earthen vessels.  They crack and are sometimes broken or decayed or rotten, with holes all in them.

But if we hold on tight to God, He will fill them 
with His Light and 
that Light will shine out through the cracks.
That is what happened with my Watercolor Project. 

There were LOTS of cracks, like the 
sketches you can see in these pictures.  

But each time, the cracks got better, 
and in the end, the Light of 
Jesus was able to Shine out of the holes.

The shiny-est time was when they 
called me up to the stage at the Convention. 
That was Great! 

It was a LOT of HARD work, but it was worth it in the end

Sketching a
Self Portrait in my Art Class

A Man Named Jack

     Today I decided to write

my Home School English essay

on Dr. Jack Zorn.

Source:  L2L.com

      Dr. Jack Zorn was born on November 8, 1934, on a farm in Geneva County, Alabama.  His family worked as sharecroppers.   His father drank a lot of alcohol, but his mother was a very strong Christian lady, and she tried to make sure her children had God's values in them.

     We watched a DVD about Dr. Zorn at Church.  That is where I learned that he stuttered, and was not really a great student at school.  He was always helping his mom and working on the farm, so he couldn't focus on his schoolwork as much.  This is terrible, but Dr. Zorn actually quit school and started to work a job instead of finishing High School.

Dr. Zorn, the founder of L2L with his wife, Frances

     Dr. Zorn met a man named Bill Hatcher, and they studied the Bible, and he got baptized.  Even though he had not finished High School, Jack Zorn started to study at Alabama Christian College.  He somehow finished High School in Alabama, and started college there, too.  He met his wife there at that college.  

 After he got done at Alabama Christian College, Jack Zorn went to Harding, where both of my parents went to college.  That's where my parents met each other.  Then Jack Zorn went to the International Bible Institute for his Doctorate.  So he was a Doctor, but not the kind that gives you shots.  He was a Doctor of Religion.  That means he learned a ton about the Bible and God.  



Source:  L2L.com

   

Dr. Zorn really liked kids.  He thought they were the future of the church.  He taught some boys in Georgia how to preach and lead songs.  He was a really good teacher.  That was when he started Lads to Leaders.  It was a training program, and now it is HUGE. 

Source:  L2L.com

      Dr. Zorn is pretty old now, and he is retired.

  I wrote him a letter last week after I saw his DVD because I wanted to thank him for caring about God, about the Church, and about kids.   

He made it fun for young people like me to preach and lead.  I am really glad he did.  

Will Your Anchor Drift, or Firm Remain?

     At the 2015 Convention, I led a hymn for the very first time.

 I stood behind the podium.

 It would have been better if I had just stood in front of the podium.


  I was too short to be seen, except for my head.

I chose "We Have an Anchor" for my
song to lead

     I thought I did an "OK" job of it, but I forgot to tell everyone to sing verses 1 and 3.  

Everyone makes mistakes.  

There was this one boy who was WAY better than all the rest of us!  He could really LEAD SONGS! 

  

His arm motions were really big, and he had the whole song memorized!  He looked up the entire time. 

 He won First Place, and I was glad.  I went up and met him after the competition, and shook his hand. 

 I knew he had won.  I am not sure that he did, though.

 this is Me Behind the big podium

      I learned more about song leading at the competition than all of my practice learning.  

You get nervous with all those people in that room.  

I did practice, but I think I needed more practice.  

 I noticed that one boy got REALLY nervous and he could hardly begin.  There was another boy who was doing really well, and he suddenly got a funny look on his face, stopped, and ran out of the room.  I think he got sick.  

That's what ANXIETY can do to someone.

     I'm glad I did not have THAT much anxiety while leading my song.  But I do have other anxieties, like a fear of thunderstorms, and hornets.  

Funny how my song talked about the "anchor that holds in the storms of life."  That is really true.  

When the fears come, my Anchor is 
"grounded firm and deep in the Savior's love."

from flicker.com

"Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down,

But a good word makes it glad."

Proverbs 12:25

NASB

This year, I am going to practice a lot 

more for the Song Leading event, and get in front of

 a group more often, so I don't get 

so nervous next year.

  I also want to practice the keeping

 of time with my hand motions

so they are natural and not 

awkward to me. 


All of this is working to make me a better leader, more

committed, and stronger in the Church.  

My First Good Samaritan Act

     A crazy thing happened when we were about to leave the Convention this year.  Just when we were pulling out to go home, a man came up to our Truck.   He told my father that his car battery was dead, and asked if we could help.  And what do you know, my Dad had a jumper cable in his Truck! 

    Then my Dad and I opened both hoods, and we hitched both batteries together to charge the man's battery up.   The man was very grateful!  

     The Good Deed was done, and off we went, on our long journey home.  

We caravaned with our friends from -
church for awhile,
until we got to the Golden Corral,
where we ate lunch.
After that, we broke off from the group
and set off for home. 

     

"Do not neglect to do good, 

and to share what you have, 

for such sacrifices are 

pleasing to God."

Hebrews 13:16

A Different Kind of Treasure

Hi

I am glad you are reading my blog.  

Our Theme this year is "Treasure"and I want you to know that I treasure my time in Lads to Leaders (L2L).

I treasure (or value) my friends in L2L.

I love my mentors in L2L. 

All of these are "gems" and precious things to me. 

Source:  My Mom's Blackboard

I saw this Statement (below) on the Lads to Leaders Blog Web site,

 and I wanted to add it to my blog 

because I set some BIG goals this year in Lads to Leaders.   

"Are You A Winner?

 Every student who sets worthy goals is a winner..."

  - Roy Johnson

For 2015/2016, I signed up for 10 events.  

That is HUGE.  

This is only my second year in L2L, but I was so interested in so many things, my parents said I could do it if I promised to complete one event or item per month.  

I said I would promise. 

 So my year is going to be BUSY!   

I plan to be a "Winner," even if I don't win a single ribbon.  

My Art Class

"Are You A Winner?

 Every student who sets worthy goals is a winner.

Every student who starts excelling for the Lord is a winner.

 Every student who studies the Bible is a winner.

Every student who memorizes Scripture is a winner.

 Every student who learns the importance of serving others is a winner.

Every student who becomes a Self Starter is a winner.

Every student who stretches beyond their comfort zone is a winner.

 Every student who becomes “Firmly Grounded” is a winner."

 - Roy Johnson, Executive Director, Lads to Leaders

I helped my parents paint our Living Room this Week

What about you?  Are You A Winner?