Sunday, we were finally able to goto church (the past two weeks the roads were frozen over) and again I was touched by what I learned. It was of course over the same topic that I was brooding about the day before and I even discussed it with my boyfriend. Just about being friends with those who are not Christian and how we are to be a positive influence on them. The sermon was so touching that I wished I was at home so that I could cry for joy! The sermon was titled "Good News for the Needy" (I went home and printed it off afterwards because he posts them online: Southcrest.) I was speechless and my boyfriend was the first one to say outloud that it was about the same thing we had talked about the day before.

That night I prayed desperately for my friends and for my family, and I made sure to be specific about each one and I got very emotional. That night I got a call from my cousin, who I had prayed for. I was half-asleep so I wasn't able to answer it. I texted him the next morning but didn't hear back from him, so I don't know what that was about. But I also got a message from my dad. I had not heard from him Sunday like I usually do and I remembered that he went to see his girlfriend, who lives far away. I had prayed for them that Sunday night because I knew that their relationship has been strained. So I was so happy when I saw that my dad had written my saying that the weekend had went very well and their relationship is coming back together!

Later that day I hear from my ex boyfriend that my two good friends had hung out with him Sunday night. Now, I can't get into the whole story with my ex, but we are good friends now and he is one of the people that I talk to about my spirituality. He's like a sounding board though because he is not a devoted Christian and is not in a place where he wants to change his life around. But I always talk to him and tell him what I learn and how important it is for him to change his life, just because I happen to think he is a good guy who does bad things. Anyways, he told me that one of my friends, who I always had a lot of respect for for some reason, was telling my other friend, who happens to be her roommate now, that she needed to stop doing drugs so often. I was like, whoa she really said that? I always somehow knew she was somewhat different but I also knew she got pretty wild also. So I was very relieved to hear that her life might be changing and that she might influence my other friend who is in deep with drugs. I didn't get my hopes up though because I didn't know if it was just a random thought of hers.

Last night it all came to a head. They goto this one bar every week that has weekly karaoke and I decided to go say hi to them because I hadn't seen any of my friends in about two weeks, when I visited them there to say hi as well. I have been clean sober from any drug for about a month now so I wasn't drinking, I just wanted to be with them. Of course they constantly offered drinks but I was not tempted in the slightest. My boyfriend also came with me so he was such a wonderful touch of reality in the midst of my friends' chaos. My friend who cannot survive without drugs says that she's going home, seemed to be because she was aggitated with us, she says that she is not wasted but of course before she leaves she admits that she is. She leaves with a guy who she brought there with her who has a girlfriend and only talks to my friend because he wants to get drugs off of her.

Wow this is long but this is where it gets good. My friend who supposedly told this friend that she should stop begins to tell me about how she has finally realized that she doesn't want to party anymore. This girl is like me, a good girl until coming to college, unlike our other friend who has been on drugs since around junior high. She said she has not been partying as much anymore and that she doesn't care too anymore, and that she has come to love herself with needing a boyfriend or drugs. We talked a lot about it (long story made short) and she was obviously going down the route I had come. My boyfriend knew that I was so stunned and proud.

We all start talking about our friend and how she obviously has a problem. I don't hang out with them much anymore so I hear that she is in a lot of trouble right now, in every way possible. They're practically yelling at each other because they are so passionate about expressing their belief that our friend needs help. We all realize that we all talk to her about her problems but she doesn't listen and will not change until she breaks herself. We all love her but she does not seem to think that she can be alright without drugs! But all she is doing is numbing herself from everything, not fixing the problems that cause her to feel the way she does. And all we can do is stand by her as she fights this. Or at least that is all that they plan to do, but I know better.

What I meant by all of that is that I see God working!!!! I prayed for these people and in no time at all a miracle has happened and God is changing lives. After seeing this change in my friends, I can see that it will only getter better and that God is in control!! This makes me feel that I shouldn't have to worry about anything in the future because he works to restore things everyday! Why look to the future when he makes today so beautiful?! I am so thankful and proud of my God's strength. The devil has nothing on him!!! If I didn't believe in prayer before, I sure do now, and I can't wait to see what he does in the lives of my loved ones, as well as my own life. I have a lot of things up in the air in my life right now, but I now know that I can trust that he guide me into the right direction. It even makes me realize that I don't have control, He is controlling everything and I get to see it and praise him for it!!! It's wonderful and beautiful. Thank you.