My name is Macy Haines, and I am in 10th grade. I got the “typical Christian upbringing”, followed the normal things like going to church every Sunday, youth groups, going to school, clubs, sports, what everyone else was doing. Towards the end of middle school, I started to fall into a place of not knowing what I was supposed to do in life, and grew very distant from God because of outside influences and never doing what God was calling me to do. I often felt like I had to carry everybody else’s burdens and was so focused on others. I didn’t think to put my relationship with God first. In eighth grade after I hit a breaking point, I got saved and very slowly started to make changes to my life. In 9th grade, I joined a homeschool co-op, and left public charter schools, which made me realize how personal and deep a relationship with God should be because of the new relationships and friendships I formed. I also learned that each person‘s relationship with God is not the same, and each person has their own testimony. I learned how important community and godly friendships are. The people that you are around shape who you are. In ninth grade, I came to LIFE Fellowship, joined StudentLIFE, got baptized and so much more. I gained amazing mentors and leaders that have been so helpful and supportive with life events that have happened. All the time, God is presenting something new in my life that I never expected, some really amazing things, and some not so great. I experienced loss with several people last year. Losing people is my biggest fear, but through it all God has still been so faithful, which just goes to show that God always laughs at our plans and he has so much in store for us if we trust and follow him. He healed me from the inside out, and it just goes to show how good and faithful of a God He is. I have also learned to not rely on others and to be confident in who I am in this person. Putting God before anything and everyone is something that I have learned through all experiences in life, and I hope that I can show others.

Deuteronomy 31:6 says, “Do not be afraid or terrified because of them for the Lord your God will go with you. He will never leave you or forsake you.”

This is the life verse that I have carried with me through every situation since I got saved. It makes it known God is always there, even in the darkest moments of life. He has a plan through it all, and those dark moments will turn into amazing things.