S3 Stories of Strength

Hi friends!

My name is Taylor Sandy and I am excited to share truth with you today! 

A little background…

I graduated from Grapevine High School in 2014 and participated in S3 throughout middle school and high school. I went on to play collegiate soccer for The University of Kentucky, then transferred to The University of Texas at Austin to finish out my degree and soccer career. From the outside, many people think that my life is picture perfect and Instagram worthy at all times, but that is far from reality! I have struggled with sports adversity, injury adversity, friendships, break-ups, disappointments and set-backs, but the biggest has been loneliness.

The Bible says in Leviticus 20:26 “You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own”. We are not meant for this world; we are not meant to fit in and the best example I can give is Jesus. He was bold, spoke truth in love, and He was persecuted for it. He experienced betrayal more than once and yet is the MOST significant and important person in history. Being set apart is lonely!

The world tells us to live as we choose, live by the mantra, “you only live once”, do what makes you happy, etc.

God’s Word says in Luke 9:23, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”” I have experienced moments where I don’t feel liked or accepted by my peers and I have to remind myself that the world hated Jesus first. If you feel like people don’t like you because of you, it’s most likely because Jesus lives inside of you, and not because of who you are! When you change your perspective of the criticism or judgement you may face, it frees your heart and mind to really LOVE those who persecute you.

So, if you feel like you’re alone here is my tip for you. Put yourself out there! Join a bible study if you’re not in one already, go to youth groups at church or to your Student Standing Strong meetings every week, etc. Finding like-minded friends and community who understand what you’re feeling is the key! The fact is that everyone is lonely. Every person you know, even the popular person, feels lonely sometime or another. Satan fills your mind with lies of self-doubt, lack of moral values, insecurities, sinful pasts and current sin to hold you captive and keep you in the state of feeling lonely and isolated. God wants you to know that you are loved just as you are and that He created YOU for a unique purpose that only He can fulfill. Stand firm in your beliefs, and know God’s Word. You are not alone!

With love,

Taylor Sandy (@thetayloredlifeblog)

Throughout my middle school and high school years, Students Standing Strong has provided me with a space and a group of people that has allowed me to further develop my faith and leadership in the Lord. It can be hard to stand firm in your faith while going through school, but what I have found most important is to involve yourself in ways which you can lead and serve others. The past few years, I found my calling through serving as the dance worship leader, for elementary and middle school students at my church. I have created dance routines to worship songs that kids would learn and participate in during church services. I was able to take my love and passion for dance and use it in a way to praise and teach other students about the gospel. Serving as a leader for these younger students made me realize that I can be an eyeopener to Christ for many people. I am able to take my love for the Lord and combine it with

 my passions and gifts to serve Him. 1 Peter 4:10 states that “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”

This verse has impacted my life because it such a great reminder to use the gifts that God has given me to serve in His name. Everyone is blessed with a unique gift that God intends for you to use to spread his word. Whether in school, at home, or with friends, don’t be afraid to utilize your gift to teach others about Christ.

Robin O’ Hanlon

I sat down to take a break from studying for my six exams during finals week and preparing for a full summer, working hundreds of miles away from home, to write a peace.

Huh, ain’t that something. I have learned that often what season you are walking in, and the areas the Lord is refining you is what you can speak and teach on most. While in such a busy time, what better way than to take a second to breathe and be still.

Psalm 46:10, the psalmist declares from the Lord, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations,I will be exalted in the earth!”

When he wrote that he was in a bit of a chaotic time. Verses like this, in my opinion, have a cost to them. There is a cost to being still, knowing, trusting and resting that many of us experience.

In John 14:27 Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” God’s heart is to fill you with peace. He longs for you to have all the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5) dwelling within you. He has consistent, constant peace available to you. But you must trust Him in every area of your life. You must hand over the reins of your relationships, job, identity, and plans to the superhero of your soul. You must trust that He will guide you perfectly into an abundant life.

I remember, at the beginning of the year, feeling the Lord pressing on my heart, you know, where all of a sudden you feel the Word as much as you hear it or sense it. This would be the year I would rest and truly trust. Every time that I would step out of that, I would feel the angst and the striving of trying to make something better, trying to solve something, trying to bring a solution to something. And there was a feeling so deep in resting and trusting that we only gain by being still. The only time we are told to strive towards something in the New Testament it’s to actually strive to enter the rest of God (Hebrews 4:11).

I leave you with this: Look to your heavenly Father for peace. Find rest in His abundant love. Find your self-worth in the fact that God so desired relationship with you that He laid down His own life to have you. Your Father counts you worthy of the death of His only Son. Trust Him today. Place your entire life in His capable hands. Experience abundant life in the area of your emotions, rooting and grounding yourself in His unconditional, available love. May your life be marked by increasing peace as you grow in trust.

Shelby Schumacher

The University of Oklahoma ’21 | Sports Management

Grapevine High School Students Standing Strong President 2016-17

For most of my life, I believed that being a leader meant I had to do several things.

For one, I had to be qualified.

Two, I had to be in control.

And lastly, I could not be transparent when I was weak.

In the last couple of years, this year especially, I’ve been hit with many storms. And as president of the Richland High School S3 club as well as a leader in my church and FCA, I have had self doubt. I didn’t feel qualified. I most certainly wasn’t in control. I felt like being transparent in my weakness and struggles would make me less of a leader. But, as I’ve dug into the word and encountered encouraged from several mentors in my life, God has been teaching me what being a leader for the Kingdom looks like.

1. Find a mentor–As leaders, we must also be led. We don’t know everything and that’s okay. Seek out people who are older, wiser, and who will encourage and pour into you during every season. Most of all, someone who is a Christ follower.
2. Be broken–We all are. And when we lead from a place of brokenness, we take ourselves off of the ‘high horse’ and show others they are not alone. Leading from brokenness often isn’t easy. But, good leaders shouldn’t be fake. Sometimes, it takes getting up and leading from that very place of brokenness, even though we may not feel like it. Leading from brokenness is one of the greatest acts of humility.
3. Surround yourself with truth–Satan will do all he can to get you to believe lies. He will deceive you as you scroll through Instagram. He will get into your head when you don’t make the team. He will hit you hardest when storms come. And he certainly will remind you when you are most weak and vulnerable.  But when you have God’s word and His promises saturating every thought, Satan doesn’t stand a chance. Get alone with God. Whatever it means–worshipping on your way to school, waking up a few minutes early to be in the Word, or talking to Him while you’re working out. Be with Him. He loves to be with you.

One of my favorite leaders is found in 2 Chronicles 20. King Jehoshaphat was in a place where he didn’t know what to do. He was the King of Judah and he was facing a vast army. King Jehoshaphat was scared. The first thing He did was ask the Lord what to do. He gathered the whole nation and they came before the Lord in prayer.

In verse 12, the king said“We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on you”. The Lord responded to him and told him to go and fight–The victory was already won. So, Jehoshaphat went to fight. He didn’t send his finest troops, with the finest weapons. He sent a choir. The victory was won by their worship and not a single enemy lived. You don’t have to know everything. You don’t have to be perfect, but by being transparent in your weakness He will guide you. Worship the Lord in every season. The greatest leaders didn’t have it together all the time, and that’s okay. Leading is about pointing others to Jesus–the one greatest leader there ever was. Keep your eyes on the Kingdom. When our time on earth is done, your work here on earth will be rewarded with, “Well done my good and faithful servant”.

-Cameryn Plemons, Richland High School, S3 President

Patience is actively living for Christ in this life, knowing He has our best interests in mind.

“Don’t wish your life away,” is the wise advice I receive from my parents all too often. “I wish it was summer already. I wish I was in high school. I wish I was in college…” my siblings and I have said it all.  We’re so eager to move on to something bigger and better, we miss out on the present. My pastor was recently discussing with me how every aspect of our daily lives (even the act of pouring a glass of tea) is important to God because He cares for us so much. Therefore, no phase or season of our lives may be found insignificant to Him either.

“For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:14). We are to live for Christ in every breath-filled moment we have on this earth. I encourage you to read Ecclesiastes 12. It is a great chapter on why we should focus on God throughout our lives, as all else is vanity. I am eager to move on to the next chapter of my life; eager to escape the limits of adolescence.  But there is no doubt once I enter “adult life,” I will come to another period of life where I want to move onto the next. Nevertheless, I should keep my focus on Christ, actively living for and trusting Him in every phase of life. I should stop wishing my life away and start being thankful for the time He has given me.

Challenge: As you wait for your next blessing and for your next season of life, I challenge you to actively live for Christ in the midst of your waiting.

Joy can be found in Him in the journey of patience. We tend to think He is punishing us through delaying blessings (or even not allowing them). On the contrary, this is such loving protection from our God and a blessing in and of itself. He knows what is best for us. He guides our lives in such a way, that even in our own free will, He orchestrates our circumstances and our decisions to ultimately benefit us. What an amazing and loving God we serve!

-Noah, an S3 leader