Time for a change?

First ever post! I've been using LiveJournal for a long, long time. I've actually created an account mainly to keep up on AK's piebald blog and post comments, cause I miss me some Alex Kirk. For any interested in reading the journal i write in most frequently go here: maysmith.livejournal.com
This may become the main journal i post in, but as it stands quite a few of my non-Christian friends read the LJ site and I'll keep on writing there to share my story as God helps me grow daily, hopefully it'll help them understand God better.
But here's a quick spiritual update anyways! I really understand what Jesus was talking about when he said the world would hate us, especially lately. I had a friend I haven't spoken to in almost 2 years InstantMessage me out of the blue and start arguing with me that, logically, my faith was... well incorrect, to put it nicely. Not to mention he insisted on arguing his case at midnight, when i desperatly needed to be sleeping instead of trying to explain God's love. But God has been so faithful in my other friendships, working in hearts when I've felt like I failed miserably at conveying the truth. I keep praying for my lost friends though, because I know that's really where the work is going to be done. (I bet my friend who tried to argue with me for an hour the other night has no idea the floodgate of prayer he's opened up! haha, go Jesus!) God continues to grow me and show me the areas I'm still so immature in with my faith, especially through these conversations with my friends and getting feedback and guidance from my more mature Christian friends. Amanda discipled me pretty much all last school year, and oh man I don't know what I would have done without her.
I'm also applying for church membership at WestEnd Presbyterian Church here in Richmond so I can get baptized. Yeah, I've been putting it off and there's no good reason except it was scary to me (I'm still trying to figure that one out, all I know for sure is that it was part of that old self that God's helping me grow out of). I'm really hoping to plan it so my parents can come to town and be at the church with me that day. We'll see how God works it all out.