Happy Birthday Jesus....I'm so Glad it's Christmas....the REAL gift is YOU

I don't know if any of you remember this song...
happy Birthday Jesus
I'm So Glad Its Christmas
all The Tinsel And Lights
and The Presents Are Nice
but The Real Gift Is You.

happy Birthday Jesus
I'm So Glad Its Christmas
all The Carols And Bells
make The Holiday Swell
and it's All About You
happy Birthday Jesus
Jesus I Love You!

I remember hearing this on the radio all the time...I haven't heard it this year but I always think of it when Christmas comes around. It's a short song sung usually by a little kid...but it has such great meaning...Yesterday we celebrated a pretty awesome Holiday. Over the last 30 days we've all decorated our houses...put up our tree's and frantically shopped for gifts for the people who are important to us...but why? What is the significance of putting all these decorations up, only to take them all back down a month later...What is the significance of wrapping all these gifts...spending all this time looking for that perfect gift...only for it to be "over" in fifteen minutes. If it weren't for Christ we wouldn't have this Holiday at all.
I will admit my family did not go without this year...all you have to do is look at my pictures to see that we had plenty. The kids especially got a lot...and I believe everyone in our family got the ONE thing they wanted for Christmas at least...but how many times did we pause in the midst of opening gifts, and telling the kids "Santa" brought this stuff, to really think about what this Holiday is about? When I went to bed Wednesday evening all I could think of was the importance of Christmas day...and I woke up to the thought of what the Holiday was about...Jesus Christ...God in the form of man...but throughout the busy day I didn't stop once to think of this again.
My point isn't to condemn gifts on Christmas...or to have fun with the family and kids...I love my gifts...and I LOVED spending the day with my family--it was very precious to me. My family is very important to me, and spending time with them yesterday meant the world to me...but none of this would have been possible without Christ. I wouldn't be here. My family wouldn't be here. Life would have no purpose...but because of the great love of God coming to earth in the form of man...we have a reason to celebrate! We have perfect reason to enjoy Christmas...to love each other...to give gifts...as long as we remember the ultimate gift of Jesus Christ =)

Do What Moves You

I just finished watching Jamie from To Write Love On Her Arms give an interview on CNN live at CNN.com His interview was short, simple, but moving. One of the things that he said that really captured my interest was "Do what moves you, do what you feel strongly about"--Jamie had this huge job at Hurley for years where he was making six figures, and he gave that job up in order to be the light at the end of a dark tunnel. To help people who are suicidal and who inflict harm on themselves. He gave all that up because he wanted to love people.
I am more than passionate about this cause and this movement. I wish I could show people how strongly I feel about this movement...and all I can do right now really is support them and pray that this movement will continue to take off. This makes the second appearance that Jamie has made on any national TV website or channel...This movement is getting bigger and it is going places.
This movement isn't just about suicide or preventing self harming actions...it's about what we are all called to do. To love. I say this all the time. God is love. The greatest commanded is to Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength...and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself. LOVE. O my Goodness if we could all just love the way God loves. Of course we are human and we fail greatly...but to at least strive to this love.
This movement is very near and dear to my heart for many reasons that few people really know--and it moves me to tears sometimes to see my friends who have taken the leap to understand why this movement is so important to me...and to join in this cause in helping fight against addictions and depression and all that To Write Love On Her Arms stands for...These friends have followed the step to love...I want to challenge people to really take to time to possibly just go to www.twloha.com and really see what this movement and cause is all about. Just read the story, and take a few minutes to understand that it's not just an "emo" thing or a shirt that I wear or whatever else...it's so much greater.
I want to do what moves me...I want to do what I love...which is why I know when I finish college I'll be doing so much more than I'm striving for with my degree...because God has called me to greater things...to love his people in a way that others might not understand....
I am done now...I just really want to challenge everyone to really do what they're called to do...and to love the way they are called to love.

Starting Thanksgiving Off early with a little Thanks

Thanksgiving is tomorrow...I can not believe it has been another year. I really feel like this year just flashed before my eyes. It brought forth a lot of blessings. I don't think it should take a Holiday for us all to realize what we are thankful for, but in the feel of the Holiday I want to make a list of the things I am thankful for...and I encourage others to do the same

1. The never-ending Grace that my Heavenly Father has given me
2. Two parents who take care of me when I do not deserve half of what they give me sometimes
3. My brothers and their wives...for putting up with me even though I am unbearable at times
4. My nieces and nephew...need I say more?
5. The few great friends I have that I feel like are more than just my friends...but they are family
6. My Grandparents...who raised me to know God...and who love me with a great amount of love.
7. An education, and the opportunity to further my education that I take advantage of most of the time

This list could go on and on...there's so much I have been blessed with in my life...and without God none of it would be possible. I know Thanksgiving is traditionally a North American Holiday or an American Holiday...but it's more than that...To me it's about taking time and realizing what I've been given in my lifetime as a child of God...not just a Citizen.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Snow?!? In NOVEMBER!??

So if you're from Eastern N.C. you know it does not snow here very often. It especially does not snow here in November. Tuesday we got a few snow flurries which I thought was really crazy--just last week it was like 80 degrees here and all of a sudden we're getting snow flurries...This morning I woke up and was getting ready and I heard the sound of "rain" outside--For a second I was like "Grr! I don't want to walk in the rain to class!" but then I looked out and I did not see rain...I saw SNOW. Lots of snow! I still didn't really think anything of it because I figured it was just going to last for a few minutes and turn into rain or whatever else...as I walked outside to get in my car I saw a storm of snow going on. I was thinking to myself "this is insane!"
If you know me you know that I have never really been a fan of snow. I am definitely a warm weather person. To me snow has never been pretty--it's honestly just frozen precipitation that causes a lot of issues.
Today however, my attitude of the change was a little different. This week has been really overwhelming for me...It's just been very stressful and a lot has been going on. Today I view the snow as almost like God cleaning up this week. Even though I've never enjoyed snow I look at it as a refreshing, clean look at the world...and it's almost like God said "Hey look it's the end of the week and your work is done, I'm washing away the stress and everything else that has overwhelmed you this week"
I'm at peace today--and it's fantastic. So today--I do not despise the snow--I love it...I'm thankful for it...I'm thankful for my Heavenly father who washes me clean just as I'm viewing the snow washing everything clean.

It took time, but...

One name under heaven whereby we must be saved
Forgiven of my sins, baptized in the water
Filled with the Holy Ghost, and
Washed in the blood of the Lamb
Free really free my friend
Freed by the blood of the Lamb
God's gonna move this place
God's gonna move this place
God's gonna turn this whole world upside down

The past two days this song has been stuck in my head. It's one that I learned last summer (2007) and for some reason it's been in my head the past two days. I've been singing it to myself and realizing how true it's words are. I'm free. I'm forgiven. I've been baptized and I am forgiven of any sin that could have ever taken over me. I've known this all along...but I guess knowing and believing are two totally different things. I have a hard time accepting the fact that I'm loved by God and I'm forgiven of anything. A lot of the time I let these lies fill my head that I'm not good enough...but, I know the truth. The truth is, I've been saved. I've been washed in the blood of the lamb. I am forgiven. It's a pretty awesome feeling.

Also, a friend of mine sent me this link to this video a few days ago...and I find it to be so awesome. Yay Michael Tait.

A strange...maybe even Geeky revelation

Does anyone else remember this game?
Tetris...I used to play it all the time when I was younger. Being an A.D.D kid it was probably the one thing I could focus on for more than a few minutes....I used to play this game for hours on end. Lately while I've been at work I have been playing it just because I've been bored...and I came across this strange revelation.
Call me a geek for connecting Christianity with a video game but I think it's actually a pretty cool revelation.
When you start off playing tetris you might start off doing really well. All the blocks will fit perfectly together...the lines are breaking down...things are going smoothly...then all of a sudden you get this block that does not fit. You start to get a cap between your blocks, and before you know it your tower is reaching the ceiling, thus causing you to almost lose the game...but WAIT. You get another block that breaks down like 10 of your lines. You're once again going smoothly.
I relate this to Christianity in the sense that a lot of the time in our Christian walk that's how it goes. Especially if we're new Christians. Things are looking up. Life's going smoothly. You and Jesus are tight...then all of a sudden things come a long that really start to hinder your relationship with God. Things don't quite fit into place...and you feel like you're defeated and losing...and then all of a sudden God reaches down and makes everything okay again. It might take a while. We might start to sweat and think we're really about to lose--but then it all becomes okay once again.
I guess I realized this when I was playing today and I was getting frustrated because I had all my blocks in place and then one came along that didn't quite fit...and so I started to do badly...
I think it's a cool revelation and I just thought I'd share it.

My God IS enough

i've had enough of living life for only me
and reaching just for the things
that keep destroying me
so sick of envying the lives of so many i see
somehow believing that they have what i need
my God's enough for me
this world has nothing i need
in this whole life i've seen
my God's enough, enough for me
i can't explain why i suffer though i live for You
those who deny You, they have it better than i do
cover my eyes now so that my heart can finally see
that in the end only You mean anything
who have i but You
who have i but You
who have i but You~ Barlow Girl "My God's Enough"

This weekend...for the first time in a long time...I had a conversation with God. I realized...if no one else was listening to me...He would. And He has. This world sucks. People fail. It feels like the world is against us...but then I remember...if my God is for me...WHO can be against me? No one.
I have one of the greatest friends in the world who has really been trying to get me to understand this. She's been trying to get me to be comfortable enough to talk to God. To express how I feel to God, even if it feels like He's not listening. Even if I get angry with God. Even if I feel like walking away from God. When it feels like God is against me...because life get's hard. God's never against me. He has different answers to problems than I want sometimes. He knows what I can handle...and he rescues me sometimes at what feels like the very last second of rescue.
We serve an amazing God who loves us. Me and God got pretty tight this weekend. I know He loves me. I know He wants to rescue me. I know He knows what's going on in my heart and in my life, even when no one else can understand. When I'm having issues that only I can understand...I realize there's one other person who Does...and that's God. When no one else understands what's going on in my head...God always will.

Man what a breakthrough.