What I see...

• I look at my students and know that what they are going through is going to shape them in one way or another... 
• I'm watching people fall away from God. Watching people fall away from God is so hard. I just want to take them by their ears and sit them down and explain how amazing God is if they would just look for Him. 
• I am watching others move over seas following what God is telling them...
• People struggle to make ends meet when they are doing what God is calling them to do...
• I see High School boys starting discipleship groups.... reaching their friends.... it's incredible!

No Santa?!

 
Do you remember how old you were when you found out there was not a Santa? Well I don't... apparently my cousin told me when I was about 3 or something, but what is amazing is that I NEVER felt like I was missing out on something. As a 3 year old my mom told me about St. Nicholas. She also told me how Christmas is the only time of year that adults get to play. If I wanted presents I could play too, but if I didn't want presents I could tell anyone I wanted! (Anyone who knows my mom KNOWS that I would not have gotten presents!) Anyway, what child DOESN'T want presents?! Seriously, my mom was a genius! There was no freakout like the above picture. My parents didn't have to keep up the charade. I did not know what I was getting for Christmas and it was all a HUGE surprise still! The cool thing is that my family was able to focus on JESUS! My parents and I had a Christmas decorating party every year and we talked about Jesus and our Nativities as well as our kneeling Santa. As I got older it became a game where I would look up online when Santa was suppose to have gotten to my house and then we would open all of our gifts on Christmas Eve, because we go to visit family on Christmas day.

I don't feel as though I was cheated, I feel like Christmas means so much more to me today than most because of not believing in Santa. I don't know if all kids would take it the way I did, but for me as an adult I'm glad I found out so young! As I am going back in my memories of Christmases, I've begun to realize how much of my family's over the top Christmas house with multiple trees and all has Santa stuff in it... just a few items!

I've heard so much about kids freaking out when they find out.... so, how did you find out?

Just a Story...

In my 26 almost 27 years of life I have heard the "Christmas Story" more times than I can count and it became just that... a STORY! Do you ever feel like that? Well, today I took some ME time and read through all of the accounts in the different gospels.  I saw this "story" in a whole new light... it was out of Luke 2:21-40 that I am seeing this differently. This is where Jesus is presented in the temple. We meet Simeon and Anna in these verses. God told Simeon that he would see the Christ child before he died. Simeon KNEW the Christ child just by looking at Him and when Simeon took Jesus into his arms he PRAISED GOD! Mary and Joseph were ASTONISHED at this!

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Back to today, if Mary and Joseph were surprised at someone else knowing their child was the Christ can you imagine how the others in the Temple felt. Would we know Christ if He was presented today in our churches? Seriously, think about it would we? Are we so in God's word that we would know? Do we walk with God so closely that He tells us these secrets?

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Back to the Bible we go! Anna is intorduced in verse 36. She was OLD! She had only been married for 7 years and was widowed for 84 years. She lived MOST of her life as a widow. She never left the temple... she fasted and prayed, fasted and prayed. She walked up to Mary and Joseph and told everyone around about the baby and how He was the redemption for all.
Okay, so, back to today! Anna was widowed for so long and instead of feeling sorry for herself and saying she couldn't do anything she went to the temple and fell at the feet of God EVERYDAY! She was priviledged to see Jesus! She thanked God FIRST and then spoke to the others around! When do we thank God first for things? Can you imagine going through your daily routine and something like this happen to you? God rewards us when we are faithful to Him... Anna and Simeon alike were faithful to God and were able to see Jesus. Are you as faithful as them or are you more like myself and make excuses about being too busy to just bask in the presence of God?

Not A Gator and Not a Bronco, BUT....

As most of you know, I LOVE sports! I might be a girl, but I can talk sports with some of the best guys around especially football! It's in my blood, what can I say?! So, I'm definitely NOT a Florida Gator fan (let's go HOKIES!) I am NOT a Denver Bronco fan (49er faithful, baby!!) But I LOVE Jesus Christ with all that I am and so I AM a Tim Tebow fan. He is standing up for everything that I teach my students... and on national TV! We should talk about Jesus as much as we would if we were married. I know my mom talks about my dad constantly! I tend to talk about football or my dog constantly... hmmm maybe I needed this wake up call! He talks about how it is a relationship with Christ and not just a every now and then thing. I am in awe of the stand that Tebow is taking. He started getting national recognition in college and he has kept on the narrow path unlike so many! So, Enjoy and spread it!

Are YOU Thankful?

So, I've decided that I am NOT thankful enough. I mean I say a genuine thank you for people who open doors or check me out at the grocery store. BUT there are so many things I COULD be thankful for if I just opened my eyes a little. God has blessed me in so many different ways! How has He blessed you?

Family - My family is so important to me, but I do not live near them... The closest lives 5 1/2 hours away. I am so thankful that God gave me such an amazing family! With my cousin serving our country in Afghanistan I have noticed a change in myself about how much I tell my cousin I love him. But what about my other family members? I have not upped it for them... and for that I am trying to get better! I do love them and Cherish all of them! I can't wait for the Holidays so that I can see them!

Friends - My college friends became my family and for them I am so Thankful! God has given our little "family" some new members in the last year and I can't wait to see how our "family" grows later on! From babies to spouses we are slowly growing! I have to show you a little girl that I am so blessed to have in my life!

Church - God has spoiled me with my church! I have a segregate family here in South Georgia.  I can not tell you how blessed I am! They are so supportive! The older people are loving on the youth and the youth are loving on the older people. BUT the best thing is that God is being praised through it all!  God is blessing us because we are dwelling with Him! We had a Trunk or Treat on Halloween night and we had between 6 and 7 HUNDRED people come to our church! Our church was filled with laughter and joy in a positive environment! It was all because of our loving church family!

Little Things - Oh the little things in life! Life, breath, food, $ to pay rent or even put gas in the car, gas, dogs, love and friendship....


So, what are you thankful for?

Boys that can Shave

I've been thinking a lot lately about singleness and what that looks like... I will be the first one to tell you that I refuse to be a crazy cat lady or dog lady as it may be, but looking around I notice that I don't want a "man" in which we see them today.... Men are trapped in Adolescence.... living at home, playing video games, and working dead end part time jobs.... I know I'm worth more than that and it is hard to live a life of singleness while knowing that your heart wants more...

Mark Driscoll hits on this in a video done at Catalyst, take a look!

Labels

Found Here

What makes YOU, you? Are you the kind of person who is labeled? What do your labels say about you? How can you change your labels?

My Labels:

Pastor's Daughter

Smart Kid

Cheerleader

Christian

Youth Intern

Youth Pastor

I started life with a Christian Label and have had one since college, but for middle school and high school that would not have been a label in which I would have wanted or been proud to hold. I cared more about my label and what that meant instead of who Jesus wanted me to become. Is your focus on your labels or on Christ? I hope to hold a few more labels in my life like wife and mother, but I never want to loose my label as Christian!

Do you need to change your label today?