Christmas in pictures

Christmas Eve...

We celebrated Christmas Eve by having our good family friends, Allison and Phillip over.  We started babysitting Phillip from the time he was about six weeks old.  So, he's pretty much like a brother to us!  He's only a few weeks older than my brothers.  We basically grew up with a set of triplets in our house :)

We discovered that traditional Jenga can evolve into many different games!  Here's some pictures to illustrate:

(Traditional Jenga)

("Domino" Jenga)

("Tower" Jenga)

Here's all of us! (L to R: Morgann, Daniel, Phillip, Kendall)

Our neighbor makes AMAZING gingersnap cookies!  

Daniel LOVES them!!

Can't have Christmas without some yummy goodies!

 Christmas Morning...

My stocking: cute knee high socks, hair accessories, lots of earings, gum, lotion, and my FAVORITE--GLUTEN FREE recipe magazine!!!!!!!!

The morning we celebrate Jesus' birth.

 Christmas Day...

Mom and I always do puzzles when I'm home.  

Our favorites are Charles Wysocki and "Hometown Collection."

My favorite present!!  My new Bible  :)

Luke 2: The story of Jesus' birth.

Christmas dinner table!

This year, it was "just us" for Christmas day.  For the first time EVER, we didn't have any extended family over and we didn't have to go anywhere!  We literally stayed in our pajamas all day and spent time as a family.  Dinner was quiet and relaxing.  It was a joyous Christmas day.

"And there were shepherd living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  And angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 

'Glory to God in the highest heaven,

and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.'"

Luke 2: 8-14

Videos to keep you busy...as if you're not already busy enough.

The story of Christmas with a "social media" spin:

~AMAZING~

For a great reminder of what Christmas is really about:

~CONVICTING~

For a laugh or two:

~CUTE~

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas!!  :)

The Miracle of the Big Fish

We all know the story of Jonah, right?

• God tells Jonah to go to Ninevah
• Jonah says "No!"
• Jonah hops on a ship headed to Tarshish
• God sends a big storm
• Jonah gets thrown overboard to stop the storm
• Jonah gets swallowed by a great big fish 
• Jonah repents
• God makes the fish spit Jonah out
• Jonah ends up going to Ninevah after all to tell the people about God.

Sounds pretty familiar, right?  Right.  

I was reading Jonah this morning, and I noticed something that I had never noticed before!  I've always thought of Jonah's punishment as being swallowed by the big fish.  That's how we are taught in Sunday School, and because of that, that's how I've always thought of it in my head.  After Jonah is thrown overboard, let me show you what the text really says:

"But the LORD provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights." 

~Jonah 1:17 (emphasis added)

The big fish was part of the LORD's provision in Jonah's life.  Without that fish, Jonah would have died in the great depths of the ocean.  Without that fish, Jonah would not have had the privilege to repent and acknowledge the importance of God's plan.  Without that fish, Jonah would not have been able to tell the Ninevites about the Sovereign LORD.  

I think sometimes we see our own lives in the same way we tend to read Jonah.  Those things that are painful, messy, annoying, or a nuisance in our lives are seen as "from the Devil."  I think in reality, sometimes, they are provisions from God to teach us, mold us, and use us in ways that would not have been possible otherwise.  Sometimes the "big fish" in our lives are not bad things, but are really God's saving grace at work in our lives.

Practical application?  Next time you think you have been "swallowed by a big fish," so to speak, thank God for his provision in your life.  Be thankful that you are still breathing.  Be thankful that you may be swallowed up, but you are NOT consumed, because God is with you through it all.  

Caught in the Middle

We all remember being a kid and anticipating Christmas morning like it was the best day of the year (because often times, it was).  And those days leading up to Christmas…they were just the best.  It was like you wanted to so bad for Christmas to come and just be here already, but at the same time there was so much joy in the waiting. 

That’s how I’m feeling right about now.  I have one more full day in California before I am HOME for three whole weeks  J  I have one final to tackle right in the middle of the day tomorrow and the I will be busy baking for my little first grade class all afternoon.  My lovely day will close out with the privilege of getting to watch my lovely little first grade class perform their Christmas production, “The Gingerbread Kids.” 

There is certainly this urgency in me to go home, but there is also this part of me that just wants to stay and savor the moment.  Listen to the voices around me laughing in anticipation, the shouts of joy as people finish up finals, and the beautiful smiles of children as they sing about gingerbread. 

I’m caught so caught in the middle, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

3...2...1....

BLASTOFF!!!!!!!!

3 more finals to go...

2 days til I'm home...

1 BIG God who will see me through.

Philosophy, honesty and back massages

..what do they all have in common?  Monday.

As some of you may know, yesterday I spent seven [yes s-e-v-e-n] hours sewing a beautiful sunset tapestry for a history project.  Though the tapestry turned out pretty darn good, my lovely back paid the price.  I spent last night laying on our living room floor trying really hard to breathe and fight the tears.  Three Advil did not suffice when it came to controlling the pain, so I had to resort to some stronger drugs.  Thankfully, it knocked me out for the night and my sciatic nerve didn't stand a chance against Percocet.  I was so thankful to be able to sleep from midnight all the way til 8:30 this morning.

I woke up to an empty house [one roomie in Santa Barbara, two studying at Starbucks].  It turned out to be a blessing in disguise because I got to spend the entirety of my morning studying and I felt so good to get so much done in such a small amount of time.  I spent the rest of my day studying philosophy and writing a philosophy paper.

By the end of the day, I was exhausted and my back was/is throbbing!  I am so thankful to have such amazing friends because one of them was willing to come over to my place and give me an AMAZING back massage.  So now, I just got done having a heart-to-heart with my roomie Amie and now watching an incredible sermon from Louie Giglio  :)

I gotta run so I can focus [at 10:38pm] on the amazing message being preached!

Love you all.
Blessings,

The "M-Word"

So...

I'm sitting here, on my [very comfortable] couch wondering why I'm not up being productive.  I have philosophy to be reading [Hume, Descartes, Plato, Tolstoy...the list goes on], a quilt to be sewing [that's right, I said quilt], a paper to write [due tomorrow at 4:30] and many other things too.

There's this thing called motivation.  And whatever it is, I DON'T have it.  It's been a while since I've been buddy-buddy with the "m-word."  Somehow I find myself filling my time with other things: redesigning my blog, going on adventures with friends at 11pm to look at Christmas lights, watching hilarious youtube videos with the roomies, going to In N Out with one of my friends and talking for a couple hours, cleaning, doing five loads of laundy...are you getting the picture???

You know what?  The funny thing is, I don't regret any of it.  I've had more fun than I've ever had in the midst of finals.  I've laughed more than I have all semester.  And somehow, I feel more at home here than I ever have.  Laughter is a gift from God--and sometimes we only get to experience it by throwing caution to the wind and living like there's no tomorrow.

So today, take some time to feel the wind in your hair, the rain on your skin, the sand in-between your toes.  Take time to feel the cold air send a chill down your spine.  Take time to watch the clouds drift by and form an infinite amount of shapes.  Take time to smile at a stranger or at your spouse.  Take time to watch your kids play.  Take time to listen to the deafening sound of quietness. Take time to let your ears ring from the noise.  Take time to see God in the small things.  Take time for life.

"Wherever you are, be all there."

~Jim Elliot

Held

I have no words to describe how weary I am right now.  I have no words to describe this deep yearning in the depths of my soul to feel God near.  Right now, I simply want to be cradled like a child by my God.  I want to rest in the palm of His hands...beneath the shadow of His wings.  I want to allow Him to carry my burdens--to carry me.  It is the most amazing blessing to serve a God who is strong in my weakness, who sees the tears I cry, who cradles my broken heart and slowly and carefully mends it back together.  It is a blessing to serve this God:

"Do you not know?  Have you not heard?

Ha it not been told you from the beginning?

Have you not understood since the earth was founded?

he sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, 

and its people are like grasshoppers.

He stretches out the heaves like a canopy, 

and spreads them out like a tent to live in.

He brings princes to naught 

and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.

No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, 

no sooner do they take root in the ground, 

than he blows on them and they wither,

and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.

'To whom will you compare me?  Or who is my equal?' says the Holy One.

Lift your eyes and look to the heaves: Who created all these?

He who brings out the starry host one by one,

and calls them each by name.

Because of his great power and mighty strength,

not one of them is missing.

Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel,

'My way is hidden from the LORD;

my cause is disregarded by my God'?

Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The LORD is the everlasting God, 

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

he will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary; 

and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the LORD

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint."

God is faithful to answer our prayers.

Truth

If only you knew how much I needed to hear this song.  If only I knew how true this song was.  Maybe home wouldn't seem so far away.