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Revelation 21:4-7

‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, these words are trustworthy and true.” He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.

In a world of difficult times, pain, and suffering all around us, we have hope. We have hope in the Lord and his promises. I was reading a favorite blog of mine, and it somewhat inspired this post. Please do check it out.

http://nicolejeannette.blogspot.com/2011/01/some-encouragement.html

We know this time on earth is temporary. We know whatever we are experiencing that God is bigger and stronger and more powerful.

At church on Sunday, Pastor Nick (at East Hills Alliance Church) had us hold out our hands and lift up our burdens to God, and then feel God release them from us. To say the least, that was an emotional weekend for me. I attended a funeral on Saturday, and experienced a whole lot of emotion, and then found myself crying all weekend long! Church put me in that place again. 

God has really been trying to get a hold of my heart. I have been doing the worst thing, keeping myself from my Father, and from being known by just about anyone. And I can't hold up the appearance anymore.

I'm broken. I've been running. I'm in pain. I'm lonely. And I miss perusing God. So enough is enough. 2011 will be the year I pursue my Lord and Savior in a strength that is not my own. Pray for those hurting in this difficult and painful world.

"Trying to do the Lord's work in your own strength is the most confusing, exhausting, and tedious of all work. But when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then the ministry of Jesus just flows out of you." 

--Corrie ten Boom

There is a camp I have applied to 2 years previously and I was contacted to apply again. So I did. Last summer, I was almost hired, and then I was passed on to be hired at Canby Grove.  I love ministry and I would really enjoy working at a camp again. So prayer for those making decisions and choosing staff would be appreciated.

My favorite verse, Jeremiah 29:13, "If you seek me wholeheartedly, you will find me"

So, I'm seeking God, and I will find him.

Instruction Manual

So, I've been watching my great boyfriend putting IKEA furniture together and it provoked a lot of thoughts in me. Wouldn't it be great if life had an instructional manual? Wouldn't it be great if life was a simple as building a simple piece of furniture, with each step and move easily explained and mapped out?

I think that would be nice. But we all know life doesn't work that well. Life is full of the unexpected, the unplanned, and unprepared. Things come our way that we didn't expect or even want.

As Christians, the closest thing we have to an Instruction Manual would be God's word, the Bible. But even the Bible doesn't tell us EXACTLY what to do and when to do. All we have with the Bible are the promises God has made us. For example, God will never give us more then we can handle. And He is always faithful to fulfill his promises. He has a plan to prosper us and not to harm us. His promises are endless.

Lately, I've been praying my path and steps would be made as clear as an instruction manual. I need God and His promises more then ever. And I've been walking blindly, being led by God where to step next.

Dutch Brothers, anyone?

Dutch Bros, my favorite little drive through coffee stand, has a wonderful creed in which their store is run by.

To find a: Dutch Bros Near You

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel there is something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

To think only the best, to work only for the best and expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

I absolutely love this. I like to read it every single day. Read it, allow it to sink it, and give it some thought. 

New Beginnings

I remember when I first started college about three years ago. I was so incredibly nervous and somewhat excited. Tomorrow, I take a big step to start a new journey attending Oregon State University. I recently transferred and I'm once again in that state of nervousness and excitement. I start classes tomorrow at 8 am. Oh boy!

I spent today walking through my class schudele and semi-preparing myself for my new school. Prayers would be appreciated. Just walking around the campus in the brisk winter air was so amazing. The campus is beautiful and it is so easy to find your way around.

I still have a lot of details to work out, like parking permits, getting my books, finding a dresser for my townhouse, and I'm sure I could add a lot more to that list. But for now, I'm going to enjoy a cup of tea, settle down, and get a good nights sleep.

Here's to new beginnings and fresh starts. 

Resolutions

So, it's the time of year in which people come up with "New Year's Resolutions"

I've come up with a few.

1. Pray more

"To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing." -Martin Luther King, Jr. 

2. Drink more water

Because everyone knows its "good" for you, but we all know we don't do it.

3. Talk more, text less

Upon realizing that I spend so much time texting and having my phone on me, I realized I want to be able to leave my phone and not always be connected. I want to spend more time with people I care about instead of communicating though texting.

I'd like some more ideas. Ways to make our lives better, richer, and and honoring to God in 2011. 

"Maybe it's not my weekend, but it's ganna be my year. I'm so sick of watching the minutes pass as I go nowhere." -Weightless by All Time Lows

Can anyone tell me what Christmas is all about?

Isaiah 9:6

"For to us a child is born,
   to us a son is given,
   and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
   Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
   Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." 

This evening, Christmas Eve, I went to church with my family. Early this morning, my brother and his wife arrived at our parent's house. It is so good to have family all around! We went to church at 4pm. There was a lovely service. The message delivered by Steve Clifford was strong and thought-provoking. He asked, "is this story true?" He was challenging those to commit to their belief of Jesus. Is this story and the reason we celebrate true or is it all a hoax? I know I believe. He also challenged us to think about why God chose for Jesus to come this way. God did it for a purpose. I think the way God chose to bring His Son into the world is beautiful. And cause for big celebration.

Jesus is the reason we celebrate.

I think every year, as I get older, I realize more and more what Christmas is all about.  

After church, we came home and had a yummy dinner of potato, bacon, cheese, and corn soup. Yum! We then watched The Nativity Story. Typically, I don't care for "Jesus" movies. They tend to bore me. But, The Nativity Story captivated me and I saw the birth of Jesus, my Savior, and the Savior of the World in a new way.

 

If you are looking for a great movie, this one is definitely a good pick. I love seeing movies or reading books that challenge me to think or see things in a new way. 

Luke 2:1-20

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An 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.”

 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Merry Christmas! And Happy Birthday Jesus!

Wear Sunscreen

The lyrics to Everybody's free to Wear Sunscreen by Baz Luhrmann

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. 

The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by
scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable
than my own meandering
experience…I will dispense this advice now. 

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not
understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.
But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and
recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before
you and how fabulous you really looked….

You’re not as fat as you imagine. 

Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as
effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing
bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that
never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm
on some idle Tuesday. 

Do one thing everyday that scares you. 

Sing. Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with
people who are reckless with yours. 

Floss. Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes
you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself. 

Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you
succeed in doing this, tell me how. 

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements. Stretch. 

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your
life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they
wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year
olds I know still don’t. Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone. Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe
you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky
chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t
congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your
choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body,
use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people
think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.

Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room. 

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them. Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly. Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for
good. Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the
people most likely to stick with you in the future. 

Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you
should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and
lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you
knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live
in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. 

Travel. Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will
philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize
that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were
noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders. Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund,
maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one
might run out. Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will
look 85. Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who
supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of
fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the
ugly parts and recycling it for more than
it’s worth. But trust me on the sunscreen…