Christmas: The Big Picture

It's Christmas Eve. Presents are wrapped, jammies are on, It's A Wonderful Life is playing, and the house is at peace. Praise be to God for this beautiful night.

"Then the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 'Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men.'"

{Luke 2:10-14 // NKJV}

Jesus is the reason for the season. It really is Merry CHRISTmas rather than Happy Holidays. But there's more to Christmas than throwing these phrases around. There's a deeper meaning.

Our Savior is born unto us because of His love for us, and this is good news.

The big picture is one true God, holy and just, has a fierce, unshakable love for His people. A nation is troubled. Sin creates barriers between God and man. The Law is given, but impossible to hold by human beings. Something must be done; a sacrifice must be made. A Son must be given.

Jesus is our living hope. He is the long-awaited Messiah Israel was waiting with anticipation for. His purpose was to come and save, and He did.

For this, we fall on our knees. We hear the angel voices. We come and adore Him. Our Savior lived, died, and was resurrected on earth for us; being born in a stable to Joseph and Mary is just a chapter of the story. And He invites us to be a part of His story! We simply accept the invitation and participate. Thank You, Lord for such an honor.

So Merry Christmas friends! Enjoy the greatest gift we have been given. Rejoice that Emmanuel has come to save! He is God with us.

"O Holy Night" - beautiful song. Powerful lyrics and dripping with worship. Love. Plus these chicks rock.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Africa On My Mind

For the past several months, the entire continent of Africa has been on my heart after hearing one family's testimony of adopting two children from Ghana; one of them is my student. :) I began praying for sweet babes who live in poverty and suffer from disease and tried to do some research here and there. Recently, I came across a book entitled Kisses from Katie which is currently rocking my world.

The author of this book, Katie Davis, is an average American teenager who tells of her adventure of obeying God's call to pack her bags, move to Uganda, and eventually adopt fourteen (yes, I said fourteen) beautiful little girls. Jesus' love overflows out of her. She finds that living a life dedicated to serving others selflessly is the most rewarding, fulfilling life she could ever live. It's an incredible story.

While this book is making my heart leap for little African babes, it is also truly opening my eyes to the devastation of poor and sick children with no one to take care of them, no one to feed them, and no one to nurse them to health.

In fact, did you know:

16,000 children die daily from causes related to hunger.

3,000 children around the world will die from diseases that is both preventable and treatable - Malaria.

143 million children are orphaned.

8.5 million work as child slaves or prostitutes.

2.3 million children have HIV.

There are about 164.8 million needy children in this world.

Yet, there are 2.1 billion people who claim to be Christians.

If only eight percent of Christians cared for only one child, statistics of needy children would vanish.

I don't know about you, but this infuriates me. All we have to do is take care of one child, ONE CHILD, and we can change the world through His power and might. Obviously, we are not doing are job. Something needs to change.

While talking about this randomly at school, one person suggested that instead of paying for medical care in third world countries, we should be preventing human reproduction in those places all together. Basically, because you cannot provide a "good" life for your child and you are poor, you should not have children. This broke my heart in two.

I completely respect her opinion and understand where she is coming from. If no one had children in the first place, there would not be any suffering kids. I get that. But, that's not the solution. They are God's children. He created them in His image. They are fearfully and wonderfully made. He loves them so incredibly much and holds them close to His heart. All He asks is that we take care of the less fortunate so they may tangibly see His love. Through this, Jesus will be glorified.

We have a responsibility as followers of Christ. We are commanded to take care of the poor. The sick. The orphans. The widows. The brokenhearted. And they need us to help them. They need Jesus to save them.

Lord, give us Your eyes. Help us to see the hurting, the weary, and the brokenhearted all around us, even in our comfortable country. You have called us to serve others and love unconditionally just as You have. Give us opportunities to meet their needs and tangibly show Your love to everyone around us. Send Your angels to heal the sick children across the globe. Hold them close and send Your followers, including me, to help them. They need us. They need YOU.

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me,
for the LORD has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
and to proclaim that captives will be released
and prisoners will be freed.
He has sent me to tell those who mourn
that the time of the LORD's favor has come,
and with it, the day of God's anger against their enemies.
To all who mourn in Israel,
He will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks
that the LORD has planted for his own glory."
{Isaiah 61:1-3, NLT}

Much love,

All statistics were found in Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis, published in 2009. To learn more about Katie and her ministry in Uganda, Amazima Ministries, go to amazima.org.

#givethanks2013

Yes, I know. It's been practically forever since I've written on this sweet little blog. I'm back. :)

Something that has been on my mind the past few days is thankfulness! Obviously. It's November. Thanksgiving is going to be here in like five seconds. Anyways, there are a lot of little social media challenges during this thanksgiving season, so I thought I'd join in, even if already the fourth day of the month.

#givethanks2013

My challenge to myself (and to you!) is to Instagram, Facebook, or Tweet once a day for the month of November something we are thankful for. Simple as that. Find your thankfulness, be grateful, and share with others. I pray it will change our perspective as we give thanks to God each day and become filled with His joy.

Today I am thankful for this cloudy Monday morning in my home with a warm cup of pumpkin-y coffee and extended time with Jesus. Oh, how true quiet meetings with the Lord refresh my soul. My heart is at rest, and for that I am thankful.

What are you thankful for? Share your thoughts!

A True Once Upon A Time

{photo source}

Have you ever watched the television program "Once Upon A Time"? If you said yes, you're now my best friend. If you said no, do yourself a favor and watch it on Neflix ASAP. This series is based on the beloved fairly tales we all know and cherish, but with a creative twist. We can see a side of them we have never seen before. And it's AWESOME!

The first episode opens with the classic happy ending of Snow White being awakened by her Prince Charming with true love's kiss. After the spell is broken, Snow White takes a breath of fresh air, looks deep into her prince's eyes and says, "You found me." Charming replies, "Did you ever doubt I would?" "Truthfully, the glass coffin gave me pause." "Well, you never have to worry. I will always find you." Swoon.

Don't you just love it?! What makes me adore this story so incredibly much? Why I am so consumed with Prince Charmings and lovely princesses living happily ever after? How is it that all I want to do is put on a ball gown and tiara and be the belle of the ball?

Because God designed my heart to long for romance.

Our love of "love" is wired into us! We have a captivating soul that yearns for the romantic love of our knight in shining armor. Oh, how true it is. But think about it, we are made in the image of God. Our hearts are modeled after His heart. Therefore,

Our God is a romantic God.

What?!

Yes, He is! He wants to romance you with Himself and glory and splendor of His creation. As His church, we are the bride of Christ and He is our husband.

"For your Maker is your husband,
The LORD of hosts is His name;
And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel;
He is called the God of the whole earth."
{Isaiah 54:5, NKJV}

He is your Lover! Your Savior loves you in a deep, intimate way. He pulls you in and invites you to delight in a divine romance.

"God delights in revealing himself to those who will seek him with all their hearts. He is an extravagant, abundant Lover, and he loves to reveal his heart to us again and again." 
{"Captivating" by John and Stasi Eldredge}

He is pursuing you daily. Ask Him, "Lord, how are you romancing me?" and you will begin to be romanced by your Creator in ways you never thought were possible. For me, I swoon over the sky. When I see a breathtaking sunset or a stunning sunrise, I know it's for me. He is pulling at my heart strings. It's almost as if He leaves a rose on your doorstep or a note on your car. Friends, He LOVES you in a fierce, passion way.

Jesus is the original Prince Charming who fights for His bride and even gave His life for her. This is the best fairy tale ever; it's a true story that we have the privilege of living! It is a true "Once Upon A Time".

Love you all!

Back to School Peptalk

{Photo by cfisherphotography. Also found on PicMonkey, my new favorite online toy}

I survived my first week of school.

{cue Hallelujah chorus}

Okay, maybe I'm being a bit overdramatic. My first week of school was actually quite fabulous! I'm anticipating a tough, tiring, "I want to pull my hair out", but also an interesting, fun, and even "I think I like being a college student" semester. #truth

Highlights:
~ My Psychology teacher spent the fist class talking about his vacation.
~ In Public Speaking, our teacher told the class she loves controversy. And even encourages it.
~ Our first assignment in Political Science was to talk about someone famous we want to meet. (Ms. Audrey Hepburn, duh!)
~ I saw a dead body. Up close. YOU GUYS IT WAS SO COOL. It was.

This shall be a good year.

About a week before school began, part of me wanted to get stressed out and overwhelmed. I need what for this class? Our first test is in two weeks? How does this online class work? I still have to be in a boot at school? Do I really have a late night class two days a week? AM I EVEN GOING TO SURVIVE? 

Oh, come on. You know you do the same thing.

So I just started praying. I prayed a lot. I prayed for favor, for strength, for tenacity, against laziness, against sickness, against stress and anxiety. Even though I barely have any homework yet and I still have the first week high (for example: Yay! I'm going to go ready my book for fun! Doesn't last. I'm sorry, it just doesn't), I feel at peace about this load of work. It's going to be good. I think I can even say that I'm excited. Yippe!

So just remember:

The Lord never gives you more than you can handle. Trust Him with everything, even school stress, and He will give you peace. You can do this, in the name of Jesus!

"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."
{Philippians 4:6-7, NLT}

OH!

Another big thing.

Your school is your mission field.

Before the semester begins, I usually start praying for divine appointments and good opportunities to either show my faith or verbally share it. True confession, I kind of forgot this time. Not good. Whether your school is a public middle school or a private Christian college, your school is your mission field. Be bold. There are a lot of hurting people on your campus who NEED Jesus. Be the light. Be different. Don't let those teachers or students beat you up about what you believe. Stand firm in the faith. Fight the good fight. Share Jesus. They NEED Him.

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
{Matthew 5:16, KJV}

"Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach what you shall say."
{Exodus 4:12, NKJV}

"And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town."
{Matthew 10:14, ESV}

Work hard. Do well. Pray always. Show Jesus. Share Him. Be encouraged. HAVE FUN.

I hope you enjoyed my peptalk. ;) Have an amazing semester/year!

Attitude Matters

Hey y'all!

In case you hadn't already noticed, I gave the blog a makeover! Yahoo! I'm still in the process of ironing things out and trying to make everything look as pretty as possible, so bear with me. But, I hope you enjoy the new look. ;)

As most of you probably know, a couple weeks ago I fell during rehearsal as I was dancing, more specifically jumping, and broke my fifth metatarsal and sprained my ankle. I know...yikes! When the incident first occurred, I thought to myself, "Oh well. I hurt my foot. Big deal. Happens all the time. The doc said I'd be as good as new in a week." Later on, I came to find out that it was not getting better. I continued to crutch around everywhere and hop back and forth. We decided to take another trip to the doctor and they said, "Surprise! It's broken." Woops. They didn't catch that the first time around. I am sentenced to wear a boot for four weeks, praying it will soon heal. Oh, fun times.

What I thought was not going to be a big deal at all turned into a pain in the rump. I can't drive, because it's my right foot, so that causes some issues. Walking is possible, but it hurts sometimes. And I can't even really fully walk correctly yet. A trip to Target is a doozy. Bottom line, having a broken foot is NO FUN. I'm sorry. It's just not.

So guess what I'm learning right now: attitude matters. 

Sigh.

"Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, 'children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.' Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky." 
{Philippians 2:14-15, NIV}

(covers ears) LALALALALA.

"You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had."
{Philippians 2:5, NLT}

...ouch.

In those moments when the Holy Spirit catches me with a lot of frustration and a bad attitude, I take a second to pray and ask the Lord for a new attitude. Let's try again. Alright...die, flesh, die. I have the mind of Christ and I am to have His attitude as well. Help me, Lord.

A Christ-like attitude is something I have to work on. Especially under these circumstances. I'll surely mess up, but I can try again. A good attitude sets a good example and we are to glorify the Lord at all times, even when it's hard.

So I encourage you all to have a good attitude today! Maybe you just started school and you're already moaning and groaning all day. Perhaps you're injured too! Or maybe there's something else going on! Whatever it is, remember to have the same attitude as Jesus.

Feel free to Facebook, Instagram, and/or Pin this verse everywhere. Share the encouragement!

And just for kicks...

I know. I'm cool.

Love you all!

The Doubt Dilemma

Can't sleep. Let the rambling begin.

Today as I was reading Matthew 21, this super cool story in verses 18 through 22 really stood out to me so I thought I'd share. Here's how it goes, with my random thoughts included.

"Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry." 
{verse 18, NKJV}

Jesus was hungry. I get hungry. Oh yeah, Jesus was human. Sweet!

"And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, 'Let no fruit grow on you ever again.' Immediately the fig tree withered away." 
{verse 19, NKJV}

Uhh...okay. That's pretty legit. And slightly random, I suppose.

"And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, 'How did the fig tree wither away so soon?'" 
{verse 20, NKJV}

Yeah, how come?!

"So Jesus answered and said to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." 
{verses 21-22, NKJV}

Wow...this. is. AWESOME.

How amazing is that?! Told ya this story was cool.

What I really loved about this is how Jesus addressed the subject of faith versus doubt. So often it's easy to become full of doubt and discouragement. I've struggled with this. Heck, I still do from time to time! The truth is that doubt is the opposite of trusting God completely. This gets you nowhere. Not good. Faith, on the other hand, declares total confidence and belief in the Lord and what He will accomplish. This moves mountains. Much better.

This is what He is saying to us:

"Listen to Me, you saw what I just did to this fig tree; you know what I'm capable of. I'm telling you that if you just believe wholeheartedly without a shadow of a doubt, you can accomplish much greater things through Me! Pray with that faith. Believe and you will receive."

What type of doubt do you struggle with? Maybe it's not major, but it tends to sneak up on you, doesn't it? Perhaps the devil is using it to distract you from the truth. And you know what the truth does, don't you? It sets you free. Walk in freedom! Stop doubting and just believe! I know it's easier said than done, but have faith. God is ready to wither fig trees and move mountains through you.

"Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"
{Mark 9:24}

xo,
AKG