I woke up this morning at like 7am to open presents and eat breakfast before heading to church. This year I received Skittles (which is awesome because we never get those out there!), make up, lotion, 2 empty journals, a stack of Melody Carlson books (yay!), jewelry, and the Super8 DVD. Supposedly, there's still some more things coming for me in the mail.
After presents, we went to church for about 2 hours and then came home and prepared the house and food for our Christmas dinner. We had 3 families come over and celebrate with us. Before the guests arrived, I wanted to watch Super8 with John just because I hadn't seen it since the plane ride back to Niger. So about 15 minutes before the movie was finished, the guests began to arrive so after the movie was done, I was told to restart it so that the guests could watch the first 10 minutes of the movie. We made it through almost the entire movie before it was time to start dinner. Then, after eating, the kids came into my room and we watched Rodrick Rules (which happened to be one of the DVDs that John got for Christmas) and it was time for everyone to leave.
This Christmas, I feel really blessed. I mean, I had less presents than I have ever had but that was okay because the whole day was wrapped around family time and things not having to do with presents. And for the first time at Christmas, I really celebrated Jesus' birthday and not just the whole holiday feeling of Christmas. I couldn't have been happier! Seriously, this has got to be one of the best Christmases I've ever had with my family. :)
Merry Christmas, Everyone, and Happy Birthday Jesus!
.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Happy Birthday, Jesus!
Just one more day until Christmas Day which means one more day until Jesus' Birthday!
This year, my Christmas is wrapped around the Family. We have less presents and we're just having a few friends of the family come over. I actually prefer Christmases like this to having a HUGE get together and more presents than you need.
The other day, I was thinking about Christmas and we never refer to it as Jesus' Birthday and that's what it is! We're celebrating the birth of Christ!
In the book of Luke, the Nativity story is told, starting first about Jesus' cousin John the Baptist. You can read all about the story in Luke 1-2.
Pretty much what happens is Mary, Jesus' mother, is just a teenage girl when an angel comes to her and tells her she will be become pregnant and give birth to the One who will save and world from their sins! At that time, Mary is engaged to a man named Joseph but he will not be Jesus' biological. So Mary visits Elisabeth for a few months and then returns to Joseph. Meanwhile, Joseph knows that Mary is pregnant and secretly decides to divorce her but then an angel comes to him in a dream. So Joseph marries Jesus' mother and the two travel to Bethlehem for the census. And while they're there, the time comes for Mary to give birth to Jesus. However, there isn't any room for them in any of the inns so they end up staying in a barn.
A group of shepherds outside of Bethlehem are told about Jesus' birth by a group of angels so they go to find the baby. And Wise Men (magi) follow a star to Baby Jesus so that they can worship him.
The whole story of Jesus is really amazing with all the events that led up to his birth.
So after thinking about it, we shouldn't really be celebrating presents and snow or whatever; we should be celebrating Jesus! He grew up and told thousands of people that he would save them from their sins, then he died on the cross, and rose from the dead. If we didn't have Jesus, we wouldn't have Christmas, and we wouldn't have ANY hope at all. Without Jesus, what would happen to us after we die?
So, since today is Christmas Eve, I'll be spending a lot of my time helping my mom prepare all the food for tomorrow. Then we'll finish up any present wrapping and then go into our Christmas traditions. Every year on Christmas Eve, we open our stockings and sometimes we even get to open one present from under the tree. We also watch 'It's A Wonderful Life'.
So, Merry Christmas Everyone and Happy Birthday Jesus!! :)
This year, my Christmas is wrapped around the Family. We have less presents and we're just having a few friends of the family come over. I actually prefer Christmases like this to having a HUGE get together and more presents than you need.
The other day, I was thinking about Christmas and we never refer to it as Jesus' Birthday and that's what it is! We're celebrating the birth of Christ!
In the book of Luke, the Nativity story is told, starting first about Jesus' cousin John the Baptist. You can read all about the story in Luke 1-2.
Pretty much what happens is Mary, Jesus' mother, is just a teenage girl when an angel comes to her and tells her she will be become pregnant and give birth to the One who will save and world from their sins! At that time, Mary is engaged to a man named Joseph but he will not be Jesus' biological. So Mary visits Elisabeth for a few months and then returns to Joseph. Meanwhile, Joseph knows that Mary is pregnant and secretly decides to divorce her but then an angel comes to him in a dream. So Joseph marries Jesus' mother and the two travel to Bethlehem for the census. And while they're there, the time comes for Mary to give birth to Jesus. However, there isn't any room for them in any of the inns so they end up staying in a barn.
A group of shepherds outside of Bethlehem are told about Jesus' birth by a group of angels so they go to find the baby. And Wise Men (magi) follow a star to Baby Jesus so that they can worship him.
The whole story of Jesus is really amazing with all the events that led up to his birth.
So after thinking about it, we shouldn't really be celebrating presents and snow or whatever; we should be celebrating Jesus! He grew up and told thousands of people that he would save them from their sins, then he died on the cross, and rose from the dead. If we didn't have Jesus, we wouldn't have Christmas, and we wouldn't have ANY hope at all. Without Jesus, what would happen to us after we die?
So, since today is Christmas Eve, I'll be spending a lot of my time helping my mom prepare all the food for tomorrow. Then we'll finish up any present wrapping and then go into our Christmas traditions. Every year on Christmas Eve, we open our stockings and sometimes we even get to open one present from under the tree. We also watch 'It's A Wonderful Life'.
So, Merry Christmas Everyone and Happy Birthday Jesus!! :)
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Prayer
I started to think about Prayer this morning so I decided to do a little blog post on it :)
According to most people, Prayer is simply talking to God. That could include thanking him, asking for something, or just telling him about your day, problems, and feelings.
One of my favorite books (Antsy Does Time~ Neal Shusterman)also talks about prayer. The character in the story, Antsy, defines prayer like this: " —that’s when I realized that prayer isn’t for God. After all, He doesn’t need it. He’s out there, or in there, or sitting up there in His firmament, whatever that is, all-knowing and all-powerful, right? He doesn’t need us repeating words week after week in His face. If He’s there, sure, I’ll bet He’s listening, but it doesn’t change Him, one way or the other. Instead, we’re the ones who are changed by it." And finally, the Bible talks about prayer but doesn't really give it a definition. Philippians 4:6-7 says "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus"
Why is Prayer so important to me?
Well, first of all, I'm a Christian so prayer is the way in which I communicate with God. But there's a lot more to that for me. In the quote, Antsy says that prayer doesn't change God at all and I believe that's true. Yeah, we're talking to God and we're asking for all this stuff but none of it changes God. He doesn't get more powerful when we prayer and when we don't pray, he doesn't become weaker. We pray, so that we can talk to God and we pray because it changes us. I feel a lot better after I pray. Usually, if I'm praying for someone or something, I feel pretty peaceful afterwards.
Lately, ever since this summer, I've been praying a lot more than I used to. I pray for a lot of people, most that I haven't even met. For example, I pray for Justin Bieber. Yeah, most of my friends find that really strange but I still pray for him every night. First off, It makes me feel like I'm making a difference because I pray for his faith, his safety, and his family and team. I also think it's really important. Another example would be Joel Courtney. I pray for his faith, his health, his safety, and his family. Both of them are in places where they have a lot of impact and influence on people.
I pray for my birth sister and birth family that they will become Christians one day.
Whenever I'm feeling doubtful, scared, or when I'm happy, I'll pray to God and thank Him for everything that he's given me.
Since it's almost Christmas, I have a lot to be thankful for which means I get to thank God more! This Christmas, I have my family, my friends, presents, my Bible, my music, love, food, Internet, and so much more. I've really been blessed.
And even when I pray, I listen for God. So, since prayer changes us, hearing what God says changes us too. It's a lot more effective than a devotional actually because it comes straight from God.
For me, since I'm really introvert, I don't like to spend a lot of time talking (yet my parents seems to think otherwise..) especially in front of a lot of people. So when I'm praying, I know it's just me and God so I find that a lot easier. Maybe that's why I pray so much.
Oh, and my favorite prayer quote is "God Speaks in the Silence of the Heart. Listening is the Beginning of Prayer" (Mother Teresa). Before you start to pray, you should listen first to what God wants to say to you and then go from there.
According to most people, Prayer is simply talking to God. That could include thanking him, asking for something, or just telling him about your day, problems, and feelings.
One of my favorite books (Antsy Does Time~ Neal Shusterman)also talks about prayer. The character in the story, Antsy, defines prayer like this: " —that’s when I realized that prayer isn’t for God. After all, He doesn’t need it. He’s out there, or in there, or sitting up there in His firmament, whatever that is, all-knowing and all-powerful, right? He doesn’t need us repeating words week after week in His face. If He’s there, sure, I’ll bet He’s listening, but it doesn’t change Him, one way or the other. Instead, we’re the ones who are changed by it." And finally, the Bible talks about prayer but doesn't really give it a definition. Philippians 4:6-7 says "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus"
Why is Prayer so important to me?
Well, first of all, I'm a Christian so prayer is the way in which I communicate with God. But there's a lot more to that for me. In the quote, Antsy says that prayer doesn't change God at all and I believe that's true. Yeah, we're talking to God and we're asking for all this stuff but none of it changes God. He doesn't get more powerful when we prayer and when we don't pray, he doesn't become weaker. We pray, so that we can talk to God and we pray because it changes us. I feel a lot better after I pray. Usually, if I'm praying for someone or something, I feel pretty peaceful afterwards.
Lately, ever since this summer, I've been praying a lot more than I used to. I pray for a lot of people, most that I haven't even met. For example, I pray for Justin Bieber. Yeah, most of my friends find that really strange but I still pray for him every night. First off, It makes me feel like I'm making a difference because I pray for his faith, his safety, and his family and team. I also think it's really important. Another example would be Joel Courtney. I pray for his faith, his health, his safety, and his family. Both of them are in places where they have a lot of impact and influence on people.
I pray for my birth sister and birth family that they will become Christians one day.
Whenever I'm feeling doubtful, scared, or when I'm happy, I'll pray to God and thank Him for everything that he's given me.
Since it's almost Christmas, I have a lot to be thankful for which means I get to thank God more! This Christmas, I have my family, my friends, presents, my Bible, my music, love, food, Internet, and so much more. I've really been blessed.
And even when I pray, I listen for God. So, since prayer changes us, hearing what God says changes us too. It's a lot more effective than a devotional actually because it comes straight from God.
For me, since I'm really introvert, I don't like to spend a lot of time talking (yet my parents seems to think otherwise..) especially in front of a lot of people. So when I'm praying, I know it's just me and God so I find that a lot easier. Maybe that's why I pray so much.
Oh, and my favorite prayer quote is "God Speaks in the Silence of the Heart. Listening is the Beginning of Prayer" (Mother Teresa). Before you start to pray, you should listen first to what God wants to say to you and then go from there.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Christmas Break
5 Days before Christmas!
This week, I've got a lot of Christmas shopping to do this week and a lot of Christmas movies to watch! :)
Hopefully, I'll make good use of the 4 weeks I have off from school.
Merry Christmas everyone!
This week, I've got a lot of Christmas shopping to do this week and a lot of Christmas movies to watch! :)
Hopefully, I'll make good use of the 4 weeks I have off from school.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Thank You
"What If You Woke Up Today With Only The Things You Thanked God For Yesterday?"
If you just read the quote above, think about it. Imagine you wake up tomorrow morning and look around your room. There is nothing in it, maybe just your warm bed and the sunlight coming through your windows. Then you go down the hallway and your house is dark, silent, and probably empty. Then you realize that only what you had said "Thank God for..." the day before is still left in your house.
God has blessed us with so much, and so much of it, we take for granted. Have you ever stopped and thought about how lucky you were to have:
~ a different set of clothes to wear each day?
~ five senses that make it so much easier to enjoy life?
~ a TV?
~ junk food like Skittles, Hershey chocolate bars, and potato chips?
~ books to read?
~ friends that love you even when you don't feel it?
~ a Mom and a Dad?
~ a house?
~ an iPod or MP3player?
~ a clock?
You don't fully realize how important something is to you until it's gone.
Ever since I began to realize how much I take for granted, I have been thanking God for everything that He has given me. I have friends that love me ALL over the world, there are people who pray for me every day, I have a warm bed to sleep in, I have a life, I have parents, siblings, my own computer, my own iPod, food, and my own Bible...
When things seem to be going perfectly for me, I still pray and thank God. Because he can easily take away all that is making me feel so happy if he believes I am being too greedy or not being thankful. Besides, He is the one who gave me every. :)
During this Christmas season, when you're opening up your presents or sitting in a warm house, remember there are people all around you who don't have as much as you. So be thankful and don't just take it all for granted.
And, REALLY think about it... "What If You Woke Up Tomorrow With Only The Things You Thanked God For Yesterday??"
If you just read the quote above, think about it. Imagine you wake up tomorrow morning and look around your room. There is nothing in it, maybe just your warm bed and the sunlight coming through your windows. Then you go down the hallway and your house is dark, silent, and probably empty. Then you realize that only what you had said "Thank God for..." the day before is still left in your house.
God has blessed us with so much, and so much of it, we take for granted. Have you ever stopped and thought about how lucky you were to have:
~ a different set of clothes to wear each day?
~ five senses that make it so much easier to enjoy life?
~ a TV?
~ junk food like Skittles, Hershey chocolate bars, and potato chips?
~ books to read?
~ friends that love you even when you don't feel it?
~ a Mom and a Dad?
~ a house?
~ an iPod or MP3player?
~ a clock?
You don't fully realize how important something is to you until it's gone.
Ever since I began to realize how much I take for granted, I have been thanking God for everything that He has given me. I have friends that love me ALL over the world, there are people who pray for me every day, I have a warm bed to sleep in, I have a life, I have parents, siblings, my own computer, my own iPod, food, and my own Bible...
When things seem to be going perfectly for me, I still pray and thank God. Because he can easily take away all that is making me feel so happy if he believes I am being too greedy or not being thankful. Besides, He is the one who gave me every. :)
During this Christmas season, when you're opening up your presents or sitting in a warm house, remember there are people all around you who don't have as much as you. So be thankful and don't just take it all for granted.
And, REALLY think about it... "What If You Woke Up Tomorrow With Only The Things You Thanked God For Yesterday??"
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Super Kid, Super Future | Movies & TV | Christianity Today
An interview with Super 8's Joel Courtney (who plays Joe Lamb in the movie) about the movie and his Christianity. :)
Super Kid, Super Future | Movies & TV | Christianity Today
Super Kid, Super Future | Movies & TV | Christianity Today
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Keith
Yesterday afternoon, I watched this movie called Keith. It came out in 2008, starring Jesse McCartney and Elisabeth Harnois.
The movie is about a teenage girl named Natalie who's popular, beautiful, and thinks she has it all. Then, she is assigned this boy named Keith as her lab partner in chemistry class. Keith is almost the complete opposite of her. He drives this yellow truck, doesn't care what other people think of him, and has nothing to lose.
As the movie progresses, Keith and Natalie become close friends, which shocks Natalie's best friend and boyfriend. Because Natalie is part of the popular crowd and Keith is considered a loser, they aren't supposed to be friends or even be seen together.
Near the end of the film, Natalie discovers that Keith has a very deep secret that he refuses to share with her. She becomes obsessed with figuring out what is wrong with him, which gets her suspended, pulls her away from her boyfriend, and causes conflicts with her parents.
At the end, Natalie discovers that Keith has cancer and that he is dying. At this point, she realizes that Keith loves her and she loves him back.
Keith made me realize that life is very very short. We really don't know if we'll make it to tomorrow or if we'll ever do the things we want to do. No matter how much we try, we cannot make time stop, go slower, or speed up. Our two choices are to make the most of what time we have, or to waste it all.
This leads us to salvation. As a Christian, I believe after I die, I will go to live in Heaven forever. There will be no time. And I also believe, any one who refuses to make this decision and dies, will go to hell. There will be no time and they will be stuck there forever.
A lot of people say there is no God or no heaven/hell. But then, what happens to us after we die? It's not as if we're a top and as soon as it stops spinning, that's it. No more. If that was it, life would depend on luck. You're lucky if you don't die as a baby and you make it till your old age. And in contrast, you're unlucky if you die young. That would automatically make life unfair. And if there is no God, how did we end up here and living? If it's evolution, who created everything and how did everything evolve? Who created the Earth and how come the world is how it is? Where did good and evil come from?
The simple answer to all of that is God. He's the one who created everything and he is the one who's in charge. You can either believe, question it and keep looking, or have nothing to do with it. Refusing to believe, is so dangerous because, like I said before, we don't know how much time we have. We can die in just a second and our life is over. Questioning God and choosing to keep searching is a wise decision but it is also dangerous. If we put something off as important as God, what happens when we die while we're searching? We go to hell. And if we believe God is the one who put us on earth, is the most powerful thing in the universe, and his son Jesus died on the cross for our sins, we go to heaven after death. No matter what, we'll live forever. But it will either be in Heaven... or in Hell.
I'm really not entirely sure why this has to do with Keith . But this is all that I was feeling while I watched the movie. Keith had all these dreams he wanted to do. He wanted to go to London, Ontario. He wanted more time with Natalie. But he didn't get to go to London, Ontario. And his time with Natalie was short. His life ended and all he really got to do was spend not more than a a month or two with Natalie. Keith ends with Natalie graduating from high school, without Keith. She drives his yellow truck to London, Ontario, and we assume that she lives on a lot longer.
There's stuff out there I want to do too. I want to graduate from high school. I want to go to college, get married, have children, and hopefully die in my old age. But I may not even make it to the school dance next month. Life's way to short. So, seriously, decide what you believe and find out what will happen to you after you die.
The movie is about a teenage girl named Natalie who's popular, beautiful, and thinks she has it all. Then, she is assigned this boy named Keith as her lab partner in chemistry class. Keith is almost the complete opposite of her. He drives this yellow truck, doesn't care what other people think of him, and has nothing to lose.
As the movie progresses, Keith and Natalie become close friends, which shocks Natalie's best friend and boyfriend. Because Natalie is part of the popular crowd and Keith is considered a loser, they aren't supposed to be friends or even be seen together.
Near the end of the film, Natalie discovers that Keith has a very deep secret that he refuses to share with her. She becomes obsessed with figuring out what is wrong with him, which gets her suspended, pulls her away from her boyfriend, and causes conflicts with her parents.
At the end, Natalie discovers that Keith has cancer and that he is dying. At this point, she realizes that Keith loves her and she loves him back.
Keith made me realize that life is very very short. We really don't know if we'll make it to tomorrow or if we'll ever do the things we want to do. No matter how much we try, we cannot make time stop, go slower, or speed up. Our two choices are to make the most of what time we have, or to waste it all.
This leads us to salvation. As a Christian, I believe after I die, I will go to live in Heaven forever. There will be no time. And I also believe, any one who refuses to make this decision and dies, will go to hell. There will be no time and they will be stuck there forever.
A lot of people say there is no God or no heaven/hell. But then, what happens to us after we die? It's not as if we're a top and as soon as it stops spinning, that's it. No more. If that was it, life would depend on luck. You're lucky if you don't die as a baby and you make it till your old age. And in contrast, you're unlucky if you die young. That would automatically make life unfair. And if there is no God, how did we end up here and living? If it's evolution, who created everything and how did everything evolve? Who created the Earth and how come the world is how it is? Where did good and evil come from?
The simple answer to all of that is God. He's the one who created everything and he is the one who's in charge. You can either believe, question it and keep looking, or have nothing to do with it. Refusing to believe, is so dangerous because, like I said before, we don't know how much time we have. We can die in just a second and our life is over. Questioning God and choosing to keep searching is a wise decision but it is also dangerous. If we put something off as important as God, what happens when we die while we're searching? We go to hell. And if we believe God is the one who put us on earth, is the most powerful thing in the universe, and his son Jesus died on the cross for our sins, we go to heaven after death. No matter what, we'll live forever. But it will either be in Heaven... or in Hell.
I'm really not entirely sure why this has to do with Keith . But this is all that I was feeling while I watched the movie. Keith had all these dreams he wanted to do. He wanted to go to London, Ontario. He wanted more time with Natalie. But he didn't get to go to London, Ontario. And his time with Natalie was short. His life ended and all he really got to do was spend not more than a a month or two with Natalie. Keith ends with Natalie graduating from high school, without Keith. She drives his yellow truck to London, Ontario, and we assume that she lives on a lot longer.
There's stuff out there I want to do too. I want to graduate from high school. I want to go to college, get married, have children, and hopefully die in my old age. But I may not even make it to the school dance next month. Life's way to short. So, seriously, decide what you believe and find out what will happen to you after you die.
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