Photo of the Week

A boy after my own heart.

Twas the night after Christmas,

Last night I sat in Starbucks drinking their Joy Christmas tea out of their red christmas cup in my pea coat and scarf, in complete denial that Christmas is over. The 26th of December sometimes feels like a little bit of a bummer day because the whole past month has been filled with Christmas carols, gift exchanges, peppermint mochas, Santa footie pajamas, spiced cider candles, and light adorned houses. It's been a flurry of excitement, anticipation, and warmth. But the things listed above are all worldly temporary things. When you really think about it Christmas, the entrance of Jesus into this world in human form to dwell with us, die for our sins, and save us has importance year round, it's beautiful significance is not limited to a season characterized by candy canes and Santa Clause. Jesus came into this world to rescue us and to allow his love to confirm our worth. It's difficult for me to remember this truth, necessary in all seasons of life, that we are so loved by God that he went to the extreme of sending his son to earth so that he may die in order to save us from ourselves. In an excerpt from author John Eldredge's blog it says:

"When a great King rescues his beloved, we all know she is precious to him. And we see his greatness. We also see her worth. If that great King were to rescue a potato, we would not think him great at all; we would find it bizarre. So away with this doctrine of 'the worthlessness of the rescued shows the surpassing greatness of the rescuer.' That is not how Jesus saw it. That is not the language of love at all. This nativity had an object in mind. That object is you and me.

I think this will help us to celebrate Christmas for what it is – as a daring rescue. Not in a vacuum. In the context of love. I think it will allow us to be stunned at the way God goes about things. To fall in love again with his amazing heart. And to allow ourselves to experience some deep shift in our soul, as we come to feel our worth. We must really matter.

We look at the manger. We see the angels, the wise men. We see the little boy. And then we boldy sing, 'and the soul felt it’s worth.'"

Full version available here.

Let us be reminded of this ultimate gift long after the Christmas season, while still holding on to the sweet memories of Christmas in our own homes. Christmases in our home that may contain joyful celebration as well as reminders of why we are so desperately in need of God's son in the first place.

Here are a few of the sweet memories i'll hold on to...

Abigail and David's serious wrap jobs-

-The Fam, thank you self timer-

-Abigail and her new cookbook-

Jeans...thanks mom!

-The leftovers-

-The best pie known to mankind, Dutch apple pie made by mom-

-Staying true to my roots-

Easy, Breezy, Beautiful, Picture Jars.

With Christmas gifts it's always difficult to find something that shows thought and creativity while staying within a reasonable price range. I don't know about you, but for me the latter part of the balancing act isn't too flexible. So, here's a great easy, creative, and CHEAP gift idea. My friend Jenna saw this idea at a wedding and made some for her desk at school. I was immediately drawn to them and thought they would make wonderful christmas gifts. Here's what you need:

1. A mason jar ($1.19 at Michaels)

2. Canola Oil ($3-4 at Trader Joes, or any grocery store for that matter)

One bottle (1 L) fills 2-3 jars.

3. Dried Flowers (Free if you have an old bouquet at home, or available for purchase at a craft store)

4. A picture

5. Yarn and fabric scraps

And here's the finished product! All for a grand total of about $3

Directions:

1. Cut the picture to a size that will fit into the jar (round the top two edges) and put it in the jar pushing it up against the glass

2. Fill the jar with canola oil

3. Put whichever dried flowers you want into the oil

4. Screw on the lid and tie some yarn or ribbon around the top

Happy Christmas Crafting!

Puppy Therapy

That's right, when finals week gets crazy and stressful our school brings in puppies, and it's magical.

They say a picture's worth a thousand words, therefore this post is worth approximately...5,035

Like I said, magical.

It's Just Beginning

Here's to the beginning of the most wonderful time of the year filled with...

...Christmas Crafts

(yes, the sweaters were a craft. $6 target crew neck sweaters and iron on printer paper, easy peasy & cheap.)

...Gingerbread house making competitions

...December Nights in Balboa Park

...and much much more to come. Merry, Merry, Christmas! The season has only just begun!

Who Knew??

It is truly the most wonderful time of the year, as the famous christmas carol proclaims, and it is carols such as this one that truly make me love this season. I've always been a sucker for music, a singer most of my life, and this season has always been filled with multiple caroling gigs, 8 part harmony renditions of "Jingle Bells", and christmas concerts. I love the cheesy christmas carols about "Mommy kissing Santa Clause" and "chestnuts roasting on an open fire", but this is not all there is when it comes to these holiday tunes. The really good stuff is the christmas carol that proclaims Jesus' birth and sovereignty, the hope he brings, and the joy we experience because of him. Who knew that christmas carols could be so incredibly profound and beautiful. The song "O Holy Night" has always been one of my favorites. I absolutely love the powerful sweeping melody, but just recently I started listening to the lyrics and they are wonderfully raw, pure, and true. They go like this...

O Holy Night!

The stars are brightly shining,

It is the night of our dear Saviours birth;

Long lay the world in sin and error pining,

'Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn;

Fall on your knees,

Oh, hear the angels voices!

O night divine, O night when Christ was born!

O night, O holy night,

O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,

With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand;

So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,

Here came the wise men from Orient land.

The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger,

In all our trials born to be our Friend;

He knows our need,

To our weakness is no stranger.

Behold your King, before Him lowly bend!

Behold your King, before Him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another;

His law is love and His gospel is peace;

Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother,

And in His name all oppression shall cease.

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,

Let all within us praise His holy name;

Christ is the Lord,

Oh, praise His name forever!

His powr and glory evermore proclaim!

His powr and glory evermore proclaim!

I Walked.

It has been nearly a month since I last blogged about anything. This is partly because when I don't have anything to say, I don't, and also partly because life has been off the wall crazy. I'm going to be straight with you, I'm a runner, in every sense of the word. I literally run, it's a huge part of me and without it i've learned something inside of me goes severely haywire. And right now I'm between two seasons and I'm taking some time off, and it's driving me bonkers. Running infiltrates all ares of my life, I don't stop, I don't slow down, I run.

This morning however, I walked. I got a cup of coffee, plugged in the i-pod with some good Phil Wickham pandora, and walked through the neighborhoods by my school, slowly, leisurely, enjoyably. And it soothed my soul, calmed my spirit, and forced me to notice things I never would have had I been running. I saw a mom with her daughter trimming their christmas tree with lights and ribbons, I looked to my left and saw the expansive ocean and to my right I saw the far off buildings of downtown San Diego against a mountain background, and I thought in solitude, in peace, within this slow pace I had chosen. And when I finished I felt full, thankful, and refreshed because I had taken the time to slow, to simply walk, appreciate, and be reminded of the importance of being still and simply knowing that He is God of all.

Remember...breathe. slow.walk.