Sunday, December 25, 2011

my life motto

Thanks to a cool workshop I had the opportunity to attend just before Christmas break, I've had lots to share with family and friends over this Christmas break. I attended Finding your Passion and Purpose (great title, hence why I chose to do it) at UNCG and now have a life motto. Hooray! Shouldn't everyone have a life motto? Haha. I know it's kinda cheesy, but now that I have one, I actually do like it and am excited at how it suits me. This motto came after 2 days of self reflection.
Here's the motto...ready?


  Live Intentionally. 
                                      Be For Others.
                                                                      Cultivate Peace. 


I'll post a pic of my vision board later.  In the meantime, I pray the hope that is in Christmas penetrates your soul in a new way this year and that you enjoy togetherness with family. I just got back from a fun family tradition of going to see a movie. This year we saw We Bought a Zoo. It was heartwarming and perfect for a family outing to the movies on this Christmas day.











Monday, December 19, 2011

It's Christmas time

In lieu of sending Christmas cards this year I decided to create a Christmas letter. It can say a lot more than what I could write individually in cards, saves time and gets there immediately. I hope I saved some trees and I know I saved some money. This may sound like an easy way to get out of sending Christmas cards or that I've just become more inconsiderate, but that's not the message at all. This year I've had opportunities to examine who I am as a consumer and I want to make some changes. I also highly value connectedness and historically love Christmas cards, so this choice was a struggle. I'm not "writing them off" forever, but at least for Christmas 2011. I hope everyone will understand and can enjoy the full-color version of parts of my letter posted here. Have a more green Christmas - a merry one and a blessed one! 


Dear friends and family,
I’m declaring this season a time of Gratefulness.
 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Here's to another year of so many things to be grateful for!

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Peace ya'll

Shalom.

This week in Advent is the week of peace. Peace is something we can pursue actively and seek to create around us, rather than something we hope for in a distant future or in a distant land. It's something we can experience through Christ and something that we can maintain through the Holy Spirit. I'm having trouble holding onto it though, especially when I see pictures like this:


I was taken aback when I saw this on my newsfeed on Facebook. Neither of the people in these contrasted photos have peace. I pray we might stop this Advent season to reflect on the ways we can pursue peace in ourselves, with God and on behalf of people like those pictured above.

Peace be with you.

P.S. Consider giving a Kiva loan as a Christmas gift this year or purchasing something from Mercy Corps on behalf of someone on your Christmas list.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Nativity

The weekend after Thanksgiving my good friends Marissa and Daniel Joyce had their son, Colton. I got the sweet opportunity to meet Colton when he was only 21 hours old. The beautiful picture of a doting dad and new family unit was awe inspiring. Then the following week, I saw The Nativity Story and was reminded so beautifully of the history of my faith. This Advent season is a time of remembrance and expectant hope for Christians. The month of December is "pregnant" with anticipation and we are hearing songs with lyrics like "let every heart prepare him room." That movie reminded me how very precious my faith is to me. And that I still didn't own a nativity as part of my Christmas decorations. I took care of that though. :)
Throughout the ages many have artistically shared what the miracle of Jesus' birth means to them and I recently was re-introduced to this Christmas poem from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow written in 1867

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."

Till, ringing singing, on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men!

Take a second and read this again: the wrong shall fail, the right prevail. What hope is there in Christmas!