"I stand here in this place
see the glory on your face
I'm taken by the wonder of your name

I'm desperate for your touch
I've never needed it so much
Cause all I want is you"

Little Sister Wisdom

I just listened to my sister, who is 15 (soon to be 16) give my younger sister who is 14 advice about boys. It went a little like this:

"He is so boring."
"Tell him he's boring."

"Everything he says is predictable."
"Tell him! 'Everything you say is predictable. Quit texting me!'"

"He doesn't spell out his words!"
"Just tell him, "Either spell out your words or DON'T text me.""

Just wondering... does that work? Ahhh, great wisdom from the younger ones.

Reasons for Not Finishing

Well, I didn't finish my series of traditions. There are several reasons. First of all, as Christmas drew nearer and nearer, I had less time to do frivolous things such as blogging. Harsh though it is, it is true. So I thought I would finish after Christmas, and here it is today, the day after Christmas and I have no motivation to do so. You see, the thing with traditions is that they mean nothing if they are not done from the heart. If you do a tradition just to do it, the tradition means nothing. You have to love it. There were lots of traditions we didn't do this year. We used to make candy with my Grandmama; she didn't want us to do it this year because she wants us to be healthy. That's love right there. We didn't get to go see a movie on Christmas day because for the first time in my lifetime, we had a white Christmas and got snowed in. I would take that over a movie any time. Sometimes Christmas isn't about following the old traditions, but making new ones.

Christmas Tradition #8: Sugar Cookies

We call it "Cousin Cookie Baking." I speak on behalf of all the girls when I say it is one of the best traditions of Christmas. As I mentioned in my previous blog entry, there are ten granddaughters in the family (mom's side), and this tradition seriously beats all that I have written about before. This is Christmas tradition #8: Baking sugar cookies with the cousins!!!

So how did this tradition start for us? When my mom was pregnant with my sister Christina, she was bed-ridden, and my Aunt Jennifer baked cookies with her two girls (my cousins) and my sister and me. I think there is more... but I'm not sure. We used to always do this on the Saturday after school got out. Now that some of us are in college, live far away, and have jobs, that day does not always work. However, we always find a day to put aside for cookies. This year, CCB is tomorrow!!!

So here is what we do (and there is a LOT that goes into it!): First, we pick a location. When the CCB first started it was always at our house or Aunt Jen's house. When Rachel and Lauren (the youngest cousins) were born, we did not start having it at Aunt Dawn's house (don't ask ;)) instead we have it at the church every few years, then when Nikki got married, we added her house to the rotation.

Okay, so once we decided when and where we are going to have the CCB, we get to work on the homemade gifts.... okay, so that was a lie, most of us wait until the night before to make our gifts. That's right! I said "make our gifts" because only homemade gifts are exchanged at the CCB. Its so cool. Throughout the years, we have come up with all sorts of gifts to make each other, so many that recently (as in this year) it has been hard to come up with cool stuff to make. For instance, in the past we have had all different kinds of jewelry, picture frames, and Christmas tree ornaments. We have also had the really original gifts like our own website, stationary, duck-tape wallets, and t-shirts. Finally, we have the gifts that stay the same every year... or the gift: my sister Christina makes bookmarks every year.

When cookie baking time comes around we exchange our homemade gifts, it is always so fun to see what everyone has come up with... and who has made the same thing :)

Then, comes the best part: the cookies (okay, so disclaimer: being together is the best part, but the cookies... well who can argue with that being the other best part?). We make homemade sugar cookies every year. And ever year we use the same cookie cutters (the tree, the star, the heart, the candy cane) and the same decorations (decorative sugar and red hots and not those little silver balls). We all have rolling pins and aprons that grandmama and grandaddy made for us.

Finally, we always all end up with a little flour on our faces and more cookies in our bellies than on our plates.

Christmas Tradition #7: Girls

I must apologize for my break from blogging yesterday. I was sick in the bed with a sore throat all day! Fortunately, today I am feeling much better... which is good, since I'm going to have to do two tradition entries!!!

I promise this will be the last tradition that revolves around gifts (I'm almost embarrassed by the number of traditions my family has concerning gifts!). Okay, so this started a really long time ago... before I can even remember; Christmas tradition #7 is the Girl's gifts.

In case you didn't know already, my mom's parents, my grandmama and grandaddy, have ten granddaughters. Yeah, absolutely no grandsons (well there is one grandson-in-law). I'm telling ya, it can get pretty wild sometimes. Seriously though, having such a huge family of girls is really what makes Christmas and being with family so great, especially since we are all very close.

So, every year, for the three days leading up to Christmas Eve, my grandmama gives each of us girls a gift. We used to all go up to her house and have lunch everyday for three days before Christmas and open our gifts together, but as we have all gotten older, it gets harder and harder to do so. Still, Grandmama has a special tree and thirty special (little) gifts for each of us the three days before Christmas.

These gifts are not huge, they are not spectacular, but they are special. One time she made us all silk pillow cases. Sometimes she gets us all new hairbrushes, new journals, or if we're lucky, she gets us all books. Most of the time she buys these gifts right after Christmas when everything goes on sale and she saves them until the next year (now that is being a good steward of your money!).

Gifts or no gifts, it's a great way to get us girls together.

Christmas Tradition #6: Sisters.

We have a problem in our family. That problem is not wanting to wait until Christmas to give gifts. So, we have a number of traditions that help us to solve this problem; I am only going to tell you about one of them.

Ever since we were little, my parents have taken my sisters and I to buy presents for each other. When we first began, we always went to the Dollar Tree (everything is a dollar!). Now, we all have a bit of our own money and we are able to go better places to get more quality gifts... like Wal-Mart.

I think it's one of my favorite parts of Christmas.

How does this help with the family problem? Well, beginning four days before Christmas Eve (because Christmas Eve is just about as big as Christmas around here) each one of us girls takes a turn giving our gifts to our sisters. So each day, all of us (but one) get a gift. It's really nice, and we put a LOT of thought into these gifts. The best part...

The first day is today.

Christmas Tradition #5: The Christmas Menu

I know you have seen the endless amounts of Christmas movies depicting families eating duck and baked ham and all the trimmings on Christmas day. Its the norm; its what everyone has on the menu. However, I have never really considered my family normal... nope, not at all.

I'll begin with a Christmas Eve at my grandmama's house (There will be more blogging about this event later). Christmas Eve at my grandmama's house is very... different, seriously, just brace yourself: we eat homemade pizza. I KNOW!!! ITS STINKING AWESOME!!! Who eats homemade pizza and cheese dip on Christmas Eve? No one but us. I love it. Oh, and my grandmama makes the best punch in the whole entire world. I can't even begin to describe it. By the end of the night you would think she had spiked it because everyone is acting so hyped up... but its really just the immense amounts of sugar and all the Christmas joy (disclaimer: she does NOT spike it!).

So, Christmas Eve is over, and Christmas day is here. What's on the menu? Well, my family wakes up on Christmas morning (There will be more blogging about this event later) and we eat for breakfast the same food we eat all day; there is a whole smorgasbord of food. I make sausage balls because they are my favorite. My mom makes the ham rolls, ranch dip, cheese ball, and cinnamon rolls. The past few years my dad has made breakfast burritos especially for Christmas morning. They are delicious. Does this sound like a weird combination? Maybe so, but we just snack all day long.... I love Christmas food!

Christmas Tradition #4: Santa does not bring my presents

When I was a sophomore in high school, a friend of mine told me her mom always hides her Christmas presents around the house, and if she finds them before December 25th, she gets to open the gifts and her mom will go and buy her more.

That does NOT happen at my house.

Where do the gifts hide at my house? Santa definitely does not bring them. My parents never raised me to believe in Santa, and I'm okay with that. I realized at a young age the effort and work that my parents put into my Christmas gifts. I made the mistake of telling my cousins that Santa wasn't real and they cried. They were ages six and eight. I was sixteen. Anyways, that takes care of Santa. So if Santa doesn't bring the gifts and my parents don't hide them all over the house, where are they?

I know exactly where they are. My parents keep all of my sisters' and my presents in their bedroom and closet. If I wanted to I could waltz right in there and look at what they have bought for us. However, I would never, ever, do that. It would ruin Christmas morning!

I also know that my mom keeps our Christmas lists in her purse, she marks stuff off of them and writes on them. I try to steal those lists every time I am with her. I would never read them though... I just like to mess with her.

Christmas Tradition #3: A Billy Gilman Christmas

I think my family used to have a tradition that we bought a new Christmas CD every year. I am pretty sure we stopped that Christmas tradition (we didn't get a new one this year). Now, here is why I believe we stopped this tradition: we just love the music we already have so much there is no room for extras!!!

So, what do we listen to? We listen to good ol' Bing Crosby's "White Christmas". He's the best. "Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say on a bright Hawaiian Christmas day!!!!"

And we listen to Elvis. He's my dad's favorite. I mean, we'll just have a "Blue oooh ooh ooh ooh oooh Christmas" without him. (How do impersonate Elvis in text? I have no idea!)

We love contemporary Christian artist Nicole C. Mullen and her "Christmas in Black and White" CD. I mainly like her song called... hm. Well its number two on the disk. Check it out.

My mama loves the Vince Gill Christmas cassette. That's right people! We still have him on cassette. Its classy.

Our favorite Christmas CD though, and I speak for the whole family, is Billy Gilman. I am not joking! Do you even know who Billy Gilman is? I seriously doubt it. He was the precious little boy who sang country music and became popular for the song "One Voice." Oh, you still don't know who he is? I didn't think so. Therefore, I have attached a video of him. You will love him.

Christmas Tradition #2: I bought you a nernt.

I have a really hard time keeping the presents I buy (or make) for my friends and family a secret. I also want them to tell me what they got me. I hate suspense. It never fails I will tell at least one person what I got them. For instance, this year my sister Christina said she wanted one of those crocheted ear warmer things. So I told her that was what I bought her for Christmas. Whether she believes me or not (whether you believe me or not) is up to her (or you).
I think my dilemma stems from my mama and grandmama. They always have come dangerously close to telling us what they bought us for Christmas... or so I have always thought. This is Christmas tradition #2: My grandmama started it. She would say, "You want to know what I got you for Christmas?"
"Yes!" I would reply.
"I got you a.... nernt."
"A nernt? is that all?"
"Oh, I got you a neenee!" mama would add, "and a noonoo."
So, until Christmas day all I will know about my gifts are that I got a "nernt" a "neenee" and a "noonoo." Yep, it's weird. It's like Link and Pitts family code, only we get it. And of course, now you get it. So I suppose you can start this tradition with your friends and family. It's quite fun.

10 Days Till Christmas and Christmas Tradition #1

I've been wanting to do something awesome for the month of December with this blog. I wanted to do a letter writing series because I saw that on a blog I follow. I was going to do something creative with the twelve days of Christmas, but I just realized there are ten days until Christmas. Great. However, ten is a good, whole number that has to be good for something, right? So I want to spend the next ten days blogging about ten Christmas traditions that my family has. I love Christmas traditions. Shoot, I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!

Christmas Tradition #1
I don't even know which tradition to pick first. I can't bear to put one above another, so let me just put a disclaimer here that not one tradition is better than another (I'm so excited about this!!!).
One Christmas tradition that my family has is decorating the house on the day after Thanksgiving. My mom's entire family comes over to our house on Thanksgiving, so the house is clean like it should be before decorating. First things first: everyone wears Santa hats... or they are supposed to (we don't even pretend to believe in Santa, I don't get it!) My dad and my sister Rebekah always put up the outside decorations. The red bows on the window panels, the candy cane stripes on the front porch, and the icicle lights that hang from the roof. It's just their thing. Then we put up the tree. My dad puts the tree together and we decorate it: lights first, colored-ball ornaments next, then the gold bows and the white crocheted snowflakes, then all of my mom's snowmen ornaments (mini-tradition: my grandmama always gives my mom a snowman ornament for Christmas, so she has a lot of them!).
After the outside decorations and the Christmas tree are up, things start to get a little sketchy. We have all of these Christmas decorations that just sit around, and every year my mom says she is NOT going to put them all up, but we always do. So everyone starts to stress out because there is absolutely no organized way to put up all the decorations. I always try to take charge. Seriously, if everyone would listen to me, things would go much more smoothly. But this is how things go: Rebekah puts up the smaller tree in the dining room where we put all of our homemade ornaments and country-looking bows and stuff. My younger sisters Christina and Jessica just start pulling things out of boxes and putting them out all over the house where they think they should go. My mom puts on Bing Crosby. It's nice at first, then the music gets overwhelming.
By about 12:00 p.m. we take a break for lunch and examine the house. It's a wreck. So we put everything we did not use back into boxes and back into the closet. We vacuum the floor several times. We go to Wal-mart because after a day of decorating the house we cannot stand to stay in it. We come home and the lights in the window aren't just the headlights from our minivan, but the Christmas tree waiting for us. Christmas has officially begun.

"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.
They shall mount up on wings as the eagles.
They shall run and not grow weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
Teach me Lord to wait."

I LOVE original Christmas songs.... well some of them. This is a good one!

A Night in Bethlehem

This past Friday night was incredible, Praise God! I don't even know where to begin. Therefore, as I usually do, I will begin at the beginning.
Rebekah and I have been "youth leading" at First Apostolic Church here in Bowling Green all semester, and as the semester winds down I realize how much God has really moved in these past fifteen weeks. It was definitely none of my doing, but it has been Jesus who has changed lives this semester. Get this: He is not finished. Not with me, not with these kids, not with the church.
It's more like he's just getting started, and this past Friday night was the kick-off. About a month or two back, Sis. Tammy, the pastor's wife here at FAC asked me about doing a Christmas social for the youth. Her request is one that has made such and impact on my ministry. The entire time I was growing up there were always opportunities to go to church and meet other young people, lately that has not been happening. Sis. Tammy reminded me that it is my turn to minister and to pour into the lives of these young people, so I organized "A Night in Bethlehem: A Youth Social and Worship Service."
...And then I forgot about it. Seriously, and this is how I know that the Lord really had a purpose for this service. I organized, sent out invites on facebook, got a great speaker to come, and then I literally put it on the back shelf. Of course, when I would think about it I would pray and I checked to see how many people had confirmed that they were coming when I got on fb, but other than that, nothing. Then a couple of days before the service I realized that it was coming up, so I asked the women at church to help out with the dinner (that was the social part. We had spaghetti and bread and salad and tons of desserts). I got in touch with the speaker, and I picked out some good worship songs.
6:30, Friday night came along. The lights were hung, the food was ready. No one was there. I freaked out for two minutes. 6:32 people just started to pour in. There were five churches represented there and about 100 people; I was in shock, I didn't expect results like that. The food was great, the fellowship was much needed, but then came the service. Worship was electrifying. That many people singing and worshiping together is...heavenly. And Bro. Joseph Hale did an amazing job speaking. He spoke to the kids about how God used Mary, and she was only 15, which was great for a group of fifteen-year-old kids! And then he gave his testimony, and whoa, it completely blew me out of the water; it hit home.
I realize now that I did not do all I could do in high school to reach my friends. Yeah, I told them about Jesus, I invited them to church, but I did not intercede for them, I did not pursue them, and I hate it. I am so regretful that I wasted so much time. After Bro. Joseph ministered and made an altar call, I watched as the kids just poured into the altar. As I watched my kids from the church here in Bowling Green pour out their hearts to the Lord, I realized that God has given me a second chance to win souls for him, and I just cried because the weight of the responsibility I have for these kids, but also because of the grace God has shown me, it is unfathomable; I don't understand it.
But it's enough. His grace is enough. The success of the service on Friday night is just the beginning of a revival among the youth in this area. I cannot wait.

Six Days and Psalm 23

Well, its almost here: the end of the semester. This morning I took a test and finished up a presentation, so all I have left is three finals... one will be easy, the other two might kill me. I don't want to say this prematurely, but YESSSSS!!!!! Hallelujah!!!! I made it through alive (Don't worry, I'll post this again when I know for sure, right now I'm practicing a little naming and claiming).

Anyways, I really want to share with you some scripture that has really helped me get through the past couple of weeks: good ol' Psalm 23.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie in green pastures, he leadeth me beside still waters.
He restores my soul
He leads me down the path of righteousness for his name's sake.
And though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me.
Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies
You anoint my head with oil, and my cup runneth over
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all of the days of my life
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

This is probably one of the most popular Psalms there has ever been, but I think so often we take for granted the powerful message that is here. No matter what we go through, no matter the amount of stress we are under, the enemies we face, the evil we come against, God is there. Not only is he there though, he gives us peace, he gives us rest, and he gives us unmeasurable blessings. I am so privileged to serve such a mighty God who cares so much about me. The love Jesus has for me is something I cannot even comprehend. How incredible that time after time he saves me, and like I deserve anything else, he blesses me too.
The scripture says he has anointed my head with oil, and my cup runneth over. I think that way too often I look at the ministry as some kind of burden, something I have to do. But God chose me, the ministry is a blessing. Psalm 16:5 says "Lord you have assigned me my portion and my cup, you have made my lot secure." So, God has assigned me this ministry, my lot is secure, my place with him is steadfast. I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. I am amazed by him.

Dancing in the Minefields

It's Christmas

Cold Season

Yes, I am following up my last post about all the good things that have happened this week with this: I have a cold.

Oh I hate colds! They are so annoying! Colds do not make you sick enough to miss class or go to the doctor, they are just bothersome: the runny nose, the sneezing, the sleepiness (I'm already tired here!) and the persistent headache that always lets you know this cold is going to turn into a sinus infection. Stupid Stupid Stupid Cold.

Luckily, its Friday. Which means I will have a cold over the weekend. A good thing? If you are in college you will understand this: Yes. You see, though I have a lot of homework to do, it is not as much as I would typically do during a week. Also, I can go home and let my mama take care of me :)

Funny thing (and a bit off topic): When I was younger, and pretty much still to this day, my mom always gave us Sprite when we were sick. Actually, I think the whole family was in on it. My Grandad would always say, "Have you been drinking lots of fluids? Do you have any Sprite?" What is it with Sprite that makes it good for you when you are sick? I'm thinking nothing, except that when I was younger it tasted better than water.

Now, I can only drink Sprite when I'm sick. Any other time I can't stand it.

I need some Sprite.

Good things that have happened this week:

• I got a free cookie at Subway :)
• Professor Trafton gave the entire class a 5/5 on our weekly quiz... we didn't even take it!
• A kid from church told me he likes it when I preach
• I made a 49/50 on my test for Education!
• I turned in my huge observation assignment
• I got to share the gospel with a student in my PASS session
• I didn't use all my meal plans so I got to get ice cream today :D
• I got to go to my elementary school twice (and got to see my mama and little sis while I was there!)
  
• God gave me peace and showed me favor despite all the stress
• I got paid today!

"For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous;
You surround them with your
favor as a shield."

-Psalm 5:12

Oh Kindergarten

I spent today and Monday in a kindergarten classroom observing for my Intro to Education class. Monday was awesome. Today was wild.

Maybe I'm just starting to get a little worn out from the week, but was it just me or did the kids take a few crazy pills before class? I think it was the latter. Regardless, I always love spending time in the classroom. Every time I go I am reminded of why I am putting myself through so much stress, so much blood, sweat, and tears here in college. As a teacher, one has more influence than, I think, anyone could ever imagine.

Today was the fourth day I observed in this same classroom, the first two days were way back in September. The funny thing: all the kids still remembered me! I know its probably just the fact that I am a visitor, and its a change for them, but they all asked me for help and wanted me to sit by them during class and it just felt really special. I thought at first that this was something that would fade in time, but the kids do the same to their classroom teacher. They all want her approval and love. What an opportunity to change a life!

Its funny though, being in a kindergarten classroom. I am observing in the same school that I attended as a kid, and it seems so much smaller now. I remember kindergarten vividly. It was so scary and all the other kids were bigger than me and scary, and the hallways were so long and scary, and if the teacher ever called on me I got scared.... and I missed my mom.

Yeah, I was one of those kids. I was so small, and so so shy. I don't know what happened to me!

Anyways, I realize now, looking back, that it wasn't that scary and things I thought were a big deal really weren't. It really puts some perspective on things. I know that ten or fifteen years from now I'll look back and say, "you know, that twenty page paper for your C.S. Lewis class was not that big of a deal and it was really not that scary."

Speaking of which, I think I should probably go work on that a little more.

Give me words
I'll misuse them
Obligations
I'll misplace them
'Cause all religion ever made of me
Was just a sinner with a stone tied to my feet
It never set me free
It's gotta be
More like falling in love
Than something to believe in
More like losing my heart
Than giving my allegiance
Caught up, called out
Come take a look at me now
It's like I'm falling in love
song by jason gray