It's Christmas time
Merry Christmas everyone! I hope that you all have a wonderful time with your families.
This is such a great time of year for me. I love being able to spend time with my family and reflect on the meaning of the season and on the kind of year it has been. I have a lot to be grateful for.
Every blessing to all of you.
Luke 2: 6-19
And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.
The Shepherds and Angels
That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Savior--yes, the Messiah, the Lord--has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!"
Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others--the armies of heaven--praising God:
"Glory to God in the highest heaven,and peace on earth to all whom God favors."
When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Come on, let's go to Bethlehem! Let's see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. Then the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds' story were astonished, but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often.
I'm not dead
I finished my last final on Monday and now I'm preparing for Christmas and writing my Social Work application. It's nice to not have to think about school for a little bit.
Lately I've been asked about my future plans a lot. Whether I've encountered support or criticism, this song always comes to mind because it's exactly what I want to express in my life. I've even had some of the words said to me that are in this song. I know that some of you don't like country (I didn't too much but my brother in law has hooked me again...silly Drew) but the words to this song are so powerful. You can't hear it anyway.
The Change (
Garth Brooks)
One hand
Reaches out
And pulls a lost soul from harm
While a thousand more go unspoken for
They say what good have you done
By saving just this one
It’s like whispering a prayer
In the fury of a storm.
And I hear them saying you’ll never change things and no matter
What you do it’s still the same thing
But it’s not the world that I am changing I do this so this
World will know that it will not change me.
This heart
Still believes
That love and mercy still exist.
While all the hatred rage and so many say
That love is all but pointless in madness such as this
It’s like trying to stop a fire
With the moisture from a kiss.
As long as one heart still holds on
Then hope is never really gone.
What I do is so
This world will know
That it will not change me
Let the opinions roll in...
Disclaimer = If you think this post is about you, it isn't. It's just to get people talking.
Ok people...I'm pretty sure what my opinion is, but I want to hear from you. I know there's many of you bright folks out there who would be willing to share your thoughts with me on the following issues:
1 - Do friendships really have 'seasons' or do people just get lazy? (In other words, do people who've been friends for years stop being friends because their lives change or because they're just tired of keeping in contact?)
2 - At what point should a person say 'no' to doing something? And, what is your reaction if a person continually says 'no, I can't' to you?
3 - Above all, what are the three (or more/less) things that take top priority in your life?
4 - At what point does 'blogging' go too far?
5 - What are you most thankful for in your life today?
I know these are kind of random. It's a random day for me. I'm looking forward to your responses though.
Moving from thing to thing
Well, exams aren't quite finished and I find myself spending far too much time in malls. There was a period in my life when I felt that shopping was cool, but in some ways I'm disturbed by the whole experience now. In an attempt to look on the bright side, I'm almost finished. However, I'm positive that I'm going to avoid Walmart at all costs until mid January. That place is crazy! It was almost as bad as September when all the mothers and fathers were in there with their children buying school supplies. Yikes!
Aside from that though, I love Christmas. I just don't like how it seems to have so much to do with consumerism. My best memories of Christmas are not the times when I got presents, but the times when I sat with my family and reflected on what this holiday really means. It's a different kind of Christmas now...It's time for Jer and I to start our own Christmas traditions. To start our own ways of remembering the precious gift that we have received.
Yuck! I sound like a Hallmark card. That happens often... Maybe they'd take me on as one of their writers.
The Contact Prayer Room
I have a cool update for all of you. Jer and I set up a prayer blog for C&C (and others who may want to use it). It's called the Contact Prayer Room.
If you want to post a prayer request on the site, you just have to send an email.
Your email will automatically turn into a post on the site and people are welcome to pray for the requests in the comments section if they wish. The site address is: contactprayer.blogspot.com
Everything is explained in detail on the site.
Life is good
I had an epiphany yesterday. So often I complain about school, but regardless of that I love it. I shouldn't complain because I'm privileged enough to be here. Not everyone has this chance. I need to make the best of my time. 'Knowledge, I stand at your door and knock in anticipation.'
I just went to my last SOC (Sociology) 340 class today. There's no question that this class has been the best one that I have taken throughout my entire time at University. In some ways it was sad, but I've been so blessed by my fellow students, by the prof., and by what I've learned through the material and the experience. Prof. Griffin said he was going to try and squeeze me into his 400 level seminar class next term. There is only space for 15, (10 undergrad, and 5 grad students) but he's going to put me in one of the grad spots because those don't often fill up. It means I'll have to drop one of my other classes. That doesn't matter though. I just need the credits.
All this talk makes me realize how close convocation is. Pretty soon I will be on to Social Work (hopefully...)
I'm happy with where I am. What a great gift learning is. Sometimes I wish that I could stay here forever.
The bro is back in town
My brother Mike has come back to blogland. (And just when I was seriously thinking of leaving myself) His blog is one of my favourites. Yay for Mike!
Anyway, back to work. I'm finishing my last paper of the term and I'm extremely happy about it.
