There is no such thing as a good gift at a bad time!

Well, with the Christmas presents unrapped, gifts have been on my mind!! 

What makes a gift a good gift? Well that it came at a good time!! I came home from the fall semester with these boots that were falling a part and to get new boots is so nice because they couldn't have come at a more perfect time!!

Also, when I was wanting to learn how to play the guitar I asked for a guitar for Christmas. My parents didn't get me a guitar because it wasn't the right time. They wanted me to learn on a borrowed guitar and if I really liked it then I could get a guitar of my own. So now I have a really nice guitar and I love it because I bought it myself and I'm so glad that I didn't get a guitar when I asked for it.

Last night, we had Christmas with my mom's side of the family. Now something you have to know about my families Christmas is opening presents is a long ordeal. We each have a stack of all our presents and each take a turn opening one present. The youngest opens a gift first then all the way around to the oldest!! It takes a while but it's tradition and we wouldn't have it any other way!!

 Somewhere through the evening my mom opened up the most gorgeous pearls! They were stunning, and I was truly happy about the gift for her!! 

But If you know me, you know that pearls would be a great addition to my jewelry box!! I love pearls!! 

Then, my grandpa Jim comes over to me and says patientce is a virtue. 

Next, my aunt Lara opens up a box and it has the same pearls in it!! Again, my grandpa says  Patience  is a virtue!!

Then, my aunt Gabby later in the night opens up her box of pearls!! Again in which my grandpa says Patience  is a virtue!!!

Finally, I had saved my present for last but i couldn't help it and opened it early!! I opened up my box of my pearls!! I couldn't have opened them at a better time!! Patience paid off. The anticipation and then the joy that came when my expectation was met and I finally opened my own pearls!!

Recently I've had a few heartbreaks and I asked God why. Why hasn't  the right guy come along. One who will take care of me and love me for who I am. 

God reminded me of the pearls. So maybe my pearl necklace (my guy) is
under the tree and waiting to be unrapped. I just need to be patient to unwrap it at the proper time. 

Let us not forget to remember

In this christmas season, it's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of events.  The many parties that we go to.  The many gifts that we must buy.   The many decorations that we have to put up.  

The many church services we go too.  The many lessons we hear about Jesus being the reason for the season. 

Yet, still church becomes part of the list of things to do.  

All throughout the old testament, God is calling the Israelites to remember.  Remember the years of bondage in Egypt and remember the plagues.  Remember the passover.  Remember when He split the sea in two.  Remember when He provided water from a rock and manna from the sky.  Remember when He led you to the promise land, and provided you a king.  

See the Israelites have a forgetfulness problem, and so did the new believers in the new testament.

Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. 33Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. 35So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 
Hebrews 10:32-35

It's also safe to say that we have a forgetfulness problem.  That is why Christmas exists, so that we do not forget to remember.  Christmas is a time we remember that our God, who is mighty and holy, came down to earth and was born as a baby in a lowly manger.  We remember that we are the reason He had to come because of the sin we possess. We remember that He came because He loved us, and wanted the separation that sin caused to dissipate so we could spend eternity with Him.  He came in a manger to go to the cross.  We remember all this.  

So,  let us not forget to remember.  In my life, especially in times of doubt or confusion, God always brings to mind ways in the past he has proved His existence to me.  One time, I was worried about an auditions and was nervous, and in order to encourage me my mom started quoting words from a song and then she turned on the radio and that very song was playing.  One time, I was nervous about cheerleading tryouts and how my back handsprings had to competent and I didn't know what that word meant.  The next day I was reading my bible and I read that I could find my competence in Christ.  One time, God changed the heart of my Chinese exchange student and I saw her whole demeanor change when she accepted Christ, and she got baptized right before she left to go back. I remember one time when I was so stressed out at school and didn't have much time to study for a test and I ended up getting the best grade on the test that I got all year in that class.  Lol remember that one time I won a car, and God used it to show me his grace. 

We forget these things.  We forget to remember them and hold them near to us.  God has proved himself time and time again just like he did with the Israelites and we just forget.  We forget to remember.  

So this Christmas season let us not forget to remember.  

Love Isn't Safe

We have grown up in a culture of lovers rather than fighters.  Yet I ask is love really love without the fight?

We think that love is easy, that it is natural, and on some level it is.  There are days you find yourself falling, falling in love and you've never felt how falling could be so easy before this.

Yet, love,real love, Love that comes from God.  It isn't easy because it requires us to come face to face with who we are and quite frankly that is dangerous.

If we live our whole life, ignoring our sin and ignoring the filth that is dwelling in our heart.  Life is easy, it's like living on the Cloud 9 of grace.  Then, God calls you deeper, and out of love you wander but then you find yourself so deep in the arms of grace, so deep in his love that you heart has to be opened.

So I ask, are we guarding our hearts out of fear and using the phrase "Guard your heart" to rationalize it?

We are called to take on love, and love others.  Yet, love that is encased in fear, is it really love at all?

We may get hurt, yes.  We may get slandered, yes.  We may get our heart beaten and bruised, yes.

But where would we be if God didn't get beaten, bruised and slandered?  The Grace that got us here in the first place wouldn't exist.

Because if we are honest with ourselves, if love isn't dangerous, then Jesus wouldn't have died on the cross.

However, Jesus did die and in that one act he showed us what love is.

As Christians, our love should be the most risky, craziest love known to man.  As it says, they will know us by our love for one another.  Though, non-christians can find safe, guarded love in many other places.

If we have a God that holds our hearts, and protects us, that loves us no matter what and fills our heart with grace, why are we not brave?  We have nothing to lose!!!   For when our heart is safely his, and we are content with his love and grace there is really no risk is there?

Love that isn't safe is contagious and it could in fact take our world by storm, yet we have to confront our fear, our fear of vulnerability.

Loving others makes us better because we see ourselves for who we really are, and then get to see how wonderful God is.

So, why are we not loving till it hurts?  Why are we not loving with a crazy sense of knowing that we have nothing to lose.

Our love should be crazy, illogical, and dangerous because that is the love God shows us.

Kenady's thoughts on love: God protects your heart

If you know me, you know that I love love. Not falling in love but I love watching it from the outside. I love looking on Facebook and see a new engagement or post that tells the world how awesome their significant other is. I love it!!! 

I'm kinda suprised/proud of myself that this is my first post about love.

However, I just had an interesting thought. 

Girls, remember in high school when you would ask your girlfriends, why does he not like me? 

Or why hasn't anyone found me attractive? Or why hasn't anyone asked me out!! Those are the questions that plague our childhood!! 

Why? Why? 

Girls, my question to you is have you ever thought that that was Gods fault?

Maybe He is trying to protect you? Maybe He wants to teach you something?

I'm so so glad I didn't date in high school. It saved me from so so much heartbreak, yet in high school I wasn't so happy about it.  I was hurt and confused. My parents would tell me, oh they are just intimidated by you or man you are such a catch and are so beautiful. They got me but I couldn't figure out why no one else did!!

Maybe God hid my beauty from them. God knew I wasn't ready, or tried to save me from heartbreak!! 

So, whenever you are wondering about anything, maybe it's because it's God.

God isn't just a clockmaker who sits back and watches his clock tick. 

God is on the journey with us and had his fingerprint in everything that happens to us.

Sometimes things arnt revealed to us for our protection.

My roommates wish that at the begginning of your life you were given a necklace that lights up when you meet your future husband.

Personally I think that ruins the fun. But hey maybe it would be nice!! 

We wouldn't have to trust God to protect us. We wouldn't have to trust God period.

Also, if you necklace lit up to someone in 8th grade it would be really hard to stay pure until it was an appropriate time to get married. Wouldn't it?? 

So the point is maybe a guy hasn't asked you out because he is protecting you. Maybe you don't know if the one you are dating is the one yet, because he is protecting you.

I love you all and I hope this makes you rejoice in how God is a great protector:) 

 

Can He fix it?

Life has turned into an episode of bob the builder.  Yet, instead of wondering if Bob can fix it, we sit and wonder if God can fix it.

God the creator, can He fix it? God the creator, yes He can!!

We have all been hurt and left with scars that are hard to fix.  When I was little, I was running in from recess and I fell and scraped my nose.  It left a huge mark on my nose.  Physical pain is visible.  You know when you have been healed, when the swelling goes down or the redness goes away, or when you can move it like you used to.

Yet, with emotional scars they are out of your control.  Can you put Neosporin on it?  Can you go to the doctor?  Can you put your heart in a cast?  No…your emotional scars are a lot less tangible and whole lot less quantifiable.

To be honest…this fact kinda frustrates me.  As a person that loves control, I want to be able to fix it.  I want to take over the process and figure out how I can fix it.  Do I need to start a new bible study on healing?  Do I need to remove myself from the situation and ignore it completely?  Do I need a take a break and just not feel anything for a while?  What do I need to do?

God has simply said,  "You need to give me control"

For the one who made your heart, can surely fix it.

I has no clue how to fix my pain and hurt.  Emotions freak me out because they make me feel so out of control.  They are hard to understand and are a lot less logical then I don't know the cough that been having for the last few days.

Yet, God is the ultimate doctor.  Say, your oven was broke.  The best person to fix your oven would be the one who created it right?  Well, God created emotions, and He created every aspect of you heart and who you are.  So don't you think He would be the best person to fix it?

So…let's lay at the fathers feet and pray for healing, freedom and peace.  Lets pray for healing from the pain, freedom from the past, and peace that God is in control.

"Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?  Hope in God; for i shall again praise him, my salvation and my God" Psalm 42:11