Reason for the Season

Dear Readers,
       Today is Christmas Eve! My life is pretty chaotic during the week of Christmas. A whole lot of church and a whole lot of people to see. And oh the secrets! "Don't go in the closet!" "No, the other closet!" "Don't come out of your room for a minute," and, "I don't think you want to buy that right now." It gets a little confusing all the don't's and also keeping track of who gets what and what rooms they can and cannot go into. It's crazy all the lengths we go to in order to surprise someone for one day for about a couple hours. There's something about the element of surprise that drives us all to do crazy things and go to crazy lengths for that one day.

-- For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. -- Isaiah 9:6 

        This season can be totally crazy and viewed from a lot of different perspectives. There's the perspective of the getting gifts and giving gifts. There's the perspective of Christmas lists and trying to check it all off. Then, for some people, Christmas is just a major source of stress and jealousy. It's crazy what Christmas has turned in to. I can think of another occasion where Christmas was crazy: the very first Christmas. A virgin, about my age, was visited by an angel and through the Holy Spirit became pregnant. Now, that doesn't sound crazy; it sounds impossible. To Bethlehem they went with the virgin and and the Son of God. No one had room for the Savior so, to the stable they went. And there the greatest gift of all was born. The Son of God, the awaited Messiah came into this great big world small and humble. He had big plans to accomplish and so little time to do all he needed to do. He had a mark to leave and a name to live up to: Immanuel. He came into he world he created already knowing it's end. But He was sent into the world the exact same way I came into it: helpless and tiny, unable to anything for myself. Jesus came to us as a baby and grew up to be this perfect man knowing his fate. 

        The way Jesus came was highly unexpected, but his coming was highly expected. People had been waiting for centuries for a Savior and Messiah to come, and he did. But he didn't meet their expectations. The Savior of the world was born in a manger. He entered the world like all of us, but with a purpose unlike any of ours. He came to us low and humble. Little did they know He would become our LORD and Savior. Little did they know He was the awaited Messiah. I think He came the way he did to set an example, to show us we shouldn't let our expectations dictate what we believe. Just because His birth wasn't an elaborate event, doesn't mean it wasn't one of the most significant events in all of history. 

        As we know, God does all things for a purpose. He sent his son down to be in this world, He could've done it any way he wanted. God chose the lowliest of ways, in a virgin, in a stable, in a manger. Our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace came into the world the same way I did. That's crazy. Jesus came to this world with a purpose and for a reason. I know God knew what people were expecting, so instead he sent what they weren't. A helpless Savior and a vulnerable Messiah. He did this to see if we'd still believe, and I do. 

        So often we focus on the way a gift comes and how it looks instead of the actual gift sometimes. Jesus came into this great big world in an impossible and unimaginable way. He didn't come to us like a King, but he is.  He didn't come the way we all thought, but He did everything He was prophesied to do. God watched his only son grow up only to die- then come back, so that he could watch me and you all grow up with his son in us. Isn't that wonderful? This Christmas, let's add on another perspective, one that revolves around Jesus. One that has us look at Christmas the way God did so long ago. So, yes, this time of the year is prolly the craziest of them all. But let's go through this crazy time with Jesus as our perspective, and our reason for this season. 

XOXO- Em

A Peaceful State of Happiness

Dear Readers, 

con·tent

kənˈtent/

adjective

In a state of peaceful happiness

Keep this word and definition in mind while reading.

-- I know what it is to be in need, And I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through him who gives me strength. -- Philippians 4:12-13

  To be content is to be in a state of peaceful happiness. To be content is to be grateful. To be content is to be aware of what you have. So often, we are constantly not content as a result of the fact we are constantly wanting. We live in a world of instant gratification and can get almost anything we want with the simple click of a button. But, what happens when we can't get the thing we want? What do we do then? The world doesn't come to a stop when we're unhappy and start again once we're satisfied. That's not how it works. Our happiness and contentment isn't one of those things we can pull off a shelf whenever we need it. We need to search for it ourselves. Contentment is an easy thing to achieve if we know where to look. Notice how I said achieve. Contentment is the end goal, for the definition is a state of peaceful happiness. It's the state you're in. So how do we achieve contentment? It's when we find happiness in what we have. When you look around you and realize how blessed you are, are grateful for it, and are happy with your circumstances, then you reach contentment. We have been blessed in numerous ways, and will continue to be blessed. We just need to notice.

In the scripture above, Paul shares the secret of being content in every situation, whether he has plenty or is in want, he's figured it out. He was gracious enough to share this dazzling secret with me and you. The answer: I can do all things through him who gives me strength. That's it, that's the simple answer to the life long problem of finding contentment. When you're in want, think of him who gives you strength. When your jealous, think of him who gives you strength. When you don't know where your happiness comes from, think of him who gives you strength. Let this be your source for joy which will lead you to being content.

Especially through out this holiday season it's vital to find joy in what you have and in what you've been given. It's so easy to become wrapped up in wheat everyone else has and/or what they're doing. I'm guilty of such things. I see things I want and people I strive to be like, but I have to remind myself that's not my happiness, that's someone else's. Your happiness, Emma, comes from somewhere else. I need to find happiness in what I've been blessed with in order to live a content life. Your holiday season will be more simplified when you find contentment in the things given to you, and the things you've been blessed with. I promise. This week, I encourage you to live in a state of peaceful happiness.

XOXO- Em

Disciples

Hey Friends,

        Sorry I missed last week and this Thursday too, With Thanksgiving, birthdays, and Christmas decorating it can get a little chaotic. I'm super excited about the holidays and everything they include. This year, as a family we are going to really embrace the holiday season by baking, decorating, traveling, and becoming more centered on the reason for the season. 

--So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.-- James 2:17

        This verse is a wonderful verse to live by. It is a daily reminder and motivation for me. There are so many reasons I love being a Christ follower. There are the obvious reasons: eternal life, God consistently answering prayers, baptism, and God's promises made to me. But there is one aspect of being a Christ follower that I love most of all: serving. Serving is something that fills me up every time whether it's helping my mom with chores or going on a mission trip with my church. The reason I love serving so much is because of the result: all glory goes to God which leads to enhancing the kingdom of Heaven. I love the outcome of serving, because when I look back at it I realize that God is using me to enhance the kingdom. That blows my mind. With the little things I do and with the right motive I am directing more people to Jesus and showing more of Jesus through me. I do not serve for selfish reasons and to let everyone know what I just did. That is not serving. When I serve, I strive to have a cheerful heart and a servant's heart in all I do. 

        When you serve, you should do so with a cheerful heart. A cheerful heart is one that does things for the kingdom with a willingness and an eagerness that displays cheerfulness. We are called to act as Jesus did and I'm pretty positive Jesus did things with a cheerful heart.  (2 Corinthians 9:7)  Serving with a servant's heart ties back into that whole willing to serve aspect. A servant is someone who serves someone in higher authority. The person in authority often directs the servant in what to do, and the servant should do whatever he/she is told. We are the servant and Jesus is our person in authority over us. When we were baptized we accepted Jesus as our LORD and handed him the reigns of our lives. Jesus calls us to serve him and others, and when we obey we should do such things with a servant's heart, a willing heart. 

         During my summer camp, I really felt God's presence for the first time. I knew exactly what he was calling me to do. I think right then and there I was getting a glimpse at God's purpose for me. He was calling me to be more of an active disciple. He was calling out for me to serve more and I answered with obedience and patience. I felt the spirit alive in me and acted upon it. That week God created a passion within me that I would never lose. From then on I've gotten more involved within my church and looked at the way I serve in a different way. I want to serve in such a way that people know I do it with a cheerful heart and do it willingly. I don't serve for attention but rather for the glory of God. 

         My church, C.C.V, is joined with an organization called 1Mission. They find families in need of shelter and build a house for them. But they don't just build it and leave. The families get involved in the process: they put up their brand new door, they help put on a roof to a house they never thought of having. They are all about community, helping it and being apart of it, and bringing Jesus into it all too. We all may not speak the same language, but our purpose is easily communicated throughout the mission trip. Recently I got to go on one of these fabulous mission trips with 1Mission and C.C.V. Our high school program went down to Rocky Point, Mexico to build a house in three days. This whole trip moved me in way I knew I needed to be moved. I may have not started with a cheerful heart, but I redirected my motives and mindset, and started working from a selfless point of view. God was using me to change this family's life and show them the power of our Savior. I think I saw how powerful he really is throughout that weekend too.

         Serving is as big of a part of being a Christian as saying "I believe in Jesus." We have faith but we need to increase our deeds. We are not saved by works, but we have a faith that works. The only way it'll work is if we put it into action. So this week I challenge you to begin to serve more with a cheerful heart and a servant's heart, which will result in a more active faith. 

 XOXO- Em

P.S. I promise there will be more frequent posts to come :)